February 2008
Cairo was the final stop of our two-week vacation which started in Europe, where we’d been to Rome, Venice and Monte Carlo. It was pretty clever planning I must say, to start and end the holiday in a place that’s steeped in history, a place which played a major role in the early days of civilization.
Our 6 days in Cairo included a day trip to Luxor. There is a lot to see, a lot to take in and to make sure we’re covering the right sights, and getting the proper sense of history, and what with the language barrier, we engaged the services of a personal guide for 2 days to take us around the ‘must-see’ in this city that’s an eclectic mish-mash of ancient, old and modern.
Very Old Stuff: Statues, Pyramids, More Statues
Our first stop was to the statue of Ramses II – the longest-serving pharaoh in Ancient Egypt, reigning from 1279 BC to 1213 BC. That works out to 66 years. Now back to the statue. This impressive structure was sculpted out of one gigantanormous block of limestone. One BIG block of limestone. The detailing was amazing to see with the naked eye, right down to the flex of the calf and the forearm.
The next stop didn’t impress me much. We went to a carpet workshop/school, where kids were weaving exotic handmade rugs. We were told that parents would rather send their kids to a carpet school rather than an academic school, so they would have a skill to fall back on. Education is free in Cairo, but not compulsory. And not many kids go to school, because the parents would rather have them work on the land with them.
After the carpet school we headed to Sakkara, where the main attraction was a tomb, also known as the Step Pyramid, which is the oldest among Egypt’s many pyramids.
And then after lunch, we went to the main attraction – The Great Pyramids of Giza. Wow! No words could do justice to this amazing piece of architecture, which left me spellbound. At that moment, I fully understood the concept of ‘Wonder of the World’. The main pyramid was shut, but we could enter the second pyramid. Not recommended if you’re claustrophobic. Since we were there in early February, the weather was cool, so it was not too stuffy in the confined space and walkway. It was eerie, but at the same time just so cool to be inside a pyramid. There was nothing in there, except for a sarcophagus.
From there, we went to a panoramic lookout point, where you get to see all three pyramids from one spot. Looking at the photos again, it looks surreal and some days I think it looks like something from outer space.
Then we went to see the Sphinx. Chipped in some places, but still a sight to behold. Historians say the Sphinx is carved out of a single ridge of stone 73 meters long and 20 meters high.
That wrapped up our first day of sightseeing. In addition to these historic places, the guide also took us to a perfume shop, a papyrus shop, a jewelry store and then there was that carpet school. We were a bit peeved about the retail addition to the sightseeing, as our main agenda was to take in the historic sights.
We spent the next couple of days on our own, then engaged the guide again for the museum, mosque and church tour.
Cairo Museum: AWESOME!
Went to the museum twice. That was how much I enjoyed being there! Plus, I wanted to view my favorite exhibits at a leisurely pace before we had to leave Cairo, not knowing if we’d ever make another trip back.
The Mummies Room is a must see. But not for the faint hearted. It spooked me out. But it’s not something you get to see in just any museum.
My favorite exhibits were in the section housing treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, the Boy King. We didn’t take any photos at the museum. But this link here offers a very good description of some of the pieces – Tutankhamun’s Treasures.
The other thing that took my breath away, was King Tutankhamun Ceremonial Chair which apparently depicts a love scene because Tutankhamun’s wife was applying oil on his chest. I found the image on this page – Highlights of Egypt.
Next stop, we went to The Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo. The stained glass was beautiful, and the cedar wood and ivory screens were just as breathtaking. We were also shown the crypt where the holy family stayed (in hiding) before they left Egypt.
From the church, we headed to the Mohammed Ali Mosque, housed in a citadel/fortress. From the site, you get an amazing panoramic view of Cairo and on a clear day, you can also see two out of the three Giza Pyramids. And I’ve found this cool link, that can transport you to the inside of the mosque. Check it out – Mohammed Ali Mosque – 3D Virtual Tour.
Next we went to Al-Rifa’i Mosque, which is also the resting place of many members of the Egyptian Royal Family, including the last king, King Farouk. The last Shah of Iran was also buried in this mosque, in 1980.
So that rounds up the historical part of the sightseeing in and around Cairo.
Souk & Coffee
Made several trips to the famous Khan El-Kalili Souk (Bazaar). On our first visit, in the late evening after dinner, we were very put off by the harassing and wolf-whistles from the very brazen young male shop owners. And there are a lot of them. But we decided to give it another go, and went back one afternoon. It was a different atmosphere! Shops had just opened, the owners were more laid-back, not too bothered about closing a sale that early in the day. And – it was not as crowded. Score!
We popped in at El-Fishawy for drinks, more than once. You gotta have the coffee. If you’re not in the mood for coffee, have the mint tea. If you’re not in the mood for any drink you MUST drop by, even if it’s just to capture the infectiously vibrant mood in this place, which has a non-stop buzz. And if you need another reason: El-Fishawy has been open since 1773!
But just be warned, El-Fishawy is at the heart of the bazaar, and you’ll be approached by shop owners hawking their wares. You gotta be firm when you’re turning them away, cos they’re persistent and will linger if they think there’s any slim chance you’re wavering.
Cairo Dining
We went to Abou El Sid on a recommendation, and loved the place from the moment we stepped into the dimly lit restaurant. Food was amazing, and we went back there again on our last day in Cairo.
The BF had lentil soup to start, followed by Koshari (local dish of pasta, rice and vegetable and/or beans with tomato sauce). I went with shrimp tagine. The food was so good, when we made our second visit, we both had the exact same thing. We’ve had lentil soup at just about every lunch or dinner in Cairo, and came to the conclusion that the one at Abou El Sid is the best we’ve had on the trip.
Our research led us to L’Aubergine, which has a vegetarian menu and so we decided to give it a shot. It turns out to be just one street away from Abou El Sid. The decor at L’Aubergine was really funky. And the food, was also good. I remember my aubergine moussaka to be very good. But the BF had Brie & hazelnut ravioli in Alfredo sauce and that was super yummy!
Went to dinner one night at the Khan El-Khalili Restaurant at the Souk, for Egyptian food. It has a pricey menu, but the food is well worth it. The restaurant is linked to the Naguib Mahfouz Cafe and we dropped in for a coffee and snack one afternoon while we were wandering around the Souk. The cafe is a tribute to the Nobel Laureate novelist. Naguib Mahfouz is the first Arabic writer to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1988.
Our cheapest meal in Cairo was at Felfela. The guide book called it a restaurant, but it’s more like a fast food joint. We stopped in for lentil soup and falafel burger. It was an experience, and you know you gotta try the food when it’s always crowded with the locals.
Sunset Nile Cruise
We went out on a boat for a couple of hours, with a picnic basket. It was a calming and refreshing boat ride, and a good idea to bundle up since it got cold and dark around six in the evening at that time of the year.
One More Thing…
There were several white-knuckle moments during the Cairo trip, they all had to do with cab rides. It’s a controlled chaos environment, the local drivers are constantly honking their horns, and they switch lanes without signaling. Makes for an exciting ride, but most times, we’re clutching the seats and holding our breaths for most of the journey. BF managed to capture one cab ride on video.
Getting to Cairo!
It was quite an adventure.
We were coming from Monte Carlo, so the itinerary started with a chopper to Nice and from there, a flight to Rome to get our connection to Cairo. But our Nice to Rome flight was delayed by 2 hours, and by the time we made it to the Egypt Air counter at Fumicino Airport 30 minutes before the scheduled take-off, check-in was shut. Alitalia was quick to deny all responsibility about the Nice to Rome delay, and told us there was nothing they could do, since our next flight was with a different carrier.
Thankfully, there was a flight to Sharm el Sheikh taking off in 2 hours, so we were booked on that flight, and from there we’ll take a domestic flight to Cairo. The ground manager at Egypt Air, Fumicino Airport had a letter for us to pass to the leader of the flight crew, to let him know we needed to be transfered to the domestic terminal ASAP upon arrival. When we landed at Sharm el Sheikh, we reminded him about the letter. He rushed us down the stairs, onto the waiting bus, and told the driver to head off, while all of the other passengers on that flight waited for another bus to pick them up!
As we had gotten our visas before the trip, we saved some time avoiding the on-arrival application process. The ground manager at Egypt Air in Sharm el Sheikh rushed us through immigration, and brought us to the domestic terminal. There, he gave rapid instructions to the counter staff, who moved over while the manager himself printed us our boarding passes, escorted us to the boarding area and told us we’ll be on the plane to Cairo in about 20 minutes.
It doesn’t end there.
We finally arrived in Cairo, and our airport transfer point person met us by the luggage belt. He was quick to apologize – saying the journey to the hotel would usually take 25 minutes. But that evening, it could take about an hour. That’s because Egypt had just won the Africa Cup of Nations, for the sixth time, and people are out celebrating.
So here’s our first image of Cairo as we were driven out of the airport – cars were whizzing by, people were jubilantly honking their horns, male and female passengers were sitting with half their bodies out of the cars, they were holding cans, which they would occasionally spray and set on fire. Many were waving the country’s flag, and they were cheering with pride. What a greeting! Most definitely made the ride to the hotel a festive one.
By the time we arrived at the Four Seasons, it was past midnight, we had spent a good 18 hours of the day chasing flights, and being on three different planes and one helicopter. The staff at the check-in counter took one look at our knackered faces and told us they’ll have someone take us to our room right away, and they’ll process our check-in the next day. Wow! I was ready to just sink into the floor, right in front of them, when I heard those kind, understanding words.
Getting to Cairo could have turned into a travel nightmare I’d never want to recall fondly, if at all. But the remarkably professional staff at Egypt Air and Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence made all the difference.
Always Pack Heels 