Egypt

Giza and Saqqara

In our words, 2020One of the oldest countries, and home to the ancient wonder of the world.

Our first night was in Giza, in a pyramid-view flat in Pyramids Gardens that Meenu booked on Airbnb.

On the plateau we looked out over the Sphinx to the Great Pyramid, and Meenu sat with the pyramids behind her. We also watched the sound and light show, when the pyramids lit up in gold, red and green against the night sky.

At Saqqara, Meenu danced in front of the Step Pyramid and walked through the colonnade of stone columns at its entrance. At Dahshur we saw the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid, whose sides change angle partway up. All along the way, the Nile kept the countryside green.

Luxor

In our words, 2019We had to wake up at 3:30 for the sunrise hot air balloon, and as a non-morning person I can confirm it was worth it!

A domestic flight took all of us south. A guide was waiting for our group at arrivals with a sign, and we all climbed into a minibus.

At Karnak we walked past an obelisk and the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, and stood by the sacred lake. We saw Luxor Temple after dark, when floodlights turn its columns gold and light up the giant seated statues at its gate.

Before sunrise on the West Bank, the burners flared as the balloons filled. Then we lifted off over green fields, villages and bare desert hills.

At the foot of those hills, Hatshepsut's temple rises in terraces against the cliffs. Meenu climbed the long ramp up to the row of tall statues. Our 2019 photo caption there read "Queens @ Queen's temple". We also went to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.

Nile cruise

In our words, 2019It was surreal floating and cruising through the world's longest river, the Nile.

Our boat was the Radamis II, white with blue stripes down its side. At the busy stops, cruise boats moor side by side along the bank.

The rooms were fantastic. Ours was on the ground floor, right at water level, with a huge panoramic window. Along the banks the fields were lush and green, with the desert just beyond.

Up on the roof deck there was a pool, sun-beds and a table-tennis table. We played as the sky turned pink, and watched the sunsets from up there.

We went full board, with breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. On the way we stopped at the temple of Kom Ombo, with its carved columns and a relief of Isis. One night in the lounge, a tanoura dancer spun his bright skirts and a belly dancer took the floor.

Aswan and Abu Simbel

In our words, 2019While we were catching up on sleep, the sun shone right through the desert and woke us up for a good few games of charades.

In Aswan we went to the High Dam. Beside it stands the Lotus Flower monument, which celebrates the Soviet Union's financial help in building the dam.

Boats ply back and forth to Philae, the island temple, and ours was a jolly ride. The temple's pillars were moved to the island and rebuilt there, and there was some local shopping too.

For Abu Simbel we left the boat at about 4 am. The road runs straight through the desert, with mirages ahead, and the journey took more than four hours. The Great Temple's seated giants are cut into the rock face. Beside it, the smaller temple is lined with standing statues. Inside, more statues line the hall.

On 21 December we flew back to Cairo.

Cairo

In our words, 2019The mummy room is definitely worth a visit.

The trip began and ended around Cairo. The Egyptian Museum is the red building with the flag flying out front. Inside we walked past gilded coffins, and held a 200-pound note up beside the seated scribe printed on it. The mummies of the most famous kings and queens had a room of their own. In 2021 they moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat.

We also went downtown to Cairo Tower, and looked through paintings on handmade papyrus.