I had some extra days from leaving Italy before I had to meet some friends in Amsterdam, so I booked a short trip to Egypt to see some of the highlights they have to offer. I flew into Sharm el Sheikh on Tuesday where I had a four-hour layover. When you first arrive, everyone is shuttled in to either show or get your passport visa. I had to purchase mine which is much simpler than trying to get it beforehand. It’s around $30, you fill out a form and pay and they put a big sticker on the back of your passport. The arrivals and departures halls also are not connected, so since I had some time and had to leave the building anyways, I went to some sort of outdoor cafe across the street to get some water since it’s highly discouraged to drink from the tap in most of Africa.
I went through security again, they took my dry shampoo and hairspray, which I’m not sure if you’re allowed to have in other countries, but I hadn’t had a problem before so that was slightly upsetting but oh well, I digress. I finally made it to Cairo only to find out my hostel didn’t get my email about needing transportation from the airport. I ended up sitting at the arrivals hall for almost two hours waiting for a shuttle service since the taxis can be unreliable at times for tourists and I didn’t feel like risking it after the day I’d had. I made it to the hostel and tried to check in – only to find out it was the wrong hostel. I did end up finding the right one though, and went straight to bed – the moral of the story here is to make sure your accommodation-provided transportation is arranged before arrival to avoid these hiccups.
On Wednesday I woke up and got ready for my tour! It ended up being a private tour so I was by myself, which I didn’t realize when I booked but it ended up being fine. We went to the Giza Pyramids first, and a couple different spots around them to see from different vantage points. Next was the Sphinx. On our way to the next stop, which was the “City of Memph” we stopped at a couple shops. At one I learned how to make paper from a plant and they had tons of art pieces on that same paper. Next was an essential oil shop which I loved. I ended up caving and bought two vials for about $60 – I had to play hard to get for a little while to get that price though. I got Lotus Flower, a really good one to use almost like a perfume, and Royal Amber, which also smells really good but can be used for headaches and arthritis.
Memph is a place with a lot of rich history also. My guide was extremely knowledgeable about everything – she even went to school for Egyptology. She showed me around all of the statues and told me about how everything came to be and its importance. Afterwards, we headed to Sakkara, hich I still don’t really understand what it is, but there were some more pyramids, underground temples, and other artifacts. I got to go inside a lot there and saw all the hieroglyphs and learned about how North and South Egypt were united. After a long day of seeing all this and really soaking up the fact that I was literally walking in the same desert sand Ancient Egyptians walked on, my guide took me to lunch where I got to try several traditional dishes.
I felt slightly awkward as my trip fell during Ramadan, so almost no one around me was eating while the sun was up. Outside of this meal that was provided for me during the tour, it was difficult to find food anywhere. Everything I got to try was amazing though. Once back at the hostel I asked the manager if he had any recommendations for dinner or if there was a grocery nearby. He offered to order me some food with his, he seemed so excited and insisted I didn’t need to pay so I graciously accepted but we had to wait about an hour for the sun to set before he could break fast so I layed in the common area to read while I waited. The dinner was a concoction of pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and fried onion in a bowl. I was instructed to pour a tomato sauce and a vinegar mixture over the top and it was so delectable. The meal also came with rice pudding for dessert and red juice.
After dinner, we had some Egyptian tea and he and his friend tried to teach me some words in Arabic. They said my accent was ‘so cute’ and I didn’t know how to react to that so I finished my tea and excused myself. I headed to shower and get ready for bed. I had to get up around one in the morning to catch my ride back to the airport. My trip was so short lived and yet jam packed with exciting adventures. I hope to go back soon, probably not alone this time, but there is so much more I want to explore around Cairo – more than just the ancient aspects.
