travelswithalice

February 20, 2007

EGYPT

Okay, so the Nile Hilton doesn’t have free wi-fi access in the lobby. Never mind, we’re getting free cappuccino and doughnuts while waiting for our room. A riverside room. That should be nice.

It’s nearly eight o’clock, Monday morning. We landed in Cairo at six thirty and were whizzed through immigrations and customs by the hotel rep who met us right off the plane- our bags had come out in no time at all. The taxi ride to the hotel took about 45 minutes including a brief stop at the petrol station.

My first view of Cairo. The major impression is of dust. Most vehicles seem caked in mud and loosely covered in dust. Buildings are the color of dust.

That riverside room was a bad idea.

Of New York it's often said that the city never sleeps. That's a really good thing because there you can find something to do or eat any time, day or night.

Well, on the drive from the airport, our driver proudly declared that Cairo never sleeps. I soon discovered that to be not a good thing.

On the eve of our 4 a.m flight to Luxor, I realized that Cairo doesn't let anybody sleep! From the street, from the river, from the boats and the restaurants, there were traffic noises, loud voices, and hysterical music throughout the night.

Desperate for just a few moments of sleep- I didn't want to doze off in the temple at Abu Simbel, I contrived to sleep with my right ear jammed tight into my pillow. The other ear was securely plugged by my left index finger. It wasn't the most comfortable position but it worked.

I'm getting ahead of myself though; that's not until day 3.

Back to day 1. First stop was the Cairo Museum to get the lay of the land of the pharaohs. The death mask of Tutankhamun and the incredibly beautiful bust of Nefertiti are reason enough to secure the museum top billing in the fiercely competitive arena of collected antiquities.

After lunch, the pyramids at Giza. My face and hands smarted from the cold wind and I just got chased by a camel, but as I stood at the foot of that awesome remnant of ancient civilization, I was on top of the world.