11th March 2004.
After months of anticipation & excitement the day had finally arrived. It was time for my first international holiday. We departed from Brisbane International at 3:00pm with a quick stop in transit at Singapore & then Dubai before touching down in the land of the Pharaohs.
We arrived into Cairo Egypt at 6:00am on Friday 12th March. After the long flight it was time to visit the men's room. The first door I opened was a squat toilet which I had never seen before and wasn't sure I wanted to try. After a quick side step to the next available western toilet we made our way through customs.
We had booked an 11 day "Pharaohs Tracks" tour through Imaginative Traveller & organised our transfer to make our jet lagged arrival much easier. We had 4 days in Cairo pre tour, before heading from Cairo to Aswan, then onto Luxor.
We stepped out of the airport & were suddenly hit in the face with an unfamiliar smell. It wasn't horrible, just a little unusual. We hopped into a 6 seater minivan where we sat face to face with other travellers visiting Egypt for the first time. As we began our journey into town, we were all shocked by the road rules, or lack there of. The cars flew along at any speed they saw fit vying for the best position on the road. Cars would try to beat buses & buses would try to beat trucks even if it meant someone would have to slam on the breaks at the last minute to avoid an accident. All the buildings were defunct of colour and most of them were unfinished, which I later found out helps them avoid paying tax as the house is not complete.
As we flew along I tried to take in everything I could see through the badly fitted purple curtains. At one stage I caught a glimpse of something that has stayed with me since the trip. Amongst the colourless buildings to the left there was a 3 meter drop off on the side of the road that gave way to what looked like a very overgrown park with exceptionally green grass. In the middle of the field stood an ancient statue of Ramses, which looked like it had been neglected for many years. The statue stood about 5 meters high and I couldn't help but think to myself, if this is what they don't care about or look after then what we're going to see must be absolutely breathtaking.
As our van darted down the shaded back alleyways we pulled up at a hotel to drop off a few people. This doesn't look that safe, I thought to myself. It was all dusty, dirty, dark & unfamiliar. I wasn't sure of what to expect from our hotel now that I had seen theirs. All of a sudden one of the other people in the van spoke up "God this makes me nervous, I hope ours is in a better area". Thank god it wasn't just me thinking this. I thought I must of been the only one with these thoughts as it was my first trip after all.
We arrived at our hotel called "The Salma Hotel". It was located in the middle of downtown Cairo, not far from the Egyptian Museum. We were all so tired but decided it would be best to go for a walk & do some sight seeing, instead of listening to our bodies & hitting the hay. We took to the road with our trusty guide book and tingly feet. I gave a big "hello" to the first man I saw, which just happened to be someone who didn't want to make friends. He was one of the many tourist police stationed on every corner. He sat behind an old wooden two seater school desk with his automatic weapon resting on top. We continued on down the road with some advice from my sister "shut up!" But I didn't pay to much attention to her as she was as unfamiliar with it all as I was.
After circling the block for about 20 minutes not knowing the right way, we decided it would be best if we caught a taxi from our hotel. "Right.... which way is the hotel?" We had no idea where we had walked and trying to walk back the same way didn't work. After another 20 minutes we managed to find it, before badly bartering a price for a taxi ride to the museum. We lined up at the entrance of the museum and within seconds we were hurried through by the friendly guards. The girls (sister Deb and girlfriend at the time Angela) walked straight through as they obviously presented no danger, but I on the other hand was frisked by an Egyptian man with bad teeth & an even worse breath.
As we entered the gates of the museum we were confronted by ancient statues and green gardens. Once inside it was just staggering the amount of artifacts that this building could hold. We were also told that there's more in the basement than they can fit on display. After a few hours of walking around taking photos we arrived at the much talked about Tutankhamen Room. He wasn't by any means a big Pharaoh nor did he rule for long, but the gold that was on display was still amazing. His tomb was the first in Egypt to be uncovered in the Vally of the Kings & shared with the world. It's very hard to explain how captivating it is to be staring at the 3300 year old Death Mask while thinking about Egypt's wonderful history. The only thing that I didn't like about the Egyptian museum is the lack of labels and descriptions on all the displays.
While we were in Cairo we visited the Museum twice, including the Mummy Room, where you can view the amazing preservation skills of the ancient Egyptians. Ramses II is on display here & he is so well preserved that you find yourself waiting for him to open his eyes. We also visited Cairo Tower which is a tall tower with a viewing deck and revolving restaurant at the top. The Egyptians built the Cairo Tower with money given to them by America. This is the place to be if your after the best view of Cairo, but it can get a little chilly at night time. It's also "the cool place" lovers go on dates to get a little romantic and cuddle while enjoying the view.
Another stop was the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in the world. We made our way here with a few other people from our tour. Bob, Leslie, Surge, Angela, Deb & myself all managed to squeeze into a very small Reno taxi. There were five of us in the back seat, which was only big enough for three, and Bob jumped in the passenger front. The ride was quick but very crammed, except for Bob who had more room than he would of liked, as he had to try and hold his door closed as it wouldn't latch.
There are two sides to the market. The tourist side and the locals side. As we waited to cross the road we were greeted by an Egyptian man who wanted to practice his English. He insisted that we go with him to see & experience the local side of the market & for some reason we all agreed. We followed him through the dusty winding streets & ended up in the back of a store that made hand made jewelery boxes with small intricate designs on them. We then followed him through what seemed like someones home & out into the market again. We were all feeling a little uneasy with our new found friend so we thanked him but decided it was time to make our way over to the other side. We weaved our way through the endless alleys on the tourist side looking at the impressive perfume jars and shisha pipes, not to mention the endless rows of gold and antique stores.
On a few afternoons we would make our way to the roof top of the Salma Hotel, where we would enjoy the view of the city and just talk to the rest of our group. It was on our second visit to the roof top that Deb said "Is that......... oh my god it's the pyramids". Between all the buildings and satellites we could see the Pyramids of Giza on the horizon. We were unable to see them the day before because of the time of day. On this day though we could see them quite easily as it was sunset and there was a shadow cast across half the Pyramid. Our first glimpse of these wonders of the world was from a roof top 20 minutes drive away. I thought to myself, wow if we can see them from here can you imagine how big they are.
The next day we all decided to catch a taxi out to see the oldest man made tourist attraction in the world. As we drove through the city it eventually gave way to the sight of the Pyramids. We were still 5 minutes away but from the sheer size it seemed as though we were right next to them. We got out of our taxi and paid our entrance fee. As we slowly made our way through the sellers, we just had to appreciate where we were and what we were seeing.
Everyone said it to me & it's true, nothing can prepare you for the size of these things. After walking around to capture every angle, we made our way into a few of the near by temples & then down the road to the Sphinx. What a shame that the Turkish soldiers used it for target practice during the war, blowing off the nose. We were told that every Pyramid has it's own sphinx which means there are more buried around here as they are believed to protect the Pyramids. It's astounding how close the city is to the Pyramids & Sphinx. Not more than 100 meters away, you can relax with some KFC while you take your photos.
On one of our last days in Cairo we took a trip out to visit some less touristy pyramids. The Step Pyramid, The Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. We all jumped at the chance to venture down & we got our chance to do so at the Red Pyramid. Unfortunately there is no labyrinth of alleys, trap doors or secret rooms. When you get to the bottom it's just a 3 by 9 meter room with an empty sarcophagus in the middle, but still worth the effort.
One of the last places we visited was the "Open Air Museum" at Memphis. As we entered the museum we were amazed by some of the stunning statues and the Sphinx that has been found in the area. The big draw card of Memphis is the colossal fallen statue of Ramses. Located in a single room by itself, it's one of the biggest statues ever found in Egypt.
Overnight Train - Cairo to Aswan
Part of the tour was to catch the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan. This was a great experience & I must say I was impressed. The train definitely wasn't luxury but I had been expecting the worse. We stayed in two person cabins which had two bunk beds, a sink and room to stretch. We all decided on an easy night and after a quick drink in the club car it was off to the room for dinner & a good sleep.
A few days before our train ride I said I would give anything for a steak with pepper sauce, & what do you think they severed us for dinner that night? Steak with pepper sauce! I wasn't sure if the trip could get any better. I sat my tasty little dinner roll to the side & prepared myself for the feast that lay ahead. I carved off the biggest slice & took a big bite into the juicy steak. "Oh my god, it's f*#king off ", I said as I spat that little sucker across the dinner plate. How is it that the Egyptians can preserve a human body for 5000 years but they can't keep a small piece of meat OK for a few days? I can still taste that steak today when I think about it. Needless to say all I had for dinner that night was the stale little dinner roll.
I must say though, I had one of the best sleeps ever on that train. It was just a gentle rocking back & forth with the repetitious click, click..........click, click...........click, click.
A few days before our train ride I said I would give anything for a steak with pepper sauce, & what do you think they severed us for dinner that night? Steak with pepper sauce! I wasn't sure if the trip could get any better. I sat my tasty little dinner roll to the side & prepared myself for the feast that lay ahead. I carved off the biggest slice & took a big bite into the juicy steak. "Oh my god, it's f*#king off ", I said as I spat that little sucker across the dinner plate. How is it that the Egyptians can preserve a human body for 5000 years but they can't keep a small piece of meat OK for a few days? I can still taste that steak today when I think about it. Needless to say all I had for dinner that night was the stale little dinner roll.
I must say though, I had one of the best sleeps ever on that train. It was just a gentle rocking back & forth with the repetitious click, click..........click, click...........click, click.
Aswan & Abu Simbel
We arrived into Aswan train station at about 6.00am. I personally felt great after my night sleep but most of the other people had trouble sleeping. As we left the station we all packed into a minivan & threw our luggage onto the roof. Our hotel was called the "Cleopatra Hotel". When we walked in I was quite impressed with it's marble floors, statues & waterfall all located in the foyer.
Not long after settling in with a shower & a bite to eat we were off to the Temple of Philea. It wasn't a long trip, only bout 15 minutes down the road. We arrived at a small concrete dock covered with hawkers & sellers. We jumped into our little boat under the belting sun & headed for the island. It was a lot hotter down in Aswan than up in Cairo. The Temple of Philea is one of the many temples that were moved when they built the High Dam in Aswan. The original island is now under water hence the move. After wandering around & hearing a few stories from our local guide we were back on the boat heading for dry land. This was the first large scale temple that I saw & a nice one to start with.
That afternoon the group decided to head out to the "Unfinished Obelisk" while I on the other hand decided it would be best if I did my "Unfinished Laundry". From what I heard there wasn't that much to see & I had already worn all my underwear inside out so I was out of options. As the group left we decided to wash our clothes before heading around the corner to wander through the bazaar. Just like all the markets in Egypt I was approached a few times and offered several camels for my girlfriend. They sold everything from fake alabaster jars to Viagra powder, which they really loved to push on any western man with a female friend nearby.
The evening was spent on the roof top of the hotel watching the sun set over the Nile while the Feluca's meandered their way along the river. This perspective also made for some interesting photographs of the well lit Bazaar.
The next day we woke at 3.00am to jump on the bus for Abu Simbel. I had decided before I got to Egypt that this would probably be one of the highlights & I must say, I wasn't wrong. After driving through nothing but desert for three & a half hours we had arrived. Abu Simbel is another temple that was moved due to the building of the Aswan High Dam. It's original location is now "swimming with the fishes" as they say.
As we walked around the man made mountain I was sure that I had hit the nail on the head with my prediction, it was amazing! The Ramses statues that line the entrance are the biggest ones they have found still intact. Four 45 meter statues sit on both sides of the narrow entry. As you walk through the entrance you can still see the remaining colour which gives you a good indication of what it must of looked like in all it's glory.
At the back of the temple sit four figures, Ramses, Amun Ra, Ra Horakhty & Ptah the God of Darkness. Twice a year, on 21 February, celebrating the Pharaoh's birthday and on 21 October celebrating the Pharaoh's coronation, sunlight reaches inside the temple, all the way to the inner sanctum and illuminates the Pharaoh and the two Gods next to him. The fourth God, Ptah the God of Darkness never gets touched by sunlight. A little spooky or a well built monument, you be the judge. After spending a few hours here checking out the other near by temples, we made our long journey back to Aswan were we relaxed for the evening.
Not long after settling in with a shower & a bite to eat we were off to the Temple of Philea. It wasn't a long trip, only bout 15 minutes down the road. We arrived at a small concrete dock covered with hawkers & sellers. We jumped into our little boat under the belting sun & headed for the island. It was a lot hotter down in Aswan than up in Cairo. The Temple of Philea is one of the many temples that were moved when they built the High Dam in Aswan. The original island is now under water hence the move. After wandering around & hearing a few stories from our local guide we were back on the boat heading for dry land. This was the first large scale temple that I saw & a nice one to start with.
That afternoon the group decided to head out to the "Unfinished Obelisk" while I on the other hand decided it would be best if I did my "Unfinished Laundry". From what I heard there wasn't that much to see & I had already worn all my underwear inside out so I was out of options. As the group left we decided to wash our clothes before heading around the corner to wander through the bazaar. Just like all the markets in Egypt I was approached a few times and offered several camels for my girlfriend. They sold everything from fake alabaster jars to Viagra powder, which they really loved to push on any western man with a female friend nearby.
The evening was spent on the roof top of the hotel watching the sun set over the Nile while the Feluca's meandered their way along the river. This perspective also made for some interesting photographs of the well lit Bazaar.
The next day we woke at 3.00am to jump on the bus for Abu Simbel. I had decided before I got to Egypt that this would probably be one of the highlights & I must say, I wasn't wrong. After driving through nothing but desert for three & a half hours we had arrived. Abu Simbel is another temple that was moved due to the building of the Aswan High Dam. It's original location is now "swimming with the fishes" as they say.
As we walked around the man made mountain I was sure that I had hit the nail on the head with my prediction, it was amazing! The Ramses statues that line the entrance are the biggest ones they have found still intact. Four 45 meter statues sit on both sides of the narrow entry. As you walk through the entrance you can still see the remaining colour which gives you a good indication of what it must of looked like in all it's glory.
At the back of the temple sit four figures, Ramses, Amun Ra, Ra Horakhty & Ptah the God of Darkness. Twice a year, on 21 February, celebrating the Pharaoh's birthday and on 21 October celebrating the Pharaoh's coronation, sunlight reaches inside the temple, all the way to the inner sanctum and illuminates the Pharaoh and the two Gods next to him. The fourth God, Ptah the God of Darkness never gets touched by sunlight. A little spooky or a well built monument, you be the judge. After spending a few hours here checking out the other near by temples, we made our long journey back to Aswan were we relaxed for the evening.
Edfu & Kom Ombo - On The Road
We left Aswan headed for Luxor, which was only about a 6 hour drive. We had a few scheduled stops along the way though before we would unpack our bags.
The first stop was Kom Ombo Temple. This place is unusual in the way that it is dedicated to two gods Sobek (The Crocodile God) & Horus (The Falcon Headed God). The temple is perfectly symmetrical with one side dedicated to each. There is still a lot colour to be seen here as well as some amazing balancing rocks. Some of the rocks on the roof top look as though they are ready to fall with little or no support at all. In a small room to the right of the temple you can see some mummified crocodiles. They say that back in the day of the Pharaohs the temple was surrounded with crocodiles which is where they mummified crocs came from.
Edfu was the next stop & this place was impressive. As we entered from the rear of the temple past the ticket booth, I was gob smacked with the size of this place. From the outside it looks like four big walls with hieroglyphics, but as you get along side of it & especially around the front, you can see this superb monument start to take shape. Within the walls are statues, a hypostlye hall and even different levels. The centre feature of this temple is a big court yard which would of been used or ceremonies by the priests.
Both these temples are well worth a stop on any visit to Egypt.
The first stop was Kom Ombo Temple. This place is unusual in the way that it is dedicated to two gods Sobek (The Crocodile God) & Horus (The Falcon Headed God). The temple is perfectly symmetrical with one side dedicated to each. There is still a lot colour to be seen here as well as some amazing balancing rocks. Some of the rocks on the roof top look as though they are ready to fall with little or no support at all. In a small room to the right of the temple you can see some mummified crocodiles. They say that back in the day of the Pharaohs the temple was surrounded with crocodiles which is where they mummified crocs came from.
Edfu was the next stop & this place was impressive. As we entered from the rear of the temple past the ticket booth, I was gob smacked with the size of this place. From the outside it looks like four big walls with hieroglyphics, but as you get along side of it & especially around the front, you can see this superb monument start to take shape. Within the walls are statues, a hypostlye hall and even different levels. The centre feature of this temple is a big court yard which would of been used or ceremonies by the priests.
Both these temples are well worth a stop on any visit to Egypt.
Luxor
Well what can I say about Luxor, except that it's my favourite place in Egypt.
The amount of history, monuments & temples here is unbelievable. I would have no problem spending a few weeks here that's for sure. The first place we checked out was Luxor Temple as it's located next door to most of the hotels. Amazing! Now let me just warn you in this Luxor section you will hear the word "amazing" mentioned quite a few times.
Luxor Temple is quite big & a definite must see for any one. The temple is surrounded once again by some statues of who else but Ramses. As you enter the temple it is broken up into quite a few court yards. Not too long ago in 1989 they found 26 New Kingdom statues hidden under the main court yard. These pristine statues are now on display at Luxor Museum. After our guide had showed us around & told us all the wonderful stories we were led outside & shown the "Ram Headed Sphinx. These line the entrance to the temple & in the old days they use to run a few kilometers down the road to join up to the magnificent Karnak Temple.
May favourite thing I saw in Egypt would have to be Karnak Temple. Not enough can be said about it. I knew this would also be one of my favourites before I got here based on what I had read. The first night we arrived into Luxor we headed to the Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple. This was possibly the best thing we could have done to build the excitement for this temple. It is the only sound & light show in Egypt were you get to walk through & not just sit on a seat. The light would light up just enough so you could make out the shapes & also enjoy the show. By the end of the night though, it had me well & truly excited for the visit the next day.
We rose quite early for breakfast then made our way down stairs to our waiting horse & carriage. We managed to arrive ahead of the crowd but it wasn't long before the tourist buses came flooding in. We heard a few stories from our guide before we were set of to explore by ourselves. The most amazing thing about this place would have to be the hypostlye hall in the middle. The pillars that use to support a roof are about 25 meters high & still have a little bit of colour showing on the underside.
The thing that makes Karnak so amazing is the sheer size of the place, it's 1.5 kilometers by 800 meters. Just inside the first courtyard is a statue of Ramses which is fully intact & looks amazing with the wall & palm trees behind it. I was determined to get the perfect shot of it & stood there for 20 minutes with no luck. That was until Peter from my trip set up his tripod for me & it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. The crowd just got out of the way & I took my shot. That photo now hangs in my lounge room, or at least it did when I had a home.
Another big one for us in Luxor was "The Valley of The Kings". We rose early once again for a drive across the Nile rive & then into the desert mountains. Along the way we stopped at the Colossi of Memnon, a pair of seated statues in a field that use to be a temple. It is said that some of the great conquerors of all time past by these statues & believed hey were haunted as they use to sing & speak. It is thought today that it would of just been the wind blowing between the rocks.
As you drive into the Valley of The Kings you pass a small but humble house on your right situated up on a slight hill. This was the home of the famous archaeologist Howard Carter, the man who discovered & shared King Tut's Tomb with the world. Once you purchase your ticket it entitles you to enter three tombs of your choice, except for one, Tut's. If you want to see this one you have to buy a separate admission ticket. When you enter a tomb, you usually have to make you way down some very steep stairs & then through a hallway. The colour on the wall's just takes your breath away. It's so hard to believe that they were painted up to 5000 years ago. All the hieroglyphic are covered by protective glass to stop ignorant idiots from fingering them. You can no longer take photo's because a lot of the people kept breaking the "NO FLASH" rule.
Whilst in Luxor we also visited the Mummie Museum which was good. Not as big as Cairo's museum but it does showcase everything the ancient Egyptian use to mummify including people, cats, birds, crocodiles & anything else that moved.
The amount of history, monuments & temples here is unbelievable. I would have no problem spending a few weeks here that's for sure. The first place we checked out was Luxor Temple as it's located next door to most of the hotels. Amazing! Now let me just warn you in this Luxor section you will hear the word "amazing" mentioned quite a few times.
Luxor Temple is quite big & a definite must see for any one. The temple is surrounded once again by some statues of who else but Ramses. As you enter the temple it is broken up into quite a few court yards. Not too long ago in 1989 they found 26 New Kingdom statues hidden under the main court yard. These pristine statues are now on display at Luxor Museum. After our guide had showed us around & told us all the wonderful stories we were led outside & shown the "Ram Headed Sphinx. These line the entrance to the temple & in the old days they use to run a few kilometers down the road to join up to the magnificent Karnak Temple.
May favourite thing I saw in Egypt would have to be Karnak Temple. Not enough can be said about it. I knew this would also be one of my favourites before I got here based on what I had read. The first night we arrived into Luxor we headed to the Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple. This was possibly the best thing we could have done to build the excitement for this temple. It is the only sound & light show in Egypt were you get to walk through & not just sit on a seat. The light would light up just enough so you could make out the shapes & also enjoy the show. By the end of the night though, it had me well & truly excited for the visit the next day.
We rose quite early for breakfast then made our way down stairs to our waiting horse & carriage. We managed to arrive ahead of the crowd but it wasn't long before the tourist buses came flooding in. We heard a few stories from our guide before we were set of to explore by ourselves. The most amazing thing about this place would have to be the hypostlye hall in the middle. The pillars that use to support a roof are about 25 meters high & still have a little bit of colour showing on the underside.
The thing that makes Karnak so amazing is the sheer size of the place, it's 1.5 kilometers by 800 meters. Just inside the first courtyard is a statue of Ramses which is fully intact & looks amazing with the wall & palm trees behind it. I was determined to get the perfect shot of it & stood there for 20 minutes with no luck. That was until Peter from my trip set up his tripod for me & it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. The crowd just got out of the way & I took my shot. That photo now hangs in my lounge room, or at least it did when I had a home.
Another big one for us in Luxor was "The Valley of The Kings". We rose early once again for a drive across the Nile rive & then into the desert mountains. Along the way we stopped at the Colossi of Memnon, a pair of seated statues in a field that use to be a temple. It is said that some of the great conquerors of all time past by these statues & believed hey were haunted as they use to sing & speak. It is thought today that it would of just been the wind blowing between the rocks.
As you drive into the Valley of The Kings you pass a small but humble house on your right situated up on a slight hill. This was the home of the famous archaeologist Howard Carter, the man who discovered & shared King Tut's Tomb with the world. Once you purchase your ticket it entitles you to enter three tombs of your choice, except for one, Tut's. If you want to see this one you have to buy a separate admission ticket. When you enter a tomb, you usually have to make you way down some very steep stairs & then through a hallway. The colour on the wall's just takes your breath away. It's so hard to believe that they were painted up to 5000 years ago. All the hieroglyphic are covered by protective glass to stop ignorant idiots from fingering them. You can no longer take photo's because a lot of the people kept breaking the "NO FLASH" rule.
Whilst in Luxor we also visited the Mummie Museum which was good. Not as big as Cairo's museum but it does showcase everything the ancient Egyptian use to mummify including people, cats, birds, crocodiles & anything else that moved.
Alexandria
From Luxor we headed back to Cairo on the overnight train. On our last day of the tour we all decided to head up to Alexandria for the day. We paid for our own minivan & hit the road nice and early. After the two hour journey we visited a few places including the Grecko-Roman Museum, Pompey's Pillar & the best falafal shop in the world. The highlight of the trip though would of been the Catacombs. It was like nothing else we saw in Egypt and the stories that went along with it had us all standing there with our jaws on the ground. The Catacombs are a series of burial chambers under the ground with art works and a labyrinth of rooms containing coffins, upon coffins, upon coffins. Well worth the trip that's for sure.
The next morning it was time for Deb to head back to Australia. So we jumped in the taxi & headed to the airport. It was a nice little drive but I wasn't able to see the Ramses statue that I had seen on arrival, I just couldn't find it. When we arrived at the airport we all got out of the taxi for the grand old hug goodbye. Our faithful taxi driver opened the boot just enough to get Deb's suitcase out but Deb wanted to give him a hand so she opened the boot a little more for him to make it easier. SMACK....... straight in the chin. Deb just clocked him sweet, I'm surprised he didn't drop to the ground out cold. Instead he had a smirk on his face that just said "let me do it you stupid western girl".
All in all, I was blown away by Egypt & the history, & I can say with out a doubt that I'll be back to this amazing country one day. We flew out on the 25th March 2004 to New York, New York.
The next morning it was time for Deb to head back to Australia. So we jumped in the taxi & headed to the airport. It was a nice little drive but I wasn't able to see the Ramses statue that I had seen on arrival, I just couldn't find it. When we arrived at the airport we all got out of the taxi for the grand old hug goodbye. Our faithful taxi driver opened the boot just enough to get Deb's suitcase out but Deb wanted to give him a hand so she opened the boot a little more for him to make it easier. SMACK....... straight in the chin. Deb just clocked him sweet, I'm surprised he didn't drop to the ground out cold. Instead he had a smirk on his face that just said "let me do it you stupid western girl".
All in all, I was blown away by Egypt & the history, & I can say with out a doubt that I'll be back to this amazing country one day. We flew out on the 25th March 2004 to New York, New York.
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