n the first day, we arrived at Cairo International Airport at 8:00 in the morning. When I was doing research for our trip, I had read about the brand-new Terminal 3, which opened at the airport in April 2009. Unfortunately, that new building is reserved for EgyptAir. We arrived at Terminal 2, but it was still pretty nice.
Cairo International Airport Terminal 3
We were hungry after the 14-hour flight, so we wanted to grab a quick breakfast before leaving for the hotel, just in case it took longer than expected. We went to Café Ritazza, where we had chicken sandwiches and fruit juice. The food was OK, but nothing special and a little expensive.
Caffé Ritazza at Cairo International Airport
Before sightseeing, we wanted to check into the hotel and drop off our bags. Our hotel, the Conrad, was only 20 km from the airport, which normally takes about 45 minutes due to Cairo’s bad traffic. However, as the driver kept making his way through a maze of streets, we started to suspect that something was wrong. Byungju thought that our driver was lost, but I believed he was trying to rip us off. Anyway, after a full hour and a half, we finally arrived at the hotel. It was a relief that we picked such a nice location to stay. The Conrad overlooks the River Nile and is close to the major attractions we planned to see on our first day in Egypt. We each checked into our individual rooms, and we were pleased to see that we were all on the same floor with great river views.
Exterior and room interior views of the Conrad Hotel Cairo
We were so tired after the 14-hour flight, but we knew that with such a short time in the country, we couldn’t afford to sleep. We had to push forward and make the best use of our day. Oryun suggested we allow ourselves an hour to settle in and unpack, and maybe get some rest. I knew that if I lay down on the bed, I would fall asleep right away, so I just unpacked and took a quick shower. When I had changed my clothes, I took a moment to look out the window to the River Nile. I was so thrilled to finally get a chance to see this historic river with my own eyes. The longest river in the world, this was the site of one of the earliest major civilizations. Though the Nile is now flanked with large buildings on both sides, for a moment I could imagine how the ancient Egyptians might have seen it. I had to admit that it was much more impressive than the Han River.
We would soon see the river close up. By 12:15, we were already on a felucca, a traditional sailboat that the Egyptians use to navigate the Nile. This was a sightseeing cruise that would allow us to get oriented to the layout of the city. The tour guide told us about how the flooded river made the soil around it very fertile, allowing ancient Egypt to sustain a stable population. The Egyptians even had a god, Hapy, who they believed was in charge of flooding the river.
The Nile River through Cairo, and a felucca
After the cruise, we went back to the hotel. Although Oryun wanted to go experience a traditional market for lunch, the other three suggested that since we needed to leave enough time to see the sights around the Pyramids, we should just eat a quick lunch at the hotel restaurant. Interestingly, the restaurant was called Felucca Café, after the kind of boat we had just taken down the river. We enjoyed the elegant atmosphere, and the food was delicious.
Felucca Café at the Conrad.
At 2:30, we took a taxi to Giza. This time, the driver was much better. Within an hour, we were at the foot of the Pyramids. I didn’t realize that these ancient monuments were so close to bustling Cairo. In fact, there was even a Pizza Hut restaurant almost directly across from them (YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5bqxONkns8). Still, this didn’t spoil the atmosphere. Once you are next to the Pyramids and the Sphinx, it is as if you are in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu (the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is the largest, followed by the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Sphinx, just to the east, faces the rising sun and guards the pyramids, which were used as tombs for Egyptian kings.
The Giza Pyramids
The Great Sphinx
The Pyramids are massive, and as I looked up at the Great Pyramid I remembered that our guidebook said that it was the largest and tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,000 years. But I was even more impressed by the Sphinx, which is so well preserved. The lion paws are very long and must have intimidated anyone who thought of stealing objects from the tombs. First, we went inside the Pyramids to see some of the tomb chambers. It was dark and humid inside, and for long stretches I had to lean over to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling. When we finally arrived in the tomb, it was just a room, since the objects are now all in museums. Still, it was interesting to see how the inner chambers were constructed. I would not want to be one of the workers responsible for carrying the king’s mummy all the way inside!
Uijung wanted to take a camel ride around the Pyramids, and we all agreed that it was a good idea. I was a little afraid of the camel spitting, but my camel turned out to be well-behaved.
Camels near the Pyramids
By 6:30, we were ready for dinner. While researching for our trip, I had found out about the excellent restaurant Abou al-Sid in the Zamalek neighborhood. It looked like a great place for authentic Egyptian food. We took a taxi there and we were not disappointed. The atmosphere was very different from any other restaurant I have visited. It had an exotic, old-world ambience.
Abou al-Sid’s website shows several views of the lavishly decorated interior.
We returned to the hotel by 9:00, and took a short rest in our rooms. Uijung and Byungju wanted to go to the bar. Although Oryun and I were a little reluctant at first, we decided to join them. Oryun doesn’t drink, so she just had some non-alcoholic cocktails. For about an hour and a half, we mingled with other hotel guests at Jayda, the hotel bar that serves Lebanese food. Since Egypt is a Muslim country, it doesn’t have much of a drinking culture, but the hotel bar was full with tourists from all corners of the globe. We chatted with a couple from America and some students from Germany.
We came back to the room at 11:30, ready to leave for Dahab. Oryun was our designated driver. We picked up our rental car at 12:00 and were on our way to the Red Sea for scuba diving the next morning.
We were hungry after the 14-hour flight, so we wanted to grab a quick breakfast before leaving for the hotel, just in case it took longer than expected. We went to Café Ritazza, where we had chicken sandwiches and fruit juice. The food was OK, but nothing special and a little expensive.
Caffé Ritazza at Cairo International Airport
Before sightseeing, we wanted to check into the hotel and drop off our bags. Our hotel, the Conrad, was only 20 km from the airport, which normally takes about 45 minutes due to Cairo’s bad traffic. However, as the driver kept making his way through a maze of streets, we started to suspect that something was wrong. Byungju thought that our driver was lost, but I believed he was trying to rip us off. Anyway, after a full hour and a half, we finally arrived at the hotel. It was a relief that we picked such a nice location to stay. The Conrad overlooks the River Nile and is close to the major attractions we planned to see on our first day in Egypt. We each checked into our individual rooms, and we were pleased to see that we were all on the same floor with great river views.
Exterior and room interior views of the Conrad Hotel Cairo
We were so tired after the 14-hour flight, but we knew that with such a short time in the country, we couldn’t afford to sleep. We had to push forward and make the best use of our day. Oryun suggested we allow ourselves an hour to settle in and unpack, and maybe get some rest. I knew that if I lay down on the bed, I would fall asleep right away, so I just unpacked and took a quick shower. When I had changed my clothes, I took a moment to look out the window to the River Nile. I was so thrilled to finally get a chance to see this historic river with my own eyes. The longest river in the world, this was the site of one of the earliest major civilizations. Though the Nile is now flanked with large buildings on both sides, for a moment I could imagine how the ancient Egyptians might have seen it. I had to admit that it was much more impressive than the Han River.
We would soon see the river close up. By 12:15, we were already on a felucca, a traditional sailboat that the Egyptians use to navigate the Nile. This was a sightseeing cruise that would allow us to get oriented to the layout of the city. The tour guide told us about how the flooded river made the soil around it very fertile, allowing ancient Egypt to sustain a stable population. The Egyptians even had a god, Hapy, who they believed was in charge of flooding the river.
The Nile River through Cairo, and a felucca
After the cruise, we went back to the hotel. Although Oryun wanted to go experience a traditional market for lunch, the other three suggested that since we needed to leave enough time to see the sights around the Pyramids, we should just eat a quick lunch at the hotel restaurant. Interestingly, the restaurant was called Felucca Café, after the kind of boat we had just taken down the river. We enjoyed the elegant atmosphere, and the food was delicious.
Felucca Café at the Conrad.
At 2:30, we took a taxi to Giza. This time, the driver was much better. Within an hour, we were at the foot of the Pyramids. I didn’t realize that these ancient monuments were so close to bustling Cairo. In fact, there was even a Pizza Hut restaurant almost directly across from them (YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5bqxONkns8). Still, this didn’t spoil the atmosphere. Once you are next to the Pyramids and the Sphinx, it is as if you are in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu (the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is the largest, followed by the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Sphinx, just to the east, faces the rising sun and guards the pyramids, which were used as tombs for Egyptian kings.
The Giza Pyramids
The Great Sphinx
The Pyramids are massive, and as I looked up at the Great Pyramid I remembered that our guidebook said that it was the largest and tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,000 years. But I was even more impressed by the Sphinx, which is so well preserved. The lion paws are very long and must have intimidated anyone who thought of stealing objects from the tombs. First, we went inside the Pyramids to see some of the tomb chambers. It was dark and humid inside, and for long stretches I had to lean over to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling. When we finally arrived in the tomb, it was just a room, since the objects are now all in museums. Still, it was interesting to see how the inner chambers were constructed. I would not want to be one of the workers responsible for carrying the king’s mummy all the way inside!
Uijung wanted to take a camel ride around the Pyramids, and we all agreed that it was a good idea. I was a little afraid of the camel spitting, but my camel turned out to be well-behaved.
Camels near the Pyramids
By 6:30, we were ready for dinner. While researching for our trip, I had found out about the excellent restaurant Abou al-Sid in the Zamalek neighborhood. It looked like a great place for authentic Egyptian food. We took a taxi there and we were not disappointed. The atmosphere was very different from any other restaurant I have visited. It had an exotic, old-world ambience.
Abou al-Sid’s website shows several views of the lavishly decorated interior.
We returned to the hotel by 9:00, and took a short rest in our rooms. Uijung and Byungju wanted to go to the bar. Although Oryun and I were a little reluctant at first, we decided to join them. Oryun doesn’t drink, so she just had some non-alcoholic cocktails. For about an hour and a half, we mingled with other hotel guests at Jayda, the hotel bar that serves Lebanese food. Since Egypt is a Muslim country, it doesn’t have much of a drinking culture, but the hotel bar was full with tourists from all corners of the globe. We chatted with a couple from America and some students from Germany.
We came back to the room at 11:30, ready to leave for Dahab. Oryun was our designated driver. We picked up our rental car at 12:00 and were on our way to the Red Sea for scuba diving the next morning.
Day 2
We left Cairo for Dahab, with Oryun driving. We had already reserved a diving tour at the Club Red diving center. When we arrived at about 6 a.m., we were all very tired and decided to rest for a few hours. After breakfast, we traveled to Blue Hall by camel. The Club Red staff gave a short talk to introduce their program, then we started to practice basic diving techniques. Byungju was more experienced in diving than the others, so at first I was worried that it would be hard to catch up to him. But the training was easier than I expected. By the time we finished, it was 12 p.m., so we ate lunch.
Lunch was good but there wasn’t enough food for all of us. We decided to split the group in two. Byungju and I chose the deep course (End of the Road Reef), while the others chose the course called The Bells. My course was on an offshore submerged island, covered with coral and with great diversity of sea life. After the dive, Oryun wanted to do some windsurfing, but none of us were experienced in that sport, so we did not join her and just watched from the beach. Three women tourists approached us and asked if we wanted to go for a swim. After that was done, we were hungry, so we all came back to land and cooked up some of the fish we caught on the dive. At night, we went to a club called Aladdin, recommended by the dive instructor. The atmosphere was a little strange and the cover charge was expensive. We didn’t stay long and went to the market to buy some souvenirs. I got some tea for my parents. Byungju drove the car on the next leg of the trip.
Day 3
Next, we were headed to Luxor, the site of an ancient capital of Egypt. We were so tired that we fell asleep right away. But some of us had to wake up because the trip was so long that we had to drive in shifts. Finally, we arrived at Hotel Mercure in Luxor at about 6:00 a.m. I ignored the rude staff and went to my room. We were planning just a short nap, but none of us woke up on time. When we finally gathered to leave the hotel, we headed for Luxor Temple. It was very close to our hotel. We walked up to the temple’s large pylon and saw the ruins of the Alley of Sphinxes, which originally led all the way to the temple of Amun in Karnak. I was really impressed by the large obelisk. Our guidebook said that there were originally two, but one of them was now in France. After the temple, we moved to the Mummy Museum, which was underground. It was kind of creepy, with preserved organs and even some animal mummies.
For lunch, we tried to go to the Egyptian fusion restaurant 1896, but the bouncer wouldn’t let us in because we weren’t dressed up. We settled for McDonalds. We could have had this food anywhere in the world, so it seemed silly to eat there in Egypt, but we were so hungry already that we didn’t want to look for another place. Luckily, we met Michael, an Australian tourist who recommended that we try “Love Balloon Rides.” We chose a course in a smaller basket, flying high and close to the temple of Karnak. I appreciated Michael’s advice, since it was a great way to see the city. After getting out of the balloon, we saw the Karnak temple from the ground, and by then it was getting dark. We saw the sound and light show, but I thought it wasn’t as good as the one at the Pyramids. Dinner was at the English restaurant Lantern. It was a big improvement from our fast-food lunch. It was time to head back to Cairo.
Day 4
We arrived in Cairo at 5:30 a.m. and returned to our first hotel. After nearly three days of sleeping in the car, we were so tired. Originally we had planned to visit some more places outside of Cairo, but the capital was so interesting that I argued we should stay in the area. The first day, we had already seen the big sights, so we tried to get a better sense of how Egyptians live in this huge city. Uijung said he really missed Korean food. Luckily we found a Korean restaurant, Gu Ryong Gwan. I didn’t have such high expectations for the food, but it was actually quite good. We went back to the hotel to rest until 10:30. On the way, we heard the call to prayer, and saw people on the street start praying suddenly.
At 10:50, we visited the Cairo Museum. It was so large that it was impossible to see the whole thing in just one day. I was happy that I had done some reading about Egyptian history on the plane, so I could understand some of the context for these impressive antiquities. Some areas of the museum were not that well protected, with cases that allowed tourists to touch the artifacts. I guess their collection was so huge that it was not possible to conserve everything equally, so the curators had to make decisions about what was most valuable. At 2:00 p.m., we left the museum for the Citadel fortress.
The Citadel had four mosques. We visited the newest one, Muhammad Ali Mosque. Oryun had to cover her hair in this holy place. The designs on the wall were beautiful. I felt that I started to appreciate the aesthetic of Muslim art, which does not allow depictions of humans. The view from the mosque was also spectacular. At 6:00, we went to Khan el-Khalili market to eat a dinner of roasted lamb and pigeon. It was all right but the waiter wanted to overcharge us and gave us a salad that we did not order. Afterwards, we went to a café to try a Shisha, the traditional water smoking pipe. I tried the lemon flavor, which was refreshing. We returned to the hotel on our way to the airport, to end a memorable but exhausting trip.
We left Cairo for Dahab, with Oryun driving. We had already reserved a diving tour at the Club Red diving center. When we arrived at about 6 a.m., we were all very tired and decided to rest for a few hours. After breakfast, we traveled to Blue Hall by camel. The Club Red staff gave a short talk to introduce their program, then we started to practice basic diving techniques. Byungju was more experienced in diving than the others, so at first I was worried that it would be hard to catch up to him. But the training was easier than I expected. By the time we finished, it was 12 p.m., so we ate lunch.
Lunch was good but there wasn’t enough food for all of us. We decided to split the group in two. Byungju and I chose the deep course (End of the Road Reef), while the others chose the course called The Bells. My course was on an offshore submerged island, covered with coral and with great diversity of sea life. After the dive, Oryun wanted to do some windsurfing, but none of us were experienced in that sport, so we did not join her and just watched from the beach. Three women tourists approached us and asked if we wanted to go for a swim. After that was done, we were hungry, so we all came back to land and cooked up some of the fish we caught on the dive. At night, we went to a club called Aladdin, recommended by the dive instructor. The atmosphere was a little strange and the cover charge was expensive. We didn’t stay long and went to the market to buy some souvenirs. I got some tea for my parents. Byungju drove the car on the next leg of the trip.
Day 3
Next, we were headed to Luxor, the site of an ancient capital of Egypt. We were so tired that we fell asleep right away. But some of us had to wake up because the trip was so long that we had to drive in shifts. Finally, we arrived at Hotel Mercure in Luxor at about 6:00 a.m. I ignored the rude staff and went to my room. We were planning just a short nap, but none of us woke up on time. When we finally gathered to leave the hotel, we headed for Luxor Temple. It was very close to our hotel. We walked up to the temple’s large pylon and saw the ruins of the Alley of Sphinxes, which originally led all the way to the temple of Amun in Karnak. I was really impressed by the large obelisk. Our guidebook said that there were originally two, but one of them was now in France. After the temple, we moved to the Mummy Museum, which was underground. It was kind of creepy, with preserved organs and even some animal mummies.
For lunch, we tried to go to the Egyptian fusion restaurant 1896, but the bouncer wouldn’t let us in because we weren’t dressed up. We settled for McDonalds. We could have had this food anywhere in the world, so it seemed silly to eat there in Egypt, but we were so hungry already that we didn’t want to look for another place. Luckily, we met Michael, an Australian tourist who recommended that we try “Love Balloon Rides.” We chose a course in a smaller basket, flying high and close to the temple of Karnak. I appreciated Michael’s advice, since it was a great way to see the city. After getting out of the balloon, we saw the Karnak temple from the ground, and by then it was getting dark. We saw the sound and light show, but I thought it wasn’t as good as the one at the Pyramids. Dinner was at the English restaurant Lantern. It was a big improvement from our fast-food lunch. It was time to head back to Cairo.
Day 4
We arrived in Cairo at 5:30 a.m. and returned to our first hotel. After nearly three days of sleeping in the car, we were so tired. Originally we had planned to visit some more places outside of Cairo, but the capital was so interesting that I argued we should stay in the area. The first day, we had already seen the big sights, so we tried to get a better sense of how Egyptians live in this huge city. Uijung said he really missed Korean food. Luckily we found a Korean restaurant, Gu Ryong Gwan. I didn’t have such high expectations for the food, but it was actually quite good. We went back to the hotel to rest until 10:30. On the way, we heard the call to prayer, and saw people on the street start praying suddenly.
At 10:50, we visited the Cairo Museum. It was so large that it was impossible to see the whole thing in just one day. I was happy that I had done some reading about Egyptian history on the plane, so I could understand some of the context for these impressive antiquities. Some areas of the museum were not that well protected, with cases that allowed tourists to touch the artifacts. I guess their collection was so huge that it was not possible to conserve everything equally, so the curators had to make decisions about what was most valuable. At 2:00 p.m., we left the museum for the Citadel fortress.
The Citadel had four mosques. We visited the newest one, Muhammad Ali Mosque. Oryun had to cover her hair in this holy place. The designs on the wall were beautiful. I felt that I started to appreciate the aesthetic of Muslim art, which does not allow depictions of humans. The view from the mosque was also spectacular. At 6:00, we went to Khan el-Khalili market to eat a dinner of roasted lamb and pigeon. It was all right but the waiter wanted to overcharge us and gave us a salad that we did not order. Afterwards, we went to a café to try a Shisha, the traditional water smoking pipe. I tried the lemon flavor, which was refreshing. We returned to the hotel on our way to the airport, to end a memorable but exhausting trip.
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