Egypt

My incredible journey to Egypt took me back in time thousands of years, exploring inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, floating down the Nile River, visiting the fascinating city of Luxor, and going inside King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

GETTING THERE

Egypt is on the northern part of the African continent, with the Mediterrean Sea at the top of the country, and the Nile River, the longest river in the world, running through it.

Most travelers fly into Egypt's main international airport in the capital of Cairo CAI, on direct flights from around Europe and the Middle East. From there, visitors can take a fast inexpensive domestic flight deeper into Egypt, to Luxor LXR, or they can cruise down the Nile to Luxor.

AMAZING EXCURSIONS

Cairo was a busy metropolis with high-rises, big name hotels, historic buildings, lively traditional bazaars and fragrant perfumeries, some of which supplied flower essences to the world's most expensive brands. I curated a fragrance of my own, with oils from Egyptian Rose and Jasmine, and had it stored in a small traditional glass container with a cork top.

The mighty Nile River split in Cairo, creating different forks around several islands, and the feeling of being surrounded by water. As soon as I arrived, I went to the very top of my high-rise hotel to try to see the pyramids on the southern outskirts of the city, and sure enough, I could see them protruding from the desert.

I took a spectacular ride to see the pyramids up close, going on a camel to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest pyramid, and the most iconic, was the Great Pyramid of Giza. it was surrounded by a half dozen other pyramids of varying sizes, all created with solid white/beige limestone blocks. The Great Sphinx was just a short walk away from the pyramids, it had a head which looked like a human pharaoh and the body of the lion, resting with its front legs forward.

I went inside the Great Pyramid, first climbing up the outside weathered steps of the pyramid, then climbing down a narrow shaft with a wooden walkway inside the big pyramid. There was the King's Chamber which had a granite sarcophagus, a Queen's Chamber which was made of limestone, and the Grand Gallery which had narrow stone walls and a high ceiling. I did not see any hieroglyphs inside, my guide said it was because they hadn't been invented 4500 years ago when this pyramid was made.

I flew from Cairo down to Luxor, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thee city on the west bank of the Nile was built around the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes. I explored the stunning Luxor Temple, with its sheer straight walls of sandstone and it's tall Obelisk, with detailed hieroglyphs etched on all four sides.

I drove to the other side of the Nile River, to the east bank, past tall limestone cliffs, deep, deep, back into the Valley of Kings. It contained dozens of tombs, but most famously the tomb of King Tutankhamun, aka King Tut. I walked down a narrow staircase into a limestone cave with smooth walls. The burial chamber was decorated with time worn paintings on the walls, some of them hieroglyphs with animals, and some of them images of people. The paintings showed the young Pharaoh meeting with different Gods, and also 12 baboons, representing the 12 hours of night. Most surprisingly, inside the tomb was King Tut's small sarcophagus and his well-preserved mummy!

My journey to Egypt was a once in a lifetime trip! The camel ride to see the pyramids and the expedition to King Tut's tomb were awe-inspiring experiences never to be forgotten.