Egypt -Aswan, Cairo 2019

Sep 24

Written By Danae B

We started the 6th Day at 4 am! (wait, what?!) Yes, we started our day at 4 am because we were going to Abu Simbel and we wanted to see the dawn there. The travel by bus was long, so I spent some time sleeping on the bus. A couple of minutes later than when we arrived, the dawn started. It's a really beautiful experience to watch how the sculptures get light from the sun, so I highly recommend arriving on the earlier tour you can. Inside you can see how some of the hieroglyphs still have color. Pharaoh Ramses II commissioned Abu Simbel to be made in honor of him and his wife.

After that, we were ready to go to Philae Temple. This Temple was made in honor of the Isis Goddess and it's considered the jewel of the Nile. I still find it incredible how they made these big temples and even write hieroglyphs on the sealing. Inside it's colder than outside and some of the hieroglyphs are damaged because, before the temples were considered important for the culture, some Romans and Catholics went there to hide or sleep, so you can find some crosses in the walls that they did when they took refuge inside the temples.

After that, we took a boat ride on the Nile. We stopped for a moment on a shore so we could swim on the Nile and enjoy the Beach a little. Then we went to visit a town so we could see how they live. One couple received us and showed us their home, also, the woman did henna tattoos and offered us to have one (of course I accepted). Something that impressed me was that some of them have crocodiles as a pet.

To finish that day, we went to see a school, we could enter and see the rooms where the kids study and where they play. Outside the buildings, they have water taps so they can wash their feet before entering to their Mosques. It's part of the religion (Muslim).

We passed the night aboard the cruise because the next day we were going back to El Cairo, why? Well, we still had to go to Alexandria Library and the Kom El Shukafa Catacombs.

They usually keep the crocodiles’ mouths tied when they are taken out from their cages, so that they do not bite people

We spend the morning of Day 7th traveling and in the afternoon we went to the Museum of El Cairo, where you can find the tomb of Tutankhamun and even see some mommies, it's really interesting and you are going to see things that you are not able to see in other places, if you travel to Egypt, take a day to visit the Museum.

It's Day 8! And last day to enjoy Egypt, tomorrow we are traveling back home. We took a bus in the morning to visit the Catacombs, an unmissable experience. You have a lot to see, it's a really big place, and inside, the hieroglyphs are in very good condition, you can see clearly the figures they made. It's impressive to enter and see from the inside, how death was important to them. After that, we visited the Keitbey Fortress, it's a really big place (well, it's a fortress, right?), you can walk inside and see how it was.

We also spent time in the mosque Abu Al-Abbas Al Mursi, which is one of the most important mosques in Alexandria, is a really big place. Women and men had to enter by different entrances, something that impressed me at first, but it's part of their culture, so we have to respect that.

Finally, we visited the Library of Alexandria, made in commemoration of the old one which was one of the most important libraries of the moment and it's said that the library burned down in a fire this losing many ancient books and knowledge. In any case, the new library has a lot of books in different languages, it has a place where you can study and even has art inside, I fell in love with that library.

The next day we said goodbye to Egypt and took the airplane. It's a wonderful experience with a lot of culture, you can learn a lot there at the same time you enjoy your trip!