Egypt

April 30th, 2009

So the pictures from my trip to Egypt are finally up here.

My favorite thing was cycling around Luxor for two days. It’s a great cycling destination because it’s flat, and while the congestion isn’t as bad as in Cairo it’s still loads of fun weaving in and out of traffic composed of cars, donkey carts, pedestrians, and carriages. You get a much better feel for things, can stop on a whim, and the other drivers are generally courteous because they’re used to many types of vehicles being on the road. (Polite honks when passing are standard.) It also meant complete independence from tour operators and drivers, a huge relief compared to the situation in Cairo.

On the second day we rode all the way from downtown Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, with the last leg an incredible ride up a mountain pass that was deathly silent when tour buses weren’t rumbling past. The way back was a beautiful downhill glide. In all seriousness, the best day ever.

The bikes themselves were pretty incredible: Chinese Forever Bikes, heavy steel cruisers that looked like they’d seen their fair share of action. Each had its own little quirks, and we became very attached to them. Now I have to find one in London.

Other awesome stuff about Egypt:

Street life, shopping, and eating happens almost all night. Wandering busy streets in the cool dark.
Food, food, food.
People asking about Obama.
Seeing the desert from the airplane.
Eons of graffiti.
Lots of military/security guys with scary guns.
Visiting a medieval mosque.
First glimpse of the Giza pyramids from between suburban apartment buildings in various states of growth and decay.
The Egyptian Museum, a rambling, dusty place that probably hasn’t changed since my dad visited in the 70s.
Amazing tomb paintings in the Valley of the Kings.
Kingfishers hunting along the Nile.
‘Security’ checkpoints where bags are not searched and a beeping metal detector means ‘go ahead.’
Royal mummies. And understanding why it’s controversial for hoards of under-dressed foreigners to be allowed in their presence.
Seriously, what is up with all the under-dressed tourists?
Finding out how scary camels are.
Being completely alone in the crumbling Temple of Seti I.
Traveling through the countryside, seeing agricultural practices that haven’t changed much in thousands of years.
Karnak.
Shocked looks on the faces of people in tour buses as they passed us on our bikes in the Valley of the Kings.
Being called ‘Spice Girls’ more than once.
Seeing Hapshepshut’s mummy and temple.
Learning Egyptian Arabic.
Hearing the call to prayer wash over the city, especially in the evening.
Strong tea in beautiful curved glasses.