Marvellous Egypt

The land that is full of mystery, full of ancient artifacts. Once the most powerful, prosperous and civilized nation in the world has a myriad to offer. There are immeasurable words to describe the Arab Republic of Egypt. Above all, the sense of warmth by the Egyptians makes this place the best of all 12 countries I've been across Europe to Australasia. I am full of adoration to this African nation. Sadly, as I can't take longer annual leave, my visit to Egypt was just a week's stint to two main cities - Cairo and Alexandria. Here, I shall pen on what's within my favourite city - Cairo.

This bustling, populous city is filled with colours of life. There are numerous activities at corners of the streets, from bullock carts pulled by donkeys to jalopies congesting the busy traffic. Indeed it's a chaotic city with honks 24/7 yet its vibrancy is unique as compared to cities like Paris and London which are also hectic and congested. As an avid photographer, I find myself capturing shots after shots here. I remember having almost similar experience while backpacking in New Zealand back in 2009, but New Zealand offers abundance of beautiful nature, whereas Egypt, especially Cairo offers a combination of many facets - its ancient history and architecture, the diversity of its people, the atmosphere and just about everything else surrounding it.

My favourite places of interests

1. Khan el Khalili - a place not to be missed

One of the most interesting places to visit is Khan el Khalili. You could get a sense of what medieval times would be like by walking along this traditional bazaar. There is ample on offer from the traditional Egyptian clothing Galabya (i hope I'm spelling this right), scarves, water pipes (Shisha), glassware and brass ware to spices. The bazaar is huge that I  think you'll probably need a whole day to cover most of the parts. The layout of this market resembles a huge maze with many narrow alleys to walk on. Hence, while shopping, you'll have to remember a landmark otherwise you might get lost.

Besides walking along these labyrinth narrow alleys, the next thrill is bargaining with cheeky, tricky but friendly sellers. Any bargaining skills will come in handy here as prices are not fixed from one shop to another. It's interesting to see how some of the shop owners lure you to buy one thing after another - they can be very persuasive! Personally, I enjoyed capturing shots of this medieval bazaar and watching sellers lure customers with their unique talents. The hustling and bustling of the place with abundance to offer even to non-avid shoppers makes this bazaar a place not to be missed. 

2. Giza and its pyramids
 

Touring Egypt would not be complete without a visit to the majestic and mysterious pyramids with its formidable Sphinx located at the Valley of Giza. Pyramids were built as tombs dedicated to Kings and Queens of ancient times. I stood feeling small in front of these enormous and magnificent creations, and it made me admire the skills that ancient Egyptians had to built such creations. Indeed their knowledge was well ahead of their civilisation. Entrance fee is 60 L.E

3. Egyptian museum
 

Another must destination. In fact, in my opinion, it's better to start your journey here before heading towards the pyramids as it'll give you a better picture of the history behind it. It will also make you appreciate more of what this ancient historical land has to offer. A guided tour is also available within this enormous museum. The museum is divided into various sections, such as a section dedicated to Tutankhamen's treasures as well as what else - mummies! You will get to learn how mummification was done and how colours were produced. The Egyptians were the first people to produce colour technology that last eternally - and it's proven all over the museum! No doubt, the ancient Egyptians were really gifted with many skills and highly intelligent people. Entrance fee is 60 L.E

4. Mohamed Ali Mosque and Citadel of Salah Al-Din

Cairo is known as a city with a thousand minarets. Call for prayers can be heard almost everywhere (even in the shopping mall!). Many of these are historical mosques built during various Islamic reigns. The most striking to me is the Mohamed Ali Mosque which is located within the area of Saladin's Citadel. The mosque is strategically located on high land.

The mosque is even more stunning from inside. I like the cool, marble foyer and the beautiful arches with antique lamps hung from above. The dome is huge and is supported by four main pillars each with names of the four renowned Caliphs. There is also a lavish, brightly lit chandelier in the middle and many small windows surrounding it. The grandeur of this mosque can be felt from afar even at night as it stood lighted majestically high above. Entrance fee is 50 L.E

What you should try


1. Mingling with the locals

In the beginning I thought language would be a barrier, but the Egyptians proved me wrong. They are friendly, tricky (some), cheeky, helpful but above all warm. One thing I notice is that the locals, be it female or male, like to strike conversations on anything. I befriended one in the city centre after asking for a favour and we end up talking for an hour about many things from places of interest to differences in our country's education system. I even got a tip on how to cross the road like the locals. (Till now I'm amazed at how daring they can be when crossing the busy roads.)

2. F&B

Before I visited Egypt, I read that when it comes to food, the country is known for its bread. They have many types of bread and let's just say I enjoyed having it. As for other food, personally, I find it a tad dry, but then food is a pretty subjective matter isn't it?

However, the best pomegranate juice I had was at one of the stalls in the city centre. It cost EGP3.50 per cup which is reasonable considering that it was fully concentrated and simply delicious!

Next is the chocolate ice cream cone I bought at a very congested bakery somewhere in the city centre. It cost EGP3.00 and it' was yummy. Another was at the lower ground of a mall called Stars Centre (if I'm not mistaken and if I heard the tour guide correctly, it's in Nasr City) - anyway, the ice cream parlour is called Gelateria Roma (perhaps it's an Italian franchise?) Everything offered looked delicious, so fickle minded-Beware! The price is slightly more, something like Baskin Robbins or Haagen Dazs' standard but worth a try.

This trip is a little different from my usual travels as I usually backpack. However, touring with two local tour guides (from MISR Asia Travel) who were both pleasant, understanding and patient (especially with  an inexperienced Malaysian tour guide (from POTO Travels) and all the whims of some of the rest)  made the journey more interesting and memorable. Having said that, I think Egypt with all that she has to offer, will make a worthwhile travel even for backpackers...which got me thinking...I might revisit to see other historical places such as Abu Simbel, Karnak and many more in the future. Egypt, with God's Will I shall be back!

*On the whole, POTO Travels is a reasonably-priced tour agency that offers many interesting places. It was my first time taking this agency and I have heard many good comments prior to it. Unfortunately, I guess I was just unlucky to get an inexperienced tour guide this time. Having said that, I will still recommend people who are interested to go with this agency...but perhaps you have to do a check on the specific POTO's tour guide as I heard other guides are okay.