Another year, another unique Christmas!
I can’t think of anything further removed from the traditional Christmas celebrations than spending the festive season floating down The Nile in Egypt on a felucca. But that is one of the best things about travel, the escape from the everyday, and experiencing the new, exotic and unfamiliar. As ‘orphans’ in London we were always keen to get together with friends during the holiday periods, and to make the most of the opportunity to see some more of the world. When friends mentioned they were organising a trip to Egypt for Christmas we jumped at the chance to join them! I cannot take much credit at all for the planning of this trip, as my amazing friend Alanna and her awesome organisation skills were on the case. She booked a private tour for us with a local company called Memphis Tours. I am not sure of the current situation, but at the time this was definitely the best option, as moving between destinations often required that you travelled in a convoy of cars, at specific times of the day, with Police escorts due to some terrorist activity. If this sounds a little scary to you, of course you need to weigh up your feelings on the situation, but I can say that we never felt in danger or scared at any point.

Cairo
Our first night we arrived very late into Cairo and, as often happens when travelling in such countries, we were dropped at the hotel only to find that our hotel booking was not what we thought we had booked! After some negotiation we all happily made our way to our beds, exhausted but elated thinking about the journey that awaited us! To be honest, our time in Cairo was very brief, and really just a ticking off of the major sights with no real time to get a feel for the living, breathing city. A great excuse to return some other time.

The pyramids
It didn’t take long the next morning for the adventures to begin. Our first stop was the pyramids! Sitting just on the edge of the city, visiting these famous, ancient, world renowned monuments was a very strange, and incredible, experience. One of those ‘pinch me’ moments when you can’t quite believe you are standing there, seeing what you are seeing. Although we have done a fair bit of travel in India, where the hassle factor is high, I was very glad to have a guide with us at the pyramids, to avoid having to deal with the hassle from hawkers and hustlers trying to get you to buy their goods, or listen to their story. Andy and I both suffer from claustrophobia, and whilst we forced ourselves into the underground cities of Cappadocia despite our fears, we both knew that going inside a pyramid was not something we were even going to attempt. We were happy to listen to the stories of our friends who were brave enough to crouch and squeeze their way into the tiny hallways leading to the inner sanctum.

The Sphinx
After driving back into the city for lunch, and for the obligatory stop at the local artisans warehouse, to learn about their trades (and shop!) we made our way out to visit the Sphinx. Whilst definitely a ‘must see’, it is much smaller than you might expect in your imagination and a visit is over fairly quickly.

Shisha at El Fishawi Cafe, Khan Al Khalili Bazaar
I am a huge fan of a good market and loved visiting the touristy but fun Khan Al Khalili Bazaar as the sun started to set over Cairo. It is a touristy market selling souvenirs, antiques and jewellery, but is also still frequented by locals. It’s home to El Fishawi Cafe, one of Cairo’s oldest, having served tea, coffee and sheesha for two centuries! It is right in the hustle and bustle of a narrow laneway and the perfect spot for people watching and soaking up the atmosphere surrounded by beautiful, ornate, carved dark wood and pretty lights.

Overnight train to Aswan & visit to Abu Simbal
Train travel in foreign countries, especially those non-western countries, often carry a real air of mystery to them. You are never quite sure what they will be like! We were very pleasantly surprised with the clean and comfortable sleeper train we caught from Cairo to Aswan. After stocking up on snacks for the journey we were happy to find out that a meal was provided, and after a fun evening in the bar carriage we all slept well until we arrived in Aswan the next morning. Our drivers were waiting for us, as were the convoy of cars and police escort which would accompany us on our journey to Abu Simbel. It was a long drive, at 280km each way, however the two impressive temples, set on the shores of Lake Nasser, were well worth the journey. The Great Temple of Ramses II was carved out of the mountain between 1274 and 1244 BC and then due to shifting sands and moving Nile lost until it was discovered again in 1813. The other temple, Temple of Hathor, is cut out of rock and dedicated to Queen Nefartari, who was Ramses’ wife.

Nubian Coffee Ceremony in Aswan
After a very long day we spent our night in Aswan at a local restaurant, which included experiencing a traditional Nubian coffee ceremony. Touristy, yes, but fun and enlightening too!

Cruising the Nile on board the Felucca
Unlike the luxurious cruise ships cruising up and down the Nile, the feluccas are a very basic sailing boat. The living quarters, all out on the open deck, basically consist of a tiny cabin for the crew to sleep in and a huge mattress for the guests to sleep, lounge, eat and watch the Egyptian scenery as you float slowly by. Being December the weather got quite cold overnight sleeping under the stars, so we were glad to have our warm sleeping bags. And the experience was a little like camping on a boat so we were very happy to have a warm shower and proper bed when we alighted in Luxor.

Our crew were very eccentric and our trip will forever be remembered for their smoke filled cabin and the high rotation of Bob Marley playing constantly on the radio!

Christmas Day, Egyptian/Australia-style
To bring a little bit of our traditional Christmas experience to the middle east we had decorated the felucca with tinsel and started Christmas Day with a Secret Santa style present giving. Around lunchtime we pulled up to the shore and the boys played a game of ‘backyard cricket’ on the banks of the river, using a plastic bottle taped to a stick as the bat and a rock as the ball! Lunch was pita bread, hummus, cheese and olive dip washed down with plenty of local Stella beer. A completely different experience to the usual presents, turkey, family and exhaustion of Christmas Day but one we will surely never forget!

Luxor
On Boxing Day we ended our trip on the Nile at Edfu Temple very early in the morning, and after a wander around the temple we were transferred to our hotel in Luxor. It had a fantastic rooftop terrace with a view over the river and we were happy to laze away a few hours relaxing in the sun after our fun but exhausting sail (after a long, hot, reviving shower!). With its beautiful location and amazing collection of historical temples, Luxor is Egypt’s most popular tourist destination after the pyramids.

Luxor Temple & Temple of Karnak
With so many sights to see in Luxor it is a good idea to tackle a few at a time, to avoid history and temple overload! We spent one afternoon visiting the incredible Luxor Temple and Temple of Karnak. It is worth timing your visit for late in the day to make the most of the cooler weather, and to see the pretty Karnak Temple lit up as the sun goes down. Karnak temple contains over 25 temples and chapels and covers an area of one mile by two miles. Approximately 30 pharohs contributed to the building of the temple. Simply mind blowing! Whilst we were visiting the current French President Nicolas Sarkozy was also touring the temple grounds which added a bit of extra excitement and intrigue to the afternoon!

Hot air ballooning over the Valley of the Kings
Hot air ballooning was something that had been on my bucket list for a long time, and what better location to choose than floating over the Valley of the Kings? That and the fact that the cost in Egypt was a small fraction of the price charged in places like Australia, or even Turkey. We were picked up from our hotel very early in the morning and transferred by boat and then bus to the launch point. We were blessed with stunning weather and the diverse views over the landscape were breathtaking. From the vibrant green of the farming land to the golden glow of the stark desert sands, to the tiny villages dotted with brightly coloured houses. It was an unforgettable experience that I look forward to remembering vividly over and over for the rest of my time.

Sites of the West Bank
After the excitement of the morning it was time to tour the rest of the West Bank, with it’s plethora of famous historical sights. By now the sun was high in the sky and the temperature very warm.

We started at the Colossi of Memnon, the massive pair of statues that were once part of the largest structure on the west bank, which has since been eroded by floodwaters.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Deir al-Bahri)
Our next stop was the colossal Deir al-Bahri at Thebes. A temple which stands as a beautiful and unique monument to the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. It is a unique and vast building well worth braving the hot sun in the exposed landscape to visit.

Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is shrouded in mystery and story telling. Evoking visions of the tomb of Tutankhamun, of pharaohs hidden in underground mausoleums, of mummies hidden with their worldy treasures awaiting their arrival in the afterlife. There is still so much to be uncovered in the area and I found it fascinating to see all the current archeological teams on site discovering new stories and gems to this very day.

Seaside bliss in Dahab
The final destination on the itinerary, for most of us, was a few days in the seaside town of Dahab for some sun, fun, sand and diving! The quickest (theoretically!) and cheapest way to get there was to catch a flight back to Cairo, and then a connection on to Sharm El Sheik. Except, our flight was delayed, and there was no way we were ever going to make the connection. We ended up stuck in a freezing Cairo airport overnight after attempting to negotiate for the airline to pay for a night in a hotel for us. The best they would offer was some food vouchers to be spent in the airport, so it was chips, soft drink and a freezing floor for way too many hours than I care to remember. Ahh the joys of travelling in the middle east. What is it they say, the worst experiences make the best stories?

Next stop, Jordan!
Whilst our friends had signed themselves up for a learn to dive course in Dahab, the pull of Petra and Wadi Rum were just too great for Andy and I to resist so we headed off to Jordan. With plenty more adventures and challenges to come!