A Bit of Egypt

Egypt has been among the travel destinations that are out of my solo traveling comfort zone. Very exotic culture (to me), a significant language barrier. It is perhaps a little bit too complex for me to figure out how and where to get started. Despite its absolutely long and splendid history, my source of knowledge was seemingly shamefully limited – little more than the textbook photos of pyramids and their other ancient artifacts, plus its occasional appearance on international news. But really what is like now and back in time. I know so little beyond the stereotypical impressions.

But this time was the prefect time to visit. Two friends were getting married and sending me an invite to their wedding. It was a very kind and nice gesture, and I’m very grateful. Their wedding happened to overlap my plans of going back home. On top of everything else, the plane tickets were suspiciously cheap. It was really the best time, I thought.

I am usually a spontaneous traveler but for this trip I spent some fair amount of time making detailed plans and everything. It was a lot of efforts (for me), but the trip turned out very rewarding. But anyway, here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

Probably Egypt is most famous for the Giza Pyramids, and of course, that was the first destination after my landing in Cairo. It was a spectacular spot, especially when looking from a distance for the first time. The Pyramids are located in the city of Giza, a rather smaller city bordering Cairo, therefore not so many tall buildings around. Plus the pyramids themselves are built on a plateau, makes themselves totally dwarf the what’s around them.

I also took a small walk around the area near the pyramids and my hotel. To be honest, I don’t know why I made such a decision back then when it’s so scorching outside. The streets were dusty, traffic was busy, and it happened to have many construction going. So it probably wasn’t the ideal walk if you want a peaceful and tranquil time. But the most memorable was the friendliness I felt in the locals’ eyes when we looked at each other. This is the feeling I didn’t get when in the tourist sites. Probably outside of souvenir shops, the normal Egyptian people still aren’t quite used to have interactions with travelers from abroad. I got many attention, but never in an offensive way. I understood that people were just quite curious about this foreign-looking face. Sometimes, I felt welcomed, even though the we didn’t understand a word from each other. But just from a nod, a smile, or a wave from the teenager boys sitting at the back of that pickup truck, I sense the genuine friendliness that I will never forget.

Oh, of course, equally memorable were these adorable cuties I came across.

I also had some delivery food of Egyptian national dish of Koshari following a friend’s recommendation – forgot to take photos but it was pretty tasty. After a two-night stay in Giza, I moved to the city center of Cairo. I stayed in a super small hostel on the top floor of a residential building, but it was a nice time. I spent my time mostly visiting the museums and walking through the streets of Cairo.

These are taken in the Egyptian Museum in the city center of Cairo.

This is a really fun one. Apparently when Egypt was under the Romans’ rules, this guy (probably Augustus) was also thought as a Pharaoh of some sort. It’s quite interesting to see the stereotypical Roman face meshing together with the Egyptian style standing sculpture.

There is a newer (but smaller) museum to the south of the city, displaying ancient antiques and many mummy bodies.

The touristy spots in Cairo were trying really hard to build a good image. And this one even has a famous French cafe chain inside, next to the artificial oasis, fancily named “Lac du Cairo”, it got a very different vibe from the rest of the city.

I could tell the country had spent quite some efforts into building nice tourist attractions, and I appreciate that. While I really enjoy my time immersing in the wonderful exhibitions, the other side of the curtain arguably attracts me even more.

I feel like I got overwhelmingly too much to speak about this trip. Different people and places, both good and bad. But maybe let’s leave that for another time when we have a drink together