Egypt: A Country Full of Surprises

Egypt is not just a land of pyramids and pharaohs. It is actually considered as the country with the richest history based on the survey conducted by US News in 2017. Although there were many negativities written about it regarding its security, one cannot deny the fact that this country boasts marvelous sceneries that exude high state of art and grandeur. As a matter of fact, it has become an inspiration of many popular movies and video games. Hence, not only art, science, or history buffs can be lured in exploring Egypt but also those who have a penchant for entertainment. Nuseir Yassin, the famous vlogger of Nas Daily, even calls it “a photographer’s paradise.”

Countries with richest history (US News, 2017) 

I had a chance to explore Egypt for six weeks beginning on the first week of February 2018. The trips were organized by AIESEC in Ain Shams University (ASU), guided by Tourismä, and participated by representatives aged 19-29 from various countries. I was the only one from the Philippines. As a solo traveler for many years, I always have the habit of reading blogs and reviews about the country I’ll be visiting so I would be able to have an idea of what I’d be putting myself into. To my dismay, nothing much was written about Egypt as it is still regarded as a dangerous country that is prone to terrorist attacks. Good thing I’ve found some informative vlogs of Jordan Taylor on youtube.  I was relieved when she said that Egypt is a safe country and the people are very hospitable and nice.

When I arrived in Egypt, a member of AIESEC ASU picked me up from the airport and drove me to my hostel. On our way, I saw tall brown century-old buildings. The sceneries I saw were far from what I expected if I would compare them to the pictures I saw on the internet. I felt a bit crestfallen because I have imagined Egypt to be more colorful and artistic since Egyptians were highly known to be great engineers and architects. I was more disconsolate when I reached grimy and rowdy Downtown Cairo. My first week was quite challenging for me (read my blog about my first week in Cairo: https://bit.ly/2JIWllx)

My expectation about Cairo. Photo credits to Hossam Abbas.

My second week in Egypt was much better. We wandered from Aswan to Luxor in our first trip to scrutinize the legendary and symbolic temples of Egyptian gods and goddesses. The Abu Simbel temple was my favorite. I’ll just make another detailed article about the temples we visited. We also traversed the Nile River going to the Nubian village, rode the hot air balloon, and dressed as Egyptians by wearing the traditional galabeya. We also stopped over at alabaster, papyrus, and perfume factories to observe how they were made and to buy souvenirs. The best part of this trip was we were on a cruise ship and we had a scrumptious buffet for our meals. Our rooms were clean and pleasant. It was a delightful experience that I’m sure will be loved by senior tourists.

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Our second trip was in Sinai peninsula. It was my long awaited moment as I have been yearning to climb Mt. Sinai, now known as Mt. Moses in St. Catherine, since I was seven years old after watching the movie “The Ten Commandments”. I celebrated my Valentine’s day scuba diving and riding the squad safari for the first time in my life when we were in Dahab. We climbed the Colored Canyon in Nuweiba, which is similar to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. We also had a stop at the Taba border where we could already see some parts of Palestine and Jordan. This trip is absolutely perfect for adventurers who love to be in the mountains and seas. 

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Our third trip was in the enchanting Alexandria and Siwa. We first visited the historical Alexandria library, Montaza Palace, and Citadel of Qaitaby. If you want to know how it feels to be a celebrity, you should never miss visiting Alexandria.  Many locals astoundingly flocked towards us and asked to have a selfie with us. That's because they seldom see foreigners in their city. I was not sure if I should be annoyed because my work was interrupted or I'd be glad that they appreciate my presence. I was able to take only a few landscape photos and videos because I was hesitant to repudiate their plea. Moreover, I still consider it a good experience.

Majority of our time during this trip was spent in Siwa. The salty lake was my favorite. Its water was so dense due to the high percentage of salt and minerals that it’s impossible for someone to drown even if he/she does not know how to swim. The Siwi people traditionally gather the salt from this lake and shape them into furniture. It is also believed that the water from the lake has medical benefits. I guess it’s true because my hair unexpectedly became soft after I submerged myself in it. We rinsed ourselves afterwards in Cleopatra spring. We also had safari ride, sand boarding,  and night camping in the Sahara desert. This is an amazing experience for thrill-seekers who want to spike up their adrenaline. You will definitely fall in love with this place. 

Fangirling mode 😊 I saw Jordan Taylor on youtube while I was researching some information about Egypt, and I became one of her fans since then. I usually don't like taking photos of myself when I go on a trip, but this day was different. You know why. ;)

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Sunset in Alexandria

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Our last trip was in Cairo and Giza. We went to the magical Saladin Citadel of Cairo, also sometimes referred as Mohamed Ali Citadel, which looks similar to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque because it was designed by Architect Yusuf Bushnak of Istanbul. We also headed to the Christian landmarks such as the Monastery of Saint Simon (a Coptic church built in a cave) and the house of the biblical “holy family”. As usual, this trip wouldn’t be complete without paying a visit to the Egyptian museum and the preeminent pyramids of Giza. We finished this excursion by riding the felucca in the Nile River and chilling out in the Azhar Park. 

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The Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo must be one of the prettiest and most magical things I’ve ever seen! A local showed me around a bit of Cairo, and we stopped in to visit two churches, a synagogue, and this mosque - all in close proximity to the others. Egyptians value and respect different people’s religions, which was so refreshing to hear about. My local guide even told me about how in his hometown, a church once collapsed, so the Muslim community temporarily gave half of their mosque to the Christian community, free for them to use as they wished. Acceptance and compassion should be more commonplace! Loving Egypt so very much 💛💛💛 #egypt #travel #wanderlust #architecture #beautiful #photography #travelersnotebook #travelphotography #explore #visitegypt #cairo

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🇪🇬 Monastery of Saint Simon ✙ The massive cave Church of Cairo's Zabbaleen community is one of the largest Christian Churches in the Middle East. The Zabbaleen village at the base of the Mokattam cliffs began around 1969 when the Cairo governor decided to move all of the garbage collectors to a single settlement. The garbage collectors were largely Coptic Christians and as their numbers continued to grow over the years the need for a centralized church began to grow. In 1975, the first Christian church was built in the village but after a large fire broke out nearby, work began on a monastery that was built right into the Cliff side. The Monastery of Saint Simon was the result of this new project. Simon the Tanner was a craftsman saint who lived during the 10th century and the cave church that was dedicated to him seems as though it might last for 10 more. Using a pre-existing cave and the slope that led into it, the current monastery seats 20,000 people around a central pulpit. Other nearby caves have also been built into separate church spaces and all of them have been linked to create a massive Christian complex in the heart of garbage city. This is one of Egypt's largest Religious sites and has the largest capacity attendance than any other Religious site in the Country. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the World make the pilgrimage each year. #egypt #cairo #monasteryofsaintsimon #monastery #coptic #christian #church #middleeastchristians #copticchurch #copticchristians #egyptian #zabbaleenvillage #cavechurch #placestovisit #wondersoftheworld #architecture #pilgrimage

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Alley going to the house of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus when they fled to Egypt to escape King Herod

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I spent some of my free time in Khan El-Khalili bazaar. As a matter of fact, I went there thrice. It is one of Cairo's main attraction that you should never miss if you want to buy some souvenirs. Tourists and locals usually go to this vibrant market to purchase Egyptian handicrafts. Just don't forget to haggle with the shop owners as they often overprice their products. I recommend you to buy things at Jordi or Galal (they're just next to each other) as these shops offer fixed prices for all their items and they also give discounts to students as long as you present your ID. 

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As a first time traveler in Egypt, I was honestly in awe and dumbfounded of the things this country has to offer. I was just expecting to see Mt. Sinai and some hieroglyphics, but I discovered more. I also thought that my trip would be a bad one because of my not-so-pleasant experience in Downtown Cairo. As I continued my exploration, I realized that it’s wrong to judge a particular place and its inhabitants just because of what we hear from the media or other people. We also shouldn’t generalize everything and everyone just because of a first-time experience. We need to continue our journey and set our minds open so we can raise our knowledge and understanding about other people’s culture. If I had immediately backed out, I wouldn’t be able to see all those breathtaking sites. There are many surprises that await you in Egypt if you go farther from Cairo. Get ready now and pack your bags up and fathom the Egyptian sights and lifestyle. You should definitely put this trip in your bucket list! 

CONTACT(S):

If you are planning to have a trip in Egypt with ease and comfort don't hesitate to contact 

Karim Abdel Hady
Owner/Founder, Tourismä
+201021108209 (he can be contacted through Whatsapp)
tourisma7@gmail.com

Make the most of your experience by booking the most reliable Egyptian tour guide! 😊

*This article is not sponsored. I just want to show appreciation for Tourisma and all the Egyptians who helped me in this voyage. Thank you, Egypt! ❤