—by Peter Bitman, 13
What was your favorite Christmas present? Mine came from my grandparents who were staying with us for the 2009 Christmas festivities. The gift was a piece of paper with four words on it: "A Trip To Egypt." When my sister and I opened our boxes, we found many pictures of statues and temples, and when we turned the paper over and read the words, we could scarcely comprehend it. Our grandparents sat with smiles as they saw our awestruck faces, for the secret was out, we would travel to Egypt with our three cousins, an uncle, and our grandparents.
Many months passed between the 25th of December and the 11th of June. We waited with bated breath, eager for our adventure to begin. At last, the school year was over, and we would leave for Egypt tomorrow. We had long since packed our bags, and so the night before our departure lasted for a long time. Yet dawn came, and we headed to the Oakland airport. After a three-hour flight we landed in Illinois, home of our relatives. We spent the night in their house in Geneva, and woke up refreshed the next day. We met our cousins, and headed back to the airport, for a flight to New York, New York.
Now our adventure began in earnest. We flew to Cairo. I could not fall asleep, and while my youngest cousin, Alden, dropped like a rock, I remained tossing and turning (and watching movies on our screens) eagerly awaiting the adventures ahead. After an interminable period of time spent in an airplane seat, we landed in the land of the Pharaohs. When we landed, we passed through security without a hitch, and collected our luggage. We were driven to our hotel by bus, and we were shown to our rooms. The Cairo Four Seasons is spectacular, the beds are soft, the food is excellent, and the service and the views are wonderful. Part of the Egypt experience that I was curious about was the heat. I have heard over and over again stories about the blinding heat, yet I was not impressed. It was hot, certainly, but not unbearably so. I would see later that I was wrong.
Our party had a wonderful sleep. I did not feel the effects of jetlag, and we woke up excited, refreshed, and ready to see the ancient wonders of our world. But first there was breakfast. At The Four Seasons, there was a buffet with a large selection of fruit, vegetables, meats, pastries and cereal. There was the choice between western food, and local food. I had a wonderful breakfast of Egyptian spiced sausage, fruit, and a few marvelous local pastries. The restaurant offered a lovely view of the Nile River, as well as the wonderful cuisine. What is more, the staff were friendly and welcoming, which made me feel at home. After our breakfast, we met our excellent guide, Hanni, who told us what we would be doing that day.
Hanni displayed a remarkable quality of knowing to arrive at sites at times when nobody was there. Our original plan had been to go to Sakkara, Memphis, and the Giza Pyramids, but he offered us a new schedule. We would go to Sakkara, Memphis, and the bent and the red pyramid. The Giza Pyramids would be pushed back until the next day, and we would wake up early so that we would miss the flood of tourists. Also, this arrangement would give us a clearer sense of the progression of the Pyramids. We agreed, and loaded onto our bus and drove to Sakkara. On our way, we had our first glimpse of the Pyramids of Giza, and they are immense.
We stopped a short way away from the main Sakkara site, to see a mastaba, the first step of the Pyramids. The mastaba was the burial place of the rich, a mud brick building. This mastaba had been filled with sand, preserving much of the interior decoration and color that otherwise would have been lost. Hanni explained to us that the procession of food and drink was for the owner of the mastaba, so that he would not starve in afterlife. We learned about the ka, which was the spirit of the deceased, and it was this that needed to be fed. We also descended into a pyramid that had decayed until it was no more than a pile of sand. 
From there, we went on to Sakkara, the site of what is called the first Pyramid. Built for king Zoser, the Pyramid was built out of a series of stone mastabas placed on top of each other. This was the first major construction of stone in the Egyptian culture. Surrounding the Pyramid was a replica of King Zoser's mud brick palace, except that it was built in stone. There were even models of wooden doors made out of stone, complete with stone hinges. There were stone beams supporting a stone ceiling, as well as the stone model of the course that the king was required to run, as part of his initiation ceremony. The Pyramid itself was massive, the workers on top looked like ants because of their distance of the ground. It is no wonder that the architect, Imhotep, was worshipped as a deity after his death.
By this point, we were all hungry, so our guide recommended a local restaurant, and we stopped for lunch. This was our first local restaurant, and we sampled specialties such as pita bread and dip, and kebab with kafta. The Egyptian fare was excellent, and we went on to look at statues at Memphis. We departed for a look at two other pyramids, the Red Pyramid, and the Bent Pyramid. Both of these Pyramids were built by the father of King Khufu, King Senefru. The Bent Pyramid was an attempt at a pyramid that had gone wrong. There were cracks in the structure, and the Pyramid had been finished with a rounded bent top, so that it would not collapse. The Red Pyramid was Senefru’s second Pyramid, and is considered the first complete Pyramid. We went inside the Red Pyramid, and I could almost feel the immense weight pressing down on me. It is incredible that such massive things were built so long ago.
Today we went to our first museum. The Cairo museum houses a large collection of Egyptian art. In fact, our guide told us that if we spent a minute at each artwork, we would be in the museum for months. Instead, our guide, Hanni, directed us to the most important pieces. We saw pieces built by King Ramses II. Hanni said that if you were asked who built a statue or a monument your best guess would be Ramses II. We also saw statues of Akhenaton, the king who changed the religion, and an unfinished statue of his beautiful queen, Nefertiti. Then we saw one of the things that I had been most anxious to see, the Tutankhamen section. There were multiple chariots, many models of boats, and inside a closed room, the mask of Tutankhamen as well as jewelry, and ornamental armor, all made of gold and precious gems. We also went into the mummy room, it was a little forbidding, old mummies with wrinkled faces and their hair still left, it was fascinating as well, and I looked at all of the famous faces at least twice.
After a long and tiring day we returned to our hotel, where our dinner was just as wonderful as our breakfast. We then retired to our rooms, where we sat down, and watched the World Cup. The next day we were all excited as we drove towards the Great Pyramids of Giza. We reached the site, and we stood in awe. The combination of the Sphinx and the pyramids was amazing. I have heard so much about the Great Pyramids, now to see them in person was incredible. I was amazed by the history that was right in front of me. Together we walked past the Sphinx, up the sacred path to the pyramids. We stared at the Pyramids for a time, all the while asking questions to our knowledgeable guide, then we went up to a vista, where we had a wonderful panorama of the Pyramids. Up at the vista, we also rode camels; it is one of the most entertaining moments in my life. My cousin, Conrad, had a bad tempered camel; it spat at my camel, and unfortunately hit me instead. We were enthralled by our experience, but there was no time to relax, because we went out into the countryside (115˚F) and drove to a second pyramid, at Dashur.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten my hat, and was not drinking enough water. I began to feel dizzy, and I had a horrible headache. Unfortunately, we spent most of our time there directly in the sun, and I was feeling horrible. We went back onto the bus, where I drank two consecutive bottles, which did nothing to stop my headache. With every bump on the road, my head felt like it was breaking open. We had lunch, but I wasn’t hungry. I drank water, but did not eat. I slept all the way back to our hotel, and woke up the next morning with the ache in my head gone. Nevertheless, I was very cautious about water.
The following day, we toured old Cairo, and saw the Mohammed Ali Mosque, as well as the oldest mosque in Africa and a Coptic church. The mosques and the church were marvels of architecture as well as being very diverse and historical. The Coptic Church was the church where Jesus sheltered with Mary. The Mosques were large, with pillars and courtyards. We then went to the house of a rich woman that had been turned into a museum. We saw Middle Eastern art as well as her collection of Ancient Egyptian art. Leaving her house, we went to a souk, where we shopped and haggled. Haggling was especially fun. My cousin managed to more than halve the price of his purchase, and my sister was told that because she was his friend, he would give her the price she asked. At lunch in old Cairo, we enjoyed Egyptian fare: I highly suggest Egyptian falafel, or falfel, which is made of fava beans. I also recommend the pita bread and dips. All in all, we had a very fun day in old Cairo, and this, sadly, was our last day in Cairo. I would miss our hotel, and its view of the Nile, and I would miss the contrast of the bustling city with the ancient sites. Yet, we moved on, taking a plane to Aswan.
We had a wonderful trip to Aswan, the plane was small, and our group took up the entire first class cabin. The flight was a short one, only about an hour long. I drifted to sleep, the result of full days of awe inspiring sights and too many nights spent watching World Cup matches! From the Aswan airport, we took another plane down to Abu Simbel, in the far south of Egypt. Abu Simbel was on of the sites that I was most interested to see, even more than the pyramids, and it did not disapoint. Abu Simbel was built by Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. Ramses enjoyed building large monuments of himself, and he was the only one of the Pharaohs that was worshipped as a god before his death. Ramses II also expanded the borders of Egypt, encouraged art, trade, and learning. He was one of the most influential pharaohs in Egypt. The site of Abu Simbel was threatened by the great dam in Aswan, because behind the dam, Lake Nasser rose, and many Egyptian monuments were threatened. UNESCO and various countries donated to save the monuments, especially Abu Simbel. Egypt was so generous for the United States' generous funding for the project that they gave us a temple that is now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
When we exited the airport, the first thing that hit me was the heat. It was 120˚F or over. Luckily, I had brought my hat. I had seen Abu Simbel from the airplane, and was shocked by its size, but now up close, it was even more intimidating. The façade was colossal, and I could have stared at it all day, but we had a much to see. We entered the temple, and it was very busy. There were hieroglyphics, carvings, pictures, and depictions. There was one of Ramses II braining an enemy, another of him shooting from his chariot, and yet another depicting him standing over a row of captives. There were many chambers and annexes, with Horus, Isis, Seth, and Osiris as well as Hathor, and Anubis. At the end of the hall there were three statues, and at a certain time of year, the light shines through the doorway lighting up two of the three. The one that is not lit up is the god of darkness.
King Ramses also had a favorite wife. He built her a temple as well. It may not have been as big, but it had a feminine grace to it that the other did not. The patron goddess of this temple was Hathor, goddess of beauty. There was a carving that particularly stood out to me; it was the queen, with Hathor by her side, wearing a lovely flowing gown. We left Abu Simbel with fond and awed memories, and left for a museum.
The Nubian museum is a very contemporary museum. It leads you through Egypt's history in a vey nice, concise way. First of all, we looked at photographs of the saving of the temples from Lake Nasser, and prehistoric carvings. Then we saw what Egypt was like before pyramids or mastabas. The exhibits were strung together in a clear manner, we saw Egypt from its beginning, through its golden age, until today. It was a wonderful museum to visit, if out of the way. I would recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Egypt. The Cairo Museum has a wider selection of ancient art, but you cannot spread out your arms without hitting something, and half of the art is not available to be seen, but is in the basement because of spacing issues.
After a splendid time at Abu Simbel, we flew back to Aswan, where we went to the Nubian market. It was getting late, however, and we went to a restaurant. We had traditional Egyptian fare that we had all come to love, and went to board our cruise ship, Alexander the Great. The ship was a combination of elegance and comfort; it had wooden floors, soft beds, and a sun deck and swimming pool. Unlike other cruise ships, this one only had around twenty-five passengers; among them was the star of the television show Monk! I loved the boat from the start. The next day, we had a tour of the ship, from pilot to engine rooms. The pilot navigates without the use of any instruments, he knows the Nile very well, for he has sailed on it all his life.
Just like the staff at the Cairo Four Seasons, the crew was very accommodating, and the food was superb. We cruised along at a very slow and easy pace, and the countryside was endlessly amazing. That night they showed Agatha Christie’s 'Death on the Nile,' which made a very amusing movie to watch on board today. The following days on the ship were some of the most memorable days in Egypt. We would glide by the beautiful countryside, eating remarkable dinners, and taking refreshing swims. One of my favorite nights on board was Galabeya night. In preparation for Galabeya night, my grandparents bought us beautiful Egyptian outfits from the store on Alexander the Great. My male cousins and I wore long robes, two of us in turbans and the other in a fez! My sister and other cousin were elegantly dressed in colorful dresses and shawls with metal coins that clinked when they moved. They also adorned their heads in headdresses. Now dressed up as Egyptians, my sister and my cousin were taught how to belly dance while my other cousins and I danced to the music they were playing. After that we played traditional games, such as passing a bottle around, the equivalent of musical chairs, and an ancient Egyptian version of golf. It was an unforgettable night.
But we did not stay on the cruise ship all of the time; we took shore leave to visit ancient sites. We went to a temple of Horus, where the colors are well preserved. It told the story of Seth killing Osiris, and Horus fighting Seth, winning, and becoming the king. Osiris became the king of the underworld. They believed that during his life, the king was Horus, and once he died, he was Osiris. Unfortunately, the cruise only lasted so long. It was our last day in Egypt, and we were all sad that tomorrow we would leave. We left the cruise ship at night to see the Karnak sound and light show. We walked through the Karnak complex, and we were told about the history of Karnak with the aid of lasers and deep voices. We spent our last night aboard Alexander The Great, and woke up to leave for Luxor and Karnak.
Luxor was a temple that was dedicated to Amun. The façade used too have two colossal obelisks, but only one remains at this site. The other obelisk was taken to Paris. It is an interesting fact that there are more ancient Egyptian obelisks in Europe than in Egypt, and in Rome alone, there are more obelisks than in Egypt. Obelisks were made to represent the sun. They were coated in electrum, a mixture of gold and silver, so that they would gleam as the sun did.
There were also two colossi at the gate of the temple. Inside the temple there were statues and rows of columns so wide in girth that our whole party could not encompass it if we held hands in a circle. Further into the temple, there was a Roman scene, part of the occupation of Egypt by Romans. Further on still, you could see the king giving alms to the god Amun. Then we left Luxor for Karnak. On our way to Karnak, we saw a lane of sphinxes being unearthed. At one point, the sphinxes stretched all the way from Karnak to Luxor.
At Karnak, the first thing that struck me was the size. The façade was much larger than the one at Luxor. We walked past a lane of ram sphinxes until we reached the façade. Walking through, we saw columns even larger than the ones at Luxor. The row of columns stretched on, and the preserved colors on the top of some of the columns and the remains of the roof were wonderful. They had such vibrant colors. Further on, we found the obelisk built by Queen Hatshepsut, larger by far than the one in Luxor. Karnak was such a massive building project, that many pharaohs added on their own segment, Ramses II, Queen Hatshepsut, and many others. We finally reached our final destination: the Holy of Holies of Karnak. The Holy of Holies is the ancient Egyptian altar.
Returning to the Karnak visitor center, my cousins and I bought last minute mementos and ice creams. I did not want to leave Egypt; I had come to love the history, the diversity, and the heat of Egypt. Back home in Oakland, California, it is probably about half of this heat. But never the less, we spent our last night in Egypt in the Fairmont Hotel, and left at midnight for the airport. We said our goodbyes to Hanni as we entered the airport; I will surely miss him. The security was extremely tight, I was afraid that there was liquid in my bag, or something sharp. Once we reached our gate, there was a three-hour delay, but once we left, I fell right to sleep.
We were in New York, back in the U.S.A., and it felt comforting to be back in my home country, we flew to Chicago, and then back home, and although I was glad to see my parents again, I could not help thinking that this was one of the most wonderful times that I have ever had. My grandparents have taken us to Italy and to Greece, and I have been to Scotland, England, Venice and France, but never have I learned so much, and experienced so much on any of these trips.
Peter's family journey to Egypt was also chronicled in Make it Better's Nov. 2010 Issue: Intergenerational Vacations: A Trip to Eygpt
