Walk Like an Egyptian
Egypt
The historical treasures of Egypt will entice, even for those who are not history buffs. The amount of museums and ancient sites is seemingly limitless. After viewing the remarkable attractions of Egypt, King Tut’s tomb may be somewhat anti-climatic. In additions to historical Egypt, there are many other activities including felucca rides and walking through the congested streets of Cairo.
A camel trek to the Great Pyramids awaits On the east bank is the city of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak. There are several mosques and temples in Luxor to see, such as the Luxor Temple, which has a large statue of King Tut and his wife. Facing the Karnak Temple is a long walkway with several carvings on each side called the Avenue of Ram-Headed Sphinxes, built in the fourth century BC. The Karnak Temple is a dizzying array of obelisks, carvings and sculptures. In the heart of the complex is the Temple of Amun; the construction area covers 1500 square feet. Reactions to the nightly laser show at Karnak ranges from rolling eyes of disapproval to awed looks of enchantment.
Father down river, or technically up river, is the city of Aswan. There are two Nile River travel options, either by luxury boat or by felucca (sailboat). From the banks of the river, children throw carpets at tourists on the luxury boats with the hope they will buy. Sadly, they are beaten back by authorities with bamboo sticks. The boats are more touristy but very relaxing; the feluccas allow passengers to touch the Nile but do not have bathrooms. Either way, most trips stop in Edfu and Esna to visit more temples. Aswan’s sights include the Aswan Dam, which helped modernize Egypt and also chomps up crocodiles.
A tour of Egypt will vary greatly depending on which travel theme is chosen. For example an “outdoors” theme might include scuba diving off Sharm El-Sheikh and traveling from oasis to oasis in the Western Desert. The theme described here is the most popular and can be termed “historical Egypt”. This trip contains spectacular attractions as well as insight of Egypt’s history and its affect on the modern world.
