CAIRO, EGYPT:
My 2-day “whirlwind” tour in
Cairo was truly one of my greatest travel experiences; So rarely does a cruise
ship overnight in a port, and as a crew member, I was extremely lucky to escort
this exotic guest excursion.
Day 1: We began by visiting The Pyramids at Giza and
the Mighty Sphinx. Although I’ve visited the Pyramids before, they never cease to
induce a sense of awe. The afternoon was spent visiting the fallen colossal
statue of King Ramses the 2nd, the Alabaster Sphinx of King
Amenophis the 2nd and the 5,000 year old Step Pyramid of King Zoser.
The truly unforgettable
evening began with the famous Sound and Light Show at The Pyramids at 7 PM,
followed by a dinner cruise on the Nile (under a full moon) complete with a
performance by a belly dancer and a “Whirling Dervish” performer. We spent the night at a 5-star hotel in Cairo
(a converted Royal Palace), where my friend Rasmus and I took in the nightlife
at the hotel’s restaurant and hookah bar.
Day 2: The highlight was
our visit to the Egyptian Museum, and more specifically the King Tutankhamun
collection and the Royal Mummies. I’ve
read about King Tut since I was a kid, and finally seeing his gold facemask and
pure gold burial coffin was magical. Worth
noting is that this museum is located in Tahir Square, the center point of Egypt’s
political protests and civilian unrest.
SAFAGA, EGYPT (the Red Sea):
Another travel dream was realized at this port- I finally scuba dived in the Red Sea! The Red
Sea has more coral and fish species then almost anywhere else on the planet and
the visibility is legendary.
This was a perfect end to an amazing “4 day week-end” in
Egypt.
AQABA, JORDAN (PETRA):
The Rose Red City of Petra in Jordan is without a doubt one
of the 5 most amazing places I’ve ever visited.
The 3 hour drive was filled with stunning canyons and rock formations as can be seen below. At the site,t the one-hour walk
on a narrow path between 6-story high rock face under the scorching
desert sun was an experience in and of itself; but nothing prepares you for the main attraction - The Treasury building. We climbed up to 7 or 8 other structures as well,
which only make up a small percentage of the city. The pictures below don’t properly convey the
sheer size and expanse of this ancient city built into the rocks. Notice how small I am in the second picture
of the Treasury Building!
Ok, new posts coming every day this week!
Tomorrow: Dubai and Muscat, Oman!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog via this LINK.
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| The Pyramids at Giza |
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| The Step Pyramid |
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| The Whirling Dervish performance on the Nile Dinner Cruise |
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| The famous "Sound and Light Show" at The Pyramids |
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| The Treasury building at Petra |
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| Notice how small I am in this photo! |
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| The walk into Petra |
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| The walk into Petra |
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| Can you see the white church on the cliff? (Jordan) |
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| More Buildings at Petra |
