Globe Trotting J's 2019 Trip Day 3: Kentucky Fried Camel
I’ll just cut to the point, today was as close to perfect as you could ever ask for. Today was our first big tour of the trip and was one that we all were so excited about. We woke up early this morning, around 5:30 AM and went down to breakfast a little after 6:30 AM. We knew it was going to be nearly eight hours of touring today so we wanted to make sure we got a good breakfast. Instead of ordering it to the room, we went down to the stunning tea room and a nice breakfast of omelettes, crepes, coffee and orange juice. We tried to load up as much as possible on what was an amazing breakfast. We came back to our room, got ready and headed back to the lobby to meet up with our tour guide Hepa from Egypt Tailor Made.
We actually walked right past her at first, not seeing our tour guide and walked aimlessly in the lobby and out in front of our hotel before realizing that she was inside the entire time. When we finally caught up to her, we went with her and our driver and loaded into a nice van and were off to Giza to see the pyramids. We arrived at the pyramids a little after 9 AM and for the next two hours we took nearly 700 photos between the three of us. Even though it had been over a decade since we were at the pyramids with Jenn’s parents I could feel and picture each of the steps we took in 2008 and how much life has changed since then and yet the pyramids have not. It was one of those memories and times in our lives that I never thought we’d never be able to experience again, so being back at the pyramids after all of those amazing memories on that initial trip and over the last ten years made it even more special.
We started off very similar to that of 2008 in front of the Pyramid of Khufu where after learning more about the pyramids we climbed up and inside the pyramid and climbed the very steep corridor into the middle of the pyramid where one of the tombs was located. That experience alone was worth the price of admission. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling that was climbing into the pyramid and feeling the weight of this ancient structure encompassing you.
We spent some more time after leaving the inside of the Pyramid of Khufu, taking photos, learning more about the history of the area, and once again taking more photos. It was bittersweet to be back. I remember being completely overwhelmed in 2008, not sure how to take it all in.
From there we made our way via our driver to the Pyramid of Khafre where we came out to a beautiful overlook of the three main pyramids and the smaller ones made for their wives and took a lot more photos, learned more about the area and moved on to what Jake was most excited for, the camel ride. Our tour guide walked us over to a designated camel spot where she located her favorite guide who took the three of us on a short but picturesque camel ride. We all got to ride the camel around, take photos, and go on a nice circuit of the surrounding Sahara dessert.
When we got done with the camels we took more photos of the beautiful scenic overlook point and then jumped back into our car to take us to the final stop at the pyramids, the great Sphinx. At this point the heat was starting to rise so our energy started to wane. We did however walk through the temple, got some amazing shots of the Great Sphinx and then were off.
After the pyramids the three of us were riding high. You could tell right away how much those couple of hours at the pyramids meant to each of us in different ways. When we left the pyramids we went on a thirty minute drive to our next stop on the tour the Cairo Citadel. The citadel was gorgeous and after we were dropped off we made our way inside and went to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. The experience of going to mosques in our travels has always been quite moving. And this time was no exception. There’s something quite beautiful and serene about a mosque and this one which looked very similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. We spent some time with our guide learning more about the crazy history of the citadel and mosques and were able to walk in the mosques and see the areas of worship.
We left the Citadel a little over an hour after arriving and took the short drive to the Khan el Khalili Bazaar which is one of the main shopping areas of Cairo. Because today was a holiday (the anniversary of the uprising) a lot of the stores were closed so the bazaar was a lot more empty then normal. That worked for us because it made getting around much easier. By this point the day, the early morning, and the heat had caught up. None of us were really keen on buying anything so we made our way through the Bazaar relatively quick.
Our final stop on the tour was to take an hour felucca ride on the Nile river. We hopped on board the covered Felucca, hit some great wind, and flew up and down the Nile river. We had no idea what to expect on this part of the tour but it was the perfect way to wrap up our tour. We left Hepa after she dropped us off at our hotel a little over an hour later. Today’s tour was one of those perfect scenarios all working out. We all had a great time at the pyramids, we got great photos, and we had an amazing tour guide to do it with.
When we arrived back at the hotel a little before 3 PM we took showers and spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the photos, editing them and taking naps. We moved our dinner reservations at Aura in the hotel from 6 PM to 430 PM because we were all both tired and hungry. Jake and I both started off with a beer and we split some spicy potatoes and hummus. For the main course Jake had a chicken pita and Jenn and I split the Lebanese grill which was a mix of kofta, chicken, lamb and other kebabs. We had such a great simple meal that hit the spot. After such a long day all we wanted was to come back, eat some good food, and relax. And that’s exactly what we got.
We arrived back in our room a little after 6 PM, each of us went to our own corner to work on photos (me on this post) and to get ready for another huge day of touring tomorrow. As I think about how to close out today I can’t help and think back on now our two experiences at the pyramids. The first in 2008 where I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Jenn or her Mom more happy and excited to be somewhere, and now again 2019 with Jenn and Jake experiencing this amazing human marvel once again. Whether it was walking in the pyramids, overlooking all three, riding a camel, or taking a relaxing Felucca ride down the Nile, there was something truly special about today that I know none of us will ever forget. Its for days like today that we all travel for, and for that I’ll go to bed extra grateful tonight.
