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Pharaoh's
Way
by Christian Franklin
I had pictured in my mind where to go for a winter getaway.
Sand and
surf, palm trees and warm breezes, were calling my name.
Jamaica? Cancun?
Bahamas? The Mediterranean? These were the destinations
vying for my
attention when the phone rang. A friend of mine working
in Cairo called and
explained how tourism was really light in Egypt these
days, so cruise ships
sailing the Nile were offering great deals on week long
trips. Guided
sightseeing to all the famous temples along the Nile,
as well as food and
entertainment on the ships were included in one low
price. Would I like to
go? Well, there would be plenty of palm trees and sand,
water and warm
breeze...yes! Book a Nile cruise for two!
When I left the east coast and flew out of New York
city in early
February, the temperature was near freezing and the
skies were gray. When I
arrived in Cairo the temperature was in the mid 70’s
and the sky was as blue
as could be. It was perfect weather! Winter is the time
to go to Egypt to
avoid the dreadful heat that comes with summer months.
As soon as I arrived
in Cairo, my friend and I boarded a train for the 14
hour ride to Aswan. This
was the departure point for our cruise, and for the
next 6 days we would
cruise north on the Nile to see some of the most fantastic
temples on earth.
One note about the train trip...If you have the little
bit of extra cash it
takes to book sleeper rooms, do it.
The train arrived at Aswan station on time at 10:00
A.M. and we found our
driver, sent from the ship to retrieve us, right away.
We were the first
people on-board to be shown our cabin, which was quite
adequate. The room was spacious and comfortable with
its 2 queen size beds, 2 heads, refrigerator,
large T.V., 2 couches, table and chairs for 4, plus
2 plush chairs. The cabin
also had a great big picture window to the outside world,
and there was
plenty of closet space to get the suitcases and bags
out of the way. The ship
would sail at 5:00 that evening, so we spent some time
wandering the streets
of Aswan, and then returned to the ship for the mid
afternoon lunch provided.
After lunch we explored the top deck where the pool
and ping pong tables are
to be found. The sun beat down on us as we played ping-pong
and then lounged
around the pool, relaxing and getting comfortable after
that long 14 hour
train ride in regular coach seats.
Later that afternoon, just as the huge paddle-wheel
at the rear of the
ship spun to life, we met the guide assigned to the
english speaking
passengers. Omar was a great guide. He really knew his
history about
Egypt, and over the next 5 days I found myself listening
to his every word,
and then pummeling him with questions! He was extremely
interested in all of
us learning all we wanted to about Egyptian history,
and he intently answered
every question put to him by our group.
After only a couple of days in Egypt I realized that
this trip would
remove all reservations, and exceed all expectations,
that I had ever had
about going. Everywhere we went local Egyptians were
friendly and helpful.
However; street venders can be pushy and there is the
customary ’backsheesh’
to be paid out when you want something done, but that’s
Egypt. The cruise
ships were wonderfully appointed and staffed. The food
was good, not
exceptional, but considering the cost of the cruise
we were quite pleased
with the culinary choices. Every day we were to meet
our guide after
breakfast for the morning tour, return to the ship for
lunch, then reassemble
as a group for the afternoon destination.
We sat on the Aswan Dam and enjoyed the view. We visited
the Temple at
Phylea, which was disassembled and rebuilt due to the
damming of the Nile and
rising water at the original site. We visited then sailed
past Kom Ombo. We
saw Karnak Temple with it’s impressive columns
and obelisks, and we went to
the granite quarry where these columns and obelisks
originated from. We rode
on burros and ate ice cream at the Ali Baba Cafe across
the street from the
twin Colossi of Memnon. We climbed the gravel road which
wound it’s way
through the Valley of the Kings...the final resting
place of Ramses IV,
Ramses IX, and the sons of Ramses II. We spent time
at the Al-Deir Bahari
Temple, which was under reconstruction. It is a most
impressive temple built
by the woman Pharaoh Hatshepsut, and is not to be missed.
We stopped in Luxor
for a full day as there is so much to see besides just
the Temple of Luxor.
The sunsets at Luxor are most magnificent!
The temples themselves are marvels of ancient architecture.
It is
absolutely amazing to stand in the presence of the huge
columns and statues
that survive to our time. The construction of temple
blocks, columns,
statues, and obelisks seems almost flawless. One can
wander through some of
the temple grounds exploring the hieroglyphics that
look as if they were
carved only yesterday. Huge statues of leopards and
lions, falcons and dogs,
still stand guard to temple entrances after all these
years. Models of
ancient Egyptian ships inside some temples secured safe
passage of the
Pharaohs to the afterlife. Colors used in the decoration
of the Ramses II
tomb still glow with the bright red, blue and yellow
pigments that were
originally applied to limestone and sandstone walls
over 2,000 years ago. Our
guide explained the differences between the really ancient
construction done
by the Egyptians, and more recent construction that
was later accomplished by
the conquering Romans. For students of ancient Egypt,
and for students of
history in general, such as myself, this trip was a
wonderland of information
that was so fulfilling that I am planning to undertake
another cruise along
the Pharaoh's way.
The schedule of off ship walks was enough to slow some
of the passengers
down. After the third day of sightseeing we noticed
that not all the members
of our group were with us for every outing. The explorations
up and down
ancient stairways, to...through, and from the Temples
was great aerobic
exercise, but due to the heat and long walks, some passengers
were content to
miss a side trip or two and lounge around the top deck
pool, enjoying the
view afforded by the height of the ship. A cruise up
the Nile River is an
experience that no traveler to Egypt should miss, and
the cost of the cruise
is well worth it. There are several different cruise
lines offering these
trips, so competition among them assures a great bargain
for the traveler.
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