disneyworld egypt

about this blog

2004-12-23T02:02:00.000+08:00

this blog serves as pictorial and anecdotal narratives of egypt for cyberspace tourists based on stolen information from ‘the rough guide to egypt’, ‘lonely planet: egypt’ and ‘www.touregypt.net’, and what i went through. to capture egypt in its entirety is an impossible endeavour. i am merely historicising the kitsch and schlock, but i do intend to put across images and rants of egypt beyond the stereotypical glossy pages of national geographic’s production of depicting it as a mere land of pharaohs, mummies, temples and pyramids.

pardon me if at times, the entries seem random, meaningless, crass or entertaining. they are meant to be that way. or else refer to rough guide and lonely planet for a more sedate and organised text presentation. also, i took the easy way out by doing it on blogger and uploading the pictures using picasa. html is too difficult for me and time is not my friend. blogger and picasa are cool anyway.

you have the permission to steal whatever pictures or information if you like them. if you want to have a look at beautiful pictures of egypt, this bloke has a very good online collection. how he got into some of the sites with a camera, i do not have a clue. before i forget, big thanks to alvin and amy [psssst…no problem…baksheesh…as you like].

3 dec [ day 1 ]: singapore to doha to luxor

2004-12-23T01:22:00.000+08:00

i took qatar airways because it was cheaper than the others, and the transit was at doha, qatar, before luxor, which is in the middle of egypt. the flight to doha was terrible because of the extreme dry cabin air. bigger plane, so more lungs to share the air with. nevertheless, the flight on a smaller airbus to luxor was more tolerable.

i overestimated my expectation after seeing doha’s small but immaculate airport. luxor on the other hand was third world. the new airport was under construction and the present one looked like a gigantic makeshift bedouin tent. i got out of the plane, took a ride on a bus to the airport and was greeted by apprehension. i saw egyptian passengers in long stone-washed like earthen-coloured garbs and cold stares from the custom officers. luckily, there was a tour group from singapore. the group’s egyptian representative signed something on my entry card, said a few words to the custom officer who a minute ago was heckling in arabic at me, and i got through.

i looked for the conveyor belt and saw the same egyptian passengers gathering around it. i did not remember them taking the same flight. i felt a tap and heard a voice. it was a custom officer, telling me to go to the other belt in another area. i found my backpack and shuffled towards the wrong exit. i made a quick decision, which was the right one, by asking using hand gestures and simple english the military policeman for a money changer. he gestured animatedly. i changed to a couple of hundred egyptian pounds and hurried to the correct exit. i smelled the desert air and was confronted by a mob of policemen and soldiers restraining taxi drivers from approaching tourists. bombings by radical groups hurt egypt’s tourism industry. it makes sense to deploy policemen and soldiers at airports, road junctions, main roads, hotels, temples, pyramids, bazaars, schools, universities, banks, and every other conceivable public place. the eye of ra is everywhere.

guidebooks told me to bargain hard, but the initial disorientation caused the taxi driver to get away with more money. US$10 dollars for a 2 km trip. go figure. i checked into a reasonably comfortable hotel and got a great view of the hills from the room. i had dinner and went to the mummification museum. the very well-preserved body of maserhati, a dynasty official, gave me the creeps.

luxor international airport

the new airport was still under construction

he got away with overcharging

journey was too short, so a stop at the petrol
station was a delay tactic

a deli next to the petrol station

the mummy of maserhati

view of the west bank from the balcony

4 dec [ day 2 ]: theban necropolis, valley of the kings and karnak

2004-12-22T20:57:00.000+08:00

luxor is a themepark. tourists galore. took a taxi to the west side of the nile river and stopped and stared at the colossi of memnon. these 18-meter high enthroned statues used to front the now non-existent temple. two coaches made their way to the parking bay and tourists overflowed. and that was about eight in the morning. decided to move on and get the tickets to theban necropolis.

besides karnak temple, the gigantic mortuary temple of ramses III was one temple which captivated me, maybe because it is better preserved in its entirety. i was in awe by the grandeur and the details of this temple.

it was at this temple that i came across the infamous unofficial guides. these self-appointed guides hang around the temple sites and will zealously offer their services to tourists in return for some money. their hawkish approach detests many tourists and the word ‘baksheesh’ would cause tourists to grimace in revulsion. apparently, some tourist policemen caught on this fad by moonlighting as guides themselves at a couple of sites instead of doing their job of protecting the tourists' welfare. anyway, this dude stuck like a leech, showed a few rooms, told stories, hummed a supposedly occult note in all-seriousness and eyes closed, and, then, demanded baksheesh. read rolf pott’s account of baksheesh here. hilarious.

woke up to this wonderful view

colossi of memnon

ticket counter to theban necropolis

village at theban necropolis

the vivid details of the reliefs in the mortuary
temple of ramses III

colossi of ramses III

reliefs [winged goddess] on the roof

ramses and his collection of the enemies' penises

restorer doing restoration work outside the temple

beloved guide to the mortuary temple of ramses III

the monuments and temples would not be possible without workers, masons, painters, sculptors and their families. so, next on the tour was deir el-medina, the workers’ village. from this site, many aspects of everyday life were uncovered. for example, the sexual mores then were very different. children were assistants when their parents had sex, for instance.

ramesseum next. ramessuem or mortuary temple of ramses II was one of the temples built by arguably, the greatest megalomaniac pharaoh of them all, ramses II. if you are visiting egypt, do read more about this warrior pharoah. he left his mark at almost every corner of egypt. this temple was not well-preserved though because it was near the nile river and water is not a very good preserving agent.

after the ramesseum, it was time to pay respect to the only female pharaoh, queen hatshepsut at temple of deir el-bahri. set among the towering and massive rock outcrop, its minimalist façade from afar was indeed spectacular. power is masculine and because of that she was depicted wearing the pharoah's kilt and false beard to legitimise her position. silly woman.

with the intention of not having the same fate as the previous pharaohs of the old kingdom who erected such great tombs like the pyramids, the new kingdom pharaohs like ramses II and tutankhamen had their tombs built in seclusion among the theban hills to prevent looting and to preserve their mummies and treasure for eternity. in the valley of the kings, the falcon is flown to heaven and (his successor) is arisen in his place. i realise i do not have any pictures of this site as cameras were prohibited, and many of the tombs were not open to the public, although i was tempted to take some when a caretaker allowed me for baksheesh.

a modern day worker's metal horse

the ancient workers village

hot air ramesseum

ramesseum colonnades in the temple's hypostyle hall

falcon statue and the mortuary temple of hatshepsut

colonnade ruins at hatshepsut

after the temples and monuments in the west bank, it was time to explore the eastside temples. the greatest of all temples, karnak temple was next although at this time, i was almost doused in the petrol flames of temple overdose. it was a temple dedicated to the supreme god of the new kingdom, amun, and was built and added on by a succession of pharaohs, including the great one, ramses II. the massive ground and gigantic colonnades were too overwhelming. karnak temple is big enough to contain ten great cathedrals. mind-blowing stuff.

less mind–blowing was the fact that the taxi driver busted his ancient peugeot. waited for him to repair the fault but ended up having to take another taxi to luxor temple. the peugeot taxis in egypt, i believe, can also be subsumed under the governmental department in-charge of antiquities.

according to marie parsons, luxor temple was the power base of the living divine king, and the foremost national shrine of the king’s cult. whatever. by this time i was on the verge of experiencing temple overdose syndrome. luckily the tour was done at night, so it was not too bad. the temple did look different at night. a very different visual experience. after luxor, went for dinner and back to the hotel for some sleep before the next day. more temples beckoned.

the grand entrance of karnak temple

deified rams cast in stones

the giant colussus of ramses II

row of ramses II colossi

gigantic colonnades in the hypostyle hall

lady was staring at the colonnades for
a good five minutes

the equally huge bases

girl playing with a dog

a modern machine to carry these huge
and heavy stones

tuthmosis obelisk through a wall

shops outside karnak temple

maradona and his antique peugeot

obelisk, colossi of ramses II and pylon

entrance to court of ramses II

the towering colonnades at night

5 dec [ day 3 ]: abydos and dendera

2004-12-22T19:16:00.002+08:00

tourists must travel in a convoy to abydos and dendera. coaches, mini-buses, vans and taxis lined up at about eight in the morning to be escorted by the police.

abydos is 150 km north of luxor and where the temple of seti I is located. seti I was the father of ramses II and, lo and behold, it was the latter who completed it. the temple was a political necessity to legitimise the dynasty as seti’s ancestors were mere delta warriors. in this temple, seti elevated himself to the same platform of deities such as osiris, isis, amun and horus. it was also at this temple that the crackpot, dorothy eady, believed that she was the reincarnation of the temple’s mistress and lover of seti. but i must say that the reliefs in this temple were very vivid.

the convoy started at this road

the temple of seti I

camel near the temple's entrance

seti giving offerings on a temple wall

statue heads of i don't know who

inside the hypostyle hall of the temple

relief of seti presenting offerings to horus

seti holding his wood

houses near the temple

two men on a bicycle

next on the menu was the temple of hathor, goddess of love, music and beauty, at dendera, 60 km north of luxor. this temple is a greco-roman creation, built with the same reason as the temple of seti I, which was to provide political legitimacy to their rule. the reliefs here clearly showed the greco-roman fascination with erotic art and busty women. and the musty ammonia smell permeating throughout the temple hurt my nose. and dinner was at mcdonald's. beat that!

temple of hathor's facade

the hypostyle hall of the temple

corridor leading to the rooms upstairs

hathor is busty here

cute eh?

dogs playing in the temple ground

i love mcdonald's

mc'arabia or is it grilled chicken foldover?

6 dec [ day 4 ]: luxor to aswan via edfu and kom ombo

2004-12-22T17:31:00.000+08:00

left luxor for aswan, which is further south, in a convoy. the driver of the van wanted to know my mobile number. i was wondering why until he sent me two messages in arabic, which i still do not understand. i also wondered after that on whether he knew the cost of sending those messages. he was ecstatic though.

the convoy to hurghada and aswan

typical road sign

the driver [right] and his friend

on the way, another dose of temples at edfu and kom ombo. the very well-preserved temple of horus at edfu was built by the ptolemies, who were macedonians and one of whom was alexander the great, and it took ages for them to complete it. two distinctive features i noted was the papyrus inspired motif of the columns as compared to the plain egyptian ones and the intimate reliefs of the pharoah and his queen. and i was impressed by the number of tourists visiting this temple and by the rave reviews of oliver stone’s movie, alexander the gay.

the temple's majestic pylon

the court of offerings and camera-toting pilgrims

french tourists easily outnumbered the japanese

horus, the all-seeing god of the sky, at the entrance

no such intimate reliefs in the temples
of egyptian pharoahs

modern day pilgrims at the sanctuary of horus
snapping pictures

skimpy belly dance costume at bazaar
outside the temple

caliche and happy, happy french tourists

a school just outside the temple

at kom ombo, which is 45 km north of aswan, lay two other ptolemaic temples: the temple of sobek and the temple of haroeris. one was for the crocodile god and the other for the falcon god. in one of the rooms, there were two mummified crocodiles and two giggling japanese ladies.

hypostyle hall of the temple

vivid reliefs on the roof

man praying beside the temple

a nile cruiser at a dock near the temple

hit aswan early afternoon, had late lunch, walked along the street bazaar, checked out the train station for the trip to cairo, had dinner and slept early because of the tight schedule the next day.

bicycles outside the restaurant

provision shop at the bazaar

aswan's bazaar has a relaxed atmosphere

boy sorting out lemon limes on a cart

colours at the spice shop was amazing

dried hibiscus leaves for making tea

bakery at the bazaar

pizza shop near the train station

the ubiquitious coca-cola

winner of the most photogenic and loving couple award

survived mainly on baraka mineral water

7 dec [ day 5 ]: aswan high dam, philae island and the felucca ride

2004-12-22T14:40:00.002+08:00

i felt at ease in aswan as compared to luxor. not much hassle from the caliche [horse driven carriages] and taxi drivers. aswan was also where ancient egyptians quarried fine red granite for their temples, statues and obelisks. the first site for the day was the unfinished obelisk, declared the largest obelisk in the world. but to imagine the egyptians moving the obelisks around seemed like a futile mental effort because of the weight and size of these things. the obelisk could weigh up to 1000 tons and reach a height of 40 metres. you go ponder.

following the unfinished obelisk was the fatimid cemetery. nothing fascinating about this site, except for the appearance of a boy who could not speak english and asked for baksheesh for his great and warm company, and a tomb which was given a blue powder bath.

the unfinished obelisk

puppy suntanning at the unfinished obelisk site

baksheesh for a walk with him

creepy blue tomb

next was the aswan high dam, built in collaboration with the soviet union, and lake nasser, the third largest reservoir in the world. when the aswan high dam was built, it was a massive project and caused major problems; 90 000 nubians, monuments and temples were displaced. water is the lifeblood of any people. they go to war because of water.

following the aswan dam was the philae island for a rendezvous with another ptolemaic temple, completed by the romans, temple of isis. isis was not only worshipped by the egyptians, but also the greeks and romans. the temple was full of grafitti inscriptions of names of 19th century tourists on many of the temple walls. it was a cool ride to the island on a motorboat. i did not dare touch the water though because of certain nasty worms. what happens is that the baby worm swims in open bodies of contaminated water. upon contact with humans, the baby worm burrows into the skin, and grows to a healthy adult. the adult worm then makes its way to other areas like the bladder, rectum, intestines, liver, spleen, and lungs. i was told that death is certain once the adult worm hangs around at these anatomic areas.

lower side of aswan dam

the vastness of the upper side

shalal motorboat dock

boatman and his motorboat

motorboat, japanese tourists and philae island

temple of isis pylon [front facade]

papyrus motif of the colonnades

roman grafitti and this one says, b. mure is stupid

reliefs on the colonnades

tourists relaxing by the temple's cafe next
to the reservoir

a tourist contemplating by the temple

locals fishing for worms

after the temple of isis, it was a relaxing felucca trip to elephantine island for a visit of the nubian village, and to the west bank, where the desert meets the nile river, for a tour of the monastery of saint simeon and aga khan mausoleum.

the aga khan was so wealthy that on one of his birthdays, he measured his weight in diamonds and gold and gave them away. and his wife, the begum, was so distressed by his death that she put red roses everyday on his tomb and according to a legend, once, the supply of red roses dried up in egypt and she actually imported the flowers from france for a week. the current aga khan, one of the richest men in the world and worth US$6 billion dollars, is going through a divorce proceeding with his german wife. i read somewhere that he loves women.

the nubian camel drivers were persistent and aggressive in their approach to make the tourists ride their camels to saint simeon. i just walked in the desert for half an hour instead. felt like lawrence of arabia. did i mention that a felucca trip is a must try for anyone visiting egypt?

moored feluccas near the hotel

captain saed wants to go to australia

while lying down on the deck, i captured this

the aga khan mausoleum and the nasty camel dude

where the desert meets the nile river

monastery of saint simeon

a typical nubian house

time for dinner

8 dec [ day 6 ]: abu simbel and train trip to cairo

2004-12-22T13:33:00.001+08:00

the 280 km journey south of aswan to abu simbel was excruciating. eleven strangers from different hotels, excluding the drivers, were agonising due to the cramp condition in the van, long journey in the desert and lack of sleep. we set off at four in the morning. everyone was quiet, minding their own business, and tried to get some sleep. i woke up just in time to take a peek at the kadco farm, which is the biggest capitalist among other multi-national capitalists of another monumental project [toshka project], typical of egyptians in power, to create a city in the desert. kadco, owned by the saudi prince walid bin talal bin abdul-aziz al-saud, is putting at least US$500 million bucks into the coffer.

when we hit abu simbel, i was again greeted by another stupendous creation by who else but ramses II. the sun temple was his demonstration to the nubians of his power and majesty. next to it is another temple, the hathor temple of queen nefertari, built for his wife. the aswan dam project forced the migration of these temples to its current site in a project costing US$40 million dollars. the egyptians still owe the money big time. as these were the last temples in my tour of egypt, i left abu simbel with a poignant moment knowing that egypt owes international creditors, such as the world bank and imf, a cool sum of US$30 billion dollars. that is a lot of money, george.

the majestic sun temple

colossi of ramses II

grafitti by 19th century tourists

and these are 21st century tourists

hathor temple of queen nefertari

the two temples looked really grand

i got back to the hotel for a short nap before a very late lunch and the train trip to cairo, the subduer, at 6.45 p.m. the train butler wanted baksheesh from me in exchange for a cabin all to myself. i gave him US$3 dollars to make both of us happy campers. i slept very well.

lunch was bread with eggs and minced meat

vegetable sellers along aswan's bazaar

aswan train station

residential area off the train station

the train about to set off

unabashedly luxurious travelling

9 dec [ day 7 ]: central cairo and the museum of egyptian antiquities

2004-12-22T11:52:00.000+08:00

i arrived at ramses station, cairo, at the beginning of the morning peak hour. cairo was cloudy unlike the clear blue skies of the south. saw a massive statue of ramses II in the process of moving to memphis, according to muhammad, the pyramids’ guide. he also said that the removal project costs US$1 million bucks.

i bunked in at fortuna hotel, whose gaudy interior decoration, stylised in amateurish art deco intricacies, mesmerised me. went to hamis travel after dumping the backpacks to arrange tours to mount sinai and the pyramids. the traffic was mad. chaos rules. vehicles everywhere. people everywhere. smoke and fumes. dirt and dust. horns blasting and people shouting. the driver to mount sinai, atef, mentioned that mumbai is worst.

ramses train station is next to mubarak metro station

typical cairo's road scene

selling bread by the main road

small deli by the street

the art deco interior decoration of fortuna hotel

the fruit stall was next to a bank

bakery selling all sorts of breads and pastries

local fast food serving meals on the go

lunch at a shop by the street

after lunch was an excursion to the museum of egyptian antiquities. took the train [cairo metro] from mubarak metro station and paid about 15 US cents. there were only two lines, so it was easy to navigate. orderly queuing for tickets is not advisable as egytians have no concept of that. force yourself to the counter and shove the money into the small opening for the ticket officer to take your money and pass you the ticket.

got off at sadat metro station, main train station in the heart of town, and went to the american university. the egyptian moneyed class would send their sons and daughters to this university. when i was in there, i could see that the students were no different from those in developed countries. they are fed popular culture. they wear nike cortez and levis 501s and smoke marlboro lights. mcdonald's and pizza hut are strategically positioned across the road opposite the university's main entrance. besides the typical undergraduate programmes, the university also serves liberal arts subjects like journalism, gender studies, theatre and american studies. the islamic fundamentalists and egyptian marxists insist that the university is an agent and manifestation of american imperialism and zionism.

across the road from the american university is the mugamma. it houses the interior, health and education ministries. i did not dare go in and explore the building but just looking at the façade would leave anyone dejected. the classical soviet inspired architecture and greyish dark brown building looked huge and imposing. read somewhere that service was truly third world and an african actually threw himself out of the window in frustration dealing with the super efficient bureaucrats.

metro train station signage

underground train station

american university in cairo

students at the university's courtyard

the infamous mugamma

after the mugamma was the museum but i had to cross several roads to get there. it was suicide. the egyptians motorists are still trying to comprehend the purpose of the installed traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. dodging the vehicles requires bravery and correct technique. i took the easy way out by shielding myself next to an egyptian.

according to rough guide, the museum of egyptian antiquities housed so many artefacts that it will take a visitor nine months to complete if he or she ponders at every artefact [136 000 exhibits] for one minute. i was more interested in the artefacts of the new kingdom and king tutankhamen’s treasures. it was difficult to concentrate with so many artefacts and friendly egyptians, young and old, greeting you all the time. i missed the mummies exhibition. regretted that. before leaving the museum i had a look at the very rare egyptian blue lotus/ blue water lily which is also found on the reliefs of temples and in various forms, such as perfumes, in the tombs of pharoahs. it also creates euphoric effects like ecstasy if consumed. they do not look blue to me, though.

when i took the train back to the hotel, it was peak hour and i had to join the mad squeeze into the train carriages. throughout that journey, my face was plastered to the train door. cairo had subdued me.

museum of egyptian antiquities [cameras disallowed]

the feel good egyptian blue lotus

10 dec [ day 8 ]: sinai peninsula

2004-12-22T09:54:00.000+08:00

on the way to mount sinai [about 300 km from cairo], there were four stops of varying interests. the first one was a stop to watch ships passing through the suez canal. military zones had to be avoided just to get a glimpse of the ships. nothing spectacular when singaporeans could see bigger ships off the east coast parkway beaches and tanjong pagar port, but since the sinai peninsula, especially the suez canal, is a very sensitive area and the present political climate of trigger happy bombings, finding a spot and not warrant an arrest just to take pictures of ships on the canal can be an adventure in itself.

after that little adventure, it was a tour of the abandoned israeli battery unit, responsible for shelling suez canal during the war. the guide was a soldier on attachment. he kept asking me about my opinions on the arab-israeli conflict. he was pleased when he got his baksheesh. but i was more than happy to give him as his warmth was far from the hawkish attitude of the touts and other unofficial guides.

ahmed hamdi tunnel is below the suez canal

ships at the gulf of suez

an empty resort by the suez gulf

the abandoned israel battery unit

the commanding officer's underground office

corroded gun post signage

after seeing the economic-political dimension of suez canal and the arab-israeli conflict, it was time to get religious. stopped at ain musa, springs of moses. according to legend, this was the place moses and the israelites stopped after crossing the red sea, and where moses miraculously produced twelve springs from the ground. i saw only two and there were no water.

after the religious experience it was time to sweat at hammam faraoun, pharoah’s bath. like the japanese, some locals would go to these hot springs for a bath. there is also a natural sauna deep in a cave. i did not know about its existence until i went inside the cave, walking with the torchlight many metres deep into the rock, having to crawl at times to go to the other side, and squeezing myself into holes. i was drenched with sweat before i reached the end of the cave, cursing the bedouin guide and atef, the driver, under my breath for not warning me about these near traumatic experience. it was very hot and the air was very heavy. once i got out, i washed my face with the refreshing hot water from the springs until three coaches full of ain sham university students arrived and made a circus out of the peaceful place.

the sickly palm trees at moses spring

one of the twelve springs

cave to the natural sauna

waiting for the guide at the cave's entrance

the cave guide wanted to show more

father and daughter at sand bath

ain sham university students at the hotsprings

finally arrived at saint catherine’s monastery hostel and had the most enjoyable dinner after that at the hostel’s restaurant. although i knew that ancient egyptians were into wine, i did not know that modern egypt produced wines until i saw some bottles at the restaurant. i had to sleep early because of the climb to the summit of mount sinai.

the desolate road to mount sinai

the gorgeous entrance to the hostel room

11 dec [ day 9 ]: mount sinai and the monastery of saint catherine

2004-12-22T01:47:00.001+08:00

mount sinai is revered by jews, christians and muslims. the summit was claimed as the site where prophet moses received the ten commandments and prophet muhammad ascended to the heavens.

i woke up at one in the morning and took the backpack that i had prepared earlier. i thought of going to the restaurant for coffee but when i saw the crowd, i decided to skip it. i was also told by the restaurant’s owner that a big group of tourists were coming from sharm el-sheikh at two o’clock. i was in a hurry to avoid the crowd. this climb, 2285 metres, was supposed to be a pseudo-spiritual journey, and not to be in the company of the forty thieves in fits of giggles and laughter.

with a torchlight, i walked around the monastery towards the camel path. i was alone. it was too early. told myself to keep to the camel path. i saw a dim light about forty metres away, got near to it and realised that the enterprising jebeliya bedouins were already stationed at the foot of the mountain, waiting for tourists who would want to take a camel ride rather than do the tiresome trek up to the summit. the jebeliya tribe claimed that their ancestors were slavs and not arabs.

want a camel, sir? nah, thanks. after that, i was engulfed in total darkness and the cold air. i was a little apprehensive. i wondered whether i should just join the crowd. i thought of turning back. but my male ego would not allow me. decided to brave on. it was surreal. halfway up the mountain i felt hot from perspiration and took off two of the three t-shirts i was wearing underneath my jacket. they were already wet. looked down the ravine and saw in a distant a line of faint lights. the crowd had already started their climb. it was surreal. although i was already panting slightly, i moved on and near the summit i was greeted with a couple of drink stalls selling coke, vitrac mango juice, baraka mineral water, nescafe coffee and mars chocolate bars by enterprising bedouins. it was surreal.

i decided to rest and get a hot made-in-egypt nescafe coffee in a plastic cup. i was looking at the faint lights and sipping the bitter coffee when a couple of italian and french blokes walked past me. a few minutes later i carried on with the climb.

it was very, very dark

rested at this drink stall

at the summit was a small chapel near a cave where god said to moses: ‘i will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while i pass over [exodus 33:22]. i was surveying the summit. i could not see much because of the darkness. now where are the italians and the french? and where is east? suddenly, somebody from behind me asked whether i want a blanket and mattress. another enterprising bedouin. i declined and he was kind enough to tell me that the best position to watch the break of dawn would be at a rock outcrop further ahead. i thanked him and went over. found the italians and the french sitting next to each other, occupying all the choice seats. i had to go behind a rock near a ravine. was in a precarious position, but it was the next best position. only one or two other persons could join me on that small space of flat rock. made my way to the edge and was soon joined by two australians.

i was trying very hard not to fall down into the ravine for instant death and was also trying very hard to keep myself warm. the combination of my wet t-shirt and strong cold wind made me shiver uncontrollably. the jacket and towel were useless. i decided for a blanket and the enterprising bedouin was near enough to hear my plea.

it was only four o’clock and two more hours before sunrise. i tried to sleep. my eyes were very heavy but i was very, very cold. everything was peaceful. going to sleep. but then i was awoken with a major jolt, thinking that god had spoken to me. in the darkness, a group of people had reached the summit and were shouting very loudly: ‘hallelujah’ and ‘praise the lord’. one of the australians swore. they were nigerians. they began to sing christian hymns and gospel songs at the top of their voice. it was surreal. after the singing, sermons were made. lots of ‘amen’. they continued to do so until sunrise.

i saw hundreds of dark figures in a space no larger than a restaurant. they were jostling for a good position. a lot of anticipation, whispering, talking, shouting and preaching. it was surreal. i smiled. the sun showed its orange shadows and itself in the longest sunrise that i had witnessed in my entire life. the view of the arid peaks with the peeking sun was unbelievable. it was surreal. i was shivering. i had enough and made my way down using the steps of repentance instead of the camel path. 3750 steps altogether, made by a remorseful monk. two middle-aged japanese ladies overtook me with their dexterous footwork while going down the steps. it was surreal.

the physical torture to see this was worth it

one of the aussie blokes

the sun revealed itself to the pilgrims

the arid peaks of nearby mountains

blanket, rock and ravine

the international pilgrim contingent

pilgrims wailing while holding the chapel's exterior walls

the enterprising blanket and mattress bedouins

one for the picture

a misnomer [my right knee got busted again]

this is a camel

saw stacked rocks [somebody explain]

cool entrance to more steps

the monastery of saint catherine

i was tired, cold and hungry. had breakfast to fill the empty stomach, hit the bathroom for a hot shower and explored saint catherine's monastery to better understand life in a monastery in the middle of nowhere.

the monastery is greek orthodox, different, i believe, from russian orthodox, coptic orthodox, catholicism, anglican and other protestant denominations. emperor justinian [ad 527 -565] ordered it to be built around what was thought as the moses’ burning bush [when the lord saw that he turned aside to see, god called to him out of the bush, "moses, moses!" and he said, "here am i." exodus 2:23-3:20]. another story was that it was built as a dedication to the daughter of a ruler of alexandria, who converted to christianity and was subjected to great torture with a wheel full of spikes.

nothing much to see in the monastery. most of the church compounds were not open for tourists, the strain of tourism on the monastery and the monks. i saw the purported burning bush and saw many people plucking the leaves, and burning incense and beeswax candles. some had their eyes closed and were praying amidst the chaotic chattering of the other tourists.

i went up to the second level for the museum and got in free. the priest who was in-charge of collecting the money and issuing of tickets went to singapore once, loved it and extended that feeling to a singaporean with a free entry. it was a very good museum. many ancient artefacts. amazing stuff. when i wanted to leave i saw the priest was busy counting money with a leader of a big tour group. i wanted to say thanks again but did not want to disturb him. so i approached the door and was stopped by the guard as the tour group was about to enter. the priest saw me, muttered something to the guard and i was again given the privileged treatment. the tour group was told to make way for me. i was too embarrassed. i forgot to thank the priest.

i then went into the nave and was mesmerised by the prayer sessions that were going on.

after the monastery it was a trip back to cairo. stopped at wadi feiran. this place was said to be where moses struck a rock with his staff to produce water for his people. i saw lots of palm trees and small mud-brick houses.

the monastery compound

the burning bush

palm trees at wadi feiran

12 dec [ day 10 ]: the pyramids

2004-12-21T23:27:00.000+08:00

met muhammad, the guide to the pyramids, at pyramids road. the road was teeming with nightclubs and touristy restaurants. muhammad was kind of interesting as some of his facts were different from those in the guidebooks. he did not do much in terms of conveying insightful knowledge, but his presence kept most of the touts away and was helpful in giving basic information such as the cost of an entry to a particular site.

first destination was the world famous pyramids of giza. got the tickets for the great pyramid of cheops, the only surviving wonder of the world i was told. i thought george bush is the only one. told to hurry up by muhammad with this one as there were many other pyramids to go to. snapped some pictures, entered the corridor like a crouching tiger to the king’s chamber the size of a small shop at a shopping centre and saw cheops’ sarcophagus [stone coffin], and a young lady of mediterranean descent with her back to the wall, eyes closed, mouth muttering something and hands clasped together. she must be the reincarnation of cheops’ lover.

got out and walked around the pyramid. near the solar boat museum, a peddler stopped me in my tracks and forced me to acknowledge him by extending his hand for a handshake. he placed a small blue stone on my palm and asked for money. he was persistent. i was agitated. i lost it and shouted a big ‘no’ to him. i wanted to give him a thumping. he was shocked and walked away. he felt dejected and i felt bad.

the busy pyramids road

the great pyramid of cheops

pyramid of cheops part II

cheops entered here, sealed for eternity

tourists enter here, open for eternity

drove to an area where tourists could take pictures of the great pyramid of cheops [the grandfather], pyramid of chephren [the father] and pyramid of mycerinus [the son]. and after that was the valley temple of chephren and the sphinx. there were still controversies on who built the sphinx although the conventional theory attributes its existence to chephren. the valley temple of chephren was where burial rites were done. muhammad said that egytologists believe that the buildings across the sphinx might be sitting on important ancient egyptian sites, but because of powerful and rich egyptian owners and equally powerful and rich tenants, it would take a military coup or something to remove them.

pyramid of chephren, the son

chephren and his beardless statue

sphinx is in need of repair

cheops [the grandfather], chephren [the father],
mycerinus [the son], and the
puny pyramid [the grandmother]

sigh, the fancy pose some tourists would go to

somewhere underneath lies the city of atlantis

although i had this beauty for dinner that night

a homeless man outside the pyramids of giza

time for lunch but before that it was to one of the papyrus factories muhammad recommended. muhammad got a commission and i bought a papyrus painting which is still rolled up in a tube box. after that, it was lunch at a place muhammad recommended. muhammad got a free lunch and i had a mixed-grill of ultra-tough meats. egyptian food is nothing to rave about. i was told that most egyptians prefer to eat at home and feast on mommy's food rather than to eat out like most singaporeans do. the reason why food in restaurants and on the streets are not fantastic.

muhammad the guide and muhammad
the papyrus expert

lady and her outdoor oven

and the bread [aish]

lunch was this super tough mixed-grill

after lunch was a trip to the dashur pyramids. went to the red pyramid, built by snofru, cheops father. few tourists and no peddlers. heavenly. the three chambers smelled strong of ammonia though. somebody must have been peeing in there. on the way out, came across a group of japanese tourists at the corridor. they were giggling. after the red pyramid was a view of the bent pyramid. one must trek for about a kilometre to explore the bent pyramid. muhammad reckoned that time was not on our side, so could only snapped some pictures. the bent pyramid was also built by snofru and he was buried in there, the only pharaoh with two pyramids.

after dashur, it was memphis, the capital of the old kingdom. nothing much to see here except for the colossus of who else but ramses II.

snofru's red pyramid

red pyramid and white four-wheeler

tourist police at the red pyramid

snofru's bent pyramid

muhammad pointed out this tittilating feature
of ramses II

ramses II colossi

the singapore contingent

after memphis was a tour of saqqara. visited the mastaba of ti, a royal hairdresser who was given privileged treatment. what was fascinating about this tomb was that the vivid reliefs on the walls showed everyday life of ancient egyptians such as people farming, playing chess, dancing and fishing.

after the mastaba of ti were the funerary complex of zoser and the step pyramid. these two monuments were seen as important because it was the first time humans made use of stones instead of mud bricks to build mega complexes. the funerary complex of zoser and step pyramid were the precursors to majestic funerary complexes like the sun temple and the great pyramids of giza respectively. it was the beginning of complex architecture.

singapore contingent and funerary complex of zoser

the step pyramid

step pyramid from another angle

bedouin tents outside the saqqara ruins

yet to be determined reliefs found on the ground

13 dec [ day 11 ]: coptic cairo and islamic cairo

2004-12-21T13:45:00.000+08:00

first on the list was coptic cairo. took the train as the mari girgis metro station was just next to it. was beginning to feel like a celebrity every time i took the train. the locals tend to scrutinise me from top to bottom. and not even once did i get the opportunity to sit down. it was that crowded.

anyway, i went to the hanging church first and was intrigued by the decorations in the church. this church claimed that they have the olive stone that virgin mary chewed on. sat down for while to soak in the serene atmosphere. next was the monastery of saint george, which is presently the seat of the greek othodox, partriarchate of alexandria. i was wandering around when i was stopped by an old egyptian man who was trying to show me around. waved at him my guidebook. after the monastery, it was to the church of saint george. the hanging church was nicer and coptic museum was closed for one year. darn.

hanging church frontage

hanging church entrance

hanging church window

hanging church nave

church of saint george

new cross for saint georgie

i proceeded on to the subterranean gateway. felt medieval, walking on cobbled path of a muggy alley of 19th century london, pretending to be mr dombey in charles dickens’ tale of bourgeois tyranny. the communist manifesto was first published in 1848, a year of revolution and upheaval, and mr dombey and son, also published in 1848, was the novel version of marx’s capital. i am digressing. went into the nunnery of saint george but could only go as far as the compound and the church door.

walked further to visit the saint sergius church. the crypt in the church was believed to be where the holy family, joseph, mary and the infant jesus, had stayed. after that was the ben ezra synagogue, where it was thought that the pharaoh’s daughter found baby moses in the bulrushes. there are less than 200 jews living in egypt now. most left for israel or the united states. finally, went to the church of saint barbara, who was killed by her own father and in turn was struck by lightning.

the holy family was here

subterranean gateway

nunnery of saint george

painting of virgin mary outside the nunnery

bought vitrac mango juice, gulped it in double quick time and took a train to one station before mari girgis before the start of a 2 km walk to the citadel. it was a wrong decision. i walked by the main road and was breathing cairo’s heavily polluted air. my nose was very sore at the end of the day and i could still feel the air in my lungs even after a couple of days in singapore.

managed to arrive at the citadel without suffocating to death. it was a long walk up a slope to the entrance and was surprised that i did not see busloads of tourists. instead i saw hundreds of egyptian school children going on a field trip. i was relentlessly approached by these kids and was greeted. 'welcome to egypt', and asked, 'what’s your name?' all the time in the citadel. saw a japanese lady shaking the hands of about thirty enthusiastic kids. must be her lucky day.

the reason why i didn't take the bus

the citadel from afar

the citadel inside the fortified wall

the so, so adorable egyptian kids

the citadel is a fortified complex housing mosques and museums, and has a commanding view of cairo’s polluted skyline. it was begun by salah al-din [saladin], the founder of the ayyubid dynasty and the formidable foe of the crusaders. the most prominent feature of the citadel is the mohammed ali mosque. with pin like minarets, the majestic mosque can be seen from far away. mohammed ali was a successor to the mamlukes. in 1811 he held a feast for 470 important mamlukes, said goodbye and massacred them a distant away. i went inside the mosque, rested for a while pondering at the little disappointment by the sight of the exterior mucky walls and found the interior to garish for my liking. mohammed ali was buried in the mosque.

went to the mosque of sultan al-nasir. it has a green dome and was also grimy. skipped the museums and went to look for the prison cell of anwar sadat, jailed by the british for attempted collaboration with the germans in 1942. i wanted to go in but was stopped by a policeman. no visiting, he said.

view of cairo from the citadel

mohammed ali mosque

the majestic mosque's corridor

mohammed ali's tomb

door to the prison cell of anwar sadat

view of eyptian's working class houses

this tells the time

ibrahim pasha and bird shit

left the citadel and took a right turn and walk for about 500 metres or so to the mosque of sultan hassan and rifai mosque. the mosques are adjacent to each other and when it comes to prayer calls, the muezzins would be competing with each other on who would give the sweetest call. took some pictures and left for khan el-khalili bazaar.

mosque nearby but chose to pray next
to the fortified wall

mosque of sultan hassan next to the rifai mosque

decided to take the black-and-white taxi. they are ubiquitous. stand by the road, stick out your arm, wave your hands at the oncoming taxi and tell your destination. easy. why didn't i think of that when i went to the citadel? it was an ancient lada, inherited probably from stalin, and had no air-conditioner or such luxuries. still, i was required to breathe noxious fumes again. i was also required to wear the seatbelt but there was no buckle. the driver told me to pretend. he was like a race car driver, swerving at a very tight angle all the time and jamming the brake forcefully, also, all the time. it was thrilling, though. egypt does not need radical amusement park rides to attract tourists, just hopped into the black-and-white taxi and you are on the way to an extreme g-force roller-coaster ride.

arrived at khan el-khalili, which was opposite al-azhar mosque, claimed to be the oldest university in the world, and next to the mosque of saiyidina hussein, which is a mosque dedicated to the grandson of the prophet. tragic story. his body is enshrined in karbala, iraq, and his head in this mosque. a revered figure of the shiites

i, then, made my way to muski, the narrow street, where the heart of the bazaar is. it was choc-a-block full of people. peddlers were selling every item imaginable, from electronic appliances, clothes to salted fish and spices. as i was traversing the congested street, i was caught in a surge. apparently, a puny pick-up truck was manoeuvring its way out of the street after sending some goods to a stall somewhere in the middle of the bazaar. it occupied the whole street and the people in front were not giving way. i was a couple of metres behind the vehicle and the crowd behind was surging forward. i was sandwiched between an old lady and an old man. i could smell the woman’s breath and her mutterings. then there was a massive surge forward. people were shouting, and the driver had to blast his horn to clear his path. pandemonium. i saw a space between two stalls and quickly went for it. waited for a while to let the human traffic clear slightly before i joined the crowd again. at the end of the street, i took a left and decided to call it a day. here we go again, the black-and-white ladas. my nose was sore, my lungs filled with fumes and i was dead tired.

mosque of al-azhar

mosque of saiyidina hussein

muski scene

muski scene part II

race car driver

taxi metre

accident involving tourists

sheesha at el-khalili

14 dec [ day 12 ]: cairo to doha to singapore

2004-12-15T01:56:00.000+08:00

i woke up and realised that it was the last day in egypt. thought of getting some gifts for the folks at home. somehow i was not particularly impressed by egypt's tourist products. even the t-shirts were of poor quality and the designs unimpressive. decided to go to the neighbourhood where the president of egypt, hosni mubarak, lives, heliopolis, an upper and middle class enclave. the suburb is like any other western suburbs, posh with well-planned streets and beautiful landscaping. i got to the shopping belt safely, once again, after a harrowing taxi ride, and headed straight to metro supermarket, similar to singapore’s cold-storage supermarkets. i bought some made-in-egypt food products like hibiscus tea and spices and that was it.

a typical apartment block at heliopolis

fruit juice stall

fruit juice man

stayed here for three nights

cairo rained and only on the last day

once in the hotel room, i packed my backpacks, ate my hardees’ big champ burger, left some tips under the ashtray and went to cairo international airport. anyway, the flight to singapore from doha was miserable for me. i sat next to a fat slob who gave an occasional silent fart which smelled really bad, and across the aisle were two filipinos, bent on getting drunk with red wine and decorating the airplane's floor with peanut shells.

all in all, i realise that egypt and singapore are so different. and if i were to draw an analogy, egypt is like a market, lively and chaotic, and singapore, a hospital, methodical and cold.