FIVE DAYS IN EGYPT
When planning this leg of our trip — the leg that would take us from southern Africa to Europe — we knew we wanted to visit Egypt along the way. When we started researching, we came to the quick conclusion that it would be the best and safest option to book a package tour instead of trying to navigate this part of the trip on our own.
We booked a five day package to Cairo and Luxor with expert guides and drivers — and we are so glad that we did. They brought us to the Pyramids, Nile River, and the Valley of the Kings. We saw sphinxes, mummies, and tombs, read hieroglyphics, and got a crash course in ancient Egyptian history. We even rode camels in the process.
On paper, our trip was a success.
But in reality, we felt a little… underwhelmed? We are still searching for the right word.
On our travels, the Noonans are most satisfied when we have good food, good weather, and a good night’s sleep. While in Egypt, we got none of these things:
The restaurants and hotels where we ate as part of our package deal did not have — to put it kindly — the best Egyptian cuisine to offer.
The weather in Egypt is best described as “dusty” and “hot.” The sky is a dusty gray, the land is dusty beige, and the buildings are a dusty terracotta. The colors are all muted; there is a palpable lack of vibrancy. The temperature is oppressively hot and dry, and saps your energy almost instantly.
Which brings us to a good night’s sleep. We woke every day at 5 AM to board a flight or to beat the heat, and were exhausted after our (very full) days of tours. To pack in all that we wanted to do in our 5 days, it was necessary for those days to be long. As a result, we were perpetually tired, and some might say, cranky?
This feels a bit bleak as I write it. We were glad we added Egypt to itinerary, but we’re not sure we’ll come back for seconds.
After lots of family discussions, this is what we noticed most while in Egypt:
Security. While at the airport, we went through no less than three security checkpoints for every one our flights. Bomb-sniffing dogs and mirrors checked our vehicles, gun-wielding officers interrogated our drivers, and metal detectors welcomed us at every tourist site. While we were here, I was texting with a friend back home who asked if we felt safe while we were in Egypt. We did feel safe, but the omnipresent security checks and armed guards felt unsettling and made it seem like we were treading in very dangerous territories. I couldn’t help but think about gun violence in America. How many people feel truly safe at home, when people are shot at schools, grocery stores, and churches, in driveways and at Sweet Sixteen parties? What makes us feel safe — the absence of security checks or the omnipresence of them?
Payment. Everyone we encountered in Egypt expects to be paid. We arrived at the airport and men were forcibly trying to take our luggage out of our hands to help us carry them to our car, for a price. Our tour guides slipped bills into the hands of guards and parking attendants everywhere we went, ensuring that we could enter without a problem and park where we wanted. Without a word, the official ticket agent at King Tut‘s tomb a put a piece of cardboard in our hands after we gave him our tickets, and when we returned from the tomb, he expected payment for the use of his cardboard “fan.” When we refused to pay him for something we never requested, he slapped Chris on the arm with that same piece of cardboard.
Gruffness. With the major exception of our beloved tour guides and driver (Alfred, John and Moshen), the people we encountered in Egypt had a gruffness about them. Perhaps it was more pronounced for us since we had just come from Botswana and South Africa, where every single human being we encountered was effusively kind and loving and EFFING JOYFUL. In Egypt, there were very few pleasantries exchanged, very few spontaneous conversations with strangers, and very few connections felt with locals.
So we’ll chalk Egypt up as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” We’re happy we visited and grateful for the experience and perspective it gave us. 🇪🇬