Whereas yesterday we had spent most of our time in the desert near Giza, a short distance from Cairo, today would see us exploring the areas in and around the city itself. Our day started early with a buffet breakfast at the Ramses Hilton Hotel. George, our tour guide and Egyptologist met us in the hotel lobby at 8:30am. From there, we boarded our air-conditioned van and drove the short distance to The Citadel of Cairo, (also known as the Citadel of Saladin), a medieval Islamic-era fortification which served as the seat of government in Egypt and the residence of its rulers from the 13th to the 19th centuries. It is situated atop one of the peaks of the Mokattam hills near the center of Cairo and as such overlooks the city and its impressive skyline. While it has long been known as an ambitious military fortification it is now a preserved historic site, including mosques and museums. Within its confines is the spectacular Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha which was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848. Because is it situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century, is the most visible mosque in Cairo. The mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali's oldest son, who died in 1816. The mosque, because of its height and prominence near the centre of the city, is one of the first features that is seen when approaching the city from any direction. After spending about an hour at the Citadel, we boarded the van and drove about 15 minutes to one of Cairo’s poorest neigbourhoods, Manshiyat Naser, also referred to as Cairo’s Garbage City. This part of Cairo is inhabited by approximately 260,000 mostly Coptic Christians. Manshiyat Naser is called Garbage City because its inhabitants are trying to eke out a living by recycling and selling what other people throw away. Cairo’s garbage collectors, the Zabbaleen, bring the city’s rubbish here where it is sorted, recycled and sold. The area has poor living conditions and rubbish is piled everywhere. Families will specialize in certain types of garbage eg, plastics, paper products or steel and these products fill their living quarters, overflowing into the streets and even onto the roofs of their houses. There is a lack of basic infrastructure in Garbage City such as sewers, electricity and water, yet, the people that we saw who lived there seemed to be content with their minimalist lifestyle. Despite its slumish appearance, Garbage City is home to the largest church in the Middle East - Saint Simon Church (also called the Cave Church) - and is a fascinating feat of architectural design. This is a Coptic Christian church which is carved out of rock and is used by the Garbage City Christians as a place of worship and also rented out for concerts and performances. It seats over 15,0000 people and its natural acoustics make it a perfect spot to listen to music or an inspiring sermon. A separate cave, St Simon the Tanner Hall, accommodates up to 2000 people and its walls are engraved with the scenes from various biblical stories. We walked back from the Cave Church to our waiting van at the edge of Garbage City. After boarding the van we meandered slowly and carefully through the narrow cart-path streets of Garbage City and back towards the centre of Cairo. We made a brief stop in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo) to visit one of its most famous churches - the Saint Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, more famously known as the Hanging Church. It is one of the oldest churches in all of Egypt, with an original church located on this site dating back to the 3rd Century. It is referred to as the Hanging Church because it is built above the gatehouse of an ancient Roman fortress and the nave of the church is suspended over a passage. The church is also reported to have been the site of several Marian apparitions. After our brief stop at the Hanging Church, we proceeded to downtown Cairo where George had arranged for us to have lunch on a river boat, converted to a restaurant, on the banks of the Nile. Our small group sat at an elongated rectangular table and were served a variety of dips, pita, chicken and rice. The hot afternoon sun drenched the dining area in bright sunshine. After lunch we made our way to one of the most incredible museums in the world - The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities which opened in 1902 and houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts, more than 160,000, including the contents of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. The treasures in this museum are spread over two floors, with dozens of separate rooms and alcoves on each. There are areas dedicated to pharaohs whose mummified remains are displayed inside their sarcophagi. The most fascinating room for me was the special area reserved for the treasures that were removed from the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings. There are more than 1200 artifacts in this room alone, the highlight of which is the incredible Mask of King Tut containing more than 11 kilograms of pure gold. We spent just under 2 hours in the museum which in retrospect was not nearly enough time. A half day in is probably the minimum amount of time needed to absorb the plethora of riches that this museum has to offer. We left the museum in the late afternoon and returned to our hotel to relax by the pool. Our Egyptian friend Sammy met us at the pool for a drink where we solidified our plans for the evening. Sammy, Kim, Ian and Erika decided to head out for dinner at Villa Caracas. Karen, Geoff and I opted for a more leisurely evening and decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. Our evening started with an eventful Uber drive to the restaurant. As we were driving the time came for the fast to be broken and all along the medians in the road, people were lined up giving out glasses of juice. Our driver slowed at a light and insisted that we also partake in the juice even though he was the only one who had been fasting. Upon arrival at the Villa Caracas, the mood was very lively as many families came out to celebrate the end of the fast for the day with an Iftar meal. Since it was Ramadan the restaurant had set menus with several courses available where you chose from a list of options. We let Sammy choose our dishes and all of them were absolutely amazing! We were so full after our meal that we decided to head over to the Khan el Khalili bazaar for a walk. The bazaar was filled with people and all around the grounds leading to the main laneways were families enjoying their evening and the festivities of Ramadan. Within the bazaar there were numerous stalls selling food, clothing, accessories, decorations, and many other trinkets and souvenirs were available for purchase. It was brightly lit and the vendors were calling out to us selling their wares. It was fun and very animated. A fun end to a great day in Cairo. Planning a trip to Egypt? Reach out for expert advice and assistance with your holiday planning.
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I often hear the question is it ok to travel with essential oils, not only is it ok to travel with essential oils I think everyone should travel with essential oils. Since many essential oils can be used for multiple issues they are easy and handy to travel with.
Actually your use of essential oils should start weeks before you leave. There is nothing worse than getting sick just before you are going away, which could prevent you from going but at the very least not enjoy your trip as much. That’s why I recommend using an immunity roller at least two weeks before you expect to travel, not only will that help keep you from getting sick before you go away, but it will help you fight off any issues while you are away. The immunity roller that I use is made up of Thieves, Frankincense, Orange, Oregano and Copaiba essential oils. Even if you don’t have all of those oils even just one or two of them can help to boost your immunity and keep you from getting sick. As well as my immunity roller botte I also travel with roller bottles that help with motion sickness and pain. If any member of the group you are travelling with suffers from allergies you might also want to bring the allergy roller bottle as well. The motion sickness roller bottle is made with Di-gize, Aromaease, Ginger, Peppermint, M-grain, Nutmeg and Spearmint essential oils. The great thing about this roller bottle is that not only does it help with motion sickness it can also help with many kinds of stomach upsets, including diarrhea and heartburn. My pain roller bottle is made up of Panaway, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove and Frankincense essential oils are must have on a trip for any aches and pains that show up, from doing too much walking while sightseeing or sleeping funny on the plane. The allergy roller bottle contains Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon essential oils. As well as my roller bottle I also travel with at least 10 bottles of single or blends to make sure I’m covered for just about anything that might show up while I am away. Lavender essential oil for sleep and to soothe sun kissed skin. Thieves and Tea Tree essential oils for cuts and scrapes as well as immune boosting. Purification is great if you find your hotel room smells a little funky and it also takes the itch or sting out of most bug bites. Peppermint essential oil is great for upset tummies, headaches, and heartburn. Peace and Calming and Stress Away because they help bring calm to what can sometimes be a difficult traveling experience. R.C. essential oil is great to have on hand for any nasal congestion that might result from changes in air quality. Frankincense is another essential oil that is great to use for skin rejuvenating from environmental damage. Lemon and Peppermint essential oils are also great to have on hand to add to water to help ensure that you stay hydrated during your trip. You can also make your own non-toxic sun protection and bug repellent as well to take with you on your travels. All of the essential oils that I have listed are from Young Living, but most brands either carry the same single oils and have similar blends. My only caution is to know the brand that you are using as not all brands use high quality essential oils. So not only do I recommend that you travel with essential oils I think it’s a must. You can entrust your Essential Oil needs to Jenn Kelly from Young Living: https://www.facebook.com/EOswithJenn/ eoswithjenn@gmail.com 416-522-2938 Today would be our first “BIG” day on our 9 day journey through Egypt! We were about to step back 4500 years to Egypt’s 4th Dynasty as we visited the awe-inspiring Pyramids of Giza, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World in Ancient times. Our day started early as George, our tour guide and certified Egyptologist, met us at the Hilton Ramses at 8:00am. While it was only a short drive from our downtown hotel to the desert on the West Bank of the Nile River in Greater Cairo, our early start was an effort to avoid the larger crowds and intense heat that would occur later in the day. As we approached the cluster of the pyramids making up the Giza Necroplis, it was impossible not to be awed by the size and symmetry of these ancient architectural structures. Each of the 3 pyramids was built for a king. The oldest and largest pyramid, referred to as the Great Pyramid, was built for Khufu, 2nd King of the 4th Dynasty. Each side of this pyramid is roughly the length of two and half football fields and is aligned to one of the four cardinal points of the compass. We parked in an expansive lot on the east side of the pyramids and continued to marvel at the impressive site before us. Approaching from the east and looking west, the view is spectacular. In the foreground are the 3 magnificent pyramids surrounded by the golden sand dunes of the desert and topped by bright blue sky. Unbelievably when you turn around you can see the city coming right up to the edge of the pyramids! We spent about an hour walking around the pyramids and climbing onto the stone platforms at their base after which we boarded our tour van and drove about a kilometre west of the pyramids into the desert. Here we disembarked and prepared for our next excursion - a desert camel ride. Our small group of six each mounted a camel and then we braced ourselves as our camels trudged through the sand back towards the Great Pyramids of Giza. The experience was surreal! Following our trek around the pyramids we boarded our van and drove a short 5 minutes away to another spot on the Giza Plateau to get a look at the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Sphinx, like the pyramids dates back to the 4th Dynasty and is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt. It measures about 73 meters in length and stands 20 meters tall. We spent about 20 minutes at the Sphinx, walking from the head to the tail along an elevated boardwalk. It was approaching 11:00am when we left the Sphinx and it was already getting very hot. As we drove away from the Giza Plateau heading east back towards the Nile and Cairo we stopped at an Aromatherapy shop where we were served tea and Turkish coffee while someone demonstrated an array of fragrances created from essential oils. We purchased a sample package consisting of Rose, Lotus, Orange and Mint. We stopped in at the Papyrus shop next door where we were shown the ancient and painstaking process of making papyrus from reeds. After our brief stop at the shops it was time for lunch. George had picked out a garden restaurant, the El Ezba, which specializes in Egyptian food. Since it was Ramadan, and most of Egypt was fasting, the rather large open air restaurant was virtually empty. Our small group of 7 were seated at a long rectangular table. Several servers set up our table and brought 4 sizzling hibachis which were lined up in the middle of the table. Each hibachi was grilling a different meat or vegetable. Several serving dishes heaping with food were also set on the table. Once all of the food was delivered, we served ourselves and enjoyed a feast of grilled chicken, kafta, falafel made from fava, dips, pita, spring rolls and rice. Following our hearty lunch we headed back into the desert to visit the famous Stepped Pyramid in the Saqqara Necropolis, approximately 25 kilometers south of the Giza Pyramids that we had visited in the morning. The Saqqara Necropolis is an ancient Egyptian mortuary with a vast courtyard surrounded by ceremonial structures and located near the ancient city of Memphis. While the Stepped Pyramid is the most famous and prominent structure in this necropolis, there are many other pyramids that can be seen from this elevated site in the surrounding desert. As we trekked around the burial ground, it became very windy and we witnessed several dust devils making their way across the desert. It was approaching late afternoon and the sun was beating down mercilessly on the hot desert sand. It was time to head back to Cairo. It took a little under an hour to drive from Saqqara back to our hotel in downtown Cairo. We enjoyed some time by the pool to cool off and relax. Our friend Sammy, who lives in Cairo and teaches at the Canadian International School, had arranged for us to have a sunset dinner on a feluca, on the Nile. A feluca is a traditional Egyptian wooden boat with a single canvas sail. Since there is no galley on a feluca, the food for our dinner was prepared just ahead of time and brought on board before we set off. We boarded our small wooden boat which had been lavishly decorated for Ramadan. A long wooden table was set up beautifully down the middle of the craft. We each took a seat at the table and the pilot navigated away from the dock and we began our sunset cruise on the Nile. The meal consisted of a variety of traditional Egyptian fare including salads, hummus, stuffed potatoes, moussaka, bread, mushroom soup, meatballs and stroganoff. We sailed quietly along the Nile, eating, drinking wine and chatting all while enjoying the glorious sun set against the backdrop of Cairo. After our dinner cruise we Ubered to Road Nine in Maari, a suburb of Cairo. This is a stretch of road that is bustling with street markets and restaurants. It was vividly decorated for Ramadan and since it was well after sundown, the street was overflowing with people celebrating and feasting. We walked up the street for about a kilometer and back to our starting point before hopping in and Uber and heading back to our hotel. I have to say that as much as I had been anticipating our trip to Egypt and the visit to the pyramids, I couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular day. We had started our morning in the Egyptian desert admiring the great Pyramids of Giza and ended it with a an amazing sunset cruise on the Nile!. Little did I know that this would be just of one many unforgettable days in Egypt.
Planning a trip to Egypt? Reach out for expert advice and assistance with your holiday planning. Continue to Day 3 - click here. |
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