It was a dream trip come true. It was long in the making.
It took me places, wonderful places indeed. My only companions on the two-week trip were a never-say-die friend, my sturdy Nissan Pathfinder, a shoe-string budget and of course my innate wits and guts.
That I learned a lot on this odyssey is an understatement - it was arguably the most enjoyable and educational vacation I have ever had because it offered so much in terms of history, religion, culture and great people who exuded nothing but warmth. The trip took me to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon along highways and across waterways.
I started my journey on a very optimistic note and was full of excitement to see this part of the Arab world by getting a feel for old-fashioned villages as well as vibrant cities. When I planned the trip nobody, except my editor-in-chief, Khaled Al-Maeena, encouraged me. He was the one who said, "Faisal, pack your bag and go. I wish you good luck." It was a trip on a strict budget with some comfort - meaning I stayed in inexpensive hotels/guesthouses and used my Nissan Pathfinder as the primary and only means of travel.
I started from Jeddah on July 3 at 6:00 p.m. with one of my friends for Deba - a port about 1,000 km away, connecting Saudi Arabia with Hurghada in Egypt. This is the place where I had to catch a ferry. I drove about 600 km up to Amlaj all along the Red Sea and reached Amlaj late at night and spent the night in a roadside hotel.
In the morning, I started afresh for Deba, which was about 300 km from Amlaj. I reached Deba at 9.00 a.m. and drove straight to book tickets for the ferry to Hurghada.
Here, I got the first unpleasant shock of the trip when the booking clerk (not surprisingly a Keralite, Ismail Kutty), informed me "There is no seat available on the ferry, and to get a seat, particularly, if you want to take your vehicle also, you need to book seats about a month in advance by sending a fax to the booking station." I asked him what the solution was and Ismail told me to see the manager. I barged into his office at the back of the building. A young Saudi, Abdullah A. Shahdad, was sitting there. "Yes, what is your problem?" he asked.
I explained the whole situation and produced my Arab News business card to impress him. Obviously, Shahdad was impressed because I got a seat in first class on a speed craft -- a fast-ferry which was to leave for Hurghada at 12:00 p.m. But by the time I came close to the ship, passing through the customs and port checkings, it was already 1:00 o'clock but, thank God, the ferry was still at the dock with the green Saudi flag fluttering on top. Finally after another round of checking and questioning -- rather interrogation -- by the officials, I boarded the ferry with my Jeep, and began to cross the Red Sea on the 3-hour journey to Hurghada.
Crossing the Red Sea on a ferry with my Jeep on board was an unforgettable experience, this is just one of those moments that I would never experience anywhere else.
The ferry officials took my passport and they told me I would get it back later - and I did get it back before getting to the Egyptian port. I was tense till I got my passport back because hundreds of passports were lying on a big table before the officials and there was every possibility of losing one. The ferry was three hours behind schedule. When I checked with the officials, I was told that there was no fixed time for the ship's arrival and departure- it depends on a lot things, particularly how fast it gets clearance from the port.
Once on board, to my surprise, I discovered that there was no first class and I was supposed to find a seat on my own. The seat number given on the ticket was irrelevant. Somebody else was already occupying my seat and merrily dozing off. It was quite disappointing, when I had paid SR190 for myself and another SR650 for my car.
The scene on deck was similar to scenes in any railway station in my home country -- India. People were squatting wherever there was space to squat. Some had spread themselves on the floor; others were loitering around in the corridor. I went up to see the upper deck but the situation there was no different. Except for myself and my friend and a few others, all the passengers were Arabs, mostly Egyptians going back home to spend their vacation. That explains why we were strange creatures to the crowd.
Finally, the ferry docked at Hurghada at about 6:00 p.m., and we alighted. The moment I tried to enter the customs area, I was stopped by a man selling fire extinguishers who pressed me to buy one to get my car cleared by the officials. I paid 300 pounds and bought it before entering the customs area. Then came another one who asked me to deposit 1,100 pounds in a nearby bank for car insurance -- and I did that reluctantly of course.
Then, I was informed that I had to pay 600 pounds more to have an Egyptian number plate for my car. Again I had no choice but to pay. After paying this much money, I had to run from one cabin to another to get the required clearance papers.
I had to cough up some extra bucks to "speed up the car clearance." When finally I got the go-ahead, it was 11:00 p.m. and difficult to find a hotel since I had not booked one in advance. The type of ordeal I experienced in getting out of customs at Hurghada was the worst part of my otherwise pleasant trip.
Out of the port, I drove into Hurghada city. I had envisioned a seaside village with palm trees, small hotels and bungalows...boy was I wrong! Hurghada stretches along the Red Sea with huge hotels, bazaars, malls and dive shops that were everywhere. I spent the night in a modest hotel opposite the Sheraton. First thing in the morning I found out the route to Luxor. Then I spent the whole day browsing around the beautiful city. The islands near Hurghada offer all kinds of fun and excitement. One can take a day trip for snorkeling and a fish barbecue, or look at the Red Sea from a submarine. The city museum also has a rich collection.
In the morning, I hit the town looking for something in the line of food. At a pizza shop, I was befriended by two locals who joined me for lunch. Later we went to the disco Calabash where Egyptian men chase European women -- or are the hunters really the hunted? Late at night, I returned to the hotel, and on the rooftop, I smoked shisha under the stars.
Next morning on July 6, I started for Luxor at 6:00, drove through small villages and some scenic spots and stopped for refreshment at a popular place exactly halfway from Hurghada to Luxor. The road to Luxor went through a sandy plain. I got to Luxor at 11:00 a.m.
After the terrorist attacks in 1997, tourism collapsed here and only in the last few years has it limped back to normal. One advantage of this is that the Egyptian pound has devalued and the country is very cheap for people coming from Saudi Arabia. But the attitude of motorists was irritating to say the least. From all sides, taxi drivers and coachmen yelled, their horns blaring in unison.
I first stopped at a restaurant along the Nile to have some coffee. All kinds of tourists passed by. The level of harassment in Luxor was high; you can't walk for two minutes on the street without having somebody trying to sell something to you.
After refreshment, I was off to visit Luxor's attractions. First I visited the temple of Karnak. Upon entering the temple, I walked down an avenue of rams representing Amon: symbol of fertility and growth. The avenue used to stretch for over a mile with identical rams on either side leading all the way to the temple's entrance. Beneath the head of each ram is a small statue of Ramses II (this guy is everywhere). The temple of Karnak was used in the Pharaonic days as a museum. While each Pharaoh was alive, he would build an extension, placing statues of his family and of course himself in that wing. The Temple of Karnak covers over 100 acres and was built over a period of 1,300 years. The temple is absolutely amazing and I spent several hours exploring its chambers and admiring the hieroglyphics and statues.
I went to see the magnificent Luxor temple. It is in the center of town and next to the Nile, a beautiful location. It is amazing how much has been preserved. I also saw the Valley of the Kings, chosen as the new burial place for the kings of the New Kingdom. Then I visited the tomb of Tutankhamun. This tomb is the smallest and simplest one in the whole valley.
After that the tombs of Ramesses III, VI and IX were three nice and easy-to-visit tombs. But I was warned when a guard saw the light of the camera and I had to show him that I had really turned it off. But if you want to take photographs, slip a few pounds into the guard's hand and he will just make himself scarce. The Valley of the Kings is beautiful with splendid monuments.
After a whole day of sightseeing it was time to go back to Hurghada -- I left Luxor at 6:00 p.m. and arrived at my hotel in Hurghada at 10:00 p.m. After dinner, I slept so that I would wake up in the early morning to go to Cairo.
But on July 7, I could not start for Cairo in the morning as planned and by the time I left Hurghada it was 12:00 noon. I trekked through the desert along the Red Sea and before I began to head west toward Cairo I saw ships lining up to cross the Suez Canal, which is Egypt's number one source of income. It took five hours to Cairo from Hurghada.
After following the coast and passing over small hills, I traveled through barren desert and small desolate towns. It was hot and uncomfortable. The highlight of this journey was passing along the Suez Canal. It is also interesting to watch ships passing through the canal.
In the evening, I arrived in Cairo and stayed in Hotel Indiana. In Cairo when the sun goes down people appear on the streets. So, after some rest, I went on a quick stroll down to the Nile, where pretty women spoke with their eyes. I met friendly Cairenes by the Nile who were anxious to practice their English with tourists.
Next morning on July 8, I arranged a local guide to see the historical monuments. I went to see the Citadel of the great Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi. It's a huge place with good views over Islamic Cairo. The mosque inside is of Turkish style -- a bit different from the ones I had seen so far. After the Citadel, I visited two huge mosques nearby, then the city of the dead, Azhar University and mosque, Raffaee Mosque, Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque, Mohammed Ali Mosque inside the citadel of Salahuddin, mosque and Madarsa Sultan, Sayyedah Zainab Mosque and many more such monuments of historical and religious importance. In fact, I wandered through Islamic Cairo till noon.
I was told by some of my friends to go to Khan El-Khalili market for shopping, so I made it a point to go there. After resting, I walked along the streets to the Khan El Khalili. It's a fascinating warren of stalls, mosques and small "factories." I was "befriended" by an English speaking man who took care of all my shopping needs. I told him what I wanted, and he took me to a stall. Ok -- I probably paid more than I should have (although I did bargain hard), but at least I got everything quickly and easily. I bought loads of stuff, including a wonderful lamp. My "friend" gave me an excellent tour of the spice souq, which was very interesting -- huge quantities of all the herbs and spices you can imagine. The smell was quite overwhelming at times. On our tour of the stalls we drank various interesting teas and coffees and chatted to loads of people. It was a great experience.
When I came out of the market, as I was feeling hungry. I dived into the nearest fast food place I could find -- McDonalds and stuffed myself full. It was cheap -- £2 for a large meal.
Afterward, I wandered around downtown Cairo. Most buildings have a French feel about them -- with big old "open" lifts running up and down the center of them.
During the day walk, I realized that crossing the streets in Cairo is an adventure that pedestrians of all ages must master, the horns constantly blaring creating rhythms of their own, the sounds of Cairo, music to a traveler's ears. Cairo streets are so extremely busy and overcoming the pandemonium is nothing short of a nightmare. At 9:30 p.m. I left with my guide for Giza to see the sound and light show at the pyramids. It is advisable to see this show first before going to see the magnificent structures at Giza.
The next day July 9, I was again in Giza. The hassle from camel drivers, horse owners, touts, souvenir sellers, etc. etc. is overwhelming, but I fought my way through.
I decided to hire a guide and there he was. He gave me the option of taking the short trip or the long trip, both with horses. I decided to take the short trip, and after a trek of about 40 minutes, I approached Giza's three famous Pyramids; The Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Chephren and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. They are supposed to be the best of the seven wonders but actually, they were quite disappointing. A mass of dirty stones, full of dust and ruins everywhere. But despite this, they are still architectural wonders. One cannot realize their size and magnificence unless one is standing in front of them. It was beyond my imagination to think of the ways and means used to build these huge structures that hold the dead. Four thousand years of history, mystique and majesty stood immortalized in stone.
I went inside the smallest of the three pyramids.
You want picture on camel...water...souvenir... where are you from, my friend? The most aggressive salesmen are in Egypt and there is no shame in their game; they want to separate you from your money. I entered the Pyramid and descended directly downward to find that the tombs are completely empty.
In Giza the entire mystique is above ground, so we ascended and photographed pyramids and the Sphinx from every conceivable angle. The Pyramids are indeed huge and very impressive. Marvellous. On one side is the desert and a few more Pyramids, whilst the other three sides are surrounded by the city. It's quite shocking that they allowed modernization to creep so close to these ancient monuments. I also visited the Pyramids in Sakkarah and also saw the ones in Memphis.
In the evening, I was back in Cairo where I went on another stroll along the Nile at night.
Up early next morning - July 10, it's time to visit the Egyptian National Museum; it's actually best to see the museum last after visiting the temples and tombs so that you can see where everything came from. So, I went to the museum, which was excellent. It was £20 to get in and full of interesting stuff.
Its highlights were the mummies' room and King Tut's exhibit of which the attraction was definitely the mask Tutkunhamen was buried in - 11kg of solid gold. I spent quite some time there and then took a leisurely stroll along the Nile.
I also visited Alexandria, 225 km away from Cairo. E. M Foster has rightly said of the city, "Pearl of the Mediterranean," "the best way of seeing it, is to wander aimlessly about."
This is exactly what I did.
Alexandria is a thriving port city with a harbor that can be considered one of the most exotic and romantic in the world. The latest additions to Alexandria include the Royal Hospital and the Alexandria Library with original collections that date back to the times of Cleopatra and the Romans. Alexandria has some historical buildings of European design.
Moving on to another wonder of the ancient world located in Alexandria - the Lighthouse - I quickly found out, but not really soon enough, that Alexandria is pronounced El-Iskandriya. The city itself is more pleasant than Cairo but still noisy and crowded. The streets and sidewalks were jammed with people shopping late into the evening; it was a hustle bustle entertaining area around the Tahrir Square.
I went to see the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which once featured multiple mirrors and a flaming beacon. Unfortunately, nothing remains of this wonder except some of its building stones. Now Fort Qaytbay stands on the foundations of the lighthouse.
One thing in particular, I loved the shabbiness of the streets and cafes, the melancholy which hung over the city late in the evening, the slow decay (not destruction, mind you) of what the Europeans had left behind when they fled.
One thing is for sure whether you come for the past or the present, for history, or just on holiday, when you visit Alexandria you'll see more than one city.
July 11 - now it was time to say goodbye to Egypt and embark on the next leg of my trip - to Jordan.
Another day, another country.
Tips:
1) Make sure you visit Egypt at least once!
2) 2) Try to set off early every morning before it gets too hot!
3) 3) Make sure you drink plenty of water!
