Cairo day 2

 Well, we did not spend enough time in Cairo so we packed it all in one day. We got picked up at 8am and headed straight for the pyramids. Traffic is just nutty here, yo. There's lines on the road but they are just decoration... motorbikes everywhere with flip flops and no helmet, Huge G class wagons apparently just hunting pedestrians. There's traffic cops drinking tea on the roadside but I never saw one in motion, perhaps because there aren't any rules.

So, the pyramids. It got hot fast. Oh, I think I just learned how to type italics. Well, that's that then. 

The pyramids were astounding, grounding, breathtaking... so much bigger on the outside and smaller on the inside than I would have thought. One of my favourite parts were the cute TikTok tourists trying to climb them in kitten heels and white dresses.

shes wearing heels, lol. 

they make you do this. It's a rite of passage. O, where did my italics go?

We also went inside the great pyramid (the italics are back lol) and I did not have a claustrophobic panic attack but damn it was close. You hike up a ramp doubled over for a very long time while people are also trying to come down and it's so tight and at the end you end up in a sarcophagus that feels just like a sarcophagus. It was a good 40 minutes of just convincing myself I would get fresh air again one day. But, I've been inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, so there's that.

its a 45 degree incline with rings and the tunnel is maybe 4 feet high? Throw in a bunch of tourists and it's unpleasant.

Sarcophagus shot: 

and crawled out.

The sphinx is also really cool and way larger than I had thought. It was just epic to walk these roads and see these incredible testaments to... well, narcissism really. Read up on the 3 pyramids at this site. 

Also this is exactly where Pink Floyd played Dark Side of the Moon when they were here. 

Then into the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum. It opened 3 months ago and was co built by Egypt and the Japanese... and I'm sure I have the Japanese to thank for the unreal organization of the place. It's gorgeous.

This is just the entrance corridor to the Museum. Inside it is arranged by timeline, with each period divided into society, kingship and beliefs. And a whole separate section for Tut's tomb and the hella hella gold that was in it. Every time I say something that was 7000 years old, and that's a lot of things, I thought of Canada being 159 and kind of laughed my ass off. Also, craftsmanship has really gone down hill. 

Here's some of my favourite things:

Tuts not only got gold sandals, but he added gold toe looking toe holes for extra bling.

I mean, there it is! The man, the myth, the legend. In solid gold. It's crazy.

I loved these guys and here's the writeup because I'm now at the airport and tired lol. But they are from 1279 bc. My God. 

We also went and saw how papyrus was made, to an apothecary, a cotton .. maker place,  a spice market, and I got to try hawashi, an Egyptian meat bread that was on my must try list and it was delicious. Back to the hotel to grab dinner and change and run for the airport where I now sit for the red eye to Nairobi. An amazing day, truly.

Last sunset on the Nile and the hilarious party boats that start as soon as the sun goes down.

I'll miss you, Egypt! Until we meet again.

Cairo

 So. We flew a short jump from Hurghada to Cairo this morning and checked into the St Regis. We only have one night here and it's on points!! But wow, what a freaking hotel. As I told hubby, "Take note: I respond very well to luxury" lol. It's insane how pretty this place is. And there's an adorable German shepherd that checks all the cars coming in for bombs! That's a bit trippy.

This is the view from our room, of the mofo NILE.

I mean, wow. And the service makes me feel like I'm the Queen of England. There's a pillow MENU. We have been thoroughly buttled. The butler offered to help me unpack! I said no, That feels weird. We went for a bevvy in the Water Garden here that was just unreal

the view from the drink... velvet chaise?

then off to the pool deck to explore that and have an aperol spritz because Jen was in my head and that's what she would have done. Also an incredible view. 

When we went back to the room the butler had snuck in and left us chocolates. SWOON.

Anyway I can't stop being absolutely elated at this place.

Chris had booked us a dinner cruise through Viator with good reviews for 175 bucks.

Ahmed picked us up at the hotel and drove us through Cairo, across to Giza, back to Cairo where we got on a Felucca (a type of sailboat). 

Ahmed was our guide and Mohammed was our driver and then it was just us on this huge boat. Ahmed pointed out some cool things and then retreated , only surfacing to feed us and take a billion photos of us. 

I mean, pretty, right? Dinner was, as always, massive and delicious.

and then the sun started setting and the call to prayer rang throughout the city and we sailed quietly past islands in the Nile with no cars and kids playing and riding donkeys and a million kites in the sky and ibis and egrets diving for food.

I said to hubby: If Careless Whisper played this would be the most  ridiculously romantic night on earth. Guess what came on next?? Guess?? The guys couldn't hear me at the other end of the boat; it was just fate. 

I put my hand in the water because local belief means that you'll return to the Nile if you touch it, inshallah.

When we got back the butler rand the doorbell I did not realize we had and asked if we wanted turndown service and I said no but now I'm aware it's essentially being tucked in for rich people and I'm kicking myself.

Tomorrow is the pyramids, the market, the new museum, nice dinner and a night flight to Nairobi!

Egypt: Hurghada

We left Cairo airport hotel very early morning for the 1 hour flight to Hurghada, a beach resort type town on the red sea.

Our hotel could be easily mistaken for a resort in Cancun, but there's way less Americans and way more Russians (and I do love my Russians. They dance with me.)

The sea is crazy warm and the wine glasses hilariously small..

and the shisha is lovely as well. Unfortunately I got in one day and woke up the next with a wicked case of vertigo that lasted about 36 hours, so I sent Chris off to have fun on his own and leave me the fuck alone in the dark. Sigh. 

He enjoyed the beach and went scuba diving and I'm pretty jealous but also happy for him because that is the correct thing to say.

I made it to the beach for a couple hours today and then back to bed, but recovered in time for dinner at Starfish restaurant that Reddit says is amazing. The cab ride there was crazy as traffic is basically a bunch of drunk puppies climbing over each other but with cars and more honking. 

At the restaurant we got to pick our fish, and a slipper lobster, and some prawns all caught 20 feet away today. It was a truly perfect meal. We may have over tipped based on the very personal and heartfelt thanks the waiter returned to give us, but I watched him debone and deshell everything with a fork and a spoon and we were impressed.

Went for a walk when we got back and getting an early sleep so we both face tomorrow healthy and happy... the adventure stuff starts day after tomorrow and we will not have the option for physical failure. 

So far, Egypt is really cool. Looking forward to the madness of Cairo.

Tangiers to the train

 Goodbye Tangiers!

I’m writing this post from a train that’s going 320 kph. It’s insanely cool. We are heading to Casablanca again to catch our flight tomorrow to Egypt.

We opted for a driver for this leg so we could visit Chefchouen, the blue city. Glad we did as Chris had tanked in the night with fever, so we changed course and had our dude take is straight to tangier. I swear our man belongs in Nascar. It was a very fast but lightly harrowing drive.

So I don’t have much to say about Tangiers as Chris had a flu (and I can feel the little virus bastards clinging to my body as well) and we rested. But.. Checking in at the Hilton I mentioned Chris was sick and the lady peeked at him miserable on the cough and gave us a super upgraded room, so that was really awesome. We slept the whole first day and I went on a solo journey to find him throat stuff and juice.

I ended up in a mall and all malls look pretty much the same. Found the grocery store and got lemonade, fruit punch, orange juice and milk for tea.

Everything but the OJ was milky and the OJ was tang. Arabic is tough to learn and their food photography misleading.

                                                      "lemonade"

Next day headed to DHL to ship some stuff home as we have a better sense of how much we actually don’t need (or want to carry) and unloaded the souvenirs thus far. DHL took forever but it’s all security cleared and customs ready now so that’s great.

Had a really good lunch on the walk back.. got the platter for 2. Ate half of it and asked for a go bag, and the server says, “you don’t want the chicken? It comes with a whole chicken. It’s almost ready” and we laughed and let them keep the chicken and the dessert course that no doubt followed that. The whole meal cost less than 20 bucks. Just insane food culture here.

I should add that while the rest of Morocco had to deal with French colonizers, Tangier got Spanish ones. There’s a quick ferry that will take you across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain so it’s a huge European gateway to Africa. Much more diverse than what we’ve seen so far.

                                                                this is what you get when you order juice.

Back to the hotel to rest and get properly healthy.. but on the pretty awesome pool deck with views of the whole city. We had a bunch of beautiful fruit juices and a couple with rum in them, lol. Then a quick dinner on the rooftop and bed. Got to the train station which was right across from the hotel and are currently soaring through space and time at 320. 

I had a bag of nuts and Chris had a box of nerds for breakfast.

Arrived at the hotel in Casablanca by the airport for our 1pm flight to Cairo tomorrow. By Morocco, please do figure out the color cheese should be.

                                                         (that's not mustard)

Kisses!!!