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Gliding Through The Nile

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February 25, 2020

Just 5 nights on this chartered boat sailing from Luxor to Aswan. Offshore excursions included. Karnak and Luxor Temples. Valley of the Kings. Temple of Hatshepsut. El Kab. Edfu. Kom Ombo. Temple of Isis in Philae. All these as we glide through the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. And while sailing, unli food and unli drinks. The 8 cabins good for 16 pax are not big but good-sized and kept clean and neat. Then there’s the salon where we can choose to dine when it turns really cold, and the deck where most meals are served. A lounge for cocktail hours, a jacuzzi, beer and soda ref, coffee and tea stations. Good food, and even better service. What a treat! This is most certainly my kind of holiday.

The boat’s engine runs to make life comfortable for all 16 of us. Well-appointed, air-conditioned rooms. Hot coffee & tea. Cold bevs and hot meals. Good music and adequate lighting. A tugboat pulls us across the River Nile and the splash we make as we glide through the Nile is a symphony we’d likely miss once we get off. How nice to wake up to catch sunrise and enjoy wine or beer as we wait for sunset. A few hours in the morn and another after lunch make up our offshore excursions. Just enough activities for each day. Even more time to enjoy each other’s company on the boat. Life seems slow, unhurried, and savoured. The way it should be.

Captain is a kindly 56 year old Egyptian who has a younger brother also working on the boat. We don’t know what the younger Ibrahim does but we all remember him as the young lad with good dance moves when we feel like turning after-dinner sessions into dancing parties. Where we shake left to right, Ibrahim’s extra moves tilts up and down while swaying left to right. The Chefs cook up real good meals and have good dancing feet too! Same goes for Mandouh who is forever charming us with his stories on his 7 year old twins and always beat us with his keen sense of anticipation of what we need. A vodka here, some toast, more desserts, another glass of wine. To feel spoiled and pampered is an understatement. These men made us feel so comfortable and truly took good care of us.

This isn’t my first time cruising the Nile. Back in ‘96, we sailed on a bigger boat M/S Oberoi from Aswan to Luxor . Meals and service excellent but nothing beats having the boat all to yourselves. Besides, it wasn’t an open bar back then. Our Tour Guide sailed with us too and Mahmoud is a gem of a guide. He doesn’t mind us calling him “Superman”, by the way. His spiel had just the right amount of information laced with just enough excitement to keep us interested. Never too much info to douse our interest or give us indigestion over too much historical facts. This guy knows his stuff.

Over the 6 days and 5 nights cruising the Nile, Mahmoud’s itinerary covered the same spots I’ve visited 24 years ago, plus a couple more which I particularly enjoyed. El Kab and the Sandstone Quarry of Gebel Al Silsilah are worthy sites to visit along the Nile. I am including the link to our boat’s website for those who are planning to do a River Nile Cruise. We still have 2 nights to go on this riverboat cruise but this comes with our recommendation. We are that confident it can only get better! (https://www.divenewswire.com/aggressor-announces-new-brand-aggressor-river-cruises-with-the-nile-queen/)

Tags: Africa, Aggressor, Aswan, Egypt, Luxor, Nile Cruise, Travel, Travels

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Ballooning in Luxor, Egypt

Filed under: Africa, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

Some mornings are just better. Woke up early to ride a hot air balloon in Luxor, Egypt. Was it worth feeling deprived of all those zzzz’s?

We arrived early enough to watch how the balloons are made ready for the one-hour sunrise ride over the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Temple of Hatshepsut and the rest of the necropolis.

Rising and getting ready to leave at 4am took a lot of effort. Our Nile Cruise riverboat packed a breakfast and snack bag for all 16 of us. But breakfast without a proper coffee just doesn’t make the cut. And the “take-off” area isn’t your regular terminal. Nor is it your typical departure lounge. I literally climbed up the basket (and with much effort and deliberate moves, climbed out) to make sure the hot air balloon does not rise up without me. Oh btw, the captain handed out “certificates” after the ride, which I was careful to discreetly decline. No need for any certificates. Whatever for? Besides, it just adds to the waste — not exactly environment-friendly. 🤪

Our Egyptian Captain piloted very gently and for a while, our basket was held steady real low such that we could actually and easily make out the Temple of Hatshepsut from a distance, and some Egyptian Bazaar down under the balloon. As the sun rose, the mountains, the palms, roads, farm animals, the River Nile and some green patches across the fields emerged more clearly.

Surely, this morning wasn’t wasted. 😊👌😘👍

Tags: Africa, Egypt, Hot Air Balloon, Luxor, Travel, Travels

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Alexandria

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February 24, 2020

This is my first time in Alexandria, Egypt. Of course I was excited to visit this port city facing the Mediterranean Sea. Once home to that famous library and lighthouse which counted among the 7 wonders of the Ancient World, it would take a lot of imagination to remember this 2nd biggest city in Egypt as having once been the most prosperous city in the world. The corniche must have spanned a good 10 miles from the Montaza Gardens to the former site of the Lighthouse where the present-day Citadel of Qaitbay now stands. Like Cairo, traffic along the avenue lining the waterfront promenade was horrendous. Our bus ran the length of the main road passing many apartment buildings, hotels, and commercial buildings which look like they’ve all seen better times. Some look unfinished, even war-torn or bombed out. And one would have even thought this is prime real estate property with that seafront view. We likewise weaved around side streets in the old part of town — markets, souqs and again, dilapidated, neglected buildings that seem to have been abandoned midway through construction. A pity. I imagined it could have looked even better than Miami’s Art Deco district or maybe like Nice in France.

Took us 3 hours driving North from Cairo to Alex, as locals call it. Our first 3 stops were at Pompey’s Pillar and the Temple of Serapium, the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Montaza Palace. The Temple is all rubble, holes and trenches now but the triumphal column dedicated to Diocletian stands proud in solid granite . Then there’s the Catacombs which date back to the 2nd century AD which exemplify a mix of Roman, Egyptian and Greek styles and where the chambers were both used as tombs and feasting chambers for the living visiting their dead. Having seen all these antiquities, it was quite refreshing to visit the Montaza Palace and its well-manicured gardens. It’s like a park complex where the neatly-designed and well-maintained palace grounds contrast against the filth and chaotic streets and alleys of Old Town Alexandria.

I have to confess I was a tad disappointed. Or maybe I prepped myself to be disappointed because I expected much. With its geography and historical significance, I felt that this city in Northern and Coastal Egypt could have maxed out its potentials and emerged even prettier than the country’s capital. Something is just wrong somewhere. But then again, perhaps an overnight stay here does not do justice nor allow much opportunity to truly appreciate the place. Nonetheless, I like the Citadel of Qait Bay. We were charmed by the locals too — mostly young students eager to have their photos with us. Well, sometimes it’s NOT the place nor destination, but the locals you meet. So there. All’s well 😘