2 Week Adventure Part II

So here is my second instalment of photos from our two week journey around Egypt.  It’s funny, I hardly took any photos, half the time I didn’t even bring my camera but still, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a few.
After spending a few days showing Jen around Cairo, we boarded an overnight train headed for Aswan.  Our good friend Musa (or ’Canadian’ as some of his friends call him!), had hooked us up with a killer deal on an all inclusive, 3 day Nile Cruise that was impossible to pass up.  Not only would Jen be able to spend some time enjoying the Nile River itself, we would get a much needed break from traveling.  So all that settled, we headed to Aswan for our guided tour of Upper Egypt.

We woke up much too early after our first night in Aswan to join the convoy of buses out to Abu Simbel.  The journey is quite long and complicated but it is well worth the trouble and the cost to visit Ramses II’s temples at Abu Simbel.  This temple has to be my favourite in all of Egypt.  Ramses II was definitely the greatest ruler in all of Ancient Egypt.

So, this time I was that person.  You know the one, the one that steals snaps where cameras are not allowed.  I don’t see the harm if I am not using flash.  So there!  Here is a battle image from inside the Temple of Ramses II.  Since he was known for his battle prowess and for leading Egypt through multiple, successful battles, the temple walls are adorned with epic battle scenes.  Here he has all his enemies by the hair and will chop of their heads!  I love it :)

Ah, these statues are epic.  When you enter the chamber that contains these four statues of the main gods of Egypt at the time, you get the feeling like you are in a truly sacred place.  Not only a place of worship but an eerie connection to the past.  Two times a year, the early morning sunrays penetrate the temple to light up three of the statues at the back of the temple, the fourth, the God Ptah, the God of darkness stays in shadow.  Creepy.

This isn’t the best photo but I wanted to post it merely to show how much of the original colour remains on many of the temple walls.  It is stunning, mind boggling and humbling to say the least.

Our Boat!!  Oh yeah, check it out.  Dan and I haven’t stayed in a single hotel that would even be close to receiving one star yet alone 5!  It was a nice change to have luxury, to be told where to be and when to be there and to be served 3 meals a day, buffet.  Now lets not forget the all important tea time every afternoon with cake.  It was hard, but we managed to survive.

A wall relief of Osiris, ‘The’ God of Egypt and his wife Isis.  These two have quite the legend surrounding their love for each other.  Isis has to be the best wife in history.

A snap of the some felucca boats on The Nile River in Aswan.  Beautiful.  I would like to mention, it is not as warm as it looks.  Much of my free time was spent below deck, drinking tea and embarrassing Dan and Jen with my almost god-like ability to win at card games.  Muah ha ha, sorry Jen  ;)

Jen with my favourite God, Horus.  Aren’t they cute?

Another image of Pharaoh Ramses II.  I am thinking he is standing with the Goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt but that is just my guess.

The three of us where privileged enough to be invited for family dinner by a friend we met on the boat.  We enjoyed some of the tastiest Egyptian food we have ever had.  Freshly slaughtered chicken and duck, tasty spinach and oil dip, yummy rice and some of the best french fries I have ever had.  Thanks so much Magdy and Family.  

Dan and Jen walking around a scarab statue.  Apparently, after circling the statue counter clockwise, 7 times, your wish will be granted.

A snap of the Massive columns at the Temple Karnak in Luxor.  How did they do it?  I dunno?

A couple shots of the Luxor Temple at dusk.  So beautiful.

2 Week Adventure

Umm, in case everyone doesn’t know by now, I am in love with Egypt.  This creates a problem when trying to write about our experiences here or narrow down our pictures to a selected few.  I have decided to sum up our last week in two separate picture posts because one would be entirely too long :)

Before we move on to some of my favourite snaps from the past week, let me tell you what we have been up to.  We have been fortunate to have Jen, Dan’s sister, join us for two weeks- awesome.  Not only was it amazing to see some family after so long, it gave us an excuse to explore parts of Egypt for the second time.

The following pictures were taken over the first couple days following Jen’s arrival, while we toured around Cairo and the surrounding area. I hope you like pyramids.

I stole a shot of this special children’s toy at the Egyptian Museum, one of my favourite places to visit in the city of Cairo.  The museum is so extensive, a person could spend a week in there exploring and discovering hidden mysteries like the bird above.  This trinket is difficult to find in the expansive museum but well worth the hunt because once you find it, like many of the artefacts, you could ponder it for hours.  If you are interested in alternative, puzzling and controversial views of this simple children’s toy check out this link- the Saqqara Bird.

Yes, I took this cheesy shot but it was only because everyone peer pressured me….now I am posting it on my blog :(  In the background is the Red Pyramid of Dahshur. It is considered to be the first ‘proper pyramid’ to be built in Egypt. I love this pyramid specifically because it is off the tourist trail, meaning we were the only four people at the sight.  Entering it requires a steep, narrow, 60m long decent which is no easy feet but the decent itself is half the fun.  Besides, when you conquer it you will be inside a pyramid- a pyramid!  It still blows my mind. 

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Dan, Jen and Ahmed in front of The Step Pyramid in Saqqara.  This is the oldest pyramid in Egypt.  Pretty impressive.

The Bent Pyramid in Dahshur.  This one is neighbours with The Red Pyramid and was the first attempt to build a proper, flat sided pyramid.  Too bad, they made it too steep-sided, but only realized their error half way up, hence the shape.  This one is unlike all the others not only in shape but also that it is the only pyramid left in Egypt that still has most of its original limestone casing.  Unfortunately, many rulers following the Ancient Egyptians used the limestone casing blocks for other building sights, but in their glory, the pyramids of Egypt would have been gleaming white and perfectly smooth on all sides.

A shot of the Great Pyramids on the Giza Plateau.  I could stare at them for days, they are that awe inspiring.  They pose many questions that experts claim they have answered but I would have to disagree.  They are just too perfect.

Dan and I in front of The Sphinx at Giza.

When I took this pictures I was trying to capture a moment as a way to remember how I felt as the three of us sat next to some of the oldest man made structures on the plant.  It is just so difficult to wrap your mind around a reality that is so intense.  I love how Ancient Egypt makes me feel.  It stretches my mind and forces me to wonder and imagine just who made such enormously beautiful monuments.

To be continued...

The Downsides of Travel

Long-term travel has it’s downsides- believe me.  They are things that anyone who has or is planning on travelling for an extended period of time must consider before and during their journey.  I was inspired to write this post because:

A. Christmas is coming up.  It will be the first time I don’t have to work on Boxing Day and I won’t even be at home to celebrate.  Downside.

B. Dan’s sister Jen has just arrived, fresh off the plane from Canada.  She smells nice, looks fit and pretty, her clothes match, she is fashionable and put together.  Walking next to her is a constant reminder of how shluppy I have become.  Downside

  So, here is my list of the unavoidable downsides of travel. …

1. Missing your Friends and Family Back Home

Obviously, I was fully aware that I would miss my family and friends while I travelled the world for a year, this cannot be avoided. Even with the fabulous addition of various social connection tools like Facebook or Skype, we miss our loved ones.  I didn’t realize just how much I would miss them- how detached we would feel.  When I get home I know how the conversation will go…” How was your year?” and “what’s new?” and I know what their responses will be….”Oh, nothing much.” or “same old, same old.”  We will have missed out on the everyday life of the people important to us that matter.  Luckily I have had some great friends who keep me in the loop with occasional emails detailing their days', weeks' and months' itineraries.  They tell me about their days and to them I know their emails seem boring but to us they are a glimpse of reality.  They help us remember who we are and what we left behind to do this.

Me, my Dad and my brother on Christmas morning 2010

2. We’re Dirty and we Smell


Ah, the life of a backpacker.  At first it was absolutely sublime.  It’s like camping but extended- the only difference is that not everyone you encounter in your day is camping and this is where it becomes gross.  At first it was bloody epic to roll outta bed, run my fingers through my hair with not so much as a glance in the mirror and go, now not so much.  Seriously, I didn’t even look in the mirror!  Believe me, for a women in fashion whose life revolves around making people look good this was a huge step but there is a limit, a point that personal hygiene beckons you.  Now I dream of saunas to sweat away the filth that constantly covers my body, an extremely vigorous loofah session, a closet with denim- oh denim, how I miss you, maybe some heels and a party dress  :(

Eww….my feet and legs would get soooo dirty in India.  Anyone in their right mind would put on shoes- not me.  A little cow patty never hurt anyone.

We’re bums.  Dirty, messy bums.

3. Diet


Um, good luck not eating carbs, dairy or meat while you are travelling.   When a bag of chips, a Coke and a package of random cookies can pass for a meal, you’re in trouble.  Picky eaters beware.  It was not uncommon to live on sticky rice for days at a time in Laos, naan bread and water while ill in India or in my case, veggies and steamed rice EVERY DAY in most of Asia- EVERY DAY!  It’s true.  Your diet suffers while travelling.  It is stripped down to the basics, the cheapest stall food day after day after day.  No variety for these two.  So as our budget dwindles, our meals get less varied and our bodies suffer that much more.  So, remember, if you are planning on traveling on a budget, the luxury of variety is thrown out the window.

Noodle soup again… How exciting.

4. Weight Gain

Now this doesn’t happen to everyone- well it doesn’t happen to most men.  Before we left I had heard that women gain weight while travelling and men lose it.  True, so true.  Dan, I hate you a little bit.  A workout routine is difficult to stick to while on the road.  Yes, for some the life a backpacker may suffice.  The constant walking and all the other activities may be more than you’re used to at home.  For others though, it may be a snails pace.  Gyms are not only few and far between but also an added expense.   Schedules are often so random it is difficult to fit in time and to be honest, laziness gets to you.  Would you rather go for a jog or a nice dip in the sea?  Sea please :)  As our year comes to a close I am lethargic, chunky and out of shape.  I guess I wasn’t hardcore enough, maybe the life got to me, maybe it’s my diet but I would bow to anyone that kept up any workout routine with the lifestyle we live now.  Anyone out there?

5. Brain Drain


I couldn’t list how many temples, shrines, towns, cities or beaches I have seen.  At the beginning, everything and everywhere was a challenge, an adventure.  Now, it’s tiring.   We have to make an effort to take photos, to go out every night, to meet new people.  Cairo was a nice change, we settled down, got an apartment and basically stopped traveling.  A person needs a time out.  A break from moving, seeing, the struggle of simply getting from A to B.  This is the downside that bothers me the most.  I knew it would happen, I know that is is happening and I feel guilty.  We require constant verbal reminders of where we are and what we are doing- to remember just how lucky we are.  So, if you’re planning a trip, plan a break somewhere, settle down and relax because you will need it.  Trust me.

Dan and I enjoying some tea with friends outside our flat in Cairo.  For two weeks all we had planned everyday was tea with friends- chill.

6. Privacy

Ha- what privacy?  I am reminded of a time when Dan and I checked into a guesthouse in Thailand- I think.  The owner showed us the room and told us the price and we jumped on it.  Only later did we laugh at the fact that not once did we consider that the toilet was in the middle of the room.  It was cheap and clean and that is how we live.  We have no secrets now- no secrets.  I can sleep in any public place imaginable.  I can pee outside- anywhere.  When a public washroom doesn’t have a door, I don’t think twice- I pee and am happy to do so.  Toilet talk is the norm.  Girls fart, there I said it.

 Not much privacy, or space, on this sleeper ferry in Thailand.

7. Temporary Forever Friends


Ah, my friends.  This is a hard part.  At first it is terrible, you meet people, form connections, then you must leave.  I have written about this before so I won’t repeat myself.  I will write about the flipside.  When you don’t feel like meeting people.  When the last thing you want to do is have ‘that’ conversation all over again (“where are you from/where have you been/where are you going?”).  When you know that you are just gonna have to say goodbye- it gets difficult.  Sometimes, you just want to tune it all out.  I am guilty of blaring my iPod so that if  someone wants to chat, I won’t hear them.  I’m terrible, I know.  The worst is when I give yes/no answers.  I am that person and you will become that person after traveling for an extended period of time.  Meeting new people everyday is exhausting and sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle.


Ok, there is it- my list.  Like I said, I was inspired to write this as a remedy, but don’t fret my friends, all these problems have simple solutions.  There are little ways to find space, peace and quiet.  A recharge and a change of mindset is all that’s needed to excite yourself all over again.  The downsides are constant but the positives are so much better- an easy trade-off.

You Might Have to Cut it Off!?!

Start of the trip: 10 fingers, 10 toes. End of the trip: who knows?
After some thought and some reassuring of the parent-folk I have decided to write about my ordeal over the past few weeks.  My decision has been based on two reasons,
One- It was freaky and I want people to feel bad for me :)
Two- everyone and I mean everyone loves a story of hardship, pain and tragedy. I‘m sorry to say but when given two articles to read, one of triumph and one of tragedy, most will choose to read the later.  So, I am giving you what you want, what you have been hoping for, a story of a not so lucky, random case of injury that almost, almost turned tragic- for me anyways. 
It all began on the ferry, on our trip to Dahab from Aqaba, Jordan.  I had been battling a constant and irritating bout of eczema on the middle finger of my right hand but after a painful dip in the Dead Sea, I was on the mend.  Thank you Dead Sea.  Not more than 6 hours after I uttered the words, ‘look at my finger, it’s finally getting better’ did it begin to swell.  Within 24 hours it had gone from a slight swelling on my middle knuckle to full out sausage-finger, threatening to burst.  Shit, I didn’t knock on wood when I said it looked better.  At first I thought it might be a bug bite, so I took some antihistamines, sucked up the pain and went on with my day.
Day Two- enter Doctor friend.  I call him this because he was a nice guy but a butcher of a doctor.  At first I did not know this, so I trusted him when he gave me meds for my eczema and told me that the swelling would take one week to go down.  UM- I’ll give it one day.
Day Four- after one full day of meds, and a couple dives my finger had gotten horrible.  The pain was nearly unbearable and I was living on Tylenol for mere survival.  I told Dan not to let me walk out of the office without some sort of antibiotic because in my heart I knew something was seriously wrong.  Enter Doctor friend- “you don’t have an infection, you have nitrogen bubbles trapped in your finger from diving”.  Apparently, all I needed was to go to the conveniently expensive decompression chamber and I would be cured, and it would all be covered by my insurance.  Crook.  Then I was angry.  Not only did I not have nitrogen in my blood, he was more concerned with robbing me than helping me with my problem.   So after a fight, after he lanced my finger-with no aesthetic- squeezed it so vigorously that he had me sweaty, teary and literally begging him to stop, I walked out with an anti-inflammatory.  Evil, evil, money grabbing crook.
Day Six- finally, we arrive in Cairo, and I am on my way to The Anglo American Hospital.  The pain is so terrible, that I must walk slowly so the blood doesn’t flow to my finger and create a more steady, painful throbbing.  I haven’t slept for days, the pain comes in waves that stops me in my tracks.   I meet Dr William and he is shocked.  Shocked by the treatment that I have received, shocked by the state of my finger.  He numbs my finger, peels off the scab that Dr Crook had created and squeezes.  Sorry for the image but I had to have a garbage can under my finger to catch all that was flowing out.  Squeeze, squeeze, ooze, gush…Dan almost faints.   I was left with a grotesque, painful, gaping hole in my knuckle.  Then he informed me that if I would have waited one more day, I would have lost my finger.  The hole looked so large, it was nauseating, terrifying and I was not outta the water yet.
Over the next week I would go to the doctor every day.  For freezing, squeezing, blood loss, buckets and more nausea.  After the hole was cleared of infection it became difficult to freeze.  The needle would go in, the plunger depressed, and the liquid would just gush out of the hole in my finger, dribbling uselessly into the bucket below.  I was reminded by my doctor and the head of surgery to thank my God everyday for the rapid progress I was experiencing.   Thank God I heal fast, am otherwise healthy and that I rebounded fine.  I am still on the mend, which for Dan means, he cooks and washes the dishes ;)   So,  I thank my lucky stars that I am in a place I love, that has good doctors, I have the city to keep my spirits up and that I have my hubby to change my bandages.  Bloody heck, I was scared.  I have visions of arriving home, entering the arrivals meeting area and waving to my family and friends- minus one finger.  So, fingers crossed ( cause I can do that:) ), in three days, my bandages will come off and I can work on recovering movement and flexibility.  Inshallah. (God-willing in Arabic)

Me on my second visit to the see Dr William.  The lack of general supplies is seriously shocking but there is always a generous supply of tea close buy.  No scissors, or bandages or gauze but tea…strange.  He is plastering the mitten of gauze I would have to wear for four days. *Note* if you want to make friends on the street, wrap some gauze somewhere people can see and you will get everyone and their uncle asking you what happened :)

Eeewww…Dan told me to post this picture, so I did but I kept it small.  This is after a week and a half of antibiotics and constant hospital visits.  The hole is tiny compared to what it used to be and healing perfect.

My clean bill of health:)  I am ecstatic that the infection hasn’t traveled to any of the bones in my hand.  Yipee:) I never realized how much I love my fingers.

Now for something entirely unrelated but equally as gross…..Dan with a moustache.  Yuck, but since we are talking about health, lets all remember boys, it is important to get your prostate checked.

Cairo Time

AH!?  How do I explain the greatest city in the world?... this is my problem.

Dan and I have finally, finally arrived in Cairo.  To be completely honest, in the beginning, the reason I wanted to travel for a year was to eventually end up back in Cairo- the city I fell head over heals in love with over two years ago.  We have traveled, seen a small chunk of the world and visited many, many capital cities.  When the time came to return to Cairo I was nervous- would my travel experience change Cairo for me?  My nervousness was doubled by the fact that our first stop in Egypt was Dahab.  Yes, I liked it enough but it freaked me out.  Had Egypt turned into a knock off version of Thailand?  Luckily, when we finally entered the Cairo city limits I was bombarded by smells, crazy traffic and a beautiful orange, pollution tainted sunset.  Things were looking up but how will the revolution have changed Cairo?  Would I walk the streets feeling unsafe?  Would hooligans be terrorizing the streets?

I couldn’t be more surprised, more excited, and simply more happy.  Yes, Cairo has changed for me- on my last visit I was a tourist.  Touts were after me, the streets were busy, the buildings were towering and I felt as if I would be engulfed - the sensation made me feel alive.  Now we are here as travellers and for a short while we will live here.  We have a flat, a neighbourhood, friends and local hangouts.  The buildings have shrunk to normal size or maybe I have just gotten that much more confident.  The revolution has awakened the Egyptian people- the city is alive again with a much needed freedom, a breath of fresh air and a hope for the future.  As I walk the streets, off to buy groceries or to meet a friend for tea and sheesha I try to take in all the city has to offer because unlike every other city I have visited, Cairo alone has a life and a history like no other.  I love this city- it is my home away from home and to me, it is better than all the rest.

A shot taken in our neighbourhood.  So many people, so much traffic, I am in love- for now :)

A Egyptian on his cell phone in Tahir Square.  I love the Egyptian pride in this square.  You can by badges, t-shirts, flags or even have the Egyptian flag painted on you.  Egyptians love their country.