Egypt

While all the places I travelled to stood out for different reasons, for me, the best holiday destination would have to be Egypt. I have always been fascinated in Ancient History for as long as I can remember and I must largely contribute this to my then high school teacher, Don Ferguson. So when my housemate suggested Egypt as a holiday for our end of term break I didn’t hesitate in booking my ticket to the land of tombs, pyramids and mummies.

Our trip didn’t go exactly as planned. Flight delays and waiting time from London to Cairo took well over ten hours. Not to mention the two day trek back 'home' due to the volcano in Iceland at the time, but more about that later.

Our trip started in Cairo. For those who haven’t been Cairo is one bustling, busy city. The buildings are practically falling apart and the pollution and humidity is like that of an Asian country. This heat did not deter me as I was very excited to see the pyramids. Now after seeing lots of shows and movies on T.V, I half expected the pyramids to be located hours from the city and in some remote location, however, it was not meant to be as we later found out. The pyramids are only located half an hour from the city of Cairo.

Say hello to my friend!

Cairo Markets- A very busy place. A group of us stuck together fearing that we would get lost and consequently left behind by our tour group.

Let me tell you, it did not take the Habibi Group (the name given to our group for the tour) to get well acquainted. Just imagine about thirty or so people trying to change at a train station while waiting for a train that doesn’t really follow a timetable. Its a case of ‘yes, that’s our train, now hop on!’ This train was our ride to Aswan- a somewhat fourteen hour train ride from the city of Cairo. While our train ride was noisy and ‘Egyptian Style’ I would honestly do it all over again. Sitting by the window allowed me to see Egypt’s countryside. There is just one travel tip I have. Just make sure you take plenty of water and hand sanitisers. The water on these trains are not always reliable, especially in the toilets!

On the train to Aswan

Our breakfast box

I won’t lie to you, accommodation in Aswan is no Hilton or even a Premier Inn, but what it lacks in this department it more than makes it up for the people and their culture. Nothing beats walking down the streets seeing people working hard trying to sell their goods (often than not they’re fake, but still people are working for their money). I remember buying this Egyptian towel and trying very hard to haggle the store owner. Half an hour later and a walk to another store, the guy came chasing after me and sold the towel to me for well under 50%. Another thing that remains in my mind is the smells wafting through the air and circling you in every direction you turned.

Pick a spice, any spice!

Having a drink with some of the Go Bus gang

A view of the Nile from one of our many refreshment breaks. Stunning isn't it?

Aswan was a great start to the tour. While some say dirty, old and dilapidated. I say eye opener, interesting and a way of life that is to be respected. More of Egypt to come at a later date.