The Egyptian Experience

Around 2005, I and my good friend were in our favorite place in the world- the Sinai Peninsula, relaxing in a bamboo hut by the beach. We decided we were too close to not go visit Egypt, home of the Nile and the Ancient pyramids. Not speaking any Arabic except for Shukran (Which means Thank You), with no guidebooks, and phones, we set off to discover this ancient land with about $500 each in our pocket.
Through sheer luck, and much hand motions, we were able to catch one of the only buses from the peninsula to Cairo- a 7 hour bus trip through a very deserted desert. On our arrival there, around 8 AM, we started our adventures. The general idea was for us to see as many of the incredible locations and sights in Cairo, in the two days we planned on being there, with the very limited budget that we both had.
We found a fairly cheap hotel, whose accommodations were very reflective of the price. A very small room, with a very bad bathroom and shower- but it was no matter; we weren’t planning on spending much time in the room.
Immediately we set off to discover the culture. The first day we wondered through the Cairo marketplace, or Shuk, soaking up the vibrant colors, noises and smells. Everywhere you looked, there were old men playing backgammon, drinking coffee, and smoking Shisha. Navigating our way between goats and spice racks we headed out to our next site- The Egyptian museum, resting place of the ancient pharaoh mummies. After employing our student discount, and through some sweet talking, we convinced the cashier to let us in the special exhibits for free, letting us see thousand year old mummies and ancient art from the cradle of civilization. It was an amazing day.
The next day, we wandered around, took a boat ride on the Nile, and made for the pyramids. We took a cab through the city, which was an experience in itself. One of the most populated cities on the planet, our cab driver actually physically hit 2 people on the way to Giza, and brushed it off like it was no big deal.
We arrived at the pyramids, and were awestruck. Some things, despite how many pictures or movies you see of them, cannot be comprehended until you actually see, and touch them. We rented some horses, and took a ride around the site, stopping at all the interesting points- the sphinx, the great pyramids, the smaller outlying ones. We got to climb up a few steps of them, and enter into tunnels that led to the inside of the pyramids.
For an unplanned an underfunded trip, it was incredible. We were able to mingle with the natives, see incredible beautiful sights, and still make it back home safely better for the experience. I cannot wait to have another similar journey through this incredible world we live in.