Africa
The history, the culture. The nature and the people.
Africa is so rich in ways unimaginable.
From the Valley of the Queens of Egypt to the Great Migration in Kenya.
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Welcome to my African escapades.
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Egypt | ABU SIMBEL
Situated close to the Sudan-Egyptian border, Abu Simbel just takes your breath away. Towering over 20m high seats 4 statues of three Egyptian ancient Gods and the pharaoh who built it.
Aside from the fact that I loved The Mummy 2 and one of the crucial scenes in that movie featured this area - the temples were built by Rameses II. The same pharaoh who in religious books was known as the brother of Moses. So I knew then, I was not just walking the steps of Hollywood but also of history and theology. Watching The Ten Commandments was part of my childhood - so seeing a temple built by someone from the pages of books I used to read when I was younger is mind-boggling. The statues in the temple were gigantic. It makes you wonder if people in the ancient days were physically larger than us and that we could have shrunk through time.
Although, on your way out - you have to go through a maze of souvenir merchants. Be patient as they could be incredibly pushy. Just remember, they are trying to feed their families - so if you can afford to, do grab a little bit of something.
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Egypt | ALEXANDRIA
In real time, my adventure in Egypt should have been a week or two. And yet, we cramped it into a long weekend. After arriving in the middle of the night at our Cairo hotel - driving to Alexandria was the first thing we did to jumpstart our race-like visit around Egypt.
Things that stood out for me in Alexandria. One - the library. I loved books. I remember the look of pure, unadulterated glee I shared with one of the girls I traveled with after stepping into the library. I almost reenacted that scene from Beauty and the Beast where Belle said "I've never seen so many books in my entire life". Suffice it to say, I wasn't in a gown, there was no Prince Adam back then but the feeling I got from surrounded by these written words from across time was fascinating and humbling at the same time. Not just books but scrolls from ancient times.
Two - the Roman ampitheatre. Our guide asked one of us to go down at the bottom of the ampitheatre and then the rest to stay at the top. She asked the person at the bottom to whisper something and all of us at the top heard her. They tapped into nature by using the flow of the wind to carry a person's voice. How brilliant. Which again led me to another attack of existential thoughts of the brilliance back then against the disruption of now.
Three - rice with milk pudding. Our tour guide made sure to serve this to us before we left Alexandria. We all fell in love with it. I even asked all of my Egyptian friends to give me their recipes. It was that good!
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White & Blue Greek Nautical Club
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Egypt | ASWAN
With the feluccas floating along the clear blue Nile, the golden Nubian islands on the horizon, and the green palm trees that stood as sentinels beneath the Egyptian sky - Aswan is a place like no other I have ever been. The air carries a mixture of mysticism, ancientness, and regality. Like being in a dream.
This was a place where during a boat ride, I drank from the Nile. The water was sweet and refreshingly cold.
Visiting the Philae temple and listening to the stories of Osiris and Set - adds to the mythical mysticism of the place.
If there is one place I know I would visit again in Egypt - it would be Aswan.
Activity: Philae Temple / Elephantine / Nubian Village
Egypt | CAIRO
Exotic. Traffic. Historic.
That was Cairo for me. From the maze-like streets of Khan El-Khalili bursting with souvenirs. Now, when I think of the word bazaar - this is the only place synonymous that comes to mind. Crowded and vibrant, my non-existent haggling skills were put to the test. Thanks to the girls I traveled with, I walked away with so many bargains.
When I think of Cairo, I think of pharaohs from ancient times. Walking into the Egyptian Museum for me was both a fascinating and disturbing experience. Fascinating to see the depth of history one building can hold. The stories told can leave a lot to the imagination. From Tutankhamun's tombs to the surviving statues of Amenhotep III - these pharaonic antiquities are treasures of time to behold. On the other hand, seeing the mummies for me was not only disturbing but sad. The dead should be put to rest and not displayed.
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Egypt | GIZA
Seeing Giza upfront and then climbing the pyramid and walking inside was almost an out-of-body experience. The Sphinx, and the Pyramids of Giza - are the stuff of legends. Being there can be quite overwhelming and exhilarating. Aside from being scared of heights, I am also claustrophobic. Both did not stop me from climbing the steps of the pyramid to get to this hole so I can walk through a mazelike path inside. I was happy to do it. I guess, this is what I love most about traveling. It teaches you to embrace your fears and push through them. No one wants to visit Giza and just gaze at the pyramid. You need to experience it and be a part of it. And I did.
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Egypt | LUXOR
Luxor is an archaeological fantasy. From the Valley of the Queens to the Valley of the Kings where the tomb of Neferteri was found. The Avenue of the Sphinxes to the Temple of Karnak where rows of ancient statues stood the test of time. The temple of Queen Hatshepsut The Luxor Temple where we found one of the oldest mosques built in the midst of these towering columns. The ancient Thebes, where Hercules is said to be born, and a place of mythology.
Take a walk into their bazaar, there are a lot of treasures to bring home. Like all markets in Egypt, be patient as the merchants can be quite aggressive. One actually followed us for 15 minutes and when he realized he wasn't going to make a sale, he instead proposed to one of the girls.
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Kenya | MASAI
Visiting Masai Mara was a last-second decision, not even a last-minute one. I was supposed to be in Nairobi for training when I realized that it was the "Great Migration" season. I booked everything in barely one hour. From Nairobi - it was almost half a day of driving with lots of things to see in between. The valleys, the giant cactus trees that serve as protection against wide animals for some shelters, the kids running and waving in the street to finally the open space of Mara. The first thing that welcomed us was these zebras grazing by the streetside. I was so surprised as they had no care in the world. Apparently, most of the animals in the reserve area have adapted already to the sound of most vehicles and it doesn't disturb them any longer. Then came the gazelles, the almost bald trees with leaves only at the top part because those were the only part the giraffes could not reach to munch, the nocturnal leopard lounging in a tree, the mating lions, the stomping elephant, the mud bathing buffalo, and so many more wildlife to see.
Seeing the migration though was the highlight of our trip. It was surreal. Imagine thousands of wildebeest just queueing and marching in line in batches to try and cross a river filled with crocodiles. That afternoon was a time I will never forget.
We stayed at a hotel with luxury tents by the hippo-filled river. During dinner, the team sang a local song - and everyone in the restaurant just clapped and hummed along.
I was chatting with one of the Masai locals there and he explained that their form of courtship is by jumping. The higher one can jump, the stronger one is perceived, and the more attractive one becomes. Good to know that whatever the culture is - vying for attention to attract a partner will always be present.
Masai Mara is wild, is open, and is simply what I imagined Africa would be.
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Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru Camping Safari
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Kenya | NAIROBI
There were three things I can remember from my short stop in Nairobi.
One - it was incredibly, incredibly crowded.
Two - it was only the beginning of September and yet the weather was already chilly at night.
Three - on your way to the airport, they are so strict - there's a separate entrance for people and cars. Yes, you must step out of your vehicle, queue on the sidewalk, and go through security clearance just to get inside the airport premises.
Aside from that, people are lovely. Pedestrians cross the streets languidly as if they own those despite cars zooming here and there. And the driver that picked us up from the airport surprisingly hated Obama so much - it was all he could talk about.
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