04.25.23

Kat and I usually do not participate in tours, but since our time in Egypt was pretty short, we chose to do some new things.

Thing #1 (Above) was our first ever hot air balloon ride in Luxor, which was magical! The balloon itself is very cool, but soaring over the Valley of the Kings and seeing the city of Luxor, surrounded by sand as well as verdant green pastures, was beyond trippy. The day before we were down at ground level and went INTO many of the interior temples, and the artwork and sculpting was breathtaking. You can view some of them in my personal Facebook blogs from February.

Thing #2 (Below) was going INSIDE the “Red Pyramid” in Giza, which was an awesome and unique experience. This pyramid is the second oldest ever built, and third largest behind the Great One at Giza. We almost had a private “tour” since there are only 10 people allowed in at a time, and we were the only ones, and I will let the video speak for me. The Dahshur area also houses the very oldest pyramid, called Saqqara, which is known as the “Step Pyramid,” since it was built before they knew what angle to use to create the perfect triangular structure. That angle, by the way, is 51°, which allows it to stay upright without crumbling.

Thing #3 was my first “real” camel ride, which we rode around the Great Giza Pyramid area. We visited all three, including the Khafre, and the Menkaure, plus stood in front of the Great Sphinx, which is very crumbly and can truly only be viewed properly from one angle. I have never ridden a camel in my life, and I think I was actually a bit fearful!

I realized that I did not feel very comfortable being at the mercy of a four-footed animal, so when Kathleen said, “Yes, this is a place to do it!” I reluctantly gulped, and said okay. It was surprisingly easy getting on, but there’s only a stirrup on one side and the other leg hangs free. You hold on to a knob about the size of your fist, and using a video camera with one hand was okay, but using it with two hands was tricky! But Kathleen proved herself to be a superstar.

We walked from the top of the hill, at the base of Khafre, and terminated at the bottom of the hill at the Great Sphinx. Watching the camel take a step DOWN was a little bit eerie, and when they did that we got jostled forward. When we finished, the camel handler had to encourage the donkey to bend their front legs forward, and then the rear legs followed. Now that was a trip! It lurched forward, I lurched with it, and then regained my stability. Let’s just say it was fun, but I’m not quite sure I’m ready to do it again!

We were on the go for six weeks in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, so compiling these took a bit of time. I hope you enjoy them!