I know I know I know.. You don’t have to tell me!I’ve taken for ever to get to this stage but now I’m finally ready to write the long awaited blog about my AMAZING Christmas Holiday. For those of you who kept asking about it - thanks for your patience ;o)
I had been waiting for the 17th of December for what seemed like a lifetime. Since I’d bought the package deal all I could think about was cruising down the Nile, haggling with the locals and climbing up a pyramid. The day just wouldn’t come soon enough. Then there was the little issue of a traveling companion. Seeing as I had originally meant for the trip to be a birthday present for Arron and a combined xmas present for myself, when we broke up it seemed a bit weird to go ahead and go on this trip together. I wanted my first experience of Egypt to be a fun one, not one filled with sad memories of a break-up.
After a lot of thinking and consideration I asked my best friend Johnny to accompany me on a holiday of a lifetime. And boy am I glad I did. First of all I need to mention that Johnny and I have been friends since we were 14 and we’ve always been close. But since moving to London our friendship has been strained with the stress and fast paced lifestyle of La Londres and we found ourselves drifting somewhat apart. I looked on this trip as a way of bridging that gap and thankfully it all paid off.Johnny had been to Egypt before when he was asked to DJ in Cairo and on that trip he made some nice friends. Just how nice I was about to find out..
Monday 17th of December
At 5am we made our way to Gatwick airport. Both equally excited we boarded the plane and snoozed through the 6 hour flight. As the plane started to descend I looked out over the vast deserts of the magical land below. I had butterflies. I was so excited I could just.. spit!
Although I’d never been before I imagined the heat to be excruciating but to my surprise we were met by a light breeze and quite a comfortable climate. I was told that December was a good time to go as the temperatures were quite bearable and we’d miss out on the massive fly infestation that reigned during the hot summer months. We’d made our way through the passport check and headed towards the transfer buses. I tried to suck up as much of the surroundings around me as I possibly could and although I’ve been told that Egyptians will lure you into tipping them for something as trivial as showing you in the right direction I didn’t mind parting with a few pence when a boy dressed in a traditional ’galabya’ took my bag and moved it a few feet through the exit doors. Oh well.. Every little helps I thought and smiled.
In the package deal Hotel Emilo was meant to be our home for the next 7 days. Before we left Johnny cheekily asked me what star rating Emilio had. I told him it was 3* bang in the middle of Luxor and his face turned all twisted, like I’d fed him sour grapes. ’No, no, no, no, no’ he exclaimed suddenly, ’I am NOT staying in a filthy 3* shanty. I’m booking us into Sheraton, darling!’ And that he did. But seeing since my curiosity took the better of me I persuaded him to let the coach take us to Hotel Emilio just to check it out.
We got there and immediately got checked in without actually meaning to but then thought ’Ooooh, this could be fun’! The hotel was in the middle of a busy intersection, crammed in between two mosques and with traffic, horses and people running havoc all around it. Up in the room we noticed that our balcony was looking out at this intersection and even though all windows were closed the noise was just unbearable - not to mention the AirCon in the corner that blew an unstoppable arctic wind into the room sounding like a Dyson on crack.We took some photos just to document the horror before running down to Reception and asking to check out. The receptionist looked at us surprised and asked why, to which we replied – ’This place is filthy, we’re off to Sheraton’. LOLHe wasn’t happy! But at least we were! ;o)
Our driver/tour guide Rafat, took us to Sheraton Hotel which was further down the Nile and when we arrived he asked us what we’d like to do whilst in Luxor. We compiled a list of things and after exchanging numbers we trusted him to sort all of our excursions out for us.After checking in we both breathed a sigh of relief when we saw our deluxe room. It couldn’t have been any better - thank God for Johnny’s persuasion and stubborness!
Suddenly his phone rang and it turned out to be his friend in Cairo. He demanded we got on an early morning flight, already booked, and made our way to the capital. My heart started pounding and I literally thought it was going to jump out of my T-shirt. That night I barely slept for being so excited.
Tuesday 18th of December
With puffy eyes but a big smile on our faces we had breakfast overlooking the Nile. It was breathtaking. We took a tour around the hotel complex and I couldn’t fault a single inch of it. After packing for a 3 day trip we flew Egypt Air to Cairo all the while looking through the window at the beautiful and mesmerizing landscape below. Suddenly this ancient city appeared and seemed to be swallowing the desert. ’That’s Cairo’ Johnny said as my jaw dropped to the floor. I had no idea it was THAT huge. It seemed to be going on forever...
As we passed through customs a man held a sign with our names and smiled when he noticed us. I guess we weren’t too hard to spot - two screaming queens lost in an Egyptian airport LOL. We got picked up in a brand new black BMW and the driver greeted us with a smile and pumping house music blasting from the speakers. We knew we were in the right place. He told us that our host (I won’t mention any names for security purposes - but lets just say he is VERY WELL known in his country) was busy at the moment but we we’re being taken for a day of touristy sightseeing and gave us our own Egyptian mobile phone so we could call him whenever we needed him.
Our first stop was The Egyptian Museum. Little did I know that it was going to be the only touristy thing we’d do that day. It took us almost 4 hours to get through all the amazing artifacts, statues, sarcophaguses and mummies. I could have spent a whole week in there alone. There was just so much to take in and in retrospect I regret not agreeing to have a guide show us round. But then again had we had one then I wouldn’t have been able to secretly film short clips on my phone. I knoooow. Im terrible.. ;o)
Exhausted we got taken to our hosts ’humble’ abode where we were served traditional Egyptian food. Not that I remember what anything was called but it was bloody delicious! The only thing I had trouble getting used to was the servants. I found it hard to deal with but we were assured that the staff were very happy where they were and that they were properly looked after. Still, I don’t mind clearing my own plate or emptying the ashtray - only here, we weren’t ’allowed’. Left to our own accord we freshened up and when our host finally arrived I was caught like a pig in knickers fresh out of the shower, trying desperately to cover myself up. To our hosts apparent delight there seemed to be no need for that.. An immediate attraction arose on both parts! But I won’t reveal too much.. That would be un-lady like.. ;o)
We were taken out on a personal tour of the evening lit Cairo and I was taken aback by the apparent class differences that divided the city. The phrase; ’How the other half lives’ took on a whole new meaning. I saw people living in meager shanties and some people living on unfinished building sites. A part of me kind of expected it whilst the other part was shocked over the fact that a civilization as old as Egypt were still developing at such a slow pace. The whole experience was more than just an eye opener – it was a wake up call!
After driving around for a while we stopped at a place called Wabi Sabi where we were treated to a feast of the best sushi I had ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. And believe you me, my mouth has tasted one or two things in its day. Who would have thought that a Japanese delicacy like that would be best served in Egypt?On our way home I couldn’t help but notice trucks and trucks filled with cows passing us by. Not one, not two but dozens.. When asked what was going on our host explained that it was the Egyptian New Year and as tradition the wealthy slaughter the cows and distribute the fresh meat to the ones less fortunate. According to history, Mohammed was asked to slaughter his brothers to prove his faith but God spared him the task by giving him cows to slaughter instead of his brothers. Fascinating story if not a little disturbing. So we came back to the mansion to find a brown Mama Muuu stationed in the garden. Johnny was shocked and asked what was going to happen to her. When told she’d be dinner the next day he pleaded for its life asking if he could trade me in for her.. Cheeky cow! Not the actual cow; I’m referring to Johnny!! LOL
As we were going to bed the flirtation between myself and our handsome host escalated but like I said – a lady never tells.. ;o)
Wednesday 19th of December
We woke up to another sunny December day. With rumbling bellies we all went to Starbucks for breakfast. Somewhat surreal but nice nonetheless. Our host was off to work but left us in the competent hands of his driver who drove us through the length of the city all the way to the Giza plateau where the Pyramids were carefully guarded by the majestic Sphinx.
He introduced us to his brother and his nephew who took over and brought us two sturdy mares. I hadn’t been on a horseback since I was a kid but I was told it was like riding a bike – yeah right – a living, four legged bike that runs and jumps and has a will of its own. Not quite the same thing, so don’t let yourself be fooled. Johnny however seemed more at ease as we trotted through the streets heading towards the desert, but then again he’s got more experience in the ’riding’ department than I do.. He he he..
As the desert opened up our guides muttered something in Arabic and suddenly my horse took off with lightning speed. Before I even had a chance to say ’My Cha Cha pumps’ I was flying through the desert sands like a warrior princess on speed, holding on for dear life. Suddenly the pyramids rose before us and as we stopped I was mesmerized by the sheer size of the colossal buildings. Who originally came up with the idea of building them? Why were they aligned according to the stars? How many people did it take to raise all those blocks? How many lost their lives in the process? The questions were endless..
We got off the horses and walked up to one of the pyramids for a Kodak moment. I went completely snap happy when I saw our guide talking to some armed guards. They were pointing at us and I noticed the guards nodding their heads at the mention of our hosts name. The guide came up to us and asked if we’d like to climb up the pyramid. My heart nearly skipped a beat and both myself and Johnny looked at eachother and exclaimed in unison; YES!!
The trek up was quite difficult and filled with danger, it was a long way down and the weathered sandstone seemed treacherous in places. About 2 thirds up our guide decided it was as far as we’d go, for our own safety. But even that exceeded any expectations. Johnny and I had a moment to ourselves, just sitting on the edge of a giant block of stone looking out over the vast desert planes. It was the most beautiful of sights. I had tears in my eyes as the realization dawned on me that I had fulfilled one of my childhood dreams and to be able to share that moment with my best friend was the greatest gift I could have asked for.
After climbing back down we were taken on a tour around the rest of the plateau. Fascinated by the extensive architecture it wasn’t hard to imagine just what a magical place this was in its prime. All the feasts and rituals held here thousand of years ago still had a presence that can be felt to this day. Somewhat in a daze we rode back the waiting BMW and sat in silence as we were driven through the setting sun to the Marriott Hotel for a spot of food. The hotel itself was an old palace built for Empress Eugenie in the early 1800’s and was quite a magical place in its own right. After dinner we were taken back to our hosts mansion where needless to say I slept like a baby and my dreams were filled with images long lost to history..
Thursday 20th of December
I woke up early and left Johnny sleeping as he looked so sweet immersed in some exotic dream. It was a shame to disturb him.. Nah, that’s a load of crap.. I was hoping to get a moment alone with our host ;o) and that I did. He smiled at me as I entered the front room and asked if I’d like to join him under the blanket (it was a bit chilly!!) and ’watch Gray’s Anatomy’ for a while. I took him up on his offer and cosied up next to him, our legs intertwined for a short while.
Suddenly Johnny appeared and looked at us with a puzzled glare! ’You dirrrrrty little stop out’ he said ’I can’t leave you alone for 5 minutes and all of a sudden you think you’re the Prince(ss) of Egypt. Sheew, get back to your room and put some clothes on!!’ I did as I was told! LOL
The rest of the day went by incredibly fast. It was our last day in Cairo and we still had to go to El-Khalili Market for a bit of shopping. After another breakfast at Starbucks our host flagged down a taxi and asked him to look after us for a few hours.The driver, Yussuf, looked at our host in awe and nodded frenetically, smiling at us with a toothless mouth, reassuring that we were in safe hands.
Yussuf drove us to the market and accompanied us to wherever we wanted to go. Our first stop was a perfume factory as I’d heard about these fragrant oils that last forever and smell like anything you’d be able to buy from the high streets in any major city. The shopkeepers were very nice but when it came down to the price suddenly they became all business like and tried to rip us off. At this point Yussuf jumped in and explained whose guests we were and the price went down by 50% as they apologized with nervous smiles.
We continued through the market and found a wicked little shop called Oscar’s. Oscar himself was this chubby little man with a lot of cheek. He enticed us into his shop by telling me I was pretty. Now c’mon – wouldn’t you stop and hear him out?? LOL Once we were inside he offered us some tea and a spliff to awaken our spending appetite. I have to say it worked as we ended up buying everything from papyrus to marble capotic jars (which would be handy for storing.. stuff in..), ashtrays, fridge magnets and a white marble head of Queen Nefertiti – don’t ask!
It was an amazing experience but I have to admit that we felt a bit like Patsy and Eddie in Morocco, all bedazzled and in a bubble.On our way back to the car I noticed people looking at us and pointing. Some smiled while some looked puzzled. I mentioned this to Johnny and he shrugged it off as weed paranoia. It wasn’t until we heard two teenage girls mention our hosts name after smiling at us that we figured out that the word of whose guests we were had spread throughout the whole of El-Khalili Market. A very exciting moment I must say! He he he..
When we got back to the mansion we were served an amazing feast of traditional Egyptian dishes. After a days shopping (and some help of Egyptian home grown) we’d worked up quite an appetite and tucked in. It wasn’t til after we’d finished that our host started to laugh wholeheartedly. When Johnny asked him why he was laughing he said; ’Didn’t you notice something missing from the garden?’
’MAMA MUUUUUUUUUU!!!!’
Oh nooo, we’d just eaten the lovely little cow Johnny wanted to trade me for. Oh well, at least that meant that I was free to carry on my adventure.We packed all our stuff and our host drove like a true boy racer through the gridlocked traffic leading up to the airport. I guess traffic restrictions didn’t really apply to him!?After a heartfelt goodbye and a promise of meeting up again in the near future we boarded the plane and were on our way back to Luxor for another 4 days of historical extravagance.
But that is another story..
;o)
D.
No comments:
Post a Comment