June 2005 · Middle East Trip
David & Noel Coory's Journey to Egypt
A travel diary documenting the first leg of an epic Middle East
adventure — Israel and Jordan to Egypt
Israel
First Look
Overall Impressions of Egypt
- Ancient wonders standing proudly through millennia.
- Rich history visible in everyday surroundings.
- Chaotic traffic but surprisingly organized movement.
- Warm hospitality despite cultural differences.
- Fascinating blend of old and new.
- Deeply rooted traditions shape daily life.
- Magnificent pyramids inspire awe and curiosity.
- Vibrant street life full of energy.
- Intense desert heat dominates experiences.
- Strong religious and cultural identity.
- Colorful markets and persistent local vendors.
- Extraordinary archaeological treasures everywhere.
- Contrasts between luxury and simplicity.
- Nile River sustains life amid desert.
- Friendly guides enhance cultural understanding.
- Unique architecture reflects ancient civilization.
- Memorable sights at every turn.
- Tourist-focused economy visible throughout.
- Authentic local experiences beyond attractions.
- A captivating and unforgettable destination.
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
Experiencing A Coptic Church Service
We are awakened again at 4 am by the extremely loud speakers of the mosque. We get up at 5.30 am and prepare for our 6 am church service. Our taxi driver Rajah is out there waiting for us. Good on him. He takes us to the church and agrees to pick us up afterward at 7 am.
The huge church is quite full. Women on the right, and men on the left. As we take our seat on the left with the men, a priest with a long white beard is reading from the Bible, in Arabic or possibly a different similar language.
The sound system is very loud and cooling fans are whirring overhead. Icons and pictures of Jesus on the cross, and Mary, line the front of the church. All through the service we stand and sit continually. No chance of falling asleep in this church.
After the long Bible reading, the service is lead by another chanting, singing priest. About every five minutes the congregation bow and cross themselves.
There are a further three, long-bearded priests in hooded vestments, plus assistants and altar boys with candles up front. The singing is mostly of the wailing Indian style which is very common in the Middle East. I manage to sneak a quiet photo while nobody is looking.
The white draped altar is actually not in the main part of the church, but in another room, through a doorway in the front. I think the symbolism behind this is that the Holy of Holies was concealed from view in the ancient Israelite Temples.
Through the doorway we can see a white-clad priest, standing behind the altar, making clouds of incense.
Then a man in a flowing garment walks slowly up the centre aisle of the church and kneels in the front area, where the priests are sitting. Soon afterwards, the congregation hold out cupped hands and then raise their arms above their head and bow their heads like charismatic Christians do.
Also at one stage, everybody in the church softly claps both their hands gently against the hands of those around them and kiss their own hands with each clap. My ears are beginning to ache from the very high volume of the sound system. I think it would have been a lot more interesting if we could have understood the language.
“All through the service we stand and sit continually. No chance of falling asleep in this church.”
RETURN TO CAIRO
Leaving Luxor And Heading North Again
Soon it is 7 am, and our hour is up. We have to catch our plane back to Cairo this morning. So Noel and I self-consciously leave our seats and walk out, feeling a bit guilty as people stare at us disapprovingly.
Our taxi is outside waiting for us and takes us back to our hotel. Noel goes down for breakfast alone while I update my journal. When Noel comes back he says that he didn’t enjoy his breakfast very much, he had been surrounded by a group of loud, laughing smokers.
At 9.30 am our van picks us up to take us to the airport. When we fly back to Cairo this morning, we are going to visit the Egyptian Museum. On the way to the airport I take a photo of a very common sight throughout the Middle East, a building or house built with concrete reinforcing rods sticking up from the roof for a future storey to be built.
Typical middle east house, built with the foundation for another storey to be built on top. We have a 1½ hour wait at the airport. Another Air Egypt flight. Cleaner plane this time. Noel eats my in-flight breakfast for me as I am still fasting. Again the passengers clap when we land at Cairo airport an hour later. Hot in Cairo and rather humid.
“Again the passengers clap when we land at Cairo airport an hour later.”
THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM
Exploring The Treasures Of Ancient Egypt
We are taken straight to the Egyptian Museum from the airport. We again have as our guide the Muslim widow Saha with her nice smile. She does however have a tendency to over kill on excessive details of Egyptian history
I’m disappointed to learn that the museum doesn’t allow cameras to be used inside. Due to flash damage Saha says.
I hide my little camera in my back pocket anyway, but am too embarrassed to take pictures (non-flash) because of the crowds everywhere. This is a very popular museum and there are numerous photo opportunities.
Saha gives us a brief tour then leaves us alone to explore. I do sneak two blurry photos however, in quiet rooms. One of Egyptian poison blow-pipe darts, and one of ancient jandals.
I have downloaded photos of some of the more spectacular Museum sights from the internet. We are disappointed the museum has no open mummy faces. I suspect there is a Moslem taboo on showing such things.
“This is a very popular museum and there are numerous photo opportunities.”
THE KHAN EL KHALILI BAZAAR
A Bustling Marketplace Of Sights And Sounds
After the museum we are met by our tour organiser Nabil who takes us to the famous El Kahlili bazaar. Very noisy. We buy three presents here. We see some impressive buildings outside the bazaar, mostly Moslem type buildings with spires.
“Very noisy.”
BACK IN CAIRO
Settling In After A Day Of Sightseeing
After the bazaar we are driven to our well concealed President Hotel, which is on an island called Zamalek in the middle of the Nile river in Cairo. It is now about 5 pm.
There is another mess up with the hotel room. There is only one bed in the room we are shown to. So we are given a ground floor room, with a larger floor area instead, but with a noisy, ineffective air conditioner.
We then go out for an explore, and look for a fast food restaurant. The neighbourhood seems rather grotty in parts and it’s very hot. So we return to the hotel and eat in the classy hotel restaurant. It was a nice meal but a very long wait, something I find annoying, being a somewhat impatient person. I don’t feel over hungry despite my fast.
Afterwards we walk down to a local Internet café where a capable young Egyptian copies my photos off my camera card onto my Ipod hard drive. While he’s doing so, we send some emails. We spend an hour here and are only charged the standard £5 Egyptian fee (NZ$1.25) which includes the fee for transferring the photos.
“We then go out for an explore, and look for a fast food restaurant.”
AN EVENING BY THE NILE
Observing Everyday Life In Cairo
We then continue walking further up the street until we come to the Nile. It is now dark. We are not hassled by any hawkers on this walk, apart from two separate Moslem women beggars, each carrying a healthy looking child.
The local men are sitting out on the footpaths in groups of twos and three’s and chatting, and as usual, gesturing with their hands a lot. I suppose it is too hot inside their homes.
Noel notices that hardly any Egyptians wear glasses. I do a rough count of the people we pass by. Only about two in every 100 wear glasses. We notice again that Cairo drivers totally ignore road markings.
(When our brother Raymond edited this account for us after we got home he observed that the two above facts could be connected.)
“The local men are sitting out on the footpaths in groups of twos and three’s and chatting, and as usual, gesturing with their hands a lot.”
A HOT NIGHT IN CAIRO
Seeking Relief From The Relentless Heat
As we walk back to our hotel, dripping air conditioner pipes from the buildings above us spatter water down onto the footpath. This water makes the paving stones quite slippery for my slick jandals and seems to add to the humidity of the air.
Dripping air conditioners are the only rain you get in Cairo this time of year. It hardly ever rains in Cairo, only occasionally during the mild winter. The average for a whole year is only 10 mm, or half an inch. Tauranga by comparison gets 1100 mm a year, or 45 inches. In May of this year we had 14 inches in one 24 hour period.
In the interior of Egypt including Luxor, it doesn’t rain at all. Our hotel room is still warm, despite the weak, noisy, vibrating air conditioning unit running non-stop. Noel and I both have cold showers to cool down. 39°C in Cairo today. Still over 30°C tonight.
“Dripping air conditioners are the only rain you get in Cairo this time of year.”
David & Noel Coory · Middle East Trip
June 2005 · Tauranga, New Zealand to Singapore and beyond Redesigned with care · Original travel diary preserved