Tag Archives: Retirement abroad

Egypt

Pyramids of Giza

The Giza pyramids are located on the Giza Plateau in Greater Cairo, Egypt. We were surprised at just how close the pyramids are located to the city of Cairo. The pyramids are only 22 kms from the city centre of Cairo.

When we first arrived in the parking lot area and descended from the bus the view of the Pyramids was extraordinary. Even from the far distance of the parking lot,  we could tell they were massive structures.

The pyramid of Khafre  in Egypt.

The pyramid of Khafre, was the one that still had a small section on the tip in a finished state. This pyramid is the second largest and  tallest  of the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza . The Khafre pyramid was the location of the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre, who ruled in 2550 BC. The closer we walked towards the pyramid of khafre the more impressive it became.

The khafre pyramid in Egypt

When we reached the base of the pyramid we could see just how large the stones were that made the pyramid.

Shelley standing at the base of the Khafre pyramid in Egypt.

We were able to go inside of the Khafre pyramid and explore part of the interior chamber. It was amazing to think that we were actually inside the pyramid of Khafre.

Inside view of the narrow passageway in the Khafre pyramid.

The Giza pyramids were one of the highlights of our trip to Egypt. The other highlight was seeing the great Sphinx of Giza which was larger than we expected. It is 20 meters high (66 feet) and 73 meters (240 feet) long.

Shelley and Ray in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt.

We were able to get close to the Sphinx but were not able to touch it.

We explored the pyramids and Sphinx area for several hours before heading back to Cairo.

Ray and Shelley’s hands on the Khafre pyramid in Giza

We will always remember and cherish this particular visit to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.

Until next time, be safe and enjoy life.

“”السفر يجعل المرء متواضعا. ترى ما هو مكان صغير تشغله في العالم. كما أنه يغير النظرة الإنسانية للحياة ، ويوسع آفاقنا ويجعلنا أكثر قدرة على إدراك الأشياء بشكل مختلف ، خاصة بعد التعرف على الثقافات الأخرى ، والتعامل مع أنواع مختلفة من الناس ، وتجربة تجارب جديدة.”

Egypt

The Valley of the Kings

We went to the Valley of the Kings, which is a valley on the west bank of the Nile, near the city of Luxor.

The Valley of the Kings in Egypt

The Valley of the Kings consists of two valleys,  the East Valley where the majority of the royal tombs are situated and West Valley. There are a total of 63 different tombs discovered to date in the Valley of the Kings. Our guide Aladino explained to us which of the tombs where the best ones to see and then we went our own to explore the tombs.

Aladino at one of the tombs explaining the best tombs to see.

We headed to the first tomb which was one of the most detailed and largest of the tombs.

corridor in one of the tombs which led to a larger burial room at the end.

The tombs of Royals and Nobles were decorated decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology.

Ray inside a tomb complex in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Shelley in front of some of the Egyptian etchings in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Egyptian hieroglyphs within areas of the tombs in the Valley of Kings in Egypt.

There were some pristine and well preserved Egyptian hieroglyphs throughout some of the tombs. We were amazed at how detailed and precise the hieroglyphs were made. They are carved into the stone and contained very detailed features.

Detailed and pristine hieroglyphs in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

The Valley of the Kings is an archaeological and Egyptological exploration and its tombs and burials continue to be researched.

We went and explored one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world,  the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.

Tomb of the Tut Ankh Amun in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt

The Valley of the Kings  has become even more famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Ray and Shelley in the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun
Ray and Shelley in one of the tomb areas

We walked through four different tombs throughout our time in the Valley of the Kings. They were very impressive with amazing Egyptian hieroglyphs, paintings, and stone etchings. Many of them were in pristine condition.

One of the tomb corridors with many Egyptian etchings and hieroglyphs.

The tombs were built with the intention to easily transform the king or noble to transcend to the next world. The tombs were adorned with decorations and ancient texts to help guide the soul to the afterlife.

Etchings and hieroglyphs in one of the tombs
Egyptian stone etching and paintings in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings

The time we spent in the Valley of the Kings was truly one of the highlights of our trip. We walked through the tombs and touched  500 year old history. Truly an amazing adventure.

كن منفتحًا واحتضان الحياة على أكمل وجه.

Egypt

Kom Ombo Temple

We went to see the Kom Ombo Temple  which is located 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Aswan near the Nile River.

Temple of Kom Ombo

This temple was built in the 2nd century BC and is unique because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods.  We explored the temple admiring the features including some interesting hieroglyphs  and carvings.

Carvings on the wall in the Temple of Kom Ombo

Ray touching some of the hieroglyphs inside the Temple.

After walking through the temple and exploring the different rooms and areas, we decided to visit the Crocodile Museum section of the Temple. Inside the museum we saw some mummified crocodiles.

Mummified crocodiles inside the museum at the Temple of Kom Ombo

It was common to have mummified crocodiles as well as other animals during that time period. The ancient Egyptians  thought that crocodiles were mighty and depicted God Sobek. Cats were respected in ancient Egypt: They were characterized as nimble, maternal and poise.  The ancient Egyptians frequently donated mummified animals to temples because of their sacred qualities. The animals were thought to be gifts to the gods.

A large mummified crocodile at the Kom Ombo Museum

Mummified Crocodiles in the Museum

The history is quite interesting, basically the Egyptians believed that crocodiles depicted the God Sobek. The crocodiles were seen as both strong and mighty, to be feared and respected. The crocodile was known for being powerful. They would depict this in their statues, carvings and hieroglyphs.

Image of a man with a crocodile head.

We explored the museum and found it very informative. The Egyptian culture and history has many interesting components. We enjoyed the visit to this Temple and Museum.

“الإحساس بالفكاهة هو القطب الذي يضيف التوازن إلى خطواتنا ونحن نسير على حبل مشدود للحياة.”

Egypt

Temple of Philae, Aswan Egypt

We took a boat ride to see the Philae Temple now located on the island of Agilkia in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam. It is below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, in Egypt.

Boat ride to the Island of Algilkia

As we approached the Island we could see the Philae Temple.

View if the Philae Temple from the boat as we approached.

We landed and began our walk towards the Temple. The closer we got to the Temple the more impressive it became.

Shelley and Ray in front of the main entrance to the Philae Temple.

The Temple of Philae was originally located near the First Cataract of the Nile in Upper Egypt. The y were being  flooded as a result of the initial construction of the Aswan Low Dam in 1902.  The UNESCO Nubia campaign dismantled the Philae Temple site and moved them stone by stone to the nearby Agilkia Island, before the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam. The Philae Temple has been relocated exactly as the original location.

The other wall of the main entrance with carved images in the stone.

We walked through the entrance which was spectacular and massive in size. Through the entrance we walked into a large courtyard with columns running the full length of the courtyard.

Shelley and Ray in the courtyard of the Philae Temple in Egypt

The columns in the courtyard were finished with a flower style leaf at the top.

Pillars in the Philae Temple

We walked throughout the courtyard admiring the smaller temple buildings. It was truly an emotional experience being able to walk in the Temple and touch the walls of such historic buildings.

Ray at the Temple of Philae in Egypt.

 

Shelley at the Temple of Philae in Egypt

We went inside the Temple of Philae and saw stone carvings and hieroglyphs on the walls.

Close up of hieroglyphs on the stone at Philae Temple.

Christianity seems to have been present at the Temple of Philae by the fourth century. Apparently at which point it coexisted with traditional Egyptian religion. We came across an Christian alter which was fashioned in the Temple.

Christian Alter in the Temple of Philae, in Egypt

Below are some of the spectacular Temple ruins or structures in the Philae Temple.

Ray in the Temple of Philae in Egypt.

It was a spectacular sight to see the Temple and walk through the ruins.It so rewarding to know that these historic Temples were not lost as a result of the Aswan Dam. UNESCO saved this history from being lost forever and we were fortunate enough to actually visit them.

“احرص وتذكر أن تعيش كل يوم على أكمل وجه ،”

Egypt

Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt

We booked a trip to Egypt through a Spanish travel agency. We began out adventures by flying to the city of Aswan in Egypt to take a cruise on the Nile river.

On the plane heading to Egypt

We landed at the airport and met with our Guide. He spoke perfect Spanish and Arabic but absolutely no English.  His name was Aladino and he was our guide for the entire trip.

Shelley, Ray and Aladino in the Sahara Desert

We began our trip by  going to the cruise boat and getting settled in to our room. The cruise ship was called, “Grand Princess”  and had four levels plus a large deck on top with a pool and bar. Our room was quaint and simple but comfortable.

Our room on the Grand Princess cruise ship

Our guide Aladino told us that the first excursion was at 3:30 A.M.  We managed to get a few hours of rest before heading to the lobby to meet our guide. We boarded a bus and headed for our first of many Unesco World Heritage Sites in Egypt. This site was called “Abu Simbel Temple” which is located in the village  of Abu Simbel in Aswan Governorate .

We arrived before dawn and walked to the temples. The first sight of the temple was amazing and a surreal experience for us.

Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt

As we walked closer it became even more amazing just how big the stone sculptures were. The four statues representing Ramesses II are 20 m (66 ft) high. They represent Ramesses II seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Entrance between the statues of Ramesses II

We went to the base and admired the statues before heading inside the single entrance into the temple. Once we were inside we saw more statues of Ramesses II in columns.

Column statues of Ramesses II inside the Temple of Abu Simbel

This was an amazing first experience for us to be able to walk within the Temple and to actually touch these amazing historical artifacts.

Shelley and Ray inside the Temple of Abu Simbel
Other statues within the Abu Simbel Temple

We explored the inside of the temple admiring the carvings and statues. We noticed that the sun was beginning to rise and we saw a beautiful dawn.

Sun Rising seen through the entrance to the Abu Simbel Temple

We left the Temple and went to look at the second temple located there. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

The small Temple of Abu Simbel

We entered into the smaller temple and explored the interior. It was equally impressive and contained many stone carvings.

Ray at the front of the small Temple of Abu Simbel
Carving inside the small temple of Abu Simbel
Carving in stone inside the smallTemple of Abu Simbel

We explored the twin temples and discovered that these two temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. What we did not realize until the tour was that these temples were moved to this new location.

The relocation of the temples were necessary or they would have been submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the River Nile.

The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 under an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

A view of the back side of the Temple which was relocated to the village of Abu Simbel.

We found the tour to Abu Simbel very interesting. There were so many unique and amazing artifacts to see in the Temples. The tour was completely in Spanish. There was no english during our entire trip to Egypt. It was a great way for us to practice and improve our Spanish.

“أتمنى لك يومًا رائعًا واحتضان الحياة”