Egyptian Antiquities Still Impress Second Time Around

Days 24-25, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean

Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 2-3, 2024; Cairo, Egypt.

My first (and only previous) visit to Cairo was in 2013, on the first cruise from which I blogged. I just went back to read my Cairo post (then labeled “Dear Diary” and pretty much a chronological report) and realized I could almost copy and paste it here and be done writing for the day. As tempting as that is, I’ll pass. But should you be looking for details on a trip to this urban area of more than 20 million people, it’s a good place to start.

During the pandemic cruising “pause,” I revisited those early blogs and wrote “flashbacks,” focusing on my lasting memories of those ports and adding some watercolors. The Cairo flashback post reflects my blog’s transition from mere travelogue to travel essay.

My general guideline is to not repeat experiences such as visiting the pyramids and other highlights of Cairo. There is so much else yet to see. But this time I chose to return, despite the three-hour drive each way. This is a part of the world that isn’t always accessible to cruise travelers, and having an overnight gives me more time. I’m scheduled to return to Alexandria twice on cruises in 2025, but only for a day. I’ll tour Alexandria then.

This time my lasting memory may actually be of my hotel room – or to be more accurate, suite. My travel agency typically books five-star hotels for its overnight shore excursions, and I had hoped to return to the historic Mena Hotel. In 2013 I was blown away by the view of the Great Pyramid from my balcony there. This time we were at the Fairmont. My 17^th-floor view of the Nile River was impressive …

… but even more so was the luxury suite – expansive living room, separate dining room, office and butler’s pantry, and corner bedroom with views in two directions. Just as in 2013, I was disappointed that our time there was so short. All that luxury did seem somewhat wasted for a few hours of sleeping. And excessive, but that’s for another essay.

It’s hard to experience wonders such as the pyramids for a second time – but seeing them today through the eyes of others comes close. Two busloads of Holland America team members arrived at the Great Pyramids as we were leaving. The cruise company arranged for almost a third of the crew to travel to Cairo to see the pyramids, and the excitement on their faces as they arrived reminded me of my first visit.

Of course, not much had changed – the pyramids and the Sphinx look the same. Missing near the Sphinx were the young boys who in 2013 tried to sell us maps, postcards and coins. This time adults were hawking from booths along the walkway. I hope the kids are in school. The camels are still available for rides, but some people found they had to pay more than the previously-agreed-upon price to get down.

We ate lunch today at a restaurant on the grounds of the pyramids, with rice molded in the shape of a pyramid. On Monday, we lunched while cruising on the Nile – not box lunches on a felucca with sails this time, but three courses served on china. The most impressive meal was the endless buffet of every kind of food for breakfast at the hotel. Unfortunately, at 6 a.m. all I wanted was coffee, fruit and a pastry.

Much of this tour was a repeat – in addition to the pyramids and Sphinx, we drove to ancient Memphis and the step pyramid at Saqqara (the oldest known stone building complex in history). They continue to excavate this burial ground and still have barely scratched the surface, they say.

Since my first visit, nothing had changed about the slow drive – along a wide ditch, with speed bumps instead of traffic lights. Cross traffic takes advantage of the need for vehicles to slow down for the rough bumps. There seemingly are no traffic rules, as buses, cars, motorcycles, tuk tuks and horse-drawn carts create their own lanes.

We visited the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo where the highlight is relics from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Some of the tours went to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza near the pyramids, which just partially opened in October. The Egyptian government spent more than a billion dollars to build the giant museum meant to house artifacts currently scattered in museums elsewhere around the world.

New to me was our visit to the Citadel of Sultan Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, with its Muhammed Ali – or Alabaster – Mosque. While we admired the beautiful misjid, or large inside domed area, our guide told the history of Islam in Egypt. It isn’t just all about the pharaohs here.

Meanwhile, back on the ship the calendar has switched to December and the holiday decorating has begun. More on that later, but I did my part with a small tree from the Dollar Store and an Advent Santa for my door.