From Luxor to Sinai, from Jerusalem to Petra, seep into a land steeped in history and lore
My journey started in Luxor. I used to walk past this hookah lounge in New York City called Luxor all the time. And the sign would keep staring at me, as if to say that I needed to go there one day. So here I finally was. I had flown into Cairo and then taken an onward flight into Luxor. I had booked myself a room at the Little Garden Hotel, a 2-star hotel in a quiet corner of town that was absolutely charming. I checked into the hotel and was escorted to my room, a single unit that was on the rooftop. While the decor was over the top, it had a neat little balcony that overlooked the alleyway below. I freshened up and went to the adjacent rooftop lounge that was set up with cushions on the floor and hookahs. I sat down and ordered some hummus with pita and black tea, excited about finally being here. The waiter was really friendly and I was his only customer. I looked through my Rough Guide to plan my day ahead.
I decided to venture into the Valley of the Kings on my first day there. The Valley of the Kings is where a number of pharaohs are buried. It is in the valley on the West Bank of the Nile, Luxor being on the East Bank. I crossed over from the East Bank to the West Bank by ferry and then got a taxi on the other side.
The valley is quite barren. It has a rocky desert landscape. There are a number of tombs there that have been excavated. Some are open for public viewing. Nudging my way past the throngs of tourists I visited some of the tombs. Upon entry, there would generally be a foyer and then an inner room that was quite small, just enough to fit a sarcophagus and perhaps some items (that had now been removed to a museum) that were meant for the pharaohs to use upon their supposed resurrection. The walls were painted with murals of birds or people.
The experience in the valley was okay, but I was more excited to visit the temples in Karnak and Luxor the next day. I made my way back to the guest house and headed straight up to the hookah lounge for an early dinner. I was quite jet-lagged and had planned on calling it an early night. There was one other traveller there, a woman by the name of Lise. I sat next to her and we started talking. We ended up becoming good friends over the next few days. We swapped travel stories and complained about having to fend off the sticky tour peddlers on the corniche along the Nile. We agreed, however, that Luxor had a beautiful charm to it. Quiet, peaceful. She had already visited the temples on the East Bank, so I decided to visit these by myself the next day.
After breakfast the next morning, I headed toward Karnak to visit the temple there. I walked on the corniche along the Nile, an approximately 2 mile walk from Luxor. It was hot but it was early in the morning and much of the street was shaded by trees.
Karnak is a large temple complex with lots of open ground built and added to by various pharaohs and kings over 2000 years. Much of it has crumbled, but many statues, pylons and obelisks still stand with hieroglyphs inscribed on them. Walking past the various temples in the complex, I felt transported back in time, wondering what it would have been like to walk these grounds 2000 years ago. I was most interested in the legend of Osiris, to whom a temple is dedicated at Karnak, a noble king who had been emasculated by the evil Seth, and whose body parts had been scattered to the wind. Osiris' lover Isis was then able to resurrect him by loving him back to life. I always thought it was an apt allegory for the life we live, where masculinity is often equated with a lack of feelings, feelings thought of as being feminine, and when we accept our feeling side then we become whole.
I grabbed some lunch at the cafe at Karnak and walked back to Luxor. In the evening I went to visit Luxor Temple. Similar to Karnak, it had various statues and obelisks dedicated to various Egyptian pharaohs. The evening was a great time to be there because not only was it cooler, the setting sun was casting a beautiful orange glow to the stone structures. There was lots of open space with pathways that seemed to have been very well maintained. Unlike at Karnak, here I decided to just walk through the temple compound and experience it rather than focus on the details of the history.
As night fell, I went back to the guest house and went to the rooftop to have dinner. Lise was there again and we decided to catch the train and head to Aswan the next morning.
After breakfast, Lise and I hurriedly headed to the train station and got on it just as it was about to leave. We settled into our four person cabin although the train wasn't very crowded and we had the whole cabin to ourselves. We chatted and caught up on some much needed sleep. After a few hours we got to Aswan and navigated our way from the train station to our hotel in a taxi through some pretty crazy traffic. We already missed the quiet and peace of Luxor. Aswan was much more metropolitan, hot, crowded and noisy. The check-in staff at our hotel wasn't very friendly and my room was quite drab. We headed to the rooftop to have some lunch, which took over an hour to get to us. I had already decided right there and then that I was going to go back and spend at least one more night at the Little Garden Hotel in Luxor.
After lunch we headed to go visit the Temple of Isis. It is situated on an island in the Nile. We negotiated a fair price for a short boat ride to the temple. The temple complex wasn't very big but there were great views of the river from there. We sat at the edge of the temple and looked out at the Nile and took in the late afternoon sun before taking a boat back.
Lise had to head back to Luxor that evening because she had a forward journey planned the next day. We became Facebook friends and bid each other a fond farewell, wondering if we would ever see each other again. I spent the night in Aswan in preparation for a visit to Abu Simbel the next day.
Abu Simbel is at the banks of Lake Nasser and has two temples dedicated to various Egyptian pharaohs. The statues are immense and carved into the rock itself. It is 240 km southwest of Aswan near the border with Sudan. I hired a car to drive me there. I didn't end up spending a ton of time there. On my way down I realized that I had forgotten my passport at the guest house in Luxor and I was eager to get back to Luxor.
I took the train from Aswan back to Luxor and got in in the evening. My passport was thankfully safe and sound. I got to hang out with the friendly waiter one more time on the rooftop before I flew to Cairo the next morning.
In Cairo I hooked up with my group of about 40 people with whom I was to journey from Cairo through Sinai into Palestine/Israel. I instantly connected with a very sassy young woman from California and we were to become good friends on this trip and thereafter.
We woke up early the next morning to head to the pyramids at Giza. We had arranged to have a private viewing of the king and queen's chambers inside the great pyramid before the rest of the visitors were to show up.
The pyramids are quite a sight to behold. With millions of tons of stone perfectly placed and perfectly aligned to the constellation Orion (the tip of each of the pyramids is perfectly aligned with the 3 points on the belt of Orion), it is hard to believe that they were constructed with anything but a technology far advanced than what we have today.
We climbed a few stones to get to the opening that led into the king's chamber. We entered a narrow, claustrophobic shaft and walked up a rickety plank through the dark to get to the king's chamber. Getting past the doorway you came to a large room that was stark except for an open sarcophagus at the head of the room. The feeling in the chamber was quite awesome. You felt a sense of majesty, power and exuberance. Some people in our group spontaneously burst into song, others sat along the wall and took in this awesome feeling. A few of us took turns getting into the sarcophagus and laying in it. The feeling of awe and majesty was amplified significantly at the head of the sarcophagus. It seemed that the design of the pyramid lent it to being a transformer of energy that concentrated at the head of the sarcophagus.
Our eyes took some time to adjust to the sun as we piled out of the pyramid. We sat around and discussed our experiences in the chamber for a bit, then got on camels and headed back to our 2 large buses.
Our next stop was the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan in the Old City of Cairo. It is a beautiful mosque built in the 1300s. Walking in you felt transported back in time to the Middle Ages. The architecture is ornate and stunning. The red of the carpet bounced off the sepia overtones of the stone structure to give the whole place a divine glow. Just as we walked in, a muezzin began reciting the adhan (call to prayer). His voice was melodious and was amplified and echoed by the sound-enhancing architecture of the inside of the mosque. We spent some time just absorbing the beauty of the mosque before we headed back out and to our next destination.
Our final destination in Cairo was the Abu Sarga Church in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo). It is a tiny church that is built over the crypt where Mary, Joseph and Jesus are said to have hid in their sojourn through Egypt when they were escaping Palestine from the clutches of Herod. We were allowed to go down into the tiny crypt. I felt a palpably strong feeling in the crypt. One of pain mixed with divinity. Was it the feeling of the unheard prayers of the many pilgrims who had visited the church? Was it that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph?
Most of us decided to head back to the hotel, while some decided to go to Khan-al-Khalili market to do some shopping. We had dinner at the hotel and called it a night. We had a long journey ahead of us the next day.
After breakfast the next morning we piled into our 2 buses and headed eastward toward Sinai. Three of the women were ill with a gastrointestinal infection so we tried to keep it down to give them comfort. That was a little hard to do, especially since my sassy friend from California insisted on singing hilariously re-lyricized Lady Gaga songs. So we made one of the buses the quiet bus and moved the ill ones there.
Our day long journey led us past the Suez Canal and into the Sinai peninsula and then down to the base of Mt. Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the ten commandments. The landscape of Sinai is quite desolate, rocky with little to no vegetation. We checked into the guest house at Ste. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Ste. Catherine (Catherine of Alexandria) was a Christian martyr who was put to the breaking wheel to torture and kill her, but her strong faith broke the wheel instead. The monastery is simple and charming and spending the night there took you back to the Middle Ages.
The next morning we woke up at 1:30 in the morning, had a simple breakfast and headed to the foot of Mt. Sinai for the 3 or so hour trek up the mountain. We wanted to get to the top before the sun rose. We gathered at the base of the mountain and split into two groups--those who wanted to take the gentle camel route and those who wanted to take the steeper but quicker foot path. I took the foot path--3750 steps literally carved out by monks. The trek was quite incredible. The desert sky was clear and it seemed like you could see every star in the night sky. We stopped on occasion to observe the valley below us and get a drink at the many beverage and snack shacks along the way. The last part of the climb is a steep 750 step ascent to the top of the mountain, a tough but worthwhile one. Dawn was just breaking as we got to the top. We made ourselves comfortable on the stone ledge and looked out at the vast expanse of desert before us. The rest of the group caught up to us and made themselves comfortable as well. It was a bit chilly and blankets were available for people to cover up if they felt like it. As the sun rose it cast a pink-orange glow on the desert and mountains around us. It was breathtaking. We sat there for a bit and simply took it all in.
We felt rejuvenated as we headed back down the mountain. We piled into our buses and headed for the Taba land border between Egypt and Israel. As we were lining up at the border, the organizers of the trip put me and another gentleman at the front of the line. We were the only 2 people in the group who were Muslim and they figured we would be interrogated for a while. They were right. The process lasted four hours for me and him. I found it hard to suppress my laughter when the cell phone of the very gruff looking Israeli immigration officer who was interrogating me went off and belted out a Lady Gaga ringtone. Lady Gaga somehow ended up being a theme on this trip. The other 38 were done and on the bus on the Israel side while we were still waiting to be cleared. Just as the group was ready to leave us behind to take a taxi to the hotel while they went ahead, we got the green light. We drove into Jericho in Palestine and checked into our hotel.
The next morning we headed to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity. Jesus is said to have been born in the grotto under the basilica. Access to the grotto was restricted but we were able to experience the church. It is a beautiful church with an ancient feel to it. You felt a sense of awe as you walked past the pews to the altar. The church held such a strong and rich history that was quite palpable.
After Bethlehem we headed to the Sea of Galilee. It is not far from Nazareth, and it is where Jesus is said to have walked on water and calmed the raging storm that his companions were faced with while in a boat on the sea. It is smaller than I imagined it to be. We got on a boat and rode the calm waters for a bit.
The River Jordan flows through the Sea of Galilee and ends in the Dead Sea. While the original site where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus is east of the Jordan, there is a site at the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee that commemorates the baptism. We went there and waded into the river, allegorically cleansing ourselves spiritually. The River is also symbolic of a rebirth in that when Jesus crossed the River Jordan, he left behind his "lost" years and began his ministry.
We drove back towards Jericho and ended the day at the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is below sea level, has a very high salt content, and the minerals in the sea are said to have cleansing and therapeutic qualities. We waded into the water and found ourselves literally floating effortlessly owing to the high density of the water. We slathered the Dead Sea mud all over our bodies and dried ourselves in the sun before washing it off. We really did feel highly rejuvenated after. Giggling away, we made our way back to the hotel for the night.
The next day was the piece de resistance of the whole trip: Jerusalem. To me, Jerusalem is one of the symbols of humankind's quest for self-discovery. It has so much history packed into it that it was a place I had only dreamt of exploring for a very long time. I was finally here.
Our first stop was the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations next to it. As we walked to it we looked out over East Jerusalem and we could clearly see the Dome of the Rock standing there in all its majesty. Excited to be visiting it later, we continued on to the Garden. The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus is said to have been hanging out with his companions while awaiting his capture, knowing the very difficult and painful journey he had ahead of him in the crucifixion. I couldn't help but wonder what must have been going through his heart and mind. When we walked into the church, I started sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't fully grasp the meaning of it until many years later. Perhaps the crucifixion is a symbol of the pain in our own lives.
After Gethsemane we walked to the Dome of the Rock. Non-Muslims aren't allowed inside so we observed the beauty of the architecture from the outside, and I made a mental note to go back after the group part of the day ended. The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra in Arabic) houses the rock upon which Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven and Abraham is said to have intended to sacrifice his son.
The architecture is stunning with beautiful blue mosaic tile work and Arabic inscriptions. After the day had ended I went back to the site and had to prove to the guard that I was Muslim by reciting a short chapter from the Qur'an to gain entry to the site. I went into the nearby Al-Aqsa mosque first and experienced its grandness and peace for a bit and then crossed over and went into the Dome of the Rock.
Inside, there is a central rotunda around which the prayer sections of the mosque are arranged. I was in search of the rock itself so I walked around and found a stairwell leading to an underground chamber. And there was the rock. Aside from one other person saying her prayers and her child I was the only one there. I sat there for a bit and took in its charm before rejoining my group.
After the visit to the Dome of the Rock we headed into the heart of Old Jerusalem. We walked along the Via Dolorosa, the path along which Jesus is said to have carried the cross he was forced to carry toward his crucifixion. We walked through the Ethiopian Coptic Church & Monastery to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is where Jesus is said to have been crucified and also houses his tomb from where he is said to have resurrected.
The feeling upon entering the Church is indescribable. Pilgrims were singing hymns around the tomb and the acoustics of the Church bathed us in a feeling of reverence and awe. We all felt it. We sat there for a long time taking it all in.
Our day in Jerusalem had come to an end. We treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner in a restaurant that had a large outdoor courtyard. We were all in high spirits after a day that was quite heavy emotionally. We took photographs and exchanged contact information since this was the last night we were going to spend together.
The next morning I got into a taxi and headed to the airport in Tel Aviv for my solo journey to Jordan. My taxi was pulled over at the airport checkpoint and I was interrogated. Then while I was standing in line to check in for my flight, a security agent singled me out and led me to a back room where I was strip-searched down to my boxers. I couldn't think of any reason for it other than being of color. I had a nice chat with the guy who was assigned to search me. He admitted he was only doing his job and I was cool with it.
I flew into Amman and took a taxi to my guest house. I was here really to see Petra, something I had dreamt of doing for many years. So I hired a tour guide to take me around Jordan for a couple of days. Jordan is not very large and can easily be done in that time.
The next morning we hit the road and headed to Petra. Petra is also known as the Rose City. It was carved out of pink rock by the Nabateans around 4000 BC. It is simply stunning. After walking past the tombs carved into the rock on both sides, you enter the Siq, the narrow passage leading up to the city of Petra. It is a very Indiana Jones experience. The excitement builds as you get to the reveal at the end of the passage.
As you emerge from the passage the Treasury, the main structure at Petra, is revealed. Late afternoon is the best time to experience Petra as the setting sun casts a wonderful pink glow to the stone and makes for some amazing photographs. Unfortunately I only had my iphone with me and I did the best I could.
I went further into Petra and did some hiking around some other structures. As the evening set upon us, we headed to a guest house nearby to spend the night. The next day we headed to Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is a desert valley known for its reddish sandstone mountains, rocks and caverns. The reddish tint to the sand makes for stunning scenery. We arrived in the afternoon and checked in at the tented camp set up Bedouin style where we were going to spend the night. The hosts demonstrated tremendous hospitality and served us tea as we took in the stunning red rock mountains around us. After tea I went on a hike around the area and had an encounter with a very large brown scorpion (about a foot long).
As evening set in it started to get quite chilly. We had dinner in the meal tent and topped it off with tea and hookah. My tour guide and I were developing a strong bond and we traded life stories as we observed the server bust out some Arabic dance moves. The night sky was clear and it was a full moon. It seemed that every star was visible in the night sky. I slept well in my tent that night but had to bundle up under many blankets because it was quite cold.
After breakfast the next day we headed to Aqaba, a port city in southern Jordan at the Gulf of Aqaba. We spent a few hours at the beach and then began our journey back toward Amman in the afternoon. Along the way we stopped at the Dead Sea for a couple of hours and Mount Nebo where Moses is said to have observed the Promised Land but never quite made it. My flight was leaving Amman after midnight and my tour guide invited me to have dinner with his family in Amman before dropping me off at the airport. I wholeheartedly accepted. I met his mother, wife and two kids and enjoyed a delicious and hearty meal before heading to the airport. Yet another trip of a lifetime had come to an end.
Check out some of our cool products: a simple, hand-painted heart on white. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, iPhone cases, etc. You can order them online at:
https://teespring.com/stores/connectivity
Comments