FOLLOWING SINUHE FOOTSTEPS

--0--

The purpose of this trip was to fulfill the years old need to see the ancient Theba where Sinuhe Egyptian lived most of his life. Also, I wanted to see the pyramids in Giza near Cairo.

I flew directly to Luxor (which was known as Thebes) and started my trip there. Checked in New Everest Hotel near Luxor trainstation and arranged my staying and trips and a sleeping train ticket back to Cairo.

The heat was overwhelming, I'm guessing for +35 at noons. But as a sun lover, enjoyed this detail. But because of the locals who try to rip every pound out of you by really harrassing style, I didn't like walking so much.

--1--

First day when didn't know about the locals' style, promenaded to see the Karnak temple, where the Theban priests worshipped their gods, mainly the great god of Amun-Ra. I promenaded along the great Nile, and as a proof to me when trying to drink the water (According to Sinuhe: ken kerran on Niilin vettä maistanut ei voi enää muulla janoaan sammuttaa), I slipped and found myself swimming up to my shoulders. Ok, I wasn't really going to drink the water, but set up a scene for a good photo...
Managed to climb up the corniche myself and continued towards Karnak.

Karnak was absolutely gorgeus and fainting to see, unbelieveble achievements really, the pylons and sphinxes and all. After visiting Karnak, I decided to only tour outside Luxor temple, because that wouldn't been worth the entrance fee any more... not after Karnak. It was just that good.

Notes:

- East Bank of Luxor

Side for the living. Living because the sun rises from east. Temples (f.e. Karnak and Luxor) are built to the east bank.

- West Bank of Luxor

Side for the dead. Dead because the sun sets to west.
Valleys of the Kings and Queens were found this side, tombs of Pharaos, their wifes and other important persons (and their pets!) hidden in the desert.

--2--

Next day was a day for a roadtrip to the West Bank of Luxor.
The tour was held by Aladdin the tour guide, who was really wonderful Egyptian, one of the few nice Egyptian guys I met, who didn't try to squeeze money out of me. And we were only Aladdin, me + a french and an american guy in an air-conditioned van.
Four of us started our tour the opposite direction the charter tours do; this way the places didn't get too packed and could enjoy the trip even more. Wise man this Aladdin.

So, first for us was the Valley of the Queens. Here were the wives of the pharaos burried. The tombs are now empty except for the pictures that are carved in the walls. And except of one skeleton of a 6 months old baby who still lies in one of the tombs.
Next we drove to see the temple of Hatshephut, the first female pharao, who built the temple just for herself apart from the valleys.
Last point was the valley of the kings, where it was possible to go inside the tombs of Ramses IV and Amonthep II. I looked forward to see the temple of Horemheb (the great general and follower of Tutankhamon), because he was really a big character also in the book Sinuhe. But sadly that was under restauration. Temple of Tutankhamon would have cost extra, so I skipped that because Aladdin told me that it is not worth the money: All the treasures are in the Egyptian museum in Cairo and the tomb itself is quite small comparing to other greater pharaos.
It was not allowed to take a camera to these sites except for the Hatshephut's.

--3--

Day three in Luxor, I got a felucca ride upstream Nile. The ride was with a motorless boat, captained by a 19-years old Mohammed with his (propably younger) friend Fares. Because there was no wind that day (and I reckon not often any other days as well), the sail for not in use and boys just rowed the boat, and once in a while pushed the boat forward with a stick from the rear (Nile is quite shallow at places), or even one of them got into his underpants and jumped in Nile to drag the boat forward with a rope. But they seemed to know excactly what they were doing, and their co-operation was working really good.

- "Do you often work like this, with no wind?"
- "Sometimes there is a customer, sometimes not in a week. We work when we have customer. It is Allah, you know. No wind today. Also Allah"

The boattrip upstream lasted for about 2 hours, but in the end we reached our destination: The Banana Island. Here I got a brief tour of banana farming and saw also guava and mango trees, and a fenced alligator. Alligators of the Nile didn't appear under Aswan since the built of Aswan Damm.

- "When is the season for picking up the bananas?"
- "All the time. Every season is good"

So I got five bananas to go. Fresh.
We left the island when the sun started to set. Floated slowly downstream back to Luxor and boys didn't need to row the boat any more. It was once again a beautiful sunset and I felt lucky to experience one floating down the great old Nile. No clouds still to be seen.

- "Do you remember when it rained last time?"
- "What means rain?"

--4--

Resting day. Some souveniers. Train station. Into sleeping train. Met Choi.

--5--

We arrived to Giza train station around 7AM. I made friends with Choi the Korean from Söul. He had extraordinary Egypt travel in 4 days, using only night trains. Really efficient Korean way of travel, couldn't do it myself.
But he was great companionship: He had it all figured out.

- Stop at Giza.
- Don't go all the way to Cairo Ramses Station.
- Find a local bus (2 pounds ~ 25 euro cents) to the pyramids.
- Enjoy the bumpy Cairenese roads with full speed and chaotic traffic.
- Jump out from almost fully stopped vehicle.
- Walk up to the pyramids.
- Don't believe anyone who tells you this is not the way because it is.
- Try to convince to yourself you're actually there, where you wanted to be for so many years.

The pyramids were something more than I could have imagined. They were even more impressive. Beyond understanding. I don't need to say more: Go and see them for yourself. And go early. A hundred charter tour buses arrive around 9AM.

- Walk down the road where we hopped off the bus.
- Find a local bus (1,5 pounds) to a Giza metro stop.
- Take a metro ride (1 pound) to Cairo Downtown.
- Try your luck and get an accommodation in the perfect location for 5 pounds per night for a single room. Without reservation.
- Have a slow dinner and rest.

--6--

Day for the Egyptian Museum.
Chaotic as Cairo, is the museum. Not so well organised or the items marked. Fortunately Tutankhamon's treasures were a different case, and got the most out of it.

--7--

Check out from the hotel at 7 AM, eventually found to the bus station and found the right bus to the airport (2 pounds for a 45min ride!) after finding out first, what is Airport in Arabic.

Flew to Vienna where there was a 6 hour waiting time before the last flight to Helsinki. So why not go to the Vienna center for a couple of hours. And so I did.

Flew to Helsinki where the highlight of my trip appeared first thing out of the luggage claim area.