Exquisite Egypt by Rosemary

Egypt…the name alone conjures up exotic images of mystery and intrigue.

As I step out of Cairo airport a wave of dry, dusty, 40 degree heat hits me in the face and like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there’s a definite realisation that “we’re not in Kansas anymore”.

Our drive from the airport to our hotel is our first lesson in Egyptian traffic and road rules –although we soon learn that the words ‘road rules’ and ‘Cairo’ don’t belong in the same sentence.

If you can drive in Cairo a city of 20 million people and no doubt 20 million cars, then you deserve a medal. In fact, if driving was an Olympic sport, then Egypt would take home every Gold medal. Our driver skilfully weaves our minivan through endless lines of traffic, darting this way and that, narrowly missing other cars, pedestrians and even donkey-drawn carts carrying loads of watermelons – soon to become a common sight in Cairo. As our guide tells us, where there are road markings or painted lines, they are ‘really just for decoration’’ and it appears to be the norm to ignore them completely. There are a few sharp intakes of breath and pale faces as we come screeching to a halt and narrowly avoid being squished between two trucks. It seems as if green traffic lights are go, orange go a bit faster and red means plant your foot and drive like a madman tooting all the way. Indicators also appear be for decorative purposes only, rather there seems to be a special language of tooting your horn – a toot can mean you’re about to turn left, right, go straight ahead, hello, look out, I’m coming, get out of the way – in fact anything at all. I am still amazed that I never once saw an accident  - despite the madness, this organised chaos seems to work.

Arriving at our hotel with nerves a little frayed, we are welcomed like family and given cold cloths and glasses of refreshing sweet mint tea. As I open the curtains in my hotel room, I literally do a double take and stand there wide-eyed and mouth open in awe when I see the Pyramids picture-perfect, rising above the city and appearing to be just out of reach. There is a heat haze of dust across the city and if you thought the smog in Christchurch was bad looking down from the Port Hills, then you’re in for a shock as you see a thick layer of dust, dirt and pollution hovering above the skyline – even the sun is muted and the air seems tinged with mystery and anticipation with what lies ahead.

Despite longingly pouring over photos of the Pyramids nothing quite prepares for you their absolute grandeur and majesty. Words will never do justice to the Pyramids and there is a reason why they rate among travellers’ must-see places in the world. The last remaining of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza still after thousands of years, exudes a sense of mystery and awe. Whether you’re a history buff or not, you can’t but be inspired by the achievements of this ancient civilisation.

Luxor and The Valley of the Kings was the highlight of Egypt for me. Seeing the town by horse-drawn carriage and taking a Nile cruise provided a welcome change of pace to bustling Cairo. Out in the middle of the dessert with the wind whipping dust and sand around our faces, we spent the day exploring royal tombs, buried for centuries and most famous for the discovery of Tutankhamen’s resting place. Even though tomb-raiders plundered the gold and jewels long ago, what struck me was the incredible brightly coloured paintings on the walls inside the tombs – the detailed decorations in some places looked as though they could have been freshly painted – almost impossible to get your head around the fact that the tombs are thousands and thousands of years old and even the earliest graffiti there dates back to 278 BC. There is a strict protocol to follow – no photos or talking allowed inside and there is a wonderful respectful air of calm and peace.

Back in Cairo, our guide takes us to the famous Khan al Khalili souk – an absolute riot of noises, smells and bustling activity. Dating back to 1382 this market is a maze of narrow streets, covering a huge area of the city with shop vendors offering everything and anything alongside traditional tiny coffee shops and local men sitting outside smoking shisha pipes – despite being a non-smoker, there was something strangely appealing about the various smoky flavours of apple, liquorice and watermelon wafting throughout the warm air. My eyes are drawn to the beautiful colours of hundreds of scarves and the moment my eyes rest for longer than three seconds on something, I am pounced on by a energetic male shop owner telling me which colours would suit my unusual pale skin, asking how many would I like, what sort of ‘a special deal’ he will do for me and would I like to come home to meet his other wives as he would quite like another one!

This was to become a standard feature of my Egypt holiday – every market I walked through, every item I looked at, let alone picked up would result in a flurry of activity and a marriage proposal. Despite wearing a wedding ring and explaining that my husband back in NZ would I’m sure miss me if I didn’t return home, none of this seemed to deter my suitors so I felt somewhat obliged to go through the bargaining process and make a purchase in lieu of accepting their (romantic) offers. I did however, promise that if things didn’t work out at home I would make Egypt my first stop when looking for a potential suitor.  Suffice to say, it was all in good fun and carried out with a smile and twinkle in their eyes and I came home with a suitcase full of gorgeous scarves.

Egypt surpassed all my expectations. It got under my skin and left with me an incredible longing to go back again. The history, the people, the noise -even the traffic – they’re all part of the intricate fabric of this legendary country. Go to Egypt and have your own Indiana Jones moment -and even if you’re not in the market for a husband, then I’m sure you will be welcomed with open arms.