Egyptian Voyager

Barely a month since i came back from my Exotic Egyptian Voyage... but the images on the newscasts this past week seem somewhat alien from the beautiful memories i have of the country..

Here's a touristy view of the awesome heritage of Egypt...
(i) it's definitely not one of those locations that you can do a Free&Easy trip. Highly recommended that you join a tour grp that takes care of all the logistics and an Egyptologist Guide.
(ii) as you explore the ancient egyptian sites, it's basically a "Tombs & Temples" Theme Travel/Tour and learn about the pharoahs' obsession with the afterlife and preparation for the rebirth. The Pharoahs also busied themselves with building temples to ensure that they will be remembered for eternity.
(iii) some of the artifacts were blatantly displayed in other countries which the Egyptian govt is still trying to claim back
(iv) the ancient egyptian royal families have weird rules on the eligibility to rule the land... sounds pretty complicated and incestuous

Khan el Khalili : walk back to the medieval period as you explore the labyrinth maze of stalls selling lamps, spices, souvenirs, perfume oils, sheeshas, etc, etc. This bazaar was one of the key merchant centres along the silk route

Egyptian Museum : Our hotel was just a stone's throw away from the Museum!! Still sends shivers down my spine that the protests were just right at the doorstep of our hotel *shudderz*.. Anyway, the museum was filled at its brim of all the treasures of the ancient egypt. The mummies of the famous pharoahs were all kept there: Ramses II, Hatshepsut, Tutankamun, et al.

Ancient Tombs: Giza Pyramids & The Valley of Kings. Awestruck by the egyptian pharoahs' obsession on the afterlife.. as soon as he ascends the throne, his people would start work on his Tomb! In the Old Kingdom, they built the giant pyramids. In the New Kingdom period, they dug complex tunnel systems into the mountains @ the Valley of Kings. The ~3,000 y/o original colored wall paintngs are still intact in the KV tombs!! Our Guide did such a good job telling us the Curse of the Mummy that no one dared to go into the tomb of tutankamun! :P While we were at the Valley of the Kings, the workers were still digging as the archeologists believe that there are more tombs and hoping that some would still be untouched by the grave robbers, just like Tutankamun's.

Ancient Temples: Philae Temple (Goddess Isis); Temple of Kom Ombo (Sorbek, the Crocodile God); Edfu Temple (Horus, the Falcon God); Luxor Temple; Karnak Temple; Abu Simbel (Ramses II built for himself & his fav. wife). Can't help but simply amazed at the elegant carvings and details on the Temple walls built thousands of yrs ago... There are books & pictures that simulate and reconstruct what these buildings look like restored in all their glory in Gold and Colors... they are really magnificent!! Makes you wonder how on earth did they manage to construct such awesome structures. Eg: There's a theory that the Sphinx Avenue spans 3km long linking the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple. When we were there, the workers wer still digging and finding new sphinxes, and the govt hafta relocated the people to make way for the excavation.