Egypt

Luxor, Egypt. Like the song says, "...Walk like an Egyptian..." The song goes a long way back and so does this photo - 2005 to be exact. Look at all that hair!

Giza, Egypt. A sunset crowd at the Sphinx, with the Great Pyramid of Khafre in the background. It's astounding how big the three main pyramids really are; it would be a major undertaking to build them today even with modern equipment. It's also astounding how the city of Cairo has encroached on this site. On tv, movies etc it always seems like these pyramids are out in the middle of the Sahara. In reality the suburbs of Cairo surround the Pyramids on 3 sides, no doubt burying massive amounts of historic relics.

Giza, Egypt. The obligatory "Sit-on-camel-in-front-of-pyramids" photo. But for a few $ more you can get a decent ride around the pyramids on these beasts. And see those 3 smaller pyramids in front of the 3 main ones? For even more $$ you can climb these. Very much a gray-market deal, you do so at the risk of you & your guide being arrested. I might have done it - can't really seem to remember... ; )

Giza, Egypt. Sights around the Great Pyramids:

Above : This just might be a photo from the top of that smaller pyramid, looking back towards the larger main pyramids. An unforgettable and kinda risky view for 'whoever' took the pic..

Right : "Traffic cop", patrolling the edge of the Pyramids, with modern Cairo in the background. Thankfully, not patrolling around the base of the Pyramids that day...

Aswan, Egypt. There are many good ways to tour Egypt but I think one of the best is by cruise ship down the Nile, stopping at the "big" historical sites along the way. Usually Aswan is the starting point for these cruises, and a pretty cool destination in itself.

Luxor, Egypt. Out of all the destinations on a Nile cruise Luxor stands out among the rest. The temples of Karnak are bigger and better-preserved than most other sites, and the Valley of the Kings is just across the river if crawling through ancient royal crypts is your thing.

Right : One of many huge obelisks at Karnak / Luxor.

Below : It's like a forest of huge columns inside the main hall at Karnak.

All throughout Luxor most of the hieroglyphics look as good today as when they were carved, up to 4,000 years ago. Some of the indoor areas still have their original paint!

Luxor, Egypt. Like an extended museum-tour of Europe, after a while you almost get overwhelmed by all the ancient wonders. In Egypt you start to suffer from 'heiroglyph-fatigue'.

Luxor, Egypt. The main temple entrance at Karnak. Creative lighting makes many of these historical sites even more scenic at night.

Cairo, Egypt. Most Nile cruises and tours of all kinds begin and/or end in Cairo. With exotic sights, excellent food & drink, and more world-class museums than any sane person could ever take in, this city is worth at least a day or 2 on any itinerary.

Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula. After all that time playing around in the desert, nothing beats a little scuba diving to rinse off the dust. The Red Sea is world famous for its diving, and for good reason - the water seems nearly as clear as the air. It might be a desert above water but it's very Caribbean-ish below.

Follow-up - A lot has changed since this visit in 2005. With all the turmoil - some of it still ongoing - from the Muslim Brotherhood uprisings etc etc, it's best to get up-to-date info before you set off on a tour of Egypt. Or anywhere else in this region!