My Egyptian journey continued with a short flight on Egypt Air to Luxor. Luxor grew out of the ancient city of Thebes, once the capital of Egypt’s New Kingdom. Located on the Nile, Luxor is a hotbed of Egyptian archeology. Most of Egypt’s famous sites are located on the east and west banks of the Nile. The East bank of the Nile is for the living, where the cities and population are located. The West bank of the Nile is where the dead are revered, the necropolis.

Quite a contrast.

Luxor is quite a contrast to crowded, chaotic and noisy Cairo. Lush and green with flowers, upscale shops, horse-drawn carriages ... Luxor is a quiet tropical paradise.

The first day we toured the East bank.

 First on the touring list was the massive Karnak Temple with its towering pillars, looming obelisks and statuary. Considering the rudimentary tools at their disposal, the ancient Egyptians were master of architecture and engineering. In the evening we experienced the famous and eerie sound and light show.

Second on our list was Luxor Temple with its imposing pillars, statuary and rows of Sphinx. Another engineering wonder that survived the ravages of time.

After sightseeing in he blistering heat, we boarded a felucca sailboat for a peaceful Nile River cruise. We disembarked at a tropical island with banana groves and lush landscape.

The next day, we toured the West bank.

We visited the remote Valley of the Kings, burial ground of the New Kingdom Pharoahs. Burial chambers of the greatest leaders, including King “Tut,” can be entered and perused. The dank, humid tombs retain the beauty of painted walls and sarcophogus, beauty that was originally limited to the deceased and the afterlife. I couldn’t help but think of the famous mummies at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo who once rested within the arid, remote hills. This is where they belonged, not in glass display cases. At peace.

After, we visited the Mortuary Temple of Hartshepsut, with its vast, multi-tiered colonnades, a temple rising before limestone cliffs. Breathtakingly beautiful and a fine tribute to Egypt’s female Pharoah. She was the ultimate empowered woman, an equal among men and ahead of her time.

That evening we were to embark on the next and last phase of our Egyptian journey ...

We embarked on the last part of our three-week Egypt adventure at the port of Luxor when we boarded the luxurious Solaris II Nile River cruise ship. No trip to Egypt would be complete without a cruise along the scenic Nile.

The Nile River cruise took us from Luxor to Aswan, the scenery in-between breathtakingly beautiful and much as it was hundreds of years ago. Change occurs slowly in Egypt. Many people live as their ancestors lived with donkey carts and in open sand cement huts on small farms. Yet, they seem happy.


The ship was impeccably clean with five-star accommodations. Each room had its own private balcony, the staff were attentive and the food fabulous. Most of the passengers were tourists from Germany, adding an international flare.

We did stop at several ports of call to see more ancient temples: Edfu, Kom-Ombo and Philae. More beautiful ruins. More history.


My birthday was celebrated with Arabic drumming and song and songs in German and English with an incredible cake. Nailah is ageless and timeless but would never turn down a birthday party  ...especially when that birthday was celebrated in Egypt!

Another celebration was an Arabic-themed party night.

The ship’s staff knew that there were belly dancers on board and, of course, we were expected to dance. We did, though I found myself solo in the spotlight, dancing for a bunch of attentive and enthusiastic German tourists.  Dancing aboard a cruise ship on the Nile was a memorable experience.


The trip to Egypt was an amazing experience that will be etched in my memory forever. The opportunity to experience the country where the dance I love was born ... the “mother land” was exciting.

The beautiful people, the fascinating history, the beauty of desert and tropical oasis will not be forgotten. I feel privileged to have had such an opportunity.

The lesson here is to follow your dreams ... you never know where they may lead. They may lead YOU to an enchanted ancient land.

 

Okay, I’m going to make an admission. Camping to me is a motel. I require a private bathroom with running water. I made concessions while in Egypt.

Traversing sand dunes in an SUV (what the monster vehicles are created for), admiring the wind-driven ripples of sand and the monolithic sculptures created by the harsh conditions led to a desert campsite. The White Desert is a popular area to camp out under the stars.

Our journey began in the desert oasis village of Bawiti where we stocked up on supplies. After, we traveled deep into the remote desert like Bedouins. The harsh landscape and terrain were beautiful. From the Crystal Mountain created of quartzite to the Black Desert with its suet-like sand, we traversed the White Desert. Sand resembles snow, the hills like glaciers and the sand sculptures eerie.

Three SUV’s were parked like a wagon train, in a protective “L” formation. The Bedouin drivers and guides unloaded tenting fabric, woven carpets and cushions from roof racks.

They unfurled the fabric around the SUV’s, creating a wind-proof, protective barrier. After, they lay down rugs and cushions. A campfire was started. The Bedouins proceeded to hook-up a propane stove and foodstuffs. Soon, they were cooking, the aroma of spice permeating the light desert breeze.

As dusk set in, we gathered around a low wood table to dine on lentil soup, barbecued chicken and an assortment of goodies ... the Bedouins are amazing cooks. The adorable desert foxes, with their cute floppy ears, had to agree, as they paid a visit for table scraps.

After dark, the campfire blazed. The Bedouins brought out drums and played. Best Middle Eastern drumming, and the most authentic, one could ever hear. They chanted out what sounded like “drinking songs” (for the most part, the Egyptian population doesn’t imbibe, mostly due to the predominant Muslim faith). Japanese from another campsite strolled over to join in the dancing around the fire. An amazing site.

The campfire died down and everyone settled in for the night. Everyone found a cushion. The guides and Achmed, our cute undercover security guard, formed a protective circle around we tourists. One guide did a bedtime check with a flashlight.

The sky was striking. Like a planetarium but this was the real deal. The constellations were recognizable as stars twinkled overhead. More stars than one can imagine over the complete black velvet sky and horizon. A sight to behold!

Dawn broke with a silent beauty. The giant monoliths loomed around us. In one way they looked like pillars of salt, in another they resembled ice sculptures. The rising sun struck, setting off angles and planes. Breathtaking.

Did I change my mind about camping? No. I still have a thing about bathrooms and running water. Heck, with the number of campsites in the area, it was difficult to find a private rock. ;-))  A Port-o-let wouldn’t have been reaching in such a popular camping spot. With a huge desert, I suppose it was felt that there is safety in numbers.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I would not have passed up. I’d highly recommend it.

PS: The next night was spent in a local motel with a private bath!