Egypt has always been I place I longed to explore. When I found out I was studying abroad in Greece and that I flight to this illusive country would only be two hours, my heart was set and mind made up.
Of course this journey was met with a lot of opposition. My friends scoffed, my parents worried, and I second-guessed myself. If you do consider planning a trip to Egypt, you rightfully should be concerned. The country is plagued with a weak economy, overwhelming pollution, and a hotbed for terrorism. The US State Department even warns against travel there.
However, I wouldn't have traded the trip for anything. The way I see it is I would never vacation to Egypt. It's not a place you bring children to or a place you relax in. So, my chance to visit this country full of culture, history, and mystery would only occur during my semester abroad. And I was determined to do it.
So my friends and I bought our tickets (without telling our parents- sorry about that, Mom and Dad). About a month passed and eventually I told my mom. She was super excited about the prospect.
But then the terrorist attacks happened.
ISIS took responsibility for bombings of several Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday. Egypt declared a state of emergency and increased police after hundreds of people were injured in the attacks. And to make it worse, our trip was scheduled to leave in two weeks.
I'm sure you can imagine my parents' anxiety surrounding the trip following these events. And quite frankly, I had anxiety too. But I knew that this was going to be my one chance to visit the country. And we were going to do it correctly- get guides for everything, stay in a good hotel, don't go out at night.
Getting to experience that country and seeing its wonder of the world, was worth the 3 days of sacrifice. And the country was beautiful! (If you ignore the massive piles of trash and smog everywhere)
The first day we arrived, we explored (with a guide) some traditional shops in Cairo. This included an authentic Papyrus shop, a 100% Egyptian Cotton store, and classic perfumes used by ancient Egyptians. We finished our day with a dinner cruise on the Nile River.
During the cruise, traditional music played while a bellydancer pranced around the dance floor. After that, it was straight to bed- we were exhausted anyway.
The next day we ventured to Giza and the Great Pyramids. Getting to see up close in person one of the seven wonders of the world, is an indescribable feeling. Our personal guide gave us a history of the grand tombs then walked us over to the camels.
Our camel ride took about 30 minutes and talk about crossing something off the bucket list! At first, the ride was super scary. It felt like I was going to fall off at any moment. But then as I got used to it, I let my body move with the camel and it actually was one of the most relaxing things I've done. The desert was ghostly quiet with a few other tourists on their camel's back. All you could hear was the sound of the guide instructing the camel. And all you could was desert (along with the pyramids of course).
It was absolutely one of my favorite experiences in the world.
After the ride we went to visit the Sphinx and I fell in love again. There is so much history in that sand-colored sculpture. It has been watching over the desert for centuries- and it's still standing.
After our trip to Giza, we returned to the hotel for a nap and the hit up Khan el Khalili Bazaar (which is one of the most famous market places in the world). I have never been to a bazaar before, but it reminded me of a flea market (10x bigger and better). The shops wound around each other in a maze that you could easily get lost in.
After spending a few hours there, we headed back for the night.
Our third and final day was spent by visiting several museums (and seeing a few mummies) and some of the most beautiful mosques I've ever seen. Later that night, we attended a pyramid light show which lit up the pyramids in a dazzling spectacle retelling the story of Ancient Egypt.
After that, we headed back to the hotel to pack for our flight. The Cairo airport was one of the worst airport experiences I've ever had. It's completely disorganized system put me in a bad mood for my last few hours in Egypt. But then all I had to do was think about the greatness (not pun intended) I experienced throughout the entire weekend.
Despite the awesomeness of Egypt, I did feel anxious 24/7 and it was nice to get back to Athens. But no matter what I recommend experiencing this part of the world at some point during your life.
