Floating Over the Nile
Exploring Luxor
Once we were packed and off the cruise ship we went to explore a little bit more of Luxor. If I am going to be honest, and I feel like I should be, we were exhausted at this point. We had been going non-stop, and the boys desperately needed a break. We were supposed to go to the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum, but we compromised and just went to the Luxor Museum.
Luxor Museum
At the Museum we saw cool artifacts, but a lot of it was stuff we already saw in temples (as I am typing this the Ancient Pharaohs are cursing my name and wishing the plague upon my family). We were able to entertain the boys with a few things:
To say that we spent the necessary amount of time there would be a stretch, but we saw the whole museum, and then we got the heck out of there. The next couple of days are about the boys.
The Maritim Jolie Ville
The Maritim Jolie Ville was a huge hotel on an island on the Nile River. It was huge. They had 3 different pools, a water park (just a small one, but it still had a freakin’ waterpark), a zoo, a kids club, and a few restaurants on it.
The moment we got there, we dropped our bags off at the room, the boys had a naked dance party (don’t judge), and went straight to the pool.
Check these priceless memories out!
A little more Daddy love! Look at how handsome my men are!
The boys were bouncing between the Kid’s Club (every parent’s dream hotel has a Kids Club! Nothing says relaxation quite like dropping your shitheads off at a place they adore) and the pool for the rest of the afternoon. They did such a great job and deserved a little break.
Oh, and before I move on, I was able to nonchalantly catch a picture of a burkini! I told you all they exist!
The next morning was Mom’s turn to go on a break, but my morning was a lot cooler than hanging out by a pool…
You will Never Guess What I Got to Do!!!
The next morning I had to wake up at 3:45 AM (YUCK!!) to be at the hotel lobby at 4:15 AM. Bookie couldn’t come with me because sadly, kids weren’t allowed. The driver picked me and a few other people up, (including Dave, and our new good friends Peter and Linda) and dropped us off at a boat taxi area.
The boats took us across the Nile, where we got into another van, and were driven out for another 10–15 minutes. We got out of the van to this spectacular view.
Yes, I got to go on a hot air balloon! That is yet another thing to check off my bucket list! It was so cool!
Watching them fill the balloons was really cool. They got large fans, and filled the balloon with air while the basket way lying on its side. Once they were slightly inflated (or inflated enough), they shot flames at it to make the balloon float. It looked like the most badass flame thrower in the world.
Then, they pushed the basket so it is sitting correctly, fill it with a little more hot air, and then pile the people in. After everyone was in, the balloon took off!
We were in the air for about 45 minutes where I took an obscene amount of photos. Here are the best of them:
It was so beautiful, and so fun! After my blissful balloon ride, I went back to the hotel with my men. We had a great relaxing pool day, and then we got ready to go back to Cairo. Bye Bye Luxor, it has been fun, and I cannot wait to visit you again!
The Slums
I was told that I gave the impression that I didn’t like Cairo in the Walk Like an Egyptian post. This is far from the truth. I greatly enjoyed my time there. I found that I prefer nature to city, and maybe that is why I sound so much more enamored with Aswan, the cruise, and Luxor. Cairo is very hectic, and chaotic while the rural areas are more calm and tranquil. There are so many wonderful things about every destination we have gone to. Unfortunately, this next part is going to sound negative, but it is only because of what we saw.
I have lived a very wonderful life. My parents raised me in a beautiful city near the beach, and I stayed coastal until I met my wonderful husband. He swept me away from the beautiful beach to the mid-west (which is just proof that I love him, because why the hell else would I follow him). In my life I have seen low-income families, and I have seen homeless people on the streets. This has always made me sad, but I understand this is the way life is. I am a very fortunate person, and what we saw in Egypt makes me more thankful for everything I have.
Garbage City
Before we left to Egypt I was debating with myself about going to Garbage City. This is an area in Cairo where the people (a majority Coptic Christians) collect trash from the city, bring it to their homes, sort it, and send it off to be recycled. They recycle close to 80% of all the garbage they collect. I was ready to see poverty, but I wasn’t sure that I was ready to expose the boys to this. After enough inner-dialogue to institutionalize me, and a ton of conversations between Bookie and I, we decided that we didn’t want to shield the boys from life. Sadly, poverty is a part of life, and it is how these people live. So, off to Garbage City we went.
This is Garbage City:
Garbage City is roughly 3.5 square miles, and all of it looks like this. There were restaurants, grocery stores, and butchers next to all the trash. Let’s just say, they wouldn’t come close to passing the health code restrictions found in the states. Everywhere you looked there was trash, and flies. Millions of them. They have no running water, no sewers, and no electricity. The most difficult part about Garbage City to see was watching the kids running around and living there. I could go on for hours about it.
Inside of Garbage City is the St Sama’ans Church. It is commonly referred to as the Cave Church, and it is the largest church in the Middle East.
After the church we went to a factory ran by an NGO called Association for the Protection of the Environment (or APE). This NGO teaches woman how to make things out of the trash they collect. Then, they sell the items made, and use the money to help women pay for college. They also have a school and daycare for children living in Garbage City. Here is the link to there website if you are interested in checking it out. If you are interested in a brief history of the people, you can look here.
Since I am a huge sucker for helping people out, I bought more than a couple items at their warehouse. Including a rug (made from thrown away clothes), and a ton of jewelry. Full disclosure, I got very emotional. Hearing about people living in slums, and hearing about poverty is very different than seeing it first hand. These 30,000 people live in filth. They not only sift through trash, but they live in it, and they eat in it, and they shop in it, and their kids play in it. It was beautiful concept that people were being taught how to make pretty and functional things out of trash in order to get themselves out of the living situation they are in.
City of the Dead
We also visited City of the Dead. Another slum, but a completely different experience. The City of the Dead is a huge 4 square mile cemetery filled with tombs and mausoleums. . Here are a few pictures:
As you can see, it is a lot cleaner. We wanted a closer look, but our tour guide wouldn’t let us walk around. I would have loved to been able to walk around and talk to some of the Egyptians living there. Maybe next time.
I know that every post I talk about how much I love the country, but I REALLY loved Egypt. After spending our time there I have come to the conclusion that I am an Egyptian Princess reincarnated. My purpose in life is to move to Egypt and rule my land. Egyptians apparently love me already, so I am half way there. All joking aside, EVERYONE needs to visit Egypt. Not only because the Egyptians need our tourism, but because everyone should see how wonderful the country is. Like all counties, Egypt isn’t perfect, but it is wonderful!
