I just got back from an amazing 9 day Egypt trip, and boy was I blown away. Egypt was all that I imagined it to be and more. The sights are incredible, and there is so much history and culture packed in one place that after 5 or 6 days I became very blase about it being just another temple or just another 5,000 year old mummy. It's mind boggling how people must have lived 5,000 years ago, and how amazingly well preserved things are. I saw strands of hair and fingernails on a mummy that was thousands of years old, and even smoke markings on the ceiling of an ancient temple, rembrandts of cooking by the Christians that were persecuted during the time of the Roman empire.
We started our tour in Cairo to see the Pyramids, and made our way south via train and cruise to Aswan via Luxor. Plenty of temples, tombs and statues along the way, and amazing greenery throughout the journey along the Nile. We also went on a hot air balloon and the contrast between the greens of the Nile delta and the desert surrounding it is surreal. We had some very good guides along the way who really painted the picture of how people must have lived then. A highlight was also sailing along the Nile in Aswan on a felucca (sail boat) - so beautiful, tranquil and peaceful. The cruise was also very nice, and the staff made our trip. They loved us as we did them, and everyday it was a new adventure, a new comedy followed by barrels of laughter.
More than that, what really made my trip were the hospitality and the warmth of the people. I went to Egypt with an expectation that i would be hassled non-stop, that people were rude and greedy, and yes, there were instances especially in Cairo where people lived up to those expectations. However, more often than not, they were wonderfully warm, friendly and welcoming, so much so that I was so sad to say goodbye to all my new Egyptian friends. So many of them have nothing, but seem so much happier than any rich local living here in Abu Dhabi. We were greeted by smiles everywhere we went, and the contrast was startling as soon as we touched back down in Dubai. I miss the simplicity of people who are contented in life, who are not concerned with ego and money and who are just genuinely happy if you just take a picture with them, or give them a smile or just a friendly word.
Surprisingly, these are traits of people I have met in my travels in the Middle East - Oman, Jordan, Egypt, and while I have not been to Syria yet, I have heard they are the friendliest and most welcoming of the lot. It is sad that the Middle East has such a bad rep and is so misrepresented in the media. The people continue to surprise me with their warmth, selflessness and sincerity..in fact, I cannot think of anywhere besides Bali where people are as nice and welcoming as the Middle East. Sadly I stay in the Gulf Region, whose people (besides Oman) appears to be very different to those in the Middle East.
Overall a great trip and extremely difficult getting back into work...can't wait for my next big holiday, back to Malaysia in December!
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