I went to Egypt.
However, the Egyptian people were third-rate. As a tourist destination, it was second-rate. I thought that if there were no Egyptian people, it would be a place I would want to visit again. It certainly lives up to its reputation, being ranked alongside India. The food didn't suit my taste, and the best I had was Kentucky Fried Chicken, followed by McDonald's. I visited the standard places like Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor, and of course, I was satisfied with those.
From Narita Airport to Egypt.
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Departure with Aeroflot Airlines. A surprisingly comfortable flight. |
I had only heard bad things about Aeroflot before, so I didn't expect it to be this comfortable. It's not much different from other airlines.
Rather, it might be more comfortable than Air France.
It seems that I have been participating with SkyTeam for several years, and the food also feels somewhat similar to Delta Airlines or Korean Air. I don't have much expectation for the in-flight meals, but if I can eat this much, I think it is sufficient.
| However, the departure was delayed by about 30 minutes. It is because of the delayed arrival. Even so, this is within an acceptable range. |
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This time, I brought a ROUGH GUIDE (English book) as a guidebook.
Lonely Planet did not have a Japanese version, so I initially thought about buying the English version of Lonely Planet. However, I chose this book because it was placed nearby. This book has fewer photos, but it includes detailed information about nighttime buses from Cairo Airport, which is not found in the Earth's Guide. It contains a lot of text information.
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This time, I boarded an Aeroflot flight. The aircraft is a little small, but since it is a Western-made aircraft, it is reassuring. |
According to the guidebook, Cairo Airport in Egypt has two terminals. Terminal 1 is mainly used by EgyptAir, while other airlines use Terminal 2. Also, buses to the city depart from Terminal 1, so if you arrive at Terminal 2, you need to take a free shuttle to travel between the terminals.
I am looking for travelogues from people who arrived at night and used a bus, so if anyone has information, please refer to it. By the way, taxis have nighttime rates that are 50-100% higher than the regular fare.
It would be uninteresting to simply get into a taxi, so I plan to go to the city center by bus. Well, let's see what happens.
In this way, the airplane arrived at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. It seems that the airport is about to transition to a new terminal, so it looks like this will be the last time to see it. It's a first time visit and a farewell at the same time.
It certainly seems dark and gloomy, but there wasn't anything particularly unusual like the "lack of benches" that I had heard about, and the procedures weren't unusually slow. It seems to be quite different from the communist era. It's not much different from other airports. I think it's the same as airports in other Asian countries.
Here, we will transfer in Moscow and proceed to Cairo.
When I was boarding the airplane, there was suddenly an instance of someone "cutting in line."
In Egypt, there is no custom of "lining up," and I had heard that there were frequent instances of people cutting in line, and I just witnessed that happening right in front of me.
It was only one group, but I never expected that to happen at the departure gate for the Cairo-bound flight here in Moscow. Egypt is not to be underestimated.
The airplane flew comfortably, and we arrived in Cairo in no time.
I got off and walked a little, and suddenly, a bank counter appeared right in front of me.
I don't quite understand, but I saw someone who looked like a staff member on the left side, so I assumed I should buy visa stamps at that bank counter. I got in line and handed over 15 dollars, and two stamps came out. This is as I had been told.
Take it to the staff.
There, I had to write down things like names, phone numbers, and the address in Cairo. Since I didn't remember the address in Cairo, I just wrote down something random, like "48, Ramsas St., Cairo," etc.
After that, I wrote the entry card, but there were hardly any forms for foreigners, so I looked for a while and finally found one.
Write there, hand it to the immigration officer, and finally, the entry process is complete.
When I received my passport from one of the two staff members, that man made a kissing gesture and made a "chuu" sound. Ugh. What is that? It's disgusting. Is this a local custom?
After leaving there and going to the lobby, there were many taxi drivers trying to solicit customers.
But, it's not as persistent as I had heard. If you clearly say "no," they don't keep pursuing you. That's different from what I heard. (bitter smile) It's quite reasonable, isn't it?
I was planning to go to Terminal 1 to take a bus, so I went outside and looked for the shuttle bus to Terminal 1. Then, I found a large sign that said "Free shuttle between terminals," and a shuttle bus was waiting in front of it.
But, it seems there was a misunderstanding, and I thought I had arrived at Terminal 2, but it seems I was actually at Terminal 1, and there was no need to board.
When I asked, I found out that the bus station was right next door, and the place I could see in the distance was likely it, so I started walking.
While I was walking, someone approached me and asked if I wanted to take a taxi, but they weren't overly persistent.
And then, I arrive at the bus station. However, I can only tell that this seems to be the station, but I'm concerned that there are no signs. There are no timetables either. It looks like a station, but is it really a station??? I feel a little uneasy.
I asked a relatively young person who seemed to be there and didn't look suspicious, and they confirmed that this is indeed a bus station. The fare is 50 piastres (half of 1 Egyptian pound), and you need to go to Ramses Station.
I didn't understand very well, but after waiting for a while, I got on the bus that those two people were getting on. They waved their hands, so I got on without checking the route number, which was written in Arabic numerals. That was a failure.
Exactly, I don't know where I'm going.
When I asked the staff inside, they said something that implied it was okay to sit down.
I don't quite understand, but there are two white people and me, one person. Although I am surrounded by local people, it is not as scary as when I took the bus in Atlanta. It feels like a friendly atmosphere. It seems quite safe. It is a little stuffy, though.
The person who guided me left quickly, and they didn't particularly ask for a tip. It seems they were a good person.
This bus does not have an announcement system, so passengers have to look out the window to see their location and get off when they reach their stop. However, I just asked another passenger, and it turns out that they will arrive at Lamusus Station in about one minute, and they will also be getting off there. I see.
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I successfully got off at Ramses Station. First, I decided to take a walk around the area. The atmosphere is calm. It doesn't seem to be very dilapidated. |
| The place where I got off. A wide-open space, about 100 meters from the Ramses station. |
| A tower is visible in the distance. |  |
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This is probably the Cairo Tower. |
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As you get closer to the station, the number of people increases. |
| What a crowd of people. I am cutting beef. (Later, I learned that this was an event held at the end of the year.) |
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There are many roads that are elevated. |
| The area around the station was crowded with people. |  |
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It's late at night, but there's a crowd of people. |
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Even so, the area on the opposite side of the station is quiet. |
After wandering around, I hailed a taxi and asked if the driver knew the hotel I had reserved.
Several taxis told me "no," but the next taxi said "OK" and helped me find a hotel.
It was relatively close, but they said it would cost 30 pounds. That is probably an outrageous price.
I said, "It's right there, it's close," and considering the guide fee, and that it was nighttime, I thought the price would be increased by 50% to 100%. After some negotiation, we agreed on 15 pounds. It feels a little expensive, but well, it's the first day, and I don't want to hesitate, so I think it's okay.
When I arrived at the hotel, it was already past 3 o'clock. I drank a welcome tea and went to bed.
I was a little surprised by how friendly Egypt was today.
Tomorrow, I think I will go to places like the Egyptian Museum.
Cairo: Egyptian Museum, Abdin Palace, Museum of Islamic Art, Citadel, Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Police Museum/Military Museum, Coptic Museum, Opera House, Train ticket reservation.
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In the early morning, around 8 o'clock, I wake up. Thanks to the sleeping pills, I feel like I'm waking up a little better. Also, perhaps thanks to the earplugs. Since breakfast seems to be simple, I took a shower and went out to the lobby (which is like a hallway separated by a single door). |
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The person of European descent who was there said that it was the first time for them to experience such cold weather in Cairo. They said it was strange. They said that normally, a jacket is absolutely not necessary every year.
In this way, we were about to leave, but the receptionist at the hotel said, "No matter who speaks to you, you must not answer anything. You must ignore them."
I see. As I thought, I went to the Egyptian History Museum.
| While walking, there were still people who talked to me, but I didn't pay much attention to them. |  |
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Compared to Asia, taxi solicitations are relatively mild. |
| There are still few cars and few people. |  |
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The intersection is also completely empty. |
| The streets are also deserted. |  |
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Like that, I went to the Egyptian Museum. |
Egyptian Museum.
| The entrance was crowded with people. |  |
| Most people were on a tour, and in my case, I realized that I had to check my camera, so I had to go back inside and then outside the building to check it. |  |
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Egypt is a country that relies heavily on tourism, but it is a problem that there are no English signs. I wonder if this is because it is Egypt, or something else. |
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There are no people in the city center, but there are a lot of people here. I went inside, and it started to rotate. The temperature felt just right. It is not particularly hot, and it is not particularly cold. |
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Because the inside was full of tour groups, I listened to a loud English tour from behind and supplemented the parts I didn't understand. (Since I cannot take pictures of the inside, the one on the left is a stone statue that was displayed outside.) |
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And then, I entered the room where Tutankhamun's mask is placed. This is the famous... When you look at it up close, it doesn't seem to shine very much. Is this what it is? Maybe the gold content is low. But, you can tell that it's elaborate. |
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| (This photo is of the outdoor stone statues. Photography is prohibited inside.) |
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Even among the many stone statues, I felt the long history of Egypt. |
| (This photo is of the outdoor stone statues. Photography is prohibited inside.) |
| However, it seems that the Arabs who are currently there came from somewhere else, and their culture seems to be different. |  |
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I felt that Arab Egypt is not the same as ancient Egypt, and that the people of Arab Egypt are exploiting that for commercial purposes. The fact that Arabs came is a historical fact. The idea of business opportunities was my personal feeling (and I later learned about the testimonies of local people). |
| It is a miniature version of the Sphinx. |
| And then, I left the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. |  |
Abdin Palace (in Cairo).
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After visiting the Egyptian Museum, I will go to Abdin Palace. (←This is right after leaving the history museum.) |
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A road with a lot of traffic. And, there are so many buildings. |
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The area around the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is relatively developed. |
| Right there is also Kentucky Fried Chicken. |  |
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But, if you go down a small street, there are many narrow roads like this. |
| It is still early in the morning, so the stores are not yet open. |  |
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I am going into the narrower road. |
| Suddenly, when I thought about getting a snack, local people kept calling out to me from here and there. |  |
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When I arrived, he suddenly said, "That's the place. But, it's not open yet," and tried to take me and Papyrus to his own store, which sells papyrus and perfume. (I chuckled.) Iya, that's interesting. I told them I would come again and quickly left. (It was something I expected.) |
| As you go deeper, you start to see stalls here and there. |  |
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I am a cow. It seems that this cow will be served during the year-end season. "It's something like an event where wealthy people interact with people who are not wealthy." |
| Suddenly, I came out to an open space. |  |
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It is Abdin Palace. But, it was not open. It seems that he was on vacation during the year-end holidays. |
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The Islamic Art Museum located nearby was also closed. |
| Unfortunately. |  |
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Leaving Abdin Palace. Since it would be pointless to go back, I decided to walk a little further into the depths. |
Strolling through the back streets of Cairo.
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Since there's nothing we can do about it, I decided to wander around a bit. |
| Walking through the alleys without any particular destination. |  |
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Egypt does not feel any danger even when entering such hidden paths. |
| It seems like a town that should have a certain atmosphere because it's a tourist destination. |  |
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I will keep walking. |
| Suddenly, I came out to an open space. |  |
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Since there was a bakery, I decided to have a little something to eat. |
| This old man baked a pizza for me. |  |
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Quite skillful technique. |
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Hmm.
Well, it's okay. However, I couldn't finish it all, so I gave about half of it to a child who was there, and they were happy. |
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Islamic Art Museum.
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There was an Islamic Art Museum right in front of the cafeteria, so I thought about going inside. |
| But... it seems like it's not operating today. That's a shame. |  |
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I decided to walk along the main street that runs through there. (In the photo, it looks spacious, but in reality, it is not that large.) |
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Islamic Art Museum. I wanted to go inside. |
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Goodbye. I will come again. (Certainly) |
Sacrificial cow (Year-end)
| Furthermore, I wandered aimlessly. |  |
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Gradually, the road and the scenery become more commonplace. |
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During the journey, I often saw cows being slaughtered and their skins being transported. It seems that, as part of an Islamic commemorative day, and in accordance with the Islamic teachings of wealthy people giving gifts to the poor, cows are distributed on this day. Just by looking at this, it seems like a cruel act, but knowing this background, I understand. |
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Hello, have I come too far into the suburbs? Even if I try to turn back, I don't know the location. Well, I decided to let it go and try moving forward. |
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There is a person who is smoking a water pipe. |
| It is a very ordinary road. |  |
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Across the road, I can see something that looks like a table used for cutting up cows. |
| I walk along an old road. |  |
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The building is old, but sometimes, there are these beautiful cars that don't quite match the surroundings. |
| Ordinary people's scenery. |  |
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It is a normal, residential area. |
| Furthermore, go for a walk. |  |
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I was wondering how far I had come, and then... Suddenly, a magnificent shadow, resembling a mosque, appeared in front of me. |
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What is this? Amazing! I tried to get closer and closer. |
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I was caught off guard. Such a magnificent building suddenly appearing in front of me. |
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Looking up at the Citadel (THE CITADEL: fortress).
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This is large. Where should I enter from? |
| In front of me, there is a park, and people are playing. |  |
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People are everywhere. It is more of a public square for ordinary people than a tourist attraction. |
| There are horses? Ponies? |  |
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Children playing while riding. |
| Also, the children are playing with bicycles. |  |
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Children paddling with all their might. |
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Anyway, where is this place? |
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Even if I ask, I still don't understand where this place is. Basically, I don't understand English. |
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I asked various people, and some children said "Muhammad Ali." Apparently, this is a famous person that I've heard of somewhere.
When I looked at the guidebook, it seems that this is a historical figure who led Egypt to independence, and there is a mosque here.
It seems that there is an entrance on the opposite side from where I came, so I will go around to the other side.
Finally, I'm starting to understand where I am!
And, a little further ahead, there was a security guard, so I asked that person, and it was confirmed that my understanding was correct.
The entrance to the Citadel (THE CITADEL: fortress).
| It seems that the place you end up after going around and around is the real entrance. |  |
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The surroundings have a fortress-like atmosphere, as expected. (It is old-fashioned, but) |
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I am climbing a hill. |
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If you come by taxi, it seems you get off here. |
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I walk past him. |
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It used to be a fortress, but now it is a plaza, a place for people to relax. |
| On the opposite side, I also saw many structures that looked like communication towers. |  |
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Now, it's almost time to go to the entrance. |
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Even when viewed from a distance, it is clear that it is a magnificent mosque. |
| And then, I enter. |  |
View from the Citadel (THE CITADEL: Fortress).
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Now, it's finally time. |
| At the entrance, there is a souvenir shop. |  |
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There are many popular souvenir items. |
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It is getting closer and closer. |
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I am moving forward along the passage. |
| I have climbed quite a bit. |  |
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The building is also close now. I thought about entering, but... There seems to be an observation deck at the end of the path on the left side of the building. I decided to try it. |
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There, a view awaited that overlooked Cairo. |
| It's a good view. |  |
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In the distance, you can also see a small pyramid. |
Mohamed Ali Mosque (in Citadel).
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After looking at the view, I decided to go inside the Muhammad Ali Mosque. |
| It seems like there is a mysterious-looking hall (?). |  |
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It is a small, spacious place. |
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I look up. |
| Inside the mosque, you must remove your shoes before entering. |  |
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The inside of the mosque was decorated with glittering ornaments. |
| It is old, but quite good. |  |
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People are stretching their legs or relaxing. |
| In the back, a devout person was constantly praying. |  |
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And then, I leave the mosque. |
Police Museum and Military Museum (in Citadel).
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Inside the Citadel (THE CITADEL), there are also facilities such as the Mohamed Ali Mosque, a police museum, and a military museum, which I decided to visit. |
| Cannons are displayed. |  |
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The view from here is also good. |
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It offers a view of the distant landscape. After briefly looking at the police museum, I decided to go to the military museum. |
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The military memorial museum seems to be quite large. |
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Quite impressive. |
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Cannons are lined up. |
| Is it some kind of hero? |  |
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There is a bronze statue of a hero. |
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There are many swans. |
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It also includes items from ancient times. |
| Entering inside. |  |
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(I forgot the reason.) |
| Ancient battle scenes. |  |
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It is meticulously crafted. |
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Modern firearms. |
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It is an old cannon. |
| A mural that gives legitimacy to war. |  |
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There are also many children here. |
| The children are full of energy. |  |
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Go outside and see the exhibition of modern airplanes. |
| Propeller aircraft. |  |
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Tank. |
| This is another tank. |  |
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And then, I leave the military museum. |
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I am more tired than I expected. Next, we are going to the district where the Coptic Museum is located. |
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Coptic Museum (in Cairo)
I left the Citadel and decided to go to a place that has a Coptic Museum. I used a taxi, but it seemed quite expensive, 30 Egyptian pounds. At first, he said 45, but I stopped him at that price. This old man is really annoying, but well, there's not much else to use for transportation there, so I used the taxi.
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And then, I enter the Coptic Museum. |
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The inside is small and compact. There are many Christian exhibits, but they all seem "thin." Looking at them makes my eyes tired. After looking around, I suddenly noticed in a guidebook that there was an opera, so I decided to leave here in time to make it to the start time. |
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Since a subway line runs directly in front, I will go. |
Opera house / Train ticket reservation.
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I decided to go to the opera house, so I will travel by subway. |
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It's here. There is a sign. To rotate completely. |
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On the opposite side of the road, there was a horse-drawn carriage with horses pulling it. |
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It goes around completely. It feels like I'm taking a very roundabout route. |
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And finally, we made a detour and headed to the opera house. |
| It is quite a magnificent building. |  |
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Behind it, you can also see the Cairo Tower. |
| It seems like it has the potential to be quite good. |  |
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I don't quite understand, but I want to experience the atmosphere. |
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There was a customer ahead of me. For some reason, this person said, "Please go ahead." What is it... I thought, then I heard, "Is it today? Yes. Do you have a suit? No..." It seems there is a dress code. It seems that it is not possible to see it. |
| Together with other travelers, we smoothly and quietly retreated. |  |
| After that, I used the subway again, and this time I went to buy train tickets. |  |
Train tickets are purchased at the Ramesses Railway Station, but because they are not digitized, it is troublesome that you have to buy tickets at the designated locations for each class.
Finally, after waiting in line, I was told to go to a different place to request tickets, and after being passed around several times, it was revealed that I would not be able to get any tickets at all.
I underestimated the New Year's holiday.
I might not be able to go to the Luxor area anymore.
Suddenly, I glanced to my side and saw two women who were also struggling to get tickets.
After repeatedly trying and failing to get it, I was about to give up and go home, but then I noticed those two people walking in front of me, so I suddenly spoke to them and exchanged information.
It seems that the flight is available for the outbound journey, but not for the return journey. That's why he is here to buy train tickets. He is going to make a bus reservation next, so I am going with him to that place.
Take the subway for two stops, then walk a little. You will reach the bus ticket counter, but it seems that both round trips to Luxor are "not available for reservation. Sold from 10:00 AM on the day." Also, it seems that they sell out quickly, so the risk is quite high.
At this point, I thought, "I guess I'll just take a plane." Since these two people said they know the EgyptAir office, I decided to go there with them.
But, it was not open.
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There, we parted ways, and I walked a little, then decided to enter a travel agency located slightly south of the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to see what was available. Outside, it is already dark, and the view of the river illuminated by lights is very beautiful. Walk on the road and go to the travel agency. |
Then, it turned out that the airplane was completely full, and I couldn't get a ticket for the return flight.
I have researched various options, but it seems that Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel are all fully booked.
Amazing.
It is dangerous to not make reservations for the New Year holidays.
So, it became a matter of buying train tickets, but there were no seats available. However, even though we knew there were no seats on the train, the people there said, "If you pay a little more, you can get them."
I completely don't understand.
However, if a sleeper berth that originally costs $60 can be obtained for $75, I'm starting to think that's acceptable. It's much better than not being able to go at all.
I requested it, and I will receive it the next day.
Well... I finally finished my work for today.
Indeed, reserving tickets is troublesome.
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When I went outside, I saw that it was a festive celebration. Egypt is said to be more lively at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year. I will return to the lodging and prepare for tomorrow. |
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Tomorrow, I plan to go see the pyramids, and then check the results of the ticket lottery. If I have won a ticket, I will check out of the hotel, and then go to the station.
Saqqara Step Pyramid, Saqqara Mastabas (tombs), Memphis ruins, Dahshur "Red Pyramid", Giza Pyramids (three pyramids).
Saqqara Pyramid (Step Pyramid).
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Saqqara Pyramid (Step Pyramid).
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Saqqara Pyramid (Step Pyramid).
Night train to Aswan, Aswan High Dam, Isis Temple on Philae Island, Unfinished Obelisk.
Take a night train to Aswan.
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When I woke up, the train was still running on the tracks. |
| I suddenly stopped at a station and checked the name, and it seems to be called Edfu. |  |
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There are many ferries docked along the riverbank, and I think to myself, "This must be the Nile River cruise." |
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The train is moving forward, with a view of the Nile River. In Cairo, there are tours that are called "Nile River cruises," but most of them seem to only go a short distance on the river. However, if you come to Upper Nile, you can enjoy a Nile River cruise that lasts for several days. |
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I am unable to go on a cruise due to time constraints, but I think I would like to try it if I have the opportunity. Because it is Egypt, I think it will be quite expensive. It will be excessively expensive. |
| At 9:15, the train finally arrived in Aswan. |  |
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Well, I wondered what to do next, but for now, I decided to find a place to stay. |
| I saw that the entrance looked a little nice, so I decided to go in. That's where the RAMSES HOTEL ASWAN is, and it's relatively close to the river. |  |
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This is room 65, and from the window, you can see the Nile River. ← The view from the window. It's a pretty good place. |
The point is that the shower is also located in the private room.
Considering the price, I think it is quite good for the Cairo Shoudou.
Now, I thought about what to do next, and I started asking the front desk staff various questions.
It seems that the Temple of Isis in Philae and the Aswan High Dam are the places to see.
The hotel front desk called me, and it cost 65 pounds for 2 hours.
But, I negotiated that 3 hours would be acceptable, but in the end, they didn't ask me to do it, so I just went outside.
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First, I will wander around the town. |
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Back alleys. I do not feel any particular danger. It is a relaxed town. |
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After buying snacks or sandwiches, I went to the station and asked about similar items in a similar style. At first, when I said that it would take 3 hours to go from the Aswan High Dam (so-called "High Dam") to Philae and cost 50 pounds, the two Egyptians I was talking to made "oh-oh" sounds and had subtle expressions on their faces. You thought I would attack you with sharp questions, but I didn't try to be overly aggressive, and I said that I want 70. Furthermore, it is acceptable if it takes 4 hours. |
In addition, it seems that it is possible to go to places such as the Soviet-Egyptian Memorial and the Unfinished Obelisk. If that is the case, it would be much better than the conditions at the hotel front desk, so I decided to ask this person.
And then, there was eye contact between the two of them, and a black man who was a bit overweight came to guide them.
Aswan High Dam.
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And then, by taxi, we went first to the Aswan Dam (what is commonly called the Old Dam). This is already quite something. High dams are not the only ones that are incredibly large; old dams are also extremely large. |
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By the way, this person seems to be Nubian. It might be Nubia, not Libya. I might have misheard, but indeed, the people who lived in that area before the construction of this Aswan Dam (so-called "old dam") were Nubians, so it makes sense. |
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From there, we drove for a while, and then we went to the Aswan High Dam (High Dam). |
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This is, this is incredibly large. It is quite impressive. The reservoir is also quite large. This is surprising. |
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There is a rest area in the center of the dam, so you can enjoy the view there. |
Actually, there are places where taking pictures during the tour is not allowed, but the driver didn't say anything that strongly.
"Wait, wait" or expressions with a similar nuance were all that was conveyed.
It might have been because we didn't have much of a common language. It seemed that they were not very good at English.
| On the opposite side of the dam, there is a power plant. |  |
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This is a Soviet memorial tower located in the center of the Aswan High Dam. It seems like it's proof of funding. |
| Interesting design. |  |
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The top is rounded. Here, there was an old man who was taking pictures and trying to get a tip. Is that really enough to live on? It's a mystery. |
The Temple of Isis on the island of Philae.
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And then, after that, to Philae. |
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To go to the Temple of Isis on Philae Island, you will charter a boat, and a taxi will stop in front and wait. Boats are cheaper if you split the cost with a few people, but since I chartered it alone, I was charged 40 pounds. At first, they said 60, but I managed to get it for 40. It seems that it is considerably cheaper when in a group, but I suppose there is nothing we can do about that. |
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And then by boat to the Temple of Isis. |
| Gradually, the island came into view. |  |
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That is the Isis temple. |
| And then, leaving the boat waiting on the shore, I went to visit the Temple of Isis. |  |
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This place seems to be surrounded by water due to the rising water level after the construction of the Aswan Dam (old dam). Apparently, tourists were visiting the Temple of Isis, which was submerged in water for six months. However, with the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the Temple of Isis, which would be permanently submerged, was relocated to the nearby Agilkia Island between 1972 and 1980. |
| It is a shame that it is full of patchwork in places because it was moved from its original location. |  |
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Even so, I was able to see the real Isis Shrine, which left a strong impression on me in Dragon Quest. |
| There are many people. |  |
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A mural painted on the wall. |
| Put it inside. |  |
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Wall painting. |
| The surroundings are water. |  |
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Mural. |
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Observe from a distance. I had seen it in pictures before, but when I saw it in person, it gave me a different feeling. |
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Unfinished Obelisk
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After that, we returned to the shore by boat and took a taxi back to town. On the way, we headed to our final destination, the Unfinished Obelisk. This place seems to be close to the town, and it seems like some tours stop here. There are many buses parked. This place is not very interesting. |
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I left early, but I was forced to buy a T-shirt at a store that was located near the exit. However, even though I haggled the price down to a point very close to the cost price, knowing the cost price greatly contributed to subsequent negotiations, which was a good thing. You are shown a t-shirt, then guided to a back room, and then they stand at the small entrance and prevent you from leaving the store. |
At first, they said it was 15 US dollars, but that was too expensive, so I negotiated and agreed on 5 pounds.
US$15 is equivalent to about 80 bonds, but it has been persistently decreasing, and finally reached 15 bonds.
If you try to lower the price further, someone else will intervene and say, "15 pounds is not too much!" and give advice.
The store staff finally snapped and said, "15 pounds is the price I bought it for!"
As a result, because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, I decided to buy it for 15 pounds.
It has decreased to one-fifth of the original 15 dollars.
After leaving the store, another person from a different store approached me and said, "15 pounds is cheap; other stores say 60 pounds." I explained that I had initially been quoted a higher price, and then I shook hands, said "thank you," and left.
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And while I was walking around inside, a local man told me, "That is the Unfinished Obelisk." I thought, "How kind," but then they clearly requested a "tip, tip." (Laughing bitterly) If I give a little, they say, "That's not enough." I'm not giving any more. And then, I left there. |
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I got into a taxi and finally returned to the station.
I gave 70 pounds here.
He does not show joy, and his expression is normal. This must be the regular price.
He might have been expecting a bribe.
I am a little tired, but I decided to go for a walk around town afterwards.
Walking around the city of Aswan.
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Children in the city. |
| Walking along the road that continues south from the station, I found it was full of souvenir shops. |  |
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It is overwhelming to see so many shops that are clearly exploiting customers. It is truly wonderful. |
| After walking for a long time, I eventually arrived at a mosque. |  |
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I watched other people's worship here. I see... I was thinking that, and then, strangely, I started to feel sleepy. The floor is cool and feels good. I was sitting on the floor and started to doze off. |
When I realized it, the service had already ended.
Among these, there is an object with a concave cylindrical shape, which seems to represent Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
People who are praying in front of it.
I fell asleep while watching from the back.
And after relaxing there for a while, I went back to the city center.
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Take a detour. It's quite an old and rundown town. |
After visiting the shopping street earlier, I decided to return to the hotel.
When I returned to the hotel, there was a message along with the key.
That's strange...
I wondered what it was, so I asked the front desk staff, and it seems to be a tour guide for the Abu Simbel temple.
Egyptians, where do you get this kind of information? (laughs bitterly)
I am completely surprised by the business acumen of the Egyptians.
Probably, the fact that I told the front desk staff when I checked in that I wanted to go to Abu Simbel but couldn't get a plane ticket is what, in the end, led to this situation.
Other than that, I have not released any information, so that is the only possibility.
Absolutely, Egyptians are amazing.
Whether it's the sleeper train or this [situation].
The front desk staff called and confirmed something, and then someone appeared next to the front desk.
It took only a few minutes.
"This is me."
Oh my. That's too fast. (laughs bitterly)
You were waiting for me, weren't you? (bitter smile)
I can't help but find it very interesting.
Egyptians, why are you so much fun?
According to what I heard, the departure is at 3:30 AM, arrival at Abu Simbel is at 7:00 AM, a 2-hour visit, departure from there at 10:00 AM, and arrival back in Aswan around 1:00 AM.
It should be about 400 km from Aswan to Abu Simbel, but to travel that distance in 3 hours, what speed are they driving at...?
I felt a little uneasy, but if I miss this opportunity, I won't have another chance to go to Abu Simbel.
Furthermore, the price might be reasonably affordable, at around 68 dollars.
It might have been possible to find it for a slightly cheaper price, but this price well reflects the feeling that it's a valuable opportunity.
Even if it's a little more expensive, it's questionable, and if it's cheaper, there will be a rush.
I appreciate that you offer a range of prices, even if they are somewhat vague.
In the end, I decided to order this.
Withdraw money from the ATM in front of you and pay immediately.
And, I requested a wake-up call for tomorrow morning at 2:45 AM.
Well...
For some reason, I ended up going to Abu Simbel.
I had given up on being able to go anymore.
However, because I had no plans for tomorrow, this is a good opportunity.
The guidebook states that a tour to Abu Simbel costs 450 pounds (in the year 2000), and considering that this is about twice the price of the guidebook itself, 68 dollars (equivalent to 390 pounds) seems quite reasonable. Furthermore, the cost of a one-way flight is even higher.
And, now that the plans for tomorrow are also decided, I decided to take another walk around the city.
While I was walking along the souvenir street just now, a T-shirt vendor approached me.
I thought this person was interesting, so I listened to what they had to say, but they were talking about a 100% cotton T-shirt that costs 150 pounds. That's over 3000 yen. It's too expensive. I can't understand what they're thinking.
"It's not working," they say, "no thank you," and they try to leave, saying, "This isn't going anywhere," but they keep following me.
Because it is noisy, I said, "If it's 5 pounds, I will buy it," and then they said, "Are you teasing me?"
Of course, I didn't buy it for 5 pounds just now, so I raised it to 10, but the other party is not backing down.
I ignore it and walk away, but it chases after me again.
I am already 30 meters away from the store. (Laughing bitterly)
I thought, "Forget it," and said, "If it's 15 pounds, I'll buy it."
Then, they say, "We'll offer 50 pounds!"
It's a little lower.
But, it's 15 bonds! I repeated this endlessly.
I already know the market price, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
I don't really want to buy it, so if they give up, that's fine.
I walked, and the other person chased after me, and the negotiation of prices continued for quite some time.
Finally, it dropped to 20 bonds. (Laugh)
The first 150 pounds, one-seventh of it.
Just a little bit more.
Finally, it dropped to 15 bonds, and I gave the OK.
The man who was selling goods outdoors had bloodshot eyes.
Thank you, my friend, I said and left.
It's a victory. (Forced smile)
After that, when I was about to buy something with meat inside a bun, I discovered that there were items written with Arabic numerals and items written with Western numerals, and each of them had something that was twice as expensive. (Laughing bitterly)
I had already memorized only the Arabic numerals, so when I said, "This is strange, what is this?" they started making excuses like, "It's probably because it's boiled or not boiled," or something like that.
That's impossible, isn't it? (Forced smile)
It's impossible for places with the same name to exist twice, right? (bitter smile)
Absolutely, Egyptians are too interesting.
I bought something with meat stuffed inside a long bread for 2 pounds, and then I started heading home.
Tomorrow is early. I think I will rest early and prepare for tomorrow's schedule.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. |
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
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Abu Simbel Temple. |
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
| Abu Simbel Temple. |  |
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
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Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. Abu Simbel Temple. |
| Abu Simbel Temple. |  |
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Abu Simbel Temple.
Luxor West Bank, Valley of the Queens, Valley of the Kings, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
| Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |  |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
| Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |  |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
| Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |  |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
| Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |  |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens. |
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Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Luxor West Bank, The Valley of the Queens.
Abydos, the mortuary temple of Seti I, Dendara, the Hathor temple, and the light and sound show at the Karnak temple.
Taxi to Abydos.
I woke up in the morning, and suddenly realized it was 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. That's dangerous. I had set an alarm for an hour earlier, but I didn't notice it and ended up sleeping through it. There's no time for a shower, so I quickly wet my head and washed my face.
I will check out immediately and leave.
The person who seems to be the owner of the lodging is strangely unfriendly.
I moved to the lodging I had reserved, ate breakfast there, and then got into a taxi.
I tried to get money from the bank, but the ATMs were not working at any of the locations. I went to about three places, but none of them were working.
Since there is nothing we can do, please proceed as is.
The entrance fee today should not be that high.
First, we moved to the outskirts of town, and from there, we headed towards the temple in a convoy of several dozen vehicles.
| Indeed, it is comfortable to be alone in a taxi. The order is to go to Abydos, which is further away from Luxor. It seems like they are stopping by Dendara on the way home. |
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The convoy is moving at a fast pace. Of course, Convoy is interesting. |
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The view on the left side opens up, and you proceed while looking at the river and the opposite bank. |
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A large Nile River. It is not the case that there are no cars driving in the opposite direction, like at Abu Simbel, so we proceed towards Abydos while slightly reducing our speed. |
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I proceeded while alternately overtaking and being overtaken by the other taxis in front. It seemed that there were two white people in that taxi. |
Abydos, the mortuary temple of Seti I.
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And we arrived at 11 AM, three hours later. It's far. What time should we leave? I thought, but the taxi driver seemed unsure, and I was told to adjust to the schedule of others. That's so arbitrary... (sweat). I asked other drivers, and they said that you can also eat meals here. It seems that, in terms of time, it is indeed reasonable. |
| Now, regarding the ruins, the mortuary temple of Seti I is the main attraction here. |  |
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The size of the pillars is impressive. |
| It is somewhat old, but quite impressive. |  |
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It is quite large, larger than what I see outside. |
| Giant pillars. |  |
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Wall painting. |
| Sun god... or something? |  |
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A long corridor. |
| Although it is not as beautiful as Abu Simbel, the colors are still remaining. |  |
| In this corridor, there are many nosy Egyptians. "There's a helicopter over there," he says, and then asks for a bribe. (A wry smile) |
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I walked around the corridor, and then I went outside. |
| The surrounding scenery. |  |
We also had a meal there, but the price of the cola was 10 pounds, which is an outrageous price.
It's too expensive. The price in Japan is equivalent to 5 pounds, but to charge 10 pounds, what do Egyptians think of people? Are they only thinking about making money?
Even so, since I am chartering a taxi alone and driving 700 km round trip in one day, if I were to do the same thing in Japan, it would probably cost 150,000 to 200,000 yen. (I haven't calculated it properly.)
Furthermore, if you consider that the monthly salary of a street cleaner is 300 pounds, and I spend that much in a single day, then even if I appear to be incredibly wealthy, it's understandable.
In that case, it might be unavoidable for them to offer high prices that do not match the market value.
Originally, it seems that I am not considered a human, but rather an alien. My taxi driver does not show an angry face in front of me, but his attitude changes drastically when he is with other locals, and he shows a short-tempered face.
Among the convoy traveling together, only my taxi and one other group (two people) are taxis.
I'm now regretting that I should have chartered a taxi for Abu Simbel. It would have been quite comfortable, regardless of the price.
Compared to paying 68 US dollars and being crammed into a small van for 3 hours, which was very uncomfortable, this 300 pounds is a bargain. If I come next time, I will definitely do it this way.
In Egypt, it is decided to use a chartered taxi rather than a tour.
Even so, perhaps it is only because I am Japanese that I can have such thoughts.
Here, I met a Russian person who is staying at the same lodging. He seems to have come by train and taxi. According to him, Dendara is much better than Abydos.
Especially, the people are kind.
I see. With a little bit of anticipation, I headed towards Dendara.
Dendara: Temple of Hathor.
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Dendara is indeed a large and beautiful object. However, I didn't think it was "the best in Egypt," as written in the Lonely Planet guidebook and in other people's reviews. If you're in Luxor, the Karnak Temple, which you see at the end of the day, is definitely more wonderful, and Abu Simbel is definitely better. Moreover, it's certainly not comparable to the pyramids. |
| Even so, if there is a reason to think that Dendara is the best, it would be the hospitality of the people who work there. They provided detailed explanations and told us what each thing was. In that sense, for people who are tired of visiting dilapidated tourist destinations such as the pyramids, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, Dendara must be a place of healing. |
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However, when considering the ruins themselves, they are definitely inferior to other sites. In my opinion, it's not worth the trouble of chartering a taxi to visit. Whether it's Abydos or Dendara, my current feeling is that there's no need to see them. |
| Mural. |  |
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The sun is starting to set. |
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And then, return to Luxor. |
| Sunset viewed from a taxi. |
Kanakk Shrine's light and sound show.
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After the tour, I was dropped off in front of the Kanak Temple. To the taxi driver, I gave a tip (baksheesh) for the first time during this trip to Egypt, and it was given voluntarily (without being asked). |
| This Kanak temple, but since I haven't seen the Kanak temple yet, I was planning to see it after returning. It was supposed to be that you would return at 4 o'clock, but it ended up being 5:30, and the daytime opening hours of the K'anax God Temple had ended. |
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Since there was nothing I could do, I decided to wait for about 30 minutes and then go see the light and sound show. I should be able to go inside after that. It gradually becomes darker. The sun is setting. |
| Even so, this Kanak, perhaps because it was a place I might not have seen otherwise, I think it was right that I came to see it. It was dangerous. If I hadn't come, I would have regretted it. |  |
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Do not say that you have come to Luxor without seeing the Karnak Temple. |
| It is dark and difficult to see, but even so, the imposing presence of the temple is conveyed. |  |
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And then, I will watch the light and sound show. It is written in a story-like style, and history is told simultaneously, but I realized that my English proficiency is not sufficient to understand the historical explanations. Of course, I also lack the necessary background knowledge, but the explanations themselves are almost incomprehensible. Even though I have become able to have conversations to some extent, I still feel that my English ability is not sufficient to understand explanations. |
And then, the show ended, and we headed towards the station.
The taxi driver wanted 10 pounds for a distance of only 2 km. For 2 km, 5 pounds would be reasonable. However, since there are many customers, there seems to be no need to lower the price.
I decided to walk back to the city center.
Then, from behind, a Swede who had also seen the light and sound show caught up to me, and said, "You have strong legs. Let's walk."
Since there was someone to walk with, we decided to walk and talk.
According to him, he works as an English teacher at Hyundai Motor Company, and he is currently on a 6-month world trip. He says that Sweden used to have a 30% tax rate, but now it's 5%, so his income is good.
He told me that the monthly salary for street cleaning vehicles is only 300 pounds (about 6000 yen).
He also told me that horse-drawn taxis initially say the price is 10 pounds, but once you get on, they say, "Give me 10 pounds, 20 pounds for the horse, and 20 pounds for the seat," so you shouldn't ride them.
Furthermore, they said that renting a bicycle on the other side of the river costs 50 pounds. I told them that it seems you can rent one for 10 pounds on this side. I don't know the exact location, but that is the information I have.
And, I was also told that there is a mummy museum. However, because of the night train schedule, I was unable to visit it this time, and I decided to go on another occasion.
And then, we separated at the Luxor Temple.
And then, to the overnight train.
Again, there was no display on the home screen, so I asked a tourist police officer to confirm the train and boarded it.
It is a private room of the same type as the one I went to.
I shared a room with a Dutch individual traveler.
There were many things we talked about, but what I remember most is the phrase, "Japan is expensive." I have heard the same thing from other travelers many times, but I told them, "Many foreign tourists say that, but Japan is not expensive." Then, I said, "For example, you can eat Japanese food for lunch for $6 to $8," and they said, "That's cheap. Japan is not expensive."
And, because I was tired, I went to bed early.
Eventually, the train headed to Cairo.
Alexandria, and returning home.
The sleeper train arrived at Giza Station in Cairo from Luxor.
The ticket was only valid up to Giza station, but apparently, the train goes all the way to Ramses Central Station (the starting station). I asked a staff member if there would be an extra charge if I went all the way to Ramses Central Station, and they said, "That's your seat, so you don't need to pay extra." I see.
And then, I got off at Ramses Station, and I decided to take a day trip to Alexandria.
I bought round-trip train tickets and went to Alexandria.
The journey to Alexandria takes about two hours.
I was dozing off and fell asleep, and before I knew it, I had arrived.
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It seems that I got off at the station before the one I intended to. I am, after all, clumsy and easily flustered. Since there's nothing we can do about it, I decided to take a short walk. |
| I didn't think it was a trouble, but I thought I might be able to see a slightly different side of Egypt. The plan is to take a look at the atmosphere of the city center, and then take a taxi to the station. |
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As planned, I took a short walk, and since there wasn't much to see, I decided to take a taxi. However, here, unexpectedly, the taxi driver didn't understand English. This made me think it would only happen once, but I'm going to encounter taxi drivers who don't understand English many times in the future. And they are not friendly. They seem to have lost hope, their eyes are listless, and they seem to say "I don't care." |
| Furthermore, even though I was supposed to be taken to the station, I arrived at a place that looked like a park along the coast. Since we couldn't communicate, and the driver seemed indifferent, I thought, "Oh well," and decided to get off there. When I checked the location, it seems that, well, it's near the station. This seems to be a place that is located between the station and the sea. |
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I had heard that Alexandria was a beautiful town, and indeed, the view of the town from the coastline is very beautiful. |
| Because it is winter, there is a slight wind. I think summer must have a very good atmosphere. |
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I thought about whether the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was located here. A lighthouse, built during the reign of Ptolemy II in the 3rd century BC, with a height of 120 meters. |
I moved a little, saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then took a taxi again.
Please go to the fortress that you can see in the distance.
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The fortress was built a long time ago, and it seems to be used now as a school and a mosque. From the inside, you could see the beautiful sea stretching out as far as the eye could see. |
| It is a magnificent fortress. |  |
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And then, leaving the fortress, I decided to go to a mosque that, according to the map, seemed to be nearby. It seemed to be a mosque that was not open for tourism, and many people were inside, offering prayers. |
| Even so, once you leave the tourist areas, this city is really dirty, really dirty. Alexandria had an image of being a "beautiful town," but that was only when viewed from a distance; the city center was quite dirty. Just by straying a little bit from the tourist areas, you encounter this filth and dilapidated townscape, which is enough to shatter the image of Alexandria as a beautiful city. |
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The mosque is very beautiful when viewed from a distance. As I got closer, I saw that the wall was crumbling. |
| From in front of the mosque, I got into a taxi again, and this time, I went to the ruins of the Roman theater. |  |
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I came to the site of the Roman theater, but now it's a desolate place. This place seems to be used for something now, and there were chairs available. I wanted to look around, but I didn't have much time, so I decided to leave that place relatively quickly and go to a museum nearby. |
When moving by walking,
There, it was completely closed.
"Oh my..." I thought. Then, the security guard said that there is a National Museum about 5 minutes away on foot.
I decided to walk there.
| And then, I arrived at the National Museum of Alexandria. When I walked, it was quite far. Exhausted, I went to the museum. |
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This place is much more substantial inside than I expected, and the exhibits are very well done.
After seeing the city center of Alexandria, I thought, "It's probably just a town like this," and was a little careless. However, despite its appearance, the exhibits inside are very rich in content.
In particular, the display of mummies was especially impressive.
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Just being near the mummy, I felt some unknown power. Something has a "netori" atmosphere. |
| It is an amazing thing. Here, I remembered a story I heard a long time ago, about how in Tibet, when a saint died, they would be encased in wax to preserve the saint's sacred power. This mummy, too, may have been mummified in order to preserve his dignity as a king, his charisma, his intelligence for predicting the future, and other qualities, so that he could become a guardian deity for future generations. |
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Actually, it seems that there were interpretations suggesting that it was for resurrection or something similar in later generations. However, for some reason, the image of a living Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism kept coming to mind. And then, we left the National Museum of Alexandria and went to the train station. I got into a taxi, but again, the service was unfriendly. What is this...? |
| And then I arrived at the Alexandria train station. This place is also a building that is difficult to understand, and it seems like it was designed without considering tourists. From the outside, I couldn't initially tell that this was a railway station. |
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Furthermore, many clocks are almost two hours behind.
Cairo and there should be no time difference.
First, it's not a strict delay like a time difference.
I sometimes wonder what Egyptians are thinking and how they are living their lives.
Is it okay to be two hours late, or is that Egyptian time? Or do individuals have their own clocks?
The clock that was hanging outside the station was fortunately indicating the correct time.
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Since there is still a little time, I decided to take a walk around the area near the station. |
| It is still very dirty. What is this filth? |
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The area around the station is the dirtiest. What is, "Alexandria is a beautiful town." It is completely and utterly filthy. |
| Food and fruits are also sold, but I can't bring myself to buy them. |  |
I went around and bought a Coke for 1 bond 75 piastres (this is the standard price. It is often sold to tourists for 2 bonds, 3 bonds, 5 bonds, 10 bonds, or even 15 bonds). Then, I headed towards the train.
However, just when I was about to reach the station building, it suddenly started raining heavily.
In Cairo, there was almost no rain, but here in Alexandria, it might be due to the Mediterranean climate.
The wind was strong, the clouds were moving at a fast speed, and it was raining and stopping.
And then, I took a train to Cairo.
Even after returning to Cairo, there was still some time, so I decided to go to Kentucky, which is located right next to the Egyptian Museum of Archaeology.
I never thought I would have to take the subway and travel several kilometers just for Kentucky Fried Chicken, but now I really want to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Sandwiches sold on the street are not delicious, and there is nothing else to eat.
It is an abnormal situation that I am feeling a strong longing for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I got off the subway and went to Kentucky Fried Chicken.
It was, as expected, delicious.
I ate a dinner combo, and then I went to look for the Aerofloat office, which is located nearby.
Since it had not been reconfirmed yet, I thought I would go to reconfirm it just in case.
I am relying on my memory of what I saw in "Earth's Guide," but I can't seem to find it.
I thought, "This is strange..." and was about to give up, but then I discovered the word "Aerofloat" on the wall of the shopping mall. Aerofloat was located on the second floor.
However, today is Friday, which is a day off.
Moreover, it is only open from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
What on earth.
I walked quite a bit, but if there is a next time, it would be a reference, and that is fine.
And, since there will be nothing to eat at the airport, and the in-flight meals are said to be not delicious, I decided to eat a small set from Kentucky Fried Chicken, even if it's a bit of a stretch.
Now that I'm full, I'm going to ATABA by subway.
It is said that buses to the airport depart from here, or from Ramses Central Station.
But, I went there, but when I asked the people around, they said it doesn't leave from there, but from Ramses Station.
The guidebook says that buses also depart from here.
I didn't quite understand, but I thought there might be more buses on the other side, so I decided to take the subway again and go to the bus stop.
The bus stop is where...? I thought, but it seems that the locations are mostly fixed, and there are no signs indicating the destination, only route numbers. You have to go near the route number and get on the bus.
The difficulty is high, but I am looking for the number written in the guidebook and converting it to Arabic numerals.
It was really good that I only remembered the Arabic numerals.
After staying for a week, I have become accustomed to reading Arabic numerals.
But, it's not coming easily.
There were some buses that did not have a route number written on them.
Someone who seems to be organizing something was asked, "Are you going to the airport?" and they said no.
The person behind him heard that and said, "Is it the airport? I'm going there too. I need to take either the 27th bus or something like that." Then, the 27th bus arrived immediately, so he got on.
The price was, I thought, 50 piastres when I arrived... but then that man said it was 2 pounds.
That's strange, I thought.
It seems that the ticket was 50 piastres, and the 2 pounds included the cost of the ticket, which the man would buy for me, and a tip for the guide.
I see.
If you do it well, there are things that people won't notice, but since I did it in front of them, they definitely noticed, but well, let's just say it's okay.
Because if that man hadn't been there, I would have continued to feel anxious for a while after getting on the bus.
Eventually, we arrived at the new terminal (Terminal 2) of the airport, and then we arrived at the old terminal (Terminal 1).
I was unsure which terminal my Aeroflot flight was at, but the old man said that it was probably at the old terminal.
Well, there's still time, and if I was wrong, I could just take the free shuttle to move between terminals, so I got off at the old terminal (Terminal 1).
The uncle got off right before what seemed to be a bus stop.
Was he not a customer?
Perhaps he was a cleaner or a staff member.
But I'm glad I was guided.
When I entered the old terminal (Terminal 1), I confirmed that Aeroflot indeed departs from here. It was correct.
And I spent a little over an hour before check-in, then checked in, boarded the plane, and headed to Moscow. In Moscow, I had a transit visa, but due to a change in plans, the date was for the next day. According to a person from the Japanese embassy in Russia, they said, "The later days are fine, but the previous day is not," so I decided not to try and just waited in the airport lobby.
Actually, I was already tired, and since the weather outside was cloudy, I didn't feel like going out for a Russian tour.
And I spent half a day in transit in Moscow, and then I had a flight of more than 10 hours to Tokyo.
I have finally returned. Egypt was far away.
I went to Egypt, and at the time, I thought I would never go back again. However, as time passed, I gradually started to think that maybe I could go again.
Such is Egypt.
Indeed, it lived up to its reputation as a world-renowned tourist destination.