Life on the Nile

I think this, the West Bank of Luxor, is the most beautiful place we've been. It's a simple life here, and we watched it go by from our terrace. I'll let the pictures speak. Click on any of them for a slideshow.

Luxor Terrace Apartment

Ahhhh Luxor, "the jewel of the Nile", the southernmost port we will be in on this trip. The Nile! Valley of the Kings - a lifelong dream of Marc's, who ran down 4 flights of stairs from our rooftop apartment to meet our driver, as though it was Christmas morning.

The vibe is beautiful on the West Bank of the Nile, dirt roads, small shops, donkeys with carts, robed men and women, call to prayer 5x/day, bustling ship, sailing and rowing vessels our view.

Well, Marc's research and patience paid off. Luxor accommodation was tough to find. AirBnB does not have listings that matched our criteria, so he ended up having to do lots and lots of searching. He ended up finding our Luxor angel Claudia, who with her husband Ali, manages many properties in Luxor. Together they run a great business, livinginluxor.com, and took care of us like family. We were comfortable with one another right from the moment Ali picked us up at the bus station. 

He brought us to our next home, the terrace with the umbrella in the photo below (click to enlarge for a better view). And with a good Egyptian tea brewed by the building's owner, Iman, we plotted out our 6 days. 

Not all of our apartments have had TV, and those that do, well, not a priority. But to check out Egyptian TV, we turn it on, and he first station we come to has.....camel races!

This apartment was all about the terrace! We spent most of our at-home time out here, never tiring of the action on the Nile or in the street below. We often commented that it was better than TV, no two days were the same on the banks of the Nile. Here's yet another reading spot of ours, at sunrise. Every single day we were up with the sun to enjoy spectacular sunrises, the early morning call to prayer emanating from numerable mosques all competing with one another in the clamour, the early sounds of birds rising, the loudening din of Luxor's East Bank waking, a hot cup of coffee in hand. A beautiful, beautiful spot to enjoy the HEAT!

Our first morning's breakfast, an Egyptian traditional one, prepared and served by Iman. What a welcome!

Here's a video, the early morning 360 on the banks of the Nile.

Iman is proud to take us on our 2nd walkabout after breakfast, helping us get set up with groceries for the week. Having been walked through the town by both Claudia and Iman, introduced to the shopkeepers we'll visit, ensures that we are welcomed, but most importantly, ensures that we are not harassed (mostly) as we walk the streets of the West Bank. Here's Marc and Iman on the way home.

As the week carries on, the temperatures rise, and there is no bigger heat-lover than Marc! With no sun hat, and wanting to stay on the terrace reading, he uses a t-shirt to fashion his Pharoah's head wrap. It works!, even though it's black. 

And our final morning's goodbye with Iman. He was sad to see us go. Tourism has disappeared here, and he is grateful for any and all visitors.

Arriving in Luxor, West Bank

And so we make our first attempt at moving independently through Egypt. We leave the resort very excited about getting on with our trip. Just getting this bus' timetable though has taken Marc days to find out, on top of the days' he's looked online, including the help received from the front desk staff, Mosun. Once figured out, Mosun even went to purchase the tickets for us, above and beyond the call of duty.

We take a taxi from the hotel, and encounter the first of what will be many "price misunderstandings".  Marc's conversations and research repeatedly named a certain price for this short distance. When we get to the bus station, the taxi driver asks for 4 times as much, and he won't budge. Another taxi driver even got involved in the argument, and Marc won't budge either, on principal. It wasn't a barter problem, this was not a bartering situation. We ended up paying slightly less than the demand.  Not a good way to start our independence, and it actually foreshadowed what the next 2.5 weeks will bring us - tourists actually have very little control over costs, prices seem to be a moving target, and we weren't always comfortable in the situations we found ourselves in. We do have to remember though that times are desperate in Egypt, the tourism industry has evaporated, we are often the only white people within visible distance and the exchange rate from Egyptian Pounds to Canadian dollars makes it loonies and toonies that we are bargaining with, ie 50 EP = ~$8 Cdn.

Onward to Luxor! This is the Go Bus that runs between cities, newer, efficient, fun! The drive takes about 3 hours, moving away from the Red Sea and into the desert further South in Egypt. We are thrilled to be in the desert, the different colours are astounding, depending on the light. Who knew? 

Here below, you can see the area we are navigating. The Nile Delta straight down the middle, the Red Sea to the right, Hurghada where the diver is. We cross the Eastern desert heading southwest to Luxor, the furthest point south in this trip.  From Luxor we will fly up to Cairo for the Pyramids, then take a train to Alexandria before heading to London. Right now, we're happy to arrive in Luxor and make it home for the next week.

Our bus driver, in the left photo, brings his 9 year old son on the trip, who excitedly sits in a pull down seat in the stairwell, eating chips, drinking pop and having what seem like great conversations with his dad. He seems to be very proud to be on this trip with him. Some of the scenery on our way...while mostly desert and hydro towers, does have what looks like homes in the distance. We have a rest-stop halfway, and it reminds me of the many times stopping between Toronto and Ottawa on Hwy 7 at the Log Cabin Restaurant! This is the same, except the desert version, and we have to pay to access the washroom even though the toilet doesn't flush and there's no toilet paper or tap water! My mother taught me well - always travel with a stash!

Top right photo, all of the transport trucks have very colourful backs, custom designed. We have begun making lists together of "Best...." And the award for Best Drive goes to the road between Qena and Luxor. As we get to Qena, the landscape becomes green, bit by bit, and we realize we've reached that mythical (to us) Nile Delta. Nothing more than a dirt road that bypasses miles and miles of green suddenly, town after town where donkeys, old tractors, bicycles, trucks stacked perilously high with goods, robed men and women carrying goods on their head, all sorts of adapted transport vehicles abound. It is a glorious drive in to Luxor and gets us excited about arriving. We even pass a soccer pitch right by the road.

Our host meets us at the bus station in Luxor, and with the craziness surrounding the arrival, we are so happy he did. He's come with an air conditioned van and a driver who take over for us and get us through the city. We get our first glance of the Nile! On the East bank of the Nile lies metropolitan Luxor city, it's big attraction being the souk and Karnak Temple. We are staying on the West Bank,  home of The Valley of the Kings, and a village with dirt roads and family life, lots of expats and long-term retired tourists and amateur Egyptologists,  much slower, much quieter. 

Our terrace apartment is right on the Nile, we're on the top floor, 4 flights up, and the 360 view is incredible. The street life that goes on below us is ever-changing, as is the boat and ship traffic on the Nile. There are children heading to and from school every day, moms coming home from the market, mules and carts being packed up, laundry women carrying their wares, donkeys, horses, and chickens grazing below us, men fishing daily from tiny boats, ferry traffic taking commuters across the Nile, felucca so and cruise ships, the ex-pat next door works on her garden every single morning. We spend the week, when home, just watching local Luxor life go by, and we love, love, love it.

Hurghada, Egypt

February 6-12, we fly from Athens to Cairo to Hurghada on the west coast of the Red Sea, heading to the all-inclusive resort-land for a holiday within our holiday, so we don't have to navigate, shop for groceries, cook or sightsee, where we can be pampered and waited on hand and foot, read in hammocks, eat our heads off, and generally get used to the idea of somewhat independently navigating Egypt, it's culture and custom.

Steigenburger el Dau, you were good to us, after 3 days we were bored! Ha! The winter winds are almost hurricane force on some days, the staff are top-notch, Mosun at the front desk arranges our public transit from here to Luxor, even going tomthenroadto now on his morning off to purchase the bus tickets for us, his wife Sarah works for 2 days to enable Marc to watch the SuperBowl at 2 am Egyptian time, his team, the Denver Broncoes win! 

The lobby's Coffee cart introduces me to Egyptian coffee, I watch this groundskeeper weed one bed for an entire day, remembering with fondness how much I have loved entire days on my stepstool, weeding my own gardens over the last 30 years, hoping he's enjoyed it as much as I. Classical pianist every night in the lobby, man was she good, and Egyptians on holiday stay up until the wee hours of the morning, small children included, socializing in the lobby.

Venturing into the town of Hurghada on our third afternoon, we take the hotel shuttle in as a drop off and pick up, to test the waters of Egyptian street life, re-invigorating our skills at keeping hawkers at bay. We are rushed immediately upon the shuttle's leaving, push vendors away. "La-la-la" means "no-no-NO!" We walk the main drag filled with crumbling tourist shops, gaudy Chinese goods stores, adventure trek businesses, and finally find the side-street that will take us to the Port. Definitely a theme on this trip, our love of Ports, one that we didn't deliberately plan, but has been a happy byproduct of the destinations we've chosen.

 Hurghada was originally a small fishing village until it was developed by the large hotel resort chains, and it is now solely (really) reliant on tourism. We could have chosen it's sister resort complex a little further north at Sharm el Sheik, which we understand is less-developed, the town's charm still evident, but with the Russian plane disaster a few weeks before our booking, we decided on 

Hurghada.

It's mosque in the centre of town is beautiful,  the port is small and active with local fishermen and it's daily market, the family shops around here full of color and squalor. 

We experience the best sunrises from our balcony, it takes minutes to rise over the Red Sea horizon, and every morning the sun's pinks , oranges and reds greeted us and  the early start to our days here. We watch many boats come and go in and out of the harbours that dot the coast.

We book a snorkelling adventure, this really has me stepping out of my comfort zone. I am a textbook case for why your children should be put into some kind, any kind, of sporting activity when they are young. My athletic career consists of making the Grade 6 volleyball team. Once. And a brief running stint in Grade 9. Oh, and my cross-country ski ventures in Chelsea - the longest time I stuck with anything athletic and almost enjoyed it, and I actually learned to ski down the bunny hill at Jay Peak and Hansen at Tremblant, embarrassing my daughter to death when the chair lift knocked me flat on my face.  Other than that, my nose was always in books, my eyes set on a piano score. I do not  have very much physical confidence, so snorkelling in open water has me up most of the night before, anxiety squeezing my bowels, talking through with Marc exactly what's going to happen. He's by my side, is so familiar with this side of me, he knows what it will take to get me to jump. I'm good! 

We saw coral just like in the movies, with little colourful fishes within arms' reach. A kind, kind crew and lunch served in the galley, it was a beautiful day on the water.  We were joined by a couple from England doing their last day of scuba certification. Great conversations and laughs together.

No photo evidence of me in a wet suit, but I was! And we passed by this stark outpost on the far shore with its Hollywood sign of PARADISE. It looked abandoned and made us laugh.

We spend our remaining days - 2 too many - lounging on the beach, Marc finds his hammock, watching the various female Burkini's that Egyptian women wear to swim. We witnessed robed swimming 26 years ago at a beach in Morocco and we're happy to see that functional design has somewhat evolved. Of course Marc ventures outside the buoy line for a Red Sea swim, the water is warm and salty. I enjoyed a Spa day to restore my body from 2 months of travel, a traditional Egyptian Hammam, exquisite. 

By the end of our 6 nights here, we're ready to be somewhat independent in Egypt, and leave mid-day for the bus station to catch our coach to Luxor, on the Nile, and 2 hours further south. 

Last day in Greece

Sad to say good-bye, truly! And we've come in the winter off-season, haven't even made it to the islands and the idyllic life in the summer.  Lord, can't imagine tearing ourselves away then!

We stayed put during the General Strike, but of course Marc had to go out to "run some errands". I knew he wanted to take a peek, and yup, he does. Large crowds, riot police, he stood on the edges and took no photos. Came upon our Belgium university friends from the refugee Port day.

The day after is our last day. We head out on a good-bye walkabout, weather is drizzly, we shop for gifts and leather, visit the famous sandal shop to the stars, and decide on an impromptu visit to Athens' National Archeological Museum to get out of the cold and the rain, and to avoid heading back to the apartment to start packing.

The largest museum in Greece with over 11,000 artifacts, it traces Greece's treasures from pre-historic times to the present. The gold collection is unbelievable, paper-thin, exquisite beauty in human adornment and funerary finds.

This towering bronze statue of  Zeus or Poseidon, found at the bottom of the sea, estimated from the 400s BC.

Standing at over 2 meters, this bronze statue of young boy jockey and horse was breathtaking. It was also found at the bottom of the sea, and dates from 140 BC.

Some more of the statues, hundreds of them, and you can tell the evolution of carving techniques.

Good-bye Athens, good-bye Greece, you've been so good to us. We're up early the next morning for our flight to Egypt.

Athens' Architectural Trilogy

Almost our last day in Greece, after a month! Since we began this trip in mid-November in Italy and then in Greece as of January 4th, the weather has been incredible. 2 days of rain in all that time, and never enough to mar our day. By this day, we're in the first weeks of February, high-teens-Celsius and plenty of sunshine. We have absolutely LOVED ending our time here in Athens. A world-class, welcoming, safe city.

Past our hub of Syntagma Square and along a wide boulevard stands 3 academic buildings in a row that represent the Neoclassical period in Athens' construction, early 1900s, referred to as Athens' Architectural Trilogy. Private funding from a Greek magnate and designed by a Dutch architect, construction on these 3 side-by-side academic buildings began in 1859, ending in 1868, the design of which won at the Vienna International Fair in 1873.

First up, and a must-see for what it represents to us, is The Academy of Athens. The original Academy was established by Plato in 387 BC and it functioned for 900 years. Government decree banished all thought Academies until a resurgence during the Renaissance with Academies being established throughout Europe, but it took until 1926 and the dedication of these buildings, for the Academy of Athens to be re-established. It's life has been uninterrupted since then.

The Academy's purpose is research and debate under the following Orders: Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences and Moral and Political sciences. It's library houses 200,000 titles and research and writing is shared with the world.

Me, on the steps.

The interior meeting hall, exquisite. The 8 painted panels tell the story of Prometheus, the Titan God in Greek Mythology who was the creator of mankind and its greatest benefactor, including giving us fire, which he stole from Mount Olympus. Can't you just picture yourself sitting here debating ideas with some of the greatest academics in time?

The entry-door, lamps, carpeting and benched seating.

The exterior is entirely of marble, with 4 statues flanking the sides and front steps. Athena (holding a shield adorned with The head of Medusa) and Apollo on massive columns rising another storey above the Academy, and on either side of the approaching steps, Plato on the left, Socrates on the right. Spectacular building.

Next door, the University of Athens Administration building. We weren't allowed inside, but the comings and goings were interesting to watch. Other academic buildings stretch out behind this one, we walked it briefly, and adjacent to this complex, we found the University bookstore chock-full of Classic English titles, we spent our most money yet on books in this little shop, stocking up for our time in Egypt. 

And lastly, Greece's National Library. We've seen some greats on this trip, and this one does not disappoint, although we are not allowed to sit in the Reading Room. I sneak a photo of researchers anyway. We are approached by one of the Librarians there, word has gotten around quickly that we are visiting from Canada. He tells us of the history and contents of the Library, about his brother in Canada and his visits there. He give us tips on moving about in public, about the current state of government and how to cope with the next day's  general nation-wide strike. We have found the Greek people so willing to start conversations  about anything, and they are always interested in who we are and what we think. 

Athens, you've been so kind, we'll recommend you to everyone if they ever find their way close to your shores.

The Evzoni, Greek Ceremonial Guard

Seriously, what's not to love?

One of the squares we will become very familiar with, Syntagma Square, is one of the largest in Athens, a transit hub, and one side is fronted by the Greek Parliament buildings, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All around Parliament stand the Evzonis, Greece's elite infantry, also guards of the President, residences and Parliament.

Their dress, role and ceremony date back to the Ottoman Empire, and their name is first referenced in Homer's Iliad (from whence it came?). Every 15 minutes, there is a ceremonial changing of the guard, and other than this, these guards remain absolutely motionless. 

Here he is outside of the Presidential Palace.

Highly stylized and slow-motion movement as they change positions. Hob nailed shoes weigh 5 kgs  each! With challenging political times in the last decades, these soldiers have been given further training, so their role is no longer purely ceremonial. All Greek teens must enter 1 year of military training. From here, you can apply to be an Evzone, paid, with barrack housing. You must be a certain age, 6'1" tall, a certain weight, and have distinguished yourself in infantry training. 

To attest to their discipline, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into one of the huts in 2001. The hut exploded. The sentry did not move. And as his uniform caught fire, his superior told him he could move, which he did. In 2010, guards were alerted that a bomb had been placed near the Tomb. Again, Evzones remained at their post while the bomb exploded.

On Marc's first run, a Sunday at Mid-morning, he came home all breathless. He had not only inadvertently snuck into the Panathaneic stadium to run, but he witnessed the Evzone's  once a week full military parade!  Someone's Youtube video here

Acropolis

We walk, on this day, through our neighbourhood, the open air market, down behind the stadium and arrive across from the National Gardens. Bypassing this for another day, we walk around and through the arch towards the Acropolis. Hadrian's Arch, 131AD, built in honour of that Emperor. The inscription, which you can still read, "this is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus". Built of marble, it sits on an ancient street that connected ancient Athens with the new section of Athens that Hadrian built.

One of many benefits of staying in AirBNB apartments is the notes left by previous guests. In Matta's apartment we read that it is best to visit the Acropolis museum before you ascend to the Acropolis itself. Great idea in hindsight, which we did.

This new museum is one of the most spectacular we've ever visited. A Greek, then International competition was held over 30 years, finally won by an Italian, with a Greek partner. What spurred this development was not only the increasing number of artifacts being found at the Acropolis, but also Greece's efforts to repatriate its antiquities, negotiations with Britain being called off under the claim that Athens did not have a suitable space to protect and showcase these ancient finds. 

Opened in the mid-2000s, it is built along the same lines as the Acropolis, housing the artifacts in-situ, in the same order and space in which they were found. It gives so much more meaning to what you are looking at. Construction was stalled right from the beginning with the discovery of a Byzantine village beneath the excavation site. So, problem solved by building the museum on top of the village by erecting pillars at prime locations throughout the site. Glass floors give a whole other perspective to this space. 

Photos are forbidden inside the museum itself, but the whole story, including the controversy surrounding the Parthenon Marbles and repatriation, Can be read about here.

Visit the Museum's online gallery here, or do a quick google image search of Acropolis Museum to see how they've mounted their exhibitions. Seriously, it's breathtaking.

Best surviving likeness of Aristotle, from the lobby and entryway where photos were allowed.

Aerial view of the museum, from the Acropolis. 

On the steps

Wowzer. 

And Marc notes, in the bottom photo above, the world's first Lego, on the roof span of the Parthenon! 

Some of the view of more ancient ruins far, far below.  The Parthenon itself, built in honour of the Goddess Athena, by the ruler Pericles.

Overlooking our neighbourhood, just behind the Stadium

The Erechtheum Temple, the Porch of Maidens. Stunning. You can't get inside but it was built in the 400s BC as a dedication to both Athena and Poseidon. Both of our kids will know way more than Marc and I put together, they will shame me on this post, and I can't wait to have tea at our kitchen table and talk to them about it!

We've arrived in Athens, and the skies have cleared, warm weather returns. So great to be back into urban and our mighty walking days! We've developed a nice landing routine...day 1 is all about Marc going out for his morning exploratory run, and this time he really does outdo himself! I nest in our apt while he's gone - it's how I get my bearings - then we stroll through our new neighbourhoods finding the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. What we've seen so far of this city is world-class!