Pappus Picturesque Travelogue

Awesome
Egypt
- A visual
travelogue by
Dr. Jaya
And
Dr. Venu

February 25th to 6th March 2019

Picturesque Egypt
 Introduction - Egypt
An Eagerly , Gracious , Yearning, Place for Think-tank.

First time I learnt about Egypt was when I was in school. River
Nile, Med terrain sea ,Alexander the great, Cleopatra , Marc
Antony, Julius Creaser, Moses, Ten Commandments, everything
made me like the culture, place and history. Our dramas were
always around these characters.

From Julius Caesar, spoken by Marc Antony

‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.’
- these words linger in our ears even today.
We did dream of walking through Nile River valley civiliza-
tion and pyramids, sphinx and off course mummies. The icing
on cake was Sahara, hot air balloon ride , big temples and cruise
on Nile river. Esna lock was a special experience.
I always wanted to go to Egypt. Venu too wanted. We spoke at
length to our sons too. But could not make it for years for many
reasons. This year my son started reminding us, and motivated
us to take the trip.
Usually we plan our trip. But due to aging, we thought we go
with a group. SOTC was suggested by my son after thorough re-
searching and reading reviews.
The day has come and we both with lots of apprehensions start-
ed on 25th February 2019. At the Cairo airport two wonderful
ladies met us. We were relieved seeing Praveen and Meher. On
26th we were driven to hotel at Giza Moevenpick Media City
Hotel. After breakfast , we were given our rooms. At 5 pm the
whole group met at the hall. We were briefed and divided into
two groups. The group was a big contingent of 60 , flocked to-
gether from all over the country. We both were in Praveen’s
group. We got ourselves introduced. At the dinner, as a surprise
our marriage anniversary was celebrated by the group. It was
a pleasant surprise. Here we go. Travel with us to the places we
saw and experienced . We started on 25th February and re-
turned on 6th March.

Organization is impossible unless those

Man, know yourself... and you
who know the laws of harmony lay the
shalt know the gods.
foundation. ~ Egyptian Proverbs
~ Egyptian Proverbs
 How is Egypt different
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze
Age civilization in the northwestern regions
of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300
BCE, Along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
This thought makes us yearn to know about the civ-
ilization that existed along with ours. The ancient
Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into
two types of land, the 'black land' and the 'red land'.
The 'black land' is the fertile land on the banks of
the Nile. The 'red land' is the barren desert that
protected Egypt on two sides. When travelled from
Cairo airport to hotel, we can see the new construc-
tions on barren land, a baize colour through out the
stretch . I was searching for tress and counting
them. The history of ancient Egypt spans the period
from the early prehistoric settlements of the north-
ern Nile valley to the Roman conquest, in 30 BC.
The Pharaonic Period is dated from the 32nd centu-
ry BC, when Upper and Lower Egypt were unified,
until the country fell under Macedonian rule, in 332
BC. 2 hour travel made me mind read its history.
Egypt's history is split into several different periods
according to the ruling dynasty of each pharaoh.
Ancient Egypt might be the glorious one but Greco-
Roman Egypt- makes me feel the culture and love of
the land. Modern Egypt gives us the feel and
appreciate for their interest in preserving the
( .‫يد واحدة ماتسقفش‬
treasure for the posterity . Alexander the great did ( .‫الطيور على اشكالها تقع‬iT-
annexed Egypt and established his kingdom. His
One hand descendants cultivated the tradition and culture Birds of a
which is remembered till date. His descendant feather flock
doesn’t
Cleopatra the VII was the last of the queens who together.
clap. ruled. She was beautiful lady but ruthless adminis-
trator , and Egypt never after had a queen to rule.
 Alexandria
On 27th February early hours we started in a bus to Alexandria. My whole journey became night mare due to
this luxury bus. The height of the bus was like Gaddi of the king. Very difficult to board and de-board . Alexan-
dria is the second-largest city in Egypt and a major economic centre, along the coast of the Mediterranean
Sea .Alexandria was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great. There are more than 20 cities named after
him, but this city is the most famous one. Alexandria has a major international shipping industry and cotton.

Citadel of Qaitbay -The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria is One of
the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, for many centuries it was one of the tallest man-made structures in
the world. Badly damaged by three earthquakes between AD 956 and 1323. The lighthouse was constructed in
the 3rd century BC., after Alexander the Great died, by the first Ptolemy . It took twelve years to complete,
The light was produced by a furnace at the top, and the tower was said to have been built mostly with solid
blocks of limestone. The Citadel is situated at the entrance of the eastern harbour on the eastern point of the
Pharos Island. It was erected on the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, The lighthouse contin-
ued to function until the time of the Arab conquest, then several disasters occurred and the shape of the light-
house was changed to some extent, but it still continued to function. Restoration began in the period of Ahmed
Ibn Tulun (about 880 AD). During the 11th century an earthquake occurred, causing damage to the octagonal
part. The bottom survived, but it could only serve as a watchtower, and a small mosque was built on the top.
In the 14th century there was a very destructive earthquake and the whole building was completely destroyed.
The founder of the Citadel of Qaitbay is a Circassian Sultan named Al-Ashraf Abou Anasr Saif El-Din Qaitbay
El-Jerkasy Al-Zahiry .Qaitbay was so fond of art and architecture that he created an important post among
the administrative system of the state; it was the Edifices Mason . He built many beneficial constructions in
Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. In Egypt there are about 70 renovated edifices attributed to him, among them
are Mosques, Madrasas, Agencies, Fountain houses , Kuttabs, houses, military edifices like the Citadels in Alex-
andria and Rosetta . These Citadels were built to protect the north of Egypt, mainly against the Ottomans,
whose power was increasing in the Mediterranean. I could not walk through the kite way . It is also said that
the citadel is constructed from the remains of the light house.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina -The Great Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the
largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The Library was part of a larger
research institution called the Mouseion, which was dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of
the arts. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library and cultural center located on the shore
of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria. It is both a commemoration of the Library of Alexan-
dria that was lost in antiquity, and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this ear-
lier center of study and erudition represented. The idea of reviving the ancient Library of Alexan-
dria in the modern era was first proposed in 1974, when Lotfy Dowidar was president of University of
Alexandria
Caesar destroyed 40,000 scrolls
from the Library of Alexandria
when fire broke out in his ship
Cairo—Pyramids of Giza
On 28th morning we got ready to visit pyramids . All dressed up
and was little doubt about me walking uphill when I saw the ter-
rain. Even before I could decide the bus left to other side. Mentally
not prepaid . I had no choice but to walk uphill. Rocky path made
me gasp and also my knees started paining. Every one left but
Venu and me with the help of transport security could some how
reach the pyramids. It was Everest climbing for me. But alas
reached the pyramids via sphinx. What a sight. The Great Pyra-
mid of Giza ,the Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the
three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex bordering present-
day El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the An-
cient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. See us both
before the 3 pyramids. Elegantly Venu standing. Egyptolo-
gists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb over a 10- to 20-
year - 481 feet, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made struc-
ture in the world for more than 3,800 years. The Egyptian pyra-
mids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures . Sources
cite either 118 or 138 as the number of identified Egyptian pyra-
mids. Our guide Dalia says there were 107 of them. Most were
built as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts dur-
ing the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. Venu did go inside the
pyramid. We also saw sound and light show on 26th .
Egyptians built sphinx statues to guard important tombs and
temples. The Great Sphinx of Giza, is a limestone statue of a reclin-
ing sphinx, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the
head of a human. Dr. Nitin and Sumedha were always helpful.

In the after noon we visited perfumery and the Egyptian museum.

We saw mummies and the coffins which used to be in the pyra-
mids but now they are in the museum.
ASWAN—ABU SIMBEL
On 1st March we travelled to Aswan by flight and took to cruise – MOON
DANCE. Evening we all went to Nubani Village by boat. Few took to camel
ride too. We both went by boat. Village was good. Some played with baby
crocodiles. Next day early morning we started to Abu Simbel.
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel ,
a village in Nubia, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. The twin
temples were originally carved out of the mountainside .They serve as a
lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, Their huge exter-
nal rock relief figures have become iconic. We both took an electronic car.
Aswan is a place of lovers. Both of us were discussing the story of Agha
Khan and queen Habiba whose love story rings in the ears of Aswan.
Aswan is the home for destination weddings too. I bought one ring where it
is written that lovers do meet in Arabic. On the way we saw high dam of
Aswan. The group went to Temple of Komombo, Dedicated to the evil God
Sobek the crocodile God and Ho Harreis or Horus the Falcon God. Inside the
secret passage, the Egyptian calendar, the medical and surgery instru-
ments, the Nilometer and then the crocodile museum. We both rested back
at cruise as we were very much tired.
Next day the group visited Edfu temple. Dedicated to Horus.. Scene of the
foundation stone of the temple being placed And The defeat of Set when he
hid in the Nile as a hippopotamus and judgement of Set by the High priest
to be cut into 14 parts.... Horus. They all had Tonga ride thru Edfu, which
was a difficult task for both of us.
Esna Lock
We all got ready to cross Esna Lock. My son who is a merchant navy cap-
tain, wanted me to go on the deck and sit there to see the crossing. We both
sat more than 2 hours on the deck to see the crossing from both entrances.
Esna Lock has 2 entrances, the front entrance is 32 meters in length while
the back entrance is 29.3 meters long. 40 meters in depth Dia-
phragm walls deep been used to construct the Lock and a bridge been
constructed and rested over the walls.

Filling the lock with water and emptying it is carried out through
4 automatic gates while there is a control tower which manages filling
and emptying the lock which takes about 6 minutes.
The lock is a scenic photo spot for the Nile travelers while crossing on
board their Nile cruises onto Edfu coming from Luxor or onto Luxor
from Edfu departing from Aswan.

I could video the complete crossing. We can see how the water gets
lowered and then high and then lowered. It’s a rare chance for us to see
such a mechanism.
Moon dance cruise is five star floating hotel accommodating 132 passengers.
We all were given five star cabins. This is the first time we both are travel-
ling in a cruise. Experience and feel is great. Food is good as SOTC has
arranged an Indian cook to give Indian food. Cook is very good. This trip
was possible due to our sons, especially my younger son. Thank you beta.
On the 6th day of our tour evening we visited temples at Luxor.
Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on
the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor .
Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to
a cult god or a deified version of the king in death. Instead Luxor
temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been
where many of the kings of Egypt were crowned in reality or concep-
tually , as in the case of Alexander the Great who claimed he was
crowned at Luxor but may never have traveled south of Memphis,
near modern Cairo.

To the rear of the temple are chapels built by Amenhotep III of

the 18th Dynasty, and Alexander. Other parts of the temple were
built by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. During the Roman era, the
temple and its surroundings were a legionary fortress and the home
of the Roman government in the area. Infact there are two temples
but considered as one. The second one has huge pillars. The height
was more than 23 feet. I counted the pillars. There are more than 100
pillars and nearly 20 of them are damaged. I felt like playing pillar
game there. Such huge pillars standing there for more than 5000
years. Magical and unbelievable . They gave such good vibrations
and felt so divine. Its really divine to go through these temples of
ancient world. A proof of longevity .
 Sahara desert – Hot air balloon ride and
Valley of the kings and workers
Finally the last day we all got up early in the morning and on boat
crossed river Nile and went on to the other side of the bank to take
Hot air balloon ride. It was once a lifetime experience. From
balloon we saw the desert and its excavations like valley of the
kings. Later in the day visited valley of the kings and workers.
With the 2005 discovery of a new chamber and the 2008 discovery
of two further tomb entrances., I could go only to one of the en-
The valley is known to contain 63 tombs and
trance of Ramesses IV.

chambers . It was the principal burial place of the major royal figures of

the Egyptian New Kingdom, as well as a number of privileged nobles.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and

give clues as to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. The Valley

of the Kings is situated over 1,000 feet of limestone and other sedimen-

tary rock. The official name for the site in ancient times was’ The Great

and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength,

Health in The West of Thebes .

Tutankhaten wooden mask was found here in the valley of the kings. Tutankhamun's mask, now in the Egyptian Museum,
remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world. In February 2010, the results of DNA
tests confirmed that he was the son of the mummy found in the tomb KV55, believed by some to be Akhenaten. His mother was
his father's sister and wife, whose name is unknown but whose remains are positively identified as "The Younger Lady" mum-
The deaths of a few involved in the discovery of
my found in KV35. Tutankhamun's mummy have been popularly attributed to the curse of the
pharaohs.
 Our SOTC TOUR MATES
In our group there were 32 members and Praveen from SOTC lead our group. Dalia was our guide.
I met all and interacted, few I don’t know names and few were constantly helping me.

The action lady Parveen was my girl who helped me through and understood my

difficulty . She became so darling to me that I felt my daughter is next to me.

Thank you my girl for all that help you rendered and with you I might plan my next trip
too.

Did we ever see Dalia so silent and standing calmly. When ever I see her, I feel lady Cleopatra
Is standing. Imagine her in that dress. A perfect Egyptian lady with good information and

Excellent explanation. Dalia sorry for not hearing all your explanations as I could not

stand for long. You were awesome and full of enthusiasm . God bless you my child.

Suresh ji and his wife were so active and communicative. His songs kept us active

through out the journey. His wife was such a darling. She was next to me when ever

I get down or walk through. Best of luck. Their friend was so good .

Rajan family were bubbling with enthusiasm and were so good. Mrs. Rajan’s 60th

birthday we all celebrated. Their son was a darling. Thank you all for nice support and

company.

Sarkars were always calm and enjoyed their tour. They were most of the time our

dinner table mates. Well approached couple and communicative.

Sivangi and her parents kept the whole group active and lovable. She was interested in

buying and I like that. These collections can be preserved for posterity .

The young couple like to travel . Best of luck.

Kartik and his wife , were the young couple of the group and they were very helpful to

me particularly . Enjoy the life my children. Best of luck.

The youngest of the group were the young doctors, who always stood next to every

one to help. Sumedha and Nitin were the first ones with whom we interacted. They were Our kids who support-
ed us and helped us in every step. Thank you Nitin. You both are so Darling to both of us.

There are others like Arunaji, Sudhaji, Madhuji and others with whom we did interact and enjoyed the trip.
The trip became memorable and excellent due to you all. Thank you for helping me and feel the trip , though it
was Hercules task for me to climb pyramids or go in hot air balloon. You all made it possible for me. Thank you
all. Best of luck. All are welcome to Chennai and stay with us. Journey ended with beautiful note.

Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way.