Arab Spring Adventures (December 2011)
Winter in the Desert
All Rights Reserved 2012 Darren Chong
1
Dec 2011
Ashalamalakum!
The adventures started off the night before with a
minor hiccup. The taxi driver that I had pre-arranged said he is going to pick up passengers
from 4am instead of 6 am and might not return to Jurong East in time in event
he ferried a passenger away from the Western part of Singapore.
Makes my blood boil. Makes me really mad. About to turn into the Incredible Green Thing, but decided not to let such a
small matter hinder our big plan. Decided instead to wait for the cab or flag a cab
in the main road off Jurong East Street 21.
As luck would have it, it rained early in the morning
before 6am. We decided to call a ComfortDelgo taxi. Lo and behold it was a
former tour mate from the Yangtze River and 3 Gorges trip!
Had a rather smooth journey and arrived at Changi Airport Terminal One at 6.50am without any accidents and on time! Paid about $32 dollars for the taxi journey! The taxi driver was kind enough to waive off the $2 for old times' sake. Really a very nice person to have on the previous tour!
Went to the Airport's staff canteen for breakfast and the staff
and public prices are a world of difference!
Charged $5 for a plate of noodles whereas the staff got it at half the
price!
Met the Chan Brothers assigned tour leader Veron, a short-haired former a!ir-stewardess-aspiring 40-year-year thereabouts lady. There
were altogether 3 families and 3 couples.
The flight to Dubai was an arduous 7.5
hours but was kept busy with a plethora of fantastic games and movies provided by
Emirates Boeing 777.
The services provided by the flight attendants were
much better than that of Silkair and SIA... my person 2 pence worth of "opinion''
2
Dec 2011
We touched down at Dubai Airport for a 2-hour transit-cum-shopping cum waste-of-time. But it is really an eye opener! The tight security check-out gate gates required passengers to remove their shoes for inspection! After travelling for most parts of the world except for the UNITED STATES, this is the first time I witnessed an "inspection of shoes" at any airport security. It is indeed an Eye Opener. Come on, do you expect an atomic bomb to be planteed on our shoes? What's next? Undergarments?
The Airport terminal at Dubai was indeed superb and
world class by any standards. Clean, modern, advanced elevators and
travellators with big spacious lifts and long corridors of shopping give Changi
Airport a run for its money. Its hundreds of air flights daily connects thousands
of air travellers via Dubai, making it one of the most successful aviation hub in
modern times far surpassing that of Europe’s and American airports.
In contrast, landed at Cairo’s International Airport
at 4 pm Egypt’s time in the middle of a chaotic and dis-orderly melee. The
luggage convey belt took ages to load up and its airport terminal looks like
one that existed since 1960s without any upgrading works done at all
Met by the local tour that is from the same company of
Mr. Hesham Abdel Fatlah. Boy, were we glad that the plane finally
landed on Egyptian soil. The last mile was torturous. The seats are cramped.
Finally
we made it to Cairo’s airport, heaving sigh of relief. Hurray! Our Journey to
the Far East has ended. Or so we think! No more 12 hours long haul flight!
To
our sojourn, in time to come, we will find ourselves west-bounded for another 2-hour
ride amid the daily traffic snarl from the Cairo airport to the hotel somewhere in
Giza, which is technically out of Cairo. Only in recent years Cairo have
expanded to make Giza part of Greater Cairo.
Memphis
Giza Great Pyramids
Sphinx
Cairo is a must for anyone fascinated by the magnificent Great
Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza.
Early morning 9am we departed for Memphis,
the ancient capital of Egypt and then to Saqqara, where the Step Pyramid built
by King Djoser, the first Pharaoh to have his tomb built in monumental
dimensions. His enormous Step Pyramid stands as a symbol of strength and
powerful state, with the divine King at its centre.
About 32 km south of Cairo, 6km east of
Saqqara, Memphis remained the greatest city of Lower Egypt until the time of
Hellenic Ptolemies who founded and ruled from Alexandria. Memphis is said to be
founded by Menes and as such as the first imperial city on earth. Most of
Memphis now returned to the Nile mud from which it was built. There is so
little left of the ancient city that it is hardly worth a visit in its own
rights. However 2 colossal statues of
this old kingdom pharaoh were evicted at this site in 1820 where one lies prone
alongside other smaller statues including a marble sphinx dating from the New
Kingdom.
After lunch, the tour continues to Giza, where
the famous Pyramids stand as monuments to the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and the
Great Sphinx, which has kept its secrets for centuries. We have wonderful time
riding Camels and enjoying its foul smell from its daily output and secretions.
It happened again and again
throughout the trip. We are asked for tips repeatedly. The camel man is so nice
when he took photos for us but actually he wants more tips. When someone readily
takes pictures for tourists they are expecting something back in return. I
didn’t get to see this fly in the ointment about Egyptian culture in BBC or
National Geographic but actually it’s mentioned in Globetrotter’s Travel Guide.
“Baksheesh”, not exactly tipping but
implies some service ; it literally means “share the wealth” and signifies
tourists should do just that, regardless of whether a service has been performed
or even requested. Doormen, ticket collectors, taxi drivers, boatmen, camel
drivers, porters, guides will expect baksheesh and why not, by the standard of
most Egyptians even budget travellers are wealthy. To couple it all, we have
seen real life display of macchosim, and competitive violence. Squabbles are
commonplace amongst them as competition for the tourist dollars are keen.
Saturday- Day 3:
3
Dec 2011
I
did not really sleep well as the nights are cold. Perhaps a drop too much ….of caffeine? However everyone miraculously managed to wake
up around 6.30am before coach ride starts at 7.00am to proceed to airport to
catch the 9.30am flight to Luxor. The plane touched down at around 10.30am at Luxor airport.
We
started off, after landing at Luxor airport, with a visit to the Temple of Karnak
followed by the Temple of Luxor whichever - confusing. The rest of the day hot and dry.
At the height of the Theban power, Karnak
was known as Ipet-Ipsut, the most Perfect of all Places. Begun during the old
Kingdom, it became the national shrine from the 11th Dynasty, c2134
BC. The temple complex was expanded during the following centuries with each
pharaoh adding his own shrines and monuments. The Amun temple enclosure alone
covered 260,000 sq metres and over 80,000 people worked for the temple. Karnak
was abandoned around the 4th century AD when the Egyptians turned to
Christianity.
The Avenue of the Ram-Headed Sphinxes
marks the route from the Nile to the temple entrance. This was used for
ceremonies when the statues of the gods were carried to the river for journey
to the west bank or to the Luxor sanitary. The ram was sacred animal of the god
Amun.
The Karnak temple complex extends over 3
sq km. At its heart is the temple of Amun, the most powerful of the Theban
Gods. The temple was entered through a colossal pylon. A smaller pylon, fronted
by statues of Ramesses II shields Karnak’s masterpiece the Great Hypostyle Hall
Around noon time we were transferred to
our five star Deluxe Nile cruise vessel, dinner and overnight stay in Luxor.
Yet
on board the cruise, we cannot feel the engine. The boat did not move at all. It is not going to start its engine any time soon
we were told. Very different from that
Yangtze River cruise last year when the cruise ship starts immediate upon
boarding of all passengers.
Dinner
is served at 8pm which is considered very late by my standards. Yet boat stays still along the river Nile.
Peaceful sleep tonight anyone?
Sunday - Day 4:
The trip was indeed eventful. There are
armies of mercenaries sellers in the Valley. Not surprisingly, we got to
experience first-hand the persistency of the salespeople. Postcards, books,
souvenirs, anything under the sun literally, they shoved it under your face,
and followed your incessantly, hopefully you can be their beloved customers.
Monday - Day 5:
5 Dec 2011
In the quiet darkness of early morning our ship had actually docked at a town called Edfu. In our dreams we heard horse hooves. When we woke up we saw horse carriages and the horse waving to us! We are their esteemed customers!
After breakfast, to no surprise to me, we were to travel to Edfu
town centre in horse carriages. This time round, Hesham was prepared. We will
be travelling in numbered horse carriages. Whoever mis-behaves or solicits for
too high a “Baksheesh”, he’s able to trace to the culprit
The situation was chaotic at the ‘horse-interchange’. Shouting,
waving, horses, carriages, touts, tourists, all interwoven – deafening –
chaotic
We visited the extraordinary Temple of Horus, the mythical son
of Isis and Osiris. Here, according to the myth, Horus avenged the murder of his
father Osiris by defeating his father’s Brother Seth in combat. We sailed on to
Kom Ombo to visit the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris and then onto Aswan for the
night.
Tuesday - Day 6:
6 Dec 2011
Everyone
woke up at 3.30am ungrudgingly before collecting breakfast set and set-off to
waiting bus convoy at 4.30am. Had to scramble for coins in the dark when there
is a toilet break before start in the cold dark wintry morning .
Amazingly, the next moment, we were in
a convoy of buses for tourists, crossing the magnificent Sahara desert, witnessing
the most specular sunrise all captured in film.
This
tough, gruelling but straight road of the desert highway spanned a 3-hour ride long stretches
of road 300km away from Aswan.
Actually I didn’t know there’s a
mini-town coupled with an airport and hotel and the costs to this ancient
wonder of Abu Simbel by air, priced at £120.00 pp, or £60.00 pp by road.
Abu
Simbel is indeed world-renowned. The Queen’s temple beside it was smaller in
scale.
After
making it back around 10.30am and reaching the boat at 1pm for lunch. We
proceed almost immediately for optional tour (USD25 per pax) for Nubian village
at 2.30pm.
It
encompasses a Motor boat ride in which Clyde and I enjoyed immensely. The return
boat ride which all of us remaining sitting at the ‘top’ – the roof of the boat
was indeed heavenly, enjoying the breeze, the Nile scenery , chit chats, plenty
of quality photo pictures and an experience unavailable in Singapore
We had a most relaxing and enjoyable trip
in a traditional felucca around Elephantine Island accompanied by singing boys
in a sampan-like boat belting out Singaporeans favourites such as Mustafa and a
French oldies on Meat Balls. Hesham pointed to us Elephantine Island and the
Botanical Gardens on General Kitchener Island given as a gift in 1890. Here,
visitors enjoy the beautiful flowers imported from Africa, India and the Far
East. Sail and overnight at Esna.
Wednesday - Day 7:
7 Dec 2011
Visit the High Dam
We set off at 8am to the Aswan High Dam. It was a
40-minute ride. The usual accolades for
a dam - beautiful, fantastic and etc., etc.
This whole 500-square-kilometres
of water, as with the Three Gorges Dam in China, submarining many ancient
temples, artefacts and of course arable land.
Finished in 1971; it has ensured up to
three harvests a year. The Unfinished Obelisk still rooted to the bedrock of
pink granite and the Temple of Isis on Philae Island, proceeding
in a motor boat. 10 minutes boat ride. Visited the Temple of Harthor and Temple
of Iris. They were built during the Ptolemaic times, who were direct descendants
from ancient Greek. Though depicting Pharonic
hieroglyphics, there are the works of Greek craftsmen, Indeed it was all Geek
to Mui and the rest, no pun intended.
Later
we proceed to Aswan airport at 3pm for return
flight to Cairo. The plane touchdown Cairo at 5.30pm without much
fanfare except that the aircon wasn’t working and the bad-tempered man beside
me was nearly suffocating and ready to beat someone up
At
the airport the family of 4 in our tour group members found one of their bags
broke. Hence there were delays till 6.10pm
Most unfortunately, we met
with traffic jams all the way to the famous bazaar, Khan al-Khanlili
market. I remember seeing one guide
books mentioning there are over 4000 stalls and shops around this area in
Cairo. According to Berlitz Guide, it says Khan al-khanlili is open till 8pm every
day except Sunday, but according to Hesham the shops are opened till 1am or
later which we have seen with our own eyes 9.30pm the shops and stalls are
still open but not exactly doing a roaring trade as the economy is going
downhill with Mubarak regime out of the way.We shopped till 8.30pm before proceeding to a so-called posh restaurant by the sea by Egyptian standards for some Singaporean chum cum food fare before returning to Mercure Le Sphinx hotel at 10pm. The bus detours back to the Khan-el-khanlili area on the way back to the hotel and the stalls are wide open and it is almost 10pm
Thursday - Day 8:
8 Dec 2011
Alexandria
It
was another 3-hour long journey ( according to the tour guide but actually was much much longer) that started punctually at 7.30am. All of us were
‘forced’ to wake up at 6am before breakfast at 6.30am.
The
routine: Wakeup call at 6.00pm, breakfast 6.30am, rolled out at 7.30am
Had
an adventure along the way. The bus stopped along the highway. The tour guide bought a
crate of oranges from a lorry. A fellow road user on the highway. The small-sized oranges look bright and juicy but they are actually sour.
Finally
we reached the borders of the fame city of Alexandria to see debris, dilaplated
houses, and basically ….slums…disappointing!
Smack
into the snarl of the heavy traffic when we reached the city, and my, were the
roads bumpy. A tickle of rain and about
10 minutes the sky gave way and Egyptians were actually shunning the rain!
We
were going round and round and caught tin massive traffic jam and a very bumpy
journey. What greeted our eyes were
people going on their activities with much passiveness, and yes, debris and
litters were scattered all over. Environmental law enforcers were definitely
not part of the job
We
visited the not-so-impressive Catacombs (Kom el-Shuqafah) dating from the 2nd
century. The eerie remains of a rather decadent mixed culture these tombs are
built around a central funerary court.
Within
the 3 levels of the tomb chambers are frieze-sand peculiar statues, including
Medusa heads, bearded serpents and the jackal headed Anubis in Roman Military
armour.
Later
we followed the tour by a short drive to the Pompey’s Pillar. Made of red
granite, the 30m column was raised to honour Emperor Diocletian, not the Roman
General to whom it was named.
Two
grimy sphinxes from the Ptolemaic era are placed at its based. The column
stands amidst the ruins of the Serpeum and what was once Cleopatra library. This
is all that remains of Rhakotis, the spiritual centre of ancient Alexandria.
Hesham
stopped the bus along the Mediterranean coast way for a quick photo shot of his
alma-mater and the ultra-modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was constructed along
the coast road east of Maydan ZAghlul square. The library’s façade in grey
Aswan granite is covered red with inscriptions of all known alphabet.
The
original ancient library of Alexander founded by Ptolemy I and one of the
biggest in its time, comprises some 70000 works, is actually situated near the
Pompeys Pillar. It was damaged by several fires and then completely destroyed
by the Arab invasion of 640.
There
are no beaches in the centre of Alexandria but the resort of Muntazah 8 km to the
east, offers sand, sea and hotels, Muntazah Palace built in the 19th
century is now a smart hotel-casino surrounded by beautiful gardens
Friday - Day 9:
9
Dec 2011
Midan
Tahir, Cairo
Midan Tahir, which is also known as "Liberation Square," or Tahrir Square, is the large public square at the centre of modern Cairo. It also gives you passage to the streets and institutions nearby. And of course, there’s the charcoal-burnt-like building supposedly to be Mubarak’s former work-office.
The Egyptian Museum Cairo, the Arab League, the American University in Cairo, and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are here as well. There are also several government offices here, including those that you can go in order to renew your visa. The Cairo Metro's centre is under Midan Tahrir. In addition, many buses and taxis stop frequently at Tahrir Square in the old days.
The most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the rather aged Nile Hilton, which sits between the Square and the Nile Corniche. Just to the north and across from the hotel is the can't-be-missed Egyptian Museum, built of reddish-pink stone.
Just south of the Nile Hilton Hotel is the Arab League Building, which has seen better days. Across the busy Sharia Tahrir, the imposing Mogamma Building houses 18,000 employees of the Egyptian bureaucracy and also has convenient visa renewal offices.
Sharia Tahrir then crosses the Nile over the Tahrir Bridge and into Gezira, the island suburb. Then, it goes to Giza and the Pyramids, a distance of several miles, so walking would be a problem for most. Next to the Mogamma Building is the small, attractive Mosque of Omar Makram. Here, many state and business funerals are hosted. Slightly further south is the Intercontinental Hotel.
To the east of Tahrir Square are several large office buildings and stores with neon signs. Crossing busy Qasr al-Ainy will get you to the American University of Cairo campus.
Getting
around Tahrir Square
To
get around the Tahrir Square area, one probably should use the interconnected
underground pedestrian tunnels that link the Metro station to various points in
and around the Square.
Not only can this save a lot of time, but it saves one from having to negotiate the heavy traffic and the current remodelling project of the Square itself.
Not only can this save a lot of time, but it saves one from having to negotiate the heavy traffic and the current remodelling project of the Square itself.
The
Egyptian Museum Cairo
The Egyptian Museum Cairo is officially known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and sits on the northern edge of Midan Tahrir. It is one of the world's great museums according to the tour guide books. It houses an extensive collection of Egyptian antiquities.
The
Cairo Museum, as it is also known, has at least 136,000 items on display. Many
hundreds of thousands more waited in storage. More are yet to be added each
year to storage as on-going excavation and discovery finds new items.The main collection will eventually be transferred to a new Grand Egyptian Museum Cairo, which will sit within close proximity to the Giza Pyramids. The new location will likely be much more user friendly with better labelling and documentation, which is sometimes poor in the current facility for even prime exhibits. As of Dec 2011 it is still under construction and slated to be completed either 2014 later according to the tour guide Hesham.
This new museum springs from the Egyptian Antiquities Service, which was established by the Egyptian government in 1835. It's an attempt to limit loading of antiquities sites and artefacts. It was first officially opened in 1858 with a collection by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette.
Egyptian
Museum Highlights
Funerary
mask of TutankhamenThe tomb of Tutankhamen (he was also known as "the boy king") was discovered in 1922, and was gradually excavated over the next few years. Many of the objects discovered therein were brought to the Egyptian Museum Cairo for display.
A few objects found their way into foreign collections, while several, including the inner sarcophagus and the body itself, remained in the small tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Several items from the Tutankhamen collection are still on tour to museums in North America and Europe.
The Royal Mummies, Upper Floor
This exhibit has a separate admission charge of LE 100 (2007) and no photographs are allowed. Many pharaohs of the New Kingdom Period and beyond are displayed here in the Royal Mummy Hall. This is at the corner of the first-floor lobby.
About
10 Royal Mummies are displayed in temperature and pressure controlled glass
cabinets. Unfortunately, these mummies are not identified by the name of the
period to which they belong, nor are any other chronological information given.
Shopping
in the Egyptian MuseumThere's a bookstore and several small gift stores within the Egyptian Museum Cairo; these are open during museum hours and sit within the main entrance hall to the museum. The prices can be somewhat inflated. One should also take care that the proprietors do not pass off a grimy equivalent of the displayed copies that customers think they are purchasing.
Eating at Midan Tahrir
Midan Tahrir offers many convenient dining options for the traveller. Just opposite the American University in Cairo, there are the familiar restaurants of McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC.
The basement of the annex to the Hilton on Tahrir Square offers a variety of international eateries in a food court type of setting. Here you can choose from Egyptian, American hamburgers, etc. Prices are reasonable and the setting is comfortable.
Citadel of Saladin
The
Citadel of Saladin (EL-Qala)
The construction of the Citadel of Saladin was started
by King Saladin in 1170 A.D, and completed by his brother, King El-Addel.
It is located on a high hill that overlooks the old
city of Cairo.
Saladin built this fortress to protect the old city of
Cairo. It consists of enclosure walls and watchtowers, as well as many, many
gates! As every 120m there are gates into the Citadel that were built at
various times in history. The architectural plan of the fortress resembles many
of the ones that were built in Syria and Palestine at the time of the Crusades.
Later on, the Citadel became a major training centre for the Egyptian army.
The Citadel was neglected until the Mamluke Period, in
the 14th Century, when they used it as a residence for the Sultan. During
that period, the Sultan El-Naser Mohamed added many buildings, including a
Mosque, inside the castle.
During the Ottoman times, the Turks installed further
reinforcements, and used it as a residence for the Turkish Viceroy, as well as
increasing the number of garrisons in the Citadel.
Mohammed Ali Pashar Mosque
Under Mohamed Ali, there were other monuments added to
the Citadel, amongst them the great alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali.
Muhammad
Ali Pasha is considered by many to be the founder of modern Egypt. Though he
came to Egypt as a Turkish army officer in 1800, he rose to rule Egypt, and his
decedents continued to do so until the last king of Egypt, Ahmed Fouad II,
abdicated his rule in 1952 by royal decree No. 65-1952.
Mohammad
Ali Pasha, the first and most famous of this line of Egyptian kings was
actually born in Kavala, a small Macedonian seaport on the coast of the Aegean,
what is now known as Greece, in 1769. At that time, Kavala was a part of the Ottoman Empire. The son of the local police chief, his father, Ibrahim Agha, when Mohammad Ali was still quite young, and so the boy was taken in to service by the governor of the city, where much of his early training took place.
He
was Turkish by origin and Turkish speaking, yet trained in a European province
of the Ottoman Empire. He brought with
him political skills honed in the century-long conflict between the three great
empires that disputed control of the Balkans. Commonly called Mehmet Ali, as a
young man he worked for a while as a tobacco merchant, before taking a
commission in the Ottoman Army.
The Mohammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque
Designed
by the Greek architect Yussuf Bushnaq, The Mohammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque in
the Citadel was begun in 1830 (finished in 1857) in the Ottoman style by
Mohammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt, and founder of the country's last dynasty
of Khedives and Kings. 
The
mosque is the Tomb of Mohammad Ali and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque
because of the extensive use of this fine material from Beni Suef. Its two
slender 270 foot minarets are unusual for Cairo. 
From
the arcaded courtyard, visitors have a magnificent view across the city to the
pyramids in Giza. Just off the courtyard is the vast prayer hall with an
Ottoman style dome which is 170 feet above. The parapet to the southwest offers
a good view of the Sultan Hassan and Ibn Tulun Mosques and of Cairo itself.
Perhaps because of its location, it is one of the most frequented Mosques by
tourists all around the world.
Cairo Airport
Saturday - Day 10:
10
Dec 2011
Touched down Changi International Airport at 3pm
Touched down Changi International Airport at 3pm
Home Sweet Home
Aftermath of Arab Spring
At
Midan Tahrir, commonly known Tahrir Square
17
Dec 2011 Saturday
As we brought Clyde home from Robotics lessons at
Coronation Plaza, we heard fresh clashes between Egyptian security forces and protesters demanding an end to
military rule. It was a mere 1 week after our safe return from Cairo with at
least eight people was killed in a resurgence of violence.
Hundreds of demonstrators threw stones at soldiers who retaliated with
projectiles thrown from rooftops. Security forces chased protesters through the
streets to Tahrir Square, the centre of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak
earlier this year.
There are fears the fresh wave of turmoil in Cairo, which comes two days
after millions voted in parliamentary elections. It could trigger a repeat of
deadly clashes between youth revolutionaries and security forces in November
that lasted for days and claimed more than 40 lives.
CAIRO | Tue Dec 20, 2011
Egyptian police and
soldiers firing guns and teargas fought to clear protesters from Cairo's Tahrir
Square on Tuesday 20 December 2011, the fifth day of clashes that have killed
13 people.
The
United States, which saw Egypt as a staunch ally in the era of deposed leader
Hosni Mubarak, gives Cairo US$1.3 billion a year in military aid.
Secretary
of State, Hillary Clinton said women had been mostly shut out of
decision-making by Egypt's ruling military and by big political parties.
General
Adel Emara, a member of Egypt's army council that took over after Mubarak was
overthrown in February 2011
After
a night of clashes, hundreds of protesters demanding an immediate end to army
rule were in Tahrir Square in the morning.
The
latest violence broke out just after the second stage of a six-week election
for Egypt's new parliament that starts a slow countdown to the army's return to
barracks. The military has pledged to hand power to an elected president by
July.
Hard-core
activists camped in Tahrir during a protest against army rule on 18 November 2011.
That week of mayhem killed 42 people.
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