Egypt
Two years ago I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt, which is a place I have always wanted to visit. It was as I expected, hot, dusty and Cairo was very busy. Though when I saw the Pyramids, Sphinx and the amazing temples in Abu Simbel close up, I was blown away.
A full day was spent viewing the three Pyramids, Sphinx, site of Memphis (ancient capital) and Sekkara (old burial city). In the city of Cairo we visited the Egyptian Museum (with magnificent antiquities), the historic Citadel complex and the open air bazaars (markets). From Cairo we flew to Aswan to start our cruise on the Nile. In the morning before the boat left we had the opportunity to do a side trip to Abu Simbel to see the temples of Ramesees II and Queen Nefertari (well worth it !).
Cruising the Nile is a great way to visit many temples in the different cities without having to move accommodation each time. From Aswan we visited the temple at Kom Ombo which is on an island close by. We sailed to Edfu and visited the wonderful temple of Horus, then continued on to Luxor. We visited the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens (with their many burial sites) located on the west bank of Luxor. The beautiful temples of Luxor and Karnak are also located within this city. When the cruise ended in Luxor, we flew back to Cairo for one last night which gave us the chance to buy some gifts before coming home with lots of wonderful memories.