Alexandria, Egypt
Alexandria, Egypt (For Cairo and Giza)
Docked at Alexandria Port
Latitude 31.20 Degrees North and
Longitude 29.92 Degrees East
April 21st, 2018
Weather: Mostly Cloudy With 8-10 Mph Winds; High of 82 Degrees and Hazy Air With Low Humidity
Author: Don
Today we docked at the ancient historic city of Alexandria on the north coast of Egypt at the mouth of the huge Nile River Delta. It was a gray, relatively cool and breezy day. Alexandria was founded around a small Egyptian town in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great after he was proclaimed Pharaoh following his army'a defeat and expulsion of the Persian's from Egypt. A giant lighthouse called the “Pharos” was built nearby by Pharaoh Ptolemy during the 3rd century B.C. But it was destroyed by a number of earthquakes more than 1200 years later. Today, Alexandria is Egypt's second-largest city.
Again, we rode in a bus 3 hours each way for our tour, from the crowded city of Alexandria to the even more crowded city of Cairo and its suburb Giza. About one-fifth of Egypt's entire 100 million population lives in the Cairo metropolitan area. Luckily it was Saturday, so the notoriously jammed Cairo traffic was not too big a problem. All along the way, our caravan of 13 buses had police escorts for security purposes, which gave the added benefit of speeding us through congested intersections.
Our first stop was the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo. It is incredible, with so many fascinatingly ancient things to see and learn about. We actually were allowed to touch 4000-year old colossal statues and sarcophagi. It was mind-boggling!
We drove to nearby Giza for lunch in a nice hotel and then to the Egyptian Pyramids on the Giza Plateau. The pyramids are incomprehensibly big! There are three large pyramid tombs at Giza, along with three much smaller ones. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is 480 feet tall. Khufu ruled as Pharaoh during the 26th century B.C. (4500 years ago)! The third large pyramid is that of Menkaure (at 215 feet). Menkaure was Khufu's grandson. Between these two, is the Pyramid of Khafre, Khufu's son. It is 1 foot shorter than his father's, but looks taller because it is built on 33-foot higher ground. We got to view them from different vantage points and then visited the nearby Great Sphinx statue. (All the while, fending off offers of rides and photos from aggressive camel drivers.) For centuries, much of the Sphinx and all of Khafre's Valley Temple next to it were buried in sand. The Sphinx was probably built for Khafre at the time of his Pyramid's construction.
The Egyptian museum and Pyramids were fabulous. We only wish we could have had more time (multiple days) to thoroughly appreciate and enjoy them. Unfortunately, that is one of the drawbacks to traveling by cruise ship: though a wonderfully comfortable and luxurious way to travel, it takes a long time to get someplace and you don't get much time once there.
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Anubis Atop Funereal PlatformAnubis Atop Funereal Platform -
Armrest On Gilded Chair From Tutankhamun's TombArmrest On Gilded Chair From Tutankhamun's Tomb -
At Khafre's PyramidAt Khafre's Pyramid -
At The Base Of Khafre's PyramidAt The Base Of Khafre's Pyramid -
Barge Containing Tutankhamun's Internal OrgansBarge Containing Tutankhamun's Internal Organs -
Box Found In Tutankhamun's TombBox Found In Tutankhamun's Tomb -
Camel RiderCamel Rider -
Chair From Tutankhamun's TombChair From Tutankhamun's Tomb -
Debbie At GizaDebbie At Giza -
Debbie With Anubis (God Of Funerals) From Tutankhamun's TombDebbie With Anubis (God Of Funerals) From Tutankhamun's Tomb -
Detail Of Box Found In Tutankhamun_s TombDetail Of Box Found In Tutankhamun_s Tomb -
Detail Of Tutankhamun_s Funeral BargeDetail Of Tutankhamun_s Funeral Barge -
Gallery In Egyptian Museum Of AntiquitiesGallery In Egyptian Museum Of Antiquities -
Giant Limsetone Head Of Queen Hatshepsut From Statue At Her Temple In ThebesGiant Limsetone Head Of Queen Hatshepsut From Statue At Her Temple In Thebes -
Gilded Mask From Unidentified MummyGilded Mask From Unidentified Mummy -
God Of The Dead Welcoming A Pharaoh To The AfterlifeGod Of The Dead Welcoming A Pharaoh To The Afterlife -
Headboard Of Bed From Tutankhamun's tombHeadboard Of Bed From Tutankhamun's tomb -
In Front Of The Cairo Egyptian MuseumIn Front Of The Cairo Egyptian Museum -
Inlaid Colored Glass On Coffin Of Petosiris (High Priest Of Thoth during 4th Century B.C.)Inlaid Colored Glass On Coffin Of Petosiris (High Priest Of Thoth during 4th Century B.C.) -
Khafre's PyramidKhafre's Pyramid -
Limestone Statues Of Rahotep (High Priest Of Heliopolis, General And Son Of Pharaoh Senefru) and his wife Noferet - Circa 2600 BCLimestone Statues Of Rahotep (High Priest Of Heliopolis, General And Son Of Pharaoh Senefru) and his wife Noferet - Circa 2600 BC -
Mankaure's PyramidMankaure's Pyramid -
Mask On Otherwise Plain SarcophagusMask On Otherwise Plain Sarcophagus -
Menkaure's and Queens' PyramidsMenkaure's and Queens' Pyramids -
Near Khafre's PyramidNear Khafre's Pyramid -
Pharaoh At Afterworld GatePharaoh At Afterworld Gate -
Photo Of Tutankhamun's Tomb As DiscoveredPhoto Of Tutankhamun's Tomb As Discovered -
Posing With Pyramid of MenkaurePosing With Pyramid of Menkaure -
Posing With The SphinxPosing With The Sphinx -
Pyramid of Pharaoh Khafre In BackgroundPyramid of Pharaoh Khafre In Background -
Pyramids of Khafre and KhufuPyramids of Khafre and Khufu -
Scene On tutankhamun's funeral BargeScene On tutankhamun's funeral Barge -
Sphinx Close-UpSphinx Close-Up -
Sphinx StatueSphinx Statue -
Statue Of God Ptah From A Memphis Temple (At Egyptian Antiquities Museum)Statue Of God Ptah From A Memphis Temple (At Egyptian Antiquities Museum) -
Statue of Thutmose III In Egyptian Museum Of AntiquitiesStatue of Thutmose III In Egyptian Museum Of Antiquities -
Stele Depicting A Feast Offered To A PharaohStele Depicting A Feast Offered To A Pharaoh -
The Great Pyramid Of KhufuThe Great Pyramid Of Khufu -
The Sphinx At GizaThe Sphinx At Giza -
The Two Big Pyramids Viewed From The SphinxThe Two Big Pyramids Viewed From The Sphinx