Photography & travel

EGYPT – Cairo

Do you remember the candyfloss pop song ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ from the Bangles in 1986? Well they should make one about the insane driving skills in Cairo.The road markings to indicate the lanes are a waste of paint in Cairo. If three lanes are provided, the drivers will make it four, or five. Depending on their driving skills. Many roads lack dotted lines, but that is not a problem. Navigating from left to right w/o using indicators feels even more organic. Call it orchestrated chaos. Every Uber driver we had played it along masterfully.And to top it all off, …

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EGYPT – Pyramids

The Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu (Cheops) second King of Egypt’s 4th dynasty,feels overwhelming when you stand next to it.Especially when you are almost alone. We were waiting at 7 am for the local entrance to open. [a tip from another blogger]So we didn’t go through the main entrance like most visitors do. It was pleasantly quiet and we still had time to enjoy a Turkish coffee from a nearby small coffee shop. You can hop on a tour bus and let you drive around, but then you miss out on a large part of the experience. And that …

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EGYPT – GEM#2

Next to the main museum you have a second building which houses a remarkably preserved 43-meter-long solar boat, discovered beside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Ancient Egyptians believed these boats transported pharaohs through the afterlife, offering a glimpse into their spiritual beliefs and funerary practices. King Khufu’s Solar Boat was discovered in 1954 by Egyptian archeologist Kamal el-Mallakh at the foot of the Great Pyramid.The boat was hidden under the sand in a sealed pit. Kamal suspected that there was another boat hidden somewhere. And he was right. It took more than ten years to reassemble the first boat, weighing …

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EGYPT – GEM#1

The Grand Egyptian museum or GEM is indeed a gem in capital letters. Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects from Ireland and constructed by the Belgian based company Besix together with Orascom Construction PLC based in Egypt.From the outside the building is massive but once inside it doesn’t feel that way.The atmosphere feels intimate and airy, thanks to the triangular alabaster window at the top of the entrance that transform the bright sunlight into a satin-like glow.First thing you notice when you enter the Grand Hall is the red granite statue of King Ramesses II. Weighing 87 tons and with a …

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Egypt