Travelling to Egypt

It was Egypt that really ignited my travel curiosity. A friend’s husband, Ian, showed us slides of his student travels. He only took canned food along, ham and pineapple chunks, to avoid the stomach bugs. But I was already besotted with the ancient history – all those intriguing myths. Mummies and weighing of hearts. Tombs and curses. And after seeing the desert and all those gigantic monuments I was hooked. Several years later I finally got there, on a package tour to Cairo, Giza, Luxor and Aswan.

My last tour didn't begin very auspiciously. I took a photo of a donkey pulling a rubbish cart on my first day in Cairo and was immediately ‘arrested’ and escorted down to the police station. The Egyptians, it seemed, were not keen on having their garbage collection advertised. I hadn’t even realised that it was rubbish. I was only interested in the cute donkey. After an ear-wigging (how was I to know? Not the best way to encourage innocent tourists I think), they removed the film from my camera and let me depart. It was a rude shock and almost cured me of my travel ambitions. Almost.

But that was a very long time ago, so now I'm back, on my third visit to Cairo, but my first since the digital age. The plane from Heathrow is delayed already, because of traffic control. Apparently, the skies over Europe are busy today. It was a very early start and I’m waiting to sleep. My airport taxi driver told me to nap on the journey and then talked non-stop the whole way !

I’m met by Akram who is very organised and very superior. Especially when it comes to women. It’s not long before he’s taken charge of my ATM endeavours and drawn out much less money than I wanted. I mustn’t carry too much, in case I get robbed, I’m instructed. Even though there’s a four USD charge for every transaction. He’s also informed me I’ve booked into the wrong hotel. I should be downtown, not in Giza. And he grandly declaims that Egypt should not be compared with other Arab countries, when I have the temerity to talk about the Arab language. It’s ancient and unique. That told me.

I’ve been trying to acquire information about what sites are included on the Exodus Tour I’m going to join, in two days’ time. What I’ve been told is contradictory and I’m desperate to see the Khan al Khalili Bazaar, having failed to even find it on my last two visits. Akram says that my guide is a very nice guide and he will take me anywhere I want. Yes, the bazaar. Yes, the newly ( partially) opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

When I WhatsApp the guide, Nael, in the evening, it’s a very different story. Yes, to the bazaar, but then no, after consultation with the tour managers. Doesn’t he know his own itinerary? He thinks no to GEM. The group will go to Saqqara instead. There are already two museums included.

The Road to Ismailia

Before I join my tour I'm taking a side trip to Suez. The city traffic no longer crawling, like it used to ( for the most part), but still chaotic and the driving utterly crazy. There are overpasses and underpasses and four-lane highways. In places there are parallel four-lane highways. Eight in each direction. Large vehicles are supposed to use the outer roads. The emphasis is on the supposed to. Small pick ups chunter laconically, but no sign of any donkeys now. The cars speed along, weaving in and out of each other, with no consideration for the lane markings, where they're marked at all. It's a matter of pride to avoid them, I'm told.

My driver Khaled is clearly not afraid to join the fray. He’s accelerating right up the bumper in front before swerving to one side. I can’t always guess correctly which way we will go. He’s one handed on the wheel, the majority of the time, Mostly, because he’s checking his phone with the other. I’ve given up asking him questions. His English isn’t amazing and he’s checking his answers on Google Translate. 'Safe, safe', he cries.

Well, I think I'm going to Suez, but I'm not, I'm going to Ismailia, which is a new city at the centre of the canal construction. It’s new highway the whole distance. Running parallel with green crops, the irrigation channelled all the way from the Nile. More new cities. An industrial area. Theme parks. Khaled buys me mulberries from a roadside stall. They’re mostly green, unripe and odd tasting. The few red fruits excessively sweet. Khaled urges me to eat them and I select a few, worrying about food poisoning. It's an ever present threat in Egypt, and I suffered badly last time.

Ismailia

By the time we arrive at Ismailia, nearly two hours later, my neck is solid from tension and my braking foot aches. But we've only had one near miss and that wasn't driver Khaled’s fault. It's a peaceful city. Modern, but quiet, despite the fact it’s a national holiday, to celebrate winning Sinai back from Israel. Little work is available now the canals are completed. There a few families out picnicking, on the grass of the central carriageways

Ferdinand de Lesseps, the Frenchman responsible for canal construction, built his house here, next to the beautiful sepia and brown building which was once the control centre for the construction and is now the Suez Canal Museum. I have a very good guide, one of the managers. She even refuses baksheesh. And it's a fascinating story, entwined with the more recent history of Egypt. The manpower involved was astonishing. I didn’t know that the Ptolemies had already built their own version of the canal, linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, via lakes and a distributary of the Nile, at the delta. But it has long since silted and dried up.

Aldunfah Beach Club, run by the Suez Canal Authority, is the place to watch all the boats traverse the basin here, from the north. This used to be a holding area, as ships waited their turn. The canal would only allow ships to travel in one direction at a time. The journey takes just 11 hours in all, now a second canal has been dug out for much of the route - a project initiated by the current president after the Ever Given ran aground, in 2021, causing massive delays. He was told it would take three years. He demanded one year. It took one year and 11 days. It’s very pleasant, sitting by the small beach and tracking the container vessels, chugging down the waterway, alongside the carved-out desert.

Seafood is obligatory here, close to the Red Sea and we feast on fried shrimp and rice in a restaurant, which I’m pleased to see is mainly patronised by locals.

Giza, the Second City of Egypt

Giza is very close to Cairo, but it's a city in its own right. In fact, it's the third largest city in Egypt, close to the site of the ancient pharaonic capital, Memphis, and home to the must see necropolis on the Giza Plateau: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx of Giza, several cemeteries and the remains of a workers' village.

I’ve chosen The Steigenberger Hotel, advertised as having splendid pyramid views. The only other splendid view option is the Mena, which is directly opposite the pyramids and supposed to be fabulous. But it’s over 400 USD per night, so it’s not an option. As is so often the case reality isn’t quite what I had fondly imagined. The Giza necropolis is indeed just across the road. But it’s a major road, with plenty of speeding traffic. And there’s a big neon screen and a crane in the way too. It’s a good job the pyramids are huge – I can still see them well. It’s just not very romantic.

To add insult to injury I’ve been given a room which has a solid balcony. Direct pyramid view yes. But only if you stand up. No sipping ( very expensive) cocktails and admiring the panorama at the same time then. I’d also thought I would get a free sound and light show (Son et Lumiere). But it hadn’t occurred to me that the lights might be on the far side of the pyramids. And they are. I can just make out some lasers trickling up and down the side of Khufu, the Great Pyramid. According to the reviews, the lights barely make it up to the tip of the pyramids, even from the show side. And the whole thing is deemed corny. Oh well. At least the Mena is on the wrong side too.

The bell captain makes the usual song and dance about showing me how the air con works, so he can justify a tip. I’m perplexed about the exchange rate after Akram’s intervention and worried I might over tip wildly. 'I don’t have any small money', I extrapolate wildly. 'That’s fine', he beams. 'I have change'. And he fans out a wad of notes.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

The new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is in its soft opening phase. Which means that Tutankhamun (or rather his tomb artefacts) isn’t there yet. He is still in the down town Egyptian Museum, where he was last time I came. Except only some of him was. His death mask was in Germany on tour. I’ve been terrified that he will be in transit for this visit and I will miss him again. But it seems not. Akram assures me he’s in GEM already, so I’m confident he’s still where I understood him to be, in the Egyptian Museum.

GEM is promoted as the biggest museum in the world and it is directly over the road from my hotel. That’s not such a positive factor as you might think either. As I’ve said it’s a busy four-lane road. And there’s a high wall in the centre, that I certainly can't climb over. But I’ve decided I can’t risk not seeing it and I’m going on my own. The wonderful tour company. (I’m already sadly cynical), have quoted 135 USD to take me. And it’s just 17 GBP equivalent to go in. I leave early on Friday, when the traffic is quieter and saunter along the pavement, till the central wall disappears, near a roundabout. Then, I run for it.

The museum is, IMHO, unmissable. The artefacts are arranged in stunning fashion, in lofty pyramid themed halls, with statues arranged artistically, up sweeping staircases. I take my place amongst rows of pharaohs.

Travellators sweep you up the many flights to the top, so you can admire the statuary from a distance. Then, there’s the main gallery, now mostly open. It's not hugely easy to follow the zig-zag chronological order of the 12 galleries, from the Old Kingdom to the New, and the Graeco-Roman period. And there is nothing hugely archeologically significant. But the exhibition is beautifully arranged and wonderfully photogenic. It would be a crime to leave it out. Let's see how the other two measure up.

The Pyramid Parks Resort, a Party, and a New Record

I have to move just up the road to the Pyramid Parks Resort, for the tour. I decide to spend the afternoon by the Steigenberger pool, before transferring by cab. It’s a quiet hotel and both pool and restaurant are peaceful, which is a definite plus. They charge 20 USD for a two minute drive. But I can’t wheel my case along the highway and they know it.

And I’ve clearly made a bad decision in arriving at what I thought was the end of the afternoon. This hotel is very different from the genteel but faded Steigenberger. The foyer is decorated with fake gilt Egyptian God statues and swarming with people. There’s a party in full swing, across the enormous pool. The noise is appalling and there are swaying bodies everywhere.

My room is of the villa outbuilding type. Renovated with cheap laminated furniture, it still has the old air con controls, which have to be set at 10 degrees before anything happens. The bell captains show me this of course. They have it down to a fine art here. One shows me the room and the other brings the case over later. Double tips. The walls are vibrating. The hoardings say the party finishes at six p.m. but no one is taking any notice of that. The clocks went forward last night. I can only hope that they’re working on the old times. The porter tells me cheerfully that there’s a huge party at the pyramids tonight. I won’t be going. Dominican Republic all is forgiven.

My stomach is already playing up, to add to my misery. That must be a record. I’ve only been here two days. I should have just pretended to eat those mulberries. I’ve had to see the doctor and been injected and prescribed sundry medicines - a multitude of pills.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

Time to join my tour. we are six. Two couples who are Brits of Indian ethnicity (via Kenya), Gavin from Scotland and tour guide Nael. And we're off to see the sights.

The Great Pyramids were all built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, between 2600 and 2500 BC. The Great Pyramid was one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, listed by the ancient Greek poet Antipater of Sidon. (Despite being by far the oldest of the Ancient Wonders, it's the only one still in existence). The pyramids are three huge edifices (though not as big as the ones in Mexico it has to be noted), magnificent when viewed from expensive hotel rooms. However, it has to be said that I discovered, on my last visit, that they are all slightly disappointing inside, empty and smelly. I’ve read that they are still discovering internal hidden passages in them. And there's currently an exciting story about huge new chambers underneath, circulating on the web. But everyone here assures me it's fake news.

A camel ride in Giza is almost compulsory, but on my last visit, the camel owner lead me round the back of the pyramids. ‘Nice long ride’, I thought naively. But he refused to bring me back until exorbitant amounts of baksheesh had been paid. Guide, Nael promises a safer experience this time. But my fellow tourists veto the proposition.

Today, the necropolis area has been completely revamped, with official entrances, shops and a viewing platform (with camel ride options). The pyramids are not awe inspiring, in the hazy distance, more compelling close up. Unexpected huge staircase slabs of granite. Limestone covering stolen away over the centuries, along with an assortment of the huge cubes. A tumble of bricks by the side of the largest, the 136 metre Great Pyramid built by Khufu. Or rather, he ordered its construction and a hundred thousand men laboured every year, for 28 years, between July and October, when the inundation prevented them working the fields. Just behind, is the limestone topped Khafre pyramid. He was Khufu's son and his face is preserved for posterity on the Sphinx, in front of his pyramid, next to his mortuary temple.

The Sphinx is enigmatic, as promised, if a little battered. This iconic statue is 73 metres long, with the body of a lion. Sadly, it seems that the story that Napoleon shot his nose off with shells is not true. He didn't have the explosives necessary at that time in history and, apparently, it's been missing for over a thousand years. The Sphinx is the most enticing of the monuments here. Mournful and poised. He stares over his giant folded paws. Nose long gone. I wonder what he makes of the sound and light shows, chairs set at the ready opposite.

The littlest of the Great Pyramids belongs to grandson Menkaure. Perhaps it's like the Kim dynasty in North Korea and the descendants pretend they are less important. But it's more likely that the construction of the two giant pyramids almost bankrupted the nation.

Cairo, the Capital of Egypt

The doctor has been checking up on me. He says he feels he wants to look after me as I remind him of his mother. The comment doesn’t exactly make me feel warm and fuzzy, but he’s being very kind. Another injection, more pills. I haven’t had a very good night.

The name of Cairo, is derived from the word for Conqueror, but Egyptians generally refer to Cairo as Misr (as in the name of the country), as their capital is so important to them. It sits right at the junction of the Nile Delta. The history of Cairo, of course, goes back a long way. Ancient cities nestle around it. Heliopolis was associated with the sun god Atum, who came to be identified with Ra, and then Horus. It was home to several obelisks. One, the oldest in the world, remains, the others were stolen.

And it is very much still huge and sprawling - it is both the biggest city in Africa, and in the Arab world, with an urban population of over 26 million. But it is now a very different city. Not white or cream, but assorted shades of biscuity beige. Grey apartment buildings soar into the sky, each side of the heart-stopping overpasses, only relieved by the splashes of colour, which is the washing flapping on the balconies. Between Cairo and Giza it’s more adventurous, with sepia stripes and rectangles on the buildings. There’s even the odd touch of sage green. But otherwise it’s a monochrome Mondrian.

There's a new capital being built, in the suburbs and, thanks to all the new roads, the traffic is, for the most part, continuously moving, but there is still (it seems) no Highway Code. (There are a lot of cemeteries alongside the roads.)

Islamic Cairo

On my last trip Down Town, we visited the Ottoman Muhammad Ali Mosque, the Sultan Hassan Mosque and al-Rifa'i Mosque and the Egyptian Museum. And I couldn't find the entrance to the celebrated bazaar, the Khan el-Khalili, on either of my previous visits. There was however, a very famous authentic café, El Fisahwi, which was at least is a good place to relax after all the stress…

Today, we start with the Al Azar Mosque, in the historic Islamic core of the city. One thousand years old and beautiful, it has five majestic minarets, three of which were built in 1340, 1469, and 1510, a large prayer area, madrassas, and a breathtakingly beautiful marble central court. This was the first mosque commissioned in the new capital of the Fatimid Caliphate, in 970. Cairo eventually earned the nickname 'The City of a Thousand Minarets'.

I'm now been told firmly that the elusive Khan al Khalili Bazaar is not on the itinerary. But I've discovered it's very close to the Al Azar Mosque, so I sneak off. The bazaar is reached by an underpass, from the mosque. Third time lucky. It's not the prettiest of souks, but authentic, dirty grey streets overshadowed by minarets. The streets narrow, as I wander in. The stalls just opening up, lines of mannequins, being hoisted into the air above me. Early means relatively quiet. There isn’t too much hassle, except for one persistent old man, who follows me for five minutes before giving up. 'No', generally seems to be understood. Even by the men behind the benches, which signal tea houses, beckoning under the jacaranda trees.

The Egyptian Museum

The renowned Egyptian Museum, a ‘trove of antiquities', is an antique itself, completed in 1901, rambling and pink and hardly changed since then, with the artefacts displayed in wooden glass fronted cases. On my first visit, the treasures were guarded by men with AK 47s (but they've gone) and the most famous exhibit, the Tutankhamun Mask, was touring, in Germany.

It's swarming. The discovery of Tutankhamun's almost untouched tomb, in 1922, (it had been robbed like all the tombs but early on and not ransacked and was then was hidden by other tombs), hardly needs telling. The curse of the tomb and the death of sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, are well documented. But Howard Carter, the archaeologist, survived to live off his fame for many a year.

Some of Tutankhamun’s 4000 odd tomb artefacts (a boy king needs a lot to play with in the afterlife) have already been removed, ready to place in GEM. So, Akram was partly right. But, fortunately, the removed pieces are the ones I saw last time I was here. The outer sarcophagi, the shrines (like a huge four poster bed) and the chariots. The death mask is there, in the midst of the throng, along with the main gold sarcophagus and the gorgeous throne. No photos allowed (!)

Tutankhamun's accoutrements have been replaced by artefacts from another Valley of the King's Tomb, that of the ancient Egyptian noble Yuya and his wife Thuya. They were the parents of Queen Tiye, the chief wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun's grandfather. Their tomb was discovered, in February 1905. It had also been robbed in antiquity, but many of its original contents, including chests, beds, chairs, a chariot, and numerous storage jars were preserved. Until the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, took all the glory, this was lauded as one of the greatest discoveries in Egyptology.

Also amongst the haphazardly arranged collection are the burial artefacts of Psusennes I and the treasures of Tanis. Downstairs, statues of the kings of the Old Kingdom, who built the pyramids. Ironically, the only statue of Khufu, responsible for the Great Pyramid, is tiny, caved of ivory.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation

Then, The National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation. This is relatively new and only partially opened. I’m struggling to understand the logic of the organisation of the three museums. It’s definitely not chronology. They all seem to cover the same periods, although this one also extends to the nineteenth century. This last museum has an assortment similar to GEM, but is much smaller and less grand. Its main rationale seems to be the large mummy exhibition, in the downstairs chamber. Nearly all the major pharaohs' mummies are displayed, including Rameses II, warrior king (who lived to be 99) and Hatshepsut (only female pharaoh). Constant shushing by the staff and reminders to be quiet doesn’t make the experience any less ghoulish. A lot of very old, dead people. No photos allowed.

Memphis

Memphis was the ancient capital of the pharaohs, on and off through ancient times. Today, it's an enclosed area with a haphazard mass of fragments from Egypt’s history. We're visiting on an optional afternoon trip. The biggest draw is a Rameses II statue, lying prone, as he's been kneecapped. Literally. The legs aren’t there. There’s also a sphinx which is probably Hatshepsut. No-one can tell, as there’s no cartouche (these are enclosed hieroglyphics bearing names). Rameses II, on the other hand has multiple cartouches on his statues, and on numerous statues which aren’t really him at all.

Lunch at a nearby restaurant packed with tourists on the same trail, but thankfully a deliciously authentic grilled meal.

Saqqara

Sakkara was one of the ten ancient necropolises of Memphis. The step pyramid here is not only the oldest pyramid in the world, it's also the oldest stone building complex. It was built in the 27th century BC by the chancellor (and high priest of Ra) Imhotep. it's a mere 65 metres, for Pharaoh Djoser, next to his mortuary temple. The latter was designed to mimic the Royal Palace. Imhotep of course featured irreverently in The Return of the Mummy. Scarabs and architects running riot. Imhotep, was, however, deified by the ancient Egyptians.

Sakkara also claims the very first attempts at building smooth sided pyramids. One turned out to be bent. But the ancients learned their lesson and there’s a scattering of other, smaller but successful ones. There are also plenty of dug out tombs to explore, one (with fine tomb drawings) belonging to a princess, Idut.

On the way back, we have to stop at carpet warehouse, to see a weaving demonstration which lasts all of two minutes. After all, we're really here to be tempted into buying carpets.

Wadi Natron

Wadi Natron means salt valley and that’s where we are headed today. The ancient Egyptians mined salt here, to use for mummification. The highway is quiet. It’s a good time to doze.

Christians came to the area, as an early refuge from the Roman emperors, who persecuted them, (especially Diocletian) and they founded the very first monasteries . St. Anthony of Egypt was a religious hermit and one of the earliest Desert Fathers, considered the founder and father of organized Christian monasticism. (According to guide Nael the first of everything happened in Egypt.) Anthony died in 356, having established Dayr Mārī Antonios hermitage, near the Red Sea.

The monastery of St Bishoy, which we're visiting, dates back to an almost as impressive 400 AD and actually has four Syrian monasteries inside. It was founded in honour of Egyptian monk, St Bishoy, who had holy visions. During one of these he carried Christ on his back, whilst Jesus was manifesting as an old man. These and his kindly thoughtful nature, eventually resulting in miracles of healing, led to his sainthood. We are guided by a delightful monk, aptly named Cherubim, who demonstrates the same cheerful qualities He is dressed in a hooded gown decorated with crosses, which replicates the ones in the pictures of St Bishoy. And indeed, everyone inside queues up to kiss his hand, as we pass by.

There’s a communion service ongoing in the church. Cherubim leads us into the middle of it (most of the worshippers are standing chanting) and requests one of the devotees to take our group photo. It's posed in front of the wrapped in plastic miraculously preserved body of St Bishoy. He's kissed in the same place on the plastic by everyone who comes in. (There are also some of the bones of St Paul. As there are in many places).

There’s a modern residential block behind, but some of the 200 residents live in the original 400 AD cells, with two tiny rooms. One a bedroom, with a stone bed. Positive luxury. But it's tranquil and spiritual.

To one side, there's an alley, incongruously full of souvenir shops, a supermarket and a restaurant. Pizza boxes lined up on the counter. We slink off to buy cold drinks. They’re very cheap here. Cherubim gets into a car and zooms off.

Now we’re off into the desert proper. Sahara means desert in Arabic, so we actually call it 'The Desert Desert'. The Arabs know this area as the Western Desert. It's flat and unexciting, in these parts. To the north, fruit trees, olives and vines, on newly irrigated lands, utilising subterranean springs. The new four-lane highways remain astonishingly empty, except for the queues at the toll booths. Cash only here.

El Alamein

I've pinched my lunch from breakfast buffets before, but I've never been instructed to do it by the tour guide. He says there is nowhere to buy lunch around El Alamein. Though I see plenty of cafes when we reach El Alamein marina. A string of resorts by the most turquoise of seas. The sea bed is white here and this is very much being developed as a tourist area. But they are still clearing World War II mines and have to be careful. This is alongside development in the whole of Egypt. There are 22 new cities and the new capital, New Cairo, still being built. Parliament has already been moved.

The Battles of El Alamein (known as Al Alamein in Arabic), were of course, the turning point of the Second World War and we are visiting the newly built Military Museum and the battlefield cemetery.

The museum is astonishingly badly organised, with cases on each country and, again, no sense of the order of events. The information provided is full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar. However, I have read, on one signboard, that the magnificent drive to the coast, by the Australians, in the second battle of October 1942, won the battle, according to Churchill.

Wikipedia tells me that the Allied victory effectively ended the worrisome Axis threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal, and Middle Eastern oil fields. It was a significant boost to Allied morale, as it was one of the first major victories against the Axis forces since Operation Crusader in late 1941. The allies were famously led by General Bernard Montgomery, the Axis forces by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The battle resulted in heavy casualties for both sides, with estimates of around 13,600 British and about 30,000 German, including 7,200 prisoners.

Outside there are biscuity beige guns, planes and tanks aplenty.

The cemetery, up the road, is almost unbearably sad. Like those in Northern France, rows of the bodies of very young men, with the most moving of comments on the headstones.

Alexandria, Egypt's Greek Capital

Alexander the Great didn’t stay long in Egypt, or last long anywhere, for that matter, but the Ptolemaic dynasty which followed lasted for 300 years. They didn't pay tribute to Athens, the Greeks just merged with the Egyptians. Unlike the Romans, who famously followed, with the story of Anthony and Cleopatra. However, Alexander did found Alexandria, in 331B.C., on the edge of the Nile Delta, in the vicinity of an Egyptian settlement called Rhacotis (integrated as the Egyptian quarter of the city). Alexandria grew rapidly, becoming a major centre of Hellenic civilisation and replacing Memphis as Egypt's capital, during the reign of the Ptolemaic pharaohs, who succeeded Alexander.

It remained the capital for almost a thousand years, (at one time the largest city in the ancient world before being eventually overtaken by Rome). through the period of Roman and Eastern Roman rule, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641 AD. Then, a new capital was founded at Fustat (later absorbed into Cairo). Today, Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Soubriquets include 'The Bride of the Mediterranean' and 'Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast'. Balmy and sunny, with sandy beaches, Alexandria is a popular tourist destination. But it's also been a major port, for the cotton industry and an important industrial centre, due to its natural gas and oil pipelines, from Suez.

Late lunch, or very early dinner, at a fish restaurant in Alexandria port. The fort and harbour before us. It’s all perfect. Boats bob in the water, picturesquely, as they always say. The pastel pink Paradise Inn Hotel is French heritage, built in 1902. It's hardly been touched – faded grandeur, plenty of gilt and mirrors and the fanciest of lifts. This is built next to the exact spot where the obelisk, which is now in New York, originally stood. There’s a commemorative sculpture. I just hope this old lift doesn’t break down.

My room is packed with fake ormolu and there’s a Juliet Plus balcony, covered in bird droppings. I can just get my nose outside to see the view across the square and the Mediterranean. The restaurant and bar are on the roof, overflowing with white jacketed waiters. Even better views across the port to the sea. It’s as good a place as any to pay homage to the film Ice Cold in Alex.

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa

Ancient Alexandria was the intellectual and cultural centre of the ancient Mediterranean, known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; its Great Library, the largest in the ancient world; and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. But of these, only the catacombs have survived.

The Alexandrian Catacombs were discovered when a donkey fell down a shaft. No-one knows who owned them and why they were abandoned. It's thought they are Roman, second century AD. Whatever, a winding staircase into the depths leads to hundreds of burial slots, surrounding some intricately carved and decorated central chambers with scattered statues. These mix and match Roman, Greek and Egyptian features: Egyptian style statues with Roman clothes and hair styles. Nael says that they were never used, but I've read that three sarcophagi were found. The Hall of Caracalla, contains the bones of horses used by the Emperor Caracalla. Those are heaped willy-nilly in a glass display case. The interesting section is minuscule and crowded with French guides declaiming at length, and it's not even a cruise ship day.

The traffic is crazy and the streets narrow. Trams of all sizes and shapes weave their way alongside us. The new disc shaped Bibliotheca Alexandrina, replacing Alexander's old library, is next on the itinerary. We're headed for a tour there at 12, but progress is slow and Nael announces that we're not going to make it. We will go instead to the citadel. I ask if we have to take a tour of the library, but he says it will not be as good without it. End of discussion. So, we about turn on the corniche.

The Citadel of Qaitbay

The fortress at the harbour mouth, the Citadel of Qaitbay, is built on the site of Alexandria’s lighthouse. A Mameluke sultan first constructed it, in AD 1480. It was destroyed by the Ottomans and then again by the British, in 1887. Sadly, the top deck is closed as it's still being renovated, but you can walk round the walls.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

After the citadel, we head off for the library again. For the 13.15 tour. The promenade traffic is still grim, lined with illegally parked cars. I look at my watch. It's already tour time and I point this out to Nael. 'Oh well', he says, 'We will miss it. I'll do the tour myself.' No comment.

The original Library of Alexandria, a venerated seat of learning for the ancient world, was part of a larger research institution called the Mouseion, dedicated to the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts. It was built by Ptolemy II Philadelphus. At its height it contained 700000 papyrus scrolls, but it was unfortunate enough to catch the brunt of one of the many coastal battles here and it caught on fire. Only one scroll was saved. (The original is now in Vienna.)

The new glass edifice was designed by a Norwegian based firm of architects, after they won a competition. It was completed in 2002 and paid for by donation. From the outside, it's notable for its modernity, alongside the corniche's twentieth century architecture. Inside, it’s a tiered and pillared masterpiece, with computer study areas, plenty of book and map storage and a tranquil Come Let’s Learn atmosphere.

In the basement, an antiquity museum (well it is Egypt) a manuscript museum (nothing older than fifteenth century), art galleries and historical artefacts. The most interesting is Sadat’s office. I’m not sure if it’s the original.

St Mark’s Cathedral

That’s where our official tour day ends. So I’m off with Gavin (to mastermind crossing the roads, where traffic never stops and there are no pedestrian crossings) to find St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. The city was a major centre of early Christianity and the cathedral is the historical seat of the Pope of Alexandria, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. More importantly, it's believed to stand on the site of the church, founded in AD 42, by Mark the Evangelist. There are records, dating to AD 311, of a chapel here, containing bodies said to be of Mark and his successors. In 828, most of the body of Saint Mark was reported as stolen and removed to Venice, but his head was left in Alexandria.

The church was destroyed and rebuilt again several times, due to Islamic invasions, the crusades, and a simple need for enlargement. So, the current church only dates to 1952 and that was doubled in size in 1990. But one of the oldest churches in the world is said to be underneath. A little man unlocks the door so we can get downstairs to see it, behind a glass panel.

Aswan, Egypt

We fly safely to Aswan, from Cairo, with just a few bumps en route, despite the fact that there is a kamsin - giant spring windstorm - forecast and the news says all the schools will close for the day.

Aswan is as gently pretty as ever. The azure Nile is mesmerizingly beautiful, flowing serenely through the centre; palm trees sway. The local felucca boats dot the skyline, sails billowing. Last time, I was intrigued to lodge at the renowned Cataract Hotel, built in 1899 by Thomas Cook. All manner of celebrity guests have stayed in this colonial edifice: Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill, Howard Carter, Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, François Mitterrand, Princess Diana and Queen Noor.

I'm more interested in the Agatha Christie connections. She set part of Death on the Nile here and it was used as a set for the film too. Sadly, I was in the newer budget wing (built in 1961). This was known as the New Cataract Hotel, until Sofitel bought up the whole site and renovated it. I pop down the road to have another look. Not to miss a trick, they now charge 1000 Egyptian pounds to enter.

Today's Basma, on the other hand, has definitely seen better days. On a hilltop, above the Old Cataract, with glorious views up the Nile and across the desert, but faded. One of those places where you don't want to look too closely at the edges of the shower. Bathrooms in Egypt generally don't seem to warrant much attention. Even the lovely museums have toilets with battered wooden doors and ancient grouting. The restrooms by the pool at the Basma are disgusting. Bins overflowing and thick dust on the floor. On the plus side, they do water the artificial grass.

The Basma’s breakfast isn't going to raise pulses either. Some very dubious juices, which taste oddly manufactured and some highly coloured yogurts. One radioactive looking bowl is labelled blue croissant. I'm not trying it. The juice was disturbing enough.

Nubia

Despite yesterday's dead day, consumed by driving to Cairo, and then to Aswan, we don't start till 11a.m, so everything is done in the heat of the day. And it's hot, in the middle of the desert. According to one carriage driver touting for business Aswan, like Jordan, is suffering from lack of tourists, due to the Middle East War. The hotel is empty and the town quiet. Consequently, there’s far more hassle from vendors and calèche drivers, desperate for some tourist dollars.

Today's focus is Nubia. Strictly, Nubia is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the first cataract of the Nile (south of Aswan). But this area has important links with Nubia. The kingdoms overlapped in later years, with the Nubians even dominating Egypt at one point. and many Nubian peoples live in this area of Egypt.

We begin with the Nubian Museum, which has appeared between the two hotels, since my last visit. Similar to the other museums, it's modern and attractively laid out, with the odd large eye catching statue. But only vaguely arranged in historical order, culminating in Nubian village scenes. So, I'm still getting a headache trying to sort out the chronology of ancient Egypt, as again there are boards, where even the information on individual boards is not sequential. And there are no chairs at all, in the spacious foyer. The floor is very hard. I thought we were finishing 15 minutes ago, so I go outside looking for the group. They won't let me back in again, on the same ticket.

The stone quarries of ancient Egypt are located on the hillside opposite here. They used a granitic rock called syenite. to build the colossal statues, obelisks, and monoliths which are found throughout Egypt. You can visit and walk on The Unfinished Obelisk, commissioned by Hatshepsut. This is the largest obelisk ever attempted. It began to crack, as it was hewn, and so was abandoned in situ. I saw it last time. But Nael is actively discouraging this as an additional option. He tells me to take a picture with my zoom lens instead.

Downriver, a felucca ride away, Elephantine Island holds the Temple of Khnum, from the Third Dynasty. The desert is atmospheric, and Aswan suitably relaxed, if still baking hot. The Aga Khan's mausoleum is resplendent on a desert hill top. The irrigation is fascinating; there are still numerous Archimedes screws, just visible as we drift along the banks. I’m trying to photograph them successfully. Eureka, I have it! We tack slowly past Kitchener Island, breezy and somnolent. Then, we feast on Nubian chicken, potatoes and okra, with sweet delicious guava juice. And then we zig-zag slowly back again...

The breeze wafts through the boat. It's impossible to stay awake. The next thing I know I'm almost catapulted off a camel, as it lurches up and then I'm swaying up a sandy hillside, towards St Simeon’s Monastery. Lulu is a relatively well behaved camel, although she's not keen, as we approach the steepest section and makes those distressed camel noises. I can't think of a word to describe them. And I feel guilty that I'm on her back.

I'm distressed too. Travel company, Exodus have deemed the last part of the route too steep to be attempted on camel back, so we have to walk in the searing heat. I'm not sure it's worth it. It's a very ruined monastery. But there are pleasant views across the Nile. I'm declining a return camel journey and arrive back by the river, giddy and overheated. I'm hallucinating cold Coca Cola and then magically, a guy appears with some on a tray. It's not a mirage.

A motor boat this time, around the reedy islands and Nubian settlements, on the West Bank. The houses are gaily decorated and crammed with utensils made of palm. Next stop, a museum house with a talk about these and life here, in the mud brick houses.

Off again, to a rapturous welcome at a Nubian guest house, with my favourite. Participation dancing. More Nubian food and drinks, on the terrace by the Nile.

Abu Simbel

There's an optional visit to Abu Simbel, 200 miles south, today. But the planes are all full (apparently they were full quite a while ago) and it's a long journey by road. involving a 4 a.m. start. Expensive too, as the Indian foursome have vetoed this one also. Gavin's managed to secure a waitlist business class seat.

But I went on my last visit, when it was the highlight of the trip. The story of the reconstruction of the gigantic two temples, to save them from the inundation forming Lake Nasser, when the Aswan Dam was built, was enthralling. (The temples are 30 metres high, just look at the tiny people.)

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside, in the 13th century BC, during the nineteenth dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Rameses II, to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. They were placed right at the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, facing Nubia. There are four colossal statues of Ramses (20 metres) in front of the main temple. One is headless, thanks to an earthquake. His mother, wife Nefertari and children are included, as smaller figures by his feet, (because they are less important), but Nefertari is permitted a temple of her own, as well.

The temple is dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte, and consists of three consecutive halls, extending 56 metres into the cliff. On two days of the year (about February 22 and October 22), the first rays of the morning sun penetrate the whole length of the temple, illuminating the shrine, in its innermost sanctuary.

The flight there and back wasn’t much fun. Nearly everyone on board had travellers’ diarrhoea (as foretold by Ian), but the plane toilets were forbidden - too much desert turbulence.

Cruising on the Nile

We've been upgraded to the Movenpick boat, for our Nile cruise. I’m very excited, as it's the boat used on the premium tours. But I've let my imagination run away with me 9again). I've watched too many reruns of Death on the Nile and I expected colonial grandeur. And indeed, we traverse a highly ornate boat which matches that description, on our way through, to embark. But the Royal Lily, the flagship of the fleet is modern minimalism. Smart rather than atmospheric. My room is beautiful, with a picture window. And I've never had a cabin bathroom with a bath in it before. The sundeck has a plunge pool, with an odd large shaped paddling pool type affair. The staff are super attentive. The dining room overflows with men in tall white hats.

The Aswan Dam

But we’re not actually setting off till tomorrow. And then, next day, it’s more local excursions first. We’re off to the Aswan Dam. The High Dam is three kilometres long, designed to control the flow of water into the Nile, so preventing the annual flooding and helping to control drier periods. (The Aswan Low Dam, which had been completed in 1902, was at maximum capacity.) The flooding, (in 1970) created Lake Nasser (500 kilometres long), displaced half a million Nubians and covered numerous villages and monuments. Eighteen of the most important were relocated.

The dam was partly funded by Egypt and partly by Russia. The UK and the USA had originally agreed to back the construction, but simultaneously refused to supply arms to Egypt, if they were to be used against Israel. The Suez Crisis followed, as Nasser looked to raise funds and struck an alliance with the USSR, in the aftermath.

The Friendship Monument, above the earth dam, commemorates Egyptian Union with Russia, a lotus shaped V sign to the USA. For an extra ticket, you can take a lift to the top.

Philae Temple

Fourth century B.C. columned Philae Temple is prettily set on an island, where it was moved when the High Dam was built. We are ferried out in boats, past boulder strewn islands. The main Isis Temple, has huge pylons (monumental gates). There were once twin obelisks here, in front of the pylons. One of them was The Cleopatra’s Needle, now on the Embankment, in London. A glass roofed section was once used as a church; here are crosses carved on the pillars.

In those days, ordinary folk were not allowed inside, but today it's crammed. The Chinese have come dressed in their fanciest gear. Lacy dresses and parasols; they spend all their time posing for pictures, pouting by the pillars. Nael says it's much worse in the cooler months. This is the end of the season, before the very hot weather. Fortunately, it's breezily comfortable today.

There's a separate small, delicately gorgeous pillared temple, dedicated to Hathor. Last time I was here I was lucky to have the architect who supervised the relocation, there to tell us all about it. The careful cutting up of the stone into numbered blocks, the transportation, by boat, and the painstaking reconstruction. Astonishing.

Kom Ombo

Our boat finally sets sail, through date palmed lined desert. Children splashing and shrieking. Time to doze in the balmy breeze. Kom Ombo was the training centre for the Ptolemaic army and the capital of the area, for a while. The temple is dedicated to the crocodiles who gathered at the increasingly wide bend in the river. Sobek was the crocodile god, though I have to be careful to check I'm not mixing him up with Anubis, the jackal god of mummification. I have to look for a longer snout, with teeth.

But the temple is also dedicated to Horus, who was God of Edfu, the later capital further north. The building is literally spilt down the centre, long-ways, with a listening ear in the middle of the far end wall. As with all these temples, it's enormous, with towering pillars; the remaining specks of colour suggest how incredible it must once have been. But it’s been ravaged. One of the sons of Mohammed Ali (de facto ruler from 1805) used the stone from the pylons to build a sugar factory here and most of the two pylons have disappeared.

There’s a pit, where crocodiles were raised. Only one special crocodile at a time was sacred. The Romans used the crocodiles as an oracle, the priests feeding them special treats beforehand, so that the omens would be good and no one would get hurt. There’s also a very deep, well-like Nilometer here, measuring the depth of the river and to warn of flooding.

The mummified crocodiles once kept in the temple have been moved to a next door museum. They don’t look hugely different from the living creatures, but at least they’re safely under glass.

Then, we join the flotilla of cruisers plying the Nile waters, heading north again.

Edfu Temple

Edfu is the site of the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus, the ruler of Egypt. But horror of horrors. We have been told to get up for a 5.30 departure to visit it. There's a bus to transport us, for ten minutes, through dark streets, to the temple. Others are going by calèche, but apparently that's banned by Exodus. I'm not sure if it's on cruelty to animal grounds or just hyper attention to health and safety. I suspect the latter, as they've already banned camels on steep hills and hot air ballooning.

Anyway, we arrive in the gloom, at the temple, to find the usual row of over eager vendors and a very long and static queue. Then, it's standing for 20 minutes, before the temple actually opens. A few guides sneak their groups through the ranks to the front, as the skies lighten above us. There has to be a better way to do this.

Edfu Temple was constructed between 237 and 57 BC. It was then only used for 20 years. Houses were built right up to it and then were removed, during the renovation. As a result, it’s one of the best preserved monuments, covered over by buildings and sand. The temple was dedicated to Horus and the reliefs tell the story of the ongoing battle between Horus and Set, as Horus revenges his father Osiris’s death. The cartouches however, are empty, as two Ptolemies were fighting for the throne at that time, and no one knew who was actually the king. There are also inscriptions depicting the pharaonic death rituals.

The crowds are appalling, inside the main temple. Perhaps the calèche man in Aswan was just making up sob stories when he said there were no tourists here. There are multiple lines weaving around each other, in vain pursuit of men waving flags representing the various mainly European countries. Lots of Chinese and some Brazilians.

Back on the boat. It's still early. After battling more crowds, round the breakfast buffet, I head for the sundeck. There's about 20 crew up there frenzily cleaning. They vacuum the artificial grass, on the Movenpick.

This really is a flotilla. Cruise boats fanning out across the width of the river. None of them is exactly speedy, but Royal Lily gradually overhauls them, until we're leading the fleet. It's a whole day of sailing. More palm trees, shrieking children in the water, little reedy islets, agriculture: bananas, dates, and the rocky desert behind that. One hundred and ten million people live along the banks of this river.

In the evenings there's entertainment, in the bar, Belly dancing and a galabia party.

Esna and Entertainment at the Lock

We queue up with the zillion other boats to wait our turn to pass through the lock at Esna. The locals here row small boats out and attach themselves to the ships, with lines. They're offering souvenirs, mainly table cloths, which they brandish below us, like sails. Then they roll them up and throw them up onto the sundeck, in plastic bags, and you attempt to throw the money back in the bag.

I'm not sure how much gets lost in the river, but the men seem so adept at this, as they manoeuvre the little boats adroitly to collect the missiles. One guy is hoarse from shouting so much. They’re doing a roaring trade and it's great entertainment.

It takes forever to transit the locks. One lock gate and a large basin and mini reservoir, between two dams, used to control the release of water downstream. The persistent vendors even follow us in here, with their row boats. Then, the second lock, where the two gates are shut and the levels adjusted. It takes two ships at a time.

Luxor - East Bank

Valley of the Kings

So, now it's time to explore Thebes, the ancient capital for much of the Middle and New Kingdoms and highly significant spiritually. Its east bank buildings are buried in modern day Luxor. Its necropolis was built on the west bank of the river and we are off to the astonishing Valley of the Kings, in that necropolis. In an attempt to thwart grave robbers, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16-11th century BC) began to construct hidden burial tombs, cut into the rock.

They weren't entirely successful. Many of the tombs were robbed, not very long after they were built and sealed (despite builders and servants buried inside, to keep the secrets, as we are incorrectly told). Famously, the only tomb to survive more or less intact was that of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. There's also a Valley of the Queens and Valley of the Nobles, but there's rarely time to fit them in. As well as the ever present possibility of getting 'tombed out'.

And now we're definitely in the business of trying to escape the crowds and stay together. Nael doesn't deign to wave a flag. The car park at the Valley of the Kings is heaving. There are lines and lines of coaches. I want to buy the extra tickets required for the tombs of Tutankhamun and Seti I, but the ticket machines aren't working. So, another long queue to buy those. Then, into the throngs passing through the security machines. As usual, no one is watching the screens, or does anything if the alarm pings. And most places have two sets of security and scanning machines to navigate, before you can even enter. Then you have to run the gauntlet of the vendors thrusting their wares in your face, whilst telling you are beautiful and will receive a free gift. Surprise, surprise, nothing turns out to be free.

Three Tombs on the Ticket

Since I was last here the Valley of the Kings has been Petr(a)ified. Golf carts to take us the short distance to the tombs. At a price. That's another ticket. The tombs now all have concrete entrances and wooden ramps inside. The lower frescoes are covered in glass. The main ticket allows entry to three of the nine generally open tombs. They rotate to limit damage.

On the advice of Nael, I visit the tombs of Rameses IX, Rameses III and Merenptah. Rameses III has beautiful illustrations: boats, gods and goddesses, The Book of the Dead. But it's accessed by fairly steep ramps, full of queuing tourists.. Rameses IX is smaller, flatter and otherwise very similar. Nael says that the third, Merenptah, is large but fairly easy to get into it. 'Is it flat?' I ask. 'Yes', he assures me. So off I go. It has s several very steep and slippy ramps. And it's not hugely impressive at the end. Almost bare, with a stone carved figure .

Tomb of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun's tomb has to be revisited. Small and beautiful, with the mummy in situ, to compensate for the fact that everything else is in the museums. It's not a huge cost and it's fascinating to imagine the discovery and opening, in 1922. Though I can't for the life of me work out how all those 4,000 artefacts, chariots and all, fitted in here.

Tomb of Seti I

The tomb of Seti I, (or KV17 as it's labelled) ), is the tomb of a pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Seti I's tomb is the best. It too has long exhausting ramps.( One of the longest and deepest in the valley), but is large, with 17 antechambers, all beautifully decorated. A curved chamber and blue ceilings. It was uncovered by Italian archaeologist and explorer Giovanni Belzoni, in 1817, so is also known as 'Belzoni's Tomb, The ticket is by far the most expensive, but this results in very few visitors, so it’s possible to look at the amazingly illuminated reliefs in peace. Though it's stiflingly hot, as are all the tombs.

Mortuary Temples

It’s very hard work, clambering up and down all those steps, in these temperatures. But we’re not done yet. Most of the mortuary temples of the New Dynasty are the other side of this valley. The stand out here, built into the cliffs of the rocky desert at Deir el Bahri, is that of Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. This temple is built over three levels, capped by a small pyramid, which covers the tomb. It's directly aligned with the Eighth Pylon, which Hatshepsut had added to the Temple of Karnak.. It’s best seen from a distance. It’s been heavily reconstructed by Polish archaeologists and has lost much of its character.

Hatshepsut means 'Foremost of Noble Ladies'. (She looks very kind in her statues.) Hatshepsut ruled during the first dynasty of the New Kingdom (or the 18th Dynasty counting from the beginning). That's 1550/1549 to 1292 BC. She had to bribe the priests heavily, to be allowed to reign, after the death of her husband/ brother Thutmoses II.

The Colossi of Memnon

Egypt is definitely one of those places where you run out of superlatives. It's like seeing a favourite story book come to life. Perhaps my favourite sight, also on the opposite bank of the Nile to the city, are the the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues (18 metres) representing Amenhotep III, the pharaoh 3,400 years ago. They have been renamed by the Greeks, after King Agamemnon. Shelley's great poem Ozymandias, sums the scene up beautifully and has to be one of the most evocative pieces ever written. How can you not want to come and see that?

Gavin and the Indian foursome are all smarting tonight. They’re all scammed separately, by an Egyptian man claiming to work as a chef, on our boat, inviting them to go buy spices with him. He then summons a caleche and plunges them into a deserted souq, demanding fees for his services and the horse and cart. Gavin escapes quickly and unscathed, but the two couples are parted with a few dollars. No-one has thought to ask, till too late, which boat the clearly imposter chef actually works on.

Luxor West Bank

Karnak Temple

Today, the spiritual centre of Thebes, for those who were living. Last time, I came to Luxor by overnight train. It was a Hungarian relic, the toilet a steel cuboid free-for-all. To be avoided, as far as possible. But Luxor is amazing, built over Thebes, the ancient capital of the Pharaonic, Middle and New Kingdoms. The colossal temples (hieroglyph-covered Karnak and Luxor) are incredible,

You can't miss Karnak Temple; it is huge. Though it’s not the largest temple complex in the world, as Nael claims. That honour goes to Angkor Wat. Karnak dates back almost 4,000 years (begun in 1970 BC, by Senusret I). It is staggeringly enormous and would swallow dozens of notable European cathedrals without blinking. And, it does boast the largest room of any religious building. The Hypostyle Hall is 134 columns, spread over about 16,500 square metres. You'll recognise this from James Bond, (The Spy Who Loved Me - Remember Jaws with his bowler hat?), Agatha Christie (Death on the Nile) and numerous other film sets.

It's dedicated to a triumvirate of gods, Amun, Mut, and Khonsu and has been added to and altered over the centuries of pharaonic rule. Hatshepsut, for example, provided four obelisks. One is truncated, where it threatened to topple and they made the best of the situation. They’re floated up-river, from the granite quarries at Aswan. Modifications continued to the Ptolemaic period, but most of the work here, chapels, pylons and chapels, dates from the New Kingdom. It was never actually finished; there are still brick ramps in place, by the first pylon. Although much of it is now decayed and damaged, as with most of the temples, there's still enough to leave you thoroughly open mouthed.

The outside walls depict intriguing battle scenes telling the story of Seti I’s war against the Hittites (from North Turkey). There are handcuffed prisoners, denoted by long hair and beards.

But there’s a never-ending stream of bodies marching through the centre. It’s like Egypt is being invaded all over again and I’m in the thick of it. And of course, it’s impossible to get a clean shot with the camera. Though people do give a reference point for the scale of these giant pillars and statues.

At the far end, is a scarab on a pedestal. You have to walk round four times anti-clockwise for good luck. Beyond that is the Sacred Lake, which is 3500 years old. More importantly there's a shady area with umbrellas and flowers beside it, outside a café to rest, and escape the scorching heat.

Luxor Temple

The Luxor Temple Complex dates to 1400BC and was built, in part, by Rameses II, the great warrior king. This one doesn’t belong to any particular deity but is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship. Guess who? It’s thought it’s where the pharaohs were crowned and even Alexander the Great claimed to have been enthroned here. Though the evidence suggests that he didn’t travel further south than Memphis.

It’s much smaller than Karnak, so it might be considered an anti-climax. But it has many statues and the remains of Nubian houses, a church and a mosque, where the locals made use of the available masonry, before ancient Egyptology became a thing. Hatshepsut added an obelisk here too. The temple is one of the best preserved, despite the use of the space by others. The Romans even utilised it as a fortress.

Not using a calèche has its advantages. Last time, we were harangued, through the railings, by the driver of the horse carriage, who has taken us there. 'Baksheesh, baksheesh', he wailed. The visit was arranged and paid for by the tour company, but he felt he was not sufficiently (additionally) rewarded for his efforts.

The Path of God

The two temples were linked by the three-kilometre row of statues called the Path of God, or more colloquially, The Avenue of the Sphinxes. An annual procession took place along this avenue during Opet, the 27 day festival of regeneration. It was developed to bring fresh energy to the rulers and their kingdom. The sacred barque, used to carry bodies to the afterlife (and often misspelled bark on the signs) was paraded, stopping at six marked stations.

I’ve looked up most of this chronological information. Guide Nael's delivery matches the displays in the museums. Snatches of stories, but no attempt to place events in any order, or carve out relationships.

Farewell to Luxor

A cocktail in the Winter Palace Hotel. This other historic colonial hotel (1907) was where Lord Carnarvon stayed, while his team searched for Tutankhamun's tomb. It has also been taken over by Sofitel and they again charge 1,000 Egyptian pounds to enter. But we discover that you can use this as credit against food and drink. And that's exactly the price of a margarita. Then, a farewell dinner in a small and comfortable restaurant, The Lantern Room. They do a decent gin and tonic, tasty beef tagine and very sweet Om Ali, alongside a host of very British puddings.

Now, I'm off to Hurghada.

And read more about Egypt, the country today and its history and mythology here.

• Egypt is one of the cradles of civilisation, with recorded habitation along its iconic Nile (the longest river in the world), dating back to the sixth–fourth millennia BC.
• The Nile has brought Egypt its wealth, with its regular inundations (floods, bringing fertile mud down river and into the enormous delta). This is why Egypt is known as 'The Gift of the Nile'.

Ancient Egypt

• The long and illustrious history of Egypt stretches back to the first farmers of 5,000 BC.
• Ancient Egyptian civilization proper dates back to around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, under the first king of the First Dynasty, Narmer.
• Ancient Egyptian history is divided into:
  • the Old Kingdom (pyramid building and the invention of writing),
  • the Middle Kingdom (more pyramids and the Israeli exodus)
  • and the New Kingdom (huge temples and the tombs in the Valley of the Kings).
• The kingdoms were divided by more chaotic interim periods, when invaders arrived. At times, the empire stretched to include substantial proportions of Nubia, in current day Sudan.
• Whilst the Great Pyramids of Giza are the most well known, the ancient Egyptians built over 100 pyramids in total (and even more in present day Sudan).
• The ancient Egyptians were known for their love of board games, with Senet being one of the oldest known games, played for over 2,000 years.
• Both men and women wore makeup, believing it had healing properties. Green eye paint was used to ward off evil spirits.
• Cats were considered sacred animals, and some were even mummified.
• Ancient Egyptians believed strongly in the afterlife and felt that that preserving the body through mummification was essential for the soul to continue living.
• The priests and scribes created hieroglyphs, a system of writing using pictures and symbols, about 3,000 BC (there were over 700 hieroglyphs). This was arguably the earliest form of written communication, although cuneiform in Sumer, Mesopotamia also has a claim.

• The ancient Egyptians invented papyrus paper (paper as we know it is claimed by the Chinese), pens, locks, keys, and even toothpaste.
• The pyramids were not technically built by slaves. Evidence suggests that the workforce was conscripted farmers, who laboured on the pyramids during the flooding season, in the summer, when they couldn't work their own lands.
• Over the years much of Egypt's fascinating ancient history was a mystery, temples hidden under sand ,or built over, and no-one could decipher the ubiquitous hieroglyphs, Until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone at the port city of Rosetta, east of Alexandria, during a Napoleonic expedition The stele was inscribed with a decree, from Ptolemy V, issued in Memphis, in three languages: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Ancient Egyptian Demotic script and Ancient Greek, all saying virtually the same thing. (It's in the British Museum now, after Napoleon's soldiers were made to hand it over.) It took until 1803 to decipher the Hellenistic Greek and then there was a race to match it to the other two languages, both of which were symbolic/pictorial. It helped that both used phonetic language for foreign words. The code was finally cracked by Frenchman Champollion, in 1822. The stores of the pharaohs were cracked and the fascination with Egyptology began.

Ancient Egyptian Mythology

Ancient Egyptian mythology is fascinating, setting the scene for much mythology which followed. Here is the cast of characters, some of the more important Gods, who figure in their ancient beliefs, sometimes confusingly:

• Amun or Amun Ra – A creator god, tutelary deity of the city of Thebes, head of the trinity and the king of the Gods in ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom, morphing into Zeus (Greece) and Jupiter (Rome). Sometimes shown as a goose.
• Anubis – The god of funerals, embalming and protector of the dead, usually with a jackal (or canine) head.
• Aten – A sun disk deity who became the focus of the breakaway monotheistic Atenist belief system during the reign of Akhenaten, was also the literal Sun disk. He was demoted again by Akhenaten's son, Tutankhamun.
• Bastet – A goddess represented as a cat or lioness, tutelary deity of the city of Bubastis, linked with protection from evil
• Hapi – The hermaphroditic personification of the Nile flood
• Hathor – One of the most important goddesses, linked with the sky, the Sun, sexuality and motherhood, music and dance, foreign lands and goods, and the afterlife. One of many forms of the Eye of Ra, she is often depicted as a cow
• Horus – A kingship god, usually shown as a falcon/hawk (often with a double crown) or as a human child, linked with the sky, the sun, kingship, protection, and healing; often said to be the son of Osiris and Isis, who fought to revenge his father's death and become the ruler of Egypt. Very confusingly, there's also sometimes thought to be a Horus the elder manifestation called Heru-ur. He is not the sone of Osiris and Isis.
• Imhotep – Architect and vizier to pharaoh Djoser, eventually deified as a healer god
• Isis – Wife of brother Osiris, helping to resurrect him and mother of Horus, linked with funerary rites, motherhood, protection, and magic. She also became a deity in Greek and Roman religion
• Khnum – A ram god, the tutelary deity of Elephantine Island, who was said to control the Nile flood and give life to gods and humans

• Montu – Another falcon god (confusingly again, but he also has two plumes) god of war and the sun, worshipped at Thebes
• Mut – Consort of Amun, worshipped at Thebes. She wears the feather of truth.
• Nut – A sky goddess, (a woman bending to earth) a member of the Ennead (a group of nine deities in Egyptian mythology worshipped at Heliopolis: the sun god Atum (primordial creator); his children Shu and Tefnut; their children Geb and Nut; and their children Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys).
• Osiris – A god of death and resurrection who rules Duat and enlivens vegetation, the sun god, and deceased souls. Married to sister Isis and the focus of the key resurrection myth after he was killed by brother Set
• Ptah – A creator deity and god of craftsmen, the tutelary deity of capital Memphis
• Ra – The foremost Egyptian sun god, involved in creation and the afterlife Mythological ruler of the gods, father of every Egyptian Pharaoh, and the tutelary deity of Heliopolis. Confusingly (yet again) Ra was also portrayed as a falcon (but usually with a sun disc on his head) and shared characteristics with the sky-god Horus. At times, the two deities were merged as Ra-Horakhty, When the god Amun rose to prominence during Egypt's New Kingdom, he was then fused with Ra, as Amun-Ra.
• Set – An ambivalent god, characterized by violence, chaos, and strength, connected with the desert. Mythological murderer of brother Osiris and enemy of Horus, but also a supporter of the Pharaoh. as is fitting his depiction is also ambivalent, an unidentified animal or man.
• Sobek – A crocodile god, worshipped in the Faiyum and at Kom Ombo
• Taweret – a prominent goddess primarily revered as the protector of women and children, particularly during childbirth and pregnancy. She is often depicted as a cute hippo-like figure, blending the attributes of a hippopotamus, a crocodile, and a lion.
• Thoth – A knowledge god, and a god of writing and scribes, and tutelary deity of Hermopolis

A Brief History of Egypt from the Time of the Achaemenid Empire

• Predominantly native Egyptian rule lasted until the conquest by the Achaemenid Empire, in the sixth century BCIn 332 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Achaemenids in turn, introducing the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Kingdom. So, Cleopatra, the most famous of pharaohs, was not actually Egyptian. She was part of a long line of Greek Macedonians. The death of Cleopatra, as the last Ptolemy, ended the nominal independence of Egypt, and the country was subsumed into the Roman Empire.
• Roman rule in Egypt (including the Byzantine era ) lasted from 30 BC to 641 AD
• After the Muslim conquest of Egypt, Egypt was divided into the provinces of successive Caliphates and other Muslim dynasties, including the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750), the Abbasid Caliphate (750–935) and the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517).
• In 1517, Ottoman sultan Selim I captured Cairo, absorbing Egypt into the Ottoman Empire. Egypt remained entirely Ottoman until 1805, (excepting a brief French occupation, under Napoleon).
• In 1867, Egypt became a nominally autonomous tributary state called the Khedivate of Egypt, but this was swallowed up by the British, in 1882.

• British occupation lasted until the modern Republic of Egypt was founded, in 1953.
• In 1956, Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, which had been owned and operated by British and French interests, led to The Suez Crisis, a major international incident. The Crisis sparked an invasion of Egypt, by British, French, and Israeli forces, but ultimately led to a humiliating withdrawal for the invading nations.
• For a brief period, between 1958 and 1961, Egypt merged with Syria, to form the United Arab Republic.
• Egypt fought several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, and occupied the Gaza Strip intermittently until 1967. In 1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, which recognised Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from the occupied Sinai. Sinai Liberation day is celebrated as a national holiday each April 25th.
• After the Arab Spring, which led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, the country faced a protracted period of political unrest; its first democratic election in 2012 resulted in the short-lived, Muslim Brotherhood-aligned government of Mohamed Morsi, which was overthrown by the military after mass protests in 2013.
• The current government is a semi-presidential republic, led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was elected in 2014, but is widely regarded as 'authoritarian'.

Egypt, Facts and Factoids

• 'Egypt' is the English name for the country of course. The Egyptians call it Miṣr. The English name 'Egypt' is derived from the Ancient Greek 'Aígyptos', as used by Homer.
• Egypt straddles both Asia (the Sinai peninsula) and Africa. The great majority of the Egyptian peoples live near the banks of the Nile. They have to - much of the remainder of the land, in the Libyan and Sahara Deserts, is arid and unhospitable. They get one inch of rain a year on average.
• This is the most populated country in the Arab world (roughly 110 million), the third most populated in Africa and the fifteenth most populated in the world, a melange of Islamic (since the seventh century BC) Mediterranean and African culture.
• Egypt is a developing country with the second-largest economy in Africa, a regional power in the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world.
• Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language, the currency, the Egyptian pound.

Is Egypt Safe?

• The main tourist areas in Egypt are deemed safe to visit by the FCO. There are large areas in the Western Desert and North Sinai which are designated as off limits, in their opinion. Because of ongoing Middle East conflicts and militant groups there is always a risk of terrorist attack in Egypt. You ahve to weight it up. It's not a great risk, but there is one. There's also a risk in the UK. Actual crime rates are relatively low.
• But be prepared for hassle, especially around the tourist sites at Luxor and Aswan. There is still a great deal of poverty in Egypt and vendor tactics can be overly persistent and even aggressive. Keep walking and don't make eye contact. Don't accept any 'free gifts' and don't agree to look 'maybe later' unless you really intend to. They won't forget your face.
• Extra 'baksheesh' is often demanded, when the service is ended. Best to travel with prearranged tours or taxis.
• Watch out for scams. Sadly, they are common. Don't believe people who offer to take you on free expeditions 'to buy spices' or whatever. They are not really chefs or staff from your boat or hotel. Very few folk just want to be your friend or practise their English and no-one really offers guiding services (or anything) for free. Don't change money for anyone, especially not coins for notes. They'll slip some of the cash you think you're getting away, at the final handover. Always count your change.

What to Do and See in Egypt?

• You can't go to Egypt and not see the ancient monuments. Read about my travels all round Egypt here:
• Then take yourself off to the Red Sea Resorts for some sun and water sports.

Getting into Sudan When There's A Coup in Khartoum

With immaculate timing the army has staged a coup in Sudan, just as I am leaving Eritrea for Addis, en route to Khartoum. They immediately shut the airport. I pass on this information to the desk clerks at Addis, when I arrive, but everyone keeps insisting the flight is still scheduled to leave. Until they finally cancel it one hour after it is supposed to depart.

Dealing With Ethiopian Airlines

Cue bedlam, as the Ethiopian Airline officials try to dispatch everyone to hotels. Somehow, I manage to weave my way out of immigration very quickly, losing everyone else in the process. I’ve no idea how to get to my hotel. There’s no bus. Eventually, a customer service agent on his way home takes pity and drops me at a different  hotel. He also, amazingly, manages to alter the airline paperwork, so that I can stay there.

I try to take stock, which is difficult, as my brain isn’t functioning. The hotel in Addis has no soundproofing whatsoever. It’s very close to the airport runway and groups of noisy passengers arrive all night. So, I haven’t had much sleep. There is no information about when flights will resume. Do I still want to go? I’m trying to find out how safe Sudan is. The FCO advice now says they advise against all but essential travel. Not a total ban then. Ethiopian Airlines say it will cost £750 to amend my ticket if I decide to go back to London. That’s not a great incentive. And my flat is booked by Airbnb guests.

Technology is against me. The Wi-Fi in the hotel crashes, closely followed by the landlines and my mobile signal, so I can’t gather any more information or take advice. It’s just a tad stressful. At midday I’m told the flight will go at four, so I decide that if it actually departs then I will make the journey.  The plane is a Dreamliner, big enough to hold all the passengers from the two delayed flights in addition to today’s manifest. It takes an extra hour to load all the wayward passengers and even then, we sit on the runway for what seems ages. I’m convinced that a cancellation announcement will be made at any moment. But, no, we’re just sitting out a storm.

Flying Into Khartoum in Coup Time

It’s a bumpy flight: ‘Rough weather ahead,’ announces the captain, to my consternation. But we make it to Khartoum, the first plane to land after the airport re-opens. The Sudanese leap out of their seats to much jollity, cheering and flag waving, the second the plane hits the tarmac. To my relief, I’m welcomed at immigration, met with no difficulty and escorted to my hotel. The streets are quiet. A policeman pours a dozen locals onto my mini-bus for a lift across town. They’re not allowed to walk the pavements.

The hotel is welcome luxury – hot water and decent food. But I’m rattling around. There are only two other people eating dinner. One of them tells me that everyone else has just left as I've arrived. Am I mad or adventurous?

Why is There a Crisis in Sudan?

An estimated two million people died as a consequence of disease, famine, and war during the Second Sudanese Civil War from 1983-2005. Children from all sides involved were enlisted to fight. The United Nations has described the Sudan/Darfur conflict fighting between rebel groups and the government one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Between 2003 and 2008, at least 300,000 people were killed, and three million displaced. In 2010, President Omar al-Bashir was charged with genocide by the International Criminal court, but remained in office. Following months of pro-democracy protests against President Omar al-Bashir, he was ousted by the military and arrested after 30 years in power. But the military took over government leading to ongoing conflict between them and pro-democracy civilians.

A Brief History of Sudan

Sudan has only taken its current geographical form relatively recently, combining the lands of several ancient kingdoms. I’ve written more than I usually do about the history of the country here, as it’s such a crucial aspect of visiting Sudan.

The Kingdom of Kush

• The fledgling Kingdom of Kush, located along the Nile region in what is now northern Sudan, was, (driven by gold in Kush and the need for more soldiers), subsumed by the rulers of ancient Egypt into the Middle Kingdom. around 2000 BC. This era was brought to an end by the invasion of the Hyksos nomads around 1720 BC .Eventually, a culturally distinct indigenous Kushite kingdom emerged at El Kurru, near present-day Dongola.
• Egyptian power revived during the New Kingdom (c. 1570–1100 BC), and Kush was once more incorporated into ancient Egypt, this time under the New Kingdom and governed by a viceroy.
• Eventually the Egyptians withdrew again and in the early eighth century BC, Kush emerged as an independent kingdom ruled from Napata. The Kushitesin their turn – the so called Black Pharaohs, slowly extended their influence into Egypt culminating in the Twenty-fifth Dynasty and an empire that equalled the size of Egypt at its height. This Nubian empire terminated in the end because of defeat by the much larger Assyrian empire.
• The Kushite court was forced to move south to Meroe near the Sixth Nile Cataract to escape successive Egyptian invasions. For several centuries thereafter, the Meroitic kingdom was able to grow independently of Egypt, though. Egyptian-influenced pharaonic tradition persisted. The rulers erected Nubian pyramids to contain their tombs. However they developed their own, Meroitic alphabet This empire was finally brought to an end when it was conquered by neighbouring kingdom of Axum. (350 AD)

Religious History

• The three Nubian kingdoms Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia were Christianised in the sixth century.
• The Nile Valley did not undergo formal Islamization until the fourteenth-fifteenth century, following the decline of the Christian kingdoms.
• The kingdoms were succeeded by the Sultanate of Sennar in the early 16th century, which controlled large parts of the Nile Valley and the Eastern Desert, while other kingdoms controlled Darfur and the south.
• During the 1820s both regions, were seized by Muhammad Ali of Egypt

Modern Sudan

• An ongoing struggle for independence culminated in the modern Republic of Sudan formed in 1956, inheriting its boundaries from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, established in 1899. For times predating 1899, usage of the term "Sudan" for the territory of the Republic of Sudan was somewhat anachronistic, and may have referred to the more diffuse concept of the Sudan.
• Since its independence in 1956, the history of Sudan has been plagued by internal conflict, leading to the secession of South Sudan on 9 July 2011,

Facts and Factoids

• The name Sudan is short for Bilād as-Sudan, which in Arabic means “Land of the Blacks.”
• Sudan was the largest country in Africa prior to the secession of South Sudan in 2011. It is now the third largest, after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• The Blue Nile and White Nile rivers meet in Khartoum to form the Nile, which flows northwards through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Nile's course through Sudan is nearly 497 miles. There are several dams on both rivers to provide irrigation (to the annoyance of the Egyptians.)
• Otherwise, central and northern Sudan is dry, semi-desert, with the Nubian Desert to the northeast and the Bayuda Desert to the east; in the south, there are grasslands and tropical savanna.
• 97% of the Sudan’s population are followers of Islam, and most of them embrace the Sunni form of Islam. The Sudanese base their legal system on Islamic Sharia Law. Women in the Sudan can be whipped in public by police officers for public indecency. Public indecency can entail getting into a car with a man they are not related to, or not dressing conservatively enough. Another legal, judicial punishment is stoning, usually for women for adultery. People can be sentenced to flogging for various crimes. In 2001, 53 Christians in the Sudan were flogged. In the Sudan, crucifixion is legal as a punishment. Alcohol is forbidden. When Sharia law was first enforced in 1983, the whole country’s stock of alcohol was poured into the Nile River.
• The official languages in Sudan are Arabic and English.

Is Sudan a Poor Country?

46% of people live under the poverty line, however, Sudan is not eligible for sorely needed debt relief, due to still being on the United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. Negotiation is ongoing.

Where Did I Visit in Sudan?

• I visited Khartoum
• And ventured north into the desert, east and west of the Nile, taking in the pyramids and other amazing archaeological sites.
• It was a truly awesome trip

The Western Desert in Sudan

We’re leaving this morning for Karima, in the north, of Sudan, to escape the protests about the coup in Khartoum. Guide Diba, driver Mubarak and I, head out of town, 

Through Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city, but out of bounds because of the coup. Our highway divides the Western Desert from the Bayuda Desert, the eastern most stretch of the Sahara. For the most part, it’s a mainly level, but beautiful panorama, stretching far way to the horizon, clumps of dunes beckoning. There are scatterings of grey basalt patterning the sand: curry powder to golden, flecked with geometrically spaced scrub. There’s a breeze flowing and walking is like bathing in hot water. The few cars we meet waft orange trails behind them, camels chew laconically on acacia and donkeys line the edges of the tarmac. These are the most common form of transport, most commonly harnessed to carts.

Mubarak and Diba find a lunch spot under a suitably shady flat-topped tree and decant three chairs and a trestle table from the boot. Diba then prepares a variety of salads, arranging them artistically on platters. She has just placed the last dish, when the wind gusts strongly and deposits the whole lot upside down on the sand. We pack up, and half an hour down the road, set up again by a roadside community erected to service the road – the first in Sudan. Mubarak disappears into the café to entertain the locals while Diba and I eat. There seems to be plenty more food, enough for us to eat far too much and still leave bag-fulls with the café crowd.

Jebel Barkal, the Holy Mountain in Sudan

We pick up the Nile again after 200 miles, having cut off a huge bend and we now follow the green irrigated belt. Jebel Barkal, an isolated flat topped mountain appears in the distance, and as we cross the river, I can just make out my first Sudanese pyramids at its base. There are five and a half and two bits, circa 600 AD and some crumbling piles of others that are 1500 BC; they are magnificent, glowing in the setting sun.

For two periods Nubia and Egypt were ruled jointly (hence a crown with double cobra heads), by the so-called Black Pharaohs. The Nubian kingdom of Kush (as it was known) was actually the superior power. (See Sudan in a Nutshell.) Jebel Barkal was considered a holy mountain - no less than the residence of the super god Amun. If you use your imagination you can see the Egyptian crown complete with cobra crest in the mountain side. There are the remains of the old capital Napata and pre and post Egyptian dynasty temples to explore, round the base, unsurprisingly mainly dedicated to Amun.

Sudan Has More Pyramids Than Egypt

Much was destroyed when the capital was moved from Napata to ancient Merowe. However, there are a few pillars and some carvings remaining, and it’s still possible to get a perspective on the size and orientation of the complex, which was extended over many years. It’s approached by the remains of an avenue of sand battered rams.

The most interesting bas-reliefs are in a room carved directly out of the mountainside. The frescoes in this temple to Mut, were deliberately destroyed by fire, but are being painstakingly restored by archaeologists. Most of the famous gods of the Egyptian pantheon are represented: Mut, Amon, Horus and (outside) Hathor, with her cow ears.

Back to the pyramids, for a daytime view. Diba proudly explains that there are over 300 pyramids in Sudan, double the number in Egypt. The pyramids here are all brick built decoys - the tombs are below ground and have separate, hidden entrances. This group of five and a half, though not as magnificent as those at Giza, are striking. There’s a little museum with a few headless statues and some jewellery, but the most important artefacts are in the Khartoum museum, the one that is closed.

Atop Jebel Barkal

Diba persuades me to climb Jebel Barkal for the evening Nile view. (It’s a sign of our times that autocorrect on my phone offers Nike rather than Nile). The path is steep and it’s a climb rather than a hike. It’s also very windy on top. But there are great views across Karima, the temples, nestled way below, the pyramids behind us and the river. We descend using the fast route – sliding ankle deep, down a sand lake.

Karima

My Nubian style hotel, on the outskirts of Karima, has 22 domed rooms surrounding a circular green lawn (the sprinklers run all night). It’s very romantic, lit by hurricane lights in the evening, but I’m the only guest.

El Kurru, Fabulous Sudan

Down the road, El Kurru is the site of some of the most important archeological remains in Sudan, dating from the 25th Egyptian dynasty and the Early Kingdom of Kush. There’s a necropolis divided into three areas by two wadis: kings, queens and horses. The tomb of the pharaoh Tantamani, accessed via 33 steps, is the only one open and it’s fabulous. The decorated chamber with its star patterned roof is the equal to many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, though, to be fair,  it post-dates these by a thousand years.

Nearby, some gorgeous mini canyon wadis and a petrified forest; hundreds of huge trunks half submerged in the sand, toppling and abandoned forever, as the Nile flood plains retreated over millions of years.

Around Karima

It’s a relaxing day. We shop for our picnic lunch at the small, quiet market at Karima. It’s next to an open British built brick souk that runs down to the river.

Next, we take a canopied motor boat cruise down the Nile, and up to the cataract, looping around tranquil islets and admiring the papery white sand stretches and the glistening rock reflections in the still water. Yellow weaver birds are darting in and out of their basket nests, dangling high over the water, perennial Christmas decorations. It’s blisteringly hot, literally. I have flip-flops on and when we moor up, to stroll across an island for cataract views, the sand I’m kicking up burns the soles of my feet. Even the giant monitor lizards are abandoning their sunbathing and are sliding into the water to cool off. We eat today’s salad and fruit at a deserted 'resort' on one of the islands and afterwards everyone dozes on the shady beds.

Nuri

It’s Sudan, so no day is complete without ruins. Nuri is approached through myriad irrigation canals, dividing mango and date orchards. There are enough small bridges to rival Venice, varying from ornate painted metal to rickety planks. There’s another acropolis at our destination, with 19 pyramids and 53 tombs. One of these is the remains of what was the largest pyramid in Sudan, that of Taharqa, one of the double cobra pharaohs. We’re accompanied by a group of screaming children who assemble themselves into an orderly group and pose as soon as they spot my camera. These are the first tourists I've seen.

The roads are well maintained. The tarmac has far fewer pot holes than the streets of Brighton at the moment. It even has line markings and cats’ eyes. Mubarak keeps the land cruiser spotless and specialises in ice cold water, as well as pockets full of boiled sweets. Diba is refreshingly efficient and speaks reasonably good English. What I don’t understand I clarify on the Internet. (I’ve commandeered the modem, seeing as I’m the only guest.) It’s all, thankfully, very professional.

The hotel usually organises buffets and they are still providing a four course choice at each meal. Even our picnics are more like sumptuous banquets. I’m eating far too much at each sitting. Nevertheless, the waiters are concerned, whispering to Diba that I don’t eat much.

Everyone seems fairly relaxed about my baggy western dress, despite the fact that strict and, in some cases medieval, sharia law applies here. All the women are fully covered, and there’s definitely no alcohol.

The electricity has been off all day but it’s come back on, in time for bed.

Dongola

Today, it’s the ruins at Dongola. The road east and north in Sudan hugs the edge of the fertile Nile strip, passing through more flat sand stretches - this time the golden Nubian desert. There is a small sand sea and Mubarak has a great time careering over the dunes in the Land Cruiser, while Diba and I hang on grimly. The sand is blown constantly, so the surface is pristine, like new snow. It seems a shame to step on it. The drifts accumulated on the road are cleared with caterpillar ploughs.

Dongola was an early Christian settlement and walls and pillars denote churches and palaces with a delightful setting overlooking the river. There’s a ninth century fortress  and some Sufi Beehive tombs too.

Insect Attack

The view is pretty, but it’s scorching hot and I’m not really concentrating as the sand kicks up an insect who lands in my hair. I shake my head vigorously and Diba can’t see anything, so I assume it’s leapt away. I’m happy to get back to the car and we wind through whitewashed houses and palm trees for another, much livelier market. As we park up, I’m stung above my ear. The insect has been lying low all this time - I screech and rummage in my hair and manage to knock a large winged object onto the car matting. Mubarak and Diba declare it not to be poisonous, but Diba is keeping her distance.

Lunch is taken in a traditional Nubian house, owned by a delightful family with some curious children. Whilst I’m eating, I feel a tickle on my arm. I decide my imagination has become overactive after my recent encounter. But no, I’m bitten again. I jump out and whip off my top. Insect Number Two comes flying out. Fortunately, the children have disappeared.

I come back from each of my explorations with my trainers full of red sand and Mubarak helps me to wash my feet. Then he leans over and whispers into my ear. ‘I give you massage later tonight’. Things have definitely got much too exciting. I pretend I don’t hear and resolve to make sure my door is properly locked tonight.

It’s been an adrenaline packed day.

The Bayuda Desert, Sudan

All of the landscape so far on my travels here has been desert. Desertification is a serious environmental issue in the Sudan, due to over-exploitation of the soil through human activity and climate change. And, driving to Meroe is a full on desert experience. For the first three hours we bump down Wadi Dom. The dried up riverbed is vast; the Bayuda Desert a mass of yellow volcanic rock topped hillocks interspersed with grey flat patches. Every so often Mubarak throws in some dune bashing for good measure. Kamikaze goats dash across the track, tails bobbing. The goats here are very energetic and have long floppy ears that frame their faces, King Charles spaniel style.

We stop at the ruins of the medieval Ghazali monastery and visit the nomads in their wicker houses. As with everywhere in Sudan the people are extraordinarily friendly, gentle and hospitable. You certainly wouldn’t know there was political upheaval. We picnic with the goats and donkeys, battling the wind again. The lifted sand forms a haze and makes my eyes stream.

Well, Well, Well

The highlight of the day, and possibly the whole trip, is a halt at a well,. Here pairs of donkeys haul leather bags from a deep tented bore. Men stagger with the sacks and pour the water into low edged pools. Camels gather in groups, stretching their long necks down to drink. Herds of goats also take their turn and patient donkeys hover. A seven year old boy, small for his age, manages all the camels with aplomb, brandishing a rope whip and charging after a group of twenty who are wandering away. He corrals them as effectively as any sheep dog and brings them safely back.

Today’s finale is a ferry across the Nile. The boat is metal and decrepit. It looks to me as if the bow is lower in the water than the stern, but we arrive swiftly and safely. Diba says that these ferries rarely sink - unlike the Nile pleasure boats.

Accommodation tonight is in a not entirely welcome tented camp. My tent is spacious, with beds, wooden furniture and a concrete floor. However, this is definitely not glamping. My bathroom is situated in a block behind me and I’ve been given a lecture about checking thoroughly for scorpions before I use the toilet or shower. The compensation should be a view of the Meroe pyramids, but the wind is still throwing up too much dust for me to see them.

Sandstorms at Meroe

The wind has whistled through the canvas all night, keeping me awake, and I’m having to abandon my contact lenses, there’s so much sand in the air. This makes for interesting exploration, as my spectacles are for emergencies only and distort shapes on the ground. Steps look like vertical trapezoids, so they’re not very easy to negotiate.

There’s a camel running amok in the yard, protesting with very loud braying because an over optimistic employee has been trying to break him to the saddle. A stream of men are running after it, as it tries to make a break for freedom.

Visiting Ancient Meroe

Today’s ruins, at Meroe, are over two hundred pyramids in three groups. The necropolis was built for the new capital, after it was moved from Napata. In the third century B.C., Ferlini, an Italian explorer of the early nineteenth century, taking avarice to its limits, blew the tops of most of the royal pyramids in search of treasure. He didn’t find much - most of it had already been stolen. This area has reliefs with hieroglyphics, and Meroitic script on it. The kingdom was invaded by the Greeks and then the Romans so there’s a lot of later interesting graffiti and artefacts around too.

The Qataris are now supporting a reconstruction project, with some of the smaller pyramids, antechambers and pylons, so it is possible to get a better feel for the original appearance. Although as is often the case with restoration, for me, the result is overly modern and so, less evocative.

There’s also the royal city itself, with the remains of palaces and temples - Amon features heavily again. We finish the day perched on top of a dune waiting for the sun to set over the largest, southern group of pyramids. The breeze is whipping up the sand to the extent that rivulets of sand are snaking across the top. I’m caked in tiny particles. At least it’s free exfoliation. The sky behind the monuments is so murky that the pale sun looks more like the moon, dropping into the V between two tombs.

Naqa and Mussarawat, the Best Preserved Temples in Sudan

Back to Khartoum today, via the best preserved Meroite temples in Sudan. All these temples are dedicated to the lion-headed Meroitic god, Apedemak, who takes precedence in this period, Amon is thrown in as a subsidiary on the bas reliefs, for good measure. The ruins at Naqa have been partially reconstructed and one small temple at Mussarawat fully rebuilt. Though the purpose of the sprawling main buildings there remains a mystery. One temple is dedicated to the elephant god and there are many animal frescoes. One theory suggests that this was a huge animal trading area,  dealing in exotic beasts from both Africa and Asia.

I’m still the solitary tourist in Sudan. Even if the coup hadn’t taken place, I’m not sure the sites would have been much busier. Many of the ruins have been neglected for some time; the main reconstruction took place in 1969. There was an upswell of interest at the beginning of the century, when some work was done. Very recently there have been more restorations , as the various civil wars have ended and the political regime softened. Stands for some interpretive signs have even been erected. No information has been attached as yet though.

It’s difficult not to make comparisons with Egypt. I suppose the short answer is that Sudan’s ancient ruins provide quantity, rather than quality. Karnak this isn’t. However, these lesser known archaeological sites certainly add depth to my knowledge of Egyptology and ancient history. And the everyday life of the people and the red hued desert scenery definitely make the visit worthwhile.