By Sami A. Ibrahim
 The author’s grandchildren stand in front of the Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt. |
A while back I promised my two eldest grandchildren, Natasha and Jason, a tour in Egypt, the country of my birth. But unrest in the Middle East and last year’s sporadic attacks on tourists forced us to postpone the trip several times. A lull in violence and a relatively long period of calm in Egypt encouraged us to embark on our 24-day trip July 5.
I contracted a travel agency in Egypt that promised competent tour guides and reliable, safe transportation. I selected the safest possible route: San Francisco to Cairo via London’s Heathrow. I wanted to avoid stopping in Madrid, Rome or Athens, where either serious incidents had occurred or lapses in security could endanger my grandchildren. In spite of my careful planning, things did not go as planned.
We arrived in London July 6 and departed for Cairo. We landed at Cairo International Airport just before midnight and went directly to our hotel on Pyramid Road. The following day we received the shocking news of the London subway bombings.
We spent the next four days in Cairo, a city with 5,000 years of history. Our first day we visited Old Cairo, with its narrow streets and hundreds of shops. To my amazement, the first thing my grandchildren wanted to buy was a soccer ball. Their father, my son Mark, is a soccer coach and his children are skillful players. Wherever we went, Natasha and Jason were inseparable from their soccer ball and on several occasions engaged in friendly competitions with Egyptian youngsters and some adults. The Egyptians were amazed at the skills of my 13-year-old, red-haired granddaughter. (We did not see a single Egyptian girl or woman play soccer in public.)
Some of the Egyptians we spoke with were pleased and surprised to learn that we came from California and informed us that American tourists, because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and State Department warnings, were reluctant to visit Egypt. I’m convinced that much good will may be engendered through soccer diplomacy.
The following day we visited the Giza Plateau and the 5,000-year-old massive pyramid of King Khufu. Reaching the king’s burial chamber was not easy. We ascended a steep corridor by walking, then kneeling and finally crawling. The exercise was exhilarating but strenuous. Next we visited the Sphinx, known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol, or father of terror. It was carved from a piece of limestone left over from carving stones for Khufu’s pyramid. Its pleasant, smiling face is believed to be the likeness of Ciphren, the builder of the second pyramid. We concluded our visit by viewing a solar boat used to bring the mummy of the dead pharaoh across the Nile to the valley temple, where it was brought up a causeway and placed in the tomb chamber.
On day 3, we visited the 12th century Saladdin Castle, the 19th century Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the 4th century Hanging Church, built on top of the water gate of Roman Babylon. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary because it is believed that the Holy Family took refuge near the site. Last we visited the 9th century Ben Ezra Synagogue.
On our last day in Cairo, we took a short Nile trip on one of the motorboats that line the Nile’s banks. Then we took a sleeper train for the 12-hour trip to Aswan, where we completed our sightseeing in the early mornings and evenings because midday temperatures reached 113 degrees. Sites of particular interest were the unfinished Colossus obelisk, the Kitchener’s Island botanical garden, the complex of Isis on the Island of Philae, the Abu Simbel Temple dedicated to three gods and pharaoh Ramesses II and the temple of Queen Nefertari, Ramesses’ beloved wife.
Wherever we traveled, we stopped at Internet cafes where my grandchildren were able to contact their parents.
From Aswan we headed north to Luxor on a high-speed bus ride that was more than exciting. To protect against terrorist attacks, we traveled in a caravan of several buses with a heavily armed police escort. We soon realized our safety was in jeopardy not because of a potential terrorist act but because of the numerous reckless drivers.
On the way, we visited the Temple of the god Horus built by the Ptolomys. At Luxor, the most popular tourist destination, we visited the Karnak and Luxor temples, the Luxor museum, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the Queen Hatshepsut temple on the Nile’s West Bank. One of the highlights was the sound and light show at Karnak.
From Luxor we traveled by police escort to the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada. It was a great joy to swim in the sparkling waters of the Red Sea and the swimming pools with their refreshing filtered seawater.
On July 23, our last day in Hurghada, we received shocking news about the bombing in Sharm El-Sheikh that left 85 vacationers dead. My grandson was scared and asked for an immediate return to California. It took me a while to persuade him that we should proceed as planned.
During our way to Alexandria, my wife in Los Altos, son in Madera and relatives in Alexandria were desperately trying to reach us to make sure we were not in harm’s way due to our proximity to Sharm El-Sheikh. During our four-day stay in Alexandria my grandchildren met their uncles, aunts and numerous cousins for the first time .
We departed July 28 for Cairo for our return to San Francisco. Security measures were so strict that the luggage inspectors wanted to confiscate our soccer ball. After discussion and pleas from my grandchildren, they permitted the ball through, but only after it was deflated. As the plane gained altitude, the soccer ball became inflated because of low atmospheric pressure. Had it not been deflated, it probably would have exploded. We are grateful to the thorough Egyptian airport inspectors. I was also gratified that in spite of some hardships mixed with a dash of anxiety, my grandchildren are eager for a return trip to Egypt and so am I.
Ibrahim has been a Los Altos resident since 1969. He is a chemistry professor at San Jose City College.
