Trip report: Egypt: Ancient Wonders and the Legendary Nile, National Geographic, October 26-November 5, 2023, Complete.

[newfamilyman]

We just returned from the National Geographic expedition, “Egypt: Ancient Wonders and the Legendary Nile,” October 26-November 5th. I haven’t found any previous trip reports for this expedition or the ABD version and wanted to share our experiences to both help those who are considering this trip as well as those already confirmed that may want to know more of what they are getting themselves into before their trip begins. Hopefully it is OK to include this report in this forum.

Let me start by giving a little information about DW Karen and me. This was our first group travel experience. We prefer doing our own travel planning and execution, but we did not think that a DIY Egypt trip would be a great idea. We approached this trip as a bucket-list vacation, wanting the experience of seeing the pyramids in person, rather than having a long-standing and/or deep-seated fascination with Egypt and its culture and history. Finally, I’m an introvert (Karen less so), so I approached the group-travel aspect with some trepidation.

Once we decided on a group-travel Egypt vacation, we debated between using National Geographic or ABD. Both were pricing the same at that time ($8K per person, plus internal flights, which has increased $1K per person since last year), but National Geographic included more meals and an expert, whereas ABD always includes what I call “arts and crafts” experiences that don’t particularly appeal to either of us. We chose the end of October both because the weather in Egypt becomes more manageable later in the year and also because we thought it would be fun to spend Halloween in Egypt. We have always used our Dreams Unlimited travel agent Kelsie to book our DCL trips, and Kelsie booked our National Geographic trip. Unlike Disney trips, however, you can’t use Disney gift cards to pay for National Geographic expeditions. In addition to receiving an early booking discount, we also received a further discount from Dreams Unlimited.

Trip Planning
Even though National Geographic does the planning, there are still a few things that you have to do yourself. Receiving a typhoid vaccine was recommended for travel to Egypt, and even though our insurance didn’t cover it, we both decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. Like almost all of the other travelers, I would end up coming down with a few illnesses, but typhoid wasn’t one of them.

They send a recommended packing list well in advance of the trip. They recommend insect repellant, which we never ended up using. While there was an almost constant abundance of annoying flies, we didn’t encounter mosquitoes, or at least enough of them to justify using DEET. Bringing Immodium and some form of NSAID (I prefer naproxen), as they suggested, was essential. I also wished that I brought more wipes.

It was very hot in Egypt, and many people of both genders were wearing shorts. Even though this is a Muslim country, the appearance of the tourists was pretty much the same as you would find anywhere in Europe or at a Disney park, for that matter.

We did not exchange any money in advance. My bank allows refunds ATM fees, so I withdrew about $100 from an ATM at the airport. The amount of cash received was a huge number of bills. The easiest way to convert Egyptian pounds to dollars is to move the decimal point over by one and then take a third, so I received about 3000 Egyptian pounds for $100 USD. The bills came in all 50’s and 100’s. However, you can just bring dollars with you. It helps to have small denominations. Almost everyone was accepting dollars and Euros, and in fact, when faced with a choice between the dollars or the Egyptian pound, the price was usually cheaper if you paid in dollars. However, it was convenient to tip using a 50 Egyptian pound note.

National Geographic asks that you only bring two pieces of checked luggage. Included in the swag that they send you ahead of time are two bright yellow belts with the National Geographic logo which you strap around your luggage to identify them as luggage for guests on the tour. Because we went to Amsterdam for five days before going to Egypt, where the weather could not have been any different, there was no way that we were going to bring only two checked bags. However, because the trip began and ended at the Ritz in Cairo, we were able to leave behind a suitcase of dirty luggage so that when we left for the internal flights, we were only checking two bags.

Don’t forget to bring outlet adapters with the conventional European two-circular-prong plug. The Ritz had USB-B ports on the desk but not near the beds. M/S Farah had one adapter. However, there were no USB-C outlets to accommodate iPhone 15s. The Steigenberger had only local outlets, so if you did not bring your own adapter, you would not have been able to charge your phone, unless the hotel had one it provides upon request.

Rest assured that whatever time you arrive and whatever time you depart, your airport transfer is included. Our group began and ended with Rami, someone who exuded local hospitality and who provided a white-glove treatment which included submitting visas upon entry and completing immigration forms upon departure. His smile could not have been more genuine.

While the trip is billed as eleven days, it is really nine days of activity. We arrived from Amsterdam around 10 pm on what was called day one (no meals are included) and left with another couple at 2 AM on day 11, missing only the included breakfast. Many guests arrived one or even two days early, booking a couple of extra nights at the Ritz, whereas nobody booked any extra nights at the end of the trip. There were some people who had booked the Jordan extension, but that was cancelled due to the war.

Finally, a word on whether safety concerns should impact your trip to Egypt. In the words of our expert, William “Bill” Saturno, “If you base going to Egypt on peace in Israel, you’ll never visit Egypt.” You would never have known there was a war going on some 250 miles from Cairo.

Next installment: Day 1, Arriving in Cairo, and Day 2, Touring Şaqqārah and Dahshūr.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

So in for this trip report! Thanks so much for posting. Love seeing the Nat Geo version of the trip on here. And Kelsie is great--we've used her for many trips in the past.

 

[newfamilyman]

So in for this trip report! Thanks so much for posting. Love seeing the Nat Geo version of the trip on here. And Kelsie is great--we've used her for many trips in the past.

Thanks for the kind words! In addition to receiving a total of $1K early booking bonus, booking with Kelsie saved us an additional $850. I think we were the only ones who booked through a travel agent, and I don't think anybody in our group had even been to a Disney park before, much less been aware of Dreams Unlimited!

 

[newfamilyman]

Day 1: Arriving in Cairo

We arrived late in Cairo, and once we entered the terminal, Rami was waiting for us, holding out his notebook with the National Geographic logo. While waiting for luggage, I asked him if people had dropped out of the trip. He explained that out of our group of 25, only 11 remained. Our group turned out to be two sisters and their husbands; a couple who had previously traveled with Bill on a Nat Geo around-the-world trip earlier that year; a mother and daughter duo; Jackie, a solo traveler who gave me permission to use her name and who had left her husband back home, and us.

Rami quickly passed on to the private van that we took to the Ritz in downtown Cairo. Along the way, we were shocked at the chaos that unfolded in front of us. We saw countless families of up to 5, including babies, all riding motorbikes without helmets. Many streets had no lanes marked and the ones that did were often ignored. The result was incessant honking from all directions, so loud that we could hear it from our high floor room at the Ritz well into the night.

Arriving at the Ritz, we passed through metal detectors, something that we would continue to do every time that we entered a museum or other hotel. A quick word for fellow miles-and-points hobbyists: you will earn elite night credits but not points for the cost of the room, only for incidentals. We were already on a high floor, facing the Nile, so no upgrades were available. The clerk told us that you needed to be titanium to receive club lounge access, though one one of our group who was titanium asked for lounge access, he was then told that you had to be ambassador to receive lounge access, which went against Marriott’s policy.

Day 2: Touring Şaqqārah and Dahshūr

This day started with an early buffet breakfast and scheduled departure time by bus, as would become the unrelenting routine for the next 8 days. The breakfast at the Ritz was certainly impressive, but I limited myself out of concern of not wanting to be too desperate for a bathroom. The fruits included three types of fresh dates, something that I’ve previously only eaten dried. The fresh dates were very sweet, too sweet for my taste, and had the texture of an unripe pear or hard persimmon. I enjoyed the pomegranate arils and wonderfully sectioned pink grapefruit with almost no trace of pith. Service was spotty, however, which was most frustrating for those desperate for their morning coffee, which was usually slow to arrive.

It was then time for the bus. The buses were all pretty identical. They easily could have accommodated three or even four times our group’s size. There were always cold waters in the refrigerator at the front of the bus and room temperature water in a cooler in the middle. The bathrooms were identical and usually were missing something, water, soap, toilet paper, and/or paper towels. They could be a bear to lock, and once when I was using it, the lights went out, and the door was stuck. Luckily, that only lasted a few seconds. The buses were otherwise reasonably comfortable and air-conditioned, which was the most needed amenity.

The long drive to Şaqqārah was our daytime introduction to the poverty of the city. Stray dogs were ubiquitous, as were continuing sights of children in dangerous situations such as congregating on the roofs of buildings without much in the way of barriers to keep them from falling off or along the sides of freeways. Trash was piled up everywhere, including in the river. A scene of a puppy being abused by a child was one particularly unpleasant, lingering memory. Many of us did not realize how poor the city was, and it was a depressing eye-opener.

Once arriving at Şaqqārah, we began what would be become a daily routine: visiting a pyramid or tomb, learning about hieroglyphics, and sometimes entering a tomb. The tomb in Şaqqārah that we entered, the pyramid of Teti, was the only one that everyone entered which involved managing a tricky descent involving bending over and hoping not to trip and after exploring the area further, it was time for lunch.

Magdy, our expedition leader and Egyptologist, told us that lunch would be at a ranch, which turned out to be a euphemism for tourist trap. As was the custom, everyone wanted a tip: the musicians that greeted us; the children standing by their animals; the bathroom attendants, etc. There were long tables which accommodated the tour bus-loads of customers that this restaurant serviced. The menu consisted of staples to which we quickly became accustomed: plates of tahini, eggplant, and baba ghanoush. While I usually don’t like the texture of eggplant, the baba ghanoush in Egypt was as delicious as it was omnipresent. They also served grilled chicken thighs and drumsticks and kofta, which was like a ground lamb sausage. As was the case with most meals, water and soft drinks were included, but alcohol was not. Magdy promised us at the beginning that we would always have as much bottled water as we needed, and he never let us down once.

After lunch, we visited Dahshūr, home to the Black, Bent, and Red pyramids, and Bill explained the history. The three pyramids represented trial-and-error until the Egyptians landed on the successful formula. Sneferu learned from the mistakes of the Black and Bent pyramid, which proved to be unstable, to create the Red pyramid, which is known as the first successful attempt at building a pyramid. Visiting Dahshūr allows you to see how that progress took place:


The Black pyramid.


The Bent pyramid.


The Red pyramid.

The Bent pyramid also gave an opportunity for people to enter, but this proved to be too claustrophobia-inducing for most of those in our group who tried it, including me. Those who did enter found a group of women chanting by candlelight and not appreciating the intrusion.

There was a short break after the long drive back before the first of Bill’s only two lectures and dinner. Here is our view from the room of sunset approaching:



Like most non-buffet meals on the trip, we needed to select our choices in advance from a wedding-invitation-like limited selection of beef, chicken, or fish. The dinner was one of two where alcohol was included and flowed freely. The meal was quite good, and the beef medallions proved to be the only time that tender beef was served. At other restaurants, the cut was cheap and proved to be tough. The food at the Ritz never disappointed.

Bill’s lectures were both fascinating and well told. The first lecture mostly focused on some of the colorful European characters who made their mark on Egypt. He told some amusing anecdotes about Herodotus, a Greek historian who visited Egypt in 450 BCE and basically documented the various gossip that he picked up talking to residents, regardless of whether there was any basis in fact to what he documented for posterity. Another significant figure was Giovanni Belzoni, who depending upon one’s perspective was either a great explorer and archaeologist or a tomb robber and thug. He carved his name into many of his discoveries, including many artifacts on display at the British Museum. It was fascinating to have seen these treasures at the museum without having paid attention to the name carved on the back and having the knowledge about his life story felt like completing a puzzle.

We were the last to arrive to the lecture and ended up at the sole unoccupied table, and Bill joined us for the first and last time that we would experience a meal with just him. I was particularly interested in hearing Bill talk about his experiences on the round-the-world tours by private jet, which command a price of at least $75K a person. He has participated in so many of these tours, including the first one ever offered, that he shared that one of the chefs on the private plane, leased from Icelandair, was better than the others, so he was always glad when this particular chef was assigned. Bill challenged my assumption that all of the travelers would be extremely wealthy, stuffy, and conservative, recalling the story of how he watched everyone on the plane when the 2016 election results were announced. All of a sudden, a planeload of passengers who all got along well turned into two halves that could not be around each other.

Bill also discussed the history of National Geographic expeditions and its change of ownership to Disney. He said that initially, there was talk of folding National Geographic into ABD, but it turned out that people who had taken ABD trips then signed up for National Geographic expeditions, but the reverse was not true. As a result, they kept both programs intact.

At some point in the conversation, it became hard to overlook Bill’s unwelcome displays of condescension and lack of interest in establishing two-way communication. For example, when I asked Bill if he gets a plaid when he goes to a Disney park, he snidely replied that he had never been to a Disney park and neither had his kids. “When you’ve grown up on dig sites around the world,” he intoned, Disney parks had very little allure. Furthermore, Bill never asked any questions about us, not a single one. Any time one of us would talk about ourselves or shared an opinion, you could see his eye glaze over, and he clearly communicated non-verbally that if we weren’t talking about one of his subjects of interest, including himself, then the conversation no longer was of interest to him.

Next Installment: Day 3, Giza

 

[pjacobi]

Islam considers dogs as impure, while some Christians associate black cat with the witches and devils.

-Paul

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I am absolutely loving your TR! I especially appreciate hearing about your impressions in a matter-of-fact/balanced way (if that makes sense). How annoying about the shifting guidelines about lounge access by the Ritz. I wouldn't have been happy were I the guest with titanium level. That is quite a big drop out rate. I wonder if they ever considered cancelling the trip? And huge bummer about Bill--it sounds as if he's been on too many of these and no longer appreciates his role.

 

[newfamilyman]

I am absolutely loving your TR! I especially appreciate hearing about your impressions in a matter-of-fact/balanced way (if that makes sense). How annoying about the shifting guidelines about lounge access by the Ritz. I wouldn't have been happy were I the guest with titanium level. That is quite a big drop out rate. I wonder if they ever considered cancelling the trip? And huge bummer about Bill--it sounds as if he's been on too many of these and no longer appreciates his role.

Thanks again, and I appreciate your feedback! Sometimes people don't like to read negative feedback in trip reports, but I'm trying to be balanced without being too snarky. And I'm just getting started with Bill...

 

[sayhello]

That's an interesting bit of information about what happened re: NatGeo vs. ABD. Thanks for that!

It's interesting that not one person so far who has reported on an ABD Egypt trip has mentioned how dirty & poor Cairo is (which is what I'd heard from other sources). I wonder if ABD somehow manages to isolate the group from that? Seems odd.

Thanks for your interesting trip report! Looking forward to more. (And such a bummer about Bill!!)

Sayhello

 

[newfamilyman]

That's an interesting bit of information about what happened re: NatGeo vs. ABD. Thanks for that!

It's interesting that not one person so far who has reported on an ABD Egypt trip has mentioned how dirty & poor Cairo is (which is what I'd heard from other sources). I wonder if ABD somehow manages to isolate the group from that? Seems odd.

Thanks for your interesting trip report! Looking forward to more. (And such a bummer about Bill!!)

Sayhello

Thanks for your kind words! I don't see how you could be shielded from the poverty in Cairo, even when you are staying in the best hotel. My only thought is that when people report on ABD or Disney-related trips, many have the tendency to focus or over-report the positive and under-report anything negative, which doesn't give a very realistic perspective, in my view.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Thanks again, and I appreciate your feedback! Sometimes people don't like to read negative feedback in trip reports, but I'm trying to be balanced without being too snarky. And I'm just getting started with Bill...

I really appreciate the candidness so please don't stop! When I hear the good with the bad, it really helps to set expectations for me. I also like snark, LOL. And can't wait to hear more.

 

[Eastridge]

At some point in the conversation, it became hard to overlook Bill’s unwelcome displays of condescension and lack of interest in establishing two-way communication. For example, when I asked Bill if he gets a plaid when he goes to a Disney park, he snidely replied that he had never been to a Disney park and neither had his kids. “When you’ve grown up on dig sites around the world,” he intoned, Disney parks had very little allure. Furthermore, Bill never asked any questions about us, not a single one. Any time one of us would talk about ourselves or shared an opinion, you could see his eye glaze over, and he clearly communicated non-verbally that if we weren’t talking about one of his subjects of interest, including himself, then the conversation no longer was of interest to him.

Wow.

If that's typical of National Geographic, I'm glad they did not merge Nat. Geo with ABD. I can't imagine an ABD guide behaving that way.

Thanks for this report and for sharing, both the good and bad. Helps the rest of us make decisions about what trips to go on.

 

[newfamilyman]

Next Installment: Day 3, Giza

It was an early breakfast and departure in order to beat the crowds to Giza. It was high season, and along with a peak number of tourists staying locally like us, multiple cruise ships were in town as well. It was also hot and reminded me of Matthew Broderick’s character, Eugene Morris Jerome, in Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues” when he says, “It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot.”

Many in the group went inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Having no interest in repeating the discomfort of bending over and claustrophobia that I experienced at the Bent pyramid (maybe that’s the derivation of its name!), I waited with the others outside. There was a long line for those wanting to enter the pyramid, and Magdy called to one of his connections who was serving as the sort of bouncer at the entrance, letting people in slowly. Magdy claimed that his intervention saved an hour for our group; however, DW Karen reported that it was just more crowded inside the pyramid and slow moving. For those considering entering and wanting to know what you will be getting yourself into, she explained that it was very tight inside, with people pushing their way around. One member of the group told us that someone had pushed his butt roughly in order to get by him.

Karen leaving the pyramid:


After everyone exited the pyramid, Magdy had a surprise for us: a camel ride. Here is the group heading toward the camels:



Bill’s assignment apparently was often to lead up the rear, and he repeatedly complained about the struggle of having to heard cats, bemoaning group members’ interest in exploring nooks and crannies away from the group, which created more work for him.

The camel depot:


Once we arrived at the departure point for the short camel excursions, Magdy made a beeline for one particular dispatcher who he said was trustworthy. Magdy said that when the person guiding the camel took our picture, we could safely trust that we would get our phones or camera (I was actually the only one other than Bill who had brought a camera instead of just a phone) back. Magdy did the negotiating for us and arrived at a price of $15 US or 600 Egyptian pounds per person. Because I only had Egyptian pounds, I was stuck into paying the higher rate, since 600 Egyptian pounds worked out to almost $20. This was of course before tip, though everyone seemed to appreciate a 50 Egyptian tip, even though it was only $1.50.

It was a pretty fun experience:


After the camel ride, we went to see the Sphinx. It was pretty incredible to see it, the only remaining entry on the original 10 Wonders of the World list, in person. Here she is along with the crowds:


It was after seeing the Sphinx, however, without any rudimentary explanation about its history, that Karen realized that she had needed an Egypt 101 class, since the trip seemed to be starting at 301. I absolutely agreed, and I approached Bill to offer that suggestion. Bill scoffed at the idea and actually told me that since I knew I was going to Egypt with National Geographic, I should have done my homework and prepared that knowledge on my own. I was speechless at his response, which had not a shred of empathy. Are you starting to get the picture that having an Expert on a trip doesn’t necessarily enhance the experience?

It was then time for lunch, at the nearby Marriott Mena House. The hotel has a pretty fascinating history, though I only read its Wikipedia page after the fact. Only the garden wing was open, and when the palace wing reopens, it will be a JW Marriott. Mainly what many of us will remember about the lunch is that it was the first time, but not the last time, that many of us would get sick, though this time, it was mostly the men. The buffet itself was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the roast chicken, which tasted like real, old-fashioned chicken, not the rubbery version that you find most of the time in the States. There were also so many delicious dips, with much more variety than usual. Some of us tried to figure out what it was that got us sick, with some thinking it was the butter, though I didn’t have any butter. We’ll never know, but my stomach didn’t recover fully for several days, as was true for some of the other men.

After lunch, it was back to the hotel for a few free hours. During the break, Magdy took some of us to one of the clothing shops in the Ritz’s lobby, Mobaco, which sold the most fantastic, soft, Egyptian-cotton clothing. I bought many long-sleeved shirts with their distinctive camel logo (size 5 was the rough equivalent to a large in the states), polo shirts in a great variety of colors, and the softest shorts. The prices were unbelievably low and were even more of a bargain for their quality. They sold men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, which made for the best souvenirs.

This afternoon’s lecture was given by a female professor at a local English-speaking college (I may have gotten some of those last details wrong). Her talk was informative, though her delivery paled in comparison to Bill’s. The first part of the lecture focused on the Egyptian culture, and the second part on how women fit into the culture.

After the lecture, we got back on the bus for a short drive to the restaurant Felfela, which you won’t find on any list of the best restaurants in Cairo. Magdy got us the back room exclusively for us, at least for most of the meal. This was another dinner where we had to order a day in advance, with limited options and not the full menu. It was the same meal of flatbread, dips, and for me, kebabs. There was a glowing review on the wall from Gourmet magazine from probably 40 years ago, as the magazine itself ceased publication some 20 years ago. Maybe it was a great choice in 80s, but it was one of the least memorable dinners of the trip.

We retired early because Magdy informed us that we would be receiving wake-up calls at 3:45 to prepare for our 4:45 departure so that we could make our 6:05 flight to Luxor.

Next installment: Day 4, Luxor

 

[sayhello]

I have to say, I have never encountered, nor can I remember having heard of, an ABD local expert who has acted like Bill. That would be a real turn off. Maybe it's just him, but the fact that NatGeo continues to use him is not a good sign!

Also, the photos I have seen from folks on the ABD Egypt trip have them standing at the front feet of the Sphinx. So that seems to be a plus for ABD.

Your wife described what it was like inside the Pyramid, but you did not say, did she think it was *worth* it?

Thanks. Looking forward to more.

Sayhello

 

[newfamilyman]

I have to say, I have never encountered, nor can I remember having heard of, an ABD local expert who has acted like Bill. That would be a real turn off. Maybe it's just him, but the fact that NatGeo continues to use him is not a good sign!

Also, the photos I have seen from folks on the ABD Egypt trip have them standing at the front feet of the Sphinx. So that seems to be a plus for ABD.

Your wife described what it was like inside the Pyramid, but you did not say, did she think it was *worth* it?

Thanks. Looking forward to more.

Sayhello

I'm not sure how you would stand at the front feet of the Sphinx. If ABD arranged for special access, Nat Geo did not.

She definitely thought it was worth it. She always enjoyed going inside the pyramids, which were highlights of the trip for her, though she pointed out that she is small and relatively agile.

 

[sayhello]

I'm not sure how you would stand at the front feet of the Sphinx. If ABD arranged for special access, Nat Geo did not.

She definitely thought it was worth it. She always enjoyed going inside the pyramids, which were highlights of the trip for her, though she pointed out that she is small and relatively agile.

I'm assuming ABD did arrange for special access. They do that for many adventures.

I'm glad she thought it was worth it. I think I'd want to do it...

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Wow on Bill. Just wow! And bummer about the dinner illness. I assumed hotels would be fairly safe ... I guess bad assumption!

 

[newfamilyman]

The day started, as promised, with a wake-up call at 3:45. We finished packing and were ready to go by 4:30 for our 4:45 departure by bus. It was easy to leave a bag behind with a bellman so that we would only need to check two bags. Magdy explained that an early flight meant that we could avoid airport delays.

This would be a good time to explain the security process at Egyptian airports. There are two checkpoints. Sometimes there are separate lines for men and women; when there is only one line, there is still a separate, gender-appropriate security officer for male and female passengers. After passing through the metal detector, the security officer frisks you. There is a wooden crate, and you put one foot on the crate so that your leg can be patted down, and then you put the other foot so your other leg can be patted down. At the second checkpoint, you also have to take off your belt and shoes.

There is one other phenomenon worth nothing. There was a pattern of local women who cut, or forcefully attempted to cut, the security lines. Bill’s explanation was that religious Islamic women who are covered up do not want men to look at them while they are on line, so they try to cut ahead to minimize any staring.

It was a quick flight on EgyptAir for which I received 317 United miles. Once we retrieved our luggage, it was off to another bus to the Steigenberger Achti hotel, formerly a Sheraton, formerly just the Achti, according to Magdy. Looking at the other hotels in the area on TripAdvisor in preparation for writing this entry, I was left completely bewildered how Nat Geo could choose such a dump, even if it was only for one night. This hotel was certainly one of the worst hotels in which I have ever stayed, which was only exacerbated by having most recently stayed in the luxurious Ritz.

After a quick breakfast, we headed out to the temple complex of Karnak in order to beat the crowds. Magdy said that it was a two-and-a-half hour drive from where the cruise ships were docked to arriving at Luxor, and he predicted their arrival at 11:30. The most exciting aspect to Karnak is that, as James Bond fans can readily identify and Magdy confirmed, this site was the location of the dramatic fight between Bond and Jaws in “The Spy Who Loved Me” where Jaws is buried. The main difference between the movie and reality is that in the movie, the site is deserted, and in real life, it is mobbed with tourists. That, and nobody pushes stones to try to kill you. You certainly can’t drive your bus up to the front and in between the columns, as Jaws does.

I then asked Bill if there are sound and light shows, as shown near the beginning of “The Spy Who Loved Me,” where Jaws kills Aziz Fekkesh. Bill said that he never saw “The Spy Who Loved Me” but that, yes, there are sound and light shows, and no, we wouldn’t be going to any of them. In that one sentence, Bill, who already identified himself as someone who has never been to a Disney park, also revealed himself to be someone who has not seen one of the most beloved and certainly most Egypt-centric of the James Bond films and that Nat Geo deprived us of taking us to something that, if it was anything like in the movie, was a pretty cool experience. Personally, my ideal day would have been spent touring all the “Spy Who Loved Me” scenes culminating in a sound and light show, but I didn’t get the sense that there were too many other Bond fans in the group.

Before getting into an interesting incident at Karnak, I realize that I forgot to share the one, brief Egypt 101 comment that Bill made earlier in the trip, and I also want to comment on the dynamic between Bill and Magdy and what each of them brought to the trip.

As a history buff, I thought that the funniest show of the year was “Cunk on Earth,” in which Diane Morgan portrays Philomena Cunk in a mockumentary-style series in which Cunk shares her hilarious and basic thoughts about history interspersed with her interviews with real professors by asking ridiculous questions. Here is a TikTok link to part of her coverage of ancient Egypt.

Bill shared basically the same information, stating that people wonder why ancient Egyptians were so focused on death. He explained that from their perspective, they were only alive for 40 or so years while the afterlife would last millions of years, so it made sense that they would put so much effort into preparing for the afterlife.

Bill’s role on the trip was clearly defined. He only gave two lectures. Otherwise, he would occasionally speak to the group while touring, and he was available to answer questions, though as I have shared, the latter was a buyer-beware kind of situation. Magdy’s role was a bit more blurred. He was listed as the expedition leader, and guests are expected to tip him at the end. Like entertainers on Disney cruises, Bill was exempt from tips.

At one point early in the trip, I praised Magdy for being such an efficient guide, to which he took great offense. He proudly shared a couple of times that he was not a tour guide but has two master’s degrees, one in Egyptology and one in linguistics. He excelled at ensuring that everything on the trip ran smoothly. For example, when we boarded the bus that morning, there was no air conditioning. Even though it was the peak of tourist season, as he informed us, he was able to get us a replacement bus with only a small delay. He spent most of his time while we were visiting temples and museums acting as an Egyptologist and expert but focusing on details, often translating the hieroglyphics, which became quite monotonous. Bill, by contrast, had a macro, not micro, perspective and was also an experienced speaker, so his lectures and commentaries were more compelling. Even though Bill was the designated Expert, Magdy was reluctant to give him the floor, to the point that early in the trip, I asked Bill why Magdy wasn’t allowing him to contribute more to the tours. This comment clearly resonated with Bill and would bubble up much later in the trip.

Back to Karnak. Here is a picture of Magdy and Bill, and you can see a partition in the back:


At one point during this excursion, Magdy took us behind one of these barriers where clearly work was still being done, which can sort of be detected in this picture from behind the partition, which includes scaffolding:


There was no indication that this was an officially sanctioned breach of security. A few other people saw what Magdy had done and copied him.

We next visited the Luxor museum, which was our first encounters with, as Philomena Cunk would say, “the mummies of Scooby-Doo fame” so far this trip. Magdy started to lead a tour, but I think the combination of everyone’s exhaustion and his undynamic presentation style caused so many people to break off to explore on their own that he abandoned the tour. Bill was available for questions but was really needed to lead the tour. Exactly as Magdy predicted, the museum suddenly filled up with cruise groups, so we headed back to the hotel shortly thereafter.

Lunch was at the hotel in a different restaurant from the buffet and one where again we had to request ahead of time our preference for chicken, beef, or fish, wedding-style. The fish filet was surprisingly delicious. My stomach was still bothering me, so I passed on the dips appetizer. A couple of people who were familiar with the show “Only Murders in the Building” commented out loud, and I’m sure many others thought it, that this would have been the ideal trip for Martin Short’s character, Oliver Putnam, who seemingly loves dips more than anyone else on the planet.

The rooms were ready after lunch. They looked like they haven’t been refurbished in 30 years, and it was very much a no-frills hotel. The bed and pillows were miserably hard and uncomfortable. The hotel didn’t even splurge on separate shampoo and conditioner, much less provide lotion. I had to break the bath gel container off the side of the shower to get it to work. The final straw for me was that nobody answered the phone when I tried to call the front desk by pushing either the button for “room services” or 0. Karen was concerned about access to the fitness center, since she likes to start each day early on the treadmill.

At that point, I made a beeline for the lobby. Amazingly, Magdy was sitting in the lobby, perched by the elevators, as if waiting for a flood of disgruntled Nat Geo travelers to emerge. Again, you have to give Magdy credit that as an expedition leader, he was unparalleled. It turns out to reach the front desk, you press 1, not 0, which was a first for me. They also promised to send someone about the pillow. After a brief interval, someone did come with pillows which were slightly less miserable than the ones that came with the room. When Karen asked about the fitness center hours, the attendant promised that he would open it for her anytime that she wanted, though he did not explain how he could be reached at 5 AM.

The hotel's one undeniable strength were its views. Here was the sunset view from our room:


After a short break, it was time for Bill’s second and final lecture of the trip. This one was as fascinating as the first and told the history of Howard Carter and how he came to discover King Tut’s tomb. It was the perfect preparation to visiting the tomb, which we would be doing the next day. I couldn’t resist asking Bill about the famous curse of King Tut’s tomb. His answer was delivered in his trademark condescension: “I always say that everyone involved with the discovery of King Tut’s tomb died. Everyone not involved in the discovery of King Tut’s tomb also died.” Thanks, Bill, helpful as always. On a side note, if you pay attention to good presenters, they almost always respond to at least some of the questions they get asked with some variety of, “Great question,” or “Thanks for asking that question.” I never heard Bill once utter any variation of that response. He couldn’t even fake wanting to connect with his audience.

After the lecture, we left by bus for a night-time visit to Luxor Temple, which at least was cool at night but still very crowded. We mostly explored on our own and then returned to the hotel for a late dinner at the same restaurant that served the buffet breakfast.

There was a small incident worth reporting at dinner, if you find yourself on this Nat Geo expedition. Some of us sat outside, and some sat inside. I ordered a Coke, and the server was going to charge my room. Again Magdy, always there to save the day, noticed this and explained to the server that we were with Nat Geo, and the drink was comped. However, guests who dined inside ended up having to pay for their soft drinks, since Magdy did not observe those transactions. The food was only mediocre this time, as one would expect of this particular hotel, and as it was also late, I ate sparingly. It was then time for bed and another early start the next day for one of the trip’s highlights, exploring the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut’s tomb, all the more exciting as tomorrow was also the day before Halloween.

Next Installment: Day 5, Luxor and the Start of the Nile River Cruise

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Too funny--we love Cunk on earth. We spend a lot of time in England and her schtick and delivery is perfect of so many of the shows there. It's on Netflix for those interested. Sounds like an "interesting" dynamic between Bill and Magdy.

 

[pjacobi]

Why are there so many security checks?

It is done to prevent bribery. A bad actor could easily bribe their way through one checkpoint, but much harder to bribe your way through multiple checkpoints.

Sadly, there is little confidence in security officials. They are paid so low that they may have to accept a bride just to survive. The custom of "baksheeth" is a grey area between "tip" and "bribe" only understood by the locals.


-Paul

 

[cheryllarsen]

O my Soul! What an amazing adventure!