Hurghada, Egypt
It was clear dark skies at 4am in Luxor and the hot air balloons were being tested on the ground when we arrived at the launch site. Basically this just means it looks like they were being set on fire on the ground, really safe stuff here guys…
The baskets attached to the balloons hold 28 people. Holy shit. That’s A LOT of people who will die together- I really think they should have rethought that…for ratings purposes. One death, ok. Two deaths, meh. Three or more deaths, possibly not the best balloon to ride in… anyways, I climbed into the balloon basket and was situated for take-off.
We floated over the Valley of the Kings, the Luxor Temple, and corn fields. It was so damn cool to see the Temple and Valley from above. As you may now know, the hot air balloon stayed afloat in the sky and then landed safely, because I’m still here telling you about it…
Luxor is more expensive than Cairo and Aswan. It’s definitely worth visiting if you come to Egypt. The Valley of the Kings alone is enough reason. I was standing ONE FOOT away from the mummy of King Tut. His actual remains, enclosed in a temperature controlled glass case. Fucking mind blowing.
Next, we set out for the Red Sea in Hurghada! The resort here is phenomenal. The view of the Red Sea from my balcony is truly stunning. But even better, I was on a submarine all day in the Red Sea! Now, this was not a ‘normal’ submarine. However we believed it would be, until it showed up to the dock NOT under water. Half of the submarine boat is underwater with seats and a glass wall to watch the marine life. The other half of the submarine boat is literally, just a boat. Either way it was a neat experience. I was out on the water until sunset, it was a very relaxing day. The first relaxing day since starting my journey actually. I ate at one of the restaurants in the all-inclusive resort, and of course I picked the one that was not ‘included’ in the all-inclusivity. First time having to pay for food in Hurghada, but it was worth it for the baba ghanoush. I was a lover of eggplant before my trip to this country, but now it’s on another level. Damn they know how to prepare some eggplant- I highly recommend!
Just a few points if you plan to visit Egypt one day:
- Always keep small currency on you because you will need to pay to use the toilet almost everywhere.
- Bring your own toilet paper because it’s like treasure and you are only supplied with like 4 squares and whoever can get by with only 4 squares of toilet paper is a magician.
- It’s hot. Keep drinking water. But NOT tap water. And no ice. Only drink bottled water unless you want to make a trip to the pharmacy for anti-diarrhea meds like my fellow travelers did. That did not seem like a joyous experience from what I could gather.
- The main food group is bread. Literally nothing but carbs. Bring some beef jerky with you from home for protein.
- Get a tour guide. There is SO MUCH history to soak up and it makes all the difference having a local to explain the significance of what you’re seeing.
- You will be haggled everywhere you go- by both children and adults. You will be followed and begged for money. Just keep walking…faster.
- Traveling with an armed guard like my group has is the safest way to travel through Egypt.
- Don’t drop the soap. Wait, no, that’s for another list…nevermind…
