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Egypt...Egypt is not just a fabulous vacation, it is a museum country, a unique evidence of human strength and ingenuity. Egypt cannot be learned from television programs and magazines, Egypt must be seen with your own eyes, and once you see it, you cannot help but fall in love. Every gust of wind, every grain of sand in the desert and even date palms growing along the roads remind of a unique ancient civilization.
In October 2009, my dream finally came true. I was in Egypt! To say that I liked it is to say nothing. I was very impressed, and it started as soon as I stepped onto the plane at the airport in Hurghada. The face was covered with warm gentle air.
Do you know that Hurghada in Arabic sounds like El Gardagha - “the land of Khor”, which means “Gate to the earth” in translation

From the check-in desk at the airport to the bus stop, at a distance of 5-10 meters there were guides who indicated where to go next, so there was no possibility of getting lost. And the guides of the tour operator "TEZ TOUR" in yellow shirts, believe me, you can see it well!
Arriving at the Panorama Bungalows Hurgada hotel, I didn’t even notice the moment of registration, the guide did everything, well, of course, except for filling out the questionnaire. Having had a hearty lunch and staying in a room overlooking the water channel and the sea, we quickly set off to explore this very sea.
There are crabs walking around! And the fish are colorful even in the shallow water! Seashells are alive! And the corals! . . And what warm water! In general, I came to the conclusion that there is nothing better than the Red Sea. This is an ideal place for those who are afraid to swim (like me) - the salt concentration is 38-42 grams per liter of water (for comparison, in the Black Sea - 17 grams / liter). And who knows how to swim ...expanse ...diving ...
But the sea is the sea, and Egypt is ancient temples!
There are no restrictions on excursions. On the first day, a Russian-speaking guide will tell you, advise and, just in case, will be in the hotel lobby every day.

Luxor. The city of palaces, as the conquering Arabs called it. We left the hotel at 4 am. Yes Yes. I also thought it would be hard. Nothing like this. At the hotel, we naturally collected and wrapped breakfast with us (I didn’t eat everything and handed it out on the way back). Our guide was not only interesting, but wonderful. An Egyptian who speaks excellent Russian and loves his country, and who better to be able to tell about his country than a patriot.
On the way, we had one stop at a roadside cafe for breakfast, other morning procedures, and, of course, for the opportunity to see the Bedouins and, for joy, redeem an arafatka or something similar.
Well, here we are again on the bus and going. Every minute we are getting closer to the legendary and the world's largest open-air museum.
And here I am.

The entrance to the Karnak Temple… The Hall of Columns… What I saw on TV, what I dreamed about, now appeared before my eyes. I could see everything and even more, touch the columns, the obelisks. The walls and columns of the temple are decorated with images of gods and god-like kings of ancient Egypt. All drawings and inscriptions have been preserved in their original form. And this is impressive, the colors of which are more than 3500 years old and they have been preserved! My only regret was that I didn't take a notebook and a pen with me. Someone might think that this is fanaticism, but there is a lot of information and it is so interesting.
Oh yes, in Karnak there is a huge stone scarab and, as it should be for the earthly likeness of the supreme sun god Amon-Ra, he fulfills wishes, for this, of course, you need to work a little, namely, go around it seven times. The guide secretly told us that the faster you walk, the faster the cherished will be fulfilled.
A short walk along the sacred river Nile brought us to the City of the Dead, to the Valley of the Kings. There are many tombs of the rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt, but it turns out that excavations are still underway and perhaps the tomb of Tutankhamun is not the last unique relic found. Not all tombs are open to the public, and many are completely filled up. All this because archaeologists opened the sealed entrances to the tombs with dynamite!
One of the most prominent personalities who ever ruled Egypt was Queen Hatshepsut. The majestic temple dedicated to the only female pharaoh, during whose reign the country experienced its "golden age", is also located in Luxor.
Did you know that it takes an average of 3-4 weeks to make papyrus.
And the technology of the process itself can be seen in the papyrus museum, and not only see and try your hand at making it, but also buy wonderful papyrus paintings as a keepsake. By the way, only here you can buy real papyrus without fear that you will be deceived, and even with pleasure they will treat you to hibiscus tea.
I will not write about the taste and benefits of the “Sudanese rose”, everyone already knows about this, I will only note that it was found more than once among the treasures in the tombs of the pharaohs, so that the ruler who came back to life could enjoy the royal drink.
Well, the time has come to return, and I would be very sad if it were not for a small souvenir that I took with me. Cartouche. A semicircular medallion in which my name is written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, and on the reverse side: the key of life (ankh), the eye of Horus and a scarab.

The shape of the cartouche resembles the upper part of the key of life - a powerful cross symbolizing eternal life. The ancient Egyptians believed that by placing a person's name in a cartouche, a kind of powerful amulet was created. Perhaps I would not have bought this souvenir, but having learned that the names of the pharaohs were also placed in such tablets, I could not deny myself the pleasure.
The way back seemed to me very short. At the hotel, as always, a great dinner and a whole big cake were waiting for us! When I returned to the room, I was amazed. Getting ready for a trip early in the morning, the room remained, to put it mildly, a creative mess. So, when I entered the room, I didn’t find it, I looked for it for a long time, in the bathroom, on the balcony, it wasn’t there, all the jars-bottles stood evenly on the shelf, all the magazines were neatly placed on the bedside table.
And about one more "sight" I have to tell.
On the territory of our hotel, the Egyptian Mohammed made wonderful souvenirs. In glass vases with a narrow neck, he poured fine, sifted sand, painted in different colors. Yes, he didn’t just pour it, but made pictures out of it and could still write something on the wall (from the inside) at will. Of course, I could not resist, now I have a "Lamp of Muhammad" with my name, the name of my brother and the autograph of the author.
Probably, you should also pay attention to the amazingly delicious fresh juices. They can be ordered at the hotel, but being in the city they are a must try. I have never had such delicious food and it costs $ 2 !!!
The time of my stay in the country of the pharaohs was rapidly declining, and two days before departure, the first signs of sadness and melancholy began to appear. And what happened on the day of departure ...Saying goodbye to the newly acquired acquaintances, I decided to barricade myself in the hotel room.
Naturally, I did not do this, but the road to the airport was not the most pleasant. Oh yes, I forgot to say, after each tour we were asked to fill out a questionnaire with our feedback about the tour itself, the level of knowledge of the guide, his appearance. The Egyptians live off tourism and really appreciate and care about visitors.

At the airport, I lost my vigilance, and the staff played a joke on me from the bottom of my heart. In the waiting room, putting things in order, the workers rearranged several chairs connected to each other. My brother was the first to go, he was asked to help, he is a strong boy, why not. I walked a little behind and watched with a smile. My brother had already gone far ahead and I was also asked to help. Looking around and not noticing any of the airport employees, and most importantly, remembering that it was easy for my brother (so it seemed to me), I decided! And then she heard laughter. I could not move this bandura from its place, and the Egyptians cut off their bellies.
Airplane. Ladder. Ukraine. Kyiv.

P. S.
Next year, Cairo, the pyramids at Giza, the temple of Ramses the Great, the Aswan dams, Mount Moses are waiting for me ...Oh, it turned out to be a bit too much for one year, well, I will have to travel a lot!
So, "TEZ TOUR" and travel agency "Your Card", thank you for a wonderful vacation, but your work does not end there! I will be a regular customer! And not only me.. .