Cairo & Giza: Seeing Egypt for the First Time
We've finally made it. Egypt. Cairo. The Nile. The pyramids. All the places I've dreamt about since childhood are suddenly right in front of me, and it feels surreal.

Settling Into Old Town
Our apartment in Old Town Cairo makes us feel like we're in the center of Egyptian life. From our window we hear everything: car horns, the call to prayer, the 24/7 city.

Shops stay open late into the night, bakeries pull fresh pastries from the oven all day, and tucked-away restaurants serve amazing spreads of food.

Chris's Dad Joins Us
And look who joined us! Chris's 80-year-old dad flew all the way from Toronto to Cairo to join us on our Egypt adventures.

On the Nile
We thought we'd just walk along the river, but we were drawn to a boat ride on the Nile. A booth, a ticket, another fee, and suddenly we were on a boat cruising the Nile. Loud music, palm trees swaying, houses painted in red and white - it was chaotic, high energy, and beautiful all at once.

What struck me most was the music being played on boats and in vehicles. Not the Western pop we often hear abroad, but actual Egyptian music that people sing along to.

Food That Surprises You
One morning, plates of food arrived at our table without us even ordering. Falafel, baba ghanoush, eggs, fries, pita bread. The falafel was the best we've ever tasted: crispy, warm, bursting with flavor. Later, I tried hawawshi, a kind of Egyptian stuffed bread, sort of like a hamburger.

At many places here, eating feels less like ordering from a menu and more like being welcomed into someone's kitchen.

The Citadel
Standing at the Cairo Citadel, built in the early 1200s, we took in the views. We were so surprised to see the pyramids (at a distance) for the first time.

The Pyramids of Giza
We moved to a hotel in Giza to get a room with views of the pyramids. Seeing the Sphinx for the first time and catching sight of the Great Pyramid was overwhelming.

The next day, we made our way to the actual Giza Plateau to see the pyramids up close and even go right inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Chris's dad, at 80 years old, climbed inside with us. The passageways were tight, hot, and claustrophobic, but the adrenaline carried us through.

Around the pyramids, hieroglyphs carved thousands of years ago stared back at me. As a kid, I used to stamp hieroglyphs into notebooks to make up stories. Now, I was standing in front of the real thing.

Walking across the Giza plateau, the sheer scale of the pyramids left me speechless. Smooth stones at the top hint at how they once looked, 5,000 years ago.

The Grand Egyptian Museum
The newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is breathtaking. The grand staircase rises with statues and artifacts, King Tut's treasures glitter in gold, and even the boats excavated near the pyramids have their own museum.

We dropped our bags in the free luggage storage and wandered for hours. By evening, the crowds had thinned, and we had entire halls almost to ourselves.

Looking Ahead
Cairo and Giza have already given us more than we imagined - food, history, pyramids.

Tonight, we board the overnight train to Aswan. We can't wait to see what comes next.

Old Cairo is this fantastic maze of alleys and coffee shops and stands where you can get Egyptian bread and it feels exactly like what you want it to feel like.

Everyone is so friendly here. We're just walking around the neighborhood. We asked if we could take a photo with this gentleman and his shisha and he said yes and then he invited us to sit down and have a coffee with him. And then the shopkeeper wouldn't let us pay for our drinks.

This alleyway right by our apartment makes me so happy. There's a fantastic breakfast spot right over there that sells delicious sandwiches filled with eggs, baba ganoush, and fuul (refried fava beans).

Cairo is in the Sahara desert, so there are these water stations that people use to get drinking water while they are out walking or driving. And if you forgot your water bottle, there are communal mugs you can use!

I loved the local feeling Old Cairo had inside this massive, sprawling city.

Southern Egypt: From Apprehension to Awe
Before arriving in Egypt, we weren't sure what to expect. We'd read the blogs warning us against scams, watched videos of tourists being conned, and even stumbled across a list someone wrote of "10 Reasons Never to Return to Egypt." We loved our time in Cairo and Giza. But now we're heading to Aswan and Luxor in southern Egypt - would we have the same wonderful experiences?

The Overnight Train from Cairo to Aswan
The Giza station went smoothly. Instead of the scams we'd heard about, we had police officers, train attendants, and kiosk vendors all asking us what train we were on. We weren't sure why they kept asking (and we were a bit suspicious), but then we found out. When our train arrived they all rushed to tell us to get on. No one asked for money - they just wanted to make sure us foreigners got on the right train.

Inside our little sleeper cabin was very cozy. A sink, bunk beds, and a small kit with soap and toothpaste - I loved it. As the train rattled south, we settled in and I got a good night sleep to the hum of the train.

Staying on Elephantine Island
In Aswan, we crossed the Nile by public ferry to Elephantine Island, realizing by observation that men and women are supposed to sit separately on this ferry.

Our homestay on Elephantine Island was everything we'd hoped for: a Nubian-style home with bright colors, arched doorways, and a balcony overlooking the Nile. And there was an archeological site to explore just a few minutes walk from our homestay.

In Aswan, we explored the streets, visited the Temple of Isis, saw the Unfinished Obelisk, and shopped at the souqs. We loved how we could just wander through the city and come across ancient ruins.

Evenings on Elephantine Island were relaxing, with families out on their stoops until late at night, and restaurants offering delicious food and views of the Nile.

Each morning, our hosts spoiled us with falafel, potatoes, and the kind of Egyptian bread that makes you wonder why you've ever eaten anything else. Their generosity went beyond food - one morning, the father woke early to ferry us across the Nile himself when he realized the public boats wouldn't run in time for us to meet our driver who would take us to Abu Simbel.

Abu Simbel
Travel isn't without its uncomfortable moments. On the way to Abu Simbel, a driver crossed boundaries with me, asking for a hug and even a kiss. It was unsettling, and in the middle of the Sahara desert, we had few options but to keep going.

When we finally stood before Abu Simbel, I did my best to put the negative experience behind me. The colossal statues of Ramesses II carved into rock left me trembling. It was one of those rare places where history feels alive, and we were overcome with emotion.

Luxor and Valley of Kings
Luxor dazzled us in its own way. By day, we wandered through temples and tombs, marveling at the artistry carved into stone thousands of years ago. The Valley of the Kings was overwhelming in scale - tomb after tomb, each filled with intricate art and stories of rulers long gone. The Valley of the Kings is the largest complex of rock cut tombs in the world. I think it's one of the biggest archaeological sites in the world. We even got to see King Tut's mummy - yes, his actual mummy. Seeing it here explained why the exhibit labeled "King Tut's Mummy" at GEM was empty.

Luxor is filled with temples to visit. Though we spent way longer than most people touring the Valley of the Kings, we still had time to see the Temple of Habu before heading back across the Nile.

By night, Luxor softened. We returned to the same bakery, greeted with warm pastries and friendly shop keepers. The temples glowed, and the Nile shimmered under the lights.

Our last day in Luxor took us to the west side of the Nile for lunch, then the public ferry took us back to the east side where we visited the Temple of Karnak. This temple had sprawling grounds with hieroglyphs around every corner.

Lessons from Egypt
Yes, there were challenges - inflated bills, persistent requests for tips, moments of discomfort. But there was also kindness, generosity, and wonder beyond measure.

Looking back, we're glad we didn't let fear keep us away. Southern Egypt gave us memories we'll carry forever: the overnight train rocking us to sleep, the taste of fresh falafel on Elephantine Island, the towering presence of Abu Simbel, and the quiet glow of Luxor at night.