Egypt

I remember visiting Egypt last year. I LOVED my visit. The awe which had filled me when I heard or read about stories of the kings and pharaohs and pyramids was still very much present. Fueled by fiction on paper or on celluloid, I have always and will continue to be fascinated by the sheer enigma of all those structures like the pyramids and the tombs.
The pyramids (there are 6 of them btw, of different sizes. Only one of them is one the wonders of the world. They come from a different time era than when the tombs were built. They were built for the kings to show the 'god' status asserted to the kings. I could go on, but the point of this post is not pyramids but Egypt and there is way more to Egypt than pyramids. ) amazed me. Their sheer size... OMG.
I was fascinated by the temples and the reasons for which they had been built. I was fascinated by the gods such as Amun Ra (forgive me for all spellings if they are wrong) for whom the temples had been built. I was fascinated by the Valley of kings and the king Tutankhamun, the queen Hatshepsut (who happens to be one of the two.three queens to be buried in the valley of kings. Its coz they were that powerful) and the beauty of the tombs. There's a valley of Queens too, but its not as well known. If I had to die, I would definitely die the way the Egyptians did. They celebrated death, the after life. Something I can appreciate.
I loved the visit to the Suez Canal. And to the military base nearby. I GOT TO SEE SHIPS PASSING IN THE SUEZ CANAL. Too awesome it was.
I also took a cruise on the Nile. I got to see the Aswan Dam. Beautiful. I got to see the rocks from which they made obelisks and how some of them were left behind because they developed a crack.
I saw so many temples. I saw beautiful sculptures and carvings. I saw this amazing Light and Sound show in Luxor. Cairo was a systematic chaos. The museum was actually something I rushed into and checked out each and everything I could.
I enjoy the cold mornings and evenings and the harsh heat of the afternoon. I loved the cold breeze of the Nile even as we sat on the sundeck.
While coming back home, I realized something. I wanted to go back to Egypt. I mean I had found Switzerland far more scenic and had probably enjoyed the walk on the Champs Elysees in the evening compared to a walk through the markets of Cairo. But, there was something about Egypt. The fascinating stories. The way they celebrated death did not make you afraid of dying. It gave you the confidence to enjoy life knowing that you will be looked after well in you after life.
I loved Egypt for all the grandeur that it had and that was an integral part of it. Even though unemployment and poverty is a major concern in the country now. I remember our guide, showing signs of discontent at the Mubarak rule. Can you blame him for not having enough employment opportunities? The guy was quite well read and could communicate effectively. I cannot imagine anyone like that having to work as a guide in India.
It's quite sad... The state Egypt is in right now. With some of the artifacts being destroyed, I feel quite sad that I won't be able to see all those things again.
But if something positive comes out of it, I hope that happens.
I just want to go back to Egypt and experience awe again
xoxo
The Rambler