A dream come true: the pyramids of Egypt

Amazing view from Sofitel El Gezirah

Hi, back on this blog after a long time. Yes, a lot has happened since the last entry, when we lived in Africa. We left South Africa in January 2022 to settle in Hamburg, Germany.

Almost six months have passed and we are almost 100 percent installed. I have many adventures to tell about these months living at the other end of the globe.

Lobby Sofitel El Gezirah

But as my birthday was approaching, my husband gave me a little surprise: a trip to Cairo, to see the pyramids. Obviously it is easier to do it from Europe than from South Africa. So I will tell you about the adventure to that land full of magic and legends.

Between the Apocalypse and the disco boats

We traveled from Hamburg to Vienna with a 7 am flight from Austrian Airlines. It was June 9, 2023. We had no setbacks in passenger control. At the Vienna airport we had time to have breakfast at Jamie Oliver's restaurant. Afterwards, we flew with Air Egypt.

Restaurant Kebabgy

Egyptian Bear

We arrived in Cairo and a taxi service picked us up. It was hot, 30 degrees. The driver told us that June was a good month to visit Egypt, because in July, the temperature was 10 degrees warmer. On the way to the Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel, I had the impression that I was on the set of an apocalyptic scene from Mad Max. The heat, the sand and some buildings in poor condition, gave a desolate and sad touch to the city. But arriving in the city, we saw more well-kept buildings, and yes, the traffic is heavy, as they say, but the city is organized under all the stress of cars.

I think it is not easy to maintain a building in the middle of the desert. The heat and the sand must cause corrosion and that impression of carelessness.

Cairo by Night

The Sofitel Hotel is a tower located on the banks of the Nile. From there we could see the pyramids in the distance. The view was wonderful and what captured the attention, due to the volume of the music, are the disco boats that pass by the hotel and vanish down the Nile. The famous cruise ships. They were like discotheques on the water. You could even see the passengers dancing! They delighted us while we dined at the hotel. They were a party in the water.

A beautiful breakfast in front of the Nile

That day, we only had dinner at the Hotel Kebabgy restaurant with specialities like roast meats and all Egyptian delicacies like Kabab and Kofta. In addition, the hotel has an oven where two cooks prepare the bread, known as Falafel. Delicious and fresh!

The Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The great adventure of the day began after breakfast, on Saturday, June 10. We walked from Sofitel El Gezirah to The Egyptian Museum of Cairo. It was a 20-minute walk and we liked getting a closer look at the city and its inhabitants.

We feel very safe, although there is no denying that the traffic is heavy and pedestrians do not have a secured path.

Like the Sofitel, this museum has a lot of security. Police at the entrance and control bags by metal detector.

You can stay a week admiring every piece at 
the Museum

Entering the museum is a bit of chaos, since many of its pieces will be taken to the new museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has not yet been finished, let alone inaugurated. But you can visit it to learn about its architecture. We tried the next day, but our internet registration didn't work.

The Tutankhamun chamber

Anyway, the museum left me speechless. See all the different pieces, especially the sarcophagi and two original doors from the time of the pyramids and what to say about the Mask of Tutankhamun. You can spend a week walking through all the corridors and reading all the inscriptions. I look forward to returning to Cairo and visiting the new museum. But I can't complain, the Pyramids were waiting for us in Giza. I will tell you about this in my next entry.

Dog, a pharaonic guardian

The day ended again with a dinner directly on the Nile. We returned to the restaurant of the Sofitel Hotel, Kebabgy. Once again we are delighted with the Arab specialties, with the music from the disco boats and with the privilege of dining with the locals. And yes, we had a deja vu from Dubai because in front of the hotel, there is a fountain on the Nile, with music like this Emirate.

Tahir Place: an historical corner

An amazing lady baking Flatbread

 We already needed a vacation like these! Thanks for reading and until the next entry!

Dreaming of living in Mauritius, the safest country in Africa

Mythic Suites and Villas

Hello, back to continue my story about Mauritius. We continued the second part of the trip from the south to the north of the island, from April 8 to 11, 2022.

We leave the Hotel Shanti Mauritius to travel to the Grand Gaube region. The journey lasted about an hour and a half from Saint Felix. We arrived at the Mythic Suites and Villas in the Riviere Du Rempart area. We didn't have a sea view, but we had a very large pool with very hot water, just the way we like it. We would be there for 4 days, which we combine with walks in that part of the island.

Our Villa

In Shopping as Local at the Bo'Valon Mall and other stores

Shopping time

My husband and I have taken it into our heads to live in Mauritius when he retires. To get to know the Island better, we decided to spend half of this trip in this villa and have the opportunity to live the experience of being a local up close.

Well, now it was time to visit the local shops.

For this reason, our first visit to the north of the island was the Bo'Valon Mall.

We loved this shopping center because it is outdoors. The shops are on the first floor and in the surroundings we can find beautiful places to rest and contemplate their gardens. We were hungry so we decided to have pizza at Panarottis, a restaurant originating from South Africa.

Regarding the stores, I can tell you that they are the same as in South Africa and France. The prices are a little higher, contemplating the great effort of bringing the products from Europe and the neighboring country.

Super U

After visiting this mall, we went to the Super U store in Grand Brie to buy groceries.

There we found everything we needed for our vacation days. From shampoo to ham. We liked it and we realized that you can live very well on this island, although the prices are relatively high, as I mentioned.

We used the second day to visit the La Crosiette Shopping Center, also in Grand Baie. There we could find the most famous commercial chains in France and the rest of Europe, as well as the best-known restaurants in South Africa.

My husband had a client meeting at this location, so our daughters and I had a great time at this location.

To eat, we took a break in the Mall at Vida e Caffe, also of South African origin.

After shopping we drive back to Grand Gaube, to the Mythic Villas. That night we had a delicious dinner al fresco, in front of the pool.

d the option to eat in the Mythic restaurant. But we decided to cook. And for that we went to visit the nearest supermarket located in

Grand Baie.

Returning to the Pamplemousses Garden and the most seductive beaches

Beautiful garden

On our first trip to Mauritius, this famous botanical garden, whose official name is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, in honor of the country's prime minister. That's why we came back, to show them to our daughters. In addition, it was not very far from our villa and we had the facility to go with the car that we had rented.

Just for us!!!!

The place was very empty. It was Covid times. Mauritian residents did wear face masks when outdoors. We do not. But what we did love was that we had the park to ourselves and a few tourists.

There we enjoyed an hour and a half of tranquility under the midday sun.

The tourist in this garden can appreciate the famous giant waterlilies, known in all postcards and in any publication on the island. The grapefruit trees have also given the name to this garden. The Dutch introduced them from the island of Java.

Cape Malhereoux

After the garden, it was time to visit Cape Malheroux again, a very famous beach on the island for its exceptional views of the sea and for its Notre Dame Auxiliatrice church.

It was Sunday and people were in church. We parked to contemplate the sea and a saleswoman approached us to invite us to see her stand. I was selling jewelry. Our eldest daughter bought a jade necklace and I bought a very special bracelet made with volcanic stone found on the seashore.

Notre Dame Auxiliatrice

Sunday to rest and the locals were enjoying the day at picnics or simply chatting in front of the sea.

La Pizzeria Margarita

For lunch we decided to visit La Pizzeria Margarita, in Calodyne, very close to Grand Baie. The owner is a true Italian and the pizzas were delicious.

And well, then Villa Mythic was waiting for us with our pool. Thus ended the third day north of the island.

Eating like a local at Chez Tino

Flacq

We started our fourth day by having breakfast in front of the pool. The day's program consisted of continuing touring the island. Our next stop would be the Flacq beach to admire its turquoise Mauritius waters.

We put on our summer clothes and went exploring.

The Sagar Shiv Mandir

But before going to the beach, we made a detour to visit a Hindu temple, the Sagar Shiv Mandir, in Flacq.

The change in climate on the island is truly incredible. We left Grand Baie in dazzling sunshine and when we arrived at Flacq we were surprised by the rain. The temple is surrounded by water, it is built on a river. To get to it, you have to cross a cement path almost covered by water.

Too much rain!

I think I've seen too many horror movies and just imagining that the water would reach us made me very nervous. So I asked my husband to leave the place. But at least we saw it from the outside.

Flaq

We left the temple fleeing from the rain and when we arrived at Flacq, surprise, the sun was shining. The beach was deserted, which we enjoyed the most.

At Chez Tino

View from Chez Tino

The tour ended with a meal at Chez Tino, an authentic Mauritius restaurant.

It was full, but nobody was sitting on the terrace, because we knew the reason immediately, the rain. Of course, the place was made up of two rooms, one for locals and the other for tourists. In this second we were, a Swiss-Mexican family, with other French families and a table of local ladies. And well, I can tell you that the food was delicious.

Our Villa

And time in Mauritius was running out for us. The fifth day would be the next day. Time to fly back to Cape Town.

From this trip we had the experience of having spent one of the last vacations together with our daughters. They will soon take flight alone in their academic and social destinations. We also loved the experience of getting to know the island a little more thoroughly, since we had the experience of living outside of an all-inclusive hotel.

Adiós Maurice!

And the best of all was returning to a tourist destination from our first years of marriage and of course, having realized the dream of traveling to this island, which was interrupted by the Corona Virus!

Thanks for reading and in the next entry, I will bring you our adventure through the Kruger Park, in South Africa.

Mauritius, a trip canceled due to the Pandemic, come true

Hello, I'm back with my blog. Today I want to tell you about the trip I took with my family in April 2022. This trip was planned for April 2020, which we canceled due to the Corona Virus.

Virus free and ready to board

My family and I arrived in Cape Town in July 2019, for my husband's work. In December before Christmas, my husband came with the proposal to visit Mauritius again. We had done it before in 1999. After settling into our new house, as we previously lived in Switzerland, and having visited some places in South Africa like the Garden Route, we were ready for an adventure in South Africa's neighbouring country, Mauritius.

We celebrated Christmas, our first in Cape Town and started 2020 visiting new places in our new country. The date for the Easter holidays was approaching, but the pandemic arrived and with it all our travel dreams vanished. We already know the rest, because we all live the same reality.

Air Mauritius did not return the money for the flight and the two hotels with which we had reserved if they returned the advance payment, although one took a year to pay us.

But in April 2022, the miracle happened and the borders were opened for travellers. Mauritius, here we come! On April 4 we flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg and from there to the wonderful island. Air Mauritius allowed us to use our flights that we had booked. And my husband and I went in Business class, what better way to celebrate!

The Covid test at Hotel Shanti

And we arrived at Hotel Shanti, in the south of the island. At the reception they gave us a Covid test. If someone in my family tested positive, it meant we couldn't stay in this hotel. Fortunately, no one tested positive, or so the hotel employee told us.

The fun started, enjoying the Hotel Shanti. There were few tourists in the hotel: English, French and us, Swiss-Mexicans. We really enjoyed two days off. On the third day we traveled by taxi to the airport to pick up the car we had booked as we wanted to explore the island.

We were very struck by the response of the Mauritians, because even on the beach they wore masks. Very obedient to government rules.

Baie du Cap, Morne Brabant and le Chamarel

We left the hotel to tour the south of the island. Our first stop was to go up to the small mountain of Maconde view point in the town of Baie du Cap. It was wonderful to see this little town from the top. And there were no tourists!

One of the most famous places on the island is the Morne Brabant. And we went there. Mont Brabant Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

There we were walked enjoying the turquoise blue water of the Indian Ocean.

The trip would continue by looking for one of the most famous restaurants on the island: La Varangue sur Morne. There we tasted authentic dishes of the island. Like mine with shrimp and a rice.

After this culinary break, we travel to the next attraction which would be Chamarel.

This place is known as the Terre du 7 couleurs. We payed our entrance tickets and arrived at the viewpoint in front of the Cascada de Chamarel.

This place is made up of dunes of 7 colors in the middle of a forest. The giant tortoises of Seychelles are also one of the attractions of this place in addition to the layers of these dunes formed by the erosive activity of the soil and the combination of minerals from the rain. Red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow are the predominant colors.

I highly recommend this experience, because you get to know more than just the island's beaches. Chamarel has a mythical charm. Mountains close to the beaches and that wonderful waterfall. The tourist should not hesitate to visit this attraction.

Back to the Shanti Hotel. That night a sunset on the beach and a delicious dinner awaited us. The next day would be the last in the hotel, since we would change residence to the north of the island, since we had rented a villa for the next few days of our vacation. I will tell you about this in the next Landing. Thanks for reading me!