In Giza, Cairo

 

Hello, back in this blog with the continuation of our trip to Cairo in June 2023.

View from my hotel window

On June 11, we left the Sofitel El Gezirah Hotel to move closer to the pyramids in Giza. We arrive at the Mena House Marriott Hotel, a building that has experienced part of the history of Modern Egypt.

This hotel was built by the English and has seen how Egypt regained its territories at the hands of Israel. It has had world leaders since World War I. International singers and artists have stayed and enjoyed the fascinating view of the Pyramids as they are not so far away. Only 10 minutes walking, approximately.

Amazing sculpture at the mall

It was Sunday and that day we decided to spend it visiting a shopping center and not in the pyramids. On Monday we would go early because on a Sunday the pyramids would be completely full of locals and visitors.

Marriott Mena House

Chased by a security guard at the Mall of Egypt

Here we go!

We took an Uber from the hotel to get to the Mall of Egypt. We did not plan to buy souvenirs, as we had already done so at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but maybe something for our daughters.

Sphinx

Exactly as I imagined!

We always like to visit shopping centers to be closer to the inhabitants of the city. And yes, we saw few tourists since this center is approximately half an hour from the Marriott Hotel.

Khufu´s

We immediately noticed that a security guard was behind us. Oh no, I thought, what did we do wrong? But no, not at all that he was looking for us for some crime, not the contrary, he asked us how he could help us. We told him that we were looking for all-Egyptian shops. At his recommendation, I start our tour of this very western mall.

So western that we ended up having dinner at Chilli's restaurant. Burgers, of course.

We had the restaurant just for us!

This center is a jewel because the locals take shelter from the heat. I loved a statue of a woman at the entrance to it.

The Pyramids: A Mirage?

After the tourist break, the tour to the pyramids began just before 8 in the morning. We had an early breakfast and at 7:40 in the morning our journey through the streets towards Giza began.

Original egypt breakfast at Khufu´s

We got there before most of the tour buses, the camels, horse carts and all the vendors. And believe me, this was a treat. We had the pyramids almost to ourselves. Although the guards on every corner of Giza, were talking to us to sell their photographic help.

I cannot describe the feeling of having visited the Egyptian Pyramids. It was a dream come true. The sun made them appear like a mirage. I could not believe it. There they were, showing the improbability of their dimension. How could they have been created? Who built them? How many secrets do they harbour? What discoveries will continue to be made? In short, I dedicated myself only to observe and admire them.

A great path to visit the restaurant, but to many cars

A recommendation to any visitor. Please print your map of Giza before you come to them. At the ticket office we did not have any map nor could we locate any during our tour. My husband took a photo on the Internet to be able to locate us and get to the viewpoint where you can see the three. Khufu, Kafre and Menkaure.

It was a delight to walk through Giza. Admire the Sphinx, the temples in the middle of the desert. An hour later, Giza was filled with tourists brought in on camels and horse-drawn carts. The drivers didn't really understand that we wanted to walk in the sun, but we did. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

A secret tunel

A restaurant just for us. Very romantic

Let´s go to the swimming pool!

The tour was about to end, but not before going to appreciate this marvel from the viewpoint of the Khufu restaurant. We weren't sure it was open but we still decided to go in and ask. And yes, we could have breakfast there. On the terrace with a view of the pyramids. I really didn't have much of an appetite, but the waiter recommended that we have breakfast with all the Egyptian specialties. And we did. It was wonderful because it was as if we had reserved the terrace for just the two of us. Very romantic.

The dream to know the pyramids continued to enjoy the afternoon in the pool of Casa Mena. Under the shadow of the Egyptian sun. The day ended with dinner at the hotel.

Mena House by night

The next day we would wake up to the news that our princess Puddle Lola had died. Our daughters had taken her to the doctor for vomiting on the Friday when the trip began. On Saturday she improved remarkably. On Sunday it got worse again and on Monday she was hospitalized. When we arrived in Hamburg, the vet showed us the X rays. The stomach, the organ, not her tummy was very large. Apparently a tumor. Lola passed away half an hour before her scheduled operation. Life was good to her because it spared her this surgery which she would not have survived.

Good bye Cairo!

You can imagine how we feel. We left her well and came back and we couldn't hold her in our arms anymore. I said goodbye to her and loaded her before traveling to the airport. She gave me a deep sigh because she was asleep. But we thank life for having put her in our path and we thank God that this tumor did not make her suffer too much. She accompanies us with her spirit. Our angel Lola.

Well, that's life. For our family, this sad event made us reassess the privilege of being together and not stop telling each other and showing each other how we love each other. How we did with our Lola from the first moment she came into our lives in Cape Town. Thanks for reading and until the next Aterrizando.

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.