L.A Cruise Trip

Hello World...

Just found my mood to write(actually force to write) right now. This post still going to talk about my holiday.As you all know,the last post,I have to cancel my trip to Sinai-Dahab trip and this post is about Luxor-Aswan trip or I called it L.A Cruise trip.Sound exclusive right?? The trip was 6 days trip including the train journey that took 10-13 hours from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan and 4 days on Al Jamila Cruise.

Al Jamila Cruise

Day One....Around 4pm,we gathered at van terminal a.k.a Mahattoh.We rent one car that have 6 seats.From Zagazig we headed to Cairo and arrived around 6pm at Ramses Railway Station. We had our dinner before boarding the train at 8.30pm. The train departed at 9.15pm and took 10 hours to arrive at Luxor.

At Ramses Railway Station

Waiting for our ride

Inside the train...BAD condition!!

Day Two...Arrived at Luxor Train Station at 8.30am and greeted by Ahmad,the travel agent. We hopped into van that already rent for us and brought us to the cruise to check-in our luggages. We rest for 15 minutes at the lobby. Then we were introduced by Ahmad,our tour guide that will be with us along the journey from Luxor to Aswan.He is Hamid,the freelancer tour guide. Then Hamid took us to our first activity,which is visited the Karnak Temple. Roughly I did learn about Karnak Temple is,the temple where people used to worship Amun-Ra(The sun god) and his wife Mout and his son,Khonso.This temple was about 100 acres wide.And many gods were found here and I can't remember any of the god's name. Later on,we went to Luxor temple where it was the temple for another god and long time ago,the Karnak and Luxor were connected.And now,they are reconstructing to make it connected again. After finished both temples,we went to cruise again for lunch and ready to check-in to the room. The room was neat and simple and beautiful. We went for a lunch.The foods were delicious and everything perfect. Then,we had a rest for hour.At 4pm,we rent a felluca and went for sight seeing at Banana Island.This activity was optional and it wasn't included in our primary package.But it was worth it. It was so calm when we rode the felluca and enjoying the sun set when on our way back to the cruise. At night,4 from 6 of us,went to Sound&Light Show at Karnak Temple .And this is also an optional activity and once again it was really worth it.And sadly,I still cant remember the name of the gods when the narrator of the show narrated.But basically,what I want to see was the lighting of the pillars and the temples during night.Overall,it was perfect.The show finished at 9.15pm.Then headed back to cruise and everybody went to their room recharging their body for next day.

Arrived at the Dock

Ahmad,The travel agent

check-in time!!

Miniature of Karnak Temple

Let the exploration begin!!

Hypostyle Pillars

Horizontal Obelisk

Luxor Temple Entrance

Fertility god,Amun-Meen

Done Exploring Luxor Temple

Inside Felluca heading to Banana Island

At Banana Island

Sunset view in felluca

Sound&Light Show

Entrance

Day Three...Had a wake up call at 4.30am.We had to wake up early because we have another added activity that we were really waiting for to try which is riding the hot air balloon.My first experience in riding the hot air balloon. at 5.30am,we went to the dock,rode a motor boat to cross the other bank or to the West bank. Along the way to the bank,we had our small breakfast,tea and a roll cake. From the bank,rode a van to the hot balloon place. We rode the hot air balloon for 45 minutes.The view was awesome and we can enjoyed the sun rise and the foggy morning view from above.After that,we headed to our third primary activities,visited the Hatshepsut Temple. Here,Hamid direct us to represent as the god to make us easier to understand the story about the making of this temple. It was a 3 stories temple and was built at the mountain cliff. Next,we hopped in the van and headed to another place and it not the temple but graveyard or tomb as the called it The Valley of King.This is the place where 62 tombs including kings and high-level people like high priest were located.And the tombs is not on the ground,but we had to enter a underground tunnel to go to the tomb. One ticket only allow us to visit 3 tombs among the 62 of them. Hamid suggested to us to go to the Tomb of King Ramses The I,IV and IX and we all agreed.After finished visiting all the tombs,we headed back to cruise again because the cruise going to sail at 12.30pm.Along the way from Luxor to Edfu city,we passed by the Esnak Water Lock.We arrived at Edfu around 11pm and the cruise docked there.

Breakfast in boat

West Bank dock

Hot Air Balloon venue

Light your fire!!

Sun rise view in the air!! 

Hatshepsut Temple view from above

Me in basket

Me with my pilot,Mahmoud!!

Hatshepsut Temple

Valley of The King from outside

Camera not allowed inside!!

Esna Water Lock the entrance

Esna Water Lock the exit

Day Four...Had our breakfast then our next plan were visited the Edfu temple.We went there by horse carriage.It took about 15 minutes to reach at the temple. The Edfu temple is the temple for god Horus,the place for the god to rest.At 10.30am,we headed back to cruise for a next sailing to Kom Ombo city. At 4.30pm,arrived at Kom Ombo city.We walked to the Kom Ombo temple.Had a brief about the history of the temple.After that,we went to crocodile museum,where the crocodile who they used to symbolized as the god and when the crocodile is dead,they mummified it. In the museum,we can see the mummified crocodiles inside the glass.And we also can see their eggs and also how they mummified the crocodile. At 6pm,we went back to cruise and heading to our last check point which is Aswan.At night,in the cruise,there was a party called Galabia party.I thought,there was going to be a performers but sadly no.We all have to dance ourselves.There were a games hosted by the bartender.Luckily,we had our own event,which was a modelling show.Everybody participated.It was fun at that night.everybody showed their pose.

Horse Carriage to the Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple

Kom Ombo Temple

Crocodile Museum

Galabia Party

Omar,Hamid and me

Galabia model of the night!!

Day Five...Arrived at Aswan.We packed our bags for the check-out at 12pm.As usual,we had breakfast.After that,we took a van to High Dam.We passed by the Old Dam on the way to the High Dam.A little information about High Dam,it holding the water from the third biggest artificial lake in the world.Next,we went to Soviet Union-Egypt Tower.The tower is the symbol of the union as they cooperate together to build the High Dam. Last optional activity we had was visit the Philae Temple.The temple is located on island.So we had to go there by boat. The temple was relocated from original place to the island. Lastly,our last activity on our last day in Aswan,we headed to quarry,where we still can see the unfinished obelisk stuck there.This quarry,was the place where all the 100 obelisks were made from and also the statue. After finished visit the quarry,we head back to cruise to pick our bags and ready to board a train to Cairo back.At 4.15pm,the train departed from Aswan to Cairo.

High Dam

The black mark show the water level during Summer

Soviet Union-Egypt Tower 

Philae Temple

Inside Philae Temple

Gree-like building

Unfinished Obelisk

Day Six...Arrived at Ramses Station at 6.00am,then took another train to Zagazig.Finally,we arrived at Zagazig at 8am.

Train to Cairo...BAD!!!

Arrived at Zagazig...

Pheww!!!What a long journey I had for my winter break.Overall I was satisfied and excited and happy I had a chance to join this trip.I hope I can do it again,but exclude visit the temple.Just stay in cruise and enjoy the comfort.




Think,Imagine,Act...Smile :)

Unplanned Trip

Hello World...

Yesterday, I suppose to go to Badan Kebajikan Anak Kebajikan Selangor or also known as BAKAN Selangor. But when I arrived at bus station and gathered with my friends who supposed to follow me to BAKAN, suddebly they told me that they want to go to Dream Park first.I was shocked because didn't expect that they want to go on that day.I thought they want to go later.So what can I do.I followed them to Dream Park.

From Zagazig, we took van to Awal Makram about 1 1/2 hour.Then arrived at Awal Makram, we took another van to Ramses.after that, from Ramses we hop in into another van and went to 6th October. That was the first time we went to 6th October. The town was so modern and very high class residence.That was the second area that looked so exclusive like New Cairo.But still, we didn't yet arrive at Dream Park.From Ramses, last stop at side highway road of 6th October.Luckily, when we stopped, there already one van waiting to be full with passengers and heading to Dream Land where there is the Dream Park located.Then it took about 15 minutes from there, at last we arrived at Dream Park at 2.00pm.

We had a quick brunch at KFC then straight went to ticket booth and bought the entrance ticket.we all took the VIP ticket which costed us 80LE each.they price include 3 10LE games voucher and 2 5% discount coupons.It kind of expensive to us and limited for us to choose which games to try.

Entered, first games we tried was roller coaster and it is not that thrill and not so fun.Maybe that was the best roller coaster in Egypt.Then we stopped for prayer and continued with second games.I didn't know what it name but really make you dizzy and nausea.I almost want to vomit after finished ride it.Never going to ride that thing again.But luckily, the second games is free and didn't need to redeem voucher.So I still have 2 left. And come the best game in this park and sorry again.Still forgot to check what it name.I played these game twice and really worth it to redeem my vouchers.

Clock showed almost 6pm, and all of us already redeemed all their vouchers except the discount voucher. We all agreed to head back to Awal Makram again.So we took a van again from there to Al-Ahram and we all never been and heard about that place before.

Arrived at Al-Ahram, we then have to take another van to Giza.experienced thing happened along the way to Giza, our van broke down in the middle of traffic jam.so we all had to push the van and started the van manually.Miracle happened, van was alive again and we don't have to push it again.Arrived at Giza, another new experience for me, riding Metro train of Egypt to Ramses.The train is kind of the same as LRT in Malaysia except the air-cond is not function and luckily I rode it at night in winter.At 9pm we arrived at Awal Makram and stop for awhile at City Stars for dinner.Lastly sleep over at my friend's house.

Today, we are at BAKAN selangor register as the member of the organisation and going back to Zagazig after everything is settle.

Phew, what a trip we had.A lot of van hoping and a lot of checkpoint we had to stop.But that was a great experience to and it mature me a little bit.

Think, Imagine, Act...Smile :)