Closing out the year of 2024, is our final dispatch, Part II of our time in Egypt. In the prior dispatch, we showcased the hot air balloon, the sights of the pyramids, and the beginnings of Upper Egypt at Luxor. This time we go even further. What made this journey back to Egypt so special was that it was more emotional than any in the past. It was my first visit back, without my father, to a place I have been going to since I was a teenager. Egypt was the second destination Big Five started, having been there 40 of our 51 years. The fact that my second-father Gamal lives in Cairo with my second-mother and my chosen sisters meant even more. We finally were able to reflect on my father’s life together, as a family. And in true fashion, this part of the journey pushed the envelope even further.
This part of the dispatch started normally as we headed overland from Luxor to Aswan as we do every year. I wasn’t sure what we were in store for as the first part of the drive, which is normally quick, took longer due to the main road being closed as a new pass was being built. Once we cleared Edfu, we hit the highway to Aswan. It was somewhere between Edfu and Kom Ombo that an epiphany happened, an idea for a new tour, that has never been done before in Egypt. I cannot talk about it yet, so stay tuned.
In Kom Ombo, there was a slight chuckle as one of the vendors outside the temple thought I was Egyptian and decided to try his Arabic. Now, I had a few words in my vocabulary my mother and aunt taught me, since they are natives of Sudan. Yet, those words didn’t come out the way I had envisioned, my cover was blown! Next thing you know the vendor and I are laughing as he is rattling off Bollywood actors asking if I know. I had to channel my inner Adam Sandler at certain names and wag my finger, saying, “Not an Indian!” The drive was well worth it as we got to my favorite hotel in Egypt, the Old Cataract. Seeing all the familiar faces was great and even keeping my etiquette in form coming face to face with a certain royal family who was also in residence made the stay all worthwhile.
It was after we got back to Cairo that I told the group, the day before our last day, this was where Egypt stopped, and Big Five began. Boy is that an understatement! Heading out to Dashur, where I love visiting since it is so quiet and serene compared to the famous pyramid complex, we started #bigfivin. Oh, did we ever! First came a local breakfast in a local community no foreigner knows about, dishes that included my favorite cheese, all being served. It brought back memories of the food I had when visiting my family in Sudan as a child, making me homesick for the food my mother still makes today.
Carrying on from there was the experience I mentioned earlier that I can only talk about but cannot show footage. As part of our commitment to supporting local archaeologists who don’t get the TV time and fame they deserve, we visited the virtually unknown Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III, which dates back to the late Middle Kingdom, around 2000 BC. Not since 1983, had any non-researcher set foot into the maze under the mud-thatch pyramid, which looks like no other pyramid. It was here that my father started talking to me. I am pretty sure he heard me say “holy %$#t “as we entered the maze. This was a vision I told him about two years ago that we were fulfilling; opening a new chapter in how Egypt is visited and where those who do the real work are seen and heard.
The end of the day was complete with a visit like no other. We visited a women’s cooperative that has been on our radar that helps support women from difficult home-life situations. The work being done here is inspirational as this community does all the embroidery work on the Pashmina scarfs we give our Big Five guests. I can’t wait to show you what develops here.
Walking back to the bus, my limbs went weak, the adrenalin finally left my body. It was here, that I finally missed my father, and took a moment to myself.
What ya think Dad?
Many of you often talk about how fast things change when I see you. Well one year later, I am back in Egypt for my annual visit and you are all absolutely right. From new roads, to new discoveries, change is everywhere.
As I start with the first dispatch, let’s jump right in with the most anticipated museum opening in the word, the GEM. Is it open finally? In a word, yes. While still in soft opening, the entire second floor and the main halls are open to see, and the exhibits are jaw dropping. As of this writing, King Tut’s mask has not been moved, however the area in the GEM is closed, though it was open a year ago. This can only lead me to assume that the moving is imminent.
Shifting to the pyramids, the new chamber in the inside is worth a private visit at sunrise, though the normal visit is a must. However, the GEM should definitely be done on the same day as the pyramids, and nothing more. Fitting in anything else on this day would compromise what you see at the GEM and beyond. The one thing to remember above all else when it comes to Egypt, 6000 years of history deserve the slow approach because sensory overload is very real.
Flying to Luxor, the changes in town are noticeable, as is the newly refurbished Relais and Chateau property in Luxor, that most don’t even know about. The renovations and commitment to sustainability there under the new GM are noticeable and represent a direction Egypt must go in, to preserve it’s natural resources.
That brings me to the hot air balloon. While that experience remains magical, the new discoveries are everywhere and you can see where the work is done. It’s one of the reasons Big Five made the commitment it did to local archaeologists earlier in the year (you can read about it here). One recent discovery, from very recently in the hills around Luxor causes us to rethink the hierarchy of burials. It seems these newly found tombs, which were not royal tombs, were also found with jewels, something that was never believed to be the case.
Stay tuned for Part II of our dispatch, and in the mean time, better start rewriting the history books.
One of my favorite weeks in December has been epic, once again, in lovely Cannes France. That’s right, time for ILTM, a show we have been exhibiting at for years. With a combination of conversations with amazing partners that seem to build further into relationships each year, and the city’s beauty lit up for the holidays, what’s not to love? Even the weather is cooperating.
As is the case every year, there are some memorable moments. This year, there was a story of the “missing” salad restaurant I normally visit every year. The establishment was renamed, and we walked past it, at minimum, 3 times before realizing it was closed. While looking for a replacement, we stumbled upon an Indian restaurant offering home cooking with a French twist.
Then there is the moment that likely should have ended with me in the hospital. Have you ever called someone by name looking at the back of their head, only to realize it wasn’t that person? Well I bear-hugged someone thinking it was the infamous David Kolner, only to realize, it wasn’t. The look of death followed as my life flashed before my eyes. Thanks, David! Well despite that, the week has been amazing.
This year the order is a bit different. Normally, I have an adventure in one of my favorite places in Africa before coming to Cannes.
This time around we are doing it in reverse, so stay tuned for my dispatch coming next week.
