I’ve been in Egypt for the past few weeks, lucky enough to see the most important pyramids and temples and tombs for the second time. I’m not going to write about them here because you have a million online resources at your disposal, or you can check out my postings from 2014. https://kimmie53.com/category/egypt/

Of course, anyone who travels to Egypt should see the antiquities but, like everywhere else, Egypt has plenty of lesser known magic and I personally needed to get away from the crowds. Egypt is one of the most visited places on the planet right now. Of the 73 countries I’ve visited, it’s also the most difficult from the standpoint of keeping my equilibrium. It’s been a constant hustle. I’m glad my first visit here was on a tour. And I’m glad my second visit included these gems.

St. Simon’s Cave Church

Egypt is officially Muslim, but 20% of its population is Coptic Christian — a community in northern Egypt since the time of Jesus. Fifty-two years ago, one of Cairo’s important Coptic churches burned down and the locals decided to build a new one in a cave on the east side of the city. The rock hillsides are covered with murals, sculptures, and bas-relief, and the cave sanctuary sits about 20,000 worshippers. It’s quite a spectacle and offers a quiet retreat just a couple of miles from the busy city center.

Garbage City

Getting to St. Simon’s Church requires a drive through Garbage City. Thousands of Coptic Christians live here, managing Cairo’s garbage before it’s shipped off to recycling plants and landfills. The neighborhood streets are lined with giant plastic bags and, according to some, the community is thriving. And smelling.

All through Garbage City, banners and icons depict Jesus and Mary, almost like advertisements. The Christians here dress like Muslim Egyptians — with djellabas (robes), headscarves, and hats. (Most Muslim women who wear robes and headscarves do so out of convention, not according to the dictates of oppressive male counterparts, as many of our politicians want us to believe. As one Saudi woman told me, “we wear chador the way you wear business suits or blue jeans.”)

On our way out of Garbage City, I saw handprints on a newly printed wall. The handprints are in cow blood and meant to show gratitude for some kind of success. These handprints probably celebrate the opening of a new shop.

Nubian Village

The Nubians are a culture separate from Egyptians and live mostly in Southern Egypt (Aswan) and Northern Sudan. They fought with the Egyptians for centuries to get control of the Nile and sometimes they won. Today, they are quite peaceful and artsy, and they have a village full of souvenirs near Aswan.

Nubians are very into Bob Marley and Jamaican culture because of a sense of shared struggles, Marley’s popularity is evident all over. King Jamaica is a popular restaurant and hotel on Elephantine Island near Aswan that celebrates Bob Marley with great views of the river and ok Egyptian food.

A Tiny resort on a Tiny Island in the Nile

Nala Narty is a special hotel on an island in Aswan. Its design combines traditional Nubian building principles with modern conveniences, and its kitchen is stocked with produce from the garden. Its owner, Sharif, is the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable host I’ve ever met. The hotel has a free shuttle boat to the main areas of Aswan. During your visit at Nala Narty, you can kayak, hike, swim, ride a felucca (a traditional Egyptian sail boat) or just enjoy the peace. Sharif will help you arrange trips to the temples and museums.

City of the Dead

In downtown Cairo, a hillside with thousands of tombs hold the remains of many more thousands of people. The City of the Dead is a cemetery but nothing like cemeteries in the US. The tombs are also houses for (living) family members designated as caretakers. It really is a city of sorts with cafes and small businesses and mosques, although its zip code is probably not the most desireable.

We were able to go inside one of the crypts where most of the bodies are buried underground. The woman on the couch is a caretaker who lives alone in the building with the crypts. I don’t envy her life, but she was very friendly and seemed happy.

In another building of crypts, a young woman adjusts her headscarf.

Horse Rescuers

On the edge of chaotic Luxor is a small horse ranch called Horses and Hieroglyphs. I learned about it when I was researching where I could ride — which I did, through a small village and beautiful farmlands. The ride was special, but even more special was learning that all the horses at this ranch have been rescued from terrible situations. Horses and Hieroglyphs takes them until they are loved back to health. Sometimes it takes two years for a horse to recover, but most do and are then given to new homes for more love.

The Valley of the Whales — Wadi Al-Hitan

Most of Egypt was once the bottom of an ocean. Forty million years later, you can see a little of what remains a few hours drive west of Cairo, through a long stretch of dunes and desert. The Valley has spectacular sand formations and a lot of fossils, including one of a 60 foot extinct whale.

Charming Tunis Village

A two-hour drive from Cairo is a town on that is worlds away from The Big Three (Cairo, Luxor and Aswan) but in some ways just as memorable. Tunis Village in the region of Fayroum is an oasis on a very large lake. It has made its mark by becoming a center for handmade pottery. Dozens of small shops sell every size and shape of ceramics with a very distinct and very playful style. A lot of it feels descended from hieroglyphs. Tunis also has a couple of luxury resorts, and a lot of small family-run hotels and guest houses. It’s a great place to ride a horse, drive a dune buggy, sail a felucca, or take a ceramics class. And shop for pottery! The town is becoming more popular with tourists, but so far the town is still sleepy, even on the weekends. If you come to Egypt, come here.