On a Bumpy Road to Ancient Ruins

Our taxi driver pressed hard on the accelerator, trying to outrace the police van speeding ahead of us. That’s why we had hired him.

On the road between Luxor and Aswan, tourists must have a police escort ever since the threat of terrorism became a concern in this part of Egypt. My family and a visiting friend had missed the start of the day’s convoy. But with a driver up to the challenge, we tried to overtake the escort. Bad idea. Pedestrians and donkeys flew by at disturbing speed as the placid Egyptian landscape turned into a nerve-racking thrill ride.

Tourism in the Middle East has plunged, and most visitors who do see this part view it from a Nile cruise ship. But I think Egypt remains a safe place to travel. As the Washington Post’s Cairo bureau chief since 1998, I’ve found there are better ways to see the country-if you are ready for some challenges.

Like the police guard we chased down outside Luxor. As we approached the rear vehicle, a hand emerged, signaling us to back off. We pulled around to pass. The driver tried to run us off the road.

We waved and gestured frantically, wearing our best stupid-Americans-on-a-road-trip smiles. The guards grudgingly waved us on and let us join the convoy.

The countryside looked peaceful again-lunar cliffs, lush green fields, iridescent Nile.

My friend Mark was visiting from the United States for 10 days. To anyone who does not want to join a neatly scripted walk around the pyramids, let Mark’s journey serve as both cautionary tale and enticement. Just remember: This place is infuriating. And this place is fun.

Lesson 1: Don’t Be Spooked

At the first loud pop, Mark looked for reassurance. Particularly after the killing of 58 tourists at a temple in Luxor in 1997, visitors tend to be skittish. When Mark saw children with a book of matches tittering over their firecrackers, the tension eased.

This was Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, which in some countries means four weeks of fasting and concentration on the Koran. In Cairo, it means four weeks of fasting, concentration on the Koran-and firecrackers. Walking through the Tentmakers’ Bazaar on Mark’s first night, we were startled by bangs and cracks.

Cairo is not a pedestrian-friendly place-too many vehicles on too-narrow streets, little observance of traffic laws, sidewalks crowded with vendors. The essence of the city, however, is missed from a bus or taxi. Strolling the animal crush of the camel market, the commercial rush of the Bulaq fabric souk or Cairo’s other, lesser known markets is the best way to experience the city’s age, culture and sense of humor.

We started at the Tentmakers’ Bazaar, in one of the city’s oldest quarters, and walked a few hundred yards to the Khan al Khalili. Plunging into crowds, dodging cars that wend down the narrow alleys, ducking loads of lumber hauled by craftsmen-it’s key to seeing how Cairo lives.

We shopped briefly in the Khan, then enjoyed a late dinner at one of my favorite local greasy spoons, Mohammed Refai, with the best grilled meat we had found so far.

Lesson 2: Trust but Verify

My wife, Eleanor, tried to nail down plans for a camping trip as a highlight of Mark’s visit. A friend had told us about new El Bishmo Lodge in Bahariya Oasis, about 200 miles southwest of Cairo. Weeks before Mark arrived, Eleanor began talking with a Cairo representative of the lodge and made arrangements for our group, which grew to include several neighborhood families. The Cairo contact assured her that we were all set to spend one night at the lodge and another night camping.

Eleanor followed up with phone calls to El Bishmo, but the line would never work. She hunted down a fax number, but that never went through. The lodge’s agent in Cairo kept promising everything was arranged.

People often face this dilemma in Egypt: Do you let the endemic disorganization defeat you, or do you go ahead with your plans? No matter what happens, someone will help. This country is so good at creating problems that people get a lot of practice fixing them.

So we proceeded as planned and drove to El Bishmo. The lodge had no idea we were coming.

“Welcome, welcome,” said the owner, Saleh Abdullah, who put a brave face on his quandary-customers but no food, no sleeping bags, no tents and no guide.

Rooms, however, were available. The staff pulled together a nice dinner and directed us to a mineral pool for a late-night dip. We talked to the owner and his chief desert guide about our camping trip the next day, and they set an agenda: Leave at 10 a.m. with tents and food, drive two to three hours, explore the desert in the afternoon and watch the stars at night.

By noon the next day, we were still waiting for equipment to arrive. The guide was nowhere to be seen. For a one-day trip, the delay was infuriating. By the time we reached the campsite and had the tents pitched, the sun was setting.

Still, the desert was magnificent. During the ride, we stopped to let the kids climb the chalky, mushroom-like rock formations that decorate the landscape. At night we set up a telescope and tuned in Saturn, then called the children over to be amazed.

Lesson 3: Build In Extra Time

After Bahariya, we wanted Mark to have plenty of time to see the temples and tombs of Luxor, the salvaged ruins around Aswan farther south, the epic statues of Abu Simbel near the Sudan border.

But one of the secrets Egypt keeps from its tourists is just how unpredictable EgyptAir’s domestic service can be. The trick, when scheduling flights from Cairo, is to give yourself an extra day-an EgyptAir day. We budgeted four days to see these major sites and still ran into trouble.

Things started fine. Our flight from Cairo to Luxor was on time, and by late morning we arrived in Luxor, where a guide met us. Adel Abady turned his lectures about Hatshepsut’s Temple and other sites into performance art. He fielded questions, teased the kids and was eager to pursue tangents.

Our first stop was the Luxor Museum, where Adel efficiently picked out the statues worth extra attention. From there we visited the Karnak and Luxor temples, main sites when Luxor was ancient Thebes.

We returned to Karnak at night for the sound and light show, a worthwhile tourist draw. (Buy tickets at the box office to avoid excessive markups elsewhere.) At night in the Hypostyle Hall, the pillars framed by stars and a backdrop of palm trees, Karnak is far more awe-inspiring than in the flat light of afternoon. We spent the next day in the Valley of the Kings, the grand tombs carved into the cliffs near Luxor. With Adel narrating, we walked through the tombs of Ramses III, VII and IX, then visited the mammoth temple of Hatshepsut, who reigned as queen in the mid-1400s BC and became the first woman to declare herself pharaoh.

We spent the afternoon shopping for alabaster, among the better local products, and lounging at the pool.

Two good days in a row.

Then the trouble started.

We were to take a morning plane to Aswan, allowing a full day to see one of Egypt’s most popular and graceful villages, with its Nubian heritage, pharaonic ruins and Old Cataract Hotel of Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile” fame.

The morning plane, however, wasn’t there. One hour became four. Unsure the plane would ever arrive, we got our luggage back, arranged a taxi and managed to catch that police convoy.

We pulled into Aswan after dark, cheered by a safe arrival. Though our travel agent had told us the Cataract Hotel was full, we got rooms and basked in its colonial atmosphere.

Lesson 4: Don’t Get Discouraged

Though EgyptAir again rearranged our schedule, slicing even more time off our stay in Aswan, it did fly us to Abu Simbel for a two-hour tour of monuments that are among Egypt’s most impressive. And it did get us back to Cairo at a reasonable hour.

The next day was Mark’s last, and he was determined to see the pyramids. He and Eleanor rode horses to the monuments in the morning-another high point of the trip. Ambitious riders can pack a lunch and head south to the Saqqara Pyramids, or take a one-hour round trip to the Great Pyramids on the Giza Plateau.

Eleanor and Mark toured the Sphinx and Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, home of the artifacts from King Tut’s tomb and a dramatic roomful of mummies.

It was a memorable day capping a sometimes difficult week. A Nile cruise might leave you with a better tan, but you haven’t experienced Egypt until you get stuck in an elevator, as we were one night, and have to crawl out between floors. As Mark said frequently, it’s all part of the adventure.

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Guidebook: Staying on Track in Egypt

* Getting there: From LAX, connecting service (change of planes) to Cairo is available on Air France, American, British Airways, Lufthansa, Swissair and TWA; or fly United to New York City or London and connect to Cairo on EgyptAir. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,059. * Where to stay: Cairo Marriott Hotel, on Saraya El Gezira Street in Zamalek; telephone (800) 228-9290 or 011-20-27-358-888, Internet https://www.marriott.com. A nice hotel set on the grounds of a converted palace. It’s within walking distance of restaurants and downtown sites, such as the Opera House and art galleries. Double rooms start at $125 per night. Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel, Abtal El Tahrir Street, Aswan; tel. (800) 763-4835 or 011-20-97-316-000, Internet https://www.sofitel.com. This historic hotel, built along the Nile, opened in 1889. A double room starts at $132 a night. For budget-minded travelers, Egypt Panorama Tours can distinguish the bargains from the fleabags and can help with reservations. 4 Road 79, Maadi; tel. 011-20-2-359-0200, https://www. eptours.com.

* Where to eat: Cuisine in Egypt can be discouragingly hit or miss, particularly in the hotels. A good way to experience some of the city’s best food is to hop in a taxi and head to the better neighborhood restaurants. For grilled meat, try a Cairo favorite, Mohammed Refai, down an alleyway near the Sayeda Zeinab Mosque on Al Sayeda Square. (Any cabbie will know the mosque. From there, ask a local to point the way.) The hours are quintessentially Cairene: Don’t arrive before 10 p.m. A meal is $5 to $10 per person. For seafood, try Malek Gambouri (King of Shrimp), in the center of the Shoubra neighborhood in Cairo; $5 to $10 per person.

* For more information: Egyptian Tourist Authority, 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 215, Beverly Hills, CA 90211; tel. (323) 653-8815, fax (323) 653-8961, https://www.egypttourism.org.