the pyramids, the sphinx, the temples, the mummies. i only hear those in my history class, if i was fortunate enough to be awake, or i see them in movies. think, The Mummy.
so you can imagine my excitement to be there. surreal.
but i not only plan a rigorous itinerary for sight-seeing, i make sure i experience the true egypt through my palate.
starting our trip in Luxor, i made quite an impression with our tour guide when i threw a fit when we couldn't go to my restaurant of choice, he wants us to go elsewhere. brat alert. but seriously, i know how this works. this is not amateur hour.
my fiance', Pao may be too nice and is willing to accept his BS, but i refuse to. the whole egypt trip, Pao and i were playing good cop, bad cop.
of course, bad cop always win. we head to my restaurant, Sofra.
an old house turned restaurant, the decors and the menu was traditional egyptian. this is where i want to have my first meal in egypt. not in a tourist infested eatery our guide was planning to take us, so he can take commission.
happy thoughts. food came in. we had the baba ghanoush, rice with liver bits, some chicken soup and the duck.
it was worth fighting for. suddenly, i was in a good mood.
Hotel Sheherazade, at the east bank is a gem in Luxor. mid-range hotel with character. and the staff were so accommodating, too. it's walking distance from the nile river port where you can take a ferry to cross to the west bank. west bank is where all the temples and 5-star hotels are.
a great place to hang out in east bank is the rooftop of Nile Valley Hotel. perfect for sundown.
or when in west bank, catch the sunset by the terrace of Metropolitan Cafe and Restaurant, right by the Nile. this cafe has great sheesha and the ambiance is more cozy. egyptian beer, mandatory.
although if you want a vip seat to watch the sunset, get a felucca (boat). ride into the sunset, on the Nile river. a must-do in luxor. and if you're lucky, you'll get a boat captain as resourceful and as entertaining as ours. mad props to Ahmed.
you can't go to egypt and not have kushari (mix of lentils, rice, chickpeas, fried onion and a lot more). inexpensive and filling, like how it should be. we got ours at Abu Ashraf. tried the roasted chicken and the kebab too. cheap and tasty. happy tummy.
our side trip to Edfu and Aswan led us for a stop-over at a street-side kofta place our driver suggested. this one, im happy to oblige. it wasn't commercialized nor swamped with tourists.
looked a little dodgy, if you ask me. but i like dodgy. as long as it delivers good food, im up for it. kofta by the street, by a no-name eatery? yes please.
then there was Cairo.
in Cairo, there were more food options. i even had mcdonald's for breakfast, don't judge. less vendors hassling you. busier streets. it was an actual city, compared to laid-back Luxor.
stayed at a family-owned, mid-range hotel at the top of a commercial building, by the city centre. Hotel Osiris is basic, clean and homey. they make great breakfast by the terrace, too. location is perfect, walking distance from tahrir square, the egyptian museum and most restaurants.
At the foodcourt of Talaat Harb Complex, few minutes away from our hotel by walk, is At-Tabei Ad-Dumyati. got the shawarma or ta'amiyya with lentil soup (fuul). a cheap snack and a different take on shawarma.
saved room for dessert, headed to Fatatri at-Tahrir for some sweet fiteer (egyptian pancake).
yummy! don't mind the calories.
and for even more sweets, there's El Abd Bakery, cairo's number one pastry shop. don't worry, we didn't eat anymore. if i could i would. so we bought some egyptian sweets to bring home instead. great for pasalubong.
back to more savoury meals, mouza (shins) and lamb chops at Emara Hati al-Gish. still the best lamb chops i had to date. and the mouza was Pao's personal favorite.
Khan El-Khalili, a souk which dates back to the 13th century, is not to be missed. sure i hate touristy places as much as the next guy, but souks have always amazed me. it's chaotic, mysterious, colorful and full of bargains!
coffeeshops line the market. great place for tea and sheesha, and to rest my tired legs. tea you said? count me in.
just down an alley close to the souk is Al Farahat. everyone knows you go here for it's stuffed pigeon. you heard me right. stuffed pigeon. when in egypt, do as the egyptians do.
i was a bit skeptical trying it at first, i have to admit. i hate pigeons. some say they're flying rats. but i had to suck it up. im in egypt, i kept telling myself. eat like an egyptian.
that then on, i have a whole new impression for pigeons. i don't hate them anymore. as a matter of fact, i love them. those pigeons in my balcony, i wish i can cook them, stuff them with that special pigeon liver and heart and spiced rice. no shocker, it tastes like it's cousin, chicken.
staple meal in egypt, if you're not feeling too adventurous, is the shawarma. you can get it in almost every corner. somewhat like street food. it's easy, it's good, and it's cheap.
what i love about egypt are the ahwas (traditional coffeshops), although tea is the more common drink. they sit, they smoke their sheesha, play black backgammon, watch time pass them by. it's no-frills, no-hipsters, no-wifi zone. explains why the elders were staring at us.
ahwas are love. great way to see real cairo.
to sum up our egyptian escapade, it was a blur of people asking for baksheesh (tips), men offering Pao a hundred camels for my hand, rich cuisine, unlimited supply of tea and sheesha, and mind-blowing sights.
i believe everyone should go here once in their lifetime. careful with the tourist traps, pack your bag and just leave. the mummies. the pyramids. the sphinx. the tombs. the pigeon. it's worth shooing every person coming up to you to sell you carpets or something.
cmon. it's the pyramids. need i say more?
safe travels and happy eating everyone! ma'a salama.
P.S.
big thanks to my fiance', my personal graphic designer, photographer and number one blog promoter.
so you can imagine my excitement to be there. surreal.
but i not only plan a rigorous itinerary for sight-seeing, i make sure i experience the true egypt through my palate.
starting our trip in Luxor, i made quite an impression with our tour guide when i threw a fit when we couldn't go to my restaurant of choice, he wants us to go elsewhere. brat alert. but seriously, i know how this works. this is not amateur hour.
my fiance', Pao may be too nice and is willing to accept his BS, but i refuse to. the whole egypt trip, Pao and i were playing good cop, bad cop.
of course, bad cop always win. we head to my restaurant, Sofra.
an old house turned restaurant, the decors and the menu was traditional egyptian. this is where i want to have my first meal in egypt. not in a tourist infested eatery our guide was planning to take us, so he can take commission.
happy thoughts. food came in. we had the baba ghanoush, rice with liver bits, some chicken soup and the duck.
it was worth fighting for. suddenly, i was in a good mood.
Hotel Sheherazade, at the east bank is a gem in Luxor. mid-range hotel with character. and the staff were so accommodating, too. it's walking distance from the nile river port where you can take a ferry to cross to the west bank. west bank is where all the temples and 5-star hotels are.
a great place to hang out in east bank is the rooftop of Nile Valley Hotel. perfect for sundown.
although if you want a vip seat to watch the sunset, get a felucca (boat). ride into the sunset, on the Nile river. a must-do in luxor. and if you're lucky, you'll get a boat captain as resourceful and as entertaining as ours. mad props to Ahmed.
you can't go to egypt and not have kushari (mix of lentils, rice, chickpeas, fried onion and a lot more). inexpensive and filling, like how it should be. we got ours at Abu Ashraf. tried the roasted chicken and the kebab too. cheap and tasty. happy tummy.
our side trip to Edfu and Aswan led us for a stop-over at a street-side kofta place our driver suggested. this one, im happy to oblige. it wasn't commercialized nor swamped with tourists.
looked a little dodgy, if you ask me. but i like dodgy. as long as it delivers good food, im up for it. kofta by the street, by a no-name eatery? yes please.
then there was Cairo.
in Cairo, there were more food options. i even had mcdonald's for breakfast, don't judge. less vendors hassling you. busier streets. it was an actual city, compared to laid-back Luxor.
stayed at a family-owned, mid-range hotel at the top of a commercial building, by the city centre. Hotel Osiris is basic, clean and homey. they make great breakfast by the terrace, too. location is perfect, walking distance from tahrir square, the egyptian museum and most restaurants.
At the foodcourt of Talaat Harb Complex, few minutes away from our hotel by walk, is At-Tabei Ad-Dumyati. got the shawarma or ta'amiyya with lentil soup (fuul). a cheap snack and a different take on shawarma.
saved room for dessert, headed to Fatatri at-Tahrir for some sweet fiteer (egyptian pancake).
yummy! don't mind the calories.
and for even more sweets, there's El Abd Bakery, cairo's number one pastry shop. don't worry, we didn't eat anymore. if i could i would. so we bought some egyptian sweets to bring home instead. great for pasalubong.
back to more savoury meals, mouza (shins) and lamb chops at Emara Hati al-Gish. still the best lamb chops i had to date. and the mouza was Pao's personal favorite.
Khan El-Khalili, a souk which dates back to the 13th century, is not to be missed. sure i hate touristy places as much as the next guy, but souks have always amazed me. it's chaotic, mysterious, colorful and full of bargains!
coffeeshops line the market. great place for tea and sheesha, and to rest my tired legs. tea you said? count me in.
just down an alley close to the souk is Al Farahat. everyone knows you go here for it's stuffed pigeon. you heard me right. stuffed pigeon. when in egypt, do as the egyptians do.
i was a bit skeptical trying it at first, i have to admit. i hate pigeons. some say they're flying rats. but i had to suck it up. im in egypt, i kept telling myself. eat like an egyptian.
that then on, i have a whole new impression for pigeons. i don't hate them anymore. as a matter of fact, i love them. those pigeons in my balcony, i wish i can cook them, stuff them with that special pigeon liver and heart and spiced rice. no shocker, it tastes like it's cousin, chicken.
staple meal in egypt, if you're not feeling too adventurous, is the shawarma. you can get it in almost every corner. somewhat like street food. it's easy, it's good, and it's cheap.
what i love about egypt are the ahwas (traditional coffeshops), although tea is the more common drink. they sit, they smoke their sheesha, play black backgammon, watch time pass them by. it's no-frills, no-hipsters, no-wifi zone. explains why the elders were staring at us.
ahwas are love. great way to see real cairo.
to sum up our egyptian escapade, it was a blur of people asking for baksheesh (tips), men offering Pao a hundred camels for my hand, rich cuisine, unlimited supply of tea and sheesha, and mind-blowing sights.
i believe everyone should go here once in their lifetime. careful with the tourist traps, pack your bag and just leave. the mummies. the pyramids. the sphinx. the tombs. the pigeon. it's worth shooing every person coming up to you to sell you carpets or something.
cmon. it's the pyramids. need i say more?
safe travels and happy eating everyone! ma'a salama.
P.S.
big thanks to my fiance', my personal graphic designer, photographer and number one blog promoter.
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