Ruins: The pyramids of Giza

After going around the ground site of Giza, we finally made it to the pyramids. They were completely out of this world. Makes you really think twice about humanity and all of our achievements.

Taken by hugo Morel

All I could remember that day, was it being really hot. Finding water was somewhat a problem because you had no choice but to buy overpriced water from the street vendors. Make sure to double check, if the bottle has been opened or not. You don’t want to be drinking water from the nile. Haha no joke, it’s an actual thing here.

Someone climbing the pyramids taken by Hugo Morel

There were a lot of guards in the area. My local friend and I had to pretend we didn’t know each other because of local laws. A local woman can not show male tourists around, unless she is a tour guide. Made the whole situation awkward. Still with all the guards, there were people climbing the pyramids. As seen in the picture above.

Taken by Hugo Morel

As seen in the picture above, you can easily climb the pyramids. Of course, I wouldn’t do it because I don’t want to spend a night in an Egyptian jail. Unfortunately, this historic site has become a magnet for littering. There were a lot of empty water bottles thrown on the floor.

Where the pharaohs’ would have set thier boats taken by Hugo Morel

There’s always something special about being in the place you read growing up in history books. The feeling is out of this world.

The sphinx tourist shot taken by Hugo Morel

You know, I had to do the sphinx tourist shot. I don’t normally do things but hey, I’m in Giza.

Giza selfie taken by Hugo Morel

Also, had to throw in a selfie too. Can’t tell you all how much I dislike selfies but, I was really riding the tourist vibe.

hyroglifics taken by Hugo Morel

We walked around some more and found a little tomb with hyroglifics. Really wish we were able to read this ancient language. The stories this tomb had to tell us. We won’t be able to pass it on. It’s crazy to think that this little tomb was over 2 thousand years old.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

Next week, I will be going inside the pyramids and share some history on the structures!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

Check out our latest e-book “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come without breaking the bank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe0

February 23, 2019 27

Arriving to Giza

After getting out of the train, we took a taxi to get to the sightseeing areas. Yes, I was finally getting to see what the ancient pharaohs had left the world, in person. Excitement could not even describe, what I was feeling. It was a mixture of excitement, familiarity and peace. For some reason, deep down I knew this experience would change me.

Once at the entrance, there will be two lines to buy tickets. One side is for locals and the other is for tourists. Luckily, my friend bought tickets for me, so I got the local price. The funny thing about this, people were asking me for directions because I looked Egyptian.

Gize with the city in the background taken by Hugo Morel

Giza is not like what the movies show you. It’s actually right next to the city. As seen in the picture above! Still it was breathtakingly beautiful. There are a lot of people harassing you to buy something from them. They speak in every language known to man! Haha The best thing to do is just ignore them and say no.

When you look at the desert, gives you the feeling like the desert goes on forever. Never seen anything like it. Viewing the sahara desert from the plane is completely different than seeing it on the ground. It’s like the deserts in California times tens.

One thing that stood out to me was the treatment of animals. I felt bad at how they treated them. I couldn’t look at times.

As goofy as camels are, I learned to value them. This one person kept treating one horribly. He continued to hit the camel every time the animal slowdown. This experience made me not want to ride a camel. I didn’t want to encourage this industry. Hopefully by you reading this, you will think twice about having a camel ride.

Next week, we will go to the pyramids!!

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

February 16, 2019 15

Taking the subway to Giza

Well yes, you thought I would go to Egypt and not go to Giza? You must have not been following us long enough. Of course, we had to do it my way.

Inside a mosque taken by Hugo Morel

After getting familiar with the Islamic culture, it was time to go to the tourist traps. It was somewhat interesting because she suggested that we take the subway. It’s like the universe knows I love subways!! The cool thing about this experience is that not many Tourists get to take the subway like I did. So, some of these pictures will be new to those that visited Egypt.

Entering the subway station taken by Hugo Morel

Entering the subway station, you have to pass through a metal detector. Which makes sense because of all the problems this part of the world has been facing. Cairo’s subway is something similar to the Bart in San Francisco or the metro in Washington D.C. It was small; however, very complicated. Still wasn’t chaotic as New York’s and I liked it!

Waiting for the train Taken by Hugo morel

We were waiting for the train and I noticed something. The train stations were actually cool. I know this isn’t very interesting; however, outside was pretty hot. Usually, NYC’s or other cities’ subway stations are hotter than the outside temperature. Just some geeky observations.

Train passing by taken by Hugo Morel

As the train came, we jumped inside and found seats. Inside the train, there was no air conditioning and the heat was uncomfortable. Even with this, people were still smiling and laughing. Makes me really think about how lucky I was to live in the USA. Yet, I still complain about simple issues and get sad over things people around the world see as a luxury. This was definitely a humbling experience. This is why travel changes you. You get to see the world in a differnt view. Every experience helps me grow into a better person.

Thank you so much for reading! Much love and stay safe!!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

February 9, 2019 6

Being open to appreciate the Muslim culture

Going around Egypt in the less touristy areas, I noticed a lot of the shops were closed. My local friend, Nada, told me it was Eid. Eid is like thanksgiving for Muslims. It marks the end of ramadan, a month where muslims wouldn’t drink nor eat until sunset for a month.

Name of one the mosques I went to taken by Hugo Morel

All this was new to me because I never really knew about Islam growing up. I used to be afraid of Muslims and Arabs as a kid because all of the negativity coming from the news stations. I remembered 9/11 and San Francisco closing off the Golden Gate Bridge. Through a strange twist of events, I found out my grandma is Lebanese.

Outside shot of one of the mosques we went to taken by Hugo Morel

Since my local friend was Muslim, we had to go to a few mosques for her to pray. I wasn’t complaining because she was showing me around for free. Also, I wanted to see how Islam was in person and not what the media tells me.

A Mosque center taken by Hugo Morel

When stepping into a mosque, you must take off your shoes. Usually, in the more touristy mosques, they have a person who will watch over your shoes for a fee. In other mosques, you just leave your shoes in a cubby.

Where people get clean water from taken by Hugo Morel

Once inside, you see a community of people. Some are just hanging out or relaxing, while others are praying. It was different than a church. There was a lot of open space. As seen in the picture above. Some mosques have clean drinking water for visitors. I didn’t drink any of the water, just to be on the safe side. Although, I did get caught slipping. However, that’s a story for another post.

Muslims praying taken by Hugo Morel

As my friend was praying, I started to walk around the mosque. Accidentally, walked into the women’s section. A lady came out with a warm motherly smile and pointed out that there are two sections divided by genders for praying. By following her directions, I found the men’s section. It was unique seeing the men praying. As they were facing Mecca, I was completely invisible.

A minaret taken by Hugo Morel

When you are in a Muslim majority country, you will hear someone reading the Qur’an from time to time. In the picture above, you will see the minaret. The minaret is a tower where a person will read the Qur’an. At first, I was completely in fear when I heard the chanting. It was in the middle of the night. Of course, my first thoughts were extremely negative. After asking my friend, they told me it was normal. It’s just a part of their culture. Same thing with the division of genders. I just had to learn to accept and embrace the differences in our cultures.

minarets taken by Hugo Morel

After this experience, I learned that Muslims want the same thing. They want to live a happy and peaceful life without being in terror of extremist groups. Ironically, extremist groups kill thier own fellow Muslim more than they do Christians. Unfortunately, Muslims are in the frontlines against the extremist groups. My cousin, who’s in the U.S. army, has been stationed in the Middle East for years. The stories he came back with and my experiences in Egypt, has changed my views on the average Muslim. They just want to live in peace like the rest of us.

Thank you for reading! Much love and safe travels!

P.s. everyone! Soon there will be some changes on the blog. We will take this blog to the next level! There will be some ads on here. So please let’s us know how you feel about them in the comment section. 😁They will help us produce more content for you all and show you more of the world! However, we still want your opinons!

February 2, 2019 26