Hong face to face with Tutankhamun

EGYPT, (WIVB) - Earlier this month, News 4's Victoria Hong took the spring break trip of a lifetime with her husband and two kids, Misa and Grey.  In her own words, Victoria describes her trip to the other side of the globe.

For my whole life, I've wanted to see the pyramids, the sphinx, etc, so after years of saving and months of planning, we set off.

After a 10 hour flight from New York, we landed in Cairo , population 16 million, we crossed the Nile and into Giza , home of the Pyramids of Giza.

What struck us was how close they were to the city. I expected them to be set way out in the desert, when in fact, they were part of the city, visible along the skyline, like a high rise.

The entrance to the Pyramids was secured with armed guards. Tourism is the largest industry for Egypt , our guide Hanan said after 9/11 it dropped off to a trickle, especially by Americans, which could explain the high level of armed security throughout all tourist areas.

These days tourists, many European, have returned in numbers, as you can see from all the tour buses. It certainly helps peddlers, including the camel vendors.

It was all part of the dream, so Hanan haggled for four camels; we each climbed aboard our own colorful beast, and took a short jaunt up to the Pyramids. As you can see it was a bumpy ride, but well worth it.

For a small fee, the guides took our pictures and then walked us back, it was great. Over two days we also saw the Sphinx , much smaller in person, the Egyptian Museum , the Citadel and Saqqara, the site of the Step Pyramid, the first pyramid.

This was our most memorable meal. It's called Koshari , and it's the only dish sold at the restaurant. It's pasta, rice, lentils and chick peas in a tomato sauce. Delicious! That falafel was our cheapest meal at 20 cents each, also delicious.
 
Three days later, we flew south to Abu Simbel. That's where Ramses II built his temple and a temple for his first and most beloved wife Nefertiti.

It was hot, over 100 degrees that day, but well worth the history, artistry and preservation we witnessed.

A few hours later we were on our way up to Luxor , the land of treasures. Among them, the Valley of the Kings, and the tombs of kings, including King Tutankhamen . 

We ventured down into his tomb and saw his mummy. No pictures were allowed. To cool off in between sightseeing, we took a break for a traditional Felucca boat ride down the Nile.

Following five days of intense touring, we headed to the Red Sea . We absorbed all the sites on the beach in Sharm El Sheik, beach chairs, snorkeling and tropical fish. The perfect finale to our dream vacation.

For a link to the travel group that set up our trip www.globalgatevacations.com .