3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Egypt - The Home Of The Pyramids,, September 5, 2007
This review is from: Globe Trekker: Egypt (DVD)
A country that is over 95 percent desert? That's Egypt. A city with 18 million people? That's Cairo. A city that has nearby the famous Pyramids? That's Cairo, and those are big reasons why I wanted to check out this DVD. How many countries offer these unique features? Only Egypt has pyramids, the sphinx and other unique things to see.
But, judging from this tour hosted by Megan McCormick, I wouldn't want to live there. It seems most of the country lives in Cairo and frankly, there is just too much desert. Give me grass and trees any day!
Cairo, she said - and showed - is unbelievably crowded. It is the biggest city in the Arab world. Megan quickly goes from modern Cairo to Old Cairo because she wants to visit one of the biggest bazaars in that area of the country. On her way, she asks her guide about dress-ware for women and is told never show bare skin on legs or upper arms, etc. In other words, don't let yourself open for someone to get the wrong idea. Women do not show much skin in the Middle East.
Between visits to a mosque and a monastery, we see the great pyramids. Their size cannot translate to a small television screen, I'm afraid. I couldn't get an idea of their size, except when McCormick mentioned that each building block weights 2.5 tons and there are about 2.5 million of them for each pyramid!
Our host also comes across a sight she, and we, don't expect: a cemetery filled with tombstones and crosses for the veterans killed in World War II. It's a quite a moving sight, she says, and I believe her.
After traveling west to Siwa, our host goes south with the destination of Luxor. Two-thirds of Egypt is the Western desert and one of the driest areas on earth. Make sure you go with experienced drivers and guides because you are out in the middle of nowhere most of the time.
At Luxor, and further south near the Sudanese border, we see more amazing sights,the tombs of kings like "Tut" and Pharaohs, four huge statues of Ramses II, "guarding" the entrance way from Africa. We get a tour of one these underground tombs/temples and it's pretty amazing all the work that has been done underground so tourists can view these centuries-old exotic tombs. Luxor, obviously, is the second big tourist spot of the country. Megan sees it from above the next day in a dawn air balloon ride.
I complain when the hosts ruin a segment but that was not the case here. McCormick is not afraid to try anything and she does a nice job with this tour of Egypt. She's charming and fun and proves to be quite a trooper.
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