Writer Parveen Dusanj found her trip to Egypt quite apt as she once toyed with the idea of becoming an archaeologist.
Actor Kabir Bedi's partner and an avid traveller — Parveen Dusanj — went with pal Pooja Bedi to Egypt and enjoyed her 12-day trip there. “Though Pooja was working I got to see a lot of the place,” she says.
“Egypt is all about the pharaohs, their ancient civilisation, rituals and ancient gods, hieroglyphics and mummies. It’s a place I’d
always wanted to go. When I was 17 I’d worked at an archaeological site in Canterbury, England and had toyed with the idea of becoming an archaeologist as I’ve always been fascinated by ancient civilisations and history,” she smiles.
Cairo calling
She landed in Egypt with nothing but a travel guide and few recommendations from friends. “The best way to describe the place is: it is like an open-air museum. You walk into the ancient temples and feel as if they were built to impress and intimidate. On my first night in Cairo, Pooja and I headed to the spectacular sound and laser light show at the Giza Pyramids. I even bought the DVD of it to share with Kabir,” says Parveen.
A little bargaining too
The next day they were up bright and early. “Cairo is a crowded city but conservative too. We hired a car and visited the main sites — The Alabaster Mosque of Mohammad Ali in the Citadel that has the best view of the Cairo skyline plus the famous Egyptian Museum (that houses mummies and the famous gold mask of King
Tutankhamen).”
They also indulged in some shopping at the colourful Khan el-Khalili market. “I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie, navigating the narrow maze of lanes to get to the 350-year-old coffee shop — El-Fishawi — to have its famous hibiscus drink (said to lower blood pressure). They enjoy haggling here and can give upto 80% discounts on artefacts. I couldn’t help but buy some souvenirs,” she informs.
In enchanting Luxor
The duo found Luxor to have a completely different vibe from Cairo. “Luxor is slower, cleaner, hotter and more tourist friendly. We stayed in a hotel over-looking the river Nile and I watched the sunset from the pool most evenings. We visited all the temples here and saw the hieroglyphic inscriptions. The most striking temple was Hatshepsut’s Temple built into the rock-face in the desert. It just dominates the landscape,” she says.
With a short trip to Alexandria to round up things, the journey proved to be a cultural learning for Parveen. “Like I learnt to ask for the popular nana chai, which is mint tea or then the widely used fava beans or foole with pickles, humus and pitta and is so cheap. The best dessert I discovered was at a street stall called zalaabi, they’re sugar-coated rounds balls just like doughnuts — heavenly when served piping hot!” she grins.
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