Page 26 - Dispatches - June 2022

Right: Considered
one of ancient
Egypt’s greatest
artistic masterpieces,
the Mask of
Tutankhamun is
currently housed
at the Museum of
Egyptian Antiquities
in Cairo.

limestone blocks averaging two-and-half north to south in roughly the order they were
tons each (some much heavier) on top of each built—moving forward a thousand years to
other—two-and-a-half million of them. Not Egypt’s New Kingdom treasures in Luxor
haphazardly either—the 10-ton casing stones and another thousand years to the age of the
covering the pyramid were set so closely Greeks and Romans as you approach Aswan.
together, the tolerance was measured in
millimeters. Even after more than 4,000 years, Sounds great—
the brightest minds still haven’t figured out what’s the catch?
how they did it.

I know this sounds blasphemous, but has Culture shock is one of the main reasons I
there ever been an iconic monument you’ve travel—the more the better. But not everyone
waited your whole life to visit that didn’t quite
Ching & Chuck’s measure up to your expectations? One where feels that way. Egypt is loud, raucous, dusty,
Egypt Adventure a tiny voice in your head says, “Beautiful, but chaotic, hot, frenetic … and hot. The traffic

I thought it would be a little more …”—which in Cairo is not to be believed. With road rules
made up by drivers, comparing it to the Wild
you never repeat aloud. That won’t happen in West is much too kind. It’s Thunderdome.
Egypt. The only thought you’ll have standing And did I mention it’s hot? Like many deserts,
before the Great Pyramid of Khufu will be: “My evenings can be pleasant or even cold. But you
god, how can it possibly be this big?!” need to steel yourself for some serious triple-

But the pyramids are just the warm-up act digit temperatures during summer months.
Created by Ching & to Egypt’s real treasures—like what you see When gazing at a temple under the blazing sun
Charles Schueddig, in a movie before the opening credits. The in Aswan, any thoughts entering your head
24-time travelers pyramids and tombs of Giza are from the run more toward, “My god, how can it possibly
from Naples, FL Old Kingdom, the earliest phase of Egyptian be this hot?!”

history. Egypt’s greatest temples and
Watch Video
monuments are strung along the Nile from

26 DISPATCHES • JUNE 2022

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