Cairo, Egypt

Imagine an antique world just waiting for your sandals to touch its land of treasures. Egypt is a name that defines ancient history. One of the wealthiest ancient nations, Egypt stood very proud, but had excluded itself from the outside world that was thought to be chaotic and evil. The Egyptians believed in Kittum/Misharum, which represented truth, order, and justice. When you step onto her golden sands, get ready to be transported to a time when gods and Pharaohs reigned.

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is indeed alive and well! It is a massive cosmopolitan city where the past and the present coexist in perfect harmony. Buy a mocha or latte from the local cafe and browse the monuments that have stood for thousands of years. A city that many rulers once called home is now a land of individual empires. We are fortunate that this physical timeline still exists to be traced over by our own two feet. Preservation and individuality are two reasons the pharaohs would not destroy the thrones of their predecessors, but instead, chose to construct their own new kingdoms, adding more pieces to this fascinating puzzle with every era that passed into history.

With thoughts of Egypt, pyramids always come to mind. These massive structures are certainly geometric masterpieces. A brief 30-minute cab ride from the center of the city will take you to the home of the most popular pyramids of Giza. Here dwells the great Sphinx that has become the second flag of Egypt. Notice how his head is considerably smaller than the trunk of his body. This is the reason why so many historians believe that the Sphinx once carried a head different than the one that sits there now. Discover how the face is not as time-worn as the rest of the body, and find out why experts think it may have been originally designed with the head of a lion.

Egypt is truly one of a kind. Where else is it possible to pretend you are a god-king or the powerful and seductive Cleopatra while walking along the River Nile? Put aside those history books for now and instead let the visceral beauty envelope you.