Winter in Egypt, 2024 - A Visit to Minya, Part 7 - Return to Cairo

After another restful night at the Holy Family Hotel near Minya, we embarked on the three-hour return trip to Cairo.  This time, we took the modern highway that follows the west bank of the Nile (dark blue line.)

 

Once again, this is a modern freeway with three lanes in each direction and two more for truck traffic running parallel to it.

 

As we left the hotel turning northward, we passed by the large quarry area that produces the brilliant white limestone blocks that are seen in many rural area homes.  These are the modern versions of the talatat blocks that were quarried three thousand years ago from the same area to build Akhenaten's new capital city of Amarna.

 

  

 

Larger limestone blocks are finding their way to the "New Administrative Capital" under construction, thirty miles east of Cairo.

 

After crossing the Nile to the west side, we passed large stretches of agricultural land, including a nice looking vineyard.

  

 

 

Tomatoes were being shipped in trucks both large and small.

  

 

Garlic is usually only found moving by small truck. (Almost every Egyptian dinner meal includes a sauce with garlic and tomatoes)

 

And people also move by truck.

 

There are numerous houses of worship along the route, both churches and mosques.

 

 

 

For drivers on the road at prayer time, even small rest stops such as this one usually have a small mosque or a prayer area such as the one just to the left of the WC.

  

 

We soon passed the picturesque pyramid at Maidum which we had visited on a previous trip.

 

Reaching the Cairo administrative area, we paid another toll to finance the road construction.

 

The city continues to build apartments for its growing population and each year the building stretches further out.  Seeing the first glimpse of the pyramids on the Giza Plateau is always a welcome reminder that we are almost home.

  

 

Back at the apartment we were greeted by our building's cats who certainly missed us during the previous few days.  After quickly eating dinner, they joined me by the computer as I began loading the 1500 or so pictures from the trip.