You know, I didn’t go to Egypt looking for answers. I didn’t go because it was on my bucket list or because I’d dreamed of it since childhood, which of course I had. In truth, I didn’t fully understand why I was going at all—only that I felt pulled there. Habibi, Come to Egypt.

I’m Rick Long, an artist and actor from Denver and I’ve spent my life painting faces, telling stories, and trying to capture some sense of the human spirit. But nothing, absolutely NOTHING prepared me for standing in a place where history isn’t imagined—it’s literally carved into stone.

This is my blog covering my 11-day journey across Egypt in late October of 2025.

I arrived in Cairo alone, with no expectations—no tour groups, no travel companion. Just my newly minted Passport, my yellow shoes, and a heart that didn’t yet realize how much it was about to change.

What I found throughout this incredible country was not only ancient temples and silent tombs, but loud laughter in crowded streets, kindness from strangers calling me "habibi," and "Ramesses" because of my white beard and then suddenly, quiet, holy stillness in a sunrise.. 

As I begin this blog, I want to share the journey the way I lived it—honestly, imperfectly, and through the eyes of someone who still cannot believe I was so fortunate to have walked where the pharaohs once walked!!

📸 My Journey in 10 Moments

1) Standing in front of the Pyramids at Giza
My first full day in Egypt. I felt shock and awe as we drove close. I thought I’d feel small—but I didn't, I felt connected, like I had stepped into this story I was always meant to tell.

2) Sunrise at Abu Simbel
I watched the sun rise over the statues of Ramses II, the sunlight touching the same stone just as it has for 3,000 years. I didn’t speak. I just breathed.

3) Sailing the Nile on a felucca
No engine. Just wind, water, and the creak of the sail. A birthday cake from my pilots and a song from some very young Nubian boys. It felt like time slowed down. So did my heartbeat.

4) Inside the Tomb of Seti I
The walls were still alive with color—deep blues and reds painted for eternity. I whispered because anything louder felt disrespectful.

5) Hannag Island / Nubian Village
I stayed on a small island next to Elephantine Island. Bright homes, children laughing, hibiscus tea in small glass cups. Egypt’s greatest treasure isn’t its monuments—it’s its people.I've witnessed it firsthand.

6) Meeting Giselle Vallejos—YouTube Star and Very Cool Human
Between ancient temples and dusty roads, I met Giselle Vallejos by watching her incredible YouTube Channel, and then in Cairo in person! Smart, kind, fully herself. We talked travel, history, and life. One of the coolest people I’ve met in a long time.

7) Meeting Dr. Mark Lehner at Giza
Standing with the head of Ancient Egyptian Research Associates beside the pyramids—hearing about workers’ villages and the humanity he is continuing to discover inside limestone—was surreal. History stopped being a mystery and became a conversation.

8) Valley of the Kings
Above, you see nothing but sand and silence. But below, painted stars, gods, and the journey to the afterlife. The energy was very real and very palpable.

9) An AMAZING visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum
A wonderful guide teaching me and laughing as I acted like an excited child as we toured through the brand new GEM on it’s second official day of being open, I saw Tut’s Mask and SO much more!

10) Camel at Giza
I never imagined I’d be laughing on the back of a camel with the pyramids behind me—but there I was. The sun was warm, the camel was a hoot, and for once I wasn’t planning or performing. I was simply happy.

Closing

I didn’t come to Egypt planning to turn it into a blog, a show, or a series of paintings. I came because something in me needed to stand in that sand and see what remains of the people who once literally moved mountains.

What I found was more than ruins—I found kindness, care, silence, deep belly laughter, sunrises lighting masterpieces, and,as corny as this might sound, I left a version of myself I hadn’t ever met yet.

As you read these entries and scroll through the photos, I’m inviting you to feel it with me. It's a magic place with such deep history which deserves to be remembered. This is the beginning.