After over 24 hours of being in-flight or waiting for a flight, 6 security checks and lots of cups of coffee, we safely arrived home Monday evening! Amazingly and thankfully, all of our flights were on time.
Security was really tight everywhere. Not only did we have go through the screeners multiple times, but we also had to answer questions about our carry-on luggage about 45 minutes prior to boarding in Frankfurt and when we actually boarded the plane their. So we waited in lots of security lines.
On the flip side, customs in Chicago was completely empty when we arrived so we didn’t have to wait at all. And the shortest line for security was in Chicago so that was a pleasant surprise especially because we were all really tired at that point.
It looks like our timing of the trip was good and we flew home just as things were getting started with the protests going on there right now. I sure hope that this is resolved in a positive manner. Tourism is a huge industry for Egypt and the current activities are likely going to be detrimental if they continue.
Some of you asked me to include information about the Golden Valley of Mummies that Mohamed talked about during our tour. I found several links with information on it below:
http://www.guardians.net/hawass/mummy-main.htm
http://www.drhawass.com/events/valley-golden-mummies
Finally, I have posted pictures of the tour on CETA’s Facebook page. The link to it is below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=269729&id=144170630893
You do not need to have a Facebook account to view the pictures, but if you do, please friend CETA Tours to get travel tips and tidbits and learn about upcoming tours we have available.
Thanks for reading this blog about all of our adventures in Egypt!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Back to Cairo
Last night after dinner a few of us took advantage of the karaoke singer in the hotel lounge area and did some dancing. We were joined by some Japanese tourists who video taped it all.
Today was another warm and sunny day. We left Alexandria pretty early and enjoyed one last look at the Mediterranean on our way out of town. We took the same highway back to Cairo.
We had a couple of stops in Cairo - first at a cotton store selling all kinds of items made of fine Egyptian cotton. Afterwards we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant along the Nile.
Finally we went to the Khalili Khan bazaar, a huge market that sold just about any kind of trinket one might want to buy. It has been around for about 300 years, starting out as place for traders from Egypt and surrounding countries and eventually evolving into a market. It was our final opportunity to bargain and spend the last of our Egyptian pounds.
It was sad to say good-bye to Mohamed, our guide. He took very good care of us, taught us a lot about Egypt and really made our tour enjoyable with his kindness and good sense of humor. He didn't let the tour end though without quizzing us to see if we remembered what he taught us. There was A LOT to take in, but we did pretty well.
Our hotel in Cairo is close to the pyramids and we arrived just as the sun was starting to set, so our last look at them was very picturesque.
We won't get much sleep tonight as we need to be at the airport in the middle of the night to catch our 5:00 am flight. We are hoping all goes smoothly with all of our flights.
I won't post again until later this week when I should be able to add some pictures. I have been unable to download them here. I will also include some information the group asked me to post.
Today was another warm and sunny day. We left Alexandria pretty early and enjoyed one last look at the Mediterranean on our way out of town. We took the same highway back to Cairo.
We had a couple of stops in Cairo - first at a cotton store selling all kinds of items made of fine Egyptian cotton. Afterwards we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant along the Nile.
Finally we went to the Khalili Khan bazaar, a huge market that sold just about any kind of trinket one might want to buy. It has been around for about 300 years, starting out as place for traders from Egypt and surrounding countries and eventually evolving into a market. It was our final opportunity to bargain and spend the last of our Egyptian pounds.
It was sad to say good-bye to Mohamed, our guide. He took very good care of us, taught us a lot about Egypt and really made our tour enjoyable with his kindness and good sense of humor. He didn't let the tour end though without quizzing us to see if we remembered what he taught us. There was A LOT to take in, but we did pretty well.
Our hotel in Cairo is close to the pyramids and we arrived just as the sun was starting to set, so our last look at them was very picturesque.
We won't get much sleep tonight as we need to be at the airport in the middle of the night to catch our 5:00 am flight. We are hoping all goes smoothly with all of our flights.
I won't post again until later this week when I should be able to add some pictures. I have been unable to download them here. I will also include some information the group asked me to post.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Alexandria
We awoke to the sun shining on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. It was great to have a leisurely breakfast overlooking the gardens and the sea.
We didn't have to leave until 9:30 - our first stop was Pompey's Pillar. The pillar has kept its original, but incorrect name. It was first named after General Pompey who was murdered by Cleopatra's brother and whose remains it was believed were left here. Later after more rubble was dug up, an inscription was found at the base indicating the pillar was erected in 291 AD for emperor Diocletian. A little confusing to say the least. The pillar sits atop the ruined Temple of Serapis - a god that was created as a mix of a Greek and Egyptian god. Alexandria's second, overflow library was also originally here and we went down and saw where the scrolls and other treasures were kept. We also saw another, different type of "Nileometer" that measured the height of the Nile each year.
The nearby catacombs were our next stop. They were accidentally discovered in 1900 and are believed to be the largest Roman burial site in Egypt. There are 3 levels, but the bottom one is now submerged in water. We climbed down the spiral staircase that wraps around the circular shaft through which the mummies were lowered. On the first level there was a sort of dining room. Sounds a little morbid, but most families traveled pretty far to bury or visit their deceased relatives here so they had a place to eat which they were there. The Arabic name for the catacombs is "Pile of Pottery" because there was a pile of broken plates and other dishes found here. It was Roman tradition at that time to break one's plate after eating as it was considered bad luck to eat on a used plate. The meshing of Greek, Roman and Egyptian funerary beliefs was very evident in the carvings in the main tomb. Aspects of all 3 were represented.
After lunch we visited Fort Qaitbey. It was built on a small peninsula by sultan Qaitbey in 1480 AD. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world - the Pharos lighthouse - was on the site of the fortress. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1303 and some of the ruins were used to build the fortress. There is a nice promenade along the sea here and since it is a weekend, many families were here with their children. And of course what would a major tourist attraction be with out some peddlers - another opportunity to bargain. Some in our group are getting really good at it!
Finally, we went back to our hotel and got closer view of King Farouk's palace. Since it is still used by President Moubarak when dignitaries visit, it is not open to the public. We were able to explore the Montazah gardens. They are beautiful and the seaside location makes them even more impressive. We also saw a lot of families and young couples here. There was a group of kids playing soccer and a mother helping her daughter learn how to rollerblade.
We had the remainder of the day at our leisure. After our busy schedule the last few days, some time to rest and relax was welcomed.
Tomorrow we return to Cairo for some final sight - seeing and shopping and our last evening. :-(
We didn't have to leave until 9:30 - our first stop was Pompey's Pillar. The pillar has kept its original, but incorrect name. It was first named after General Pompey who was murdered by Cleopatra's brother and whose remains it was believed were left here. Later after more rubble was dug up, an inscription was found at the base indicating the pillar was erected in 291 AD for emperor Diocletian. A little confusing to say the least. The pillar sits atop the ruined Temple of Serapis - a god that was created as a mix of a Greek and Egyptian god. Alexandria's second, overflow library was also originally here and we went down and saw where the scrolls and other treasures were kept. We also saw another, different type of "Nileometer" that measured the height of the Nile each year.
The nearby catacombs were our next stop. They were accidentally discovered in 1900 and are believed to be the largest Roman burial site in Egypt. There are 3 levels, but the bottom one is now submerged in water. We climbed down the spiral staircase that wraps around the circular shaft through which the mummies were lowered. On the first level there was a sort of dining room. Sounds a little morbid, but most families traveled pretty far to bury or visit their deceased relatives here so they had a place to eat which they were there. The Arabic name for the catacombs is "Pile of Pottery" because there was a pile of broken plates and other dishes found here. It was Roman tradition at that time to break one's plate after eating as it was considered bad luck to eat on a used plate. The meshing of Greek, Roman and Egyptian funerary beliefs was very evident in the carvings in the main tomb. Aspects of all 3 were represented.
After lunch we visited Fort Qaitbey. It was built on a small peninsula by sultan Qaitbey in 1480 AD. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world - the Pharos lighthouse - was on the site of the fortress. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1303 and some of the ruins were used to build the fortress. There is a nice promenade along the sea here and since it is a weekend, many families were here with their children. And of course what would a major tourist attraction be with out some peddlers - another opportunity to bargain. Some in our group are getting really good at it!
Finally, we went back to our hotel and got closer view of King Farouk's palace. Since it is still used by President Moubarak when dignitaries visit, it is not open to the public. We were able to explore the Montazah gardens. They are beautiful and the seaside location makes them even more impressive. We also saw a lot of families and young couples here. There was a group of kids playing soccer and a mother helping her daughter learn how to rollerblade.
We had the remainder of the day at our leisure. After our busy schedule the last few days, some time to rest and relax was welcomed.
Tomorrow we return to Cairo for some final sight - seeing and shopping and our last evening. :-(
Friday, January 21, 2011
Aswan to Alexandria
We were up at 4:00 this morning and left at 5:00 to catch our flight back to Cairo. It was a short flight and we were on our way in Cairo by mid-morning. The weather in Cairo has turned warm and sunny since we left so that was nice. The first part of our drive took us on road where President Mubarak resides. He was due to arrive back in Egypt so the street was lined with a police officers on just about every block. He must've arrived later because we saw no sign of Jim.
Our first stop this morning was at what is known as the Hanging church because was built atop fortress. Friday the is the Sabbath day for Muslims and Coptic Christians so there was a service going on when we first arrived and weren't allowed to go in. While were waiting, we visited an area that had originally been a Christian neighborhood started in the 600's that was kept private behind a very thick steel barred door. There were many churches in this area and we were able to go in one during a Coptic service. We also saw a synagogue that had been turned into church and the later back into a synagogue. We went back to the Hanging church when the service was over. We are pretty sure that there was a baptism because there was a beautiful baby girl dressed in a white lace dress with a veil that was lifted after the service as her family came up to congratulate her/her parents.
After our very tasty lunch, we went to Memphis to see the capital of the Old Kingdom (3100 bc). There we saw a 20 meter high statue of Ramses II that the fallen in an earthquake. The legs were broken off so instead of standing, it was lying face-up and we got a whole new perspective on the immenseness of it and how difficult if must have been to sculpt it.
The rest of our afternoon was spent on the road to Alexandria which was a much more interesting drive than the one we took yesterday. Just outside of Cairo there were some very lavish housing developments going up. There were some shopping malls and upscale shopping areas that are like their own little town - think The Shops at Woodbury Lakes.
As we got closer to Alexandria, we saw a lot of large farms. About 20 years ago to encourage people to move outside of Cairo and to develop some of the desert areas, the Egyptian government started selling plots of land for very cheap. Some wealthier Egyptians bought many of these plots and now have large farms and palatial houses to go with them. We saw many varieties of crops: olives, potatoes, wheat, mangos, lemons, oranges, figs and grapes.
For the most part the road we were on is very flat, but it did have some places where it curved. When it did, there were speed bumps ahead of the curves to make sure people don't go too fast around them. So every often we would slow down almost to a stop.
We arrived in Alexandria in the evening and even in the dark it was easy to see that it is different than the other Egyptian cities we have seen. With its Greco-Roman architecture, it looks more European. Our hotel is right on the Mediterranean on the grounds of the Montazoh Gardens and King Farouk Palace. We can see both the palace and the sea from our rooms!
After two very busy days we are all looking forward to being able to sleep in tomorrow and having a relaxed day here in Alexandria.
Our first stop this morning was at what is known as the Hanging church because was built atop fortress. Friday the is the Sabbath day for Muslims and Coptic Christians so there was a service going on when we first arrived and weren't allowed to go in. While were waiting, we visited an area that had originally been a Christian neighborhood started in the 600's that was kept private behind a very thick steel barred door. There were many churches in this area and we were able to go in one during a Coptic service. We also saw a synagogue that had been turned into church and the later back into a synagogue. We went back to the Hanging church when the service was over. We are pretty sure that there was a baptism because there was a beautiful baby girl dressed in a white lace dress with a veil that was lifted after the service as her family came up to congratulate her/her parents.
After our very tasty lunch, we went to Memphis to see the capital of the Old Kingdom (3100 bc). There we saw a 20 meter high statue of Ramses II that the fallen in an earthquake. The legs were broken off so instead of standing, it was lying face-up and we got a whole new perspective on the immenseness of it and how difficult if must have been to sculpt it.
The rest of our afternoon was spent on the road to Alexandria which was a much more interesting drive than the one we took yesterday. Just outside of Cairo there were some very lavish housing developments going up. There were some shopping malls and upscale shopping areas that are like their own little town - think The Shops at Woodbury Lakes.
As we got closer to Alexandria, we saw a lot of large farms. About 20 years ago to encourage people to move outside of Cairo and to develop some of the desert areas, the Egyptian government started selling plots of land for very cheap. Some wealthier Egyptians bought many of these plots and now have large farms and palatial houses to go with them. We saw many varieties of crops: olives, potatoes, wheat, mangos, lemons, oranges, figs and grapes.
For the most part the road we were on is very flat, but it did have some places where it curved. When it did, there were speed bumps ahead of the curves to make sure people don't go too fast around them. So every often we would slow down almost to a stop.
We arrived in Alexandria in the evening and even in the dark it was easy to see that it is different than the other Egyptian cities we have seen. With its Greco-Roman architecture, it looks more European. Our hotel is right on the Mediterranean on the grounds of the Montazoh Gardens and King Farouk Palace. We can see both the palace and the sea from our rooms!
After two very busy days we are all looking forward to being able to sleep in tomorrow and having a relaxed day here in Alexandria.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Aswan & Abu Simbel
Last night was our Egyptian party! Most of us donned our Egyptian galabaias/caftans for dinner. It was fun seeing all the colorful outfits - most of them purchased after some bargaining. After dinner there was a party in the lounge with dancing and games. The games were a dance floor version of musical chairs and spoons. We didn't party too long because we all had to get up vey early the next morning (today).
Today was busy and exciting. We had docked the night before in Aswan and our morning sightseeing took place here. After a very early breakfast, we traveled to see Aswan's High dam. Built from 1961-1971 it created Lake Nasser and controlled the annual flood so that the Egyptians could raise crops 3 times a year instead of just once.
Our next stop was the Temple of Philae, built to honor the goddess Isis. It is named for the island which it stands and was moved from it's original spot where it was cover by Lake Nasser after the high dan was built. The setting here was gorgeous with the lake, flowers and greenery and the rock surrounding formations.
Our final stop in the morning was to see the unfinished obelisk. It sits in a giant granite quarry with a crack running down the top portion. It was to have been the tallest obelisk at 41 meters high. Archeologists believe it was being built for Ramses II. It is important because it has helped them to figure out how the Egyptians carved them.
At 11:00 we started on our 3 hour drive to Abu Simbul. We were part of multi-bus and van convoy. We saw miles and miles of the Sahara desert. Sprinkled in were some pyramid-like rock formations, an area where engineers have run a channel from the Nile so there are some plants and flowers and a mirage.
The long drive was worth it to see the Great Temple of Ramses II majestically facing Lake Nasser. Like Philae Temple, if was doomed to be submerged under the lake until under thr leadership of UNESCO money was raised to dismantle and move it before the high dam was finished. The original was built into a cliff which was also replicated. We also saw the Temple of Queen Nefetari that Ramses built to honor his queen, though 4 of the statues at the entrance are of Ramses II and only 2 are of the Queen. Hmmm....
We had a good amount of time to see each temple before going back to Aswan with our convoy. It was a long, but very interesting day.
Tonight is our last night aboard our ship. We have another early morning departure as we catch our 6:40 am flight from Aswan to Cairo tomorrow. We will do some sightseeing in Cairo in the morning and then drive north to Alexandria for the final part of our tour.
Today was busy and exciting. We had docked the night before in Aswan and our morning sightseeing took place here. After a very early breakfast, we traveled to see Aswan's High dam. Built from 1961-1971 it created Lake Nasser and controlled the annual flood so that the Egyptians could raise crops 3 times a year instead of just once.
Our next stop was the Temple of Philae, built to honor the goddess Isis. It is named for the island which it stands and was moved from it's original spot where it was cover by Lake Nasser after the high dan was built. The setting here was gorgeous with the lake, flowers and greenery and the rock surrounding formations.
Our final stop in the morning was to see the unfinished obelisk. It sits in a giant granite quarry with a crack running down the top portion. It was to have been the tallest obelisk at 41 meters high. Archeologists believe it was being built for Ramses II. It is important because it has helped them to figure out how the Egyptians carved them.
At 11:00 we started on our 3 hour drive to Abu Simbul. We were part of multi-bus and van convoy. We saw miles and miles of the Sahara desert. Sprinkled in were some pyramid-like rock formations, an area where engineers have run a channel from the Nile so there are some plants and flowers and a mirage.
The long drive was worth it to see the Great Temple of Ramses II majestically facing Lake Nasser. Like Philae Temple, if was doomed to be submerged under the lake until under thr leadership of UNESCO money was raised to dismantle and move it before the high dam was finished. The original was built into a cliff which was also replicated. We also saw the Temple of Queen Nefetari that Ramses built to honor his queen, though 4 of the statues at the entrance are of Ramses II and only 2 are of the Queen. Hmmm....
We had a good amount of time to see each temple before going back to Aswan with our convoy. It was a long, but very interesting day.
Tonight is our last night aboard our ship. We have another early morning departure as we catch our 6:40 am flight from Aswan to Cairo tomorrow. We will do some sightseeing in Cairo in the morning and then drive north to Alexandria for the final part of our tour.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Stops Along the Nile
There is another birthday in our group today - Candace who said this has been her best birthday. :-) We will hope to make it special for her.
This morning we had an early breakfast aboard our ship that was docked on Edfu. After breakfast we disembarked and went to visit Horus Temple Built for the Falcon God Horus, it is one of Egypt's best preserved temples.
At most of the monuments we've visited, we have had to walk through the market stalls to exit. The peddlers at Horus Temple were the most assertive we've seen. They were like vultures so we had to really stick to our guns as we walked out. Most of us made it unscathed and a few struck some more bargains. Either way, we were glad to make our escape.
We got back to our boat at 9:15 and departed Edfu shortly thereafter. The weather was fabulous today- hot and sunny. Most is us enjoyed the scenery and the sun as we lounged on the top deck of the ship. There were some pretty competitive card games going on too!
Our boat docked at Kom Ombo in the mid- afternoon and at 3:00 we left to tour the temple here built for Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the falcon god. This spot along the Nile has ideal conditions for crocodiles and because there were so many of then they thought if would be a good idea to build a temple for a crocodile god. In order for it to be more accepted they included the god Horus. There are 2 sanctuaries - one for each god. There was a wall that had carvings is medical instruments and a place where they measured the height of the Nile every year - this determined not only how well the crops would grow but also how high the taxes would be.
We have had a few hours to relax before dinner. After dinner we will dress up in our newly bargained for galabias ( traditional Egyptian dress) for our Egyptian galabia party!
Tomorrow we have a very busy day. We depart at 6:30 am to see the Aswan High Dam, the unfinished obelisk and take a boat ride to Philae Island to see the Temple of Isis. Then at 11:00 we join the convoy of busses traveling to Abu Simbel to see the unbelievable Great Temple of Ramses II.
Friday morning we fly back to Cairo and the continue on to Alexandria. In all likelihood I won't update again until we get to Alexandria.
This morning we had an early breakfast aboard our ship that was docked on Edfu. After breakfast we disembarked and went to visit Horus Temple Built for the Falcon God Horus, it is one of Egypt's best preserved temples.
At most of the monuments we've visited, we have had to walk through the market stalls to exit. The peddlers at Horus Temple were the most assertive we've seen. They were like vultures so we had to really stick to our guns as we walked out. Most of us made it unscathed and a few struck some more bargains. Either way, we were glad to make our escape.
We got back to our boat at 9:15 and departed Edfu shortly thereafter. The weather was fabulous today- hot and sunny. Most is us enjoyed the scenery and the sun as we lounged on the top deck of the ship. There were some pretty competitive card games going on too!
Our boat docked at Kom Ombo in the mid- afternoon and at 3:00 we left to tour the temple here built for Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the falcon god. This spot along the Nile has ideal conditions for crocodiles and because there were so many of then they thought if would be a good idea to build a temple for a crocodile god. In order for it to be more accepted they included the god Horus. There are 2 sanctuaries - one for each god. There was a wall that had carvings is medical instruments and a place where they measured the height of the Nile every year - this determined not only how well the crops would grow but also how high the taxes would be.
We have had a few hours to relax before dinner. After dinner we will dress up in our newly bargained for galabias ( traditional Egyptian dress) for our Egyptian galabia party!
Tomorrow we have a very busy day. We depart at 6:30 am to see the Aswan High Dam, the unfinished obelisk and take a boat ride to Philae Island to see the Temple of Isis. Then at 11:00 we join the convoy of busses traveling to Abu Simbel to see the unbelievable Great Temple of Ramses II.
Friday morning we fly back to Cairo and the continue on to Alexandria. In all likelihood I won't update again until we get to Alexandria.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Last day in Luxor
I will catch up and report on yesterday's (Monday) as well as today.
Monday we took off pretty early to the west bank of the Nile to see the Valley of the Kings. We learned how the tombs were built. They were started as soon as the reign of the Pharoh began so that they would hopefully be completed before he died. They had workers doing the digging, drawing, correcting, carving, painting simultaneously. Interesting factoid - when they were sketching the scenes, they used red and then made corrections in black.
Our visit includes 3 tombs; they were all different with scenes of the gods and the afterlife as well as hieroglyphics. It was incredible to see the vividness of the colors and how much intact everything is. We saw the entrance to King Tut's tomb and the house where Howard Carter stayed when he made the discovery. Eventually it is supposed to be made into a museum.
Our next stop was an alabaster factory. The gentlemen here gave quite an entertaining presentation about how the rock is turned into various souvenirs.
We also visited the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut or as the alabaster entertainers called her - Queen Chicken Soup (much easier to remember). She was one of only a few queens who ruled in Egypt and the only one to have a temple. She took over when her son/brother-in-law Thutmosis III was, at age 6, to young to rule. She ruled until her death after which King Thutmosis III finally took over and proceeded to wipe all evidence of her reign from monuments. So while some of it has been restored, a lot is still missing.
Finally, we made a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the world's largest monolithic sculptures. They are all that remain from the Temple of Amenhotep III - once Egypt's largest temple.
Finally, we boarded our cruise ship and had lunch. After a busy few days we welcomed having the remainder of the day to rest and relax. The weather is not super warm and sometimes overcast, but are taking in some sun too. It is definitely much nicer here than in the Midwest.
Today (Tuesday) is Arby's birthday so we sang (or should I say attempted to sing) to her this morning and hope to make her feel special today!
We spent our morning off the ship, but still on the water, taking a motorboat to banana island where we saw banana plants in various stages of growth. A young boy (14) gave us the scoop about how bananas are grown. There were also orange, lemon, mandarin and papaya trees - plus wheat, alfalfa and onions. All on little plots of land next to each other. We saw how both the modern and ancient way they irrigated their fields. When we were all done we got to have some bananas before boarding our felucca for a short ride back to our cruise ship.
As we were having lunch, our ship departed from Luxor so we had another day to rest and relax on board. As we approached the lock at Esna in the evening, a flock of small boats with men selling their goods swarmed our ship. They threw up their wares and we shouted back and forth bartering for the right price. It was quite a scene, but several of us walked away with some pretty good deals - with a good story behind them to boot.
Tonight we have a welcome party before dinner with dancing in the evening for the night owls. Tomorrow we arrive in Edfu where we will disembark and tour Horus Temple.
Monday we took off pretty early to the west bank of the Nile to see the Valley of the Kings. We learned how the tombs were built. They were started as soon as the reign of the Pharoh began so that they would hopefully be completed before he died. They had workers doing the digging, drawing, correcting, carving, painting simultaneously. Interesting factoid - when they were sketching the scenes, they used red and then made corrections in black.
Our visit includes 3 tombs; they were all different with scenes of the gods and the afterlife as well as hieroglyphics. It was incredible to see the vividness of the colors and how much intact everything is. We saw the entrance to King Tut's tomb and the house where Howard Carter stayed when he made the discovery. Eventually it is supposed to be made into a museum.
Our next stop was an alabaster factory. The gentlemen here gave quite an entertaining presentation about how the rock is turned into various souvenirs.
We also visited the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut or as the alabaster entertainers called her - Queen Chicken Soup (much easier to remember). She was one of only a few queens who ruled in Egypt and the only one to have a temple. She took over when her son/brother-in-law Thutmosis III was, at age 6, to young to rule. She ruled until her death after which King Thutmosis III finally took over and proceeded to wipe all evidence of her reign from monuments. So while some of it has been restored, a lot is still missing.
Finally, we made a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the world's largest monolithic sculptures. They are all that remain from the Temple of Amenhotep III - once Egypt's largest temple.
Finally, we boarded our cruise ship and had lunch. After a busy few days we welcomed having the remainder of the day to rest and relax. The weather is not super warm and sometimes overcast, but are taking in some sun too. It is definitely much nicer here than in the Midwest.
Today (Tuesday) is Arby's birthday so we sang (or should I say attempted to sing) to her this morning and hope to make her feel special today!
We spent our morning off the ship, but still on the water, taking a motorboat to banana island where we saw banana plants in various stages of growth. A young boy (14) gave us the scoop about how bananas are grown. There were also orange, lemon, mandarin and papaya trees - plus wheat, alfalfa and onions. All on little plots of land next to each other. We saw how both the modern and ancient way they irrigated their fields. When we were all done we got to have some bananas before boarding our felucca for a short ride back to our cruise ship.
As we were having lunch, our ship departed from Luxor so we had another day to rest and relax on board. As we approached the lock at Esna in the evening, a flock of small boats with men selling their goods swarmed our ship. They threw up their wares and we shouted back and forth bartering for the right price. It was quite a scene, but several of us walked away with some pretty good deals - with a good story behind them to boot.
Tonight we have a welcome party before dinner with dancing in the evening for the night owls. Tomorrow we arrive in Edfu where we will disembark and tour Horus Temple.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
First Day in Luxor
Have been relaxing an the deck of our cruise ship this afternoon. Now that the sun has set, I am ready to come inside and give an update on Sunday.
Our train arrived in Luxor on Sunday at 5:30. We transferred right away to our hotel wehre got some much needed coffee with our wonderful breakfast buffet. We didn't have to leave until 7:30 so we again had time to relax. There were some hot air ballon tours of the Valley of the Kings going on which were fun to see with the morning sunrise.
After breakfast we headed to Karnak Temple and spent about 2 hour seeing the biggest temple in the world. It took over 2000 years to build. Everything about it is large from the pylons to the columns and obelisks. There is even a statue if a giant scarab beetle - the Egyptian symbol of good luck and fertility. Some of us walked around it 5 times as we made a wish as doing that us said to make wishes come true. :-)
We also went to a perfumery and sampled different perfumes and essences that can cure just about any ailment. We had lunch and then toured Luxor Temple. Originally there was a 3 km road between the 2 temple that is now being excavated an restored. It is taking quite a while partly because there are homes and other buildings on top of the road and those have to be bought by the gov't and removed. I am hoping I can get back here whenever that road is done.
After time to relax, we took a horse - drawn carriage ride through Luxor. This was very interesting and eye opennig as we drove through many different parts of town, including some poorer neighborhoods where we saw local markets and small shops that specialized in one area such as produce, meat, bread, dresses, cloth, hardware...etc, There were barbershops, tailors ans laundromats - every store was just tiny. The shopkeepers were visible and there were lots of children playing in the streets. We also saw coffeeshopa with men hanging out smoking their sheesha pipes, watching soccer or playing dominoes.
We made a stop where has a coffee, tea or soda and got to try the sheesha pipe ourselves. Lots of laughs and fun, but it is just very mild tobacco smoked through a water pipe. All in all it was an interesting and eye opening experience.
Today we went to Valley of the Kings and Hatshetsup Temple before boarding our ship. Will give more details on the next post. Tomorrow we take a felucca ride in the morning and have the rest of the day to relax. I should have plenty of time to post.
Our train arrived in Luxor on Sunday at 5:30. We transferred right away to our hotel wehre got some much needed coffee with our wonderful breakfast buffet. We didn't have to leave until 7:30 so we again had time to relax. There were some hot air ballon tours of the Valley of the Kings going on which were fun to see with the morning sunrise.
After breakfast we headed to Karnak Temple and spent about 2 hour seeing the biggest temple in the world. It took over 2000 years to build. Everything about it is large from the pylons to the columns and obelisks. There is even a statue if a giant scarab beetle - the Egyptian symbol of good luck and fertility. Some of us walked around it 5 times as we made a wish as doing that us said to make wishes come true. :-)
We also went to a perfumery and sampled different perfumes and essences that can cure just about any ailment. We had lunch and then toured Luxor Temple. Originally there was a 3 km road between the 2 temple that is now being excavated an restored. It is taking quite a while partly because there are homes and other buildings on top of the road and those have to be bought by the gov't and removed. I am hoping I can get back here whenever that road is done.
After time to relax, we took a horse - drawn carriage ride through Luxor. This was very interesting and eye opennig as we drove through many different parts of town, including some poorer neighborhoods where we saw local markets and small shops that specialized in one area such as produce, meat, bread, dresses, cloth, hardware...etc, There were barbershops, tailors ans laundromats - every store was just tiny. The shopkeepers were visible and there were lots of children playing in the streets. We also saw coffeeshopa with men hanging out smoking their sheesha pipes, watching soccer or playing dominoes.
We made a stop where has a coffee, tea or soda and got to try the sheesha pipe ourselves. Lots of laughs and fun, but it is just very mild tobacco smoked through a water pipe. All in all it was an interesting and eye opening experience.
Today we went to Valley of the Kings and Hatshetsup Temple before boarding our ship. Will give more details on the next post. Tomorrow we take a felucca ride in the morning and have the rest of the day to relax. I should have plenty of time to post.
Relaxing in Luxor
We've had a couple of busy days and are now relaxing a bit here in Luxor on Sunday afternoon. I am sitting out on my balcony overlooking the Nile and the Valley of the Kings.
Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast as we didn't have to leave until 10:00 am. We toured the citadel and the Mohammad Ali Mosque. Mohammad, our guide, gave us a good introduction to the 5 pillars of Islam while we were in the mosque.
After lunch we spent most of the rest of the afternoon at the Egyptian Museum. We are learning so much about ancient Egypt and Mohammad referenced a lot of places on our itinerary throughout our time at the museum. The highlight was, of course, the King Tut treasures including his golf mask and coffin. We did a little math and figured out that the 111kg gold coffin is probably worth over $5 million!
After a short stop to learn about how papyrus paper is made, we drove to the train station for our overnight train to Luxor. On board we had room service for dinner in our train compartments (sounds glamourous, but is pretty much like getting served plane food in a private berth). Most said the train ride was interesting and were glad to have experienced it, but didn't get much sleep. A few in our group slept "like a baby." Good thing we have time to rest before our carriage ride this evening.
I am going to enjoy the great view and the warm sun and will update about our time here in Luxor tonight or tomorrow.
Before I sign off I was asked by one tour member to deliver this special message for him:
" Hi Kandie ,
I am missing you! I love you...xoxoxo"
Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast as we didn't have to leave until 10:00 am. We toured the citadel and the Mohammad Ali Mosque. Mohammad, our guide, gave us a good introduction to the 5 pillars of Islam while we were in the mosque.
After lunch we spent most of the rest of the afternoon at the Egyptian Museum. We are learning so much about ancient Egypt and Mohammad referenced a lot of places on our itinerary throughout our time at the museum. The highlight was, of course, the King Tut treasures including his golf mask and coffin. We did a little math and figured out that the 111kg gold coffin is probably worth over $5 million!
After a short stop to learn about how papyrus paper is made, we drove to the train station for our overnight train to Luxor. On board we had room service for dinner in our train compartments (sounds glamourous, but is pretty much like getting served plane food in a private berth). Most said the train ride was interesting and were glad to have experienced it, but didn't get much sleep. A few in our group slept "like a baby." Good thing we have time to rest before our carriage ride this evening.
I am going to enjoy the great view and the warm sun and will update about our time here in Luxor tonight or tomorrow.
Before I sign off I was asked by one tour member to deliver this special message for him:
" Hi Kandie ,
I am missing you! I love you...xoxoxo"
Friday, January 14, 2011
The first day was awesome!
Our first day was awesome! We started off visiting the Pyramids of Giza. Our schedule allowed plenty of time walk around, hear the history from our guide and take pictures. We have some talented bargainers in our group who entertained us with their skills.
Everyone took a camel ride at Giza. What a thrilling experience to see the pyramids while atop a camel. And to it all off, after that we saw the Sphinx - wow!
It was a good thing our Egyptian BBQ was inside because it rained during lunch. Luckily it stopped in time for our visit the step pyramid at Sakkara.
Our day ended at a carpet school - we saw some true artists at work and did some more bargaining.
Tomorrow the Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian museum are on our agenda. We depart Cairo tomorrow evening on the overnight train to Luxor. No Internet on the train so it will be a couple of days before I am able to post again.
Everyone took a camel ride at Giza. What a thrilling experience to see the pyramids while atop a camel. And to it all off, after that we saw the Sphinx - wow!
It was a good thing our Egyptian BBQ was inside because it rained during lunch. Luckily it stopped in time for our visit the step pyramid at Sakkara.
Our day ended at a carpet school - we saw some true artists at work and did some more bargaining.
Tomorrow the Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian museum are on our agenda. We depart Cairo tomorrow evening on the overnight train to Luxor. No Internet on the train so it will be a couple of days before I am able to post again.
We made it to Cairo!
We arrived as scheduled, but I had a few difficulties posting yesterday - Blogger kept loading in Arabic - that was interesting! So I think I have that figured out and can report on our journey. Our 6 hour layover in Frankfurt gave us time to explore the airport - probably more than wanted. A few people found some cots and were happy to have a place to lay down even if we didn't sleep much. Cots in an airport is a first for me. We thought maybe they were left from the shut down FRA experienced a few weeks ago because of snow storms.
Our guide met us at the airport and we checked in to our lovely hotel. We had some surprise entertainment during dinner - a wedding party with dancing and music in our hotel lobby! How neat!
Our guide met us at the airport and we checked in to our lovely hotel. We had some surprise entertainment during dinner - a wedding party with dancing and music in our hotel lobby! How neat!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
1st leg down...
We made it to Chicago and our flights to Frankfurt and Cairo are, at the moment, scheduled to depart on time. VERY thankful the weather in the Midwest is cooperating today.
We are really excited to get over there to start the fun.
We are really excited to get over there to start the fun.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Egypt - Our First 2011 Tour
We are starting our 2011 tour season off with a tour to Egypt! I am so excited to accompany the 17 travelers on this tour. I had an unbelievable time last year and look forward to experiencing it again with this group. I am sure they will be just as enthralled as I was. Internet access in Egypt is sporadic, but will try to post when I can. Our adventures starts Wednesday morning as we rendezvous at the MSP airport!
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