The Ancient Rose Red City

Petra.  What can be said about Petra?  We met up with our local guide, Mohammad – no worries about calling him the wrong name – and started the long walk into the Siq.  With the theme music to Indiana Jones going through our heads we anticipated seeing the Treasury at every corner…but we had 1km to go before seeing this breathtaking spectacle for real.  The colours along the way were spectacular, we saw the water channels they created along the side of the canyons; the various stations with god blocks to praise the Nabataean gods; the original paving stones…and then we were there.  Our first glimpse of the Treasury as we wound our way through the last section of the canyon tantalizingly close, and then you step out into the open courtyard and see it whole for the first time.  Words cannot describe how we felt as we stood in front of this magnificent structure, but we were both grinning from ear to ear.  Surprisingly enough the interior is very simple so it looks like they put all their effort into the façade.  It is now believed that this was not a treasury but a temple, which really makes sense when you stand there with mouth open in awe of what these people achieved.

We spent 8 1/2 hours walking around this area, there is so much to see and that blew us away.  We climbed up to two separate areas, first to see the Monastary (1200 steps) and the views of the desert, the second was to the High Place of Sacrifice.  It was high!  But it felt good to get some cardio and strengthening done.  Donkeys make this journey multiple times with people on their backs, it was a shame to see them slipping and sliding on the slick sandstone but they managed to keep their footing.

Here we are, in the old city of Petra and I meet someone I know!  What are the odds on that?  Ana, who also worked at VANOC, was there with her sister and some friends and we were walking past when I did the double take and called her name.  Incredible.

You know, travelling with someone as beautiful as Errin is always interesting as man after man falls at her feet.  Today was no different as she was courted by a Bedouin who reminded me of Captain Jack Sparrow, only a little darker.  He was only interested in talking to her and invited her to join them for dinner at their camp.  She politely declined although I think she has missed out on The Man of Her Dreams….especially since she has just bought the book “I married a Bedouin”.  A true story of a NZ NURSE who was invited to dinner by a Bedouin in Petra and got married to him…..I’m just saying…….

The end of our long, exhausting day was at the Cave Bar, the oldest bar in the world.  It was a Nabataean tomb and it appears the skeletons are still residing under the floor. 

Packing up once more and heading out tomorrow for the last day of our Jordanian leg which should prove to be very exciting.  We will be participating in something that is akin to cannyoning, but not as scary (I hope!), and heading into the desert for a 4x4 excursion – with any luck we will not get stuck, finishing off with a trip to a natural hot spring before we drive to the airport for our 3.30 am flight to Istanbul!

Ahlan wa sahlan!

After saying good bye to Ramez at the airport we were on our way to the next stage of our trip – Jordan.  Our first impressions of Amman was….clean.  Straight off the plane and right into our day of touring with our driver/ tour guide – Mohammad!  Same name, different guy, different country.  He is going to be with us for the 4 days we are here which is great.  Private tours are definitely the way to go, no Tilley Brigade to have to wait for! 

Our first stop was Ajloun to visit Qala’at ar Rabad, a castle built by the Arabs to defend against the Crusaders.  It is quite large and has many rooms on different levels and it was fun checking them all out.  We were there at the same time as a school group – about 50 rowdy schoolboys who were running wild in the castle.  Quite glad we were not in charge of them! 

Next we went to Jerash to visit the Roman ruins there – quite incredible.  It is extremely well preserved and you can even see the ruts made on the road by the chariots!!  Hadrian’s Arch was built to honour his visit (in stark contrast to Britain in those days!) and is a grand entrance to the city.  We were linked up with a local guide, Mr Mohammad (made that easy for us), who was a close talker and a bit of a boob man!!  He also took over command of Errin’s camera and proceeded to tell us where to stand and would take photos of us with the ruins and would then insist that we checked out each one, coupled with his slow pace it is a wonder we got round the ruins!  He was a very sweet old man and even picked us some flowers and was obviously quite happy with being the guide for such beautiful ladies!  Hilarious.  Errin gave him her water as he seemed a bit frail at times and it was very hot out – we didn’t want him to expire on us!

The ruins are remarkable and we could just imagine the streets full of toga wearing citizens going about their daily business with chariots charging down the main street and shop keepers displaying their wares in their shops just behind the columns lining the main street.  There were two theatres in this city and they are still used today for the Jerash Festival.  We happened to arrive at one of the theatres in time to hear a three man Arab bagpipe and drum band play – Scotland the Brave was in there!  I even did a wee Highland fling much to the delight of Mr Mohammad.

Our next point of call was The Citadel in Amman, which also afforded a great view of the city, the largest flag in the world and kites being flown by the local kids (shades of Kite Runner). The Temple of Hercules is there plus there is a museum that has some of the oldest sculptures known to man.  They are very basic but it is hard to believe that they dated back to almost 8,500 years ago.  By this time we were starving but Mohammad came to the rescue and had a couple of falafel wraps waiting for us – delicious. 

Our hotel, Le Merdian, was quite luxurious and we felt like a couple of princesses (no comments from the peanut gallery please!).  We took full advantage of the amenities – comfortable housecoats, slippers…..and like a couple of losers, stayed in and watched a movie while eating strawberries and much to my delight, drinking NZ sauv blanc purchased in the duty free shop in Cairo.  Bliss.

Mohammad picked us up at 9.00am and we were off to Petra via a number of historical (and holy) sights.  Madaba is a town famous for mosaics and we stopped off at St George’s which is a relatively new Greek Orthodox Church built on the site of a Byzantine church.  They discovered a mosaic that is believed to be the oldest map of the Holy Land and remains a key part of the church.  We visited a mosaic school and saw how they are created.  Painstaking work done by hand, this school was developed by Queen Noor and her foundation to provide women and the disabled with work.  The quality of the craftsmanship is flawless and Errin was able to find a couple of pieces that she really liked….just adding to the weight of the luggage.  Super.

Next we went to Mt Nebo where Moses is supposed to have seen the Promised Land before he popped his clogs at a mere 120 years old.  They believe he is buried somewhere in the area but are not sure where exactly.  We came across a group of school girls there – a huge contrast to the behaviour of the boys the pervious day.  Orderly lines, well behaved, shy hellos and what’s your name.  Girls are so much better!

Off to the Dead Sea!  We stopped in at the Dead Sea Spa to go and enjoy the buoyancy of the sea which is 27% salt content, at the lowest point on earth.  It was a very strange feeling and we had great fun floating with no effort required.  We did feel kind of icky after but had a dip in the freshwater pool in the resort, and sat in the 30C heat for a while before we had to leave to drive 3 hours to Wadi Mussa where we are staying.  The drive took us to the extreme – one of the highest points in the area, through mountainous villages and varied countryside.

Our hotel is based on an Ottoman village and is very pretty.  Only two nights here and then we are off to Turkey…..but first, we do Petra!!!!

Egyptian Finale

Ramez was there eagerly awaiting our arrival at Cairo airport – the poor lad had missed us so.  Our hotel was located by the Nile and a short walk into the downtown area so we dropped off our things and headed off to the mall, accompanied by our faithful tour guide.  It is amazing the difference between walking with an Egyptian and walking on your own – he was like our personal bodyguard as the hissing and pestering was reduced to a minimum, unlike our return journey!  Crossing the busy streets never ceases to entertain us – you take your life in your hands every time, weaving your way through the traffic that does not follow any kind of rule of the road.  And yet it seems to work and we managed to do it all by ourselves.  The reason for the trip to the shopping mall – so I could buy another bag.  Oh yes.  Not enough room in the one I have – what a shocker!

That evening Ramez took us out for koshary, a popular Egyptian meal that proved to be quite delicious.  It is a combination of spaghetti, noodles, lentils, chick peas, onions topped with tomato sauce, lemon and spice.  We got to see a part of Cairo that we would not have on our own, a most enjoyable evening cut short because of a touch of the Nile Pile!! 

An early rise and off to Alexandria, a city that has boasted being the capital of Egypt at some point in its colourful history….just one of many that has had that honour bestowed upon it.  It took a while to get there as we experienced some trouble with our van and then we had to switch to a car with a new driver, Mohammad.  He was hilarious!!!  And true to Egyptian hospitality, he treated us as his guests and bought us falafel that was cooked in front of us on the street – and it was delicious!  We put it in Egyptian bread, otherwise known as pita but so incredibly fresh compared to the tasteless bits of cardboard we get at home, that was also bought on the street.  Our guide, Marawy (not sure of the spelling) was excellent and a lot of fun too so we spent the day laughing as we learned more of the history of this incredible country.  At one point Errin got out of the car to take a photo and Mohammad jumped in to the spot she vacated in the back of the car......so, cool as a cucumber, she jumps into the driver's seat and drives off!!  Much to the delight of our Egyptian friends, she did an excellent job (mind you, three times round the roundabout was a bit much!) even though she never made it out of the park!  Driving in the streets of Alexandria is just as crazy as Cairo and not an experience Errin wanted to sample.  

It appears that having jump worthy locations is not confined to us and Marawy was also a proponent of this activity.  Much to the amusement of the palace guards, the group of us proceeded to execute many jumps trying to get the perfect one!!

We visited the Alexandria National Museum, the Acropolis, the catacombs (where maybe Cleopatra’s body was….Errin was pumped about that) and the Alexandria Library.  All of the sites were great but the library was incredible.  A beautiful design and a very functional building without looking austere.  Our tour was also filmed by some Japanese film group so we could be famous in Japan!

One of the intriguing facts about this city is that a large number of the temples and artifacts are actually submerged in the harbour.  Can you imagine scuba diving and being able to swim amongst the relics of Cleopatra’s Palace?  Too bad we were not certified divers (snorkeling was enough for me!!).  They are unable to bring the artifacts up as the statues would crack due to the crystallization of the salt.  However, there is talk about building an underwater museum – that would be a must to visit if it is ever done.  It is believed that Alexander the Great is buried under the main crossroads of the city but the Egyptians will not excavate them due to the disruption to the city infrastructure and the possibility of being wrong.  Alexandria has more of a cosmopolitan feel, much cleaner and prettier than Cairo and has therefore won the award as our Favourite Egyptian City.  Errin says it reminds her of Nice due to its 32km sea wall along the Mediterranean Sea.  A great way to end our time in Egypt.

Sharm el Sheikh

 Our hotel in Sharm el Sheikh is a mere 5 stars, but we will make do.  After we sorted out the fact that we are not a married couple and Errin is actually female, we got our room switched so that we did not have to share a bed, even though it would have been a king!  But then we had to trek back to reception as they gave us a smoking room and well, you all know how I feel about that!  Room number three and we were content.  The room is huge, and cool and the queen beds look almost small it is so cavernous!   A bit of a change from our small cabin on the Admiral.

We spent our first evening at the hotel and ate in one of the many restaurants with dancing Russians on stage.  Rather interesting.  Lots of Russians and Italians come here for vacation.  It is strange being in a place with so many people after the intimacy of our Nile cruise – we miss everyone from there!

The local shopping area is Na’amba Bay, so we popped there for an hour in the morning just to check it out.  The latest trick to get tourists into their shop is the “will you sign my guest book for good luck” trick but we didn’t fall for it.  There were lots of open-air sheesha cafes with brightly coloured cushions and low couches waiting for their evening customers.  They had strings of coloured lights and all kinds of lanterns hanging in criss-cross patterns above so we were quite looking forward to seeing them at night.

The afternoon was spent lazing by the Red Sea on one of the jetties here at the hotel.  They have an intricate beach front set on a bit of a cliff with lots of gazebos dotted about the place, windy stairs and pathways which almost requires a map to navigate.  Kind of a Robinson Crusoe meets luxury hotel.  The washrooms are lovely and warranted a photo or two and you can enjoy the spectacular view from the comfort of the potty thanks to the tempered glass front!

Since we are at the Red Sea it only seemed fitting to rent snorkeling gear to check out the abundance of brightly coloured fish that live in the area.  Never having snorkeled in my puff AND being a bit of a weenie when it comes to water, this was not an easy thing for me.  Errin was my tutor and gave me a crash course on how to snorkel.  She encouraged me to go as she could not believe how many fish there were and it was quite stunning.  So I donned the gear (not the most attractive look I have to say!) and we went down the ladder to the sea.  A bit more challenging as it was not like we could start in shallow water.  This was full on deep water off the coral reef!  After a mouthful of Red Sea I managed to get my head under water and control my breathing….for a short time.  But I did eventually venture out and Errin was so right – it was incredible!!!  It was actually like swimming in a giant aquarium.  So thank you teacher for helping me experience the delights of sea.

We ventured back into Na’amba for dinner and a look around at what was going on in town.  We ate at a Lebanese restaurant (too much meat and once again the waiter fell in love with Errin) and went for a couple of drinks at the Camel Bar.  No camels to be found, except for those being smoked.  Too much smoking going on here!  We were not disappointed with the light display in the cafes and also the shops that sold the various types of lanterns.  Caught the free shuttle back to the hotel at 11.30pm – a late night for us!

Our trip for the next day was in the evening so we did spent a large part of the day on our jetty.  The sea was a bit rougher and it brought in the jellyfish which made entry a bit tentative.  We still managed to go in and snorkel for a bit, although rather more alert this time!  The rougher sea seemed to bring out more fish as well and in the shallow area we were able to see lots of brightly coloured fish - amazing.

Our tour was a Bedouin Night with Camel Ride.  Sounds like fun – a 45 minute camel ride in the desert while watching the sunset and getting spectacular photos, then ending up at a Bedouin camp where we would be sitting in cushions, drinking tea and having dinner.   Sounds great, right?  Yeah.  Didn’t quite turn out like that unfortunately.  We were picked up then sat in the van for close to an hour waiting for heaven knows what.  We finally got going and saw the spectacular sunset from the van en route to the camp.  Where were the camels?  No idea but apparently not part of this program.  The camp itself was beautiful (at night at any rate) as they had lit up the side of the rocky cliffs next to it with lanterns, and we were greeted by two fire torch bearing Bedouins on camels.  The food was mediocre and by this time we had had enough and the rest was just dragging the evening out for us.   There was music and dancing but Errin was falling asleep on her cushions and I wasn’t far behind her.  So we have complained to the company and are getting a full refund!

Early start today (April 24^th_) as we were heading out on a Jeep Safari.  We were picked up by the guides in a Land Cruiser with bench seats in the back.  This was not the most comfortable vehicle to spend several hours driving one way, especially when prone to being a bit car sick if not facing the right way!

This was a trip to St Katherine’s Monastery (there are at least 4 different spellings of her name on various road signs) the site of where Moses saw the burning bush.  Mount Sinai is also very close to there – we were unable to do the night climb to see the sunrise as the timing did not work out.  The church was beautiful with many icons on the walls.  It is still being used as a monastery to this day, so there were areas we could not go and see nor take photos. 

 

After that we were off to drive in the desert to see the Coloured Canyon.  The driver was having a great time as he zoomed through the sand causing us in the back to hold on for dear life!!  We picked up a Bedouin guide and then resumed the safari……but it didn’t last long as he was unable to negotiate a hill.  We all piled out to reduce the weight but he was still unable to reach the top after several attempts.  Eventually he worked his way around a rocky outcrop and we got to walk in the desert!  Back in and we were off to the canyon…..and got stuck again!  This time we were close enough that we could walk the rest of the way.  The canyon was colourful for sure and had really interesting rock formations.  It is amazing what the wind can do.

At the end of the canyon we were reunited with our Land Cruiser and the desert equivalent the AA were there to help pump up the tires – a Bedouin guy with his jeep.  Our return journey was uneventful – no one smacked their head on the roof over the many bumps – and we arrived in Dahab for a very late lunch.  Sitting by the Red Sea eating delicious local food was a great way to end our tour.  The drive back was a bit long mainly because we were so uncomfortable on the bench seats but it was all made right when Errin asked if we could find a place to buy beer and the boys obliged.  We are now happily sipping said beer illegally at the hotel.  Well it is half the price and we are on a budget!!

Tomorrow we fly to Cairo and will visit Alexandria when we are there….then it is off to Jordan!!

    

Brace yourselves - this is a Big One!!!

Thanks for waiting!  We have been enjoying our cruise down the Nile and our itinerary has been so full we had little time to sit down and write the blog…..okay, that and the pool time on board trumped typing!  (Unfortunately we are experiencing some technical difficulties and downloading our photos is taking too long so we have had to give up.  will post more later.....)

A short flight from Cairo to Luxor – we bade a temporary farewell to our Ramez, we’re not sure how he is going to cope while we are away, poor lad!  We were met in Luxor by Michael (Ram Two – he’s just not you!!) and enjoyed the short drive from the airport to the cruise ship...boat really.  We were instantly aware of the differences between the two cities.  Luxor is much cleaner, less frenetic and the drivers actually drive between the lines!

Our boat is very quaint and the staff are hilarious – Egyptian humour is surprisingly good and we have had a lot of fun with them.  It seems that the volcano has also affected the tourist industry and about 40 people didn’t make it here so we are a cruise of 30!!  Great for us.

Our guide is Maged…..but bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr Bean, it is quite hilarious.  He is an Egyptologist, just like Viola, and so extremely knowledgeable.  He is also very precise, regimented and you kind of feel you are back at school!  It’s becoming a sport to push his buttons, but we are behaving for the most part.

What can we say about the Karnak and Luxor Temples?  They are magnificent and strolling around in the punishing heat gives you a glimpse into what life in Ancient Egypt was like.  After a while you get tired of using the same adjectives to describe what you see….and to be honest, we do not have the vocabulary to do it all justice.  It is also very hard not to take photos of every square inch of the temples.  We have absolutely nothing of modern times that compares to these structures.  But then again, you see the incongruity of the present Egypt with what it should have been based on the past.  We have posted a few photos but have hundreds to share ;-)  We decided to skip the Sound and Light show based on our experience in Giza!

A recent discovery has shown that there is a line of sphinxs on either side of a road linking the two temples – a mere 3 kms in length.  There are about 1270 of them, so they believe, and they are in the process of excavating them by buying up and demolishing the houses in the way.  The project is estimated to take 4 years and they will allow the public to wander the road for free…..an unusual step for Egypt!

There is a Muslim temple sitting high up on the walls of the Luxor Temple.  The reason – it was built before the ancient temple was discovered!  It is still used for prayer and worship but makes for an interesting vista.

The next day (Sunday, April 18^th) was a trip to the Valley of the Kings to start off with.  Blistering hot again, but not as hot as it usually is according to Mr Bean.  We ventured into three tombs – Thuthmosis III; Ramses III and Thiutmes III (a guess).  It is amazing to see that the colours of the drawings still exist today and they are absolutely beautiful.  The only record we have of them is in our minds eye as cameras are forbidden in the valley to preserve the tombs and also out of respect.

Next we popped into an alabaster factory/ shop and were shown the process for creating the alabaster statues and vases.  Several of us were also married off to the young men…not sure for how many camels though.  Some of the statues glow in the dark when the lights are turned off……quite interesting, especially the god for fertility!!! 

Deir a-Bahri, otherwise know as the funerary temple of Hatshepsut, was the next stop on the tour.  Her history is fascinating and controversial as they are still trying to determine the relationship between her and Thuthmosis III……he is her step-son, nephew and son-in-law!  Hatshepsut is depicted in all of her statues as a man and in the garb of a pharaoh since is was not typical for Egypt to be ruled by a queen at that time.  On the way back to the boat we stopped off to view the Colossi of Memnon, whose claim to fame is that they have been mistakenly called that by the Greeks as it is now believed they are statues of Amenhotep III. 

We set sail (finally) and enjoyed an afternoon relaxing by the pool and watching the scenery as we headed down the Nile to the lock at Esna and then on to Edfu where we would stay the night.  We were not prepared for what was to greet us at the lock, but we should not have been all that surprised since this is Egypt after all!  The boat was literally swarmed with a flotilla of small rowboats with the local natives touting their wares.  “My lady, my lady, I have something for you!” they would shout and then proceed to throw up a plastic bag with a galabeya and you would then haggle the price from your lofty perch!  It was hilarious.  Returning the goods was interesting as several of our fellow passengers missed the mark and the item would end up in the Nile…..which makes you really think twice about purchasing one since it had probably enjoyed a few Nile dunkings!  Thankfully it was our turn to go through the dock so we were able to leave the merchants behind and watch them swarm the next boat.  Unbelievable.

The food on board has been very good, although we do feel that we are eating all the time.  After dinner we had, wait for it, a Bingo Party!!  Imagine organizing a great big party for 140 guests and only 16 show up……..yeah, that was bingo night on the Admiral!  However, it turned out to be a ton of fun because the bingo caller was hilarious and as a group we have all bonded.  And to make it even better – Errin won the Gold prize, a scarab pendant.

That brings us up to April 19th.  After breakfast Errin and I decided to go for a quick walk along the road.  A simple enough task except you get hassled every step of the way, and should you get suckered in to saying where you are from – the response is always “Canada Dry”!!  We thought we should introduce them to the beaver……

We were occupied with bartering when we realized we were a bit late for our departure.  Mr Bean is a punctual kind of fellow so we had to run to get to the bus in time….thank you for running, was his greeting.  He’s so cute.

We visited the Temple of Horus, the most completely preserved Ptolemaic temple in all of Egypt and one of the last attempts of monument building and took 200 years to complete.  Most of the faces and bodies of the gods had been erased by the Romans and Christians – graffiti of another era (Errin’s profound quote of the trip so far!).  As with the previous temples, it is very impressive…..they are all so incredibly impressive.

A sail down the Nile to Komombo, more pool time, and then we were able to walk to the next temple dedicated to the crocodile and falcon gods.  A quickish tour around there and then it was off to shop (again!) but this time with fellow passengers who hail from Edmonton but are Lebanese and therefore speak the language and bartered for us – thanks Bill and Sonja! 

The evening dinner was an Egyptian buffet followed by a Galabeya Party.  What is a galabeya, you may ask.  It is the traditional dress here in Egypt and we are now the proud owners (and wearers) of said garment.  It was actually a lot of fun despite the fact that we are an intimate tour group of 30.  And we looked so pretty.  Most embarrassing moment – having to do a belly dance individually with not enough alcohol on board!!!  While we were partying it up we headed to our final destination – Aswan. 

This time we also saw some modern achievements – the High Dam which provides Egypt with much needed irrigation to prevent it from plunging into famine.  However one cannot have a temple free day and this time we visited the Temple of Isis, the goddess of love, beauty and health…..a busy lady!  The amazing thing about this temple, and about 25 others, is that it was moved block by block to its current position since the High Dam meant that it would have been submerged.  Can you imagine that undertaking?  Over 42,000 blocks to be dismantled and then reassembled about 500m away! 

After lunch Errin and I decided to go for a short walk – our goal, to visit McDonalds just to see what it was like!  A scorcher of a day….a mere 43C.  You are hassled every step of the way so in order to ensure you enjoy your holiday, you have to turn it into a sport and know who to respond to and who not to encourage.  Most fall into the latter category, but occasionally it is fun to have a few words with the locals.  Picture this, a fellow starts to walk with us and proudly announces that he is a Nubian and asks us where we are from.  Apparently they have not heard of Canada Dry this far south so we were spared the usual response.  He then remarked to Errin – “you have a big ass….good for sex!”!  Hilarious!! But you’ve got to give it to Errin for the best response ever – “then just watch this ass as it walks away from you”!  Priceless.  And did you know that a horse and carriage is the Egyptian Ferrari?  Most of them appear to be in slightly better shape than the tired cars and vans – many look like 60’s models from the UK.  A minor detour en route to the boat – we were very brave and crossed the road several times.  Doesn’t seem like much (have we really sunk that low as to aspire to such things?) but when you see the drivers here, it is a big deal to do it AND survive!  And where else would you go into a local store and proceed to haggle the price of a fanta?  Errin gave it a good old college try and managed to get a deal on a can, but was not so successful with the larger bottle.  The shops are all very interesting with many dedicated to spices – the aromas are (for the most part) enticing……some smells, not so much.  It was tempting to get some hibiscus to make tea at home but suspect that hibiscus tea is probably one of those things that tastes good when on vacation and may not be quite the same sipping it watching the rain pouring down in Vancouver!

Back to the boat for the usual routine of pool time, shower, dinner and then….the bar.  That bar is going to miss us for sure as we no doubt accumulated the biggest bill of the cruise!  It is also going to be tough for us to know when to eat since we have been programmed to respond to the lunch/ dinner bell that is sounded before each meal.  One of the staff members walks along the corridors ringing the silver bell and we’d all dutifully troop along to the restaurant, salivating as we went!  The food was excellent, add that to the beverages enjoyed at the bar and we are in dangerous territory!  Oh well, we are on vacation. 

The evening’s entertainment was a display by a band of Nubian musicians and dancers.  Once again it was an audience participation event and we were hauled up to make fools of ourselves.  Errin and I got a fit of the giggles when made to follow the actions and chants of a rather ferocious looking Nubian – heaven knows what he was making us say, but it was a good laugh for all.

We had a very pleasant evening with all our new friends from this tour.  At the outset we were a little worried that we might be in with a group of what we affectionately call the Tilley Brigade, but it turned out to be an awesome conglomeration of interesting people from all over the globe.  It was a bit like saying goodbye to family as we all bonded really quickly that actually made this part of our adventure very special.  Maged also joined us and spurred on by questions from Errin continued his teaching of Egyptian history as we sat and sipped our drinks.  He could probably talk for hours on what is clearly his passion, but a 4.30 am wake-up call was in our immediate future so we had to say our good byes to our new friends and head off to bed.

A day of flights.  Let’s just take a moment to talk about flying in Egypt.  It’s a bit like stepping back in time, to a time before 9/11 when you could take on things like water and no one cares.  But like many other things here in Egypt there are inconsistencies so you never quite know if you will get away with the bottles of water or suntan lotion in your carry on bag.  For the most part we have managed to board with pretty much everything that you can’t take on board in North America.  And Errin has been flying as Thomas, not St Thomas but no one seems to worry about that here either.  The numbering system is odd as well - our seats were 27 A and C and the guy mentioned that we were in the front of the plane.  Really?  What size of plane could it be?  Well, when they start at 20, I guess 27 is near the front.  As for the letters, A, C, H and K.  No idea what happened to B and D.  They also make the assumption that most people have probably flown before and therefore do not require training on how to fasten your seat belt, or worry about the application of your oxygen mask should it appear in front of you.  Just the basics required – exit doors and here’s the card in your seat for information, but you do have to listen to two languages.  Thanks for flying Egypt Air!  We had a good laugh at having to board the bus from the airplane to take us to the terminal in Abu Simbel….a mere 300m away!  It took longer for everyone to climb in the bus than it would have taken to walk there….

Abu Simbel is about 280 km south of Aswan and the site of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel and the Temple of Hathor.  Ramses II, who probably had the greatest ego of them all as he declared himself a god, had the temples built to commemorate himself and his 13^th wife, Neferarti.  Because of the High Dam, these temples had to be moved from their original site 67m higher and 210m further away to avoid being submerged by the lake.  Since these temples were carved out of the rock, this was no small undertaking that cost $40 million and took 4 years.  Incredible.  The interior of each temple is beautifully preserved and depicts Ramses II in all of his splendor…over and over again.  It was also time to take a photo of our silent traveling companion, Quatchi.  This was a short detour on our trip but with mercury rapidly approaching 40C at 9.30am, we were glad that our visit was so early.

We are now sitting in Cairo airport waiting for our flight to Sharm el Sheikh – to our surprise it was actually rather cool getting off the plane.  Crazy to think that 26C is now cool to us!!!  We shall update you  in a few days.


Joan and Errin

Last Day in Cairo

Our last day in Cairo on this leg of the trip and we were off to the Egyptian Museum.  According to the Lonely Planet it would take a person at least 7 months to actually check out all the exhibits in the place so we were quite grateful to have the extremely knowledgeable Viola with us to narrow it down to the most important sections.  Naturally the King Tut exhibit was top of the list even though he was not revered as a pharaoh since he “didn’t really do anything” and was not included in the list of pharaohs carved by the ancient Egyptians!  Ironic that he is probably the most famous of all since his mummy and treasures were not plundered by tomb robbers before they were discovered.  We were amused to see that in some of the exhibits had hand written notes on scraps of paper!!

After the museum we ventured into the Souk…..a labyrinth of narrow alleyways with small shops filled with all kinds of Arabian delights for very good prices!  The sales pressure was pretty intense but you get used to just walking away or raising your hand to tell them to back off.  It feels rude but a necessary evil as they have perfected the art of perseverance.  The aroma of spices and incense filled the air, as did the prayers from the Mosque, broadcasted over loudspeakers for all to hear.  It becomes white noise after a while.  Ardent shoppers that we are we managed to resist the temptation to purchase anything and sought refuge in a delightful café and sat and chatted with Viola until it was time to head to the Citadel, the largest Mosque in Cairo.

Errin and I were not quite dressed in the manner that met with the approval for entry to a Mosque so we were kitted out in green robes…..add to that the blue plastic overshoes and we were looking hot!!  As Viola was explaining the history of the Mosque to us a group of schoolchildren gathered around, much to our amusement.  Viola said that they were very curious to see that an Egyptian lady was speaking a foreign language and they also wanted to look at us as they thought we were beautiful!!  Bless their little hearts!  Anyway, they were full of innocent charm and so we took their photo, then off they went to join their teacher, giggling away.  Viola said that they came from a very small town and had probably not been exposed to Western looks nor Egyptians speaking other languages.

That concluded our tour with Viola, so we bade our farewells and promise to stay in touch through Facebook.  She made our Cairo portion so interesting and her knowledge is remarkable.  Thank you so much – we miss you already!!

We returned to the hotel and enjoyed several hours lounging by the pool……a tough life indeed!  Tomorrow we fly to Luxor and will then board our cruise ship for the next leg of our journey – 5 days on the Nile.

We leave you with various scenes from our time in Cairo.  Enjoy.