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Day 8 - Saturday, 11/15/03 - Sail from Aswan to
Edfu
Activities: Temple of Philae, Papyrus
Institute and Temple
of Kom Ombo
Daily Journal
7:45 a.m. Going to Philae
Temple and Papyrus
Institute in Aswan,
then stop at Kom Ombo Temple
on way to Edfu.
8:50 a.m. The sand mountain across from boat is 4000-year-old Nubian cemetery dating back to the Middle Kingdom.
10:43 a.m. Philae Temple complex of Isis was awesome. Was moved here from another island that was flooded when Aswan Dam built. Took a ferry boat to and from island. We had a riot at the market afterward. Bought a blue and white skull cap to go with galabeya and shirt for $7.
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| Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan |
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
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12:30 p.m. Stopped at Papyrus Institue to see how paper
made.
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| Papyrus Institute - Aswan |
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| Papyrus Institute - Aswan |
12:48 p.m. Stopped at pharmacy with busses.
Prices really low. People
stocking up. Can also get prescription
drugs without prescription.
12:52 p.m. Boat leaves port at 1:00 p.m.
2:40 p.m. We are en route to Kom
Ombo Temple
with overnight in Edfu. The weather is
superb and we are cruising up the Nile going
north.
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu |
4:00 p.m. Arrived at the Temple
of Kom Ombo. Temple of Kom Ombo is a
Greco-Roman temple overlooking the Nile north
of Aswan. Building began in the second century BC. It is Egypt's only double temple
dedicated to Sobek (crocodile god) and Haroeris (great winged solar disk). Everything here is doubled and perfectly
symmetrical along the main axis (entrances, courts and colonnades). Amazing hieroglyphics.
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| Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu |
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| Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu |
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| Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu |
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5:00 p.m. We're on way up Nile to Edfu for
night.
6:30 p.m. We've docked in Edfu. Time
to get dressed for the galabeya party tonight.
9:30 p.m. Nice party. People had to
show what they bought with their Egyptian pounds. The funniest were the two guys who bought the
condoms. Also had a team competition
where one person wrapped their teammate in toilet paper to create a
mummy. We lost, but was fun.
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Day 9 - Sunday, 11/16/03 - Edfu, Esna, Luxor
Activities: Temple of Horus
in Edfu, Sail to Luxor
Daily Journal
8:21 a.m. Edfu is a small town with a dusty dirt road, horse & buggy
taxis and tourist shops. Leave for
temples in Esna in a few moments.
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| Nile River En Route to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route to Edfu |
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| Nile River En Route to Edfu |
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| Downtown Edfu |
10:32 a.m. Visited Temple of Horus, the god of sun and planets symbolized by the hawk. Construction began in 237 BC. It is the best-preserved of the temples. Beautiful columns and hieroglyphics. Relentless group of vendors in this town. Whew!
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| Temple of Horus - Edfu |
1:51 p.m. We have been cruising up the Nile
for 1-1/2 hours to Luxor. So pleasant.
Just watching the greenery and palm trees, and the occasional fishing
boat, go by. So peaceful.
1:55 p.m. I was volunteered for the "fashion show" tonight by Vicki
and Vicky since I did not attend the organization meeting (nor had I intended
to). I apparently will be one of 5
belly-dancers since costumes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sounds interesting.
3:06 p.m. We've reached the locks in Esna and are behind several boats
awaiting our turn to go through.
3:30 p.m. Waiting, waiting. They're
letting 8 boats go through the locks at 4
p.m. and 8 more at 8 p.m. We're due to arrive in Luxor at 8:30 p.m.
3:33 p.m. Apparently the boat we're on is the largest passenger ship on the Nile (M/S River Anuket).
M/S means Mother Ship.
3:43 p.m. They've lowered the gang plank but not letting people off. Vendors want us to come ashore.
9:00 p.m. The Egyptian fashion show in the lounge was a huge hit. I wore a two-piece outfit with a dread-lock
wig and veil. Lots of compliments. I was offered up for parties, weddings, etc.
and was the only one who would dance topless.
Nazir came out with 4 wives and had a spare 5th one. There was a camel fashioned with 2 people out
of sheets, pillows and scarves. Also
several women dressed in local garb who could pass for the real thing if they
wouldn't smile. Vicki did not succeed in
escaping the belly-dancer portion of the program.
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| Fashion Show on Ship |
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Fashion Show on Ship
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Fashion Show on Ship
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Fashion Show on Ship
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Fashion Show on Ship
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10:00 p.m. We're still going through the lock.
It doesn't drop very far.
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Day 10 - Monday, 11/17/03 - Sail
from Luxor to Dendera
Activities: Luxor, Temple of Karnak, Brookes Animal
Hospital
Daily Journal
7:30 a.m. Going to Temple
of Karnak today until noon, then set sail for rest of day
for Dendera.
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| Nile River Near Luxor |
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Nile River Near Luxor
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Nile River Near Luxor - Valley of the Kings
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8:10 a.m. Off to Karnak. Temple of Karnak has
a huge Hypostyle Hall and Hall of Pillars large enough to house the Cathedral
of Notre Dam. It also has the tallest
obelisk in Egypt
in honor of Amun, god of fertility and growth.
Construction began sometime during the Middle Kingdom (1991-1783
BC). Major additions were added by the
pharaohs between 1570 and 1090 BC. It's the largest temple complex
at 1 mile long and a half mile wide.
10:55 a.m. Temple of Karnak is amazing. All the columns and statues!
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| Temple of Karnak - Luxor |
11:00 a.m. Going to Brookes
Animal Hospital
now. It's been around 30 years and
provides minimum care to animals, particularly the horses that pull the
hantours (carriage taxis). All services
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Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor
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| Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor |
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Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor
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11:54 a.m. Hospital very interesting.
Several sick and mistreated horses and donkeys. Grand Circle group donated 350 Egyptian
Pounds, or $57 dollars.
2:35 p.m. On way to Dendera. Area is
not secure. So we have police in zodiacs
on both sides. They also mounted a
machine gun on the front and back and we have several military and policemen
on board.
9:30 p.m. Tonight's entertainment was a treasure hunt. Groups of 7 had to collect 15 items. I thought the worst team won. 2 members of their group were selected as
judges when they had too many items. We
had to collect an Egyptian flag, obelisk, 3 pyramids, a Rolex watch, black and
white costume, man dressed as women and woman dressed as man, a silly joke,
chefs hat, name tag from ship staff, Marilyn Monroe impersonation, Elvis
Presley impersonation, group of tourists visiting a temple, a belly dancer, a
water pipe. Our belly dancer was a guy
who drew a dancer on his stomach. Prizes
were a choice of polo shirt, t-shirt or hat with ship's name.
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Day 11 - Tuesday, 11/18/03 - Dendera,
Sail back to Luxor
Activities: Temple of
Dendera
Daily Journal
7:30 a.m. Still sailing up the Nile to Dendera. The government tourist police mounted cannons on the ship's railings and soldiers in zodiac boats are flanking us.
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| Temple of Dendera |
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| Temple of Dendera |
10:00 p.m. Entertainment was great. Had
a dance troupe in native costumes. One
guy spun around for what seemed like 20 minutes. The camel costume was funny too. Went around kissing people.10:30 p.m. Every night the staff on the boat folds towels into animals. Tonight was the best--monkey hanging from the
ceiling in the entryway to our room.
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| Towel Monkey on Ship |
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Day 12 - Wednesday, 11/19/03 -
Luxor
Activities: Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Luxor.
Daily Journal
7:55 a.m. On way to Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Valley of the Kings and Queens on the west bank of the Nile
in Luxor
contains tombs of countless great and unimportant rulers.
8:02 a.m. Check this site: KV5. Can't go in this tomb but can see it in a virtual tour.
10:10 a.m. At Valley of the Kings saw tombs of King Tut's, Ramses III, Ramses IX and Menenptah. Can only see 3 tombs with admission. Had to pay 40 Egyptian pounds ($6.50) for Tut. Not really worth it. Most of the artifacts are at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
10:14 a.m. Ramses III from 1150 BC. Menenptah from 1200 BC. It is believed that Menenptah was the pharaoh when Moses lived.
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor from my Cabin |
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11:00 a.m. Drove by mortuary temple
of Ramses II, the Workers Village and Valley of the Nobles on way
over to Valley of the Queens.
11:23 a.m. Valley of the Queens has Nefertari,
Titi and Amunherkhepshep. Nefetari was
closed.
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| Valley of the Kings - Workers Village |
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Valley of the Queens near Luxor
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| Valley of the Queens near Luxor |
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| Valley of the Queens near Luxor |
11:36 a.m. Going to mortuary temple
of Hatshepsut, most
powerful queen who ever ruled Egypt.
This was site where 58 tourists were
killed by terrorists in 1997.
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| Temple of Hatshepsut |
12:12 p.m. Saw Colossi statues of Memnon on the way out of the Valley
of the Kings. They are the
only remnants of a temple dedicated to pharaoh Amenhotep III. The temple was probably destroyed by an
earthquake and the resulting cracks in the statues caused them to
"sing" when the wind blew.
They were repaired in 199 AD so there is no more singing.
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| Colossi of Memnon |
6:26 p.m. Went to Temple
of Luxor. It was built by pharaohs Amenhotep III
and Ramses II for festivals. The most
important was Opet, which was designed to merge the ruler's human and divine
aspects. The temple honors the god
Amun-Re, his wife Mut and their son Amun.
It was built in the 14th century BC.
Very nice at
night.
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| Temple of Luxor |
8:00 p.m. Nice
farewell dinner on boat.
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Day 13 - Thursday, 11/20/03 - Fly
Luxor to Cairo
Activities: Lecture from US
Expatriate Living in Cairo
Daily Journal
We're
on own for dinner. Will skip sound and
light show at Giza
tonight.
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| Chaos at the Cairo Train Station |
2:56 p.m. Almost all businesses home deliver, even McDonald's.
6:00 p.m. Got a lecture from an American woman married to an Egyptian man and
living in Cairo
for 10 years now. Will skip sound and
light show at Giza
tonight.
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Day 14 - Friday, 11/21/03 - Cairo
Activities: Citadel and
Mosque of Mohammed Ali, Market at Khan Al-Khalili, Churches & Synagogues in
Old Cairo (Hanging Church, San Sergius, Ben Ezra)
Daily Journal
7:30 a.m. Going to the Citadel and Old
Cairo today.
8:03 a.m. One of the crazy ladies in my group brought her deceased father's false teeth to give to
someone here. Unbelievable. Raed said people can get new teeth here
whenever they want just by asking.
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| Cairo from The Citadel |
10:00 a.m. The Citadel in west Cairo was built in 1183 and contains the
Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali with its beautiful domes and minarets.
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| The Citadel - Cairo |
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| Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo |
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| Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo |
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| Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo |
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| Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo |
10:39 a.m. Driving through City of the Dead, which is a mausoleum. Some people moved into some of them and have installed phones, running water and satellite dishes. There's a room upstairs and 2 downstairs with crypts. People are not afraid of death here, so have no problems living on top of the dead. Creepy.
11:32 a.m. Friday is like Saturday here. So we went shopping in a huge bazaar in the Islamic neighborhood of Khan Al-Khalili. It is a maze of small streets, narrow alleys, and passages filled with scores of vendors hawking their wares and attempting to draw customers into their small shops. It was utter chaos. Lots of foot traffic and yelling. Also chanting coming out loudly from speakers. Tons of military and policemen too.
11:53 a.m. The markets are jammed with people doing the equivalent of
Christmas shopping. It's the last Friday
of Ramadan, so everyone is out shopping before a day of celebration at the
end.
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| Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo |
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Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo
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Perfume Store - Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo
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Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo
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11:00 a.m. Visited 2 churches and a synagogue in Old Cairo. First was the Hanging Church. Known in Arabic as al-Muallaqah
("the suspended"), the church is consecrated to the Blessed
Virgin. Originally built in the 9th
century on top of a gatehouse of the Roman fortress, the Hanging Church
has been rebuilt several times, like most of Cairo's churches. It is one of the most impressive churches in
the city, remarkable for its marble pulpit, inlaid screens, and paintings.
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| Hanging Church - Cairo |
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Hanging Church - Cairo
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Hanging Church - Cairo
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11:45 a.m. Went to San Sergius church where it is said
the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus stopped on way through Egypt. Also a miracle occurred here in the 1960s
when a pillar bled.
12:30 p.m. Went to the Ben Ezra synagogue where it is said that Moses
was fished out of the Nile River, which once flowed where the synagogue now
stands.
6:30 p.m. Farewell dinner at La Peche.
It's on a ship just south of the hotel.
So so. Wake-up call tomorrow at 4:00 a.m.
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| Dinner Ship "La Peche" - Cairo |
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Day 15 - Saturday, 11/22/03 - Egypt to USA
Activities: Fly home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Daily Journal
4:00 a.m. Wake-up call. Got only 4
hours of sleep. Tired. Zzzzzz.
6:30 a.m. At airport. The usual chaos
with security and check-in.
8:46 a.m. Finally through check-in.
Those Japanese people are rude.
They just cut in line wherever and whenever they want. One Japanese lady told a member of our group
that Japanese were not rude, but smarter.
11:11 p.m. We've landed. I've been on
the go for 27 hours.
11:42 p.m. Nice to be home.
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