Monday, December 15, 2003

Chris Trost's 2003 Egypt Adventure

Cairo - Alexandria - Aswan - Abu Simbel - Esna - Edfu - Dendera - Luxor - Valley of the Kings & Queens  

November 8 - 22,  2003

Abu Simbel Near Aswan

Flag of Egypt



This travel blog is from a trip I took to Egypt in November 2003.  I didn't get around to publishing it till now.  A lot has changed in the world since the trip so I have stripped this journal down to just the sites I visited and dispensed with a lot of details that characterize my later blogs. 
Timing.  It was an interesting time to be in Egypt.  It was only 8 months after "shock & awe," the US military invasion of Iraq following 9/11/2001.  The atmosphere was tense and attacks on foreign tourists were on the rise, as was security.

Overall Impressions.  Because of heavy security, the sites were still open and the people very welcoming.  I received a good dose of history and culture that left me with a great appreciation for the Egyptian people. 

The Tour.  This was my first organized tour after having lived and traveled throughout Europe on my own over the previous 10 years.  I booked it with Grand Circle Travel.  The tour was nicely paced and hit all the major and amazing sites.  The guides, food and accommodations were excellent.  My Christmas card list grew longer and I ended up meeting people that I have kept in contact and traveled with extensively since then.  Like most tours, you get a few wacky people who simply make the trip more memorable.  The group had roughly 80 people who were split into four groups.  When not on the ship, we got around on deluxe motor coaches.  Traveling this way certainly beats trying to navigate a strange country on your own and takes a lot of stress out of travel.
Grand Circle Travel (GCT) Tour Guides (Raed second from left)

My GCT Travel Group
Highlights.  The tour lasted 15 days during the month of Ramadan in November 2003.  We spent several days touring the Cairo area, then jetted south to Aswan where we boarded our cruise ship for a 150-mile journey up the Nile River to Dendera and Luxor.  The highlights were definitely Giza outside Cairo, Abu Simbel near Aswan, and the Valley of the Kings & Queens near Luxor.  That is not to say the rest of the tour was unremarkable.  There was just so much to take in over such a short period of time that, at times, it all began to run together in my mind.  

Cost.  The cost of the tour package was roughly $3,500.  The price included roundtrip air from New York City to Egypt, and all internal flights, accommodations and touring while on the ground in Egypt.  Almost all meals were included and I certainly gained some weight on the trip.  The tour featured the kind of food you are accustomed to in the US, but there are several opportunities to sample local fare. Except for a generous tip at the end, my expert guide Raed was also included in the tour package.  All in all, it was good value for the money.  Otherwise, the cost of just about everything you bought on your own was a fraction of what it would cost in the US.  

GCT Marriott Hotel in Cairo - Decent Place

GCT Cruise Ship - River Anuket - Deluxe

People.  As I said earlier, the people we met were gracious to say the least.  Despite the political environment, it was business as usual for them.  The Ramadan festivities added some extra spice to the journey.

Weather.  Despite being November, the days were hot and dry and cool at night. You will definitely need a jacket, sweater, pants and comfortable walking shoes even with the warm weather. 

Warnings.   A good hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are also a must.  If you are prone to stomach problems, bring some Immodium.  You will also need mosquito repellant.

Parting Comments?
  Yes. Travel is an adventure. It’s an opportunity to experience, learn and appreciate how people around the world live. While I’m always happy to come home, I never come back as the same person.

Following is a day-by-day account of my trip. Each day starts with an overview of what we did, followed by my daily journal. You can just read on or go back to the Table of Contents above and jump to a specific day or topic of interest.  Enjoy!



Activities:  Arrive in Cairo, Welcome Drink in Evening

Daily Journal

3:00 p.m.      It was an uneventful trip from my home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to JFK Airport in New York.   I met several other people from the tour at JFK.  They were easy to spot with their bright orange GCT luggage tags.

6:45 p.m.      We're on our way to Cairo from JFK on an Egypt Air Boeing 777.

Go to Table of Contents

Day  2 - Sunday, 11/9/03 - Cairo

Activities:  Arrive in Cairo, Rest and Welcome Drinks in Evening

Daily Journal

12:00 p.m.      Arrived on time in Cairo.  The plane had a camera on the bottom so you could see the desert below.  Nothing but sand down there.

Arriving in Cairo

2:00 p.m.      Staying at Marriott.  Former palace built to celebrate building of Suez Canal in 1869.
GCT Marriott Hotel in Cairo - Decent Place
Cairo and the Nile River
5:00 p.m.      We have crazy ladies in our group.  Fortunately, they are roommates.  One complained about having to tote her luggage.  She said she needed a husband to help her.

7:00 p.m.      Had welcome cocktail with group at hotel.

Day  3 - Monday, 11/10/03 - Cairo

Activities:  Orientation About EgyptEgyptian Museum, Walk Around Town

Daily Journal

8:22 a.m.      Orientation.  Getting lesson on history and culture of Egypt.  Also tips on bartering with shopkeepers and vendors and how to avoid credit card fraud.

8:48 a.m.      Signed up for Alexandria day trip, which involves getting up at 5:00 a.m. for the 2-1/2 hour train trip leaving at 7:00 a.m.  Next day we get 3:00 a.m. wakeup call to leave for airport at 4:15 a.m. for an early departure to Aswan.

10:09 a.m.    Lecture on history of Egypt.  Ancient Egypt flourished due to geography (between deserts) and Nile.  Ancient Egypt mix of African and Arabic peninsula people 5000 BC.  Developed society started in 3500 BC.

All rivers go north-south except Nile, which goes other since sourced from Ethiopia in the south.

10:15 a.m.     Ancient Egypt had 2 kingdoms.  The Upper Kingdom in south poorer since between 2 deserts.  North had fertile Nile Valley.  Kingdom united in 3200 BC after war in which the North won.

Culture evolved from 3200-2900 BC.  Started using stone then and kings built pyramids. Step Pyramid of Zoser first.  Subsequent dynasties not as great (2200 BC-2000 BC).  2000 BC was renaissance.  Middle Kingdom leveraged resources.  Then country invaded by outsiders.  This is dark period.  No history.  This is when Biblical history began (Moses, Joseph, and Abraham).  No way to confirm these Bible stories by archeology.  Can't find any proof.

10:27 a.m.    590 BC is renaissance 25th dynasty.  332 BC Alexander the Great conquered Egypt.  Died of syphilis at 32 in Babylon.  His goal was to merge the civilized cultures.  30 BC Cleopatra ruled but conquered by Romans (Caesar).

10:33 a.m.    Ancient Egypt language still alive in church (Coptic) but written in Greek not hieroglyphics.

10:46 a.m.    Prophet Moses left nothing to document existence.  Is Bible true?

11:49 a.m.     At Egyptian Museum.  Tut, Royal Mummies (Ramses II), Nefertari, hieroglyphics, sculptures.  Fascinating place.

Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - King Tut Tomb Artifacts 
Egyptian Museum - Royal Mummies
Egyptian Museum - Royal Mummies
Egyptian Museum - Cairo

6:30 p.m.      Dinner at Egyptian Garden restaurant at hotel.

Go to Table of Contents

Day  4 - Tuesday, 11/11/03 - Cairo

Activities:  Temples at Saqqara, Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza, Dinner at Home of Egyptian Family

Daily Journal

7:55 a.m.      Saqqara & Giza today.  Aqueduct on way.  Egyptians pay cash for all.  5% have credit cards.  Unfinished houses and apartments.  Don't finish due to taxes. 

8:15 a.m.      Saw Mumarbek's house.

8:16 a.m.      Before 1952 revolution that brought Nassar to power, there was no education allowed.  British did not want since easier to control uneducated populace.  After the revolution, education allowed and it is free all the way through college and is compulsory, but not all appreciate an education.

8:21 a.m.      Population:  95% live on 5% of land.  70 mm people now in Egypt.  17 million people in Cairo.  Average family has 3 kids.

8:23 a.m.      At SaqqaraSaqqara is a temple complex built around 2600 BC.  It is the oldest major stone structure in ancient Egyptian.  Located on a desert plateau south-west of Cairo, it consists of a the Step Pyramid of Zoser with six levels and a mortuary compound.

Step Pyramid of Zoser

Step Pyramid of Zoser
Step Pyramid of Zoser
Step Pyramid of Zoser
Step Pyramid of Zoser
9:52 a.m.      Step Pyramid of Zoser cool.  Oldest in Egypt built 4800 BC.  Lots of street vendors selling souvenirs.  Could see Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid in Dashur to the south.
Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid in Dashur
10:16 a.m.     At Carpet School.  Children make all of them.  Work 4 hours/day then go to school.  Takes 3 months to make a 2x3 rug.  Kids very fast. 
Carpet Factory Near Cairo
11:06 a.m.     Lots of sand.  Sahara means "desert" in Egyptian.  So they find it humorous when people say Sahara desert because it means "desert desert."

11:09 a.m.     On way to Giza to see the Great Pyramids and Sphinx.  The Great Pyramids, built around  2000 BC, are the last remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.  The largest of the three is the Pyramid of Cheops.

Giza Plateau - Cairo in Background

Giza Plateau - Cairo in Background
Giza Plateau - Cairo in Background
Giza Plateau - Great Pyramid
Giza Plateau - Great Pyramid
At the base the Great Pyramids are five boat pits found in 1982.  The boat (Solar Barque) is a well-preserved funerary boat intended to ferry the pharaoh's mummy across the Nile and then buried at the foot of the pyramid for use in his afterlife.  It is held together with ropes and pegs, but no nails.

The nearby Sphinx is carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone.  Little is known about its purpose.  The entire monument was covered in sand for millennia.  When Napoleon first saw it in the late 1700s, it was still covered in sand up to its neck.  It has been excavated today to reveal the paws of a resting lion with the head of a god or king and chambers at its base.  It is believed to have been commissioned by the 4th Dynasty king Khafre (Cheops).  It is 150' long.  The head is 30' feet long and 14' feet wide.

11:18 a.m.     Country is 95% Muslim.

12:15 p.m.     Went down third pyramid at Giza to see burial chamber.  Had a long ramp down.  Had to crouch low to make down passageway.  Was real hot, dark and smelly.  Not for the claustrophobic.

1:02 p.m.      Visited Solar Boat Museum next to Cheops pyramid.  It's a 40 m long boat found buried in a pit next to pyramid.  Made of Lebanese cedar.  Egyptians routinely invaded Lebanon for the wood.  Boat found in pieces in 1954 next to pyramid and was assembled for museum.  There is another similar boat buried under the sand.  In worse condition, so left buried.

Giza Plateau - Solar Barque
1:45 p.m.      Here are some Egyptian phrases to deal with persistent vendors:  La= no  Em-shee= Leave me alone. Ma-Shee=OK, no problem.

2:00 p.m.      Finished Giza.  Saw pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), his son Khafre.  Went under the third pyramid deep underground (pyramid of Menkaure).  Then went over to Sphinx.  Not sure if face damaged in an ancient war, by weather, or in target practice by Napoleon’s soldiers in 1700s.  Beard of Sphinx is in British Museum

Giza Plateau - Great Sphinx
Giza Plateau - Great Sphinx
Giza Plateau - Great Sphinx
2:30 p.m.      Some people went on camel ride.  Now they smell like camels.  Some were hissing and gnashing teeth at us.  Temperamental creatures, but I'd roar too if a 300 pound person sat on my back.

Giza Plateau - Camel Rides
3:20 p.m.      Had buffet lunch at Meridian Hotel.  

4:00 p.m.      That annoying lady in my group Sue wants to tag along with me if I venture out on own.  Not too keen on that idea.

9:50 p.m.      Had dinner at the home of an Egyptian family tonight as part of tour.  Had a traditional Egyptian meal.  Lots of vegetable, meat and chicken dishes.  No pork since Muslims don't eat it. 

Go to Table of Contents

Day  5 - Wednesday, 11/12/03 - Alexandria Day Trip

Activities:  Day Trip to Alexandria - New Alexandria Library & Museum, National Museum of Alexandria, Fort Qaitbey and El Salamlek Palace

Daily Journal

7:56 a.m.      On train to Alexandria.  Will take 2 hours to get there.  It is on the northern Mediterranean coast a few hours northwest of Cairo.  It was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and was the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt.   Most of ancient Alexandria lies beneath modern buildings or the sea.  It was once ruled by Cleopatra.  Mark Anthony and Cleopatra's tombs are underwater somewhere in the bay. 

8:08 a.m.      We've had police escorts so far everywhere we went.  Today on the train there are several more accompanying us.

10:00 a.m.    At the new Alexandria Library.  It opened in 2002 and is a tribute to Alexandria's ancient library which was destroyed by fire resulting in the loss of a vast collection of ancient scrolls.  It was here that Euclid discovered geometry and Eratosthenes measured the earth's circumference.

New Library of Alexandria
12:00 p.m.    Went to National Museum of Alexandria (open for one month now) and now going to a restaurant for lunch along the Mediterranean coast.
National Museum of Alexandria
National Museum of Alexandria
National Museum of Alexandria
National Museum of Alexandria
2:00 p.m.      At Fort Quaitby, which was built in 1480 on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Debris from the lighthouse is incorporated into the fort.

Fort Qaitbey - Alexandria
Fort Qaitbey - Alexandria
Fort Qaitbey - Alexandria
6:00 p.m.      Stopped at Abu Abbas al-Mursi mosque for pictures.  Then had coffee at El Salamlek Palace.
Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque - Alexandria
Near Abu Abbas al-Mursi Mosque - Alexandria
El Salamlek Palace - Alexandria
El Salamlek Palace - Alexandria
El Salamlek Palace - Alexandria

9:30 p.m.
  Back in Cairo.  Nice day.  We had police escorts everywhere we went.  And police flanking us while we walked to and from train.  We had not less than 8 guards as we walked to bus from train.

Go to Table of Contents

Day  6 - Thursday, 11/13/03 - Cairo to Aswan by Plane

Activities:  Old and High Dams, Lake Nasser, Felucca sailboat ride.  Get on River Anuket for Cruise

Daily Journal

2:30 a.m.      Wake-up call for Aswan.  We fly out at 7:30 a.m.

4:48 a.m.      Stopped at tomb of Sadat on way to airport.  Viewing stand where he was assassinated is part of pyramid tomb.  Very interesting. 

7:10 a.m.      We're off to Aswan.  It's 1 hour and 5 minutes south of Cairo north of Sudan border.

9:19 a.m.      On bus going to Lake Nasser and the Aswan High Dam.  Lake is 500 miles long and perhaps the largest artificial lake in world.  Created when the High Dam was built in 1960.  There are gold mines underwater.  Dendera Temple at Metropolitan Museum in New York from here.  The Dam provides irrigation and electricity to all of Egypt.  The Dam took 11 years to build.  It is 11,811 feet long, 3,215 feet thick and 364 feet high.  It doubled the amount of land that was cultivatable and raised the water tables as far away as Algeria.  If dam broke, would wash all of Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea.

9:24 a.m.      Aswan has 5 million + tourists a year.  Name means "the market."  There's a huge camel market here.

Aswan Dam
Aswan Dam
10:00 a.m.    The cruise boat is great.  2 stories tall.  Beautiful sun deck, bar, pool, lounge and dance floor, exercise facility, Internet access, comfortable cabins, great food.  Better than I expected.

GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket
GCT's Cruise Ship - River Anuket

3:00 a.m.      Going on felucca ride.  It's a sailboat with a canopy and pivoting sail.

3:30 a.m.      Felucca run by Nubian man and 2 sons.  Younger son Mohammad is posing for pictures.  That annoying lady on my tour brought squirt guns for boys who come out to greet you in floating suitcases and sing to you.  She squirted two of my travel mates with dirty water.  They were not happy. 

Felucca Ride - Aswan
Felucca Ride - Aswan
Felucca Ride - Aswan
Felucca Ride - Aswan
5:00 p.m.      Drove back over to the ship.  We passed Elephantine Island which holds the mausoleum of Aga Khan, the great Ismaili Moslem leader.  Island name derived from rocky appearance that resembles elephants.

Felucca Ride - Aswan - Elephantine Island

Day  7 - Friday, 11/14/03 - Aswan and Abu Simbel

Activities:  Abu Simbel, Spice Market in Aswan

Daily Journal

6:30 a.m.      Breakfast was great.  I hear Vicki was quite the dancer last night at the Nubian Dance show in the ship’s lounge.

9:05 a.m.      At airport waiting for flight to Abu SimbelAbu Simbel is 40 minutes south of Aswan by plane.  The magnificent monuments were carved into solid rock 3,000 years ago.  It was built by Pharaoh Ramses II as a tribute to deities and his favorite wife Nefertari.  Four colossal statues 60 feet high are all Ramses.  Inside sits statues of Ramses flanked by gods to whom construction is dedicated.  The temple was threatened by rising water levels caused by the 1960 construction of the Aswan High Dam and has been moved several hundred feet up and back from its original location.

9:30 a.m.      The two crazy ladies in group got wallets picked on hantour by driver.  One has bug bites all over ankles from carriage.

Short Flight Aswan to Abu Simbel

10:28 a.m.    We've landed in Abu Simbel.

11:21 a.m.     At Abu Simbel.  Ramses II Colossi amazing.  It's the facade of his tomb.  The broken colossus lost its head in an earthquake in 27 BC.  To the right is the Temple of Hathor with the statues of Nefertari. Both have various scenes carved into the stones inside.

Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
Abu Simbel - Southern Border Near Sudan
1:55 p.m.      On plane back to Aswan.  Waiting.

2:00 p.m.      Just took off.

2:23 p.m.      We're back in Aswan.

2:43 p.m.      On bus back to ship.  Nice day.

8:00 p.m.      The group is going to the Friday night Spice Market in town to play the "One Pound Game" where we buy as much as we can for as little money as possible.  We each get an Egyptian pound (16 cents) to spend individually or in groups.  There are no fixed prices so you have to bargain for everything.  We also have to buy some costumes for the Saturday night show on the boat.

10:00 p.m.    Going back to ship.  I bought an all-cotton, 2-piece traditional Nubian mens frock known as a galabeya.  It's a long robe-like article of clothing.  Vicky gave me a head wrap that looks like a turban, so I look like a real native now.

Aswan Market - Bread Making
Aswan Market - Hookah
Aswan Market - Vegetables
Aswan Market - String Shave

Aswan Market - Bread Making
Aswan Market - Spices

Aswan Market - My Costume for Fashion Night

Go to Table of Contents

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.

Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
Philae Temple Complex of Isis - Aswan
12:30 p.m.    Stopped at Papyrus Institue to see how paper made.
Papyrus Institute - Aswan
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. 

Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu
Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu
Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu
Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu
Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu
Nile River En Route from Aswan to Edfu

4:00 p.m.      Arrived at the Temple of Kom OmboTemple 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.

Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu
Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu

Kom Ombo Temple En Route to Edfu

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.

Go to Table of Contents

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.

Nile River En Route to Edfu
Nile River En Route to Edfu
Nile River En Route to Edfu
Nile River En Route to Edfu
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!

Temple of Horus - Edfu

Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
Temple of Horus - Edfu
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.

Fashion Show on Ship
Fashion Show on Ship
Fashion Show on Ship
Fashion Show on Ship
Fashion Show on Ship

10:00 p.m.    We're still going through the lock.  It doesn't drop very far.

Go to Table of Contents

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.

Nile River Near Luxor
Nile River Near Luxor
Nile River Near Luxor - Valley of the Kings

8:10 a.m.      Off to KarnakTemple 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!  

Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
Temple of Karnak - Luxor
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 are free. 
Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor
Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor
Brookes Animal Hospital - Luxor

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.  

Sailing Luxor to Dendera
Sailing Luxor to Dendera
Sailing Luxor to Dendera
10:30 a.m.    Temple of Dendera was great.  It was built by Romans and Greeks in honor of Hathor, goddess of maternal and family love.  The complex has birth houses, a Coptic church, the Hathor temple and Hypostyle Hall.  It is very well preserved.  I went into the underground crypt and secret rooms.  It has an amazing stairway passage to the roof. 
Temple of Dendera
Temple of TeDendera
Temple of Dendera
Temple of Dendera
Temple of Dendera
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.

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 QueensValley 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. 

Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor
Valley of the Kings near Luxor from my Cabin

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. 

Valley of the Kings - Workers Village
Valley of the Queens near Luxor
Valley of the Queens near Luxor
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. 

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. 

Colossi of Memnon

6:26 p.m.      Went to Temple of LuxorIt 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. 

Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
Temple of Luxor
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.

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. 

Cairo from The Citadel

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.

The Citadel - Cairo
Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo

Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo

Mosque of Mohammed Ali - Cairo
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. 

Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo
Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo
Perfume Store - Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo 
Khan Al-Khalili Market - Cairo

11:00 a.m.     Visited 2 churches and a synagogue in Old Cairo.  First was the Hanging ChurchKnown 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.

Hanging Church - Cairo
Hanging Church - Cairo
Hanging Church - Cairo

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.   

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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