Egypt: so fabulous! You must ALWAYS contend with crowds whenever/wherever you go but...

[luisa_calif]

the time of year was perfect as far as weather, no warmer than high 70's. One of the highlights was hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. A must & only $90. We saw all the sights including three great pyramids of Giza, step pyramid, Great Sphinx, Memphis,Valley of Queens, tombs in Valley of Kings. Sailing all afternoon on the Nile in a felucca. We also were on a Nile cruise for 4 days, so relaxing. A funky midnight train to Cairo. We also flew up to Abu Simbel to see the temples relocated when the High Dam at Aswan was built.

The Egyptian food was really good, very similar to North African & mid-Eastern food which we love. Didn't eat the fresh unpeeled food, so didn't get sick at all.

So awesome to see the last remaining wonder of the ancient world(pyramids at Giza). The culture was just amazing to have lasted so many thousands of years.

 

[cheezz]

I'm so envious! Would just love to get to Egypt and Israel one of these days... *sigh*

 

[angak]

me too.

 

[marilynfl]

Luisa, are you an "Amelia Peabody" fan? I've wanted to sail up the Nile in a dahabeeyah ever since

reading "Crocodile on the Sandbank."

 

[marianne]

Oh, a dream trip! Did you go with a tour group, or plan this extravaganza on your own?

 

[luisa_calif]

We went on a felucca, a sailing boat with one big sail.

 

[luisa_calif]

a teacher from my school organized the trip through EF tours, a big company that does

educational tours. We were a group of 15, so we had lots of input on what we wanted to see.

 

[erininny]

Ah, incredible... Lucky you! smileys/smile.gif

 

[patbastrop]

It sounds like you had a really, really good organizer! Wow, the hot air balloon must have been

spectacular! We lived in Cairo for several years and never heard of the balloons! Dang! I'd have done that in a heartbeat! Did you have good wind on your felucca? We got marooned in the middle of the Nile for several hours once, luckily we had wine and cheese!! I'll bet you took LOTS of photos! I miss the baladi bread.... How did you get around Cairo? What is the best arabic word you learned?

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Luisa, I'm so happy for you! What a wonderful trip that must have been!

I'm giggling here because my Dad went there a few years ago and donned himself as Lawrence of Arabia in full dress. I saw the photos and they were so funny.

It's not every day that we are fortunate enough to see one of the seven wonders of the world.... but I'm so glad you did!

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Uh.... can't you just settle for gators under your car in the meantime??

LOL!!!

 

[barb_b]

What a life experience! Sounds facinating!

 

[marilynfl]

I want to go on the NEXT trip with this group...whereever it is. Sounds like my kind of tours.

 

[orchid]

Thanks Luisa....brings back such great memories.

 

[angak]

LOL

 

[luisa_calif]

Our group leader had bee in 2000 & they weren't doing the balloon rides then, so must be recent>>>

We had a perfect day for the sail. We visited a Nubian village on the West side of the Nile across from Aswan.

 

[luisa_calif]

Best words were "le sho crun"..."no thank you!" when trying to avoid the vendors selling tourist cr

ap.

 

[marilynfl]

True Story: my office mate was walking out to the parking lot and a gator ran across the walkway!

 

[marilynfl]

...and two years later, another friend pulled a binder out of a box on the floor of a conference

room and a snake came out with it. That's INSIDE THE BUILDING, INSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM, INSIDE THE BOX.

Facilities thinks it came in through the front lobby and turned right into the conference room. Well, of course! How stupid do they think it was. Turning left would have forced it to slither past the guards desk.