Egypt Travelogue

Egypt 2008 Our family vacation Friday, December 19 ! Detroi" 3:30 pm Left home to the airport. 10 inches of snow. Got help from someone to shovel. Crazy last minute packing. I was down with a severe cold. Quite unlike me, I packed Tylenol cold and popped a few before stepping out. Stopped at the bank and withdrew money in a taxi. The driver seemed bemused with how men pee in India on the roads. 5:40 pm Checked in. Got boarding passes while attending a company conference call... At the gate soon. 7:30 pm Left Detroit..

Saturday, December 20 ! Amsterda# 9:00 am Landed at the Schiphol airport. Had to spend 6 hours. Transfer desk closed till 12:30 PM "for Egypt air#. Had smoothie, banana "for 1.5 Euros#..croissant, co$ee, etc. Used Boingo Internet.

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3:15 pm Egypt air left Amsterdam 8:15 pm Landed % Welcome to Egypt! Mr. Abdul received us and escorted us to baggage claim. Got money. Weird experience at immigration % The last piece of luggage gave us some nervous moments. 10:15 pm Mr. Tamer and Mr. Mahmood took us to the hotel. Victoria Lodge. Nothing fancy. Hot chocolate was not very good. Crashed at 12.

Sunday, December 21 ! Cairo 8:30 am Got up at 7:00 am, had breakfast at 8:15 am % bad breakfast % good assortment of bread, but cold. Taxi picked us up and we were on our way to Giza. GIZA: The great pyramids, The panorama point for pictures of all 3 pyramids % Grand Father, Father and Son. Kufu "Cheops#.., Camel Ride to the small pyramid. Saw the other 3 also. Sphinx, Golden Eagle Papyrus "3 paintings % Calendar, Eye of the Horus and gifts for sister and brother % Nakul got one gift % hibiscus juice#...Lunch at a restaurant % Egyptian % Memphis % Ramses II and so many other statues % Sakkara % Step pyramid and festival open arena % Some crazy shaped pyramids for the same king "the oldest pyramid is the step pyramid for Kufu’s father# %

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Monday, December 22 ! Cairo/Bahariya 6:40 am Left Hotel % Waited at Delta Pyramids till 8:20 am 8:30 am Left Delta Pyramids 12:45 pm Changed cars % 2 cars "Ken, Belinda, Ryan, Andrew Bennett, Annette Bennet, Micahel "11# and Sean "9# 2:30 pm Lunch at Heiz oasis % hut % some small shop % met a few other travelers % Nakul refused to take his shoes o$ 4:45 pm Crystal mountain 6:30 pm Reached camp site % unpacked % rugs % 2 cars parked at right angle % pretty windy % cold % started cutting vegetables % Played memory game % hot tea 8:30 pm Delicious dinner % mashed vegetable curry, bread, rice, salad, coke 9:15 pm games, dance, music, bon fire

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Tuesday, December 23 ! White Deser" 7:20 am got up, pretty windy, sleeping arrangement, got up, tea/co$ee, breakfast "Egyptian bread % Yesh, cheese, honey, croissant# BAHARIYA: Several stops on our way back % Black mountain % Mushroom rocks % Mohd. Tiger trying stunts on the sand % Ashraf Ali "Geography teacher# % Finally reached Hot Springs at 2:00 pm 2:00 pm lunch in the Oasis % under Date Palms % someone plucked fresh dates for us % Checked into the Oasis Panorama hotel % Water problem % Changed rooms % shower % Australian family left after lunch 4:45 pm Salt lake, British castle % very windy and dark % no sunset % high view point 6:00 pm back in the hotel % co$ee 7:00 pm Dinner in the restaurant % Barley soup % Some vegetable stew

Wednesday, December 24 ! Bahariya/ Cairo 10:00 am Waited for an hour % Left the hotel at 11:30 am % Stopped for bananas % got breakfast in the hotel earlier % clean clothes % stopped for snacks at 2:30 pm % dirty toilets % reached Giza % Bad tra&c % confusion % exchanged cars at 5:30 pm 6:30 pm Back at Victoria Lodge % Went out in search of converter % found one % Dinner at GAD % Not very great food % Downtown Cairo is vibrant

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Thursday, December 25 ! Cairo 11:00 am Left for local Cairo tour %Went to old churches "church, synagogue, hanging church# % Saladdin Citadel, Lunch at a bu$et place, Market "scarfs#, then to the station % long drive reached at 6:30 pm % Sameh was the guide 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm waited at the station with tea & co$ee, snacks, boarded the train % train no. 84 % coach no. 13 % seats 10%12 % nice cabins TRAIN JOURNEY: Dinner served at about 9:15 pm % pasta, bread % clean cabins % made bed at 9:45 pm % Had to sleep in another cabin with a Spanish guy

Friday, December 26 ! Aswa$ 9:00 am Breakfast served in the train at 8:30 am % lots of bread % train reached Aswan at 9:05 am. 10:00 am Falookah ride start % Ahmad was the guide % No shower % Botanical garden % Met the South African family again % Elephantine Island % Temples % walked around the island % Falookah ride back to the cruise % Lunch at 1:30 pm "bu$et style# 2:30 pm Drive to Aswan high dam % then to temples of Philaeh % on a motor boat % spent time till 6:00 pm

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8:00 pm Dinner on the cruise % bu$et style % crashed by 10:30 pm %

Saturday, December 27 ! Aswa$ 8:30 am Breakfast % Bu$et style % Great assortment % stu$ed % Stephanie "one of the 3 ships# left % We are on Florence 10:00 am Horse Carriage Ride to downtown Aswan % Church % Mosque "both largest# 1:00 pm Lunch "bu$et style# % Stu$ed again % Some interesting fruit very similar to Ilandha Pazham "Baer# % Left to bazaar for a walk

Kom Ombo: 3:30 pm Started sailing to Kom Ombo % Free co$ee/tea on the sun deck % swimming pool % Sunset by 5:30 % sailed till 6:30 pm % saw the temple for Horus and the temple for the evil god "crocodile# % back in the cruise by 8:30 pm 8:30 pm Dinner at 8:30 pm % Egyptian dinner % Galebha party at 9:30 was a no starter % heavy meals % lot of fruits % the salad spread was huge % meeting families from all over % A Canadian family, An Ozzie trio and another Indian family..Have an early start tomorrow..

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Sunday, December 28 ! River Nil% 6:00 am Got up % Got ready for our temple visit in Edfu % Horse carriage ride to Edfu temple "Horus % the god of Falcon# % Walked around and got back to the ship at about 9:00 am % some drama as one of the boats was ready to move % breakfast by 9:45 am % relaxed as the ship started to move 12:30 pm Somewhere outside the Esna Locks, the ship stopped % Lunch at 1:15 pm % usual stu$ % Nakul started to feel sick % Started talking about Hot Air Balloon 4:30 pm Passed through the Esna Locks % Took pictures % Nakul started feeling a little better 8:00 pm Docked at Luxor % Dinner by taking turns as Nakul was not well % We let him sleep through % 9:00 pm Headed out to a local Pharmacy % Very quiet highway % Tourism Police guarded gate % Bought Abismol % Pharmacist didn’t know English % had someone on the phone translate

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Monday, December 29 ! Luxor 5:30 am I was up early % Quick breakfast and a Van ride to Sindbad Falookah % Another van ride for Hot air balloon % Rob, Jeremy, Margo and Meredith were with us % about 24 in the balloon % Captain % Took o$ at 7 am % About 45 minutes % great sight % foggy % landed at 7:45 am % got a t%shirt and a certificate % Waited for others to join 8:45 am Valley of the Kings in a van % Got to see only 3 tombs % Took turns % Kameshwari and I saw 2 each % We saw Ramses I together % then Kameshwri went into Ramses IX and Ramses IV was crowded so I ended up going to Ramses VII % Pretty crowded and it started to get a little hot 10:45 am Stopped at an Alabaster stone factory % demoed lot of things % didn’t buy anything 11:30 am Went to Hatshepsut temple % Jen’s favorite % pretty hot % got some snacks % I went first % Her son "TutMoses??# had destroyed most of the statues % But an impressive structure with 3 layers % Kameshwari went next while I sat with Nakul % began to get really hot 1:00 am Valley of the Queens % Kameshwari and Nakul stayed in the van % Quick run % Queen Nefertati was closed "supposed to be the best% She was the 14th wife of Ramses II who had 150 wives# 2:00 pm Lunch bu$et at a restaurant % Nice 5 star kind of place % Met our EOL representative % Good spread % Got our sitting car tickets % tried negotiating % Ozzies warmed up to us % Princess, Julia and Rob

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3:30 pm Karnak Temple % Many shrines here % 60 acres and so much information % There is a sacred lake % A scorpion or a crab meant to bring good luck if you go around it % Massive obelisks "5 out of 16 remaining in Egypt % others outside Egypt#..2 obelisks in Karnak and 1 in Luxor temple % 20 Rams % Mud Ramp % We were all getting tired 5:15 pm Luxor Temple % Pretty impressive under lights % Sphinx street % 2 humongous statues of Ramses outside % Lot of history inside % Last scene being Alexander the great "who has a shrine here# o$ering something to the Lord of Fertility % 6:30 pm Dropped Jen/Je$/mom o$ at their hotels % Got Je$ ’s mail id & stu$ % got to the boat at 7:00 pm 7:15 pm to 8:55 pm After saying goodbye to everyone, we were taken to the station by Mr.Tariq in a Mitsubishi car at about 7:45 pm % Was not friendly % Dropped us o$ at the station % bought some snacks and an Apple Fanta % Waited for the train % He got us 1st class seats finally % Waited near station 3 % nice dad &son o$ering jacket to Nakul % Boarded the train and the seats were ok % but cold inside and the first row was not good % near the door % good luggage space on top

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Tuesday, December 30 ! Cairo 6:00 am Reached El Giza % waited for EOL guys % Picked us up.. VICTORIA HOTEL: reached at 7:15 or 7:20 am % had to wait till 9 am for check in % paid for breakfast % finally checked in at 9:45 am % leaky bathroom % all of us were ready by 12:00 after majority of the packing done 12:30 pm Were back on the 26th of July street % McDonald’s didn’t have any veg food % Went back to GAD % Falafel, Mango juice, Fruit cocktail & Baba Ghanooj.. 2:00 pm Nap followed by housekeeping call to fix the leak 6:00 pm Co$ee in the restaurant and went to Khan El%Khalili bazaar in a taxi % Heard some gunshot like sounds % Bought some souvenirs and scarfs.. 7:45 pm back in the hotel and dinner in the restaurant here % getting ready for travel tomorrow

Wednesday. December 31 ! Cairo to Detroi" 6:45 am Left the hotel % Mr.Tamer picked us up and we were at the airport by 7:30 % Pretty crowded and disorganized % 1:15 pm Reached Amsterdam % Had cappuccino % Checked e% mails % Waited to board the flight to Detroit and left AMS at 4:10 pm 7:15 pm Landed in Detroit at 6:10 pm and got home in Checker Sedan !

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