Trip Schedule

Day 1 - May 16th: Depart US

Day 2 - May 17th: Arrive in Cairo, Egypt

Day 3 - May 18th: Egyptian Museum, Ancient Egypt Discussion, Welcome Dinner

Day 4 - May 19th: Cairo, Fatimid Cairo, Gayer Anderson Historical Art Museum, Khan el-Khalili, Modern Egypt discussion

Day 5 - May 20th: Cairo, Optional Memphis & Sakkara tour

Day 6 - May 21st: Cairo, Luxor, Embark Ship, Luxor Temple

Day 7- May 22nd: Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Hieroglyphic & Arabic language discussion

Day 8 - May 23rd: Qena, Dendera Temple, Luxor, Life on the Nile discussion

Day 9 - May 24th: Luxor, Optional Balloon Ride over Luxor, Karnak Temple, Esna

Day 10 - May 25th: Edfu, Kom Ombo

Day 11 - May 26th: Aswan, Philae Temple, Felucca ride

Day 12 - May 27th: Aswan, Optional Abu Simbel tour, Spice Market visit

Day 13 - May 28th: Aswan, Disembark ship, Cairo, Sunset motorboat ride

Day 14 - May 29th: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx

Day 15 - May 30th: Cairo, Old Cairo, Citadel

Day 16 - MAy 31st: Cairo, Egypt, Alexandria

Day 17 - June 1st: Alexandria, Catacombs of Kom el Shuqafa, National Museum

Day 18 - June 2nd: Alexandria, Royal Jewelry Museum, Library of Alexandria, Montazah Gardens & Haramlek Palace

Day 19 - June 3rd: Alexandria, Cairo

Day 20 - June 4th: Cairo

June 5th-July 8th: Jerusalem including a two week participation in the ZION GATE DIG!!!

STATUE of RAMSES II....2 STORIES HIGH, BUT HE IS LAYING DOWN AND BUILDING BUILT AROUND HIM....LOCATED IN MEMPHIS, EGYPT, CAPITOL OF ANCIENT EGYPT OUTSIDE CAIRO.....MEMPHIS,TN

named after Memphis, Egypt. Egypt sent over a replica of this statue to Memphis, TN and it is on display in city!...who knew!!??

Luxor Temple....Ramses II built circa 1600 BC....many statues of him...

He was a confident man!....Temple was dedicated to Egyptian god Amon Rae, their most high god.

Note: Amon Rae was a universal sun god

Gallery of pillars with a statue of Ramses II in the deep background.....this is the same Ramses II we saw yesterday in Memphis, a 6 story statue laying on his back, as could not move w/out causing damage to the statue...

Again, he liked to see his image EVErywhere!!

......statue of Ramses II outside temple.

He lived and ruled close to the same period of time that Moses lived....was he the Pharoah

the Bible speaks of?....no one is sure....

underground in the Valley of the Kings....Ramses II burinal chamber.... ( no pix alowed in Tutankaumun burial site)...unbelievable painting over 3,400 years old.....WOW!.....I have been studying the Egyptians all my life, and here I am!

Cruising the Nile from Luxor towards Cairo....absolutely lush...reminds me of what the GARDEN OF EDEN would look like....poor farmers, but very happy people....kids swimming in the Nile, laughing and waving at the ship....waving back and happy too!...We are both rich in Spirit for life!...that's what it's all about!!

Me and Mohamed.....our ships captain...very gentle and generous man with his time AND gratitude that we are here to see his country and help his economy and people..

on the boat crossing the Nile...3 am on the way to ballooning.....hot tea and DEBBIE DONUTS!....WHAT!!

ballooning over Valley of the Kings and the SUNRISE...there is a natural haze in this valley of LUXOR that absolutely makes the SUN, RA, appear bigger than it really is!....what would you think 3,ooo years ago?...interesting...and beautiful....

Karnak..in LUXOR.....this largest early EGYPTIAN TEMPLE speaks for itself!

A little levity please!...and please understand this 72 year old body was hurting a bit!....had a massage and Mohamed surprised me with a facial!!....his present to me................Well, thank you Mohamed!!.........it dried as hard as cement...got a bit concerned!!!!....in the long run it probably added 10 years to the old face, but Mohamed assured me that I would be as beautiful as Cleopatra!!!!...Right!!

SEND IN YOUR VOTES!!

Love you all and so happy to share this with you....YOU NEED TO SEE EGYPT!....and have a facial by Mohamed!!!!!

we are north of Aswan on Nile....stopped at a port called EDFU where

TEMPLE OF HORUS is located. They transported us by horse and carriage...there are hundreds of these carriages in town...this was great for the local economy and FUN...it was a horse race...literally!

we are north of Aswan on Nile....stopped at a port called EDFU where

TEMPLE OF HORUS is located. They transported us by horse and carriage...there are hundreds of these carriages in town...this was great for the local economy and FUN...it was a horse race...literally!

Temple of Horus...built during Greco-Roman period...

After a long morning...7 am -Noon, as trying to see sights before it gets too hot.........we are ready for lunch...and always looking forward to it!....they feed us well!...

It has been 115 degrees outside every day...they say it's a heat wave for Egypt!!!

Glad I'm from Phoenix as many in this group are having a hard time with the heat....

Tomorrow we leave at 5 am for ABU SIMBEL!!

After a long morning...7 am -Noon, as trying to see sights before it gets too hot.........we are ready for lunch...and always looking forward to it!....they feed us well!...

It has bee 115 degrees outside every day...they say it's a heat wave for Egypt!!!

Glad I'm from Phoenix as many in this group are having a hard time with the heat....

Tomorrow we leave at 5 am for ABU SIMBEL!!

And it is!!!!.....the southern tip of the Nile in Egypt, 30 miles fron Sudan, and 116 degrees!....yikes!!....4 hours driving to get to Abu Simbal...

This is typical landscape...really bleek!!

Abu Simbal....look familiar? This is the temple built by RAMSES Ii cr. 1450 bc.....rock cut temple was moved about 1 mile in 1965, piece by piece, so it would be saved from flooding when the Aswan Dam over the Nile was completed at same time.....remarkable that it was accomplished and saved!....a HUGE TEMLPE!

LAKE NASSER in front of Abu Simbal Temple.....this is the lake created after Aswan Dam built....10 years water storage created for Egypt, no more flooding by the Nile, no more crockadiles or hippos in the Nile......

But, there is an eco trade-off for the Nile that could be future problem....no more natural rich silt run off from Nile and the natural flow of the Nile that has happened for thousands of years is no more....that has GOT to cause a change in the area that is so delicate to begin with and that supports so many people!

FORGOT TO TELL YOU....

on the way out of Aswan to Abu Simbal, someone threw a big rock at our coach which really smashed the front window.....security was all over them like you know what!

The largest of these Pyramids is Khufu, probably built in the 4th Dynasty more than 2,600 years before Christ.

This is the LAST OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD that still stands...

While there you are able to enter 2 of the Pyramids and walk the narrow passageways to the center of the pyramid where the sarcophagus is located....a must do to really appreciate the workmanship of these giants!

Camels everywhere!!!

This beats the camel ride at Phoenix Zoo!!!

Would not have missed this for the world!!!

Books and Blessings - gift shop

Trip Schedule

more trip photos

Notes to Kathy

send a note to Kathy, while she is on her adventure!!!! She will be checking email when WIFI is available.

GO KATHY!!!!!!!