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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