The following fifty or so posts show highlights from our December vacation in Egypt, from Aswan down the Nile to Luxor, then off to Cairo to see the Pyramids and King Tut.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Egypt December 2008
The following fifty or so posts show highlights from our December vacation in Egypt, from Aswan down the Nile to Luxor, then off to Cairo to see the Pyramids and King Tut.
Departing Aswan
The Nile, no longer populated by crocodiles and hippos, is home to a resident population of 300 river cruisers, also known as floating hotels. We spent three nights on the Nile Adventurer, a medium sized Abercrombie & Kent boat with 28 cabins. Advertised as a five star boat, the NA lived up to its billing; the rooms, service and food were excellent.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Hani the Egyptologist
Hani was our guide while on the Nile Adventurer. Educated and articulate, he kept our small group together, effortlessly navigating the ruins and ancient tourists.
Edfu Street Scene
Like most first world tourists we travel in a bubble, in this instance a small tourist bus taking us back to the boat from the Temple of Edfu. But just outside the window, there is another world, little changed for hundreds of years.
The Valley of the Kings
Hot, dusty and a long trek from the green valley of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings contains at least 62 royal tombs. We visited the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramses II and two others already lost in the fog of my memory. No pictures allowed but you leave with indelible memories of walking down narrow passageways covered with hieroglyphs and images of the gods. King Tut's tomb was surprisingly small, especially when you see the quantity of gold coffins and chariots now residing in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings. Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as Pharoah around 1500 BC.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Cruise Ship Bonfire
According to the crew member on our Luxor river taxi, the cruise ship in the background burned for five days.
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