From Luxor we took an overnight train to Alexandria. It included taxi races, beautiful waterfront views from our cozy hotel, a visit to the infamous Alexandria library…of course a slightly newer version of it (and you all know how much I love the library!), a walk through the catacombs, a swim at the beach, and […]
Africa
The Temples of Luxor
A city that lies along the Nile, Luxor is full of ancient sites and temples. Luxor and Karnak temples lie on the east side of the river, while the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens lie on the opposite bank. We visited in the hottest month of the year, and as […]
Cruising the Nile in a Felucca
Before boarding our felucca in Aswan, we took a camel ride (the first of several on the trip) and then headed for dinner at a Nubian family’s home. Riding a camel alongside the Nile is an enjoyable sunset activity… until it is time to dismount and rather than lowering to its front knees in a […]
Abu Simbel
One of the most well-known sites in Egypt, Abu Simbel consists of two temples created in 13th century BC. Built by Ramses II, the temples remained unknown until their rediscovery in 1813. From Aswan, tourists can choose to fly to Abu Simbel, or drive 300km with a police convoy. We chose the more affordable option […]
Cairo in Two Days
On our tour of Egypt, we spent the first and last day in Cairo. If you have never been to Cairo, the first thing I would tell you is that the air is really polluted and your snot will be black by the end of the day. True story. The air looks smoggy and it […]
How I Acquired an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Egyptian Bikini
In my posting last week, I mentioned my first time traveling in Egypt in 2008. Lauren and I took a two-week tour in 2008, and it was a spectacular way to see a lot of sites in a short amount of time. All accommodation, transportation, and some activities were planned for us, however there was […]