Loving all reports and photos. Ngaire, I agree 100% about Abu Simbel. It's worth a trip even if that would be the only thing you ever got to see. I am jealous of your trip to Jordan. I'll make it there - some day. And Leslie has posted photos of some sites I haven't seen. I might need to consider Nile3.

Abu Simbel:


Here we are.

Loving the landmail and the pictures!!

Amazing, just toally amazing. What else can I say. Gteen with envy. :rolleyes:

Ah-ha!
So this is where you all are.
I kept looking in seamail to no avail.
Keep having fun!

Green with envy is right!!!!!!!!!

Makes my day every day! thanks for posts and pixs they are wonderful -

We have had a leisurely morning. The boat has stopped at Kom Ombo again. The 4-night passengers disembarked yesterday and the 3-night passengers embarked. So that group went to tour the temple. It's 10am and we will be leaving soon for Edfu. Alice and i went with a small group took a short 20 minute walk. Of course the vendors found us quickly. Alice and I left the boat without taking any money with us. A boy wanted Alice to buy a bracelet. When she told him that she didn't have any money . He looked worried and insisted that she take it as a gift. "No money? You take it." he was determined that she accept it. In return, she gave him her Nile 2 pin.

We are sailing back towards Luxor.Henry's lecture on Women in Ancient Egypt is coming up. I have learned so much on this trip and isnt that one of the great benefits of travel?
----------------
Helen

A waiter presented this to Alice at breakfast, compliments of the omelet chef.

We were back at Kom Ombo this morning just in time for the return of the snake charmer. 

wonderful

Kim, That story about Alice and the little vendor boy is absolutely priceless, and one that will be retold for years I am sure.

(Those pins come in handy sometimes don't they?)

The pic of the omelet on the other hand ......well it certainly would wake me up!

Kim, I love your story. The omelet reminded me of our Russian rat pear....hope it tasted better....ask Leslie. Keep having fun!

Tip...for nice stuff...decent shopping and the best prices can be found at the airports. I kicked myself that I didn't wait.

Agree about the airport for shopping. Found something I had looked for all over the country.

Re. pictures at Abu Simbel: Was one of the carvings at left an early version of Weight Watchers?


Thanks to all for interesting reports and wonderful images!

Temple of Edfu - dedicated to the falcon god, Horus. One of the best preserved temples because it was buried by sand until the mid 1800's.












We got there by carriages

Quick post before we leave for our last tour of Luxor Temple. This morning we visited the Luxor Museum and afterwards Ken, Hany and I went shopping. There are some long bus rides in Jordan so Brad and others want to play cards in the bus. NOT EASY to do in a bus and trying to figure out how has been a challenge. We were going to use cardboard as a table adhered to the armrests in some fashion. We got cardboard from the ship and I was going to buy scissors and twine.

It was so much fun going into the real LOCAL market. More plastic products than you can imagine and very friendly people saying hello. I am sure not many people who look like us frequent this market.

We found two plastic tables that break down to top, bottom and legs and I was able to fit them in my suitcase. I always travel with half empty suitcases you never know when you are going to need the space.

So now it will be interesting to see how well this all works. Until we see our bus it is hard to know but at least we have a "plan".

Tomorrow ten of us are doing the balloon ride in the morning. We are really looking forward to this something we have not done here before.

It has really been a great trip, perfect weather, Henry and Hany are really the BEST and a very congenial group as well. Four of the group will be going home from Cairo and sixteen of us are heading to Jordan.

It will be sad to say goodbye to Helen, (Ms Understood) Jerry her husband (who is a hoot and we all enjoyed) and Helens sister Barbara and her husband Alex.

Saying goodbye to Henry and Hany is always hard they feel like family. Last night they taught some of the group and Egyptian card game and they all had a really good time.

Okay have to scoot now off to Luxor.

As I began reading Ngaire's post I thought it strange that Ngaire and Ken went shopping as that is so unlike them. I should have known they were off looking for "card tables" Something tells me that when they are in Egypt shopping for card tables you have a few card fanatics in the group!

dup sorry

Ngaire, you are so ingenious! "Where there's Ngaire.... there's a way!!"

I remember sitting on my balcony seeing those hot air balloons rise over the Valley of the Kings so early in the morning. It was magical for me just to see them. So I know you all will have a wonderful ride.

Luxor - Our last temple. Off to Jordan in the morning. 















Brad and Sally line up their shots 

If you can manage to play cards in a zodiac I'm sure a bus will be a piece of cake!

Opps...forgot about playing cards in the zodiac! Guess there were a few card fanatics on Zodiac too!!

We are back from our hot air balloon ride, having all survived and managed to climb into and out of the basket without losing anyone! Another fabulous experience courtesy of Ngaire and Ken. We all fly together this morning back to Cairo where I and my ittle group will part ways with the Jordan-bound main group. I cannot express how great this trip was and how much I have enjoyed all of it.
--------------------------
Helen

Your adventure is ending exactly two years after ours began.

We are in the VIP lounge in Cairo airport. Having said our sad goodbyes to Henry and Hany and Helen's group, we await the next leg of our adventure. Our flight to Amman departs in about 90 minutes. Naturally, there are 2 tables of hearts games going on.

These pictures bring back Wonderful memories..
Thanks for sharing...

We dropped Hany off at his house and then the van dropped us at the Intercontintental where we are whiling away the time till our 1 am flight home. The service that these people provide is really just outstanding. The guy from South Sinai Travel walked us into the hotel and checked us in. They will come back and get us at 10:30 pm snd take us back to the airport. We had a really nice lunch in the hotel's Lebanese restaurant. The Egyptian people have been very friendly and very welcoming and I would not hesitate to recommend a visit here to anyone.I am looking forward to a shower and a change of clothes before our flight to Amsterdam airport.
We miss the others who came to feel like good friends and wish them safe travels.
-----------------
Helen

Helen, we had that 1 am flight to Amsterdam, too. After we got through passport control or whatever it was, we realized that we were actually on our own; Hossam wasn't going to be there to pave the way for us anymore.

Finally at the Dead Sea. Today was a long day. We left the Hyatt in Amman at 8.00 am and checked into the Movenpick hotel at the Dead Sea at 5.00 pm.

On the last trip our guide Zuhair said next time we should visit Jerash, Bethany and the Dead Sea. So this was a first for Ken and me today. We first visited Jerash and I think everyone loved it. One of the largest ancient Roman cities I have ever seen and you get a great sense of the entire town.

We had lunch at a nice restaurant in Jerash of course full of onions and they made me a pasta with no onions very quickly.

We visited the Citadel and discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls we saw on the first NILE are being moved to a new museum and are not on display anywhere at this time.

Next stop was Bethany and this is the place where it is believed that Jesus Christ was baptized by John by the Baptist. What I like about this site is that they are keeping it “commercial free” with no vendors or shops of any kind. Many faiths are building churches in this area, Roman Catholics, Coptic Christians, Greek Orthodox and a Mosque so far. It appears that there is a consensus that this is indeed the site. We stood on the Jordan river on the Jordan side and looked across about 30 feet of the river to the Israeli side. Some German tourists on the Israeli site were singing a hymn. This is NOT the area we visited on Cleo. Right now you cannot reach the batismal site from the Israeli side only the Jordan side.

Finally we reached the Movenpick at the Dead Sea. A huge resort the rooms are acceptable and the grounds are nice. At the Movenpick at Petra on Nile they had lamb chops I have my fingers crossed I will see that tonight. I am in lamb withdrawal.

Tomorrow we do not leave until 10.30 am so that gives those that want to go floating time in the morning.

We all miss our Hossam, Henry and Hany and the wonderful treatment we received.
Leaving from Cairo airport we were treated like Royalty, whisked through passport control through the crew area to a private lounge so absolutely a piece of cake. No lining up anywhere I have no idea how they get all this handled but certainly enjoy the whole experience.

We have a GREAT bus this time. I insisted on a 40 person bus for the 16 of us and it is great. Smooth ride and tons of space this will make all the bus rides much more comfortable. There is no other way to get around. Zuhair is in good form and there is no doubt this man is a wealth of knowledge.

Looking forward to tomorrows trip down to Petra.
Time is flying fast. I am sure Leslie will have some pictures soon they were even able to charge her phone on the bus that was great.

Our tables for card playing on the long ride home will work perfectly.

As my tee shirts say LIFE IS GOOD

A FEW MORE PHOTOS FROM EGYPT:


Sally charming the Cobras.




Brad, King of the Nile.


Farewell to Egypt.

Well we are home, safe and sound and missing sll the folks who went on to Jordan. It was a long trip home but uneventful. Jerry's bronchitis became a real issue as he found it difficult to walk any distance without struggling for air, so we had wheelchairs meet us at each airport, arranged by Hassam. Note to self- WC do not wait in line anywhere, to board a plane or to pass through customs and immigration. It was a wonderful trip, I am so glad we did not let recent events and the rumors attached to those stop us. Per Henry, the #s of women in burkkhas etc has increased dramatically in the last few years so I fear this country could in the near future become far less hospitable to American tourists (or maybe not, who really knows?) Anyway very glad we went when we did.
On to the next one!!
----------------
Helen

Photos from Jerash, a huge archaeological site of an incredibly preserved Roman city.

Amman - views from the Citadel







Archaeological sites on the Citadel

Bethany-site where Jesus was baptized. 





Ron dips into the Jordan River



Jordanian soldier on guard. Israel is literally a stone's throw across the river



St John the Baptist Church, one of  many churches being built in the area

Dead Sea





Movenpick Resort

Madaba - known especially for its Byzantine mosaics, including the map of the Holy Land on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George

Mt. Nebo

Moses may have been able to see the Peomised Land back in the day, but it was very hazy today. The sign points out what you can see from here on a clear day.