Charlie and I forewent celebrating the New Year on its eve and instead headed by train from BWI station to Philadelphia on January first.  We planned on attending the 124th Annual Mummers Parade on Broad Street.

We took a similar day trip last year but tweaked our recent plans with more information and a special purpose.   We caught the train just before 8 a.m. with the help of our friend Sug who shuttled us to the station and took care of our Dashie for the day.

After disembarking the Amtrak train at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. We took the escalator up to the main hall then turned right (away from the large statue with wings.)  We spotted the sign to the SEPTA area of the station.  On our way we met a beautiful agent who gave us explicit instructions on how to make the next part of our journey which was to take the SEPTA train into city center — Suburban Station.

We walked to the area under the sign and turned right before exiting the train station.  (The SEPTA trains leave from the 30th Street Station so we didnt’ have to cross the busy street to catch the subway like last time.)

We stopped at the Septa Customer Service desk and the agent told us we could use our Amtrak tickets to go through the turnstile. (On the subway across the street we would have needed to buy a ticket. A SEPTA Senior card would also allow free access. ) She also told us on which track the next train to Suburban Station would arrive. We went up the escalator to wait for the train which arrived in about 5 minutes – happy coincidence since the trains were running on holiday schedule and ran only once per hour instead of the usual every 5 minutes.

We boarded the train and got off one stop later at Suburban Station ( City Center) where we came up from underground.  We were greeted with loads of noise, and colorful costumes, and a very helpful police presence who told us to walk south 2 blocks and then turn left for 2 to be at the main parade route.

On our way to Broad Street we stopped for a coffee.

We found an open spot along the parade route where we could see City Hall and the hundreds thousands of mummers as they strutted past.  There was no pushing or shoving,  no rough talk — everyone was just having a good time.

Loads of costumes, face paint, parasols, feathers, and Oh! Dem Golden Slippers! on mummers of all ages stepped down Broad Street in 45 degree weather.

I really don’t know which photos to highlight because they were all wonderful.

We had lunch about half lock off the parade route at Le Pain Quotidien.  We just missed the the lunch crowds.

When we returned to the parade we easily got our old viewing spot back.

Late in the afternoon we started for the Suburban SEPTA station and stopped along the way at Giovanni’s for a piece of pizza — the best I’ve had outside of Italy.  The big screen TV was streaming the official parade video.

We stopped at the grandstand for a few minutes to watch the string band competition — amazing.  You can watch the winners here. Four minutes of fabulous.

As we walked toward the SEPTA station we saw more string bands marching and lining up for their 4 minutes of fame.

We had been walking and standing for 8 hours so we were ready to head to 30th Street Station to catch the train back to BWI.

What a great day in Philadelphia.  If we ever do it again we would try to arrive a little later and stay a little longer — so much to see and do.

Jo

I was planning to take a felucca ride on the Nile our first or second night in Cairo.

Instead we disembarked our Nile Cruise onto the quay in Aswan looking for an available felucca on the first afternoon/evening of our Nile cruise.

We were approached by a handsome young man in a gallabiyah who asked us if we would like to sail on his felucca.  After some discussion Charlie arranged a one-hour cruise for $25 US.  The timing was exactly right for us to be sailing at sunset.

The first mate drifted the Bob Marley over to some accessible stone steps so Charlie and I could board.  We were pleased by the very clean and shipshape sailboat.

We tacked northward (downstream) against the wind for awhile just chatting with our captain Mustafa and his mate Ofa (who is also a felucca captain in his own right).

We learned that both men are Nubians and live in the local village not far away. (We were invited to meet their families but declined due to time constraints.)

Still heading downstream I switched places with the captain and took over the helm until we turned to head back to the dock.

In the meantime the sun had begun to set and we enjoyed a calm and peaceful sail with the wind at our backs.

We were very glad not to have missed this opportunity to meet the captain and his mate, to learn more about their culture, and to sail on the Nile.

Magical!!

• Egypt – Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt – Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 
• Egypt — Giza
• Egypt — A Camel Ride
• Egypt — Aswan
• Egypt — Abu Simbel
• Egypt — Cruising the Nile

Jo

I couldn’t imagine going to Egypt without cruising the Nile.  We would cruise from Aswan to Luxor over a 4-day, 3 night period.

I had contracted directly with the motor ship (M/S) Le Fayan which is arranged by a group called ENEV (Etapes Nouvelles Egypte Voyages) who can actually organize all your plans for Egypt.  However, I only wanted a Nile cruise on Le Fayan.  (I had read that other tour companies sign you up for a cruise and then switch boats at the last minute — not my idea of good planning.)

We were picked up on Monday morning from our hotel on the corniche in Aswan by a representative from ENEV and a driver named George.

In the vehicle was our highly-experienced guide Hany for the duration of the cruise.  Hany had a master’s degree in Egyptology and was very thorough in explaining all the sites and monuments we visited.  He always had our entry tickets in-hand so we skipped through the lines.  He led us to our various forms of transport — boat, horse-drawn carriage, car — which took us through check points to temples, islands, dams, etc.  We two were the only guests in his group. He traveled with us on the boat.

After some morning touring we boarded Le Fayan for the first time where we were told that we had been upgraded to one of the three suites onboard.  (There are 60 total cabins on the boat.)

Alas the air conditioning was not working well so we opted to be moved back to a regular room on an upper deck, port side which is what I had requested when I originally booked with Amal, the Egyptian representative for the boat. (The temperatures in upper (southern) Egypt were in the mid-nineties while we were there so I definitely needed a cool room.)

We took all our meals on board the boat in the dining room where we had assigned seats at a table for 2. (At our first seating we asked to be moved from a dark hole to a brighter area near windows which was accomplished with little fanfare.)

Behind the front desk was a screen that laid out the schedule for that day.

There is a a small store onboard where you can buy jewelry, souvenirs, and Egyptian costumes. We opted out.

Since this cruise was more or less in the middle of our 2-week Egypt journey we sent out some laundry to be washed and/or pressed onboard.  It was not expensive and returned to us the next morning.

Many people used the upper deck at during the day to access the hot tub, pool, and lounge chairs.  Charlie and I were busy during daylight hours so we mostly went up on the top deck in the cool of the evening to talk and gaze at the stars.

On the final evening we had some entertainment in the lounge.

We really enjoyed our Nile cruise.

I would gladly do it again.

• Egypt – Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt – Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 
• Egypt — Giza
• Egypt — A Camel Ride
• Egypt — Aswan
• Egypt — Abu Simbel

Jo

Wishing you all the best day and most wonderful year.

We have some holiday spirit celebrating the Light of the World.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” Isaiah 9:2a

Jo

We were picked up at Aswan Airport around 8:00 a.m. by a representative from Aswan Individual (the tour company I had personally contracted) and Mr. Hanni, the driver.  There was a little mix-up at first because I could not read my name on the hand written sign held up by the representative.  After we straightened all that out we dropped off the representative in Aswan and headed to Abu Simbel, Charlie, Mr. Hanni, and me.

Mr. Hanni spoke very little English but we were able to understand each other enough to enjoy a 3.5 hour ride.  He was eager to point out all the interesting and important things about this part of Egypt.  However, it is important to remember that a driver is not a guide.

Our first and only stop  was a little café/rest stop about halfway between Aswan and Abu Simbel.

We visited the rest room which has an attendant who requires payment before entering.

I rested for a few minutes with a Turkish coffee, one of many I would enjoy during our trip.

We three had already pulled away from the parking lot when Mr. Hanni asked if we minded that he would help another driver in distress.

A truck loaded with boxes had a flat tire and was lying on its side.  A number of people stopped to give a hand to upright the truck.  That is community at work along this lonely road.

We continued on to Abu Simbel.

Mr. Hanni stayed with his car while Charlie and I walked down the long path to the temple.

The Great Temple stands 98 feet high and 115 feet long with four seated colossi flanking the entrance, two to each side, depicting Ramesses II on his throne; each one 65 feet tall.

Through the central entrance, the interior of the temple is decorated with engravings showing Ramesses and Nefertari paying homage to the gods.

The doorkeeper offered to let Charlie hold the Ankh-shaped key.  As I have remarked, we really felt Egyptians went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

The Small Temple stands nearby at a height of 40 feet  and 92 feet long. This temple is also adorned by colossi across the front facade depicting Ramesses and his queen Nefertari (four statues of the king and two of the queen) at a height of 32 feet. The prestige of the queen is apparent in that, usually, a female is represented on a much smaller scale than the Pharaoh while, at Abu Simbel, Nefertari is rendered the same size as Ramesses.

In the 1960’s, the Egyptian government planned to build the Aswan High Dam on the Nile which would have submerged both temples. Between 1964 and 1968, a massive undertaking was carried out in which both temples were dismantled and moved 213 feet up onto the plateau of the cliffs they once sat below and re-built 690 feet to the north-west of their original location. Great care was taken to orient both temples in exactly the same direction as before and a man-made mountain was erected to give the impression of the temples cut into the rock cliff.

Every monument in Egypt has a café and marketplace nearby.  While we did not stop in the café we walked through the marketplace where shopkeepers were eager to sell us something.  I was holding out until for one of the larger markets in Luxor or Cairo.

However Charlie couldn’t pass up some bargains at Abu Simbel.  He bought himself an Egyptian outfit and a blue/green scarf for me that I am using as a Christmas tree skirt this year.

We met up with our driver in the café and headed back to Aswan.

• Egypt – Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt – Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 
• Egypt — Giza
• Egypt — A Camel Ride
• Egypt — Aswan

Jo

After touring Cairo and Giza we were headed to Aswan. Our third full day in Egypt was a travel day.

We got up very, very early in order to check out of our room at the Guardian Guest House.  We were provided with packaged breakfasts.

We met our ride to the airport at 3 a.m. in front of the hotel.  We were on our way to Cairo Airport to catch a flight to Aswan.

When we arrived in Aswan we waited for our bags then went outside to meet our ride.  (A person was there with a name card but I couldn’t read it with the sun streaming through the back. I called the company, Aswan Individual, which answered promptly.  After a little Q and A we were united with our rep and driver.)

We dropped off the company representative in Aswan and continued on to Abu Simbel with our driver, Mr. Hanni.

Abu Simbel is a 3.5 hour drive from Aswan so we stopped about halfway for a bathroom break and some coffee.

Remember, we were up at 2 a.m. and now it’s about 9:30. (I have a separate post on Abu Simbel.)

After returning from Abu Simbel in the afternoon Mr. Hanni dropped us off at the Philae Hotel on the corniche.  Unfortunately our DELUXE room did NOT have a Nile view.  I give this hotel zero stars.  Charlie and I made the best of it for one night.

In the evening after Abu Simbel we wanted a little respite so we walked about half mile along the corniche to the Old Cataract Hotel (Sofitel) to have dinner.

We were greeted by the guards, the concierge, and the waiters like treasured guests.

We had a lovely table in the main hall where we enjoyed a delicious dinner.

We lingered because we truly did not want to leave.  However, we walked back to our hotel to spend the night.

The one bright spot at the Philae Hotel was breakfast the next morning and a very cheery waiter.

After breakfast we were picked up by our driver George who transferred us to our tour guide who would be with us for the net 3 days during our Nile cruise.  (More on that later. )

Jo

• Egypt – Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt – Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 
• Egypt — Giza
• Egypt — A Camel Ride

Jo

I have a photo frame that belonged to my grandmother. (My sister and I were in the photo I removed.)

This plaster frame was tired but but very good shape.

I laid it outside on newspaper on a warmish fall day.

Since I planned to give it a dark finish I started by using some leftover matte green spray paint to base coat it.

I planned to give this frame with another one so I chose a finish color in the same general color group.

Limited by spray paint colors I selected a deep teal gloss spray paint by Rustoleum.  I sprayed about 3 good coats with about half an hour waiting time between each.

I’m sure the grandmother who receives these frames will be able to fill them with appropriate photos.

Jo

Our guide Sherine took us onto the western desert of the Giza plateau and introduced us to her favorite camel broker.

After a bit of negotiation we had hired 2 camels for a ride out into the desert with a young camel driver.

I mounted the camel while it’s sitting with its legs folded under it. The camel driver then touched its knees with a switch, and the camel rose first to its back legs, then to its front legs, all the while I was supposed to lean back to compensate for the motion.

A camel named Ali Baba was assigned to Charlie.

Once we were both on our camels the camel tender led us out into the desert so we could get some photos of the pyramids.

We followed along behind our camel herder.  I was in front with Charlie’s camel tethered to the back of my saddle.

Our camel driver took some photos of us against the pyramids in the far distance.

We were instructed to pose for various cliché shots.  We complied just for the fun of it.

These camels are so well-trained that our guide let us walk back to the herd on our own.

Our camel driver was there to help us alight.  He was rewarded with generous backsheesh from Charlie.

Number 1 on my Bucket List checked off.

• Egypt – Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt – Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 
• Egypt — Giza

Jo

I bought 2 inexpensive holiday themed coir mats at Aldi.

Oddly (for me) they were green and red.

My other mats are shades of blue.

The blue had begun to fade and wear off.

I did a quick makeover with green paint (from the Adirondack chairs) and a roller.

I dried the mats completely in the sun before putting them in place.

Now both the side and front porches are welcoming. (I’m thinking the green will work for Saint Patrick’s Day, too.)

Jo

In Egypt the most famous pyramids and the Sphinx are in Giza, a suburb just south of Cairo.

For our first 3 nights we stayed near the Giza plateau with a spectacular view of the monuments from our guesthouse window.

On our second morning I looked out the window to the startling surprise of an empty plateau.  The fog had set in.

Our guide, Sherine Ramadan, picked us up in front of the hotel in her own car and took us around to the main entrance gate near the Mena House even though the other ticket booth was a few steps away from our accommodations.  Cars can only access the plateau from the main gate.

We toured around the pyramid area and were mesmerized by the monumental scale of everything both in number and size. The Great Pyramid of Giza built as a tomb by and for the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) is estimated to contain 2.3 million stone blocks each weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons. The largest block weighs 70 tons.

The base of this pyramid covers 14 acres.

While entry to the inside of the pyramids was an additional paid ticket we had decided in advance not to attempt it. However Charlie climbed down a long shaft in another area that was included with the entrance fee.

Our guide took us to the western desert (by car) where we met her favorite camel wrangler.  I’ll be writing a separate post on the camel experience so for now I’ll just say it was spectacular.

After our camel ride we hopped in the car with our guide and were driven to a parking lot at the bottom of the hill loaded with buses.

Here we toured around the Great Sphinx of Giza, a limestone statue of a reclining mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion built for the pharaoh Khafre about 4500 years ago.

After 4 hours we were dropped off at Khufu’s Restaurant where I had made reservations for lunch months ago.  They greeted us with pleasure and showed us to an outdoor table in the sun.

I had requested an indoor table knowing that I would need shade and air conditioning after a morning in the desert.  We sat inside.

We were each served multiple starters which we really enjoyed.

For the entrée I ordered the vegetarian mix while Charlie ordered the fish.

The view was stunning, the food was delicious, and the ambiance unrushed.

We ended the afternoon with a leisurely hike down the hill to our hotel.

• Egypt–Preliminary Itinerary
• Egypt–Firming Up the Details
• Egypt — Getting There
• Egypt — Cairo 

Jo