Friday 30th – Perth

We checked out at 2; Memphis picked us up at 3 for the hour trip to the airport. Through security where they objected to the knife which has never been a problem anywhere as it goes as checked luggage, followed by security Here security is before AND after check-in. The second one is worse, shoes, […]

Thursday 29th – Cave Church of Zabbaleen

Our last tour, the Cave church, is not to be missed. But to get there, we had to drive through the Zabbaleen city, probably the reason Memphis don’t do this tour. Zabbaleen means “garbage people” in Egyptian Arabic applied to teenagers and adults who have served as Cairo’s informal garbage collectors since the 1940s. The […]

Sunday 25th – High Dam, Temples of Ramses II & Nefertari at Abu Simbel

The ship had sailed to the end point, Aswan, population 1.6 Million. Further sailing has not been possible since the construction of the old British (lower) dam, followed later by the High dam 5km up-river. Aswan developed as a trading post for oils gold ivory, and as the main Nubian city. Nubians, who are black’ didn’t mix […]

Thursday 22nd – Luxor west bank: Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun, Thutmoses III alabaster factory, Mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon of Amenhotep III

A great choice for breakfast was held on the edge of the pool garden area. Several balloons were rising slowly from the west bank in the morning haze, a lovely sight. Unlike other ancient cultures, women had stature in ancient Egypt. Wives were often portrayed in reliefs with their husbands including in the royal court. […]

Tuesday 20th – Cairo – Sakkara, Giza Pyramids

Our first day on the CMI tour – the Giza plateau and Sakkara necropolis. First stop to see the step pyramid of Djoser and the Funerary Temple and the Pyramid of Unace and also the tomb of Shesheshet Idot. The most spectacular and well preserved discoveries in Egypt are now being made at Saqqara outside […]