The morning of September 11, 2001, is well ingrained in my memory. Within a few days of the attack, I called Adventure Center and verified my October trip was still scheduled, which meant I had to decide whether or not to head for the Middle East. My parents definitely did not want me to go. […]
Egypt
Booking the Egypt Trip & Finding Airfare (2001)
After I had enough money for the initial deposit, I called Adventure Center back. I spoke to the same woman as before, Maz. Since my trip is one of the least expensive, the $300 deposit was more than 3/4 of the total cost. I planned on paying the remaining $90 in another few weeks. I printed […]
My Egypt Trip (2001)
Preface: 9 years ago, I was actively planning a trip to Egypt for the first time. I started documenting the process on this site (long before this blog), however my plans would come up against the shocking events of 9/11. This is a four part series, with the first three parts having been written in […]
Final Thoughts – Egypt
The perfect day in Aswan and Egypt’s Nile Valley starts with the usual breakfast of coffee, bread, and egg. Progress onward to further readings of Paul Theroux’s “Dark Star Safari” while the symphony of Egyptians’ daily lives delight the ears. Honking taxi horns punctuate the call to prayer sounded over mosque loudspeakers. Glancing up from […]
Couchsurfing Cairo
My last day in Aswan was all about killing time until the night train back to Cairo. Normally I could occupy myself for hours on end with a solid internet connection, but I had been informed that high speed access was down throughout the country. The 1st class ride back to Cairo was much more […]
Felucca Rides
Upon our return from Abu Simbel, Gary, Darcy, Amy, Joe and I went to lunch at a floating restaurant recommended by one of the guidebooks. The prices were higher, but you couldn’t beat the ambiance. The food was good too. Afterwards, we set about trying to find a fair minded felucca captain. Joe and Amy […]
The Sunrise Convoy To Abu Simbel
Paul Theroux doesn’t make it to Abu Simbel as his flight was canceled. For a man willing to travel the decrepit back roads of Africa, it is odd that he didn’t make the journey by bus. Meanwhile, my wake-up call came earlier than expected, around 2:37am. Bleary-eyed, I make my way down to the ship’s […]
Aswan, The Dams, And The Temple Of Isis At Philae
The ship was docked in Aswan when I awoke, the view of the Nile at this point being what I had always imagined. We boarded a big bus and drove over the Aswan Dam to the newer, and more grandiose, High Dam. A few photos later, we boarded the bus again, and connected with a […]
Sunset Cruise To Kom Ombo
“The pleasantest aspect of the river cruise was the combination of gourmandizing and sightseeing, gliding with the current and stopping every now and then at a resurrected ruin.” — Paul Theroux in “Dark Star Safari” The sun began to set as we continued to cruise up the Nile from Edfu to Kom Ombo, a temple […]
Edfu Temple And An Afternoon On The Nile
“Some countries are just perfect for tourists. Italy is. So are Mexico and Spain. Turkey, too. Egypt, of course. Pretty big. Not too dirty. Nice food. Courteous people. Sunshine. Lots of masterpieces. Ruins all over the place. Names that ring a bell. Long vague history. The guide says, ‘Papyrus’ or ‘Hieroglyphic’ or ‘Tutankhamen,’ or ‘one […]
