Meanwhile, today in Cairo...

Busy day today with a morning stop at the Pyramids of Giza! We had only seen them in the distance once in our two days in Cairo to this point and they didn't disappoint. Their scale is staggering and we even climbed up in the sweltering heat through the cramped tunnel to the burial chamber in the dead center of the Great Pyramid. Amazing and a little claustrophobic to be honest.

Afterwards we ventured to the Sphinx. It seems a little small next to the pyramids, but still it was incredible. Tonight we board an overnight sleeper train (complete with our own compartment) and we should end up in Aswan far in the south of Egypt!

No Rest for the Wicked

After Sawa Camp, we drove back into the desert to St. Katherine's Monastery, the site of the Burning Bush. a descendant of which is still alive today. It's actually a vine. We saw it. Then we climbed Moses' famed mountain; Mount Sinai, upon which Moses received the Ten Commandments. There's actually a church at the summit. It was a HARD climb, hot and at altitude. We're still feeling that one, but the sunset was worth it.




After St. Katherine's we drove straight to Cairo, under the Suez Canal. We arrived last night, said goodbye to our last group over dinner and drinks at a swanky Cairo scene. Today, we hoofed it all over the city. We visited the largest and oldest active mosque in Cairo: Ibn Tulun. Truly cavernous. We climbed the spiral minaret. Then managed to ward off the touts as we got ourselves lost at the famed, Khan al-Khalili bazaar. We took tea at Fishawy's, open for 200 years continuously (allegedly) not counting Ramadan and ate Egyptian pancakes at a cheapo dive. Picked up a couple of nice things, particularly a leather-bound book from the artisan binder himself. A tiring but brilliant day. It's Monday now, and we're posting from our hotel in Cairo - the Indiana Hotel in Doqqi - which nobody has heard of, apparently. Bloody taxi drivers!

We'll post some more photos soon, pyramids and all that yet to come!

A Couple of Days' Rest and Snorkeling at Sawa Red Sea Camp

After barely surviving the ferry ride across the Red Sea - the ride itself was fine, but the arrival into 120 degree, chaotic, crude immigration in Egypt was an endurance test - we arrived at the Sawa Red Sea Beach Camp. An oasis on the sea! We jumped in immediately - the only way to cool our scorched bodies and then cracked our first beer of the trip. The next day, we snorkeled twice, slept on the cushions under the thatched roof of the bar and read. Bliss.

Bedouin Camp at Wadi Rum

We watched the sun set over Wadi Rum (trying to ignore the annoying and loud Australians from the other camp) and then enjoyed the company of Sheik Zayyid and his sons over dinner and singing. He wrote Helen a love letter ;)

That night we slept outside under the stars. It was too hot in the camel-hair tents!

Wadi Rum - Lawrence of Arabia country

After we left Petra, we headed to the land of the Bedouin and saw some amazing landscapes. We drove around in a 4x4 with a Bedouin driver who pumped his Arabic techno and talked on his cell phone and still pointed out T.E. Lawrence's alleged residence. It was HOT! And bumpy and there were lots of camels. That night we would sleep at a Bedouin camp near El Khazar.

But first, we had an enormous, red sand dune to climb. Apparently, if you run down a sand dune, you end up with a pound of sand in your shoes. HOT sand.

More Petra pics

In order: Having tea in front of the Treasury; At the Royal Tombs, outside the Urn Tomb and Outside the Monastery after a one-hour 120 degree, gruelling hike. Worth it!

Floating in the Dead Sea and Petra!

Photos from Dead Sea and Kerak Castle

Mansaf in Amman, The Mosque behind our hotel
and our Intrepid group!

We're in Jordan

Day One (Monday) we were off like a shot! We got started early, left Amman (where we landed the night prior) and walked around Mount Nebo, where Moses supposedly saw the Promised Land. From there, we could see the Dead Sea and Jerusalem far in the distance. We headed down the mountain and went to the shore of the Dead Sea and floated for a while. It was amazing and weird; the water feels greasy and is always trying to capsize you. We rubbed some Dead Sea mud on ourselves and then went up to the pool, which was hard work after the Dead Sea. Afterwards we trekked up to Kerak Castle, a Crusader-era castle that was eventually taken by Saladin in 1179 (or so). It was amazing how much of the castle remains intact! That night we arrived in Wadi Musa, the gateway to Petra.

Jordan & Egypt

Off we go! Here's a brief itinerary, we'll do our best to post a few pics while we're there, but no promises!

Tonight we fly to New York where we'll chill with Kristen & Thorton for a day and then onward...

Arrive Amman, Sunday, 6/21 at 6pm
Mon - Tues (6/22 to 6/23) We go to Petra
Wed 6/24 go to Wadi Rum
Thurs - Fri (6/25 to 6/26) we'll be at a Red Sea Beach camp.
Sat 6/27 Mt. Sinai
6/28 Sunday go to Cairo

Then all sorts of gadding about in Egypt: Giza, Abu Simbel, Aswan, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, sail down the Nile on a felucca and sleep on the deck, spend a night with Bedouin in the desert. Plus more that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Ciao for now!