Cairo
February 3, 2026
Not the start we wanted for our trip! Robin has a large hematoma after stepping on the end of a barbell at home and the other end flung up and hit her.
Welcome to Egypt... the oldest country on earth. As promised by Egypt Elite tour company, someone was there to meet us with visas in hand.
This is our ride while we are in Cairo!
The outside of the Cairo Marriott is beautiful.
People are out dining until the early morning hours.
A full moon tonight.
We were upgraded to a suite on the 17th floor.
We also have access to the concierge lounge where we can get late night snacks.
February 4, 2026
The view from our balcony. The air quality is not good early in the morning but does clear up in the course of the day.
The front entrance is under construction so it doesn't look as spectacular as the back.
You have to go through the metal scanner and baggage check before you enter. (This ended up being the case throughout all of Egypt).
The hotel is a former palace.
View out back in the daytime.
Back to the free concierge lounge for breakfast.
We are now at the gate of the Giza Pyramid complex. It is home to the Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Khafre, and the pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx. All were built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, between c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC. The site also includes several temples, cemeteries, and the remains of a workers' village.
Why do I have a picture of the INSIDE of the women's bathroom? Because the worker with the yellow vest is like a cheerleader entertaining the line and also cleaning the toilet seat after every person exits. Apparently, she has become a YouTube sensation.
The largest pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still standing.
You can see that it took 20,000 workers twenty years to build.
The stone blocks were moved on wooden wedges.
The complex is so large that you have to take buses from one pyramid to another.
They were quite efficient and left every few minutes.
Although the Great Pyramid (left) looks smaller, it is actually larger than the second one built. The one on the right is built on higher ground and the Great Pyramid no longer has a top. The top was made of gold and was stolen long ago.
It's impossible to capture the size while standing next to it.
But you can see how tall the blocks are.
This is the line to go inside. It was too crowded, so we didn't go very far in. But we can say we've been inside the Great Pyramid!
The camels waiting for customers.
If it weren't for the man in the jalabia, you'd think this was a Western movie set.
The Great Sphinx is said to be approximately 4,500 years old. But they've found water fissures even though the last time this region had significant rainfall was 9,000 years ago. So, these water erosion fissures suggest the Sphinx is more than double the age previously believed.
Time for our $22 camel ride. Robin's camel was docile but constantly farting.
Uhhh... not so sure about this. I felt like I was going to tumble down the front of the camel when it stood up and when we went downhill. Plus, the sand was thick and so it was bumpy as we rocked back and forth. My camel seemed unhappy and was constantly shaking its head, snorting, and spitting.
But I'm still glad we did it! It was definitely a one-time thing.
Despite protesting, our camel ride guide insisted we do the silly tourist photos. I think...
...that our protesting just got lost in translation! However, I deleted the other 15 cheesy photos he took.
Time for lunch overlooking the pyramids.
Robin finally got to put her foot back up as we waited for our table.
One ankle is definitely way bigger than the other!
The food was quite good... definitely a lunch with a view for the ages.
Our view of the Nile from our room has really cleared up since this morning.
Time to recover from a very busy day... but what a GREAT day!
February 5, 2026
Back at the concierge lounge for a free breakfast,
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is a billion dollar endeavor that opened after years of delays in November 2025. It is considered one of the best museums globally for its immense scale (500,000 sq m). It is twice the size of the Louvre.
An Irish architecture firm won the design for the GEM. Obviously, the theme is pyramids and triangles throughout.
Ramses II was found in six pieces in 1821 and stands 36 feet tall. It's roughly 3,200 years old. After being rebuilt, it was originally shown at a museum near the Cairo railroad station, but the vibrations and the pollution were destroying it.
You can see the size of the statue from this angle.
The Egyptian hieroglyph eye is a powerful ancient symbol of protection, healing, and wholeness. I've seen many people with this tattoo.
The museum is four floors that you ascend on either this grand staircase or moving walkways. At the top, there is a giant window where you can see the pyramids in the distance. (Too hazy for a photo today).
Unfortunately, it was hard to take photos without the glare. Here our guide is showing 13 separate stone depictions of every day Egyptian life.
The colors have never been enhanced and are from 2500 BC.
It's unbelievable that these kings felt as though all these things were needed in the afterlife.
The museum houses 100,000 artifacts. Since it opened, it averages 15,000 visitors per day with some days as high as 27,000 visitors.
The scribe is a very important person. He carries all knowledge and teaches the children. This one looks spooky because the eyes are actual crystals.
When standing, all kings have the left foot forward. The reason is because the heart is on the left side and that means that you lead with kindness. They believe that if they are a kind person, then they will definitely be accepted into the afterlife.
They also believe that their faces must be recognized to get into the afterlife. Often, the noses are damaged by an enemy trying to prevent them from doing so.
The alabaster jars are for the organs. The only organ that stays in the body before mummification is the heart. The jars are filled with onion water to (supposedly) prevent the smell.
By far, the busiest exhibit was the tomb of King Tutankhamun. It was discovered in 1922 and contained 5500 artifacts. Our guide called him the “nothing king” because he was only nine years old when he became king and then died when he was 18.
On the left was a folding hunting chair lined with gold and other jewels.
Since King Tut was from around 1324 BC, it means these gloves are around 3350 years old!
Ouch...! Gold sandals that must have been quite painful.
These are all depictions of King Tut and are apparently needed in the afterlife.
Even the black one is King Tut as a boy. You can tell that he is a boy because the ponytail is on the side. Females had ponytails on the back of the head.
So much gold!
This was the line to see the very famous King Tut mask. There was a long queue and we didn't feel like waiting. It's like trying to get near the Mona Lisa!
His chariot. I'm just amazed that they felt he needed these 5500 items in the afterlife!
There was a huge separate building for Khufu's boat that was found in 1950. (He was the king that built the Great Pyramid).
The boat was found in 17,200 pieces, dates from 2600 BC, and is made from cedar wood.
The boat was moved from behind the great pyramid overnight to the GEM. It took 10 hours to go 8 km.
Lunch with our guide consisted of Om ghanoush (baba ghanoush with beetroot), Cheese hawawshi (dough or pita stuffed with a mixture of ground beef that is seasoned with warm spices, onions, garlic, hot peppers and fresh herbs) and Koshari (mix of rice, lentils, and pasta topped with a zesty tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and crispy fried onions).
After lunch, we traveled closer to the center of Cairo to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
This is the only museum that houses actual mummies. There are 22 royal mummies of kings (and wives).
You are not allowed to take pictures so they have these digital replicas at the entrance. In reality, the mummies were quite small and extremely creepy. Several still had hair. It took roughly 70 days to mummify a body.
This is a real foot. This person had lost their toe and used a leather toe to distribute their weight more evenly. Very advanced for 900 BC!
Outside the museum there was a wonderful garden with a view of the Nile.
Because we felt that we had only seen the touristy sanitized version of Cairo, we asked to go to El Moez Street - a historic, roughly 1-kilometer-long street in the heart of Islamic Cairo. Our "rock star" vehicle really stands out compared to many other vehicles.
This photo and the next 12 photos were taken out the van window on the way to El Moez Street.
It's still shocking to glance in one direction and see this...!
Sometimes four or five cars would crowd their way into three lanes and we would be inches away from other vehicles.
Even though many of the buildings looked dirty and grimy, they may be very nice inside. Because of the dirt, pollution, and dust in this city of 24 million people... many don't bother with taking care of the outside.
Other buildings are unfinished so the owners don't have to pay taxes!
Sadly, we also saw many homeless. This woman has two children sleeping behind her.
The City of the Dead (Al-Qarafa) in Cairo is a vast, 4-mile long UNESCO World Heritage Islamic-era necropolis located below the Mokattam Hills. It is a unique, living neighborhood where residents dwell alongside tombs and mausoleums.
Originally founded in the 7th century, it features historic architecture and is a significant, yet densely populated and impoverished, cultural site.
The burgundy colored vegetables are all carrots.
Our guide called this "local area".
Baking bread.
A huge market just a few blocks away from our destination.
We were dropped off at a city gate and this is the first area we walked through.
El Moez Street is recognized as one of the world's largest open-air museums of Islamic architecture. Founded in the 10th century by the Fatimid Caliphate, it features a high density of medieval monuments, including mosques, madrasas, and palaces.
No pastries for Robin!
Egyptian donut balls known as Zalabia or Lugmet are a beloved street food in Egypt. They are deep fried and then drenched in a sweet syrup and dusted with powdered sugar and topped with chocolate or some other topping.
Although the street is supposed to be pedestrian and motor bike only, cars still clogged the street. We ended up in a few jams with constant honking and several men shouting. Thankfully, no guns turning into American road rage!
We won't be shopping here...
...nor here.
They are only missing a mattress overhead.
Our guide bartering with the vendor for ears of corn. Apparently, everything is to be bartered and she certainly was a pro!
She was walking with 20+ pounds of potatoes on her head.
Khan el-Khalilia is a bustling, historic 14th-century bazaar in the heart of Islamic Cairo, renowned as one of the Middle East's largest and most vibrant open-air markets.
I can't BELIEVE large buses can get through here!
The red cab-share minivans are everywhere.
But what was strange was that many of them had Florida plates taped in the window.
Back to our fantastic concierge lounge!
I think we packed in quite a bit for 48 hours in Cairo!
NILE river cruise - aswan to luxor
February 6, 2026
We have to fly to Aswan; otherwise, it would take 10+ hours to drive.
We flew into Cairo at night so I was happy to see it by day out the plane window.
A short 90 minute flight on Air Cairo.
Welcome to Aswan!
We went straight to our dahabiya - The Minya. It means the "Nile bride".
There are only six cabins for passengers.
Although small, it was quite comfortable.
The bathroom and shower were good size -- unusual for a boat.
The deck - AMAZING!
Robin can finally rest her foot again.
It's not looking so good.
The food was healthy and delicious the entire time.
The service was also excellent.
Despite unusually hot days, the breeze was very nice.
Pulling up to our fist stop.
Uhhhh... are we supposed to walk down the plank to depart?
No... they even make a rope handrail. The crew was awesome!
The town was like a ghost town.
Not a single car to be seen.
Our first stop - Kom Ombo Temple. The temple is an unusual double temple built in 180–47 BC. The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world. The northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus the Elder.
I wasn't a fan of standing in the full sun in the middle of the afternoon.
There are zero clouds in the sky.
Thank God for my rechargeable fan!!
Left foot forward...!
The Nile crocodile is extremely dangerous, but limited to the areas south of the Aswan Dam. We are north of the dam.
Since we've now learned that ancient Egypt loved to mummify EVERYTHING... here is the museum dedicated to this sacred creature.
Back on the Minya to head to our nighttime destination.
I'm SO glad we did a smaller traditional dahabiya and not these larger boats.
They rely solely on wind power.
But because there is very little wind, tugboats must tow them. Our tugboat never left us and towed us the entire trip.
The shoreline was always changing.
We have stopped for the night. None of the dahabiyas sail overnight.
Dinner at 7pm.
Every meal was excellent.
February 7, 2026
We had two Italian professional photographers that are doing a promotion for the boat. So the rest of us were able to get some great shots at the same time.
Plenty of fresh fruits, figs, and different juices every morning.
Disembarking for the Temple of Horemheb and the rock quarries.
It's a temple built in a cave during the reign of Horemheb (1323–1295 BC.)
Salah, our Egyptologist guide, explaining the meaning of the hieroglyphics.
Even the locals get out of the heat.
The temple has five separate entrances.
He got tired of carrying the stick?
Again, SO grateful for the fan!
Oh, and did I mention the black flies? Often, when I looked at Robin, she was swatting them away.
Our whole group. Ten women and one man. Four women were traveling together from Greece, we had the two Italian photographers, a couple from Yorkshire and the man from California whose wife had flown home due to a family emergency.
After every excursion, we were welcomed back by the crew with hot washcloths (it's SO dusty!) and a different juice concoction.
Working on this website.
The four young Greek women often played cards.
The two photographers were on our tugboat to take photos of the Minya with her sails up.
The tug came back and picked up the rest of us so we could also take photos of the Minya.
Finally... sails up! However, no wind again and we weren't going anywhere. It's just for the photo shoot.
One of the Greek women is a physical therapist so she was checking on Robin's hematoma.
Pulling up to the shoreline to visit a small island village.
Disembarking for the village of Fatawa. I really enjoyed doing this...!
It's a small farming community of 800 people.
Bananas.
A water buffalo. We were warned not to go near it!
There were mud houses underneath the plant debris.
The villagers were friendly and welcoming.
The children were intrigued by us and one-by-one starting following us.
Soon, we had a crowd.
They followed us for about 15 minutes.
Saying good-bye to the children before heading back to the boat.
Another wonderful (and colorful) dinner.
Kunufa is a popular, traditional dessert. It consists of a crispy, shredded pastry (kataifi) filled with cheese or cream and soaked in a fragrant sugar syrup.
February 8, 2026
There was always a different fresh juice at breakfast.
We are now on land traveling through Edfu to see the Temple of Horus.
Waiting for Salah to get our tickets.
The Temple of Edfu (or Horus) is one of the best preserved shrines in Egypt.
The temple was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.
Not sure why these were here...? But they sure looked weather worn.
The pillars were huge.
Salah told us that the one on the left proved there were Starbucks in ancient Egypt and the one on the right proved they had wi-fi.
Unfortunately, at least 70% of the images of the kings were chiseled away. Again, most of this was done by an enemy who didn't want the king to be recognizable, preventing them from getting into the afterlife. They were supposed to look...
...like this.
Waiting for the others to finish.
Several of our boat mates were shopping. The vendors used high pressure techniques to get you to buy.
Back at the boat. I don't think the metal scanner is working today.
This was the best juice yet!!
I'm embracing this life of leisure with these giant slippers.
Our final dinner...
...before the crew decided we should have a dance party. The old guy in the center is the captain and he is 70 years old. A fantastic end to a wonderful three days on the Nile!
February 9, 2026
It's 6am and we are waiting for our van for the 1.5 hour drive to Luxor. Robin is having a stomach issue and has thrown up once.
Many other dahayibas are also docked here in Esna. The most common route is back and forth between Luxor-Aswan.
We did see a fair amount of trash while we were on the Nile.
Another beautiful van... but just a regular passenger van this time. We are also saying goodbye to the wonderful Minya crew.
We will be taking what they call the "agricultural road". We could go fast at times, but mostly we had to go around slow-moving vehicles and giant potholes.
Some photos along the way...
Uh oh... Robin sick again. We don't know if she accidentally drank the water (we've been super careful!) or it was something she ate.
When we arrived in Luxor, our guide ran into a pharmacy to get her anti-nausea medication.
Karnak Temple is quite expansive! It covers over 200 acres and was a pilgrimage for 2000 years.
The enclosed area is 60 acres. It's the largest temple construction in the world.
The Hypostyle hall, at 54,000 square feet and featuring 134 columns, is still the largest room of any religious building in the world.
Again, the colors are never enhanced. The columns are periodically cleaned and so that's the only touch up they do.
The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Construction of temples started in the Middle Kingdom and continued into Ptolemaic times. Approximately thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere.
The deities represented range from some of the earliest worshipped to those worshipped much later in the history of the Ancient Egyptian culture.
The Avenue of the Sphinxes is a 2.1 km walkway between Karnak and Luxor Temples. Thankfully, we weren't here yesterday because apparently Tiffany Trump was here and closed down all the sites for her to visit. How do you spell E-N-T-I-T-L-E-D? Like our guide said, no one would even know her anyway.
Afterwards, it felt a little precarious carrying our luggage down a rickety boardwalk to catch the water taxi to our hotel.
Smiling...even though I hit my head very hard on the roof.
Apparently, this is the best way to our hotel.
Here is the hotel - Djorff Palace. It's quite the amazing site!!
A great photo in every direction.
We came in from the back (the water side) and here is the front.
Our room is very traditional and spacious.
Although you wouldn't know it by this photo, it's VERY dark inside.
This is why the best way to get here is via the Nile. This is the road to get in. We did see a strange curving pattern in the sand - the path of a snake!
Down the dirt snake road, we found a darkened one room store with these children out front.
The youngest one came in to help her mother and gave Robin and I a free piece of gum.
Robin is just not feeling well.
She's feeling well enough to venture to the pool.
A lot of activity out on the Nile.
We each had a tagine at the onsite restaurant.
The hotel is magical at night.
But we need our cell phone flashlights to see anything in our room!
February 10, 2026
Sunrise at 5:45am. We are being picked up at 6am so we can get to the sites before the crowds and the heat.
The staff brought us a few items the night before so we could have something to eat before we leave.
The road outside our hotel in another direction. We decided to check out of this hotel and into the Hilton on the East Bank. Although this was a unique and beautiful hotel, there were some things we could not tolerate -- the isolation, the dark room with no windows, and the gap under the front door (on the ground floor!) that could easily allow in a scorpion or snake. After seeing the snake trail nearby and reading that Luxor has 10 venomous snakes, we just didn't feel comfortable with the gap in the door.
A great photo at The Colossi of Memnon. All the hot air balloons go up for the sunrise.
The Habu Temple at Medinet Habu, is a vast, exceptionally well-preserved New Kingdom temple complex on Luxor's West Bank. We were the ONLY people there and it was fantastic!
The only people we saw were the workers. This is DEFINITELY the way to see these sites.
Although it looks like our guide is looking at the balloons, she's actually looking at the ceiling and explaining the hieroglyphics.
Everything you see in the temples have a meaning.
Original colors from 1155 BC!
This was my favorite temple... but maybe it was because it was nice and cool and with no crowds.
The vendors are very persistent at every site. They actually follow you to the van door and we had to slam the door on them.
We are now at the Tomb of Hatshepsut. Although the temple/tomb was not as grand, the story of Hatshepsut is way more interesting. She was the longest reigning female pharaoh in Egypt, ruling for more than 20 years. Under Hatshepsut’s reign, Egypt prospered. Unlike other rulers in her dynasty, she was more interested in ensuring economic prosperity than in conquering new lands. There were zero wars during her 20+ year reign.
This is her in later years where she had to dress and look like a man.
But in earlier years, they depicted her as a woman.
Men were always colored this bronze color because they were out in the sun.
At the entrance of all the sites, we have to walk through the aggressive vendors. It's like being forced to go through the duty-free shop at the airport!
We are at the Valley of the Kings. It's WAY more crowded now and getting quite warm.
We rode in a golf cart to the tombs.
After they stopped building huge pyramids to entomb Kings, Egyptian rulers were instead buried in underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings. With the 2005 discovery of a new chamber and the 2008 discovery of two further tomb entrances, the Valley of the Kings is known to contain 65 tombs and chambers. The entrance on the right is one of the tombs open to the public.
The tomb entrance on the left is not open to the public.
Our boat mates told us that the tomb of Sety was the most grand. You have to pay extra to enter it.
What they DON'T tell you is that you descend 6 floors down into the earth to see it. It consists of 11 chambers and several corridors. On the way down, we passed many older people struggling to ascend the stairs back up.
Everything is in perfect condition - 1279 BC.
I had at least six people tell me I was smart to bring a fan.
The baboons were believed to control the rising and setting of the sun each day.
A replica - not the real mummy.
It was brutal climbing six floors in the stifling heat. But it truly was amazing inside!
We also had to pay extra to enter King Tut's tomb. The Valley of the Kings garnered significant attention following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, and is one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world.
Cartouches were inscribed with glyphs of kings' names and other important identifying information. Their overall purpose was to protect, inform, and identify. Cartouches used circles to denote that important names or belongings were inside particular tombs.
This baboon replica was outside the gift shop.
We have now concluded ALL temple visits and headed to the Hilton. It is certainly not in a rural location like the other hotel and there are places nearby.
Like the Djorff Palace, the view of the front isn't grand.
But the back part of the hotel on the Nile is spectacular.
We had a wonderful lunch out by the pool.
Here is the restaurant at night.
This is the view of the West Bank and the Valley of the Kings.
We invited an Australian woman we met at the pool named Regina to have dinner with us. She is traveling alone with a broken foot. Very brave!!
February 11, 2026
We are pulling into Luxor airport for our one hour fight back to Cairo. The guards with machine guns use mirrors to check for bombs under each vehicle. After entering the airport, we ended up going through at least three security and bag checks.
What's up here? We are supposed to be on Nile Air and here we are getting on a Cambodian airline! But as long as we safely get to Cairo, it's fine by me that Nile Air partners with other carriers.
John (owner of Egypt Elite tour company) picked us up so we could see the New Capitol city while waiting seven hours for our flight home. We had expressed interest in seeing something different and he said he hadn't been out there in a while. Here we are at the entrance.
The city, which is now Egypt's official capital, contains Africa's tallest building, biggest mosque and second-biggest stadium, as well as the largest cathedral in the Middle East. It’s located 45 km to the east of Cairo and is being built on 700 square km. It is supposed to house 6.5 million people.
But right now, it's like a spooky ghost town. The buildings are empty.
The housing developments are empty.
The roads are empty.
And yet they keep on building.
Africa's largest mosque. The back of it goes on and on and on.
However, some of the government buildings are in use.
We were able to cut across all ten lanes of traffic without having to wait.
The Presidential Palace.... empty.
A view of the largest church in the Middle East under the unfinished monorail structure.
Many in Egypt question whether the $58 billion being spent on the city could be better invested elsewhere. The high cost of the development also means that the majority of the housing in the city will be out of reach for most of Egypt's population. According to a report by Al Jazeera, a two bedroom apartment in the city costs around $50,000, while the gross domestic product per capita in Egypt is less than $3,000.
"Thus it seems the New Administrative Capital is going to serve as yet another gated community for the rich and will do little to meet the housing needs of Cairo's poor and underprivileged residents," wrote Mustafa Menshawy in Al Jazeera.
There are MANY mosques.
It's like an empty Dubai.
Time for lunch. Since we liked Zooba at the GEM, we'll eat here again at this very modern open-air mall.
The Le Meridian Hotel is connected to the airport so it's a much nicer place to wait for our flights. What a FANTASTIC trip!
One final photo... this is what Robin's leg still looks like after 8 days. But what a trouper she has been!