|
|
|
 Camille and Robert's Excellent Adventures Please Scroll Down the Page A Weekly Column by Camille Tribe, Strong Road Editors' Note: Camille and Robert's Excellent Adventures will come out every Friday for the Weekend Edition of the Anmore Alternative News. The column started on Thursday, February 12, 2009. The first excellent 26 day adventure was Cruising the Queen Charlotte Islands. To follow this journey Click Here Our next great adventure is in Egypt - Pyramids, Temples, Pharaohs and Queens. Please join us starting on Friday, August 14, 2009 for this weekly adventure as Camille, a historian and teacher by profession, gives us the guided tour. When you read the serial articles the most recent addition is at the top of the page. To read the whole adventure scroll through the articles following. Please be patient when loading files. "Put on the pot of coffee, Honey. I'm ready for an armchair read." Day 18: Alexandria After eating a hearty breakfast, we leave Wadi el Dom at 9:15 am, bound for Alexandria, via Cairo. The day is perfect for driving – sunny and hot. As we draw nearer to Alexandria, we observe a car in front of us with three children in its trunk. We pass the car and are somewhat astounded to see that this same vehicle has at least 10 other family members as passengers. We arrive at Nawal’s and Ali’s villa in King Mariut (in the outskirts of Alexandria) at approximately 2:00 pm. After "lunch", we tour Alexandria. As far as large Egyptian cities go, we must admit that Alexandria is our favorite. We take a long walk along the Corniche and later visit Fort Qaitbey, which was built in the 1480’s by Sultan Qaitbey on the site of the Pharos Lighthouse, using its stones ruins. Click Here Pyramids, Temples, Pharaohs and Queens - The Prologue - August 14, 2009 Click Here HISTORY OF HIEROGLYPHICS - 21-08-09 Around 3250 BC, the need to organize settlements led to the invention of the world’s first form of writing; namely, that of hieroglyphics – a significant achievement since the earliest writing in Mesopotamia did not occur until several centuries later. And to think that in all of my teaching years, I always said that Hammurabi’s Code was the first recorded example of codified law and writing. That will teach me! For the full story Click Here Mummification - August 28,2009 The ancient Egyptians believed in an eternal afterlife and thus, developed a complex funerary cult to maintain their life after death. This involved preserving the dead through a process of mummification, so that the soul would live in the embalmed corpse. True mummification began in the 4th Dynasty with the development of artificial embalming techniques. Ancient Egypt's Religious Beliefs - September 4, 2009 Temples played a vital role in the everyday life of ancient Egyptians. They served not only as the religious core, but also as a hub of economic employment since the townhall, medical centre and college were also located within. Temples were built at the centre of every settlement, devoted to a particular god or set of gods and maintained by the priests for the benefit of all. For the full story Click Here Day 1 - Flight to Frankfurt 11-09-09 Today, we fly from Vancouver to Frankfurt, en route to Cairo, Egypt. Our itinerary is to stay in Sharm el-Sheik for seven days; then, off to Cairo for four days; Aswan (Abu Simbel) for one day; Luxor for three days; back to Cairo and Wadi el Dom (Gulf of Suez) for one day; Alexandria for two days; and, finally, return to Cairo for another day before departing for Vancouver. Sounds like a whirlwind, doesn’t it? Egypt, here we come! Day 2: Frankfurt to Cairo to Sharm el-Sheik Today, we fly from Frankfurt Airport to Sharm el-Sheik, via Cairo. After we arrive in Cairo, we are picked up at the airport by Shadia's driver who transports us to Salwa's and Gamal’s home, where we can have a shower, change our clothes and have some refreshments. At 9:15 pm, we say our goodbyes and Gamal takes us to the domestic airport. Our flight is delayed; thus, we do not arrive in Sharm el-Sheik until after midnight, at which time we are starving. At 1:30 am, we head to the hotel’s pub to have some sustenance. At 3:00 am, we head back to our respective rooms and collapse into our beds after an incredibly long day. I have not had any sleep for at least 36-hours. Day 3 (A): Ras Umm Sid and Paradise Today, Robert and Michelle will finally be able to fulfill their dream – dive the Red Sea. After having a hearty breakfast, we leave the hotel at 10:00 am. Robert, Michelle and Tim load all their dive gear and underwater camera equipment into the same "luxury" vehicle that transported us from the Sharm el-Sheik Airport last night to our hotel. They will do two dives today - Ras Umm Sid and Paradise. Robert is able to take many spectacular underwater pictures. Due to their abundance, I have divided Day 3 into two section. Day 3 (A) will deal with their first dive - Day 3 (B) will follow next week with their second dive. Click Here Day 3(B): Second Dive on Day 3 in Paradise Today, we will continue with Robert's and Michelle's second dive on Day 3 - Paradise. This dive turns out to be much better than the first, due to their seeing a huge manta ray and a great octopus. Once we return to the dock, we suddenly realize what Egyptian diving chaos is all about. Four hundred and fifty very large boats share one jetty. We return to our hotel, have dinner and go for a walk along the Corniche to people watch. We are fascinated by the number of those who are inappropriately dressed, full of "glitz", wearing more sequins than can be found in Las Vegas. We return to our hotel at 2:00 am – all the stores are still open. Does anyone ever sleep in Sharm el-Sheik? 01-10-09 Click Here Day 4(A): Canyon/Fish Bowl and the Blue Hole - October 7, 2009. Today, Robert, Michelle and Tim leave early in the morning for a day dive trip to Dahab. The main attractions in Dahab are its Bedouin atmosphere, coral reefs and diving sites close to shore. I go for a walk along the Corniche, then, return to the hotel, sit by the pool, read, write in my journal and people watch. At 5:10 pm, Robert, Michelle and Tim return to the hotel and relate their day’s journey to me. They have completed two dives - Canyon/Fish Bowl and the Blue Hole. Once again, Robert is able to take many spectacular underwater pictures. Due to their abundance, I have divided Day 4 into two sections. Day 4(A) will deal with their first dive - Day 4(B) will follow next week with their second dive. Click Here Day 4(B):Dive 2, the Blue Hole (15-10-09) Editor: Wow! Incredible Photos, Robert! Before embarking on Dive 2, the Blue Hole, Robert, Michelle and Tim enjoy lunch They quickly learn that the most interesting part about Dahab is not the quality of the diving, but the ambiance of the diving itself. This area combines the old and the new with the trucks, camels, divers and Bedouins in the middle. The interest in diving the Blue Hole is in reality relatively small. It is a very dangerous dive site, which plummets down to over 350-feet and, as a result, has gained its fame from its high number of fatalities. All the same, Robert, Michelle and Tim are careful not to the go beyond 120-feet. Fortunately, Robert is able to take some fabulous underwater pictures. Click Here Day 5 (A): Shark and Yolanda Reef (21-10-09) Today is the day that the entire 13 family entourage arrives, which include our life-long Egyptians friends, Eglal and Ash and all of Eglal's sisters and one brother along with their respective spouses. Remember – they are only here to keep me company, so that I do not get too lonely while the divers are on the live-aboard. Can you believe how spoiled I am? On the Ranada, Robert, Michelle and Tim complete four dives. As usual, Robert is able to take some spectacular underwater pictures. Due to their abundance, I have divided Day 5 into two sections. Day 5 (A) will deal with their first two dives - Day 5 (B) will follow next week with their third and fourth dives. They begin their first two dives in Shark and Yolanda Reef in Ras Mohammed Park at 7:00 am. Click Here Day 5B: Dunraven (Beacon Rock) in the Strait of Gubal After breakfast, the divers prepare for their next underwater experience at Dunraven (Beacon Rock) in the Strait of Gubal. This diving site is that of an 1876 British shipwreck, which lies upside down at 15 – 30 metres depth in two sections. Their final dive of the day is Alternatives. The site is named Alternatives, as it is so-well sheltered and offers alternative dives when conditions in the open sea are prohibitive. Due to the depth of the two dives (over 120-feet), the underwater pictures Robert is able to take do not have the same clarity nor hue. Click Here Day 6: Diving Thistlegorm and Shag Rock Today, we all take a walk down the Corniche and, then all meet at the hotel’s beach for some swimming, sun and relaxation. Afterwards, Shadia, Mostafa, Nelly and I decide to search out a good Egyptian restaurant for lunch. I want to taste typical Egyptian cuisine. We stop at a restaurant, which specializes in Lebanese, Egyptian and Turkish cooking. We order at least 12-different dishes – all of which are absolutely delicious. Later, Robert and Michelle call from the Ranada and give us a synopsis of their diving day. They complete two wreck dives: Thistlegorm in the Strait of Gubal that lies 19.2 miles from Ras Mohammed and 31-miles from Sharm el-Sheik; and, Shag Rock (Kingston), located about six miles away. Click Here Day 7: Diving Anemone City, Shark Observatory, Jackfish Alley and Ras Katy When I get out of bed this morning, I do feel the worse for wear - no sleep and sick all night. Mostafa offers to take us on a car tour through Sharm. We load up in the two cars and set off to see the sights of Sharm. First, we check out Rania’s villa in Kallam Heights, overlooking the Red Sea – gorgeous to say the least, with the most spectacular view. We drive to the adjoining district of Nabq and stop to check out the Laguna Beach Hotel. Later, we walk up to the Sofitel Hotel, which is located on the eastern, highest point of Naama Bay. Built in a tasteful Moorish style, the hotel has a stunning outlook over the Bay. Robert, Michelle and Tim do four dives today - Anemone City, Shark Observatory, Jackfish Alley and Ras Katy. Hope you enjoyed your day today divers, as tomorrow you will be returning to the Marriott. I will be glad to see you again. I have missed you. Click Here Day 8: Diving Ras Rhozlani and Temple  When I awake this morning, I feel somewhat better. I meet the family for breakfast and eat a little. All of us are to meet Robert, Michelle and Tim on board the Ranada at 10:00 am for a relaxing cruise, lunch, swim, snorkel – whatever our heart desires. When we arrive, the divers have just completed their first dive of the day at Ras Ghozlani. We are onboard during their second dive, Temple. Around 4:00 pm we return to the jetty and head for the Marriott. Robert and I have invited everyone (16 of us) to be our guests for dinner this evening at the Four Seasons. We go back to our room to get ready for dinner. When Robert exits the shower, I ask him why he has blonde hair. It seems that the rust from the hotel’s water pipes have coloured his grey hair to that of blonde. It really is quite hilarious to behold! It is at this point of time that Tim refers to him as “Rusty” – a name that stays with him during the remainder of our trip. Actually, the truth be known, Robert rather fancies himself in blonde hair and even teases me that he is going to have his hair dyed when we return home. Click Here Day 9: Sharm el-Sheik to Cairo  After breakfast with the family, it is time for us to say our goodbyes. We check out of the hotel and board our mini bus for our flight to Cairo. We watch in amazement as they try to load everyone’s luggage on the roof of the van. Impossible. When we arrive in Cairo, we immediately are taken to Salwa’s and Gamal’s home - a barbecue is being held in our honour. Our “barbecue” is like none other I have ever attended. Around 10:00 pm, we are taken by Shadia’s driver, Ahmed, to our hotel – the Sofitel Maadi, as it is in a centralized location. Our suite is lovely – overlooks the Nile. We quickly unpack and go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big sightseeing day. - Click Here Day 10(A): Cairo - Great Pyramid at Giza  Day 10 (A): After eating a hearty breakfast, Tim and Shadia’s driver, Ahmed, pick us up at 8:00 am at our hotel. Today, we are going to be very busy – first, a visit to the Great Pyramid at Giza; after that, the Sphinx; then, the Saqqara Steppe Pyramids; and, finally, off to the Saqqara Country and Riding Club, where Nelly’s son, Ismail, has arranged for Michelle to be able to fulfill another dream – ride an Arab horse through the desert. After this, we will top off our evening with a family feast at Shadia’s. Due to the length of our sightseeing today, I am dividing Day 10 into two sections. Day 10(A) will deal with our visit to the Great Pyramid at Giza; Day 10(B) will cover the Sphinx, Saqqara Steppe Pyramids, Saqqara Country and Riding Club and dinner at Shadia's. - Click Here Day 10(B): Cairo - Sphinz, Saqqara Steppe Pyramids, Saqqara Country and Riding Club After visiting the Great Pyramid at Giza, we, then, drive over to the location of the Sphinx. Later, we tour the Saqqara Steppe Pyramids and, afterwards, go off to the Saqqara Country and Riding Club, so that Michelle can ride an Arab horse through the desert. After this, we top off our evening with a family feast at Shadia’s. All in all, a delightful day of both sightseeing and family entertaining. - Click Here Day 11: Cairo - Cairo Museum, Papyrus Institute After a substantial breakfast at the hotel, Ahmed picks us up at 10:00 am for another busy day. We arrive at the Egyptian Museum at approximately 11:00 am. The museum is not that busy yet, but you can see that it is going to fill up quickly. Next on our list is a visit to the Papyrus Institute. Later, we go to Nadia’s daughter's place as she has invited all of us to her apartment for drinks and appetizers. After this, we go to Nadia’s for more drinks and dinner. As expected, it is spectacular. Around 11:00 pm, we leave. Nadia has made arrangements for us to be taken back to our hotel by taxi. - Click Here Day 12(A): Cairo, Coptic Cairo and Islamic Cairo Again, Ahmed and Tim pick us up at out hotel at 10:00 am. Today, we have another busy day of sight-seeing planned. First (Day 12A), we are off to view the Convent and Church of St. George in Coptic (Christian) Cairo; then, visit the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas; and, finally, complete a tour of the Citadel in Islamic Cairo. After this (Day 12B), we are to meet all the family at the Katamaya Country Club, where we are to be the guests of Nelly for a late lunch. Later, we plan on shopping at the Khan al-Khalili Market. Due to extensive sightseeing, Day 12 will, once again, be divided into two sections. - Click Here Day 12(B): Cairo, Katamaya Country Club, Khan al-Khalili Market After viewing the Convent and Church of St. George in Coptic (Christian) Cairo and the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas and the Citadel in Islamic Cairo, we meet all the family at the Katamaya Country Club for a late lunch. Later, we go shopping at the Khan al-Khalili Market. I am actively looking for an 18-carat gold, hand engraved bracelet to purchase. Click Here Day 13(A): Aswan, Abu Simbel, Elephantine Island, High Dam, Lake Nasser Today is the only day of our entire trip that we will be traveling on our own. We make our way in a taxi to the Cairo Airport for a 4:30 am Egypt Air flight. We are off to Abu Simbel, via Aswan. After viewing the wonders of Abu Simbel, we return to the airport and fly to Aswan. On route to our hotel on Elephantine Island, we pass by the High Dam and Lake Nasser. We must cross by boat to reach our hotel where we are given a royal welcome. Obviously, Salwa and Gamal have done a great job ensuring that our visit is perfect. We check in and ask the manager to arrange a tour guide and driver to take us to the Temple of Philae and the Unfinished Obelisk. Later, we go for a walk along the Corniche. Due to another lengthy day of sightseeing, I have, once again, divided Day 13 into two reading sections. - Click Here Day 13(B): Aswan, Temple of Philae, Unfinished Obelisk, Cataract Hotel The second part of today continues with a tour of the Temple of Philae and, then, the Unfinished Obelisk. Later, we go for a walk along the Corniche. We pass by the ship "Philae", the same boat that we had spent five days on in February 2000 during a Nile cruise. Later, we stop at the world renowned hotel, "The Cataract" to have afternoon tea on its patio overlooking the Nile. However, we are unable to gain entry into the hotel grounds as we are supposedly "inappropriately dressed". The guard looks for a bribe from us; however, we are tired of this behaviour and, thus, leave in disgust. Click Here Day 14(A): Luxor, Karnak Temple  After an early breakfast, we head to the Aswan Airport to catch a flight to Luxor where we will be staying at the Meridian Hotel, owned by Salwa and Gamal. Upon arrival, we are offered drinks and escorted to our room – an opulent suite overlooking the pool and the Nile. At 11:00 am, we head for the Karnak Temple – nothing short of magnificent! The Karnak complex was known as “Ipet-Isut” (the most perfect of places) to ancient Egyptians. Once again, Day 14 is full of sight-seeing adventures; therefore, I have divided this chapter into two parts. Part 1 will deal with the Karnak Temple. Part 2, Luxor Temple. Click Here Day 14(B): Luxor, Luxor Temple After viewing the spectacular Karnak Temple, we make our way to Luxor Temple - another sight to behold! Later, we return to our hotel and have a delicious late lunch by the pool. We, then, decide to take a lovely stroll along the Corniche, whereby we make two observations. First, the caleches (both horses and carriages) are maintained in much better condition than in Aswan. As well, there is less panhandling. As a result, our stroll is very pleasant and relaxing. All 15 of us are meeting at 9:30 pm for drinks and dinner at the Hotel's Middle Eastern restaurant. Click Here Day 15(A): Luxor, Hot Air Ballooning Over the Nile Valley, Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut Temple This morning we are up early, as Gamal has arranged for Robert, Michelle, Tim and me to be picked up at the hotel at 6:00 am to go for a hot air balloon ride over Luxor. At 2000 feet, we balloon over the West Bank, where the view is quite phenomenal. We are air-borne for approximately 30-minutes. We return to our hotel and have breakfast. Then, we leave at 9:30 am for our fullest day of sightseeing yet. Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon, and, then, Hatshepsut Temple at Deir al-Bahri. Again, Day 15 is divided into two sections. Click Here  Day 15(B): Valley of the Kings: Our next stop is the Valley of the Kings. This remote, barren valley was the necropolis of the New Kingdom Pharaohs, dating back to Tuthmosis I in 1500 BC. Since it was becoming readily apparent that the pyramids were becoming too obvious a target for robbers, pharaohs dug their tombs deep into the Theban Hills in hopes of protecting their priceless possessions buried with them. Suffice to say that cremation and/or a simple memorial service were considered undesirable to the royals of ancient Egypt! Click Here Alas, Good-Bye to Luxor! (29-03-10) Day 16(B): Gamal has arranged for a mini bus to pick us up at 7:00 pm to transport all of us to another hotel on the West Bank for dinner. After receiving a police escort, both in front and back of our bus (I guess it is important to know people in high places), we arrive at this hidden gem of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere: the El Moudira Hotel. The atmosphere is magical. Our dinner is incredible. We, then, take a tour of the hotel. The Moorish setting is magnificent! How charming can one place be? We return to our hotel at 10:00 pm, again with a police escort. I should inform readers that a police escort entails two jeeps with six policemen in each; one driver, one passenger and four sitting in the jeep’s open back. All policemen are armed with machine guns. I guess the message is loud and clear. Don’t mess with us! Click Here (Robert and Michele Tribe) Day 17: Gulf of Suez: This morning, we arise at 4:30 am, as we have a 6:30 am flight to Cairo. When we arrive at Cairo Airport, Shadia takes us to her villa in Wadi el Dom, located on the Gulf of Suez. During our journey, we pass by the City of the Dead. We reach our destination at approximately 10:30 am. Mostafa has already arrived. We are greeted by the staff who unloads all our luggage. Mostafa has arranged for us to borrow a 40-foot catamaran to sail the Gulf of Suez. Armed with beer, water, many appetizers, we (10 of us) all set off to the docks. A dolphin even joins us for over 30-minutes. What a wonderful day! Click Here
|
|
|
|
|
|
