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This morning’s visit to Edfu was interesting. It is the most preserved temple in Egypt and daily they are finding more ruins buried under existing buildings. The government has had to move people out of those buildings so they can be demolished and continue the digging. I can’t imagine how disruptive this must be for the residents.

Peter, our guide, was born and raised in Edfu. He knows his stuff, that’s for sure. The carvings are mainly dedicated to King Horas, son of Isis and Osiris. The heiroglyphics are everywhere and explain about the fight for good and evil in those times.

At 5:30 AM, we took a horse-drawn carriage through the town to get to the site, which was not too far away. Our driver, Mohammed (who would have guessed), was happy to have us but I am not so sure how happy his horse was. We arrived at the parking lot of carriages and saw the splendor of Edfu. I will shed some light about the state of living in Egypt by the time we leave this country, but suffice it to say that how people live here (and Edfu is a town of over 400,000 – not small) is appalling. India, with its billions of people, seems to be cleaner (and that is saying a lot), less chaotic, and more organized that what we have experienced in Egypt. More about this later…

We finished seeing the temple and then returned to the boat for breakfast. Other than eggs, the offerings were a sea of carbs (pun intended). Jim decided to have some laundry done and dropped a bag of clothes at the reception desk. The bag was full and the cost was about $2 USD. When we went to our room, we both crashed and took a nice nap.

In the afternoon, we went to Karnak and Luxor Temple. Both were amazing, filled with heiroglyphics and many of the same stories of past kings that we will see in many of the temples during this visit. The Karnak Temple Complex consists of a number of temples, chapels and other buildings in the form of a village.. It is for this reason that the Arabian name Karnak means fortified village.

In the middle of modern Luxor is the Luxor Temple, called the world’s largest outdoor museum. It is among the most beautiful of the temples, located right on the east bank of the Nile.

When we returned, we went to the Lounge/Bar where tea and coffee are served with cookies and cake at 4:00 daily. It is also one of two places where there is WiFi available. I was able to update our activities. Eventually, I will add the pictures, hopefully the day after tomorrow when we depart from the boat and head to Hurghada for a few days at the beach. More about that later.

After dinner, there was music and drums going throughout the boat. We weren’t sure about what was being celebrated but we fell asleep pretty quickly.

We woke up tired after our late night arrival, mainly because we couldn’t fall asleep. It was very frustrating but whether the bed or pillow wasn’t very comfortable or we were just over-tired, we knew that this day would be difficult.

After breakfast in the dining room, we met Hannon, our guide for the day. Although we could see the pyramids from our hotel rooftop, you aren’t quite prepared to see them up close as we would today. Their massive size is very intimidating and you can’t help but wonder how they were built and who built them. Our guide said that they were not built by slaves but by workers who had the skill to do the work. So much for the biblical references about slaves and Moses!

Although this is the slow time for travel in Egypt, there were plenty of visitors having pictures taken to pretend they were touching the peak of the pyramid. This is like putting your palm up as if you were pushing the Leaning Tower in Italy. There always are folks who think this is a hoot! Also, there were tons of selfies taken and men taking pictures of females in seductive poses on huge stones, stairs, or against anything vertical. It seems to be the case worldwide…

We walked among the tourists to get closer, walk past the tiny opening that you can pay to enter to get a glimpse of the interior of the pyramid but with soaring temps outside, we were warned that it would be even hotter inside. No thanks.

After seeing all three pyramids and the many small ones (for the kings’ mistresses), we saw the Sphinx, the guardian of the pyramids. It was most impressive. Pictures will be posted separately…

Our next stop was the old market, or bazaar. Many shops were closed because it was Sunday but enough of them were open together a flavor of the wares to be sold. If you didn’t know you were in Egypt, you could be in Morocco, Israel, or India. Everyone wants your attention. Making eye contact or showing a mild interest will have the vendors chasing you down to get you to buy something. The Egyptian vendors are particularly aggressive.

We were then off to lunch. Our guide and driver took us to a restaurant on the Nile in an area packed with upscale hotels. Across the river were huge homes behind high walls, most seemingly not inhabited, at least not now. By the way, the big tourist season is December through March or early April. By May, into June, tourism falls off. The summer is unbearably hot, 115F or more. There were beautiful palm trees lining the river but it seems that some think that the river bank is the place to recycle your water bottles. So sad…

After lunch, we went to the Egyptian Museum. The building houses many statues and artifacts, some as old as 3,000 years. Most of the crypts were looted over the years, with looters taking gold, jewelry, or other important relics that portrayed how people lived over the centuries. Of course, these items were owned by kings and those who could afford coffins of gold (think Tutenkamen). Many displays and mummies have since been moved to the new, yet unfinished Egyptian Museum. However, there was still a lot to see.

Our final destination of the day was our boat, where we will be staying for the next three nights as we cruise up the Nile. It is four stories tall, with a restaurant on the first level, reception and staterooms on the second level, gift shops and more rooms on the third level, and finally, a spa and lounge/bar on the fourth level. From this level, there is a stairway that takes you to the roof deck where the swimming pool and a not so hot tub is located. There are dozens of lounge chairs and a large covered area with tables and chairs. Even in the shade, the heat was uncomfortable. Maybe the hot tub was the way to go.

I did not mention that before going to the boat, we stopped at a shop that makes (and sells) pure essential oils? We had a choice of visiting a spice store or a jewelry store but the oils intrigued me. I have been using essential oils to make almost all of my cleaning and facial products for many years. We got quite a lesson on the different oils and what they do. Jim says that they can see me coming a mile away! In the end, I purchased three oils and will look forward to trying them out. However, I realized that the size I purchased might be too much to take onboard. I may have to become creative to get them down to 30 ml each. Poor planning on my part.

Back to the boat… While checking out the upper deck, we were approached by the onboard massage therapist, who offered us a deal for a massage because the boat was not full. and he was willing to give me a break. Jim said no to a massage, but Helena, the mark, said yes. The massage was good, I think… I fell asleep while he was working on me, so I hope that I got what I paid for!

Time for our first dinner. Buffets are not our favorite but you do have options. In general, the offerings were pretty tasteless and sometimes so tough that even a knife struggled, especially with the beef. The fish was okay, the chicken marginal, and some vegetable dishes could only be described as a “mystery.” We aren’t very picky generally so we will see what other meals offer in the next few days.

We went to bed early because we had a 4:30 AM call to take a van to Abu Simbel, a three hour ride to the south on the Lake Nassar, the lake formed by the Aswan Dam. Other than Lake Victoria, it is the second largest lake in all of Africa. A take-away breakfast would be waiting for us upon our departure. These early morning adventures are not easy. Time for bed…

Today was a travel day. We walked to our favorite breakfast place but being Saturday, it was closed. Odd… We had a little time to kill before going to the Madrid airport for our flight to Cairo.

Even with a carry-on bag and no counter check-in, you need the full two hours to get to the gate area. It is a 23 minute walk after being on the airport train.

We were on Iberia Express, which makes Volaris look like the Queen Mary of airlines. Hard seats that do not recline, and the only beverages available you had to purchase. But, the flight attendants were helpful for the four hour flight and I had a very nice couple from Portugal as seat companions.

Upon arriving, we were met by a representative of the tour company. He got us the visa we needed while we waited to go through passport control. While waiting in line, four other flights came in, making the area total chaos. Hundreds of people were waiting to present their documents, along with screaming babies, impatient mothers, and people who just crashed the line to get in before us. So, what do you do? Not much…

Once outside the terminal, we were transferred to another guide, who drove us to our hotel in Giza, an hour away. As we were approaching midnight, the highway was full with cars and trucks as if it was rush hour. The highway was also plastered with lighted signs advertising new developments in New Cairo, an area that will eventually house government buildings and beautiful homes. Started almost 20 years ago, you could buy a house for about $200k. Now, those homes are selling for over $1 million US equivalent.

As we were barreling down the highway, we noticed that no one drives in the traffic lanes. It is almost a bumper car mentality, where the cars and trucks come within inches of another before passing to get ahead. The lines are only suggestions! We wondered whether there were many accidents but was told no. Hard to believe.

We made it to the hotel in Giza around midnight, ready to fall into bed. We couldn’t tell at night, but the view of the pyramids is amazing. We’ll check it out in the morning.

By the way, Egypt won their football match against Tunisia. The team from Tunis was staying at our hotel and the loss must not have affected them much because they were all set to party at midnight!

After walking over 8,000 steps this morning, we returned to the hotel to rest a bit. Our big breakfast meant that we didn’t need to eat lunch. I caught up writing my blog and added many of the pictures from our activities during our first two days here.

By 6:00, we ventured out to decide about a dinner venue and find a hat for Jim. Unfortunately, he left his Panama hat in the overhead bin on the plane here. It was an older one but…

We looked at several restaurants but most were empty. The busy places hosted folks having a beer (very popular) or wine as a late afternoon break or sometimes for breakfast!. Madrid is definitely a late night town, unlike Ajijic. We walked up Gran Via to a little corner outdoor cafe for a tinto verano for me and a beer for Jim. It was the perfect place to people watch and relax.

Finally, it was dinner time, around 8:00. We opted for a light dinner of garlic shrimp and a Spanish omelet (potatoes and eggs) that we shared. It was tasty and just the right amount of food. Afterward, we walked a few blocks more to Preciado, an area filled with great shops, buskers, and a gelato shop or two. No hat stores to be found.

We went into the local department store, Corte Ingles and there were beautiful Panama hats, not unlike the one Jim left behind. In Mexico, they are about the equivalent of $30 US. Here, they were $170-220 Euros! Yikes! Looks like he will be hatless for the trip, unless he finds something in Egypt. Unlikely…

By 9:30, we were ready to walk back to our hotel. The crowds on the route back were still animated and ready to continue having fun. It is past our normal bedtime but we can still hear people out and about, having a late meal.

After walking ove 15,000 steps today, we were ready for bed. Tomorrow, we have a free morning before we leave for our flight to Cairo. The weather here has been so enjoyable. Egypt will be much warmer, in the mid to high 90’s. Can’t wait!

After a shower and lots of enthusiasm, we woke up around 3:00 PM. We walked (really only a 20 minute walk) toward Plaza España with its incredible architecture, where we saw the Royal Palace, beautiful parks, and finally the Mercado San Miguel. We visited this amazing place on our last visit and it is definitely NOT TO BE MISSED. There are a myriad of pictures of our walk today and the spectacular food offerings in the Mercado.

The first thing is to walk all the aisles and peruse what excites you in food and beverages, then seek out a place to sit where, once found, required taking turns to get wonderful food and not lose your seat. Jim found some tasty beers and I had my favorite, a tinto verano. This is basically a beverage of lemonade with a little red wine. Since our first visit here in 2017, it has been my go-to drink.

While Jim was selecting his lunch, I became acquainted with the couple sitting next to us. Both are physicians from Colombia, who now live in Barcelona and were visiting Madrid on a holiday. They were darling. While I was finding something wonderful to eat, Jim began a conversation with another couple sitting across from us. They were a charming couple who met in Venezuela (she is from Germany with the bulk of her family there, and he is from Venezuela) but live in Malaga, Spain. His mother and sister live in Dallas, TX and while in their early 50’s, they are semi-retired and love to travel. She wants to go to Mexico to check out retirement in our beautiful country and we encouraged them to visit us in the near future.

The lovely walk back to our hotel, seeing so many others enjoying the end of the day, was a perfect end of another day in Madrid. We are looking forward to enjoying tomorrow.

What is the start of a vacation without a minor glitch or two? No boarding pass available online or at the kiosk, so we had to wait in a long line to check in at the counter. We arrived at the airport three hours before departure so no big deal.

We spent a lot of time yesterday organizing our carry-on and under seat bag so we wouldn’t be over weight. It is amazing how quickly you can accumulate 10 kilos! You never know whether it will be weighed  but the counter agent never checked and the small amount that we were over didn’t become an issue. One glitch averted!

When we checked in, the seats we selected and paid for, on the aisle nearer the front of the plane, disappeared. The plane was full (a 787 Dreamliner) and the new seats we were given weren’t too bad but only one was an aisle seat. Once boarding began, the gate agent was able to secure a second aisle seat and we were both happy. Second glitch averted!

The ten-hour flight was easy. As I write this, we are almost half way to Madrid. It looks like we will be landing earlier than expected, 4:20 AM instead of 5:00. It will be challenging to figure out what to do until we can check in at our hotel.

We arrived in Madrid and could both go through immigration in the EU line because I have my Czech passport. They didn’t give Jim a hard time using his US passport, so it was very quick and easy. Forget about getting a bus into town. They don’t run early enough. A taxi ride was much easier and we were taken directly to the hotel.

For those of you suffering with the heat in Ajijic, the high in Madrid will be 76F and currently, at 6:40 AM, it is only 50F. Brrr!

The hotel is nice, well-located, and the staff was very pleasant about checking us in and arranging a clean room earlier than the normal afternoon check-in. The desk was just waiting for guests to depart to help us out.

By 9:30, we were in the room, charging all the devices (thank goodness for lots of plugs) and hopping into bed for a few hours of sleep. It came quickly…

On May 22, 2024, we will be heading for another adventure. We are taking a non-stop flight from Guadalajara to Madrid on AeroMexico, which will be a treat to not have to go via Mexico City or the US. Madrid is one of our favorite places and we have a hotel just off the Gran Via, a wide boulevard where museums, restaurants, shops, and the main plazas are located.

We have two days there to get refreshed from the time zone change, re-visit markets and charming places to enjoy tapas, great wines, and ultimately, do a lot of people-watching. The weather in Madrid should be similar to what we are experiencing in Mexico, but a little cooler. In any case, it will be wonderful to experience this elegant city once again.

From Madrid, we fly to Cairo for an amazing visit to see the ancient pyramids, and so much more. We will be taking a cruise down the Nile, visiting Abu Simbel, and ending our Egyptian adventure in Hurghada on the Red Sea, where we will be snorkeling among the reefs. Jim visited Egypt many years ago and usually prefers not to visit previous destinations but he knows that this trip will be the highlight of my travels. Two of the places we will be visiting were not part of his previous itinerary so he will be experiencing a different trip with me.

Finally, we will fly to Amsterdam for five days of sightseeing and activities we have already scheduled. If you don’t get tickets to the various museums at least six weeks ahead, we understand that it is difficult to get tickets as the time draws near. I visited Amsterdam in 1969 and may assume that there have been a few changes in the past 55 years! We’ll see…

After enjoying the canals, museums, food, Jewish venues, and windmills, we will fly to Madrid for our return trip to Mexico. May is a very popular month to travel from this part of Mexico, as we experience the warmest and driest weather of the year. Fortunately, it is early in the tourist season where we will be going, so we shouldn’t have too many crowds wherever we go. The rainy season usually begins in mid-June and we have fingers crossed that it will be a good one this year. Lake Chapala has suffered from a lack of rain since last year, down by at least 45%.

Please watch for specific entries that show the details of our travels. I love to do this and hope that you will enjoy hearing about our travels. Just in case you think that this is our final trip in 2024, we have already booked a wine tour to South America in the fall! We’ll make sure to keep you posted…