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Jo saw her first hoopoe.

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Catch up

Other than our report on new year, we have not reported since we were left hungry in the doldrums in the Nile at Aswan. I am pleased to report that we did get lunch and dinner and, interspersed, we saw some ruins, a monastery, and the Aga Khan mausoleum. At nine that night was the english son et lumiere show at Philae. Since I fell asleep, I will let Sara describe. "Oh nile... Ecstasy...Don't kill the fish who ate his manhood..." And so on with lots of pretty lights on the monuments. Home by 11:00 and up at 3:30 for a ride in an armed convoy to Abu Simbel to see the temples of Ramses II and Neferteri. Worth it. Finally a revolt in the ranks and only Jim went to the Nubian village.
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One more thing

Jim joined the dancing... "All of the sudden I looked up and there was Jimbo dancing with us."
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Happy New Year! Gala

We were some of the first in the door for our free non-alcoholic drink of either oj or hibiscus tea. We were also some of the first to eat the hand carved lamb (head and all). And Mom was definitely the first at the dessert table. And Rebecca is now dancing some traditional nubian dances. I wonder if we'll be the first to head to bed... Sara

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Islamic Cairo

Yesterday we saw lots of mosques and the bazaar. At the bazaar we were entertained by the salesmen: "How can I take your money?" To Sara: "Spicy lady, spicy lady." To Rebecca: " I would kill my wife for you." To Jim: "How many women do you have?". When Jim held up his hand with all fingers outstretched: "Wow" Night train to Aswan.
Right now we are sitting in the middle of the river nile at noon. You might wonder: "where are they going to eat lunch?" Well, that is an excellent question without an answer or any options available. But that doesn't mean we don't have smiles on our faces. We are having a great time! I mean, it is pretty hilarious, we are actually floating backwards because there is no wind, waiting for a motor boat to save us.
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Pictures

Sara was smart enough to bring her USB cable so here are some photos from the trip thus far.

Cathy, Catherine, and Jim before the hike up Mt. Sinai.

Jim at the top of Mt. Sinai at sunrise.

Burning Bush. THE burning bush.

Catherine, Jim, Cathy, and Sara at the Suez Canal.

13th Century paintings (Sara thinks) of St. Paul and St. Anthony and their raven bringing them bread at St. Anthony's Monastery.

Cathy and Sara in St. Anthony's Cave. (This one's for you, TJ.)

Jo and Boo at Dashour Pyramids with Asian tourists behind us.

Boo on a camel at Giza.

Sphinx and Pyramid at Giza.

Catherine and Jim listen to our guide Mona in the mummification temple.

Mohammed Ali Mosque (not the boxer) in the Citadel in Cairo. The mosque kind of looks like a frog Boo says.

At the top of a tower overlooking the Ibn Tulun Mosque.

Jo and Cathy look back at their pictures in the Egyptian Pancake House.

She can't hear you.

Jim's spa vacation

We have had several different workout routines on this vacation. The first two days we basically had a walk, walk, climb up up up up, climb down down down down, walk. The third day we had stand on marble, walk a few steps, stand on marble, walk a few steps, sit down, stand up, for two hours, then walk for an hour, then take a taxi. Today we upped it a notch and did climb up up, squat and climb down down down, squat and walk, rest and look at empty tomb and then reverse, for three cycles. Granted, we were at three different pyramid sites, so we were not bored. Combined with a colonic I call Cairo cra_, we will be in excellent physical shape. The pyramids and Sphinx were everything they were advertised.
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