3T Tour

We are back in Cairo after spending a week on the Nile. What a week. We've had what I call the "3T Tour" of Egypt...that stands for Tut, Tombs and Temples. We've learned more about Tut and the other pharaohs than you can imagine. We've also seen tombs and temples, each one grander than the next. The colors that have survived 2000-4000 years boggle your mind. The size of the structures is mind-boggling too. How were these magnificent structures made? Does anyone really know?


Yesterday, after an early morning hot air balloon ride over the city of Luxor, we oohed and aahed over the immensity of Karnak. While a ruin, it is still the largest religious building anywhere on Earth. That's some statement! Did I say it was huge! We also saw the much smaller but still grand, Luxor Temple. Did you know those two temples are less than 3 miles apart? And, they are connected by a boulevard lined with sphinxes? I did not know that!

In addition to these temples, we've climbed around Dendara, Kom Ombo, Philae, Abu Simbel, Edfu, and maybe a few more in the past week. We've also seen the tombs at Giza (aka, the Pyramids), as well as those in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. While the Pyramids are big and interesting, I think the temples and the other tombs are far more fascinating.

We have another week "on the road" as we fly to Amman, Jordan tomorrow. I know there is "something" happening in Israel right now, but according to Grand Circle, tourists are safe. So I'm sticking with that story. We have been very safe while traveling in Egypt! While in Jordan, we plan to visit the famous city of Petra. I'll post pictures when I get back to the "world" but in the meantime, here's a Balloon-eye View of Luxor. Luxor is a small city in the country-side, which used to be called Thebes. Note that many of the homes are roof-less--it rarely rains in the desert, so why put one on top of your home! I guess that makes sense?