We visited the Great Pyramids of Giza, saw the Sphinx, visited the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, the Luxor Museum, Habu Temple, spent 2 nights on sleeper trains (although no one really got in a lot of sleeping), spent 1 night on a felucca floating down the Nile River towards Luxor. We spent shared a meal with a Nubian family and an elder. In this region and Sudan, Nubians can be traced back to 5000 BC. We visited Abu Simbel, which was carved out of rock by King Ramses II of the 19th dynasty in the New Kingdom. Ramses II ruled Egypt for 67 years. We also visited the temple he built for his wife, Nefertari. Scott and I left the group behind and took a taxi to Philae Temple, which was dismantled and reassembled following construction of the high dam. In Luxor, we visited Karnak Temple, a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world. We saw Colossi Memnon, which are sandstone statutes of Amenhotep III.
Scott arranged for a hot air balloon ride, which was a great way to see the Nile and nearby ridge concealing the Valley of the Kings. The ride was smooth, that is, until we landed or crashed into a farmer's field. We levelled two fruit-bearing trees, but everyone walked away unscathed. Valley of the Kings was a marvel. It's difficult to comprehend the level of effort that went into constructing the tombs.
Back in Cairo, Scott and I went to the Imhotep Museaum & Saqqara, which is best known for the Step Pyramids. The Step pyramids are, in fact, the oldest pyramids in Egypt. We then headed to Coptic Cairo, which encompasses, among other things, the Hanging Church, one of the oldest churches in Egypt, and the Greek Church of St. George. Less impressive was Memphis, the ancient capital of lower Egypt, which dates back to the 6th century BC.
Check out additional pics at: http://s716.photobucket.com/albums/ww169/lagalag000/Egypt%20-%20February%202010/?albumview=slideshow
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