Journeys for Women
Egypt & Jordan
November 2021
Egypt & Jordan
November 2021
We finally made it to Egypt and Jordan, on the third try! We had rescheduled due to the Arab Spring ten years ago, and due to Covid in 2020. This year turned out to be a good time to go, as many tourist spots were uncrowded.
We started in Cairo, in Giza, close to the pyramids, which we could see from our hotel. On our first day of touring, with our lovely Egypt guide, Sahar, we visited the Great (aka Cheops) Pyramid and the Sphynx, then spent some time in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The new one is yet to open, though they've transferred a number of mummies and exhibits. Our touring continued the next day with visits to Dahshur with its Bent and Red Pyramids, Saqqara for the Step Pyramid, and Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt, home of an outdoor museum housing a reclining King Ramses. .
Then we flew to Luxor to begin our four-day Nile cruise. There, we visited the East Bank with its Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever constructed, dating back to 2000BC. We also visited the smaller Luxor Temple from 1500 BC, and the Ave of the Sphynxes.
The next day found us at the West Bank of Luxor, site of the Valley of the Kings, famous for its royal tombs constructed between 1500 and 1000BC. We visited four of them, all below ground, including Tutankhamen's. The adornments in them are spectacular. We also visited nearby Deir El Bahari, a complex of mortuary temples and tombs and site of the temple built for Queen Hatshepsut. We also drove to the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues of a Pharaoh from 1350BC.
We then set sail to Edfu where we visited the Ptolemaic temple of Horus, the hawk-headed protector of the sun god. We enjoyed horse and buggy rides to and from. We cruised to Kom Ombo and walked to the twin sanctuaries of Sobek and Haroeris. We also stopped in the crocodile museum, where these creatures were once considered sacred and were mummified.
Evening entertainment on board included a belly dancer one night, Nubian show another, and a galabia party including an Egyptian BBQ under the stars on the top deck. A couple of us bought black and gold galabia dresses to fit in!
We continued along the Nile to Aswan where we saw the High Dam, largest embankment dam in the world, serving the irrigation needs of Egypt and Sudan. We took a short boat ride to the Temples of Philae. We saw the Unfinished Obelisk and red granite quarry, visited an essential oils factory, and took a late afternoon felucca ride; there was no wind, so we were towed, but the experience was still very pleasant.
The next morning we disembarked and flew to Abu Simbel. For many of us, this was the crowning glory of Egyptian temples--one dedicated to Ramses II and the other to Queen Nefertari from the 1200's BC. Later we flew back to Cairo, where we got Covid PCR tests in preparation for going to Jordan. The following day, we took in Coptic Cairo, with its Hanging Church and St. Sergius Church, where the Holy Family hid from Herod for months. We also saw the Citadel of Saladin, a fortress built to protect Old Cairo, and Mosque of Mohamed Ali. We had lunch at and browsed the Khan el Khalili Bazaar. OK, some of us did more than browse.
Early the next morning, we flew to Amman Jordan where we were met by our wonderful (and handsome) guide Nader. We headed out to the city of Jerash, the largest and best preserved Roman architectural site outside Italy; it dates back to the Neolithic Age, more than 6500 years. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, we toured Old Amman, with its Citadel and Roman Theatre.
The next day, Nader arranged with our driver, Madi, to take the longer, but much more scenic, route along the King's Way to Petra. Our first stop was Mt Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land. We spent some time at the Memorial to Moses which houses beautiful, old mosaics. Next was the town of Madaba and its church with ancient mosaics. In Jordan, mosaics are made from natural stones, no artificial colors are added. We stopped at a mosaic store where several purchases were made. As we drove along the highway, we saw a number of Bedouin camps, distinguished by their tents and livestock. In the afternoon, we had a late lunch at a small B and B--a very special lamb dish that constituted dinner for most of us. Yum! At 830p we took a candlelit walk into Petra. The thousands of luminarias lighting the way were stunning; this event is offered a few days a week. Once at the Treasury, we listened to a man playing the flute, to another singing dolefully, and to the organizer of the event, who spoke to the audience. The show ended with a colored light show.
The following day, we saw Petra "by day". This architectural site dates back to 300 BC, and was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. It's accessed via a narrow canyon called the Siq; it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs. It's also famous for its water conduit system. It's so large with so many paths, it's impossible to "see it all".
The following day, we journeyed to our final destination, a Dead Sea resort, "420 meters below sea level". We spent a couple of days exploring the beach--several of us floated in the Sea--relaxing by the pools, and indulging in spa treatments. It was a fitting conclusion to a busy trip. On the last full day, Nader returned to take three of us to nearby Bethany on the Jordan, the place where John the Baptist is believed to have baptized Jesus. It was very peaceful and uncrowded. The "mighty" Jordan is quite narrow, and at the riverbank, we found ourselves just feet from Israel. On the way back, we managed to do some shopping for bars of mud and mineral soap and bath salts.
There was one more Covid test, this time to return to the US. Again, we all passed, and soon enough were making our way to the airport for our return flights. What an amazing trip!
We started in Cairo, in Giza, close to the pyramids, which we could see from our hotel. On our first day of touring, with our lovely Egypt guide, Sahar, we visited the Great (aka Cheops) Pyramid and the Sphynx, then spent some time in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The new one is yet to open, though they've transferred a number of mummies and exhibits. Our touring continued the next day with visits to Dahshur with its Bent and Red Pyramids, Saqqara for the Step Pyramid, and Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt, home of an outdoor museum housing a reclining King Ramses. .
Then we flew to Luxor to begin our four-day Nile cruise. There, we visited the East Bank with its Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever constructed, dating back to 2000BC. We also visited the smaller Luxor Temple from 1500 BC, and the Ave of the Sphynxes.
The next day found us at the West Bank of Luxor, site of the Valley of the Kings, famous for its royal tombs constructed between 1500 and 1000BC. We visited four of them, all below ground, including Tutankhamen's. The adornments in them are spectacular. We also visited nearby Deir El Bahari, a complex of mortuary temples and tombs and site of the temple built for Queen Hatshepsut. We also drove to the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues of a Pharaoh from 1350BC.
We then set sail to Edfu where we visited the Ptolemaic temple of Horus, the hawk-headed protector of the sun god. We enjoyed horse and buggy rides to and from. We cruised to Kom Ombo and walked to the twin sanctuaries of Sobek and Haroeris. We also stopped in the crocodile museum, where these creatures were once considered sacred and were mummified.
Evening entertainment on board included a belly dancer one night, Nubian show another, and a galabia party including an Egyptian BBQ under the stars on the top deck. A couple of us bought black and gold galabia dresses to fit in!
We continued along the Nile to Aswan where we saw the High Dam, largest embankment dam in the world, serving the irrigation needs of Egypt and Sudan. We took a short boat ride to the Temples of Philae. We saw the Unfinished Obelisk and red granite quarry, visited an essential oils factory, and took a late afternoon felucca ride; there was no wind, so we were towed, but the experience was still very pleasant.
The next morning we disembarked and flew to Abu Simbel. For many of us, this was the crowning glory of Egyptian temples--one dedicated to Ramses II and the other to Queen Nefertari from the 1200's BC. Later we flew back to Cairo, where we got Covid PCR tests in preparation for going to Jordan. The following day, we took in Coptic Cairo, with its Hanging Church and St. Sergius Church, where the Holy Family hid from Herod for months. We also saw the Citadel of Saladin, a fortress built to protect Old Cairo, and Mosque of Mohamed Ali. We had lunch at and browsed the Khan el Khalili Bazaar. OK, some of us did more than browse.
Early the next morning, we flew to Amman Jordan where we were met by our wonderful (and handsome) guide Nader. We headed out to the city of Jerash, the largest and best preserved Roman architectural site outside Italy; it dates back to the Neolithic Age, more than 6500 years. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, we toured Old Amman, with its Citadel and Roman Theatre.
The next day, Nader arranged with our driver, Madi, to take the longer, but much more scenic, route along the King's Way to Petra. Our first stop was Mt Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land. We spent some time at the Memorial to Moses which houses beautiful, old mosaics. Next was the town of Madaba and its church with ancient mosaics. In Jordan, mosaics are made from natural stones, no artificial colors are added. We stopped at a mosaic store where several purchases were made. As we drove along the highway, we saw a number of Bedouin camps, distinguished by their tents and livestock. In the afternoon, we had a late lunch at a small B and B--a very special lamb dish that constituted dinner for most of us. Yum! At 830p we took a candlelit walk into Petra. The thousands of luminarias lighting the way were stunning; this event is offered a few days a week. Once at the Treasury, we listened to a man playing the flute, to another singing dolefully, and to the organizer of the event, who spoke to the audience. The show ended with a colored light show.
The following day, we saw Petra "by day". This architectural site dates back to 300 BC, and was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. It's accessed via a narrow canyon called the Siq; it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs. It's also famous for its water conduit system. It's so large with so many paths, it's impossible to "see it all".
The following day, we journeyed to our final destination, a Dead Sea resort, "420 meters below sea level". We spent a couple of days exploring the beach--several of us floated in the Sea--relaxing by the pools, and indulging in spa treatments. It was a fitting conclusion to a busy trip. On the last full day, Nader returned to take three of us to nearby Bethany on the Jordan, the place where John the Baptist is believed to have baptized Jesus. It was very peaceful and uncrowded. The "mighty" Jordan is quite narrow, and at the riverbank, we found ourselves just feet from Israel. On the way back, we managed to do some shopping for bars of mud and mineral soap and bath salts.
There was one more Covid test, this time to return to the US. Again, we all passed, and soon enough were making our way to the airport for our return flights. What an amazing trip!