31 07, 2017

Travel Missteps: Creepy Taxi Ride

By |July 31st, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I was glad when one of my other group members said they had scheduled a taxi to the airport for 150 EGP, because I too only had 150 EGP left! And I didn't want to have to pull out more EGP on my last afternoon. But to my dismay no one at the hotel would schedule me a taxi for that price. They wanted around 350-400 EGP. I tried to plead my case, that my "friend" just got a taxi for 150 EGP! They just pointed outside and said, "Try your luck outside then if you don't have the money!"

22 07, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Cartouche

By |July 22nd, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Custom cartouche necklaces. The most common souvenir in Egypt. You'll find hotels, your Nile cruise ship, and numerous shops selling these to you. They also take 24-48 hours to make and return. The first step is deciding what it should say. For me my first name is too boring, so I decided to go with initials (yes...I have that many middle names...). After that you'll choose the cartouche (you'll see tons of styles), what metal the cartouche and the letters should be. (Its hard to tell but the cartouche is silver, while the letters are gold.) And you can also choose if

10 04, 2017

Travel Missteps: The Best Laid Plans

By |April 10th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I'm not known for spontaneity. As an introvert if I don't have set plans its too easy to forgo them. So when I travel I tend to overplan. I'm not insane. I don't have exact step by step down to the minute plans. Instead I have knowledge and options. I'll know of things to see and do, when they open, and what is nearby. Sort of like an al-la-carte menu. So what would you do with one free day? One full of promise, but no set plans? This is what I pondered for my last day in Egypt. I would be

29 12, 2016

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

By |December 29th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

"Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration." - UNESCO There are thousands of world heritage sites. I've been to 30 of them: Salzburg Austria Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg A turtle in Belize Belize Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System Ramses Temple at Abu Simbel Egypt Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis Historic Cairo Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to

3 11, 2016

Egyptian Sidekick Review

By |November 3rd, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Review|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

On my second day in Egypt, I wanted to splurge and have a private tour, so I could see the sights of Dahshur, Memphis, and Saqqara at my own pace. Trying to find a reputable Egyptologist guide online was a bit daunting, so I decided to go in a different direction. This is my review of Egyptian Sidekick. This review is my own and was not solicited by the tour company and I paid full price for the tour. What is it? Egyptian Sidekick is a private tour organizer that provides tailored sightseeing experiences for you or your group. They

20 04, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 7, Part 2 – Treasures of the Egyptian Museum

By |April 20th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |2 Comments

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Wednesday October 28, 2015 Egypt: Day 7, Part 2 – Treasures of the Egyptian Museum I napped and relaxed as we headed back to Cairo. As we got closer, you could see the Great Pyramids off in the distance. I was a bit amused by this. In Colorado we joke about the people who never go into the mountains. You can see them everywhere in the front range. They are so ever present that we do directions using them.

8 03, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 5, Part 4 – Papyrus Trap & Alexandria

By |March 8th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Monday October 26, 2015 Egypt: Day 5, Part 4 – Papyrus Trap & Road to Alexandria We then headed to a "Papyrus Museum", or a store that has been licensed in making real authentic papyrus (fake/cheaper ones are made with banana leaves). The store showed us how the papyrus is cut, left to age in the water, and then how to make it by alternating layers in different directions and pounding out all the water. She showed how it

3 03, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 5, Part 3 – Mystery of the Sphinx

By |March 3rd, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Monday October 26, 2015 Egypt: Day 5, Part 3 – Mystery of the Sphinx I don't recall why we had to wait, but as we did I snapped a photo of a pyramid through the first trees I had seen since arriving. We then started the walk through the souvenir sellers towards the mortuary temple in front of the Sphinx. Mikel acted as translator for any sellers that came up to us. He later said its easier for him

2 03, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 5, Part 2 – Khufu, Khafre, & Menkaure

By |March 2nd, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Monday October 26, 2015 Egypt: Day 5, Part 2 – Khufu, Khafre, & Menkaure One thing people always warn you is that the size of the pyramids make them seem like they are close enough to walk to...but they really aren't. Which is why we had hopped back into the van near Khufu's pyramid, and drove past Khafre. I strained to see it as we drove by. A short time later we were in front of Menkaure's Pyramid,

1 03, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 5, Part 1 – Great Pyramids of Giza

By |March 1st, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Monday October 26, 2015 Egypt: Day 5, Part 1 – Great Pyramids of Giza Elizabeth and I woke up early, and took turns taking showers. We got most of our belongings ready and then headed down to breakfast. To my dismay the potatoes were out. I tried to get attention of the staff and failed, so stuck with bread, butter, and those donut-esque little balls that I had previously. After a while they finally did bring some potatoes and