Cairo - Lili on the Loose

16 09, 2016

The Glass as it were a Glittering Star

By Lili|September 16th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Hieroglyphics, Islam, Lamp, Middle East, Mosque, Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Photo Friday, Qur'an, The Citadel, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, verse, verse of light|0 Comments

The Verse of Light from the Qur'an is written very pretty, and is a good fit for looking up at the many glass lamps in the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, in Cairo, Egypt. The verse goes like this: God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp— the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star— lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. God draws parables

15 08, 2016

Travel Missteps: The Fast Felucca

By Lili|August 15th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2015, Africa, Aswan, Cairo, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, Felucca, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Middle East, night train, Nile, obelisk, pool, Sailboat, service, unfinished obelisk|0 Comments

After a long night train from Cairo, we finally reached Aswan. To hit the ground running, I immediately took a taxi to the Unfinished Obelisk. Afterwards, I was so tired, and so decided to swim at the hotel pool, which overlooks the Nile. Typical to the "service" standard that was in Egypt, no towel attendants were in sight. Due to the lack of tourists the cafe was shut down. (We ordered lunch with a lone employee who had appeared, but it took over 2 hours for us to finally see them again with that food!) And the pool was missing

20 04, 2016

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

By Lili|April 20th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Travelogue, Egyptian Museum, G Adventures, Giza, Great Pyramids, Great Pyramids of Giza, Middle East, night train, Pyramid, train|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.

11 02, 2016

Night Train to Aswan

By Lili|February 11th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travel Tips|Tags: 2015, Africa, Aswan, Asyut, Cairo, Dream of Egypt, Edfu, Egypt, Esna, Giza, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Middle East, night train, Qena, train, train travel, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

Farmland out the window. On my trip to Egypt, I spent one night on the sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan. The train from Cairo to Aswan for tourists only runs at night, so you must take the night train. It took about 13 hours. Here are my thoughts on the experience. The Station I boarded at the Giza Station. I was a bit sad as I was hoping to see the famed Ramses Station and its beautiful architecture, but we were on the Giza side of Cairo and it didn't sense to fight traffic back into town. The station is

9 02, 2016

Egypt Travelogue: Day 3 – Jet Lag in Giza

By Lili|February 9th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories, Travelogue|Tags: 2015, Africa, airport, bomb, buffet, Cairo, customs, Dream of Egypt, Egypt Travelogue, Egyptian Sidekick, Emeralds, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Giza, Grand Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids, hibiscus, Hibiscus Tea, Holland, immigration, Jade, jewelry, Middle East, necklace, Poland, Pyramids, Saqqara, Scarab, Windmills|1 Comment

This is my travel diary of my trip to Egypt. It contains in detail my memories of what I did and saw. Saturday October 24, 2015 Egypt: Day 3 - Jet Lag in Giza It was hard to sleep on the plane, especially knowing that it would arrive to Cairo at nearly 2AM. The girl and I spoke some more. She was from Holland, but I was so tired I kept asking her about "Poland". She told me how its so flat and there are windmills everywhere. It actually sounded pretty idilic. As we entered the terminal, my G Adventures airport transfer

7 12, 2015

Travel Missteps: Terror on the High Seas

By Lili|December 7th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Camel, Camels, Dream of Egypt, Dream Trip to Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, fear, fear of heights, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Giza, Middle East, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|1 Comment

They call camels the "Ships of the Desert" as they are the most resilient and efficient form of travel. I actually hadn't planned on riding a camel. I had been warned, "They spit! They bite!" And other travel bloggers noted that the gate of a camel is awkward and will make you walk funny for days after. But I got caught up in the mystique of the pyramids, and so happily joined my friend on a camel trek in the desert around the Great Pyramids of Giza. Plus it cost so little! Just 120 EGP (plus 10 EGP tip at

19 11, 2015

Egypt Trip Cost & Budget Analysis

By Lili|November 19th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Budget|Tags: 2015, Accommodation, activities, Africa, airfare, analysis, baksheesh, breakdown, budget, Cairo, cost, Denver, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, Egyptian Sidekick, Europe, food, Frankfurt, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Germany, hotel, Lufthansa, meals, Middle East, Munich, North America, optional activities, shopping, spending, Super Shuttle, taxi, tour, travel insurance, Travel Insured International, USA, Visa|0 Comments

This is my budget breakdown of my trip to Egypt (with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany). I knew going into this trip that it was going to be on the expensive side. I had budgeted $6262.41 in expenses for this trip. Here is how I actually spent that budget: Airfare: $972.26 I had watched airfare obsessively for about 2 months before I saw the airfare drop significantly through Lufthansa. I was able to get a 1 stop through Frankfurt on the way to Egypt, including a 12 hour layover in Frankfurt. And then on the way home I'd have 2 quick stops in

4 11, 2015

This Day in History: First Steps towards Tutankhamun’s Tomb

By Lili|November 4th, 2015|Categories: Currently Traveling, History, Travel|Tags: Africa, Cairo, Egypt, Luxor, Middle East, Tomb, Travel Thursday, Tutankhamun, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Valley of the Kings|0 Comments

Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon at the entrance of the tomb. 1922. “At last [I] have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival; congratulations.” Howard Carter's cable to Lord Carnarvon on November 5th, 1922. The day before, on November 4th, Carter's team found the first step of a sunken stairway and then on the 5th they reached the sealed doorway to the tomb. A few weeks later Carter and Carnarvon would open Tutankhamun's tomb and entrance the world with their findings. Today I'm sadly leaving Luxor to head back to

26 03, 2015

Egypt Trip Itinerary

By Lili|March 26th, 2015|Categories: Itinerary, Travel, Upcoming Travel|Tags: 2015, Abu Simbel, Abu Sir, activities, Africa, Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Cruise, Dahshur, Dashur, Denver, Dream of Egypt, Edfu, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, Europe, Frankfurt, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Germany, Giza, itinerary, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Memphis, Middle East, Munich, museum, Nile, North America, Pyramids, Saqqara, Sharm, Sharm el Sheikh, Temple, tour, USA, Wadi Natrum|0 Comments

Within the next few months I will be embarking on my dream trip of a lifetime - EGYPT! I've been wanting to do this trip forever and actually had the money saved up to go in 2011, but the revolution put a kink in my plans. I was skittish, not wanting to go during that trouble period. But I realize now, things will never be stable...at least not for another decade or so. And so I must take a leap of faith, stop waiting, and just go! So for the last few months I've been planning this trip. Below is