January 26, 2026
Anticipation
Next Monday, February 2, Kathy and I will drive to
Toronto, and on Tuesday at noon we’ll fly nonstop Toronto-Cairo to begin an
adventure in Egypt and Jordan.
We’ll stay in Cairo for three days, and I’m very much
looking forward to the new museum there, which is supposed to be
spectacular. We’ll then fly to Luxor and
explore there for a couple of days before getting on a 12-passenger sail-powered
dahabeyah (no engine) for five days (https://www.dahabeyat.com/
). We’ll disembark in Aswan where we’ll
explore for a couple of days, following which we’ll fly from Aswan to Amman,
Jordan via Cairo. After touring Amman we’ll
drive to Petra and visit the site twice, once by candlelight in the evening and
more thoroughly the next day. We’ll then
drive back to Amman, fly to Cairo and connect there to a nonstop back to
Toronto, arriving at 7:00 AM on Feb. 19.
Our intention is to drive home on the 19th, assuming we’re
well rested enough to do so.
Kathy has never been to either country. I traveled to Egypt in 1969, shortly after
the 1967 war, and there was nothing to see in Cairo—they had emptied all the
treasures from the museums and hidden them in case the Israelis came. (All the bridges over the Nile had
anti-aircraft guns on each side of the bridge.)
I did visit Luxor on that trip, but not Aswan, and I have been to Petra,
but never to Amman.
If you have any interest in the detailed itinerary, scroll
down a way on this page and the Egypt part is here:
https://itineraries.geoex.com/shared/itinerary/a7b1b17b-559b-44d9-b5ff-a8e4584be6e8
The Jordan part is here (again, scroll down):
https://itineraries.geoex.com/shared/itinerary/fa963b85-fb05-4257-883e-07e92d705180
With love to all,
Victor
(A couple of photos from the internet below)
Wonderful trip. The dahabeya may have no engine but in our experience there is a relatively powerful launch that accompanies the boat for transfers and to provide power when the wind is inadequate or inappropriate. I hope you are staying at the Old Cataract in Aswan, it is the grandest hotel we have stayed at in all our travels. There are suites in the old building that were occupied by Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie. I think they have stopped the donkey rides to access the monuments in Petra.
ReplyDeleteWe are, indeed, staying at the Old Cataract. Now I'm even more eager! Thanks, Paul.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful things, old and new, to experience--thanks for taking us with you both!
ReplyDeleteThe excitement before a big trip is always special, and Egypt is unforgettable. Cruising the Nile adds a relaxing rhythm to the journey while still seeing iconic sites. While planning, I found Nile Cruisers useful for exploring different cruise styles. Hope your adventure exceeds every expectation — looking forward to your updates!
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