Excited to return to Egypt - 3-22-19 !!

Abu Simble

Super excited to be returning to Egypt very soon !  I'll be spending a month there, first taking a group with me to tour several locations in Egypt that are a must to see, Pyramids in Cairo, Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple in Luxor, Abu Simble by Aswan (the magnificent temple you see the the above photo) and of course a leisurely cruise down the Nile that is just sublime!

I've been to Egypt so many times that the idea of partnering with my friend Mohamed Bahaa and his travel agency to show my friends and their friends the Egypt that I love seemed a natural thing to do and Amoura Tours was born!

 

So the first part of my trip will be to tour the places I mentioned above with a small group of friends, many of them my ex-coworkers from my Kodak days. In addition to the places I've mentioned we will also visit and do many other things but one thing I love to do is show them places that are not "touristy", places that are quite popular with locals and some of my "hidden gems" that you can only see if you travel with me. Once we leave the busy and at times chaotic vibe of Cairo, we will fly south to Luxor and see the truly amazing temples and sites there.  For those of you that don't know, Luxor was known as Thebes in ancient Egypt,  was the capital and where most of the Pharaohs and Kings resided and later were laid to rest in the Valley of the Kings .  So many things to see on the East and West bank of the Nile in Luxor and really worth the trip if you  make it to Egypt one day. After a few days there we will board our Nile Cruise ship and sail down the Nile stopping at different temples, islands and villages along the way culminating in the magnificent structure that Abu Simble is.  Can't wait to see it again and show it to my guests !

 

After I have seen my guests off to their next destination Israel !.... I stay behind to do Amoura work !  This trip is all about hunting  and scourging for unique items to add the Amoura Home collection.  I'll be searching for new Egyptian lamps, Serving trays, Egyptian home decor and anything I think will be of interest to my customers.  So if you see anything you have been searching for in that Arabian, Egyptian or Moroccan vibe, send me a message through here or follow me on Instagram and message me through there.  You can find me at @amourahome or @amouradesigns.  If you have seen a specific Moroccan lamp or Arabian piece I can probably find it for you.  I love doing this !

 

Till next post , Life is good people !

The Traveling Redheaded Lady

Such wonderful sites to see in Egypt... not just in Cairo! April 7, 2017

Kom Ombo to visit the Temple of Light and Dark

Oldest standing obelisk
 at Karnak Temple

Cairo is but the tip of the iceberg if you are looking for history, culture, legends, myth and monuments in Egypt.  There is so much more in the southern part of Egypt or Upper Egypt as it is known, to see, experience and feel.

Most people when they think of Egypt think of the pyramids and although yes, they are incredibly magnificent there is also a lot more to see in Luxor, Aswan and the islands and villages just off  the Nile River that are also incredibly beautiful and amazing.

Medinet Habu Temple

Take Luxor for example, the place where Karnak (the 2nd largest ancient religious site in the world) and Luxor Temple reside, the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings (where King Tut's tomb and mummy reside), the Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut Temple, Workers Village, the Noble's tombs......and more.

                   See what I mean? 

Then if you sail down the Nile River, you will need to see the Temple of Horus at Edfu, considered to be one of the best preserved shrines and dedicated to the falcon god Horus. In the same area is  Kom Ombo, the Temple of Light and Dark.

Temple of Horus at Edfu

Sail further south on the Nile while watching the amazing scenery change and you will arrive at Aswan, where the most stunning views of the Nile are to be seen. The further south you sail the more peaceful and breathtaking sites you will see.



The beautiful Nile River from
the Temple of Isis at Philae

First stop is the Temple of Isis at Philae, or also known as the Temple of Love as Isis was the Goddess of Love. This temple, like Abu Simble, was moved from its original place stone by stone in an incredible feat of engineering technology when the Aswan Dam was built and the temples were in danger of being submerged by the waters of the Nile.  They now stand magnificent for all the world to see.  The temple of Isis sits on an island in Lake Nasser. The views of the Lake are stunning and peace reins through the corridors of the temple.  The engravings and hieroglyphics are still amazingly visible to see and touch.



Nubian Village

For me, one of the best surprises of this sailing down the Nile was the Nubian Village,  a place that almost takes you back in time.  The colorful houses, unique spices and friendly and warm people remind you of how life on the Nile existed hundreds and thousands of years ago.  The Nubians live a simple life in old traditional ways, love to have guests in their village and entice you with their beautiful handmade items.

The Nile River off the
banks of the Nubian Village

Here is where the clearest waters of the Nile are seen.  I could have spent hours here just exploring the village and market. I definitely plan to be back.



Nubian Village

So when you think of Egypt, think beyond the pyramids, beyond just those majestic ancient wonders in the desert.  Think of all the other remarkable structures, temples, tombs and history ready to be explored beyond the sands of Cairo. 


Shores at the Nubian Village

As Always,

Traveling Redheaded Lady
www.amouratours.com



Amoura Tours is launched ! Welcome to Egypt March - April , 2017

So what have I been saying for years now (those that know me!)...... yes, Egypt is safe, no I'm not crazy for traveling to Egypt alone, yes you will have a magnificent time and memories for a lifetime, yes the pyramids are as fantastic as you imagine them....etc. etc. etc.

Now you don't have to believe me... you can ask several other people too!!  This past couple of weeks I finally convinced a group of friends and their family to come and experience the Egypt I've come to know and love.

And I believe I accomplished my goal....to make it a memorable and fascinating trip for all of them.!  Ask them about their time in Egypt !! 

 This trip coordination began back in October of 2016 and through my contact in Egypt the itinerary was planned out.  I worked closely with someone I met on my first visit to Egypt that owns a boutique hotel down in Luxor and she also does tours in Cairo and in the Luxor/Aswan area.

Partnering with her, we looked at the locations, places to see, accommodations and all the things you need to know when planning a group trip in two languages. The details are many but I believe it was worth it in order to anticipate your guests comfort and most enjoyable experience.  

The tour is 12 days but in reality you spend 2 days just flying in and out. So it was 10 days of non-stop places to see, things to do, shopping, photo taking and just a wealth of knowledge and information to soak in.

The Nile River in Aswan

  It was exhausting to say the least and I believe many of my guests did not imagine the amount of things they would see and maybe even underestimated how tired they would be at the end of the day. Regardless, I'm sure all of them will say it was truly an amazing trip.  I have so many photos to share that I could write several posts and still not be able to share them all.  I'll try my best to share as many as I can and do several postings of places we went and things we did. 

For now enjoy some of the places we ventured into and Please....leave comments and feedback about what you've read, the photos and for those of you that went , your experiences with Amoura Tours.  Remember to check out our website www.amouratours.com to see our itinerary and lots more photos !

Always....Life is Good....
The Traveling Redheaded Lady

Back at the pyramids again .....April 14, 2016



Simply Spectacular !

Pyramid #1

Back in the Pyramids and as always, there are fascinating !..
Obviously the most famous are these 3 you see and which have been photographed extensively but there are actually 9 pyramids on the premises.  The other 6 are for the wives of Keouf and Cheops.  The oldest pyramid and the largest was built around 2500BC making it over 4500 years old !  Impressive indeed!!

Sitting on the steps of the pyramid.

 The pyramids can be seen very easily since they are right next to the city.  One moment you are in the middle of the city the next the pyramids loom right by.  This time it wasn't as deserted as the last couple of times I had been there.  There were lots of tourists...from China ! 



Entrance to Queen's tombs

Namaste

Pyramd #2

These immense monuments are built from limestone and it is believed that the top of the first pyramid actually had the tip in gold but was stolen by grave robbers.  The pyramids can still be entered and some tunnels seen but it is illegal to climb them.  Only the first few levels are allowed to be climbed and sat on for photos.  From far away they look like small stones easy to climb but when you get close you see how big these stones are to move from one row to the next.  The first pyramid is the only remaining wonder of the ancient world still standing.

Once you finish seeing the pyramids you are then taken to where the sphinx is and have the opportunity to take more pictures of these magnificent antiquities.  The Sphinx was built many years after the pyramids and placed in the position of guarding the entrance to the pyramids.  As you know the body is of a lion and the face of a human.  Back in the 1800's, Napoleon and his really smart army of soldiers  were in Egypt and used the Sphinx nose for target practice and that's why the Sphinx is nose less.

After taking a trillion pictures we then headed off to a nearby restaurant that had a wonderful of the pyramids.  A lovely lunch courtesy of Mohamed Bahaa from Travel Code  Thank you Mohamed !

I leave you with this beautiful view of the city from the pyramid hills and the camel riders.  

 

 

 

Life is good !

 

Traveling Redheaded Lady !

 

Karnak Temple and The Nile.......April 6, 2016

Karnak !

I've been to many temples throughout Egypt but Karnak is still my favorite .  Its not that its very large,  which it is,  or that it has these huge pillars that seem to reach sky high ,  or the writings, pictures, and engravings all over depicting how life was back in those days, or the lake where the maidens and queens swam in.....its just that I find in that immense structure of courtyards, stones, lakes, rooms..... peace and tranquility.... 


The entrance where the Pharaohs rode up in their chariots to Karnak

You can still see color on the paintings underneath

The great columns at Karnak

One of the obelisks at Karnak and the tallest standing obelisk of the ancient world.

One of the most impressive things in this vast complex are the massive columns all arranged in perfect rows.  There are 134 of these things with 12 of them measuring over 68 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Truly incredible and of course the question remains how was this built ??? !!
 


The sacred lake of Amun-Ra at Karnak



Anybody seen Cleopatra around?

After seeing the temple,  a walk along the Nile is always something soothing and peaceful as well.  When there were more tourists this was full of Felucca boats up and down the Nile but now it's very quiet and tranquil. 



The beautiful Nile

A view of Luxor

Life is good

Traveling Redheaded Lady