 FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER (NEW YORK TO CAIRO) |
|
Meet
and Fly |
North American members meet up with
Rev. Tamara at JFK International Airport in New York and fly
as a group overnight to Cairo.** Members coming from outside
North America will meet us in Cairo tomorrow. Dinner and breakfast
are included on the flight. |
|
**Note:
__________ |
Airline fares to JFK from your home city are
not included in the base price. Tour members
arranging their own flights to Cairo receive a $1400 credit
off base price.
|
| SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER (CAIRO AND GIZA) |
|
Arriving
in the Two Lands |
We arrive at Cairo International Airport and
transfer by private coach to the Mena
House Oberoi. The Mena House, originally built
in 1869 as lodging for Princess Eugenie at the viewing of
the newly-opened Suez Canal (she stayed only one night) has
been transformed from a palace into a majestic 40-acre hotel
complex with fragrant gardens, pools, restaurants, stores
and a golf course on site. It sits literally across a street
from the Great Pyramid of Khufu. |
|
Welcome
Meeting |
In the evening, once everyone has arrived and
rested, we will have a welcome
gathering to begin our tour. |
|
Pilgrimage
Ceremonies |
Kemetic Orthodox who wish to take part may join
us for a prayer and heka session
leading up to our first visit to the ancestors tomorrow. |
| SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER (MEMPHIS/SAQQARA/GIZA) |
| |
Pyramids
of Giza |
After our included breakfast at the Mena House,
join us to greet Ra at sunrise over three of the greatest
funeral monuments in the history of mankind: the pyramids
of Khufu, Khaefra and Menkaura at the Giza
Plateau. We will also visit the Solar
Boat Museum, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khaefra. |
|
Memphis
(Mennefer) |
From Giza, we will take our private coach into
the Lower Egyptian countryside to Memphis
(Mennefer), Kemet's royal capital over most
of its history. Mennefer, also known as Ineb-hedj
or City of the White Walls, was first established more than
5,000 years ago. We will visit the
open-air museum of statues and other
items found in the city's Great
Temple of Ptah and palaces. |
|
Saqqara
(Rosetjau) |
On 6 November 1996, Rev. Tamara stood at the
coronation dais at the Step
Pyramid Complex of Nisut Djoser at Saqqara
and completed the ceremonies that made Her the Nisut (AUS)
of the Kemetic Orthodox Faith. Twelve years later you will
have an opportunity to explore the grounds of Djoser's Heb-Sed
court and unique pyramid and to pay homage to the royal ancestors
buried at Saqqara and nearby. Additional visits to local pyramids,
the Imhotep Saqqara Museum and a carpet school that provides
education and vocational training for Saqqara's youth will
be included as well as a stop for lunch. Afterward we return
to the Mena House to rest before our travel southward early
tomorrow morning. |
|
Sound
and Light
at the Pyramids
(Optional) |
For those who wish to join us (extra fee
required; see below), we recommend an evening trip to
the Pyramids Sound and Light
Show. Low on historical accuracy but high
on amusement, this fun excursion also provides an opportunity
to be on the Giza Plateau under the stars and may be more
moving than you thought possible even with a 1950s soundtrack.
|
| MONDAY 8 DECEMBER (CAIRO AND EGYPTIAN
MUSEUM) |
| |
Egyptian
Museum of Antiquities |
After breakfast at the Mena House (included)
we will head to the Egyptian
Museum of Antiquities in Cairo for a full
day of exploration. Pay your respects in the Royal
Mummy Room and view the treasures
of Tutankhamun's tomb on the museum's second
floor. After a brief introduction to the most famous antiquities
in the building from our guides, you will be largely on your
own to explore the hundreds
of rooms containing thousands of items from
Kemet's history for the rest of the day. |
| |
Cairo
Options |
Depending on the group's interest and time, we
may plan additional excursions during our Cairo free time,
possibly including side trips to Old
Cairo, the Coptic
Museum, the Citadel
and its mosques and fortresses, and/or the famous Khan-el-Khalili
open-air Suq (market). We may offer
these options on our return to Cairo at the end of the trip
instead (see below 17-19 December) depending on our schedule. |
| TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER (ABU SIMBEL) |
| |
Abu
Simbel |
After breakfast (included) we will transfer from
the Mena House to the Cairo airport and take a flight across
the entirety of Lower and Upper Egypt to the town of Abu
Simbel, site of two beautiful cut-rock temples of Ramses II
and his wife, Nefertari. Once we arrive we
will check into the Nefertari
Hotel, a tiny Nubian resort on the shores
of Lake Nasser. |
| |
Ramses
and Nefertari Temples |
We will visit the temples dedicated to Ramses
II and his wife, Nefertari, saved from the
rising waters of Lake Nasser by an international engineering
miracle. Later in the evening we will return to the temples
to see the new and very interesting Abu
Simbel Sound and Light Show and visit the
lake and temples under the stars. A private dinner at the
hotel is also included. |
| WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER - ASWAN (NUBIAN
TEMPLES/VILLAGE/MUSEUM, COPTIC CATHEDRAL, SAILING TO THE CATARACT
ISLANDS) |
| |
Aswan
(Swene): Jewel of the Nile |
After breakfast (included) we will embark on
a short flight back north to the First Cataract, to the quiet
and beautiful city of Aswan,
today the southernmost major city in Egypt.
In ancient times Aswan served as capital of Upper Kemet's
First Nome. |
| |
Elephantine
Island |
After we arrive we will check into a resort located
on Elephantine Island itself: the Mövenpick
Aswan Resort. Situated just to the north
of the temple of Khnum and just east of Kitchener Island,
this incredibly beautiful and serene island oasis will be
our refuge for the evening. |
| |
Aswan
Options |
During our time in Aswan many options are open
to us and we will choose based on the group's interest from
a number of possible excursions including visits to the large,
new Coptic Cathedral
and the Nubian Museum,
an afternoon/sunset sailing excursion to Kitchener's
Island and a visit with local people in their homes at the
Nubian Village.
An optional trip to the Aswan
Suq (marketplace) will be arranged this evening;
this market is known for spices and gold jewelry and is far
more economical and friendly than the "tourist bazaars"
we will encounter in Cairo and other cities. |
| THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER- ASWAN (HIGH AND
LOW DAMS, UNFINISHED OBELISK, PHILAE, ELEPHANTINE, NILE CRUISE
TRANSFER) |
| |
The
MS
Royal Ruby |
After breakfast (included), we transfer from
the resort by boat to another, much larger ship: the MS
Royal Ruby. This five-star Nile cruiser
will be our home for the next five days as we begin our cruise
down the Nile (northward) to the city of Luxor. The Royal
Ruby is the best ship on the Nile, including 68 guest suites
with individual vertical Jacuzzi; in-room satellite TV; Internet;
feature movies; a discotheque/bar; laundry service; international
telephone and FAX; a sundeck with a bar, pool and traditional
Jacuzzi; a hairdresser and masseuse; gift shops; 24-hour room
service and a restaurant. All meals included during our five
days and four nights on board. |
| |
Aswan
Dams: Low and High |
After our transfer to the Royal Ruby, we will
take a private coach to visit Aswan's two dams: the Low
Dam built more than a century ago and the
High Dam that
created Lake Nasser
in the 1960s. |
| |
Unfinished
Obelisk |
We will visit the famous
ancient granite quarries of Aswan and see
the remains of an obelisk
that never made it northward to Luxor as well as investigate
how such massive single pieces of stone were transported from
so far away to be used in buildings as far north as Alexandria. |
| |
Philae
(Per-Aset) |
Our coach will bring us to the harbor so we can
take a small boat to the islands
of Philae and Biga, homes of the worship of Aset and Wesir,
respectively. We will circle Biga, which even in antiquity
was considered too holy to step upon, and then land at Philae
and the Temple of Aset,
the last of Kemet's temples to remain open and the only truly
interfaith temple of ancient times (its hypostyle hall was
shared with local Christians for several hundred years). Time
to explore the temple and its grounds will be given before
we sail back to the coach and then drive back to the Royal
Ruby. |
| |
Felucca
Sailing |
Several times during our days in Aswan, we will
be able to sail - on a private, motorless sailboat called
a felucca around the gorgeous deep blue waters of
the First Cataract. During our sailing tours we will be able
to see the rest of the island of Elephantine
(Abu) and its temple
of Khnum, the tombs
of various Old Kingdom dignitaries and the
mausoleum of the Agha Khan,
as well as the famous Lord Kitchener's
Gardens and a Nubian
village on the Nile's western shores. |
| |
Royal
Ruby Nubian Show |
Most of the Royal Ruby's crew are Nubians, and
they are very proud to present their own traditions and culture
to guests on their first night on board in the official Royal
Ruby Nubian Show.
Traditional dancing, singing, drumming and more interactive
entertainment round out our first dinner (included) on the
Nile. |
| |
Philae
by Starlight (Optional) |
The Philae Sound
and Light Show is an experience you may never
forget. We highly recommend this optional excursion. In addition
to an hour-long interactive temple walk under the stars of
Aswan, participants sail to and from Aset's island temple
in a private boat in complete darkness, with only moon and
stars and songs to Aset to guide their way. |
| FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER (NILE CRUISE ASWAN
- KOM OMBO - EDFU) |
| |
Nubian
Temples |
After breakfast (included), we will visit three
Nubian temples on Lake Nasser: the temple
of Mandulis at Kalabsha, the temple
of Amun at Beit-el-Wali, and the Kiosk
of Aset at Qertassi.
|
| |
Cruising
to Kom Ombo |
After we return from our morning excursion, the
Royal Ruby hoists anchor and heads northward, down the Nile
toward Luxor! Enjoy a leisurely lunch (included), rest or
enjoy the view as Upper Kemet goes by from the deck as we
travel downriver toward the dual temple at Kom Ombo. |
|
Kom
Ombo (Nubt) |
Just before sunset we should arrive at Kom
Ombo, a special dual temple to Heru-wer and Sobek (formerly
Set) situated right on the Nile's shoreline.
Disembark from the Royal Ruby and walk to the temple, where
you can move through the sanctuaries to these great gods and
Their wife Tasenetnofret (a form of Hethert and/or Nebt-het)
as well as healing rooms and a museum of crocodile mummies.
Don't forget to stop at the Nubian
bazaar adjacent to the temple for a cool drink,
a warm shisha pipe, pleasant Nubian music or to find
something to wear for tonight's party if you didn't already
find it elsewhere! |
|
"Galabaya
Party"
on board |
After we leave Kom Ombo and after dinner (included),
the Royal Ruby hosts a traditional
dancing party. Wear your galabaya
(a traditional Upper Egyptian robe) and learn to dance in
style along with various performers including Nubian and Egyptian
dancers, belly dancers and perhaps even a whirling dervish,
or just sit back and watch all the fun. Overnight on board
as we continue northward to Edfu; watch the beautiful bridges
and placid villages slide by as we finally begin to explore
Upper Egypt. |
| SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER (NILE CRUISE EDFU-ESNA,
ESNA- LUXOR) |
| |
Edfu
(Behdet) |
At sunrise we will ride through the city streets
of Edfu by horse-drawn carriage to greet Ra-Heruakhety's rising
at the temple of Heru-wer of
Edfu, the most complete of all remaining ancient
temples. Walk through the Coronation Gate into this splendid
temple and honor Heru-wer and His wife Hethert of Dendera.
|
|
Cruising
to Esna |
After Edfu, the Royal Ruby will embark northward
toward our next destination, the Temple
of Nit and Khnum at Esna. Once the ship arrives
at the Esna lock we will be able to disembark to visit the
temple, then meet back up with the boat before it continues
northward toward Luxor. |
|
Esna
(Ta-sena) |
In the afternoon as the ship continues on its
journey, we will make short excursion to see the temple
of Nit and Khnum at the city of Esna, located
some 60 feet below the city's modern ground level and preserving
some of its original colors. |
| |
Cruising
to Luxor |
After Esna and the giant river lock, the Royal
Ruby will pass northward into the waters of the middle Nile.
Relax, meditate, talk with your friends and guides, or just
sit on the deck and watch history go by as you gaze out at
the Two Lands from both sides. Some time during the night
we will arrive and moor at the corniche at the city of Luxor,
right next to the incredible Luxor
Temple. |
| SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER (NILE CRUISE - LUXOR
WEST BANK AND TEMPLES) |
| |
Luxor
(Uaset) |
Very early in the morning (breakfast included),
we will start to explore the sites of the Luxor area. The
city now called Luxor (from al-Uqsur, "the fortresses/palaces")
was known as Uaset or "the powerful" to
the people of Kemet and "Thebes of the Thousand Gates"
to the rest of the classical world. It is a large city containing
many beautiful temples, tombs and other monuments and there
is much for us to see and do in our time here both on our
last day on the Royal Ruby and our two following nights in
a Luxor resort. |
| |
Colossi
of Memnon |
After breakfast (included), it's off in the coach
to Luxor's West Bank,
home to some of Egypt's most beloved monuments and called
Ta-Djoser or "holy land" by the ancients.
On our way to the temples and tombs of the New Kingdom we
will stop at the Colossi of
Memnon, two large statues erected by Amunhotep
III before a temple no longer visible. They received their
Greek name and fame through the fact that for hundreds of
years the statues "sang" at sunrise due to a sound
that issued from the stones as they heated in the sun. While
the Colossi no longer sing, they are still impressive and
quite the photo opportunity. |
| |
Temple
of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri |
The beautiful and amazing funerary temple
built by Queen-King Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri
is our next stop. Climb its terraces and get a view across
the Nile Valley to Karnak Temple from its summit, or visit
the smaller sub-temples of Hethert,
Yinepu and the deified Djehutymose I and Djehutymose III
inside the larger complex. Gaze at the
scenes of Hatshepsut's mission to Punt and
the open-air museum
containing items from this temple and the adjoining temple
of Montuhotep II. |
| |
Valley
of
The Kings |
No trip to Uaset would be complete without paying
our respects to the kings who built it. At the foot of the
mountain called the Peak of the West or Meretseger,
"She Who Loves Silence," a natural pyramid in stone,
lies the Valley of the Kings,
a cemetery including the tombs of dozens of ancient rulers
and their families. We will visit three royal tombs and pour
ritual water for the kings Who were interred within them.
Admission to the tomb of Tutankhamun
can be arranged for an additional fee. |
| |
Valley
of
The Queens |
As in the Valley of the Kings, the Valley
of the Queens, also situated at the foot of
Meretseger, contains the tombs of beloved queens and princes.
We will visit two or three of these tombs and pour ritual
water for their occupants if it is open for visiting. |
| |
Luxor
Temple |
After lunch we will begin our tour of local temples
to honor their gods and goddesses.
Luxor Temple, alongside the Nile,
is sacred to the Holy Family of Uaset:
Amun-Ra, Mut and Khonsu, as well as
the Kingly Ka. |
| |
Karnak
Temple |
The mile-long Karnak
Temple complex is dedicated to Amun-Ra,
King of the Gods. See the sacred
lake where Amun-Ra's boats sailed in festival
and a giant scarab
that allegedly promises children to those who walk around
it seven times. Visit the Akh-menu,
a festival pavilion erected by Djehutymose
III; obelisks and statues
of various royals and dignitaries placed in the temple over
thousands of years; the open-air
museum; the small temple
of Ptah, Sekhmet and Nefertem; and the sacred
boat kiosks amid huge pylons
and the hypostyle hall
of this very special place. |
| |
Relaxing
in Luxor and Luxor Options |
Back at the ship after our long, hot day, we
will relax and rest up for tomorrow's excursions as well as
pack up as it is our last night on the Royal Ruby. During
our three days in Luxor, an optional visit to the Luxor
Museum of Art and an optional Karnak
Sound and Light Show complete with temple
walkthrough under the stars will also be arranged for those
who are interested. |
| MONDAY 15 DECEMBER (DENDERA AND ABYDOS)
|
| |
Luxor
Resort Living |
Very early in the morning (breakfast included),
we leave the Royal Ruby and check in to the Sheraton
Luxor Resort on the Nile, within walking distance
of Karnak Temple. |
| |
Dendera
(Iunet) |
The Mistress of Joy, Love and Motherhood, Hethert,
has Her home about 30 miles north of Luxor at the exceptionally
well-preserved temple of Dendera. After arriving
at the resort, we will travel by private coach to visit Her
sanctuary and healing temples as well as the mamissi
or birthing temple and an open-air museum containing many
beautiful pieces of art recovered from the temple grounds. |
| |
Abydos
(Abdju) |
A meditative trip through the stark, rocky countryside
of Upper Egypt brings us to the holiest of all pilgrimage
sites in Kemet: Abydos, city
of Wesir and the Beautiful West. We will visit
the temple of Wesir
built by Ramses I, Seti I and Ramses II; the mysterious Osireion
where the sacred water of Abdju wells up from unknown springs;
and the Umm el-Qa'ab or
"Mother of Pots," a large field even to this day
covered in pottery bearing the letters ancient people wrote
to their deceased relatives. |
| TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER (LUXOR FREE DAY) |
| |
Luxor
Options |
If group members are interested they are welcome
to join Rev. Tamara and our Egyptian guide Mido for additional
excursions during the day and evening of our Luxor free day,
including special trips to the workmens' village and cemetery
at Deir al-Madina,
the Tombs of the Nobles
and the incredible temple of Amun built by Ramses III at Medinet
Habu. During our days in Luxor there will
be opportunities to shop, visit restaurants and coffee shops,
re-visit sites we've already seen, or for the more adventurous,
to take a hot-air balloon trip
at sunrise over the West Bank! Schedules and
additional costs for extras will be arranged on arrival. |
| WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER AND THURSDAY 18
DECEMBER - CAIRO |
| |
Back
to Cairo |
On Wednesday afternoon (more Luxor extras will
be planned in the morning before we go) we'll transfer to
Luxor Airport for a return flight to Cairo and check-in at
the Conrad
Cairo, a luxury hotel located on the Nile
itself. |
| |
Cairo
Options |
Depending on the group's interest and time, we
will plan additional excursions during our Cairo free days,
possibly including side trips to Old
Cairo, the Coptic
Museum, the Citadel
and its mosques and fortresses, and/or the famous Khan-el-Khalili
open-air Suq (market). Additionally
we may have the option for additional excursions north to
Alexandria,
another day at the Egyptian
Museum in Cairo or simple downtime. |
|
Farewell
Dinner |
On Thursday evening we'll gather for a group
farewell dinner and pack for the return trip
tomorrow.
|
| FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER - SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! |
|
Flights
to JFK and elsewhere |
Early in the morning, we will transfer to Cairo
International Airport and start our flights home. |
