A week in Egypt among Queens and Pharaohs

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Having waited so long, comes in the long-awaited trip to Egypt!

Monday 09 July - 1st day ... we start with scheduled flights to LUXOR Egyptair. We arrived our server immediately Veraclub that accompanies Stephanie to our ship where we will spend the following 4 days.
You will arrive in late evening, so after a quick glimpse at the restaurant buffet grant us a deserved rest ... Wake scheduled for 4.30 am .... Good start!

Tuesday - Day 2 begins the real tour!
In the morning visit to the Colossi of Memnon ... majestic, after which the guide gives us an "unscheduled" define very beautiful ... brings us to the Temple so colorful, wonderful example of conservation of hieroglyphs that after so much time maintaining their colors ... hence the name of the temple.
We continue along the Valley of the Kings where he managed to visit the inside of some of the most famous tombs of the pharaohs ... Honestly, I thought there was a little something more .... Between what was stolen from predators and what is kept in museums, tombs are mostly empty ... remain the beautiful hieroglyphics and spaces where, with images, the sarcophagi and the treasures were kept.
We then go to the Temple of Hatshepsut ... the heat starts to be annoying ... they are about 12.30 and the temperature seems to skim the 50th!! Fortunately the humidity is practically nothing so do not you try the feeling of suffocation that often grips our Italian cities!
We continue our visit and headed in the center of LUXOR where we visit its famous temple and then proceed to what is considered its continuation: that the Temple and Karnak.
Reboarding exhausted from the heat and fatigue ... the ship begins its navigation to Esna, passing through the lock and continue to Edfu.

Wednesday - Day 3
Wake up at 7 and departure to the Temple of Edfu and its columns!
It is part of the ship and start sailing towards Kom Ombo ... in the meantime we relax in the sun enjoying the small swimming pool located on the deck ... is small but crucial to resist the African sun!
Once in Kom Ombo visit the temple of Sobek / Haroeris ... impressive for its exposure on the banks of the Nile and visiting hours at sunset ... everything takes on a special charm!
We return to our ship and continue the journey to Aswan.

Thursday - Day 4
In the morning we got up and left for the Great Dam of Aswan to continue toward the Temple of Philae in my opinion one of the most beautiful we have visited, for Reaching we had to take a boat because this temple is located on an island ... it was not its original site, but having to build say, they had to move to avoid that fell under the water level.
In the end we return by boat, lunch is scheduled for the afternoon ride on the Nile in a felucca, typical boats that can be admired along the route of the river and then proceed to visit the Nubian village!

Friday - Day 5 (Aswan / Abu Simbel / Cairo)
E 'come the day you finally leave the ship to take a plane to Abu Simbel ... arrival visit the archaeological site more impressive and fascinating I've ever seen!
I got off the bus we prepare to walk along a desert overlooking Lake Nasser, a mountain in front of us seemingly insignificant, then we turn around when we face an unparalleled spectacle ... the temple dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramses II and the temple, a little 'smaller, dedicated to his wife, Queen Nefertari.
Following the tour we return to the airport and take a flight to Cairo.
All 'arrival we transfer to the Hotel Meridien Pyramids where we can relax by the pool enjoying a spectacular view of the Pyramids!

Saturday - Day 6
We wake up in the shadow of the Pyramids, breakfast and depart for a city tour: start with the Mosque of Mohamed Ali also called the Alabaster Mosque, which with its thin minarets and the great dome is a symbol of Cairo, is entered through the courtyard where there is a clock tower given by the French king in exchange for the obelisk of the Temple of LUXOR (the clock has never worked).
Our day continues through the streets of Cairo, coming to the Egyptian Museum, the visit is shorter than necessary, but enough to admire (albeit quickly) all the works inside and above the magnificent treasures of Tutankhamen ... hard to describe the feeling of have in front of a treasure of inestimable historical value as well!
After visiting the museum in a local restaurant for lunch then head to the bazaar of Khan El Khalili, where, in my opinion, become the best sellers! Do not be scrubbing the guides suggest that you buy in the shops pretending to be the only ones that sell souvenirs originals ... they are all the same ... the only difference is that in the shops "conventions" the guides have a percentage of sales!
In the evening we offer an optional visit to the Pyramids to witness the sound and light show ... immediately reject all because the tour operators request € 25 per person, a guy in our group then go to talk a taxi driver who informs him that the ticket for the show costs € 9 per person and asks us to take us at € 1 each and a few other brave ... we then decided to venture alone by taxi, and the decision has certainly paid off ... € 15 savings and the fun is priceless in the taxi ! Also the performance is particularly impressive and the only image of the three Great Pyramids and the Sphinx illuminated well worth the ticket price!

Sunday - Day 7
Last day in Cairo ... the morning visiting the area with the three great Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx ... what about ... you will find them under close to these incredible and magnificent works of human genius and certainly leaves you speechless with questions about how and when they may have been erected! We then visited the Museum of the Solar Boat found intact, even if "removed" at the foot of the Pyramids ... they say served to ferry the pharaoh after death.
The day continues with a trip to the Necropolis of Sakkhara with the stepped pyramid and the giant (more term was never guessed) of Memphis.
Return to the hotel where we have dinner and prepare to regret your bags ... we start tomorrow ... for some the trip ends here, for others (fortunately for us) continues to Sharm el Sheik for a week full of sea and relaxation!