The next several weeks will be devoted to a series about Egypt.

First Impressions

My first impression of Egypt is from the mini-bus we take from the airport, all of us in the tour group packed inside like kids in a school bus with our luggage piled on top. Somehow I had imagined that Cairo would be in the middle of the dessert with rippling sand dunes all around like in the movie Lawrence of Arabia, but all I see is dirt. Dirt is everywhere -- on the trees, in the air, on cars, on streets, on everything moving or still. 

Egypt Adventure

The time was here for the big event, our adventure tour to Egypt. Day one was lost somewhere in a time warp due to the eight hour difference in time between the U.S. and Egypt. Before the warp, most of the day was spent wandering around JRK airport in New York trying to find Egypt Air.

The Purple Suitcase

I’ve been getting ready to go for months – years, actually. I’ve been buying odds and ends as I think of them, little 3 oz bottles, new underwear (as you don’t want customs officials to see your old underwear), a sunhat, travel clock, and all the other weird gear listed in the travel agency’s “must have” list. I’m going to Egypt to see the pyramids, the trip of a lifetime. I thought I was all set. 

The Traveling Pin Cushion

I couldn't believe it when I saw the list --- all those shots just to be able to travel?  Some of these diseases have been eradicated for half a century. I was looking at the CDC website which recommends various immunizations needed for traveling outside the country. The list for Egypt is so extensive that it cracked my glasses to read it.

Travel Tips for Americans

Since I will be going on an international trip in a few months, I've been reading some travel tips about packing light, what to take, and such. One of the tips I came across regarding international travel was a bit surprising to me: "Try not to look like an American."

A Foreign Destination

"Just think," said my sister, "a chance to see the world's oldest civilization, the Sphinx, the pyramids, Cairo and the Nile River." So, I made the down payment to the Overseas Adventure Travel Agency and signed the dotted line. It's always my sister that gets me into these things.