Travel Day to Cairo, Egypt – 10/23 Home Stay with FF of Cairo – 10/24 to 10/31 8-Day add-on in Egypt and Jordan with Memphis Tours – 10/31 to 11/7 Travel Day / Departure from Amman, Jordan 11/7
All I can say is WOW!! What an experience and privilege 20 of us had being home hosted by FF of Cairo followed by an 8-day extension in Upper Egypt and Jordan by Memphis Tours. Our fun group of 8 from FF NE Ohio, 4 from FF Sacramento CA, 2 from FF Greater Des Moines IA, 2 from FF Greater Milwaukee WI, 2 from FF Houston TX and 2 from FF SW Florida say THANK YOU most sincerely to Hosting Journey Coordinator, Hanaa Rashad and FF of Cairo members for sharing their homes, family, history, culture, religion, friendship and amazing adventures with us. As for Hanaa’s ‘surprise’ – we are so grateful to be the FIRST FF Ambassadors to be taken inside the still-under-construction Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza which will be absolutely magnificent when opened in 2020.
One of FFI’s mission statements is to UNDERSTAND – by sharing a home, meals, conversation and everyday experiences, people become friends, seeing beyond governments and borders into the heart of a country and its people. By combining home hospitality with cultural exploration, we reach a new level of understanding. Did this happen to us? YES!!
One of the last things our 4-day guide in Cairo said to us was, please tell your family and friends back home that Egypt is a safe and friendly place and that they should visit us soon. YES, this is true, it is and you should!!
We share with you a few of the highlights of our memorable journey:
10/24 – Getting acquainted and deliciously fed at FF of Cairo’s Welcome Party
10/25 – Cairo Museum. Our guide is explaining the Rosetta Stone, key to understanding hieroglyphics
10/26 – Our group inside the Grand Egyptian Museum which will be the largest archeological museum in the world. A statue of Pharaoh Rameses II is the focal point in the entrance space
10/26 – Our day to visit the Pyramids at Giza and the Great Sphinx. The Sphinx was likely built by Pharaoh Khafre (2575–2465 BC) and is made of limestone
10/27 – Alexandria Library Reading Room. Within the library, we also visited the Manuscript and Rare Book Museum and the Anwar Sadat Museum
10/28 – After lunch at Al-Azhar Park and visit to Khan El Khalili bazaar, evening entertainment by the El Tannura Egyptian Heritage Dance Troup
10/29 – Group at Al Sultan Hassan Mosque. We also visited Hanging Coptic Churches, Ben Ezra Synagoge and Al-Rifa’i Mosque
10/30 – Ambassadors, hosts and guests at the Farewell Party which included a DJ, singing, dancing, appreciation and LOTS of delicious food and fun!
10/31 – Day 1 of the Memphis Tours add-on. After our flight from Cairo to Aswan, we visited the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple (above), devoted to goddesses Isis and Hathor
11/01 – Abu Simbel, temples to Rameses II on the left and Queen Nefretari on the right. From 1963 to 1968, the temples were meticulously excavated and reset 200 feet above the Nile River flood level
11/01 – Upon returning to Aswan, we boarded the Steigenberger Legacy for a 3-night cruise of the Nile River. In the evening, we visited a nearby Nubian village for tea in a private home
11/02 – Visits to Kom Ombo and Edfu (above), best preserved cult temple, Temple of Horus
11/03 – Luxor, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, 15th century BC
11/03 – Visit to the Valley of the Kings, the final resting place for 62 Pharaohs
11/03 Luxor, Karnak Temple Complex. Obelisk on the right erected by Thutmose I (reign 1520-1492 BC) while on the left by his daughter, Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC)
11/03 – Luxor, entrance to Luxor Temple, 1400 BC
11/05 – After a flight from Luxor to Amman on 11/04, we visited Madaba and St. George Church whose floor dates back to the 6th century. About 2 million tiles create a detailed mosaic map that includes Palestine, the entire Nile Delta, as well has the Holy Land (Byzantine Jerusalem)
11/05 – Mt. Nebo, 2,330 feet above sea level. It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land.
11/05 – In the afternoon, we had lunch and a swim in the Dead Sea at the Holiday Inn Resort
11/06 – On our final day in Jordan, we visited Petra, settled by the Nabataean Arabs around 6th century BC. Here, in the Siq (narrow passage) that leads to the Treasury
11/06 – Petra, Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) which was originally built as a mausoleum and crypt at the beginning of the 1st century AD during the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris
