By the way, the bathroom was not so bad on the bus as a matter of fact, I think I found a whole new level of comfort using the bathroom on the bus. Imagine that? Who would think I would put the word comfort in the same sentence as a moving bathroom? And yet, I did? hahaha Okay the truth is: my bladder was happy that I would no longer hold it and my body was happy because it can go back to drinking water at its regularly scheduled program.
Our Scarab Travel Tour Guides passed out some important information on two things: how to get to Cairo and then the optional trips for us when we arrived in Cairo. The last technical day of our group adventure was a free day and then I had another full day on the Monday I left because we technically ended after breakfast and the flight out was not until 11:25 p.m. So the tour group was excited about putting together some optional trips for us. With this, I had a lot to ponder. First, I had to make a decision on how to travel back to Cairo--plane, sleeper train or nasty train? Now the first two options would be additional money to what I had already paid for my travel expenses, but if you have been following along then you well know that I could not possibly choose the "nasty train". So my options were to fly or travel on the luxurious sleeper train. Such decisions to me made. At first, I thought I wanted to fly, but that was a lot more money to fly and well the optional trips we were being offered had a fee as well. Such a dilemma.
So next, I look over the optional trips for the free days in Cairo. Immediately, I see a trip to Alexandria and I want to go there. Now, of course, it is the most expensive trip that is on the list and the furthest away in travel time too. So I sat with this on the ride because there were other trips that I wanted to take as well--if I had extra time--I would have done them all!! But, I had to be cognizant of money unfortunately so I decided that I would not do the hot air balloon ride. I always wanted to do one and what better place than in Luxor, Egypt, right? Well, that wasn't going to happen because I really want to go to Alexandria and the price was the same as the hot air balloon ride. Now, mind you all the prices presented to us were in US dollars never in Egyptian pounds--they preferred American money.
So after careful consideration, I signed up for Alexandria, the Cairo tour of the Citadel, Coptic Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue and decided against hot air balloon ride.
After long deliberation, I chose the sleeper train to head back to Cairo on. For my comfort, I thought at least I could lie down as you know my back is still aching at this point as I haven't really slept well in days and haven't honored my back. Ironically, the group had 33 people and it split up into 3 groups for the travel back--some continued on the "nasty train", some continued on the "sleeper train" and some on the plane. Another reason to not take the plane was the additional hotel room night we'd have to pay for.
On the bus ride back from Temple of Edfu to Luxor, I sat next to Armunkara (amazing earth angel) and we talked about her doing a Cranio-Sacral Session on me when I got back to the hotel that night. Wow--finally, I thought some relief for my aching back and boy I love cranio-sacral work. We were going to lunch when we got to the hotel and then we would have free time before our group gathering at 8:00 p.m. (I have to say that lunch was at like 2:30 so much for lunch time being at a reasonable hour since I have been up since 6 and had basically eaten an orange and banana for my meals.)
We are nearly there...so far Luxor is looking like a little city. We have been driving through countryside all this time so it is really neat to see this city. I already like the feel...it feels and seems somewhat familiar. Now just some side notes about the drive through the country side. All the guards have machine guns, all the police have machine guns...so too do the farmers. Amazing! And each township we entered there was a "security checkpoint" that we had to stop at. Our tour company had a photocopy of each and every one of our passports so that they could provide it to security if need be.
1.13.11
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