And I can only say that staying very busy with our Egypt
programs is what caused the 5 month hiatus between mailings. As
you may know, Egypt Magic is intentionally a
small tour operator, as both Phil & I believe the closer we are
to our guests, the better our level of service will be. I want
and need to take the time to get to know each guest at least a
little to make sure their experience in this Most Intriguing
Place on Earth is what they would have wanted, and more.
Consequently, the newsletter takes a backseat to planning each
individual tour, to answering mail and phones promptly and to
making all the detailed arrangements in Egypt, and in Jordan,
too.
And this includes revisiting our destinations – admittedly a
HUGE perk of this business! I was in Egypt this past January and
I'd like to share some of my experiences.
First, I was able to visit the newly renovated and reopened
Coptic Museum in Cairo. This is absolutely a
gem...when Egypt renovates a landmark museum they do an
exceptional job. The Coptic collection is beautifully displayed
with treasures dating back to the very beginnings of
Christianity. The artifacts are well marked and explained and
you'll come away with a very good understanding of a culture
that continues in Egypt to this day. I'm including the Coptic
Museum in all of our tours to Coptic Cairo.
I'm always delighted to meet my guests personally in Egypt...and
this trip held a special treat for me. A mother/daughter
traveling “team” who were just completing their third trip with
Egypt Magic joined me for dinner at the Nagib Mahfouz Restaurant
in Cairo's Khan Al Khalili bazaar...wonderful to finally meet
two ladies who I knew only from email...but who I'd “known” for
some 6 years!!
And I was able to take in the Lake Nasser cruise...3
nights from Aswan to Abu Simbel. I've just started adding this
cruise to our offerings and was very pleased with the entire
experience. I sailed on the Eugenie which was the first
and still the premier Lake Nasser cruiser...and as soon as I get
a bit more time, will write up a “Story” on the experience,
which I have to say, has made a boat fan out of me (a dedicated
non-sailor!). The antiquities that you can only visit via the
cruise, the boat amenities, the CUISINE...together with the
exemplary service of the entire staff made this experience a
very high point of my trip. And the approach to the Abu
Simbel monuments from the water...well, the boat plays
swelling classical music and everyone gathers on deck to
celebrate! Consequently I'll be adding this option to our
standard tours. Not a great many Americans have taken this
cruise as prior marketing has been largely to Europeans...but
this is about to change!
I was able to get over to Sinai and visit some
hotels...and I must say was very favorably impressed by a 4 star
hotel...the boutique Iberotel Lido. This remarkable property is
designed like a ship, and sits out on the end of the marina in
Sharm El Sheikh. It only has some 70 rooms but
these are very attractively decorated and would appeal to
eclectic tastes. I was glad to see that property and to revisit
some old favorites. Sharm has become a major resort destination,
especially for Europeans and Russians as it's an easy hop for
them to a warm, sunny spot. I also stopped by Dahab,
a past favorite of mine, but have to say I was a bit
disappointed...the building boom has reached Dahab and it is
losing some of the quaint, quirky character that made it such a
nice counterpoint to Sharm's bright lights/growing city style.
In Alexandria I toured the fairly new (2004)
National Museum, which is taking the place of
the Graeco-Roman Museum as it undergoes renovation. THIS is the
museum that will give you an excellent overview of Egypt's 5000
year history on 3 nicely planned floors. It's beautifully done
and housed in a former mansion from the early 20th
Century...BUT...it's quite cold inside, even in summer.
Take along a sweater! Unfortunately Alex's new Library
wasn't open at a convenient time for me but this I have to get
back and see...imagine a reading room which would accommodate
2000 patrons...storage room for 8,000,000 volumes and some 600
Internet access terminals!
SO...more new stories coming...some new additions &
updates...and a request...I would LOVE to publish a selection of
photos from our guests in coming issues. If you'd like to email
me one or two of your favorites I'll be delighted to share with
other travelers and future travelers. [Note
form Phil while proofreading: we would also love to put your
photos up on EgyptMagic.com in a Client Gallery section so
please send photos!]
Thanks to all our friends and guests (who become friends) as we
enter our 11th year...and, as always, I wish you all
Good Future Travels!
Joyce
We will be out of
the country (unfortunately NOT back in Egypt!) from 5 - 25 Feb
and will answer emails & calls as soon as we return.
To
add, change, or delete your email address, please send your
request to
VisitEgypt@EgyptMagic.com