Morning Costco Run

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO125
“Chimis and Taquitos” Cedar Park 2025

Bay’s two favorite frozen foods are these chimichangas and taquitos, and it is great that they are now right next to each other at our local Costco. I have not had a taquito in a while, but these are made with flour tortillas, and since I am cutting down on gluten, I think I will avoid them for now. Still, I thought taquitos were usually made with corn tortillas and flautas were the ones made with flour. Hmmmm.

Egyptian Honey

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/6.4, 1/60 sec, ISO1600
“Egyptian Cat and Egyptian Honey” Cedar Park, 2025

I brought back this tiny packet of honey from our trip to Egypt and tried it in my yogurt today. The flavor was really mild, which surprised me. It was a fun little souvenir to taste, but I still prefer good old American honey. To be fair, this packet probably is not top tier Egyptian honey!

Sharing, but Grudgingly

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO400
“Sharing” Cedar Park, 2025

Anko was resting comfortably on the toast pillow, and Yuzu somehow managed to sneak in right beside her. I did not see it happen, and Anko did not make a single peep or hiss, but the peaceful moment was short lived. After only a few minutes, Anko decided she had enough and hopped off the desk.

Day of Pyramids

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/3900 sec, ISO40
“Pyramid of Djoser” Giza, 2025

Our first stop of the day was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. It was incredible to see the very first pyramid ever built, and then we descended into a nearby tomb complex. The whole experience was amazing.

After that, we made a short visit to a carpet factory and ended up purchasing a beautiful rug for our house in Japan. They shipped it to Mariko’s mom in Osaka, which worked out perfectly.

Once we finished a wonderful buffet lunch, we headed to one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip: the Great Pyramid of Giza. Thanks to some lucky timing, traffic in Cairo was heavily restricted because of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and visiting dignitaries. That meant hardly any tourists were at the site. It felt unreal.

The pyramids themselves were absolutely mind blowing. It is still hard to believe we stood at such an iconic place that we had only ever seen in books and documentaries. They did not disappoint. Their sheer size is something you really do have to experience in person at least once.

Next, we visited the Great Sphinx, which was just as cool and iconic as we hoped. We spent a long time there simply looking at it and feeling grateful for the chance to visit. Truly an amazing day.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO250
“Pyramid of Djoser” Giza, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
“Pyramid of Djoser” Giza, 2025
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/7.1, 1/5000 sec, ISO640
“Camel Ride” Giza, 2025
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/6400 sec, ISO80
“Great Pyramid” Giza, 2025
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 19.6mm, f/22, 1/160 sec, ISO640
“Sphinx” Giza, 2025