daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
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!
It was the perfect day for a pot of tea. So tasty and comforting. I loved every sip.
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.
Today was a long day filled with unforgettable sights. After an early breakfast, we boarded a plane and flew south to the city of Luxor. Our first stop was Karnak Temple, another incredible highlight of the trip. The massive pillars and towering obelisks are absolutely overwhelming in scale, and the carvings are breathtaking. It is hard to even imagine the effort, planning, and motivation it took to build something so enormous and detailed.
After wandering the grounds and enjoying a strong Turkish coffee, we boarded the tour bus and headed to our home for the next several days, the Viking Thoth. The Thoth is a brand new ship in the Viking fleet, and we were the very first group of guests to sail with her. It felt so special knowing we were the first to stay in the cabins, dine at the tables, and dip our feet in the pool. For lunch, I went with the burger, yes I know, but I was craving it and it was actually really good. We always share our dishes anyway!
We rested for a few hours, enjoyed another wonderful meal, and then headed out for an evening excursion to Luxor Temple. The grounds were beautifully lit and offered a completely different experience at night. Seeing such an incredible site in the cooler evening air was truly magical. It is something I will never forget.
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.
