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Learn
about the Power of the Options and Prices -
Registration Form - Leader
Bio's Free Day in Cairo & 3-day Sinai Desert
Retreat |
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"Walk the Initiate's Path to Claim Your Sacred Power" |
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Sept 26, 2009 |
For those departing from NY, USA: Saturday, Sept
26, 2009: |
| Egypt
Tour Begins Day 1 Sunday, Sept 27 . 
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2 Meals/day are included in this tour. BB = Buffet Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner Arrivals in Cairo during the day or sometime the day before. We will arrange to have someone greet you at the airport and bring you to our hotel in Giza. We are happy to arrange an extra hotel night for you. For those arriving from New York, you arrive about midday in Cairo (7 hours ahead of New York time, 2 hours ahead of Greenwich). Cairo is the biggest center of culture and learning in the Middle East, and one of the largest, most crowded cities in the entire world. 6:00 PM : We begin our tour together with a Welcome Meeting and dinner. Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Intercontinental Pyramids Park or similar. D (Dinner) |
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Day
2
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We begin our tour with sites from Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom (2,575-2,150 B.C.). Leaving Giza we drive southward through fertile farmlands to the pyramids at Dashur, dated even older than the pyramids at Giza! It is also a chance to begin savoring the riches of Egypt without huge crowds and souvenir sellers. More photos of Dashur. We spend time inside the Red Pyramid (nearly as large as Giza's Great Pyramid) and then have the opportunity for an unforgettable walk across the open desert to the Bent Pyramid. The desert is rich with inspiration and the vastness is exhilarating. The Bent pyramid was a key center of worship during the Middle Kingdom, and was much more important than Giza at that time. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid to retain most of its original casing stones. The Black Pyramid (Middle Kingdom mud brick) is also visible from here. Ruth has some friends in the Saqqara area who have a guesthouse in the Black Land, the farming area. This is also one of Aaron and Sue’s favorite spots. Hopefully they will be home and able to welcome us for lunch. It's also a chance to see some the nearby farmers and their animals up close. The farmers love getting the photos of themselves that Ruth brings to them each time. One well-known Egyptologist said, "If you want to learn about Ancient Egypt, study the traditions of the local farmers." They may well be the closest link we have to the ways of the ancients. See Blue Lotus of Saqqara Guesthouse. In the afternoon we visit a site that is not open to the general public - the Niuserre Sun Temple at Abu Gurab. Again, we will be applying for a special permit that will allow us entrance to this site. At the Sun Temple the central alabaster altar represents the sun surrounded with "hotep" blessings in the four directions. Aaron and Sue will lead sacred ceremony here. If you would like to see the dramatic lighting of the pyramids at night, you can go to the Sound & Light show this evening. Shopping opportunities: |
Day
3
 Giza Pyramids  Solar Boat |
Today we spend a full day on the Giza Plateau. We visit and go inside whichever pyramids are open. Of the three pyramids, two will be open and one closed for renovations - dates are not announced in advance. We are applying for a special government issued permit that will grant us a private entrance to the Great Pyramid (for just our group and with all 3 chambers open to us) and a visit inside the Great Sphinx enclosure. We have every reason to believe that we will receive this permission, as we have on our previous tours. However, we cannot guarantee this because government policies can change unexpectedly. In the Solar Boat Museum we see a boat that is almost 5,000 years old and was found 50 years ago, here beside the pyramid. We will also see the Great Sphinx & Valley Temple. Aaron and Sue’s past experiences, and their November 2006 Tour, support the legends of the Sphinx speaking. A number of our travelers received private messages from the Sphinx, and the Sphinx also downloaded a special group message. Does the Sphinx have a message for you? Camel rides for the adventurous.
Shopping opportunity: Perfumery. Egypt is famous for its
perfume oils. |
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4 Wednesday, Sept 30 |
Today we venture into downtown Cairo where we will visit the famous Cairo Egyptian Museum. Your tour guide points out the most famous pieces and then there is free time to look at whatever interests you the most. The treasures of King Tut, the Mummy Room, Middle Kingdom papyruses, statues from all time periods. On our way into Cairo we will stop at a Papyrus Institute. See how the papyrus is made and buy your own, if you would like. Early evening, one-hour flight to Luxor. Shopping
opportunity: Papyrus Institute. |
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5 Thurs, Oct 1  Valley of the Kings
"Colossi of Memnon"
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Recent highlights are the opening of the Ramesses I tomb and Ramesses VI tomb, both restored with modern techniques pioneered during the restoration of the tomb of Nefertari (Nefertari's tomb is no longer open to the public). An additional ticket is required for the Ramesses VI tomb and for King Tut's tomb. King Tut's tomb is scheduled to close in the near future, so may no longer be open at the time of this tour. The
next site that we
visit is also one of the earliest New Kingdom temples. Called
"The Most Splendid of All" by the ancient Egyptians, Queen
Hatshepsut’s Temple, the famous Deir El Bahari has inspired
many, including the founders of modern architecture. One of the
outstanding features is the picturesque Hathor columns in the Hathor
Chapel on the second Level. We are also privileged to be admitted to the
third level which was only recently opened to the public. We will also the "Colossi of Memnon," the two large statues of Amenhotep III that still stand, even though their temple is long ago destroyed. The Greeks believed they were statues of Memnon, the son of Eros. Just nearby are some villagers that are long-time friends of Ruth. One of the highlights for many of our travelers is to meet some of the local people and see their lifestyle. We can count on lots of laughter and fun, as well as delicious food. Hopefully we will be invited to their house for a meal. In the evening we visit the Luxor Temple when the lighting is optimal for seeing the wall reliefs. When the sun sets, the temple is lit up giving the temple a special feeling. It also gives us an opportunity for some dramatic photos. Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this temple was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet festival. Optional: Alabaster shop. |
Day
6
 Karnak  Sekhmet Felucca ride
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Today we remain on the East Bank of Luxor where the splendors of Karnak fill our day. Karnak was the center of government during the New Kingdom and each Pharaoh wanted to leave something impressive at Karnak. The largest temple complex in Egypt, we see multiple temples, obelisks, great gates and the famous hypostyle hall - unequalled to this day. At Karnak's Open Air Museum we see Senwosret's White Chapel with its finely-carved Middle Kingdom hieroglyphs. These are in raised relief - some of the best to be found anywhere. We also see the Sacred Lake, the Festival Hall and Botanical Garden of Tutmosis III (a precursor of Napoleon's later record of the fauna and flora found in Egypt), and the Temple of Khonsu. A chance to experience with the Goddess Sekhmet is often powerful for many people. Her name means "She of Power," or "The Powerful One." Aaron and Sue will lead sacred ceremonies at various locations within the Karnak complex. Optional: Time in the late afternoon for a felucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile at sunset. Or use the time to have a nap or swim in the pool at the hotel. In the evening we make a visit to the modern Luxor Museum. There is a special exhibit room for a cache of statues found in near-perfect condition. They were buried under a courtyard at the Luxor Temple and found only recently during renovations. There is also a new wing, just opened recently, with an excellent mummy exhibit and a number of splendid artifacts. Our friend, Rachid, has painstakingly put together a wall from Tel el-Amarna which is displayed here. Overnight: Luxor 5-star Hotel - Sofitel Karnak Resort or similar. BB, D. |
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7 Sat, Oct 3  Balloon Ride
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Morning option: An early morning Balloon Ride over the West Bank of Luxor. See the temples from a very different perspective! Cost: about $140 USD. We leave Luxor this morning and drive further south to Aswan. Along the way we stop at the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the Kom Ombo Temple. Kom Ombo has been called the "Temple of Duality" because it is a double temple for 2 gods. It also known as a healing temple. We can see the medical instruments that they used represented in the wall carvings. Optional: Overnight: Basma Hotel, Aswan. BB, L. |
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8
Sun, Oct 4  Aswan
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FREE morning in Aswan.
In the afternoon we all visit the beautiful Philae Temple of Isis, located on an island near Aswan. We will travel there by motor boat. As we approach over the water the photo op's are not to be missed. Aaron and Sue will lead ceremony on the temple grounds. Optional: |
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9 Mon, Oct 5  Saqqara
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Morning flight back to Cairo.
Upon arrival in Cairo, we begin with the Saqqara complex where we see the Step Pyramid, the early versions of the Book of the Dead (Teti Pyramid) and some tombs with scenes of the daily life in the Old Kingdom. Also here at Saqqara we have the pleasure of seeing the newly opened Imhotep Museum - a beautifully laid out modern museum with a number of wooden statues from the Old Kingdom that are particularly memorable. All the items on exhibit were found here at Saqqara and have not been on public display before. We return to the same hotel in Giza where we stayed at the beginning of our tour. Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Intercontinental Pyramids Park or similar. BB, L. |
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10
Tues, Oct 6
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Today, our last day together, we begin with Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom. Next we return to the Saqqara complex where Aaron & Sue will be lead ceremony and perform a group healing. This is another of the Singletons’ favorite locations, with memories evoked from their ancient pasts. There will also be free time here so that you can absorb any final messages or energies that Egypt wants to give you. Afterwards we gather again at the Blue Lotus Guesthouse for another delicious meal and a final group meeting. So many wonderful things we have experienced together over the last 2 weeks. Time to enjoy our last time together. When we get back it is time to pack up and say our good-byes. Free time in the evening for anyone that wants to visit the Khan El Khalili for last-minute shopping. Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Intercontinental Pyramids Park or similar. BB, L. |
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11 Wed, Oct 7 Departures --------
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Departures.
Check out by noon. For those traveling Cairo/New York with Egypt
Air, your plane leaves fro New York at 10 AM and arrives in New York at
3:13 PM - the same day but with an increase of 7 hours for the time
difference between Cairo and New York. - Free Day in Cairo & 3-day Sinai Desert Retreat, Wed, Oct 7 - Sun, Oct 11. Details. - Alexandria Day Trip. Wed, Oct 7. More Info. - Ethnic Cairo Shopping Day, includes Avenue of the Tent Makers, Kerdessa & Khan El Khalili. This option is available on Wed, Oct 7 only. More Info. - Old Cairo Half-Day Tour, includes Coptic Cairo churches. This option is available any day. More Info. - Extra Hotel Nights in Cairo. You can spend extra nights in Cairo after the tour. Cost: $180/night for double room, $140/night for single room. More Info. Top of the Page -- Options -- Registration Form -- Leader Bio's |
Photo credits this
page:
Photos by Aaron & Sue Singleton: Sphinx & Pyramid, Kings Valley, Kom
Ombo, Abu Simbel, Aswan, Kiosk at Isis Temple, Aaron at Step Pyramid.
All other photos by Ruth Shilling.