Glad all is well in Cairo. Take a look at the deposed and then undeposed and then redeposed head of the Egyptian museum's website www.drhawass.com. Pretty clear what matters to him.

Don't cast aspersions at your fellow tourists. Any attention to the old should be applauded.

I love dear Zahi - the most relentless self-publicist in creation. Did you know he, <i>personally</i>, discovered everything old in Egypt?

It became a game to spot the Hawass in EVERY documentary about Egypt. I'm sorry our own Egyptiana Jones has gone. I must send him a letter.

Marija, I agree with your final comment, I'll never be nasty about porky Russians again. I'm just jealous.

Thanks dogster for your on-the-ground reporting. Maybe there's hope for me yet that I'll make it to Egypt soon. I've wanted to visit that country since I can remember and I haven't made it yet. I think it's time to get serious about the planning. It sounds like now might indeed be a good time to visit. Wonder how quickly I can pull this trip together?!

That's quite the room you have.

Yes Sharona, You will enjoy so much in this trip, I wonder when you will start planning.!!
Good Luck

dogster and all others - just to be clear - the building you refer to next to the Museum that is burned out is the old NDP (National Democratic Party) building. It was burned in January in the Revolution. This one had nothing to do with the recent problems. We are starting to get as interesting a city line as Beirut has.

My pleasure, sharona. Hotel rates are way down now and it appears that you probably won't die... two very good reasons to visit.

Oh, and there's all that old stuff. That's pretty good too.

The only thing I'd suggest is some research: I pored over my Egypt books before I left and spent quality time with David Roberts and his wondrous lithographs - it's already paying off.

The discovery of Tut.Ankh.Amun's tomb is a particular passion of mine - it was great seeing all that now-familiar stuff [again] in the Museum here. Oddly, in the Tut room, the single object that got the least attention when I was there was the famous golden mask. Too familiar, I guess.

I'll be wandering Karnak tomorrow. Having been here four times before, I'm simply picking the best of the best and concentrating on that. Before, I wanted it ALL - now I'm selective, focussed - and slow. It's better.

Heya Casual - we were posting simultaneously. I knew it was burnt in Jan - but I didn't know what the building was. Thanks for the big clue. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Sharona, if you want some fun reading in preparation for your trip, check out the Amelia Peabody series written by a University of Chicago Egyptologist:

www.ameliapeabody.com

(Look for me in The Ape Who Guards the Balance!)

I love the Amelia Peabody books!

have fun and behave...

Yes - and no.

Luxor is a whole other thing. Jimmy Central. The usual. Three room changes in 20 hours. It began in a $85.00 room at the Pavillion Winter Palace - the cheap version of the famous hotel. Now, quite by accident, I'm in a $1,300 [a <i>night</i>] suite at the real Winter Palace. How? It's a verrry long and completely ridiculous story.

I'm gonna abandon this post now. The mega-felucca awaits.

www.nourelnil.com/photo_gallery.htm

And you'll have to wait for the trip report. It features the many bananas of Luxor, stale sandwiches and humiliation. Alas, it may be too filthy for Fodor's.

Have fun dogster and look forward to your take on the dahabiya - which one are you on? The El Nil or the Malouka?

Meroe. There aren't enough touristas to run all of them at present.

Final word: NOW is the time to come to Egypt.

"Final word: NOW is the time to come to Egypt."

I'm really, really trying! I'm cross-eyed from all the research I did yesterday.

Thanks Marija for the tip on the Amelia Peabody series. Looks like I need to get cracking as there are 19 of those books. Very cool that you are in one of them. I just downloaded book 1.

Dogster, please please post a specific report when you return. We are going Cairo and Luxuor in December and will be on Meroe sister felucca the Assouan.

Dogster - I thought I posted this already - maybe I'm loosing my mind

Anyway - if you are coming back to Cairo and have time - would LOVE to meet up for a beer somewhere and have a chat. Let me know if, when, and where. CC

Will be looking out for a full report upon your return as we are booked for Egypt in January!

Hey, from mid-Nile

no time - but it's go-o-o-od. laurie-ann, you made a fantastic choice. You can relax.

CC -- you posted your previous invite on the now deleted "Egypt is dangerous " thread. No reason to doubt your mind (that I'm aware of).

The "Egypt is dangerous" thread got deleted? Serious? (Chuckle-chuckle!)

Thanks for letting me know I wasn't completely nuts Marija,
and dogster - awwww! dang! maybe next time.