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Jewels of the Nile Feb 5; 2023
Counting down to our Jewel of the Nile Feb 5. Cancelled twice waiting on the GEM opening. Still no hints on it opening anytime soon so decided to just go for it. Anyone else going on this trip?
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Counting down to our Jewel of the Nile Feb 5. Cancelled twice waiting on the GEM opening. Still no hints on it opening anytime soon so decided to just go for it. Anyone else going on this trip?
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I wouldn't count on getting to see the GEM in February.
I think the team that was assigned to open the GEM has be reassigned to Europe to roll out a new system (an extract from a thread started by Ken from LasVegas about possible delays in the EU is shown below). 😂😂
It's a race to see which will open first.
Naw, a race to see which will open LAST
And to think, at one time I hoped it would be open in 2020, then 2021, then 2022!
An over/under on 2025?
Just realized you said 2025. Even I think it'll be open by then. I'd say even money for 2024.
From a just done Google Search. I like the wording "will be Opening most likely in 2023".
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will be Opening most likely in 2023, but they have not determined a date yet, however the project is %99 completed. The delay in opening the GEM was due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, and Egypt wants to pick a perfect time as it is probably the most important achievement of Egypt in decades.
Well regardless, my heart is broken. The only reason we even wanted to go was to see all 5398 of Tut's treasures in one place. Now they have all been moved to the GEM, which isn't even open. if I happen to run into Major General Atef Moftah, I'll give him a piece of my mind. JK.
We went on our second trip to Egypt in December 2017 (not Tauck) and the GEM was visible from our Giza hotel. It was under construction then, said to open the next year! Sad, but true…in Egypt things move very slowly. I hope you get to see it.
I wonder if the word "Mañana" originated in Arabic...
Not quite, but when I was in the Gulf, those that had been there awhile used to say that the Arabic phrase "Inshallah" is a lot like "mañana," but has a lot less urgency.
Sounds about right….” Inshallah”. While the GEM will eventually be a wonder to experience, Egypt itself is totally amazing, and the people are lovely. The ancient history and sites you see there are very hard to beat anywhere in the world.
Egypt has an incredible amount of antiquities to display. To display all of them would require more floor space than available in all their existing museums combined, INCLUDING the GEM!
I enjoyed our Egypt tour, but the hard part about the country is the widespread poverty and overpopulation.
Mike
Was suppose to have left this afternoon for our Feb 5 Jewels of the Nile. American Airlines just notified us our flight is cancelled for same time tomorrow ☹️ Texas is very icy here today. Hopefully our 4 hour window in London is enough
While I’m sad my little plan of 4 extra days is cancelled, this is EXACTLY WHY WE GO IN EARLY!!!!😘
I’m just hoping this Is not an omen of BKMD Egyptian trip!!
AustinGirl,
Hopefully that's the last of your cancellations. Fingers crossed that 4 hours is enough to make the connection in London. It should be, but people avoid Heathrow for a reason.
Ooh, I've become the poster boy for this trip
Good luck. Hope it all works out (except for the GEM ,of course).
AustinGirl - you were smart to plan extra days. Hope your flights go well tomorrow. I loved this tour. It was fascinating.
We returned from this tour two weeks ago. Our private guide for extras says his friend who works at the GEM enlisted him to help with opening ceremonies, in a costumed role, this coming June. That said, mummy's the word on anything official.
You should have plenty of time as long as you can get to London! I’m in Dallas and the whole city is shut down. There’s snow starting in an hour and the temps don’t get above freezing until Thursday. The base layer is ice-not a great combination. Are you starting out from Austin? Dallas gets this kind of weather almost every year. Always at the end of January till Valentine’s Day. I’ll hold good thoughts for you that the weather improves.
You’ll love this trip.
Yes starting in Austin to London to Cairo. We had a horrid winter last 2 years. Freezing rain tonight. We’ll see…..
Unfortunately, this is not a joke. I read it in today's Washington Post. The article has more details.
"Britain grinds to a halt as half a million workers go on strike"
“Walkout Wednesday”- Around 500,000 workers joined in the day of mass action, with teachers, train drivers, university lecturers, bus drivers, civil servants and airport staff staging a walkout.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/01/britain-strike-unions-cost-of-living/
Keeping my fingers crossed you make it to and out of Heathrow! I know exactly how it feels. It is like coming home and finding out your house has been robbed- you get a sick feeling, but realize there is nothing much you can do about it!
AustinGirl - I hope you get to leave soon. Good luck. I'm leaving for Australia on the 20th flying from Orlando to Dallas so I feel the concern.
Sadly, the UK is declining compared to the other countries in Europe. Leaving the EU has been a real mistake for them.
Austin girl, did you make it to Cairo?
I'm going with the no new posts is good news, meaning she is so busy, enjoying her tour that she has no time/ability to post.
YES ! Loved loved this trip. Just got back in yesterday.
I’ve so much to say and add to the Egypt chat.
I had no idea there was such a drastic difference between Giza and Cairo. Looking at the map, I thought we could drive over to Cairo a couple a nights while in Giza for a nice dinner. That would have been a waste of time. The traffic is worse than terrible. It’s a stressful 45 minute drive. While Giza is lovely, and let’s face it, that’s where the pyramids were, I see now why Tauck starts their trip there.
More to add later today with my observations of the trip
We are doing the Jewel of the Niles trip March 5. Really eager to hear AustinGirl’s experience! Wondering too how was the dress at dinners? Cruise and other accommodations and definitely the daily scheduled start times. (I’m kinda stressed about packing). Any and all tips and suggestions for this trip totally welcome!!
Dress is casual. The only night that is dressy is when you’re at The Old Cataract Hotel. Dressy slacks and blouse is perfect, jackets are required for men. Bring very comfortable shoes for touring and a hat-even when the temperatures are more moderate the sun is intense. This is a great trip!
Jackets are only required at one restaurant. There are other restaurants that, in my opinion, are just as good and don't require a jacket.
The Old Cataract had a limited number of loaner jackets.
When I was there (Nov 2022), we were told jackets were not required for reservations 7 PM or earlier.
While an elegant decor, the food there was so-so. Sam may have had the right idea, going to the other restaurant, rather than 1902.
(edited for typo)
Agree about the food, and I suspect the service can be variable. Last March, one of our servers was excellent, the other either very new or very distracted.