Petra to Pyramids April 7-19, 2024

We returned yesterday from this transformative travel experience. O.M.G.!!!! I spent 13 days trying not to trip over my dropped jaw as we toured incredible and indescribably fantastic places. Our group was smaller than it should have been due to cancellations related to the continuing Hamas/IDF conflict in Gaza. I won't go into my opinions about that conflict--but I will say that we never felt threatened by it while we were in either Jordan or Egypt.

The itinerary was described in the Tauck website and brochures, but I would note that the written word and photos undersell the extraordinary beauty and history of these places. WOW! I thought I was knowledgeable and prepared for this trip. Despite doing my homework, I was not. The travel group was composed of seasoned travelers who had all done their homework. I hesitate to speak for anyone else, but our internal conversations were consistent with my comments here.

We hit the jackpot with our travel guides. The overall tour director was Rikus Visser. He is a gentleman and a scholar, a diplomat, and a wonderful human being. He is skilled at anticipating potential difficulties in the program and transparently arranging workarounds to maximize the tour experience. Examples of this were two occasions where the weather forecasts could have presented risks and dangers to all of us. 1) Rain was predicted for our hike into the Petra site. Rikus kept us updated about the weather reports as he received them. He advised that if we did indeed get rain, he would curtail the trek to the Monastery due to the risk of flash flood. He also advised that if the rain happened, he would speak with the Bedouins about having dinner at the hotel, rather than at their tents. As it happened, the forecasts were wrong. We were able to have the full experiences as planned. 2) The day we visited the Pyramids was very hot, and there were winds indicating that we might have sandstorms, particularly at the Step Pyramid site. Rikus and Heba (the local guide) rearranged the order of our visits so that we beat the heat and the sand. As a result, when we got to the G.E.M. later in the afternoon, we would have missed the English language version of the IMAX King Tut film but for his advocacy with the G.E.M. staff. Another example was at our visit to the Valley of the Kings/Queens. We were to have visited Queen Nefertiti's tomb, but could not, due to closures to repair damage to it. Rikus notified us about the tomb closure promptly, and arranged for us to visit the archeological site of the village where the artisans who built the royal tombs lived. We were able to visit the temple for the workmen, the village, and the tomb of one of the artists who had painted the Queen's tomb. Frankly, it was better in my opinion to learn that not only the royalty and wealthy had tombs, but that everyday people were also given proper burials and could attain eternal life in the ancient beliefs.

The local guides were personable and extremely knowledgeable. We were in Jordan during the Eid Al Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Sulfin, our guide there, answered all our questions about the sites we visited, and also explained how Jordanian Muslims practice the holy days. We learned that on the first day of the Eid, men visit their mothers and sisters to honor them. The second day is when women visit their fathers and brothers. We were privileged to share his wife's special date cookies on the first day of the Eid when Sulfin broke his fast. They were amazing! The other guides were equally friendly and honest about the culture, history, and politics of how Egypt has developed over time. We came away with a deep level understanding of these countries. Our guide in Aswan, Magdie, is a Christian. Our guide in Cairo, Heba, is a Muslim woman. I was appreciative of these people who gave me a much deeper understanding of the true roles that religion and gender play in Middle Eastern culture.

The accommodations were all as described in the brochures--but again, undersold by those descriptions. We could see the lights of Jerusalem on the other side of the Dead Sea at night from our balcony at the Kempinski in Jordan. The Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan was picture perfect. It was like stepping into Agatha Christie's novel set there in "Death on the Nile". The Mena House in Cairo hosted great political conferences during the 20th Century and has an extraordinary location at the foot of the Great Pyramid. The Oberio Zahra river ship was opulent. Food was excellent throughout. It was simply outstanding.

While we were in Aswan, Iran launched drone missiles at Israel. Again, Rikus monitored the situation and kept us apprised of the need for any changes. We were a time zone away from the hostilities and never in any danger, but it was comforting to know that Tauck and the staff were on top of the situation.

I would encourage anyone to take this tour. We received excellent value for our money. I am still "unpacking" all the information and experiences from the trip. It was transformative for me. This trip was a bucket list destination. I am so happy that we did it.