Wednesday 15th February
This trip has been breakneck so far. So it was lovely to get to Aswan and have some chill time. We went to Elephantine Island which is a Nubian village. It’s funny, the further south you go in Egypt, people’s skin gets darker and the places have more of an African feel. We are not too far from Sudan so understandable really. Apparently, Sudan has the most number of pyramids in the world!
Chilled out in a cafe next to the Nile, did some home school, prepped some home school for the next few days.
The best bit was that we asked when and where the local kids play football. So Henry got to play with them which he loved. He’s really missing having a kick about so we’ll try and make that happen wherever we can. The good thing is wherever there are kids in the world, there is a football kick about!
Thursday 16th February
First day of our Nile cruise — we are on a BEAUTIFUL 12 person old-fashioned Dahabiya boat which can stop in slightly smaller stops than the big cruises. It is one of our trip splurges and by golly I’m happy about it. We used this company which I’d highly recommend.
It is just beautiful — so much luxury. Big comfy beds, a massive deck with a hammock which was the third parent for the trip! The kids loved it. No need for toys when you have a hammock swing!
I’m still not quite used to the travel vibez. Uncomfy beds, not enough blankets, and wearing all of your clothes EVERY DAY! But it’s important to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. I am a little sad I don’t have thermals, ha ha, it’s really cold at night here. And some nights have been very shivery. I’ll miss it when we are in 40 degrees in India though.
Back to the boat — it’s really peaceful, and this is my current view. Gorgeous.
Friday 17th February
The highlight of today was swimming in the Nile! One thing the nurse said was whatever you do, don’t swim unless it’s the sea or a pool — oops! However the guide said some parts were safe. So we donned our swimmers and dipped for 0.1 secs with mouth firmly clamped shut!
We also stopped off today at Edfu temple. It was stunning and apparently is the best preserved temple in Egypt. Most of the hieroglyphics and art work were in tact and they were everywhere from floor to 20-metre ceiling!
Saturday 18th February
We cruised most of the day, doing home school and relaxing. Esna temple was the most amazing place with so many original colours on the ceiling and pillars.
Then we went to the local market with our tour guide, Hassan, and got some sugar cane juice which is cheap and abundant here.
Sunday 19th February
We got off the boat and met our tour guide, Ra, to see the Luxor temples and Valley of the Kings. We stayed here which was fine, two separate bedrooms which was great!
A note on Ra – he was probably our BEST TOUR GUIDE OF GAP YEAR (link here)!! I cannot recommend him enough. His kindness, spending time with us and his family.
Tutankhamun’s tomb was extra but wasn’t really worth it. Although his mummified body is still there without any covering – crazy!
It was the most brilliant day — ending with dinner at Ra’s house with his family. Henry was keen to do football so Ra kindly booked a local football pitch so we played 5-a-side with his kids and their cousins. Such a lovely bonding experience — exactly what we wanted from our travels. Something a bit different. Having the kids with us really opens up a whole new world because all cultures love kids! It was also his daughter’s birthday so we got to experience that — the kids deemed the cake the best they’ve ever tasted!
Monday 20th February
Today was the big hot air balloon trip — up at 4.30am. It was such an experience for all of us. Trenton and I did one in Cappodacia, Turkey but I barely remember what it was like. So magical. I’m obsessed with sunrises and it definitely delivered!
We used Magic Horizons because they had a good safety record! Link here http://www.visitluxorinhotairballoon.com/
Went to bed for a couple of hours then met Ra again for some more tombs. We were recommended the Nobles’ tomb number 100 because of the beautiful colours and murals that have withstood the test of time.
We finished the day with a trip to the local festival where the guys ride around on their horses so show how fast they can go. We were the only foreigners there and definitely got stared at!
Mega trip back to Cairo with a 3am bedtime at an Airbnb near the airport – we stayed here and it was so great. Such a shame we were only there for one night, the place was HUGE! This could be a theme for the trip!
Team Mossy on the move 