Vibrant Barcelona - a visual delight!

Hola! We visited the beautiful city of Barca last September and were enthralled by its diverse architecture and culture. Barcelona has something for everyone - Gaudi's quirky designs are sure to capture the artist's heart and the beaches and nightlife appeal to younger folks.

When to go: September is an ideal time to visit Barcelona, the tourist season is just winding down, so not as much crowd as you would possibly see in summer. The weather is just right, not too hot, and not too cold. In the 8 days we spent there, it only rained on the last night, so take an umbrella just in case.

Where to stay: We stayed right off Ramblas (the main street, which is also very touristy) for convenience sake - the bus terminus is right there, its proximity to the Gothic Quarter (which we visited on more than one day) and Passeig de Gracia is convenient. We stayed at the Hesperia Ramblas, which is a boutique hotel - rooms are smaller (but keeping with European standards), clean and excellent service.

Where to eat: There are plenty of vegetarian options in Barcelona. If you want fast food that's also healthy, try the Maoz chain - it is a Middle Eastern place and for a few Euros, you get a pita wrap or salad that's sure to keep your tummy full for a long time. There's also the Boqueria which is like a farmer's market (similar to Pike's Place in Seattle) where you can find fresh squeezed juices for only a Euro. There's also Starbucks which was our savior on many occasions with their vegetarian sandwiches or pasta bowls. Not to mention the tourist traps posing as Tapas restaurants - overpriced, but worth visiting once; don't expect to eat there every night. Try Fresc Co - it is similar to Souplantation and/or Sweet Tomatoes in the United States. Good variety of vegetarian options.

How to get around: Barcelona, just like the rest of Europe, is very pedestrian friendly. We walked most of the time, occasionally taking the Bus Turistic, which is a 2 level bus that takes you to all the important tourist sites. For example, if you are staying near Placa Catalunya and want to get to Parc Guell, you cannot possibly walk all the way there. Bus Turistic is an excellent choice then. But plan your days ahead and purchase passes only for 1 or 2 days. It can get very expensive.

What to see: There's so much to do and see in Barcelona, that 8 days was not enough for us. We might even go back for another visit, if time permits. Here are some of my recommendations - don't stop just here and do your own rambling around to experience the city at it's most authentic.

The Sagrada Familia is a must-see, even if you are not religiously inclined to Catholicism. This church has been under construction since 1882 and it is expected to go on until 2026! Now if that doesn't intrigue you enough to go and see what's this church all about, I don't know what will! The beautiful finished facade at the back of theBasilica is a visual delight, in addition to the stained glass features and petal like ceiling inside the basilica. Entrance fee is 14.00 Euros per adult, but is well worth it! See some sample pictures below:

Barcelona is full of masterpieces by Antoni Gaudi. One of those is Casa Batllo, also known as "House of Bones"by the locals. You can see why :)

Casa Batllo is located on the famous Passeig de Gracia alongside two other splendid examples of Modernisme architecture. The contrast between these 3 houses is definitely worth visiting.

Another of Gaudi's creations is the Parc Guell. Situated on top of a hill, getting there is quite the hike. Once you're inside the park, you can see almost the whole expanse of Barcelona from there. There's an opportunity for you to hike further up the hill and the view from there is just amazing - you can even see the port and theships and the Sagrada Familia on a clear day. Its simply beautiful.

Barcelona is not all Modernisme and Gaudi... There's a lot of rich culture and history in the city from the time of Roman rule. The Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) is full of remnants of the Roman Empire, from walls to columns to cemetaries. There are churches and more churches, with beautiful high ceilings and ornate carvings.

Then, of course, there's Salvador Dali and Picasso and their museums showcasing their paintings and scuptures.

Whatever is your reason for visiting Barcelona, be it to appreciate the architecture or Gaudi's eccentric artistic tastes, to study Dali and his work or simply to relax and take in a whole new culture, Barcelona has it for you. Enjoy the beauty and culture of my most favorite European city...yet.

Travel Etiquette - Do's and Don'ts of travel

I am a frequent traveler, not a road-warrior, but I try to take 2-3 trips every year, some international. Needless to say, I fly most of the time. Air travel can be horrendous at times, in part due to the airline and sometimes due to our fellow passengers. Here are some basic Do's and Don'ts of travel, so we can all have better experiences.

At the Airport:

1. DON'T hog seats: Earlier this year, I was traveling from Chicago to San Francisco and back during a really busy time of the day. With many flights delayed (cant remember why), the airports were teeming with travelers. To find a seat to sit was impossible and then we came upon a young couple who had piled their luggage on to 2 seats while they themselves occupied 2 more. You may not think this is wrong, but seats are for humans, not luggage, especially on a busy day.

2. DO clean up after yourselves: Simple and basic, but people think they can eat and leave their trash on the seats/tables and someone will come and clean up after them. It takes only 30 seconds to actually take the empty containers and trash them.

3. DO share outlets: Just like you want to have a fully-charged phone, everyone else does too. Share as much as possible, instead of hogging the outlets.

4. DON'T wear bracelets, watches, belts and other extras that would delay getting through the security line. If you do, make sure you remove them and place them in your carry on before it's your turn to go through the metal detector.

5. DON'T talk loudly on the phone. Phone conversations are meant to be private and other people don't want to be forced to listen to your conversation.

On the plane:

6. DON'T block the aisle by trying to remove items from your carry on as soon you stow it. Settle down and when you are at cruising altitude, you can remove what you need.

7. DO be mindful of personal space, don't occupy too much space so your neighbor feels cramped.

8. DON'T recline your seat suddenly - make sure the person behind is not eating or drinking or has enough space. Turning back to take a quick look will do. With today's shrinking seats, oftentimes, the person behind will be extremely inconvenienced if you recline your seat.

9. DO train your kids to be well behaved and not run around and disturb other passengers while traveling. You might adore their pranks, but your fellow travelers may not.

10. DON'T use the seat in front of you to get up or sit down. It is very annoying and disturbs the passenger in front of you.

Simple mindfulness is all it takes to make the travel experience better for yourself and others surrounding you. Happy traveling!

6 Essentials to Pack during any trip

Packing is always a pain, you need to make sure you take everything that is needed so you wont be stranded in a new country searching for something you left behind. A lot of people tend to overpack because they pack for the worst case scenario. But these six items are the staples of any packing list. Don't leave home without these!

1. Toiletries Although many hotels provide shampoo, conditioner and a soap, many do not provide face washes or combs/brushes or lip balms. Hotel soaps tend to dry out your skin and strip it of essential oils. You can buy travel sized face washes and even brushes at the local drugstore (I go to Bed Bath and Beyond, they have a huge section of travel sized essentials).

2. Chargers for phone and laptop: Many a time, people forget this and end up not being able to use their phones or laptops beyond a limited period of time. If you are traveling international, ensure you also carry a voltage converter as well.

3. Plastic grocery bags: These would be useful to sort the dirty clothes from fresh ones. Very useful and most forgotten! You can also use them to wrap fragile souvenirs (like bubble wrap).

4. Ziplock bags: One of the best things to carry around so you can keep your receipts, snacks while sightseeing or simply to store a leaky bottle.

5. Extra tote bag: We all buy stuff when we travel and sometimes, it exceeds the available space in your luggage. Buying a new bag in a foreign country (especially if it Europe) can become an expensive affair. So, I recommend taking a foldable tote bag or day backpack that you can store in your carry on, to bring your souvenirs and other extra purchases that wont fit into your carry on.

6. Sunscreen lotion: Most often forgotten and most required, irrespective of weather at the destination. It is a common myth that sunscreen lotions are not required on cloudy or rainy days. So wrong! The sun's harmful rays reach you irrespective of rain or shine. Disregarding this could cause serious skin damage.

So what are your staples?

Scenic Montreal

B & I took our first trip to Canada together last year. After much deliberation, we selected Montreal as our destination because we had heard so much about its unique European-style architecture and layout. This was an independent trip, just the two of us, with all the planning done before hand. We picked the Residence Inn by Marriott downtown (Rue Peel; #13 on Tripadvisor) although we really wanted to stay at Chateau Versailles (rated #36 on Tripadvisor). Chateau Versailles comes with a fireplace in the room and is more like a European apartment than a hotel (at least thats what I've read). But we have no complaints about Residence Inn - great service, English speaking staff, impeccable rooms, free Wi-fi - what else do you need on vacation?

We actually planned the trip for 7 days, which turned out to be too long. There's really not much to do in Montreal beyond 4 or 5 days at most. We visited the historic Vieux (Old) Montreal, Mont-Royal and of course Downtown (where we were staying).

Vieux Montreal

If you love quaint little roads with cobblestone pathways, artists on the pavement painting the passersby and little cafes on the sidewalk where you can sit down and observe life go by, look no further! Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal in English) is as European as Montreal gets! Beautiful architecture, bustling streets and its own unique culture, cute shops, this is a must-see on your itinerary.

Traveler Tip: Take the Metro (subway system) from Rue Peel (downtown) to Place d'Armes station and walk a couple of blocks to get to Vieux Montreal.

We saw the Notre-Dame Basilica, a beautiful Catholic Church (similar to its counterpart in Paris), Place Jacque Cartier (a town square where you can find some live action), Museums, free parks, Bonsecour Marche (an indoor market with boutique stores), Old Port and just basically walked around the streets. We even got to see a Turkish march and a demonstration of the French cavalry! This is pretty much an all-day visit and is worth taking the tour.

Traveler Tip: Entrance to Notre-Dame Basilica is $5 (can't remember if it was USD or CAD) and you don't really need the guided tour - just take your time and study the architecture inside - it's beautiful and most of it is self-explanatory.

Traveler Tip: We decided to have late lunch as we wanted to keep walking and taking in the sights. But we realized that most restaurants were closed on Rue Paul by the time we wanted to eat (around 3 or 4) and we had a hard time finding a restaurant that was open. Vegetarian Options are not plentiful, although if you ask, they are willing to modify existing options or suggest something that is not on the menu. KEEP YOUR PHRASE-BOOK HANDY, as not all of them speak good English!

Mont Royal

Mont (Mount) Royal is a small hill/mountain atop which you can find a sprawling park and a scenic viewpoint to view the city of Montreal from. You can walk for miles here and it is basically a picnic spot. You also have a Chalet - which is where you can get beautiful views of Montreal below. You can either take the bus up there or hike up the mountain from downtown!

St. Joseph's Oratory

The Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont Royal is the biggest church in Canada and can be found on top of Mont Royal. It is characterized by its huge copper dome that is visible from miles away! It is open all week and admission is free. There are several steps to climb inside and outside, so if you have joint problems, be careful. Many people have mixed opinions about the inside architectural style, but I say make the decision for yourself. The Oratory offers great views of Montreal from its park and courtyard. We also visited the chapel of Brother Andre where many of the crutches of those who were healed by him are displayed and his humble lodgings above the chapel. The Oratoire can easily take up half a day to explore and is well worth your time!

Jean Talon Market

This is basically a farmer's market with loads of fruits, vegetables, seafood, baked goods, spices, nuts, flowers, plants and what not. Worth a visit!

Cathedrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde

This is the third largest church in Quebec and is beautiful from the outside. Unfortunately, that's all we got to see as the church was closed when we strolled past it. If you are staying downtown, this is very nearby and you can take a late afternoon walk to this Church. Entrance is free.

Underground City

This subterranean mall is impressive in size and has everything you can ask for - shops, boutiques, eateries, metro stations, movie theater and even spas! You can spend an evening or two just walking through the maze.

Rue Catherine

This is just a street with all the big name boutiques and brand labels. Similar to Michigan Ave of Chicago or 5th Street of New York

For the rest of the time, we walked around Montreal... We went by University of Quebec and there were some churches there, there was a monastery that looked awesome and since we went in August, we got to stop by the Music Festival too! Other places you can check out, but we didn't care to are:

• Olympic Park
• Botanical Gardens
• Biodome

Weather: I think the best time to visit Montreal would be between June and August. The weather does not get too hot, but it does get a little chilly (at least when we were there), so take a sweater along. Mont Royal is obviously a little cooler than Montreal itself, so the sweater can come in handy there too.

Transportation: Consider getting a Metro pass, so you can save on individual tickets. The Metro pass is also valid on a connecting bus fare (one way). Your hotel should be able to point you to the nearest metro station. Pay attention on the trains themselves, as the announcements are in French.

Traveler Tip: Montreal, like the rest of Quebec, considers itself to be French and not Canadian. So, you have to be like in Paris - try speaking in French first (even if it is just to ask if they speak English) and then ask your questions in English. All menus are in French, so if you do not speak any French, you might want to learn the basic phrases or take a phrase book with you.

I will leave you with some beautiful pictures of the sights that we saw. If you have never been to Europe, this would be a good introduction of what you can expect to see. You will be transported to a whole different place! Vegetarians can still make the most of your meals here, if you are able to communicate it to the wait-staff. Montreal has every cuisine you can think of, even veggie only restaurants! Enjoy!

Cobblestone roads!

University of Quebec, Montreal

Side-view of Notre Dame Basilica

St. Joseph's Oratory

Ancient Egypt

Egypt.... A passion? A dream? An obsession? Whatever you choose to call it, this was something I have been enthralled with for years. I never imagined that I would actually be able to visit it, mind you, but I dreamed on...I read more and more books set in Ancient Egypt, bought more Egyptian artifacts and visited the museum's Egyptian Treasure section multiple times.... So, when I was randomly browsing the internet one day and saw a travel group planning to travel to Egypt later that year, I joined it right away; if not to travel with them, but to learn more Egyptian factoids.

Then, dream turned into reality. My husband (let's call him B) and I decided to join this group on the Egypt tour!!! Excited does not even begin to describe my emotion during those 6 months leading up to the tour date! I'd like to lay down my experience here, so that maybe one day, if visiting Egypt was one of your dreams, you realize that you can be there to experience the magnificent culture and beauty of the temples, first hand!

Tour Type: Guided, Land + River Cruise

Tour Company: Globus, Avalon Waterways

Tour Duration: 11 days (including travel)

Day 1: Thanksgiving 2009 (Nov 26)

Board our intercontinental flight to the Land of the Pharoahs!

Traveler Tip: We flew Alitalia, our first time with them and if I can help it, definitely our last time. THE worst airline I have flown till date - dirty and I mean DIRTY restrooms, apathetic service, age old aircrafts made this flight barely bearable!

Day 2: Nov 27 2009

We arrive at Egypt airport and apply for our Egyptian visas - costs about $15 - $20 and can be gotten in a few minutes. For those who are not US Citizens (including Permanent Residents), you have to apply for a visa beforehand and have it stamped on your passports.

There is a foreign exchange facility right there and you pretty much get the same rate everywhere else too. We board our bus to go to Mena House Oberoi (five star hotel, right by the Pyramids). Pleasant surprise when we got there - we were all upgraded to Pyramid View rooms!!!! After a refreshing welcome drink, we all head to our rooms. Wow - the view of those magnificent pyramids from our rooms was just breathtaking!!! And to see them at sunrise against the crimson sky... leaves you speechless!

Dinner: Mena House has several restaurants with fantastic veggie options like Lentil Soups, Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, Hummus and Falafel and so on. If you have any food allergies, though, please be sure to communicate more than once with your waiter, as they don't seem to understand the concept of allergies in Egypt.

Day 3: Nov 28 2009

Our tour officially didn't begin till 3 PM, so we headed out on our own in the morning to the Pyramid complex. B & I chose not to go into the complex today because we were going there tomorrow anyway. But to see these gorgeous structure up close was exhilarating! After a few pictures, we walked back to the hotel and took up a shady spot under a tree by the pool... Ahhhhh, relaxing..... Well, we were to remember that lazy afternoon for the rest of our tour, as that was our last :)

At 2 PM, our Tour director came in early and apprised us of what to expect. Shocked? Not really, we knew it was going to be a little exhausting, and we thought we could handle it. Little did we know :) Anyway, after our introductory meeting, we all opted to go visit Old Cairo and see a few spots on our own. So, 2 taxis were arranged and we huddled in and headed to Cairo. Boy, was that a joy-ride! The traffic in Cairo is just complete.... how do I put it?... CHAOS! No one follows rules and you can get stuck in the middle of cars, buses, donkeys and other animals packed like sardines in a can and stay there for several hours, sometimes! If you are going from the United States where you are used to clean, streamlined roads, you are in for a shock! But then, remember, it's their culture.... So just embrace it with open arms!

So anyways, we went to this Gayer Anderson museum - which, if you remember, was featured in the James Bond movie - The Spy who Loved Me! The "museum" is actually two houses that were the most well preserved houses in Cairo at their times. They are right next to the Ibn Tulun Mosque and there is a beautiful view of the mosque from one of the courtyards. The house itself has several period furniture pieces and has other delights like a secret room behind a cupboard, a Harem room (!!) and a Birthing room (You gotta see this one!).

Entrance fee for Gayer -Anderson Museum is about 30 Egyptian Pounds (LE) for foreign nationals. You cannot take any purses inside, so make sure that either have someone guard it outside or you don't carry a purse for that visit.

We decided that the ride back was enough excitement for us and headed straight to the hotel to have dinner!

Breakfast: Buffet with loads of fruit, hummus, dates, etc - plenty of veggie options

Lunch: Khan El Khalili restaurant (same as previous day's dinner)

Dinner: The Moghul Room (Indian) - reservations essential - very good food, plenty of vegetarian options, pricey.

Day 4: Nov 29, 2009

Today, we woke up early, and were out of the hotel by 7 AM. We headed over to the Pyramid Complex, where B and some of our fellow-travelers went for a quick visit into the Pyramid of Khafre (the second largest) to look at the burial chamber. I am claustrophobic, so I opted to stay outside with some other folks. But those who went inside said that you would have to literally crawl in some portions and that the chamber itself is empty without any engravings or inscriptions. We then headed to the Great Sphinx, which is by the pyramids, only a few hundred feet over. It is breathtaking to see that the Sphinx is actually carved from a SINGLE ROCK!!! Amazing!

We also went over to the place where we could see all three pyramids together - great photo opp!

From the pyramids, we headed directly to riding camels! If you have never ridden them before, are a cleanliness freak or are very finicky, please skip this! I am not going to explain why :D

After riding camels, we head over to nearby Sakkara to see the original and oldest step pyramids there. Memphis is a short ride from there where you admire the 40-ft statue of Ramses II. We also stopped by a local carpet weaving school for children to learn how the beautiful Egyptian carpets are made.

Next stop after the Carpet School was the Egyptian Museum. Filled with beautiful curios and artifacts ranging from thousands of years, this is a must see! The famed King Tut's artifacts are all on display here and you will not regret your trip!

Traveler Tip: Cameras or Camcorders are not allowed inside the museum, so if you don't want to entrust your prized possessions to the Museum authorities, please make sure you leave them in the car/bus. Taking your purse is not advisable either.

Whew!! THAT was our first day of the tour! Packed with action and adventure!

Breakfast: Buffet with loads of fruit, hummus, dates, etc - plenty of veggie options (Mena House)

Lunch: Local Cairo restaurant, falafel, hummus, babaganoush (minced eggplant) and salad

Dinner: Khan El Khalili restaurant, Mena House

Day 5: Nov 30, 2009

This morning, we visited a Papyrus factory where we saw a demonstration of how papyrus is made. The "factory" also sold several kinds of paintings made on papyrus, beautiful colors and themes. B and I chose not to buy anything here, but we captured some of these works of art on our camera.

Later, we headed over to the airport to board our flight to the beautiful, resort town of Aswan! After a brief stop at Aswan Dam overlooking the man-made Lake Nasser, we headed over to the Nile where we boarded a felucca. A felucca is a traditional wooden sail boat that can be found in only one or two countries, including Egypt. Munching on fruits, we sailed to the nearby Kitchener Island, where we took a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. On our way back to the hotel, we were treated to our first sunset on the Nile. You have got to be there to see how beautiful it is!

A relatively shorter day, we were gearing up for the spectacular visit the next day! An early night at the Hotel Mövenpick - a great choice! Our room was overlooking the Nile and desert and was simply beautiful and we were greeted by a traditional Hibiscus herbal tea, yum!

Breakfast: Mena House buffet breakfast

Lunch: Fruits on the felucca and falafel on the bus, courtesy of our Tour Director!

Dinner: A fantastic buffet at the Hotel Mövenpick, the best dinner I had throughout this trip!

Day 6: Dec 1, 2009

Today, we checked out early from Mövenpick and headed to the airport again, this time to board a short flight to Abu Simbel.

Abu Simbel is the home of two massive temples built by Ramses II for himself and his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. It is here that you see the huge statues of Ramses II in a sitting position. Apparently, this temple was actually way out in the middle of present day Lake Nasser, but when Aswan Dam was built and Lake Nasser was created, the temple had to be relocated to a small hill, block by block!

Words cannot describe the beauty of the location, with the blue waters of Lake Nasser sprawled out in front of you, in contrast to the sand colored temples. The temples themselves are impressive, with their huge, gigantic statues and inscriptions. This is often termed an optional trip, but for me, this is an absolute essential part of the whole Egyptian experience.

After we finished at Abu Simbel, we flew back to Aswan, where we boarded our cruise ship - The Royal Lotus! My first cruise ever, this was really exciting. A welcome lunch later, we headed to Aswan market to find local treasures and do some shopping for a welcome party later that night!

Traveler Tip: Egyptians are fascinated by tourists, Americans in particular. They try to touch you, stroke your hair and even make comments that are probably considered unacceptable in American culture. Then again, all we need to remember is that their culture is a lot different and that they are enchanted with fair skin and blonde hair, as it is certainly not common there. If you do not like them touching you/your hair or you dont want to buy their products, please let them no politely or say "La Shukran", which means, "No, Thanks" and they will usually leave you alone.

Traveler Tip: Baksheesh is a very common way of life in Egypt. Baksheesh literally translates to "charity", but is generally used with the concept of tipping in Egypt. It is their way of making that extra cash and making a living. So, carry $1 bills with you, specifically for tipping. Also, while shopping, make sure you don't display all the money you carry - the prices will go up if they see how much you have!

Breakfast: Mövenpick buffet breakfast

Lunch: Cafe at Abu Simbel

Dinner: Royal Lotus (Cruise ship)

Day 7: Dec 2, 2009

If waking up early was exhausting, everything just vanished after the delicious buffet breakfast on the cruise ship that morning! Made to order eggs, every kind of bread you can imagine, fresh fruits.... mmmmmm....

After that breakfast, we headed over to the famous Granite Quarries of Aswan to see the Unfinished Obelisk. This is said to have been commissioned by the only female Pharoah of Egypt - Queen Hatshepsut (our TD told us to remember her as "Hot chicken soup", pronounced with a Chinese accent :P), who has other obelisks as well. This obelisk was unfinished, however, because there was a crack in it when they tried to chisel it out of the rock. Even so, it was beautiful and HUGE!

After the obelisk, we went to the island of Agilika in a motor launch to the Temple of Isis. I had read about it, seen pictures, but nothing even came close to what it was in reality. Just plain beautiful! Some heart-wrenching stories and a whole lot history later, we were ready to head back to the ship and start cruising down the Nile. Or rather, up the Nile, in our case.

Our ship had a shaded area on the top deck with chairs/tables, lounging chairs, a Foosball table and ping pong table. The rest of the afternoon was spent in trying to win Foosball, which I am sorry to say, I didn't :( But, if you get a chance to cruise down the Nile, please do... It's simply breathtaking, especially the sunset!

We came up on the town of Kom Ombo and the temple for the Crocodile and Falcon Gods, Sobek and Horus the Elder, respectively. This is a double temple that is symmetrical along the axis. So if you went to one side of the temple, it is built the exact same on the other side! Of course, inscriptions differ.... This is also the place where you can find an ancient Egyptian calendar and also an inscription of what seems like a set of surgical instruments!!! Whoa, the Egyptians were way ahead of their time! We also saw a snake charmer outside the temple :) with a live cobra and one of our fellow travelers draped it around her neck (ughhh)

Traveler Tip: You will find several small markets at each of these temples with vendors trying to sell you scarves, or long tunics or some such thing. But, the best place to buy anything is a big market like Aswan Market or even better, Khan El Khalili market at Cairo (if you don't mind the crowds).

Breakfast: Royal Lotus buffet breakfast

Lunch: Royal Lotus

Dinner: Royal Lotus

Day 8: Dec 3, 2009

A romantic horse-drawn carriage ride took us to the magnificent Temple of Edfu. This is the second largest temple in Egypt and is dedicated to the Falcon God, Horus. The Architecture and construction is very much similar to the Temple of Isis, but this is a huge temple and has a sanctuary with a boat shaped sarcophagus in the sanctum. This temple was built in the time of Cleopatra (yes, the famous one) and is one of the most well preserved temples of its time.

After the tour, we headed back to our ship on our horse-drawn carriage and had the rest of the day to ourselves. Lazing around on the deck, reading a book, drinking tea... all the time watching the beautiful sights along the Nile.... ahhhh.... I wish I could go back...

In the meantime, we reached our last stop, the ancient city of Thebes, known in the modern world as Luxor! Even at night, it is a beautiful city... And the temples at night are just breath-takingly beautiful! We went to the Temple of Luxor, with its obelisk and statues of Ramses II to greet us. It is here that you will find a long row of sphinxes leading all the way to the Temple of Karnak, Egypt's largest temple.

Breakfast: Royal Lotus buffet breakfast

Lunch: Royal Lotus

Dinner: Royal Lotus

Day 9: Dec 4, 2009

Everyday we woke up really, really early, and I mean early. But this day was pushing it to the limit! We had to be out of the door by 4 AM and on a barge. We were crossing over to the West bank today to go to The Valley of the Kings. But, what is getting up at 4 AM if there is no excitement added to it? Our boat got caught in a fishing net en route and the motor failed! So we had to wait for another boat to come over and "tow" us to the West Bank!

At the Valley of the Kings, we visited the tombs of Ramses IV, Ramses III/Amen-Messe and Tausert/Setnakht before heading over to Deir-El-Bahiri, the temple dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut (Remember Hot Chicken Soup?). Plenty of pictures and exploration later, we were on the bus going towards the two famous statues called the Colossi of Memnon. Some little girls were selling their hand made artifacts - little camels and such.... we all ended up buying one each to help them out. Such a cute, dirty little thing - it's sitting on top of armoire as a permanent reminder of my memorable trip to Egypt.

After a nice hearty lunch at the ship, we went back to visit the Karnak Temple Complex - the collection of temples dedicated to Amun and Mut. The temple is simply huge and its hypostyle halls are spectacular. Everything you find in each of other temples that we visited earlier are all combined in this one temple - obelisks, pillars, huge statues of Ramses II (He was an egomaniac, I think). We spent a lot of time at this temple and even got a special treat - we got to see a secluded part of the temple that was still being restored and a special statue of Mut - all thanks to an awesome TD! There is also a row of rams to match the row of sphinxes at the Luxor Temple.

Breakfast: Royal Lotus buffet breakfast

Lunch: Royal Lotus

Dinner: Royal Lotus

Day 10: Dec 5, 2009

A leisurely day, we flew back to Cairo and checked into the Fairmont Heliopolis. Whoa, what a hotel! It is modern and has several restaurants in its complex. B & I took the day off, while the others went shopping at the Cairo market and a light and sound show at the Pyramid Complex.

Day 11: Dec 6, 2009

Flight back to the US

On the whole, this trip was very fulfilling and one of the best trips I have been on. The advantage of choosing Globus for this trip was that we didn't have to buy tickets anywhere - so we avoided the long lines and the price of the tickets was already included in our package price. We also had the advantage of an armed guard traveling with us at all times to prevent any mishap!

Egypt has plenty to offer for vegetarians. Fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, potatoes, freshly baked bread are only some of the varied choices you can choose from. Go on, take the trip and you will come back wishing the vacation could go on and on....