Meeting MGM as we like to call them otherwise known as Marcia, Gerri and Mia in Egypt was just what the doctor ordered. Marcia had prepared the most amazing itinerary with the perfect mix of sightseeing and adventure including a few nights in luxury accommodations, what a treat. Gerri brought with her the essentials, more hair product for Carin, books and clothes, a few sweet treats, and a Woody Allen straight from the Carnegie Deli for Mike. Mia brought her pink swim goggles, plenty of hugs and kisses, tons of fun, and her amazing traveling spirit. The best part was that we got to spend 15 days with three of our most favorite people. Staying with tradition we like to give our guest travelers the option of sharing their experience, Here's what Marcia, Gerri and Mia had to say;
Gerri -
What comes to my mind most about Egypt & Jordan:
How easy and wonderful it was to travel with Carin & mike. Now, this wasn't an easy trip and there could have been many opportunities for crankiness....try to imagine in just over 2 weeks doing the following:
*traveling on planes not only in Egypt but going to another country (Jordan), more than a few 3 hour van rides in the middle of the desert, taxi rides that made NYC look tame, camels, donkeys, horses, a jeep ride that actually felt like a camel, horse & buggy rides, an over night train where Marcia was petrified and thought her life was over while Carin snored throughout the entire night, snorkeling in the (rough) Red Sea and seeing some of the "BEST" fish of Mikes life, a 3 day cruise, ferries, falukas (Egyptian sailboats)...we were exhausted!
*in addition to these modes of transportation we: listened to one too many tour guides, negotiated with the locals which was no easy task & actually got into one too many arguments over 10 cents, saw more temples & tombs than all of Asia combined, got up frequently at 4, 5 & 6 in the morning because they wanted you to see a sight before sunrise and Carin was ALWAYS on time, dragged Mike to one too many souks, ate more hummus & baba than Mike & Mia would care to remember...while listening to Carin, Marcia and myself moan with delight as we asked for more (we began to look like chickpeas and all of us would agree if we don't eat any of the middle eastern dips for about a year we'll be ok)
Marcia and I have been rating our trips (1 to 10, 10 being the highest) for many years. Its not always so easy to do when you have such diversity in a country and Egypt was one of these countries. We've included Mia in our rating system and this is Mia's version:
How easy and wonderful it was to travel with Carin & mike. Now, this wasn't an easy trip and there could have been many opportunities for crankiness....try to imagine in just over 2 weeks doing the following:
*traveling on planes not only in Egypt but going to another country (Jordan), more than a few 3 hour van rides in the middle of the desert, taxi rides that made NYC look tame, camels, donkeys, horses, a jeep ride that actually felt like a camel, horse & buggy rides, an over night train where Marcia was petrified and thought her life was over while Carin snored throughout the entire night, snorkeling in the (rough) Red Sea and seeing some of the "BEST" fish of Mikes life, a 3 day cruise, ferries, falukas (Egyptian sailboats)...we were exhausted!
*in addition to these modes of transportation we: listened to one too many tour guides, negotiated with the locals which was no easy task & actually got into one too many arguments over 10 cents, saw more temples & tombs than all of Asia combined, got up frequently at 4, 5 & 6 in the morning because they wanted you to see a sight before sunrise and Carin was ALWAYS on time, dragged Mike to one too many souks, ate more hummus & baba than Mike & Mia would care to remember...while listening to Carin, Marcia and myself moan with delight as we asked for more (we began to look like chickpeas and all of us would agree if we don't eat any of the middle eastern dips for about a year we'll be ok)
Marcia and I have been rating our trips (1 to 10, 10 being the highest) for many years. Its not always so easy to do when you have such diversity in a country and Egypt was one of these countries. We've included Mia in our rating system and this is Mia's version:
*Mia gave the food a 4 (I think she being generous since her least favorite food is hummus, yogurt & eggplant)
*Seeing the Pyramids an 11!!!!
*Traveling with Aunt Carin & Uncle Mike an 12!!!!
We tried to explain that the rating system can't go higher than a 10 but she insisted on the 11 & 12 and quite frankly we couldn't disagree.
Our trip was filled with adventure...and while this type of trip wasn't completely different to many of the journeys Marcia and I have had traveling around the globe, what was different was traveling with another family. Marcia and I have never been good traveling with groups & tours. We have always been independent travelers that relish our trips and have always traveled so well together that we've felt too selfish in the past to include others. Traveling with people can be complicated....and this type of trip warrants complication. Not many could keep up with us and what was sooooooooooooo wonderful was how Carin & Mike wanted to do everything (except for the hot air balloon ride!)
What we will remember most is how awesome it was to travel with them. It was such an added bonus to our trip and for Mia. Being in NY, Mia doesn't get to see her Aunt & Uncle very often and when she does there is always family around and lots of other people. This was 2 1/2 weeks of just Carin & Mike and Mia fell in love with them and ended up having a major crush on her Uncle Mike....we all know what a "kid" he can be and Mike was always up for splashing in a pool. He even learned to apologize! When he would "rough house" a bit too hard Mia would tell him "Uncle Mike, if you don't learn to say you're sorry you're not going to have many friends..." Mia connected to her Aunt & Uncle in a way that will change her life. Get ready Carin & Mike because she is planning her visit in Boulder and yesterday asked if she could bring her roller skates when she comes!
We ended our trip in Jordan saying goodbye with tears & hugs we didn't want to part...and we were jealous that they were continuing without us!
Our trip was AWESOME!!!
*Seeing the Pyramids an 11!!!!
*Traveling with Aunt Carin & Uncle Mike an 12!!!!
We tried to explain that the rating system can't go higher than a 10 but she insisted on the 11 & 12 and quite frankly we couldn't disagree.
Our trip was filled with adventure...and while this type of trip wasn't completely different to many of the journeys Marcia and I have had traveling around the globe, what was different was traveling with another family. Marcia and I have never been good traveling with groups & tours. We have always been independent travelers that relish our trips and have always traveled so well together that we've felt too selfish in the past to include others. Traveling with people can be complicated....and this type of trip warrants complication. Not many could keep up with us and what was sooooooooooooo wonderful was how Carin & Mike wanted to do everything (except for the hot air balloon ride!)
What we will remember most is how awesome it was to travel with them. It was such an added bonus to our trip and for Mia. Being in NY, Mia doesn't get to see her Aunt & Uncle very often and when she does there is always family around and lots of other people. This was 2 1/2 weeks of just Carin & Mike and Mia fell in love with them and ended up having a major crush on her Uncle Mike....we all know what a "kid" he can be and Mike was always up for splashing in a pool. He even learned to apologize! When he would "rough house" a bit too hard Mia would tell him "Uncle Mike, if you don't learn to say you're sorry you're not going to have many friends..." Mia connected to her Aunt & Uncle in a way that will change her life. Get ready Carin & Mike because she is planning her visit in Boulder and yesterday asked if she could bring her roller skates when she comes!
We ended our trip in Jordan saying goodbye with tears & hugs we didn't want to part...and we were jealous that they were continuing without us!
Our trip was AWESOME!!!
Marcia -
Most cultures have their heyday, their golden years. Britain had The Empire when the sun never set. Italy had the renaissance where they created an amazing body of art and literature. America had the 20th century during which the invention of the toaster-oven helped catapult us to world dominance.
Egypt is no different. Their civilization peaked over 4500 years ago when the pyramids were built. It is been downhill since then. Even though we traveled through Egypt thousands of years past the country's prime, this didn't detract from the quality of our trip one bit. Gerri, Mia and I just returned from 2 and 1/2 amazing weeks with Carin and Mike touring the Nile from top to bottom and then jetting over to the Rose City of Petra, Jordan.
We can't deny that when we first meet up with Carin and Mike in Cairo they were a little bit... how should we say?...tired. They had just finished up two grueling months in the most unforgiving of destinations, India, followed by a trek in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. If you question the challenge of the former destination, rent Slumdog Millionaire. If you question the physical demands of the latter, read "Into Thin Air." You'll begin to understand.
Thankfully, we came armed with the sustenance required to rejuvenate them both. For Mike, we brought a chilled "Woody Allen"--a 2 lb. sandwich from Carnegie Deli containing corned beef AND pastrami on rye with that kind of deli mustard that you can only get in NY. For Carin, it was the largest container of Lanza Leave-In Hair Conditioner permitted by international airline regulations. Both reveled in their gifts and immediately got a spring back in their step.
As expected our travels were diverse, fulfilling, and a ton of fun. We managed to squeeze in seeing the wonders of the world between meals. Some of the highlights included:
-camel riding at the pyramids. Of course, our guide tried to lead our caravan across the parking lot (the shortest distance) as opposed to across the dessert behind the pyramids (the scenic route) until we lodged a formal complaint with the camel dispatcher.
-the view from our hotel in Giza--the framed pyramids under a full moon. They were so close you could touch them from the balcony
-horseback riding in the dessert behind the pyramids. Our proprietor was a swarmy stable owner named Nasser who spent the entire ride trying to coerce Mia into joining him on HIS horse. Not for unsavory purposes, but rather so that he could charge us for a 3rd horse.
-Watching Mike give Mia diving lessons in every pool along the Nile. (she now knows how to dive)
-being stuck for 2 hours in "Polyester Alley" in Cario, with the locals, with no side streets for us to escape
-watching Mia get a henna on her hands at the infamous Fishaway cafe in the 1000- year old souk, Khan El Khalili
-learning that every restaurant in the country of Egypt was NOT closed on March 28th for a national holiday. The same day, that ALL tourist souvenir shops conveniently remained open for business
-Negotiating for EVERYTHING from bottled water to hookahs to table clothes ("cotton egyptian") to hibiscus tea to rides in unmetered taxis to strangers wanting "baksheesh" on the street for allowing us to take their photo (Carin refused)
-seeing the 3500 year old hair and fingernails on the mummy of Ramses II (aka-Yul Brenner) in the Egyptian Museum and then seeing his masterpieces at Abu Simbel and Karnak Temple
-our 4 day/3 night Nile cruise. We opted for the less expensive cabins which were actually BELOW the water line (a cabin that Judy and Joe would never tolerate)
-Carin's love of jewelry on the felucca leading to an impromptu jewelry show that rivaled The National Jewelry Show at the Javitz Center
-Snorkeling in the infamous Blue Hole in the Red Sea. Once we walked past the tombstones of divers who "didn't make it", it was actually a mind-blower.
-Petra at Night...and during the day
-Being with Mike when he saw "the best fish ever" during our final snorkel in Dahab. Yes, Carin chose to sleep in that morning.
But nothing beat, simply traveling with Carin and Mike. It was 2 and 1/2 weeks of quality time spent together that we will never forget, and always cherish. Thank you both for an amazing trip. We love you.
Egypt is no different. Their civilization peaked over 4500 years ago when the pyramids were built. It is been downhill since then. Even though we traveled through Egypt thousands of years past the country's prime, this didn't detract from the quality of our trip one bit. Gerri, Mia and I just returned from 2 and 1/2 amazing weeks with Carin and Mike touring the Nile from top to bottom and then jetting over to the Rose City of Petra, Jordan.
We can't deny that when we first meet up with Carin and Mike in Cairo they were a little bit... how should we say?...tired. They had just finished up two grueling months in the most unforgiving of destinations, India, followed by a trek in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. If you question the challenge of the former destination, rent Slumdog Millionaire. If you question the physical demands of the latter, read "Into Thin Air." You'll begin to understand.
Thankfully, we came armed with the sustenance required to rejuvenate them both. For Mike, we brought a chilled "Woody Allen"--a 2 lb. sandwich from Carnegie Deli containing corned beef AND pastrami on rye with that kind of deli mustard that you can only get in NY. For Carin, it was the largest container of Lanza Leave-In Hair Conditioner permitted by international airline regulations. Both reveled in their gifts and immediately got a spring back in their step.
As expected our travels were diverse, fulfilling, and a ton of fun. We managed to squeeze in seeing the wonders of the world between meals. Some of the highlights included:
-camel riding at the pyramids. Of course, our guide tried to lead our caravan across the parking lot (the shortest distance) as opposed to across the dessert behind the pyramids (the scenic route) until we lodged a formal complaint with the camel dispatcher.
-the view from our hotel in Giza--the framed pyramids under a full moon. They were so close you could touch them from the balcony
-horseback riding in the dessert behind the pyramids. Our proprietor was a swarmy stable owner named Nasser who spent the entire ride trying to coerce Mia into joining him on HIS horse. Not for unsavory purposes, but rather so that he could charge us for a 3rd horse.
-Watching Mike give Mia diving lessons in every pool along the Nile. (she now knows how to dive)
-being stuck for 2 hours in "Polyester Alley" in Cario, with the locals, with no side streets for us to escape
-watching Mia get a henna on her hands at the infamous Fishaway cafe in the 1000- year old souk, Khan El Khalili
-learning that every restaurant in the country of Egypt was NOT closed on March 28th for a national holiday. The same day, that ALL tourist souvenir shops conveniently remained open for business
-Negotiating for EVERYTHING from bottled water to hookahs to table clothes ("cotton egyptian") to hibiscus tea to rides in unmetered taxis to strangers wanting "baksheesh" on the street for allowing us to take their photo (Carin refused)
-seeing the 3500 year old hair and fingernails on the mummy of Ramses II (aka-Yul Brenner) in the Egyptian Museum and then seeing his masterpieces at Abu Simbel and Karnak Temple
-our 4 day/3 night Nile cruise. We opted for the less expensive cabins which were actually BELOW the water line (a cabin that Judy and Joe would never tolerate)
-Carin's love of jewelry on the felucca leading to an impromptu jewelry show that rivaled The National Jewelry Show at the Javitz Center
-Snorkeling in the infamous Blue Hole in the Red Sea. Once we walked past the tombstones of divers who "didn't make it", it was actually a mind-blower.
-Petra at Night...and during the day
-Being with Mike when he saw "the best fish ever" during our final snorkel in Dahab. Yes, Carin chose to sleep in that morning.
But nothing beat, simply traveling with Carin and Mike. It was 2 and 1/2 weeks of quality time spent together that we will never forget, and always cherish. Thank you both for an amazing trip. We love you.
Shoutouts:
-MGM you are AWESOME! Can't wait till our next adventure.
- Brit, Sorry sweetie but we're just going to miss you in Morocco by a week. Let us know where to go. See you at Mike's Cantina.
- Alexa, So glad you're enjoying our blog we were definitely inspired by your travels.
- Lauren, Definitely stop by when you're in town this summer. we always love to see you.
- Jess, your the greatesttttt!
- Hannah, Our amazing little tour guide. We now have a new day to add to our top ten.
-To All, Happy Spring and see you soon. In šāʾ Allāh
note: (In šāʾ Allāh - is a word commonly used which means God willing in Arabic.)
