We walked through colorful markets where we found perfumes, spices, oils and traditional talismans and souvenirs, along with fashions and other sundries. The US Dollar was very strong in Egypt and you could purchase a lot with just a dollar.
Day 8 – November 5, 2024
No free time for us as we trek to Abu Simbel, by Egyptair. The temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari were originally carved into the mountainside. They were painstakingly relocated to save them from being submerged by the damming of the Nile. These temples stand as monumental testaments to ancient Egyptian artistry and engineering. These remarkable structures boast intricate hieroglyphics and stunning sculptures. They tell stories of power and devotion. These stories reflect the grandeur of a civilization that flourished millennia ago. As we approach, the sheer scale and beauty of the temples captivate our senses. They invite us to imagine the vibrant ceremonies and daily life. These events once echoed within these hallowed walls.
Egyptian Crop Circles? No they are aqueducts to supply water to a very arid desert area.
Day 4 (Nov 1)
A guided tour of Giza was on the agenda for today. We stood in the shadow of the Pyramids of Giza. They are the only Wonder of the Ancient World to have survived into the modern era. Built to stand as tall as 480 feet, the Great Pyramid of Giza continues to amaze. It impresses with its size and construction precision. Several of us entered the Pyramid where you had to crawl and stoop to get to the main burial room. Once there, we posed for a picture in the burial area. Then, we made our way back out of the tomb. Riding a Camel at the Pyramids has been on my bucket list forever. Today I fulfilled that dream! The 4,500 year old Great Sphinx was next. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. It was carved from a single limestone bedrock.
It’s been a year since I posted
It’s been a year since I traveled
It’s been a BAD year
I’ve survived the virus with two days in the hospital and oxygen at home. Both vaccines received. I’m ready to travel. I won’t say back to normal because who knows what normal is any more. I have a lot of trips planned. What else can you do when you are quarantined. Here is to hoping that at least some of the trips come off as planned or at least some semblance of that that is planned.
I type this as I sit in the airport to embark on one of the many planned trips that I have dreamed up. Continue to follow as I head West.
When someone says they are going to Honduras different images appear in my mind. First and foremost images of Mission trips pop up. Where church groups went to Honduras and helped build churches or homes,
or taught vacation bible school to young children or even brought reading glasses and medical supplies. 
But when we went to Honduras lately it was a magical place that was built by Carnival Cruise Lines for their customers.
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras
Let me explain. Roatán is an island in the Caribbean off the northern coast of Honduras. It is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Mahogany Bay was built by Carnival Corporation, so there is plenty to do right at the port. How does the saying go? “Build It – They Will Come” Carnival needed a place to dock so they built it and while they were at it they added a few stores and then a couple more and then how about a restaurant, oh let’s add chair lifts so no one has to walk, hey but if they want to walk, let’s make a really pretty nature walk with lots of flowers and plants. And that folks is just what they did. There is a man-made beach within walking distance. There are a few bars and restaurants at the beach, but only one closer to the ships: Fat Tuesdays.
There are all the standard shops at the port, including Diamonds International (or Tanzanite International), Harley Davidson, a pharmacy, and several smaller local gift shops and specialty stalls. There is a zipline canopy tour at the port, as well as an ATV tour.
Once you disembark at Mahogany Bay, you will walk along the pier, through the Dufry Store, and uphill to the main shopping area. There is a local marketplace to the far left, while the chairlift and path to the beach and restaurants are to the far right. Diagonally to the left from the central fountain is a red-roofed building – that is your exit point from the port.
If you take a shore excursion or arrange for your own taxi transportation through the sanctioned taxi association at the port, you will exit through that building. To meet any other tours or transportation pick-ups, you will exit that building, walk to the left uphill, and at the bottom on the other side you will find all other tour options. These are tour companies or individuals who do not have contracts with the cruise lines, so they are not allowed onto the pier. Most SCUBA divers will be picked up from this area, as well as island tour companies that work with smaller groups. I normally use Carnival to book my excursions so everything is covered, but there has been the rare occasions that I have ventured off course and used different sources. In these instances I recommend researching the company throughly before booking. Ask all the “what if” questions and be satisfied with the answers.
Europeans love their dogs and their dogs love them.
They were having such fun on the beach. I loved watching them.
We were divided into two groups to accommodate the kitchen, but we had no idea what was in store for us. We prepared a complete meal from appetizer to dessert with the aid of our chef (who spoke very little English).
We prepared Gazpacho – a cold tomato soup
Tortilla Española – a Spanish omelet
Paella de Marisco – Spanish Seafood Rice dish
And an Almond Cake for dessert
The Spectacular Sacre’-Coeur, a Catholic basilica built atop the Montmartre hill.
The Place de Terre where many artist work because of the breathtaking views of the City of Lights. Montmartre was once home to many struggling artist, including Picasso, Monet and Renior.
What a day what a day! At least we started with a good nights sleep, a great cup of French coffee and first time in Paris excitement. So much history to see. But the adventure was the subway! So many different lines and stops and keeping it all straight, thank goodness for Tom, our tour guide. He even planned for contingency. You literally had to run, jump, push, and pull to secure your place on each car. But who knew some took that so literal, we were boarding yet another car when a fight broke out, a real blood beating, fist punching, foot kicking fight. Of the 28 travelers in our group it was obvious that we couldn’t stay together at all times. Boarding the subway cars in such a hurry we had to divide and conquer to all get on in the split seconds that you have to board. I personally did not witness the chaos but fellow travelers related the incidenct to the rest of us. It seems a disagreement broke out between three gentlemen in the car as the door opened and our group was boarding, one gentleman (I use that loosely) pushed the other out of the car as the doors were closing. Thereby preventing a couple of our group from getting on board. One passenger, possibly one involved, pushed the emergency button stopping the train suddenly. Let me clarify, stopping the train very suddenly! Physics came into play as the train was traveling in one direction and then suddenly stops put the many bodies on that train continue to travel in the previous direction. One traveler from our group was holding the pole as we suddenly stopped and she decided to entertain everyone as she did a very artistic rendition of a pole dance all the way around the pole! As the cops escorted the fighters off we were once again on our way to see the sights of Paris.
Back on the subway we headed back to the hotel, backtracking our previous routes with two stops on the green line and then five stops on the yellow line. Like I said earlier it was a good thing our guide went everywhere with us. As we stepped off the train to change lines again the strangest looks are received as the doors shut and three fellow travelers are still on the car. At least they were together and we had previously said if this should ever happen to go to the next stop. That was fine except we weren’t going to the next stop we were changing lines! Tom, our fearless guide, made sure the remaining group was secure and told us to stay put. He then got on the next train and caught up with our runaways. They had to catch another train running in the opposite direction to make their way back to us.
Finally we made it to the Louve to only wait in more..long…lines. 28 of us mixed and mingled as we made our way to the ticket counter. While in line we were witness to a shoplifter. The little guy brazenly picked up perfume from La’Occidental and put it in his back pack, another woman brought him yet another stolen package and he hid it in the pack. We stood there and watched in amazement at the bold brazen acts that were being carried out in front of us. After the shock wore off the law enforcement backgrounds of some of our group kicked in and two of the guys in the group apprehended and held the culprit until security could step in. When the heroes returned to the line we broke out in applause. Even waiting in lines are an adventure for our group.
Adventures with Cindy 