The Stecherbush Abroad

I must continue to the end of Christmas. The Christmas we hope to not repeat because as it turns out, we adventurers prefer to keep our traditions rather traditional. I don't know though. There are certainly lessons to be learned, reset buttons that need to be reset, launching pads that lift to a higher and holier level. Being sick always makes me introspective. Seeing all the social media glory of everyone's abundance of gifts and matching PJ's and hugging children and then here we are. Looking like we all need a soak and a scrub. Feeling like we want to shed every spec of Egyptian dust and germs we lounge around looking for the magic. Even the best laid plans...I asked my household help to wrap the presents and fill the stockings and lay them on the ground. She took all the stocking goodies, wrapped it together and left the post it note with the name on it, and then taped that to the little gift santa left for each child-a box of goldfish. She did lay the stockings down b...

Best breakfast Buffet on the planet I think. They were so lovely and attentive. Mango Juice? No problem, Freshly squeezed OJ? Sure. Hot chocolate? coming right up. Elise had been hoping for hot chocolate for days. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of the inside. Goodbye St. Regis. You made our Christmas dreams come true. We finally felt nice enough to open this gift from Aunt Ashley. It was a lovely reminder on our way to the airport. We were praying hard we could just get home.  

Merry Christmas!  I treasure this girl and her lack of inhibition. She loved how she looks in her new harem pants. She loves wearing her new yellow gloves, she loves her Christmas hat. She loves the way the guides are patient with her. She also loves her family. She barely left my side for the entire trip. This French Clock was given to Egypt in return for the Place du Concorde Obelisk, It broke right away. It's in the Citadel which I didn't really get a good grasp on during this tour. Probably because by the time it finally opened Elise had to go to the bathroom so badly we went tearing around trying to find one that was open and I had no idea where I'd been. We didn't all carry our hats around but here are a few in this photo in front of the mosque. I wish I could see this mosque clean. I bet it would be beautiful. The acoustics were really wonderful. It's hard to get excited about such a dirty smoggy panorama view of Cairo. Elise spent a lot of time writing on th...

Gabriel knew we were in need of relaxing. He booked two extra things to do since we couldn't have stayed at the Villa any longer, and we couldn't get onto our train until 7:45pm. He thought we would enjoy Banana Island and also a horse and carriage ride through Old Luxor and the outdoor markets. The price was fine and we were pretty desperate. Matt was barely functional having also been infected with a bacterial problem.  We got onto an old Filucka and sailed down the Nile. This sail looked like it had been made of bed quilts. Hand sewn and kept working for years. Gabriel showed us all about Banana farming. They also had a few animals in cages. Nile crocodile babies, monkeys, and farm animals. Gabriel also gave us a little lecture on writing hieroglyphics and the symbolism behind the letters. I don't know how real those were but maybe.  We got to ride by the Winter Palace several times. All those Amelia Peabody stories about this hotel made me smile. Apparently they are b...