We are flying to Cairo on Thursday, March 8.

My Cairo cell phone should work while we’re in Egypt. From the US, call:
011-20-10-127-0666

My US cell phone should work in Jordan:
1-202-361-1575

In Cairo, our hotel is:
Semiramis Intercontinental
Cornich El Nil
P.O.Box 60
Cairo, Egypt
Tel: 011-20- 2- 795- 7171
Fax: 011-20- 2- 796- 3020
 

We leave Cairo on Monday, March 19 for two weeks of vacation in the Middle East. Our schedule follows.

Mar 19 (Monday)
Depart Semiramis at 11:00am.
Egypt Air Flight 233 Depart Cairo 1:30pm  Arrive Aswan 2:45pm
Egypt Air Flight 234 Depart Aswan 3:15pm Arrive Luxor 3:55pm
On arrival drive to the  banks of the Nile and join the MS Serenade. Dinner and overnight on board.

Mar 20 (Tuesday)
In the morning visit the Valley of the Kings at Thebes. Situated in a secluded area on the  West Bank the valley contains 62 excavated tombs. Continue to the  Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari before  returning to Luxor and sailing upstream to Esna where the vessel will moor overnight.

Mar 21 (Wednesday)
Cruise southwards to Edfu and visit the temple, the most complete of Egypt's temples. Rejoin the MS Serenade and sail to Kom Ombo and moor overnight.

Mar 22 (Thursday)
See the Ptolemaic temple then cruise on to Aswan. In the afternoon we visit the Aswan High Dam which is over two miles long, 360ft high and affords spectacular views over Lake Nasser. Continue to the Temple of Philae. Later sail by local felucca on the Nile  enjoying views of Elephantine and Kitchener islands.

Mar 23 (Friday)
In the morning there is  an excursion by air to Abu Simbel.  Moor overnight in Aswan.

Mar 24 (Saturday)
The day is spent at  leisure cruising downstream to Edfu enjoying the facilities on board and watching the daily life on the Nile glide by.

Mar 25 (Sunday)
The vessel sails early to Luxor. If time permits there will be an optional visit to the Karnak Sound & Light Show in the evening.

Mar 26 (Monday)
Visit the temples of Amun at Karnak. Karnak was linked to Luxor by a sphinx-lined avenue  and in turn the whole complex was connected to the Nile by a canal.  Continue to the Temple of Luxor, built by Amenophis III on the site of an earlier temple which was enlarged and beautified by Ramesses II. Lunch will be taken on board before the late afternoon transfer  to the airport for the flight to Sharm el Sheikh.

Egypt Air Flight 234 Depart Luxor 4:35pm Arrive Cairo 5:35pm
Egypt Air Flight 153 Depart Cairo 8:30pm Arrive Sharm el Sheikh 10:35pm
 

We will be staying in Nuweiba for four nights. The Egypt cell phone number will work here.

Coral Hilton Resort
 South Sinai, Nuweiba, Egypt
Tel: 011-20-69-520320
Fax: 011-20-69-520327 

Mar 27 - 29 (Tuesday - Thursday)
Make a full-day  excursion to Mount Sinai and the Monastery of St Catherine. The monastery, and the area surrounding it, has changed little since it was built on the site where Moses encountered the Burning Bush.  Until recently the only entrance to the enclosure was by basket and  pulley into an elevated doorway. At the monastery see the fortress, the church of the Emperor Justinian (the main church), the Well of Moses and the Gallery of Icons. Also see the delightful garden and shrine to the prophet Saleh. On the second morning there will be an  excursion through the spectacular Sinai scenery to see the Coloured  Canyon and other sights on the way. Remainder of the time at leisure in Nuweiba.

Mar 30 (Friday)
Travel by hydrofoil to Aqaba and drive north to Petra, stronghold of the Nabataeans from the 3rd century BC until its conquest by Rome in 106 AD.

We will be staying in Petra for three nights. The US cell phone works in Jordan.

Petra  Forum Hotel
PO Box 30
Wadi Mousa, Jordan
Tel: 011-962- 3-215-6266
Fax: 011-962-3-215-6977
Hotel E-mail: petra@interconti.com

Mar 31 (Saturday)
Walk through the siq gorge - the narrow twisting canyon  which is the entrance to the city - and emerge at the impressive looking Treasury (called el-Khasne). Climb the sacrificial High Place of the Prophets of Dushara. Also visit the Theatre, the monumental Arch, the Roman Way, the the Temple and the Royal Tombs.

April 1 (Sunday)
Return through the siq and climb to the Monastery  (el-Deir), Petra's largest monument. In the distance are Aaron's  Tomb on Mount Hor, and Wadi Petra. Late afternoon optional excursion to Beida. Continue to Siq al-Barid (Little Petra) and see the rock tombs. Alternatively make an optional visit to Wadi Rum, with its  very dramatic moonscape scenery.

April 2 (Monday)
Drive to Aqaba and the Sharm el Sheikh Airport
Transfer at the airport to thea hotel in Sharm el Sheikh for two nights.

The Egypt cell phone will work from now until we return to the US.

Hilton Sharm el  Sheikh Waterfalls Resort
Ras Um El-Sid Cliff
South Sinai
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Tel: 011-20-69-663-232
Fax: 011-20-69-663-200

April 3 (Tuesday)
Snorkeling in Sharm el Sheikh.

April 4 (Wednesday)
Fly from Sharm el Sheikh to Cairo
Egypt Air Flight 124 Depart Sharm el Sheikh 12:50pm Arrive Cairo 1:50pm
Transfer to:

Mövenpick Hotel
Cairo Int`l Airport Road
P.O.Box 2741
El Horria , 11361 Cairo-Heliopolis
Egypt
Phone: 011-2 0-2-637-0077
Fax: 011-20-2-418-07 61
Hotel E-mail: email@movenpickhel.com.eg

April 5 (Thursday)
Fly Home.
Swiss Air Flight 347 Depart Cairo 6:40am Arrive Zurich 10:55am
Swiss Air Flight 100 Depart Zurich 12:30pm Arrive JFK 3:10pm