Overnight train 12 hours from Cairo to Luxor in the south (Upper Egypt - further up the Nile). Our man Osama sat with us at the station until the delayed train arrived. Sat in the local cafe. Safely on and stowed. Then the fun begins. No shower - one buttock at a time in the sink. Adjoining cabins so we opened doors to share the meal. d*** and Yvonne's cabin had a rattle at speed that beggared belief. Kept d*** occupied for hours -hammering a thong in to try to s...

Day 2 Bodyguard. up early great breakfast packed left cases (and wallet). Met Mohammed "Costner" suited shaded taciturn bodyguard. 45 minutes Into Cairo over the Nile. Tari Square. Museum. Gauntlet of 30 tanks flanking the entrance to the museum. Museum outstanding 15000 pieces including many mummies over 3000 years. mummified 5m crocodiles, dogs, baboons. Still coloyr paint after 4500 years. The Rosetta stone. City of the Dead near Saladin citadel and second ...

Up very early to get our first view of the two Giza Pyramids outside our balcony - left the curtains pulled back so we could see them at first light. Amazing to see so close from our bed. Jeannie hopping from foot to foot in excitement. d*** was already gone by 5am with his camera. Breakfast in luxurious high ceilinged breakfast salon facing the Pyramids. Very few guests in the entire hotel with its 40 acre grounds. Mahmoud our Egyptologist was our guide for t...

Flew in from Istanbul in the evening. Weird flight. In the queue we were a definite minority - I was singing the Sesame Street song "Four of these things are not like the other ones...". Veils and bushy beards definitely the fashion choice on this flight. Yvonne drew the short straw - seated beside a devout follower. His ringtone was a call to prayers and it went off every couple of minutes while we sat after being boarded with great urgency an hour before takeof...

Last day in Turkey. Leaving at 6 pm so we left the cases at Best Point and headed for the Grand Bazaar. Jeannie was spewing - there was a Starbucks right there all the time - five minutes from the hotel. Into the Grand Bazaar - a maze of shops and covered streets. The outer Bazaar consists of formerly open streets that they have simply roofed in and laid tiles over the cobbles. To be honest though the Spice Bazaar was better - more colour, spice smells, better ba...