Six weeks to go... Quite a few things have changed since the original plans, all for the better. We have 2 additional traveling companions: Lisa and Bill Collins will be meeting us in Cairo, traveling with us thru Egypt and then heading for Morocco after we leave. Very cool to have them going! Lisa just graduated from college and this is a part of her grad prezzy. Nice present =)

We are, of course, adding and subtracting things from our packing lists... and we all have one and are trading ideas and items to see what we will best travel with. Bill B and I have gotten new backpacks - 3100 cc and they seems perfect. It keeps us with enough room but with a small pack to lug around. Bill C got his and we think it's huge! 5000 cc /- but that's ok cuz we can have him lug around OUR stuff when we run out of room!

 We have all, apparently decided to wear H2 sandals from REI =) Ultimately we are all going to look like the Bobbsie Twins: all alike and all different. I think our backpacks are small enough to get thru as carry-ons, and am hoping so - we have a stop over in Amsterdam for 8 hrs and would like to have our stuff with us to do a quick jaunt into the city.

The planning is one of the best parts. Aside from reading all the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, the Lonely Planet guide seems good, we have a map, we have a bazillion weblinks that we are checking out, and are reading reviews on everywhere we are planning on going. So far we are really glad to have chosen to go to Siwa Oasis since nearly all the reviews sound perfect for it and us.

Trying not to duplicate what we take is going to be the biggest deal, I think. No need for 4 binoculars, 4 cameras, 4 guide books, etc... We'll have some get togethers and decide who carries what.

All at home will be taken care of by Laurianne who is flying down to house sit, pup sit, and cover all the music at church while we're gone. Works out perfectly since she gets out of the Great White North for 3 weeks, gets to play at our place (not a bad thing), gets paid for subbing for me at Saint Gabriel Church, and has my Tracker to bomb around in.

Peace,

Bill & Steav