We checked out a papyrus art store and I bought myself a small souvenir. Then we went to Luxor after the sun set. 
The next day was a visit to the west side of the Nile. First was the Valley of the Kings, full of over 60 underground tombs (no photos allowed inside). We went inside the tombs of Ramses IV, Ramses IX, and Tutankhamen. 
Their guide and the guide's wife take us to the Old Cataract Hotel, a beautifully decorated hotel which used to be the Royal Palace. It is also famous for being the filming spot for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. We have enjoyable conversations and tea while watching the sun set as feluccas pass by, enjoying a slice of what ritzy people do on vacation.
The next morning starts at 3:15am. We are heading to Abu Simbel, south near the Sudan. We have to go by convoy with security and all groups going together. Our guide mentions we have a Swede, but fails to mention there is an American in the car as he says that may have delayed us and added an extra security guard to our car. Everyone thinks I am Spanish anyway :). It takes us three hours to get there, but it is well worth it. 
Dedicated to Ramesses II and Nefertari, it is one of my favorites, the statues outside are enormous. The interior artwork is well preserved (no photos allowed inside) and it is not too busy, even with us all having to go at once and be on a very set schedule. We even have it to ourselves for a brief, peaceful moment, taking it all in. It was truly spectacular. We visit the unfinished Obelisk once we return to Aswan and say goodbye to our guide and new friends we spent the week with on the boat.
We find a nice, relatively cheap but super clean hotel on the Corniche along the Nile called the Philae Hotel. Once we check in, we are off to explore the nearby bustling marketplace. We have a delicious and well-priced lamb dinner at El Masry before a night walk along the Nile to the lit up Cathedral. On the way back, we spot a rooftop deck and head up for some relaxation, tea, and enjoying the city lights at night off the boat.
Sleep in the next morning and plan how I want to spend my birthday. We hear word that there was a large fight in Aswan the previous evening resulting in over 20 killed. What supposedly started as a high school argument and graffiti turned into a violent fight between the Nubians and Arabs of the area. Hopes that it will not continue. 
We all head to Elephantine Island by ferry and explore the archeological area behind the closed Aswan Museum. We stop for tea at a house in the Nubian village and then wander around the village. It reminds me a little of Zanzibar with its narrow residential alley streets, ornate colors, and decorative doors. We head back to the city and mainland and grab a yummy late lunch at an off the road, little cafe restaurant for just a few bucks.
Thinking we have to hurry back to the hotel so Elisabeth, Fouda, and Samy can catch their flight back to Cairo, out comes a huge, super decorated chocolate and fruit birthday. Everyone sang happy birthday to me in both English and the Egyptian version. What a wonderful and thoughtful surprise and a perfect evening to ring in my forties and as my last evening in Egypt! We head back and say our goodbyes. I have another half a day wandering Aswan alone tomorrow and then sadly have to say goodbye to Egypt, as I head to Jordan tomorrow afternoon. My phone will be off since I no longer get free texting in Jordan (only Egypt and Israel, for some reason) but should have better internet access (except when I likely try to go stay in a cave... my pact to grow up and start acting like a responsible 40 year old obviously shouldn't start until I get back to the US). I will send an email once I get settled and come up with some sort of plan.
My trip photos from Egypt are up or you can view them as a slideshow.
Hope everyone is happy and healthy. And of course, I miss each and every one of you.
Love, Betsy
My days are pretty routine. Eat my free breakfast alone and take the shuttle to the beach. Spend the days jumping off the jetty into the Red Sea and snorkeling in the coral reef wall right along the jetties. Saw tangs, parrotfish, trigger fish, box fish, and pipefish. One day, we saw 5 dolphins from afar and a small sea turtle came right up to the jetty. The coral looks to be in pretty good shape, and I am sad I can't dive yet. I did get to practice with my GoPro camera my parents gave me. I kind of suck at trying to stay still underwater and take photos. 
Out of the 50 I took, one may be good. And then pool time, a walk (to which everyone looks at me like I an nuts, since everyone is shuttled about by the numerous resort buses), shower and go into Naama Bay, the ultra-touristy, super-expensive area covered in neon with blaring disco music everywhere you turn. Annoying people call me "honey" and "sweetie" and using the same lines to try to get you to their restaurant or overpriced shop (including Chilis, McDonalds, KFC, Baskin Robbins, etc). I hate it, but it seems like the only close place to get food, since I did not get the all-inclusive package and I don't want expensive hotel Thai, Italian, buffet, or room service (the only options at the resort).
Met up with the two girls and jumped on the bus for Bahariyya, a small, friendly, dusty town near the Black Desert. They seemed nice enough. One had traveled quite a bit but the other seemed out of place for Egypt, as she wore a silk blouse and dress pants and shoes to walk around and sleep in the desert. They were probably a bit disappointed in me as well, as they were told they would be in a group with some German and Italian guys. The bus ride took about 5 hours. During the ride, the shady person I originally had booked my trip through kept texting me. I made the mistake if telling him I had already gotten on the bus and even though I said I no longer wanted a tour and had booked through someone else, he said he would send people to meet me at the bus. I warned the other girls that there might be a bit of trouble once we got there. Luckily, our guide Wagdi was there that Ali had set up. As we were loading stuff in the 4x4, some really sketchy looking dudes with a car approached me and asked if I was Betsy. I just shook my head and said, "nope... Elizabeth" knowing I had a passport to back it up. They looked confused and I hustled everyone into the 4x4 and got out of there.
Unfortunately, what the English girls were promised by Ali, was not actually possible (they were trying to get directly to Luxor from Bahariyya) and when calling Ali, what was promised was different. The two girls were upset, but said they would think about what to do next. So we went and picked up a friend of Ali's named Mohammed, who had a wonderful smile and face that I instantly liked, and headed for the desert. First came the Black Desert. 
The sandy hills are regular sand colored, but are topped and sprinkled with black rocks. We went off road with the 4x4 for a bit and got to run around and take a few photos. After that, we went to a place called Crystal Mountain where all the rocks have crystals inside them and the ground is littered with sparkling crystals. It is fun looking at all the different sizes and shapes of the crystals.
Finally, we get to what I had been waiting to see... The White Desert. There are more tourists here than I have yet see in Egypt. It is pretty spectacular (which means, like, 5 people). Everything is white and almost look like the ground is covered with snow. There are strange outcroppings and mounds in shapes that some say look like the Sphinx or a chicken or a mushroom. It used to be part of the ocean floor eons ago when erosion created all these shapes. 
We play around there for a bit and then head to a secluded area where Mohammed and Wagdi set up camp. It is amazing to be all by ourselves in this desert playground. Wagdi and Mohammed started dinner and we run to find isolated perches to watch the sunset, as the pinks and purples bounced off the white desert.
Our camp was wonderful. Colorful blankets and mats, a table, and a bonfire to make tea and dinner. We had a potato soup, cucumber and tomato salad, rice, and chicken. Turns out Mohammed is a Bedouin musician and has toured the US and Europe. He plays us music. I convinced the two girls to head to Siwa with me instead of Luxor. We agreed on a price for Wagdi to drive us and have two more nights of desert camping, food, and tours and sandboarding in Siwa.
Set out out mats as the night got cooler (I was thankful to have a hoody and sleeping bag and sleep sack) and saw bagazillions of stars. Fell asleep to several shooting stars as the moon rose and made the white formations almost seem to glow.
before dark. The sunrise was absolutely spectacular and I laughed when I saw little desert fox prints that wandered up to my head and then away, wondering what he had done while I was sleeping. The car wouldn't start, so someone drove out to help from a neighboring camp so we would get it fixed in town. We also borrow a satellite phone, which is apparently needed to apply for the military permit to drive across the Great Sand Sea. 
The permit turned out to be costlier than any of us had figured, but at least they got it done quickly (especially shocking as "Egyptian time" is slower than molasses). Wagdi and I had a small argument when he was taking his sweet time, chatting under the hood of the car instead of fixing it when I wanted to get going to reach Siwa before it got dark. But at least that gave us a bit of time to wander through Baharriya some more and we finally got off and made up later that day, with the help of always happy Mohammed.
The desert trip was beautiful. I love unspoiled sand dunes and the waves in the sand. The trip took longer than we thought with at least 20 military checkpoints were they examine your permits or search the car or just wave you through. There are some checkpoints where you can actually turn around and see the last checkpoint... and it is just a lone road in the middle of desert and we are the only car. Not sure what could have possibly occurred that they wouldn't have seen from the last checkpoint. Some of the checkpoints, we have to honk and wait as everyone is off napping or working out or whatever they are doing. But oh well, we finally arrive in Siwa right before sunset.
Siwa is a lovely, relaxed (although very conservative) desert oasis close to the Libyan border, known for olives and dates. People speak Arabic and also a Berber language. Cars, trucks, motorbikes, and donkey carts all mosey along the dusty streets. We were put up in a Bedouin tent for the night. The English girls were not happy as it was a little dirty and had lots of flies. I agreed it was not what was promised, but it was totally livable and I slept like a log except for the two puppies trying to root into out tent. There was also another discussion about the cost of the trip, which we thought was already sorted and agreed upon. So there was another discussion in the morning, which included one of the English girls bursting into tears. Luckily, once we got it sorted, we actually had a pretty great day.
We checked out the tombs and wall paintings at the Mountain of the Dead and the Temple of the Oracle (Temple of Amun) with views if the city and surrounding areas. Legend had it that at the Temple of the Oracle, Alexander the Great was told by the Oracle whether or not he was the son of Zeus. He then went out and conquered everything, but no one know what the Oracle told him. 
There are lots of hot and cold springs around Siwa and in the heat of the day, and I grabbed a lemon and fresh mint juice at Cleopatra's Bath. No swimming since women aren't allowed in some and if they are, they have to have their arms and legs covered. Since I only thought I was going to be on a one night trip which turned into five, I hadn't packed much of anything like a extra (or even a change of, for that matter) clothes or phone charger.
After dropping our bags, we grabbed delicious falafel and foul (fava beans) sandwiches and pickled vegetables for a picnic under the date and olive trees. It was nice and cool and we all had a chance to relax and forget our moments of annoyance we had all had with each other throughout the morning. Ahhh, traveling in groups :) We head out for the sand dunes in the cooler part if the afternoon for sand boarding and a sunset dinner. 
Sand boarding was fun, although my favorite part was when Mohammed signaled for just me to come over and one of his friends let me sit up front in his 4x4 and went flying up, over, and down a super steep sand dune, as a "special treat" (I think for being more laid back and less of a pain in the butt than my travel companions). Sunset was gorgeous from the top of a sand dune ridge, and Wagdi cooked up yet another delicious Bedouin dinner.
Later, we were invited by some guys for a motorbike ride to watch the sunset over the water. We head off on the back of the motorbikes to an isolated area of beach amongst grass and old palms. They treated us to snacks and we made a fire for tea. Super nice way to end our trip. Headed to the night bus where Wagdi and Mohammed came to say our goodbyes. Sad to leave, but I have been living for a while now on my supplies I had for my "one-night desert trip" so I should probably go shower and change clothes and it is probably safer to take the night bus with others.
Spent another day walking around Cairo by myself. Which means most of the day I spent chatting with local shop owners and vendors. I was actually trying to head to the Islamic Art Museum and a mosque, but they told me saved me a trip since the mosque would have been closed at that time for prayer and apparently, there was a bombing not too long ago so the museum was still closed. Drank some tea with them and talked about the hardships many are having since business has been so low due to lack of tourism. He invited me to his daughter's wedding the next day. He said there would be camels and horses and free food and drinks, but sadly I had already had plans. They thanked me for just sitting and talking with them and I bought a very small amount of lotus oil perfume because I liked the smell of it and it is my middle name. I headed over to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum (with the tip from the shop owners that my student ID that I always carry gets me in for half price, saving me $5).
Wandered the streets again past the Revolution graffiti near Tahir Square around the American University of Cairo. Stopped in for a cup of coffee and ran into a man for the day before who owned a shop right above the coffee store. We chatted for a bit. He was a medic in the army and use to be an ICU nurse before studying history and opening the shop. He had also done quite a bit of traveling. We ended up walking around to check out all the street vendors setting up stands for the night dinner rush (Thursday night is the start of weekend here as Friday is a big prayer day). Lots of people out and about. Stopped in for a drink at a place called Horriya that was full of locals, ex-pats, and embassy workers. Met Elisabeth's friend who works downtown for a Human Rights group and he drove me back to Nassr City to grab Elisabeth for a late supper. We wanted to go to a Syrian restaurant, but it was closed so we ended up at the second largest shopping mall in Egypt at 11pm where I had a dinner of Indian tandoori at an Italian restaurant. Ha! Not generally my style (we all know how much I hate shopping and malls), but do like the Egyptians do, I suppose. Found it interesting that the malls have really tight security (check cars at the parking garage with dogs, scan bags, and enter through a metal detector).
I was too excited to sleep before my visit to the pyramids and maybe got 3 hours of sleep. Elisabeth's friend woke up early to drive my out to Giza. The aggressive people banging on the car and windows at the gate had me a little worried to be spending the day by myself. But one minute stepping into the gate to see the size and closeness of the pyramids made it more than okay. I got hassled quite a bit, but only threatened a few times to lose my temper and managed to escape most of them. They are apparently the only people that speak English. I walked around a bit on my own. And then a man with a camel approached me and he was not pushy and we had a good conversation, so I hired him and his camel, Oscar, to give me a quick tour. He was knowledge and fun and it helped get my bearings as it is pretty spread out. I realized that I don't think I have ever seen a camel, not even in the zoo. But Oscar seemed nice and it gives you a nice high vantage point. But camels are not the most comfortable ride, so I doubt I will be doing again any time soon.
My camel driver finished my tour and he went and got me tea. We chatted some more about Egypt and how the lack of tourism has hurt him. he used to have three camels, but sadly had to part with two. While chatting, he found out I liked koshary. He asked if I liked it spicy and skittered off for a moment and came back with a container full! Turns out a place in Cairo brings it up to sell and he just happened to be there today. It was a nice treat. We then parted ways and I headed off to explore on foot alone. Seeing the pyramids and Sphinx in person was almost too much. It is shocking to see them standing there, so close to the modern civilization. An there shear size is breathtaking! It still amazes me that they are still uncovering new things to this day.
Trying to navigate a bus/taxi/subway back to Cairo to get a taxi back to Nassr City, I met two guys who were heading in that direction. One was a very sweet 19 year old student from University of Cairo studying computers who spoke Arabic and some English. The other was a guy who spoke Turkish and Arabic. They were great company (even with the triangular translation issue) so we all went for coffee and then decided to head back to the market in the beautiful Islamic quarter for coffee and shisha. It was hopping! So many people out and about on the weekend. I noticed what I assume was a bomb sniffing dog walk past us once, but people were all friendly and felt very safe. Then, my post-excitement no sleep/exhaustion set in and I headed back to Elisabeth's.
We then just walked and got lost in the central downtown area, enjoying some interesting revolution graffiti, getting dried mish mish (apricots) at a spice stand and stopping for koshary, a local Egyptian dish of chickpeas, lentils, tomato sauce, and spices over rice and pasta. People on the streets seem friendly enough, but Elisabeth is trying to train me to stop smiling so much and chatting on with everyone that come up to talk to me that just want me to visit their store (which I don't mind so much as I have nowhere set to go). Another of Elisabeth's friends (yep, his name is also Mohammed) happened to be in the downtown area not far from us and he picked us up to drive back home.
We changed our minds after dropping of his dad and headed back downtown to the old town of Khan el-Khalili, a marketplace in the center of the Islamic area of downtown. It is entirely built between these fort-style walls, with a beautifully lit mosque and narrow, winding streets full of shops and apartments. We were the only foreigners for most of the time we were there, with only a handful seen in a famous coffee shop we visited. We then started back out of the city, through a graveyard that people also live in and we stopped on the bridge over the Nile to watch the twinkling lights and lit-up party boats. Mohammed is luckily a very good driver, as traffic is organized chaos and a crazy test of reflexes. The lanes appear to be mere suggestions, fitting in as many cars as possible so you are squeezed in as close as possible. Cars merging in an out, people randomly walking in and out of traffic, and headlights at night? Totally not mandatory.