Luxor

Off the beaten Path............

How innocent to take a felucca ride we thought before the night is over we have taken a beautiful ride down the Nile, stopped at Banana Island (not really sure it's an Island) and walked through a village on the West Bank of the Nile River wearing an authentic robe, having dinner in his home with his family. If you are wondering there is no alcohol involved in this story. It is a true account of our first evening in Lu xor.

I hope that this story can relay how very exciting this trip was for us.

To be invited to a home and be served dinner and be able to get pictures is truly amazing.

We were on our way back to the landing by our hotel and our felucca captain asked if we would like to see his village and meet his family. To be honest we had already agreed and were getting off of the felucca climbing the embankment of the Nile before it crossed my mind that we might have thought this through instead of agreeing. The thought does the hotel know where we were going and if the worst happens how soon before someone misses us...Those types of things crossed my mind while walking to the main road in the village. Now keep in mind it was almost dark and there are no street lights where we were at, not to mention we had no idea where we where at except that we were on the West Bank. Then we get into the back of the truck (taxi) and go what we now know is farther west away from the Nile. The we get out and walked into another village. We walk sometime before we come to a very humble home and are invited in when we try to take our shoe's off, they say no please just come and sit and visit. Now keep in mind we have never been in an Egyptian home and when our guide leaves to get dinner started we all look at each other with a mixture of OMG and what have we done. How very exciting. Our guide was the perfect host, and his family was sweet to let us in and feed us (we had eaten at the hotel right before the felucca ride) and were very understanding when we explained we had already eaten.

We had an experience that I will never forget, that anyone who knows me would find hard to believe (that's why there are pictures) and I have to say We got off the beaten path and it was fun and exciting. We have memories that we will share with our family for the rest of our lives. This was our first night in Luxor!

Back from Luxor

We got back from Luxor last night. OMG we had the best time. So much to tell about getting off the beaten path. We took lots of pictures and had a great guide. More to come with pictures.

It sprinkled in Ma'adi yesterday!!!

Okay I know thats not really a big deal just thought I would share.

Here are some pictures from our dinner cruise. One of the couples on our team had family that came for a visit and so they set up this dinner cruise and invited anyone on our team to go. It was really neat to see for me because I had never seen a belly dancer (except on t.v.) and the spinner guy. I am sure that is not what he is called. I am trying to find out and will add it when I do.

Belly dancing on a dinner cruise

This was a dinner cruise that we took last week. I have been trying to upload it since then. We had a great time. There will be another video added soon.

Love these blogs

Before we arrived in Egypt I looked up everything I could find about living here because I did not know very much about it. While "googling" I can across blogs from family's already living here or one's that had lived here. While there are several that I found there are a few that I follow and enjoying reading them ever day. The information is great! I found the information to be very helpful and I have to say thank you to each one of them because they have made our transition easier. I blog to share our experiences with friends and family back home and who ever else might be curious about us Texans living in a foreign country (because you know once you leave Texas any place is foreign)lol. There is really no method to my blogging just sharing our experiences. So I really appreciate the ones that share very useful information and the day to day stuff.

So one of the blogs I follow is Wandering the World and this morning was presented with an award because they enjoy my blog. I was caught completely by surprise and very flattered. Thank you!

Along with the award was instructions to "spread the love" so here are the blogs that I enjoy reading and want to present this award to:

Living in Egypt

http://living-in-egypt-manisha.blogspot.com/

My Girls

http://roryandcindy.blogspot.com/

Wandering the Word

http://kmrsmr.blogspot.com/

The Fugate Family in Cairo

http://fugatesincairo.blogspot.com/

We Four

http://egypt4.wordpress.com/

Whazzup Egypt

http://whazzupegypt.blogspot.com/

Myers Chaos

“This blog invests and believes, in ‘proximity’ meaning, that blogging makes us 'close'. They are all charming blogs, and the majority of them aim to show the marvels of friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate? Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to eight bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.”


Thank you for sharing your lives and experiences the Noles family appreciates each and every one of your blogs.

Hand Made Mirror and milk

I did not bring my full legnth mirror to Egypt so I found a place on road 9 that would make me one. I love it.


We do not have the gallon size that we had a home. The most interesting part is that its not cold. Notice that its on the counter!!

Pictures of our treasures

Mine is gold

Kiefer ring is white gold/yellow gold Just a vase





A
A pig

and my necklace


Nothing exciting just wanted to share my treasures from egypt so far.

Armed Forces Day

Today is a holiday so we decided to spend a few hours walking around the Khan al-Khalili. I LOVE that place! If you ever get the opportunity to come to Egypt I hope you take an afternoon to visit there. You don't have to buy anything but if you do don't be afraid to barter. I am not good at it (I know some people i would love to have with me) but I try. James is better at it. Have I said how exhausting it is? We were there only 4 hours I am so tired. Look at all the pretty gold!!! There are scarfs and leather goods and GOLD and old stuff and GOLD!! Oh my. Just kidding but its really a lot of fun and I just wanted to share. Next time I will take the pictures because James says nobody wants to see the same pictures again. They are not the same just the same place!