Miami University Architecture Trip: March 11-22, 2004

Maureen and Steve arrive early (March 7) in order to make arrangements, including changing lots of money, getting us all booked into the Hotel Hussein, looking up former students and old friends, some of whom gathered at the the flat of Mike Lattanzi and Susan Silveus, others we met at Tabboulah's for Lebanese food, as well as family at Fekry's new place in Shubra.

When the rest of the group arrived, we went out to Filfilla's for dinner.

Next day we went on our first Medieval Cairo walk, north of the Khan al-Kalili and to Al-Azhar.

Next day we walked south through Bab Zuwayla, to Sultan Hassan and Ibn Tulun.

On day three we did the Old Kingdom Tour through Saqqara, Dashur and Giza.

Our "free day" took us to The Egyptian Museum, Nile Hilton for lunch, AUC, Coptic Cairo and the Nilometer on Roda Island.

Wednesday and Thursday we head for Luxor, where we checked into the New Winter Palace, did the east bank tour on Wednesday (Luxor Temple and Karnak), and in the morning crossed the Nile by boat, headed to the Valley of the Kings by taxi, and then to the Temple of Hatshepsut, followed by a nice lunch on the Nile Valley Hotel roof. In the afternoon, we visited Deir al-Medina, had a ritual reading of Shelly's Ozymandias at the Ramasseum, visited the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinat Habu, before heading back to our hotel in exhaustion.

On the final free days, there were trips to Alexandria, the Northern Cemetery and to the Wissa Wassaf Cultural Center

Some last Egyptian pancakes, and then back home.