We finally booked our holiday. We both have three weeks off from the 19th of September till the 12th of October. The first week we’ll go and visit Egypt. The other two weeks are still without plan… we’ll see what we’ll do.
Our itinerary for Egypt is posted below. It is a babelfish translation of the Spanish page with the holiday outline, so there will be some errors, but the main idea should be clear.
Basically the plan involves four days on a cruise across the Nile. Visit some places and slowly get used to the tremendous heat and the bugs (although bugs are a part of everyday life in Spain), and afterwards we have three days in the capital. We are planning on a trip to Abu Simbel, a nice village and we’re considering an evening out dining and enjoying a belly-dance. Just one month more to prepare ourselves and then were going to experience Egypt. I’m already looking forward to it.
Day 1 MADRID – LUXOR
MondayPresentation in the airport 2 hours before the exit of the special flight. Invoicing in the counter of the company that corresponds and exit with Luxor destiny. Arrival and procedure of the visa in the airport (34 € by person to pay directly). Transfer to the motor-ship of category selected by the client to initiate the cruise by the Nile. Accomodation in the staterooms. Lodging on board.
Day 2 LUXOR – ESNA
TuesdayBreakfast and visits of the Necrópolis de Tebas, visiting the famous Valley of the Kings, the temple of medinet Habu de Rameses III, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossuses of Memnon, that kept the entrance to the funeral temple from King Amenophis III, visit of the Temples of Karnak and Luxor that form the monumental but important set of Egypt. After the visit, return to the motor-ship. Lunch and to the estimated time beginning of the passage. Dinner and lodging on board.
Day 3 ESNA – EDFU – KOM OMBO
WednesdayBreakfast and arrival to Edfu, we will visit in caleche the Temple of Edfu, the God of head of Hawk Horus, who this considered the best one conserved of Egypt, besides being the second greatest one of the country. Of return to the boat, – we will sail by late, we will visit the temple dedicated to the Gods Haroeris, of head of sparrowhawk and Sobek, God with crocodile head. Said temples it consists of double entrances, door and altar; in Kom Ombo, also we will be able to contemplate the Nilometro, used by old the Egyptians to measure the level of waters of the river. Boarding in the motor-ship and lunch. To the estimated time, the passage will be started again towards Aswan. Dinner and night on board.
Day 4 ASWAN
ThursdayBreakfast in the boat. The city of Aswan, is about 900 kilometers of the city of Cairo; located the Tropic of Cancer in the heat of. Visit of the high prey, an incredible engineer installation that retains waters of the Nile river, creating the Nasser lake, later, visits of the red granite quarry, where is the famous Unfinished Obelisk, of 41 meters of height, and where we will be able to observe the ingenious procedure used by old the Egyptians for the extraction of the granite blocks. Return to the motor-ship to take the lunch. In the evening, a stroll by the river will be realized in the typical boats of fishermen met like “falucas”. Return to the motor-ship. Dinner and lodging on board.
Day 5 ASWAN – Cairo
FridayBreakfast and visits optional the impressive temple of Abu Simbel (in airplane or by highway), carved in the western cliff of the desert by Rameses II in century XII before Christ, with dedicated statues the God Amon Ra of 20 meters of height; and the temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the Hathor goddess; after the visit, return to take the airplane to Cairo. Arrival to the airport of Cairo and transfer to the hotel of the selected category. Lodging.
Day 6 Cairo
SaturdayBreakfast in the hotel. Optional visit to the museum of Egyptian Art. In the evening, the visit from noon will be realized to the esplanade of Pyramids of Gizeh, magnificent monumental set considered one of the seven wonders of the old world that correspond to Pharaohs Keops, Kefren and Micerinos as well as enigmatic of human head and the body of lion. Lodging.
Day 7 Cairo
SundayBreakfast in the hotel and free day at the disposal of the clients. We can realise some of the facultative visits that to us our representatives will propose like for example: complete day to visit monuments and the library of Alexandria, Memphis and Sakara, the Citadel of Saladino, the Mosques of sultanes Hassan and Rifai or the Bazaar of Khan the Khalili. (Optional Excursions). Lodging in the hotel.
Day 8 Cairo – MADRID
MondayBreakfast and collection in the hotel to the been suitable hour. Transfer to the international airport of Cairo to embark in special flight with destiny Barcelona or Madrid. Steps of invoicing and boarding.
The trip on the airplane was very nice. There are small airplanes flying between the islands without jets but with old fashioned propellers.
The weird thing is that this news item is talking about 15 islands. If you ask anyone here which Canary islands there are everyone will reply with the names of the seven islands. 
Today it is horribly hot! Luckily it’s only extremly hot in the south of Gran Canaria. This morning in the north it was nice and cool. I left home at 6:30 and when I arrived at 7:30 it was still a little dark. I did not see any sunshine. However, when I opened the door of my car there was such a hot air it was unbelievable. Without the sun such a terribly hot air I could not believe it. It’s almost impossible to remain outside a long time.
I’ll be in Gran Canaria from the 6th of April until the 14th. Ana wants to evaluate her future job and I will go and enjoy the sun for a week. Afterwards we’ll return to Madrid and we’ll have a decision to make. Do we or don’t we go to Gran Canaria for quite a long period. Who knows. In a few weeks I expect to have an update.