My favorite photo of the pyramids. I got up early and ran a mile to the pyramids entrance, ignoring the taxi drivers, camel guys, and horse cart drivers who all wanted my business. I ran off-road across the desert to seek an ideal vantage point and found this spot. Then 3 camels walked by and I knew I had a great shot.
Classic view of the Sphinx and the pyramid of Mykerinos
Sophia at the reins of our horse cart. She liked riding in the cart more than looking at the pyramids.
Camel-mounted police at the pyramids
Matt and Sophia at the pyramids
Cairo and the Nile River. Traffic in Cairo is unbelievable!
Self-portrait above the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor, looks like a miniature model but notice the tiny people for scale. I did a steep run/hike to get to this fine vantage point and appreciated the solitude away from the crowds of tour groups.
Sophia reading the guidebook at the Temple of Hatshepsut
Valley of the Kings, where kings like Tut were buried in hidden tombs (no photos allowed inside the tombs)
Ramesseum Temple
View from our Sheraton room in Luxor to the Nile River
I was so glad to be in the right place to catch Sophia when she fell from the sky!
Horse cart and Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple at dusk, beautiful as the lights come on, but very busy with tour groups
Luxor Temple; the matching obelisk to this one was removed from Luxor by the French and now stands in Paris at the Place de la Concorde at one end of the Champs Elysees
Love this one, of a father riding a bike with his son while chatting on his cell phone
Almost all Egyptian women dress very conservatively
In Karnak Temple
The Nile River is most scenic around Aswan, especially with a felucca quietly sailing by
Southern Egypt is home to many Nubians who were displaced by the creation of Lake Nasser which drowned their villages. Nubians are much darker-skinned than other Egyptians
Wandering around Philae Temple near Aswan
Matt & Sophia at Philae Temple
Walking with the locals, Philae
Lake Nasser, the world's largest artificial lake, as seen on the flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel, rock-carved monument to Pharaoh Ramses II from 3300 years ago. It was relocated in the 1960s since it's original location was going to be flooded by the creation of Lake Nasser.
View of Abu Simbel from the airplane, flying in from Aswan
Abu Simbel, perhaps the most impressive monument in Egypt
Sophia practicing her modeling pose
Cruise ship on Lake Nasser
Aswan High Dam and hydroelectric plant, providing about 50% of Egypt's electricity. I had talked about the dam in my geography classes for over 20 years, so I was probably more excited in seeing it than any of the other visitors.
Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument at the Aswan High Dam. The Soviets were the main source of aid in the dam's construction.
A local lady making Sophia appear a little more conservative
Mustafa, the Nubian boat man who rowed me across the Nile River in my quest to reach San Simeon Monastery
Fisherman on the Nile River. Notice the hundreds of fish hooks on the lines
Camel hanging out on the Nile River, waiting for work
Photo was taken on a brief camel ride to the ruins of San Simeon Monastery near Aswan. I was totally intending to walk the entire way but as the sole tourist I was hounded by this camel guy to employ his services. I decided to pay a couple bucks for the short ride, mainly to help him earn some money.
Me and the camel I rode
After getting dropped off by the camel
The refectory (dining room) in the abandoned Coptic monastery of San Simeon, built in the 10th century but wrecked by Muslim conquerors in 1173
Sunset boat ride, on the Nile River in Aswan
Sheraton in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt's premier beach resort town
View overlooking the Sheraton Sharm out to the Red Sea
One of Sophia's highlights in Egypt, building sand castles (pyramids, actually) on a Red Sea beach
Sunrise over the Red Sea, seen from our room at the Sheraton Sharm
