Oh my.  One week from Monday I will be leaving on my flight to Luxor.
I have been busy buying items for Mohammed' s family.  Not big things, but stuff I hope the kids will enjoy.


Of course I will also take some of my favourite foods to share.


Times have been very tough in Egypt since the revolution five years ago.  The most difficult has been the last year.  Five years of negative press and minimal tourists have taken a big toll on them.  Businesses have suffered so very very much.
 I pray that the future will be better.

So many people comment on the safety issue.  They ask if I have to be on guard all the time.
 I feel completely safe there.  As a matter of fact, I don't even think about safety…I just am.

I am so excited to be going there again.  Skyping is great, but actually being there is going to be so much better.

You  may find my posts boring this time because I don't have any plan to go many places.  But, you will read about life on the West Bank of Luxor and the day to day goings on.  I do want to have a picnic (with permission)  at the 'mountain' probably on top of some yet undiscovered temple or tomb.  I will visit the house of Carter, the one who discovered King Tut's tomb.  I definitely want to go to a Sufi service again. There is so much more that I am looking forward to.  Most of all, being with the people of Gizera and experiencing day to day life there will be totally awesome. For the rest I leave it up to serendipity.

Perhaps, if the budget allows, there will be a trip to the Red Sea and a return visit to Aswan.

Meanwhile, I am getting everything together and will pack in the next few days.