This was our first ever Explore trip in August, 1989!
It was very successful for various reasons as you will soon see. This will be quite a long post as I will cover the whole trip in one go ( I think). The photo album we made is quite descriptive so I will use that with a few embellishments from our memories ( apart from one conversation we both remember that was just too rude! and she seemed such a nice girl).
All the text in quotes is directly from the photo album Sue wrote 40+ years ago.
Here is our baggage label and the original brochure about the trip. Apparently the tour was recommended by Minnie (not sure who she is).
“The plush accomodation (PLO included free of charge)”, or maybe not so much. It is still going and looks almost like I remember it. Not sure what the PLO reference is but it wasn’t the most celubrious hotel.
We don’t remember much ofour time in Cairo, we went for a falafal in the foyer of the Sheraton Hotel, which I think burned down the next year. We also discovered that the local beer was Stella, but not the Stella we know, perfectly quaffable though.
The next day we boarded a coach to go off to Giza. We also saw the museum but we don’t remeber much about that and certainly didn’t see Tutankhamun’s mask… It was probably on tour somewhere.
“Egyptian claustrophobia, inside the Great Pyramid.”
“Revamped Spihnx, with compulsory scaffolding.”
“Where’s the nose?” Nothing to do with Napoleon, apparently.
“The proof we were actually in Egypt. “Ermit” in Egypt.”
“Ashley, Jackie Goldberg and Sue”
Mustapha and The Sphinx
“Smile and get their money”… Oh the brashness of youth.
“And a pressurised whisk around the assembled treasures of Tutankhamoun”
“A long visit to a papyrus centre – the guide was obviously on commission!”
After the Pyramids we then caught the overnight train to Aswan.
“Down to Aswan sipping ‘Omar Kyam’ later responsible for Dave’s nightmare!”
“Lawrence of Arabia himself!
(and the magnificant view from our hotel in Aswan)”
“Suit purchased in local tailors – a snip at £7 made as you watch.”
“And a gorgeous cruiser polluting the river” – how right on were we!
“Slowly sipping our one drink in the Cataract Hotel (Death on the Nile)” … one drink?
“Feluccas at dusk viewed from fish restaurant balcony.”
Actually I think this is more than enough for one page …