22 March 2026
After breakfast, we board our bus for the 300-mile drive to Tozeur, Tunisia. There are 12 of us on a 29-seat bus so very comfortable. Thankfully, we enjoy a few interesting stops along the long route.
The drive also allows me to observe the Tunisian driver. It appears they took their lessons from the same driving school as the Egyptians. However, it seems drivers here were better students.
(more…)21 March 2026
Our lesson this morning is Eid Mabrouk, which translates to Blessed Eid or Happy Eid in English. This represents the traditional greeting used by Muslims to celebrate the a major Islamic holiday: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan).
We walk from our hotel down a broad pedestrian passageway toward the Rue de France and Tunis’ Medina. Large, impressive and, historically, this represented one of the wealthiest and most influential Islamic cities between the 12th–16th centuries
(more…)20 March 2026
May your morning be as radiant as a blooming flower.
EgyptAir
EgyptAir blessed us to have a good day as it transported Gabrielle and I from Cairo. We return to Tunis. The plane departs slightly late, allowing for the crew’s Call to Prayer on this auspicious holiday of Eid Al-Fitr.
We arrive into the Carthage-Tunis Airport on Fête de l’Indépendance. March 20 marked the end of 75 years of French protectorate rule in 1956. We celebrate Tunisian Independence Day!
Brilliant Tunisian flags fly beneath a bright blue sky. The air is clear and clean, a very welcome change after the smog of Cairo.
Everything runs smoothly as we speed thru customs and are met by Kamel, the guide for our ElderTreks tour. For the next few weeks, our lodging, meals, and activities will be the onus of someone else. It always seems a relief as I surrender myself to my one responsibility of each day: “What time am I to be on the bus?”
(more…)19 March 2026
This morning, I see the pyramids from my balcony. This bodes well for cleaner air today. We join our guide, Galal, for a final day exploring some of Cairo’s most interesting museums.
I find it difficult to believe the GEM didn’t have it all. However, there exists several other sites around the city that warrant a visit.
(more…)18 March 2026
No traveler in centuries has visited all Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, recognized for their grand scale and awesomeness. As a reminder:
17 March 2026
July 11 1981
Cairo seems beyond belief. Then again, any city that tattoos minorities, leaves thousands to bed down on the streets, dresses in nightshirts and unzipped trousers, brews tea from canals, and is thick with tricksters, disbelief becomes the only reasonable Western response.
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16 March 2026
July 10 1981
I arrive on the African Continent. Cairo is a shock to my senses. Flying in, I could see the Nile Delta, beautiful green expanse becoming browner as we came to Cairo. What seemed longest runway in the world. In long drive from airport, one sees everything. The roads are packed with close relatives to Israeli bus drivers (I just arrived from Israel and their drivers are nuts.) Taxis honk and zoom in and out of traffic. Two kinds of drivers and pedestrians here: agile and dead. No such thing as a traffic lane.
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