Egypt is my new favorite winter get-a-way place

Where else would two history buffs, seeking a warm climate in January, go to relax, learn, and eat foreign foods?

Of course, with family in Egypt, it was a no-brainer to head to the land of the Pyramids. From left: our nephew Ahmed, Mom, me, and our lovable guide Mohammed (he was quite the con-man, but we couldn't help but like him).

We spent a lot of time in ancient temples and underground in tombs.

Egypt is very safe. We never worried about our safety. Security is everywhere.

The famous Cairo Museum.

Just about everything here was thousands of years old.

This is just the front area inside museum - it was huge.

We could have spent days studying the many items.

Spent first few days at Marriott Mena House Hotel near the Pyramids. 

Our nephew Zayed. On our way to the famous Khan El Khalili souk to do some shopping. 

The market seems to meander thru miles of alleys and roads. It is full of people, color, sounds, good aromas, and life.

Many of the buildings are easily 1,000 years old.

We wanted to buy some spices (behind her). This part of market seemed to be indoors.

Various ancient mosques sprinkled throughout.

You can find just about anything you are looking for.

But you have to stay alert and look out for the motor scooters!

Ahmed's father does not speak English, but came along to do the "price haggling" for us. Zayed speaks excellent English. Check out the bread vendor wheeling past on a bike. 

Crowded, but fun.

I only saw a few other tourists from Asia and Europe all day.

Negotiating a price...

Healthy snacks.

Supper time and so many restaurants to choose from.

Love Egypt. The people are warm and friendly, and the food is delicious.

Panoramic view from our window over looking The Nile river! Spent a few days in the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Cairo has a population of 20 million people, so don't ever be in a hurry to get anywhere. You notice there is room on street for 6 lanes of cars? But how many lanes are moving? Two!

The lane closest to sidewalk is full of parked cars. The next lane toward traffic is where people temporarily park to shop, repair their car, or...

...change their tires! No kidding. There are no rules when it comes to driving, none at all. But you can only drive as fast as the flow will allow you, and you can expect the non-stop honking of horns.

Our niece Reem and her sister are excellent cooks and made sure we enjoyed many different Egyptian dishes - they treated us like royalty and we were never hungry. Reem is Zayed's mother.

We flew down to Luxor for few days. This is our guide Mohammed at the Temple of Karnack.

Ancient history everywhere. Mohammed is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. 

Street vendors are everywhere. We would gladly have adopted this boy (but adoptions are near impossible in Egypt - I researched it).

Our room in Luxor.

I had to include a shot of our bathroom. You notice the shower is on the wall between the sink and the toilet? Very interesting. And practical for small spaces. The squeegee is in the corner for cleaning the floor after your shower. You just have to be careful on the slick wet marble floor - kind of like ice skating!