Cairo, Egypt

Days 7 and 8 we were docked in Alexandria, Egypt. I hate to say this but we knew we were no longer out at sea because we woke up to a bad smell that did not leave until we left the port. For Egypt we booked our excursions thru NCL to be on the safer side.

We had to get up early because we had to meet on the ship at 7:00 am. We were assigned a bus. Well there must have been at least 50 tour buses. It was a crazy sight but pretty organized. Well we should have been on the road by 7:30 because it takes 3 hours to get to Cairo. Well, our guide announced that there was a delay because of fog. Another 2 hours and we are still sitting there on the bus. She then announces that there was a big accident and we can't go. That the excursion was rescheduled for the next morning but we had to leave at 6:00 am. What a mess that was. We finally got off the bus after 3 hours and decided to go back to the ship. We were all hungry. We could have gone on the tour that we were suppose to take the next day but we decided against it. Lucas was getting sick with a bad cold and cough.

We decided to go swimming. It was probably in the low 70's and the pool was heated and there were hot tubs. Jason got a picture of the Library and the kids in the pools.

One of Kate's friends family had the same idea. They had a good time.

So the next morning we got up early and boarded the bus. I forgot to mention that tourism is very important in Egypt and they take it very seriously. For our protection, each bus had a security officer and we had a police escort. The buses had to travel together as a caravan. There were quite a few checkpoints along the way.

There was fog again this morning and they kept saying it wasn't typical. We think it was a mixture of fog and smog. We didn't see much on our 3 hour drive to Cairo but we had a new tour guide and she talked nonstop but I don't know how many people were listening because everyone was still half asleep.

After we got to Cairo and we had been driving around for awhile, the tour guide announced that the pyrmids were on our right. We all looked out and we couldn't see a thing. We parked and she was telling us which direction each pyrmid was and the whole bus broke out in laughter. We were in the middle of these "Great Pyrmids" and we couldn't see them. We had 40 minutes to walk around and we couldn't see anything!

Jason bought 10 postcards for 1 Euro and we held one up to show that was what was suppose to be behind us. We just couldn't believe it.

Then we headed over to the Sphinx. We were thrilled to at least be able to see it. There was still some fog but at least we knew it was really there.

I had no idea it was so big. It was beautiful.

I gave it a kiss for good luck!

When we left the Sphinx, we could just barely see the pyrmids in the background but they didn't show up in the pictures. So then we headed to the Sakara desert for our jeep and camel rides. The jeep ride was a bit silly but fun. We saw some other pyrmids.

The camel ride was funny. Jason didn't really want to do this excursion but he was out voted. Well his reasoning was confirmed when his camel sprayed pee all over his back and the boys. The smell was awful but he was a good sport.

We finally could see an oasis and knew we were close to lunch.

We went to a "Country Club" for a very nice buffet lunch. Jason was at least able to wash out his shirt.

After lunch we went to a Papyrus demonstration and a "tourist trap". Then we headed back to the ship and at least got a picture of the pyrmids from afar.

I had mentioned that there was a security guard on the bus. He was very nice. For some reason or another, he was always very close by to us when we got off the bus. He took several of our pictures and he helped us with Katelyn and her chair. He also told us where to go to get some good pictures and stuff. It was like he was our own private security guard and he carried a pretty big weapon. I can't believe Jason got a picture of it.

We arrived back at the ship at about 7:3o pm. This is a picture of the security guard with Kate. I felt sorry for him and all the other guides and security guards because they all lived in Cairo and had to take that 3 hour ride back home.

Overall, we had a good time. However, I don't think any of us will be heading back there any time soon.

Christmas at Sea

The next 2 days were at sea. They were not as rough as previously. On this cruise it was the first time for the kids to participate in Kids Club and they loved it. If we weren't at a port then they were at Kids Club. It did get a bit hectic because Devin's group met up at different times and Kate wanted to do certain activities so it was pretty busy.

Kate chose to participate in the Christmas Eve program. She did very well remembering her part and they sang some songs.
It was lots of fun and as you can see Kate enjoyed it.

Before dinner, we got a picture in front of one of many trees around the ship.

Santa came on Christmas morning and they passed out gifts according to age group. This Santa was from Australia.

Kate and some of her friends.

The Kids Club Counselors were the elves.

The kids and I got some neat souvenirs for our "Christmas Presents" and the cruise was the best one of all. I take that back, the best present was hearing that my mom's report from the doctor was GREAT! and the oral chemo is working!

It was a different Christmas and one we won't forget but it just isn't the same as being with family. We sure did miss everyone!

Pompeii & Amalfi Coast

On Day 4 of the cruise, we were at the Port of Naples. It was a beautiful day. We were off the ship at 8:00 am and met our driver/guide. I have to mention that it was a little bit cheaper for us to do these private tours than go thru NCL. Mainly because we paid for the car/driver and not by individual prices. Since we are a family of 5 it was more cost efficient. However, NCL does stress that you are not covered if anything should happen and they will not wait for you if you are late getting back to the ship. We never had any problems.

Since we had a head start, we had Pompeii all to ourselves before the big groups came which was about an hour later.
Pompeii was one of our favorite places. The ash really preserved so much history.

We had an honorary family member for a while. Pompeii is also a shelter for rescued dogs. They just roam around looking for attention. They were all very well behaved but this dog wasn't going to let any of the other dogs get close to us.

They had castings of some people and how they died. It was very saddening but amazing how they were able to capture the expressions and positions of these people.

The pointed bottoms on the pots is so they would remain upright in the sand on the bottom of the ships.

Our tour guide for Pompeii was wonderful. He was 74 years old and a Professor of History and has lived in Pompeii all of his life. He made the sight so enjoyable because he was always talking for the entire 2 hours.

Devin captured a pretty picture of a garden.

At the front entrance they had a mosaic of a dog that says "Beware of Dog". This was 90 B.C. It was normal for a dog to be chained at the front entrance.

One of many streets of Pompeii.

The big stones are stepping stones for when the streets filled up with water. You can even notice where the wagons went thru. The dimensions are the same as many things today.

A beautiful mosaic fountain.

After Pompeii, we drove for about 3 hours along the Amalfi Coast. It was a scenic drive but very narrow and back n forth.

This is the town of Positano. It is usually very crowded and busy but we were there in the off season.

One more family picture to end the day.

Eastern Mediterranean Here We Come!

The day finally arrived for us to begin our vacation! We were on the road by 6:30 am and heading for Barcelona. It was a very cold morning and snowing! We made it to Barcelona 9 hours later and 3 quick stops along the way. We were starving so after we checked in we asked for the closest place that was serving dinner. Dinner doesn't usually start until 7:30 pm. The waitress saw "easy prey" and recommended the house specialty that serves 2 for Jason and I. After gobbling up all the bread we were shocked when the meal arrived. I have never seen so much seafood on a plate before. I'm not much of a seafood person other than shrimp and sometimes crab. However, when I am hungry I am willing to try anything. It was delicious and they had some good garlic butter to dip it all in.

We went back to the hotel - full and tired. It comes to our attention that the heating was not working properly and we had a very cold night! We got up and ate breakfast and it was even colder in the restaurant. So we hopped in the car and turned up the heating to full blast. We almost didn't make it out of the hotel parking garage in the basement of the hotel. It was so narrow that we almost got wedged when making the turn. We didn't do any sightseeing while in Barcelona. We are going to try and do that another time.

At last we made it to the ship - Norwegian Jade. We got checked in early right before their computer system went down! The sun was shining but it was cold!

I couldn't forget the mandatory life jacket drill!

We had one rough day at sea before we arrived in Rome. We couldn't wait to get off the boat. It was pouring and never really stopped but we made the best of it. We did something a bit different this time. Instead of booking the excursion thru NCL, we went with an independent agency. It was great and I highly recommend it. We got off the ship right at 8:00 am and our driver (guide) was waiting for us. It was just us in a van and we flew to Rome! The driving is crazy. It was different but perfect for a rainy day. He would talk and then we would stop and get some pictures and we were off to the next place.

One of our first stops was the Pantheon.

We made it to one the 7 (I think) Hills of Rome but I have no idea which one this was.

Between the rain and fog, we couldn't see very far but some things did stand out.

Trevi Fountain sure is a beautiful fountain. I can remember throwing a coin into the fountain and I returned 22 years later.

It wasn't too crowded.

Jason telling Lucas some story - Lucas has that grin.

We grabbed a quick pizza and ate in the van. The kids said it was the best but I didn't care for it. It just didn't have much taste. We then went to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We met up with a guide provided by the agency and got a wonderful 2 hour guide thru the museum and chapel. The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Cathedral is just one of those places everyone needs to see in person.

Next stop was the Colosseum. The following picture was an expensive picture. Nothing is for free!

Then on to the Roman Forum.

It was amazing how much we got to see in a day. I'll be back tomorrow with our next stop in Naples and our visit to Pompeii.