On a whim Ronin and I walked in to a travel agents office one Sunday afternoon in November (2010) and walked out having booked a back packing trip to Egypt for May 2011. We chose "Egypt Encompassed" and would be there for 23 days in total. We are 5 star hotel people not back packer people !? What were we thinking ? Never the less, I couldnt be more excited.

Alot has happened in that area of world since we booked this trip. There were riots in the streets of Cairo, people broke into the museum and destroyed artifacts, they closed the Valley of the Kings for fear that it would be targeted as well. The president of Egypt has stepped down and it is now a country ruled by the army ( dont know if this is a good thing or not yet - but I guess time will tell). Seeing this happen in Egypt has had a rumble on affect and other countries are also rising up for their freedoms and rights. Scary place over there right now really.

Ronin and I have done just about everything we can to prepare for this trip ~ we have been innoculated for everything known to man, have scripts for anything that the shots dont cover, have mentally prepared ourselves that we will probably be malnutritioned by the time we return as you cant eat much of the food over there if you dont want to get sick. Have purchased a new kick @ss camera to capture every moment, purchased a new HP Notebook to blog as we go and keep everyone back home up to date on where we are at and how it is all going (keep the moms up to date that yes we are still safe and alive), bought our back packs (still questioning this) and our yoga mats to sleep on (again remembering that we are 5 star hotel people, I think this is going to kill us.)  As I type this I myself have to question what we were thinking .... BUT then I sit back and remember .........

It is Egypt, founded by King Menes in 3150 BC. It is a civilization that has had me mezmerized for my whole life. The place where they built the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, and left so many questions for us to find the answers to. I know that I am no archeologist and wont be finding any answers while I am over there but I can tell you this ~ I know that no one on this earth will be so in love with a place as I am when I set foot in the Valley of the Kings. I will stand in awe at the base of the pyramids and I will gaze up at the night sky and let myself drift away thinking of what life may have been like all those 1000's of years ago. Am I excited ? I dont think that word even begins to explain how I feel.

It is now May 5th 2011 and Ronin and I fly out in 20 sleeps (not that I am counting HAH). I pick up the passports with the Visas in them today (excited deep breath).