Egypt, February, 1979
We decide to join a Chicago Council of Foreign Relations trip to Egypt lasting a little over two weeks. So begins our love affair with this marvelous country and so many wonderful people. At first the other (generally retired) group members were concerned about having a 10 year-old in tow. But, of course, Kristen ended up being the hit of the ten-person group!
Kristen Hoeschler: Egypt Diary, 1979
February 21, 1979. Dear Fritz, we love and miss you so. And how I miss the smell of country air! You wake up in the morning and smell food, horses, smoke—even on the river. Today we go on the boat so that should be interesting. So much happen along it. We drove to the country today where a priest has taught the people to make pretty pots. We also saw this temple again today. It is so huge that you cannot imagine it. Love, Mom.
Egypt trip, Feb 14 - March 3, 1979. Chicago airport. Rome.
We travel Lufthansa from Chicago to Cairo, but LLH gets food poisoning (chicken?) and has a miserable first night and next day. While Kristen and Jack tour the nearby Cairo Museum, a very kind room cleaner brings me flowers and helps me clean up. Such a kind, kind person. View of Cairo from Hilton window; Cairo Museum.
Cairo mosque.
Views of Cairo from the mosque.
We travel to Giza to view the sphinx and pyramids--nothing disappoints! Simply fabulous.
We then drive to Memphis, ancient Egyptian capital.
Saqqara: ancient step pyramid and necropolis.
We travel to Luxor with its magnificent temples and tombs: Valley of the Kings, Queens and Nobles.
Colonial splendor in Luxor. (Jack tries belly dancing in Cairo.)
Luxor Temple: the scale is enormous and almost frightening. (LLH decides it's in scale with the desert.)
We board a felucca and cross the Nile to Karnak.
Karnak.
Trip to Abydos & Dendura temples.
West Bank sites/sights abound.
Valley of Nobles (where Kristen wows the guides with her knowledge of the Vizier Ramose; they think she is prescient. Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamun's tomb.
Aswan.
Aswan Dam.
Abu Simbel.
