Nile & Beyond.......

My first trip is booked! I go to Egypt on February 23rd for a 3 week tour including Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Mount Sinai, sailing down the Nile and camping in the desert. It's going to be a real change of scene and I'm looking forward to it. Egypt has always fascinated me, a civilisation that lasted for thousands of years and stayed relatively unchanged - advanced and backward all at the same time.. and how did they build those pyramids? For those of you who like me are fans of 'Team America' I am also looking forward to visiting Backadackalacka street! Right now I have a stinking cold so the prospect of hot sun is quite appealling. I'm still giving myself major Brownie points for going to the Doctor 2 weeks ago for my vaccinations by myself! I have a big problem with doctors and medical matters as many of you will know - so to be able to sit in a chair whilst the nurse stuck not one but TWO needles into my arms was no small achievement! Luckily there is no need for Yellow Fever jabs and Malaria tablets for Egypt at this time of year, but I will need them if I go sub saharan Africa - something to look forward to! There is relatviely little preparation for this trip other than to buy various bits of equipment and it's fun to shop! Living in the depths of Devon, there are very few outlets but Barnstaple and Exeter offer one or two decent outdoor specialists, and internet is invaluable. So far I've bought some proper trekking boots and have started to break them in on the cliffs and beaches with Kipper, then I took delivery of a super snug winter warm sleeping bag, silk liner and self inflating sleep mat- essential kit for nights in the Egyptian desert when the temperature can fall to zero overnight. I tested it all on the living room floor - which was fine, until I tried to get each thing back into its storage bag! All together, the sleeping kit takes up more than 2/3 of my travel bag, so not much room for clothes. Other items include; mosquito net, mosquito repellent, first aid kits including needles and suture kit, universal plugs for USB devices (phone & Ipod), a digital camera (courtesy of Dad's Nectar points!), clothes to stay cool, clothes to keep warm, all kinds of toiletries in miniature form to keep the weight down and 30 pairs of pants! As I write this, I'm downloading all my favourite CD's onto my Ipod whilst the sun shines outside. It's the kind of winter's day that makes you want to go out for a long walk with a flask of hot tea and some fruit cake. That seems a much better idea than sitting here at the computer..... so I'm off! Byeeee!