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INTESOLLERS REUNION TRIP TO EGYPT 2006/2007Journey of a lifetime for former INTESOL traineesOn 27th December 2006 the long-awaited INTESOL Greece Intesollers' Reunion trip to Egypt began. A number of INTESOL Greece former trainees were to set off on a fabulous journey to a land steeped in ancient history and culture.
The first day began with a trip to the Giza Plateau, where the Intesollers got their first glimpse of the famous Pyramids. Nothing quite prepares one for the size and sheer presence of the Pyramids in reality, and a knowledgeable Egyptologist was on hand to guide the group around the site. The rest of the morning was spent standing at the foot of the legendary Sphinx, visiting (and shopping in) an Egyptian Perfume Palace and having lunch in the gardens of an historic luxury hotel. Oh, and of course, trying out the obligatory and very entertaining camel rides. 
Later that day the travellers visited Saqqara, home of the first Egyptian pyramid ever built and some beautifully painted underground tombs, and then explored the Memphis Museum with the colossal statue of Rameses II. They then had a memorable insight into the hustle and bustle of a Cairo train station and transferred to the Sleeping Train to begin the tour of Upper Egypt via the Nile. For anyone who has never travelled on an overnight train, this is an experience not to be missed! The next day dawned with a blast of Egyptian sunshine and the first view of the Nile in Aswan. The goup boarded the 5-star vessel, the Nile Pioneer, where they would be spending the next few days and seeing in the New Year. They then witnessed the sunset from a felucca ride on the most beautiful part of the Nile (plenty of flora and fauna to be had), one of the highlights of the trip and definitely to be recommended. 
After seeing the enormous unfinished obelisk in the ancient quarry, the rest of the afternoon was spent having lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on board the Pioneer, and sitting on the sun deck watching the banks of the Nile go by as the ship set sail for the first time. As the sun set behind the many palm trees, they disembarked to have a night-tour of the Temple of Kom Ombo. They then returned to the ship to get dressed for the 'Galabeia' Party (or Egyptian Night). After doing justice to the buffet of traditional Egyptian food, the Intesollers were undoubtedly the life and soul of the party as they danced the conga around the dining room in a spectacular array of outfits and headdresses in celebration of Mihaelas birthday. The staff went to a lot of effort for the group, from planning the surprise cake to the live music and dancing. The evening was definitely one to be remembered! After an evening strolling around Aswan and sampling the mint tea, sahlab and shisha in a local coffee shop, the happy band spent their first night aboard the ship. They visited the Aswan Dam and the expansive Lake Nasser the following day, and took a boat trip to the island where the spectacular Temple of Philae had been moved to - rebuilt stone-by-stone in order to rescue it from its underwater fate resulting from the creation of the new dam. 
Despite the antics of the night before the Intesollers managed to summon the energy for an early-morning start in Edfu, where they were transported to the Temple of Horus in horse-drawn carriages. Seeing the sun rise over the enormous Pharaonic-style temple was definitely worth getting out of bed for. They then negotiated their way through the horse-drawn-carriage-traffic-jam to return to the Pioneer for coffee and breakfast. The afternoon was spent sailing to Esna and then joining the queue of vessels waiting to pass through the lock on their way to Luxor and Thebes. The group had been so busy enjoying themselves that they hardly realised New Years Eve had crept up on them. After recuperating by the pool on the sundeck or exploring Esna at their own pace, they headed off to get dressed for the big dinner party that evening. And what a dinner party it wasthe staff and crew had spent hours preparing the buffet, and the centre-pieces sculpted from fruit, butter and bread were spectacular. The Intesollers didnt wait until midnight to uncork their numerous bottles of champagne, and with the ship manager waiting on them hand and foot, so began a very special evening for everyone. The ship passed through the lock about an hour before midnight, and everybody rushed to the deck to watch. Then the disco commenced, and everyone had a fabulous time dancing (Arabian, Greek and Salsa-styles all featuring prominently) as the clock counted down to midnight and the start of 2007. 
New Years Day was undoubtedly the best start to a year that anyone could have. Kitted out in new INTESOL t-shirts complete with their names in hieroglyphs (courtesy of Victor), they disembarked in Luxor and were transported to the Valley of the Kings. The weather was glorious and the tombs were spectacular. After visiting the Colossi of Memnon and the enormous Temple of Hatshepsut the whole group had worked up an equally enormous appetite so Victor led the way to a restaurant for a pit-stop. The hotel in Hurghada was the most beautiful and luxurious hotel we had ever had the good fortune to stay in; the Intesollers spent the next day and two nights excitedly exploring the grounds, bars (both inside and pool-side), dining room, beach and local discos, and had to be practically dragged onto the coach by the unlucky tour representative when the time came to leave Hurghada for Cairo. Everyone in the party vowed there and then that they would be signing up for all future Intesol trips, but that a year was far too long a time to wait! 
After lunch the Intesollers continued their tour of ancient Thebes with a visit to Karnak and Luxor Temple. The only way to begin to comprehend the impressive scale and beauty of these sites is to visit them in person. Nobody wanted to leave Luxor, but it was time to check out of the Pioneer and commence the journey to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada (it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it!). As the sun set over Luxor temple they climbed on board the mini-bus for the evening drive through the desert. On Day Ten the Intesollers went on a day trip to Alexandria, home to the ancient ruins of the famous Pharos Lighthouse (rebuilt into turreted Fort Qaitbey in the 15th century), the catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, the Library of Alexandria, the Montazah Palace and the home of the notable Greek poet, Kavafis. After dinner in Cairo, an early night was had by all in preparation for the final day, beginning with a visit to the extensive Egyptian Museum at Cairo. 
It is impossible to describe the many wonderful objects there in the museum. The Tutankhamun galleries lived up to every expectation and more, and another of the favourites of the day was the gallery of mummified animals, which included an enormous crocodile. After the museum, the group visited the citadel and saw some ancient Coptic churches and the impressive Mosque of Mohammed Ali. The afternoon was spent in the colourful and bustling Khan El Khalili Bazaar, where the Intesollers honed their new-found bargaining skills (or relaxed with a coffee and shisha). The group spent their final evening on the Marriott Dinner Cruise on the Nile, and saw an impressive folkloric show of dervish dancing and belly dancing. The view of Cairo by night was beautiful and it was unanimously agreed that the night was the perfect end to the perfect trip. Victor, the Managing Director of INTESOL Greece, went to great lengths to plan this tailor-made tour of Egypt, and the enormous effort he put in to ensure that the Intesollers saw the real side of Egypt and not simply the standard tourist package certainly paid off. Mihaela and Victor were wonderful group leaders and as a result the group had a fantastic time. The whole group would also like to say a big thank you to Sakkara Tours for their hard-work and dedication in ensuring that every aspect of the trip was taken care of. From the excellent guides to the tour representatives and transport arrangements, the needs of the visitors were more than met every step of the way. 
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