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Return
To Egypt!
with Sedona Soul Adventures
February 21 - March 6, 2009
Detailed Itinerary*
Day 1: Saturday, February
21
Welcome Soul Adventurers!
We meet at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York at the Egypt
Air counter for international check-in. Please arrive no later
than 3:00 p.m. We have a brief orientation to meet all the members
of our group, and then learn an ancient meridian energy technique
that virtually eliminates jet lag. We board our evening non-stop
flight to Cairo, which departs at 6:30 p.m. The flight is 11
hours. Meals and movies are provided on board.
Day 2: Sunday, February
22
Welcome to Egypt!
Finally, we're here! We arrive in Cairo at 12:00 noon Egypt
Local Time. At the airport, representatives from our local tour
partners, Guardian Travel, meet
us, greet us and assist us through customs and baggage claim,
handling our entire luggage. No wrestling with suitcases! Then
we board our motor coach and sightsee as we make our way through
the hustle and bustle of the city. The weariness of the flight
is quickly forgotten as we drink in the sights of downtown Cairo
- the Mosque of Mohammed Ali,
the City of the Dead, the Nile
River and even the amazing traffic jams. Almost too quickly,
we make our way to the fabulous Le Meridien
Pyramids Hotel. This majestic resort hotel is beautifully
set in its own landscaped gardens and offers a spectacular swimming
pool complex including a health club with sauna and massage.
A brief walk from Le Meridien Pyramids takes you to the Pyramids
and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau - but wait, we're getting
ahead of ourselves. We settle into our rooms, have a wonderful
group dinner in the evening and get a good night's rest so we're
ready for tomorrow.
Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel
(Breakfast on plane, Snack on bus, Dinner at the hotel)
Day 3: Monday, February 23
Valley Temple, Sphinx, Great Pyramid
Today is one of the most amazing days of our trip. Right after
breakfast, and our group gathering,we take the quick jaunt from
the hotel to the Giza Plateau.
Prepare to be overwhelmed! Words cannot describe the wonder,
grandeur and mystery of the Great Pyramid
of Khufu as well as the magnificent adjoining pyramids
of Khafre and Menkaure. Next, we take in the Queen's Pyramid,
the Solar Boat Museum, the Valley
Temple and the Guardian of the Horizons, the Great
Sphinx. In the Valley Temple, we experience our first
sacred ceremony. Here we will set our personal and group intentions
for the rest of the trip. As in all of our ceremonies, we are
accompanied by our sound healer playing the didgeridoo and flutes.
You will always remember the melancholy beauty of the Native
American flute as it reverberates through the halls of the Valley
Temple and echoes in your heart. Is your cup full to overflowing,
or can you handle yet another once-in-a-lifetime experience?
Those who wish will take a camel ride into the desert to meditate
at the Solar Cross where the god
Thoth connected with the Planetary Consciousness. Finally, for
those interested in high quality Egyptian oils, we’ll
have a fun time at the perfume and oil shop of the Fayed family,
who distributes these amazing oils internationally. We’ll
return to the luxurious Le Meridien Pyramids tired, but smelling
great!
Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4: Tuesday, February
24
Old Cairo and Private Tour of the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
After breakfast, on our way to Old Cairo, we will stop at an
amazing jewelry store which is close to our hotel. The jewelry
in Egypt is incredible and even if you don’t buy anything,
just seeing all the amazing work is fantastic. We will then
head into Old Cairo where we will visit the Citadel,
the scene of famous battles during the Crusades. We will then
spend time at the incredible Mosque of
Mohammed Ali, one of the most beautiful mosques in the
Middle East. After lunch, we will wander the narrow streets
and alleys of the Khan El Kalili Bazaar.
Here, you can sip some strong Turkish coffee as you relax in
one of the cafes, or maybe do some haggling with the shopkeepers
for some treasures of your own
Later in the afternoon comes one of the most exciting
and coveted parts of our tour. We will have our own private
2 hours in the renowned Egyptian Museum
of Antiquities, also known as the Cairo
Museum. The museum closes to the public at 5:00 p.m.
and we will go into the museum sometime between 3 and 4, and
we are hoping that it is packed full of tourists like it usually
is, so that you can completely appreciate what we are about
to experience. We will leave with everyone at 5:00, go outside
of the museum and then re-enter for our private tour. Established
in 1835, the Museum is the official repository of most of the
archeological treasures of the Egyptian government from the
prehistoric era to the Greco-Roman period. It is the world's
densest concentration of ancient Egyptian artifacts and antiquities.
Up close and personal, we get to examine incredible statues,
mummies, jewelry and other artifacts, including the famous collection
from the tomb of Tutankhamen.
We’ll have a late dinner after our amazing time in the
Cairo Museum.
Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5: Wednesday, February
25
Sakkara and Dahshour
This morning we take a beautiful and relaxing drive into the
countryside south of the Giza Plateau to visit the pyramids
at Sakkara and Dahshour. The Step Pyramid
at Sakkara is considered to be the earliest, prototypical
pyramid. It was designed for Pharaoh Djoser by the mythic figure
Imhotep. Imhotep is recognized as the world's first named architect
and doctor as well as a scribe, priest, astrologer, vizier and
chief minister. Next, we experience two more incredible examples
of monumental pyramid building. At Dahshour, we see the newly
reopened Bent and Red Pyramids.
Then, after taking a leisurely lunch and possibly a few puffs
on the hookah, we're off for a visit to a carpet factory and
school, seeing the incredible artistry of Egyptian hand-made
carpets. This evening we fly to Luxor, home of the Valley of
the Kings and Queens, for more adventures.
Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 6: Thursday, February
26
Valley of the Kings & Queens and the Temple of Hatsepshut
Today we awaken early to find we are in Luxor directly on the
Nile. After breakfast, we're off to the West Bank of the Nile
to visit the Valley of the Kings and
Queens. This is the largest mortuary complex for Pharaonic
royalty, including such well known names as Ramses, Tutankhamum
and Hatsepshut. In recent years, the Valley of the Kings has
become so crowded with tourists, but we will have the pleasure
of having our own private admission to the Tomb of Ramses VI,
a stunningly beautiful tomb which has been closed to the public
for restoration but has been recently reopened to only a select
number of visitors each day. Ramses’s tomb contains amazing
hieroglyphics and scenes of the afterlife, including one of
the most beautiful representations of Nut, the Goddess of the
Sky. We will also have the opportunity to visit 3 other tombs
and you’ll be amazed at the beautiful colors still visible
after all these thousands of years. Next we’ll visit the
morturary Temple of Hatsepshut
(the only female Pharaoh) and we’ll have a photo op at
the Colossi of Memnon. Afterwards,
we’ll visit an alabaster factory. Egyptian alabaster is
known the world over for its incredible beauty. We’ll
see how it’s made and have the opportunity to purchase
some of our own treasures.
Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 7: Friday, February
27
Abydos and Dendara
Today we start early, as we make our way north along the Nile
to the Temple of Abydos, which
many consider the most sacred temple in all of Egypt. The other
tourists will gather and go together and hundreds of them will
convene at the temple for a short visit. However, we have the
advantage of having arranged our own private transportation,
so we will be at the temple before the large crush of tourists
and will stay longer after they leave. At Abydos especially,
we will delve into controversial and secret versions of history
that our tours are famous for. At this place, Seti I built an
unusual temple dedicated to multiple gods. In this temple we
get to view some very famous, anachronistic carvings of helicopters,
tanks and jet planes. Seti I's temple was built on top of an
earlier temple of very ancient, possibly Atlantean origins called
the Osirion. Located on one of
the pillars of the Osirion are glyphs of the “Flower
of Life.” At Abydos we will do a ceremony calling
in the most ancient of our past life memories, and activating
energies for healing and release. After lunch, it’s on
to the Hathor Temple of Dendara.
The temple complex of Dendara is dedicated to one of the most
beloved of the Egyptian deities, Hathor, Goddess of Love and
Beauty. In this Temple we get to examine the famous Zodiac ceiling
and the painted carvings of Nut (Goddess of the Sky) swallowing
the solar disc at night and birthing it again each morning.
Also in this temple we get a peek into esoteric Egyptian technology.
We'll be taken to see some very unusual, hidden carvings that
appear to depict a kind of electrical device powering an energy
tube like light bulbs with serpent filaments.
Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 8: Saturday, February
28
Karnak and Luxor Temple by Night
This morning we awaken early, check out of our hotel and head
to Karnak, one of the most amazing
places in all of Egypt. Although many sections have not survived
the ravages of time, no temple site in Egypt is more impressive
than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by
man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations
of ancient builders over a span of 1400 (!) years. The Temple
of Karnak is actually three main temples containing smaller
enclosed temples, and several outer temples all situated on
247 acres of land. Our guidance tells us that most if not all
of the people on this trip have had many Egyptian lifetimes.
If you lived in Egypt, it's highly likely that during one or
more of those lifetimes you visited or lived at Karnak. For
this reason, we will do a ritual to connect with, clear and
integrate those Egyptian past lives in the Temple
of Sehkmet which is closed to the general public, but
which is made available to our group as another delicious benefit
of our tour. We then board our beautifully luxurious Nile Cruise
Ship, which will be our home for the next four nights. As the
ship's stewards transfer our luggage to our rooms, we feel the
beautiful air of the Nile and truly feel that we have come home.
Tonight, after dinner, we visit the Luxor
Temple, built during the reign of Amenhotep III. For
many centuries it was covered with the desert sands, so it is
now one of the most perfectly preserved and beautiful temples
in Egypt. That amazing beauty is highlighted and emphasized
even more as we wander under the stars among the massive, dramatically
lit columns, statues and obelisks. This evening, our Nile cruise
begins, as our ship slips our Luxor moorings and heads upstream
towards Aswan.
Nile Cruise Ship
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 9: Sunday, March 1
Cruising Up the Nile
 After
the amazing time we've had and all we've seen and done, it's
time to slow down and unwind a bit as we take an entire day
to refresh and relax as we Cruise the
Nile. There are so many possibilities on board. You may
want to go topside and snag some rays as you sip a juice by
the pool. Maybe you'll delight in observing the ever changing
scenes drifting past along the Nile; the boats, the farms, the
villages and the wildlife. Maybe it's time for some pampering
with a massage in the ship's spa. Or possibly it's time to just
sit quietly with your journal and remember and integrate the
experiences of the last 8 incredible days. Whatever your choice,
today is the day to recharge your batteries so that you're ready
for the next half of our trip and even more amazing adventures.
Nile Cruise Ship
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 10: Monday, March 2
Temple Complexes at Edfu & Kom Ombo
After cruising through the night, we awaken to the sounds of
our ship docking at Edfu, home of a Ptolemaic temple dedicated
to the falcon god Horus. Of all the surviving temples of ancient
Egypt, the Temple of Horus is
the most complete and best preserved. It is easy to sense a
deep eternal presence in the Holy of Holies, as we focus inward
in private meditation. Back on the ship, steaming southward
toward our next port of call, we pass another timeless scene.
Watching farmers with their oxen plow the fields, and women
wash their laundry at the water's edge, we slip into the timeless
rhythms of this vast river of life, and grok how abundantly
the Nile has nourished her children from time out of mind. Stirring
from reverie we notice, as we round the bend, the Temple
Complex at Kom Ombo. Dedicated to both Re-Herakhty and
the crocodile god Sobek, this unusual double temple expresses
the Egyptian's understanding of the dual nature of reality.
Here we, too, meditate upon the light and shadow, yin and yang
of our own natures.
Nile Cruise Ship
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 11: Tuesday, March
3
Aswan, the Isis Temple, Elephantine Island
 Our
first day in Aswan opens before us with the promise of new and
exotic delights. Aswan has the welcoming, friendly feel of an
oasis and indeed, the desert here is close at hand. Unlike Cairo,
the air is pure and fresh and the city seems to vibrate with
a clarity and intensity that reminds one of Machu Picchu or
Sedona. Bright and early this morning we take a motor dinghy
to the small Island of Philae,
home of a beautiful, magical temple dedicated to Isis,
the Great Mother. In the temple we perform special rites
honoring the Divine Feminine and invoking Her energies and blessings.
After lunch, we take a felucca, a traditional Nile sailboat,
upriver to Elephantine Island. This is the home of Khnum, one
of the most ancient of the Egyptian gods, who created the first
human beings on his potter's wheel. In Egyptian tradition, the
ancient ruins on Elephantine Island
are also considered to be the site where the Ark of the Covenant
was hidden away. On the felucca ride back from Elephantine,
you are intensely aware of the tremendous beauty of the moment.
The light from the western sun dancing on the sparkling blue
waters of the Nile; the bright, clear blue sky; the warm gentle
breeze filling the sails; lush, green palms against the desert
sand; the rising joy in your heart. It has indeed been a delightful
day, filled with promises made and promises kept.
Nile Cruise Ship
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 12: Wednesday, March
4
Abu Simbel
Ah, the sweet sorrow of saying goodbye! Today we bid adieu to
our floating home on the water, the cruise ship, and the wonderful
crew who have fed, feted and pampered us like Pharaonic royalty.
But as with life, we let go of the good that we have known and
turn our focus to the good yet to come. Now on our way to Abu
Simbel, with Lake Nasser always visible on the left side,
our plane takes us deep into the southern desert, almost to
the Sudanese border. In the 1960's, with the building of the
Aswan High Dam, rising waters from Lake Nasser threatened to
inundate archeological treasures all along the Nile in Upper
Egypt. Through an unprecedented international effort, the most
important temple, Abu Simbel, and some smaller sites were cut
into massive blocks, moved to higher ground and reassembled.
As we make our way to the temple site, approaching from the
back, we see only a very plain rounded hill with pathways to
either side. As we round the hill, we are nearly struck dumb
by the mind-bending sight. Before us loom four colossal, 67-foot
high statues (each the size of a 7-story building) of Ramses
II seated on his throne, facing Lake Nasser, guarding
the entrance to his temple. Smaller statues of family members
are between his legs. One hundred yards away, built into another
hillside, is the Temple of Nefertari,
Ramses II's favorite wife. Six colossal standing figures 33
feet high, four of Ramses II and two of Nefertari, are cut from
the rock face, along with smaller figures of the royal family.
What an amazing setting! We spend the rest of our time exploring
these astonishing temples and then fly back to Cairo and back
to the beautiful Le Meridiens Pyramides next to the Pyramids.
Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 13: Thursday, March
5
Private Time in the Great Pyramid, Meditation Between the Paws
of the Sphinx and Dinner at the Fayed Home, Sound and Light
Show
This morning we awaken with an undercurrent of excitement, felt
by every member of our group, that preempts the usual morning
drowsiness. Today is the day that we have all been anticipating
since we booked the trip. Today is the culmination of the trip,
our private time in the Great Pyramid.
We have time in the morning to have some rest and after a late
breakfast we will go to a papyrus shop where we learn ancient
Egyptian paper making techniques. We'll experience Egyptian
artistry first-hand, and have a chance to purchase incredible
Egyptian papyrus. After traveling all around Egypt, you’ll
know what memories you want to take home. After lunch, the group
will meet to prepare for our time inside the Great Pyramid.
Next we have another special treat; private
meditation time between the paws of the Sphinx. In 2001,
this area was closed to the general public. Why? No one knows
for sure. (Is it perhaps because Edgar Cayce predicted that
the fabled Hall of Records would be found under one of the paws
after the turn of the century?) We see the Stila of Thutmoses,
we see the rear portal of the Sphinx, we do our special meditation
in this incredible energy. And then the culmination of our trip
– the private time in the Great Pyramid. For one and a
half to two hours, this Ancient Wonder of the World is ours
and ours alone. In the Queen's Chamber,
we share a celebratory ritual and meditation acknowledging and
deepening our connection with Mother Earth and the Divine Feminine.
In the King's Chamber, we take
this rare opportunity to recreate an ancient initiatory ritual
used by mystery schools throughout the ages. Here we mark the
passage that symbolizes the death of the old ego-driven life,
and our resurrection and rebirth into the new awarenesses of
a spiritually connected life. Our time in the Great Pyramid
is transformative and life-changing. With each of these sacred
rites, we experience wave after wave of higher-dimensional energies
that are conducted and focused by the Great Pyramid more powerfully
than any other place on the planet.
This evening, we are the guests of the Fayed family at their
home which is literally across the street from the Sphinx. We
enjoy our farewell dinner, our last Egyptian feast and the camaraderie
of our friends. The evening culminates in the famous Sound and
Light Show which we watch from our perfect vantage point. As
the lights dim and the music begins, we realize our hearts are
overflowing with both joy and sadness. Joy for all that we have
experienced, learned and become; and sadness because our adventure
is drawing to a close. We contemplate all the wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime
adventures we have shared in the last two weeks, the lifetime
friendships we have formed, and how we have been changed forever
by our Return to Egypt.
Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)
Day 14: Friday, March 6
Goodbye to Egypt
Having packed the night before, we awaken early, eat a final
meal in Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel and as a group, make our
way to the airport. Here we have to say goodbye to our Guardian
Travel friends - and by now, they really are friends. They have
taken such good care of us, done such a wonderful job of organizing
and orchestrating our time in Egypt, and shared so much of themselves
and their culture with us! At least we have 11 more hours of
flight time to reminisce, laugh and cry with our dear travel
companions. As the plane takes off, and we see the pyramids
and Cairo one last time from the air, silently, secretly we
vow to return again. Chasing the sun on its westward arc, we
arrive back in New York at 3:15 p.m., tired, happy and content.
*Please understand that this itinerary is subject
to change without notice
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