We picked up Vivian from the Netherlands to bring her to North Carolina for her school break. We used sky miles to get home, and we had a marathon trip from the Netherlands to Greensboro airport, stopping in London and Pennsylvania. My brother Sam and his wife AC joined us in North Carolina. We celebrated Sam’s birthday with our tradition…
We made a pit stop in the Netherlands on our way back to the United States to pick up our niece Vivian. She is spending her school break with us in North Carolina. We had a marathon 24-hour trip from Siwa to the Netherlands. It started with a 9-hour drive from Siwa to Cairo. We spent eight hours in the…
Siwa Oasis is nestled in the vast and barren Sahara Desert in Egypt. Located approximately 50 kilometers east of the Libyan border, Siwa Oasis is a haven of lush palm groves, crystal-clear freshwater springs, and picturesque salt lakes. Siwa Oasis has a long and illustrious history that dates back thousands of years. It was once home to the ancient Berber…
There are several ways to get to Luxor from Aswan. You can go by boat, either on a cruise on a large cruise ship or sailing on a felucca. Many day tours run from Aswan to Luxor. There are temples and other interesting sights to see along the way. Some minibusses travel between the two cities, but we have been…
Our trip to Egypt is our first trip to Africa! We took a 7 a.m. flight from Dubai to Cairo with a layover in Jordan. Early flights are usually the best deals. We got into the airport lounge in Dubai and Jordan. Having a credit card that gives us airport lounge access is great! Traveling in Egypt is tiring. We…
We went back to Dubai for a few days after our cruise. We spent one night in a hotel near the Mall of Emirates. It was fun wandering around the mall until check-in. Henry bought Harry Potter playing cards. We checked out Ski Dubai but decided not to try it out this time. Our hotel was near exotic rental car…
A new country and a new continent! Asia! We arrived in UAE from Cyprus. We flew into Abu Dhabi and explored there for two days before embarking on a seven-day cruise. We stayed in the commercial business district of Abu Dhabi. There were plenty of shops and restaurants, and it was close to the harbor. We visited the Sheikh Zayed…
We said goodbye to our new friends and Bulgaria and flew to Cyprus. Cyprus is a beautiful island nation located in the Eastern Mediterranean. The history of Cyprus dates back thousands of years, with evidence of human activity on the island dating back to the Neolithic era. We watched some YouTube videos about Cyprus to help us understand its history.…
Our last full week in Bulgaria was a busy one. We attended the family dinner this week at Victoria Restaurant. The restaurant is one of our favorites. They have pizza, pasta, and traditional Bulgarian food like most of the restaurants in Bansko, but they also have sushi, which is Lucas’ favorite. Michael organized another roundtable. This one was about education,…
We started the week with a day trip to the Rila Monastery. It is a medieval Eastern Orthodox monastery an hour and a half from Bansko. It is one of the most important cultural, historical, and architectural landmarks in Bulgaria and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by the Bulgarian hermit St.…