Finally got on line

Dear Friends,

I hope you are each doing great.

I've not had a chance to read Stu's blog yet, so please forgive the information that I'm sure will be repeated.

We had a good flight in; the plane was packed; but we had ok seats and made it in safely. We were picked up at the airport by someone holding your names on a board. He took us to baggage and through customs. It's so much easier when they let "helpers" on the "other side" of customs to help before we get to passport control and all of that. Once we were through customs (not a problem there!) we were met by Basam. What a treat it was seeing him after 10 years. He seemed as happy to see us as we were to see him. 

He rode to the hotel with us (it took almost an hour to get there) and we chatted. The thing I remember most of our conversations--some personal chatting and some business--was when Lea asked him about his two children. His entire face softened, and he got such a happy look on his face that it was really sweet and touching. It really let me know how much family meant to him.

We got checked in to the hotel and agreed that we'd meet our guide the next morning at 11am. We wouldn't see Basam again until Tuesday when we scheduled a planning meeting with him.

The hotel was really nice--The Mena House. This had been first built as a royal hunting lodge in the 1800s and has been in constant use (one way or the other) since then. I'm sure you could find out more about it if you googled "Mena House".

The problem Lea and Stu had there (and again in Luxor) was that since it is winter here, the air conditioning is not turned on and apparently can't be turned on. That created some frustration for them. Since I'm not one who likes to sleep on the cold side, I was fine.

I'll post a little video clip that shows the view from the balcony of my room at the Mena house. Then I will end this post.

Love,

Frank