What culture has fascinated us through the ages more than that of the ancient Egyptians. We got a special view of the mysteries and grandeur of that time gone by on a "Celebrate Life" tour in February 2003 with Melissa Applegate.

Volumes have been written about ancient Egypt so the words will be few, but here are some sights ... and a couple sounds ... we want to share, photographed by Jack Dodge. For more details , visit Melissa's chronicle of the trip (under construction).

Click thumbnails for full-size photos

Cairo: Caretaker of ancient treasures	The Mena House in Cairo, with its view of Giza, is the starting point for many visitors.	The Step Pyramid at Sakkara is centuries older than the Great Pyramid and was designed by Imhotep for King Zoser.	The temple at Sakkara has a hallway of grand pillars.
The bent pyramid at Dashur	The Sphinx and the pyramid of Chephren  at Giza	The Pyramids of Giza now overlook the giant city of Cairo.
The treasures taken from the tomb of Tutankhamon remain one of the Cairo Museum's most popular exhibits.	But this life-size ancient scribe is my favorite piece of sculpture on display.	These geese from an ancient wall connect the present to the past for me.
One of Cairo's most impressive sights is the Mohammed Ali Mosque at the Citadel on a hilltop in Cairo.		Sharing that same hilltop is the city's oldest synagogue ...	and St. Sergius Christian Church, where the Holy Family is said to have lived for a time.
A panoramic view of Cairo from the top of the Citadel.		On to Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, and Esna   Continuing to Abydos, Dendera, Karnac and Luxor     Scenes on board the ship     For more information, visit Melissa's web site