Spring Break 2009 -- DAY 10 & 11 ... the END

We woke in the morning ... before our guide/drivers/cooks ... around 6 (the time we were told we would be leaving and heading back to Cairo) ... After a scanty breakfast of bread, honey, jam, oranges, and water ... we explore while the guide/drivers/body gaurd pack up ... The night before, I had seen a desert fox peek around the rugs while we were playing cards waiting for dinner... In the morning, during our explorations, grandpa found a den with 3 foxes... We all got to walk over and see them in their den ...

There's one to the left and one on the right of the den ...

peeking up over the sand at us ....

kids climbing on the sand formations ...

Our line of tents ... can you see the hanging rugs?

Yes, more sand ... we must bury another person ...

trekking out to see the foxes ...

(below) - a view of our camp from on top a sand formation ...

then... back to the jeeps! crazy ride back to the oasis (complete with mini sand storm, and our driver pulling another jeep out of the sand), use the good bathroom before hitting the road, load the van, and d-r-i-v-e back to Cairo ... I'm not sure if we ate lunch ... I know we didn't care, we just wanted a SHOWER ... especially since we had spent the day in Luxor, gone to the market, ridden the train, drove to the desert, camped, and drove back since our last shower ...

We spent our last night in Cairo at the same hotel we started our trip at - the Grand Pyramid. The kids were happy to see the pool. They changed in the public bathroom of the hotel (leaving a little sand pile- oops!) and headed for the pool while the adults finished checking in, and saying goodbye to our driver (TIP) and guide (TIP). Darren & Bryan left the hotel (much to the dismay of hotel personnel), and caught a taxi to a nearby McDonalds. They loaded the contra-band food into backpacks and smuggled it back to the rest of us starving (but freshly showered!) people! No outside food is permitted in the hotel (they want you to pay 4 times as much for food that they kids don't like).

Bry & Ann-Marie left for the airport in the middle of the night (midnightish), Will came to the hotel to drop off Cartouse necklaces (THANKS AGAIN Will!!), and then we all crashed! We got another shower in the morning. :)The girls were kind enough to make sure we were up and to breakfast by 7:30 (would have been nice to sleep in, since we could have!).. Then check out, and meet a new person to escort us to the airport ... (TIP for the driver and bell boys).. and we have lunch at the airport and then load a plane... Arriving back home in Germany around 11pm Sunday.... What a trip!! (and only a few cases of "Pharoah's revenge" - I won't bore you with the details ...)