Category Archives: travel

August 11, 2025 · 5:35 am

Nile Cruise — First Look at the Jaz Celebrity and Meeting Mohamad Salah


Jaz Celebrity

Ursula and I left Cairo behind and flew south, reaching our next destination on this months-long trip, Aswan, on Wednesday, 26 February of this year. Here we were greeted by a driver from Luxor and Asway Travel, which would be supplying us the best guide we’ve ever encountered in all our travels. Not only would this guide, Mohamad Salah, meet us on our boat, he would sail with us in his own cabin and arrange travel and tours for us the entire cruise beginning with the day before we set sail.

Perhaps the World’s Greatest Tour Guide — Mohamad Salah

Now let me describe our boat. For this journey we were traveling with Jaz Cruises aboard their Jaz Celebrity. Although our River Nile cruise would not leave until the next day, we boarded on the 26th and overnighted in Aswan, which saves hotel and dining expenses for one night. Nothing wrong with that scenario.

Jaz Celebrity

I’ll show your our room and a couple of other places aboard Celebrity on Wednesday, and boat-board dining options on Friday, but today is mostly concentrated upon comon areas starting with the atrium. This is the impressive view greeting you upon boarding:

Jaz Celebrity

This view is of the atrium opening from an intermediate deck:

Jaz Celebrity

The Jaz Celebrity game room contains a pool table:

Jaz Celebrity

Pool not your thing? How about a library and some chess?

Jaz Celebrity

Or perhaps you would prefer a bit of shopping:

Jaz Celebrity

Yes, these boats do have lounges with fully equipped bars:

Jaz Celebrity

And the seating is quite nice:

Jaz Celebrity

But let’s face it. We’re here for the view, and views are in abundance up on the top deck. And feluccas are everywhere:

Felucca plying the Nile

More views of the Jaz Celebrity on Wednesday, with an emphasis on our accommodations.

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August 1, 2025 · 5:35 am

Fun Food Friday — Mar Charbel Hotel Restaurant


Fun Food Friday — Mar Charbel Hotel Restaurant

Be careful where you eat in Cairo. That’s no joke. When we took our children there in 1984, three out of the four of us got a severe case of Imhotep’s Revenge. From a salad bar, of all things. Making matters worse, there is only one toilet in a hotel room. First come, first served, and knocking on the door gets you nowhere. When you gotta go, you gotta runs, so to speak. By the way, did you know that diarrhea is hereditary? It runs in the jeans.

Imhotep — resistance was just as futile in 1984 as it was in 1932

But is that warning still valid in 2025? I don’t know, but I was unwilling to test the premise. Also, as you’ll find out my upcoming 6 August article, you’re taking your life into your own hands if you even think of crossing the street in Cairo. So, heading out to dinner on foot is a real adventure. Fortunately, we found a very acceptable restaurant on-site at our hotel, Mar Charbel. As for the hotel, it was very well appointed, quite comfortable, and relatively quiet save for the street noise, which you get everywhere in Cairo. Our only quibble was during check-in, as the desk staff could not find our reservations. But the wait just gave Ursula time to set up a tour, which you’ve seen already.

The view from our Mar Charbel room
The view from our Mar Charbel room

Fortunately, dining in your hotel means you needn’t brave crossing the street, and in a reputable hotel you won’t be subjected to The Wrath of Colon (William Shatner, Ricardoo Montalbuns, Paramound Sphincters, 1982). So, with those enticements in mind, up we traveled to the Mar Charbel Hotel Restaurant.

Mar Charbel Hotel Restaurant

Being a rooftop restaurant offers up some nice views of Cairo, especially as the Sun sets:

Cairo sunset view from the Mar Charbel rooftop restaurant

In the mood for Egyptian cuisine? You’ll find it here. Not all that adventurous? You see French, Italian, and even Mexican dishes on the menu. Looking for something really basic? Yes, even sandwiches, burgers & fries, pastas, and pizzas await you. But, when in Cairo…

The lentil soup was so good we kept coming back for more

Is spicy your thing? Got you covered:

Heinz Hot Sauce

The tables are nicely appointed here:

Mar Charbel Hotel Restaurant

Worried about eating raw vegetables? That’s what got us back in 1984, as the veggies were “washed” in the local tap water. If you’re worried (we had no problems here this trip), then just make sure you forego the salad, tell the waiter to leave off the parsley, and order your veggies cooked:

Breaded cutlet, fries, and mixed vegetables

Don’t forget dessert. You’ll even find milkshakes on the menu. But the dessert we kept coming back to was the lava cake:

Rich, decadent lava cake

Next week draws to a close our Cairo adventure, after which it’s time to head south for a Nile cruise.

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July 30, 2025 · 5:35 am

Cairo — Walking the Streets; El-Khayamiya Cloth (Tentmakers) Souk


El-KhayamiyaTentmakers Souk

Within easy walking distance of the Khan el-Khalili Souk is the El-Khayamiya Tentmakers Souk. As you approach El-Khayamiya, if you’re on foot from Khan el-Khalili Souk, you’ll pass through Bab Zuwayla, one of Old Cairo’s three remaining gates within the historic city walls. The Bab Zuwayla gate is the southern gate of fortified Cairo, and it dates back to AD 1092.

Bab Zuwayla Gate

And if you want to know the exact foot route between these souks, here it is courtesy of Google Maps:

Hoofin’ it from Khan el-Khalili to Khayamiya via Bab Zuwayla

This route also takes you past the Sabil Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha. There is much history associated with this community fountain, which supplied water to the surrounding community starting in 1820. This water source was built by Muhammad Ali of Egypt, who ruled from 1805 until 1849 and who is considered today the founder of Modern Egypt. There is also a U.S. connection to this fountain. The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assisted in its restoration, along with the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Cairo, the Barakat Trust, and the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt. This project, started in 1998, was completed in 2004.

Plaque commemorating the restoration of Sabil Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha

So now let’s take a look at Cairo’s Cloth Souk and surrounding streets:

El-Khayamiya Cloth (Tentmakers) Souk
El-Khayamiya Cloth (Tentmakers) Souk
El-Khayamiya Cloth (Tentmakers) Souk
El-Khayamiya Cloth (Tentmakers) Souk

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