Spiritual Pilgrimage to Egypt, September 2009

Specialised travel at its best

31 August to 10 September 2009

“Do you not know that Egypt is a copy of heaven or rather, the very place on earth where the forces of heaven are balanced and ordered? Even more than that, if truth be told, Egypt is the temple of the entire world”
Egyptian Scribe

It is with deep joy and great excitement that we announce this 2009 Egyptian tour. This is a magical journey, an earth service mission and a contemporary spiritual pilgrimage.

We have been instructed to activate a number of the ancient sites and temples of Egypt to a new level. This involves building new portals to the higher dimensions, as well as re-activating and installing various cosmic key codes and energetic structures that support the expanding unity consciousness of our dear planet at this time. The vast majority of these activations will be done “in the moment” in co-creation with our friends on the inner planes.

We very much look forward to meeting the precious group of beings that will gather to co-create this awesome experience.

PLEASE NOTE: due to the guided and co-creative nature of what we are doing, plans within Egypt may change at short notice. Please come with an open heart and a flexible mind as to where the universe may lead us. Please also note, you will receive profound healing, activation and expansion of your own unique consciousness. As such, please come prepared for a major inner journey also.

FACILITATOR - FIONA LEE
Fiona Lee came to earth relatively “awake” She has been aware since she was a child that she came here from somewhere else to help. Fiona has retained much of her soul memory. She was on the star ship with Thoth when he left Atlantis, and travelled with him to the Yucatan Peninsula, and later, Egypt, to establish the teachings of The Law of One. She has spent many lifetimes in Egypt in various roles including working with the Hathor, Sekmet, Anubis and Isis energies, and being a guardian of the Hall of Records. In recent years she has been travelling the world on various guided earth activation and teaching missions.

Last year, for 8/8/8, she was guided to initiate a global grid activation initiative called Link Hands for Love. This tour to Egypt will culminate in a Link Hands for Love ceremony on the Giza Plateau on 9/9/9. Fiona is deeply honoured to join you in these sacred activations at this very special time. She has been awaiting the “green light” for several years to complete this special work in Egypt. Now is the time, as earth expands into the heart and the light of all that is, all that was and all that will ever be.

www.linkhandsforlove.com

FACILITATOR - DEBRA G GOLDSTON
Debra is founder of Clear Intentions and Ascended World. She is an international speaker, author and trance voice channel who specializes in initiations, Ascended Master teachings and tours to old and new sacred sites both locally within the UK & internationally.

Born in February 1964 (on the first day of the Chinese Dragon) in Shropshire, England, Debra enjoyed a conventional British upbringing as the eldest of three children. Unable to read until the age of 11 however, she managed to avoid the usual shift into logic which accompanies the Western education process. Instead, Debra maintained contact with her guides and so called "imaginary friends" and indeed continued to develop these skills.

Spending her childhood and young adult life being guided to many sacred sites across the world, she was often spontaneously attuned to the magical energies which she found there. In particular, she found every excuse to repeatedly visit Egypt during the 70s and 80s, at the time often blissfully unaware of her life's work already unfolding. Since those early years, Debra has returned to this magical land time after time, on each occasion retrieving a little more of her memory related to the ancient mystery schools and their powerful teachings. A significant part of her soul purpose for this lifetime is to participate in the activations which this and similar tours will bring forth. Indeed, preparations have been underway for many years and she carries a feeling of deep joy to be a part of this work.

It is with deep love and gratitude that Debra continues her work in Service in Love, offering to help others as they are guided towards such work end energies.

TOUR ORGANISER

Kim Lings is the owner of Nile Travel in South Africa, a founding, corporate and honorary member of the Ancient Egyptian Society as well as a member of the Egyptian Exploration Society in London. She has visited Egypt on thirty nine occasions during the past ten years and has led over twenty five to Egypt over the past seven years and will be personally arranging this tour.

EGYPTOLOGIST

Nile Travel only makes use of Egyptologists who are fluent in English and proficient in the reading of Hieroglyphs. The same Egyptologist will be with the group for the entire duration of the tour.

ITINERARY

DAY 1 – Monday, 31 August 2009

Depart from your city of origin for Cairo. On arrival in Cairo you will be met by a representative from our agent in Egypt, who will assist you in passing through customs and immigration. All visitors to Egypt require a visa which can normally be bought on arrival at a cost of US $15 per person. You will transfer to the Novotel hotel near the airport. Please try and arrive in Cairo early enough to attend the tour briefing from 18H00 to 20H00 to be held at the hotel. Overnight in hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 2 – Tuesday, 01 September 2009

After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and transfer to the airport for our flight to Abu Simbel (via Aswan). On arrival in Abu Simbel we will be met at the airport and transfer to the Seti I hotel. Lunch at own expense. Afternoon visit to the Temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. We will remain at the temples to see the sound and light show which is voted the best in the world. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

DAY 3 – Wednesday, 02 September 2009

After breakfast we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Aswan. Depart Abu Simbel on MS 246 at 07H45, arriving in Aswan at 08H30. On our way to the Nile Cruise we will visit the Aswan High Dam which forms the 500 km long Lake Nasser.

We will then visit the ancient granite quarry with its 1 000 ton Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple, built on an island, and devoted to the goddess Isis. We will travel by a small motor boat to Agilika Island. The temple was moved to this island in the 1960’s when the new High Dam threatened to put the island underwater forever. The temple rose in importance during the time of the Ptolemy’s and was the main cult center of Isis. The site was so popular that it survived well into the Christian era as one of the last outposts of paganism. Early Christians transformed the main temple’s hypostyle hall into a chapel and added churches to the island. Dedicated to Isis, mother of the Lords, guardian and magician, the temple was built by Egyptians under the rule of Taharqa and Nectanebo I. Later the Ptolemy’s and Romans added their royal names on the original construction. This was the last temple where the Pharaonic cult was practiced; the last hieroglyphic inscriptions (394 AD) were carved and has the last demotic graffiti (425 AD).

We will check into our Nile Cruiser in time for lunch. In the afternoon we will do a traditional Felucca Cruise from which we will view Kitcheners and Elephantine Islands and the mausoleum of the Aga Kahn. This is a relaxing way to learn about the importance of the Nile to both its ancient and modern cultures.

An evening visit the atmospheric Aswan market with its ancient spice market, vegetable stands and fascinating vendors which runs the length of the town is recommended. Dinner and overnight on board, docked in Aswan.

DAY 4 – Thursday, 03 September 2009

Breakfast on board as we sail to Kom Ombo to visit the temple situated on a hill (kom) overlooking the East Bank of the Nile, and dedicated to two Gods, Horus the Elder and Sobek the Crocodile deity. Built in the time of Greco-Roman rule, it contains sanctuaries, hypostyle-pillared halls and corridors. The temple also contains mummified crocodiles now placed in a small shrine dedicated originally to Hathor. The name Kom Ombo (the ancient Greek settlement of Ombos) is derived from the Ancient Egyptian word, nubt, which means city of gold.

Lunch on board as we sail to Edfu enjoying the unique scenes along the banks of the Nile. View Egyptian farmers and mountains as we sail between them. On arrival we will visit the huge temple dedicated to the God Horus. This is the best-preserved temple of its time, built during the Ptolemaic rule, the construction commenced in 237 BC under Ptolemy III Evergetes I and was accomplished in 57 BC. The temple celebrates the legendary battle between the Gods Horus and Set.Sail to Esna passing through the lock (delay in crossing the lock depends on cruiser traffic). Dinner and overnight on board, sailing to Luxor.

DAY 5 – Friday, 04 September 2009

Breakfast on board. Morning visit to Karnak Temple. Named Ipet-Isut, the most perfect of palaces by the ancient Egyptians, it remains magnificent after thousands of years. Apart from its size, Karnak represents a vastness of historical time. The main temple of Amun, from the foundations of the original Middle Kingdom temple to the First Pylon, built during the 25th Dynasty, saw construction over a span of 1 300 years.

The largest of all the temples of Egypt, its 25th dynasty pylon welcomes visitors. The Great Hypostyle Hall contains 134 columns with the royal names of Seti I and Ramses II. The great temple of Amun contains a double avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, pylons built by Tutmose I, Horemhab and Amenhotep II, shrines of Seti II, Amenhotep I and II, obelisks of Hatchepsut (325 tons of granite) and texts by Tutmose III, Ramses II and III.

Lunch on board. Afternoon at your leisure. We will meet again in the early evening to visit the impressive temple of Luxor. Construction at Luxor Temple began under the reign of Amenhotep III; it was then added to by Ramses II and Nectanebo I. It has an intact gathering of sphinxes in front of the Ramses II pylon. The Battle of Qadesh of Ramses II against the Hittites is detailed on the pylon walls. This is the only religious monument in the world that includes Pharaonic, Macedonian, Ptolemaic, Roman, Christian and Islamic constructions. Dinner, followed by a fancy dress party (Galabeya night) and overnight on board, docked in Luxor.

DAY 6 – Saturday, 05 September 2009

After breakfast we will disembark from our cruiser and visit the West Bank of Luxor, one of the richest archaeological sites on Earth by crossing the road bridge to see the world famous Valley of the Kings. During the greatest period in ancient Egyptian history, most of the pharaohs were buried here, in tombs of extraordinary beauty and in chambers filled with vast treasures. We will visit three tombs where we will view their afterlife dreams coming true. We will study the voyage of eternity and the sailing through the sky, as the Pharaohs make their trip toward what is in the beyond. View the kings succeeding in passing through the “Gates of the Afterlife,” in very detailed, brilliantly coloured and intact scenes. Entrance to the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamen is excluded and costs EP100 per person and is highly recommended.

We will then visit the unique temple of the female pharaoh Hatchepsut at Deir El-Bahri which is the show piece of the West Bank. In its superb setting the temple rises in a series of broad terraces that at the topmost level joins with the limestone cliffs. It is in this temple of beauty and power that you can view Hatchepsut’s peaceful expedition to Punt, with its commercial exchange of goods and warm relations.On our way back to the East Bank we will stop at the Colossi of Memnon who have stood the test of time, surviving long after the temple they guarded has vanished, for photography.

We will check into the Sonesta St George hotel. Rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight in hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

(A highly recommended optional hot air balloon ride can be arranged for this morning at the cost of approximately US $110 per person. We would be collected at our hotel around 05H00 and cross the Nile by motor boat and do a 40 minute hot air balloon ride over the West Bank of Luxor viewing the Ramesseum temple, Medinet Habu temple, tomb entrances, desert, farm land and in the distance the mighty river Nile. An unforgettable experience!)

DAY 7 – Sunday, 06 September 2009

After breakfast you will have the day at your leisure (you can return to Karnak and Luxor temples for a second visit). Overnight in hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 8 – Monday, 07 September 2009

After breakfast we will be collected at our hotel and visit the temples of Abydos (cult temple dedicated to the Gods Osiris and Amun, and this is where the flower of life symbol can be seen if open to the public that day) and Denderah (cult temple dedicated to the Goddess Hathor and birth house of the Goddess Isis).

This is a full day tour and the drive to Abydos takes 4 hours there and 4 hours back via a convoy system (Egyptian Government rules) so please take any necessary food with you for the day as facilities for lunch are very limited. Overnight in hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 9 – Tuesday, 08 September 2009

After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo. On arrival in Cairo we will be collected at the airport and immediately visit the world famous Cairo Museum. This guided tour will focus on some of the most ancient Egyptian artifacts, Ra-Hotep and Nofret’s legendary statues, Khafre’s immaculate diorite statue and the artifacts and gold of Tutankhamen. Entrance to the somber and intriguing Mummy Room with its embalmed ancient royals, including the famous Ramses the Great (1290 -1224 BC) is also included.

We will then check into the Meridian Pyramids hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 10 – Wednesday, 09 September 2009

After breakfast we will be collected at our hotel and do a full day tour to the Giza Plateau, Memphis and Saqqara Necropolis. We will visit the Pyramid of Khufu, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids on the plateau. Originally 482 feet high, it is now slightly lower due to the removal of its outer casing and capstone. The pyramid of Khafre, slightly smaller than that of Khufu his father, retains some of its outer limestone covering. The pyramid of Menkaure’s is the smallest of the group, but perhaps the most expensive to construct due to its building material. (Entrance into the Great Pyramid is not included and cannot be guaranteed as there is a limited number of tickets sold each day and entrance costs – EP100. Entrance to the Pyramid of Khafre costs EP20).

We will then visit the Solar Boat, believed by many to be the funerary bark that carried the body of Khufu from Memphis to his pyramid tomb at Giza. We will then visit the panorama area where there is an opportunity to ride a camel followed by a visit to the Sphinx and the valley temple.

At 12H45 we will meet in front of the Sphinx and will join members of the general public for the “Link Hands for Love” ceremony at 13H08. During this ceremony we will be re-installing the codes for unity consciousness in the Giza Plateau. For further information about the global Link Hands for Love initiative see www.linkhandsforlove.com

We will then drive approximately 40 minutes to Memphis, then Saqqara, one of the richest archaeological sites in Egypt. This vast desert necropolis was built for kings and nobles of the Old Kingdom. We begin at the centerpiece of Saqqara, the Step Pyramid and the surrounding enclosure of King Djoser, king of Egypt from 2667 to 2648 BC. Built for the king by Imhoptep, high priest and the world’s first architect and physician. If time allows, we continue on to the Pyramid of Titi, first king of the 6th dynasty, with its hymns, litanies and spells of protection, the first flowerings of a tradition that would later blossom into the full blown, full-colour, floor-to-ceiling wall paintings seen in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Queens in Luxor. We then visit the mastaba tomb of Mereruka with its 33 chambers and magnificent relief’s including hunting scenes of birds, fish and hippo. Overnight in hotel on a bed and breakfast basis. A group farewell dinner can be arranged for this evening (cost not included).

DAY 11 – Thursday, 10 September 2009

We will return to the airport for our return flight home.

THE ABOVE ITINERARY INCLUDES:

Economy class airfares on Egypt Air – routing Cairo/Abu Simbel/Aswan/-Luxor Aswan/Cairo including airport taxes.
1 night’s accommodation at the 4 star Novotel Hotel (or similar) in Cairo on a bed and breakfast basis.
1 night’s accommodation at the 4 star Seti 1 Hotel (or similar) in Abu Simbel on a half board basis.
3 nights on board a 5 star deluxe non-chain Nile Cruiser (or similar) on a full board basis.
3 night’s accommodation at the 5 star Sonesta St George Hotel (or similar) in Luxor on a bed and breakfast basis.
2 night’s accommodation at the 5 star Meridian Pyramids Hotel (or similar) in Cairo in a standard room on a bed and breakfast basis.
All sightseeing and entrance fees, (except for optional tours).

THE ABOVE ITINERARY EXCLUDES:

International flights to and from Cairo.
Visa application for Egypt. Normally costs US $15 on arrival in Cairo.
Medical and/or baggage insurance.
Tipping. Please budget around US $120 per person to be collected on arrival in Cairo.
Meals not mentioned in above itinerary.
Hot air balloon ride.
Items of a personal nature such as, but not limited to, telephone calls, laundry and postage.
Optional excursions and items not specified in the attached itinerary.

NB: Please note the standard of accommodation in Egypt can vary considerably to the same star accommodation in Europe. Therefore a 5 star hotel in Egypt is not necessarily representative of a 5 star hotel in Europe.

Nile Travel reserves the right to change the order of the itinerary, guide, tour leader, hotels and cruise should the need arise. Nile Travel shall not be liable for any loss or harm, delay, damage or injury to property or person however caused. For a list of our full terms and conditions please visit www.nile.co.za.

TOUR PRICE
The above itinerary will cost US $2 330 per person sharing a twin/double room. Single supplement is $430.

The price is subject to airline, hotel and cruise increases until full payment has been received. Credit card payments attract a surcharge of 3.5 %. A non-refundable deposit of US $500 secures your seat and final payment is due by 15 June 2009. Payment can be done either by credit card into Nile Travels account or via bank SWIFT transfer into our agents account in Egypt, amount transferred needs to be in US Dollars.

The price is based on a minimum of 20 people travelling together. Please do not purchase your international airline ticket until the minimum number of bookings is reached. You will be informed of this by Nile Travel. In the unlikely event that the minimum number of participants is not reached your deposit will be refunded in full.

CONTACT DETAILS
If the mysteries of Egypt, its Pharaohs and Pyramids fascinate you contact:
Kim Lings on +27 83 630 7926, +27 11 788 3823, kim@nile.co.za or www.nile.co.za

bookings and enquiries: fiona@fiona-lee.com