It’s 2001 and I’ve just booked a holiday to Egypt with SAGA.  Not my usual Travel Company but this looks like a good deal.  There is more emphasis on the history and archaeology of Egypt, taking in the important sites that other travel companies leave out.  Initially we will stay in Cairo for the Cairo Museum and the Tutankhamen Exhibition, but when we visit he Pyramids at Giza, we will also visit the ancient Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser at Saqqara, the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt, dating back to the 27th Century BC.  We will also go to Memphis, the Ancient Capital of Egypt.  Then we will move down to Luxor and explore all the sites there.  Not for me the sun, the beach and the shops, I want the history.  As well as a Saga Representative, there will be an Egyptologist with us for the trip, and then local guides as we explore the country.

During the year a couple of things happened that might have changed my plans.  I had my mother living with me and her health was deteriorating to the extent that she couldn’t look after herself when I was out working.  I was a self-employed Driving Instructor and I could be away from home for long periods of the day, usually working into the evening.  I arranged for Social Services to call in and make a mid-day meal and see to anything else she needed.  I would leave her a flask of coffee when I went out in the morning, and then it should be replaced in the afternoon.  But for various reasons it never really worked successfully.  Whoever came from Social Services never had enough time to make a meal, so would just give her a sandwich, even though I had left everything prepared.  Then they forgot the flask.  Sometimes they turned up at 10.00am, (too early) or 3.00pm (too late).  Sometimes they never came at all.  I would get home in the evening and my mother had seen nobody or eaten anything all day.  This was affecting my mother’s mental and physical health.  Something had to change.  Getting in professional carers would cost too much, so it was decided I would have to give up work and look after her full time.  

We would have to live on my mother’s pension, and any benefits I could claim, though I would have to wait several weeks before I could make a claim as I had given up working voluntarily, as opposed to being sacked or made redundant.  It would be a struggle.

Should I cancel the holiday?  The Balance still had to be paid, and I would need ‘spending money’ and money for excursions.  It was decided I should go, as it may the last opportunity for some time.  We had a family friend that came to stay whenever I went away, and I always left the Freezer full of homemade meals, and a neighbour would do any shopping.

The second thing to make me think twice happened on the 11th September, what became known as ‘9/11’, the Terrorist Attack on the Twin Towers in New York.

This was just a few weeks before I was due to fly to Egypt.  Saga wrote to everyone saying many people were worried about going to Egypt, and wanted to cancel.  So Saga was offering a full refund or another holiday to anyone who had concerns.  I didn’t know if I would get another chance to visit Egypt so I opted to go.  It worked out very well.  There were only 18 of us, so we moved around a lot easier than with a larger group, and received more individual attention from the guides. 

So all went well with our time in Cairo.  Then we flew down to Luxor to our Hotel situated in the middle of the River Nile on a private island.  The highlight of this part of the holiday was a trip to Abu Simbel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Briefly, there are two huge temples cut out of the rock cliffs and dating back to 1274BC.  The temples, originally on the River Nile, were in danger from rising water, after the building of the Aswan High Dam, and in 1964 the Temples were cut into several pieces and moved away from Lake Nasser.  This was a mammoth task, and moving the temples was an amazing feat of engineering.

The problem for me was the excursion to Abu Simbel was £120, a lot of money in 2001, and something I couldn’t justify to myself, knowing my present financial situation back home.  The Saga Rep was very surprised as I had been on all the other excursions, and shown a keen interest in everything.  Although I had gone on my own, I had made some friends within the group; six of us went everywhere together.  They too were surprised and I confided in a couple of them, explaining my financial position.

The day before the excursion was due to go the Saga Rep approached me again, and asked if I would like to go.  I explained why I didn’t feel I could spend the money. She told me she knew.  She had been asking amongst our little group if anything was wrong, as we always went everywhere as a group.  Somebody told the Rep why I wasn’t going.  She had then spoken to the Egyptologist, who immediately said I must go, as he knew how much interest I’d shown when visiting the other sites.  It was decided that I should have the plane ticket of the local guide, who wasn’t really needed with such a small group, and it would cost me nothing.  Just don’t say anything outside of your little group of friends, who knew I was going free.  In fact, the Saga Rep told me that the other 5 members of the group had offered to pay for my ticket, so I didn’t miss out.  Can you believe the generosity of people I’d known for less than a week?  That is what had given the Saga Rep the idea of me going instead of one of the guides.

Abu Simbel is best seen at Sunrise.  We were up very early and after a makeshift breakfast we were on our way to the airport.  It was still dark.  The whole excursion was a wonderful experience I shall never forget.  I was so pleased I was able to go.  Nor will I forget the kindness of my new friends and Saga.  Even writing this I get very emotional, when I think how generous people I hardly knew, were to me.

But that was the only act of kindness, and thoughtfulness, I was to benefit from.  From Luxor we went on a Nile Cruise visiting the archaeological sites along the river.  Inevitably, I was to get ‘an upset stomach’, and was confined to my cabin for a couple of days.  The first day didn’t matter, but the second day we were to visit the Valley of the Kings, and see inside Tutankhamen’s Tomb; another highlight of the holiday.  In the morning it was obvious I wasn’t well enough to go.  Another couple had to miss out, and the Saga Rep stayed behind on the boat with us. Late morning, we all emerged on to the deck feeling a lot better.  The Rep asked how we were and did we feel up to visiting the Valley of the Kings.  We had missed the coach but if we wanted to go it could be arranged.  Three of us said we would go; we didn’t want to miss Tutankhamen’s Tomb.  She said we would have to go on our own, but she would set everything up.  She ordered us an air-conditioned Mercedes to take us.  We were to go to the Valley of the King’s, stopping of at the ‘Colossus of Memnon’ on the way, and there were a couple of other things to see as well.  We wouldn’t have time to see the Valley of the Queens, or go to the Carpet Factory, (thank goodness).

I was given a large number of Egyptian pounds (there were 6 to £1 Sterling).  I had to tip the driver, depending on how good he was.  The driver would find us an English speaking guide at the Valley of the Kings, and there may be a second guide for the tomb.  I was given an idea of how much to tip, but then it was left to me.  It was a wonderful experience having a private car and driver, and a personal guide at the tombs at Valley of the Kings.  We didn’t feel we had missed out at all not going with the coach.  I wonder how many other travel companies would have gone to all that trouble to make sure we didn’t miss out.

In our little group of six, were two men who were friends, and one of them kept in touch for several years.  He wrote to tell me when his friend died, but suddenly the letters stopped, and I assumed he must have died, as I knew he was ill.  There was a lady who was with her mother.  They also kept in touch.  They came to see me in Leeds on two occasions when they were up here.  I visited the mother in Suffolk around 2015, and went to her funeral in 2018.  I also visited the daughter in Cornwall in 2016.  We’re still in touch today, though it’s mainly Christmas/Birthday Cards and the occasional Email.  

I continued to look after my mother till she died in 2008.  I even managed to go on holiday every year until 2006, when I didn’t feel she could be left with anyone else.

Over the years I have been on many holidays, visiting over 60 countries, as far away as China, Australia, Canada/Alaska, Russia, South Africa, etc., but nowhere have I met such kind, generous, thoughtful people as on my holiday to Egypt, that nearly didn’t happen.