Sacred Journeys - Egypt
Exploring the Land of the Pharaohs
March 5 -14, 2004
Past Tour
Journey back in time to a place that has left its imprint and impact on
humanity forever...the ancient civilization of Egypt. Visit this magnificent and
awe-inspiring destination that promises to become a memorable encountering of a
lifetime. Travel in the comfort and safety of a group of other like-minded
people for an experience of deep inner exploration, as well as an exciting outer
adventure. It is a truism that a trip to Egypt can change your life forever and
for the better!
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About Your Tour Leader
Our Host/Speaker: Stratton Horres
Author of Showing Up: An Action Plan for Personal Growth & Following Your Bliss
and I Am You Are Me
Stratton Horres: "In my late thirties, after fifteen years of earning the
nickname "baby-faced assassin" as a tough-as-nails trial lawyer and running the
Dallas office of a major international law firm, I realized that I was unhappy,
unfulfilled and bordering on spiritual bankruptcy. I set out to determine the
cause of my malaise. In examining myself, I realized that in my pursuit of the
external show I had placed my ladder against the wrong wall, and began a classic
spiritual quest in search of the true one to place my ladder against, so that I
could climb to the top. This search led me to use my legal training and
experience to ultimately discover my bliss, the metaphysical realization, the
flash of truth, that we are all ONE, each containing a vital divine spark, our
soul. In my seeking, I learned, and continue to learn, that we are each a deity,
a community of unity inhabiting one house of creation. God's vision is for us to
discover this truth and bring heaven to earth here and now. This is our task
both in our daily lives, and during our sacred journey to Egypt."
Visit Stratton Horres' website at www.iamyouareme.com
Our Host/Speaker: Dr. Robert Schoch,
Dr. Robert Schoch, Boston University Professor, and author of Voices of the
Rocks and Voyages of the Pyramid Builders Robert M. Schoch, a full-time faculty
member of the College of General Studies at Boston University since 1984, earned
his Ph.D. in geology and geophysics at Yale University. Since 1990 Dr. Schoch
has been working in Egypt, initially focusing on the Great Sphinx and then
expanding his studies to the pyramids and other aspects of ancient Egyptian
culture. Robert has been quoted extensively in the media for his work in Egypt,
and he has appeared on a number of radio and television shows, including the
Emmy-winning documentary The Mystery of the Sphinx for which he served as
principle scientific investigator. Visit Dr. Schoch's website at
robertschoch.topcities.com
With Stratton and Dr. Schoch you will visit, explore and experience......
Giza Plateau:
Experience first-hand the timeless Sphinx & the amazing Great Pyramid and all
their esoteric implications.
Nile Cruise:
Philae - experience the incomparable Temple of Isis, Goddess of Magic and
Healing
Edfu - dedicated to Horus, the Egyptian symbol of the Higher Self
Kom Ombo - dedicated to Horus and Sobek, God of Destruction.
Luxor:
Temple of Man (Luxor Temple) - learn about the symbolism, mathematics, and
sacred science at the heart of Egyptian philosophy
Karnak Temple - a temple with important astronomical and astrological
significance
The West Bank:
Valley of the Kings - Visit tombs of Pharaohs
Dendera - Connect with the feminine energies of Hathor, Goddess of Love.
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Tour Summary
Day 1 Depart Canada
Day 2 Cairo & Giza
Day 3 Giza, Pyramids & Sphinx
Day 4 Cairo & Luxor
Day 5 Luxor-Board Cruise Ship
Day 6 Luxor, Dendera, & Edfu
Day 7 Edfu-Nile Cruise-Kom Ombo & Aswan
Day 8 Aswan
Day 9 Aswan & Cairo
Day 10 Return to Canada
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Detailed Itinerary
Day 1. Friday, March 5. Depart from Vancouver
Connect from your home city to our evening departure from Vancouver's airport.
Day 2. Saturday, March 6. Cairo & Giza (D)
Arrival Cairo in the later afternoon local time. Our tour representatives assist
us with obtaining our Egypt Tourist Visa stamp and then see us through
Immigration, Baggage Claim, and Customs.
We transfer in our private air-conditioned coach through Cairo to our luxurious
hotel in Giza. As you gaze in awe at the Great Pyramid from the hotel grounds
you know you are really here; your dream has come true! Check in; time for lunch
on your own and a brief rest during the afternoon. Evening "Welcome to Egypt"
dinner and Orientation Meeting with Robert and Stratton. Overnight Cairo.
Day 3. Sunday, March 7. Giza, Pyramids & Sphinx (B/L)
Listen closely as you awaken and dress for Sunrise at the Valley Temple of
Chephren (Khafre) on the Giza Plateau. As you come alive, you will hear the
incredible sounds of the entire city being called to prayer. Open your door and
listen - Feel the energy of the spirits. Listen to your Egyptian brothers and
sisters as they greet the day with thanksgiving. Join them as they begin a
wonderful day filled with peace!
After an invigorating sunrise and an incredible buffet breakfast at our hotel,
we are off to discover the awesome Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of the Giza
Plateau. Gaze in wonder at these magnificent structures and ponder their
influences upon not only Egyptian civilization but also all of humanity. The
Great Sphinx is arguably the most famous and enduring sculpture ever created,
while the Great Pyramid is the only survivor of the "Seven Wonders" of the
ancient world. We will examine the controversial theories surrounding these
amazing structures. When were they built and by whom? What is "pyramid power"
and why do pyramids hold such a fascination? Can we begin to fathom their
meaning? Will we uncover their hidden secrets?
Robert will explain the evidence first-hand that he and his geological
colleagues have developed demonstrating that the Great Sphinx has its origins
well before dynastic times, necessitating a revision of history. Furthermore,
the base of the second (Khafre) pyramid may be older than traditionally
believed, and what about the Great Pyramid? Was it simply a tomb for a
mega-egotistical pharaoh, as many Egyptologists believe? Was it an early public
works project - - a way to create jobs and boost the economy? Or did it serve as
an astronomical observatory, as Richard Proctor suggested in the nineteenth
century? Do the Giza Pyramids map the constellation Orion, as suggest by Robert
Bauval? Does it encode geographic, mathematical, geodetic, and astronomical
knowledge? Did the Great Pyramid serve as a megalithic surveying instrument, or
as a giant almanac? Are pi, the golden section, and esoteric knowledge encoded
into its façade and enigmatic passages? Is this proof of God? Does the Great
Pyramid record the past and prophesize the future? Was it a temple of
initiation? Or was it simply a giant machine, such as a water pump (theory of
Edward Kunkle), a power plant (theory of Chris Dunn), or a weapon of awesome
destruction (theory of Joseph Farrell)? You will explore all of these theories
on site with the expertise of world-renown authority Robert Schoch to guide you.
Afterwards, we will have lunch at a nearby delightful Giza restaurant, offering
delicious local cuisine. Then we're off to explore the famous Egyptian Museum,
with a collection of relics dating back over 5000 years. There we experience
first-hand the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic
and architectural styles of each period. For many, one of the highlights of this
museum is the visit to the priceless treasures of Tutankhamon. You will see
first hand the intricate workmanship and the tiniest details of the contents of
his royal tomb.
Return to the hotel for dinner on your own at one of the hotel's various
restaurants. Overnight Cairo.
Day 4. Monday, March 8. Cairo & Luxor (B/D)
After breakfast, we proceed to the airport for our short flight to Luxor (in the
center of ancient Thebes). Upon arrival in Luxor we check into our luxuriously
charming hotel on the banks of the peaceful Nile. After an early lunch on your
own, we ferry across the Nile to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings,
where the great and mysterious funerary texts (from the so-called "Book of the
Dead") are exquisitely painted or carved into walls. We visit selected tombs of
the nobles, vibrant with scenes of ancient daily life. Next we are off to see
the magnificent Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (one of the few female Pharaohs).
Called by the Egyptians "The most splendid of all," the Temple of Hatshepsut is
generally considered the finest temple in Egypt and one of the great
architectural masterpieces of the world. We then move on to the immense Colossi
of Memnon, the sole remains of a once vast mortuary temple erected by Amenhotep
III. Even in their present damaged state, these huge statues stand over 60 feet
tall.
We return to the hotel for an early dinner. Then we go to Luxor Temple (also
known to Schwallerians as "The Temple of Man") to view this magnificent
structure under the stars. Here is where R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz developed his
revolutionary Symbolist interpretation of ancient Egypt over the course of
fifteen years work on the site. In Schwaller's Symbolist Interpretation,
science, art, religion and philosophy are fused into one vast, coherent
doctrine. Schwaller demonstrated that Luxor Temple, built on three separate
axes, is a complicated exercise in harmony and proportion, incorporating the
golden section and many esoteric doctrines, and demonstrates that the ancient
Egyptians possessed a sophisticated and coherent mathematics and science. At
Luxor the esoteric aspects of the Egyptian mysteries come to life as described
by Schwaller's wife, Isha Schwaller de Lubicz in her novels. Return to our
hotel. Overnight Luxor.
Day 5. Tuesday, March 9. Luxor-Board Cruise Ship (B/L/D)
After an early breakfast we are off to explore and play in the energies of the
vast overwhelming Temple of Karnak. Once connected to Luxor Temple, two miles
away, by a long avenue of Sphinxes (still partially in tact), Karnak is
dedicated to the Powers of Creation. It is an incredible collage of Egyptian
royalty and their collective symbology. Here Robert will have a chance to
explain the astronomical and astrological significance of Egyptian temples, as
first developed by the nineteenth-century astronomer Sir Norman Lockyer, and
Stratton will comment on the spiritual and initiatory significance of Egyptian
temples.
Later in the morning return to the hotel and check out. Transfer to the pier
where we board our luxurious cruise ship. (Note: Remember, this is NOT a dressy
cruise! We travel casual.) After lunch on board, we have some free time to
explore and shop in Luxor.
Those who are interesting in further exploring the significance of the Thebes
temples, and wish to learn more about the work of Schwaller and Symbolist Egypt,
can join Robert for a detailed exploration and explanation of the Luxor Temple.
Make sure your camera is loaded with film. There is nothing so magnificent as
sunset on the Nile!! Dinner. Overnight Cruise Ship.
Day 6. Wednesday, March 10. Luxor, Dendera, & Cruise to Edfu (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we travel by coach to Ptolemaic and Roman Dendera (a personal
favorite of Robert, as the temple itself is built on a very ancient site and
reuses pieces of earlier structures), the Lourdes of ancient Egypt, consecrated
to Hathor, the great goddess in her role of healer, celebrant, and mistress of
the cycles of time. We visit the Temple of the Birthing of the Universe, where
the mysteries of the birth of cosmic order from primordial chaos were
celebrated. As we view the primal zodiac on the ceiling, and consider the
precessional ages and great antiquity of Egyptian civilization (as Robert will
explain), we have time for contemplation to focus on moving our consciousness
into our heart center to experience the joy and peace of Unconditional Love. For
those who are interested, Stratton will lead a meditation in the recesses of the
temple.
Lunch at a local restaurant. Return to our cruise ship for dinner and set sail
for Edfu, arriving late night. Overnight Cruise Ship.
Day 7. Thursday, March 11. Edfu-Nile Cruise-Kom Ombo & Aswan (B/L/D)
Early morning visit to Edfu, the Temple of falcon-headed Horus (the spirit of
the Higher Self), one of the finest examples of Ptolemaic/Greco-Roman art in
Egypt, and perhaps one of the best preserved temples of the entire ancient
world. Stratton and Robert will lead us through the various portions of the
temple - - the Great Court, vestibule, hypostyle hall, antechambers, and finally
the inner sanctuary (the holy of holies). We will study first-hand the richly
decorated, important scenes related to the divinities associated within the cult
of Horus, such as Osiris, Isis, and Set. Exploring the battle scenes of Horus
against Set in detail, we will draw connections to other temples with their
symbolism, and even to Judeo-Christian religious symbolism.
Return to cruise ship. We spend the rest of the day sailing the Nile, waving at
the villagers, farmers and fishermen as we slowly glide through the peaceful
waters. Late afternoon, we stop at the Ptolemaic-Roman Kom Ombo, a famous
healing temple in ancient days dedicated to the crocodile-headed Sobek and the
falcon-headed Haroeris (a form of Horus), and now a gloriously picturesque
edifice and energy-filled ruins overlooking a bend on the Nile. Here we will
discuss the concepts of death (symbolized by the crocodile) and resurrection as
understood by ancient Egyptian initiates.
We continue to Aswan, the gateway to Nubia, arriving late evening. With its
colorful Nubian bazaar, laid-back atmosphere, the warm and wonderful people and
a lovely promenade along the Nile, Aswan is a favorite city in Egypt for many
visitors Overnight Cruise Ship.
Day 8. Friday, March 12. In Aswan (B)
We take an early morning boat ride to the relocated temples of the island of
Philae. After the building of the Aswan Dam, this graceful antiquity was
meticulously moved stone by stone from its ancient site (now submerged) to its
new higher island home in the middle of the lake. Today it gives us -- men and
women of modern machines and incredible technical knowledge -- great insight
into what the ancient and intelligent peoples of the world could accomplish.
Among the temples here we explore the delicate and elegantly feminine Temple of
Isis, Goddess of Magic and Healing and bride of Osiris. According to Egyptian
legend, with the power of her love she gathered and recomposed the scattered
members of her husband and brought him back to life. Her worship here goes far,
far back in time. Although the present temple was built under Ptolemaic-Roman
rule, the original site was known to the ancients as "Island of the Time of Re"
suggesting the remotest antiquity. On the other end of the spectrum, it is here
that the latest known sacred hieroglyphic inscription has been found, dating to
the end of the fourth century A.D. (after the Roman empire had officially
adopted Christianity), and a demotic graffiti was found at this site dated to
the early fifth century A.D. Some scholars view Isis as the prototype for the
Christian Madonna, the connection between the old order and the new. At her
temple we will have time to meditate and contemplate her ancient mysteries.
Return to cruise ship and check out. Check into our luxurious hotel in Aswan.
After lunch on your own, we visit the new Nubian Museum with its wealth of
history. In the late afternoon we will enjoy a peaceful felucca ride. As we sail
on our small boat, with the sun setting across the Nile, we find a serenity that
we hope will last forever!
Return to our hotel. Dinner on your own. Evening meeting and discussion with
Robert and Stratton for those who are interested in further exploring the sacred
and esoteric aspects of ancient Egypt. Overnight Aswan.
Day 9. Saturday, March 13. Aswan & Cairo (B/D)
Morning return by air to Cairo; we check into our hotel. Time for lunch on your
own and a bit of rest. In the later afternoon we return to the Giza Plateau for
our private entrance into the Great Pyramid for our Closing Ceremony inside the
King's Chamber. Away from crowds of other tourists, we will have time to connect
in private meditation with the ancient spiritual energies that many experts
believe are still present in this enigmatic edifice. Robert will explain the
esoteric and metrological significance of the King's chamber and its magnificent
granite coffer, followed by a meditation and closing thoughts from Stratton.
Later return to the hotel for rest before our traditional Egyptian Farewell
Dinner, complete with belly dancers and a whirling dervish ! After our fabulous
evening's entertainment, we return to our hotel for our last night in Egypt.
Overnight Cairo.
Day 10. Sunday, March 14. Cairo/Canada (B)
Transfer to the Cairo airport for our morning departure, with same day arrival
in Canada
(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
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Tour Inclusions & Price
Tour Includes:
Roundtrip international airfare New York/Cairo
Flights in Egypt
All airport/hotel/cruise ship transfers
Deluxe hotel accommodations, with taxes/service charges and daily buffet
breakfast
Other meals included, as per itinerary
Three night/four day deluxe Nile cruise, including all meals and shore
excursions
Sightseeing as per itinerary, including all entrance fees
Pre-paid gratuities
Added Features:
Travel with Stratton Horres & Dr. Robert Schoch and other spirit-centered people
Guided by local metaphysically-oriented Egyptologist throughout
Private entry into the Great Pyramid for a Closing Ceremony
Welcome to Egypt Dinner
Farewell Dinner with folkloric performance
Tour does not include:
Airfare to New York
Departure taxes US $118
Cancellation & Medical insurance
Visa fees (if applicable)
Meals/drinks not specified in the itinerary
Gratuities to drivers/guides US $100
Items of a personal nature or any items not specified as being included
Tour Price
Tour Price Per Person (from New York) US $2395
Single Supplement US $495.00
Prepaid Gratuities US $100.00
Please call us for a quote on airfare to New York.
Pre-paid gratuities to cover guides, drivers, waiters, baggage handling, etc.
Your Tour Escort will carry and disburse these funds so that you can relax and
enjoy your trip, knowing that everyone assisting you is being taken care of
properly.
NOTE: To avoid surcharges due to the volatility of the Canadian dollar, all tour
prices listed are in US dollars. Payments may be made in either US dollars or
the equivalent in CDN dollars.
Sacred Earth Journeys, Ste 220 - 133 E. 8th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1R8 Canada
Tel: (604) 874-7922, Toll Free 1-877-874-7922 www.sacredearthjourneys.ca