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- Exploring the Land of the Pharaohs
March 5 -14, 2004
Past Tour
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Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1. Friday, March 5.
Depart from Vancouver |
| Connect from your
home city to our evening departure from Vancouver's airport. |
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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. |
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Day 3.
Sunday, March 7. Giza, Pyramids & Sphinx (B/L)
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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. |
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Day 4. Monday, March 8. Cairo & Luxor (B/D)
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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. |
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Day 5.
Tuesday, March 9. Luxor-Board Cruise Ship (B/L/D)
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
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10. Sunday, March 14. Cairo/Canada (B)
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| Transfer to the Cairo airport for our morning departure, with
same day arrival in Canada |
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(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 |
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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
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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 |
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| 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
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Tour Price |
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| Tour Price Per Person (Land Only) |
Single Supplement |
Prepaid Gratuities |
| US $2395 (from New York) |
US $495.00 |
US $100.00 |
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| Note: 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. |
| Please call us for a quote on airfare to
New York. |
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. |
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© 2003 - 2010 Sacred
Earth Journeys.
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