Athens to Muscat - The Middle East with a Muse

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The road up to the tombs

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Inside the tomb of Ramses VII, note the ceiling painting of the goddess who swallows the sun at evening and gives birth at dawn

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Off to the second tomb, And a shot of the bleak landscape here

Edited December 8, 2018 by Silver Spectre

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Our guide and some shade

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And into R6

 

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Actually R4

 

 

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And a final R4 tomb shot

 

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Evading the hawkers on the way back to the bus

 

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A quick photo stop at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, unfortunately the sun was right behind and the iPad struggled 

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Android does better

 

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This is the second time we have been for a photo stop. In some ways it would have been better to have had time for a visit instead of the cruise across the Nile.

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Then another quick stop for a photo with the Colossi of Memnon

 

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Back on the bus and off to the Nile for a brief cruise across the river

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Silver Spectre

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Docking at the other side for tea in the riverside gardens of a hotel

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Sunset over the Nile

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Just before 5pm our intrepid group left the hotel and boarded the coach for our convoyed journey of some 4 hours back to Safaga. After watching the final light fading we enlivened the back of the vehicle with a couple of packets of crisps (courtesy of BA’s Club Lounge) and a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, borrowed from the ship. Mrs Spectre having thoughtfully borrowed 4 plastic wine glasses.

 

At about 8:50, we arrived back at the port, had to get off the bus to go through port security, for the second time that day, filed back onboard for a 3 minute ride across the port and back to the ship. We said goodbye to our guide and were welcomed onboard at 9pm to be informed that Atlantide was open until 10pm.

 

So after a quick wash and brush up about half a dozen of us headed downstairs to be greeted by a newish menu ( 3 changes I think) and a very hearty lobster bisque and steak and frites. I believe the remaining  20 or so guests from our bus sensibly went straight to bed.

 

Thus we completed the 3rd and longest of our Arabian adventures.

Edited December 14, 2018 by Silver Spectre

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The port of Safaga seems to work all day long and was still going strong as we retired.

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Day 2 in Safaga, watching the port and it’s traffic 

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Dusty Safaga left behind, sailing down the Red Sea

 

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One if the treats on a day at sea on the Muse, dinner in Kaiseki

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Excellent and well worth the OBC charge

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As we passed Djibouti and into the Gulf of Aden we were shadowed by an Indian warship

[Stumblefoot]

Good to read that you feel Kaiseki is worth the $60/pp charge.  We've only done lunch there ourselves. 

I do wonder once the additional ships come online if they'll maintain the dinner charge in the venue.  We shall see in a few years.

[Silver Spectre]

3 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Good to read that you feel Kaiseki is worth the $60/pp charge.  We've only done lunch there ourselves. 

I do wonder once the additional ships come online if they'll maintain the dinner charge in the venue.  We shall see in a few years.

On balance, just, and obviously easier when spending some OBC. On a longer cruise it’s nice to have a couple of extra dining alternatives.