What a group!!! ...... Eclectica to spare!!

I greeted a rather travel weary group on the evening of the 1st .... but wow, what a group ..... the names alone take one on a tongue twister of a ride ....... ethnic backgrounds include Cuba, East India, Ethiopia, Ojibway Native, Filipino, (not sure what Rushawn's background is but he is half black) and oh yes, Finnish :) ........ most surprising was that 60% of us are Canadian!!! A first!! ..... in all the years I have attended retreats and conferences outside of Canada, I am often a token Canadian or one of a handful ..... We have Rushawn, his daughter Atalya, girlfriend Colleen all from Winnipeg, Malti and Abera from Vancouver and me! Christian our American conference facilitator from Miami, Maria .... Orlando, Robert .... New Jersey, Naz ... New York and Anita ... Ohio ..... a range of professions from healers to composers to our youngest, Atalya, a grade five student!! ..... should make for an interesting few weeks :) ......... The pictures are various scenes from Karnak and Luxor temples, local kids I chatted with in front of the Cairo Museum, Cairo's Amro Ebn El Aas mosque, the oldest in Africa, establised by the first Muslim leader in Africa, who was, of course, Amro Ebn El Aas! .... women had to cover up with cloaks handed out at front door prior to entering the mosque, hence the kkk fashion statement. Bottom pictures ..... Mohammed Fayed's mother's home where we were treated to a feast and tea in their living room. Mohammed is our local guide and host who spends half the year in Cairo, the other half in Virginia .... one of the most organized people I have ever met .... he rivals our own Sarah in that department .... hard to believe he is only 25 ...... Mohammed's father passed away when he was 17, leaving him to run the family travel business with his mother .... surely a fast track to maturity! Mohammed and his mom Ratibah are sitting in the middle on bottom photo. This comprises my family for the next few weeks as I journey forward ..... oh yes, and we have Wael, our local Egyptologist, joining us as well ..... a jovial, highly educated and knowledgeable dude ..... great sense of humor .... fun to have around .... Massalamah