I don’t have kids yet, but if I did, these are the types of family vacations I’d be planning!  Forget the summer vacations stuck on a road trip or at an amusement park.  Check out these unique family vacation ideas that will not only inspire wanderlust early, but earns your kid bragging rights when the teacher’s inevitably ask, “How did you spend your summer vacation?”

1. Desert Camping in Morocco

(Photo from here)

Kids love to camp.  You love the explore.  Why not combine the two and camp under the starry Saharan night sky?  What family wouldn’t be able to bond over camel treks through the desert, dinner with the Berber tribe, and gazing at the milky way?  As a bonus, you can start a family sand boarding race.  The family that sand boards together, stays together.

2. Cross-Country Train Ride

(Photo from here)

Road trips are so unoriginal.  Why not chart a new adventure as a family and take on a cross-country rail trip?  Rumor has it at the most scenic route is the California Zephr Train, which connects Northern California and Chicago.  In 50 hours, you’re crossing the Sierra Nevadas, Rocky Mountains, and some of the most majestic canyons in the US.  With sight-seeing cars, dining cars, tour guides, and games there’s plenty to keep the whole fam entertained.

3. Nile Cruise from Cairo to Luxor

(Photo from here)

Cruises down the Nile are one of the most popular ways to see the sites in Egypt.  Sign up for a traditional cruise or set sail on a felucca and learn all about the kings and pharaohs that once ruled Ancient Egypt.  The kids get to explore the underground passageways, marvel at pyramids, and meet real mummies!  What kid doesn’t have a fascination with mummies, right?

4. Icelandic Road Trip

(Photo from here)

Yes, road trips are unoriginal…unless you’re taking one through Iceland.  The roads in Iceland are nicely paved and there are so few of them,  you really can’t get lost circling the island.  On an Icelandic vacation, you can introduce your family to geysers,  volcanoes, glaciers, and all the while learn about geothermal energy and vikings.  Other fun activities include snowmobiling, taking a dip in the blue lagoon, and hiking through lava tubes.  As if you needed any other reason to go to Iceland already, the summer is also prime time for the midnight sun, which means you can stay out longer and really maximize your family time.

5. Peruvian Adventure

(Man-made islands by the Uros Tribe; photo from here)

The land of in the Incas has something for everyone: shoppers can test their bargaining skills on the cobbled streets of Cuzco, adventurers can bike ride to the Maras salt flats, historians can get their fix of Machu Picchu.  You can also head to Lake Titicaca to learn about the Uros tribe who live on man made islands out of straw – there’s a memory that will stick with the kids next time they complain about not getting the hottest toy out there.

6. Overnight in Cave Hotels in Cappadocia

(Photo from here)

Turkey’s another great place to soak up history.  Plus, Turkey is home to Cappadocia, a region in the middle of the country, famous for its unique fairy chimneys and villages cut out from rocks.  For the active kid, there’s plenty of opportunities to climb in, out, and around all the rocks and boulders plus opportunities to learn about the unique topology and geography.  The coolest part, however, is spending the night in a cave hotel afterwards.  How many kids can say they’ve done that?

I’ve hinted that I’ve been planning a big trip this summer… and I’m finally ready to say that I’ll be traveling for about 80 days around the world!  I’m super excited because this will be the biggest trip I’ve ever taken and I leave in less than a month.

Planning for this trip started only 2 months ago so I’m not gonna kid you – it was tough to plan all of it in such a short amount of time, but the impetus for this trip started when I had my revelation in Buenos Aires last summer.  I knew I needed to get away for an extended period of time.  I wanted to quit my job, pack up everything, and travel for a year, and that yearning was stronger than ever before.  I had this fear that if I didn’t get to experience extended travel, I’d live to regret it which contradicts my whole life philosophy of living without regrets.  Something had to be done.  I just didn’t know when.  I was also in a weird place at work because I really enjoyed the project I was on, the team I was working with, and I felt I needed to be there to help everyone cross the finish line… so there was a bit of an internal battle going on as I tried to balance my work responsibilities with a deeper calling.  After a lot of mucking around, talking to Mr. T (who, btw, is the most supportive husband anyone could ask for), and talking to the execs at work, I was fortunate to have full support for me to take some time off work.  With everything in place, I couldn’t NOT go at this point.

Then I started planning.  And it was hard!  I almost gave up because with all the travel planning I do, I assumed that planning this next trip wouldn’t be that hard.  WRONG!  I had no idea how to narrow down the places I wanted to go to, the best way to route myself (RTW ticket or pay for each segment?), how long to even go for, and what was even feasible for me to do.  To give you an idea, I originally had plans to do 11 of the 12 items on this list, but now I’m not doing any of them.

Eventually, after some more research the pieces slowly fell into place.  I decided to route myself westward around the globe.  I made decisions on countries to visit based on the time of year I was traveling and countries Mr. T wanted to visit (he’s coming out to see me twice).  Although tempted to go away for a year, I decided to shorten it to just 2-3 months due to the length of time I’m allowed to leave work and honestly, because I’d miss Mr. T too much – someone has to hold the fort down while I’m away and he’s taking this on for us.  I opted to purchase separate tickets instead of a round-the-world ticket and scored a way better deal in the process.  As more decisions were made, the planning became less daunting.  In fact, the majority of it is done now; things have worked out so well, that I’ll even have company for most of the trip.

The way it’s panned out, I’ll be gone for a little more than 80 days and visit 11 countries:

• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Morocco
• Portugal
• Norway
• Hungary
• Slovenia
• Croatia
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Montenegro
• Italy

I’ve never been to any of the countries except for Italy where I plan to head to some of Italy’s most scenic villages and towns.  I also hope to catch the famous sunflower fields in Tuscany (fingers-crossed!).  As for the other countries, I have no idea what to expect.

Although I’m excited, I am also scared.  I’ll be solo in Nepal and Bhutan so I am anxious about the first part of the trip.  I’ve also heard stories from friends who have traveled extensively who feel that once you start, you won’t be able to stop.  In fact, one guy I know started a year long trip and ended up traveling for 18 months!  While I don’t think my 80 days can even compare to “real” long-term travel of a year (or even 6 months), it will be interesting to see how I feel about everything when I’m done.  Will I be exhausted?  Will I be ready to return to work?  Will my travel bug be cured?  In the meantime, I’m fine not thinking about any of that right now.  I want to use this trip to take each day as it comes, live in the moment, be fully present, and of course, to be thankful for this opportunity.

I don’t keep a bucket list because items on it would constantly evolve as my interests change, life plans change, and as I find out about new experiences (there are just so many!).  So instead, I take mental notes of all of the epic adventures I’m totally down to do.  Then, when the timing is right and I’m planning my next vacation of a lifetime, you can bet good money that I’ll be checking something off this list.

As always, if anyone’s done any of these and has stories to share, let me know!

1. Hike The Narrows

(Photo from here)

I’m not exactly an outdoorsy girl, but when a saw a friend’s photos from his hike in The Narrows, I wanted to yell, “sign me up!” right then and there.  With the Virginia River cutting through this legendary slot canyon, most of the hike takes place in the river (seriously, how cool is that?), and it’s a scenic hike that meanders through the towering Navajo slabs that making up the canyon walls.

2. Bike the World’s Most Dangerous Road

(Photo from here)

43 miles long, no wider than 10 feet, a lack of guard rails, and a 1,968 feet drop.  Also known as the “Death Road”, this famous road in the Yunga region of Bolivia stretches from La Paz to the Amazon rain forest.  While it sounds like a death-dyfying endeavor, I’ve met some people who have done this and they’ve reassured me that as long as you pay attention to what’s ahead of you, there’s plenty of room to cycle safely.  I can’t think of a better way to “live on the edge” – literally!

3. Trek for Gorillas

(Photo from here)

There are only three places in the world you can go gorilla trekking: Rwanda, the Republic of Congo, and Uganda.  While this experience involves hefty permit fees (e.g., $750 in Rwanda, $500 in Uganda) and potentially hours of trekking through dense forest until you spot the gorillas, this would undoubtedly be one of the most memorable travel experiences ever.

4. See the Wildebeest Migration

(Photo from here)

While I’m already on the topic of Africa, I’d love to see the wildebeest migration!  Over two million wildebeest circle the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masa Mari in Kenya throughout the year.  This is total Planet Earth material and it’d be stunning to witness in person.

5. Sunbathe in Zanzibar

(A Zanzibar beach; photo from here)

Heck, if I’m already hanging out with gorillas in Central Africa and in awe of the wildebeest in Eastern Africa, I mind as well cap off the trip with a little island getaway in Zanzibar.  I’ve always wanted to go to Zanzibar if for nothing else than its exotic name.

6. See the Northern Lights in the Arctic

(Photo from here)

This would let me tackle two things I’ve been dying to do – finally cross the Arctic circle (I’ve been so close twice) and witness the beauty of the aurora borealis firsthand.  I really, really, really want to do this and it kills me that magnetic activity is at its peak last year and this year and I’ve haven’t been able to solidify plans to go yet!  Ahhhh! I gotta do this one pronto.

7. Swim with Whale Sharks

(Snorkeling with a whale shark in Cancun; photo from here)

Any time there’s an opportunity to hang out with animals in the wild, I’m all over it so of course, I’ve been eyeing the opportunity to swim with whale sharks.  Whale sharks are one of the biggest mammals on earth.  They can grow up to 65 feet and weigh 75,000 pounds!  Sitting on my comfy couch at home, I cannot even begin to fathom the enormity of the whale… so naturally, I have to go see what the big deal is!

8. Take Silly Photos on the Uyuni Salt Flats

(While the miles of salt, Salar de Uyuni is the perfect backdrop for snapping photos that distort your perception; photo from here)

I first wrote about the world’s largest salt flats here, and although I was lucky enough to visit the Salinas Grandes Salt Flats last year, I still want to go to Salar de Uyuni.  After all, it is the biggest in the world – miles and miles of salt as far as the eyes can see.  Plus, I want my chance at a proper photo op this time.  As an extra bonus, I’ve heard that the drive up to the flats passes through some of the most gorgeous scenery – a green lake, a red lake, and a field of flamingos (in Bolivia of all places!).

9. See Rice Terraces Up Close

(Yunnan, China; One of the most colorful rice terraces; photo from here)

I find something so peaceful about viewing photos of rice terraces that I want to see the terraces in real life, too.  I’d elaborate but I think the above photo speaks for itself.

10. View Lavender Fields in Provence

(Photo from here)

Mr. T and I love the calming scent of lavender.  I also love the the violet hues of the flower and when tons of these flowers are lined up together during the right season, you get the jaw-droppingly gorgeous lavender fields famous in Provence.  I almost added this to my summer trip this year but I opted to hunt for Tuscany’s sunflower fields instead… so maybe next year.

11. Swim with Jellyfish in Palau

(Photo from here)

Every now and then I’ll see a photo that takes my breath away and seeing photos of people swimming in a lake full of jellyfish was one of those moments.  I thought jellyfish were dangerous!  Apparently, not the ones in Jellyfish Lake on the island of Palau. The jellyfish there have been isolated from the rest of the world for over 12,000 years, and as a result do not have the stingers that are commonly found in jellyfish, setting the stage of one of the most surreal snorkeling opportunities anywhere in the world.

12. Take a Culinary Tour Through Italy

(Truffle hunting in Piemonte, Italy; photo from here)

I probably won’t be doing this one any time soon, but at some point in my life, I would love to combine my love for good food with my love for travel… and when that day comes, what better place to do that than Italy?  These tours are abundant in Italy and usually include cooking lessons, olive oil samplings, wine tastings, and cheese tastings that are specific to the region(s) you’re visiting – I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Now that you know what what’s on my travel hit list, what do you have on yours?  Let’s inspire each other!

If you’ve ever referred to the Netherlands as Holland, you’ve got to watch this video and edu-ma-cate yourself!  I love the fast-paced narration and the illustrations in this video – you almost don’t realize you’re learning…and as an extra bonus, you’ll save yourself from sounding like a geography dimwit the next time you’re schmoozing with other well-travelled friends.

I just read Yahoo’s “8 places to go before you have kids“, and I don’t buy all of it.  Some places are totally doable with kids (most European countries in fact) and everywhere is doable with a nanny in tow.  Conveniently, though, I’ve actually been pondering this travel question lately… but I’ll rephrase it:  What are the trips you should take without (young) kids?  And preferably, while you’re energetic, independent, up-for-anything, and can handle traveling sans creature comforts (if needed)?  Those are the places you should hit up either before you have kids or if you can drop them off somewhere… ’cause once you have kids, traveling is just not going to be the same from a monetary, leisure, and experience standpoint.  I’m not saying it’s going to be worse.  I’m just saying it’s going to be different.

1. Amazon Rainforest

You really have to chuck the creature comforts if you want to visit the Amazon.  While a trip here offers some of the most au-natural and Discovery-channel worthy experiences (you can actually live with the locals on this tour), the Amazon is hot, humid, and not pruned for tourism.  When I was there, my guide literally made a hiking path for us using his machete!  Plus, you’ve got to deal with wild animals, fire ants, tarantulas, and every other kind of nasty insect that thrives in wet, sweaty environments.  Add to that, you may only have cold showers, fixed meal times, and no peace and quiet (the rainforest is surprisingly really loud)… and piranhas.  Lots of them.  With all that said, adding kids in the mix is going to: 1) take away from the experience of just “being” in the Amazon and 2) add to the list of worries you’ll have while you’re there – this isn’t even considering all the travel immunizations just to prep for the trip, too.

2. African Safari

Along the same note as a visit to the Amazon, an African safari is also a trip best taken by adults.  For those who haven’t taken one before, participating in a safari is a test of patience (it could be hours before you see anything interesting) and requires the participants to be pretty darn quiet the whole time lest you want to startle a lion or elephant.  Last I checked, patience and quietness aren’t exactly the characteristics that make kids so precious.  Also, depending on where you stay, there’s a good chance that your lodge or camp is in the middle of a giant national park. This means that you’re staying in the animals’ ”stomping grounds”, which means you just might wake up to an elephant traipsing poolside (true story), families of warthogs roaming by the bathroom (true story), a heard of buffalo blocking your path to the breakfast area (true story), or even gorillas (did you see this video yet?) visiting your campground. With all those possibilities to watch out for, making sure your kids are quiet and patient may be the last thing you’ll be concerned about.

3. Bora Bora

If you fancy tropical islands luxury tropical islands and you have the funds to spoil yourself on a trip to the South Pacific, by all means, go to Bora Bora before you have kids. Or, drop the kids off with the in-laws, nanny, friend, whoever and just go!  There are two main reasons I say this: #1 Bora Bora is expensive to get to and expensive once you’re there.  Lunch for two is at least $50 (we’re not even talkin’ gourmet here) and dinner will cost at least $100 (again, still not gourmet here).  If you’ve got the money to take your whole family there, then you probably have the money to pay for a nanny, too, but that brings me to point #2: 99% of the visitors to Bora Bora are couples.  You don’t really want to be THAT person who brings along a bunch of kids, do you?  People head to Bora Bora to honeymoon and celebrate milestone anniversaries.  They are looking to turn up the romance and indulge in R&R.  Don’t be the family that spoils that for them.  If you’re dead set on visiting French Polynesia with the kids, go to Moorea or Tahiti, but save Bora Bora for a vacation before or without the kids.

4. Any kind of trip that requires extended physical activity

(photo credit)

Some trips are centered around an extended period of physical activity like hiking to Everest Base Camp (this takes at least 2 weeks plus there’s always the threat of altitude sickness), biking through Tibet, or kayaking for a week in the Bahamas.  These types of trips can be intense and physically demanding!  Unless you’ve got super active kids who can handle the long days, this type of experience may be best reserved for adults… and even then, reserved for the adults who are in really good shape!

Hmm, I’m impressed.  When I started this list, I thought there would be way more things on it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are lots of cool family vacation options – especially if you have well-rounded, curious, and healthy kids!  Traveling is the best way to learn about history, other cultures, and the world around us – it almost seems like a shame not to use it as an opportunity to share that exprierence with the kids.  That said, the truth is that traveling changes with kids (there’s just so much more to think about, plan for, and pay for) so here’s to sowing all your wild (travel) oats while you can!

Like I hinted in my last post, gorilla trekking in Uganda shot to the top of my list recently.  As if I needed more evidence to convince me why I should go, check out this infograph on Africa where Uganda’s gorilla trekking tops the list!  Having done #3, #7, #8 and #10 on this list, I have to admit that a visit to the heart of Africa is one of the most memorable, unique, and humbling travel adventures EVER.  I cannot wait to go back.  I’m eyeing Uganda and hoping to time it so I see the wildebeest migration in Tanzania, too (why not? YOLO).

Hello, hello!  I can’t believe it’s already February!  I’ve been super busy ever since we returned from our European holiday over Christmas and New Years so this blog’s been a lil’ neglected.  I’ve been wrapping up my current project at work, preparing for new projects (there’s a few of them in the works), and planning a huge trip for later this year.  I’m still in the very early stages of planning right now so not much is confirmed, however, ever since I started entertaining the idea of embarking on a gorilla trek in Uganda, I’ve been uh-bsessed with gorillas, chimps, and monkeys.

If you have 4 min, check out this video of a guy who was actually touched by gorillas while in Uganda:

I wish I were THAT GUY!

In keeping with the primate theme, I wanted to share some pics from Iwatayama Monkey Park in Kyoto.  This was one of my fave activities when we were in Japan because I got to spend two hours up there feeding monkeys and just chillin’ out with their bad selves!  I’m fascinated by them because they look and act like humans.  I probably could have spent all day there, but Mr. T wanted to leave (he worries I’m going to get ebola thanks to the movie, Outbreak ).  Either way, it was a deliriously entertaining two hours for me, and if I could, I’d have a bunch of monkeys in my backyard so that I could go out there and feed them at my leisure!

Can you see how crazy I am about primates?  I’m off to watch Disney’s Chimpanzee movie again now (Oscar the chimp is way adorbs!).

Iwatayama Monkey Park
8 Genrokuyama-cho, Arashiyama, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City
Open 9am-5pm everyday; 4pm in the winter

If you’re planning on going:

• Be prepped to hike uphill for 15 min to get to the park.
• They sell food up there to feed the monkeys but you could save some yen and bring your own bag of nuts (the monkeys love chestnuts) to feed them, too.
• When the loud music plays, get your camera out!  One of the workers walks out and throws tons of seeds on the ground and the monkeys scurry to grab them!
• On the way out of the park, there’s a long slide you can ride to get down- wheeeeeee!
• You should combine this with a visit to the Sagano Bamboo Grove.

One of my favorite experiences in Egypt (besides the most memorable one I mentioned earlier) was sailing down the Nile felucca-style!

(Feluccas, on the left, sharing the Nile with motor boats)

A felucca is a wooden sailboat that by all accounts was an ancient means of transportation.  Today, it’s the perfect alternative to the more popular large vessels and cruise ships that typically provide transportation down the Nile.  Because it lacks a motor, felucca rides are quiet and peaceful which provide a nice respite from the hustle and bustle you’ll experience visiting most of Egypt’s tourist attractions — the main reason this was one of my favorite experiences.

To find a felucca, we negotiated with a captain for a 2 hour late afternoon ride down the Nile (captains are everywhere).  The captains threw out outlandish prices for a ride but knowing that rides are typically 30-50 Egyptian Pounds ($5-$8 USD), we knew what was fair and what wasn’t.

Once we agreed on the price, we hopped aboard and enjoyed our private ride sailing up and down the Nile.  I loved the tranquility of the ride coupled with the warm sunshine and the slight breeze.  I loved watching the fisherman in their boats casting nets out to catch fish.  I loved watching the local kids play by the banks of the Nile.  It was the ideal way for me, as a traveler, to be privy to everyday Egyptian life and all for less than $20USD!  What a steal, right?  The only thing that would have made it better was a glass of wine and a plate of fruit and cheese (if you go, I highly recommend you bring some snacks aboard with you).

If you’re up for it (or short on cash), you can also charter a felucca to sail down the Nile for days instead of taking one of the cruise ships. As a side note, there are no beds or bathrooms on board, but it could be a very unique experience to lay in a sleeping bag in the felucca and stare up at the stars in the night sky.  How many people can say they’ve done that?

As for Mr. T and I, our little 2 hour ride was a perfect mini escape for us — just long enough to take in the beauty of the Nile and bask in the warm afternoon sunshine, and short enough not to require any bathroom breaks.

Here are some photos we took from our felucca:

I’m so relieved the weekend is finally here!  It’s been such a hectic week that this is the first time I’ve been able to sit down and breathe this week!

That said, I do have some exciting news to share.  I wrote a guest post for Gecko’s Adventures, a company specializing in worldwide adventure travel with local guides, about What I Learned While Overlanding In Southern Africa (I went to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe).  My post is up on the site now!  It’s my first ever guest post so check it out and let me know what you think!

Coincidentally, one of my photos from Namibia — also from the same overlanding trip — was today’s Travel Photo Friday on Travel Lightbulb, a blog run by Mandy, who also adores traveling.  It worked out nicely that both features are from my African adventure.  I definitely plan to share more insight and tips about Africa as it’s such an awe-inspiring place, but I’ve got some other posts in the works first so stay tuned!

In the meantime, have a great weekend and don’t forget to check out my guest post and my featured photo!

When I threw out the idea of going to Egypt a couple of years ago, it was because I wanted a picture on a camel with the pyramids in the background.  I know, I’m a little nuts given that the prospect of a picture like that could motivate me to plan a whole trip out of it, but if it weren’t for that trip, I would have never seen the Birqash Camel Market… which was infinitely more interesting than the Pyramids of Giza, Khan Al-Khalili bazaar, the Nile Cruise to Luxor, the Temple of Luxor, and well, pretty much everything else that was listed as an Egypt attraction.

Let me tell you about this camel market because you’re not going to find it on any Egypt must-see list. Thousands of camels are brought to the Birqash market (Souq al-Gamaal) after enduring a grueling 24-hour ride from Sudan.  The worst part is that they are tired and starving (forget Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) from the trip and the worst is yet to come.  One of their legs are tied up so that they can’t run away, they’re auctioned off, and then spray painted to indicate they’ve been bought.  Oh-my-gosh the scene is heart wrenching to watch, but at the same time, akin to a train wreck – I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.  It was about as different as anything I’ve ever seen back at home.

Just getting there was an adventure as this place is not a highly visited “tourist attraction”.  Most of our Egypt trip was planned by a tour company, and upon arrival, I told the guides I wanted to go to the camel market, but they tried to convince me that it didn’t exist anymore!  This contradicted the scant research I read about the market so Mr. T (side note: a friend of mine suggested I add a “Mr.” to T’s name, and I figured why not as it would make T sound so much more authoritative) and I assumed this meant the market was “too authentic” to bring tourists.  Ha! That just made us want to go more.   Well, as we went from tourist attraction to tourist attraction over the next week, I refused to give up on seeing this market.  As luck (or bad luck) would have it, there was some confusion with one of the transfers we were supposed to get (i.e., the transfer guy totally forgot to pick us up – that b@$+@rd) so I called my main tour contact to complain about this mishap.  They felt so bad that they offered to take us on a special tour to some kiddie attraction in Cairo (uh, really?).  Seeing the window of opportunity, I basically told them I really wanted a ride to the camel market, and after much hassling and of course, their trying to convince me again of the market’s non-existence, they finally agreed.  They got their driver to take us outside of Cairo, and after what seemed like an hour of driving through rural villages and fields of burning garbage (talk about being reminded this isn’t a first world country), we finally arrived at Birqash.

I’m not saying the only way to get to this market is to battle it out with your tour company, but it’s definitely worth doing some research to figure out how to get there.   I know at least one tour company provides tours here (we saw them when we were there) but you’ll really have to dig.

Anyway, if you are a traveler this place is worth your while as this was the single most impressionable thing I saw in Egypt.  As a visitor, be prepared to stick out like a sore thumb, but honestly, none of the Egyptians seem to care.  They are too busy beating the camels that run away, participating in the auction chants, or just sitting around sipping “shai”.  I don’t even think most Egyptians come here as evidenced by the jaw-dropping reaction of our driver when he stepped into the market.  Like a tourist in disbelief, he immediately pulled out his cell phone to snap some pictures (I know he totally wished he had his camera).   There are literally, hundreds, if not thousands of camels here – some frothing at the mouth, others trying to break free.  If you’re not careful, you could get run over by one.

We stayed for about an hour snapping pictures and feeding some camels (those poor things!) before we felt we’d seen and conquered.  Once we left, we headed straight to the airport where we cleaned off our camel-crap-covered shoes.  If you go, make sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty/smelly and shoes you don’t care about (you really shouldn’t be traveling with clothes or shoes you care about anyway).

To this day, Mr. T and I think being privy to the camel auction was the true highlight of our trip.  Seriously, where else are you ever going to see something like this?  I realize this may not be everyone’s cup of shai, but if you’re a true traveler by heart and want to experience the real Egypt, you absolutely need to make the trek to this place.  As it turns out, I didn’t even manage to get a good picture of me on a camel with the pyramids (so hard to get the camels to stay still for a photo op), but I’m willing to overlook that since we got these camel market shots instead:

(Camels right outside the camel market)

(Scene when you first walk into the market)

(Man pulling some of the camels he’s “bought”)

(Young boys were often the ones making sure the camels aren’t out of line)

(A man ensuring the camel’s leg is properly tied and a runaway camel)

(Camel close-up)

(Frothing at the mouth)

(A flock of camels who shared the same owner)

(A relief to see some camels getting a meal)

(Newly purchased camels are transported in trucks)

(Men getting ready to take this camel home and knives being sold at the entrance of the market – I don’t even want to think about what they are for)