The categories for Vacation Photography are:

Best Visual Effects (on Top of Mt. Sinai)



Best Action Flick Reenactment (ie, think of Harrison Ford on a horse in the desert)



Most Impressive Carving of a Hand in a Tomb



and Best Signage on an Islamic Monument in Cairo




Holly came, she saw, she conquered, though I don't think she would feel right about being a "conquerer," she certainly took on this country like a warrior of travel. Basically, we hit all possible venues that tourists need to see while in Egypt--something Pharonic, something Christian, something Islamic, and then, of course, the beach and the desert. We managed to ride and run horses 3 different times, once at the beach and once for a 2 hour ride through the desert just outside of Cairo with some well cared for horses from quality stables. Sore bums, thighs, arms, no matter--we also climbed Mt. Sinai (2nd time for me). The hike begins after midnight and takes a little more than 2 hours. Somehow we ran up the mountain with enough time to rent a blanket and mattress to keep warm and sleep for a second or two before the sunrise. There's nothing like falling asleep to the beautiful songs of Andrew Bird (thanks John Mark!) while watching shooting stars on the top of one of the holiest sites in Egypt. Ok, perhaps drinking herbal Bedouin tea and eating Tuscan chocolate (thanks Holly!) at the rest hut just before the final 20 minutes of stair-climbing to reach the top of one of the holiest sites in Egypt will do.

And the award goes to Holly for transporting roughly 4 lbs of dark chocolate across the ocean and sea for me, for shrugging her shoulders when a little kid slapped her ass (those rascals!), for eating (and enjoying) every type of food placed before her, for braving the Egyptian bus service and being really happy to ride a horse. Yeehaw.