06/10/2026
In Luxor, I loved grabbing a few moments alone, but the majority of the trip was trying not to get lost!
This was my Friendly Planet Travel tour group on the right (group size about 12) plus our guide. We also had a driver and the group guide at certain stops. We were well taken care of and I don’t think I would have been able to cover as much ground on my own.
Things could be a little chaotic so our guide would yell out the code word to keep us all together. I did have my headphones in and while I did try and listen intently, I couldn’t understand who Francis was and why he was so important.
Later, with our guide and group over cocktails, it came out that the code word was Ramesses (you know, that famous dude, of course!). I’m sure our guide still smirks about my oversight. It’s okay, sometimes I’m just here for comic relief 😉
Ramesses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, which itself was the most powerful period of ancient Egypt.
And we’re off “Francis, Francis….”
