On a cruise on the Nile, Marc Atchison enjoys a side trip on a felucca, an ancient boat that was used to transport giant rocks to Cairo to be used in the construction of the great pyramids.

Marc Atchison crawls through a 4,600-year-old tunnel to get a glimpse of Egypt’s amazing past and is greeted by a shadowy figure who looks like he stepped out of the pages of history.

CAIRO - I never dreamt I would travel to Egypt with my 90-year-old father. In fact, it came about quite suddenly — dad informed me a cousin was getting married in Cairo and he did not wish to travel alone.

CAIRO – That magical moment – right out of The English Patient - when I saw the shadow of our Qatar Airline’s flight floating across the sand dunes leading to Cairo International Airport is quickly forgotten as our Soviet-era Lada taxi comes to a full stop on the traffic-clogged streets of Egypt’s chaotic capital.

ASWAN, EGYPT -We dart across the gangplank and through the reception area of our Sonesta cruise ship looking for the main lounge.