Destinations

DESTINATION

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  • Africa

  • Alaska

  • America Scenic Drive

  • Angkor Wat

  • Antartica

  • Argentina

  • Aruba

  • Australia

  • Austria

  • Ayers Rock

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    NEW POSTS

    Journey Into Ancient Egypt, Part 2: Along the Nile River

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    As I alluded to in my previous post, the story of ancient Egypt was predicated by the rising and setting sun. The east bank, where the sun rose, was the side of birth. The west bank, where the sunset, was the side of death.  All the Ancient Egyptian pyramids and tombs were constructed on the west side of the Nile River.  The Nile River may have not played a central part in Ancient Egyptian spirituality, but it was the lifeblood of Egypt. The fertile soil along the banks of the river made it easy for towns to form and helped build civilization. 



    We left Luxor as the sun was setting so the rest of the day was spent taking photos and videos. The scenery along the Nile was gorgeous. I went back and forth focusing my camera between the setting sun’s reflection on the water and the mountains. Its reflection gave the mountains a salmon-colored hue. The contrasting colors of the dry desert mountain and the lush riverbank lined with date palm trees was a breathtaking sight - a scenery that nev…
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    Egypt: The Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza

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    The Great Pyramid of GizaWho said you can’t climb the Great Pyramid? Well, you can go inside the Great Pyramid and climb more than two hundred very narrow steps to see the spot where Khufu, the most powerful ruler of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, was interred for all eternity. I paid an extra 360 EGP for the experience or so I could claim I climbed the Great Pyramid. Seriously, I wanted to make the most of my visit to explore the last surviving wonder of the ancient world.




    At 146.5 meters (481 feet), the Great Pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 4,000 years. Constructed between c. 2580–2560 BC, it was covered by limestone casing stones. It was impressive to see the beauty of the structure from the outside and to hear our guide talked about the astronomical and engineering principles behind the structure. For example, the sides of the pyramid are precisely aligned to the cardinal points of the compass. The triangular shape entrance, which is no longer accessi…
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    Journey into Ancient Egypt, Part 1: Luxor

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    One of the more popular ways to travel in Egypt is to take a four-day or five-day cruise from Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor. We embarked in Luxor, where we were able to visit the Karnak Temple and Luxor temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, and visit more temples along the way such as Edfu or Horus Temple, Kom Ombo until we reached Aswan. In Aswan, we visited the Philae Temple, the High Dam, and the Granite Quarries. I think it’s safe to say that most cruises have pretty much set itinerary because our boat was docked parallel to six other boats in the same port at one time. So, we had to walk through 6 different lobbies to get to our boat.

    Glad that I took the Luxor to Aswan route for it was in Luxor that I saw the brightest and the most beautiful sunrise. The sunrise was a great introduction to the story of Egypt and the sites I was about to see - from the East Bank to the West Bank of the Nile – a real journey into ancient Egypt.



    Karnak Temple …
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