Balloons over the Valley of the Kings Docked overnight in Luxor, our full day of discovery started early with a short ferry ride across to the West Bank and by bus to the tombs. Classified as an active archeological site, the valley is home to 65 discovered tombs to date. Many more lie buried awaiting… Continue reading Egypt – Kings, Queens and more

Esna temple Another day, another amazing marvel of the ancient Egyptian world. This time the sunken temple of Esna was on the program. This temple was submerged by decades of Nile flooding and sediment deposits. The remaining covered roof areas served as homes to local villages which led to severe smoke damage. French archeologists are… Continue reading Egypt – Esna & arrival into Luxor

Sunrise over the Nile In the spirit of the sun god ra, we watched the early morning sunrise over the Eastern side of the Nile. A healthy breakfast followed before we set out to explore the sand stone quarries of Gebel al Silsila along the narrows of the river. For millennia this quarry provided sand… Continue reading Egypt – Edfu and the God Horus

Philae Temple from the ferry Our morning began with a fabulous breakfast on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel from where we then toured the temple of Philae dedicated to the godess Isis. Rescued from the waters of the Aswan dam as the last UNESCO project in Nubia in the 1970s, this temple is… Continue reading Egypt – Philae and Nile Sanctuary

Old Cataract Hotel No voyage to Egypt is complete without staying at the legendary Old Cataract Hotel run by Sofitel in Aswan. Located in prime viewing of the first Nile rapids, the property has hosted world leaders, movie stars and most famously, was the long term lodging for British Crime Novelist Agatha Christie whom penned… Continue reading Egypt – Aswan and the legendary Old Cataract Hotel

Abu Simbel temple in Nubia Our discovery of ancient Egypt began in earnest today with a short flight from Cairo to Aswan followed by a scenic drive across the southern Nubian Desert to within 30 miles of the border with Sudan. Any true program in Egypt should feature this drive across one of the world’s… Continue reading Egypt – A Pharaohs’ tribute

Our first stop in the Arabian world consisted of an overnight stop-over in the Qatari capital city of Doha. Only a desert village without much significance, over the past 30 years transformed into a mega city of skyscrapers in any imaginable shape. Doha skyline Host of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup (not without controversy… Continue reading Egypt – Fata Morgana in the desert

Checking in At SFO At long last, our twice postponed Egyptian Adventure begins. Thirteen travelers are making their way to Cairo on different airlines and vastly different routes. Most via Europe and the tree of us (Greg, Julie, and myself) via the Gulf state of Qatar. It is a first for me on multiple levels… Continue reading Egypt – Its finally happening

Monticello Our day of Virginia discovery continued with a scenic drive up to Charlottesville of University of Virginia fame (and violent radical right rally infamy) for a visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate. Garden view of the estate This visit was another longtime wish-list item for me and it certainly did not disappoint. The views… Continue reading America’s Historic East – Enlightened Mansion

Colonial Williamsburg Main Street A longtime in the making, I finally arrived at colonial Williamsburg for a visit. I had heard about it and aspired to visit for over 25 years and now I am here. Pinch me! House of Burgesses- Capitol building of the Virginia Commonwealth Financial support from the Rockefeller’s helped local history… Continue reading America’s Historic East – colonial times