Crossing the Med
On her sixth attempt, Mercedes Gleitze was the first known person to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar on April 6, 1928. It took her 12 hours and 50 minutes…
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Africa
44 posts
Exploring the Marrakech Medina
In Arabic culture, a medina are the ancient cores of cities, typically enclosed by thick walls and entered through large gates called “Bab”. They are usually a maze of streets…
Looking Back on our Unforgettable Egypt Trip
We have wanted to visit Egypt and cruise the Nile for several years now. We got close just before the pandemic, but that put the trip on hold until 2023.…
Historical Wonders of the Pyramids of Giza
No matter how you describe the moment you first see the Great Pyramid in Giza it just sounds like hyperbole. And even when you stand in front of the pyramids…
Unveiling Ancient Treasures and History at the Egyptian Museum
Seriously it is crazy how unsorted, haphazard, and disorganized that such an important world museum really is. Unlocked cabinets in hallways, most things unlabeled, no apparent security other than angry…
Discovering Old Cairo’s Timeless Landmarks
I will say this: we didn’t spend enough time here and would go back if we return to Cairo. This part of Cairo pre-dates the founding of present day Cairo…
Seeing the Architecturally Significant Cairo Citadel
With 23 million inhabitants, Cairo is the largest city in Africa and also the largest city in the Arab world. It is chaos on a scale few places achieve. But…
Scenic Beauty of Aswan
This really is the end of the world. It’s a dusty frontier town. Going south from here you travel into Sudan and the war that is happening. You don’t want…
Majestic Temple of Kom Ombo
The final temple we saw on our Nile cruise was Kom Ombo. it is significant because it is unique for its dedication to two different deities: the local crocodile-headed god Sobek, and…
Secrets of the Egyptian Quarry
All the sandstone used to build all these temples had to come from somewhere and one of the places is called Gebel el-Silsila. It translates from ancient Egyptian as “The…