News — travel blog

  On my most recent trip to Luxor, I went to visit my favorite spot in Medinat Habu (Habu Temple). I was surprised to see scaffolding on a large section of the columns, with a team of young students working diligently on it.  I must admit, I liked the idea of removing dust, dirt, bird poop, etc. However, when I realized that the colorful sections were changing color, I was a bit concerned.   As a purist, I much prefer the 'weathered by thousands of years' look, but I am hopeful that this deepening of the colors will lighten over...

Luxor is located about 450 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile River, and is home to some of the most spectacular temples and tombs in all of Egypt.  Karnak Temple and the Temple of Luxor are two amazing structures of pillars and facades that still stand after thousands of years.   During the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (3500 years ago!) construction began on a 1.5 mile road lined with sphinxes to connect the two temples The path was used once a year during the Opet festival. During this parade, Egyptians carried statues of Amun and Mut to...

Aswan stands out as a special part of Egypt. In particular, the Nile in Aswan is one of the most picturesque settings in all of Egypt. If there is wind, a sailboat ride is an absolute must.  Sailing south out of Aswan for an hour or so you reach rapids that are called cataracts. Experienced boat captains 'play' with the roiling waters and it is a wonderful, exotic experience. Aswan marks the beginning of Nubia, the area shared by Egypt and Sudan, and you can sense the cultural change as Africa approaches. Following the ride down the Nile, you can...

The Nile River is the central artery of Egypt. It is the sole source of drinking water and brings fertilization to the fields with the rich silt carried from deep inside Africa. The Nile is a major transportation corridor, ferrying people between the east bank and the west bank and facilitating commercial barge movement. But even with all that traffic, it is also the place where sailboats and motorboats cruise while filled with locals and tourists enjoying the sights.   In Cairo, the noise, traffic, sand, dirt, hustle-bustle and general commotion gets left behind the minute you depart from the...

Medinet Habu is known to be the mortuary temple of Ramesses III. It is located on the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt. Inside the Medinet Habu Temple are beautifully decorated columns and pillars. We loved visiting these archeological wonders in Luxor, Egypt. The temple is best known as the source for reliefs and hieroglyphic writings depicting the happenings during the reign of Ramesses III. At then end of this post is a photo of the cartouche in the temple depicting Ramesses name. In archaeology, a cartouche is an oblong enclosure of a group of Egyptian hieroglyphics, typically representing the name and...