Two days in Petra
My original plan to visit Petra was as part of an OAT tour that was primarily in Israel. When war broke out last week, I was in Egypt on another OAT tour. I had to scramble to make alternative plans, … Continued
Wadi Rum: There are no words
I flew from Cairo to Amman on Tuesday, arriving around 3:30 pm, found my driver, and made the three-and-a-half hour trip to Wadi Rum. I arrived after dark, just in time for dinner at 8pm. And after a little gathering … Continued
Philae Temple, with some back story
The highlight of our visit to Aswan was our visit to Philae Temple. There were other things I have to write about, especially the hotel where we stayed. And I have some back story to share.
Meeting Ramses II and Nefertari at Abu Simbel
I planned to write about Abu Simbel last night. But all the planning I did for this trip turned into a big snafu yesterday, as war broke out in Israel, and I spent the evening reworking all my plans. I’ll write … Continued
On the Nile: From Daraw to Aswan
We started the day today in Daraw, a small village with a busy market. The rest of the day we just sailed to our final destination, Aswan. We’re still on the boat tonight; tomorrow we return to dry land. We didn’t … Continued
On the Nile: Fares to Kom Ombo
We started the day yesterday visiting a craftsman in Fares before continuing upriver to Kom Ombo. The temple there offered some new things to see as well as enhancing our understanding about the images carved in temple walls. Then in … Continued
On the Nile: From Besaw Island to Gebel el-Silsila
Yesterday we started the day with a visit to Besaw Island for what OAT calls “A Day in the Life.” Then we continued south to Gebel el-Silsila, the site of an ancient sandstone quarry. It was a low-key day in … Continued
On the Nile: Higz to Edfu
Yesterday was a light day activity-wise, but there was one big highlight: our visit to the Temple of Edfu. This wasn’t the most visually-stunning temple we’ve seen, but it is the most intact temple ever discovered in Egypt. So it … Continued
From Luxor to Esna to Higz
After visiting Karnak yesterday morning, we drove out of Luxor about an hour south to Esna. There we visited the small but spectacular Temple of Khnum. Then we boarded our dehabeya “Asiya” and set sail up the Nile (heading south). … Continued
Luxor: Hell-adjacent???
Luxor became a major city starting with the 11th Dynasty, around 2050 BCE. Its height came around 1500 BCE and lasted about 400 years, encompassing the 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties. The ancient Egyptians called it Waset, meaning “city of … Continued