2023: The year in review
As the year is about to end, I thought I’d take a look back at 2023 and remember the highlights and lowlights of the year. This was one of the busiest travel years I’ve ever had. I spent a total of … Continued
Another Mexican Road Trip: Querétaro and Beyond
I’m getting ready for another Mexican road trip. You may recall my last road trip, to see the Pueblos Mágicos in Zacatecas and Aguascalientes. This time I’ll be hitting the states of Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Guanajuato, and there … Continued
A weekend in Pátzcuaro
Luis and I took advantage of a long holiday weekend (Día de la Revolución Mexicana) to visit the Pueblo Mágico of Pátzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán. We booked an Airbnb just two blocks from the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, … Continued
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