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Background: The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.




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Today, we awoke heinously early, in order to catch our 7:45 flight from Cairo to Luxor. In case you don’t know what heinously early is, that is 5:45. In the morning. We left for the airport, and arrived early enough to have to wait an hour and a half for the flight. In that time, we had breakfast, and chatted about our lives, and, invariably, politics. The flight itself was fine, the part of it I was awake. I had the window seat, but all there was to see was desert and more desert. We arrived in Luxor, and took a [View Full Entry]

Born to be Wild - Stephen Johnson | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
480 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 37 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 2nd 2009 | 42 Views | [diary=457714]

Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum
Bedouin campfire

By azshawnee
November 8th 2009
Walk Like An Egyptian Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Kom Ombo
Yesterday was so busy that I didn’t have time to write. So I’m trying to catch up this afternoon, Sunday, while we are jockeying for position at the only lock on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor. So, yesterday. We had an opportunity to “sleep in” which meant a choice. As breakfast was served between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and we didn’t have to meet our guide, Ahmed, until 9:00 a.m., did we want to sleep or eat? I slept. By accident. Kim tried to call my room to wake me up, but I never heard the phone ring and she [View Full Entry]

azshawnee - Terry Jackson | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
938 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 13 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 8th 2009 | 76 Views | [diary=451791]

Unfinished Obelisk
Quarry
Boat Trip

What day is it? I have no clue. Kim tells me this happened on Saturday. Our itinerary was changed, or we missed an excursion, or I’m confused, and since I am now in London, I have no idea what we did when! But I do remember the things we saw, so here goes: The River Nile: sand on the west side, lush vegetation on the right. Time to sit on the pool deck and get a bit of sun as we continue our river boat journey down the River Nile. It takes some processing to realize that we are in Africa, [View Full Entry]

azshawnee - Terry Jackson | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1455 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 15 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 12th 2009 | 64 Views | [diary=452636]

Courtyard
Columns
Angles

By azshawnee
November 8th 2009
Kom Ombo, Kim's Story Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Kom Ombo
I tried to get Kim's story into my blog on Kom Ombo, but that didn't work! So she gets her own blog. Here's Kim's story: We were given our 15-20 minutes free time after our guide finished his tour at the Temple of Kom Ombo. Mom went her own way, and Rich and I wondered around for our allotted time. When we were done, we headed to the meeting point. I sat on the side of a pillar next to Ahmet and a local man, while Rich took some more pictures, and we waited for Mom to show. Rich said something [View Full Entry]

azshawnee - Terry Jackson | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
371 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 15th 2009 | 29 Views | [diary=453322]


We had a smooth crossing between Sharm El Sheikh and Safaga. Not that it mattered: we were both weary from the day's activities and the next day's excursion was to start around 6. At about 4 we took on a pilot and started maneuvering into the docks at Safaga. This is a major port for Australian wheat and alumina so you can imagine how romantic the surroundings are. Still it was a lovely sunrise and the seas were calm. Quickly to the buses and through the deserted streets. Again the coastal mountains were completely without vegetation and mostly jagged granite. The [View Full Entry]

GregCath - catherine Harper | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
516 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 13 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 24th 2009 | 66 Views | [diary=447844]

Lush Nile valley
The Nile
Temple of Hatshepsut

By davidt
October 15th 2009
Aswan Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Aswan
Day 6 and 7 - Aswan On arrival at Aswan a coach was waiting to take us to the Orchida Hotel. About the best thing you could say about this hotel is that it is near the Souk and also handy to a Duty Free store. It turns out that you’re allowed to buy duty free on the presentation of a foreign passport and a valid visa within 48hours of arrival. Prices were quite good. I selected a 1L Grants Whisky for $12US and Sean decided on a bottle of Absolute Vodka for $14US. The sales guy looked at my visa [View Full Entry]

davidt - David Tasker | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
653 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 17 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 15th 2009 | 92 Views | [diary=445260]

Aswan Souk
Lui  and Hibiscus drink
Pizza in the Souk

Day 6 and 7 - Feluccas on the Nile and Luxor Today we began two days of sailing on a fairly traditional Felucca. The hull is of steel and a canopy covers ¾ of the boat. Felucca sailing is a great way to unwind. We all had 10 or 12 bottles of Stella Beer on ice and it was with great restraint that the lads held out until 1pm before lifting the first bottle. There is not a lot to do on a Felucca and the scenery is mile after mile of low lying Nile Floodplains. At 4.30pm I gave the [View Full Entry]

davidt - David Tasker | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
635 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 15th 2009 | 107 Views | [diary=445265]

Mohamad Rowiing
Nile Feluccas
Nile Twighlight

By SayLittle
October 10th 2009
Luxor the Old Kingdom Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Luxor
On Oct 7th we left Aswan floating up the Nile on a Felucca, which is sort of like a small sail boat. We spent 2 days floating up the Nile, just relaxing, eating, sleeping and having bon fires during the evening. The boats crew would sing and play drums and teach us to dance around the bon fire. The felucca ride was a very easy 2 days of travel. From the Nile we went to Luxor. My impression of Luxor is that they are so used to tourist that each vendor had there own little scam to try to get you [View Full Entry]

SayLittle - Leah Leslie | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
567 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 18 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 1st 2009 | 86 Views | [diary=449712]

Sad Eyes
View looking over the Valley of the Kings
Photo 5

By Diet Cake
October 4th 2009
Day 5-Aswan Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Aswan
Arrived into town at about 9.30am on the train, didn't get much sleep last night, mainly because egyptian train drivers don't know how to brake properly.Got a pick-up from the station to a hotel just around the corner, now I have a day to waste in Aswan. The tour organiser told me to go sleep, so I went done the road to a large 'hassle-free' market, saw far too may pasty white faces for my liking, so didn't stay long.I am beginning to think that due to the wealth of amazing historical monuments in Egypt the egyptians are undermining their other [View Full Entry]

Diet Cake - Alastair Sean Maxwell | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
327 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 20th 2009 | 26 Views | [diary=446611]


By jenniferroyal
September 28th 2009
She's back! Africa » Egypt » Upper Egypt » Luxor
Sorry for the delay in updates, but I have been wandering for the last few days and haven’t been able to log in. After two heavenly days at the Dead Sea, Amil and I parted ways at the airport in Amman (actually, at the Starbucks in the airport at Amman), and I flew back to Cairo. Saturday night I took the so-called ‘Sleeping Train’ from Cairo to Luxor. Like everything else in Egypt, the sleeping train inevitably runs late yet at the same time requires one to get up at an ungodly early hour in the morning (it arrives in Luxor [View Full Entry]

jenniferroyal - jennifer | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
540 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 7 Photo(s) | 1 Video(s)
Published: September 28th 2009 | 94 Views | [diary=440420]

Can you believe it?
I guess that makes him the captain of the Titanic
Thank goodness I brought my helmet


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