There are lots of really fascinating websites about Egypt and particularly Ancient Egypt that I subscribe to and read as often as possible.
One of them is “Egypt IM” which is full of information and fascinating facts. There are also some things that I’m not as interested in but I can skip those easily.
If you subscribe to their email newsletter you will receive details of the latest posts and the latest questions that people from all around the world have asked.
Well, I think it can only add to the enjoyment that you’ll get from you cruise when you finally arrive in Egypt.
To give you a taste here’s the latest question and answer I received this morning which was about the writing systems of the Ancient Egyptians:
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Question by : What are the three systems of writing used by the ancient egyptians?
I have to write a report describing the three systems of writing used by the Ancient Egyptians and how they differ. Please help and dumb it down a little please!
I’m not in college so dont get too technical. Continue reading “Egyptian System of Writing”
I saw this short article in the Guardian last week and thought “what a fantastic thing to do”. To walk the length of the River Nile from it’s source through 6 different countries, (maybe 7 if he walks through Burundi).
31 year old Levison Wood will start in Rwanda on December 1st and will walk through Tanzania, Uganda, South Suda, Sudan and finally Egypt, some 4,250 mile in total. Hopefully, if he keeps to his schedule, all done within one year.
Wow! Fancy being able to dedicate a full year to such a wonderful experience. And we wonder sometimes how we can take a week off for a break.
On occasions he will have to change which side of the Nile he walks…“depending which side of the river he takes – some of which have been riven by civil unrest and war”. And even that must be a bit of a challenge.
I watched the Joanna Lumley TV documentary in which she traced the source of the Nile all the way down to Rwanda. That was obviously done in a little more comfort and a lot more quickly but even that mini-expedition took her though some uncomfortable and inhospitable areas so to do it all on foot is an amazing thing to try.
You can read the whole article on the Guardian website:
If your looking for another wonderful water-based travel experience then you should pop over to our other website www.guletcruises4u.co.uk.
Barbara and I took our first Gulet cruise a number of years ago and we’ve booked a total of three Gulet cruises since then.
As you can guess we had a fabulous time. It’s another totally different way to enjoy time away from our normal day to day life.
Our Gulet cruises have allowed us to explore some of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen. Based in Turkey we’ve swam, dined and explored places we’d never heard of and would never have been able to find if we’d not been sailing on a Gulet.
You can read more about our first Gulet cruise experience on the website but here’s a taster to give you an idea what a fabulous time we had:
“Our first Gulet cruise was in 2006 when some friends of ours, Carole and Gavin, who had taken a gulet cruise holiday the year before asked us to join them for another cruise that started in Marmaris and ended in Fethiye.
Over dinner and after a few glasses of wine they told us about spending long, lazy days swimming from the gulet in crystal clear turquoise waters, sunbathing on the warm wooden decks, eating wonderful meals prepared by the crew form fresh, local produce and spending nights sleeping outside under the stars on the deck.Continue reading “Gulet Cruise”
Last year Barbara and I took the opportunity to visit Abu Simbel. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramsees II in the 13th century BCE, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. It’s a breathtaking sight especially when you realise that the temples were relocated in their entirety in 1968, to an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The temples are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments”.
It is believed that the axis of the Great Temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22 each year, the rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate the sculptures on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, the god connected with the Underworld, who always remained in the dark.
One of the many remarkable things is that the builders and crew who managed to re-locate the Great Temple managed to replicate this amazing feat and even now people gather at Abu Simbel to witness this remarkable sight, on October 21st and February 21st each year.
After we’d spent time exploring the temples Barbara and I strolled down to the edge of Lake Nasser and were spellbound by it’s mirror-like tranquility. The waters were still and mysterious and you could feel the vastness of this enormous man-made lake. Again, like Abu Simbel, another amazing feat of man’s imagination and determination.
Here are some facts (courtesy of Wikipedia) about Lake Nasser:
The lake is some 550 km long and 35 km across at its widest point, which is near the Tropic of Cancer. It covers a total surface area of 5,250 km² and has a storage capacity of some 157 km³ of water.
The lake was created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam across the waters of the Nile between 1958 and 1971. The lake is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and the second President of Egypt, who initiated the High Dam project.
Sport-fishing among tourists, especially for Nile Perch, has become increasingly popular, both on the shore and from boats, as the west bank of the Lake contains more nutrients compared to the east bank. About 100 species of bird have been recorded in the lake.
We also saw 2 of the Lake Nasser cruise ships anchored near to the temples and we both promised ourselves that when the opportunity arose we would take a Lake Nasser cruise to explore the Lake and enjoy it’s tranquility for ourselves.
I really think that the cruises we are offering on the excellent Movenpick Royal Lily are some of the best cruises we have listed over the last few years.
Movenpick Royal Lily Suite
The most luxurious ships are the Alexander The Great and the Oberoi ships but for value for money and luxurious surroundings then the Royal Lily is a bargain.
