What we did in Cairo is pretty close to what everyone does in Cairo. See the national museum, see the pyramids, walk around town a bit. The National Egyptian Museum The National Museum was amazing. At least its contents were. The museum itself is in a very aged building with broken windows, disgusting washroom facilities, and a thick layer of grime on everything except, mysteriously, the artifacts. It’s located next &#91read more]

When we first realized we could fit a short trip to Egypt into our travel plans, we were a little nervous how our families would react. The post-revolution political situation was rocky at best and our parents typically start fretting about anywhere that sounds remotely dangerous (Mexico, Honduras, and Serbia – which sounds a lot like Syria – topped their list of “Are you sure it’s safe to be there?  &#91read more]

Egypt has long been romanticized as a travel destination. Who didn’t grow up dreaming of seeing the Pyramids, sailing the Nile, or crossing the desert? Camels and souks, sand and hieroglyphics, tombs and the lush Nile banks… these are the images we associate with Egypt. The Egypt we imagine… It’s not until you start listening to actual travellers’ tales and doing a bit of research that you start to glimpse &#91read more]

We seriously considered making our first post about Egypt our last post.  It’s short, to the point, and keeps us from whining on and on about why Egypt was our least favourite country.  But, since this is our journal, we figured we owe it to ourselves to post about our Egypt experiences in a little more detail. After careful re-consideration, I’ve found that there were indeed a few good things &#91read more]

After leaving Turkey, we spent three and half weeks in Egypt. My mom always told me: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. So, with that in mind… Cairo graffiti Pyramids of Giza Camel safari in the White Desert Montazah Palace Gardens, Alexandria Abu Simbel Temple Elephantine Island, Aswan Felucca Cruise down the Nile Luxor    

There’s no point in beating around the bush. Turkey has been one of our favourite countries. So much so that it’s a very strong contender for THE favourite country of the entire trip. It felt both European and Eastern. I suppose that’s to say that it felt familiar, comfortable, organized and yet was strange, exotic, and welcoming. There’s plenty of culture to experience, beautiful landscapes to see, and the people &#91read more]

Tomb with Ephesus Library.  Just try to get a (nearly) people-free picture like this in the high season… I dare you. For weeks now, we’ve been travelling along the western coast of Turkey and have been hitting ghost town after ghost town after ghost town.  (Note: This post was written in December, when we were still in Turkey).  As we walked the Lycian Way, we were surprised to find that &#91read more]