Cairo
Arab Republic of Egypt
June 10, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

The ferry across the Gulf of Aqaba left three hours late ("we have to load the ferry"). But the ride is splendid. I have to pinch myself: To the port side are the hilly brown barren coastlines of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. To starboard is the hilly brown barren coastline of Egypt, North Africa! And, I check my map to learn that the Gulf of Aqaba is the northernmost section of The Red Sea. The Red Sea!!

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Location

Aswan, Egypt

10 October 2009

Marhaba,

The August/September edition of Horus, the in-flight magazine of Egypt Air, published an article called "Rescuing Abu Simbel."

The recollections of the engineer Medhat Ibrahim are both informative and powerful. He describes the enormous project to save the ancient Nubian monuments from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. I have reprinted his article below.

My best moment at Abu Simbel came when, after strolling past several wall carvings and decoration, I turned the corner of the mountain, looked to my left, and was startled; "There it is!" "There they are!"

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Location

Alexandria

Egypt

December 20, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

The four hour ride northwest from Cairo to Alexandria is less than scenic but Alexandria itself is a worthy and picturesque city.  

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Location

December 21, 2011

In 1952, Sue Thompson recorded the hit song "You Belong to Me."  Later it was covered by Patti Page, Jo Stafford, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline and Bing Crosby.  My favorite rendition is in the Doo-wop style by The Duprees in 1962.*   

The opening lyric of the song is "See the Pyramids along the Nile...." 

I suppose it is the dream of many people around the world to "See the Pyramids." 

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Location

December 22, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Despite the heavy traffic and the early morning smoke and fog, my group’s day of sightseeing in Cairo included several memorable stops.  The Saladin Citadel.  The Muhammad Ali Mosque.  Virgin Mary Coptic Church.  The Ben Ezra Synagogue.  The Egyptian Museum.  Can you guess which one is my favorite?

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Location

Cairo

The Arab Republic of Egypt

December 23, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

For the final day trip of our visit to Egypt, my friend Ralph Velasco and I considered three possible destinations: the Suez Canal, the Camel Market or the agricultural area south of Cairo.  We decided to head south, out of Cairo, to explore the area and see the sights.*

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Location