Today’s pièce de résistance was no less than The Great Wall of China! I left it for today because it’s just about the only attraction that opens on Mondays, but like with the Forbidden City, in order to avoid the crowds I wanted to visit in the afternoon, so for the morning we went hutong… Continue reading Shichahai, The Great Wall of China
The Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven
My second day in Beijing! I seriously feel like I’ve been here a week. I don’t even remember what I used to do for a living. Today was another ambitious itinerary, albeit a simple one with only two items on it. First, the Summer Palace, a vast retreat for the poor emperors who got bored… Continue reading The Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven
The Lama Temple, The Forbidden City
Our first full day in Beijing, and it was intense! I feel like I’ve been here at least four days already. The main item in today’s itinerary was to visit the Forbidden City, and I usually start the day with the most important visit first, to make sure I’ll have time for everything and to… Continue reading The Lama Temple, The Forbidden City
Arrival in Beijing, Qianmen
This one has been a long time coming: I am going to China! I think I say this every year, but this is the trip that I have planned the most, starting the earliest, and to the greatest detail, which is saying something. For starters, I have been learning Chinese for one year now, so… Continue reading Arrival in Beijing, Qianmen
Musei Capitolini, Colosseum, the Vatican
I swear I’m going to need a double foot transplant after this trip! Once again I’ve been blessed by the gods of weather, as the heavy rain that was forecasted for all day never materialized, so although it was noticeably colder than yesterday, I was able to keep walking up and down Rome without a… Continue reading Musei Capitolini, Colosseum, the Vatican
Villa Borghese, Centro Storico, Trastevere
Surprise! I am in Rome! The first item on my list was to visit the Galleria Borghese, a gorgeous palace and museum inside of the great park of Villa Borghese, which happens to be just next to my hotel. I had read online that the tickets sell out, and not only that, but they seem… Continue reading Villa Borghese, Centro Storico, Trastevere
The Egyptian Museums
Oh, the joy of getting up in my own time, having a leisurely breakfast, and being in charge of my day! Today is my last day in Egypt, and also the only free day I get to be in Cairo. My goal for today was simple: to see the two Egyptian museums, the old one… Continue reading The Egyptian Museums
The Pyramids, Memphis
Getting to Cairo was a nightmare! After having got up really early for the Abu Simbel excursion, the evening flight (which was late enough on its own) was delayed, and between one thing and another I crashed at my room at nearly three in the morning! And they expected us to leave at seven! (They… Continue reading The Pyramids, Memphis
Abu Simbel
Remember how I said at the beginning that I did a lot of research only to come to the conclusion that all basic Egypt package itineraries are the same? The one thing they differ in is whether or not they include a visit to Abu Simbel. The temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel is… Continue reading Abu Simbel
Temple of Philae, Aswan
When I woke up this morning -at seven, an hour that felt like 11AM after the last couple of days and what awaits me tomorrow- we were docked in Aswan, the capital of Southern Egypt, the gateway to the desert and the Nubian civilization, and the last leg of our Nile cruise before we fly… Continue reading Temple of Philae, Aswan