Africa 2023 | FindPenguins

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Day 70
Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 9:08 AM
☀️ 88 °F
Altitude: 66 ft
Egypt Maşrif Ghaţāţī 29.988803, 31.14622229°59’20” N 31°8’46” E
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52. Egypt: Cairo - Pyramids & Sphinx
July 16, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
Egypt - our last country! We immediately headed out to see Egypt's biggest claim to fame: the pyramids and the sphinx.

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most famous statues in the world. Created from limestone, it depicts a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion, and was built to guard the pyramids and tombs of Giza. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt, with archaeological evidence suggesting that it was created during the reign of Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC), and the largest free standing sculpture to survive from ancient times.

I thought it was pretty cool.Read more
Traveler Great shot!
8/11/23Reply
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Day 71
Monday, July 17, 2023 at 4:25 AM
🌙 77 °F
Altitude: 341 ft
Egypt Masākin at Ta‘mīr 30.111282, 31.39629230°6’41” N 31°23’47” E
53. EGP:Luxor - Valley of the Kings plus
July 17, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 77 °F
More temples & tombs - a tour of Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatsepshut's temple.

VofK:
During Egypt's New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.), the valley became a royal burial ground for pharaohs, queens, high priests, and other elites of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties, thus becoming known as the Valley of the Kings. It is home to more than 60 tombs, including Tutankhamun (as in King Tut), Ramses II, and Seti I. The walls are adorned with hieroglyphics and colorful artwork that tell stories about ancient Egyptian life.

Queen H's Tomb:
Upon the death of her husband (who was her half-brother), Harshepsut ruled initially as regent to her 2 year old stepson, assuming the position as official pharoah several years later. In order to establish herself in the Egyptian patriarchy, she took on traditionally male roles and was depicted as a male pharaoh, with physically masculine traits and traditionally male garb. Hatshepsut's reign was a period of great prosperity and general peace.Read more
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Day 72
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 8:00 AM
☀️ 95 °F
Altitude: 256 ft
Egypt Al Karnak 25.709983, 32.64881825°42’36” N 32°38’56” E
54. Egypt: Luxor - Karnak Temple
July 18, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 95 °F
Today, a tour of the Karnak & Luxor Temples. Outdoors. 105 degrees F.

The Karnak Temple Complex is comprised of four precincts (sections) that took over 2000 years (during the reign of about 30 kings) to complete.

The Precinct of Amun-Re is the largest, and the only one open to the public. The temple complex is dedicated to the principal god of the Theban Triad, Amun, in the form of Amun-Re.

My eyes are starting to glaze over. I can't take any more churches, monasteries, tombs, temples, or ruins. They're starting to all look and sound alike.

Some pix attached.Read more
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Day 72
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 10:05 AM
☀️ 102 °F
Altitude: 266 ft
Egypt Luxor 25.70569, 32.64311125°42’20” N 32°38’35” E
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55. Egypt: Luxor - Luxor Temple
July 18, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 102 °F
The Luxor Temple, located on the east bank of the Nile River, was constructed approximately 1400 BCE.

Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a pharaoh, but rather to the rejuvenation of kingship. Apparently it was where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned.Read more
Amazing! [virginia]
8/11/23Reply
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Day 73
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM
☀️ 102 °F
Altitude: 200 ft
Egypt Nag‘ el-Ritag el-Bahari 24.891176, 32.86496224°53’28” N 32°51’54” E
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56. Egypt: Edfu - Edfu Temple
July 19, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 102 °F
We sailed south on the Nile to the town of Edfu, and disembarked for a tour of - you guessed it! - Edfu Temple. The temple is dedicated to the Horus, a god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing.Read more
It's mind blowing how they could have such intricate and precise work way back then [Virginia]
8/11/23Reply
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Day 73
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10:48 AM
☀️ 104 °F
Altitude: 344 ft
Egypt Nag‘ el-Hubla 24.811082, 32.91150224°48’40” N 32°54’41” E
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57. Egypt - Nile Cruise
July 19, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 104 °F
I failed to mention that we've been travelling through Egypt via cruise ship on the Nile. Our room is surprisingly large with great views, and the ride has been quite smooth. All food is buffet style, and with a full ship, filling your plate is a contact sport.

I would have to make the general observation that i enjoy travelling under our own power (as we did in South America in Craig's car) more than being part of a tour group, where you are herded around like a bunch of cattle. Maybe I'm just too old to be told where to go and what to do and when to do it for 76 days straight...Read more
Traveler😞
7/22/23Reply
Traveler 👍
7/22/23Reply
Traveler A nice comfy bed and air conditioning … ahhhhhh 😊
7/22/23Reply
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Day 74
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 1:01 PM
☀️ 111 °F
Altitude: 295 ft
Egypt Wādī al Hūdī 24.096038, 32.89766724°5’46” N 32°53’52” E
58. Egypt - Abu Simbel Temple
July 20, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 111 °F
Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel near the border with Sudan. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC,

To me, the most noteworthy fact about this temple was that it was completely relocated in its entirety in 1968 to higher ground to avoid it being submerged by Lake Nasser, the Aswan Dam reservoir. Can you imagine the level of effort & engineering?

Temple commemorates the 19th Dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II, and his wife Nefertari.Read more
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Day 75
Friday, July 21, 2023 at 9:46 AM
☀️ 102 °F
Altitude: 292 ft
Egypt Wādī al Hūdī 24.096237, 32.89752524°5’46” N 32°53’51” E
59. Egypt - Aswan Dam & Temple of Isis
July 21, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 102 °F
The Aswan High Dam is one of the world's largest embankment dams, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970, 60 years after the Low Aswan Dam. With its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity, the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's industrialization.

Our guide described this as one of the most important industrial accomplishments in Egypt. It is guarded by the military, with the acknowledgement that the entire Aswan province would be flooded in 6 hours should the dam be compromised.

The dam was responsible for the creation of Nasser Lake, and at about 300 miles long and 10 miles wide, it is the second largest man-made lake in the world. The lake shares a border with Sudan, with 83% of the lake in Egypt.

We also went to the Temple of Isis, aka the Philae temple, which is an island-based temple complex in the reservoir of the Aswan Dam.Read more
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Trip end
July 22, 2023