There are hundreds of tombs cut into the hillsides west of Luxor but the best restored tombs are in the Valley of the Kings. Chamber after chamber are decorated with colorful hieroglypics and drawings. Some are situated at the back of canyons and go down several levels. After visiting and then ascending one such tomb the 40C temps outside felt like an arctic breeze in comparison to the stuffy, humid, sweltering temps found in the chambers! … [Read more...]
Entering Luxor
Luxor lies along the banks of the great Nile (the longest river in the world). If it wasn't for the Nile there would be no population here (a ribbon across the great Sahara Desert. The green of the agricultural fields extends both sides of the river maybe 8-10km where it abruptly ends at the sands of the Sahara Desert. The town is spread out along the east and west banks with most of the population centered on the east side. There is no bridge … [Read more...]
Hanging out in Cairo
At the moment I'm sitting in sleeper train on our long transiberian journey - not much to do here so we are chugging the vodka. Actually this is the overnighter from Cairo to Luxor. This is doing it in real style - a private suite for 2 people, AC controls per suite and the calming rocking motion that you can only get on a train will quickly put us to sleep - oh and the 32 hours it took to get here from Cali will certainly help. With not much … [Read more...]
Back to Europe
Arrived in 4C temps and rain at the Frankfurt airport. Its not even mid Autumn and temps are already frightfully chilly. I was here last month and landed to sunshine and warm temps. Not so now. The FRA airport is like a big city - we drove around in a bus after getting off the plane for a long while. We accidentally booked the flight to Cairo from Munich so this gave us a chance to see more of the German countryside. 3 hours on high speed … [Read more...]
Groupon Giveway
Launched in November 2008, Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the U.S., Canada, Europe and beyond. Groupon is offered in 230 cities worldwide and for international travelers, is available in 25 countries. We will give away a $20 value Groupon bucks coupon to the first person who can identify where the following photo was taken (US State and the name of the mountain). Post … [Read more...]
Garden Pictures
This year our summer started on the first day of fall. When I'm not traveling I'm gardening. I've replaced nearly all the adobe soil in the garden with silt from a nearby river along with potting soil and other organic material I've composted in. Am using both beds in the ground and raised beds. Most people said they had terrible problems with growing tomatoes in this "arctic" summer we had this year but mine have done very well. The heirloom is … [Read more...]
Los Angeles Athletic Club
We recently stayed at the Los Angeles Athletic Club (a private membership only club but with hotel rooms available to the general public - the first private club in Los Angeles, founded 1880). We stay in a fair amount of National mid to higher end chain hotels and it is very refreshing to find a hotel such as this one with its uniqueness, elegance and history. As soon as we arrived we shot up to the rooftop for some relaxation with a cold one … [Read more...]
Another fantastic trip to LA and the OC!
One of the highlights of this latest trip was re-visiting Universal Studios (and experiencing lighter than normal traffic on the infamous freeways). One new attraction to me was the Ifly experience located in the "citywalk" which leads to the main entrance. This is a "vertical wind tunnel" which for $40 and 2 mins of your time (after waiting in line and undergoing a short instruction session) you can "fly"! Put on a flight suit, goggles and … [Read more...]
TIME Style & Design “Jetsetters”
Time.com has interviewed 12 fairly well known jet setters and asked their opinions and tips for jet lag, places they will not revisit again, travel companions, favorite cities, packing tips, airport suggestions and much more. Each "jet setter" also lists some of their favorite travel items. Superstar tennis pro Maria Sharapova says her favorite carry on item is her phone charger, because "...if my bags get lost, I would be more upset about … [Read more...]
The Los Angeles River
From north of downtown. Every time I'm in town I try to stop by a different section of the Los Angeles River - this time I visited the part of the river immediately north of downtown. This stretch is surrounded by the 5 and the 134 freeways and the concrete almost seems to shake at times when large trucks go over the bridges. From looking at some of these photos you might think this river could be in the mountains, or in a very natural setting, … [Read more...]
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