Middle East - Lili on the Loose

1 04, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Suckered into Buying Papyrus

By Lili|April 1st, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, bargaining, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, hustle, Middle East, papyrus, papyrus museum, shopping, souvenir|1 Comment

One thing I didn't think I'd get in Egypt was Papyrus. I didn't think I'd find anything I'd want to display, and I had always seen cast-off papyrus at second-hand stores like Goodwill. But, when you are there in the moment you get caught up...and guilted. You see, our group stopped at a "Papyrus Museum" (aka showroom) on our way to Alexandria. They showed us how Papyrus is made, and then each one of us were allowed to look around. Except in Egypt, "looking around" means you get adopted by one of the many employees eager for a sell. An

18 03, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Starlight

By Lili|March 18th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, Call to Prayer, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Islamic Cairo, Khan el Khalili, Lamp, market, Middle East, Muslim, prayer, Souq, Star Lamp, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site|0 Comments

I've told the story of trying to buy a lamp right as the call to prayer started, this is that lamp. I really wanted a star shaped lamp, and I loved that this one had stars and moons imprinted on it to spread the light. Although the purchasing of it was comically awkward... Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

6 03, 2017

Museum Monday: Colossus of Ramses II

By Lili|March 6th, 2017|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, British Museum, Colossus of Ramses II, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Great Temple of Ptah, Hieroglyphics, Horace Smith, Memphis, Middle East, mit rahina museum, Ozymandias, Percy Shelly, poem, Rameses II|0 Comments

I had the opportunity to see the Colossus of Ramses II at the Memphis museum a few years ago. Tourism was way down in Egypt, and I was the only person in the viewing room (and one of 3 people in the entire open air museum). Memphis is not on most people's tourist track since its out of the way. But I really enjoyed looking at the details of this statue, thinking how it was carved out of a single block of red granite. If you really like statues or ancient Egyptian history, than I really recommend a visit. Seeing the

13 02, 2017

Travel Missteps: Walking The Unfinished Obelisk

By Lili|February 13th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2015, Africa, Aswan, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, Egypt Explorer, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Middle East, obelisk, unfinished obelisk|0 Comments

It has been a dream of mine to see the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan. And so I was overjoyed to be one of 6 people there that day in 2015. You can see how few people were there! But I was a bit dismayed to see that the path to walk on the obelisk was roped off. I knew you could walk on it, and could still see the stone that allowed you to gain entrance to it. So I did what I would never normally do, I went off the path! A close up of the crack that

9 02, 2017

The Carvings of Edfu Temple, Egypt

By Lili|February 9th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, carvings, crown, Dream of Egypt, Edfu, Edfu Temple, Egypt, falcon, Horus, Middle East, Osiris, Set, Temple, Temple of Edfu, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

Edfu's Temple had so many amazing carvings that there were too many to show in my first post. So here I present to you more of the temple. One of the side passages between the outer walls and the inner sanctum. Every bit carved beautifully and with lion-headed gargoyles that divert the rain off the sanctuary roof. One of the inner rooms shows the Pharoah along with a goddess. Set being speared by Osiris . Birds and fish in a net. In the darkness of the inner temple I could bearly make out lions and other carvings on this pillar. The faithful brining

6 02, 2017

Museum Monday: Juno Sospita at the Vatican

By Lili|February 6th, 2017|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2005, All in the family 2005/2006, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Europe, Italy, Juno, Juno Sospita, Middle East, Museo Pio-Clementino, Rome, statue, The Vatican, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vatican City, Vatican Museum|0 Comments

Juno "The Saviour" is a goddess that protected ancient Romans during the perilous winter month of February. She wears a goat's skin and is armed with spear and shield. This 2nd-century statue is viewable at the Vatican's Museo Pio-Clementino. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.

20 01, 2017

Hathor Headed Columns at Dendera Temple

By Lili|January 20th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, columns, Dendera, Dendera Temple, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Hathor, Hieroglyphics, Middle East, Photo Friday, Temple of Hathor|3 Comments

The Temple of Hathor at Dendera is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. Even so, early christians who sheltered here defaced many parts of this Roman-Hellenistic temple. Here you can see the face of Hathor has been partially defaced at the top of these columns in the first hypostyle hall. But even so the blue paint shines through. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.

12 01, 2017

Details in Stone – The Hanging Church of Cairo

By Lili|January 12th, 2017|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Photography, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, Cairo, church, Coptic Cairo, Coptic Church, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, G Adventures, Hanging Church, Middle East, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

I loved these craved stone pillars at the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo, Egypt. The details are incredible.

29 12, 2016

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

By Lili|December 29th, 2016|Categories: Attractions & Sights, Travel|Tags: Abu Simbel, Africa, Ancient, Antigua, Assisi, Aswan, Austria, Barrier Reef, Basilica of San Francesco, Bath, Belize, Cairo, Caye Caulker, Central America, Champs Elysées, Chichen-Itza, Coiba, Dahshur, Dashur, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Egypt, Eiffel Tower, England, Europe, Florence, France, Germany, Giza, Great Pyramids, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Guatemala, Hadrian's Wall, High Dam, Holy See, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Leanding Tower of Pisa, Loreley, Louvre, Luxor, Mayan, Memphis, Mexico, Middle East, National Park, Necropolis, North America, Notre-Dame, Nubia, Panama, Panama Viejo, Paris, Petra, Philae, Philae Temple, Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, Pompeii, Pyramids, Ramesses II, Rhine River, Rhine Valley, River Seine, Roman Walls, Rome, Rüdesheim, ruins, Sainte Chapelle, Salzburg, Saqqara, Scotland, Seine, Siena, snorkel, Thebes, Tikal, Travel Thursday, UK, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, United Kingdom, USA, Vatican City, Venice, Venice Lagoon, Verona, Wesminster Abbey, Westminster, World Heritage, Yellowstone National Park|0 Comments

"Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration." - UNESCO There are thousands of world heritage sites. I've been to 30 of them: Salzburg Austria Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg A turtle in Belize Belize Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System Ramses Temple at Abu Simbel Egypt Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis Historic Cairo Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to

14 11, 2016

Museum Monday: Crocodile Museum at Kom Ombo

By Lili|November 14th, 2016|Categories: Museums, Travel|Tags: 2015, Africa, crocodile, Crocodile Museum, Dream of Egypt, Egypt, falcon, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Horus, Kom Ombo, Kom Ombo Temple, Middle East, Mummy, Nile, Sobek|0 Comments

Kom Ombo is an amazing temple. Its unique due to the fact its dedicated to not one but two different gods: The falcon-headed Horus & Sobek the Crocodile-headed God. Included with your admission to the temple is a small but well curated museum dedicated to Sobek. When you first walk in, you'll be greeted by a dozen smiling preserved crocodiles resting on a bed of sand. As you walk around you'll see various statues and stele depicting Sobek. Sobek was associated with fertility (likely due to crocodiles living in the Nile) as well as military prowess. You'll also see numerous crocodile