Bucket List – Adventures with Cindy

Exploring Abu Simbel: The Temples of Ramses II and Nefertari

January 21, 2025January 20, 2025ccouringtonLeave a comment

Day 8 – November 5, 2024

No free time for us as we trek to Abu Simbel, by Egyptair. The temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari were originally carved into the mountainside. They were painstakingly relocated to save them from being submerged by the damming of the Nile. These temples stand as monumental testaments to ancient Egyptian artistry and engineering. These remarkable structures boast intricate hieroglyphics and stunning sculptures. They tell stories of power and devotion. These stories reflect the grandeur of a civilization that flourished millennia ago. As we approach, the sheer scale and beauty of the temples captivate our senses. They invite us to imagine the vibrant ceremonies and daily life. These events once echoed within these hallowed walls.

Egyptian Crop Circles? No they are aqueducts to supply water to a very arid desert area.

The GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum)

January 11, 2025January 10, 2025ccouringtonLeave a comment

We were lucky to get to be some of the very first tourist to see the GEM the Grand Egyptian Museum, replacing the Egyptian Antiquities Museum . Some of the artifacts had not been moved yet so we visited both museums.

Commonly known as Rameses the Great, was an Egyptian pharaoh. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty.

Hieroglyphics in tombs, were used to write prayers and other inscriptions for the deceased the inscriptions were intended to help the deceased travel to the afterlife

Fan made from ostrich feathers, and a handle made from ivory from the tomb of Tutankhamun. 1332-1323 BC

Exploring the Wonders of Giza: A Journey to the Pyramids and Sphinx

January 10, 2025ccouringtonLeave a comment

Day 4 (Nov 1)

A guided tour of Giza was on the agenda for today. We stood in the shadow of the Pyramids of Giza. They are the only Wonder of the Ancient World to have survived into the modern era. Built to stand as tall as 480 feet, the Great Pyramid of Giza continues to amaze. It impresses with its size and construction precision. Several of us entered the Pyramid where you had to crawl and stoop to get to the main burial room. Once there, we posed for a picture in the burial area. Then, we made our way back out of the tomb. Riding a Camel at the Pyramids has been on my bucket list forever. Today I fulfilled that dream! The 4,500 year old Great Sphinx was next. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. It was carved from a single limestone bedrock.

The Eiffel Tower – Check off the bucket list

Image March 24, 2016April 3, 2016ccouringtonLeave a comment

I’ve seen hundreds of photos of the Eiffel Tower, in fact it is such an iconic symbol of Paris, that it is recognised world wide. But seeing it in person is awe inspiring. The shear massiveness of it is overwhelming. With the recent terrorist attacks the lights of the tower were representative of the Belgium flag. Security was heightened and the general atmosphere was security minded.

There are three levels of the tower. Ground, second and summit. Going up was pretty easy and fast. Once at the top the wind was powerful and pretty cold but there were so many people up there that movement was limited and slow. Step by step we made our way around the top seeing Paris in all directions and snapping photos along the way. Little did we know that the line to descend the tower was wrapped around the top three times and wound zigzagging forever. It took approximately 5-10 minutes to make it to the top but it took 45 minutes to get back down. Strange facts about the tower is that it was built in 1886 as a temporary structure for the World’s Fair. There is an apartment on the top floor. And several kings and queens from around the world were among the first visitors.