Is Talking Through Technology Making You More Human? with Rana el Kaliouby

Moonplay in Egypt

  Moonplay in Egypt We were lounging in a felucca on the Nile River, ripples of eternal water lapping at the sides of this sailboat of ancient design. We were waiting, and some were getting tired of waiting. The tour guide—young, handsome, and rather sexy—and another member of the tour group—also young, attractive, and rather … Continued

Ascent of Sinai, Egypt

The sky was inky black, the stars glittering in the perfectly clear, cold morning. At four in the morning, the sun had yet to warm the barren wastes of the Sinai Peninsula. Instead of safely tucked into my bed at the small hotel at the foothills of the mountain, I was bundled into my warmest … Continued

To Cairo

My first glimpse of Egypt is from a dewy ship balcony at dawn. Sunlight peeks through lavender clouds and drizzles onto the blurry coast; a peaceful entrance into what is supposed to be a country suffering social upheaval. We dock in Port Said, which hosts what is by far the eeriest silence I’ve experienced in … Continued

The Truth About Travel to Egypt

Thank you to Halle for donating your book to the raffle for  our Inspiration Travel Writing Contest. YOU can decide the WINNER of our VAGABONDS CHOICE AWARD– Click here to VOTE now! And GET READY for our Independence Writing Contest with BIGGER Cash PRIZES starting May 11! HALLE EAVELYN INTERVIEWS MOHAMED NAZMY Things look bad … Continued

Books on the Bus: 130 Hours in India

During this sabbatical year in Asia, my husband, George, has inspired me to follow the road less traveled. Over the last seven weeks from Kolkata (Calcutta) to Mumbai (Bombay), we have spent nearly 130 hours on buses and trains traversing and learning about parts of the East and West coasts of India. During the 10- … Continued

The Real Sharm El Sheikh

It’s hard to imagine that twenty years ago, this thronging resort town was a windswept desert settlement, populated by nomadic Bedouin tribes and dominated by a vast, starred sky. The sky remains in Sharm El Sheikh and so do the Bedouin, but it takes a bit of digging to get past the tourist bars, entertainment … Continued

Nile River Cookies: Travel Tips Learned While Baking

On our current tour of Egypt, some members of our group asked for home-baked cookies. We were sailing up the Nile aboard our private cruise ship, the Afandina, so I asked our chef to take care of it. Since individual requests happen often (everything from raw food to vegetarian to a personalized birthday cake) I … Continued

Travel as a Lens for Reflection: Happy New Year!

A sunset at Falealupo, Savaii, Samoa. When I travel, I imagine that I am talking to strangers from a different culture and that I witness different lives to learn about those same lives, but in reality I always reach hidden treasures; insights into my own reality and dreams. Sometimes the action of travel teaches me … Continued

Climbing the Giza Pyramids

There is no reason to repeat the endless speculations about the pyramids of Giza that have circulated since the first visitors from Greece recorded their impressions 2000 years ago.  The gigantic stone structures were built, and they exist still.  These are the only two irrefutable facts. White stone originally encased the pyramids and they shined … Continued

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