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Egypt Middle East 2011/12

The Craziness That is Cairo

It was after dark when we pulled into a bustling square. One of my companions turned to me and said, “Cairo, dude, can you believe it?” I really couldn’t. I mean, just 10 hours earlier we were in Israel and I was headed to Jordan. But, what can I say? I like to make travel […]

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Israel Middle East 2011/12

Leaving Tel Aviv: My Experience Through Airport Security at Ben Gurion

Israel is big on security. Think about it and you’ll totally get why. It’s something that is nearly impossible to miss on a daily basis. They’re also fairly notorious for their rather difficult border crossings, particularly if you have one of many potential “suspect” stamps, primarily from any Arab country. After 6 weeks in the […]

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Jordan Middle East 2011/12 Photos Travel Tips

Hiking Petra: How To Experience the Best of the “Rose-Red City”

What pops into your head when you hear the word Petra? The “Rose-Red City?” Perhaps a certain building that was featured in “Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade?” That’s the Treasury (also called Al-Khazneh), a jaw dropping sight. You get the first glimpses as you emerge from the seemingly never-ending Siq, a sort of canyon […]

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Israel Middle East 2011/12 Palestinian Territory Photos Politics

Photo Essay: Graffiti on Bethlehem’s “Security Wall”

Bethlehem and Jerusalem are practically neighbors. The trip from Jerusalem’s Old City takes no more than 10-15 minutes. At least it would if you didn’t have to cross “The Wall…” Israel‘s 8-meter (26 foot) high “Security wall” separates Israeli-controlled Jerusalem from the fully Palestinian-controlled areas of the “West Bank” (or, as one Palestinian said to […]

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Crazy Road Trips Egypt Israel Jordan Middle East 2011/12 Travel Stories

Leaving Egypt: The Day I Thought I Might Get Kidnapped

“Where you go? Nuweiba?,” the man asked. “No, Taba,” I replied from the back of the jeep that had ferried me from my beachside hotel to the bus station. “Taba, 250 pounds,” he said. I balked. “Okay, 180 pounds.” I balked again. “I go to Nuweiba anyway and I take you there for 50 Egyptian […]

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Egypt Middle East 2011/12

Dear Egypt: You Ruined Luxor For Me

You know how you can kind of hate a place that everyone just loves? A place whose historical significance and grandiose sights makes it a “must see” on everyone’s itineraries? A place that you feel guilty not liking? Luxor, Egypt is such a place for me. Home to the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes, Luxor […]

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Egypt Middle East 2011/12 Photos

Photo Essay: Coptic Cairo’s Unique “Hanging Church”

Cairo’s an incredible city. It’s a fascinating breed of sheer chaos. I mean, how many places can you go where you can openly buy a Taser right on the street? Aside from experiencing the energy of the metropolis (and visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza), I had no plans when I arrived there. After all, […]

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Crazy Road Trips Egypt Middle East 2011/12 Travel Stories

Scammed at the Pyramids of Giza: How You Can Avoid Being Bamboozled!

Cairo traffic is surreal. It seems to be the one place in Egypt where the maniacal drivers that roam the roads of this fine country grind to a screeching halt, as the traffic creeps along at snail’s pace. It was with this knowledge that I, and my band of North American misfits that I had […]