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egypt
Nawwart Masr
(Welcome to Egypt)
Like most young kids I'm sure, Egypt was always one of those destinations that fascinated me and I've always wanted to go. I remember my imagination running wild on treasure hunts, deciphering picture-coded language and dodging curses. So, when I got an offer to teach in Cairo for a summer in 2010 I jumped at the chance! And o.m.g., I loved it...
Modern Egypt can be a bit of an assault on the senses, but for me it's an amazing destination with a lot of variety. One minute you're clambering inside a 4000 year old Pyramid, the next you're diving in a magical real-life aquarium and the next you're drinking tea and playing backgammon in a backstreet cafe. Oh, and this only scratches the surface of possibilities!
This is my photo gallery from Egypt.
On our tour we will explore the culture, history and landscapes of Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Sinai and the Farafra Desert.
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Egypt (2010-17)
Shot on iPhone 6S
Photo taken by Diana Traslavina.
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where_is_waller Speak friend, and enter!
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Short on time?
Click thumbnails below to view gallery in slideshow format
Egypt - Giza (2017)
Egypt - Giza (2017)
Egypt - Giza (2017)
Egypt - Cairo (2010)
Egypt - Cairo (2010)
Egypt - Aswan (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Egypt - Aswan (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Kom Ombo (2010)
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Egypt - Mount Sinai (2010)
Egypt - Dahab (2010)
Egypt - Desert Trip (2010)
Egypt - Desert Trip (2010)
Egypt - Desert Trip (2010)
Egypt - Desert (2010)
Egypt - Desert (2010)
Egypt - Desert Trip (2010)
Or continue for full blog...
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Egypt - Giza (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/350 - f8
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where_is_waller Of course, where better to start our journey in Egypt than the majestic Pyramids.
where_is_waller
Egypt - Giza (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/350 - f8
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Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/350 - f8
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where_is_waller I just love the romanticism of this site. Forget the crowds, ignore the touts, go more than once and
leave your camera/phone behind on the first trip, and just allow yourself to disappear into the dream. Stand on the ridge
and imagine how the site looked to the Pharaoh's as it was being built, stare at the Sphynx and imagine them carving it
oh so carefully, and crawl inside the Great Pyramid as though you were the first to discover it... this is why you came here!
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Egypt - Cairo (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/30 - f3.2
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Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/20 - f2.8
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where_is_waller We're sat in the courtyard of a medieval merchant's house, admiring
the mosaic fountain upon which we're sat and the intricately-carved wooden Mashrabiya's
of the Harems above. In stark contrast to the noise and chaos of Khan Al Khalili market
just outside, all is quiet, and an old man robed in white stands over us, arms outstretched.
He starts to gently tap his sājāt (finger cymbols) together, gathering speed as that huge
Egyptian smile spreads across his face. The drums begin to pound and the horns begin to
blow and the evening spins out of control in a mesmerizing blur of colour and sound that
makes you not want to blink for even a second. Welcome to Tanoura...
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Egypt - Aswan (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/1600 - f4
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where_is_waller With the burnt-orange glow of a setting sun and a cool light
breeze sliding across the gentle waters of the river we launch from a rickety wooden
jetty in Aswan. In places the giant dunes drop dramatically to the water's edge, and
we watch the herons wading carefully in the reeds as we drift silently past ancient
monuments and local fishing boats. As our captain prepares a traditional Nubian
meal we take a swim in a 'safe' part of the Nile, and end the day singing a few songs
before we sleep outside on the deck of our traditional felucca on an overnight Nile
cruise.
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Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/30 - f3.3
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Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/100 - f5
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Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/500 - f5.6
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where_is_waller Egypt has certainly endured a rough ride these past few years and tourist numbers were certainly
down when we visited in 2017. Of course, for us there was an upside to this and I will never forget having Karnak temple
completely to ourselves for an least an hour and a half after it opened and enjoying a romantic picnic breakfast in the
Great Forecourt under the towering walls of the first and second Pylons and enormous pillars of the Great Hypostyle
Hall. Simply breathtaking...
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Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/250 - f8
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Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/1250 - f3.2
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where_is_waller Great smiles are always available in Egypt... for a little baksheesh,
of course...
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where_is_waller
Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 11-16mm: 1/125 - f8
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Shot on iPhone 6S
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Shot on iPhone 6S
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Nikon D7000 + 11-16mm: 1/250 - f8
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where_is_waller Another moment of tranquility, floating over the ancient temples in Luxor
aboard an early morning hot air balloon ride.
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Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 1/250 - f11
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Egypt - Luxor (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/100 - f5
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Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Shot on iPhone 6S
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Egypt - Kom Ombo (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/320 - f4
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where_is_waller Even the locals get 'templed out' and need a little nap it appears...
where_is_waller In all seriousness though, the tombs and temples of Upper Egypt cover such a
vast area that you need to (a) give yourself time and (b) plan your route and choose wisely which sites
you really want to see.
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Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 10 sec - f8
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where_is_waller Luxor Temple by night.
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Egypt - Mount Sinai (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/320 - f11
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where_is_waller It's a long uphill walk in the darkness to reach the summit of Mount
Sinai. You may not see any bushes burning and most of the enormous crowd scattered across
the peak waving their selfie sticks have most likely broken at least one of the commandments
that Moses received from God on tablets of stone, but it's a pleasant place to watch the sunrise
and the geological formations here are quite striking, which makes the climb worth the effort.
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Egypt - Dahab (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/1250 - f3.2
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where_is_waller You can have a camel for your birthday only if you promise to walk
him every day!
where_is_waller Actually what I think I like most about this picture is the fact that,
if you look really closely there is someone hiding behind the grey box behind the camel.
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Egypt - Black Desert (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/400 - f10
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where_is_waller Looking out across the landscape of the Black Desert.
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Egypt - White Desert (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/400 - f10
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where_is_waller Looking out across the landscape of the White Desert.
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Egypt - White Desert (2010)
Photo taken by someone...
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Canon EoS400 + 18-55mm: 1/500 - f20
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Egypt - White Desert (2010)
Canon EoS400 + 18-55mm: 1/250 - f10
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where_is_waller I laid my blanket upon the sand and lay quietly in the dark watching
the stars. I didn't realise I'd fallen asleep, but then neither had the others in my group I
suspect as they lay similarly dotted across the open dunes. But the night had not been still
for all, each of us having a perimeter of tiny footprints encircling our chosen resting spots;
the desert foxes had been curiously inspecting the intruders in their sandy kingdoms while
we slept.
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Egypt - White Desert (2010)
Nikon D70 + 28-105mm: 1/250 - f4
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where_is_waller The sun sets on our time in Egypt, a land full of wonderful stories
from the past and limitless adventures for the future.
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Egypt - Luxor (2017)
Nikon D7000 + 17-55mm: 8 sec - f8
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Have you been, do you live in, or are you from Egypt?
* Get in touch *
I return to Egypt often for work and would love to see your recommendations, photography or blogs from this amazing destination...!
Or, please feel free to share your thoughts below, follow me on Instagram, or share the love on FB
Ma’a Salaameh
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Page published: 13.09.2019
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