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Presidential Travel

Obama Takes The Pyramids of Giza Tour, But Skips Camel Ride

June 5, 2009 at 11:07 AM | 1 Comment

After a typical date night escape brought President Obama to New York City earlier this week, we can only imagine that he was all warmed up to play tourist on his Egypt jaunt.

He may be in Dresden today addressing issues of Holocaust denial, before he rounds out this week with a visit to the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Obama made sure to drop by Cairo University to deliver a hotly debated speech. Thankfully he brought his khakis and set aside enough time to day trip out to the Pyramids of Giza and the 600-year-old Sultan Hassan mosque. During a private visit to the Spyhnx, Obama even joked that were he a typical visitor, he'd get on a camel.

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Airport WiFi

King Tut, You've Got Mail

March 17, 2009 at 2:15 PM | 0 Comments

Need to check your e-mail before heading to the Pyramids? Let your stomach show the way at Cairo International Airport to free WiFi.

The airport's own Aviation Information Technology Company offers a free signal in the terminals, but the best signal is in the Terminal 2 food court. Just like in Santiago, no purchase is necessary to partake.

Eat up all the free bandwidth you want, but make sure to tell us afterwards.

Related Stories:
· Natural Wonders Travel: The Green Returns to Egypt [Jaunted]
· World's Greatest Train Travel: Olde Africa, Bathtubs Optional [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi Map [Jaunted]

Adventures of Link

How Many Pyramids Are There In Giza? Seriously?

October 29, 2008 at 4:45 PM | 0 Comments

Marriott is running an online contest right now that asks "How many major pyramids are located at Giza?" If you couldn't figure it out from the photo they show right next to the question, the answer is three.

The two previous questions in the game asked why they celebrate Carnival in Rio (to mark the beginning of Lent) and who officially opened the Sydney Opera House (Elizabeth II). Tomorrow's quiz is about Rome, and judging from the difficulty of the questions so far, we're throwing out these potential answers: The Forum, The Colosseum, Romulus, Julius Caesar, Trevi Fountain and Italy.

Related Stories:
· Marriott World of Rewards [Official Site]
· 3-D Models of the Pyramids for Google Earth [GEHacks]
· The Giza Pyramids World Heritage Site [UNESCO]
· Giza Pyramid Complex [Wikipedia]

[Photo of the famous Giza Pizza Hut: noaman]

Culture Travel

Natural Wonders Travel: The Green Returns to Egypt

July 29, 2008 at 9:18 AM | 1 Comment

In a desert land, water calls for a party: Get your tickets now for Cairo's Wafaa Al-Nil Festival, which celebrates the annual flooding of the Nile which irrigates fields and ushers in the season of akhet, or flood.

The ancient Egyptians used to celebrate the flooding by sacrificing young girls to assure a rich harvest. Nowadays, relics may be dumped in the water in Coptic ceremonies, but no person will have to go in if she doesn't want to.

And nowadays the flood coincides with the Cairo International Song Festival, for which composers and arrangers come from all over weekend to display their "wares" and compete for cash prizes.

Related Stories:
· Movie Set Travel: Jumper [Jaunted]
· Egypt Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Ahmed Abbas]

Movie Set Travel

Movie Set Travel: Jumper

February 15, 2008 at 8:51 AM | 0 Comments

Think of this week's pick, "Jumper", is like a "Quantum Leap" for this generation--and for the big screen. Hayden Christensen plays a young man, David Rice, who has a genetic anomaly and can be transported anywhere, anytime and be stuck doing anything. Rachel Bilson is along for the ride.

Rice soon discovers that this gift has been around for centuries, and that he's involved in a war between "jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill him.

This one was shot all over the place because that's what you get with being constantly transported. We've chosen to focus on a cool spot: Cairo, Egypt.

Where To Stay: Mena House Oberoi Once a hunting lodge for Khedive Isma'il, the Egyptian ruler, Mena House is the place to stay in Cairo. If you can splurge on a suite, this is the spot to do it; the larger of the 523 rooms feature period furniture and insane views of the Pyramids themselves. Don't miss the stunning gardens and four on-site restaurants. The only drawback? It's about 45 minutes from downtown so plan to stick around for the evening.

Where To Eat (and Be Seen): La Bodega The hot spot in town, La Bodega ain't your corner deli. It's the hipster hangout with elegant high-ceilinged rooms and homemade specialties from the kitchen including gazpacho and glazed duck. If you can't swing dinner, at least spend some time at the bar.

What to See: Pyramids at Giza About 45 minutes by bus from Cairo, you do not miss the pyramids, one of the seven wonders of the world. Revel in their sheer size and age, but be careful with the locals, hawking everything--aggressively--from cold drinks to souvenirs to tours.

Related Stories:
· Pizza Hut Delivers to the Sphinx [Jaunted]
· Movie Set Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Airport Security

Snakes and Crocs On A Plane

August 13, 2007 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

No matter how often we warn people that flying with crocodiles, chameleons or basically any animal is not really the best thing to do, there are always people out there who just won't take our advice.

Over the weekend, a young Saudi guy leaving Cairo was caught with snakes and crocs in his hand luggage, claiming he didn't know that transporting live reptiles was illegal. (Surely he'd wondered why normal people don't do it?) Along with a cobra that nearly slithered away, officers found no less than 250 baby crocodiles. That's a lotta reptile. We repeat again: leave your crocs in the river at home.

Related Stories:
· Reptiles Found in Saudi's Luggage [BBC]
· Travelin' With Crocs [Jaunted]
· Croatian Misunderstands Chameleons [Jaunted]
· Man Pulls Off Ultimate Feat: Sneaks Monkey onto Plane [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sapphiren]

Blogs

After the World Tour...

March 8, 2007 at 2:00 PM | 0 Comments

Dreaming at your desk about quitting for a round-the-world jaunt? Travel writer and comic book artist Marie Javins went around the world in 2001 without a single plane trip, relying instead on unmetered taxis, bike tours and the occasional walking stick. Her website for the trip, Marie's World Tour, contains some of the greatest travel-related dependent clauses ever, like "Ever since I had walked away from the Ethiopian truck accident..." from her November 29 entry. And it's worth noting her route, which included two nights in Almaty, Kazakhstan -- way before Borat was born. Marie's a trendsetter.

After a series of fantastic jaunts including a trip to Antarctica, Marie has settled down for the moment in Cairo (after all that, you can't just move to Podunk!), where her blog No Hurry in North Africa describes running into New Yorkers abroad and trying to plan her next adventure. Until she goes off and does it, you can relive her world tour online; its Africa leg is available in book form.

[Photo: Marie Javins]

Related Stories:
· No Hurry in North Africa [Official Site]
· Marie's World Tour [Official Site]

Mummies

Valley of the Kings Yields More Mummies

February 10, 2006 at 8:25 AM | 0 Comments

An intact tomb has been located in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. This is the first one to be found since King Tut's, discovered in 1922 just a few feet from the current site. Inside are five wooden sarcophagi containing mummies, as well as 20 jars that are still sealed. Most likely the tomb dates from the 18th Dynasty, some 3,500-3,300 years ago.

Related Stories:
·   Intact tomb found in Egypt's Valley of Kings [MSNBC]

Pyramids

Pizza Hut Delivers to the Sphinx

January 3, 2006 at 12:29 PM | 0 Comments

Ah, the Great Pyramids--one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Did you know that while you wait in line to climb inside one of the pyramids you can go to Pizza Hut right across the way?

One traveler took things to the extreme and had the Giza Pizza Hut deliver a pepperoni pizza and a Pepsi to the Sphinx.

Related Stories:
·   The Great Pyramids [43 Places]