Uchisar Castle – Cappadocia, Turkey

The Uchisar Castle is an ancient building dates back to the Byzantine Empire when it occupied what is currently Turkey.  It is located in the village of Uchisar, 5km from Goreme –the main tourist spot when visiting Cappadocia– and it was built as a fortress by the Byzantine army to shelter the town from any foreign attack.

As you can see in the picture, this is an ancient “castle” completely carved out of the rock. The rocks are riddled with tunnels and caves that serve as dwellings, as well as other habitable spaces, like churches.

From the top of Uchisar Castle, you can get stunning views of the surrounding landscape of Cappadocia and Goreme. Among the scenery, you can see the famous fairy chimneys that have made Cappadocia a must see destination in Turkey.

The fairy chimneys to the west, east and north of Uchisar were hollowed out and used as graves during the Roman period. Inside these rock cut tombs, the entrances which generally face west, are klines or stone slabs on which the bodies were laid.

Most of the castle looks like ruins today due to the effects of erosion.  The soft rock is what made possible the carving of the structures and the curious shape of the fairy chimneys, but it is also the weakness against the natural elements that cause erosion.

Eroded or not, this building is still an interesting sight and just the shape makes it look like something built for a Tim Burton movie.

This post was made possible by the generosity of Rome apartments.  If you are thinking of booking a Rome accommodation you should check them out for their great rates.  Our sponsor has provided a link for you to learn about cheap apartments in Rome.

Weekly Snapshot: Uchisar Castle is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

It is widely known the damage that poachers have done, and keep doing, to the elephant population (as well as other animals, like rhinos).  In an effort to save the baby elephants that are orphaned due to poacher’s attacks, the Sheldrick Trust takes charge of being their “adoptive mother” and taking care of them 24/7 – feeding them, making sure they are warm enough, or cold enough if it is too warm, playing with them, and giving them lots of love!

Visiting the elephant orphanage was definitely my favorite thing to do in Nairobi.  The orphanage is located about 30 minutes away by taxi (which cost me around 2000 Kenyan shillings roundtrip = $23).  There is a donation fee (or entrance ticket) of 500 shillings (about $5).  Considering the cost of taking care of one of those babies, this entrance fee is nothing!

The only time that is possible to see the elephants is from 11am to 12 noon.  This is the time when the keepers bring the elephants to a cordoned area to play, feed, and to show the public how well they are doing.

So, here I leave you with a few pictures taken at the orphanage:

Initially we were introduced to the youngest nursery elephants. These ranged from 2 months old to 1 year old. Too cute, I must say! Some of these elephants are coated with blankets to protect them from the cold morning weather, and the ones that are feeling hot, they already know what to do – splash themselves with mud found at the playing area.

They love to play with football/soccer balls.

Covering themselves with mud to stay cool under the harsh sun.

Nothing like a playful mid-day bath!

Look! I’m clean!!

You know how dogs love to scratch the grass after they’ve taken a bath? Well, apparently elephants do something similar!

While they are too young to feed on trees, their natural instincts don’t fail and tells them that this is something they will eat in the future. For now, they just play with the twigs.

Like any kid, they love to tackle each other and have fun.

While you don’t get to feed the elephants, if they get close to you, you can touch and pet them. But, just being there, watching them playing happily with each other and listening to their story, is quite a movie experience.

In addition, you can adopt them!  Sure, they won’t fit in your backpack, so they stay living in the orphanage until they are mature and strong enough for their release beck into the wildlife.  But, your donation ($50 per year) helps keep these elephants strong and healthy.

I even adopted my own elephant!!  Her name is Shukuru.  It is one of the youngest elephants that are still in the nursery stage.

A snapshot of my adoption certificate for Shukuru. Isn't she a cute baby!

When you adopt, the orphanage gives you an adoption certificate and information about the elephant you adopted, and they keep you up to date with its status.  Also, whenever you visit the orphanage, you can visit at any time you can schedule, so you can even see your elephant when it’s ready to go to bed!

And you know what’s the coolest thing about elephants?  It is true that elephants “don’t forget”, so even after being released into the wildlife, years later they come back to the orphanage to show the keepers how well they are doing and to show them they new baby elephants!  That is the cutest thing, and those are some happy elephants.

Visiting an Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

After over 12 hours of bus travel from Kampala, Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya (with no restroom stops!) I was feeling sick and weak.  Once in Nairobi, all I wanted to do was take a taxi to my hostel and disappear from this world.  It didn’t take long before I reached Khweza Bed and Breakfast, did my check-in, and headed straight to bed like a sick dog.

I’m not a high maintenance traveler and I always like to do things on my own, but this time I literally wanted to be taken care of (hey, it’s good to be pampered every once in a while!).

Khweza B&B was booked in collaboration with HostelBookers and turns out that their choice couldn’t have been more spot on.   Why?…

From the very first moment I was “taken care of”.  Since I arrived so early in the morning, I was offered breakfast, to be delivered to my room.  Yikes, I’m not used to this service, but at that moment that’s all I wanted (otherwise I would have had my meals at their roof top bar which has a pretty nice view of Nairobi’s skyline – by the way, I was surprised to see Nairobi has a skyline!).

I spent my first day in Nairobi sleeping and resting.  I didn’t know this at the time, but after talking to some of the staff I got to learn that Khweza is a Bantu (African) word that means “taking care of someone” or “to bestow upon”.  They certainly did Khweza me.

During one of my last days at the B&B, Paul, who works there, asked me if I had experienced Nairobi’s nightlife.  Um, no… So we made plans to go out after he finished his shift.  That Saturday night we went to Attitude, a nightclub in Central Nairobi.

The music was good and the nightclub was comparable to any nightclub in the US, just with slightly different music.  Though, I was surprised to hear Wisin Y Yandel being played there!  (Puerto Rican reggaeton singers)

After a while, and a few drinks, Paul asked me what is it that I do for a living, and how is it possible for me to travel.  He’s never been out of Kenya, but he dreams of seeing different parts of the world and often questions himself how could he do it, being an African living under the “African standard”.

I responded as best I could, but I felt that my answers wouldn’t satisfy him, since we come from such different backgrounds and environments.

Then he followed with, “Why can’t it be equal for Africans too?”  I had no straight answer for it since that is something that is well beyond my understanding, but I assured him that I sincerely wish that it could be equal for them too, because they deserve it just as much as we do.

“What is the secret of travel?”, he added.  I could only respond with, “There is no secret.  I know we come from two completely different environments, but if you want to travel, or reach any goal or dream you have, you must have a lot of determination, patience, perseverance, a plan, and work hard for it.“

I continued, “Even if it is minimal, try to make some sacrifices (in addition to the ones I’m sure he makes already), to be able to save little by little for his goals.”

He responded quite enthusiastic about it, but still, he added that right now what he makes for a living barely covers his basic needs.  I understood his position, as I’ve been there too.

“You need a lot of determination, so there must be a way you could accomplish this.  You are young and single, what if you sacrifice some of your time and get a second job, that way that extra income will help you cover the rest of your basic needs and save for travel.“, I replied, among other things, as a way of brainstorming  possibilities with him.

He thought about it, smiled as in approval, and the conversation ended there.

Anyways, my point is that determination and perseverance is universal.  No matter where you come from or what your background is, as long as you’re determined to reach your goals, and work hard for it, in time you’ll be able to accomplish and enjoy whatever that is that you desire in life.

Hopefully, we’ll see Paul as a traveler in a not so distant future.

Getting Khweza in Nairobi is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

It is said that Kampala was built on seven hills.  Somewhat true, but not completely accurate.  While the city of Kampala, Uganda was built on many more hills, there are 7 hills that do have a big prominence in the development of the city, and that today house some of the most important sights in Bugandan history.

The hills can be easily hopped on foot or by taking the very cheap matatus (public buses) or the crazy boda bodas (moto taxis).  Public transportation in Kampala is nothing short of crazy and fun!

So, this is what you’ll see when you go hill hopping in Kampala: (hey, we do island hopping, so why not hill hopping too?)

Kasubi Hill

This might be one of the most important hills since it is where the Kasubi Tombs are – a UNESCO site.  The Kasubi Tombs are where the previous Kabakas (the kings of Buganda – Buganda is the largest kingdom inside Uganda) are buried.

The tombs, originally built in 1881, are made out of straw thatched buildings with a conical shape, like a mountain.  Unfortunately, in 2010, a fire destroyed the main building in the complex, Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, where the four Kabakas are buried – no Kabakas were “harmed” by the fire.  It is currently under reconstruction.  Still, you can see great samples of the traditional Bugandan burial through the smaller, yet equal in construction style, buildings.

Mengo Hill

This is where the present Lubiri (Kabaka’s Palace) is located.  You can take a tour of the grounds and get to know about the history, but at the moment, the interiors are closed for the public.

The original Lubiri was destroyed in the May 1966 Battle of Mengo Hill.  Today’s building has a “westernized” architectural style with an Islamic touch.

This hill is very “political” since it also houses the Lukiiko (Bugand’s Parliament) and the Buganda Court of Justice.

Kibuli Hill

This is home to the Kibuli Mosque – one of the prominent religious buildings in Kampala.  It is interesting to note that Islam was brought to Uganda before Christianity, for this reason, it is very common to see mosques all around the city.

Namirembe Hill

Home to the Namirembe Anglican Cathedral.  This is Uganda’s oldest cathedral and it housed the first Protestants to arrive in the country – around 1890.

The brick red cathedral, also known as St. Paul’s Cathedral, is visible from much of Kampala, sticking out thanks to its impressive dome.

Lubaga Hill

The Rubaga Catholic Cathedral, also known as St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, is the most prominent building in this hill.  This is one of the most sacred buildings for Roman Catholics in Uganda as well as a top religious attraction.

The church houses the remains of the first African Catholic Bishop and the first African Archbishop of Kampala Diocese, Joseph Kiwanuka. The cathedral was run down in the years past, but was restored prior to the visit of John Paul II during his visit to Uganda.

Nsambya Hill

Of all the hills, this is the only one without a prominent single building.  Though, it is considered a landmark hill that houses a Cathedral, schools, and St. Francis Hospital Nsambya – a faith based non-profit hospital founded by the Little Sisters of St. Francis in 1903.

Kampala Hill

Last but not least there is Kampala Hill (also known as Old Kampala) – meaning “the hill of the impala”.

The imposing Gadaffi National Mosque is located in this hill. Idi Amin (the military dictator and third President of Uganda) began the construction of the mosque, but it was finished in 2008 with the funding of Colonel Muammar Gadaffi (hence its name).

This is the biggest mosque in Uganda, and t is said to be one of the biggest in East Africa – accommodating up to 50,000 people.

The prayer halls have some of the most detailed designs and most beautiful carpets you will find in an East Africa mosque.

The original plan called for a taller minaret that could be visible from all Kampala, but during construction, the pillar began to lean (like the leaning tower of Pisa), and had to be rebuilt at a smaller scale (53m tall).

Still, when you tour the Mosque, you can go up to the top of the minaret and have an impressive view of all Kampala (first picture in post).

Ready to hop though Kampala like an impala?

7 Things To See While Hill Hopping Kampala, Uganda is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

Upon starting my RTW trip, I was approached by Roomorama to give a try and review their booking platform and chosen accommodation.  I thought that it would be a great opportunity to try something different than hostels, so I gave it a go.

Roomorama is a site that is focused on making short-term rental transactions easy and secure.  Here you can find a place to stay, like a local, anywhere in the world, and at competitive prices.

Roomorama’s interface is pretty smooth.  You do a search based on your criteria’s –dates, location, and number of people– and Roomorama will show you all the apartments, hotel rooms, and other accommodations that are available.

From the search result, you will see some of them are “certified” and some not.  This is a way that roomorama lets you know that these “certified” locations have already a trusting relationship and a good standing.  And, from my experience, those were the hosts that replied the fastest and were most responsive.

The process is pretty simple, like if booking at any other hotel/hostel booking site, but with the exception that you have a degree of interaction with the host –through a series of messages– before you commit to stay at their place.

Now, here’s my biggest criticism to Roomorama – location.  When you do a search, let’s say in Patong Beach, Phuket, the results will show a map pointing the location of the accommodation.  The flaw is that this location is generic to the town.  The accommodation can be anywhere in Phuket, and Phuket is not that small of a town.

When I booked my room in Zanzibar, I assumed that my accommodation would be somewhere in Stonetown (the main town in Zanzibar) – since the location simply said Zanzibar, Tanzania and the map in Roomorama showed it to be in Stonetown!.  Um, not so accurate…  The accommodation was in the opposite side of the island, 45 minutes away from town!

Since this was Zanzibar, I didn’t mind much… the whole island is beautiful!

Now, onto my accommodation…

I stayed at Cristal Resort in Paje Beach.  I got there with public transportation, or dalla dalla, for the cost of $3.  It was pretty easy and straightforward to get there since they are located a couple hundred meters from where the dalla dalla drops you off.

Personally, I have to say that it is a great resort for the price paid per night.  My room, a bungalow facing the beach and literally just steps away from it, was a nice and spacious “honeymoon suite” with a simple, yet well put layout.

For the price of $49 per night (at the time of booking), I had this bungalow for myself, with breakfast and dinner included – and those were full, delicious meal!

I liked the fact that Cristal Resort was somewhat secluded in Paje Beach, yet not too remote; giving me the chance to walk along the beach to small restaurants, supermarkets, and other local shops.

Back to Roomorama…  Would I use their services again?  Sure I would, but I’d love for them to be more accurate with their accommodation locations.  I know that for security reasons they wont give the exact address, but at least a more targeted location (like a smaller sector, street, or given intersection) will help us decide better about our choices before having to ask the hosts about their location.

Having said that, I recommend checking out Roomorama.  The accommodations they have in their system have a really good quality/rate ratio.

Review: Staying in Paje Beach with Roomorama is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

Oia, Santorini 

While the island of Santorini is considered a beauty in general, there is one particular place that still rises above the rest – Oia.

Oia is famous for its beautiful sunsets, which can rival any sunset scenery form around the world.

In the evening hours, hordes of people arrive to Oia simply to watch the sunset. Every single restaurant, sidewalk, and open space is packed with people who just sit there to admire nature while performing the sun down act over the calm sea of the caldera.  Yes!  Santorini is an inhabited dormant volcano!

Oia is noted for its picturesque architecture, which is unique for its blend of relatively large medieval Venetian houses with small in-cave village homes – all sitting over the volcanic cliffs.

The towns and villages of Santorini, Oia not being the exception, are dotted with buildings that have been built after the 1956’s earthquake that destroyed most of Santorini. After the earthquake, towns were reconstructed in a way that newer buildings would be built on the cliffs so that all (or most) buildings (hotels, residences, restaurants, churches, etc) could enjoy the beauty of the sunrise and sunset with an uninterrupted view.

Now, this is a town that truly enjoys picnicking on sunsets!

Fun fact:  Supposedly, with 3000 years of use, the fishing docks at Oia are the oldest continually used docks in the world.  But, there’s still no concrete evidence to validate this claim.

This post was made possible by the generosity of Madrid apartments.  If you are thinking of booking a Madrid accommodation you should check them out for their great rates.  Our sponsor has provided a link for you to learn about cheap apartments in Madrid.

Weekly Snapshot – Oia Sunset is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

Let’s rewind a little bit…

My original plans for Africa were to start in Rwanda, not Uganda!   Through one of my travel hacking tactics, I managed to find a cheaper flight with Rwanda being a layover, instead of the final destination.  Success!  I’ll just do what I’ve always done with that technique… “miss my connection” and stay on my layover country.

Well, this time, it didn’t play so smooth when Brussels Airlines found out about my plan when they tried to make me check in my backpack.  I’ll resume the whole situation to: according to Brussels Airlines I’m committing fraud, and that my no means I can stay in Rwanda.  They even put someone to keep an eyen on me to make sure I didn’t miss that second flight.  What a rebel!

Now, let’s focus on the important stuff.  “What will I do in Uganda when I arrive there at midnight?”, was the first thing that crossed my mind.  I usually plan on the go or one country ahead, so I knew what to do in Rwanda, but not a clue in Uganda.

I just had to wait and see…

Once the plane arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, I got off, passed through customs, and went blank…

First thing I do is asking at the information desk what to do and where to go.  They tell me to go to Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda, one hour away.  KAMPALA?!  Ha! I didn’t even know I had to go there!

A taxi driver heard me asking for information and offered to take me to Kampala, for $40.  FORTY DOLLARS?!  “Isn’t this Africa?! Isn’t that outrageously expensive for this country?!”, those were the two ignorant questions that came to mind.

I didn’t have $40…  so I considering sleeping at the airport and get some form of public transportation in the morning.

Then, the unexpected happened.

A woman came close to me, after seeing my clueless face through the whole situation, and asked me if I needed help.  I didn’t know what to think, I had no idea who she was, but I simply replied, “yes”.

She reaffirms that I need to go to Kampala, because there’s nothing to do in Entebbe.  She asked if I had a place to stay, a way to get there, anything to do there… all negative.

She then offered her helping hand and offered to take me to Kampala since she was picking some people at the airport and was heading that way.

I accepted.

That’s when I thought, “Oh God, I just arrived to a country in a continent I’ve never been and know nothing about, and the first thing I do is jump on a stranger’s car.  Way to go Norbert!”.

But I went with my guts and happily went along with it.

On the way, we presented ourselves formally.  Norbert, meet Robinah Sarah.

She gave me a crash course on Ugandan culture and history, things to do, and where to stay cheaply.  She recommended me the best places to go, which companies to use, and how to catch the matatus and boda bodas (public transportation). We talked a bit about ourselves and other random topics.  We had an hour-long ride!

I want to mention that Robinah is the founder of a non-profit organization in Uganda called Set Her Free, which works to restore the lives of young girls formerly enslaved by the sex trades.

She talked briefly about how her organization serves as a home that provides not only food and shelter, but also formal education, technical training, counseling, medical care, mentoring, and resettlement opportunities.   She gives them all the tools they need to overcome that unfortunate child labor experience and to experience a positive transformation.

I was highly impressed and inspired by what Robinah is doing, so we exchanged contact and kept in touch (we still do).  Plus, in a caring way, she wanted to make sure I was alright!

Robinah might not have noticed –or maybe she did– but in one way, she did with me exactly the same thing she does with those women.  She rescued me in a moment of need and gave me the tools to be able to move along on my own.

I have to thank Robinah for my whole experience in Uganda.  Thanks to her I had a great experience around Kampala and doing the Murchison Falls Big 5 Safari.

It is people like her that have a great influence in how one experience a new destination positively and leave with the sense of wanting more from that place.  I really look forward to go back to Uganda…  and hopefully meet with Robinah again!

Stories From The Road: An Unexpected Welcome To Africa is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

1.  The US dollar is still king, even in this lousy economy

When crossing borders, make sure you have the full amount for visas and any other payments in US dollars.  There are a few borders (especially in Africa) that don’t accept their own currency as payment – only US$.  And, it doesn’t matter if you’re Australian traveling to Zambia… you might need US$.  Unfair, but true.

Otherwise, you’ll end up converting whatever currency you have at the border’s black market for outrageously ridiculous rates.  That one hurt me a lot!  Sigh…

2.  Always carry two credit/debit cards

This one I’ve also done for a while, but now I reinforce it.  Always carry two credit/debit cards.  Many banks, ATMs, or businesses don’t accept certain cards.  Or, maybe one of your cards magnetic strip isn’t readable on that specific ATM/machine.

You don’t want to be left out on the streets without any money, right?

3.  Read the small prints of your Travel Insurance… it’s more important than you think

You might have read about my iPod situation at the Pyramids of Giza.  Well, after going through all the trouble of getting a police report with the shadiest police officers you’ll ever see, and trying to find an official translator to translate the police report from Arabic to English; my insurance company told me, “nope, you’re screwed… we don’t cover that”.  I failed to miss that electronics are not covered.

So, find a good travel insurance and make sure you read every single small print and everything that’s covered and not.

4.  … and so is having a good first aid kit

This one I didn’t exactly learn on my RTW, but it is always useful.  Last year, when I fell from the Mayan pyramids of Copan Ruinas and cut open my knee, I had a cross-country emergency (crossing from Honduras to Guatemala… bleeding the whole 7 hours bus ride).  All, mainly because I didn’t have one common, yet important item in my first aid kit – butterfly Band-Aids.

So, make sure you have a well-prepared travel first aid kit.

5.  Always have a light jacket easily accessible

There are places where the day and night temperature can vary decently, with the day being pretty hot and the night quite chilly.  When taking a long bus/train ride, your jacket can be used as a nice pillow.

Also, why is it that overnight buses and trains are always freezing cold?!

6.  Always pack your rain jacket in an easily accessible pocket of your backpack

Can I tell you how many times it’s been sunny, and suddenly it starts pouring and my rain jacket is at the bottom of my backpack?  -_-

Lesson learned…

7.  When transiting long distances (train, bus, ferry) always have enough snacks and water for the duration of the ride.

I once took a 12 hours bus, from Kampala to Nairobi, that didn’t do a single snacks/toilets stop.  Enough said…

8.  Avoid getting scammed by comparing prices with one or a few locals around you

When riding public transportation that doesn’t have a clearly marked fare (like chicken buses, matatus, dalla dallas, and others), ask the locals on board how much they paid to have an idea of the fare.

Big mistake… asking the “fare collector” for the fare before you board (especially in Zanzibar!).  He will overcharge you three times the real fare… just because you’re a foreigner, or a mzungu (white folk).

9.  Use your smart phone as an interactive map and GPS

If you have an iPod/iPhone or other smart phone, before leaving your hotel/hostel to explore the city, load a map on the Maps app of your current location and the city.  Zoom it also while loading it so you can have the best resolution too.

Not only is it a pocket and “zoomable” map, but also, when walking in the city (even if you don’t have a wi-fi signal) in many occasions your smart phone can serve as a GPS to guide you through the city.

10.  Take a business card (with the address) of your hotel/hostel once you check in

Following along the previous point, but in a less technological way.  Always take your hotel/hostel business card with you to help you find the way back by asking locals where it is, with the card as a written backup (especially if it is not in your language).

When in Jordan, I stayed at this hostel located on one of the main streets of downtown Amman.  I got lost and found out that many people didn’t know where this hostels was (even when I asked two blocks away from it).  And of course, there was the language barrier.

If no business card is available, find out which is the closest landmark and use it as reference.

So here you have it… learn from my mistakes!

10 Useful Tips I Learned On My RTW… The Hard Way! is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

Boulders Beach – Simon’s Town, South Africa

Ever since I read Caz’s guest post on her overland travels in Africa and her time at Boulders Beach, I said to myself, “I HAVE to go there!”.  Not only is the place a uniquely cool beach, but also, I love penguins!

Wait, penguins, on a beach?!  Yup… Boulders Beach, located in Simon’s Town near Cape Town, South Africa, is the place where you can see penguins sunbathing on the sand, almost like if they were tropical birds.

These are African Penguins that settled there in 1982.  From a pair of penguins that year, we now have over 3000 penguins living on the beach.

The most interesting thing about this beach is not only the scenery that makes it visually unique – composed of huge granite boulders – but also the fact that you can lay on the sand, relax, and picnic there, and have hundreds of penguins as your beach companions.

While you can dip you feet in the cold water (yet slightly warmer than in the rest of the region), you can’t go in swimming.  This beach belongs to the penguins!  You can swim on the beach next to it, though.

There’s also an area named Foxy Beach, where there’s a newly-constructed boardwalk that takes you close to the hundreds of penguins and other birds relaxing on the beach, sand dunes, and vegetation.

Aren’t these penguins cool?!

This post was made possible by the generosity of Florence apartments.  If you are thinking of booking a Florence accommodation you should check them out for their great rates.  Our sponsor has provided a link for you to learn about cheap apartments in Florence.

Weekly Snapshot: Boulders Beach is a post from: GloboTreks.If you want even more inspiration for your next trip, sign up now to my FREE monthly newsletter. You will receive additional tips, advice, and updates on various travel related things.

The ancient Egyptian civilization is considered to be one of the most influential civilizations that developed many sciences and arts, including architecture.  Many of the most prominent structures, built over 4,000 years ago, still stand and conserve the detailed hieroglyphs that tell vividly the history of this empire.

So, if I would have practiced as an architect in ancient Egypt…

• My title would have been “Chief of Construction” and I would have been skilled in designing great religious, funerary, and public buildings.
• I would have been part of the elite and would have had a really close relationship with the pharaoh.
• My plans would have been drawn on papyrus or flakes of stone, and the change orders sketches (design changes during construction) would have been drawn on the walls of the project.
• Due to scarcity of wood in the desert, my two predominant construction materials would have been sun-baked mud bricks and stones (primarily limestone, but sandstone and granite stones were also commonly used).

One of the pyramids of Giza - Khafre's Pyramid. Here you can see the limestone structure, covered with "polished" limestone to create a smooth surface.

• If I were living during the Old Kingdom and forward, stones would have been reserved only for funerary buildings and temples, while mud bricks would have been used generally on royal palaces, fortresses, town walls, and other secondary buildings.  Houses would have been made out of mud brick too, but that would have not been a job I would take care of.
• Most of my most important buildings would have been close to the Nile valley, since it is the source of life (water).

Capitels at Karnak Temple showing the shape of an open Papyrus flower.

• My buildings would have had a lot of symbolic ornamentation, such as the scarab beetle, solar disks, other sacred animals such as Anubis the jackal and Horus the falcon, and plants like the papyrus and lotus (often represented in the column capitels).
• Although I would have known about the existence of the arch (from the fourth dynasty forward), all my monumental buildings would have been built with the post and lintel system.  Everything would have had flat roofs made of huge stone blocks supported by external walls and closely spaced columns.

Hieroglyphs inside Ramesses II temple in Abu Simbel. This is a scene depicting Ramesses showing no mercy towards his enemies.

• My monuments would have been like pieces of art and literature.  Most surfaces, including columns, would have been covered with hieroglyphs, pictorial frescoes, and carvings painted with vivid colors.  Hieroglyphs were not only for decoration; they were also used to record historic events, to cast spells, or to give instructions to help the deceased pharaoh navigate the underworld safely.
• Many of my temples would have been aligned with astronomically significant events such as solstices, equinoxes, and even the birth of the pharaoh, among other dates.  For this, the pharaoh would have been my aide and we would have taken all measurements in a sacred ceremony.
• During the Old Kingdom, my greatest challenges and masterpieces would have been in the shape of pyramids.  During the Middle Kingdom I would not have developed the architecture field too much, so no major masterpieces for me (a lot of beautiful art, though).  But, during the New Kingdom, I would have made my comeback with the grand temples and funerary complexes in Aswan, Luxor, and other places. (Between the Old and New Kingdom the construction of pyramids stopped, not because of grave robbers, as it is popularly believed, but because of construction costs.)

Hatshepsut's Temple in Luxor. One of the examples of New Kingdom temple architecture.

• My builders would have probably been slaves or farmer who badly needed a job during the farming off-season.
• As soon as my pharaoh was named, I would have started designing and building his tomb. Construction would not have stopped until his death.  This is why old pharaohs who reigned for a long time have bigger tombs and larger treasures buried with them.
• I would have been a master of measurements and optical illusions.  Many of my temples, like Luxor Temple, would have been tweaked too make them feel bigger, smaller, or taller than what they really are.
• Transportation of materials would have been quite a challenge.  All blocks would have been accurately cut by stonemasons at the quarry and left there until the flood season.  Then, barges would have transported them along the Nile.  When at the site, the blocks would have been hauled up with ropes and levers over a mud brick and dirt ramp.  Phew, that’s labor intensive!
• Accidents did happen often during construction, so I would have had a doctor at the construction site to help with any injury.  Hey, I would have needed them as healthy as possible to do a good job, even if they were slaves.
• My buildings would have had no mortar.  I had to plan everything carefully so every stone would fit perfectly in the design.

A sample of the mud brick ramps that was left at Karnak Temple. This pylon was left unfinished, so we can still see the ancient Egyptian construction method.

• Ever wonder how I would have built tall structures without cranes?  My workers would have piled the stones from the base, and as the wall or column got taller, a mud brick ramp would have been built around it to allow workers reach and carry stones up to the new height.  Then, when finished, the ramp would have been slowly dismantled, with artists carving and painting hieroglyphs from top to bottom.
• Since I would have used no mortar, all my buildings would have needed to be perfectly balanced and strong.  For this reason, the square and the plumb-line would have been my main tools and most of my designs would have been perpendicular in plan with slightly inclined walls (to make them more balanced by lowering their center of gravity).
• Maybe I would have joined the list of “immortalized” architects, like: Imhotep of the Step Pyramid complex, Hem-iunu of the Great Giza Pyramid, Senenmut of Deir el-Bahari, and a few others.
• Oh, and there was no competition in my field back then, so I would have been considered pretty exclusive and in some cases even commemorated with hieroglyphs and statues.

Luxor Temple - Here are three of the main elements often found in New Kingdom Temples: obelisk, pharaoh's statue, and pylon entrance.

• Do you have a favorite Ancient Egyptian monument?

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