Bernadette Simpson's Blog, page 9
November 7, 2010
F is for Festival! Photos from the Characters of Egypt Festival
A slideshow of photos from the recent Characters of Egypt Festival held at Wadi el Gemal National Park, just to give you an overview. I promise to post other photos, alphabetically of course, and with more info…soon, inshallah! If you can't wait, you can visit the set on Flickr where you'll at least see larger images and captions.
November 3, 2010
W is for Wadi El Gemal National Park
A glimpse into Wadi el Gemal National Park
Wadi el Gemal (Valley of the Camels) was declared a protected area in 2003 and was the location for the recent Characters of Egypt festival that we attended this past weekend (more on that later). I am already planning a return trip to this beautiful park!
Located along the southern Red Sea Coast of Egypt Wadi El Gemal National Park encompasses some of the most endangered habitats and wildlife, both marine and terrestrial. The Ababda, the dwellers of this region, are an ancient people with a rich and colorful heritage which is also endangered. The park is also known for "the emerald mountain" which was the only source of emeralds within the Roman Empire. The ancient sites which were used for hundreds of years exhibit a wealth of antiquities ranging from roads to watering stations, outposts, residential settlements, temples and others. More info here.
Well worth a visit, this park also boasts amazing park rangers! They are knowledgable, passionate, and available to guide visitors through the park while providing information about the local people, flora, fauna, geology, and more! And if you are interested in discovering more about the plants in the area, I highly recommend Tamer Mahmoud's Desert Plants of Egypt's Wadi el Gemal National Park.
Check out these resources to learn more about the park:
Discover Wadi el Gemal National Park (PDF): Sites of Interest from the Mountains to the Sea
November 2, 2010
T is for Taba
Taba – as seen from Salah el Din's fortress on Pharoah's Island, just south of the city. Located in Sinai, Taba lies on the border with Israel. The Sinai peninsula was returned to Egypt after the peace treaty with Israel was signed in 1979. However, Israel felt that Taba lay outside the jurisdiction of the Camp David Accords and it took 10 years before control of Taba was returned to Egypt. Today, it is a popular holiday destination for both Israelis and Egyptians, as well as foreign tourists. Many Egyptians traveling from Cairo stay at Taba Heights, a huge resort complex.
(And if you happen to find yourself in Taba Heights and would like a paperback copy of my book, head to the Sea Club store at the dive center.)
November 1, 2010
Giveaway Winners Chosen!
Congratulations to the 5 lucky winners – Heather, Aimee, Christine, Scoot, and Jennifer! You should have received an email with a download link for the file. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and to Kathy from I'm a Reader, Not a Writer for organizing the book blog hop.
The Spooktacular Giveway winners were chosen with Random.org's random number generator.
October 24, 2010
Spooktacular eBook Giveaway and Blog Hop!
To celebrate my favorite month – October – and my favorite holiday – Halloween, I'm participating in the Spooktacular Book Blog Giveaway Hop! While this is neither a book blog nor a spooky book, it's still a great chance to win a copy of An ABC Escapade through Egypt eBook and to learn about other book bloggers and enter to win their giveaways, too.
An ABC Escapade through Egypt
written and published by Bernadette Simpson
Nonfiction, Children's, Travel/Culture
Reading Level: Ages 8 + (or younger for reading aloud)
The eBook was designed with teachers and technology in mind. It has been tried and tested by teachers around the world on SMART Boards, Promethean Boards, PC projectors, laptops, and iPads. But, of course, anyone with a computer and a PDF reader can enjoy this electronic escapade through modern-day Egypt. On the companion website, teachers and parents will also find Teaching Tidbits, including ideas for lessons and extension activities, lists of children's books related to Egypt and the Middle East, and more. You can also Explore Egypt further and view more photos and videos, recipes, stories, and useful links related to the 26 topics discussed in the book.
So, how can you win 1 of the 5 eBooks being given away?
First, the giveaway is open internationally. All you need is an email address.
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post before the giveaway ends on October 31st.
For a bonus entry, become a fan of the book's Facebook page.
Winners will be chosen randomly and will be notified November 1st. A download link to the eBook will be sent via email.
Hop away:
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (US/Int)
My Reading Room (US/Can)
A Cozy Readers Corner (US/Can)
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Why Not? (US/Can)
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Escapade through Egypt (US/Int)
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October 15, 2010
F is for Fakahani
Fakahani (فكهاني) is the Arabic word for "fruit vendor". This stall in Ma'adi had your typical selection of summer fruits – guavas, apples, peaches, oranges, mangoes, melons, bananas, watermelon, grapes and figs. Most of the apples are imported and the bananas hanging here are imported ones as well, which was disappointing because there's nothing quite as tasty as a local Egyptian banana!
October 12, 2010
Characters of Egypt: Festival of Tribes
Okay, I don't actually have any photos to post – yet – but I am sure I will have a whole alphabet of new photos and topics when I return from the Characters of Egypt Festival at the end of this month! Hosted for the third time at Fustat Wadi el Gemal National Park, the festival is taking place on October 29, 30, and 31st.
The goal of the festival is to provide a meeting opportunity for representatives of the various tribes that have inhabited different corners of our deserts for thousands of years without previously encountering one another.
There will be music, dancing, storytelling, poetry, camel races, games, food, sports, and more!
In celebrating the diversity which weaves Egypt's unique fabric, Characters of Egypt creates an opportunity for all attendees (tribesmen, Cairenes and foreigners) to engage with one another, as all connect through an energizing spirit that revives, replenishes and reveals the splendour of mankind.
Last year 21 tribes were represented by tribesmen from Matrouh, Siwa, Farafra, Aswan, Marsa Alam, the Eastern Desert, North Sinai, and South Sinai.
All these tribes have certain elements in common, but are richly diverse in their languages, customs and ways of life, reflecting the wide variety of environments in which they live across the land and the spectrum of cultures to which they relate.
There is not yet confirmation of who will be attending this year or what the specific schedule is for daily events, but either way it is sure to be an unforgettable experience. So if you're free the last weekend of October, consider attending this special event!
October 4, 2010
S is for Sporting Club
Sporting clubs are the place to be – for those who can afford the fees – on weekends, after school, and especially on holidays like the one coming up (6th of October). The clubs offer various sporting facilities and training – swimming, football (soccer), tennis, water polo, gymnastics, weight lifting, track and field, karate, squash, hand ball, and more! This is a photo of one of the entrances to the Ma'adi Sporting and Yacht Club, which opened in 1921. While I much prefer swimming in the sea, I do miss sipping the LE 1 lemon juices in their green gardens!
September 21, 2010
Book Giveaway!!
5 lucky winners will win a copy of An ABC Escapade through Egypt!
1 hardcover and 4 eBooks are up for grabs at
Squeaky Clean Reads from September 20th to September 27th.
So, if you live in the U.S. or Canada, hop on over and enter to win.
September 16, 2010
Mango-licious!!
Mmmmm….mangoes!! Another of my favorite summertime fruits, whose season, sadly, is on the way out. Just past the Smile petrol station after the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel under the Suez Canal (when driving from Sinai to Cairo), there is often a stand selling fruits grown in the Ismailia region. I can't recall the varieties we bought this summer, but there were quite a few. Mountains of Mangoes was, of course, my topic for the letter M in my book. Visit my website for more info and links on this...
