The Mediterranean Cruise Directory Egypt is “Misr” in Arabic. It occupies the northeastern corner of Africa, and is connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is bordered by Libya on the west, Sudan on the south, Israel on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Egypt has a surface area of 386,662 square miles, approximately the same size as Texas. The population of Egypt is about 75 million. Cairo, Egypt's capital city, has a population of more than 17 million. This great metropolis is the meeting place of Africa, the Arab world, Europe and Asia. Cairo is the most important city in the country and is the political, cultural, and economic center. The oldest part of Cairo lies in the vicinity of the Khan El Khalili Bazaar and Al Azhar Mosque. The modern part of Cairo was built by a descendant of Mohamed Ali, in the 19th century.  Today a sprawling city, with its ever expanding suburbs, surrounds this historic core.  The most famous mosque, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, was built in Cairo in his memory. Cairo is known as the city of a thousand minarets due to the profusion of mosques. In approximately 3000 B.C., a civilization emerged on the banks of the River Nile. It reached a stage of development and sophistication that none of its contemporaries surpassed. The ancient Egyptians' ability to organize society, keep careful records, and maintain the continuity and advancement of their civilization almost without interruption for 30 centuries set them apart from all other civilizations. A land of motion within the stillness of centuries, the silent felucca sails in contrast to the chaos and cacophony along the Nile. Among today's monuments are the world's largest textile mill, one of the highest dams, and the largest manmade lake. Yet, all the noises of construction, cries of street vendors, even the braying of donkeys, in ever-expanding Cairo are absorbed by the eternal quiet of the deserts. Egypt is a country with many secrets tied to its past. It is an explorer's land, with places to find treasures such as antiquities, gold or jewels. It is a place to see palaces and bazaars, where the real and the reproduced can be considered. It is a land where flowers bloom in the desert and in the underwater gardens. For those who can “drink the water of the Nile,” the rewards are magnificent.

Ed Perkins on Travel: It's a great time to cruise (San Jose Mercury News)
Currently, I see quite a few cruise deals -- especially on the mass-market lines and on the most popular routes -- starting at or even under the magic figure of $100 per person per day. And many of them cover sailings through April.

Cruise Deals: eCruises.com Offers Air-Inclusive Cruise Bargains on Norwegian Cruise Line Mediterranean Cruise Deals (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance)
Cruise the Mediterranean with air-inclusive cruise deals from eCruises.com onboard select Norwegian Cruise Line cruise bargains. Cruising from Barcelona, Spain onboard the Norwegian Jade, cruise rates start at $1,699 and include a Mediterranean cruise for nine to 12 nights, airfare from New York, NY; Boston, MA or Washington, DC (IAD) and transfers.

Fred Olsen Cruises from Scotland for 2009 (PRWeb)
Fred Olsen offers a choice of cruises from two Scottish ports in 2009 - Black Prince cruises out of Greenock (20 miles from Glasgow), during May and June, while Boudicca is based in Leith, Edinburgh, from late June to early August. (PRWeb Nov 27, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/cruises/scotland/prweb1674004.htm

Fred Olsen Cruises from Scotland for 2009 (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Fred Olsen offers a choice of cruises from two Scottish ports in 2009 - Black Prince cruises out of Greenock (20 miles from Glasgow), during May and June, while Boudicca is based in Leith, Edinburgh, from late June to early August.

Bargain Christmas holidays abroad (RTÉ News)
If you're the bah humbug sort who doesn't feel the need to spend the holidays with cranky relatives, if you've got leave days to use up before the new year, or if you just feel like doing something different for Christmas, December is a great time to take off and see the world.

Morocco film festival award goes to Russia's "Wild Field" (AFP via Yahoo! News)
The top award at the Marrakesh international film festival, the Etoile d'Or (Golden Star), has been given to "Wild Field" by Georgian director Mikhail Kalatozishvili.

Morocco film festival award goes to Russia's "Wild Field" (AFP via Yahoo!7 News)
MARRAKESH, Moroco (AFP) - The top award at the Marrakesh international film festival, the Etoile d'Or (Golden Star), has been given to "Wild Field" by Georgian director Mikhail Kalatozishvili.

Where's Gen. Patton when you need him? (WorldNetDaily)
And he [Ishmael, the father of the Arabs] shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his brethren.

Resident an eyewitness to history (The Pekin Daily Times)
Times correspondent PEKIN - Inez Dumville contends that's it is much easier to remember history when you've actually lived through it.

Last chance at low-cost Mediterranean cruises (MSNBC)
As fall ends, the Mediterranean cruise season comes to a close and Caribbean sailings get under way full throttle.