A traditional ger (Mongolian) or yurt (from the Turkic languages) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.
A Mongolian yurt, known locally as a ger, is a strong, portable tent-like structure that has been home to the nomads of Mongolia for at least three thousand years, and is able to withstand the harsh winters of this region.
The Mongolian Ger
The structure comprises an angled assembly or latticework of pieces of wood or bamboo for walls, a door frame, ribs, and a wheel (crown, compression ring), possibly steam-bent. The roof structure is often self-supporting, but large gers may have interior posts supporting the crown. The top of the wall of self-supporting gers is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band which opposes the force of the roof ribs. Modern gers may be permanently built on a wooden platform; they may use modern materials such as steam-bent wooden framing or metal framing, canvas or tarpaulin, plexiglas dome, wire rope, or radiant insulation.
THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
Before air travel became overly popular, it was easy to feel you were on the road less travelled. Since the development of the jet engine in the 1950s flying has become more commonplace, making it quicker and easier each year to see destinations you’ve been yearning over.
The Meroe Pyramids, sometimes referred to as the Nubian pyramids, are located along the banks of the Nile River in the lonely desert of eastern Sudan. There are nearly 200 known pyramids there, and they were built between 2,300 and 2,700 years ago, with many of the pyramids functioning as tombs for the royalty of the Meroitic kingdom.
However, that means everyone else has been able to get to those far flung destinations too. We all know the feeling of arriving and finding out that you are undoubtedly not alone. The unbearable throngs of people all trying to see that one monument, places bursting at the seams as unending streams of people flow in and out of its city walls.
Tour Leader & Staff News
To celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we have just assigned senior Tour Leader and destination specialist, Martin Charlton, to our iconic Egypt and Egypt / Jordan combo series for January 2017! This is where AA got it’s start, and Martin can’t wait to share one of his all-time favourite tours.
Tour Leader: Martin Charlton
Martin Charlton's tours
ACCOMMODATION UPDATE
Travellers on our very first foray into North Sudan this November (and three dates next year) will have the distinction of staying at Sudan’s first and only boutique style accommodation.
The Nubian Rest House is a small, boutique hotel located in Karima, in the northern part of Sudan. It is a short hike from Jebel Barkal, a small mountain approximately 400 kilometres north of Khartoum.
Located in the friendly northern town of Karima, the Nubian Rest House is an immaculate, well-placed, and sprawling property boasting a unique and traditional Nubian style, first-class amenities, stunningly landscaped grounds, and mouth watering regional meals. This comfortable lodge is the perfect base for our four-night, three-day exploration of the fascinating sites that make this place so special. Pamper yourself in Karima on this 17-day, three country odyssey!
NEW THINGS AND UPDATES
MAXIMUM 18
In case you missed it elsewhere in this issue, from 2017 onward, all of our tours will carry a maximum of 18 participants! Some of our special trips and walking tours might have a smaller maximum complement, but no tour will ever exceed 18.
Gulfoss waterfall (Golden Falls, in Icelandic) is Iceland’s most famous waterfall, and it plunges 32 metres (105 feet) in two spectacular drops.
SUDAN, DJIBOUTI & ETHIOPIA – NEW DATE ADDED
This one is flying off the shelves! For 2017 we will be offering at least three dates for this exciting new trip, including a NEW DATE running 05-21 Jan 2017, tour code SD1.
North Sudan, Djibouti & Ethiopia
SD1 | 17 Days | Details
Departure date: 05 Jan 2017
What A Site: Egypt's Saint Simeon Monastery
With our 30-year anniversary right around the corner, our minds turn nostalgically to our very first tour and one of our favourite sites of all time—Upper Egypt’s Saint Simeon Monastery. Not only is this a unique and fascinating place, the overall experience is further enhanced by our preferred means of accessing it—the venerable ‘Ship of the Desert’—the regal and iconic camel. We are also very pleased to be working with the descendants of the same local family, the Magdis, who have supplied camels to our groups since 1987!
Coptic Christians established the Monastery of Saint Simeon in the 7th century near Aswan in Egypt.
