Southwest Asia and Northern Africa Trip

     I just returned from my trip to Northern Africa and Southwest Asia, and it was amazing!  For the first part of my trip, I visited Egypt, in northeastern Africa.  I visited some incredible landmarks, fascinating museums, and large cities.  When I first arrived, I went to the capital city of Cairo, right on the Nile River.  I took a tour up to a hilltop overlooking the city, as I was brought to the medieval

Citadel fortress.  I ventured through the Muhammad Ali Mosque, constructed largely of beautiful alabaster.  The view of Cairo from the hill was absolutely breathtaking.  Later on, I moved on and visited the Great Sphinx of Giza, an enormous stone cat with a pharaoh's head.  The pyramids loomed over its head, but it was still an incredible work of sculpture to view.  Afterwards, I got closer to one of the most incredible feats of architecture in the entire world.  The gigantic pyramids made me feel small, and even though I was just a tourist, I couldn't help but wish I was exploring the inside.  I visited the Valley of the Kings, the valley containing numerous tombs, including King Tut's.  I was even able to walk through a few of the open tombs!  To end my visit, I went to the Egyptian Museum.  My favorite exhibit was the collection of Tutankhamen's treasures!

     For the second part of my trip, I settled back and vacationed in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.  I stayed on a beautiful man-made archipelago known as the Palm Jumeirah.  It's a series of islands that stretch out in the shape of a palm tree.  The best part was the fact that I got my own hut, not just a hotel!  On my first day, I spent the day at the Wild Wadi Water Park, a water park near my housing.  My favorite slide was the Jumeirah Sceirah, a body slide that dropped the floor out from under your feet.  My heart was racing the whole time!  The next day, I enjoyed the local architecture, especially the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world!  I felt like an ant standing next to it.  I was lucky enough to catch a Formula-1 race at the Yas Island Marina Circuit later that day, before I began making my way back.  On the way, I noticed a crowd gathering near the lake, so I stopped to see what was going on.  Soon, the water started dancing and shooting upwards to music, a choreographed show from the beautiful Dubai Fountain.  I returned to my hut to end one of the best trips I've had yet.