| This
page is dedicated to housing the various video clips
I upload to the blog. There are videos here from all
over the world, of beaches, scuba diving, ancient wonders
of the world, aerial views, natural events and phenomenon,
and much more. I hope you enjoy them. |
Humor > International Business Mistakes: Pajero Truck (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-11-19 |
 I was looking out the window while riding on a bus in Shenzhen, China and saw one of the funniest names I have ever seen on a car. Obviously, no one at Mitsubishi speaks Spanish, because if they did, they would not have called this truck Pajero. I would love to tell you what this means in Spanish but my upbringing prevents me from doing so in public... {more} |
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Humor > French BeatBox on Chinese Video Site
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-08-10 |
 While in China a friend of mine sent me this great link I had to share with you. This is really amazing and have no idea how a human being can make these kind of noises. You have got to check this out: http://www.video.qq.com/videopl.htm?v=1NBNcc1qLYu {more} |
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Green Trends > 2007 Earth Day Festival at Memorial Park in Pasadena, California (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-04-21 |
 Here's a short video of the 2007 Earth Day festival at Memorial Park in Pasadena, California. A few things missing from this video are the Phoenix Electric Vehicle, the Kiddie Protest and the clip with the Path To Freedom House people. I didn't include those since I have separate videos for those already on YouTube. Check 'em out! {more} |
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Gary In China > A Soft Sleeper Train to Beijing from Guilin in China (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-03-14 |
 Have you ever wondered what the inside of a train in China looks like? Here is a short video of a sleeper car taken during a ride to Beijing from Guilin. Sorry, the room has been used so its a little messy but you get the idea. In the video you see the hall in the sleeper car, my room with 4 beds, two on each side, which not only shows the beds, but where the electrical plugs are, the switches, the area to put your bags and even the foot handles to help you climb up to the top bunks. The bathroom is also shown, the hot water dispenser, and a very short clip of the adjoining hard sleeper car.
{more} |
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Gary In China > The Old City of Dali, Yunnan, China (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-03-07 |
 Here is a quick video shot walking mainly down Fuxing Lu in the old city of Dali, in Yunnan Province, China. {more} |
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Gary In China > Sand Dunes at Cresent Moon Spring in Dunhuang, Ganxi, China (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-27 |
 Here is a quick 360 degree video taken from the top of one of the sand dunes of Mingsha Shan, or Singing Sands Mountain, directly in front of the Crescent Moon Spring in Dunhuang, Gansu Province in China. The video was shot on February 26th, 2007, there is snow in many places and half the spring is frozen so you can just imagine how cold it is. However, when you're hiking up, you get so hot and sweaty that you convince yourself it is a good idea to take off your shoes so they don't get full of sand. When you finally calm down after reaching the top you start to realize how cold it is. {more} |
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Gary In China > Fireworks on the 5th Day of the Spring Festival from Urumqi (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-22 |
 Although it is the fifth day of the Spring Festival and I am in Urumqi, which is an autonomous region of China, there does not seem to be any letting up of the festivities. At least not when it comes to fireworks. They really must be cheap here because I find it amazing how many of them are constantly going off. When I buy fireworks in the states, I am lucky to get a good five minute show. This video is shot from the 7th floor of the Xin Rong Hotel between the hours of 9pm and midnight Beijing time and edited for the sake of your time. It kind of sucks because you hear them constantly but being in the hotel room, you can only see the ones right in front of you. By the way, here are a couple of interesting bits of information about travel during this time of year. Yesterday alone there were over 3.8 million people riding the rails and that number is expected to be 4 million riding the rails on Friday. In addition, there were 33 million people on the buses today! {more} |
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Gary In China > Video of the Fireworks on the Eve of the Chinese New Year 2007 - Year of the Pig
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-20 |
 I found this video on YouTube of the fireworks going off on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2007, taken from the 26th floor of an apartment building in the suburbs of Beijing. I think it compliments my video very well because it gives you a birds-eye view of what was happening all over the city (and the country for that matter). {more} |
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Gary In China > Ringing in the New Year on Wo Feng Bridge at Baiyunguan Temple (White Temple) (Photos & Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-19 |
 During the Spring Festival, people here in China pour into the streets, primarily at the Miao Hui's or temple fairs; however, there is only one Miao Hui that can say that it is still held in a temple. that is the Baiyunguan Temple Fair at the White Cloud Temple. The main reason for the visiting this temple is apparently for prayers and the wishing of good luck for the coming year as you can see from the videos and pictures I will be posting over the next few days. Here are some pictures and a video of one such good-luck-wishing event at the temple; throwing coins (50 coins for 10 yuan) at a bell on the Wo Feng Bridge. {more} |
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Gary In China > Rubbing Pot for Good Luck at Baiyunguan (White Cloud Temple) (Pictures & Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-19 |
 Another interesting thing people seem to do for good luck is rub this ornate pot at Baiyunguan (aka White Cloud Temple) here in Beijing. As I mentioned in previous posts, the miao hui (temple fair) held at this Taoist Temple is actually the only miao hui that is still held at in a temple. That seems to explain why the crowds lining up at the door here are primarily visiting to make prayers and to perform the many rituals for bringing good luck. I found this one interesting as it involves approaching the pot with your eyes closed. Everyone seems to have pretty good aim, and for the most part, they all hit it dead on... I wonder if anyone peeks? {more} |
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Gary In China > Ditan Park Miao Hui Beijing China 2007 (Photos & Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-19 |
 The miao hui at Ditan Park definitely seems to have been the most crowded one of all. The Beijing International Spring Carnival may have had more people but it was more spread out so I really couldn't say which was bigger. One thing I've noticed that these things is that food is huge. It seems to just be a place to eat a lot and then walk it off while doing a little shopping. It's pretty tough getting through the crowds. I always have a backpack with me wherever I go and I must say it was pretty difficult to get around with it on. Unless you really need something, I suggest leaving it at home or at your hotel. I hope you enjoy the video and this collection of pictures. It should give you a great idea of what a Spring Festival celebration is like in China. {more} |
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Gary In China > Year of the Pig ~ 2007 Chinese New Years Eve Celebration ~ Beijing, China (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-18 |
 Although I accidentally deleted by favorite clip of the evening, I shot over an hour more of the celebrations that took place on the streets of Beijing near the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Wangfujing districts. Take a look at this 10 minute inside look at how China welcomed in 2007, the Year of the Pig, on the night of February 17th, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. {more} |
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Gary In China > Beijing Chaoyang International Spring Carnival 2007 ~ Beijing Chaoyang Park (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-18 |
 During the Spring Festival there are many events that take place. Traditionally, Chinese people go to the miao hui, which means temple fair or market. The Beijing Chaoyang International Spring Carnival that took place on February 18th, 2007, the Chinese Lunar New Year, in Beijing Chaoyang Park is basically a much bigger and carnivally version of that. Although it is definitely not my style, I can see how it can be appealling to many people, especially expatriates or other foreigners staying long in Beijing away from home. Unlike other miao huis, which I hope to share with you as well, this one is chauk full of international entertainment. You will notice too how the crowds at the various gatherings is quite different. {more} |
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Gary In China > Videos From the Top of Moon Hill near Yangshuo, Guilin, China
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-17 |
 Here are a couple of videos taken from Moon Hill. The first one is from the Lookout at the official "top" of Moon Hill. You can see at the end of the first one where I climbed to in order to shoot the second video. I will be posting pictures later that will show how I got to the real top of Moon Hill, however, I was told that the various illegible signs said No Admittance. At that point there are no steps and only a harsh and difficult trail so I do not recommend the climb for everyone. You can hear from my panting in the second video too that i was pretty out of breath by the time I got up there. {more} |
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Gary In China > Yangshuo Tour Guide Singing a Song in Local Zhuang Language (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-16 |
 When traveling throughout China there is no way to avoid noticing the vast number of ethnic minority groups. Although the Han Chinese officially make up more than 90% of the population, there are 55 other ethnic groups officially recognized by the government. Here is a video clip of a tour guide in Yangshuo named Shirley who was nice enough to sing a song for us in her local Zhuang language. You may find this song familiar. I also used it on the bamboo rafting video I posted yesterday. If you have a chance to visit Guilin or Yangshuo, I would strongly recommend getting in touch with her as she is very nice and very helpful. She works at the travel desk in the lobby of the Yangshuo Regency Holiday Hotel on West Street (Xi Jie) or can also be reached on her cell phone at: 13457360321 {more} |
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Gary In China > 360 Degree View from Dragon Bridge on the Yulong River, Yangshuo, Guilin, China (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-10 |
| Here is a short video clip taken from the top of Dragon Bridge on the Yulong River in Yangshuo, China. For more pictures from here, click here. {more} |
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Gary In China > A Bicycle Ride from Yangshuo, China down the Yulong River - A 3-Part Series of Photos and Videos
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-09 |
 Today I had the priviledge of experiencing one of the most amazing scenic activities one could possibly engage in, taking a bicycle ride from Yangshuo to the nearby Yulong River. A popular activity here is riding a bamboo raft down the Yulong River. Although I plan to do this as well, today I thought it would be best to get to know the terrain a bit and just ride as much as I could. Although I eventually made it to a very nice spot at the river, my desire to take the road less traveled got me lost many times through the fields of some of these small farm villages. {more} |
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Gary In China > Baomo Park in Guangzhou China ~ Chinese New Year Preview Show (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-08 |
 I was extemely lucky to have been visiting Baomo Park on the day that I did because they happened to be performing a rehearsal show of the Annual Spring Festival Show. The Guangdong TV station and various other reporters were also there to report on the event. It was definitely an interesting experience and quite the teaser for the up-and-coming New Years show. {more} |
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Gary In China > Baomo Park in Guangzhou China ~ Sneak Peak of their 2007 Chinese New Year Show - Part 2 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-08 |
 Here's Part Two of Baomo Park's Sneak Peak of their 2007 Chinese New Year Show. {more} |
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Gary In China > View of the World Famous Bund in Shanghai from Pearl Park in Pudong side of Huangpu River (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-02-06 |
 Due to popular demand, I post next a short video clip of a view of the world famous Bund in Shanghai taken from Pearl park in the new Pudong side of the Huangpu River, or Huangpu Jiang as it is known in Chinese. Shanghai, like any major city, is huge; not only in size but also in population reaching almost 10 million, so keep a look out for more videos from this city, its people and places. I will be returning here, what many call the Paris of the East and a city which is set to become a major global financial center, in March as well so I will have plenty to show you. As you can tell from this video clip, there is not much Chinese architecture here. In fact, all you really see on this strip of coastline are remanents of China's colonial rule and the days of British and French control in China trade and finance. {more} |
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Gary In China > Gondola-Style Through a ZhouZhuang Canal (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-01-31 |
 Just 30 kilometers away from Suzhou, a place many refer to as Venice of the East, and a one-hour bus ride away from Shanghai, ZhuoZhuang is definitely a nice place to spend the day. Although I have more video I will be adding later, I thought I would share with you this quick two-minute clip of a small boat ride, gondola-style, taken through the canals of this ancient city. {more} |
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Gary In China > Chinese Money (Videos)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2007-01-25 |
 If I had to pick one thing that I think is on everyone’s minds when they think about China, I would have to say money. Whether it is that China is taking jobs/money, it is keeping its money artificially undervalued, it is attracting investment/money, or that it can help make you money, everyone is thinking about China and money. For that reason, I thought it would be a good idea that my first set of videos be about money. So, here it is, a collection of free videos explaining a few useful things about Chinese money; a must see for anyone thinking about spending money while in China. {more} |
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Houston, We Have a Problem > Testing Done on the Food You Eat Everyday (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-08 |
 There is testing being done on the food you eat every day that you need to be aware of. For the health of yourself and your loved ones, please watch this video. It is short and it may save your life. {more} |
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Houston, We Have a Problem > If We Could See The Gases, The Cause of the Problem Would Be Obvious To Everyone (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-08 |
 This is an excellent video about the causes of global warming and what it is doing to the planet. {more} |
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Humor > Dalmation Riding a Bike (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-07 |
| They say you never forget how to ride a bike. I wonder if that goes for dogs too. {more} |
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Humor > Superman Meets Wonder Woman in the Invisible Plane (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-07 |
| Just a little something to make you laugh on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. {more} |
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Humor > Emo Philips: Religion (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-07 |
| Ok, this is the last one for today. I promise. Click here to watch Emo Philps discussing Religion. {more} |
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Great American Boycott 2006 > Great American Boycott 2006 Videos
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-05-01 |
| The Great American Boycott of 2006 was an absolutely amazing event. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to stick around for the followup at McAurthur Park but I saw plenty at City Hall. It is unbelievable how many people were out in the streets. I had never seen so many people in one place. I had also never seen such a true demonstration of what it means to be an American. Hundreds of thousands of people today joined together to stand up for what they believe in. As you can see from the videos and photos there were tons of people. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Deir el-Bahri, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut - Luxor, Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-26 |
 Sorry I have not posted in a while. Now that I am back home I have a big mountain
of things to tackle. Don't worry though, I have not forgotten about the site
and putting up the remainder of the photos and videos. Ths next temple is
one of my favorites. Deir el-Bari, which means Northern Monastery in Arabic,
is the Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut,
the
only
woman ever
to reign
as a Pharaoh
over
Egypt. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > The Temple of Seti I at Abydos and the Temple of Hathor at Dendara, Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-13 |
 Taking a trip out to visit the Temples at Abydos and Dendara in Egypt is a must for
anyone visiting the Luxor region. It is
a
little more difficult than heading out to the others, except maybe Abu Simbel,
but the trip is well worth it, especially after seeing Abydos.
To get
to
the two temples, you need to take a taxi, mini-van or tour bus at the designated
times. If you want to see both, the convoy leaves at 10 am. Or you can leave
at 2 pm to see only Dendara. But I strongly recommend catching the morning
convoy and seeing them both. The
reason
you
must
leave
at
the
designated
times
only
is
because
all
tourists going out to this region are required to have a military escort, for
your protection of course. The day we had originally planned to see the two
temples, we arrived late to the convoy and were told that we would have to
wait until
the next day. After telling them that we really wanted to see the temples that
day (only because we wanted to see if any other options were available), we
were told that we could go talk to the police and ask them if we could get
a private
escort. So, out of curiosity, we were off to see them. Luckily, the tourist
police station is right next to the Tourist office so we did not have to go
very far. If you would like to read about our experience asking the luxor
police for
a private escort, I have added it at the bottom of this page for you. Ok, back
to Abydos. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Scuba Diving at Ras Mohammed in the Red Sea, Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-05 |
 As a scuba diver, there was no way that I could have visited Egypt and
not gone diving at
Ras
Mohammed. For some unknown reason, just the idea of scuba diving in the Red Sea
at a place, whose name translated into English is Head of Mohammed, was intriguing
and
instilled
a
sense
of
adventure. While on my way to the dive sites with Oonas
Dive Club from Sharm el-Sheihk (a great dive club by the way), I shot
this
video
to
give
you
an
idea
of
what
getting out there was like. These are all above water, however, the video below
is an excellent compilation of some spectacular clips captured in the waters
of
the Red Sea. I hesitated to post my video for two reasons; first is that
seeing
all
of the boats can be a bit disturbing,
and
the
second
and
main
reason
is because the video below is just so much cooler to look at. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Daughters of Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-05 |
| Many people have asked me about the women in Egypt. Questions like, "Is it true that they all cover themselves up completely?" or "Are they allowed to walk in the streets alone?" Although I can try to explain to you about it, I actally think that this video from Nell Holden does a very good job of doing so from a woman's perspective. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Total Solar Eclipse Video: 30 Minutes Including Totality
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-02 |
 I did not realize how many of you wanted to see more of the eclipse. I thought the part you all wanted to see was the diamond ring moment. Well, no problem. I have about thirty minutes of the entire process and I am more than happy to share it with you. I have also sped up this video into a 4 minute time-lapse clip and even sped that one up twice as much (except for the two diamond ring moments) for those of you that want to quickly see more. I hope you enjoy it. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Time-lapse Video of the Total Solar Eclpise (4 minutes)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-02 |
| Here is a 4-minute time-lapse clip of about 30 minutes of the eclipse including totality. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Time-lapse Video of the Total Solar Eclpise (2 minutes)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-04-02 |
| Here is a time-lapse clip of about 30 minutes of the total solar eclipse including totality. Everything is sped up here to about 2 minutes except for the two diamond ring moments left unedited. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Total Solar Eclipse Video: 5 Minutes Including Totality
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-31 |
| Ok, due to popular demand, here is a 5 minute video that includes the complete 4+ minutes of totality, that started at about 12:38 pm, from Sollum in Egypt. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Video of the Total Solar Eclipse at Sollum, Egypt
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-29 |
| Well, here it is. The video of the big moment. The whole event took up about
half an hour to video but I cut it down to the highlights in about 1 1/2 minutes
for you. I got a couple of complaints that some people couldn't watch the live
video and I apologize for that. Unfortunately, I was way too busy with the recording
to look into what the problem may have been. I did hear back from many though
that they saw and enjoyed it tremendously. Thanks again for all of your support.
I hope you enjoyed it! I would also like to thank Ramy and Samer for driving
Corey and I out on this crazy adventure all over the western deserts of Egypt. You were great! {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Karnak Temple (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-28 |
 No visit to Egypt, and especially Luxor, is complete without a visit to Karnak
Temple. According
to the
Rough Guide to Egypt, this pharaonic monument is by far the largest
and most complex found to date and is due to "1300 years of aggrandizement.
From its XI Dynasty core..." Surprisingly, this core is easily missed by
many visitors because it just looks like a few big rock on the grounds (seen
in
the second to last picture below), however, due to its age, it definitely
deserves a peak if you make it to the Temple. Another amazing thing about
Karnak Temple is that because of its size, there is still, according to Francesco
Tiradritti,
about two-thirds of it that has yet to be excavated, and as I mentioned in
the Luxor
Temple post, there are supposedly plans to once again join the Avenue
of the Sphinxes of these two temples, as they were in their heyday. Again,
there are many many many other interesting things about this temple and the
others
sites
that
I mentioned throughout my site, however, for that information, you have plenty
of other resources, such as the
Rough Guide to Egypt, that do a much better job of explaining them
than I do. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Final Greeting Before the Big Moment (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-28 |
 Well, thanks again to all you well-wishers. The weather has cleared up and we are ready to head out shortly to Sollum (corrected on 3/30/06). Before I left though, I thought I would say hello to some friends from the famous pyramids and sphynx. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Philae ~ The Temple of Isis (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-26 |
 On my way back to Aswan from Abu Simbel, I stopped with a tour group to Philae,
an island that houses the famous Temple of Isis. Although there was once much
more to this island that just the Temple if Isis, its remains are by far the
main attraction. While on my way, I decided to use the Rough Guide to Egypt to
brush up on the history of the Temple and was amazed at what I learned;
that scholars have identified the Virgin Mary with the Goddess Isis, Horus the
son of Gods with Jesus, and the Christian cross with the pharaonic ankh. With
one look at the ankh you can see that similarity, but the other two theories
were ones I was very curious to confirm, which this temple and the one at
Edfu (coming soon) are said to do. One thing that definitely catches your attention,
which you can see in the video, are the Christian and Coptic crosses carved into
this temple as well. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Temple of Haroesis and Sobek at Kom Ombo (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-26 |
 As I mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to take a Nile
Cruise from Aswan
to Luxor, which also included a couple of stops along the way. The first stop
was at the Temple of Haroesis and Sobek at Kom Ombo, often referred to as Kom
Ombo Temple. According to the
Rough Guide to Egypt, this temple is the only temple
in the valley that still stands by the nile. Due to this, it also, like the Temple
of Isis, has an interesting approach by water. Aside from the impressive
structures, something different that this temple boasts are a couple of mummified
nile crocodiles
in the Chapel of Hathor which can also be seen in the video. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Temple of Horus at Edfu (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-26 |
 Another stop on my journey on the Nile
Cruise from Aswan
to Luxor, was at the Temple of Horus at Edfu. As I mentioned during the post
of the Temple
of Isis, there are some interesting theories put forth by many scholars regarding
the similarities between the Virgin Mary and Isis and most notably in this case
between Horus and Jesus. According to the
Rough Guide to Egypt, Horus was the
son of the Goddess Isis and the God Osiris who was killed but later resurrected
from the netherworld for a short time in order to help conceive Horus.
Aside
from
this interesting bit of information regarding religious history, the temple boasts
a
couple
of
other things worth noting, such as the Horus statues, one of which was taller
than
I was,
the birth house of Horus, and Horus's barque. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Mortuary Temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-26 |
 After I arrived to Luxor,
I had a little bit of time to kill and was looking for a small day trip to someplace
my friend Corey would not want to visit since he was going to be arriving shortly
and
I
did not want to repeat sites. Because it was just on the other side of the Nile
and relatively close to where I was staying, I
decided
upon
Medinet
Habu,
which,
from
what
I
heard
was not a very
popular spot and not a place most tours go. I was surprised when I arrived,
however, because it was one of the better places I had seen so far and very impressive.
According to the
Rough Guide to Egypt, this is the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III which
drew much of the focus of this pharoah's cult following. Not only was I happy
I took this time to visit, but I also had a chance to meet here a couple
of American students studying in Cairo which I mentioned in a previous
post. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Luxor Temple, Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-26 |
 I am not quite sure who built the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas but he or she got
it all wrong. I have not seen anything here in Luxor that looks anything like
it. In fact, there aren't even any pyramids or casinos here. I guess it just
plays
on
the
stereotypical
Egyptian pharaoh idea that most of us had. Anyway, about the temple. I strongly
recommend visiting in the evening if you get a chance, just before sunset. The
temperature is perfect and the lighting is great. Well, you can see from my pictures
that it the lighting is not the best for photography or video, but for your own
personal experience it is excellent. There appear to be less people there at
that time as well. However, because Luxor Temple is located right on the boardwalk
of the center of town, it is really easy to go back again and again. In fact,
I met a very nice German lady who had been there three times already during this
trip. There were two things I was told about the temple on this trip that I found
interesting; the first is that there are still homes built on top of it, because
it lay buried undiscovered for so long, in which people still reside (seen in
the
fifth
picture
below)
and
the
second
is
that
there are
plans to recreate and join the Avenue of the Sphinxes that once joined Luxor
and Karnak Temples. Of course there are many other interesting things about this
temple and all the others I have been showing throughout my site, however, those
can all be found and read in any textbook, including the
Rough Guide to Egypt that I have mentioned many times. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > The High Dam (Al-Sadd al-Ali) (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-25 |
 While in Aswan, it is hard to get out without a visit to the High Dam. The
reason is hardly that it is such a marvelous creation that you are compelled
to visit,
but more that it is added as a stop to practically every tour group’s
agenda while returning from places such as Abu Simbel. Considering no one in
our group
seemed extremely happy to be stopping there, we did not spend much time at
what has been a very controversial project in Egypt. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Abu Simbel (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-25 |
 In a previous entry I shared with you a short story about my visit to the small village that proudly houses the temples of Abu Simbel. There are two of them here that, although they were supposedly honoring the sun-god Re-Herakhte at Ramses II’s and Hathor at Nefertari’s, they are obviously products of Ramses II’s ego and image of himself and his wife. Ramses’ temple is actually an amazing feat and is famous as well for the fact that the sun’s rays penetrate deep inside the temple and illuminate its sanctuary on two dates, Ramses’s birthday and the anniversary of his coronation (these dates have changed, however, due to the fact that the temples were moved after the building of the High Dam). {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Pictures and Video of Aswan
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-24 |
 Considering how relatively relaxing
Aswan and Sharm el-Sheikh were compared to Luxor, I really should have done those
last to try to recoup some of my energy and wind down my trip. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Interview with Egyptologist Francesco Tiradritti at Luxor Temple (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-23 |
 While in Luxor, I had the pleasure of speaking with world-renown Egyptologist Francesco Tiradritti in front of Luxor Temple on the Nile boardwalk in Egypt. He is currently working on the excavation of the Tomb of Harwa, an “enigmatic person in ancient Egyptian history [who] lived at the beginning of the 7th century BC, when the Nile Valley was in the hands of the Nubian Pharaohs of the 25th Dynasty.” Francesco is a published author and professor of Egyptology who has held the Chair of Excellence at the University of Memphis, Tennessee. More information about his work can also be found at his web site at http://www.Harwa.IT {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > A Brief Primer About Egypt, the Pyramids and their Worship of the Sun (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-11 |
| While here in Cairo, I was lucky enough to meet an Egyptologist
that was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me on camera to explain
a few things about the pyramids and the beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians.
For
those
of you like me, who knew very little about Egypt, aside from what we saw in
movies like the Mummy, this is an excellent opportunity to brush up on our
history before witnessing the spectacular total solar eclipse at the end of
the month. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Gary's First Live Broadcast from Egypt (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-11 |
| Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt ~ At 1:15 pm local time, I successfully completed my very first live broadcast from Egypt. Thank you to those of you who joined me to ensure that everything was working properly; especially those of you in the states that stayed up late to do so. I am happy to announce that everything went off without a hitch. I can finally start to relax a bit knowing that I have everything in order and ready to go for the live broadcast of the total solar eclpise on March 29th. I thought I would share with you a recording of the transmission. There really is not anything too special about it, but it is good for a nice laugh. I look forward to seeing you during the eclipse. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Sharm El-Sheikh/Na'ama Bay, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula (Video/Photos)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-10 |
 Egypt is one of the few places on earth lucky enough to have the type of weather
and beachfront property, which combined create a perfect resort town. Sharm
El-Sheikh, and more specifically, Na'ama Bay offer Europe what the Yucatan
Peninsula offers the states... fun in the sun. Unfortunately, since this was
not a vacation trip, I could not spend much time there, but I did manage to
sneak away for a couple of days to enjoy the views and do a little scuba diving
at their world-renown dive sites at the Red Sea (more on this to come later). {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > There is More to Giza than Just the Pyramids (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-04 |
 Aside from the Camel
Cops, there is more to Giza than just the pyramids. One
of the other amazing sights are the tombs and Mastabas where, according to
ancient Egyptian beliefs, those buried in the tombs spend their afterlife.
You may have noticed the up-close vantage points and expert information in
some portions of this clip. All I can say is that tipping goes a long way,
and yes, if you are wondering, get a guide. {more} |
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Gary In Egypt > Eat Your Heart Out Mounties (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-03-04 |
 This episode of Camel COPS was filmed on location at Giza in Cairo, Egypt. {more} |
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Travel > Guira Oga: House of Birds ~ Puerto Iguazu ~ Missions, Argentina ~ October 25, 2005 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-22 |
 Oh, do I have a great video for you today. I don't mean production-wise but content-wise. While visiting Iguazu I was lucky enough to visit a place called Güira Oga, or la Casa de los Pajaros, or the House of Birds. It is a privately funded organization that takes care of birds and animals that can no longer do so on their own and it is a great place to visit if you are in Iguazu, Argentina. The video contains plenty of footage of parrots, tucans, hawks, a vulture, a few Harry Potter-type owls amongst others and even some monkeys. If you are a bird or animal lover, you are going to love watching this video. And yes, that is a bird saying "loro," which is spanish for parrot. {more} |
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Hawaii > An Underwater View Oahu ~ Atlantis Wreck & Waikiki Caverns (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-20 |
 Here is another scene of An Underwater View Oahu that I was able to salvage from my diving experiences in Hawaii. This video was taken of a wreck dive to the naval vessel Y0257, aka Atlantis Wreck because it is visited frequently by the tourist-carrying Atlantis Submarine, followed by a short short dive to Waikiki Caverns with some cool footage of some eels, turtles and an octopus. {more} |
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Hawaii > An Underwater View Oahu ~ Hanauma Bay (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-19 |
 While in college in Hawaii I put together a collection of underwater videos with some great music from a few local bands. Unfortunately, not all of it still exists, but I found a few scenes that made it out alive. I will be adding the clips I am able to salvage. Here is a great one, the introduction actually, from Hanauma Bay on the south side of Oahu, Hawaii. {more} |
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Travel > Los Testigos Islands ~ Venezuela 1997 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-18 |
 As promised, here is part 2 of 3 videos I will be posting before I leave for Egypt of a trip I took to Venezuela back in 1997. When I return I'll try to get the rest of the tape posted. In the meantime, this is a great chance to get a first hand look at the islands called Los Testigos off of the coast of Venezuela near the Isla de Margarita. {more} |
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Humor > YATTA! (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-18 |
 This is a Japanese video my cousin found online and posted on his blog. When I saw it I could not resist posting it. I know his site is in spanish and the video is in japanese, but don't worry, it is universally funny. Watch it! {more} |
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Travel > Mina de Wanda ~ Missions, Argentina ~ October 25, 2005 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-17 |
 Another one of the places Marcos took us when we got rained
out of our waterfall
excursion was a place called the Wanda Mines, or Mina de Wanda locally.
We were able to do so much more that day that I ended up very happy that our
plans had to change. Just think, I may have left Iguazu without ever seeing these
mines, how the rocks they are formed, the indigenous peoples tour, Guira Oga
or the port.
As
you
can
see
in
the video, we picked up a local to act as our personal tour guide. Total price
for
the hour
plus she was with us, a whopping 10 peso tip, or a little over $3 US. {more} |
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Travel > Isla de Margarita and Los Testigos ~ Venezuela 1997 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-17 |
 I was rummaging through some old stuff today looking for more old stuff to take
with my on my up-and-coming trip to Egypt when
I came across this video tape of mine full of some great footage of a trip I
took
to
Venezuela
back in 1997. Luckily, while there, I did
not have to spend too much time on the mainland and was able to spend
my time hopping between islands off of their beautiful coast. Isla de Margarita
was
my first
stop, then Los Frailes, and ultimately Los Testigos. {more} |
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Travel > Very Rare Footage of Me in Front of the Camera!!! (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-17 |
| In case you have not noticed, you will rarely see me in front of a camera. I am usually one of the people working behind the scenes to help bring you images of things much more beautiful than me. During a recent excavation of my closet, however, I came across a videotape of a trip I took to Venezuela back in 1997 and was pretty shocked when I saw myself on tape. My, how nine years changes a person! Not only is it rare to see me in front of a camera, but this was also the only time in my life that I ever sported a moustache (although seeing me with a beard is not uncommon), and it would take me years to grow back all that hair. I guess there is nothing like old pictures to get you realizing how much older and wider you have gotten. Ok, I'm going for a jog now. Enjoy. {more} |
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Travel > Hotel St. George ~ Puerto Iguazú ~ Missions, Argentina ~ October 26, 2005 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-02-01 |
 First of all, I would like to award the hotel a few points for its location.
It is walking distance from the bus terminal but not close enough to where
you hear the buses from the hotel. It is also not right in the hustle and bustle
of downtown Iguazú, yet it is close enough
to
walk.
It
has
a few
restaurants
and
kioskos
nearby
where you can pick up some food and drinks at prices better than you would
find in
town or in your hotel room minibar.
Although
it is at least a half hour away from the falls, I think it is better to be
where it is than do what some hotels attempt which is to be half way between
the falls and town. {more} |
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Humor > Great Videos for Anyone Who Puts Up With Video Game Junkies
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-01-23 |
| Sorry, but while surfing the blogosphere, I found these videos that I thought
were ideal for those people who put up with video game junkies and just could
not resist posting them to the site. You can watch them both by clicking the {more} link. Enjoy! {more} |
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Travel > Iguazu Waterfalls ~ Missions, Argentina ~ October 26, 2005 (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2006-01-08 |
 In October of 2005, I had the opportunity to visit the waterfalls at Iguazú (or the Cataratas de Iguazú as they are referred to locally). It was an astonishing trip and the falls were an absolutely amazing, and awe-inspiring sight to be seen. I took off with a couple of friends (from within Argentina) for a four-day, three-night trip to the famous town. None of us had been there before and we had no idea what to expect. For those of you planning to make the trip, or just curious about the falls, I hope this series of articles, videos, and photographs I will be putting together will help you along the way. {more} |
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Travel > San Francisco November 5-8, 2005 (Videos)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 I arrived pretty early in the day on November 5th to San Francisco after having
just arrived to Los Angeles on November 4th from a 20 hour flight from Argentina.
I left Los Angeles for my drive up to San Francisco in the wee morning hours
of November 5th in order to arrive around 10 am to the Green Festival. Needless
to say, by the end of the day, which I spent walking hours around the festival,
I was pretty beat, so I decided to make a run for the nearest scenic area to
spend a few minutes relaxing. {more} |
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Travel > Golden Gate Park (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 My first stop was during the evening of November 5th at a beach lookout of Golden Gate Park. To tell you the truth, I arrived here by accident. I was trying to get to the Golden Gate bridge in time to watch one of those beautiful sunset settings you always hear about (which I unfortunately was not able to witness on this trip), but since I was running out of time, and had made a few wrong turns, I took the first scenic area I could find. And it worked out pretty well it I don't say so myself. Click to watch a video clip. {more} |
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Travel > Golden Gate National Recreational Area (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 I finally made it to the Golden Gate Bridge on my last day in San Francisco, Tuesday November 8th. I was lucky enough to get some directions and a cool tip regarding a place to get free parking (more on that below) from the guy at the front desk of the place where I was staying. This clip contains all you need to know about what you are going to see when you visit the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. {more} |
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Travel > Free Parking While You Walk Across the Bridge (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 As I mentioned earlier, I was lucky enough to get some directions to a great place to park for free if you decide to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Not only is the free part good, but you get to enjoy this very beautiful and scenic walk overlooking the cliffs by the bridge. To get here, just keep going straight (don't pull into the National Recreational Area... or if coming from there, make a right at the exit instead of a left to go back to town) when heading towards the bridge. You are going to go under an underpass and veer left then quickly to the right. Shortly after that little maneuver, you'll see a dirt pullout on the right. That's your spot! Just park and walk towards the cliff. You'll see where you need to walk from there... (hint: it's to the right). {more} |
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Travel > View of Alcatraz from the Golden Gate National Recreational Area (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 I never realized that Alcatraz was so close! I always got the impression from the movies that it was really far away. I guess if I were on the other side, or stuck swiming in the middle, it would probably seem a lot further! Anyways, this is a nice clip of Alcatraz and the bridge from the good side :) {more} |
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Travel > Walk Down the Golden Gate Bridge (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 Unforunately, I didn't make it all the way to the other side, but I did get far enough to accomplish my goal of finding a good place to get a clear shot of the bridge from the other side. If you can handle the wind, this is a neat walk to take. I believe the bridge is a little over 1.5 miles long. {more} |
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Travel > View of Alcatraz From the Middle of the Golden Gate Bridge (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 I guess it does look pretty far from here. Now that I am hanging a few
hundred feet over water. {more} |
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Travel > 360 Degree View from the Middle of the Golden Gate Bridge (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 Well, this is about as far as I went. I figure I should leave something for my next trip! {more} |
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Travel > Holocaust Memorial in San Francisco (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 This is another place I found by accident. I was trying to get to an area I saw off of the bridge to take a picture and I pulled in here to make a U-Turn. Needless to say, it caught my attention. Unfortunately, it was closed so I could not go inside but it is still memorable enough from the outside. {more} |
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Travel > Nice View... Too Bad it was Overcast (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-12-06 |
 This is a new view from a residential area which I believe is called Presidio. To get here, just head towards the Holocaust Memorial and pull off on the right once you are going up the hill. This was my favorite place to view the bridge from, unfortunately, it was really overcast and only getting worse. I kept waiting and waiting to try to get a better shot until finally the fog rolled in and block overthing out... typical. {more} |
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Travel > Historic Old Town Albuquerque (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-11-15 |
 Ever wonder what Historic Old Town Albuquerque is like? I had read in Money Magazine that Albuquerque, New Mexico was one of the few places left in the country to find real-estate at bargain prices, so, I decided to make a run out there and take a look for myself. While there, I took this short clip of the historic part of town. I hope you like it. {more} |
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Travel > A Brief Visit to Meteor Crater (Video)
by Gary Isse ~ Published: 2005-11-15 |
 On my drive out from Los Angeles to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico, I passed by Meteor Crater and decided to turn in and take a look. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a huge hole in the ground about 40 miles East of Flagstaff, Arizona. While in the museum, I was told that the crater was created from the impact of Meteorite nearly 50,000 years ago. The force, like that of a multi-megaton bomb, left this huge hole that is 4,150 feet in diameter, 550 feet deep and 2.4 miles around. {more} |
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