FAR HORIZONS Archaeological and Cultural Tours BLOG
Archive for 2009
Tour Easter Island and the Tapati Festival
Join Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips on a 13 day journey through the heart of Polynesia!
The Society Islands including Tahiti, Moorea and Huahine, are a group of mostly volcanic islands and atolls strewn across the eastern South Pacific. Since first discovered, these lovely Polynesian isles have depicted paradise on earth. Early explorers brought back tales of a land of captivating loveliness and Read the rest of this entry »
Join us for the next Bob Brier Tour: The Majesty of Egypt
Great Pyramid on Giza Plateau
Far Horizons presents an extraordinary 17-day trip to Egypt that includes many highlights. We have made special arrangements to enter the Queen’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid, Seti I’s Tomb, Nefatari’s Burial Chamber, the Unas Temple at Sakkara, and the Red Pyramid—all closed to the public. We will meet with Read the rest of this entry »
My World
By Dr. Gary O. Rollefson
- Enthusiastic semi-resident, archaeologist, and fan of Jordan and its lovely people
Welcome to my world! It’s been mine as an archaeologist and part-time resident for 30 years, and I’d like you to share it with me. “My world” in Jordan includes majestic archaeological sites, but also includes the modern residents of Jordan, some of the warmest and most hospitable people I’ve ever known. I am constantly impressed with the sense of welcome that Jordanians offer, whether in a small grocery shop in a remote rural village or on the shaded streets of the major metropolises of the kingdom. Read the rest of this entry »
The Splendors of Jordan: A Traveler’s Perspective
By Morton Fisher
When most travelers think about Jordan they think only inevitably about Petra — but there is much more to Jordan than Petra.
Petra is every bit amazing as you may envision. Our most lasting memory of Petra, aside from the breathtaking entrance, was climbing to the high place above Petra Valley on the backs of our donkeys. We don’t know who was more glad to reach the top — our guides, ourselves or the donkeys. The view was spectacular. What made Petra especially interesting and enjoyable Read the rest of this entry »
Discovering the Treasures of Greece
By Dr. Kyra Nourse
Far Horizon’s “Glorious Greece” trip couldn’t be more aptly named. While I could speak with enthusiasm and at length about any of the sites on the itinerary, I’ll restrain myself and focus on two of my personal favorites.
Uncovering Turkey’s Past
By Professor Andy Goldman, study leader
For those of you who have ever wondered about Turkey, it can be a challenging place to describ
e. Friends have often asked me to do just that, to try and encapsulate my various experiences there, having lived in Ankara for over two years and having visited almost every summer since 1992. The true difficulty lies in not what to say, but where to start. The country is home to such a broad variety of ancient civilizations, such magnificent sites and monuments, such a welcoming and hospitable people, that I am never exactly sure where to begin. But once I do, like all of us who know and love the country, I find it can be very, very difficult to stop… Read the rest of this entry »
Hiking the Inka Trail
By Elise Gochberg, Trip Participant 2007
I did this trip for my 40th b-day with 6 girlfriends and it met every expectation I had and beyond. I think what stood out most about our trip was how well organized Far Horizons was and how they went above and beyond in making sure our trip was a success. We stayed at the most wonderful hotels all across Peru and ate at the most exquisite and interesting restaurants – 4 star all the way. Read the rest of this entry »
La Cuidad de los Reyes
By Heather Stoeckley
Lima is much more than just a one-night stand for travelers to Peru. Preferring to quickly move onto Cuzco and Machu Picchu, or even Iquitos, the gateway for Amazonian explorations, most people choose to bypass any city sight-seeing and use Lima simply as a necessary layover from their international flights.
What first struck me about Lima was its brightly colored houses and buildings, painted intentionally in order to contrast against the often foggy skyline. As a San Francisco native, I immediately felt at 
home with this aesthetic (and climate). I began my journey in the historic quarter, where remnants of the city’s colonial past are ever present, particularly as you walk through the streets and peer up at the wooden balconies that characterize its buildings. After touring the cathedral and the magnificent Convent of Santo Domingo, I moved on to Barranco, an artistic district on the coast with a distinctly bohemian vibe. A short walk will take you to El Puente de los Sospiros, the Bridge of Sighs, where you can sit sipping a pisco sour and observe the sun setting into the ocean. And, as the gastronomic center of the Americas, Lima offers a fascinating variety of dining experiences that will leave your taste buds dancing! Known for its variety and quality, Peruvian food reflects the many influences of different civilizations which have passed through its borders… and Lima is the best place to sample these culinary achievements.
My recommendation: don’t skip this center of commerce, culture, and history. A day or two spent exploring the city Pizarro called, “The City of Kings,” will leave you yearning to discover more!
Into the Shadow and Beyond the Great Wall – The Solar Eclipse 2009
A Journey through Mongolia, China, and Korea
Co-Sponsored by UCLA Extension
By Dr. E.C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory
A total solar eclipse is one of the most dazzling events a person can experience. Those who have never seen one don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Those who have are converted into pilgrims on the eclipse path.
Every eclipse is different. Every eclipse is a surprise. Every eclipse has suspense. Every eclipse has more things taking place in a short time than you can possibly observe. You never get it 
right. And so you go back for another to sample what you missed the last time and what has never been seen by anyone in exactly this way before.
This time the eclipse path passes through India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Japanese islands in the East China Sea, and a lot of Pacific Ocean. Most of the path is threatened by monsoon season, which means clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and typhoons, but the best prospects on land appear to be along the eastern Chinese coast, south of Shanghai. That is where we plan to shanghai the eclipse for 5 minutes and 54 seconds of uncanny sky.
A China eclipse also offers a chance to follow other Asian astronomical trails, and Mongolia’s Lamaist monuments are peppered with astronomical and cosmological symbolism. Even the national flag of Mongolia has celestial emblems-the sun, the moon, and the magical light of the upper universe.
I last visited Mongolia a dozen years ago for the Long Underwear Altaic Total Solar Eclipse of 9 March 1997. Mongolia in March was an icebox, and I am looking forward to mowing down the Mongolian grasslands in the height of summer, when the Mongols are celebrating the traditional Naadam festival with wrestling, horsemanship, and archery-skills I need to improve.
We are going much farther afield in 2009, right to the heart of Chinggis Khan’s empire, Kharkhorin.
Far from cities in Mongolia in the ten days or so before solar eclipse, we should also be able to access a stunning starry sky at night, and I’ll be detailing the constellations we know and the stars as they were seen in ancient Asia.
After Mongolia, on the way to the eclipse, we stop in Beijing to climb the Ancient Observatory 
with its elaborate historic bronze instruments installed on the roof. Tourists often see these from a distance or even sometimes visit the place, but they rarely get to hear how the instruments and the observatory actually worked and who used them. I have been on that roof four times, and it is always a delight to return.
The celebrated Suzhou planisphere, a thirteenth-century Chinese star map, is one of the historical treasures of world astronomy. People who go to Suzhou see its stunning gardens, but few even know about the map. We are going to see gardens of Suzhou, as will many other eclipse chasers, but the star map is not even mentioned in other organized eclipse tours.
South Korea also possesses astonishing monuments, and one of the most fetching is the Cheomseongdae Observatory at Kyongju. I have wanted to get to it for decades. Built in seventh century, it is a curious bottle-shaped stone building. It is also the oldest standing observatory in Asia. Detailed accounts of it are hard to find and contradictory. Seeing the place in person is bound to be a revelation.
The total solar eclipse and my work worldwide in ancient, prehistoric, and traditional astronomy confers a celestial character to this excursion into the shadow and beyond the Great Wall, but the rest of the itinerary is filled with natural and cultural wonders rarely seen and little known outside of Mongolia and Korea. The chance to sample China, Mongolia, South Korea, and a total solar eclipse in one expedition is unusual. Nobody else is doing it.
Hidden Maya Cities of the Yucatan
by Stanley Guenter
region of southern Campeche, where little-visited Maya ruins feature entrances built to resemble the mouths of gigantic serpents. The site of Calakmul is one of the largest Maya sites and was anciently the capital of the powerful Snake Kingdom, mortal enemy of the kings of Tikal. The site of Dzibanche is another large ruin that was the capital of the Snake Kingdom from approximately 450 to 600 A.D., before it moved to Calakmul. It was from this capital that Snake Kings, including Sky Witness and Scroll Serpent, set out to attack and defeat such distant enemies as Palenque and Tikal. Kohunlich is a nearby site where large stucco masks were saved from looters when the Mexican authorities secured the site in the 1970s. 
Our drive north through the Mexican state of Quintana Roo takes us through the land of the Cruzob Maya, descendants of Maya who in the 19th century rebelled against centuries of mistreatment and who ruled this area independently until the beginning of the 20th century. The Postclassic site of Tulum is situated dramatically on a rocky rise above the turquoise waters of the Caribbean waters that have made the site 
world famous. Ek Balam has only recently been discovered and is of incomparable importance due to its phenomenal state of preservation. Chichen Itza, in the central part of the Northern Lowlands, was one of the last great Maya capitals and its structures reflect intimate connections with the Toltecs of Central Mexico. The famous Cenote of Sacrifice was once the scene of rituals that included tossing, not only gold and jade artifacts, but also people into the deep waters. Old tales tell of virgin sacrifices and, while the bones of the sacrificial victims have been recovered, modern archaeologists have not been able to verify their virginal status.
We finish off our visit to Yucatan with visits to Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun. Uxmal is one of the most beautiful Maya sites and its Puuc-style architecture has been described as the height of architectural beauty among the ancient Maya, an impressive accomplishment given that all the work was carried out with stone-age technology.
