Video | Spirit Quest

The Pyramids at Giza circa 1920's

A silent black & white film of the pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Egypt from award-winning amateur filmmaker John V. Hansen’s travel footage, c. 1926-1930. The Pyramids at Giza are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are the only site from the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” list that are still in existence, and [...]

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Abwoon D'Bashmaya - The Lords Prayer in Aramaic

This has long been one of my favorite sacred texts. Not only the pure sound of the Aramaic language, but the meaning of it as well. I grew up with a very different version in my head (as many of us did, I guess) and the differences between that, and this, are pretty profound. And [...]

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HD Video from Spirit Quest: The Alley of the Tent Makers

An unedited clip shot at a friend’s stall in the “Alley of the Tentmakers.”
This is truly authentic Egypt – not a place that tourists visit (though we take all of our groups). This is where you can find the most beautiful, intricate, hand-made quilts & embroidery at truly amazing prices.

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AMAZING period footage from Egypt, 1932.

Here’s an awesome piece of video – it’s period footage from Egypt circa 1932.
For those of you that know Cairo, this footage show a SHOCKINGLY clean city. Since the brits were in charge then the narration has more than just a whiff of colonial prejudice to it. For example…
“Across the street the Dragoman are always [...]

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Video: A.J. Jacobs on his year of living biblically

About this talk
Speaking at the most recent EG conference, author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically — following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.
About A.J. Jacobs
Immersing himself in alternate lifestyles and long, hilarious experiments (usually with himself the guinea pig), writer A.J. Jacobs tests [...]

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Video: Robert Thurman on becoming the Buddha

Here’s a wonderful TED talk video from Robert Thurman. I had dinner with Bob (some years ago, now) – he had steak, wine, brandy & cigars. I remember we discussed the point at which an animal or plant’s level of consciousness becomes an impediment to eating it. It was fascinating. I was also at a taping of the [...]

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Video: Karen Armstrong’s charter for compassion

About this talk
People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should act to help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help her build a Charter for Compassion — to help restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious do.
About Karen Armstrong
Karen Armstrong is a provocative, original [...]

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HD Video from Spirit Quest: Besakih Temple, Bali Indonesia

Here’s a brief handheld POV clip, shot with a pretty crappy camera, of worshipers streaming into (and out of) Besakih Temple on the slopes of Mt. Agung, in Bali Indonesia.

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Video: The Sword of God

I don’t know much more about this than that it’s from a 30 episode Arabic language TV series. It look pretty good – in a slightly Cecile B. DeMille way.
Anyway, the visuals are nicely intriguing and evocative.
Sword of God – Reel from aurora fearnley on Vimeo.

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Video: Interview with Ann Daniels of the Catlin Arctic Survey

Wow. Now this is an amazing story. Talk about travel with a higher purpose: these three people are traveling more than 600 miles over three months, in the most extreme and dangerous condition you can imagine, in order to measure the polar ice cap. Here are three videos: two interviews with the leaders and overview of the expedition.

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HD Spirit Quest Video: Coptic Liturgy at the Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy

[ March 1, 2009; ] HD video from the Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy in Wadi Natrun.

A Coptic priest performs a portion of the liturgy during preparations for the communion service.

This was part of the “transubstantiation” as the wine and bread are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. The big “bundle” in the center of the altar contains [...]

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John Cleese Taking the Piss out of Tour Guides

Here’s a video podcast of the inimitable Mr. Cleese making fun of standard issue tour guides.

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Now THIS guy is on a Spirit Quest!

I expect that by now many of you have seen the “Where the Hell is Matt” video – but it’s worth spreading the meme further. It’s terrific – Matt both lives in Seattle and worked in, then left, the videogame business. Even terrificer!

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NG VIDEO: Biblioteca Alexandria

Here’s a wonderful video from National Geographic about the New Alexandria Library. I had the great good-fortune to be invited by UNESCO to present a paper at the library’s grand opening back in 2001. It’s an amazing structure that rivals anything found in Europe or America. We always try and add the library (and Alex) to our Spirit Quest Tours Egyptian itineraries.

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NG VIDEO: Destination Egypt

I ran across this very nice introduction to Egypt from National Geographic. These are all sites we visit on a Spirit Quest Tours trip – but we do them PRIVATELY!!! Imagine