Dear Far Horizons travelers,

In 2003 and 2004, we are proud to present renowned new study leaders to alluring destinations. In March 2004 Professor Bob Brier (author of The Murder of Tutankhamen) leads our tour to Egypt where we stay in delightful hotels (see the photo on right of our hotel in Luxor), and spend four days cruising on scenic Lake Nasr, created when the High Dam was built. Compared to the more than 500 cruise ships plying the Lower Nile, the 125-mile waterway from Aswan to Abu Simbel is sparsely traveled with just five vessels. We cruise onboard a delightful craft decorated in turn-of-the-century style. In January 2004, Felicia Beardsley shows us the archaeology of Micronesia. This exciting journey takes us to five lovely islands in the remote Pacific - Pohnpei, Kosrae, Guam, Yap, Palau, and includes the incredible stone monumental architecture of Nan Madol and Leluh. Join Jennifer Tobin to travel through eastern Turkey. And for the more adventurous - Hike the Inka Trail with Bill Sapp; A Leisurely Walk through Burgundy, France with Maud and Jeremy McInerney; and Lost Cities of the Maya with Federico Fahsen.

We have also designed new trips that are led by scholars with whom you have enjoyed traveling in the past. In May, Dr. E.C. Krupp, the Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, shows us the archaeo-astronomy of China. In December, Mike Coe is taking a group into Southeast Asia that includes three days onboard the Vat Phou, a charming vessel created out of the colonial past, to cruise into the isolated rainforest of southern Laos. In June 2004, 12 fortunate people will join Maud and Jeremy McInerney onboard a private yacht to cruise along the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. And our favorite Turkish archaeologist, Umit Isin, has agreed to lead two tours to Greece - a land tour in Nov. 2003 and one that includes a week on a yacht in June 2004. Ask for brochures!

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Happy traveling,

Mary Dell Lucas

A bedroom in our hotel in Luxor

The Old Town of Edinburgh
By Chris Bowles

Earlier this year, a tragic fire engulfed an entire block of Old Town Edinburgh. Historic buildings, some designed by the renowned architect Adam Smith, were unsalvageable. But, as is often the case in archaeology, out of disaster came a potential treasure trove. The Old Town has been continuously occupied since the Dark Ages; yet, due to the density of 17th, 18th and 19th century buildings, the chance to discover the cities' early archaeology is a rarity. The unfortunate clearance of the block has thus provided an invaluable treat. Edinburgh City Council archaeologist John Lawson's team hopes to uncover Medieval and Renaissance remains below the rubble. This will greatly add to our knowledge of how the Medieval Scottish capital ran at an everyday level. Coupled with the recent excavations of the site for the new Holyrood Parliament Building, the last few years have been very exciting indeed for the archaeology of this amazing city. To read more about the ongoing excavations in the Old Town, see the BBC article:
Digging Among City Ruins.
Chris leads our tour to Scotland in July.