Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

This is something that I always questioned living in the usa. The differences between Anglo America and Latin America. What made something Anglo and where did the term Anglo come from? Being in London at the time, I started doing research on the Anglo-Saxons. Thanks to google, it is so easy nowadays to learn about any topic.

Before the Anglos arrived, England was under Roman rule. We all know that the main official language of the Roman Empire was Latin. If we went with just this part of history, then every part of the Americas that speaks English would fall in the term of Latin America. Well, of course, there is more to it. There was a group of people that the Romans disliked and called them savages. They were called the Germanic people. This is where the Anglos-Saxons start to come in.

After the fall of Rome (395 AD) and a little more than 100 years, a few Germanic tribes started strongly looking for a new home. They came from, which is now, the Netherlands, Germany, and Demark. Back then it was called Jutland, Anglia, Saxon Cost, and Frisii. As the Anglo- Saxons made their way to Britannia. They settled in places called Essex (east), Sussex (south), and Wessex (west). If you look at the names of where the Saxons settled, you can see where the root words came from. The word Saxons come from the type of knives, the Anglo- Saxons would use. However, from what scholars say, the sex part of the name comes from sax because it was pronounced like sex original. It’s funny to think that when I was a kid, I used to look at streets that were called Essex and laugh. Es in Spanish means is. So, as a kid, I thought the streets meant is sex. Well, doing some research, makes you value and appreciate things in a more interesting light.

The Anglo-Saxons never really considered themselves that term. It was a label given to them by the non-germanic people of Britain. It was a way to distinguish the difference between the two. The Anglo-Saxons spoke what is now called Old English. Eventually, through wars and mixing, the growing population of Anglo-Saxons became the majority. Families of mixed Anglo and Non-germanic had to choose which language/culture, they would grow up in. Families chose to grow up in the Anglo/Germanic culture. Which lead to English becoming the main language of Britain. As you can see, this is why the English speaking parts of the Americas are called Anglo-America and not Latin America. Although French and Latin have heavily influenced English, most of the grammar and core vocabulary comes from the germanic branch. This is why I love history and diving deeper into everything. It gives a better understanding of the world.

Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe everyone! Wash your hands! Much Love!

Check out our eBook “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come true without breaking the bank. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe

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We have partnered up with booking.com and working on TripAdvisor. Here are some links for each hope you all enjoy!Here are links to hotels and other deals.For Hotels, make sure to click here. For apartments make sure to click here. For Resorts click here. For villas click here. For bed and breakfast and for Guest houses, make sure to click the link!

references

websites:

https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3865/anglo-saxons-a-brief-history

https://www.historyextra.com/period/anglo-saxon/facts-anglo-saxons-dates/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/saxons.shtml

https://www.bl.uk/anglo-saxons/articles/who-were-the-anglo-saxons

youtube:

August 22, 2020 21

The Possible Berber connection to the lost kingdom of atlantis

When I learned about the possible connection, I was completely mind blown. I never expected the lost city of Atlantis having roots to the biggest desert on earth. What I’m about to say and point out, will be very controversial.

So, let’s start with what was the known map according to Herodotus. As you can clearly see in the photo above, the Amazigh world is labeled as atlantes. Herodotus is no fool. He is dubbed as the Father Of History. Herodotus got this nickname from being one of the first writers to create a system of investigations to prove his historical theories. He is not someone who would just create a random map. This map holds a lot of historical weight.

google map of where the eye of the sahara

Diving deeper into this topic, I found out the Maghreb (which is now: Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Western Sahara, Alegria and Mauritania) was all one country. From the previous post, you would know that is the Tamazgha. Meaning the land of the Amazigh or Berber people. Looking back, there many dots here to connect. All of this will make sense soon.

Eye_Of_The_Sahara_Mauritania — bird’s view of the eye of sahara

Richat_Structure_-_SRTM — another view of bird’s view of eye of the sahara

When in the country of Mauritania, there’s a structure that historical nerds really need to check out. It’s called the Richat Structure. It is also known as The Eye of Africa or The Eye of the Sahara. If you look at it closely, the structure is similar to Plato’s description of Atlantis. Im not just jumping on random conclusions. There are a number of growing historians that are starting to support this theory.

Photo courtesy of http://trip-suggest.com/mauritania/dakhlet-nouadhibou/nouamghar/

Plato mentioned that Atlantis was a kingdom that was in it’s prime 9 thousand years ago. It’s has been over 2 thousands ago, since Plato was alive. So, we are talking about a kingdom that is over 11 thousand years old. There are many reports that the ocean levels were higher back then. Making the eye of Africa closer to the ocean. There have been whale bones found in the deserts of Mauritania. This means that parts of the Sahara desert was once underwater. Also, guess who named the Atlantic ocean? If you guessed Herodotus, then you were right. The same guy who made the map of the world with Atlantis is the same guy who named the Altanic Ocean.

The Atlas mountains of North Africa photo courtesy of https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/earth/mountains/atlas-mountains/

Now this is where things get very interesting. The first king of the Mauri people is called Atlas. When the romans came to this part of the world, they decided to call the land Mauritania. The mountain range of North Africa is called Atlas.

A photo of Atlas photo courtesy of Wikipedia

For those who don’t know who atlas is, I will make it clear. Atlas was a titan condemned to hold the heavens for entirety. Played roles in the stories of Hercules and Perseus. Stated by the Greek poet Hesiod, the Titan was far west towards the end of the earth. In Greek mythology, he was a titan as stated earlier. However, this is different according to Plato. To him, Atlas was the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. Poseidon is the god of the ocean. Altanic ocean means “Sea of Atlas.” Atlantis means “island of Atlas.” There’s a big connection here.

Acient Berber alphabet photo courtesy of https://theberber.wordpress.com/the-berber-language/

Greek_alphabet_(Jason_Davey) — greek alphabet

Now looking at the Berber alphabet, you can tell that there’s some Greek influces in the letters. How does this connect the Berbers to Atlantis? You probably ask. Well, the Mauri kingdom later named Mauritania is the acient Berber Kingdom. The mauri were later to be called Berbers and once Islam spread, moors. Having my last name being Moorish, it’s crazy to think I might have a connection to this lost Kingdom. Too bad of the history was lost due to war.

Here are some youtube videos on the topic!

Stay safe everyone and remember to wash your hands!

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May 20, 2020 6

A step through time at Dublin’s Castle

In the heart of Dublin lays a governmental building on dame street. The history that these walls have seen is astounding. Never been someone who likes monarchs; however, I was convinced to come here by a few local I met. Main reason why I came here is to see the Irish history in person.

20190901_071743 — Dublin castle sign photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When you first come into the Dublin castle area, you will notice a few gift shops. Didn’t bother going in them because I’m sure the prices are on the tourist trap side. There is another gift inside the castle that you can visit. They sell generic touristic items like key-chains and magnets. The other store outside the castle sold crystals and fine china. Things that would cost me more money to bring them back home. Imagine bring a large crystal on a trip to the USA and being stopped by a security guard at the airport. They check your bags and they find this giant rock of a substance they are not sure of. I’m a Hispanic of African descent, it’s best not to let them think I’m smuggling some new type of drug. Besides a few small crystals on necklaces or bracelets, I’m not going to take that risk.

20190901_072101 — A knight in front of the crystal store photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The whole outside of the castle really gave me that old age feel. During the times knights, dragons and wizards were a part of everybody’s daily lives. You could almost hear the classic Irish music playing as you walk around. Makes you wonder how many people passed by here. Picture the battles that were fought to maintain these walls. I mentioned this before, I wish we could have a time machine to travel back into the past. Where you can see the events happen in real time. One could dream right?

20190901_072327 — Entrance of into the courtyard of the Dublin castle photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

I kept mentioning the history of the Dublin castle without actually explaining it. So, this castle was built when Ireland was on under the English rule. During the times of King John of England in 1204. Later being completed in 1230, this castle has been used as a governmental building. Even today, this is where the president of Ireland holds his meetings.

20190901_074254 — State dinning Room photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once inside, you have to leave your bags and purses in a locker. You will have to pay to get in the castle. There are no videos allowed in the castle. You are allowed to take photos of course. Just remember to have the flash off.

The photo above is the state dining room, also know as the picture gallery. I’m guessing because people take a lot of photos here. This is actually the oldest part of castle. It was the only room to escape the many fires over the years. Also, it has never gotten any major modifications. Meaning, it has kept it’s original decorations. Truly, it’s like stepping in time.

20190901_074502 — State drawing room photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Now, the picture above is the State Drawing Room. I have no idea who the people in the picture were. I just knew they were important to the Irish history. Sadly, most of this room was destroyed by a fire in 1941. It was reconstructed in 1968, this room is probably one of the newest in the castle. Once a reception room for the king at the time, now foreign dignitaries use it.

throne at st. Patrick’s hall photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The throne room photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

What is a castle without a throne? An expensive mansion? The pictures above are the thrones I have found on my trip throughout the castle. I was expecting more to be honest. I guess movies have influenced my mental picture of what a throne should be. I was expecting a bigger chair with tons of gold on it. The one on the right is in the throne room. Apparently, this was built for King George IV’s visit to Ireland in 1821.

The throne on the left, I found in St. Patrick’s Hall. Which is the biggest room in the castle. It has a blue carpet on the floor. So, it’s hard to miss. I read this is the throne for the president of Ireland. Always cool to look at in person. When you are in Ireland, I definitely recommend taking a visit. It will be worth the money!

Thank you so much for reading! Much love and safe travels!

Ps. Got in contact with a few friends I met in Wuhan, China. Will explain it in Wednesday’s post!

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February 8, 2020 18

Visting Orvieto, Italy (saying goodbye)

Our lengthy trip across this Southern European country was about to end. We had one more place to visit before leaving. A part of Italy I didn’t get to see on my first trip to this pasta loving country. I was excited but also a little bitter. Something about Italy makes it harder to leave the second time around.

Look over italy photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

For those who don’t know about this small Italian city. Orvieto lays on top of a hill. What makes this place so special is being able to see the Italian landscape and it’s white wines. This place is very famous for it’s classy alcohol. Ironically at the time that I was here, I did not this was a major site for the Etruscan civilization. They were the ones who built this city originally and was very important to the Etruscans. I wish I knew during my time here. Looking back, it was probably best because it would had made it even harder leaving.

The cathedral to the left photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Some much history runs through these buildings. In the usa and the Americas, most buildings are about 500 years. Hard to believe some of the buildings here are 4 times older. It makes you think about humanity. We have short lives but our structures are our legacy. Picture what all this would look like in 2000 years. Imagine how the USA, Russia, China and all of Africa would look like in 2000 years. Sadly, we won’t see it in person. Unless, medical doctors find a way to keep human bodies a live 200 times more of it’s normal capacity. Which I hope they don’t. However, if they did would that make us still human?

Another look of the Italian countryside photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As the wind was hitting my face, all I could think about was leaving. I have a lot of emotional tides to this country. A place where last time I was here, I escaped a major earthquake, got dumped, learned more about the Italian culture and meet some awesome friends. It is just hard to say good bye. The more countries you go to, the more you realize each country reminds you of a certain emotion. That emotion is usually associated with the experiences you had in that country. Italy has been a place where I had grown so much as an individual. I learned it’s better to be in the moment and socializing than being on your phone texting. Also many more life lessons that I know I would keep learning in other countries. However, it’s still hard to feel like you are saying good bye to personal growth.

The cathedral photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

What made me feel at peace is knowing I will continue to grow better as a person. With every new country, culture, person, langague and religion encountered will help the development of that growth. Good bye Italy, until we meet again!!

Thank you so much for reading! Much love and safe travels!

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January 15, 2020 32

Who were the Italians before Rome?

When we think about Italy, we automatically think of Rome. However, Rome wasn’t the only ancient civilization in Italy. There were actually quite a few. However, none influenced Rome like Etruscan. Hopefully, this post will spread some light on a civilization often living in the shadows of rome.

493px-Etruscan_civilization_map — The Etruscan civilization map brought to you by google

The Etruscans dominated Italy before the rise of rome. In fact, rome was once under the rule of the Etruscans as shown in the picture above. Not much is known of their history because they spoke a language that was not indo-European. The Etruscans were from what is now known as turkey. Which is why thier language was different than their neighbours.

Map of Italy in 400 B.C. brought to you by google

Italy was divided by many civilizations before rome eventually unified them all. However, the Etruscans were one of the first pre-rome Italians to unify mulitple Italian states. Plus, they are probably the one few in history that can say they conquered Rome’s capital.

An Etruscan Tomb brought to you by Google

As mentioned before, most of the Etruscans’ language and culture died out when Rome conquered. Since, most just adopted Latin and Roman customs. Eventually, the Etruscan simulated into Roman society and were forgotten. Within generations, you couldn’t tell the difference from an Etruscan and a Roman.

An Etruscan an pot brought to you by Google

What we know about the Etruscans’ culture is through tombs, art and what they left behind. A lot of their pottery was heavy influenced by Greece. They even had gods similar to the greek. The Etruscan religion had some influence to the Roman gods as well. Romans learned how to build arches from the Etruscans. The Etruscans even laid a foundation for the roman sewers. The city of Roman and the Roman architecture are imprints left behind by the Etruscans.

Thank you so much for reading!!! Much love and safe travels!!

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January 8, 2020 27

Being reintroduced to Florence, Italy

There’s something special about revisiting a place. From landmarks you didn’t see to overlooking the small street corners, experiencing a destination should be done more than once. You get to appericate the location more.

The Arno river running through Florence photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As my friends and I started walking/exploring, we eventually stumble across this river. Although I saw this river in my last trip here, I did not realize the name of it. Nor, did I noticed this is Florence main artery. It’s pipeline to the sea. Just imagine the boats that sailed here during the Middle ages in Florence’s prime. The sight must had been amazing. Picture the colors of the sails and caragos that merchants were bringing from Pisa. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine, that would be some next level of sightseeing.

The dome of Florence photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

After some time, we got to the Florence dome. Probably my favorite landmark in all of Italy. The appearance just attracts me. The patterns and colors always makes my imagination run wild. Everytime I see this, I keep thinking of the Renaissance. Again, I truly wish there was a time machine somewhere. Maybe I could borrow it for some time (Yes, that was a horribly executed pun).

Random rooftops in Florence photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Being here with just adults is liberating. You do not have to be constantly looking to see where the child ran off to. There’s a level of stress that is gone. I can see why old couples tend to travel the world together. There’s a higher level of being in the moment you get without having to overlook someone else. I usually travel alone or with friends, so this is the only place I really had to babysit while traveling. The comparison of the two is good to know before jumping into parenthood. I know I will still travel; however, it would be more for educating my children about the world.

The side tower of dome photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once again, Florence is a place I really enjoyed. Being reintroduced to Florence has made me appericate the beauty of this city. There’s so much history here. It’s hard not to get lost in the historic sites. Truly a destination for people who love history.

Thank you for reading! Stay safe and much love! Happy holidays everyone!!

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December 18, 2019 25

How Dubai was like before the oil

Okay, for those who don’t know. Dubai, was once a small port in the middle of the desert. In fact, about 50 years ago Dubai looked no where near what it looks like today. In fact, nobody knew that they were sitting on a future global metropolitan.

The map of Dubai before the Oil Rush photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

As I wondered more through the Dubai Museum, I overheard some of the tour guides. Being cheap and didn’t want to pass my budget, I started following the tour groups. One of them was explaining the history of Dubai. Before oil, Dubai was just a small port in the desert.

The local fishermen of Dubai’s past photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The locals were fishermen and most of their trade came from what was found in the sea. It was a very simple and humble beginning. The ultimate rags to riches story. People lived uncomplicated lives with little to no worries. Expect the desert heat.

Diving for pearls photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

One of the main exports of Dubai, were Pearls. Back then Dubai was known more for it’s precious pearls. People from all over the world would want to buy these beautiful gems. This was Dubai’s main source of income before oil was found.

Locals making boats photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The way people used to get the pearls was through free diving. They would had drivers dive all day looking for these hidden gems. I’m sure the constant diving was not too healthy. In case for those who don’t know, free diving is diving without any equipment. You would just hold your breath underwater. This can make easier for divers to get decompression sickness. Which forms bubbles inside your body. Either way, people did what was needed to survive.

A replica of merchant selling spices photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Eventually, the Japanese found out how to make pearls artificially. The demand for pearls slowly declined. More jobs in the oil industry started to prosper. Naturally, the need for jobs in the pearl industry declined. All these events lead to the Dubai we know now. It’s mind blowing to think how 50 years can change a small port into an economical powerhouse metropolis. I wonder what other cities will form in the next decades to come.

Next week, we go to United Arab Emirates’ second largest City!

Safe travels everyone and much love!

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For my underwater photos, I use the gopro hero 7 white.

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October 19, 2019 19

Wandering and learning at The Dubai Museum

To escape the heat, I decided to go and see what the Dubai museum was about. Took the metro to get there. It was a little bit of a walk away from the nearest station. So much for escaping the heat.

Dubai Museum on the left photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

When I got there, I was surprised to see the price of the tickets. It was about 3 USA dollars to go around. I’m not much of a museum person. However over my travels, I’m slowly becoming one. Plus my local friend kept telling me to come here.

Al Fahidi Fort photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The entrance to the museum is very interesting. It’s made like a 1500’s fort. The entrance of the museum truly made me felt that I was in the Arabian Peninsula. I never seen this type of structure before in person. The fort is made out of coral rock. In fact, besides the Spanish forts in Florida and California. I never seen an actually fort before. Especially, not one made out of coral! Also, the fort is believed to be the oldest building in Dubai still active. The fort is called Al Fahidi.

Outside views of the Arish photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Once inside the museum, you get to see the old fashion homes. They are called Arish and are made out of palm fronds. The homes are actually very small. Only really containing a place to sit, a kitchen and a bedroom. It’s crazy to think that the emiratis once lived so humbly. The large amounts of money a country gains, can really change its people’s culture.

Old fashion helmets and weaponry photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Got to see an armoury right past the entrance. I heard the armours and weapons were collected from all over the world. I could only imagine how hot it would had been wearing mental armour in the Middle East during summer. I would rather choose 2nd degree burns over cuts caused by swords and arrows any day.

The collection of swords photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

Funny thing about the homes, you get to see the old fashioned “air conditioning.” They were called wind towers. It was a gap in the ceiling of the Arish, as seen in the picture below. It was brutal for me to even walk around in this structure. The heat was still slightly unbearable. I couldn’t picture living in a place with no artificially-made cold air. Where the average temperatures in the summer is about 106 degrees to 86 degrees. For those who live outside of the usa, 41.1 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius. Not to mention the 70 percent humidity.

The wind tower photo courtesy of Hugo Morel

The further I got into the museum, I found a door that lead me inside a walkway. That walkway would eventually take me to the main attraction of the museum. I was about to learn how Dubai was before the discovery of oil. Couldn’t wait to see what was in store me.

Safe travels everyone and much love!

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October 12, 2019 9

The history behind the Egyptian pyramids

So according to the locals, the pyramids were not created by the Hebrews that were enslaved. They actually believe it was the Nubians who built them.

Nubians brought to you by google

According to locals, Nubians are actually the indigenous Egyptians. Egypt has been invaded and conquered by almost all the nearby empires, ancient and recent. The average Egyptian has become a mixture of all these influences. I have met a few Nubians in Egypt. The Nubians, tend to look more like Sudanese. They have more darker features and skin color than the average Egyptian. From what I learned from the locals, Sudan is actually where the tradition of burrying the dead in pyramids started.

Map of Ancient Egypt brought to you by Google.

Map of sudan and Egypt being apart of ancient Egypt brought to you by google

As seen in the photos above, Sudan and Egypt were once one country. They eventually broke apart for political and culture differences.

Learning all this was so interesting to me. It’s similar to the native Americans in the USA. Many Nubians in Egypt tend to have thier own communities and customs. However, they play a part of the society and have been heavily influenced by arabization.

Nubian pyramids from the kush empire brought to you by google.

After doing some research on it, I found out that Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt. I know this sounds weird but, let me explain.

Now before ancient Egypt was at it’s full glory, there was an acient empire called Kush. The kush empire was along the Nile, as well. However, it was more south in what’s modern day Sudan. The Kush empire is home of the Nubians. Which are people of the Nubian desert. They had traditions of burrying their dead in pyramids. As seen in the picture above, these sites are the Nubian pyramids and have become a world heritage site.

A cover of a National Geographic magazine brought to you by google.

Eventually, the kush empire conquered Egypt. Which lead to 25 dynasties of having kushite kings as pharaohs. Although, I don’t agree with the title of the magazine as shown above, they did a good of covering this topic. Acient Egypt got it’s traditions of burrying thier dead in pyramids from the Nubians. Also, the pharaohs after the kushites were expelled were black too. They were just more mixed with the other conquerors.

Learning all this made truly made me interested in going back to Africa. It’s a continent with so much history. I truly wish there wasn’t so many issues with countries in Africa. Regardless, an African county should be on everybody’s bucket lists.

Hope one day to go Sudan, and show you all the Nubian pyramids.

Next week, will talk more about the Hebrew/jewish and other religious communities in modern day Egypt.

Thank you for reading. Much love and safe travels!

To start your own adventures, check out the link below.

Check out our latest e-book “How to Travel for Dirt Cheap” by Hugo Morel for ways to make your dreams of traveling come without breaking the bank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M848M47?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420&fbclid=IwAR0_mRF-eE9tODIshljVr7CQ8h6vKT6hHn_8gZfJ94DySY1ylPO2Itu2Qe0

March 2, 2019 20