The Unexpected

It has been nine days since my trip and yet it seems like it has been months. I miss Egypt. A lot.

It still baffles me that I spent three glorious weeks in the only country I have EVER wanted to visit.  I had financially planned for this trip for nearly two years, but had been preparing for a lifetime. To think that this trip has come and gone makes me sad. I am still mentally and spiritually there, reliving moments daily in my head. I am having  a hard time concentrating on work, on my life, even writing this blog. My thoughts are jumbled. Words aren’t coming to mind. Just pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I took over 14GB worth and I still feel like moments are missing. We didn’t take any pictures of our last few days in Cairo. We were too busy enjoying ourselves and living in the moment that the camera just slipped our minds. Blogging slipped my mind. It took me nearly a week to write a single blog that to me (even now) didn’t come close to capturing my feelings. What I think it may have come down to is that I didn’t feel like I needed to discuss everything because I felt at home; like life in Egypt was just natural for me. I didn’t necessarily feel like I was experiencing anything “new” anymore simply because I was so comfortable. Well, comfortable and that I ran out of adjectives to use to describe everything.

As I continue to reflect on my vacation, I have come to the conclusion that there are few things in my life that have had an effect on me the way Egypt has–being adopted, moving to Santa Cruz, going to Vegas with Nicole and Stacy ;)–as you can see with my selection of events, Egypt was nothing less than life altering. It is hard to believe I finally achieved a life long dream. Some of you may be laughing at the fact that experiencing Egypt and all its glory was a dream of mine, but it truly was. As some of you may or may not know, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was little. I loved digging and discovering hidden treasures wherever they may lie–gardens, sandbox, beaches, backyards, etc. I can’t remember the exact moment I wanted to go to Egypt, but I do know that it has been an aspiration for most of my life. When studying Ancient Egypt in 6th grade, I was enthralled. At the end of the year we were asked to write a report on something we learned during the school year. I picked Ancient Egypt, specifically Queen Hatshepsut–the best damn transvestite that ever lived. She single-handedly turned my interest in Ancient Egyptian history into a passion. So, when Judy and I made the executive decision to go to Egypt, I knew that I was going to embark on something that would change me in one way or another.

I do feel the need to tell you that the entire time I was in Egypt, I was safe and FELT safe. I think it must be said, “DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR!” Yes, Egypt is going through a transitional period. And yes, there was even some trouble while I was in Egypt. But again, I never felt unsafe. If anything, I felt very well protected and treated kindly by all. As Americans I know we support democracies and the concept of freedom. But we can’t just say “Yay Egypt! Yay for freedom!” We need to show them support by visiting the country–tourism is one of their main sources of income (maybe the number 1?!). It was heartbreaking (but also kind of cool for us) that we saw very few tourists there. Our hope through this blog is to fuel others desire to visit the country and to actually do it. WHEN you decided to plan your trip, please be sure to use Lady Egypt. They are amazing. For the first time in our lives, Judy and I felt completely at ease–no stress, no worries. They took care of EVERYTHING. They were at our beckon call. I can’t say enough how wonderful they really are and I truly hope some of our readers, if not all, will take the steps necessary to visit this stunningly beautiful place.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

There are many things I learned about Egyptian culture and history, but most importantly myself. I learned what moves me, what drives me, and what I am passionate about. I learned that kindness is felt cross-culturally and that a smile is universal; I can know a person just by looking into their eyes since the eyes never lie. I finally knew peace, simple, overwhelming peace. Returning to normal life hasn’t been easy. Just as I was beginning to feel settled there, I came home. Of course, I love home. I love California. I love not sitting in traffic (err, Egyptian traffic) and being able to drive wherever I want. I missed my friends and my family. But, I do miss the Egyptian culture, the lifestyle, the food, and the people. I made lifelong connections there and I will forever be grateful for that. I want to return and soon (think my job would let me telecommute from Egypt!?). I know that I am not done with Egypt for I have left a piece of myself there. I completely fell in love with everything Egyptian. I am just so thankful that I was given the opportunity to experience such wonderful emotions and gain important knowledge culturally and historically. I know that this won’t be my last post on this site, so I hope you all stick around. I will have more reflections as time passes and eventually, I will return to Egypt.

I want to take this moment to thank Lady Egypt and specifically Aboudy and Mo for bringing the beauty of Egypt alive for me and Judy. Our experience wouldn’t have been nearly as wonderful without you two. Not only did we feel comfortable with you, we felt like we connected with you both on different levels. Aboudy you taught us SO much, maybe too much?! Our little brains are still on history overload! The fact that we got to spend so much time with you for two weeks and really pick your brain was so great–we got all of our questions answered which isn’t an easy task ESPECIALLY with Judy and her ever-curious mind. Mo, what can I say? You’re amazing! Thank you for taking such great care of us and for managing our tour so well and for taking time out of your schedule to show us the real Egypt. Meeting you both and your colleagues at Lady Egypt has truly changed our lives for the better. That was completely unexpected. But as you would say Mo, “In Egypt, expect the unexpected!”

 

Oh hey, how’s it going?

So, I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging. Not for any specific reasons, but just got wrapped up in the magic that is Egypt. And Judy has been hogging the iPad. Thank goodness though since she has been able to keep everyone up to date, making my job of blogging a little easier.

I realize that I haven’t written anything since Luxor which is crazy. Every day since traveling around Upper Egypt has been spectacular–full of adventure, excitement, and peace. Our trip to Alexandria was beyond relaxing, The Sofitel Hotel is so stunningly beautiful and the service is wonderful–oh and Internet was free (first place we had been with free wifi). I loved seeing the Med. It was so stunning. But what I found upsetting was the amount of trash floating in the water. From our hotel balcony I could see large clumps of trash just resting among the waves. I guess you can see that back home, but still, it was a sad sight.

When we came back to Cairo, we felt refreshed and ready to enjoy our last few days.

Those few days have now come and gone. We leave in the morning. And I’m sad. Of course I’ll be happy to be home. But I have definitely left a part of me here. I have completely fell in love with Egypt, it’s history, and it’s people. My body and spirit has felt so at peace here and it’s addicting. Despite the fact that Egypt is a completely different world than I am used to, I don’t care–I have felt comfortable every day I have been here. I really feel like I am not ready to leave. I am not ready to say goodbye.

As I sit here and try to find words to describe my journey and to give the world a look into my daily adventures, I am struggling. I think that this is why I haven’t been blogging. I can’t find words in any language to help give my thoughts and feelings value. Words aren’t enough. I am speechless. My heart is so full of love and satisfaction. I am overjoyed. This trip has been more than I ever thought it could be.

When I get home and reflect on everything, be ready. I have a feeling the words will flow easier.

I love you Egypt.

America, I’m coming home to you in the morning. Did you miss me?!

What a Way to Say Goodbye

Not only has this trip been about sightseeing of antiquities, but it’s been about learning about people and cultures from the past and into the present. This day was to be no exception.

We’ve really tried to develop relationships with our tour guide, tour manager, and drivers. They are excited about our blog and about our deep desire to really explore Egypt and all it has to offer. Due to this, they invited us to experience an Egyptian wedding.

The stars aligned during our trip (yet again) and this opportunity came up. One of the employees at Lady Egypt (our amazing tour company) was to get married that night, and we were invited to join in the festivities. This also meant we were going to meet a lot more employees. We were ridiculously excited about this event!

Egyptian weddings don’t start until late in the day, so we weren’t even picked up until 8:00 in the evening. We drove to the outskirts of Cairo to an indoor wedding complex. The first activity was a dancing horse with drummers beating drums around it. It reminded me of the dancing dragon at the Chinese New Year festival. When the dancing stopped, we followed the drummers upstairs. We then went through the greeting line. Breanna and I thanked the bride and groom profusely for allowing us to join in.

The bride and groom wore western-style wedding outfits. He wore a tuxedo and she wore a white wedding gown. All of the female wedding guests (except Bree and I) wore the head coverings. However, the bride did NOT wear one. I’m not sure what the reason is, but after seeing Aboudy’s wedding photo, it seems to be the common practice.

We were seated in a large hall at round tables and were served cups of juice, then the bride and groom entered. We all clapped for them. There was no ceremony like we would expect! Muslims sign a contract together on a different day, then have the “wedding”/reception later. We were attending the reception.

They came in and were introduced, then they danced together as we all watched. Afterwards, the guests came out to join in the dancing. This was a trip; the dancing isn’t like American dancing. First of all, it’s off the hook. Men, women, boys, and girls are all out on the dance floor dancing at the same time. But, they aren’t dancing together. In fact, first the men and boys were in the center of the dance floor, then it was the ladies turn. It goes back and forth all night without people actually leaving the dance floor. The men really enjoy their dancing here; it’s so refreshing!

A little later, the cake came out. It was like 5 tiers high. But, the guests don’t eat that cake. Their was another tier at the center of each table AND we each had a plate of pastries in front of us! There was no meal, instead there was a huge amount of sweets. With the sweets, they served soda.

After cake, there was more dancing. It was in the same fashion. Then, groups of people were invited to take pictures with the bride and groom. The kind Lady Egypt group insisted we join in their picture. Years later, I’m sure the bride and groom will ask each other who the heck Bree and I were!

The wedding ends between 11:30 and midnight. I heard the female family members will remain at the locale to offer “wedding night advice” to the bride.

We departed, and later had to say farewell to our tour guide, Aboudy. I was not looking forward to this part! Bree and I had just spent two solid weeks with him, and had grown to consider him our friend. I was sure I would shed a couple tears. To my surprise, it wasn’t like that at all. We’ve all decided to consider it an “until next time” farewell. As Aboudy would say, “inshallah!” This means “god willing” in Arabic.

I truly can’t express my gratitude to Aboudy. He is very professional, cares deeply about his country and its artifacts, and really brings the magic of the past to his clients. Without him, the trip would not have been half of what it was! From the bottom of my heart, “thank you, Aboudy, for helping to make my dream come true, and making it even better than I had dreamt.” It’s been unforgettable!

Ay, ay, ay, ay those workers were talented

We’re going back to the West Bank today. After a day in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, I didn’t think there would be anything left. There was!

Before going to the workers’ tombs, we strolled through the area of the workers’ mud brick houses. The lower parts of the walls are still intact, but there are none completely enclosed. They had many common spaces, including bathrooms. The houses were small, but they worked.

Up the hill, there is a temple dedicated to Hathor. It is small, but has an offering table. The reliefs depict the Ptolemaic rulers.

On the hillside of the Valley of the Workers, there lies the single tomb we would visit. The ancient pharaohs would grant land to the workers as payment for their services. This proves that the people working/building tombs were not slaves. In this area, there are some tombs. We were absolutely floored by the tomb of the workers’ supervisor Sennedjet.

Although he wasn’t royalty, Sennedjet’s tomb definitely lives up to the tomb of a royal. Even though there are no carvings, the paintings in the tomb are still bright. They are unique because they show common scenes. They show Sennedjet and his wife working together, playing games together, and praying together. The tombs of the royals don’t give any depictions of day-to-day behavior, or behaviors between husband and wife. This tomb allows us a glimpse into that part of a commoner’s life. This was the only worker tomb we entered, but it definitely had to be the best!

Next, we went to the Valley of the Monkeys. No…we didn’t go visit tombs of monkeys. It gets its name from the mountain formations; it appears as if several monkeys are carved into the mountainside. We went specifically to visit the tomb of queen Ay. Fortunately, we were allowed to bring the camera in to this beautiful, but under-visited tomb. Check out the pictures below to see the beauty inside this underground tomb! The sarcophagus has a beautiful depiction of Isis on it’s corner. Notice there are monkeys painted on the wall.

This was the only tomb to see in the Valley of the Monkeys. BUT, IT WAS WORTH THE VISIT AND THE DRIVE.

Our last night in Luxor was to be a night of cultural experiences. We were able to eat fenugreek stuffed pigeon, an Egyptian favorite. This dish was yummy. An accompanying side is called molocchia (spelling?); this was a little harder to enjoy. It’s like spinach mixed with honey and spices. The texture was a little too slimy for Bree and I. On the other hand, the pasta that was served as another side was very tasty. I think this was the biggest meal we’ve had thus far. What a wonderful meal shared in a great environment with good people.

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and enjoyed dancing performances while smoking sheesh a (this is a legal substance–enjoyed by everyone). All in all, it was an incredible day.

The next morning, we head back to Cairo and start our independent travels. Read our upcoming blogs to hear about it.

Someone Needs to Invent a Working Time Machine

Waking up this morning, we knew we had an amazing day ahead of us! First thing was to check out of our hotel, then to head to the Colossi of Memnon.

On the way to the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, there are two huge figures off to the right. They are called the Colossi of Memnon. This is not an accurate name for them. Originally these 59 ft. tall statues were built along with a temple for Amenophis III. The temple and the statues were damaged during an earthquake in 27 b.c. The result was the statues began to “sing.” Local people thought they were hearing the lamenting of the goddess for her son Memnon, who died in the siege of Troy. The real reason for the song, is a splintered hole in the side of the right one. The morning winds would blow through and create the song.

Our next stop was the Valley of the Kings. Unfortunately, there are no photos allowed. Another unfortunate thing is that the ticket allows a person to visit only three tombs. Our amazing guide, Aboudy, asked us to have faith that he would pick the best three…and I believe he did!

At the beginning of our trip planning, we didn’t think we wanted to visit King Tut’s tomb. We had heard there wasn’t much still inside. Then we read some articles talking about closing the tomb at the end of 2011 due to the rapid deterioration. We figured, we had to do it. We were happy we did. King Tut still resides in his tomb, at least, his body does. That’s right…we saw his mummified remains. They keep them in the tomb because they are extremely fragile. In fact, one of Howard Carter’s assistants actually broke the middle area of the body.

We entered the tomb,and walked down the corridor. At the end of the corridor, we entered a room. To the right was the burial chamber with one of King Tut’s coffins. Go back to older blogs to hear more detail about those in the Cairo museum. This one was gorgeous as well. They really did craft these items brilliantly. There was gold, of course, inlay on the coffin, and beautiful artistry depicting the boy king’s face. The walls in the burial chamber were beautiful depicting reliefs about Tut’s death and entry into the afterlife. After viewing this room, we went back to the room on the other side of the corridor. In this room, we were able to view Tut, well, part of him. We saw his upper body and feet. The rest of him was draped with a cloth. Breanna saw the area of the skull that looks a little damaged.

Speaking of seeing amazing things dealing with King Tut, our tour guide’s grandfather was there when the tomb was opened. He actually saw it happening! How history runs in that family’s blood!

After visiting the tomb of Ramesses IV, we were leaving when the local guard asked where Bree and I were from. We answered politely, and he continued asking questions. He asked if we were sisters. With a language barrier, we just made it simple by answering, “yes.” then, he continued with an offer. He offered me the entire tomb for Bree’s hand in marriage. Bree nervously laughed while I sat for a moment thinking. I mean, you can’t blame me; it’s not every day someone offers to give you a tomb! In the end, I took the high road and said, no, I’m sorry, she’s married. Then, we showed him her beautiful ring. He understood and backed away, although in a slightly dejected manner.

We visited many other tombs, some of kings and some of queens. We saw the largest known sarcophagus in one of them. It is like 8 feet tall. Gorgeous reliefs and paintings were decorating these tombs. Our amazement continued throughout the valleys. Possibly more amazing than the work that went into them was the work at excavating the finds. It absolutely blows my mind to think about the time, and meticulous efforts that have gone into finding, excavating, and preserving these tombs. And there are more! Works continues, for archaelogists are convinced more lay below the golden sands of the Egyptian desert.

My excitement grew as we were approaching Hatshepsut’s temple. While teaching sixth grade ELD, I was able to take the kids on a field trip to an exhibit about her. I had taught about her and seen some artifacts, but this is her temple built into the mountainside! Walking from the car up the steps, it was surreal. I was at that moment going to her place of honor, built for her by her lover. The first and third floors were majorly defaced by her step-son Thutmosis III. The second floor still had things to see.

We first went to the left side to see the hall with many reliefs depicting the peaceful expedition she sent to Punt. On these walls, we see that she sent many gifts and wanted to start an open trade with the people. In return, they sent many gifts and 31 types of trees. Two of the trees still lie (although dead) at the beginning of the ramp leading to the temple. This relief is different from most other temples because it boasts of a peaceful mission. All other temples try to showcase pharoah’s military expeditions (men and their bragging about power and prowess!!!).

She also had a chapel built in the name of Hathor (goddess associated with fun, drinking, music, and love). We’ve seen many Hathoric columns representing this goddess; she’s more popular in Egypt than I would’ve ever guessed.

Of course, we see the birth story of Hatshepsut. But this story isn’t about a true birthing situation, it is about her divine birth. It basically shows that she was created on a pottery wheel at the hands of the ram-headed creator god.

There is also a chapel built for Anubis. In this chapel, all figures of Hatshepsut have been effaced. Thutmosis III gave orders to have the reliefs destroyed. Of course, he left a relief of himself in tact. There is one that he ordered changed to represent him instead of her; we know this because they forget to destroy the hieroglyphics saying whom was in the relief!

All over Egypt, there is constant restoration happening. It is evident that most of the statues and grounds at this temple have had much restoration completed. All in all, a breathtaking site…phenomenal temple built by her lover for a phenomenal ruler.

Speaking of her lover, he designed more than the temple. Recently, archaelogists have found a tunnel from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings to a mountainside next to her temple. Within this tunnel, there are paintings and depictions of their love, including one of their lovemaking!!! This is NOT seen anywhere else! Evidence shows she was very aware of the portrayals…so kinky of her!

Perhaps this was something that made Thutmosis III mad. After all, her lover was not his father! Only a time machine would answer that…maybe in the future.

Walking among the Thebians

After waking up on the Nile, I was excited to be in Aboudy’s home town. Our guide is from Luxor (formerly Thebes), and knows much about it. He seemed excited to show off the amazing sites in the area.

Upon arrival at Karnak, I could see why. Karnak is not just a temple, it is a complex! They actually call it that! The ruins are extensive at this location. It houses many sphinx and a few obelisks. I was incredibly happy to see the obelisks because we haven’t seen that many. I thought I would see hundreds, so I’ve been surprised.

Crossing a bridge into the complex (water no longer flows under), you enter the first beautiful gateway. As we walked through the gateway, we could see the complex looked endless. In fact, pharaohs added more and more to this complex as the dynasties continued. So, Karnak is not just the idea/plan/celebration of one pharaoh, but hundreds of years of pharaohs.

In the beginning, there was a row of ram-headed sphinxes. As they sit their in their regal manner, showing off their little statuettes, they demonstrate the good favor they want of the god Amun Re.

We saw beautiful reliefs of sacred barques. During the time of Hatshepsut, the sacred barques were taken across town by priests. They were used to calm the people so there were fewer disputes. It is said that her reign was characterized by many disputes among the people.

Walking through the second pylon (gateway) means you’re walking into the Great Hypostyle Hall. This thing is massive; I was in such awe that I never asked about the number of columns lining this room. There had to more than 100. The thing that makes this so magnanimous is that the columns are almost 70 feet tall. It could take all day if you looked at each one; the reliefs on the pillars were in pretty good shape. They depict different scenes, like bringing offerings to the gods and the coronations of the pharaoh. This hall and these columns, too, boast the workings of several pharaohs.

The obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut is still in remarkably good shape. She actually had 2 obelisks built, but only one still remains in that area. She was very proud of the obelisk, and mentioned it in reliefs on other buildings. Abouty (our guide, who is an educated Egyptologist) mentioned that Thutmosis III, who was her step-son and reigned after her, didn’t want to destroy the obelisk because it celebrated Amun-Re. So he had giant stones placed all around it to enclose it, and that’s what ended up protecting it so well. I guess that means “in your face Thutmosis III.”

Speaking of Thutmosis III, he built several things in the Karnak complex as well. He built pillars and a festival temple among others. He also laid out the sacred lake.

This complex marked the first time we had seen a true connection with Alexander the Great. Look below to see his cartouche. We’ve learned that you can’t look at the statues or paintings, you have to look at the cartouches! Only in the cartouche will you truly know who and what this scene is about!

Another thing to mention is that this complex has a “sacred lake.” It is believed that it was used by priests to cleanse themselves. They also had ritual boat journeys across it, like during the new year.

I’ve written so much already, but could explain so much more. Instead, make sure to look below at the huge amount of ruins still being sorted through and pieced together. With thousands of years of history, and many pharaohs contributing, this place has a long way to go. Thankfully, there are American universities and universities from other countries contributing to the effort.

It was a hot, hot day, so we headed back to the boat to rest and refresh for our evening tour of the Luxor temple.

The evening air was a tad bit cooler, and we were happy to be out and about.
We went to the Luxor temple, and saw part of the wondrous avenue of sphinxes. The sphinxes lined the two sides of the 3 km pathway between Karnak and the Luxor Temple. It was this pathway that was used every year during the Opet festival (new year), in which statues of the trinity (Amun, Mut, and Khonsu) were paraded from Karnak to Luxor Temple.

Before entering the beautiful Luxor Temple, there are 3 awesome statues of Rameses II. The head of one of the broken Colossus is still there; check out the photo below. There is also one (of two) obelisks in front. Our tour guide was a little disgruntled about this! Here’s the story:

In 1831, Sultan Muhammad Ali gave one of the obelisks to France as a gift. Yes, this is the same Muhammad Ali whose mosque we visited in Cairo. In return, King Louis-Philippe gave the sultan a large clock. You can still see the clock near the citadel and Muhammad Ali mosque in Cairo. Here’s the part that really burns our guide, the clock NEVER has worked. So, Egypt gave one of it’s antiquities to a country who gave a that doesn’t work. It’s like trading a beautifully refurbished antique Corvette for a beater-style, broken-down Ford Pinto. Tell me, who got the better end of the stick?

The ground on which Luxor Temple exists is prime real estate. It is on the east bank of the Nile, with spectacular views. This is probably part of the reason that the land has been used since before the time of it’s two biggest pharaonic contributors–Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. Before there was a temple, the land is thought to have been the “garden of Amun.” then came Hatshepsut who built a sacred boat shrine. After her, Amenhotep III actually built the temple.

The temple has been used by ancient Egyptians as well as Muslims and Coptic Christians. Right after you enter the first gate of the temple, you can look up and see the Abu Haggag mosque. In the evening light, its minaret stood pointing to the heavens as if it was telling us, “we can point to the cosmos, it’s all their wondrous fault we have this amazing structure!” One of my favorite parts of the evening visit was when we were standing in one of the courts, looking around us, as the night colors were enveloping the temple. The muezzin’s call to prayer rang out and filled the walls with gorgeous lovely prayer chants. It was intoxicating…the color of the sky, the warm air, the sounds around us, and the glorious site that we were seeing. Oh…that shit was coooool!,l

The Coptic Christians lived there and set up some churches within the temple walls. It is still possible to see the Christian crosses and mud brick used in their building.

This temple has several sections containing columns. There is also the mammisi (birth story) of Amenhotep III. There are mammisi in many locations; the pharaohs felt the need to prove their lineage to the gods, and therefore, would have their birth stories engraved on the walls of temples. This particular mammisi was to prove Amenhotep IIIs descendancy from Amun.

Being here, in Thebes, really helps to prove the public relations champion that Ramesses II truly was. This man had images of himself everywhere! Reliefs in this temple (same as Abu Simbel) really brag about his successes overcoming the Hitiites in the Battle of Kadesh. This is all propaganda; the truth is that both sides lost just enough warriors that they agreed upon a truce. But, obviously, Ramesses was a bit of a braggart and a liar, and decided to change the true outcome just a bit!

At the fared of the temple lies the room of the Holy of Holies. This was always the first part built, and then they would build the rest of the structure forward.

There is proof that Alexander the Great was at the temple. In fact, he gave his brother the responsibility of repairing The monuments in Thebes. Later, both emperors Hadrian and Diocletian built small temples within these grounds. the Roman influence seems to be building as we continue on our journey.

What a place to be…Thebes. This particular temple had been halfway buried for a long time before the obelisk was removed and sent to France. Thank goodness the work to uncover this amazing place was started in the 19 century and completed in the 20th.

Back to the ship we went. It was to be our last night on our cruise ship, and the entertainment was to be fun. We got to see a belly dancer (although unlike Alexander– not that great). Afterwards, we were to watch the performance of a whirling dervish. So cool…I don’t know how they do it! Do you remember, while being a child, spinning and spinning until you hit the ground. Whirling dervishes are like that, except they never hit the ground! Just one small act of 10 -15 minutes, and he was spinning the entire time! The act also includes balancing increasing numbers of circular objects, and using other items (e.g. sashes) tucked within his costume. What a treat! Definitely check out the amazing picture below.

It was a truly wonderful night, leaving me again feeling like one of the luckiest people on Earth. I went to bed with feelings of excitement and giddiness, for the next day I would be off to the Valleys of the Kings and Queens and Hatshepsut’s temple! Check back later to hear of the adventure!

Crocodiles and falcons…oh my!!!

Our cruise ship took us to upper Egypt. Our first stop was in Kom Ombo.

When we got off the ship, we first went through the village before the temple. I walked around and looked at the mud brick houses, the small animal farm, a traditional tent you’d see in the desert and…drum roll please…a working shadouf. The shadouf is one of the earlier forms of bringing water for irrigation. I’m such a dork…I was so excited!

We walked up to the temple of Kom Ombo. This temple was dedicated to two main gods: Sobek and Haroeris. This is very odd; most temples are dedicated to only one god. Sobek is the crocodile god. Many mummified crocodiles have been found in and around this temple, and are now stored in a small museum next door. The other god, Haroeris, is another falcon-headed god.

Personally, I love a beautiful image of the goddess Seshat. She is the goddess of literacy and numeracy. She often wears leopard skin, which is something worn by high priests. This also tells us she is powerful. Above her head is a star. She isn’t found in every temple, but when she is, she’s conducting important business. Usually she is recording the name of a pharaoh after his birth. Or, she is giving instructions about the size, dimensions, and plans for a temple or tomb. That’s my girl!

Another cool aspect of this stop was a relief (carving into a wall) where you could see woman sitting on birthing stools. During the time period of Emperor Trajan, women gave birth in this position, unlike the bed of nowadays.

We got back on the ship and sailed a bit further until we got to Edfu temple. This temple took approximately 180 years to complete. It was dedicated to the falcon-god Horus. The outside facade of this temple is huge in stature and looks like just one gateway. But, as you move through it, there is a huge courtyard. In the days of the Ptolemy empire, a huge celebration used to take place here. People from another upper Egyptian town–Dendera–would bring the statue of Horus’s wife–Hathor–to Edfu temple. The people would get to see the golden-gilded statues only at this celebration. They would have a feast and celebrate their reunification. After the celebration, the people would bring the two statues to their own room (within the temple walls) so they could enjoy each other thoroughly (if you know what I mean ;))!

The other amazing feature of this temple is the story, in reliefs, of Horus’s revenge on his uncle Set. Since Set murdered his father (Osiris), Horus set about to find and kill his uncle. Being the tricky god, Set turned himself into a hippopotamus. Horus, and his mother Isis, found his uncle in hippo-form, and harpooned him. This act made it so he had sole dominion over the world. Revenge isn’t supposed to be, but it sure was sweet for him!

After this, we took a horse-drawn carriage back to the ship, and sailed off into the night. At night, we sat on the top deck with our amazing guide Aboudi (adore him so much), enjoying the warm summer breezes on our faces and in our hair. Looking out onto the dimly lit and dark riverbanks, we couldn’t resist huge smiles. What a remarkable trip this has been, and it’s going to continue!

Wow…speechless again…

Sorry, we haven’t yet uploaded the pics from Edfu! Check back for pics and commentary about the Karnak complex and the Luxor temple.

Planes, trains, automobiles, and boats

Our plane flight was relatively short. The only notable thing is that I, again, was stopped and my luggage was questioned! This time it was the sunscreen. Ugh…what will it be on the way home?

From the airport, we went directly to our felucca ride. The felucca is a traditional Egyptian sailing boat. The sail itself is made of cloth. It was definitely not as fancy as the American sails. This one looked as if it had been used as a bed cover once, and is now fulfilling its final purpose. There was a cloth overhang to protect us from the sun’s unrelenting rays. There is a single man operating the sail, the steering-thingy, and every other device needed to get us to our destination. Riding on a felucca is unlike any other boat. As we were riding the tides of the Nile using the gentle Egyptian breezes, it felt as if we were in some far away time.

We arrived at Elephantine Island. This place is across the water from Aswan. The ruins there are from the 14th century B.C. Most of the place is unrestored ruins. The remnants of mud brick houses lay everywhere, informing of the way people lived in the past. You must know, there are mud brick houses everywhere in Egypt. Since there isn’t much rain (maybe 1 day a year), they’ve been around for a long time and will continue to exist for many centuries more. The most interesting site is the Nilometer. There is a staircase going down toward the Nile. As you progress downward, there are plates that show the height. The ancient Egyptians used this method to determine the amount of taxes for the year. If the water level was low, the taxes would be low because the crop yield would be low. If the water level was high, the taxes would be high because they would be able to have a more successful growing season. The system was used up and down the Nile.

We hopped back on the felucca and went to Kitchner Island. This is the site of the botanical gardens. It takes up the whole island and contains plants and trees from around the world. We saw the tree from which we get the lotus flower. My favorite flower was the Mogra. It is a small white flower that gives off the most beautiful fragrance. Our wonderful guide picked some flowers and had me put them in my hair; this is what the ancient Egyptian women used to do! Unfortunately, the picture make me look like Shrek’s wife–Fiona. We also saw many birds we don’t have in California. We spent quite a bit of time chasing Doodie’s favorite–the hoopoo. It has a cute little crest on its head and wonderful stripings on its body feathers. This shy little bird looks so adorable as it’s little legs run away from you to hide.

We left the nature-filled island and went to Aswan in order to check in to our cruise ship. We would be spending the next three nights on a cruise ship…on the amazing Nile. This boat was not just a cruise ship, it was one of luxury. Richly decorated with wonderful colors, it made you feel spoiled immediately. The cabin rooms were the same size (or bigger) than our hotel rooms have been. The shower was roomy. Princess cruise lines…eat your heart out!

Speaking of feeling spoiled, I can’t help but say, “I don’t know that I deserve all that has been given me on this trip.” I have never felt such a lack of responsibility. I don’t have to worry about a thing! Doodie checks on us and takes care of our every need. If we have a question, he answers it. If we don’t understand something he explains it. If we feel we need to change something, he does it. I have NEVER been so relaxed. I truly feel like royalty on this trip!

I Love It When We’re Cruisin’ Together

As you may notice, Judy and I are WAY behind on our blogging. We lost about three days between Internet connections so please, bare with us as we try to catch up.

After Abu Simbel, we came back to Aswan and hoped onto a traditional felucca–no motor, no gas. Simply the tide, our boat, and a sail. We slowly and peacefully made our way to Elephentine Island where we visited the Temple of Khnum, the ram headed god. It was built in the heart of a Nubian village which is still lived in today. The highlight of this place was the Nilometer–the oldest one in Egypt. It measured the height of the Nile and was the basis for the local taxes; the higher the water, the richer the crops, the higher the taxes.

We also visited the botanical gardens where we finally sat the Lotus Flower! It is so beautiful and the fragrance is tantalizing. I also followed around Doodie’s favorite bird, the Hoopoe, for about twenty minutes trying to get a good shot.

We hoped back on to the felucca and basqued in the rays of the sun and the beautiful breeze sweeping over the deep blue waters of the Nile. We were told by both Mo and Doodie that you can take over night feluccas instead of the cruise ships. I think I would like to try that next time I visit.

Later in the evening we checked into our cruise ship. I’ve never been on a cruise and just like everything here, we were cruising in style! This ship was absolutely gorgeous! I couldn’t believe we were to be staying on this for three days. The beds were so comfortable and cozy!

We went to bed fairly early because we knew we would be getting up early to visit Kom Ombo. When we woke, the breeze was blowing into our room–we had left the window open (which was a panoramic view of the Nile) with only the sheets closed. The sun gently woke us. We both laid there enjoying the moment. It was the perfect way to wake up (now that I read that sentence, it doesn’t sound right–let me be clear that we slept in separate twin beds!)

This site had a decent amount of tourists–thank goodness. It was absolutely beautiful and very unique because the temple is dedicated to two gods–sobek and Haroeris–instead of the usual one. Also in this temple, you can see a relief of Cleopatra the VII.

After that visit, we boarded the ship and made our way to Edfu, another magnificent site. This temple was dedicated to Horus–there is so many things about this temple that are simply amazing but my favorite part (of course) was that once a year the Egyptians would bring the shrine of Hathor, Horus’ wife, down the Nile and hold a large festival celebrating the two coming together (pun intended). After hours of partying, they would place Hathor and Horus in a room to give them some privacy as they “rekindled” their love. Bowchikabowow.

We returned to our cruiseship, tired and sweaty. We showered and then decided to explore the ship a bit. The upstairs outdoor lounge was a perfect way to unwind after a busy day of sightseeing. We sat, drank tea, and enjoyed the sunsetting on the Nile. I also can’t explain how freaking awesome the weather has been! Yes it is hot, but nothing unbearable. We are very fortunate to be experiencing Egypt the way we are.

Next up is Luxor and our return to Cairo.

PS–please read Judy’s posts. She has been writing with great detail. My writing seems so dull next to hers lol

Pictures of the temples will be uploaded at a later date.

That Ramses II, So Hot Right Now

Abu Simbel was everything I thought it would be and more!

Originally we were to be taking a plane to and from but the flight into Abu Simbel was canceled so we drone for four hours in a police caravan (we would be flying back to Aswan though). We had to meet them half an hour before departure and we thought we would be ready on time since the last week, Judy and I have been freakishly punctual. Well, this day, we were running late. We had ton out all of our liquids into the large behemoth we call our luggage that we were leaving with Doodie in Aswan. We couldn’t get it closed. I tried sitting on it, laying out, jumping on it, Nothing would work. The kicker was, it wasn’t any fuller then than it was when we first arrived. Blame it on a crappy packing job. We were in fact running so late, that our rep in Aswan came to our door to check on us. I felt so ridiculous trying to explain to him why I was sitting on my luggage, sweating bullets, trying to get this thing closed. But finally after ten minutes, I managed to get it closed and we were quickly on our way.

We met our caravan and made our way throughout the desert. It wasn’t a terribly long lride. In fact, it went by quickly. During the ride, Judy, Doodie, and I chatted about our previous day, things to expect in Abu Simbel, and other miscellaneous things. Doodie introduced us to a popular musician of Nubian decent named Mohamed Munier. I loved him–I could totally see myself rocking out in my Malibu to it.

When we arrived to the Temple of Ramses II, we didn’t see anything–just dirt, a walkway, and Lake Nasser. The suspense was killing me. This is one of the only temples I have ever wanted to see not just because of its meaning and magnitude but because it was actually moved 65 meters above its original location. When the High Dam was built, the temple was submerged in the Lake and so UNESCO paid $80 million to have it moved, stone by stone. As Doodie would say, “This was a miracle!”

As we made our way around the front of the temple, I felt my pace quicken. Fortunately Doodie walks so quick my pace simply matched his. As we rounded the bend, the temple emerged. I grinned from ear to ear. Soon, the temple appeared fully and once again, Egypt and its monuments took my breath away. The temple was extravagant, marvelous, and well, huge. Overlooking Lake Nasser, the temple seems to glow even when it is hidden in the shade.

To the right of the temple lay a smaller one dedicated to Hathor. While it was beautiful, for me it didn’t match the splendor of the Grand Temple.

Doodie had sat us down away from the temples so he could explain some of the important reliefs and things to see within each temple. It was hot and I was too excited to sit. I was chomping at the bit to run inside and experience the one temple (besides Hatshepsut’s temple) that I’ve wanted to see my entire life. When he was finished, he let us loose to explore. We first looked at the smaller temple to give tourists the chance to leave the larger one. When done, we made our way to the Grand Temple. It seemed to rise from the sand as we approached, growing larger and more magnificent the closer we got. As we stepped inside, we both gasped. Judy stammered, “This is just amazing!” as tears welled up and her chin quivered. We both sat in the entry way taking it all in. From the entrance, you can see the Holy of Holies which is a room dedicated to specific Gods in which only the King and High Priests can enter to make offerings, the four statues glowed in the distance, casting an eerie and yet spiritual feeling throughout the temple. The walkways were decorated with Osirian pillars and occupied by hundreds if carved reliefs. My favorite was the story of King Ramses II winning the war against the Hitites (which actually didn’t happen. Ramses II was just a big fat liar). It was elaborate with depictions of Ramses clubbing enemies and making offerings to the Gods to help him win. His image clearly stood out among the reliefs.

There are quite a few antechambers in this temple. One in particular that I walked in brought me an uneasy feeling. It was dark, quiet, and I was completely alone. As I walked through the long chamber, it dawned on me that I was stepping in the footprints of an ancient people–they had come to this temple and made offerings in this very room. In front of my lay three thousand, five hundred years of history. I shivered. What power I felt in this room. The gods were clearly present.

We spent quality time at this temple examining every last detail. The best part was that we were going to see the sunrise at the temple the next day.

We made our way back to Doodie and he took us to the Nefertari Hotel and bid us adieu. He headed back to Aswan that night. The hotel was a quaint three star with gorgeous views of the lake. The room was clean, beds comfortable, and the staff was friendly. We had a feeling however that we were the only ones staying at the hotel. we didn’t see any other tourists during our stay; again an example of how hard the Egyptian tourist industry has been hit.

The next morning I woke–not easily–excited to watch the sunrise. Our Abu Simbel rep picked us up and dropped us off at the temple at 4:50 AM. The sky was already waking when we got there. The guards and 15 staff member wouldn’t let us in until 5 which made us a little nervous –we didn’t want to miss a thing. Once we entered, we made our way to the from. We were the only ones there. All was quiet and still as the sun peaked over the horizon. It was a fiery red, painting the sky with brilliant pinks and yellows. as we watched, the temple began to morph. We saw it change before our very eyes from a deep red to a sunny yellow to an electric orange. In the background lay the full moon, show casing the duality of our world. Once again, Egypt brought me peace. While we sat, mesmerized by the colossal monument, stray dogs played with each other, enjoying their free time before the sun brought the unbearable heat.

We sat there for two hours–we did explore the inside of the temple again, but just briefly. We ma our way back to the hotel and packed up. Our time in Abu Simbel came to a close and we were off to the airport.

But we hit a snafu–a little snafu, we had forgotten our tickets in our luggage back in Aswan. However, Lady Egypt didn’t let us down and got us copies. We got on the plane without a hitch and made it back to Aswan in 30 minutes. We were greeted by Doodie and we were once again off for more adventure.

Abu Simbel is tied with the Nubian Village as the best experience so far. We still have so much more to see. Can life get any better?!