ISLANDS, TEMPLES, AND RIVERS - OH MY!

After breakfast we borded a feluca, one of the traditional sailing vessels of the Egyptian people. A single sail hangs from a high, flexible mast that curves like a bow. We tacked back and forth across the Nile, all the boats zigging and zagging past each other, throwing spray. !



The old man piloting ours used Milad to steer a couple times, even shoving ropes into Kathryn and my hands occasionally. He had a pirate flag sewn onto his sail.










I had been expecting a short ferry to the island across from us, but instead we enjoyed a leisurely cruise around the entire island, slowing down to view the mausoleum of Akter Khan before docking on the far side of the island.





We also spotted the Old Cataract Inn, a turn of the century European hotel where Agatha Christie is said to have penned part of her “Murder on the Nile."








Elephantine Island was an important settlement on the Nile for centuries. The ruined city of Yebu, meaning elephant or ivory, is still being excavated. After continual destruction through floods, enemies, and earthquakes, it was clearly cursed, so they abandoned it to the elements and it lay buried undisturbed till the 18th century.


The site is a sprawling complex of temples and houses, though everything is in great ruin. But many of the inscriptions are in excellent shape and even some paint still sparkles on some of the carvings.



The museum consists of artifacts found at the site including some amazing pieces of pottery with nary a scratch. A mummified gazelle was among the more macabre pieces, along with a mummified human head. (The body had gone missing!) Several sarcophagi, beautifully painted, crowd the hallways.

As we boarded our boat for the return passage, a disheveled old sot leaped on board and immediately went to work helping with the sails. After getting the boat underway, he brought out some beaded necklaces and such for sale. Kathryn bought a couple that were made from some type of dried up plant; they emitted a lovely fragrance; an interesting curio piece to hang in our house somewhere.

After our return, we boarded our cruise ship for lunch. The Diamond is perfect for us, eliciting the feel of a ritzy 1930s vessel, completely in keeping with our Indiana Jones Adventure. The lobby houses a massive chandelier and the décor is red and gold. Our suite boasts a round bed surrounded by mirrored walls with inlaid furnishings of black and gold.


We are on full board minus drinks, and the food is pretty good,served at set times with assigned seating. We share our table with two girls on holiday from England – though they are American and Canadian respectively. But its nice to have someone to compare travel tips with.

The ship set sail more than an hour late, so by the time we got to Kom Ombo it was supposed to be closed, but we were not the only ship arriving late so apparently they stayed open to accommodate us.

Kom Ombo temple is actually a combined temple, dedicated to both Horus and the evil Crocodile God Sobek! Incidentally, it is a crocodile headed creature who devours the hearts of sinners in the afterlife. Maybe that's why Sobek gets such a bad rap. He is not so much worshipped as he is placated. Becoming angry at his lack of tribute and respect (I hear a hissing imitation of Rodney Dangerfield) this combined temple was an attempt to pacify him.

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Divided directly down the center, the left side was reserved for Horus, while Sobek ruled on the right. Hundreds of crocs were actually housed at the site as well as herds of war elephants, although I did not catch how the elephants connected.

The place is awesome, and once again I am overwhelmed at the colossal size of EVERYTHING! I liked this temple a lot cause Sobek is extremely cool looking!

A couple of the ceilings maintained their original color, a white background with the blue painted feathers of Amon-Ra. Spectacular! (check the video!)

After Milad left us, a wandering temple guard showed us a couple interesting things, even taking us inside a locked chamber to show us a god clutching what the man claimed was a stethoscope. I'd seen this necklace on Osirus' neck before, but I didn't argue. Let him believe all tourists are idiots. Of course, he wanted baksheesh for this service, so I offered him two pounds. (.50) He said “Too cheap, too cheap.” So I held out three. He wouldn't take it, cheap, cheap. Twenty, he said. I said, “Take the three or don't take anything.” Guess what he chose? Milad informed me later that they usually get around 30 pounds for this ($6). Well, this time he got .75. Hey, I was out of small bills.



We're running late as usual and there's a Gabalia party on board the ship tonight, where guests are encouraged to wear the traditional long garment of the Nubian people. We thought we'd participate if they were cheap enough. So we stopped to look at a shop and the guy told us 180 pounds. We had no time to barter and simply handed it back. He pursued us down the street, dropping the price at every step. He seemed hung on 70 for a while, but all I had on me was 50. ($10) I said, 50 – no, no, no, 70! I ran on. He followed, “Okay, 60.” I said, 50. No, no. I ran on. He pounds along behind, Okay, okay, 50. I turn and take the dress, handing him the 50. He says, “No 5 for me?” I actually laughed out loud.

Then, we couldn't find our boat. They park these things four and five ships deep, and you must cross through all the other ones to get to shore. Well, they had moved ours after we disembarked! We rushed up and down the dock, Milad questioning everyone and getting a different answer from each person. I finally spotted it, three ships in, and we made it safely on board just in time for supper.

I bought myself one of these outfits on board for a mere $8, and we were joined by Milad, also in costume at the party. We were basically the only people in these outfits, but that's okay, we played along. The whole party had maybe 20-30 people there, but Kathryn and I danced a couple dances; disco fox, cha-cha, and rumba, so I still had a nice time.

I am up early and sitting on the private balcony of our suite. There are only two on the whole ship, I don't know how we managed to score one. I must say I am surprised to find myself cold. We are heading North, so the sun is on the opposite side of the ship, plus we are sailing at a pretty good clip and creating quite a breeze. I'm in my swim trunks, but also wearing my leather jacket.

We're passing another ship right now and I am looking at all the people on the sun deck looking at me. There are dozens if not hundreds of these ships plying the Nile.

Along the bank I see low mud brick buildings, peasants bent in fields of waving wheat, scrawny livestock foraging, and birds swooping low over the placid water. I swear some of the buildings look exactly like the houses in the ruined city on Elephantine Island!


As I watch life slide by on the Nile, I imagine the view is not changed much from when Caesar sailed these same waters with Cleopatra.

THE TEMPLES OF ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel is totally freaking awesome!!!!

The name means “two temples” and from the moment you see them you are struck with wonder. The Sun Temple of Ramses is huge! The four figures flanking the entrance are each 67 feet high – and they're sitting down. A hundred yards away, another temple sprawls, smaller and less imposing but no less inspiring. This is the temple of Nefetari, Ramses II most beloved – and most beautiful – wife.

Ramses II is considered one of the greatest Kings of Egypt. He set out with three goals and accomplished them all – to gain back the land lost by his father, to crush his enemies, and to build some of the most awe-inspiring temples in Egypt.

Check out this short video:



The four statues outside all represent Ramses, two of them as a man, two of them as a god. I couldn't tell the difference. One of them stands broken, its shattered pieces lying strewn about its feet. It broke as a result of the great earthquake during the 22nd year of Ramses' reign. He never repaired it or re-carved it, so the Egyptian authorities let it lie.

That reminds me; this awesome structure, originally carved into a mountain, was painstakingly disassembled and reconstructed at its present location to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. We watched part of a video recording the process and it was a mammoth undertaking and an engineering triumph!

Clustered about the feet of the King are his wives, or a few of them. He had over 200, fathering 84 sons and 55 daughters. Represented by the two figures flanking the door is Nefetari – whose name means Beautiful One. We saw an unfinished bust of her at the Egyptian museum and she truly was beautiful. Here's a shot of my favorite wife posing with Ramses' favorite! ;^)


Across the top of the temple squats a band of baboons, representations of Thoth, the God of Wisdom. Other statues line the front. As you enter the temple, a carved line of slaves linked by ropes through their collars, kneel in supplication.



Inside six gargantuan guards flank each side of the entry way. I watch them warily lest they spring to lumbering life. (I've read too many Conan stories!)



It's hard to comprehend how MASSIVE everything is. The chamber walls are covered in relief carvings and hieroglyphics, fantastic images telling Ramses' story.


There are scenes of battle and death,

but by far the most prevalent involves sacrifices to the gods. Heaping piles of food are burned before Horus, Osirus appears with his erect phallus,
the motherhood Goddess crowns Nefetari. Most amazing is the colors are still visible. The entire compound was INSIDE a mountain, carved inside, in fact. So there was no wind, no rain, no sun to damage its splendor. Still, it is 3200 years old!


In the back room, four figures rest.






These are the gods of the temple, and originally the temple was aligned so that on Ramses' birthday, and on the anniversary of his inauguration, a beam of sunlight blazed down this hall to illuminate this room! Amazing, eh




This sacred boat appears in many temples. Even more amazingly, we come across a real one in a few days, the actual boat carried in the ceremonies more than two millennia ago!





The smaller temple features statues of Ramses and Nefetari. Traditionally, Queens were never shown higher than their husbands knee. Breaking from this tradition shows the standing Ramses held for Nefetari. Inside, images of Nefetari at work with her needles, or being adorned by the gods grace six massive pillars.



These decorations are so detailed you can clearly see the patterns on Nefetari's dress and the multi-colored jewelry and beads.







Very, very cool. I bought photos from the place for $20, large 8X10 better than anything I could have taken even if you were allowed to take photos which you were not.






I noted though the key to the door was shaped like the key of life, so the guard had me hold it, step back from the door, and take a photo inside. Of course, he got his baksheesh.


This is another spot where we didn't get to stay long enough. Most tourists arrive by a convoy that leaves at 4am (yuck) and departs again at 10. We took a plane! Still, the time at the actual site remains the same, roughly 2-3 hours. I plan to go back and stay in the actual city, and spend the entire day at this site. It is that impressive!!


I had an interesting experience at the airport. I had filled my last journal and needed a new one. Milad informed me that there is no haggling at the airport, so when they told me the price of the journal, I paid it, though I did think it a little high. Then, I realized I needed sunglasses; I had lost mine inside one of the pyramids. I went back, picked a pair and asked the price. She told me $20. I said I could get some for much less in the sohk. I had no intention of haggling, I simply didn't want them at that price. She said, I can let you have them for $16. I immediately countered with $10, and we settled at $12. Lesson: You can haggle everywhere in Egypt!

By the way, these broke the next day, and I ended up buying a pair in the sohk anyway! Paid $5, and am still using them 7 months later.

ASWAN - Egypts southernmost city

After our trip to Philae island, we swung by Aswan's Northern Granite Quarries. As I hopped out of the van, I dropped the camera which shattered on the ground at my feet! Oh no! I took this photo without even being able to see what I was pointing at!

The Quarry itself looks like something from another planet, similar to the Granite Dells of Prescott, Arizona. But it is the massive Unfinished Obelisk that draws visitors here. Believed to have been commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut, if it had been finished the Obelisk would have stood 42 meters high and weighed 1168 tons!!

Knowing how tough granite is, one could not help but be impressed imagining workers laboring relentlessly with primitive tools to chisel this thing from the ground. Deep channels cut through the earth on both sides as workers made room for their own bodies in order to continue their work. It must have taken years! It would be your career. Can you imagine – standing there everyday chiseling away at this stone, progressing so slowly you'd wonder if you were doing anything at all. Unreal!

Aswan is a cool city, and if I come back to Egypt on my own this is where I plan to make my base. Our hotel, the Isis, is up against the Nile and very close to the suk, or bazaar, so perfectly positioned in my opinion. There's a poolside bar serving Sakara beer and we lounge around, Kathryn in her vintage 1930s bathing suit.

Felucas ply the water, as they have for thousands of years. Holy crap! I just saw a guy drink out of the Nile! Hanging out from his boat, he just drank water that our book has warned not even to bathe in! The bacteria count is so high you can get diseases just from getting it up your a$$! And this guy ingested it! I guess if you're acclimated!

Check out the short video below!



Milad took us out into the suk and showed us some of the shopping area. I found an old man carving brass plates with incredible scenes of Egypt's temples, or famous paintings like Ramses II in his chariot. Amazingly, he was doing it from memory! No pictures, no drawing on the plate, just a tiny hammer and chisel and his mind. And they were remarkably accurate. While we were there, he he was working on a plate of Abu Simbel and I really wanted it, and he said if I came back the next day he would have it finished.

Milad took us to a fast food shop where I got a couple sandwiches of some highly spiced meat. They were delicious, but shortly after eating them, my stomach problems started! Of course, when I ordered some french fries to go with them, the guy simply reached in and grabbed a handful...ugh...

Tomorrow we were off to Abu Simbel and I HAD to have another camera. With little option, I found a small shop selling electronics. After at least 30 minutes of haggling wherein we were given drinks, food, etc., I bought it for roughly $200. I'm sure it was about $150 camera, but this was an emergency!

The next night, Kathryn and I returned to the suk alone, turning the opposite direction than we went with Milad. Again, Milad seemed surprised that we ventured out on our own. While many of the shops sold the same old junk, we saw plenty that stocked interesting and unique items. However once again, the annoying vendors lessened my pleasure. Still, I suppose that's part of the experience. I saw one shop of traditional Nubian masks that I truly wanted to look at, but by then I'd had enough of the hassle.

One guy practically begged us to come into his place and as incentive presented us with a pair of tiny scarabs. At first I refused and explained that the last time someone had handed me something as a gift, he then demanded money for it. And if it happened again, my response would be less than civil. He said, no really, this is a gift. So we kept them. I looked around his shop,and though there were cool statues and such, there was nothing I wanted to keep, so we left him disappointed, but impressed with his integrity.

I find it very strange that they really believe if they offer you something at a low enough rate, you will buy it. They seem not to understand that you may simply not want what they are selling. I did want that hand carved brass plate, but when I went back two days later, the old man had still not finished it. He tried to interest me in the ones he had, but I wanted the Abu Simbel plate, especially after having visited the place. But that is another story...

The Duty Free Duo at the Temple of Isis

Excerpt from Mark's travel journal: It's 6:30 am Monday morning, April 6, and I am writing this as I lay on the bed staring out the window of the train at the lovely countryside rolling by. Lush green palm trees abound, and the Nile gleams in the morning sun. Two men try to coax a pair of oxen in a field while overhead, a hot air balloon drifts over distant cliffs.

This compartment is ridiculously small and barely accommodates our luggage and us. I've never been on a sleeper train before though, and I'm rather impressed with how the chairs 'morphed' into beds and such.

Dinner was barely edible. I think they were breaded pork cutlets, but it was cold and ridiculously tough. Kathryn didn't eat hers so I stashed it and a biscuit for breakfast.

Last night while sitting in the train station, a couple walked up to me and said, “You work in the Vilseck Post Office, don't you?” When I stared flabbergasted they smiled and said, “Don't worry, we're customers.” What are the odds?

While standing on the platform, a prison train rolled slowly by, the cars blackened, the windows barred. Prisoners bellowed out of the windows or stretched forth their hands, laughing gleefully as startled passengers jumped.

Breakfast consisted of bread and jellies. Glad I saved that nasty meat for a little protein.

We bought a bottle of wine with dinner and tipped our steward about 5 pounds for bringing it. We also tipped him at breakfast for some juice that neither of us wanted. So I was rather surprised when he demanded more baksheesh as we departed. When I refused, he actually went and got Milad, who explained it was like a ‘thank you’ for service, like putting the beds up. I said I already gave him a big tip, but that was for something else, you see. Okay, nobody gets more than 1 pound at a shot now.

Oddly enough, when we were getting off the train, this guy presented us with a roll of toilet paper! I asked Milad about it, but he seemed greatly confused. Public toilets in Egypt don't provide toilet paper, so we decided he was actually being gracious. Still, its pretty damn funny!

We didn't sleep well, and haven't had a shower since yesterday morning, and being Egypt – it's HOT. The plan is to set up in our hotel, relax a bit, then head out to Philae island in the afternoon. But when we reached the hotel, the rooms were not ready. Our options were to change our itinerary and do the island tomorrow while taking the felluca ride today or leave for Philae immediately. Still chaffing from yesterday's visit to the pyramids, I wasn't willing to trust changing my itinerary. Hell, Indiana Jones goes whole adventures without a shower! Let's leave immediately!

Our first stop was the high dam, and while an important structure to the Egyptian people, as a tourist site it's pretty lame. I get the feeling that the Egyptian government requires tour companies to come here so they can collect ticket money from tourists. The thing was completed against all predictions in only two years, and they celebrate yearly with festivals and song. It also created the largest manmade lake in the world, and if you're lucky you might see a crocodile basking on its shore.

Now, the building of this dam flooded ancient Nubia, and many ancient sites vanished forever. But a few survived through the efforts of UNESCO, the Egyptian Government, and countries around the world. One of these is the Temple of Isis, moved stone by stone to Aglika Island which was relandscaped and renamed to match the original site, Philae Island. We arrive at a decrepit pier where Milad haggles for a boat to take us over to Philae Island. Operated by a Nubian peasant, we motor among islands of heaped stone, passing along the way the remaining peak of the Temple's original location.


We rounded a bend in the river and the temple loomed into view. The graceful columns of the Kiosk of Trajan stretched high into the sky, followed by the massive walls of the Temple itself. It is gorgeous!

It's hard to describe the feeling of leaping off a boat onto an island housing a ruined temple from a “lost” civilization. I've been reading tales of adventures like this my entire life, and now I am actually living it.


The Temple has been vandalized numerous times, most despicably by Coptic Christians in the 4th century. Considering the animal headed gods to be demons, they defaced most of the figures, hacked off every phallus symbol they could find, and carved their own crosses into the walls.
But they couldn't destroy the majesty of the place nor dampen the awe visitors have felt for ages.

Napoleon also vandalized the place, his men carving their names upon the walls, and even listing their various victories.


Milad kept up a running commentary around the site, proving once again his knowledge of his topic and his passion to share it. Of course, I can't remember much of it! ;^) But I did tape a lot. The basic gist of the story is - Osirus' brother, Set, being jealous of the both King's popularity and the love of the beautiful Isis, murdered his sibling and hacked his body into pieces, scattering the parts all across Egypt. Isis set off in search of her husband, collecting the mutilated parts, finding at last the heart on Philae Island. Here, she spread her wings above him, breathing life into Osirus again, and here she erected this temple in his honor.


Osirus lived long enough to sire a son, Horus who eventually made war against Set for his treachery. Osirus, being dead and all, reigned as King of the Underworld and judge of the dead. Isis enjoyed the longest and most wide-spread worship of any Egyptian deity, lasting long into the 5th century. Some scholars believe that early Christians created the cult of the Virgin Mary to supplant Isis among their new converts.

The large columned courtyard played host to the yearly celebrations commemorating Osirus' resurrection. Every inch of the temple is covered and images and hieroglyphics. Though the Christians and later Muslims hacked up many of the gods, their forms stand out in sharp relief, and there are simply too many to destroy them all.

The carvings mostly show the same stories – Kings making offerings to various gods, ships transferring Kings to heaven, etc. I am not entirely convinced that Egyptologist know the whole story. The Rosetta stone – which is in the Louvre in Paris, but which we saw a replica of in the Egyptian museum – contained the same paragraph written in 3 languages, one of which was hieroglyphics. Since the other two were somewhat know, this allowed scholars to begin to decipher the ancient pictorial writings. Still, some of the explanations make little sense to me, and I just get the feeling there is more yet waiting to be discovered.

Gods are often pictured with various heads. Milad explained this had to do with a certain aspect of the god, almost like an adjective.
For instance, a cow head represents mothering – i.e. the drinking of milk. So any goddess represented in a mothering state, may be featured with a cow's head.

After our tour, we poked around an our own for 45 minutes or so. Here's an excerpt from Kathryn's journal describing our adventures: Our guide left us so we began looking into every room because – we have to! We began at the structure built by Hadrian. Nearby a small off-limits temple affords a low stone with a Greco-Roman relief of Poseidon.
Milad is surprised to find that we went near this stonework. Hmpf! Are we simple American travelers who look at only what is shown us? Hah! Certainly, the second room floor that Mark found is on no tour! Of course, he must find a small passage that no one is in. Of course, we must go in. Of course, there is a hole in the ceiling. Of course Mark must hoist himself up into it. Of course he has a flashlight! Of course he discovers bats in it. Yes, of course I stay below, and of course I forget that we had to stoop to get into the passage, and of course I smash my head on the doorjamb!


Construction on the temple complex continued with many Kings and even Roman emperors adding their own touch over the centuries. I feel certain though, that Caesar, Anthony, and even Augustus, must have once stood where I am standing!

RETURN TO GIZA

As many great things as I can say about this tour, this second trip to the pyramids was disappointing. The Guide books recommend a half-day at the Pyramids, which is what our itinerary promised. While that may be satisfactory to your average tourist – for those truly interested in history and\or archeology (like us) - it is simply not enough. I'm not saying this to denigrate the tour, only so that if you are one of those people, you can prepare accordingly. We were very glad that we visited twice, about seven hours in all. In fact, we almost went back on our last afternoon, but I was really too tired to deal with the crowds. And that is the only down side of visiting here; the constant bombardment by merchants of various type, whether souvenir or service.

Stopping for lunch after the museum, we did not arrive at the Pyramids till after 1pm. Unbeknownst to us, the complex closes at 5, so we really did not have much time. Milad began by explaining the different dynasties and talking about Cheops, the Pharaoh who constructed the Great Pyramid. He also gave us some specifics: The Great Pyramid towers over 455 feet and contains an estimated 2.5 million blocks with an average weight of 2.5 million tons, though some weigh up to 15 tons each! Once, polished limestone covered both of the larger Pyramids, but later peoples scavenged much of it for use in mosques and palaces. The stuff still gleams from the top of Kahfre's Pyramid, though, and along with its being built on a hill, helps make it appear larger than Cheops's, though in fact it is 12 feet shorter. The third pyramid, built by Mycerinus, is still encased in granite, laboriously brought from Aswan 1700 kilometers away.

Above the entrance to the Great Pyramid that we entered yesterday is another jagged hole. Milad tells us that this was a false door, and when someone tried to gain entry through there (back in 870 AD, if memory serves me, but don't quote me on that!) a huge block of stone dropped from the ceiling, crushing the intruder and sealing the opening forever. Milad said this was merely an accident, but don't try and tell Indiana Iacampo that wasn't a booby trap! ;^) Didn't this guy ever see Raiders of the Lost Ark?

I found it interesting that though modern archeologists searched for years for the entrances, ancient thieves had long ago found their way inside and plundered all the treasure.

THE FUNERARY SHIP

This was one of the highlights of the whole trip for me, and I didn't even notice it on our first visit, focused as I had been on getting inside the pyramids.


While cleaning away sand from the pyramids, workers discovered a pit capped with 42 massive limestone uprights. Upon excavation they discovered 1224 pieces of wood clustered on the bottom! This was the funerary ship of the king, designed to sail his soul to the heavens. Painstakingly rebuilt, it now hangs in its own museum directly above the site where it spent 5000 years underground.

To me, this was mind-boggling. The entire ship was intact, except for one oar that was broken, and even it is still on display. It is literally SEWN together on the inside with ropes. The outside planks are single lengths of cedar each 42 meters long! The entire ship was 43 meters long, 6 meters wide. There are two cabins on board, the larger theorized to be where the body of the Pharaoh would be housed on its journey across the Nile. There were two steering boards as well as ten oars, manned by five men each. Five other pits yawn about the complex where other ships once lay hidden.

An old man latched on to us in the museum, and while you certainly don't need a guide, he did give us a good tour with fairly accurate information. A glass case contained a set of original knots from the ship – so you are looking at pieces of rope that are 4600 years old! Unbelievable! Five other pits yawn about the Pyramid complex where other ships once lay hidden. Their real function is unknown, but it is thought they might be funerary ships used to convey the deceased Pharaoh and his retinue across the Nile.

Check out this short Video!



It's funny, as I write about an Indiana Jones inspired tour – but much of my love of history stems from these films. Specifically, there is a line I have quoted my whole life from Raiders that echoed constantly through my head as we traversed this ancient land. Indy has threatened to blow up the Ark and Belloq calls his bluff. He says, “We are merely passing through history. This...this IS history.”

CAMELS AGAIN


In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, after their car is blown up, Indy and Sallah are looking to steal some mounts. When Sallah suggests camels, Indy vehemently forbids this. So one can surmise Indy's not so fond of these “ships of the desert.” We however, find them delightful, and besides,
Kathryn had bought and worn jodhpurs for this purpose alone, so we told Milad we wanted another camel ride.

He took us out to a panoramic outlook where you can see all 9 pyramids on the Giza plateau at once. Even if you don't want a camel ride, be sure to visit this outlook. The view is spectacular.

Milad arranged a ride for us, but I got a better deal yesterday negotiating on my own. Still, plodding through the sand toward the distant pyramids, with turbaned Bedouins on every side was a blast, and the ride yielded some of my favorite photos of the whole trip.
It also wasn't as long as we were expecting, but we still didn't know that the complex shut down so early, and we had to get back in time to visit the Sphinx.

THE SPHINX


By the time we got down to the Sphinx, an iron gate barred entrance to the compound. I couldn't believe it. I had passed up our close up view yesterday to ensure I got tickets inside the pyramid, and now they've locked us out. Milad redeemed himself for the short camel ride by arguing with a guard who eventually directed us to go around and come in the exit. This took us through a many columned structure which is Cheops's funerary complex, basically a mummification center. Milad said the sphinx himself is some sort of mummification deity.

Some folks find the sphinx less impressive close up. I thought he was magnificent.
A sense of majesty and timeless mystery surrounds him. No one really knows what function he served. Three tunnels cut through his body, but they don't go anywhere. Some theorize that they were dug by looters searching for gold. Called Abu al-Hol in Arabic – roughly translated as “The Terrible One” - the ancient Greeks dubbed it the Sphinx after their own riddle asking mythological monster. Of course, their Sphinx had wings and a woman's head, but who am I to point these things out.

I had wanted to go back to the Great Pyramid and film a bit with "Indy" talking about the booby-trapped entrance, but Milad told us due to the late hour, the guards would not allow people to go that direction. Again, we were disappointed, especially when we left this historic site to go sit in a smoke shop for more than half an hour!

Though tempted to partake of the sheesha or water pipe just for the experience, the bad cough I'd developed due to Cairo's heavily polluted air plus my natural repugnance toward smoking in general kept me from it. It did smell nice though. At the table next to us, I watched a guy exhaling more smoke than I would have believed a person could hold in their lungs. You'd have thought it would have caused spontaneous lung cancer!

On our way to the train station, we swung by a papyrus shop, lured by the notion of viewing how the ancient paper was made. I was determined not to buy anything, but the demonstration with the man actually taking the plant, crushing it up by hand, then pressing it together right in front of us, intrigued us. And the paintings, reproductions of actual tomb drawings, were exceedingly beautiful. In the end, we bought two, but I drove such a hard bargain that I think even our salesman was impressed.

Finally, we headed off to the train station to board our sleeper car for the next leg of our journey.

Join us next time as we visit THE TEMPLE OF ISIS

Quest for the Ancient Kings - Part 3 - The Egyptian Museum

THE TOUR BEGINS



Our itinerary listed a half day at the Pyramids followed by a half day at the Egyptian Museum. Let me say right up front, that our idea of a half day did not match theirs!


Expecting to head straight to the Pyramids, we donned our Adventure Gear. Kathryn felt a little self-conscious in her Jodhpurs, but I explained that these people are actually still riding horses, literally down the main streets. .
If anyone will understand that these are not just 'silly looking pants', it is the Egyptians. And I was right. Problem is, we didn't go to the Pyramids, but headed instead through the horrific Cairo traffic to the Egyptian Museum.

I have traveled now on five continents, and dozens of countries. I used to think the drivers in Italy held the top spot for least likely to obey the law. But Cairo takes the cake. I don't think there are any traffic laws. I read that traffic lights had only recently been instituted, and they haven't really caught on. I think I saw two on our entire trip. Many of the roads have no lane markings, but it doesn't really matter because drivers pay no attention even when they do. A three lane road might have as many as seven lanes of traffic on it! Horns blare constantly, though it sincerely seems more of a “hey, I'm here” honk than a “Bleep you, asshole!” Dodging among the cars are pedestrians of all ages and sizes, and we were amazed at how close our driver came repeatedly to running down various children.

Adding to the mayhem are donkey pulled carts, horses, and even the occasional herd of sheep.
During the night, only about half the cars seem to have headlights, yet the pedestrian traffic is just as fierce. Buses have a man housed in the doorway yelling where they're headed and people hop on and off without the vehicle ever actually stopping. Despite all this, I only saw one accident the whole time.

THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES

We arrive unscathed at the museum, and while allowed to take photos around the grounds, we must turn in our camera before going inside.
The museum is awesome, housing nearly 140,000 artifacts, not to mention the crowded basements where the exhibits are literally sinking into the floor, requiring excavation yet again! Many of the display cases themselves are antiquated, and fit the feel of our 1930s trip perfectly

We head directly to the Tutankhamen exhibit where our guide Milad proves himself thoroughly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his topic. We see many magnificent pieces, including his throne, the famous gold mask, various beds, weapons, and chariots.
Something I found particularly interesting - In an effort to thwart thieves, the casket was enclosed in a succession of rooms, or crypts, like those little dolls that you open only to find a smaller one inside. Each one was constructed around the one before it, and each was elaborately decorated, even though theoretically they were never supposed to be seen. Though I couldn't take pictures, check GOOGLE images for some close up shots.

Many images captured Tutankhamen hunting with his bow from the back of a chariot, and from the number of chariots entombed with him one might surmise this was a passion of his. For many years, scholars have debated over the young King's sudden demise – was he assassinated, poisoned, etc? Recently, using modern technology, they scanned his mummy and learned he had a broken leg that had developed a severe infection. Some now speculated that perhaps he fell from his chariot while hunting, broke his leg, and died from the subsequent infection.

We visited the Royal Mummy Room, and though I've never been impressed by dried out corpses, Kathryn wanted to go. It's a separate fee, but if my money goes to help support this fabulous museum, than it's well worth it. And we are on a Quest for the Ancient Kings, after all! Here lie about 20 of them; Ramses II was there, having ruled for 67 years! How old was he? His skin was very red, where most of the others were black. One had been bleached almost white. Milad said the different chemicals used in mummification causes the color variations.

We saw so many magnificent pieces that they kind of blur for me. One that sticks out is the unfinished bust of Nefertari, who even in cold marble was truly beautiful. Also a statue of Ramses II that had Horus crouching on his shoulder as a falcon advising him. The significance of this statue arises from the unusual fact that when staring directly at it, you cannot see Horus. This image also appears on the Egyptian 10 pound note.

We saw a statue of a man and his wife where the man sported a 1970's porn-star style mustache! Milad says a mustache is very unusual in Egyptian art. Another statue of note represented a scribe sitting cross-legged with his writing implements in hand. Scribes wielded great power in ancient times, demanding respect even from the Pharaohs. There were rooms in the palaces reserved only for the scribes, where even the King was forbidden to enter.

Upon leaving and while waiting for our van, a cop approached and chatted a bit with Milad. Milad gave him some baksheesh. I had noted this back at our hotel as well, when our driver gave a bit of money to the traffic cop. I asked Milad about it; he said it's just part of their culture, everyone tips everyone else, it's just a way of saying thanks. Interesting.

Climbing into the van, we headed to next week's tale: BACK TO THE PYRAMIDS!