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...

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 2 - Inside the Pyramids

Fully refreshed, we set out the next morning for the Pyramids. Feeling self-conscious, we opted out of our “adventure outfits”. Still foreigners stick out – especially when one of them is a mega-hot redhead – so it didn't take long for the first tout to descend upon us.

It starts with them just hollering at you, trying to establish contact. "Hey Mister! Mister! Hey! Hellooooo!!! Mister!!" Kathryn can just put her head down and soldier on; I can't seem to ignore someone shouting at me. Now, they've got your attention and they want to talk. They want to find out what it is your looking for so they can start their sales pitch. If it's an item, they can collect a commission from guiding you into a shop, a commission which is tacked onto your bill, incidentally. If it's a service, they or some relative of theirs can provide it. And they simply refuse to believe that someone would rather walk when they can ride!

People kept asking me, “Where do you come from?” Well, Americans haven't been all that popular in that area of the world for a while, so at first I answered the question literally.

“Ich komme aus Deutchland,” which means I come out of Germany. True enough. Then came the inevitable, “Do you speak English?” Which required some stretching of the truth - “Nur ein bisschen” or “just a little.”

Of course, there was the occasional tout who actually spoke German, but on the whole this ploy worked to shorten many an encounter. In truth though, these encouters were interesting experiences. We started out very leery of these guys, but the fact is they are merely trying to make a living and the majority of them are offering a valid service.

Egypt is a poor country and tourists are viewed as walking wallets. With some families surviving on $90 US a month, it's hard to begrudge these guys their sales pitch. They can't advertise except by “hawking” their wares, and they offer a real service. While there are undoubtedly crooked dealers running all the rip off scams the books warn about – I believe the majority are just trying to make a living. They are tenacious though, and it was their persistence that got on my nerves. They believe if they offer something at a low enough price, you'll finally buy it. If I don't want it, I don't want it, even if it's free!

Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire?
First, if you haven't - get it, watch it NOW! My time in Egypt reminded me of this movie; I saw it on the plane ride home, and though I handed out baksheesh (tips) pretty liberally, if I had seen that film before I went to Egypt, I'd probably have given away twice as much. These people are poor, and a dollar tip makes a real difference to them. Even the 1 Egyptian pound, a mere .25 cents US was appreciated - most of the time!

We followed a sign that took us down through the village of Nazlet as-Samaan. This is not the same entrance as Taxis or buses will drop you, and there are more touts here then the other route. These people depend on tourist for their livelihood, and the new fence going up around the Pyramid Complex has grave implications for their ability to make a living. Since I already knew I didn't want anything, and I can't be coerced or bullied into anything, I good naturedly haggled with them, interested in the art and practice of it for when I did want something. How can you learn if you don't try? Books are one thing, but as Indy himself says in Kingdom of the Golden Skull - If you really want to learn, "ya gotta get out of the library!”

A huge line stretched from the ticket complex, but for reasons I can't explain, we were waved to the front. Entry to the complex cost a mere $10 American, and moments later we were inside.


It's hard to describe what it is like to suddenly BE someplace that you've always DREAMED of being. I must say, having entered the complex through both gates, this small isolated entrance was by far the most dramatic. You walk in and BAM! There squatted the enigmatic Sphinx, sternly guarding the massive Pyramids that towered behind him. Their sheer bulk is startling – for over 4000 years they were the largest man made structures on Earth.

Unfortunately, of all the incredible places we've visited, this was the hardest one to actually EXPERIENCE. What I mean is, it's difficult to find a moment to just “soak it in”. There are thousands of tourists and touts, and you can't find five minutes to contemplate the majesty of the wonders before you without someone breaking into your reverie to try and sell you some useless bit of junk.

Now, I may have unwittingly added to this fact myself, though from all other accounts, this happens to everybody. As stated earlier, this first visit, we did not wear our adventure clothes, which means I had no hat and my bald head was exposed to the brutal Egyptian sun. Almost immediately, a guy came up selling head cloths, starting at $25. Totally not interested. But, I had spoken to him, so he kept at it. As the sun blistered my bare skull, I thought, gee it would be nice to protect myself. Despite his protestations that his children would now starve, he let me have the headdress for $5. However, this now marked me as a guy who might buy something, and we were continually assaulted by merchants. Interestingly, the one technique that worked best for getting them to relent: saying Thanks in Arabic. Kathryn learned this immediately (she is so very talented) and my best phonetic spelling is “shoo-kran” with a slight rolling of the 'r' if you can manage it.

Entry inside the Pyramids themselves is restricted to 300 people a day, divided into morning and afternoon. Getting inside being our main goal, we single-mindedly headed for the ticket booth. The books both describe ticket kiosks by each Pyramid, but this was not the case, and we had to head to the main entrance, quite the hike across the complex. Further, the afternoon tickets go on sale at 1300, and the tours start lining up early, so we wanted to make sure we a good spot before some tour guide bought 100 tickets for his bus!

Interestingly, while waiting in line, some girls came up and asked to take Kathryn's picture, and then had other pictures made while standing with her. And she wasn't even wearing her Jodhpurs!

I'm amazed at how many people visit the Pyramids and yet do not go inside. They'll tell you it costs too much, or it's too hot and cramped, or their friends told them not to bother cause there's nothing inside. But, ya know, it's the PYRAMIDS!! How can you NOT go inside if they'll let you!! The percentage of people on this planet who have actually walked in this space is miniscule! You enter a special club just going inside...

Entry to the Great Pyramid of Cheops, or Khufu as the Egyptians call him, costs $20 US. Chephren's Pyramid cost only $6.


We went in Chephren's Pyramid first, the Great Pyramid not being open yet. On the way over, a camel rider started his spiel. As we really did want to ride a camel, we started negotiations. The deal I wish we had acted on, was 50 Egyptian pounds ($10) for an hour ride around the entire complex, payable at the end. I told him maybe, so he actually sat and waited for us outside the pyramid. He even let us take a picture with his camel without charging us anything!

You are not allowed to take your camera inside, so be prepared to hand them over. For a westerner, giving up your electronic equipment to a guy with questionable hygiene sitting on a rock seems fairly insane, but fortunately the Guide books had prepared me for this. What's unfortunate is Kathryn had not read that section, and put up quite a fuss! They will expect their baksheesh when you come out, but one or two pounds will suffice.

You enter bent almost double, and the tunnel slopes steeply upward. Guide books warn of the strenuous climb, and the claustrophobic conditions, but it's really not that bad. Admittedly (and modestly) I'm in great shape, and I enjoy crawling on my belly through caves – but STILL – it's simply not that extreme. Kathryn does no exercise to speak of, and she had no problem. Because of the closeness and the crowd, there doesn't seem to be a lot of air, but bottom line – you're inside a structure that was built 5000 years ago – a spot where very few people have tread. This makes a little discomfort worth the while. I will say, though, if you are extremely overweight and have trouble bending over, or have asthma, you probably really should pass.

Now, with all that build up, there really isn't anything to see. The thrill is simply in being inside one of the Wonders of the World. You climb a steep passageway and enter a small chamber where the body was actually entombed. And...that's it. The body's not there, though the sarcophagus is. An old, wizened Egyptian lurking inside said some things like 5000 years old, and shown his flashlight into the sarcophagus, and then of course wanted his baksheesh.

When we came out, our friendly camel wrangler had indeed waited, so we accepted a ride from one Pyramid to the next. This distance is readily walkable, but we haggled him down to a total of $8. You'll pay more for 5 minute ride at the zoo, and there won't be a 5000 year old edifice within spitting distance! We rode together, and I must offer a word of warning for young ladies. Some riders will try and scurry up behind a woman. Do NOT let this happen. The gait of the camel produces a VERY sexual contact between the two riders.

Mounting a camel in itself is very interesting. They are tall animals, so they are sitting on the ground when you climb aboard. Then, they stand in a way which puts
the back end considerably higher than the front, and one must lean backwards in earnest to avoid being precipitated over its head. Mounting behind someone else is an exercise in athleticism, and even our guide smiled begrudgingly and said, “you very strong man!”

Plodding through the desert sands with the Great Pyramid of Cheops literally 10 yards away, was an experience I will treasure forever. As the camel knelt before the entrance, I could imagine the ending of a week long odyssey through a journey in which Bedouins harassed us with gun fire and swords fights at hidden oasis. Yes, I watch too many movies!

With a wave to our driver, we began our climb up a path constructed thousands of years earlier to a chamber cloaked in mystery....and then we were beset by a bearded Bedouin harassing us with cheap trinkets!

After the usual pleasantries, this guy said he wanted to give Kathryn a little gift, in appreciation of us coming all the way from Germany to visit his country. Kathryn didn't want to accept, but I said, oh take it. As usual, she was right. Moments later this guy is following us, wanting 20 Egyptian pounds for this tacky paperweight. (about $5) I tell him we don't want it, he says how much will you pay? I said, I don't want it. He comes down to 15. I say, here's 5 (roughly $1). No, no, cheap, cheap.

Now, I'm annoyed. I try to hand this piece of junk back, he won't accept it, yet still demands money. I say, “You can take this back, or I can throw it on the ground.” He took it back. But, to his credit, I had given him $1, so he gave me a pack of 10 postcards – actually a screaming deal from what they sold for elsewhere.


The entrance to the great Pyramid is a jagged gash torn into the monument. It felt like walking into a cave because initially you stay upright as you wind your way into the interior. About 20 yards in a passage slopes down to an unfinished chamber deep beneath the earth. Unfortunately this was closed, though I had really been looking forward to exploring it. My Rough Guide reads: “There's nothing to see, but the nerve racking descent is worthy of Indiana Jones!!!!” You can imagine my disappointment.

The shaft upward is again narrow and steep, requiring you to bend double for the entire climb. At the top of the passage, the ceiling shoots 24 feet into the air. Directly ahead is another blocked passageway that leads to the so-called Queen's Chamber, though archeologists say it is unlikely a queen was ever entombed there. On either side, a ramp continues upward to the King's Chamber. There are strange markings on the wall here, like the teeth of a bulldozer, or the holes used in blasting. Also, along the sides are niches that resemble scaffolding supports.

The low door to the King's Chamber forces one to crawl, and someone pushed a flashlight into my hand as I went through. (yes, I had my own, but the place was lighted! They did this merely to facilitate baksheesh.) The chamber is large, and within you can see just how perfectly the stones are fitted together. There is no mortar, just a thin line where the stones meet, the cracks barely discernable. It was slightly disconcerting imagining the thousands of tons suspended over our heads...

We descended much slower, trying to soak in the atmosphere. These are the 'bleeping' pyramids!!! We've seen images of this place our whole life, and its always been this PLACE, not somewhere you would ever actually be standing. Much of this trip for me felt like this – almost unreal, like I was watching myself on a TV set. Real people don't get to go these places...these places only exist on TV or in adventure novels...

By this time, the heat and lack of water started taking a toll. Though tempted to take a longer camel ride, Kathryn had packed her Jodhpurs specifically for this purpose, so we decided we'd wait till we came back the next day properly attired!

Come back next week for Part 3, and I’ll tell you all about it!! Plus, the Sphinx, The Egyptian Museum, and a 4600 year old ship that looks like it could still take to the water!