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Published: August 10th 2008
Nile River and dunes
taken from motor boat going to PhilhaeSECRETS OF THE NILE - Trip with Grand Circle Travel May 31 to June 14,2008
This blog was written by my friend and co-traveller Joan who was the scribe for our Egypt adventure. There are a lot of pictures not here, but as soon as I learn how to do captions, they will be on Picasa online and I'll send links to anyone interested. They are not in order with the text as I don't know how to do this. Yet!
We drove southward through Massachusetts and Connecticut, our hair flying in the wind and our anticipation running high. We were catching a plane for Cairo at JFK and Egypt was all we could think about. Manuela’s first job had been in Cairo back in the 60’s.
JFK was its usual busy maze of ticketing, gates and security. Our Egypt Air flight was delayed a while as they loaded a woman and her retinue into First Class at the last minute. She was unable to walk. We wondered if she was someone important who had been to the States for medical treatment. She was off-loaded in Cairo before we were and we never found out. The
the Nile River from our boat
Riverviews are fantastic and I captured lots of them trip was uneventful with toilets dirty to the point of being disgusting. All the attendants but one were male, so we figured it was beneath them to keep lavatories clean.
Cairo Airport still uses stairs to unload passengers, but that will change in the fall of 2008 when the new terminal opens. Our Grand Circle guide met us at Baggage and we got visas, and made it through Immigration and Customs to our waiting bus. Friends had wondered why we chose to go to the near east, with violence so prevalent. We felt Egypt was pretty safe, but noted that there was a security guard on our bus that had a machine gun tucked into the back of his pants, under his jacket. We learned later that the city assigned tourist police. All young men had to do military service after high school or university, and a large number satisfied their commitment this way.
Cairo was dirty and crumbling. But then it is the 2nd largest city in the world and certainly one of the oldest. Cairo’s population is expected to surpass Mexico City’s before long. There was no room for shanties though some rooftops had shabby quarters.
river view
small villages dot the banks of the Nile, and the land looks incredibly fertile Parts of the city had no greenery at all. Then we would come to patches of shrubs with beautiful Poinciana (flame) trees and views of the Nile. Our hotel was on an island in the river. Once a palace built around 1869 by King Farouk for European monarchs to view the opening of the Suez Canal, and especially to impress Empress Eugenie who never stayed there; it had gone from private residence to hotel, to private residence and back to being a hotel again. Marriott had bought it and added two towers and a garden wing for rooms, retaining the palace for its ballrooms, meeting rooms, restaurants and shops. It was very beautiful and well maintained. We were treated to a welcome dinner in the garden that evening with spicy chopped lamb sticks, rice pilaf, salad, and pita bread made right there in the courtyard where our mouths could water, by a woman in a long robe (in that heat).
The next morning we ate a breakfast buffet that included Near East, European, Japanese and American foods: everything from fish to waffles. The morning also included a briefing on all excursions available for the trip before we headed out to
travellers and guide
Joan and I with our knowledgeable guide, Salah, in the middle the well known Egyptian Museum (museum of antiquities). Our guide, Salah, knew his stuff and pointed out how ancient statues almost always have the left foot forward (we don’t know why), the arms against the body so that they were not vulnerable to breakage and the fists holding something (which showed off the arm muscles). The most amazing displays in the museum were the King Tutankhamen collection and the Mummies Room.
More than 1,700 items were buried with the king, including 4 chariots. His is the only tomb discovered intact, so though he was a young king with a short reign (age 9 to 19), his artifacts are the most important. He died of a broken thigh, perhaps injured in a chariot fight.
The Royal Mummy Room included the body of Hatshepsut, the only female Pharaoh. Much to my disappointment, it has now been established that she was quite fat, not at all the beautiful woman that her statuary indicates. We learned that statuary and temple/tomb carvings depicted kings, queens and important people as they should have looked, not necessarily as they did.
A state of the art museum is being built to better display these treasures.
It is scheduled to open in 2010.
Returning to the hotel, we were offered the opportunity to listen to an expat’s talk on why she chose to live in Cairo. Originally from the state of Washington, the constant sunshine appealed to her. Initially working for an NGO (now teaching voice) she still found her income sufficient to live very well, with a nice flat and cleaning help. There is such a need for employment that anyone who can afford to hire others is morally obligated to. She enjoys driving in Cairo but to most people it is such a challenge that hiring a chauffeur is common. Horns appear to be as important as brakes and brakes are very important. It is common practice to have 2 or 3 people employed to do a job that one would handle in the States. Pay is minimal but enough to keep families from going hungry. A form of “job share”, it is not efficient but keeps everyone happy. People are friendly and gracious. Because so many share the same space, everyone knows everyone else’s business and tries to help. All do their best to help those who have less. Life goes at
Sakkara
view of the older pyramids at Sakkara an easier pace and families are very close, often living in the same building. Divorce is easy to obtain (it takes three words: I divorce you) but very seldom applied for. Drinking is not illegal but is not prevalent—there is very little alcoholism. The negatives include bribery and corruption, the tediousness of getting through bureaucracy, and the attitude towards women, which is decidedly paternalistic.
We did not see much of burqas, the head to toe black gowns. They are a nomadic custom rather than Islamic. Most of the women who appeared in public were young and wore tight jeans with fitted long sleeved tops and hajji headscarves. Many tops and scarves were brightly colored with shinny threads or sequins. The girls love “bling” as much as our daughters do. The headscarves appear to be more of a fashion statement that a religious requirement.
We attended a home-hosted dinner that evening. Twelve of us went together to an apartment in a non-descript building with an outside elevator that didn’t appear very trustworthy. I expected a simple home and some language difficulty, but after climbing three flights of stairs we found ourselves in what could have passed for an ambassadorial
suite with a hostess and son who spoke excellent English. The son and his twin were recent university grads, waiting for military assignment (they didn’t get to pick).
The apartment had beautiful herringbone parquet floors with handsome carpets, formal, brocade furniture and chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. 100 people could have attended a reception there comfortably. Our hostess was the wife of an agricultural official and had been to the U.S. twice. She did not have a vocation outside the home and wore a charming hajji headscarf, but in no way appeared suppressed or lacking in education. All three of her children had university educations and the son, who hosted us with her that evening, was outgoing and charming.
The buffet dinner was a real treat, with the coupe de grace being a baklava made with a custard filling. We learned something about Egyptians that evening: outside impressions do not matter much, its what’s within that counts.
The next day we went to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The great pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) is the last of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Built on 16 acres (finding a flat plain
camel ride anyone
this is the arrogant profile of the one Joan rode. Would not even look at me that size was the first step), with a limestone interior and high quality granite exterior, the Great Pyramid (circa 2,600BC) was the highest building until the Eiffel Tower was constructed. It was once the largest, and is still the heaviest. The three pyramids and the mysterious Sphinx are all in the same general location—quite a site, pardon the pun!
There is still controversy as to when and who built the Sphinx. It is the largest statue: 235 long and 66 feet high. Some think it may date back 10,000 years, to a lost civilization.
With all the tourists around, there had to be an opportunity to ride camels. Our trusty leader took us to a reputable outfit with good animals. I didn’t want to just be led around on a walk, so I asked the head camel man if I could have a fast ride. He set me up with a really big camel and a boy to ride up front of me. There was one stirrup for mounting, needed even though the camel was down on the ground. Getting up was pretty exciting, first pitching aft and then fore as
Sakkara
another view the
camel rose. That was it with the stirrup. Off we went at a trot towards the pyramids. There was no way to wrap your legs around that animal, so a sitting trot with a bit of a bounce it was. There was a blanket and girth but no saddle. The boy asked, “Faster, lady?” He was all there was to hang on to, and he was smaller than me, so I said no—the trot was just fine. And it was, I had a terrific ride!
Wandering around one of the pyramids, I came across another foreigner up on a camel (German I think) who obviously wanted to get down; whether the fee was higher than he thought, or it was scary up there, I couldn’t make out but the driver didn’t want to let him off. The tourist police came by and saved the man but the camel driver was so mad he went after the policeman with his whip as soon as his back was turned. I let out a yip and the policeman turned in time. There was a brief altercation and the camel driver’s boss came riding up on another camel.
Camel ride
Joan went trotting with a camel attendant. The others walked sedately on a leash! They got it all sorted out—probably some money changed hands and the excitement was over.
That afternoon we went to Sakkara to see the step pyramid; six tiered, it is the oldest of them all. It was designed by the architect Imhotep, under the old kingdom pharaoh, Djoser and is the first building of stone rather than mud bricks. Imhotep also initiated the style used for depicting the human body in tomb and temple drawings. Profiles were considered better than full face, excepting for the eyes, which were seen much better from the front. Shoulders looked better from the front, but lower torsos and legs in profile. So if you have ever wondered why Egyptian figures look “funny”, it’s the profile face with front view eye, front view chest and shoulders with profile lower body.
Next we visited a carpet school and factory. Set up to train poor children in a trade, they were taught to weave with silks and wool, and they could make those shuttles fly in intricate patterns. One boy had no pigment in parts of his hands. He had evidently been exposed to chemical dyes at some time, and a man in our party
Oldest Step pyramid
I took a picture, Joan went crawling inside. Brave girl who knew the condition told me it would spread and eventually kill him. Using the natural dyes the school used would have prevented that. Unfortunately many buyers prefer the more vibrant, chemical colors.
We had the evening to ourselves so we went down to the 26th of July Avenue where all the shops were, and with help from passers-by, found a shop where I could buy a phone card. By the time we had a little dinner back at the hotel it was getting dark. When I bought the phone card it was explained to me that I had to use a phone box specifically for that card so I asked directions from one of the security guards. It sounded like it would take 10 or 15 minutes to get there so I thanked him and said I would wait for the next day. He motioned for me to wait and conferred with the other guard in Arabic. Then he told me to go through the “Staff Only” door and down the hall. Just around the corner I would find my phone box. I did. The directions were in Arabic and I could not quite figure out
Carpet School
we visited one, kids ages 7-15 learn traditional skills. It is not child labor, they still attend school, earn a little money, and then have a useful trade what to do. Another security guard came to my rescue. I got my calls made and had an adventure in the interesting underbelly of the Marriott!
I had really looked forward to visiting Alexandria. We took a train there, riding First Class. Salat warned us that it would not be the same as what we were used to for First Class. This was the second oldest railway in existence. Even though there was visible police presence, people jumped down into the tracks and ran across them at the train yard. They were all pretty casual about the danger. The seats were comfortable; floors dirty, but oh well. When the beverage service came by and lowered the tray, I almost gagged it was so dirty. The hostess sweetly covered it with multiple napkins and served my tea. The small towns and people we passed were worth the ride.
Alexandria was founded of course by Alexander the Great, because a capitol on the Mediterranean gave him easier access to the rest of his empire. We visited a well preserved Roman amphitheater ruin—the only one known in Egypt, part of a vast pleasure garden known as the Park of
train ride to Alexandria
at some city we stopped, local scene. I missed then coming through the hole. Pan.
The library was the main attraction. The original one had been the very center of ancient knowledge. It was where Euclid discovered geometry and Eratosthenes measured the earth’s circumference. Destroyed in a fire near the end of the Greco/Roman era, all the scrolls and most of the knowledge were lost. Our program director felt this loss put our civilization back 1,000 years. We might have established a colony on Mars and solved all our fuel problems by now without that loss. He had a point.
The reception area of the new library has a statue dedicated to Hypatia, a Roman woman with great mathematical and philosophical skills, considered the best tutor of her time and renowned for her beauty, eloquence and learning. She was brutally murdered by a band of monks because she was not a Christian.
The new library is state of the art, with ceiling windows shaped like eyes and shades that simulate lids. There are rows and rows of computers and a printer that can print any book for you that does not exceed 1000 pages. It contains 600,000 books and has a capacity for 8 million. All books are being
Alexandria
This Roman theater is still under excavation computerized with a wonderful search system and the ability to zoom in on notes and illustrations. The only other facility with that type of function is in San Francisco. Both can be accessed on line.
Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt, has Cleopatra’s needle and Ptolemy’s pillar. When Alexander the Great died, he left Egypt to his general, Ptolemy, to rule. Cleopatra was Ptolemy’s direct descendent and the last of his line to rule Egypt. She tried to secure her position by making an ally of Julius Caesar. She became his mistress and had a son by him. After his murder she married Marc Anthony and they had three children before losing their power in Egypt and electing to take their own lives. Three of Cleopatra’s four children were murdered. What became of the fourth is not known.
We saw the Citadel of Qaibay, where the famed lighthouse of Alexandria once stood; dipped our feet in the Mediterranean near the Al-Montazah (summer palace) of the royal family in a beautiful park); and headed back to Cairo by bus, noting road towers for breeding pigeons along the way.
The next day we explored
Alexandria Roman Theater
many artifacts recovered from the water are sprinkled throughout the city awaiting the construction of the underwater museum Spiritual Cairo, visiting a mosque, a synagogue and a Coptic Christian church.
The Mohamed Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, is located high up on the citadel, flanked by two 270 foot minarets, and can be seen from every part of Cairo. The only mosque non-Muslims may visit, one must be covered properly and remove one’s shoes before entering. Inside we learned about the 5 Pillars of Islam:
1. There is one God and Mohammed is His prophet.
2. Pray five times a day (if you can’t pray at the call to prayer, you need to fit it in before the next call).
3. Tithe and take care of those less fortunate.
4. Observe Ramadan.
5. Make a pilgrimage to Mecca once during your lifetime.
Note: Sharia law is not mentioned, nor is subjugation of women. Women may NOT cover their faces on pilgrimage.
Ben Ezer’s Temple contains the Jewish heritage library and is believed to be located near where Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby Moses floating in his ark. There are important documents explaining how Jews and Arabs interfaced in the early middle ages.
The lovely little
Alexandria
The Blue Mosque on the Corniche Coptic Church was supposedly built on the spot where the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus) stayed for a while when they fled to Egypt. When I got back to the bus, I missed my nice new sweater/jacket. There was time for me to find my way back through the lanes and alleys to the church. Someone had hung it in a conspicuous place, so I found it easily. In this country where so many people had so little, I felt very humble.
During the afternoon we visited two 16th century houses that were later combined into one. Originally they belonged to a butcher and blacksmith, obviously affluent. Egypt had the highest standard of living in the world at that time. The houses were combined into one building by Gayer Anderson, a British officer with penchant for art and for his young, loyal Nubian manservant.
We viewed the Citadel, constructed in the 12th century and used by Saladin as protection from attacks by the Crusaders. The Mameluks took over in the 13th century. Respected as the best of warriors, the Mameluks were recruited mainly from Eastern Europe. Poor families would sell their sons to the military,
Alexandria
King Farouk's little summer home inside a gorgeous park... assured that they would have a better quality life in Egypt. And they did.
We ended our day at the Khan el Khalili Bazaar. After wandering through the shops, Manuela and I stopped at a café. She remembered how good Turkish coffee was and insisted I try it. It was delicious, and very strong. We were up most of the night.
The MS River Anuket was nicer than I anticipated. It was only an hour’s flight from Cairo to Luxor so we were there for lunch. Luxor means “City of Palaces”.
The current city is built on the site of ancient Thebes.
We walked through the reception areas of two other Riverboats to get to the Anuket. It was common to anchor at Luxor for a couple of days. Our cabin was not a room in the Marriott but it was clean and adequate. The main lounge and dining room were pleasantly decorated with an Egyptian flavor. Meals were generous and quite good. The chef had a bad habit of providing several delicious desserts on the buffet table.
At Luxor we saw our first temple. One of the two entry obelisks was missing, having been sent
Summer Palace Alexandria
where dozens royal cats roam (you didn't think you would escape this without at least one cat picture, did you?) to France as a gift. In return Egypt was given a clock that never worked. An avenue lined by sphinxes on both sides joined Luxor Temple to the greater Karnak Temple, a distance of about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles). Only partially restored, the immensity of the statues and pillars was mind-boggling.
You
could see where, when the temple had been buried by sand, tops of pillars had been leveled off as new buildings were constructed over them.
The next morning we set off for the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens on the west bank of Luxor. Current life (the city) was on the east bank where the sun rose; afterlife (the tombs) were in the west where the sun set.
The day was hot. It reached at least 116 degrees and that was probably a shade reading. It was cooler inside the tombs. We could choose three to visit in the Valley of the Kings. Colors over 4,000 years old were still bright in some instances. The chambers were constructed with the thought that you spend much more time in the afterlife, so the years of kingship were spent preparing for
Mohamed Ali Mosque, Cairo
the most famous, as it is also the only one open to the public. it. Princes, as well as Queens, were buried in the Valley of the Queens.
Hatshepsut’s Temple was a monument to the woman Pharaoh. Married young to her brother, Thutmose II, to keep the blood royal, they were blessed with one daughter. Thutmose II died young of a skin disease and Hatshepsut became regent with the son, Thutmose III, of a secondary wife. Claiming to be descended directly from the gods, Hatshepsut deified herself and took the title of pharaoh, wearing the kilt and false beard of the office. Her rule was peaceful. She was able to establish trade with the Punts (likely Somalia) to the south, whose women were bred to be very fat and force-fed as children; and to build public works to beautify her lands. She is reputed to have had a very close relationship with her chief architect, who also held several other high offices. Almost all of her statues and pictures were defaced after her death, but the magnificent temple remains. Egyptians believe blood lines descend from the mother so Thutmose III married Hatshepsut’s daughter to insure his right to the throne. For a long time he was suspected of murdering his step-mother but
Mohamed Ali Mosque
the court yard where people take off shoes and go wash recent DNA tests show disease caused her demise.
That evening we sailed north to Quena. After dinner we rode a Choo-choo through the streets to the Girls’ Club, with a police escort. The train was like a Disney train from a parking lot. With temperatures a little cooler, people were crowding the streets, families and young men. They were all friendly, staring and waving at us. At the club we were treated to a colorful folk dancing performance and light refreshments.
The next temple we saw, at Dendera, was built by Romans and Greeks and dedicated to Hathor the Goddess of music and love. She is the wife of Horus who we will meet later at Edfu. It is the only temple that commemorates Cleopatra. A favorite, it is the best preserved, though the faces of the goddesses were defaced by early Christians, who autographed their work, proud of chiseling out paganism. The birthing rooms pictured a god with a potter’s wheel, shaping the new babies. In an upper chamber, the goddess of the river, Net was shown swallowing the sun god Amon (Ra) whom she then re-birthed every morning. Wavy walls depicted the primordial sea. The
Mosque
door to the lecturn goddess of pregnancy and labor was Tawaret, who was associated with Hippopotomus, or something like that.
As we cruised backed to Luxor there was time to enjoy the pool and have a cool drink as we watched the ever-changing panorama on the banks of the Nile. We could also learn a bit about Arabic and Hieroglyphic writing. Interestingly, the Arabic numerals we use are not the same as the one used in Egypt. There are two different sets. We learned more about modern Egypt. Polygamy is still accepted—there are four spaces for wives on a marriage certificate. However, the man must be able to furnish a separate home for each wife, and must have the approval of the first wife (wives) before marrying another. Not many have more than one wife. Very few have three, and Salah didn’t know of anyone who had four. He was happy that he had two daughters—the men bear the expense of the wedding, including the bridal gown, and the new household. Taking care of parents has precedence over marriage for Muslims. You could be an old man before you could get “Wife No. 1”.
Herodotus said Egypt is “the gift of
Mosque
Joan and others listen with proper reverence to our lecture on Islam the Nile”. A land of fabled wealth, it remained rich until the Ottoman Empire extracted much of its treasure. Then Napoleon came, and after that Mohammed Ali in the early 1800s. He was credited with founding modern Egypt (the American boxer was named after him). Ali was the grandfather of King Farouk. The British took over in 1882 and stayed until Nasser took power in 1952.
Our boat crew shared some fun talents with us. One of the chefs carved a beautiful floral arrangement out of vegetables, and another showed us various ways to fold napkins. Our cabin steward folded our towels into hearts and swans, and even little children—that was the best. One evening we all dressed in black and white for dinner, but the waiters outdid the passengers with pants and jackets that were half black and half white. They put on a pretty good floorshow on another evening. Then towards the end of the trip we had an Egyptian dinner where we all dressed the part. Everyone was a good sport and there were some truly lovely outfits.
The most amazing evening’s entertainment was a whirling dervish. I do some ballet and know how hard
On our boat
breakfast and lunch buffet style, dinner served, and very nicely presented it is to maintain balance with multiple turns (I ended up in a wastebasket once). How he could go on at such a speed, with various twists and movements, never losing his equilibrium, is really beyond me. We also saw a belly dancer—maybe the men were more impressed with her.
The largest temple we saw was Karnak (60 acres). Its Hypostyle Hall is big enough to enclose the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Hatshepsut put up the tallest obelisk in Egypt there, for Amun the god of fertility. The granite was cut down river in the dry season and loaded in a boat, which floated when the river flooded. The obelisk was pulled into place heavy end first and then upended into a prepared pit. It was not fastened to the base—the whole thing was an exercise in balance.
One column supported a giant granite scarab beetle. The scarab works all night recycling waste and then lays eggs in the morning, and so was thought to regenerate itself. At one time it was believed that the scarab pushed the sun back up each morning.
Manuela and I were particularly interested in visiting Manacare, a facility
Luxor Temple
you feel awe at what they did in those days for “special needs” children. We were impressed with its cleanliness, and with the young, patient nurses, who took time with the children’s therapy and instructed the parents. One little 4-year-old boy took his first steps the day we were there and his smile stretched from ear to ear.
After visiting a perfume factory and coming away smelling good, we re-boarded our boat and passed through the locks at Esna en route to Edfu. Here we visited the Temple of Horus, the falcon headed god of the sky (and the new symbol of Air Egypt). Horus was the son of Osiris, god of the underworld, and Isis, goddess of love and beauty. Horus is credited with avenging his father by murdering his uncle, Seth. Seth, jealous of his brother, had a beautiful casket built as a gift for the one who fit it. Of course, Osiris fit it perfectly and Seth killed him. Through her magic, Isis brought him back to life. Incensed, Seth hacked his brother into 15 pieces and scattered them all over the world. Through great effort and trial, Isis put her husband back together and managed to bring him back to life just long enough to
Luxor
too many photos to choose from but you get the idea sire Horus. When he was grown, Horus avenged his father, murdering Seth. The reliefs inside the first pylon spiritually connect the temple of Horus with that of his wife Hathor, at the Dendera complex.
Only the king or his designated priest were allowed in the inner sanctum of the temple, so they used to tie a rope around the priest’s waist in case he didn’t come out.
The town of Kom Ombo has a large population of Nubians and was once important for its gold mines. The ancient word “nubt” was City of Gold. The temple here is dedicated to the crocodile god and his wife, and also to Horus and Hathor. There was actually a crocodile mummy!
Our most southerly port was Aswan, built where the Nile is at its most beautiful with emerald islands, palm groves and golden desert. A favorite winter resort for two centuries, Agatha Christie spent time at the famous old hotel. Up the river a bit further is the old Aswan dam, built by the British but replaced in the 1960s by the High Dam, forming Lake Nasser, the second largest artificial lake in the world. Though the new
Luxor
the Sphynx alley as you walk toward the entrance of the temple dam controls the Nile’s waters it does have its downside. The riverbank soils are no longer enriched by silt from floodwaters and their salinity has increased necessitating chemical fertilization. The waters are no longer “washed clean” and become vulnerable to bilharzia. Financed in part by the Soviet Union, their help is recognized in the entrance monument, a lotus flower crown combining Egyptian and Soviet art.
The construction of the dam endangered the temples in the area. The complex at Philae and Abu Simbel were both rescued by the Egyptian government in a joint operation with UNESCO. The U.S. contributed a third of the funds needed for Abu Simbel. In appreciation the Egyptian government gave the U.S. a small temple, which is part of the Egyptian exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. 20 other countries helped with manpower and money.
Philae was the last bastion of the ancient Egyptian religion using hieroglyphics. It was here that the Nilometer determined how high taxes would be. A series of steps was used to measure how high the water rose. On a good year it reached a high step and good crops could be expected, so higher taxes were levied.
Valley of the Kings
We got to visit three tombs, no photos allowed. Some still exhibit very vibrant colors On a low step year, taxes went down.
Papyrus was manufactured as early as 3,000 BCE. Made from slices of a reed, soaked and pounded, and overlapped both horizontally and vertically, it is strong and pliable. The ancient art was revived by the Egyptian Papyrus Institute, which we visited, purchasing many lovely mementos, covered in art and/or hieroglyphics.
A motorboat took our group to lunch on an island. A barbeque had been prepared for us with a generous array of side dishes. We sat at white clothed tables with comfortable chairs, in a lovely grove—what a way to picnic.
That evening we visited the Spice Market, an outdoor street market with plenty of things other than spices to sell and the fun of bartering part of the atmosphere. There was frankincense and myrrh as well as cardamom in the pod and many other exotics. Those things are easy to fit in a suitcase so we had to buy some!
Our last temple visit was to Abu Simbel. It was a short plane trip, as it lies 180 miles south of Aswan on the shores of Lake Nasser. Built by the great Pharaoh, Ramses II, it has
On the way to Hatsheput's Temple
we visited an alabaster workshop where everything is done by hand. Drilling the hole ... two temples. The great temple is dedicated to Ra, the sun god, and really to Ramses himself—four huge statues (66’ each) of Ramses flank the entrance. The smaller temple honors the goddess Hathor and Ramses’ beloved wife, Nefertari. The great temple is over 100 feet high. Both temples are built into rock face and had to be moved 180 yards back and 60 feet up because of the High Dam. It took the Egyptian/UNESCO workers four years to accomplish this. It is almost unbelievable. The halls of paintings are magnificent. The inner sanctum holds four statues: Ra, Ramses II, Amun and Ptah. Twice a year, at the solstices, sunlight is aligned to light the entire length of the temple. Three of the four statues are lit up, but sunlight never touches Ptah, the god of darkness.
Feluccas are the sailboat of choice for navigating the Nile. Back in Aswan, we finished the day with a ride among the islands, a lovely last look at southern Egypt, followed by a farewell dinner with the best sunset of the trip.
After a last breakfast on the Anuket, we flew back to Cairo. Back at the Marriott we had an
Alabaster
and shaping the vases or whatever they are working on at the time afternoon free and found we could walk to the Gabalaya Grotto and Aquarium. We passed by embassies with security guards. The Dutch embassy was having a children’s birthday party—very fun! The promo for the park claimed the aquarium displayed 195 kinds of tropical fish amidst a labyrinth of passageway and stairs. Quite a few of the fish were missing or mis-named, but the grotto was still worth seeing. It is evidently where young couples spend their free afternoons!
On the trip home the restrooms were in better shape. There was a young woman flight attendant assigned to keep them orderly.
Ah, Egypt
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