Egypt-day 2

Here we are, Spring break '09... It's been over three months since I returned from "dream land," and yet I still think about my semester abroad every day. My time gone truly permeated my life and changed who I am. I am ever thankful for my gift of a life time. I know very few people ever look at this blog anymore, but for my own sake (and Kelsey's!) I am determined to continue documenting my journey until the end. Can't make any promises for when this will actually be finished, but it will be done before any more cross-cultural adventures!

I was so excited to start out first full day in Egypt. Today was "pyramid day" and we would be staying around the Cairo area to see all the famous pyramids. Our view of the Giza pyramids as we bussed through the city to get to Darshur, the first pyramid compound of the day. We would be going back to visit the Giza pyramids at sunset. Isn't it crazy how they are right there at the edge of the city!? The mix of ancient and modern never ceases to amaze me.

My very first pyramid- the "Red Pyramid," named because of it's red tint when observed from a distance. See where my group is climbing up to the little hole in the side of the pyramid? That's where we entered...

Dan, John, me, Kayt, and Jesse standing on the side of the pyramid

Kayt climbing back out. The passageway was very steep and very narrow. The further we went down the worse the air got (it was so thick and stale!) that as people got to the bottom they were making mad rushes to get back to the top. John, Seth, Kayt and I sang a Christmas carol in one of the big open rooms. The acoustics were great, even though the air wasn't.

On the same complex in Doshur there is also the "Bent pyramid," named because of its sloping top. There are many different theories as to why this pyramid was "messed up." Snero built both of these pyramids and it is assumed that he is actually buried in the smaller, bent pyramid.

Next stop, Mit Rahina Museum located in the old city of Memphis:

Inside there was a giant statue of Ramses II. The statue is a perfect piece except that the legs and feet are broken off.

Look at me! I'm a scary Sphinx!

Courty and me posing by a real sphinx outside. The sphinx represented the Pharaoh as having the physical power of a lion and the mental power of, well, himself.

Kayt and I by a huge cool statue

We then went to the Imhotep Museum which was on the sight of Pharaoh Teti's pyramid.

We saw a number of interesting artifacts such as this stone that shows a number of malnourished people, assumed by scholars to be Bedouin during the fall of the Old Kingdom.

We then went into Mereruka's mestaba. Merukah was Pharaoh Teti's son-in-law and high priest and so he had a very nice mestaba (flat roofed, rectangular burial building) built for him.

The walls were covered in beautiful etchings that still had a great deal of color. (we really weren't supposed to take pictures inside...but I snuck this one :-)

This is Teti's pyramid...looks pretty lame doesn't it? It's so small and "un-pyramid-like" because it was built during that time when Pharaohs were trying to hide their burial places because the big pyramids were being/had been broken into, desecrated, and stolen from. We went inside this pyramid too, and, despite the outward appearance, it was amazing inside! The walls and ceilings had hieroglyphics covering every surface. I didn't get very good pictures because you aren't "technically" supposed to take any unless you pay/bribe the guard (it's a way they make extra money) and so we can't use flash when we do "sneak" pictures.

On the same complex is located the Dojer step pyramid. It was built by Imhotep. We didn't go inside but took a number of pics of the outside.

We continued with our day by racing to Cheops boat museum where we were let in just minutes before closing time. We then ran to our bus and zoomed over to Giza where we made it to the most important pyramids just in time for sunset.

Kayt, me, and camel man in front of Kufu's pyramid, the tallest pyramid in the world standing at 146 meters!

The three pyramids at Giza. Beside Pharaoh Kufu's pyramid there is also Khafre's pyramid (in the forefront in this pic) which is the second tallest at 143 meters and still has some of its casing at the top. I was so thrilled to be here taking pictures of a place I had only ever seen in my dreams!

In front of the biggest sphinx in Egypt!

Just when you though we couldn't fit anything more into our day...evening came...and so will another post!

Egypt-day one

The snow is falling out the window as I sit wrapped in my cozy sweater and fuzzy slippers. The noise of my reunited brothers in the next room distracts me from my thoughts, but it's a good kind of distraction. It's been just 5 days since I was in the Middle East, but what a sharp change it has been! Not only has the weather been completely different, but the culture has been quite something to get used to as well. I lost my cell phone for a few days and didn't even realize it! When I looked in my closet, I almost had a panic attack seeing how many clothes and shoes I had. After having such a small variety in clothes, food, and leisure activities for 3 1/2 months, I didn't know how to deal with all my new choices (and still find it a bit overwhelming.) But it's good to be home, different then what I have been used to, but good.

I've decided to blog my week trip in Egypt and maybe a few last Israel thoughts before I shut down this blog. I've realized that this page here is really the only steady account of my journeys, so I want to finish my journal, so to speak.

SO...EGYPT! The trip to Egypt was an extended field study that was the conclusion to my "Ancient Egypt and the Biblical World" class. Though there were only about 30 in the class, many other students were able to go on the trip as well.

It was Saturday morning, the 6th of December and I was running to the bus stop at 5:35am, hoping beyond hope that the group had not left without me. I had just finished copying pictures onto my computer and was running about 5 minutes late to the bus. Of course, with a tour group of 50 people, there was no way they were leaving on time, and so I still had a few minutes to catch my breath and say a tearful goodbye to my wonderful roommate who was not going to Egypt with the group.

The entire drive to Cairo would take us about 13 hours, and that did not include the border stop, bathroom stops, and lunch stop...we were in for an adventure for sure!

Our first stop was at the Egyptian border where we spent an hour or so getting everyone through security and loaded onto a new bus.

Egyptians know how to pack!Right before lunch we stopped at a place on the Red Sea and played in the water for a few minutes. (me and Clair)

Lunch was interesting...Brad, Dr. Wright, and Matt posing with the food.

We bussed through the beautiful Sinai Desert for hours and hours. It was breathtaking.

It was around 8pm when we finally made it through all of Cairo's traffic to our dinner destination: The Imperial boat restaurant, (it was floating on the Nile!)

Cairo and the Nile at night

Me and Kayt as we explored Cairo after dinner. Cairo has a population of over 20 million. Apparently there are more people who work just the night shift in Cairo then the entire amont of people that work in Chicago. So, imagine Chicago traffic that never ends...and you have Cairo, a city that truly never sleeps.

On our adventure, we met this guy, Muhammad, who gave us directions and wanted to show us his shops. At first we were very wary, but he turned out to be a really nice guy. He definitely tried to sell us some stuff, but he also spent a long time showing us where all the best places to go in the neighborhood around our hotel were. He also told us of a wonderful coffee shop to get "the best mango juice in the world" at, but Kayt and I were too tired that night to check it out.

Kayt and I were roommates for the trip (which we were so thankful for) and so we headed back to out room at the "Pharaoh's Hotel" and slept hard until 6 the next morning.

Egypt here I come...

I have so many new pictures to post and stories to tell...but they may have to wait until I can tell you face to face. This week has been crazy with all the papers and last minute everything going on. Tonight we had our "goodbye Christmas party." It was really nice, and our first real thoughts of Christmas were brought up as Dr. Wright read us Christmas stories.



I leave in 5 hours for Egypt...I still need to pack and sleep... (-: We leave at 5:30 am and bus for over 13 hours to Cairo, Egypt. Our journey will last for 8 days and then I come back home to Jerusalem and leave the next day for the good ol' US of A. I'll post Egypt adventures when I get home.



Thing I'm most looking forward to about Egypt: Riding a camel (#6 on my "things to do before I turn 25" list) <3-naomi