The last posting covered our experience on the Holocaust Tour (emotional, exceptional) and ended with a few days in Prague. From Prague, we flew to London where we stayed in an AirBnB in the Shoreditch district, part of the East End of London and about three miles north and east of Big Ben. Shoreditch’s roots were in manufacturing, but this has been changing in the past 25 years. The “Gentrification” of London has spread to Shoreditch and it is now described as “home to indie art galleries and cool bars, with trendy global eateries” which is code for having been discovered by the massive real estate developers and locals are soon to be priced out completely. Indeed, the area around our brand-new condominium project is full of cranes rapidly building the next, best thing. With that said, we enjoyed this area with its “global eateries” and easy access to the rest of London and beyond as Shoredicth is served by two, readily accessible, tube stations.
We chose to return to London at this stage in our European Adventure because Liz needed to attend a board meeting in Tampa for a few days and London would provide easy access to and from. During our time there, Liz was suffering from a viral infection that caused a persistent cough and left her feeling fatigued (yes, we even went to the hospital to confirm this diagnosis and were told it may last five weeks). Accordingly, to prepare for her upcoming long flight and meetings, we simply chilled in London and made no effort to take it all in. That was a nice break for both of us although it leaves us with nothing to blog about, so no need to bore you with how we spent our days.
However, I do want to share something that happened. By this time, Liz and I had spent six months together on this journey. Six months of being together, traveling together, eating every meal together, 24x7 together. During the past six months, the total time we spent apart from each other was around four hours. In my lifetime, I have never spent that much time with one person. You might expect that things would begin to fray at the edges. So, imagine my surprise when I wake up to the following email from Liz that she penned during her flight to Tampa – her first real break from me in six months.
Ten Things I Love About You, my husband:
1. Your heart and how you love me so sweetly
2. Your beautiful blue eyes that glisten with stars
3. Your ability to laugh at yourself and your willingness to laugh at my jokes
4. The way you love me, physically and emotionally
5. Your authentic nature and desire for real honesty
6. Your willingness to learn and try new ways of communicating and meeting me half way
7. Your love for your family and all those little Walter kids
8. Your desire to be better and have us be the best versions of ourselves, individually and as a couple
9. The way you ask me if you can help with dinner when I’m 3/4 through;)
10. That you love me just the way I am
I love you forever, absolutely- and will marry you today and every day.
Instantly, one of the best emails I ever received and totally unexpected given our 24x7 co-existence for the past six months. After wiping away the tears, here is my reply-
Ten Things I Love About You, my wife:
1. Your sense of humor and ability to not take yourself too seriously
2. You are kind, considerate, compassionate, empathetic and wise
3. Your commitment to the empowerment of women
4. You love me for who I am and you make me feel whole when I am with you
5. Your love for my family, all of them
6. You take care of me better than I could ever take care of myself
7. When I look at you, you take my breath away and my heart skips a beat
8. Your ability to communicate clearly about the things that matter most
9. Your commitment to our relationship – today, every day, forever
10. You make me want to be a better man
I love you.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Cairo
Today is a travel day including a cab ride to Heathrow and a five-hour flight to Cairo, passing through immigration, collecting our bags and a ride to our hotel, the Marriott Mena House in Giza, a city on the west side of the Nile River just opposite Cairo. By the time we arrive, it is too dark to appreciate the location of our hotel. The Mena House serves as the entryway to the great pyramids of Egypt with spectacular views that we are only able to appreciate the next morning.
Liz and I will be spending the next 15 days in Egypt and Jordan as part of a tour arranged by Wilderness Travel, a company in Berkeley, CA, who arrange adventure trips all over the world to the most interesting places imaginable. My nephew, Johan Steiner, used to work as Wilderness Travel and, as a result, I used to receive their yearly tour book. I would spend hours drooling over the pictures, trip descriptions and locations hoping that, someday, I would actually take one of these trips. (Hot Tip: get on their mailing list to receive this book – it is coffee table worthy and you will love it!) In February, I contacted them to see if we could join their November trip only to learn that it had already been sold out (you really have to plan ahead). But then, a few days later, they reached out and said they could arrange a private tour, following roughly the same itinerary, for around the same cost. We signed up.
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| The Great Sphinx with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background |
Today, we received a clear sign that we have been traveling for too long. Wilderness Travel had sent us a detailed itinerary, weeks in advance of our departure. Neither Liz nor I read the itinerary until the day before our departure. Sure, we had read the summary description on their website (amazing), but not the day-to-day detail. Nor had we done any research of Egypt and its wonders in preparation for our trip. Reading the detail, two things immediately became clear to us. First, this was going to be an epic adventure into the ancient world, and, second, for most people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for which they would have done extensive research for months in advance of their arrival. And yet, here we were, arriving in Cairo, and just now tuning into “what are we going to do today?” – a sure sign that we have been on the road too long.
Egypt Background
Ancient Egypt is considered the third oldest civilization in the world behind #1 Mesopotamia - defined today as Iraq, Syria and Turkey and fed by the mighty Tigress and Euphrates rivers; and #2 The Indus Valley – northeast Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwest India carved out by the Indus River fed from the unsurpassed Himalayan Mountains. Egypt’s location is along a similar latitude, slightly to the west of these two ancient civilizations, and also served by a mighty river, the River Nile, the longest river in the world.
We are specifically in Egypt to explore its ancient past over the next nine days. Below is a map of Egypt –
We will be traveling from Cairo in the north to Abu Simbel in the south, near its border with Sudan. From Abu Simbel we will fly north to Aswan where we board a small cruise ship that, over the course of four days, will take us down river to Luxor. From Luxor, we will, return by plane to Cairo.
And a note about the Nile River. About 95 percent of Egypt’s population lives along the bank of the Nile while it contains less than 5% of Egypt’s landmass, further demonstrating that water and life are inseparable.
And one other point, you may have heard the terms “Upper Egypt” and “Lower Egypt” and you may have wrongly assumed, as I did, that “Upper” is in the north and “Lower” in the south when, actually, “Upper” and “Lower” refers to the flow of the Nile which flows from the south (up river) to the north (down or lower river).
And to provide further context as we move from one ancient site to the next, here is a timeline –
Our journey begins with the establishment of the Old Kingdom and the building of the Great Pyramid, then moves through each of the subsequent periods right up to the fall of Egypt to the Romans in 30 BC. It is a fascinating journey told through its buildings, hieroglyphics, artifacts, tombs, gods and goddesses and myths.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Cairo/Giza and the Great Pyramids
When we awake this morning and peer out the window of our hotel room, it’s impossible to miss the Great Pyramid only 500 meters away as it dominates the skyline. However, it is equally impossible to miss the haze which the locals attribute to sand. I check the Air Quality Index, which is a very unhealthy 167, and draw the conclusion that the haze may also be due to the pollution from cars and trucks serving this mega-city of nearly 20 million people and contributing to some of the worst traffic jams in the world.
We are up early and meet our guide, Raina, in the lobby. She explains our itinerary for the day which includes the pyramids in the morning and the Egyptian Museum in the afternoon.
It is a short drive to the pyramids, a complex comprised of three pyramids – the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Kahfre and the Pyramid of Menkaure.
Most of us have seen pictures of these pyramids and they are striking. But to see them in person is even more impressive. They are massive. Further, from the pictures, you might conclude that these pyramids are off in the desert in the middle of nowhere, but the reality is that, yes, they are in the desert, but they are only 8 short miles from the center of Cairo, a city of 20 million people. This is not the middle of nowhere, not even close. And, being so close to this mega-city on a holiday weekend, as we were, the pyramid complex is crowded. However, the pyramids are so massive that even a large crowd can’t get in the way of thoroughly taking in these monumental structures and appreciating their significance and beauty. This isn’t like trying to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. There is enough space and enough pyramids for everyone to enjoy.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex, built in 2560 BC during the period of the Old Kingdom. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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| The Great Pyramid of Giza also called the Pyramid of Khufu - the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3,800 years |
Initially standing at 146.5 meters (481 ft), the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years until Lincoln Cathedral in the UK was finished in 1311 AD.
The Great Pyramid, with its 51.5 degree slope, has also been referred to as the “Perfect Pyramid” due to its close resemblance to several key mathematical and geometric foundations including:
• Phi, the Golden Ratio that appears throughout nature
• Pi, the circumference of a circle in relation to its diameter
• The Pythagorean Theorem
We walked around the entire pyramid which is built of large blocks of limestone that were quarried from a nearby site directly south of the complex. The Great Pyramid is composed of 2.3 million of these blocks weighing nearly 3 tons each for a total mass of 6.5 million tons.
The base of the pyramid is square and the blocks are placed to form a solid foundation or layer with each successive layer placed on top of this base, but with a slightly smaller overall dimension until you reach a point at the top. Anyone who has used Legos, has built a similar structure, although the Lego structure may be hollow, the pyramids are not, except for specifically designed rooms and passageways.
Once the limestone blocks are in place, the exterior of the pyramid is finished with a fine grade of white limestone quarried from the banks of the Nile. This gave the pyramid a smooth and brilliant white appearance which must have been an absolutely stunning sight. Unfortunately, over the thousands of years since their construction, this outer layer has worn away exposing the blocks underneath.
How they managed to build these pyramids is still a mystery today although there are many theories. This blog is not the place to further explore these theories, but I would encourage anyone interested to pursue that study on your own.
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| The Pyramid of Khufu - notice the "No Climbing" sign in the foreground |
Another question is, why were they built? That question is easier to answer. The pyramids of Giza and others were constructed to house the remains of the deceased pharaohs who ruled over Ancient Egypt. A portion of the pharaoh's spirit, called his ka, was believed to remain with his corpse. Proper care of the remains was necessary in order for the former Pharaoh to perform his new duties as king of the dead. The pyramid not only served as a tomb for the pharaoh, but also as a storage pit for various items he would need in the afterlife. The people of Ancient Egypt believed that death on Earth was the start of a journey to the next world. The embalmed body of the King was entombed underneath or within the pyramid to protect it and allow his transformation and ascension to the afterlife.
The Pyramid of Khafre
The Pyramid of Khafre is the second-tallest (448 ft) and second-largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre, the son of Khufu for whom the Great Pyramid was built. Constructed in 2530 BC, one of the distinguishing features of this pyramid is that some of the fine white limestone can still be seen at its peak.
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| The Pyramid of Khafre |
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| Now with Liz snapping a pic |
The Pyramid of Menkaure
The Pyramid of Menkaure, another Fourth-Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh and son of Khafre, is the smallest (215 ft) of the three main Pyramids of Giza. Constructed in 2500 BC, this pyramid differs from the previous two in that the first sixteen layers of the exterior were made of red granite with the upper portion using the normal limestone. This pyramid was never fully completed as Menkaure died in his early 30’s, but it was sufficiently complete to allow his embalmed body to be safely stored inside. Since its exterior was only partially completed, you are able to see the rough-cut granite, with a thinner layer of limestone applied in places that had not yet been fully smoothed to form the bright white finished exterior.
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| The Pyramid of Menkaure - notice the partially complete exterior layer on the left |
The Great Sphinx of Giza
Also, part of the pyramid complex is the Great Sphinx of Giza. Carved from natural rock, the Sphinx is 240 ft long and 66 ft high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt built in 2500 BC by the pharaoh Khafre. Its 16 ft face is pointed east towards the rising sun symbolizing the return of life every day.
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| The Great Sphinx |
To walk this complex and see these ancient structures built over 4500 years ago is awe inspiring. It takes your breath away. While climbing the pyramids is no longer permitted, there are portions that you are able to walk on and two of them that you can walk inside which is totally worth doing. But, to fully appreciate these structures, one must also stand back and take in the entire pyramid, then walk around it and appreciate its many angles and how the sun cast shadows. It makes one feel very small. I don’t know if man has ever built anything so magnificent since.
This is only our first day in Egypt and yet it feels like we have already seen everything that we had come to see. It’s like going on safari and seeing all of the Big Five on your first day. Wow! Exciting! As it turns out, there is so much more to see and our journey is only just beginning.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Abu Simbel and Aswan
This morning we have a 7:00 AM flight out of Cairo heading to Abu Simbel in the south. For the next several days, we will be joined by two other couples who are also on a private Wilderness Travel tour. Our fellow travelers are two couples from Salt Lake City – Kathleen and Marv and Marilee and Ken. Over the next few days, we learn that: a) they have been close for many, many years; b) they have or had healthcare careers; c) they are secular Mormons (grew up steeped in the faith and, today, are non-practicing); d) have no children; e) travel a lot and to the most interesting places in the world – there is virtually no place they haven’t been; and f) they are a ton of fun to be with.
Our guide is Mohamed. He is 50-ish, very knowledgeable, informative, personable, with excellent English – a perfect guide.
The Temples of Ramses II
Upon our arrival in Abu Simbel, our group is met at the airport with a passenger van that whisks away to the Temples of Ramses II, a short drive through town. Abu Simbel sits on Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, formed by the hydro-electric dam in Aswan and stretching almost 350 miles south to Abu Simbel and into northern Sudan.
From the parking lot for the temples, there is a half-circle walk that takes you down and brings you around to face the temples head on. It is at this point that your jaw drops and you are left breathless. The complex is comprised of two temples – The Great Temple honoring Ramses II and the temple of Hathor (a goddess) and Nefertari (Ramses’ main squeeze).
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| The Great Temple of Ramses II |
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| Entering Ramses II's Temple |
Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom. His successors and later Egyptians called him the "Great Ancestor". Perhaps one of the reasons he was called the “Great Ancestor” is that Ramses was also very prolific having over 200 wives and concubines and over 100 children.
The Great Temple, which took about twenty years to build, was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramses himself. The single entrance is flanked by four colossal, 66 ft statues, each representing Ramses II seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
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| Various Scenes from Ramses II's Temple showing Ramses as powerful |
The temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, was built about 100 m northeast of the temple of Ramses II and was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramses II's chief consort, Nefertari. This was in fact the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti. Remarkably, this is one of very few instances in Egyptian art where the statues of the king and his consort have equal size.
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| The Temple of Hathor and Nefetari |
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| From Nefertari's Temple - the goddess Hathor (left) and Seth (right) blessing Ramses II |
Standing in front of these temples, carved out of a mountainside, is humbling. They are massive, beautiful, inspiring and over 3200 years old. It is also hard to fathom that for years, perhaps thousands of years, these temples were hidden. With the passage of time, the temples fell into disuse and eventually became covered by sand. By the 6th century BC, the sand already covered the statues of the main temple up to their knees. It wasn’t until 1813, when these temples were discovered by a Swiss explorer, that an effort to uncover them began.
And their preservation was again in jeopardy with the building of the Aswan dam in the 1960’s and the formation of Lake Nasser which would totally submerge both temples. An international donations campaign secured the funding to preserve the temples. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 210 ft higher and 650 ft back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history.
The Nile Adventurer
After our visits to the temples, we return to the airport and fly north to Aswan. Aswan sits on the north end of Lake Nasser and from here, the Nile River re-forms and flows 600 miles north to Cairo and the Mediterranean Sea. It is also here that the more than 280 cruise ships begin. I am not typically a fan of cruise ships, but here in Egypt, with 95% of the population on the banks of the Nile and with all of the significant ancient sites also nearby, it is a perfect way to explore this country.
Our cruise ship is the Nile Adventurer and it will be our home for the next four nights. With only 32 cabins, it is one of the smaller cruise ships, but it is excellent with an outstanding crew and food to match.
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| Our cruise ship - the Nile Adventurer |
Liz skips the “Meet the Captain” cocktail party that night, as well as dinner, due to major stomach issues. Fortunately, our Salt Lake City fellow travelers includes a nurse, Kathleen, who carries a portable pharmacy complete with Cipro and Pepto Bismol.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Unfinished Obelisk
The next morning, Liz is recovering well, but elects to pass on this morning’s adventures. Our first stop is the Aswan quarry and the Unfinished Obelisk. This quarry was used by the ancient Egyptians as their source for much of the granite used to construct its monuments and temples. Today, it is commonly visited to see the Unfinished Obelisk. An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top. Further, ancient obelisks are monolithic; that is, they are carved from a single stone.
The Unfinished Obelisk in this quarry is the largest known ancient obelisk. Its creation was ordered by Hatshepsut (1508–1458 BC). If finished, it would have been nearly one-third larger than any ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected measuring around 137 ft and would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons.
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| The Unfinished Obelisk - cracks appearing on the right |
The obelisk's creators began to carve it directly out of bedrock, but cracks appeared in the granite and the project was abandoned. The bottom side of the obelisk is still attached to the bedrock.
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| The Unfinished Obelisk - bottom still attached to the quarry |
Philae Temple
After the quarry, we board a small sailing boat and head for Philae Island and the Philae Temple. Construction of the temple was begun by Ptolemy II (280 BC) and completed by the Roman Emperors.
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| The Philae Temple - exterior wall |
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| The Philae Temple - interior wall |
The Temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. These three characters dominate ancient Egyptian culture and their story possesses all the drama of a Shakespearian tragedy. The god Osiris is murdered and dismembered by his jealous brother Seth. Isis searches for the fragments, collects them together and with her magic powers brings Osiris back to life. They then conceive the god Horus. Osiris becomes god of the underworld and judge of the dead who must answer to him for their deeds on Earth. When Horus is grown, he avenges his father by defeating Seth in combat.
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| Hieroglyphics telling the story of Isis, Osiris, Seth and Horus |
Temple of Kom Ombo
After the Philae Temple, we head back to the Nile Adventurer where we have lunch while the ship begins to cruise north to Kom Ombo, about 30 miles, where we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. Liz is feeling much better by this time and is able to join us for this visit.
The Temple of Kom Ombo was constructed during the Ptolemaic dynasty, 180–47 BC. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period. The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu. Meanwhile, the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris ("Horus the Elder").
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| The Temple of Kom Ombo |
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| Our guide, Mohamed, retelling the story of Isis, Osiris, Seth and Horus to Merilee, Ken, Marv, Liz and Kathleen (L to R) |
After Kom Ombo, we are back on the boat where we begin our travels further north about 40 miles to Edfu. While traveling, we enjoy a wonderful dinner and retire early to bed.
Monday, November 11, 2019
The Temple of Horus at Edfu
After a wonderful breakfast, we are off the boat and on our way to the Temple of Horus at Edfu.
The Temple of Horus is located on the west bank of the Nile in Edfu. It is one of the best-preserved shrines in Egypt. The temple was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt. In particular, the Temple's inscribed building texts provide details of its construction, and also preserve information about the mythical interpretation of this and all other temples. There are also important scenes and inscriptions of the Sacred Drama which related the age-old conflict between Horus and Seth.
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| The Temple of Horus at Edfu |
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| The god Horus represented as a falcon |
The Temple of Khnum at Esna
After the Temple of Horus, we are back on the boat and heading to Esna where we stop to visit the Temple of Khnum. Khnum was one of the earliest-known Egyptian deities, originally the god of the source of the Nile. This temple, dedicated to Khnum, his consorts Menhit and Nebtu, their son, Heka, and the goddess Neith, was remarkable for the beauty of its site and the magnificence of its architecture. It was built of red sandstone, and its portico consisted of six rows of four columns each, with lotus-leaf capitals, all of which however differ from each other. The temple contains very late hieroglyphic inscription, dating from the reign of Decius (249–251 AD). The beautifully preserved Great Hypostyle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius.
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| The Temple of Khnum at Esna |
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| The columns inside the portico |
Navigating our Way to Luxor and a Political Update on Egypt
When we returned to the boat that afternoon, we set off for Luxor, but must first navigate through the Esna lock. On the north end of Esna, the Nile River begins a short, but steep descent that would be fun in a kayak or float boat, but not so fun in a cruise ship. Accordingly, they have built a lock system that we must navigate in order to continue our journey downstream towards our final destination at Luxor. It’s a tight fit for our boat, but we manage to get through quickly as the lock fills and drains in only six minutes.
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| The Nile Adventurer as it enters the locks |
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| And then leaving a short while later after the water is drained |
Later that afternoon, while we continue the 35-mile trip towards Luxor, Mohamed, our guide, gave us a 1½ hour talk about the current political situation in Egypt. He took us back to the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Islamic world beginning in the early 2010s. It began in response to oppressive regimes and a low standard of living and resulted in the overthrow of governments in four countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Yemen), civil war in two countries (Syria and Libya) and major protests throughout the region.
In Egypt, it marked the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign as president. Following Mubarak’s resignation, Egypt held democratic elections and Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was declared the winner. The Muslim Brotherhood has a long history within Egypt back to its establishment in 1928 as a counter to British rule and in support of a more fundamental Sharia law. And while there have been tensions between the main Egyptian parties and the Muslim Brotherhood for years, the Brotherhood didn’t emerge as a major political party until after the Arab Spring, leading to Morsi’s surprise election.
Morsi’s tenure, however, was short-lived. During the one-year Morsi served as president serious public opposition developed within months. In late November 2012, Morsi 'temporarily' granted himself unlimited powers on the ground that he would "protect" the nation from the power structure left over from the Mubarak-era. He also put out a draft constitution to a referendum that opponents complained was "an Islamist coup." In late April 2013, a rebellion movement was founded to campaign to collect signatures calling for Morsi to step down. On June 29, it announced it had collected more than 22 million signatures. A day later somewhere between 17 and 33 million Egyptian protesters demonstrated across Egypt urging Morsi to step down.
On July 3rd, the head of the Egyptian Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, announced President Mohamed Morsi removal from power. Ensuing protests in favor of Morsi were violently suppressed resulting in the death of nearly 1,000 members of the Brotherhood. In 2014, Egypt again held elections and el-Sisi won in a landslide with 97% of the votes. He was subsequently re-elected in 2018 with a similar margin of victory. Earlier this year, the constitution was amended to allow Sisi to serve, potentially, until 2034, a total of 20 years as president.
The impact of the Arab Spring, Morsi and Sisi on Egypt has been dramatic. With the protests and disruption of the Arab Spring, Egypt fell into complete disarray and its economy tanked in the face of plummeting tourism causing unemployment to soar and widespread poverty. At its peak, tourism employed 12% of Egypt’s workforce, but this fell dramatically post-Arab Spring with our tour guide in Cairo telling us she went six years without working.
Things have been picking up in the last three years and there was ample evidence that the Sisi regime is investing heavily in infrastructure thanks to $12 billion in loans from the IMF. But make no mistake, Egypt is a third-world country with a GDP per capita of only $2800 (compared to a world average of $11,000), a fertility rate that is 40% higher than the world average and illiteracy at over 25% of the population. In short, Egypt’s challenges are many and they are significant.
Egyptian Night on the Nile Adventurer
Tonight, we celebrate with a costume party in which everyone dresses up in traditional Egyptian clothing known as Galabeya – a loose, full-length gown with wide sleeves, often decorated with embroidery along its hems – collar, sleeves and skirt. We are served a traditional Egyptian dinner which is followed with traditional music and dance performed by the staff to which we are invited to join. It’s a fun evening particularly due to the enthusiasm of the staff.
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| Liz and Malcolm dressed up in their galabeya for Egyptian Night |
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
The Colossi of Memnon
Today, we will visit the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, both located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor.
But our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon – two massive stone statues, constructed in 1350 BC, of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. The twin statues depict Amenhotep III in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and his gaze facing eastwards towards the Nile. Two shorter figures are carved into the front throne alongside his legs: his wife, Tiye, and mother, Mutemwiya.
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| The Colossi of Memnon |
The original function of the Colossi was to stand guard at the entrance to Amenhotep's memorial temple: a massive complex built during the pharaoh's lifetime, where he was worshipped as a god-on-earth both before and after his departure from this world. In its day, this temple complex was the largest and most opulent in Egypt.
The Valley of the Queens
The Valley of the Queens is a site where the wives and children of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. Here we visit the tomb of Nefetari, the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II whose temples we had visited a few days earlier in Abu Simbel. Nefertari, which means "beautiful companion", was Ramses II's favorite wife; he went out of his way to make this obvious, referring to her as "the one for whom the sun shines". Nefertari’s tomb is called the Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt. Not only is it the largest in the Valley of the Queens, but it is one of the most beautifully decorated graves in the history of ancient Egypt.
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| The Valley of the Queens |
The tomb of Nefertari is accessed through a stairway that leads to an anti-chamber to the right of which is another, smaller, room. Going straight through the anti-chamber, a descending stairway leads to the burial chamber with four pillars in the center. In the middle of the pillars, the queen’s pink granite sarcophagus once lay. And next to the burial chamber there are three small rooms were Nefertari’s funerary equipment was stored, including her possessions that she used when she was alive and that she would have needed again in death.
All of the following pictures are from inside Nefetari's Tomb -
The pictorial decoration of the tomb offers a true glimpse into the ancient Egyptian underworld. The ceiling is painted in dark blue and spangled with golden stars, and it’s lavishly decorated white walls bear elegant, vividly colored, depictions of ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs.
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| From inside Nefetari's Tomb - "the Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt" |
The Tomb of Prince Amon Hir Khopshef
Prince Amon Hir Khopshef was the son of Ramses III. In his tomb, Ramses III himself leads him into the presence of the divine gods of the underworld. The nine-year-old boy wears the side-lock of youth and carries the feather of truth as he obediently follows his father. The murals of this tomb are amongst the finest in the entire valley.
The tomb comprises a large entrance hall with an unfinished annex to the right and the tomb chamber.
Deir el-Bahari or the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
We next travel a few miles to Dier el-Bahari or the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. Deir el-Bahari is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, and a short drive from the Valley of the Queens.
The focal point of the Deir el-Bahari complex is the Djeser-Djeseru meaning "the Holy of Holies", the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. It is a colonnaded structure, constructed in 1460 BC. Hatshepsut is the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty and only the second female to become Pharaoh.
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Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut  |
Valley of the Kings
Next, we travel a short distance to the Valley of the Kings where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, rock cut tombs were excavated for the pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the 18th to the 20th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). In modern times, the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.
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| The Valley of the Kings |
KV62 – King Tutankhamun
Our admission tickets provide access to three tombs in the valley as well as admission to King Tut’s tomb (King’s Valley #62) which was our first stop. King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. It is remarkable because it was largely found intact while virtually every other tomb has been raided and robbed of their contents hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
Tutankhamun took the throne at eight or nine years of age and married his own half-sister Ankhesenamun. He restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after its dissolution by his father, enriched and endowed the priestly orders of two important cults and began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous period. He moved his father's remains to the Valley of the Kings as well as moving the capitol from Akhetaten to Thebes (Luxor).
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| Painting on the walls of King Tut's burial chamber |
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| Painting on the walls of King Tut's burial chamber |
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| Painting on the walls of King Tut's burial chamber |
He died at the age of 18 or 19 which explains why his tomb was largely unfinished with only the burial chamber itself painted, and its contents were found in such disarray as tombs were built during the life of the pharaoh and burial occurred shortly after death.
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| King Tutankhamun |
KV14 – Taursert & Setnakhte
King’s Valley #14 was first the tomb of Tausert (1191 BC), the last pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty and a woman, and then reused by Setnakhte, the first pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty (1189 BC). Located in the main body of the Valley of the Kings, it has two burial chambers, the later extensions making the tomb one of the largest of the Royal Tombs, at over 112 meters.
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| Tunnel to the burial chamber |
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| Burial Chamber with sarcophagus |
KV8 – Merenptah
King’s Valley #8 was the tomb for Merenptah, the fourth pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty (1203 BC). The burial chamber, located at the end of a 160 meters corridor, originally held a set of four nested sarcophagi with Merenptah, presumably, buried in the 4th and final one.
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| Stairway down to Merenptah's burial chamber |
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| Painting on ceiling of stairway and Merenptah's sarcophagus |
KV2 – Ramses IV
King’s Valley #2 was the tomb of Ramses IV, the third pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (1140 BC). The tomb was one of about eleven tombs open to early travelers. KV2 contains the second-highest number of ancient graffiti within it (after KV9), with 656 individual graffitos left by both Ancient Greek and Roman visitors.
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| Paintings from inside Ramses IV Tomb |
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| Paintings from inside Ramses IV Tomb and his sarcophagus |
Karnak Temple
Following our last tomb visit in the Valley of the Kings, we return to our cruise ship for lunch and then head out to Karnak Temple on the east bank of the Nile in Luxor. Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad – Amun, his consort, Mut, and their son, Khonsu. The site covers more than 2 sq km. At its heart is the Temple of Amun, the earthly 'home' of the local god. Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over nearly 1500 years, Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom.
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| Karnak Temple |
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| Karnak Temple |
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| Karnak Temple |
Luxor Temple
From Karnak Temple, we make our way over to the Luxor Temple. In ancient times, these two temples were connected by a 3 km road that was lined the entire way on both sides with sphinxes. Now, only a few of them, at the Luxor, end remain. The Luxor Temple was also dedicated to the Theban Triad of the cult of the Royal Ka - Amun, Mut, and Khonsu and was built during the New Kingdom. The focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple, along the Avenue of the Sphinxes, to stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility.
By the time we arrived at Luxor, night was falling which allowed for us to see this temple all lit up. Quite beautiful.
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| Luxor Temple |
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| Luxor Temple |
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| Luxor Temple - the Avenue of the Sphinxes |
This would be our final day on the Nile Adventurer and we were treated to a lavish dinner prepared by the staff. Our four days on this boat were exceptional and it is definitely the way to see the incredible ancient wonders of Egypt.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
This morning we, including our Salt lake City friends and our guide, Mohamed, are up early in order to catch our flight from Luxor to Cairo that departs at 7:30 AM. When we arrive, we all load up into our passenger van and drive south and west through Cairo and Giza and, ultimately, end up at the royal necropolis of Dahshur. Dahshur is an ancient cemetery with two large pyramids known as the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. Dahsher is located in the desert on the west side of the Nile and is 25 miles south of Cairo. This place actually gives you the sense that you are in the middle of nowhere.
The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600 BC). A unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt, this was the second pyramid built by Sneferu. The Bent Pyramid rises from the desert at a 54-degree inclination, but the top section (above 47 meters) is built at the shallower angle of 43 degrees, lending the pyramid its very obvious 'bent' appearance.
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| The Bent Pyramid |
It has been suggested that due to the steepness of the original angle of inclination, the structure may have begun to show signs of instability during construction, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle to avert the structure's collapse. It is also unique amongst the approximately ninety pyramids to be found in Egypt, in that its original polished limestone outer casing remains largely intact.
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| Our guide, Mohamed, pointing out the smooth surface on the Bent Pyramid - Merilee, Liz, Ken, Kathleen & Marv |
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| The smooth sides easily visible on the Bent Pyramid |
The Red Pyramid, also built by Sneferu, is the larger (344 ft high) of the two major pyramids located at Dahshur. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its red limestone stones, it is the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. It is also believed to be Egypt's first successful attempt at constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid.
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| The Red Pyramid |
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| The Red Pyramid |
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| The Red Pyramid |
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| The Red Pyramid |
Both of these pyramids are extraordinary and well worth visiting.
That night we stayed at Heliopolis Towers Hotel, not far from the airport. This will be our last night in Egypt as tomorrow our tour heads to Jordan. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with our fellow travelers at our hotel. In Jordan, Liz and I will be on our own private tour. Our new friends from Salt Lake will also head to Jordan, but their tour is slightly different. Fortunately, we have arranged to meet them for dinner – once in Amman and again in Petra. So, while we are saying goodbye tonight, we look forward to seeing them again quite soon which is great as they have become very good friends.
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| Our final dinner together in Egypt: (l to r) Ken, Merilee, Malcolm, Liz, Kathleen and Marv |
The only negative we encountered were the markets and the “no hassle” sales clerks who spent their entire time in your face, hassling you. Every venue we visited had a market and, in each case – just like the duty-free shopping area at the airport – you must pass through the market as you exit the venue. There simply was no way around this. And it felt like running the gauntlet from one booth to the next, from one overly zealous salesperson to the next. Eventually, you get used to it, about the time that you are due to leave the country.
But I repeat, Egypt is a must see.
Musings…
Malcolm shares a lot, huh?! I always proof and edit the blog before I write my musings and was a bit surprised to find our personal emails included. But he’s a “sharer” so you gotta love that - probably why we made it through the trip with minimal disagreements. Love him:)
Like a lot of you, I have dreamed of seeing the pyramids since I learned about them in grade school. They don’t disappoint. What was disappointing, however, was two of the biggest ones and the sphinx are smack in the middle of Cairo. Which, as Malcolm shared, has over 20 million people living there - crowded is putting it mildly. People, horses, camels, locals, tourists…you name it and they’re there in Giza checking out the pyramids. Cairo, as expected, is a third world city. I’ve been to several third world countries in Asia and Latin America so I knew what to expect. That said, the amount of people in Cairo puts it right up there with Mumbai. And the drivers are literally insane! As our guide said “running across the freeway is sort of a national sport”….need I say more? The trash (everywhere you look) was the most unsettling. Definitely worth seeing, however.
Cairo was just the beginning - there are so many impressive sites throughout the country. Absolutely amazing. To see these structures still standing is incredible. All the names you’re familiar with and you’re actually allowed to walk into their tombs. My favorite, and not even sure exactly why, was the Colossi of Memnon. Two enormous statues in the middle of a smaller town, on the side of the road. But so powerful and looming. Followed by the Karnak and Luxor temples - such feats of architectural design and craftsmanship. Loved seeing all of it - hard to really describe just how amazing these sites are and what they have withstood for thousands of years. Everyone should go once.
And we loved meeting our new friends from Salt Lake! Made the cruising even more entertaining;). Catch you in Jordan on the next post...
