Mt. Sinai Sunrise

Look! It's the crack of dawn! There is something exciting about sunrise that speaks for itself...









For some reason, the mountain everyone calls Mt. Sinai isn't actually the tallest mountain on the Sinai Peninsula. So, either God was thoughtful and let Moses climb the slightly more accessible mountain, or we have the wrong mountain. Either way, the taller mountain, called Gebel Katarina, is seen here behind us.



Now that Jessica can wield the power of the sun in her hands, we believe we can finally end the world's dependence on fossil fuels.

Dahab and the Sinai Peninsula

From Luxor we took the short 17 hour bus ride to Dahab, located on the southeast side of the Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai Peninsula is bordered by the Red Sea, a world renowned snorkeling and diving site. Seas are made of water, while cameras use electricity, so you'll have to take our word that there is lots of amazing coral and fish life.



Dahab is a popular backpackers destination, offering affordable accommodations and a laid back atmosphere. While it is starting to show some signs of growth toward more upscale tourists, you can still find a good meal and enjoy the view without denting your wallet.



There are also plenty of beach front restaurants, all of which offer the exact same things. But, if you're just looking for a sea of pillows to relax in (or need to work on your scholarship essay), the wait staff generally isn't too pushy. Granted, if you do decide you want to order something, you might need to give the waiter a little shove to wake him up.



One destination that you can visit while staying on the Sinai Peninsula is Mt. Sinai. Tours take groups by the busload to hike up the mountain where Moses received the 10 Commandments. In order to see sunrise, you have to leave early enough to reach the top before 5:30am. With about a 4 hour hike (including breaks) and a 2 hour drive, we left our hotel at 11pm. Here we are at the start. If you look close, you'll notice Jessica is still smiling.



This is inside a little resthouse about 2/3 the way up. You'll notice you can no longer see Jessica's smile. In fact, you can barely see Jessica at all, she is so bundled up trying to stay warm.

Question: Under all that clothing do you think Jessica is:

A) Smiling

B) Filled with butterflies and rainbows

C) Planning to push the smiling man off the next ledge

If you answered C, you might have been correct, except the smiling man then purchased her a warm glass of hot chocolate, which seems to have bought him a few more days.



"Where is the sun? Do do do do. Where is the sun? And I say, "HURRY UP!"



No folks, that's not Moses. It's Justin, and those aren't the 10 Commandments, they're two pieces of broken tile. But hey, sometimes it's fun to play pretend!

TO BE CONTINUED...SOON!

The West Bank...Valley of the Kings

So, after the pharaohs realized that building the Great Pyramids were like an giant neon sign to grave robbers, they decided to implement a new strategy. Hence the Valley of the Kings, which has 63 (and counting) royal tombs spanning hundreds of years. Some have been opened since antiquity, evidenced by the Greek graffiti ("Hector was here!") we saw on the walls, whereas others are just now being excavated. The valley, while a stunning scene in itself, has no external evidence of ruins, but sometimes beauty lies just below the surface...or a bunch of dead guys and their stuff.



Here is Jessica. Here is the Valley of the Kings. Jessica is standing over the Valley of the Kings. Does that make Jessica ruler of the kings?



Here, a slightly less impressive, but equally interesting anthropological study, is the Valley of the Tourists. They walk upright, take shuttle rides everywhere, and are often forced to hand over their cameras to the authorities because of their inability to follow rules. No video cameras are allowed in the Valley, and no photos can be taken inside the tombs. We saw one Egyptian guard, with a concerned tourist hovering overhead, watching home video on a camcorder that was presumably brought into the site. Since Justin left his pen camera in the hotel, we have no photos of the tombs ourselves.



There were several children who where disappointed to discover that this was the line for the tomb of Ramses IV, not for Space Mountain. In an attempt to limit damage to the tombs, tourists are only allowed entry into 3 tombs per visit, and the 10 tombs that are open to visitors at any given time also changes.



In addition to the tomb of Ramses IV, we also visited the tomb of Tawosret and Sethnakht, which was unique in that it was the only tomb in the Valley of the Kings that had two burial chambers. It also contained beautifully intact paintings of the gods on the chamber walls. The last tomb we visited was Tuthmosis III, which was hidden in the hills between cliffs. To reach it, we had to first climb a steep staircase that then plunged down again into the entrance of the tomb. Tuthmosis III was one of the first pharaohs to build his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and since secrecy was his utmost concern, his tomb was built in the most inaccessible spot and contains a series of winding passages and fake doors. After entering the tomb, we went down another several sets of steep staircases and through other rooms to finally reach the burial chamber. Nothing remained in any of the tombs we saw other than the paintings on the walls and, in some tombs, an empty sarcophogus. Most of the mummies found in the Valley of the Kings are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.



After wandering the valley, we headed up the mountain. We hiked up a trail and found our way along the cliff edge pictured above. We were warned by a Polish couple who had made the hike the day before that they had some trouble with the heat. We told them we were from Texas and that the heat was not an issue. Then Justin informed him that the only Polish word he knew was "psiakrew," a swear word he learned from his grandmother.



As you can see, we made it. If your wondering why Justin is wearing dress pants and a collar shirt, it was laundry day. Also, we might have run into a potential employer, and in the current economy it's always good to be prepared.



This is the Temple of Hatshepsut, placed in the most stunning of settings against these jagged limestone cliffs. The picture of the two of us was taken on the cliffs directly above the temple before we hiked around and down the side to reach the bottom.



Looking out from our vantage point, you could see right where the desert ended and the irrigation began. Pretty amazing to see how the Nile River allows Egyptians to turn desert into something so green. Usually the change in terrain is gradual, like forest - marshes - plains - tundra - desert. Here, it goes green - desert. Teeming with life - Rod Blagojevich's upcoming birthday party.



Also while hiking, we came across this scene. We believe it might be the site where they staged the Mars Rover landing.



On our way out we met the greeters of the West Bank, the Colossi of Memnon. They were originally made of single pieces of stone which each weighed over 1000 tons. You will notice they are called the Colossi because there are two, yet only one is pictured. The other was covered in scaffolding, and this blog is currently boycotting all monuments with scaffolding. Enough is enough, and we're putting our foot down!

Next stop, the Red Sea!

The East Bank...of Luxor

After spending a few days in Cairo, we headed south to Upper Egypt. And no, that's not a typo. The Nile River flows north, and for it to do that, southern Egypt has to be at a higher altitude than northern Egypt. We made the nine hour journey to Luxor by overnight train, arriving at 5 in the morning.



Nope, this is not that same morning. This is a few mornings later when we made the 4 km jaunt to Karnak Temple at sunrise in an attempt to miss the crowds.



The temples of Karnak include an incredible configuration of sanctuaries, temples, obelisks, and massive monuments dedicated to the Theban gods and, of course, to the glory of the pharaohs. The massive figures above mark the entrance to the Temple of Ramses III.



The site includes over 2 square km of monuments and temples, and the Temple of Amun, the complex's main structure, is the largest religious building ever built. The massive columns of the Temple of Amun were where the god Amun lived on earth. Not that we met him personally -- we heard he was visiting his winter home in southern Florida.



The site was built, added to, restored, dismantled, and enlarged for over nearly 1500 years by ancient Egyptians, the Ptolemies, and the early Christians. There were many incredible carvings in the walls, many of which still contained remnants of the paint that would have covered the entire temple when it was in use. Some of the carvings, however, seem to have been altered/censored. Looks like a messy divorce if we ever saw one!



We were struck by the mood captured by this photo -- it seemed to embody the kind of reflection and solemnity felt in such a magnificent place. It's incredible to think that in actuality, this caretaker had just finished spitting when this was taken.



Anyone up for an ancient jigsaw puzzle? Oh wait -- did we mention that some pieces are missing? And you're not really sure what you're trying to build?



For those of you who are not fluent in hieroglyphics, let us provide a brief translation:

Bird, bird, squiggly line, eye, squiggly line, bird.

Our guidebook claims this is from a religious text, but we like to think that it's some juicy gossip about Ramses II.



Contrary to popular belief, Egyptians seem to walk left foot in front of right foot, hands at their sides. Take that, Steve Martin!



The road leading to the Temples of Karnak used to be lined by sphinxes, some of which are still standing.



Nearly 3 km of sphinxes lined the road from Karnak to Luxor Temple, which was built in most part by the pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Here it is beautifully illuminated at night, located just a few hundred meters from the banks of the Nile.



Pigeon is a delicacy in Egypt. Here, Justin handles this delicacy before eating it. Jessica did not handle his eating of the pigeon quite as well, quickly losing her appetite. Looks like someone is going to be returning to her vegetarian ways...

The India Question...

While we have left India, we still have one last question:



A special shout-out to our readers who lived through the 60's... or studied them.

Sand in Our Shoes, Baksheesh in Our Pockets

Wandering Egypt, it seems there are two things you cannot escape: the sand and the baksheesh. The first is self-explanatory (Egypt is a desert) but the second part is a tradition of supplementing people’s income. In the United States they call baksheesh "tipping," but here it is a whole other ballgame. Someone might insist on carrying your bags to your room, and then expect baksheesh. Someone might point out that standing in front of a monument is a good place to take a picture, and then expect baksheesh. Someone might give you a small trinket, insisting, “free, free”, and then get upset when they do not get baksheesh. You have to learn to say “no thanks” to people who seem to be selflessly offering their assistance, rather forcefully insisting you carry your own bags, or refusing to dry your hands with the toilet paper being waved in your face, or otherwise be prepared to follow it up with a hand out.

Granted, not all who help are selfish. Several times we have had random people assist in translating our destination to a cab driver, or point us in the direction of our destination without seeking compensation. So, one learns to read people and their motivations, hoping for the best and having small change at the ready.



In an attempt to be un-touristy, we found this minaret. We figured since the old people have a photo of it framed somewhere, that would be okay.



Mosques are almost as common as churches in the United States, and far more noticeable because 5 times a day they remind Muslims that it is time to pray with a call to prayer.



Before prayer, Muslims must wash their bodies, particularly their hands and face. When they pray, they are always on a carpet or mat of some sort. Here you can see a man laying out the mats in anticipation of the evening prayer. But this is not only restricted to mosques, as people will stop and pray wherever they are. We've seen large groups of men praying at the train station in the evening on mats provided by the attendants there (men and women pray separately).



Sometimes called the "City of a Thousand Minarets," we'd like to propose an alternate name for Cairo: "City of a Million Satellite Dishes."



Sand dunes, they’re everywhere. Like this one…isn’t it cute?



But wait! Why are there stairs leading down under this sand dune? That’s not a sand dune. That’s a pyramid! Not exactly the most amazing structure, but down inside there is a sarcophagus, and all over the walls we saw hieroglyphics. This is probably what drives some archeologists insane, knowing that any sand dune might actually be a sand-covered pyramid. Granted, if you start looking too hard, everything starts to look like a pyramid. But nonetheless, we’re pretty sure there is a tiger somewhere in this photo.



There are also some more obvious pyramids, like this one at Abu Sir. Someone forgot to tell the architect these buildings are expected to hold up for 3000 years…



Further south of Cairo you find the oldest stone monument in the world, the Step Pyramid. While not considered the first pyramid because pyramids don’t have notches in the side, the Step Pyramid was the first structure that was created above the ground to hold a Pharaoh’s tomb, and was also the inspiration for the pyramids.



While people are no longer allowed to climb to the top of the pyramid, that didn’t stop Justin. Granted, when he uses his ray gun to make himself super big there’s not much anyone can do to stop him.



Tourist Lady: “Wow, this is just so amazing, there is just so much history here.”
Guide: “Yes, yes there is.”
Tourist Lady: “John, I just didn’t think pyramids looked like that, did you think they looked like that?”
John: “No, I –"
Tourist Lady: “Because that didn’t look like what I thought a pyramid looked like. It looked like a pile of rocks and sand. How do people find even them?”
Guide: “Pyramids are usually in groups, so they –“
Tourist Lady: "Really? I had no idea. There are so many things you just always have to look out for. Oh my goodness! What are those things over there? With the circles made of stone. Is that some kind of sacrificing table?”
Guide: “No, those are benches.”
Tourist Lady: “Really? Like where the Pharaoh sat to admire their pyramid?”
Guide: “No, like where tourists sit to catch their breath because they talk too much.”

(While some of this conversation was fictionalized for dramatic effect, some of the questions were not.)



This is the Bent Pyramid. Called that for obvious reasons, they apparently built it about half way up before it started to collapse in on itself, so the builders decided to decrease the angle of the slope from 51º to 43º, thus keeping it from completely collapsing.



Finally, the oldest true smooth-sided pyramid, the Red Pyramid. You can actually hike down into this pyramid, although if you like open spaces and the smell of fresh air, this hike may not be for you. It is also the third largest pyramid in Egypt. Now if Justin could just learn to smile on command, or if his beard would just cover up his mouth altogether, we’d be in business.

Next, Luxor, site of the infamous Valley of the Kings!

Welcome to Egypt!

Welcome to Egypt! After 14 hours of travel, here is your greeting party:



We know you've been wondering what type of food they have in Egypt (and by you, we mean Merry). Well, they have lots of Mediterranean food, but what they are known for is their desserts. There is a famous bakery around the corner from our hotel where you can get a box of treats for under $4.



Our first stop (after the bakery) was the Egyptian Museum. This building houses some of the most amazing Egyptian artifacts in the world. You should have seen it. Unfortunately, they don't allow cameras, so start looking into airfare to Cairo. Highlights include the contents of King Tut's tomb, such as his iconic burial mask, animal mummies (including cats, dogs, baboons, cows, and even crocodiles!), and royal mummies. You should be glad we don't have any photos of them.



Granted, the real reason people go to Egypt is to see the last ancient wonder of the world that is still standing - the Giza Pyramids. Luckily, they're right down the road from downtown Cairo. If you're worried about them being eaten away by pollution (and there is a lot of it), then you might say their location is rather unlucky.



While this may come as a shock to some, the Sphinx isn't that big. At least not as big as you might imagine. Many years of low angle shots framed by the pyramids have made this monument larger then life. Kind of like meeting Tom Cruise in person.



Granted, a celebrity is a celebrity, and even if they aren't as big as you had imagined, you still can't resist getting your picture taken with them.



Then we had to go traipsing through the sand, walking from one pyramid to the next and... wait a second, why does that shadow have three heads?



So maybe we decided to take the easy route, catching a ride on Charlie Brown. Well, at least that's what the camel guide claimed. Granted, this is the same guy who claimed that there was a perfume and papyrus museum included with our ticket to the pyramids. We've never been to a museum where they tried to sell you their merchandise...er... display items.



Did we mention we saw the pyramids?



Sunset again offered some amazing views. The clouds seemed to dance across the sky.



Incredible to think these structures are thousands of years old. They just don't build them like they used to...