Walking in the Valley of the Kings

Since our trip over the Christmas break to India, we have mainly been traveling to places within Egypt. We are trying to visit all the places on our "wish list" before our departure at the end of June. Most recently, we flew to Luxor in southern Egypt along the Nile. Luxor is famous for its historic ruins, tombs and temples of ancient Egypt. Many, many tourists visit Luxor and it was quite evident when we were there. Tour busses, and Nile cruise ships were everywhere. Probably the most famous site there is the Valley of the Kings and of course the tomb of Tutankamon.

We stayed at a small hotel that looked out to the Nile and the main part of Luxor. The open air roof top restaurant gave a great view of both. While there, we hired a driver to take us to many of the sites. Valley of the kings is set in a canyon outside of the Nile valley. It was supposed to be a place to hide the bodies of Pharoahs along with many of their belongings. All the tombs were found and looted except for Tutankamon. The tombs were dug into the mountain, many of them with several chambers. After thousands of years, the paint showing everyday life as well as their spiritual beliefs still remains on the walls and ceilings. Cindy, Creede and Asa paid extra to go into the tomb of Tutankamon where they were able to see his mummified remains. He was very young when he died, but the amount of possessions found inside his tomb was staggering. We have been to the national museum in Cairo where many of these possessions are now. It takes at least an hour just to see all of them. I can only imagine what would have been found in the tombs of rulers who lived much longer lives. After visiting more ruins, the impression that I was left with was that the level of sophistication of a civilization so old and one that lasted so long makes me think that our "modern" world is just a brief moment in time in comparison.

Next, we are off to the Red Sea. Our time here in Egypt is almost over.

Kerala, India

We just returned to Cairo after traveling for almost three weeks in the southern state of Kerala, India. We chose a tropical place to spend our Christmas break to get away from the cooler weather of Cairo in winter. Also we chose India for the unique cultural opportunity as well as a cheaper place to travel. Upon exiting the airport in Cochin, we were hit with hot, humid air at 3 in the morning. As we looked for the driver who was supposed to meet us, we could not help but notice how busy the place was. There were people everywhere, including small children. I expected the airport to be empty at that hour. When we finally located our driver, we drove an hour north to a beach along the Arabian Sea. We spent our first six days there, exploring, swimming, and traveling locally through the area. Kerala, as we learned, is a much different state than the rest of India. Unlike the Aryan roots of the north, the people of the south are of Dravidian descent. It is a much more laid back place and as we also learned has the world's only democratically elected communist government. It has the highest literacy rate of the whole country.

The food was incredible. We chose mostly a vegetarian diet while we traveled mainly because of the huge variety of choices on the menus. Even Creede and Asa were ordering Indian dishes throughout our stay. The curries and masalas (mixed spices) were great.

From Cochin, we traveled east three hours into the mountains. The driving is even crazier than Cairo! Picture the width of Lake Road in Milton.........now put stores and homes right up to the edge of the road, busses the width of one lane blaring their horns and driving way too fast, pedestrians, cows, trucks, people on bicycles, motorcycles, and many cars all try to be first in line. Passing, driving in the other lane, lots of braking and horns........craziness. We were worn out and stressed out by the time we reached Munnar. We stayed two nights on a 240 acre plantation that grew cardammon, coffee, bananas, pepper and many other tropical plants. It was a beautiful setting. We hiked a couple of times exploring the vegetation and a nearby community. Some people were very excited to see strange faces walking by their homes.........many kids running near us trying to use their English (mostly "hello, hello, hello"). Some asked to take our pictures. We traveled from Munnar for another three hours south to Kumily. The road twisted and turned the entire time through the mountains. We stopped at one point on top of a mountain to visit a Hindu temple. We were the only ones there and the priest or Pujari lit oil lamps for us at each of the shrines and stone deities. It was very peaceful.

Kumily is located at the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. We stayed three nights and yes, we hoped to see an elusive tiger. One of the days, we hiked into the reserve. We saw lots of monkeys, wild boars, and we saw a type of deer which is larger than an elk. No tigers. Probably the most spectacular cultural thing that we saw happened while we were in Kumily and when we were leaving. Our last day in the town, many men started arriving. They were mostly shirtless, shoeless, bundles tied to the top of their heads, and dhotis (fabric) wrapped around their waists. We found out that this is the time of year for a pilgimage to a temple deep in the forest near the tiger reserve. Apparently there is much preparation involved including a strict vegetarian diet and abstenance for a certain period of time. As we left Kumily for our final destination, Varkala - a beach town about six hours to the southeast, we saw many pilgrims walking along the road. Our driver told us that people from all over India make this pilgrimage, many walking hundreds of kilometers. The number of pilgrims increased as we entered a town about two hours into the trip. Apparently, hundreds of years ago, Muslims and Hindus had formed a special friendship whereby during the Hindu pilgrimage, Hindus can enter the mosque in this particular town. Hundreds of Hindus filled the street as we passed through. Many were painted, many played drums, and hundreds formed a fluid motion circling the mosque. They walked up the stairs of the mosque and exited backwards down the stairs. It was an amazing site. The devotion was moving and unlike anything I have ever seen.

We arrived in Varkala late in the day. Again the six hour drive was a bit crazy but this time we paid a little extra for a bigger vehicle with more room to stretch out. Varkala, along the beach, is filled with foreigners (mostly European). The town which is away from the beach is a very spiritual place. We visited a Hindu temple which is over 5,000 years old.......continuously used for worship! The beach time was great, big waves, again good food, and a nice finish to our trip.

After visiting India, I now want to reflect upon our travels to religious places. My family and I have visited a Hindu culture, a Buddhist nation, the center of Judaism and Christianity, and different Muslim cultures. Devotion, beauty, culture, peace, and some practices strange to our upbringing all fill my thoughts. More for the next enty......

Eid al-Adha....our trip to Siwa oasis

We try to take advantage of any holiday we have here in Egypt to travel. During the Eid al-Adha, we decided to travel to Siwa which is an oasis about a three hour drive south into the desert from the Mediterranean coast. This holiday is when Muslims worldwide commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismail. Today, Muslims sacrifice animals, mainly sheep here in Egypt. One third of the animal is given to the poor, one third is given to relatives, and one third is eaten by the family. As we traveled north to the coast and then west to the coastal city of Marsa Matrouh, we saw many people getting ready for the feast. There were families packed into the back of pickup trucks along with sheep. We also noticed the cultural differences as well compared to Cairo. Most all the men we saw were wearing galibeas, long robes with long sleaves. Most of the women we saw were completely covered, including the eyes. We stopped for one night in Marsa Matrouh which took around eight hours to get to........a little longer than it should take because we visited the World War II battle site of El Alamein along the way. We arrived on our American Thanksgiving day and swam in the Mediterranean, a little cool but very clear and blue.

The next day we filled our gas tanks and drove to Siwa. It is complete desert along the way with not one gas station. Closer to the coast there are low, scrub type vegetation and occassionally we would see small groups of camels grazing. The further into the desert we drove, the less vegetation we saw until it became complete sand from horizon to horizon. Getting closer to Siwa, we began to descend in elevation. Siwa is an oasis which is a low spot in the desert. Apparently, the springs that surface contain water that comes as far away as equatorial Africa. Siwa was once an important stop on different caravan routes. The original fort, in ruins now, still exists and was open for us to explore. No outsiders were ever allowed inside of it when it was inhabited long ago. From atop the fort, we looked out over thousands and thousands of date palm trees which provide shade throughout the oasis. Below in town, there are many vendors who sell woven rugs, woven and stiched scarves, baskets, and beautiful jewelry. Men and kids are in the streets. The only women we saw were being carted around in the back of donkey carts or the back of pickup trucks. The women we saw were completely covered in a blue colored outfit.

The next day we set out in two 4 x 4s into the desert to explore and camp for the night. We were at the edge of the Great Sand Sea which has huge sand dunes for hundreds of miles. We stopped in one place and found sea shells everywhere.......a reminder of when the area was once part of a massive ocean. We continued on cruising over dunes. Some of the descents felt like we would flip end over end, but the tires actually dig in as we gear down the dunes. The wind has created perfect edges along the ridges of the dunes. The dunes are constantly changing with the wind over time. We arrived in the early evening to a camp where other travelers were staying as well. We were served a dinner in a bedouin tent sitting on rugs covering the sand. Later we were entertained by musicians from Siwa who played drums and wind intruments. We slept on rugs in another bedouin tent for the night.....sounds cool but very uncomfortable. In the morning we made our way back to Siwa and later began our trek back home to Cairo.

This trip definitely opened our eyes to a very different part of Egypt. In Siwa, it felt like the outside world has not yet completely changed a culture that has been around for many centuries.

One Day in Our Lives in Egypt

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day to day activities whether at home in Vermont or here in Cairo. We get used to the routine, the daily sights, the weather, etc. To a visitor though, this day to day routine at first glance might appear strange, definitely foreign, and maybe somewhat unnerving. I thought I would try to portray a glimpse into a typical day here in Cairo........

Waking up at 5:50 am, normal getting ready for school things, sometimes stressing out on the kids to move faster, typical rush to get going. The temeratures have cooled somewhat, to the 70's at night, so we often sleep with the windows open. Wake up time can be earlier with windows open because we hear the call to prayer from the mosque around the corner. The Iman's voice is somewhat melodic and soothing, unlike many of the other mosques in the area. Morning call to prayer is based on the sunrise so we can't depend on it for a consistent wake up time. We are out the door at 7:00 to catch our bus to school. It is a two minute walk. As we walk, there is a lot of activity going on.............boabs (men who are like doormen for buildings - perform many different tasks for the residents) washing cars with rags and buckets of water. Dust quickly collects each day covering everything. While walking, we also need to watch our step because the cars, vans, and small busses move quickly. Pedestrians do not have the right away and it is common to get bumped by a vehicle. We also pass by several policemen and military men. Egypt has a HUGE police force and military. Maadi, the area of Cairo we live in, is heavily protected. Our street alone has military posted almost every thirty yards. Maadi has many people from foreign countries living here. Our street has international businesses on it as well as the Embassy of the Phillipines. The military and police at first gave a sense of security when we first moved here, but now after seeing the "lack" of action (as well as sleeping with rifles in their hands), I'm not so sure.

The bus ride to school, a small 20 seat Mercedes bus, takes around 40 minutes with traffic. We travel east of where we live into the desert. It is not so easy to recognize the area as desert though because there is so much construction. Many buildings along the way are half built. Labor is extremely cheap, and it is a common daily site to see pick up trucks loaded with men being shuttled to work sites. Our ride to school is quite the adventure. Lines on the highway (the infamous Ring Road) are just suggestions and blinkers are just novelties. Cars, busses of all sizes, way overloaded trucks, tractors or other heavy machinery, motorcycles (no helmets of course), and often donkeys pulling carts all weave their way along. Pedestrians are everywhere. You will see people running across the highway, sitting on the concrete dividers, and also in clusters waiting to get picked up - but in their clusters they sometimes are actually standing in a lane. Stopping in any lane is common as well. I have seen people stopped in the slow lane cleaning out their cars or even relieving themselves (men only of course). Changing tires is also very common. Sometimes instead of cones or warning triangles, people will put big rocks on the road while they change their tires. Egyptians are very helpful people. One time I saw a group of men who stopped to help another man change his tire by lifting up the back end of the car because he did not have a jack! Unfortunately, the downside to this daily "chaos" is that there are many accidents. We have witnessed some horrific crashes as well as pedestrians being hit. The attitude of "it is in God's hands" may contribute to what would appear to be recklessness in our western eyes.

Along the way, we also see much trash. Egypt does not have their "garbage" under contol. Trash is everywhere, whether it is dumped along the side of the road in piles, thrown out car windows, or just blowing in the wind. 365 "Green Up" days would only make a small dent in dealing with this issue.

At school, we have a beautiful campus. The playing field is very green (watered everyday), flowers and shrubs are groomed, the buildings are new and well maintained. Just like home, it is a very professional environment. Most all of the teachers and administrators are either from Canada or the United States. About 80% of the students are from very wealthy Egyptian families. English is the language at school, although Arabic is widely used by students outside of class.

The bus home leaves at 4:20 and for those that stay late, their is a 5:30 bus. The drive home is very similar to the drive to school although sometimes the traffic is heavier. When home, the kids are very active so we are usally back out the door with soccer practice or another activity. The difference from home though is we walk everywhere.

Inside our apartment, we have the habits that we bring from home. Outside, we witness a very different culture. Each day we see extreme poverty to extreme wealth. Their is beauty and there is the sadness whether in tragedy or in the struggles to survive.

Back to school at last!

It is hard to believe that the beginning of our school year has just begun! I think students and teachers alike are glad to be back. The Egyptian government is still very concerned about the H1N1 virus and it can be seen through some of the changes at our school. We now have a quarantine room set up for students who are show any flu symptoms. There is talk also about taking the temperature of all students and staff as they arrive to school each day. We are also not allowed to use air conditioning in the school which already has been difficult for many as our days are still in the 90's and high 80's. There is also a new policy for shutting down the school. If two students in different classes contract the virus (we are a K-12 school with about 1700 students) the school will be shut down for two weeks. Lastly, the school may be shut down between the Eid break in November (Muslim holiday) and our Christmas break to prevent all those who may be traveling (especially those taking the hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca) from bringing the virus into school. Hopefully we will be ready to provide "e-learning" for the students during these times so that no more school will be missed. Our school day and year is already longer now just to make up the time we have already missed.

Wow...........this probably sounds like strange policies to those living in developed countries. Even I have a hard time fully understanding this fear. I think the real concern in countries like Egypt, who have a large portion of the population living in poverty, is access to adequate health care. Many people do not have the money for the things we take for granted such as aspirin to help fight fever. In addition, those in poverty who may contract the virus may never even attempt to seek help knowing that it is beyond their means. There is also a shortage of doctors in Egypt, which in the case of a severe outbreak would put the country in a very unstable situation. With these things in mind, I can somewhat understand the need for these drastic, precautionary measures. This is yet another stark reminder of the differences between living in the United States and living in an underdeveloped country.

We are still trying to make the most of our time, even with the changes. We most recently visited Hurghada, a small city about a five hour drive south along the Red Sea. Creede, Asa, and I went scuba diving seeing some incredible life beneath the water. The clarity of the water is amazing as well as the brilliant colors of the fish and coral. It is hard to believe there are such contrasts in nature.......the vibrant colors in the sea and above water seeing the drab, desert landscape for hundreds of miles around.

Milos - Athens - back to Cairo

Back to Cairo! Again, another surprise of "delayed opening". School will now begin, inshallah, October 3. But again, the fear of the spread of swine flu may continue the delay of the school year. Making the most of it though...........we finished our trip to Greece by staying at the island of Milos and then two nights in Athens. Milos, a volcanic island, had many beautiful colors streaming through the cliffs, coastlines, and rocks. We had a private beach which we hiked to. Spent time with Creede and Asa digging through the brilliant colored, polished rocks on the beach. Athens was an adjustment back to urban environment. The archaelogical sites consumed most of our time. The structures, as what we thought of the pyramids in Egypt, just seem impossible for the time period. Huge columns, stone carvings depicting Gods and life, ampitheatres with spectacular views. Many Greek and Roman columns we have seen in Mosques in Egypt.....stolen or salvaged from earlier ruins.

Cairo.......our heads spinning with the change of languages and culture. Ramadan ends most likely this Sunday.....we will see as it will be announced from Saudi Arabia.

Trip to Greece....spur of the moment (9/1/09-9/15/09)

With our unfortunate setback of school not starting until the end of Ramadan, we booked a flight to Greece. We are spending two weeks touring the islands of Naxos, Sifnos and Milos in the Aegean Sea. The end of the trip will be spent in and around Athens exploring the many archaelogical sites.

After taking a highspeed ferry for 3 1/2 hours, we arrived in Naxos. One of our first sights we were greeted with as we entered the port was "Apollo's gate", a tall rock structure that was at one time the entrance to a temple honoring the god Apollo. There are many people who meet the ferries with signs advertising their hotels, pensions, guest houses, etc. We found someone who took us to his family's guest house and enjoying it so much we stayed four nights. The water is very clear for great depths. Snorkling was good, but more so for the clarity of the water. One of our days there, we hiked part of the tallest mountain in the Greek islands, Mt. Zeus. This is the location of Zeus' cave, the place in Greek mythology where it is believed Zeus was born. We took our flashlights in to explore and found a deep cavern. The open space made it so the light from our flashlights did not go very far. After this quick adventure, Cindy, Creede and a friend we were traveling with continued the hike up and over Mt. Zeus following a path to another trailhead. We met them there with our rented scooters to continue our tour of the island. It is amazing how rocky the islands are. Terraces can be seen all over the hillsides and it is easy to imagine how people have tried to make a similar living in this landscape for centuries. Goats, olive trees, and grapes are all very common here.

We are currently in Sifnos which took close to three hours to get here by ferry. We took a bus to the south side of the island and are staying at a beach in a sheltered cove. The towns here are beautiful with white houses built on the hillsides. The roads are very narrow and twist through the mountains. Again we are greeted with a very rocky landscape. We are also finding that each island has its own unique products. We have found cheese, wine, liquores, and some food dishes specific to each island. Greek orthodox churches are also a common sight on each island. Most that we have seen are rather small but very similar in design, white with a dome and the bigger churches with a colored dome.

We are off to the island of Milos in a few days.......