The first Egyptian Charlene and I met was pleasant Misu who picked us up from the airport and got us to our hotel. The second Egyptian was our guide, the unforgettable "Bishroy". On our way to the museum he was very specific about the low pay he received for this job; that he saw little of the money we had already paid. He would like to know how much we appreciated his knowledge at the end of our time together; What value would we give his helpfulness?
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Charlene and I in front of the Egyptian Museum
Our cute guide Bishroy, "Got it?" |
First stop was the Egyptian Museum where we marveled over the exhibit of KingTutankhamen which filled the second story of the museum: chariots, beds, jewelry, storage containers, and figurines by the hundreds. So why was a pharaoh who lived only to age 19 so famous? Simply because his tomb was the only one to be found intact, untouched by grave robbers. If this much stuff was collected for a 19 year old, how much more would have been collected for Ramses II who ruled Egypt for 60+ years and lived to age 95+? It boggles the mind.
Bishroy, our 31 year old guide, was a cutie with boundless enthusiasm. He got us through the museum in 2 hours. To each piece of information he added, "Got it?" He really knew his stuff. Trained as an Egyptologist, Bishroy was also a born salesman. When it was time to shop, Bishroy had the course mapped out. First was the "fine Egyptian jewelry". It became clear, with Bishroy's exuberance on the calculator, that our purchases were of more than a passing interest... Cartouche pendants were ordered. Next? the Egyptian Cotton store. Before we arrived Bishroy was raving about Egyptian cotton sheets; "1000 thread count! Not sold like this anywhere else! and only $240 for a set!" It took awhile for him to understand that neither of us wanted the cotton sheets, "soft and cheap" as they might be... At the Essences of Egypt shop, we were introduced to perfumes and given "free" drinks. Charlene bought eucalyptus oil, and I walked out with a Thank you very much. At this point I was a bit annoyed with Bishroy and his M.O. Thus ended Cairo, day one.
Day two was Giza and the pyramids. You see the tops of the pyramids as you get close; between the buildings. When you leave your car you are looking up in amazement, but suddenly your attention is diverted as you notice the swarm of Egyptian vendors HEADING STRAIGHT FOR YOU! This swarming became routine on our trip, and I learned that the only way to escape was NOT TO LOOK either at the vendor or at the item being held up to my face. Keep Walking, determinedly, eyes averted, straight ahead. If that wasn't enough, "La Shokran!" (No Thank You) in Arabic, came in handy. For the first days I just watched and learned. Later in the trip I actually did haggle for some scarves; very satisfying!
The pyramids were astounding. I couldn't believe I was standing at their feet! The mystery is How did they do it? And the answer? No one really knows. There are many theories. The rocks themselves were quarried upstream on the Nile and carried downstream by boat. Since there is no mortar, rocks had to be cut to fit tightly together. These ARE works of wonder.
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| Bishroy, Charlene, Camel Man, me, and 007 |
Next was the camel ride, Bishroy so encouraging: "You don't have to pay unless you like it; you set the price!" By then I was already petting 007 on the forehead, which he distinctly enjoyed. I'd found my match! Getting on was easy but getting up was unexpected. Camels get up back end first. There is a moment of suspense in which you wonder how long you can hang from a saddle horn, but just when you begin to doubt, up goes the front end. And you're off! Young camel boys led each of us; Me on 007, Charlene on Charlie Brown. We tried to relax to the side to side movement. After sitting on the "saddle", a wooden platform covered in blankets, I was happy to dismount 20 minutes later. This time in reverse: front end down, dangling legs, then back end down, whew! Now it was time to evaluate the fun. "Remember, you pay only what you think is fair," repeated Bishroy. Charlene made the mistake of asking what was fair... "Oh, average is 250 to 300 ($40-50) per ride" said the camel man. I looked at Charlene and my eyebrow indicated No Way! We each offered him 100 Egyptian pounds. The pained look on his face indicated that this was simply unacceptable. We each handed him 50 more ($24 each) and suddenly the sunshine turned on. "Take photo!" he smiled. And here we are below. Yes, the camel driver was another friend of Bishroy's.... On our way to the car Bishroy asked me, "Did you enjoy the ride? Was it worth the value?" I admitted, Yes I did, I loved it!
From Cairo we flew to Luxor and boarded the Royal Lily; sweetheart of the Nile. Right away I knew we'd picked the right boat; paid extra for the comfort of good food and a roomy cabin. Our guide for the temple and tomb tours was Amr, a pleasant and knowledgeable young man who proved to be a pleasing contrast to Bishroy.
New Year's Day we visited both the Valley of the Queens (final resting place of.. you got it... the queens, princes, and princesses) and Valley of the Kings. They found a new way to deter grave robbers, by secretly digging tombs into the rocky hills behind Luxor, and not just a single room. These tombs consisted of long tunnels cut deep into the mountain rock, with storage rooms cut out along the way. The grandest room was designed to hold the pharoah's mummy in its fabulous sarcophagus. The walls of these tunnels were completely covered in pictographs, carved and painted into the sandstone. Even today the colors are still brilliant in places, amazing in their detail. There are 60 tombs in the Valley of the Kings. King Tut's (pronounced "TOOT") is one of them, and his tomb including mummy is there to see for an extra charge. Walking into these shafts with intricate carvings of gods and goddesses, plus the king himself, on walls and ceilings was breathtaking. Talking to myself again: "Oh My God! oh my god!..."
And the temples? Karnac, Luxor, Queen Hatsheput's Temple, Temple of Horus, Edfu, Kom Ombo to name a few... all remarkable in construction and artwork. All used as places of worship to the many gods and goddesses who adorned the walls. These temples were covered in hieroglyphics, carved and painted. Each one was unique, and each one had surprises that made it stand alone. KomOmbo was erected in honor of the Crocodile God, with a roomful of mummified crocodiles to prove it!
These temples had been neglected for thousands of years. Many had been lived in by people needing shelter, the art work burned black from cooking smoke. Others had been defaced more recently (900 years ago!) by Christians who carved their symbols into the walls and even worse, meticulously chiseled away the carvings of the gods and goddesses who were no longer being worshiped.
Over thousands of years of time, 5-6000, the sand and mud from the Nile covered these structures. It wasn't until the French came along and rekindled interest, that anyone gave them much notice. So the French began restoration in the late 1800s; moving the sand away to see what was underneath. And what amazing things they found! Columns and obelisks of granite that were erected and decorated. Grand temples covered in intricate carvings and paintings, still with colors visible.
Along with my amazement of all things Egyptian, I brought an Egyptian microbe home. I was planning to take the armed convoy to Egypt's Temple of temples: Abu Simbel, yesterday morning. Had gotten up at 3 am and joined the convoy at 4 am to head south from Aswan and into the desert, when I realized I wasn't going to make it. I was dropped off when Ahmed, the kind fellow from the travel agency, arrived to drive me back to the boat. BUMMER! I felt lousy all day, anxious about the trip home last night. Dear Ahmed brought me some medication to kill the nasty bugs, which led to relief in the lower intestine. All I can say is it was a long trip home. I was SO glad to get back to my little apt., queezy, but safe and sleepy, 2 am this morning.
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