Ireland or Bust

I am getting really excited and unlike Egypt, I feel very little stress about this trip. I am not even really worried about delays or anything. I just want to get to Europe. Ideally, I hope that everything goes as planned but hey....this is an adventure. After checking the weather, it is claiming to be in the 40s and 50s while we are there. This means GREEN GREEN GREEN (and some rain rain rain). Glad I like rain. I had to pack everything into a carry on and weigh it. It currently weighs 24 pounds and COMBINED, cannot be any more than 26 pounds. I will be moving some items into Jeff's bag :) 

Tami to Ireland!

Now that I have been to Egypt and Greece, I have realized just how easy it is to travel outside of the U.S.A..  In about a week, we will venture to Dublin, Ireland....rent a car and travel around weather permitting (and it will permit).  I don't need any fancy accommodations as I am simply thrilled to be traveling with good friends that make for excellent company.  I have always wanted to see the world and I am so excited to be off on another adventure!  I will post pictures as I can. 

What I hope to accomplish in Ireland.........

• See castles
• Visit some of the oldest pubs in the world
• Hopefully see green, green, green and if there is snow, I will drink until I see green green green (just kidding....but that option was suggested.)
• Bring back a stereotypical shamrock for a friend.
• See sheep
• Visit the Guinness Factory
• Enjoy good company and laugh a lot.



 

Stories

So now that we are back and I have started to really think about the cool things that happened, I feel that I can better put into words these things.

After being in Egypt for 10 days we had not bought all of our souvenirs nor had Jeff had a chance to try Shisha. We decided to walk down the "boulevard" at our resort in Sharm El Sheikh and check out some of the little souvenir shops that lined the cobblestone pathway.  We walked into this one shop (because the guy working there was NOT standing outside hassling us to "come in" and "don't worry about money because looking is free").  This guy had the coolest little place. There were really neat, bright colored clothes draped across the ceiling and he had these stars (made from paper) hanging from the ceiling. There were little light bulbs in the stars that made the whole place glow.  He had the coolest stuff.  I wanted to buy it all. Instead, I picked up 4 of the stars and 2 photo albums for gifts. Jeff bought a cobra statue carved from wood. Then we mosied on and came across this one shop that had a whole bunch of glass pipes outside. We walked in and the young man (our age) inside was just as nice as could be (without pressuring us or being a salesman).  We ended up talking to him for a while and then he invited is to smoke shisha with him. (DISCLAIMER: Shisha is flavored Tobacco that is soaked in fruit to give it natural flavors.  It is smoked by MANY people in the middle east and if you smoke it with someone, it is a sign of friendship.  There is no buzz and no high from it. It is totally legal but is not proven to be healthy or safe.  It burns slow thus...it is smoked through a water pipe. The water "filters" the tobacco.) We said sure! So we sat there and talked to him for a while until we had to go get ready for our candle lit, beach dinner :)  Totally bummed that we had to leave our new friend Gorge, we told him that we would be back!

After eating so much that we couldn't even TOUCH our main course at dinner, we walked back to hang out with Gorge. We smoked Shisha again (well, Jeff and Gorge did) and we talked and talked. Gorge is Coptic Christian and we talked about the religion and customs.  He wrote our name on our arms in Arabic ( i had my middle name "Hope") and made us scarab beetle necklaces. When Jeff went through security at the airport the next day, the guys that watch you go through the metal detector would hold up Jeff's arm and say "JEFF."
It was pretty funny.

Gorge is 29 and works at this shop. His family lives in Luxor. 

This guy was really neat. :)  We exchanged information and we have even texted back and forth a bit.  We have a friend in Egypt :)

What We Learned in Egypt

So Jeff and I talked about what we learned while in Egypt. I decided to post these "learnings" to the blog.

• Cairo's day starts about 12pm and ends in the early morning hours. If your car breaks down at 11pm, you can take it to get fixed right then and there. 
• People tip (Baksheesh) for everything....directions, picture taking privileges, toilet paper, for the police to do their jobs, you name it.
• Ladies need to keep tissues in their purse. Not all places have toilet paper (or someone standing there to GIVE you tp for some Baksheesh).
• There is trash...everywhere.
• Zamalek is nice, cleaner, and different from most of Cairo that we saw.
• Bathroom doors open outwards...as they should. 
• W.C. is the "water closet" or more importantly...the potty.
• American's pay more.
• The museum is very different to say the least. Some items were identified by a torn out sheet of paper from a notebook with someone's handwriting saying what the object was. 
• Batteries (even double A's) cannot be carried on the plane.
• They have great cheese with all meals!
• Bottled water is cheap. When it is bought on the street from vendors, we paid 3LE a bottle..which is about $.60 for a liter.
• Halas means finished, In Shah Allah - God Willing, Shokran - Thank you, la Shokran - no thank you
• Most people in this developing nation speak fluent Arabic, pretty decent English and decent French.
• American's are naive.
• Welcome drinks are served when you arrive somewhere...popular drinks are Hibiscus tea and Egyptian Mint Tea
• They have "American Coffee," Nescafe, and Turkish Coffee. Every place we went to had normal coffee so if you've heard that you have to "filter the grounds through your teeth in Egypt" you heard wrong. If you specifically order Turkish coffee, then yes...that is true (Which we recommend trying).
• Koshary is AWESOME...especially from the restaurant Abu Terrak
• Cars do not stop for anything.......other cars, people, etc. Driving there was NUTS. I was holding on tight at first.
• Wearing flip flops is just fine. I ditched my shoes after an hour for my flops. So my feet got dirty...that's why God made water.  They were totally comfortable and just fine.
• Bring your own wash cloth if that is something you like to use in the shower (I do to wash my face).  I ended up using the corner of hand towels the entire trip.
• Driving age is 16, smoking is 18, and drinking is 21.......however, this really means nothing.
• Nobody ever said that only 2 people can fit on a motorcycle or scooter.
• 1875 watt blow dryer DOES NOT work in the outlet with converter (I saw black smoke and sparks).
• We agree that men trying to get you to buy their crap is the single most annoying thing and quite frankly, most annoying thing about Egypt. At every single place, we had to "run the gauntlet."  They don't let up, get in your face, and go straight for the woman.  No matter how many times I said NO THANK YOU (English or Arabic) they continued on.  Had they left us alone, we would have looked at their stuff.  It really ruined the magnificence of many of the places and bummed us out.  They were sneaky and tricky. They'd say "Just one pound" and then you would find out that they mean "100 pounds".  We understand that this is a developing country with many, many poor people. But when they are IN YOUR FACE (literally), it is a huge turn off to buy anything. We bought most of our goods from 2 people that did NOT pressure us. 
• Offer the people pressuring you Pesos, they will say okay  :)
• The Nile River Cruise was amazing. Just opening the sliding door (window), turning the couch and sitting their watching life pass by on the river was one of the highlights of our trip.  I would say we did that for hours.
• Jeff looks like Rambo.
• I was Shakira.
• 6 million camels was the best price offered for me....and a few chickens :)
• I would say that as long as the knees are covered in Cairo, wear what you want. We saw it all.
• Everyone "loves America and America movies."

In my own opinion (and maybe Jeff's too), the most important thing that I learned was just how spoiled and frankly, just how naive and just plain stupid we Americans are. We expect everything to be handed to us on a silver platter.  Most of us speak one language and we don't even speak it that well.  People out there are working hard for pennies and yet they are kind, open, and what I noticed was that many seemed very happy without having a lot of material possessions.  Religion is their life. Family and friends are second. We American's have a lot to learn from the world.

GrEeCe

Greece is awesome and we have been here a total of 2 hours. Very western compared to what we just came from! (I even think we can drink the water). We are back to having Internet full time in the room so I will get all pictures posted and blog a little more. Just wanted to let you know we made it here okay!

Last night to end our Egypt adventure, we had a candle lit dinner on the beach (Red Sea) and it was great. Flying out of Cairo this AM, we flew right over the pyramids. It was a great way to say goodbye to Egypt. :)

Sharm

Jeff has a headache so I have been out exploring the resort on my own. He has until 2pm to get over it because we are going out on a speedboat to this island to snorkel in a coral reef. This is the bluest water I have ever seen. And to be honest, I can see why the Israelites spent 40 years wondering around here :) 

So earlier I said that the Cairo Museum Mummy room was a story in itself. When we got to the museum, our guide was taking us to all of the major artifacts and was really going fast. Then he told us that there was only 15 minutes left to see the mummy room if I wanted to. I started crying. I did NOT want to only spend 40 minutes in that museum and was totally bummed. Our money is limited and we really couldnt afford to go back another day. So we sped through Tut's stuff (saw the mask and lots of his stuff) and then I paid the extra $25 to go into the first mummy room. I was emotionally spent and frustrated. When I stepped into that room with 15 pharaohs including Ramses the Great, his father Seti the 1st and who they believe to be Hatshepsut, I was an emotional wreck. I went in there alone. There are two mummy rooms and I went in the first and let Jeff go into the second. It was a dark room and each mummy is displayed lying down in a glass case. Only their head, arms and toes are exposed. Ramses the Great is thought to be the Pharaoh that is in the book of Exodus.  He ruled for over 60 years when the average Egyptian lived to be 32 years old. He was a warrior and built many things as did his father Seti. Anyways, you could see their hair, nails and even their eye lashes. For about 7 minutes, I was totally alone in this room with royalty. Me, and 15 kings that I have been reading about for 22 years. I bawled. Thank God I was alone........I sobbed in my shaw and was just over come with emotion.  I was upset my time was short but so overwhelmed at what I was seeing. I came out of that room looking like a hot mess. No camera are allowed in the museum or I would have snapped a few. It was worth every penny.

Now in Sharm

We made it down the Nile and are now in Sharm.  The Nile cruise was amazing. Jeff was sick with Tut Butt for one day of it. So we discovered that we can open the sliding glass door, turn the love seat, and sit and watch life on the Nile pass us by.  So we were still in the A/C and not in the 110+ degree heat. He was at least able to enjoy that :)   Now that we are back with Internet, I will post some more later. Its 1:30 am and I am pooped. 

This whole experience has me speechless. #1 - Americans are spoiled and have it made. #2 - The people always shoving their goods in your face and asking for baksheesh (tips) has become very trying on my nerves....but I understand it.

More later. Night!

Day 3

We slept a little later and Abdo picked us up. He ended up having to push his car about 5 Kilometers to a mechanic. His alternator had been shot. He didn't get home until very late and we were up and at it again.  He took us to the Citadel which I thought was very cool. It is a castle or strong hold that dates back centuries. In this castle is the mosque of Muhammad Ali. That is what the pictures are of. Muhammad Ali was very important to Muslims and his tomb is in the mosque as well. We went through the military museum and walked around the place. It was beautiful. Next, we got gas in the car which was an experience. They still pump gas FOR you here. Next, was Coptic Cairo....some of the older churches in the world. About 10% of Cairo is Coptic Christian. The oldest mosque in Africa is also in this section of town.  We went into a shop and found some cool stuff. That is where we bought our souvenirs for friends and family. We got quite a bit and had to barter. It was really a great time. There are pictures of Jeff signing his debit card slip in the shop :)  After was the museum and that was an experience that I would like to take time to really write about. I am really tired and we have a flight early in the AM. The next 4 days, we will be on a cruise boat on the Nile and may not have Internet. If you do not see / hear from us...its because we do not have Internet.  So hang in there with us :) We will be in Aswan floating up to Luxor. Until next time!....  In shah Allah!

Day 2

I barely slept because I knew what I would be seeing the next day. At 8:30, we met Abdo and started our sight seeing. First he took us over a bridge with a great view of the Nile.  And he took our picture.  He then took us to the Step pyramid of Djoser and then Memphis and Saqqara. We actually climbed and went into the Red Pyramid of Snefru and King Titi's pyramid at Djoser. It is illegal to take pictures inside the pyramids but if you tip the guy in there the right amount, he will take your picture for you :)  Then we went to a papyrus store where were saw how it was made and we were pressured to buy something. It was all very neat but very expensive for us.  Then, they Great pyramids of Giza.  Walking down and into the Red pyramid was amazing but very difficult and it was so hot and there were a lot of people at Giza. So I passed. There were other things that I wanted to do in Cairo (like the mummy room at the museum) and so I opted not to pay extra go in.  Just standing there and climbing on it was enough for me. The Sphinx is breathtaking. The detail is amazing and we cannot fathom or figure out how such perfect detail was put into their stone work.  It is perfect. I also realized that the Sphinx has a tail!  We ate at a restaurant that was pretty good, called "The Sphinx" and Jeff bought a Sphinx at the Sphinx.  A little boy hustling goods told me I look Egyptian and then continued to call me Shakira. He later approached me and asked how many camels for me. I said, Honey, you don't have enough."  He laughed.  It was a very busy day and we just took it all in. I took about 350 pictures and Jeff took almost 200.  We went to a village right outside of the Giza pyramids around sunset. We hired two camels and a guide to take us into the desert overlooking the pyramids for sunset. This was the highlight of my day. We had to ride the camels through the village that is very poor and dirty. Kids were playing in the streets and there was trash everywhere. There were also dead horses and dogs eating them. Right across from a dead horse would be children eating dinner and laughing with their families on the street. It really made me realize how well we have it in the USA. We saw a girl collecting drinking water from a facet at a cemetery.

For me, the most amazing thing was riding the camel back through the village and watching the people.  Then to my left were the pyramids with the sun setting behind them. Then...the prayer call would come over the loud speaker calling people to the mosque to pray. That was a very emotional moment for me and I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. I actually pulled out my camera and started recording. Once I figure out how to post the video on here I will. 

We got back to Abdo and the car and headed back to the hotel. Remember when I said the people drive like maniacs....well, as we were in a very crowded section of Cairo, Abdo's car stalled. So after looking it over, they were going to have me drive and pop the clutch. I didn't want to do that so I said I would push. Jeff and I pushed and Abdo popped the clutch and the car started back up. How we found enough room to push I have no idea. We got a little ways down the road and th car stalled again. So we pushed again with great success.....then we got on the highway.  This is scary enough IN a moving car.....poor Abdo's car stalled again. This time, it was smelling bad. So he managed to roll to the side of the highway and we all got out. Now, there was a concrete barricade and then a trash strewn hill that led down to a street where there were men gathered and watching. We really had no choice so Abdo went down to talk to them. Jeff and I stood behind the barricade praying to God that no one came along and hit the car or us. Then Abdo had to leave us and go find the mechanic down the street.  Jeff and I couldn't just leave his car there so we stood there and waited; two whities, in the dark, along the side of a highway, with our watches on, my purse and he was wearing a backpack. After what was about 5 minutes, the "men" at the bottom of the hill split into two groups and start climbing the hill towards us. I almost peed my pants. Half sat on one side and the other 4 on the other side. At the same time, a Mercedes and a newer Jeep pull up behind Abdos car and a bunch of men got out to talk to each other. We were scared to death.  It wasn't until the men got in their car and left that I took my eyes off them and realized that these "men" on either side of us were about 12 years old. They started trying to talk to us in Arabic.  Of course we couldn't understand each other. I kKNOW that they spoke some English and we all joked about it. We laughed and talked to these kids until Abdo came back.  Their picture is above and I got a kiss on the cheek....We ended up having to take  a taxi to our hotel so Abdo could get his car fixed. It was an exhausting day.  But one of the best days of my life.

So far

So today we took the day off. We have done nothing but sleep, hand wash clothes, and eat. So I thought I would take some time to write. 

Day 1
We left from OHare on July 9 and when they say a 12 hour flight is a long one, they are NOT joking. We both tried to sleep and I succeeded for about a total of 2 hours. When we left it was night time and they came around and closed the windows on the plane as soon as we were over the ocean.  We actually ended up flying right over Canada and out into the ocean crossing Newfoundland. A few hours after that I opened the window and took a picture of the sunrise over the ocean from the plane. We flew in over England, France, across Italy, the Med Sea...and we both watched as we flew over Israel and the West Bank. I was awe struck knowing that I was seeing the Holy Land and a place that has endured war and turmoil from the beginning of time.
I think that I was running on pure adrenaline. Jeff wasn't really feeling very well.  Once we landed in Jordan and got off of the plane, we both started to feel a little bettter.We were DEF the minority! We first cashed in some $ for some Jordan currency to bring home and then we found a Starbucks in the airport. We sat there for a few hours until it was time to board our plane.

So we take our bags through "security" and there is something in question about my suitcase. Of course, all of these people are gathered around and talking to each other in Arabic about my bag and I had no idea what was going on. They asked me to open it and so I did. A man pulled out my batteries and talked to another guy and it was just a mess. Then they had Jeff and me step over to this desk away from everyone else with our suitcases and sit down. He got on the walkie and asked someone for what must have been a manager. Then we were told "5 minutes." Fifteen later, no manager and a guy went through Jeff's passport. He also had Jeff open my suitcase. It was about thirty minutes before our plan was supposed to take off and I was getting scared. Then I started to cry. Jeff tried to explain to the man sitting with us why I was upset. The man did try talking to us a little and was more friendly after that point. (He was a very good looking man I must say).  Anyways, someone came and told us in broken English to take our bags to the ticket counter at our gate and we would just have them checked. I guess they were too heavy for the overhead bins. SO WHY THE HUGE "pull us to the side and make us wait" drama?  (I will keep what I really think to myself at this point.)

We had about 30 minutes to wait (ended up being our plane was late anyways) and there was a little boy, girl, baby girl and two moms sitting across from us. We started talking to the kids and they were so funny and nice. Anan, the boy...tried teaching us some Arabic and explained to us what a Tok Tok is. (It's a VERY small car thing that hauls people around.) We ended up getting their phone number and the mother said that if we needed ANYTHING that we should call them. They lived in Cairo.

We finally got on the plane and the man that ended up sitting next to us was the only other white guy on the plane. He was British and is manager of a construction company that builds hotels. He has been living in Cairo for  a year and travels the middle east all of the time to over see the hotel construction. His name is Andrew. This man was a God send and I asked him queations for the entire flight. He told us the ins and outs and even wrote down places that we should eat for us. I felt SO MUCH BETTER after talking to him. That's not even the best part. When we got off the plane in Cairo...we were CLUELESS. We needed to get a Visa, exchange money, fill out these forms, wait in some lines, etc. Jeff and I had accientally switched passports and had to refill out some forms....it was funny.  This guy lead us every step of the way. He even stood with us and made sure that we had our luggage. He walked us through the terminal and when our driver was not there, he called our hotel and took care of business. He waited with us for 40 minutes for our driver. He had even offered to take us home with his own driver. Angel Andrew was amazing. We took his card and eventually were picked up.

Cairo...........people drive where they want, as fast as they want. They don't stop for people.  Jeff and I were both thinking it was CRAZY. It is like NASCAR driving in go karts....everyone wants to get to the front of the line.  We got to our hotel and passed out.

WE MADE IT

We just got to our Hotel at Hotel Longchamps. This is crazy and there is so much that I want to type. Bottom line, after being detained at the airport in Jordan (something to do with my batteries in my suitcase), we made it safe and sound. Our first flight was 12 hours long and it was strange being the minority. Jeff wasn't feeling well and we slept very little. But the people were nice and it was the best landing ever......very little turbulence.

I do want to mention something.....after the incident in Jordan, while we were waiting to board our plane, we met a little boy named Anan who is ten and his sister. They were so cute and their mother was so sweet. then on the plane, God must have been looking out for us. Right next to us was the only other white guy on the plane. He was from England and has lived in Cairo for a year. This man is now being called Angel Andrew.  He showed us the ropes, waited for our luggage with us, called and took care of business when our driver was not waiting for us......seriously....an Angel. 



We are pooped and have a big day tomorrow. It is about midnight here.


More to come later.....................................................................................................

~Tami and Jeff

THANK YOU

I would like to thank the amazing Alexis Barton for creating a NEW AND IMPROVED blog for me, with all the "stuff" I wanted but didn't know how to include!

ADD ON: --- Comments have been fixed, so now you can leave comments on posts again! --- 

Random facts I have learned

Below is a list of things that I have learned over the past 4 weeks of learning, researching and studying....

• There is so much more to Egypt than just pyramids and heiroglyphics
• The Great Rift Valley in Africa extends up into the Red Sea
• All of that silt in the Niles that I teach about, comes from the volcanic activity in the Ethiopian Highlands.
• There is the Sahara, the Sahel and the Sudan (not the country but the high grassland region)
• There are about 82 million people in Egypt. It is the third most populated country in Africa.
• The word "Geometry" means "Earth (geo) Measurements (metry)....what does this have to do with Egypt? The people of anceitn Egypt would survey the land to divide it among families and to settle disputes. The literally took measurements of the Earth...hence....creating Geometry.
• If I want to buy something...divide that number buy 5 and that will be the approx. cost in US $
• I am from Canada, not the USA is asked. Unfortunately, the USA is associated with people that have a lot of money. So the price will be hiked WAY up if someone looks or sounds American or even British. (Cost for Egyptian to get into Museum in Cairo is about 4 Egyptian pounds, which equals about eighty cents in the US. If you sound "American" the price is 100 Egyptian pounds....About $25 US.
• If a family is going to have company, they rent a large tent so the family can stay with them.
• Kids are required to go to school between the ages of 6 and 12, where they can then drop out. There are public and private schools. Many Muslim students go to the private, Catholic schools.
• It seems as though many Americans are very interested in learning about the middle eastern culture. This is exciting for people in Egypt, especially when they move here. Many feel that they are treated very kind and are surprised at how welcoming and NICE Americans are! Amira, a lady that we spoke to, was astounded when she was in the grocery store and a gentleman said hello to her and asked how she was doing. 
• Egypt is the heart of the old world....the crossroads. Before the west was settled, Egypt is the major intersection of trade routes and many other centralized events.
• Egypt is not a very conservative country....they are very open and accepting of the outside world.
• Egypt has been colonized by so many different countries (Greece, Rome, Turkey, British) that the cultural diffusion has become obvious. There are Arab people with red hair and blue eyes; many mixed races.
• The colors of the flag are red, white, and black. Red = the struggle for independence White = peace and black = centuries of oppression. Under the crest it says, "Arabic Republic of Egypt" 
• They gained their independence in 1952.
• Egypt has become the home of many Sudanese refuges...see www.savedarfur.org for more information about this terrible crisis.
• The dog in the movie "I Love you, Man" really DOES look like Anwar Sadat; former president of Egypt

• Religion is central to EVERYTHING.
•  Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak are the three presidents that Egypt has had. Mubarak is in his 80s and has been president since 1981. They are all of military background. Nasser was the one that is said to have wanted to have Egypt become a socialist nation. He dies in office of a heart attack. (Also "created" the Aswan High Dam. Hence the reason why the lake behind it is called "Lake Nasser"). When he died, his VP took office, Anwar...who tried to pull things back to the right which made some people mad. He was assassinated. Mubarak became president after him. Not a whole lot has changed apparently since he took office.
• Egyptian joke: Nasser was in a car with his driver and the driver came to a fork in the road. The driver asked, "Would you like to go left or go right?" Nasser replied, "Blink left, turn left." Anwar Sudat was in the car some time later with the same driver and they came to the same fork in the road. The driver asked, "Would you like to go left or go right?" Anwar replied, "Blink right and go right." Few years later, Mubarak is in the same car with the same driver and they come to a fork in the road. The driver asks, "Would you like to go left or go right?" Mubarak replies, "Blink left, blink right. Don't move."
• Children in Egypt stay at home until they are married. Both the men and the women do this. It is not uncommon for adults to still live with their parents. 
• Divorce is uncommon. You got married, either fix the issues or be miserable. 
• Most children speak at least three languages...the most common being Arabic, English and French. Foreign language starts when school starts in the primary schools
• Most students (at least in private schools) are told that their options are to become a doctor, lawyer, Engineer, or pharmacist.

Lilly Endowment Grant

Some have inquired about my grant. Below is the weblink for the Teacher Creativity Grant.

Grant info for 2010

Egypt:: Beyond the Past

I have spent the last two days at the Indianapolis Children's Museum at a workshop for teachers. The workshop is called Egypt: Beyond the Past. Many people do not understand or even realize that there is more to Egypt than pyramids and hieroglyphics. This whole workshop is about what Egypt is like today. It has been great! I have heard people from Egypt speak, experiences authentic Egyptian food, gone through the exhibit at the museum, sat through and participated in a traditional conflict resolution process that is native to Egypt (even today), and visited the Islamic Society of North America (which is also a mosque).  It has been busy!

Questions

Part of my grant is to complete research and create a list of questions that I will find the answers to while in Egypt. I will be adding to this over the next two weeks. The original intent is to create questions about ancient Egypt however, I have many questions about present day Egypt as well.

1. Are there any remaining ruins of the ancient city of Armana?  I know that Horemheb destroyed much of it but has any (and what) has been found? From what I learned, there are very few remains from Armana still remaining. Horemheb had the city destroyed and a city was built on top of the ruins later down the road.

2.  While I am talking about Armana, why in Armana art are the skulls of the people depicted as elongated?

I saw this original in the Museum. It was breathtaking. Anyways, if I could answer this question, then I will have unlocked a question that MANY archeologist, scholars, scientists and theologists have asked for thousands of years.  Akenhaten's EVERYTHING was very unique and different than the others in the museum. His statues, his portraits, everything. It was very odd and eerie.  He was portrayed with a "beer" belly, large lips, elongated face, disproportionate, among other things.

3.  What is the difference between Hooka and Sheesha?
From what we learned, its the same thing. Sheesha is what they refer to it as in Egypt. If you ask for "Hooka"...it sounds like "Hooker" which is the same thing in Egypt as it is in the USA :) Sheesha is fruit flavored tobacco that is filtered through a water pipe. It is legal and tastes wonderful. However, it has not been proven to be safe. 

4.  Of all of the items that are sold to tourists, what is the one thing that is sold the most? A pyramid? King Tut? What?
It just so happens to be a combo of everything. People (men) will walk up to you with three small statues..one of Tut, a pyramid and either Nefertiti or a cat. They try to sell you all three. I saw these the most. 

5.  I understand that Re is the Sun God.  But I also have discovered in all of my research that Aten is a sun god as a solar disk. Basically, I am confused. I have even read of other sun gods. I want clarification.

6. So I read that the Egyptians invented beer. I also know that they had breweries near most work sites. How did they brew beer and how does it compare to how its done in Egypt today?

7.  Where is Howard Carter buried?

8.  Do Egyptologists (I will meet and talk with one while in Egypt) believe that Ramses the Great (2nd) was the "Pharaoh" that is associated with Moses? I believe that Moses is mentioned in the Quran.  To what extent and is the parting of the Red Sea mentioned as well? The story of Moses is the same in the Quran as it is in the Bible and Torah. From what I gathered, it is probably split 50/50. 50 believe that yes, it was Seti 1 and Ramses II that were the Pharaohs mentioned in Exodus. However, many also believe that it was NOT these two.  They both use dates and time-lines to support their claims. What is ALWAYS mentioned when Ramses is brought up is that he had over 100 children. I think Egyptians are proud of this LOL.

9.  In Ancient Egyptian mythology, did Egyptians worship the sacred feminine and were women viewed in a god like manner? Yes. They were godlike, beautiful, given many rights and in some cases, worshiped.

10.  The weighing of the heart ceremony....  was it assumed that all Pharaohs passed this test and went on to live in the Afterlife?

Yes, it is assumed that they all passed into the afterlife. 
 
11.  Cleopatra - I want to know the facts, not the mere legend.

12. The statue of Ka-aper is known for its striking realistic expression. It is now located in the Cairo Museum.  It is from the Old Kingdom and is so much different than most other Ancient Egyptian statues. What are the theories behind this?

I saw this statue and was amazed. He was so cool :)  He was found mostly intact and had some refurbishing. I was told that this man was a very popular man in a city. He was also wealthy. This is known because #1 - he had a statue made by a skilled artist. #2 - He is shown as a rather rotundness man which means only one thing....he had a lot of food and that shows wealth. His exact job is unknown but I can tell you that looking into his eyes was enough to stop my breathing. He looks so lifelike.

13.  The obelisk....what's with the popularity - not only in Egypt but all over the world. Notice, that it is a pyramid on top of a pillar. The pyramid is an international symbol. It seems as if the obelisk was a way of lifting a tiny pyramid closer to the heavens....or the Sun.
My thoughts are correct. A way to reach the heavens and the sun God Re. 
 
14.  Where are the Fayum Portraits now?

HAHAHA  I SAW THEM on display in the museum ON the mummies that they were found with. Amazing!

15.  Was Opium ancient Egypt's major pain killer?
Yes! For the wealthy that could afford it anyways.
 
16.  How was their clothing made?

17.  What musical instruments are native to Egypt?


18.  Is there any evidence that the Sahel Grasslands went as far north as Giza? It is thought that maybe the Great Sphinx was supposed to be a giant "cat" in the tall grass.
I honestly forgot to ask this question. I was so overwhelmed by the DETAIL of the Great Sphinx and the absolute perfection of this giant creation that I totally went blank.  The theory is something I will look in to. 

19.  There is a large Rift in the Red Sea (Rift - where tectonic plates come together).  Is this area susceptible to earthquake activity?

Skype

Now on Skype. Skype name Tamhicks10.

A Little Story About Tut

So to those of you that have had me as a teacher, you know that I get excited and like to describe the lives of some of these ancient Egyptian leaders. You will also know that I say, "KING TUT WAS NOT FOUND IN A PYRAMID....HE WAS FOUND ________________ (fill in the blank).  I have often said that he did not do anything worth noting as a pharaoh.  When it comes to being king, this is true...however, there are two things that I have learned that have changed my tone.

#1 - Poor kid tried....but his reign was doomed before he was born.  His father was a piece of work.
#2 - He was in love with his wife...during a time when men had many wives and a harem for..well... pleasure. He had one wife, and for the most part, was loyal.

This is a real long story.....I will try to make it short.

     There was a king named Amenhotep II.  He had a son that was Amenhotep III.  Amenhotep the III was also known as "Amenhotep the Great" because of his strong leadership and ability to conquer other places. He was a soldier and listened to the advice of his advisory Aye and his general Horemheb (remember these guys because they come back later).  He put fear into the hearts of surrounding civilizations and created a large and powerful Egypt.
     Unfortunately, he liked to eat bread, a lot. Back in those days, it was impossible to get the sand out of food and it is known to have been excessive in bread. You also have to keep in mind that they did not have dental care like we do today. Also, their medicine was nothing like today's. So something as simple as a tooth ache could develop into a full blown infection that could kill. Amenhotep the Great had severe dental problems from years of chewing on sand.  His pain killer of choice was Opium and well folks...that is used to make Heroine today. As he was increasingly "doped up," his wives knew that his time was short. He was approached by a wife and told that he needed to select his successor to the thrown.
      Now Amenhotep the Great had a son that had passed away at a young age. So this left his second son...Amenhotep the IV (also the son of the wife that was pressing the issue for him to select a successor.) The Great flat out, did not like his son the IV. He laughed at the idea of his awkward, lanky, uncoordinated son riding a chariot or going to battle. He was more of a thinker than a Pharaoh. He lacked the skills his father felt necessary to lead his great nation. Unfortunately, he had no choice and Amenhotep IV became Pharaoh.
     Amenhotep IV (and awkwardly weird) had a beautiful and now very famous wife named Nefertiti. She actually loved and cared for him and must have stood by his side for a very long time. She was considered to be one of the most gorgeous and smart women of all of Ancient Egyptian history. Remember the advisor Ay, well he was also Amenhotep the IV's adviser.  He was slightly bitter that this joke of a leader Amenhotep the IV had become Pharaoh AND had a beautiful wife! He was in love with Nefertiti and she knew it. She did NOT care for Ay and made that obvious. (I later learned that there is a chance that Ay was also Nefertiti's father.)

                                                                  Nefertiti's Famous Bust

     Amenhotep IV was very arrogant. After refusing to follow his general Horemheb's advice to attack another region, Amenhotep IV decided to relocate the capital city of Egypt and call himself Akenhaten which basically means he wanted to be called a God.  The God that he worshiped the most was Aten - one of the sun Gods (the Sun dial to be exact).  THIS IS WHERE HE DID SOMETHING DRASTIC FOR HIS TIME....he demanded that everyone in Egypt STOP following their hundreds of Gods and worship only one God - Aten.  He tried to take a polytheistic nation and make them monotheistic. The people really had no choice. The now Akenhaten even devoted his new capital city to the god Aten. He moved the royal family to the new city of Armana. 

Akenhaten

     Nefertiti stayed by his side. She is thought to have had three daughters but never had a son. Akenhaten knew that he needed a son. So he took a new wife named Kiya who was a Mitannion Princess.  She was also very beautiful. Nefertiti did not like this but knew that her husband needed a son to carry on as Pharaoh after him. Kiya had a son. Kiya also died while giving birth to her son. Her son's name was Tutankhamen.
     Since Kiya had died, Nefertiti was the one to raise Tut. She loved him as her own son.  He was absolutely perfect. Tut and Nefertiti's three daughters (his half sisters) all were educated and raised by Nefertiti and her hand maidens. Ay and Horemhab were also responsible for training Tut to become a man and one day...a Pharaoh.
   Akenhaten had become even weirder and now Nefertiti was not too found of him. Not only had he taken and favored his new wife Kiya (Tut's birth mother who passed away) but he had become fat and lazy. Ay and Horemhab were digusted at how Akenhaten had let the strong Egyptian empire his father had built fall to pieces.
    About five years after Tut was born, Akenhaten died of what was probably a heart attack. If you want to know what he was doing when he died, ask me in a message.  Nefertiti now knew that he stepson Tut, was going to become Pharaoh.
    Tut was five or 6 (not the youngest Pharaoh), and he was still in training. So Queen Nefertiti actaully became pharaoh. She lead and ruled Egypt for several years while Tut was learning to write, fight, and become leader of a nation. Who was training him? Ay and Horemhab - who have now outlasted three previous Pharaohs  if you count Nefertiti.
     Tut and has sisters went to school together and Tut found himself falling in love with his beautiful and smart (hey, what else would be expected from the daughter of Nefertiti) half sister Ankhesenpaaten. One day, Nefertiti called Tut to her side and told him that she was very ill. In order for the royal bloodline to continue, he would need to marry his half sister Ankhesenpaaten. They were in love, and they were married - probably around the age of 12ish. Nefertiti passed away and Tut was now officially Pharaoh with his Queen Ankhesenpaaten by his side.

                                                                    Ankhesenpaaten

     Tut and Ankhesenpaaten had two children. One was a miscarriage and the other was premature and stillborn. Tut continued to stay loyal to his wife and although tempted by other women, he chose not to act. He went to battle one time and succeeded in battle. He was growing and maturing as a man and a leader. This made Ay furious. Ay did not like Tut and reminded him that his worthless wife could not have children.  He convinced Tut that he needed to take another woman to produce a child. Hopefully a son.  Ankhesenpaaten also knew that this was coming. She loved her husband so much and he loved her, but a royal family had to be created. So Ankhesenpaaten moved out of her husbands room to allow for another woman. Ay (not liking Ankhesenpaaten to begin with and wanting to make her even more mad) found a beautiful and young woman to "mate" with Tut. Her name was Tuya.

    People now mocked and laughed at Ankhesenpaaten because she was not able to have Tut's child.  Funny think is though that Tuya never became pregnant either. Ay used this to his advantage and one day, as Ay and Tut were about to go riding on chariots into the desert,Ay told Tut that is must have been him that couldn't produce a child. This meant that Tut was NOT a God or worthy of being Pharaoh. Tut was furious. He took off on his chariot and rode into the desert. He also condemned Ay to fifty lashings, a harsh punishment for his time.
   
     Tut did not return.
     This lead to the largest man hunt in Egyptian history.
     Tut was found in the desert. His chariot had crashed, his body was naked, and he had been robbed.

 King Tutankhamun

     This is where history is unclear. Tut had apparently broken his leg and had some other damage. He was brought (uncounscience) back tot he palace where Tuya and Ankhesenpaaten looked after him. One evening when the women had retired to their rooms, Ay and Horemheb may have plotted to kill the young Pharaoh. Ay knew that since Tut had no children, he would become Pharaoh. There is a whole story behind this and how he raped and murdered Ankhesenpaaten's hand maiden Yuye after she spied on her master and reported back to him.
     Whether he died of his own injuries or if he was murdered is still a mystery. When Tut died, Ay demanded that a new tomb be created for Tut in Valley of the Kings. Tut had started his own tomb in the Valley but it was not finished. It was large and beautiful. Ay planned to use this tomb as his own. Tut was placed in a smaller tomb. Ay also had himself drawn all over Tut's tomb walls. Real nice huh.
     Ay knew that he would have to marry the Queen Ankhesenpaaten in order to become the true Pharaoh. He already had a wife but, men then usually had many. Ankhesenpaaten was refusing to marry a snake like Ay. She even sent a message to the long Egyptian enemy the Hittites to send a young prince for her to marry. He would become the king of Egypt and the two nations would unite. Ay had this man beheaded when he reached the Egytpitan border. He presented the Hittite princes head to Ankhesenpaaten.  She was out of options and sucombed to Ay's demands. She knew that she would probably be killed anyways. On their wedding day, Ay presented Ankhesenpaaten with a glass ring. It had their names written in it in blue. During the after wedding party, Ankhesenpaaten was poisoned and she died. Ay had her body thrown into the Nile River instead of buried in the tomb of her loving husband Tut. The ring was found. Her body was assumed to have been devoured by crocodiles.
     Ay ruled Egypt for a brief four or five years before he was murdered by Horemheb.  Ay was buried in the tomb that was originally made for Tut. Horemheb became Pharaoh and ruled Egypt for a while too. Horemheb's first duty was to destroy what Akhenaten had created. He had the entire city of Armana destroyed. Horemheb wanted to rule Egypt like Akhenaten's father Amenhotep the Great. He also had the names of Tut and Ay scratched off of walls. He did not want the world to know of them. And it worked.

Horemheb

Greece in the News

The economy in Greece is causing the government to take some drastic measures that are not making the Greek people very happy. Hopefully, things calm down in the next 60 days because I am really looking forward to a neat experience. Safety is a concern.
Greece Financial Crisis

Extra Day in Cairo

I want to hear from you!  We have an extra day in Cairo. Here are some options:
#1 - Travel to Alexandria and see the Catacombs, etc.
#2 - Travel to the Al Fayyoum Oasis
#3 - Travel to the Nile Delta and Port Said

Our tour guide is from the Al Fayyoum Oasis and his family still lives there.

Let me know what you think we should do (because I cannot decide).

Thanks!

Crisis over

New Itinerary:

We will depart a day sooner and spend one extra day in Cairo. This actually turned out well and I am excited to have an extra day there. We will be asking our tour guide Abdo if we can do something the third day that most "tourist" don't get to do. Who knows what will happen! I can't wait!

A hot mess

Things that I have learned:

1. Airlines can cancel flights "because they want to."
2. It is not easy to simply transfer information.
3. Every time I call Expedia, I have to hear the same thing over and tell them that NO, I CANNOT LEAVE ON JULY 11 and arrive in Cairo on July 12.
4. Explaining the time change to a travel agency Representative is not a simple task. You would think that understanding how time zones work would be a job requirement for international travel representatives.
5. My head hurts.
6. They will take the money right out of your account to pay for tickets...but you must wait "30-60 days for a full refund."
7. Gardettos Roasted rye garlic chips aka the "brown things" are amazing.
8. Conducting business with people in Jordan must be done between 8am and 5 pm their time...in other words...2am and 11am our time.
9. Travel Insurance is a must for my next big adventure.
10. Thanks to everyone that has been online helping me figure out what to do.

Thanks to Stacee Barton, I looked up Royal Jordanian Airlines flight out of New York.  Found one, called and am now waiting to see if I can fly out of NY and to Cairo on the 10th and arrive on the 11th as planned. I would need to fly (an additional $300) from South Bend to New York the night before. My parents would pick us up since they live near NYC, we would stay in a hotel, experience "the city" on Saturday and then drive to the other airport to catch out flight out. 

I am waiting to hear from Expedia.  They said 24 hours. I think that RJA should have to pay to get me to NYC. OR bump us to Biz Class on our flight...............  that's my next battle. Will keep you posted!

Itinerary

Tickets have been purchased, immunizations have been received (Typhiod Fever and Hep A, Polio booster) and everything is good to go. This is what we will be doing:

Day 1 = Fly from Chicago to Amman, Jordan. Amman, Jordan to Cairo.  We will be flying Royal Jordanian Airlines. We will be staying at the Hotel Longchamps. This is Cairo's third ranked hotel and is privately owned.

Day 2 = Day in Giza (The Great Pyramids), Memphis and Saqqara (The bent and red pyramids).  I was referred via Trip Adviser to contact a tour guide named Abdo.  We emailed back and fourth and he has agreed to pick us up at our hotel and take us around for two solid days.

Day 3 = Abdo will take us to the Cairo Museum. This is the resting place for many of the Pharaohs mummies that have been found...including Ramses the Great and his father Seti the I.  We will also spend time visiting mosques and Coptic Cairo.

Day 4 = We wake up and are taken to the Cairo Airport. We will then fly from Cairo to Aswan.  This is where we will be picked up by Best Way Travel and taken to our Riverboat for a 4 day Nile Cruise. We will load our belongings on the ship and then set off to see the sites in Aswan. This includes the High Dam, botanical gardens and the tomb of Agha Khan. We will also take a felucca ride along the Nile. For those of you that paid attention in class, this is an Egyptian Sailboat :). That evening, we set sail.

Day 5 = Sailing to Edfu & Kom -Ombo and visit temples of Horus and Sobek 

Day 6 = Sailing to Luxor and visit West Bank ( Valley of Kings , El Deer El Bahari , Colossi of Memnon ). I am not sure which I am more excited to see, the Pyramids or the Valley of the Kings. I have dreamed about both my whole life and to be able to see the Valley of the Kings and enter three tombs will be amazing. This is where, in 1922, Howard Carter found the Tomb of Tut and my fascination with Egypt began. I linked Valley of the Kings to the Wikipedia site because there are the best pictures and the information is pretty accurate. 

Day 7 = Arrive in  Luxor and visit East Bank ( Luxor Temple , Karnak Temple ), then we are taken to the airport in Luxor to catch our flight to Sharm El Sheikh.  This is on the Sinai Peninsula. It is considered to be the Cancun of the Middle East and is a favorite vacation spot for people all over the Middle East (and world for that matter.)  Here, we will check into the Baron Resort.  I hope that I can save enough money to upgrade the hotel room to a super sweet one :)  It will be late and we will be tired. 

Day 8 = Snorkle and boat in the Red Sea. This portion of the sea is home to one of the most beautiful coral reef in the world. This is also an important place for Christians and Jewish people. This is near the place where it is believed that Moses parted the Red Sea and led the Hebrews away from Egypt. 

 I want fun in the sun and some time to debrief and let the whole trip sink in. 

Day 9 = We will depart the Baron Hotel and travel 3 hours (via private Mercedes limo) to Mt. Sinai.  This is the place where it is believed that Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. The burning bush is said to be at this location as well. (Although there is much speculation about how this mountain does not match the description in the Old Testament / Torah). Regardless, it is also the home of the oldest monastery in the world - St. Katherine's. Then we will head back to Sharm and the Baron Resort.

Day 10 = We will spend the day at the Baron and in Sharm doing whatever we want. 

Day 11 = Depart the Baron and head to the airport. We will fly from Sharm to Athens, Greece in the morning. Once we land in Greece, it will be a total culture change.  We will take a cab from the airport to our hotel The Centrotel in Athens. We will then spend the afternoon site seeing and eating :)

Day 12 = We will spend time at the Acropolis and other sites in Athens. 

Day 13 = We will be taking a boat to three of the Greek Isles: Hydra, Poros and Aegina.  We will have a chance to swim in the sea and will see some of the clearest, bluest water in the world.  

Day 14 = Day to relax in Athens and unwind......

Day 15 = Head to the airport and fly home. We will be flying on Turkish Airlines from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey. There is a short layover and then we will fly from Istanbul to Chicago. 

In 15 days we will set foot on four continents....North America (duh), Asia (Jordan), Africa (Egypt) and Europe (Greece).   Not too bad considering I have only ventured to Toronto, Canada. 

Things I have already packed.....

• Hand sanitizer bottles and wipes. (all under 3oz of course)
• mini shampoos and conditioners
• mini facial wash
• power converter for European countries
• 14 double A batteries for camera
• 4, floor length dresses and shoulder covers purchased at Old Navy outlet store. 
• new, nice camera :)
• passport

So far.......

So far, I have been struggling with trying to figure out how I want to spend our time in Egypt. There are so many places that I want to make sure I go visit. Here is the list of places that I can't live without seeing:

Alexandria

Cairo

Giza

Memphis

Luxor

Mt. Sinai

The Red Sea (whether in Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada)

There are some neat things in Aswan however, I could give that up if need be. 

  

Those of you out there that are planning to be travel agents, feel free to contact me with an itinerary and a price. I am exhausted from looking and doing the math. I want to experience true Egypt but I also want a taste of the luxurious "tourist" stuff. But keep in mind that an Egyptian 5 star is more like a 2 or 3 star in the states. I want to keep it local and not pay mega bucks to travel with a tour company. Since this is my dream place to visit, I want to make sure that I am not rushed and can soak it all in.   I have about 13 days to spend there.....Any thoughts?  :)

Last week, I learned how to properly pack toilet paper for say, the hike to the top of Mt. Sinai.

Something else that I learned today - In order to get onto and archeological dig site, you have to be granted permission from the government. So I have contacted the University of Cairo to see what we can make happen. 

Crossed Something off of my Bucket List and Looking for a Great Camera

So, it has only been 5 days and I am trying to come back down to earth.  I applied for a passport yesterday, an item that was on my "Bucket List" (otherwise known as things to do before I die).  So this was a great accomplishment in and of itself for me.  

Now, I am looking for a reasonably priced, high quality camera.  I am not camera savy and I have a $99 Kodak that has been through a lot and usually resides in my purse in case I need to take that perfect picture! It has been abused.  Any ideas? Know anyone wanting to sell their camera? Cannon and Nikon I hear are good. I have checked Craigslist but have no idea what they are saying when they speak in "Camera lingo." 

THANKS EVERYONE!

Let the adventure begin!

    This is rough and will be changed but wow. What a roller coaster the last 24 hours! I was notified via mail yesterday that I received the Lilly Endowment Grant for Indiana teachers to travel to Egypt. This has been my dream since I was a child. Keeping a blog of the experience was part of the proposal so.....this is where my journey begins!

Indiana Business Article published Feb. 23, 2010