March 18, 2020 Finally, Pyramids!

We are not sure exactly how we will accomplish the planned megaday: pyramids, camel rides, the Egyptian museum, and more. But we do! And here is what we experienced…

En route to the highlight of the day, they, the pyramids, suddenly appear amidst congested traffic on the cityscape horizon. I had always imagined them to be far away in a desert landscape. Yes, and no.

This is more like what I had imagined. But looks are indeed decieving. 180 degrees from the scene above is an equally close congested neighborhood. Off to the other side, a golf course.

Left-most pyramid in photo above shows a rather flat top compared to others. Believed to have neen damaged in an ancient earthquake which also sank these structures by several meters.

Up close and personal, looking straight up the side of one of the great pyramids at Giza. There are 118 pyramids so far identified in Egypt, and some are indeed far out in the desert. These at Giza seem to be the focus of most of the archaeological attention.

Construction of one pyramid took about 20 years with men laying a slab of stone every 4 minutes 24/7. About 2.3 million blocks were used for each of these larger structures. Limestone and sandstone blocks formed the exterior, granite on the interior rooms, which were located about 67 meters below the surface. We were not allowed into the interior, which is said to be musty, hot, dank, and unadorned.

Close up of the first course of stone of one of the pyramids. Neither the stones nor the structure are smooth, although they appear so from afar. And each stone is set perfectly straight and level.

One of our group members stands in front of the bottom course of stone to give you a sense of scale. Mary Elizabeth is about 5’6″ tall.

A classic view of these grand structures. What a photo cannot describe is the ever present strong odor of camel dung. Nevertheless, we went for a fun camel ride around the pyramids.

Within the ark-shaped structure above is a boat taken from a nearby pyramid shaft in 1954 by Italian archaeologists. Boats are commonly found among the grave goods in these tombs, and are intended to help the pharoah sail to the afterlife. The boat measures 43 m long by 10 m high.

Adjacent each pyramid is a series of shafts which were incorporated into the landscape and contained the royal boat the deceasedwould use to sail to the afterlife.

The famous Sphinx. It is smaller than expected, but no less impressive. Believed to be the guardian of the pyramids, this monument of stone was entirely buried in sand until its discovery. Its nose has been damaged–broken off by a Saudi prince many years ago who objected to its religious significance–and not by Napoleon as is popularly believed. This according to our expert historian Tarek Sarhan.

Our guide urges us each to take a picture and poses us just so. But we do not understand why until we see the photo. Apparently, it is a kind of a tourist gag to have ones picture taken kissing the Sphinx.

After lunch we head to Cairo’s “old” museum. In October 2020 a new museum, The Grand Egyptian Museum, is scheduled to open. It will be the largest archaeological museum in the world, which cost “one hundred thousand and one hundred billion dollars” to build, according to the guide. Presumably this questionable number is in Egyptian dollars. Construction began 15 years ago. In addition to artifacts, it will house 19 restoration labs. The exterior will be covered entirely with carved alabaster and glass, affording a panoramic view of the pyramids.

The existing museum, the old museum, is straight out of an old movie, “Curse of the Mummy” perhaps. It is charmingly old, with ancient display cases, limited security, and if it ever had glitz, it is buried in museum dust. Hard to believe it holds the most valuable pieces of Egypt’s archaeological history, including treasures from King Tut’s tomb, for all of these years.

Early statues.

As we flew by the hundred thousand or so artifacts in this 2 1/2 hour tour, I took photos of things I found appealing, like this carved animal above.

The museum holds all of the everyday items of early Egyptians, including this toiletry basket which may have been the possession of a very privileged person. Other items not photographed include sewing kits, fishing gear, shaving kits, musical instruments, tools, nails, weight stones, weaving looms, pots and pans, and household cleaning tools.

Early toilet seat carved from limestone.

Earliest known painted panel in Egypt, or perhaps elsewhere, with beautiful original paint intact. Early paints were made from ground forms of copper, iron, and limestone, then mixed with egg albumen.

Text of this early papyrus gives the account of a husband’s complaint about his noisy wife. Presumably she talks too much. He is asking the gods to please replace her with a quieter wife in his afterlife.

Dusty crates of artifacts being readied for transport to the new museum. The old museum is being stripped of items and dismantled. Many of the display cases are empty.

Early Egyptians did not believe in death, but rather, in a rich afterlife. Above, one of four rooms removed from King Tut’s tomb. Each contained the goods the pharoah would need in his afterlife. Exterior of these rooms, as with many artifacts, is the purest form of gold. Scientists have no explanation for how early Egyptians were able to process such a pure form of gold–99.9 purity. Egypt is believed to be the first country known to purify and use gold.

Exterior of another room from Tut’s tomb.

Closeup of the second room from Tut’s tomb.

A single piece of carved alabaster forms this vessel containing original perfume.

Chess board from Tut’s tomb.

I was able to take this photograph before a guard scolded me. Ornament of pure gold from Tut’s tomb. I viewed many other gold and jeweled items including beads, intricately formed bracelets, rings, necklaces, and other ornaments.

Ceramic face masks found in ancient tombs; believed to depict the image of the deceased.

King Tut’s bed made of pure gold.

Detail of headboard of Tut’s bed.

Less impressive perhaps, but equally important is this wooden embalming bed on which Tut’s remains were preserved. Stains at the head and foot of the bed show where Tut’s head and feet resided during the long embalming ritual.

Miscellaneous grave goods.

Perhaps in his afterlife, Tut will ride this handsomely carved bull?

King Tut ruled from age 8 years to age 18 when he died of unknown causes. His tomb was one of the smallest, yet it contained over 3,000 artifacts. His death mask, which I viewed but was forbidden from photographing, weighs 22 pounds and is carved from pure gold.

The University of Japan is continuing archaeological work for its 55th year. Recently they discovered a secret shaft in the Cheops pyramid–one of the 3 iconic pyramids we are all familiar with. They dropped a camera down the shaft. It revealed a solid gold door. In the years hence we may hear about this new discovery, so stay tuned!

Egypt in Bits and Pieces

Today was a travel day with little to report, so I take this opportunity to share bits and pieces of interest.

* This is a culture that respects women. Our guide told us a funny story about traffic accidents and the different way these are handled depending on gender. If a woman driver should, say, hit the car of a male driver, the man must respect the woman during the forthcoming exchange of information. He may not yell or scold the woman. Conversely, if a male driver impacts a woman driver, she lays him out in lavender! In the first instance above, the male driver can express his anger at any male passenger in the car ( say, the woman’s husband) but not in public. Any scolding happens between the two men in private only. This bias to woman also extends to traffic violations and ticket violations. It seems women get away with a lot here.

* Our guide, Tarek, is a gem. He holds a masters degree in Egyptology, speaks Japanese, English, arabic, and Polish fluently, has yet to be stumped by any question regardless of how bizarre. He is the renown go-between of Egyptian and Japanese engineers working on the monumental mapping of the pyramids which is sponsored by National Geographic He is involved on archaeological projects regularly here.

* Egypt from the air is a cluster of square light-colored buildings set into sand the color of khaki, which is the predominant color here.

* The typical taxi here consists of a motorbike which hauls a small open wagon seating 6-8 passengers, transporting schoolchildren to school and their parents to work. They have a robust train system as well.

* Five times a day loudspeakers blare out a call to prayer from the local mosque. It is an enchanting, haunting sound. As in every religion, not everybody follows the strict traditions of their religion.

* Men who have been educated must serve a year in the army. Those who are not educated must serve for 2 years, with their first year spent learning how to read and write.

* Sadly, there is an awful lot of open trash and litter here, especially in the rural areas.

* The food here is pretty normal, the gin terrible.

* Pleasant looking and docile wild dogs dot the rural landscapes and wander about all of the archaeological sites. Local people seem to feed them.

* Security here is tight. During each bus we ride, tour, or group gathering, security is present in the form of a nicely dressed man with a fully automatic weapon (Cesta is the brand name). Today our bus was stuck in traffic. When the tour guide saw a police car, he jumped from the bus and waved down the car. We got a police escort through the traffic jam ( because we are Americans, he said).

Tomorrow the pyramids!

March 15, 2020 More Temples and Other Fun

Each day seems to surpass the previous one in its richness. Again today, no more talk, let pictures tell the story which I hope you will enjoy.

We have sailed through the night to the city of Aswan, a more metropolitan area. Here is located one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world. Built in the 50’s, it is now winding down as nuclear, solar and wind power take precedence. When Egypt approached the US for funding for this dam it was refused. Eventually the soviets funded it.

Monument to honor the Egypt-Soviet alliance in completing the dam.

View looking up from the base of the 5 pillars of carved limestone that form the monument.

We visited the Temple of Philae built to honor the goddess Isis. As with other temples, its erection was an enormous undertaking. Read on…

View of another portion of the temple…

And another…

So, here is what impresses us the most: some years ago the rising waters of the Nile caused this temple to became partly submerged. With the assistance of the Italian government and UNESCO, modern day architects, engineers, and archaeologists carefully deconstructed the temple and reconstructed it in its present location.

Present day temple worker. Most of the Egyptian men I observed wear this traditional dress. And yes, I tipped him a couple of US dollars after I took the photo, which is the polite thing to do.

If you look carefully at the faces carved in the top of these temple pillars, you may notice how their expression changes from a frown to a smile. This is intended to depict the ever increasing happiness of the gods as monetary offerings increase!

Our guide points to a barely perceivable square centimeter of pure gold that remains intact on this ankle bracelet of the god depicted here. It is believed that the original design was completely covered with pure gold. It must have been a spectacular sight.

Pockmarked image resulting from attempt to erase the image of the god depicted here, believed to have been done by Coptic Christians who invaded Egypt. Note coptic cross at right.

This rather weakly inscribed entry is believed to be written by the last priest to inhabit this temple. The handwriting on the wall, literally, speaks of the end of the Egyptian civilization. It is believed to be the last written piece of Egyptian hieroglyph.

Granite stone quarry at Aswan where all of the stone used to build the temples as well as the pyramids was quarried. In the foreground a very large piece of granite was in the process of being chiseled out. It was to be an obelisk. Unfortunately it cracked in situ. It is known as the unfinished obelisk. Hundreds of men probably worked for months to accomplish this work which had to be abandoned some 3,000+ years ago.

Later we set sail in a small boat to a botannical garden located offshore. “Crocodile children” row up in small boats, attach themselves to our boat and sing us songs hoping for a tip. We sing them an American song in return. These children are of Nubian descent, an indigenous group numbering about 5 million people in southern Egypt.

Botannical garden at Kitchener’s Island. This was advertised as ” teeming with birdlife” but I found it to be teeming with domestic cats.

As we depart for the mainland we are treated to a view of the hotel said to be the place where Death on the Nile was written by Agatha Christie.

Upon returning to my room onboard, I am greeted daily by a comical arrangement of my bath towels: today a monkey holding my pillow; yesterday an alligator with the TV remote clenched in its mouth. Day before that a swan. Clever cabin crew.

Egypt March 14: Temple of Edfu and Temple of Kom Ombo

Highlights of today’s visit are best described in pictures.

Spectacular carved pillars at The Temple of Edfu, southern Nile area where we sailed from Luxor during the night.

Ancient Egyptian women delivered their babies in an upright position using a kind of birthing chair, archaeologists have learned from this particular hieroglyph.

One religion after another, literally and figuratively. Image above was chiseled away by later invading Christians.

Ancient visitors to the temple stood opposite of the wall where Tarek now stands, and prayed out loud to the gods for some favor. A high priest, listening through a hidden tunnel below the grate above would respond. The faithful one, believing he had been spoken to by the Gods, would then pay an offering in an amount suggested by the gods.

History written on a storyboard. Above depicts treatment of locals by invading Persians who cut off an arm and fed it to lyons, then erased their faces from the story so the gods would not recognize them and allow their entry into the afterlife.

And here we end the story with the feeding of the lions!

In the afternoon we visited the Kom Ombo, unique because it houses two temples in one structure–the Temple of Sobek the ancient crocodile god, and the Temple of Harwer ( aka Horus), the falcon god. In ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun near here.

Mummified remains of sacred crocodiles at the Crocodile Museum.

Talk about your wells! This deep, hand-built well measured the water level at the nearby Nile river. If the water was high it meant good irrigation for crops, thus plentiful crops, which required local citizens to pay higher offerings to the gods. This was the earliest form of taxation, an idea conceived by ancient Egyptians.

A word about the earth’s continually changing climate starts here where the banks of the Nile lapped the front door of the temple. In the past 3,000 years, it has retreated by nearly a kilometer. The Nile was also said to be several kilometers across in some locations. It is a fraction of that width currently.

Young “crocodile” in the making. I gave this sweet boy a dollar in return for his picture. He was on the street with his father and older brother learning how to aggressively sell trinkets to passerby tourists. He is 5 years old.

March 13, 2020 at The Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens

We march into and out of the tombs. Down, down, down to the end of the ramp and into the antechamber, past the death-defying shafts meant to deter trespassers and transport the sarcophagus. Along the walls the glyphs tell the stories of those buried within. Their remains have been removed long ago. Some here, some there—off to the parent country of their discoverer: England, US, Japan, Germany, and others. Archeological work is a never-ending, tedious, and continual process that unearths fresh discoveries every few months. Below I show some of their splendid discoveries.

Snakes are frequently depicted here. One task of the deceased is to battle snakes before entering the underworld.

It is quite an experience to place ones hand over a hieroglyph and trace the lines of the stone carver.

Lush gardens were thought to be present here. Above, the round darkened depressions are where ancient trees once stood. The remains of the trunk of one such tree still remains nearby, said to have been planted during the reign of Queen Nefertiti.

Interior of one burial chamber with entrance to another room. Many such rooms are present here.

3,500 year old paint still intact.

Some art work is beautifully preserved such as in this chamber.

Only after successfully overcoming the three-headed snake at right can the King (left) be allowed into the afterlife via the shaft to the burial chamber he stands upon.

On our way to enter the spectacular mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Temples were built to honor rulers, to honor gods, or to celebrate afterlife, as in the temple above, which contains chambers for high priests, embalmers, and others.

Our guide, Tarek, gives us a history lesson at the Valley of the Kings.

Spectacular statues adorn, or perhaps guard, the entrance to the mortuary temple.

Archaeological dig site at the mortuary temple. The excavated pieces have been unearthed in just the past 6 months, Tarek explains. It is now the job of archaeolgists to figure out what each piece represents, then try to put them all back together.

March 12, 2020

A strong wind sends very fine sand billowing through the air. The view from the deck of our small cruise ship–a boat that has seen better days–is murky. A sand storm. It looks like dense fog. It irritates our lungs, and burns our eyes and nostrils.

Meanwhile in far-away Cairo which we departed at 3:30 this morning, they have closed schools and businesses in anticipation of record-breaking rain–up to 300 centimeters forecast for today, this in a county that never exceeds 30 centimeters in a year.

Our guide for this part of the journey is Tarek. He is mild-mannered and funny. Wearing a light cotton sport coat and a white shirt he explains that he has never seen Luxor without sun. Today must be our day, and I am glad as I step into the tour van that I have brought along a thin scarf to cover my eyes and mouth. We are to visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor.

Our group assignment is to outmaneuver the numerous “crockodile alleys” where hawkers of every conceivable trinket employ us to part with any money we possess. The exercise is worth it, however, and for the next several hours Terak guides us through pillared stone ruins that leave us jaw-dropped and awe struck.

King Tutankhamen and his first wife, also his sister.

Hieroglyphic inscriptions tell the story of slave captives, a warning not to mess with the present ruler at Luxor. About 3,000 BC.

Wall at an Egyptian temple at Karnak, which later was held and renovated by Christians, still later by Muslims. Three architectural types expressed by their windows installed at different points in history, thousands of years apart.

Looking up toward the high-storied roof of one temple, remnants of vividly colored paint. These temples, sacred places built by generations of Egyptian rulers over thousands of years, must have been beautifully decorated.

The temples of Karnak and Luxor were linked by an avenue about 2 1/2 km long, lined on each side by 1,200 carved sphinx statues.

One of the most amazing feats of architectural splendor is the pillared temple at Luxor.

This handsome fellow is our security escort. He is armed with a fully automatic Ouzi-type weapon holstered under his jacket.

The Next Big Thing: Egypt 2020

It is March 11, I think. One so bleary-eyed can never be sure of the date after the long travel route here, the connections, security checks, the dog-sniffing security patrols, customs, immigration, baggage, meet the tour guide, and on and on. Same stuff, different country. Oh, and they have added a new stop, the health check, an infrared thermometer pointed at your forehead to pick out any would-be Coranovirus-Mary’s.

Our guide, Remon, is a young, handsome, very tall, slender gentleman. He is wearing a blue suit and wingtip shoes, a gold bracelet on his left hand. He has very lovely olive skin. As he introduces himself he welcomes us to Egypt and refers to us as ” very precious treasures”, our value is greatly increased because we had the remarkable courage (or stupidity as it were) to not cancel our travel plan in the midst of the worldwide pandemic unfolding as I write. Like it or not, we are here, about 20 in my group of precious people. Remon says early in his introduction to us ” I promise you to make you enjoy this trip”.

He provides the details of our itinerary as the bus wields its way through the dense Cairo traffic pattern–a mish-mash of converging vehicles that do not seem to observe any logical pattern whatsoever, therefore, updating my definition of “bad drivers”. Still, we arrive intact at our stately hotel where we work out the complicated instructions of the tipping protocol under Remon’s knowledgable tutelage: $1 per day per porter times 4 trips, same for the bus driver, $5 per day for him, etc. It seems a complicated scam, but overall a convenient way to work things out, assure everybody a cut, and get it over with.

Tomorrow we climb aboard the 4-day cruise down the Nile. For now, I am happy to place my weary eyes against my binoculars and search the landscape for birds, any birds that define this arid country. Below the view from my private balcony which includes a view of the Nile.

Saying Farewell

I sink into my seat and settle in for the taxi ride back to Noi Bai Airport for my destination home. Rested after a final night out on the town last evening, which consisted of Italian street food, Vietnamese coffee, and the smoke and light show of the Saturday night street performers. It is quite a spectacle and everybody shows up for this weekly bit of fun; grandmothers with infants in tow, teens smartly dressed as hand-holding couples or giggling bunches of tenage girls, all screaming at the stage, and waving flourescent glow-in-the-dark plastic tubes. It is an easy event to enjoy because they have closed off the street to traffic so the very large and boisterous crowd can relax.

I find myself a little sad at the prospect of leaving, a predicament that causes my thoughts to come into sharp focus. Here on the early morning ride the city is awakening to blue skies and more insidious humidity. Store fronts begin to open their doors and I can see motor bikes parked inside alongside store inventory safely off the street. We pass by the flower markets decked out in a mass array of color, past the army guards changing shift at the Ministry of Economics, over a massive steel bridge with repeating geometric arches and cables that provide a visual perspective making it appear endless. Then on to the main highway, a modern road, part of the former Ho Chi Minh Trail. They are burning rice fields today and smoke billows around the taxi in a low cloud.

My visit here has been such a rich cultural and personal journey I can hardly believe I arrived here just 3 weeks ago. It seems like years have passed, during which time this place has become part of me in a way few places do.

But friends and family are what always bring me back with a smile, and soon I will be home again, chattering endlessly of the things I could not describe here. I look forward to that. Thank you again for sharing this journey with me.

Addendum: At my first connection in the US, the Customs Agent says, “Welcome back to America”. His words touch me like nothing else can and i have to supress my tears. Home!

Big honkin jungle spiders!

Butterflies by the hundreds!

Ferns as big as my house!

Lizards and things.

More big honkin spiders!

Can you pick out the Walking Stick?

I Take Time for Nature

On my final sightseeing day I arrange for an overnight to Cuc Phuong National Park. To meet up with the tour I am required to be taken by motorbike to my lodging. Backup! What?? I reluctantly climb on the back of the motorbike, hold on to my driver who is holding on to my suitcase with one hand and his cell phone in the other, and before we head out I say to him “Just don’t kill me”. Of course, he laughs, thinking this is a joke.

Actually, the same thing occurred yesterday when my plans changed at the last minute, so I am a veteran on motorbike passengering now. In fact, the view is very different from the back seat. The ride feels slow, centrifugal force is non-existent, and I survived. Both times.

I am getting used to the ways of this country, honored to have been here for 3 whole weeks, and feeling meloncholy at the prospect of departing in 2 days.

I make the best of my day by visiting a few more temples, befriending people from Japan, and Latvia, and seeing some birds new to me, including 2 spectacular cranes. So I am all primed and ready to do some birding tomorrow, fueled this evening by a lovely dinner of fried spring rolls, rice, deep fried bamboo, potato wedges, sauteed bok choy, and chicken with vegetables, elegantly arranged on a platter for me by the wife of the owner of the Tam Coc Garden Homestay where I am spending the night.

The place is off the main road, down a few alleys, past a rice paddy or two, and at the end of a cement street of mostly poor homes. I venture off the Homestay grounds and quickly find myself the focal point of the neighborhood. One woman stops on her motorbike and attempts to sell me a massage, which I politely decline. A man eyes my binoculars and bursts into laughter, calls his wife to the porch and now they are both quite hysterical. I show him my bird field guide to assure him my binoculars are for watching birds, not for peeking into windows, but upon seeing the pages and pages of different birds he laughs even harder. I turn back to the street, embarrassed, and head back to the Homestay, all the while patiently reminding myself I am in a land I do not yet understand and who does not understand me.

Elena from Latvia communing with a water buffalo at Hoa Lu Temple. She and her handsome friend, Janis, have convinced me to put Latvia on my bucket list.

Stage for water puppet show.

Lovely, meditative pond.

View from Tam Coc Garden Homestay. In early morning, wild mountain goats are seen maneuvering the impossibly steep limestone karst cliffs seen in the background just above the rooftop.

Bits And Pieces

On things I find interesting here.

* In rural areas they bury their dead in the garden, in the fields, right next to the vegetable gardens or in the rice paddies.

* I have not met a Vietnamese person who understands the concept of conservation of natural resources, recycling, or why littering is unsightly to visitors. But they are all interested in this point of view.

* Birding here is not understood or practiced, but “ecotourism” is beginning to take shape here and there.

* Women visitors are addressed as madam. As in ” Would madam like coffee?”

* Shop owners live behind the storefront of their businesses. The ” back room” of the shop usually being the bedroom or living room. Some of these digs are very rough, some more elaborate. But everyone has a television, including the family we had built the house for.

* City planning is an unknown art in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, and bicycle shops are next to outdoor butchers, which are next to houses, which are next to an informal garbage dump, which is next to a community garden containing a family burial site, etc.

* In each financial transaction I have made, whether paying a hotel bill, making a purchase at a shop, purchasing a ticket to a show, or paying a restaurant tab, two or more people are involved–one to collect the money, another to observe or assist the first person. This appears to be more a cultural norm owing to the strong sense of community here rather than in place to avoid company losses. At one tourist shop, 4 women took and processed my payment together.

* There is Old Hanoi and across the river a newly emerging new Hanoi, replete with fancy homes, clean streets, and what appear to be nicely planned new neighborhoods under construction. Everywhere in the country that I have visited, new or old city, there is infrastructure being built or rebuilt, old buildings being removed, and new construction happening.

* If you should be so lucky to visit Old Hanoi, be sure to have some food at the place locally known as “Bun Cha Obama”, a noodle house where the First Family dined during the last year of his presidency. It would be akin to the Vietnamese president dining at Burger King. They are very proud of Buncha Obama’s, and yes, I did eat there. The bun cha is pretty good.

* At a park surrounding a popular lake in the old city, visitors who do not look Asian will be approached by young people with clip boards. Not to worry, they just want to practice their English by asking you a series of homework questions. Also used as learning tools are Youtube, American movies and music videos, and American TV shows. English is now taught in all schools here beginning at an early age.

* At the heart of Vietnamese economy is textile manufacturing, and one can observe rows of long buildings along the highway. Many Vietnamese leave their homes for months and years at a time to earn a living in the cities; leaving behind their small children whom they may see monthly or less often, depending on the distance. Often, both parents take such jobs, leaving droves of ” temporary orphan children” with other family members.

* Land for a small house here costs about $20k US and the construction and furnishing of a small home about $30-40k more. The bank might lend some of this, but most couples work and save the money for this, taking up to several years.

Would I return to Vietnam? Absolutely, yes!