The last leg

Hi All,

I write this from Cairo. We arrived back here yesterday afternoon after spending two and a half days in Alexandria along the Mediterranean. I myself enjoyed Alexandria, mostly because I love exploring any place that is new to me. I think (No, I know) the girls were sorry we left our beautiful and relaxing surroundings in Luxor. They would have enjoyed spending our last few days there.

As I think I mentioned, our Egyptian friend Samah (Sam) accompanied us on this leg of the journey, traveling with us by train and arriving in Alexandria on Thursday afternoon. Alexandria is a city of about 3.5 million I think, stretching for 15 miles along the coastline. Although it has a long and storied past, there is very little evidence of it's history. It was founded by the Roman Emperor Alexander the Great and has been conquered and reconquered many times since then. It is probably most famous for it's library, which was one of the ancient wonders of the world, and housing a huge repository of ancient texts. I believe it was burned by the christians, when they took their turn at ruling the area (more homework to do when I return home). It was also the home of the Pharos lighthouse, which guided captains into the harbor here.

They have recently rebuilt a library, which we visited (only the outside, it was closed). It is an impressive structure, built in a semicircular shape tilted out of the ground, representing the rising sun. But I suspect it doesn't hold a candle to the original.

Out hotel overlooked the sea, which is nice, except that it is also noisy, having the Corniche running right below. We have slept with earplugs on numerous occasions on the trip. We have stayed mostly in what would be considered mid-range hotels, which there are not alot of here - plenty of low and high end options. Most have run between $8 and 12/night per person. The hotel we stayed at in Luxor, which was recently built and very nice, ran $40/night for a double room.

The lower end hotels are not what we've come to expect by western standards. Most are on the upper floors of apartment buildings that were built at the turn of the last century, when Egypt was getting alot of attention worldwide for the incredible artifacts that were being uncovered here. You can see how these might have been grand buildings in their day, but now most are incredibly run down and dingy, not having been maintained to any great degree for what appears decades. So, they are a little dark and dirty, but they serve our needs well enough and add to the experience. Honestly, I would much rather stay here than in any of the 4 and 5 star hotels that are present in all of the cities we've visited. It adds to the experience and we don't have to deal with too many other tourists.

We've tried for the most part to respect the cultural differences here. The girls were concerned about the norms for dress, and brought along modest clothes (pants or long skirts), and even headscarves, out of respect. I've worn pants most days, even though shorts would have been more comfortable. Depending on where we've been, this has or hasn't been an issue. Certainly, covering up has been necessary in some places, particularly when we are mixing it up with locals at the souqs (markets), in the mosques, walking through the non-touristed parts of villages and such. We got enough attention as it is, we didn't need to attract any more. And we've actually been somewhat flabbergasted by some of the outfits we've seen other tourists wearing (and I guarantee it's the only time I've complained about hotpants or a bright blue thong clearly visible from behind - I have pics :-) ). It seems the Italians (not surprising I guess) and the eastern Europeans have had the greatest potential for flaunting fashion norms here.

Anyway, back to our time in Alexandria. On Friday, Sofia and Sam went to the beach at Montazzah (about 15 km east of downtown) and Jane, Estelle and I went our separate way. We decided to hop the tram (streetcar) to take a little tour of the City on our way to visit Kom Ash Shaquarra, some Greco Roman tombs dating from the second century AD that are a short distance south of our hotel.

The guidebook had warned that some of the tram cars are reserved exclusively for women, and somehow we ended up on one anyway. I would have gotten off and onto the next car but the streets are so crowded and frantic, I was afraid we might not get back on. And I certainly wasn't going to separate from the girls. So, with my head hung low, I tried my best to be inconspicuous. To no avail, the ticket taker started reprimanding an old lady to give me her seat -this is the length the locals will go to accommodate Americans here - which she did, at my protest.

So, we proceeded first westward along the corniche, then south, and finally east again making three quarters of a loop, moving very slowly toward our stop. As we got farther along, it was becoming quite obvious we'd be moving out of the normal tourist areas and into a more local scene. More glances, some smiles, but mostly people going about their daily grind. And I use that term deliberately. The poverty was more prevelant here, in what is a very poor country.

The car got more crowded as we moved along. The scene outside quickly was getting a little rougher, as we passed through the freight terminal area (not in my guide book, I wonder why?). Still, no concern for our safety. We got off at our stop and proceeded south, toward our destination. The street was packed with vendors and such, as many streets are here. But this was not tourist oriented commerce. The goods were oriented towards locals - alot of cheap chinese made clothing, trinkets, etc. We made a few stops along the way and even bought a vest for Estelle. At every turn people say "Welcome" and "Where are you from?" becoming very excited when we acknowledge we are from America - "You are a very lucky man (sometimes nodding toward Jane and other times to Estelle), "America makes the best movies", "It is my dream to marry an American and come to your Country" (sorry, they're both taken), and "How many camels? (really, I've heard this dozens of times). Interestingly, it all seems good natured, and I do not take offense to it (Jane probably does).

All this attention has at times been difficult for Estelle (and for Jane sometimes). Many unsolicited pinches on the cheek, pats on the back, winks, and even a kiss on the lips on one or two occasions. But we've explained the context to her, and she has shown extreme patience. However, I think Sofia is just about at the end of her rope. For those of you who don't know her, she is 21 and I must say, quite attractive. She gets at least 5 marriage proposals a day (and most are dead serious). The kicker was when we completed the tour of the Al Ashur Mosque, our tour guide asked me for her hand in marriage (and no I didn't ask how many camels before politely declining!). At first, this was amusing, at some point during the trip it became a distraction and now, I think, an annoyance. She too though, has been very gracious and patient with her suitors.

So, as we walked through the market, we spied an open door with a courtyard beyond. Not going unnoticed, we were invited in to what was a school for teenage boys. We were offered a tour or the displays in the main hall, which consisted of a number of odd items - a sheep fetus, a stuffed squirrel and some human bones, among others. Many smiles and difficult exchange of friendly phrases, then abruptly the tour was ended and we were politely asked to leave.

We arrived at the entrance to the tombs hot, tired and hungry. We would have liked to stop for food, but we were not comfortable with the food prep hygiene given the environs. About that time, we were approached by an elderly gentleman who spoke good English, and who has relatives in the US. After some idle chatter, he offered Estelle a chocolate bar, which she eagerly accepted. Her batteries recharged, and our outlook hanged for the better, we went in to explore the tombs. One of many delightful interactions we've had here.

The tombs were quite interesting, and a little spooky, having been carved from the limestone some 40-50 feet underground, with passages and hallways branching of to more tombs, and even a large room which was evidently used by relatives of the deceased for celebration meals.

Once outside, we hailed a cab back to our hotel, and which I captured on video. Dodging though backstreets and alleys, dodging horsecarts, women with baskets on their heads, women with strollers, cars, trucks and just about every form of transport imaginable. These are some of my favorite experiences here.

We arrived in Cairo in the afternoon and went shopping in the evening. It seems much less frantic and foreign now, and we are much more at ease.

We hop a plane to Frankfurt later today, then a long layover before the non-stop back to Portland.

It has been an incredible trip and we'll need a few days to re-charge. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and we hope to see all of you soon. This trip has helped make us aware of all that we have to be thankful for, and often take for granted. It is one of the gifts of traveling.

With warm thoughts of home,

From Cairo, Egypt,

Tom, Jane, and Estelle.

A note from Estelle to Caryn and the class

Hi Caryn,
Thanks for writing to me. I hope you are doing well. We have been seeing so many new things. It is exciting, but very tiring too. The cab ride I took today was very fast and crazy. They had no seat belts!

We went to some greco-roman catechombs today which are underground. It was very deep and dark, but it was fun. They had lots of different stariways and passages that you could get lost in. I thought it was fun to look around them.

I was on an overnight train, I thought that was fun too because I got to sleep on the top bunk. There were two rooms that connected with a door. Me and my friend Sofia had a couple of visitors come in to our room unexpectedly. They were speaking in french. They said Sofia's suitcase was theirs. They almost took it.
I miss you and the class alot and I am hoping that you write to me again.

Please share this with the class.

Love Estelle

Tom and Jane

A few miscellaneous things

The traffic in Cairo is absoutely crazy. No traffic rules. No one uses their lights at night

The amount of attention we draw on the street can be overwhelming. Estelle is the only blond-haired, blue-eyed 7 yeard old on the streets - anywhere. In fact, we have only met one other American in our travels so far. This is actually refreshing. And the Egyptians have not only been accepting, they have been genuinely warm and welcoming.

The pollution in Cairo is quite disturbing. The air pollution is stifling and hangs over the City like a cloud. This is quite a change from Portland and Oregon. There is garbage strewn everywhere, in the City and in the countryside. This is understandable since the public services are just not what we have some to expect in the states. Also, when your focus is on getting by and feeding your family from day to day, this takes less of a priority I guess.

Among the seeming chaos, we feel quite safe here. Even with all the people approaching and trying to get us to buy something from them, we do not feel threatened. It is just their way, and when we refuse, they do not take it personally.

All for now.

Tom

The Sights in Luxor Egypt

I'm writing from Alexandria on the Mediterranean, where we arrived today. We rode the overnight train from Luxor, where we had spent the last 2 and a half days, to Cairo, then boarded another train to Alexandria. In Cairo, we re-connected with Samah, a new Egyptian friend, who has been very gracious to us during our stay. He has been immensely helpful in making sense of the many things are are not accustomed to here. More on that later.

But first, I need to fill you in on our adventures in Luxor, what was the ancient city of Thebes. There is an icredible concentration of sights, and history in this area. Some of the largest and most spectacular temples are here, along with the Valley of the Kings. This is where many of the mummies and tombs (including Tutankamen) have been found over the last 150 years or so.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the journey from Aswan to Luxor was difficult. So the following day the girls rested while I visited Luxor Temple (picture above) and Karnak, both of which lie within the bounds of the city. Can you imagine? Anyway, those were both incredible and I will have photos and stories to share when we return.

The following day, we rented a taxi for the day and went to to other sites in the West Bank of the Nile River. The first , the Valley of the Kings, was really amazing. None of us knew quite what to expect. There are a series of tombs in a rather concentrated area where a number of pharaos were buried over several hundred years. These are accessed by small passages, some of which extend quite far underground. Unfortunately, no pictures allowed. But many consist of several interconnected rooms, decorated in various fashion. Most of the riches were plundered by robbers, or other pharaos over the following decades and centuries. A few, including Tutankamen, lay undicovered until fairly recently.

Second, we visited Hedjthipsut temple, which is carved into the rock above the Nile Valley. Hedjthipsut was the wife of Ramses II, one of the longest lived pharaos of ancient Egypt. I believe he ruled for over 60 years and died at 96!

Estelle says hi to all her classmates and can't wait to share stories and pictures when we return.

My time is up on the computer, so must log off for now.

Tom

Tom

From Frustration to Fantastic

Hi All,

We had quite a day today. We had arranged for a private transport from Aswan to Luxor. This part of the road is controlled, a result of the terrorist activities which have occurred over the past ten years or so. I don't mean to overemphasize that part of it, but it is something we had to come to terms with before we came here. About 60 people were gunned down in Luxor in 1997 and a bombing occurred on the Sinai peninunsala as little as two years ago. So, as part of the governments efforts to minimize the risks, they control the traffic of foreigners - all travel must be part of a convoy, with a police escort, in this part of the country.

So today, we were part of a convoy. The funny part is, the travel in the convoy is pretty dangerous too with very high speeds, dodging in and out of traffic, etc. It also seems to me that a convoy is a bigger target.

Of course, the Egyptians have figured a way to target the passengers in the convoy, but just our pocketbooks. Whenever the convoy arrives - at the temple, market, roadside stop, the hucksters converge with a frenzy. For the first few days this is tolerable. But we were at the end of our patience today and they were extremely persistent. We almost lost our temper a couple times but remained calm. We remind ourselves they are just doing what they can to get by in this very poor country.

Anyway, after visits to Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples (spectacular!) we arrived in Luxor, hot and tired and hungry. Our van driver was not familiar with the geography and spent the next hour trying to get the 3-4 groups to their respective hotels. Of course, we were the last to be delivered. Actually, we were dropped off at the ferry for the Nile crossing, only to have to make our way through another convergence of hustlers on the west bank. When we finally got to our hotel, we were informed they did not have a room for us(1), but that they own another hotel a 2 minute walk up the street (suspicious). I thought the girls would lose it. Anyway, I did follow the owner and was amazed to find his other hotel a gem! It was recently built and is a step up from our accomodations thus far.

Within an hour we were in our swimsuits sipping Stellas poolside. Let's just say it was a welcome reprive after what we've been through so far. This is not a relaxing type of vacation. We have to be on our toes at all times. But I think we are all enjoying it nonetheless.

Aswan was beautiful and I have some good photos to share.

The next two days we spend in Luxor. So many sights we will have to choose what to see. Then on to Alexandria for two days before making our way back to Cairo and home.

Hope you are all well. We look forward to reconnecting when we return.

Second Day in aswan

Sorry, connections are too slow to post pics, so I'll have to show you when I return (I've since added some). This is a very picturesque place, for the most part. The physical setting is beautiful at Aswan. The Nile narrows down and flows areound several small islands. Fallokas and Nile cruisers compete for space.

We made a short trip to Philea temple today (pic left). Our first view of one of the many temples here. Quite amazing. The history is hard to comprehend - Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Christians, and Muslims have all left their mark here. The temples are quite impressive. Almost equally as impressive is the fact that the entire complex was moved to it's current location to save it from the rising waters behind the Aswan Dam! I can't fathom (pardon the pun) how this was accomplished.

Estelle and I took another Falooka ride, while Jane and Sofia braved the market. And I mean braved. The came back bags in hand and relatively unscathed, though they have to be aggressive in fending off pursuers. Harmless for the most part, but very persistent.

I have to relate a funny story about our falooka ride. Before departing, Jane asked me to make sure we had a life jacket for Estelle. I was skeptical they would have one, and admittedly also skeptical that we would need it. Nonetheless, I assured Jane I would ask our falooka driver.

We made our way down to the River and within 2 minutes had made a deal for a short trip around the island with a young "captain" and his brother. We departed quickly and maneuvered our way through the river traffic. Our captain was very quick to assure us about his credentials (flashing his falooka license, whatever that is) and let us know he was training his younger brother, who was 14. About 10 minutes into the trip he turned over the tiller to the younger. As we made our first tack, it was obvious we had made a wrong turn, a large barge was headed straight in our direction. We were no match for the barge - about 80 feet long. I immediately picked up Estelle and was fully prepared to jump in and swim for it. I should mention at this point that all the guide books recommend strongly NOT to come in contact with the Nile under any circumstances due to a variety of nasty bugs. The barge horn was blaring and the boat was getting larger in the horizon. I was starting to get concerned at this point and told Estelle we might have to jump for it. Fortunately, the barge driver was quick to react and had time to slow down. We still bumped one another, but not enough to upset our boat. Catastrophe avoided - and a story for when we return home.

We leave for Lucor early tomorrow, visiting Kom Ombe and Edfu Temples along the way.

So much to see here and so little time.

For now,

Tom

From Cairo to Aswan

We've seen so much in the last 3 or 4 days I can't recount it all, but will let you know we have arrived in Aswan for the next leg of our journey.

We spend the last two and a half days in Cairo catching a couple more sights and just absorbing all there is in just one little part of the City.

On wednesday we visited Khan al Kalili market, the famed market place which has been existence I believe since the 1300 or 1400s. Realy cool, amazing sites, and pretty heavily oriented towards tourists. But all in all an amazing place. The highlight of the day though was our visit to Al Ashur Mosque, just a short walk away. We arrived about 4:30 and took a tour of the complex. Our timing was perfect as we arrived at the top of the minaret - a colorful sunset and the call to prayer echoing over hundreds of loudspeakers at the same time. It was my first view looking out over the city and I will not forget it for quite a while. The photo on the left is from the Minaret looking over the City - Estelle with our tour guide.

Thursday we visited the Egyptian museum. It is enormous and outdated - 160,000 artifacts. Obviously more that we could take in in a few short hours (or in a week for that matter) but we caught the highlights for us, the mummy and King Tut exhibits.

Thursday night we caught the overnight train to Aswan, arriving this morning, somewhat rested. We spent a liesurely afternoon on the corniche taking lunch and then a sail on a Falooka.

That's all for now. I'll try and post a few pics, but not sure If I will be successful with a slow connection.

Tom

Pyramids of Giza

If you come to Egypt, you have to see them. The only remaining example from the seven ancient wonders of the world. An ancient and mystical place. I think most people envision the pyramids out in the middle of the desert, isolated and unchanged from when they were constructed over 4,000 years ago. Nothing could be further from the truth. The City runs right up to it. However, the sacred and magic isn't lost on anyone. Come see for yourself.

We traveled the last bit of the journey by camel and horseback. That was the one thing on Estelle's "must do" list. And she enjoyed herself thoroughly. I believe she understands pretty well how privileged we are to be here. Particularly with the constant reminders of how less fortunate others are. This is one of the main reasons I travel, so that I never take for granted the fortune I've inherited.

The Cairenes humble me with their humility and patience. The traffic and smog alone seem almost unbearable by our standards. Yet, they move about their daily lives with self-respect and respect for others. In two short days, we have made friends here. Sam, one of the hosts at our hotel, has been very gracious with his time and knowledge. Maybe one day we can return the favor.

Tom

Another post from Estelle

The food here is great. I think that riding on a camel is fun but a horse is better. My mom and dad kissed the sphynx in a picture, and so did I. I also met someone, his name is Abdu. I think he was trying to get our money. He offered for us to come to his house, but we did not go because we thought that was crazy.

Estelle

A post from Estelle to Classmates and Friends

I think the scenery here is beautiful. When I went to the pyramids I rode on a camel and a horse. I also saw the sphynx. The camel was very bumpy. When you get off it is freaky. She (or he) kneels down first on her front knees then her back knees. I love Egypt!

Estelle

Cairo Day 1 and 2

My first chance to post since arriving in Cairo on Sunday at 3am. Long, but uneventful journey - non-stop flight to Frankfurt, with a long layover, then another direct flight to Cairo. The picture on the left is the view from our balcony at Hotel Luna, our home base in Cairo. It is located on Talat Harb, in downtown Cairo, one of the busiest streets in the city and a shopping hub.

Yesterday, we rested and ventured out for a few hours in the evening. It didn't take long for us to meet our first street hustler - about 20 minutes. And as much as I like to consider myself savvy about these things, he took me in - and Jane and Sofia. I think Estelle read him better than the rest of us! By the end of the evening we had made plans to meet up with him the next day for a full day of touring. Fortunately, the staff at the hotel was wise to this particular guy and we decided against it. He is notorious for telling people the same story I guess, which involved spending time at his family farm . We did buy some perfume from his "cousin" and we'll see when we return if it is what he claims.

Cairo - from what little we've experienced it is everything I expected - and more. We are staying right in the heart of downtown Cairo. It's difficult to describe the level of activity here - traffic, noise, the street scene. I will try and post some pics later and those won't even do it justice. Narrow alleys off the main streets seem like you are stepping back in time. There is a layer of grime covering most everything that has settled over decades, if not centuries.

It is interesting to see old traditions existing side by side with the modern society. Women in Birkas next to others in western style dress - seeming to coexist without too much friction.

We spent our first full day taking a tour of the pyramids. We hired a driver (with van) and tour guide for the day - for a total of $60. We rode by camel and horseback to the Pyramids of Giza. Astounding, but also not surprisingly, heavily touristed. It will be a challenge, if not impossible, to get away from that. Everyone wants a piece of you here, that is, they want a few of the dollars you bring to spend. The Egyptians have their own, very civilized, way of doing it so you feel good about it, at least for a while.

So, we're trying to learn fast and figure out how to fashion our trip the way we want it. We'll see how successful we are. Tom