[Bashies] I'm back from Egypt!
Vikki
bashies@theonering.net
Tue, 5 Nov 2002 18:22:09 -0800
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Oooo! Luin! Sounds AWESOME! Go you!
:) Nim
----- Original Message -----=20
From: luinfalathiel=20
To: bashies@theonering.net=20
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 4:07 PM
Subject: [Bashies] I'm back from Egypt!
Some of you may have seen this - I posted it on TORn's main message =
board yesterday afternoon - but for those of you who don't check there, =
here's my story ....=20
Hope you were all behaving yourselves while I was away. I saw no LOTR =
material over there ... in fact, I'm ashamed to say that there were days =
when I didn't even think about it (gasp)! ;)=20
This will be a shortish report, because if I tried to tell you =
everything I might just crash the server. I will be putting my pix up on =
my site in a few days when I get my 10 rolls (!) of film developed.=20
It's an incredible country. The people (ordinary Egyptians, that is, =
not the DARNED SHOP VENDORS) are really friendly, especially the =
children, who are always shouting "Hello, welcome to Egypt!" and want to =
shake your hand.=20
You may be interested to hear that a man offered 300,000 camels for my =
hand in marriage. Considering that a decent camel is worth $1000 Cdn or =
so, it's nice to know that I'm so highly valued. ;) Although another of =
our party was offered 200,000 camels and two small elephants.=20
I got to go inside the pyramid of Chephren, the second largest one. =
(The Great Pyramid was closed that day, they open them on a rotating =
basis.) DO NOT go in there if you have even a weeee bit of =
claustrophobia. The entrance passage is very steeply slanted downward =
and you have to do it all at a crouch, because it's only about 3 x 3.5 =
feet. Plus, it's amazingly stuffy and hot because it's a big stone =
monument stuffed with sweating tourists. Amazing though, the walls are =
so smooth that you can barely see where the stones have been fitted =
together. Inside, that is. Outside of course they are very heavily =
weathered.=20
The Sphinx is actually down a hill from Chephren's pyramid, it used to =
sit very close to the banks of the Nile when it would flood. Traces of =
the original paint can still be seen on the headdress. I was very moved =
to see the Sphinx with the pyramids in the background just like in the =
books and on TV!!!! *sigh*=20
Do not rent a car in Cairo unless you have superhuman reflexes. There =
don't seem to be any particular rules of the road. No one uses brakes, =
no one signals - a small toot of the horn and they shoot into a small =
space in front of someone else ... plus there are pedestrians leaping =
out at random, donkey carts, dogs, cats .... I was glad that we were =
with an experienced Egyptian driver at all times!!! There is also no =
real check on car emissions, so the pollution there is VERY bad.=20
The Egyptian Museum is amazing, if a little confusing, a lot of things =
are poorly labelled or not identified at all. If you spent one minute in =
front of every exhibit, it would take you NINE MONTHS to see everything. =
Gazed upon the mask of Tutankhamun. It's a mesmerizing piece of work, =
it was hard to tear myself away from it. The treasure of his tomb is =
magnificent. The loveliest thing for me though was the little bouquet of =
flowers that had been left on his coffin by his queen ....=20
We only spent one day in Alexandria, and unfortunately it was the one =
day that the new library was CLOSED!! We only got to see it from the =
outside. Well, I plan to go back at some point anyways. :) Still =
disappointed though. But walking along the beach under a full moon with =
my toes in the warm Mediterranean made up for it a little.=20
After Alex, up to Luxor by train. The Valley of the Kings was awesome. =
We rode donkeys most of the way. Had to walk over the top of a ridge, it =
was very steep and hot, I'd say it was about 31 degrees C by 9am and =
climbing fast. We visited three tombs - Ramses IX, Ramses III and Prince =
Merneptah. Tut's tomb was an extra 40 Egyptian pounds (about $15 Cdn) =
but I didn't go in because it's not one of the best tombs in the valley, =
historic though it may be.=20
The Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's most powerful queens, is =
gorgeous. The thing that astonishes me the most is the paint that still =
remains on a lot of these 3000 year old walls that are outside in the =
sun and wind! The Temple of Karnak was the same, just astonishing.=20
If you get to Luxor you MUST visit the Valley of the Queens and the =
tomb of Nefertari, the favorite wife of Rameses II (Rameses the Great). =
It looks like it was just done last week. Jewel-like colours on the =
walls. Her name means "the most beautiful one" and she was obviously a =
lovely woman.=20
Took a boat up the Nile to Aswan. I think Aswan was my fave part of =
the trip, it is a really relaxing place, not so touristy as the cities =
everyone wants to see. Still a fair number of vendors in the bazaar =
yelling "Lady! Hey, lady! Excuse me! Special price for you! Lady! Lady! =
Hello!" *grumble* We took a felucca ride around Elephantine Island =
(singing old sea shanties, much to the amusement of our boatman and =
other locals!) which concluded with sunset over the Western Desert.=20
Also, we rode camels over the desert to the Monastery of St. Simeon, =
from the 6th century CE. They were all killed by the Bedouin and the =
monastery was destroyed, but you can still see the paintings of the =
saints in corners. My camel's name was Bibi. We got along pretty well. =
:)=20
Abu Simbel is amazing again ... the Temple of Philae .... there is =
soooooo much more I could tell you .... if you get a chance to go DO =
IT!!!=20
I'm going to stop this report now because I'm pretty jet-lagged. As =
much fun as I had, it's good to be home.=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Oooo! Luin! Sounds =
AWESOME! Go=20
you!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>:) Nim</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dluinfalathiel@yahoo.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:luinfalathiel@yahoo.ca">luinfalathiel</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dbashies@theonering.net=20
href=3D"mailto:bashies@theonering.net">bashies@theonering.net</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, November 04, 2002 =
4:07=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bashies] I'm back =
from=20
Egypt!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<P>Some of you may have seen this - I posted it on TORn's main message =
board=20
yesterday afternoon - but for those of you who don't check there, =
here's my=20
story ....=20
<P>Hope you were all behaving yourselves while I was away. I saw no =
LOTR=20
material over there ... in fact, I'm ashamed to say that there were =
days when=20
I didn't even think about it (gasp)! ;)=20
<P>This will be a shortish report, because if I tried to tell you =
everything I=20
might just crash the server. I will be putting my pix up on my site in =
a few=20
days when I get my 10 rolls (!) of film developed.=20
<P>It's an incredible country. The people (ordinary Egyptians, that =
is, not=20
the DARNED SHOP VENDORS) are really friendly, especially the children, =
who are=20
always shouting "Hello, welcome to Egypt!" and want to shake your =
hand.=20
<P>You may be interested to hear that a man offered 300,000 camels for =
my hand=20
in marriage. Considering that a decent camel is worth $1000 Cdn or so, =
it's=20
nice to know that I'm so highly valued. ;) Although another of our =
party was=20
offered 200,000 camels and two small elephants.=20
<P>I got to go inside the pyramid of Chephren, the second largest one. =
(The=20
Great Pyramid was closed that day, they open them on a rotating =
basis.) DO NOT=20
go in there if you have even a weeee bit of claustrophobia. The =
entrance=20
passage is very steeply slanted downward and you have to do it all at =
a=20
crouch, because it's only about 3 x 3.5 feet. Plus, it's amazingly =
stuffy and=20
hot because it's a big stone monument stuffed with sweating tourists. =
Amazing=20
though, the walls are so smooth that you can barely see where the =
stones have=20
been fitted together. Inside, that is. Outside of course they are very =
heavily=20
weathered.=20
<P>The Sphinx is actually down a hill from Chephren's pyramid, it used =
to sit=20
very close to the banks of the Nile when it would flood. Traces of the =
original paint can still be seen on the headdress. I was very moved to =
see the=20
Sphinx with the pyramids in the background just like in the books and =
on=20
TV!!!! *sigh*=20
<P>Do not rent a car in Cairo unless you have superhuman reflexes. =
There don't=20
seem to be any particular rules of the road. No one uses brakes, no =
one=20
signals - a small toot of the horn and they shoot into a small space =
in front=20
of someone else ... plus there are pedestrians leaping out at random, =
donkey=20
carts, dogs, cats .... I was glad that we were with an experienced =
Egyptian=20
driver at all times!!! There is also no real check on car emissions, =
so the=20
pollution there is VERY bad.=20
<P>The Egyptian Museum is amazing, if a little confusing, a lot of =
things are=20
poorly labelled or not identified at all. If you spent one minute in =
front of=20
every exhibit, it would take you NINE MONTHS to see everything.=20
<P>Gazed upon the mask of Tutankhamun. It's a mesmerizing piece of =
work, it=20
was hard to tear myself away from it. The treasure of his tomb is =
magnificent.=20
The loveliest thing for me though was the little bouquet of flowers =
that had=20
been left on his coffin by his queen ....=20
<P>We only spent one day in Alexandria, and unfortunately it was the =
one day=20
that the new library was CLOSED!! We only got to see it from the =
outside.=20
Well, I plan to go back at some point anyways. :) Still disappointed =
though.=20
But walking along the beach under a full moon with my toes in the warm =
Mediterranean made up for it a little.=20
<P>After Alex, up to Luxor by train. The Valley of the Kings was =
awesome. We=20
rode donkeys most of the way. Had to walk over the top of a ridge, it =
was very=20
steep and hot, I'd say it was about 31 degrees C by 9am and climbing =
fast. We=20
visited three tombs - Ramses IX, Ramses III and Prince Merneptah. =
Tut's tomb=20
was an extra 40 Egyptian pounds (about $15 Cdn) but I didn't go in =
because=20
it's not one of the best tombs in the valley, historic though it may =
be.=20
<P>The Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's most powerful queens, is =
gorgeous.=20
The thing that astonishes me the most is the paint that still remains =
on a lot=20
of these 3000 year old walls that are outside in the sun and wind! The =
Temple=20
of Karnak was the same, just astonishing.=20
<P>If you get to Luxor you MUST visit the Valley of the Queens and the =
tomb of=20
Nefertari, the favorite wife of Rameses II (Rameses the Great). It =
looks like=20
it was just done last week. Jewel-like colours on the walls. Her name =
means=20
"the most beautiful one" and she was obviously a lovely woman.=20
<P>Took a boat up the Nile to Aswan. I think Aswan was my fave part of =
the=20
trip, it is a really relaxing place, not so touristy as the cities =
everyone=20
wants to see. Still a fair number of vendors in the bazaar yelling =
"Lady! Hey,=20
lady! Excuse me! Special price for you! Lady! Lady! Hello!" *grumble* =
We took=20
a felucca ride around Elephantine Island (singing old sea shanties, =
much to=20
the amusement of our boatman and other locals!) which concluded with =
sunset=20
over the Western Desert.=20
<P>Also, we rode camels over the desert to the Monastery of St. =
Simeon, from=20
the 6th century CE. They were all killed by the Bedouin and the =
monastery was=20
destroyed, but you can still see the paintings of the saints in =
corners. My=20
camel's name was Bibi. We got along pretty well. :)=20
<P>Abu Simbel is amazing again ... the Temple of Philae .... there is =
soooooo=20
much more I could tell you .... if you get a chance to go DO IT!!!=20
<P>I'm going to stop this report now because I'm pretty jet-lagged. As =
much=20
fun as I had, it's good to be home. </P>
<P><BR>
<HR SIZE=3D1>
Post your free ad now! <A =
href=3D"http://ca.personals.yahoo.com/"><B>Yahoo!=20
Canada Personals</B></A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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