Egypt

We have just left Egypt and arrived in Jordan after 2 wonderful weeks. We learned so much from our fantastic guide Fawsey (rhymes with lousy) and from observing this country. Some impressions: Cairo - huge, teeming with people and cars, dirty with garbage and smog, a mix of old and new, minarets everywhere, the call to prayer 5 times a day, BMWs and donkey carts on the same freeways, safe (except to drive in), friendly, international; the Nile - lifeblood of Egypt for thousands of years, farmers working their fields as they have for hundreds of years, fishermen, garbage floating by, at the water's edge can be deserts or fields or caves or cities, pump stations, cattle, water buffalo, peaceful.

We were struck by the security measures that the Egyptian government has taken to make tourists feel safe. Our hotel had a gate where every vehicle entering was stopped and inspected by a guard and a dog. Once we disembarked from the bus, to enter the hotel we had to go through a security station with an x ray machine for bags and a walk through for people. Our bus was accompanied everywhere by someone from the "tourist police", always armed. Our cruise ship was guarded by the tourist police also with armed guards stationed at the stairs to the gangplank. You may recall that some tourists were killed in 1997 at the pyramids and since then these measures have been in force. There was also a peacefulness to Egypt that we did not feel in Israel; a kind of harmony that was missing before.

Egypt is about 88% Muslim and 12% Christian. The Coptic Christian church is very interesting; they broke away from Roman and the Eastern Orthodox church early on. St. Mark is honored as their founder. Much is made of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus' flight to Egypt right after His birth and we visited the church where the Holy family is supposed to have been sheltered (St. Sergus' church in Cairo). As with the Russian Orthodox church and others, the Coptic church has its saints and relics, many of which we saw. We took an interesting tour one morning called Spiritual Cairo. It took us to 2 Coptic churches, a synagogue and a mosque. Fawsey did a great job of presenting each site. At the Mohammed Aly mosque, we went inside and he explained the basics of Islam to us. As a Moslem man, he was able to answer questions clearly and dispel our various misconceptions. The Moslems and Jews have so much in common in their faiths! Too bad that the political situation hasn't been resolved among these people who are so alike in so many ways.

We saw many temples, tombs and museums. Our favorites would have to include Giza (the pyramids and sphinx), the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel. Each site seemed to be more impressive than the last; the carving and painting were consistently precise and beautiful and thousands of years old! Thank goodness the sand often buried and thus preserved these amazing structures. Luxor was a great first stop on our cruise portion of the trip. The museum was relatively small but had some great treasures in it, one of which was the original plan for construction of a pyramid! The temple ruins were jaw dropping, especially at sunset when we were there. Karnack was another impressive sight. We went first on an optional tour which included a sound and light show and a walk through the softly lit columns at night as well as a half hour carriage ride back to the boat. We went in two person horse buggies and went through the back streets of Luxor where the townspeople live. It was a lively scene, with markets open and people out and about. A day later, we went through the ruins with our guide and he pointed out the things we could not see at night at this great temple built in honor of Amun Ra. At Sakara, we saw the oldest pyramid, built 4700 years ago by a brilliant man named Imhotep who was an architect, physician and scientist.

I loved Egypt! I still speak little Arabic and so I'm glad we were with a tour. We experienced a culture so different than our own but also very inviting. I would recommend visiting Egypt to anyone willing to step out of their comfort zone a bit. It is a rich and rewarding experience! And lying in the sun next to the pool on the upper deck in 80 + degree temperatures in November isn't bad either!

Photos: Mohammed Aly mosque, Cairo; school kids on a field trip, traditional Nile boat called a felucca, Jon and Fawsey, Ramses II statue outside temple at Abu Simbel.