Egypt and the Eternal Nile
Day 12 31 March 2019
Our Last Day in Egypt!
Another Fantastic Lunch
Farewell Cocktail Party and Dinner
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The day dawned cool, windy and overcast
This is the amazing view of the Nile from our room at the Fairmont Nile City! |
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Just as amazing is the breakfast spread!
The hot food is in front and back in the back is an omelette/eggs to order station! |
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| This table had all kinds of yogurts, fruits, blends, you name it! |
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My little corner of the world!
Back wall, right side half way down - Awesome Croissants! |
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| On the road - still kind of a "glommy" day |
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Memphis was a big city and dates to the beginning of Egypt.
But it was lost - buried for centuries |
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| The current museum grounds are a small fraction of ancient Memphis |
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| This display shows what is available to see today |
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| Signage was excellent! |
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| Text from sign above blown up |
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| Locating and excavating Memphis was (is) a tremendous effort |
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| Add caption |
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| No one figured they'd need jackets in Egypt! |
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| A nice walk around the area of display |
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| Judy and Bob give their "dogs" a rest |
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| Walk like an Egyptian |
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| Back on the road - behind a "cattle truck"! |
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From Saqqara, several pyramids are visible in the distance.
The far one appears to be the second we saw the first day in Giza! |
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| The ubiquitous camel! |
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| Not just cold but really windy! |
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You know how some times it looks like an opening is REALLY short but then when people get close, it's not that tiny? Not here! I was doubled over - "duck" walking most of the way.
I remember very little about the inside other than it was TINY! |
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| That's more like it! Headroom! |
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| In the background is the step pyramid we're headed for next but in front of it was one of dozens of mounds that made up tombs and pyramids. (Turns out a pyramid is a Kings tomb, All the rest are mastabas - tombs for everyone else!) |
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Everywhere we went we had a security guard. You can't see because of his jacket, but these guys packed some serious "heat," usually a 9mm semi-auto or full auto with high capacity magazines. Our guard changed often and this man was especially helpful in taking photos, etc.
His devotion to prayer is evident in the mark from the ground or prayer mat on his forehead.
I asked one of them how often they go to the practice range and he said every few weeks. Hope that's true. |
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| The step pyramid was under repair. |
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We seldom saw machinery in use.
Lots of good old fashion muscle and elbow grease! |
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| Many of these sites have Egyptians that will offer to dress tourist in decorative costumes and take photos - then ask for $10-20 fee! They are VERY persistent and dealing with them was not something I'll miss! |
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Lots of dogs!
And they all looked just like this one! |
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And the ubiquitous camel/horse rides!
Mike told the "guides" who offered him a ride he couldn't get on, so (I'm told) they picked him up (against his will) to put him on the camel! These guys are not fun to deal with! |
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| The wall around the step pyramid was the first large scale structural use of stone block as a building material! |
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| The walls are several yards thick! |
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| Inside the door are decorative, non-functioning stone doors complete with decorative, non-functioning hinges! |
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| Ceilings then were of hewn logs. So, they shaped the cap stones for the ceiling to look like logs! |
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| The visitor then encounters a long colonnade |
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| But with insufficient experience with stone as a building material, they carried the stone pillars all the way to the wall |
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| Creating little alcoves |
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| Capped with stones shaped to look like logs |
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Saqqara is huge! Hundreds of tombs!
Looking south from the step pyramid |
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| Part of the wall around the step pyramid |
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| Sara, Bob, and Nancy |
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Until a little over a hundred years ago, the Nile flooded annually and deposited rich silt all over the Nile Delta. Now, irrigation canals bring the water but not the silt. Egypt is just now starting to grapple with:
a) the lack of rich nutrients that came with the silt and
b) the build up of silt in Lake Nasser |
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| Pigeon towers (roosts) for raising and training pigeons |
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Many interesting sights from the bus.
Friendly people |
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A bridge that once spanned the Nile
(The river moved!) |
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Large palm tree "forests" are evident in this region
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This area is dotted with Carpet Schools
We stopped at one |
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| Very handsome grounds |
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Vallee makes a new friend!
The boys are supposed to be eleven (I think that's what they said) but this youngster is no where close to that! Turns out he is a brother of a student |
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There boys hand tie threads faster than your eye can follow!
They had him slow way down for a couple of times just to show us |
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Then they show the carpets.
I think I heard "No Pressure" 50 times!
Several of our friends bought rugs of various size.
The silk rugs were particularly fascinating in that they had a vastly different sheen or "darkness" when viewed in one direction or another! Viewed from one side a rug might look silvery and when viewed from the other end, gray or brown! |
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Hassan took us to another interesting place to eat.
This tower was to be the restaurant but was never completed!
We ate in the structures to the right! |
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| We were one of several tour groups (of all nationalities) eating lunch here |
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| This woman baked the bread we had for lunch in a stone hearth oven |
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She demonstrated how she coated the dough with (I think) wheat chaff - the outer hulls - to keep them just slightly off the stone. Anyway, they puff way up and are fabulous hot!
I took one after it had cooled and it was crispy like a chip! |
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| She then demonstrated ululation - a loud trill done with the throat and tongue. Hassan stated that it is said that women must learn this as a child or they cannot do it as an adult! |
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On the road home, we pass the Cairo Museum.
Seems like such a long time since we were there! |
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| And the Cairo Tower |
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| We went to the top floor of the hotel to see if we could see the pyramids (look to the left of the Cairo Tower) |
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| This shows them a little better |
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That evening, Hassan met us in the lounge and we had a wonderful gathering followed by a wonderful dinner of beef tips.
At the gathering, Hassan asked us to each share what stood out for us as a special memory.
For me it was lunch with the farmer (Achmed) and his family.
For Theresa it was Hasan's attention to every minute detail, his storehouse of knowledge, and his very evident love for Egypt!
(Thanks to George Gannaway for this photo)
Unfortunately, I have no photo of the dinner.
If you have a photo and send it to me, I'll add it. |
Some of our travelers had to leave the hotel shortly after midnight. We were able to sleep in a little to catch our 8:45 flight to Istanbul.
We arrived back in Chicago pretty much on schedule (Turkish Airlines was pretty nice). Mike's car was safe and sound. I got some good sleep on the plane and was fresh to drive home. Mike and Janet stayed a couple of days before heading west to Colorado
I hope you have enjoyed this blog.
I hope you'll leave a comment.
Until we meet again, habibi!
(Hassan's greeting to us - loosely translated "darling" or "loved one")
