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May 2008

Much Aloha to all our friends.

Our trip was awesome and we cannot tell you how much we wish you could all have had the experience. Many were concerned for our safety while in Egypt and Israel but the security there made us feel safe and comfortable the entire trip.

We took close to two thousand photos so it has taken some time to edit them down to about 750 pictures that we hope you enjoy. Because there are so many I am breaking this presentation into 3 parts with the next two being posted over the next couple of weeks.

Print this page out to so you can follow along with the photos.

1. It was a beautiful day in Maui when we left.
2. We transferred to Continental Airlines in Honolulu for our flight to New York.
3.  I don’t remember Honolulu airport looking any different since the early 70’s.
4. Our plane was a 767, large and fairly comfortable considering a 10 hour flight.
5. As we were flying over Lake Erie we could see ice still on the lake. Huh?? Cold?
6. Approach to land at Newark.
7. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. Interesting and old looking.
8. Front of the Waldorf Astoria.
9. Looking down Park Avenue.
10. Apple Store is below ground with entrance on top.
11. FAO Schwarz is the greatest toy store I have ever seen. Lots of fun in here.
12. Central Park. It was early April and very cold. Where are the leaves?
13. We had to take a photo of Radio City as it is so famous.
14. I thought that parking was expensive in Honolulu. This is outrageous.
15. Cynthia thought to pack gloves and a scarf.
16. I had to buy gloves and a scarf. Freakin COLD. It was 38 at night and 42 daytime.
17. Approaching ground zero. It looks like another huge building project.
18. Artists rendering of what it will look like when completed.
19. Ground Zero construction project is at least five stories deep.
20. View from the Empire State Building.
21. This is the highest I have been without being in a plane.
22. Wall in the lobby of Empire State Building.
23. This is the Dakota where John Lennon was killed.
24. Cynthia used to live in the building next to the Dakota.
25. The squirrels hung out next to the nut vendors on the street. Yep, we fed some.
26. The Museum of Natural History was very cool.
27. If you like dinosaurs it was great.
28. I’m not sure we could do Turtle Rescue if they were still this big.
29. It was cold enough to do this in the street I think.
30. Central Park should be prettier on our return from Egypt. Maybe there will be leaves.
31. Cynthia didn’t seem to mind the cold, she loved New York.
32. I had never been to NYC so we tried out the subway. I don’t think the drummer was making too much that day.
33. I thought the subway was great, every crowded city should have one. Fast and efficient.
34. Times Square was very flashy. The lights were like Vegas in a weird dream.
35. You know its cold when steam gushes out of the ground.
36. I had never seen a public school that looked like an office entrance. No playground or the like. They just drop the kids off at the door.
37. Here is our Egypt Air getting ready for our 11 hour flight to Cairo.
38. As we were approaching Cairo which is 140 from the coast you can see that the entire Nile delta is covered with farmland.
39. As we get off the plane we start to get a feel for the place.
40. We were greeted by our new friend and guide Ashraf Kamal. He made all of our local arrangements and made our trip so easy and wonderful.
41. Still photos cannot show what driving in Cairo is like. The three lane road had five to six lanes of cars and white lines, traffic signs and crosswalks were only there for decoration. There is a constant sound of car horns but no one was honking from attitude. We never once saw anyone showing anger or frustration.
42. Our first view of the Nile as we head to our hotel.
43. Finally at our room at the Grand Hyatt Cairo. This is the best Hotel I have ever been in.
44. View of the pool from our room.
45. View of the Nile River from our room.
46. There were many small fishing boats working along the part of the river. I found it interesting that the oars resembled 2X6s for the most part.
47. One of the dinner cruise boats.
48. We finally noticed the pyramids through the smoky air. They were seven miles from us.
49. A small canal went around our hotel and along the boardwalk were many small sailing boats called Feluccas.
50. This seemed to be a typical apartment building. Lots of A/C units and Satellite dishes.
51. We saw lots of these small busses. Most of them were packed to capacity.
52. These guys are Tourist Police. There were also regular police and military. Security was very good,we even had to go through barricades with guards and dogs and xray machines to enter the hotel. Every time.
53. One of the many Feluccas on the river.
54. During a call to prayer one of the Felucca drivers is on his prayer rug. The   Muslims are called to prayer five times a day by the many Mosques. They start around 4:30am and even though it is pretty loud we found it interesting.
55. Beautiful evening on the Nile.
56. Early morning and the sky is still pretty dirty looking. Air quality was pretty bad no matter where we were. There were just a few days that were clear.
57. We did well with the Egyptian foods. They have lots of different kinds of cheese at the buffets.
58. Cairo has many parks and statues, this one is of Mohamed Ali. No, not the boxer.
59.  This is one of our guides, Mourad. This man knows every bit of Egyptian history from today back to when the first people walked here. Not just an overview but every detail.
60. At the entrance to the Cairo Museum. Cameras were not allowed inside or we would have had another few hundred photos to edit.
61. This is a fairly common type of construction. You can see why there are so many injuries during earthquakes in the mid-east.
62. Mourad is explaining not only the history but the cultural differences we encounter.
63. Drying your laundry out the window is typical for the apartment dwellers.
64. While driving to “Old Cairo” we pass an ancient quarry where sandstone was cut for pyramids and temples.
65. The tall minarets of the Mosques are everywhere.
66. Cheaper than owning a truck I guess.
67. We visited many of the old Mosques with historic value. This one is well over a thousand years old.
68. This is a very expensive Villa. Expensive is relative and I’m not sure how much this would be. The place looks great from outside but not much of a view.
69. View from over the unpaved street of the Villa.
70. Where we stopped for lunch there were ladies making bread. We found the rubbing your fingers together (wanting money) is very common when you take a photo. Everyone is happy to have their picture taken and happier yet with a little money.
71. Many of the buildings are brightly colored. We also noticed that many look unfinished and unoccupied.
72. This is the Citadel of the Salidin.
73. The Citadel was built around1176AD to protect the area from the Crusaders.
74. The Citadel is very ornate and beautifully decorated.
75. This is the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque.
76. The French received one of the huge ancient Obelisks and in turn gave the Egyptians a clock-tower (right hand side of the photo) The clock never worked.
77.  The chandelier is now electric but at one time was all oil lamps.
78. The walls are all alabaster.
79. Cynthia was required to cover up a bit as she was shockingly beautiful.
80. In front of the Alabaster Mosque.
81. The church of Saint Sergius. Here the Holy Family was hidden below the church from the Romans.
82. Some of the construction techniques in Old Cairo are interesting. Here is a layer of brick, then a layer of wood.
83. One of the small walkways through Old Cairo.
84. The Romans took over one of the buildings here in there search for Christians and Jews. Here is where they garrisoned their troops.
85. This religious painting on the wall dates back to around 300AD. The colors, what is left of them, are still vivid.
86. Part of an old Roman Aquaduct.
87. This is one of the many canals in Cairo. Canals brought water and enabled farming in many areas of ancient Egypt. One of the Pharos had a canal dug that runs for almost seventy miles. The canals brought not only water but allowed boats to bring supplies.
88. Our first visit to the pyramids was for the Sound and Light show in the evening.
89. Across the street from the pyramid entrance are some familiar logos.
90. This is the warm-up band for the light show.
91. We watched the sun set over the pyramids but hadn’t gotten too close yet so we didn’t really have a good perspective as to size.
92. All of the antiquities have many armed guards.
93. The sound and light show starts.
94. The show was very pretty, colorful and well produced.
95. There are maybe three different light shows throughout the country but we figured that if you have seen one that is enough.
96. Next to our hotel is another Hard Rock Café. We ate there a few times and the wait staff were very friendly and fun.
97. Our driver, Badr, and our guide Ashraf deliver us to the airport for our flight to Luxor. Ashraf would set us down and tell us to wait while he took our passports and luggage. He would come back with the tickets and walk us to security. He made it way easier and faster.
98. Arriving in Luxor.
99. Though the highway is divided here this donkey cart opts for the fast lane against traffic. It scared the crap out of me but nobody seemed to much care.
100. This is our cruise ship, the Mojito. It is one of 270 cruise ships that run the Nile.
101. Sugar cane is grown here too. They do it opposite of the Hawaiian style of harvest as the first cut then burn the fields.
102. A very common site along the area of farmlands.
103. Sugar Cane being trucked.
104. Going through town to visit the Temple of Karnak.
105. The hills above Karnak are dotted with tombs.
106. These are the Colossi of Memnon. They were pretty well destroyed by earthquakes. They are the twin statues of Amenhotep III and are 3400 years old.
107. The statues are pretty well broken and weathered.
108. The hills above the Valley of the Kings is dotted with small tombs that belong to workers, and others, who died during the time of construction of the Kings tombs. They are still being excavated and discovered.
109. Map of the Valley of the Kings.
110. This acrylic map of the Valley shows exactly where all of the discovered tombs are.
111. Underneath the acrylic map details exactly how the tomb are dug into the rock.
112. Some think that the Valley was chosen because of the peak that looks like a pyramid. Our guide didn’t think so.
113. One of the very small canyons that lead to 3 or 4 tombs.
114. Typical entrance to a tomb.
115. There are still tombs being excavated and discovered. Officials believe there may be over a hundred that have not been discovered.
116. Tomb of Rameses I.
117. Tomb of Rameses I. It was a long walk down a very steep corridor that was only about four feet high. It made for some sore legs the next day.
118. He was happy to get his photo with an island lady. (rubs fingers together for some money)
119. The guard wanted me to take a picture with him. (more finger rubbing)
120. There are a lot of alabaster factories in this area building things by hand.
121. First view of Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
122. Here in the Valley of the Queens there are many small tombs as well.
123. Entrance to area that Danish Archaeologists rebuilt.
124. What looks like a temple was built by the Danes to house their team who spent 30 years restoring the Queens Temple.
125. Hatshepsuts Temple is built into the rock under very high cliffs.
126. The temple is beautiful and a lot of the original painting is still visible.
127. This long walkway was once tree lined with gardens on the sides.
128. Most of the statues that lined the top are gone or broken but you can get the idea of what it must have been like.
129. This is an area of rubble that they didn’t know where to reassemble the parts I guess.
130. The rows of columns give you an idea of how grand it must have been.
131. The paint is still vivid on the walls.
132. The arched ceiling was painted a deep blue with gold stars.
133. The detail on the columns is very sharp and cleanly cut. (sideways, oops)
134. The cliffs are really high and look like that could crumble at any time.
135. In some cases stones have been stolen for other construction throughout the thousands of years. Many columns were built in pieces so they were easy to take.
136. There were over a dozen of these big statues at one time and they were all identical.
137. Now back at the ship we take a view from the upper deck. Now there are many other boats some moored to ours.
138. The horse drawn carriage is the main taxi for tourists in Luxor.
139. Our cabin on the ship is surprisingly large and comfortable.
140. This is the main lobby of the ship and you can see one of the other ships moored up to ours.
141. We are walking down the Avenue of the Sphinxes at Karnak Temple.
142. Up against the wall are the remnants of a mud-brick ramp used to build the wall.
143. This temple was built over many hundreds of years and features many different styles of art and decoration.
144. The columns are very tall here, it must have been incredible when a ceiling covered most of it.
145. One of the many statues.
146. Some of the hieroglyphs are cut deep into the stone. This was done to cover older hieroglyphs. (sideways, sorry)
147. The paint is still vivid in a lot of these.
148. The columns are about five stories high.
149. This sideways photo shows a good perspective as to the size of the columns.
150. The columns were highly decorated.
151. They were fully painted once.
152. What look like windows once allowed light into the temple area.
153. One of the small passage ways.
154. The granite statues were made with stone that had to be brought from about seventy miles away.
155. Our most excellent guide for south Egypt is Tamer. Our new friend Rosalind was our dinner table mate on ship. She is an Internist at a VA Hospital in Alabama.
156. This very good detail is carved into the granite and painted. This long lasting paint was created by grinding colored stone into a powder and mixing it with egg white and honey. In this climate it lasts a very long time.
157. These columns are beautiful and deeply carved.
158. What appears to be the shorter obelisk is actually taller and further away.
159. This was a pool for the priests to purify themselves. You can see the many stairways cut into it. Though a few hundred yards from the Nile there were canals cut to bring in the water along with many wells.
160. Walking through the corridors you can see the many different styles of building over the centuries.
161. A small cross is visible here, this area at one time was also a hiding place for the Christians and their carvings can also be seen.
162. Two pharaonic statues mark the entrance to another area of the temple complex.
163. Dozens of statues of a Pharaoh line this inner temple.
164. Here you can see greater detail of the sphinxes that line the avenue.
165. Under a new project to rebuild the area the entire Avenue of Sphinxes will be uncovered and put in original positions. These sphinxes lined an avenue three kilometers long. 
166. The stones for the statues and obelisks are granite from a quarry many miles away. [166a.]    No one is really sure just how they were able to bring such heavy stone and stand it up so straight.
167. Looking down the Avenue towards at the minaret of a Mosque that was built here I the 1300’s.
168. Many statues of the pharaohs.
169. In the 1300 a Mosque was built here on the ruins of the old temple. At that time the sand covered everything up to where you see the paint at the old door to the Mosque. Eventually all the sand was cleared to discover the ancient temples of Karnak.
170. It is hard to imagine all this being covered in sand.
171. On the sides of the statues of the pharaohs are beautiful details.
172. These are showing conquered people being held by rope around the neck and their arms tied behind them.
173. The sun is setting so we have to hurry.
174. This area of Karnak had been used by the Christians around three or four hundred AD. The walls are beautifully painted.
175. Here you can see great detail that was painted with religious scenes.
176. These people plastered over the hieroglyphs and then painted on that surface.
177. Many of the hieroglyphs depict religious scenes.
178. Another view of the large obelisk.
179. Back on our cruise ship. This is the pool and lounge area.
180. A small water taxi.
181. At this time there are five cruise ships tied side by side. Ours is next to shore and the passengers from the other ships have to walk through all of the lobby’s to get to the one on the outside. Here we are looking through the lobbys.
182. There is another row of ships behind ours.
183. Our cruise down the Nile starts as we say goodbye to Karnak Temples.
184. Cruising up stream was wonderful. Watching all the scenery go slowly by was very relaxing and interesting. The weather was warm, often hitting around 100 degrees. This looks like the local camel wash.
185. Date palms line the Nile at times. Another minaret in the background.
186. Women are washing clothes and dishes in the Nile.
187. Mud brick houses are most common here. It only rains for about an hour every couple of years so they hold up well.
188. These places are mud brick with palm leaf roofs.
189. Upscale I guess because of the paint.
190. Very common form of construction. They build corners, floors and climbing ramps then fill in the walls with the mud bricks. Most still have the steel sticking out of the corners as if they were going to add on later.
191. Small hut for tending herds.
192. This guy must own a lot of land and animals.
193. The scenery is really beautiful.
194. Sugar Cane being transported.
195. Small village.
196. The scenery changes with each mile.
197. An old mosque built on the hill.
198. We are approaching the “locks” where we will go up 7 meters. This is one of the flood prevention techniques in place.
199. We had to wait about five hours for our turn in the locks and during that time there were dozens of small boats with people selling goods. They would throw them up to you on deck and you would either buy or throw them back. These guys were great shots and could put it right in your hands most every time.
200. Sales pitch.
201. A new boat arrives so they hurry to the new customers.
202. I don’t think there is anyone, anywhere, without a cell phone.
203. This guy spoke seven languages or at least could sell in that many. He was funny and charming and should be very wealthy the way he does business.
204. One of the last few boats before our turn is coming out.
205. Sunset over the Nile. You can tell what the air quality is like.
206. Our boat had two guards that traveled with us. They sat outside the boat when ever it was docked.
207. We awake in Edfu. We can see that we are deep into Egypt as there are little western appearing things around.
208. This is the temple of Horus, the falcon god. It is one of the best preserved temples and is the second largest after Karnak.
209. The police here are well protected too.
210. The temples were usually surrounded by an outer wall, this one is made of mud brick.
211. More columns. Egypt has a lot of columns.
212. These walls are really high.
213. There are secret passages in the walls and openings to the outside where the priests would talk to the people but could not be seen. The people would think the gods were speaking to them. Politics!
214. Some of the outer walls have been rebuilt and have guard stations.
215. Granite statue of Horus. Its crown of Egypt has fallen off.
216. The paint is still bright and visible where protected.
217. Come on, I have the tickets.
218. Over the centuries many people have used temples for refuge including the Christians while hiding from the Romans.
219. Our guide explains what the different hieroglyphs mean.
220. Beautifully carved.
221. Very intricate.
222. This statue of Horus the Falcon God is wearing the crown of upper and lower Egypt.
223. Horus.
224. Inside, the ceilings have marks from when sand filled most of the temple and people hiding here had fires. The smoke has covered some of the paintings.
225. These columns reflect different styles.
226. These hieroglyphs are not carved into the rock, the rock is cut away from around them leaving them sticking out.
227. Smoke damage covers the original blue paint with gold stars.
228. The temple is totally covered in stone. Amazing that it is still standing.
229. Offering room for the priests.
230. Throughout the centuries people have been leaving graffiti.
231. The hieroglyphs are intricate and cover everywhere.
232. They obviously had a lot to say.
233. A lion faced hottie.
234. After a new king was crowned they usually wanted to remove any reference to the previous king so they had all of their images defaced so they no longer existed. This included their gods if there had been a change in deities.
235. The rock is hard so they just removed the faces.
236. More defacing.
237. Here are numbers. They are counting how many of this and that the king owned.
238. Columns.
239. The secret passages lead to the window like holes.
240. This is a really big temple.
241. Leaving the temple our guided is looking for our horse drawn carriage among the dozens of them waiting.
242. Our driver has to make a small mechanical adjustment.
243. Passing a local bizarre.
244. This is how most of the town looked.
245. Local shoe repair.
246. Taco stand??
247. Many people walking around and lots of small Chinese motor bikes.
248. Very colorful home.
249. Typical housing.
250. Smoking da kine.
251. Back on the river, it is nice to rest after walking around a hot temple. Here are some water buffalo grazing.
252. Another Mosque. There are a lot of Mosques.
253. Another small village in the farmlands.
254. More ladies doing washing.
255. More palm roofs and satellite dishes.
256. Mosques and mud bricks.
257. This is more of a town then a village.
258. These old ruins on the hill seem to be partially occupied.
259. More water buffalo and simpler house construction.
260. Another ruin that is a thousand years old. We passed many of these types of things.
261. Ships of all shapes and sizes are going up and down the Nile, it’s a pretty busy place.
262. It was hard to tell if these were ruins or something more contemporary.
263. Looking behind the ship we see many sailboats and other cruise ships.

Whew! The next group will continue while still on the river. I had to find a good place to stop with this group so I stopped at the end of a day.

Thanks for watching and Aloha,

Jim and Cynthia.