Luxor and other Adventures

So I have decided that I cannot necessarily talk about each day’s activities in this blog or each entry would become overwhelmingly long. Instead I will strive to mention the main highlights.

So I have much to catch up on

My service project on Tuesdays as gone very well, we have class three week’s now and have covered cultural/conversational topics such as storytelling, sports, and current events, this next week is music which I am very excited to discuss as they have explained their desire to understand American popular music better.

Classes are going well also we can now read and write Arabic-although very slowly and now are beginning to create basic sentences and attempting to gain more vocabulary to match our reading ability. I feel like I am back in first grade attempting to read and sounding out words slowly and asking what words mean. Our Islamic thought and practice class is going well also our teacher is so well informed and patient with our many questions. We also have had two amazing guest speakers so far that have given us good background that will help us to evaluate the many experiences and the information we are being introduced to.

Ok onto the fun stuff: Luxor

We left in the evening on Thursday the 28^th for an overnight train-it was a 10 hour ride. I was grateful that I was so tired because I was able to sleep most of the way in spite of the train being cold and being in upright chairs. We got to Luxor in the morning on Friday and were taken to our hotel which was right by Luxor temple. Most of us took the morning either to sleep or read out on the roof of the hotel which had a swimming pool! Luxor is further south from Cairo so the weather was much warmer- in the 80’s so it was perfect weather to sit out in the sun in January!

Then in the afternoon we had a tour of Karnack temple and Luxor temple. Karnack temple was incredible and difficult to explain with words it sheer size was enough to create awe let alone the descriptions of what the temple would have been like in the time of the Pharonic Kingdoms. The temple surfaces were plated with gold and silver as well as the Hieroglyphics on the many pillars were fully colored by pigments found in many of the rocks in the area. The color is still seen in the places which receive the least amount of sun. It is difficult to image that this place was created using ancient technology of rolling logs, ramps, sand, chisels, and mud and clay. The hot summer sun helped as well with mixing the many metals to plate the structures. The temple was built on the East bank of the Nile where the sun rises because this is the land of the living. This temple would shine with the sun as the metal reflected it and would stand as a shining example to the common people of where the gods dwelled. The average commoner never set foot in this temple during the time of the pharaoh’s and even the priests were only allowed in according to their levels of religious piety or ranking. The Pharaoh had the role of high priest and in so was allowed into the center to the massive temple. This temple is one of the most well known because it is the oldest/largest temple or sight of worship that is still in existence. I wish I could go into more detail about what I saw but I did not take notes and there was so much information to take in along with what I was seeing. The three top pictures are from Karnak temple.

We then that night went to Luxor temple and had a chance to see it lit up which was great. This temple was much smaller but was just as amazing. This temple played apart in an annual ritual of carrying the gods in boats down the Nile-it was a house for them on their journey with large rooms set aside for boats. Overtime the Christians of Egypt used a portion of this temple as a church and they have found drawings and paintings of the last supper done over the ancient Hieroglyphics. Also Alexander the Great set up a room in the temple and over which was a carving of him helping take part in the rituals to the gods. There is much restoration being done to this temple as a result of water damage over the years because it is very close to the Nile.The picture to the left bottom is from this temple

The next day we got up early and drove out to the Valley of the Kings on the West bank of the Nile where the sun sets and where they set aside space for the dead .There are 9 tombs built underneath pyramid shaped mountains we were only allowed to choose 3 to see. The murals and carvings are much better preserved because they are underground and in so much of the color and details are still visible. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside of these tombs but I saw the tomb of the one female Queen there, of Tutmoses, and Ramses the III who build the burial temple we visited later in the day. Ramses’ tomb was the most colorful with many paintings and depictions of the crossing of the river in the afterlife into the land of the pharaoh’s where you live for eternity based on your judgment. To get to Tutmoses’ tomb we had to climb stairs, the tomb itself has many levels each with different drawings.

We then headed in the afternoon to the funeral temple Hube where the pharaoh’s were mummified. The entrance was a part of the Assyrian style architecture. This place was much less crowded with well preserved designs in the walls. With all of these temples I felt like I should know so much more about the mythology and culture of the ancient Egyptians. That afternoon and evening we explored the more touristy areas and I bartered for two scarves with several other girls which is challenging but also fun. The picture to the left bottom and right is of Hube.

Cat herding in Luxor 101: Ok so we had a stray cat (which is common ) stuck on our balcony on the 5^th floor which at night would scrape the window of the balcony door and cry and yell. We debated what to do and finally devised a plan. I turned off the lights in my room-opened the balcony door and stood on a chair in the corner next to the window. When the cat came into the room I slammed the balcony door closed and the cat ran out the front door of our hotel room and into the hall way. I am sure that the staff of the hotel are used to these sorts of things happening.

The next day we spent the whole day on the 10 hour train back from Luxor and got a large amount of homework done. That night was a huge night for Egypt- the playoffs for the African cup for soccer between Egypt and Gana. About 2 hours from our destination in Cairo we found out that Egypt won 1 to 0. There was much celebration on the train and as we stopped along the train route we could see celebrations in the streets. Even two hours later when we reached our destination Cairo was busy celebrating with flags, car horns, people in the streets playing music, setting off fireworks and dancing. This went on late into the night as almost everyone in Egypt enjoys watching soccer/football.

The next day –February 1rst-after going to classes we went to see a movie called Hassan w Morqos at a local church. It was a apart of an East meets West festival in which we met up with some of our Egyptian friends –it is well known film that came out in 2008 in Egypt with the world famous actor Omar Sharif in it (Lawrence of Arabia and Funny women?? ). Omar was there and shared a little about the film and its purpose in relations between the Christian and Muslims population in Egypt. After the movie we went into the church and got to look at artists who had depicted what they saw of Harmony between East and West culture and beliefs.

Thursday I made the best spontaneous decision of my life. One of the people in my flat was invited to go with her Egyptian friend and any of us who wanted to to get Henna done at her apartment. We went expecting to spend a few hours at her place and found ourselves at a pre-wedding party for one of her neighbors in which her whole female family members were getting Henna done and preparing the bride for the party that night. We attempted to use the little Arabic we knew and after a few hours with these women in the bride’s bedroom we were given food by the mother of the bride as the guests (although we were strangers) it was full meal with rice and lamb and vegetables and many other dishes I do not know the name of in English. We ate so well and then had to leave to go to our Director’s flat for a short while. They asked us to come back afterward to participate as their guests in the party. We shared with everyone our experiences and had more people join us as we headed back. When we got there they set up the speakers chairs got soda for everyone and we celebrated with them for several hours watching them dance traditional dances as well as participating in them when we got a chance. It was loud and amazing being a part of such an amazing community of people .

Friday we left early in the morning for Anafora a retreat center an hour outside of Cairo that is self sustaining with farms set up by the Orthodox Coptic church. We spent the day with a local Coptic Church community of our age discussing the similarities and differences in our beliefs, culture, and traditions as Christians. It created mutual respect and understanding. The location itself was wonderful the food was all vegetarian and made right there the place we lit by candles in sand filled pots and we sat on rugs and pillows around floor level tables. It was so quiet and simplistic. We met with the local Bishop Thomas who is well known within the Coptic Church for an hour in the afternoon and he gave such wonderful advice and insight. We ended the day with a worship service in their chapel lit by candles as we sang songs in English, they prayer apart of their liturgy in Arabic as well as sung Arabic songs, there was also a Swedish group meeting there for a separate conference and they sang songs in Swedish as well. It was such a peaceful time to join together for one purpose.

So I know that was an extremely long blog and even at that I did not discuss everyday or detail.

A glimpse of what is ahead:

Bowling Egypt style-tonight

Another week of classes

This next weekend Wednesday through Saturday: the desert community of Siwa where we will get a chance to do a desert safari and sleep in the dessert for a night, sand board, and meet with the local traditional Berber people.