Egypt, 2nd and more

Wow...I´m really running behind. Since I don´t have a computer with me any more, I´m dependant on others, and I´m not very good at begging! I´m in Madrid now, and have a great cafe just beside my hotel...so here goes.

Day 2 in Egypt...

First the weather. Let me just say I was SO glad that I went in January! It was cool, not freezing, and could have been We started off by going to see the Statue of Ramses. He is HUGE!!! All I can think of is ¨no power tools and no hydraulic lifts!¨ But he is really neat looking. Below are some pictures.

There is also a museum there at the statue, and it has a beautiful alabaster sphinx. Alabaster one of the main stones, and this is considered a really pretty specimin.

Oops...sideways...

Then on to the step pyramids of Djosser and Sakkarra. Pyramids started with just a large flat topped tomb. Then Ramses II´s architect (Im in ho´tep I think) decided to build something special...and put 5 flat topped tombs, on on top of the other to form the step pyramids. These later grew into the pyramids we know now. But Ramses II was really fond of his image...or those around him were. You see statues of him everywhere...all over Egypt!

It is so interesting to wander around. Initially, all the hierglyphics look the same, but as you look at more of them, you realize that there are differences all the time! There was a very specific manner and subjects which were almost always used, but the artists managed to very them to make it interesting! In this one, a calf is suckling his mother.

They did this in 3 steps. First the hieroglyph was drawn on (black chalk), then a master artist came and put/fixed anything he felt necessary (red/blue chalk) then the carving began. If there was time, all this was painted, again by an apprentice then the master.

This is a picture of the solar boat we say yesterday...

In every toom/temple, there were these bedouin guides. He needs 1 pound, and let me take his picture!

After going to the pyramids of Ramses and his son, we went to a coffee shop and had ¨shai¨and ¨sheesha¨. This basically means we drank tea made from very finely ground tea leaves placed in a glass and the class filled with boiling water. The Egyptians don´t need sodas. They put about 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in each glass! Sure is good that way¨:) I had innumerable cups of shai, and really enjoyed it! I also had an occasional sheesha. This is a water pipe. You can smoke either apple tobacco (considered female) or regular tobacco (considered male). I liked the apple. It was good! Ayman had to ¨take sheesha¨4 or 5 times a day, so when ever I had free time, he was in the coffee shop. Worked out pretty well. Here I am taking sheesha.

At lunch, we went carpet shopping. This is a BAAADD idea for me, and I did buy one, but ONLY one, and it was for my new grandson. He get´s camel hair/wool fish on his floor, at least if the dogs don´t want to eat the camel!

Last stop was the colossus of Ramses. One of the ancient wonders of the world. That tiny figure at the bottom is a man, to give you a sense of scale!

Lst stop of the day was the tomb of Ptah Hotep in Saqqara.

Then on to Luxor. Probably my favorite temple was Medinet Habu. It was small, but really amazing, built for Ramses III. the colors were still really intact, and it was just beautiful.

I don´t want this to be too long, so I´m going to end this here...and start another one :).

Love you guys,

Earline