Mom's WORLD JOURNAL - Egypt We arrived in Egypt at 11:30 at night. We had heard other traveler's stories about Egypt and I was nervous about the late night journey. Drugs are strictly forbidden in Egypt and we were told of a sign in the airport that reads, "Drugs are illegal in our country and if you are caught with them you will be hanged. Welcome to Egypt." We also heard of a story where the young couple was transferred from taxi to taxi three times prior to making it to their hotel. They suspected a drug deal was in the making. As we were deplaning there were guards with machine guns in every direction and throughout the airport. We stood in line for a half hour to have our passport stamped only to find that we needed to get our visa first, another line around the corner. But the guard was nice and told us we could jump ahead in line after we got our visa, a kind gesture that we were not expecting. Earlier that day Mark had made a hotel reservation and they would have a shuttle meet us at the airport. As soon as we got in the shuttle he told Mark that he would need his passport for 5 minutes before we left. Mark asked him why and he said not to worry just to give him the passport because he wanted to buy some beer at the duty free shop. Mark offered to go with him to keep his passport in plain view. I was worried there would be trouble since it is illegal for locals to buy from the duty free shop. Mark left and I sat waiting realizing that if something happened to him we had no passports or money and did not speak a word of Arabic. But he returned with the guard and two cases of beer…no problem thanks to the "palm greasing" for the guard at the gate. Whew! We had the ride of our life to the hotel as they all drive like maniacs…they made those wild Turks look like school bus drivers. We arrived at our hotel that was billed as "loaded with character". The "character" was dust, moldy shower curtain, paint peeling from the walls, dirty 115-year-old carpet, a toilet that leaks in a drain on the floor when flushed and pillows stuffed with rocks. I don't mind roughing it but this was disgusting! The only savior was the charming old bar downstairs and a cold beer. We had no formal plans in Egypt. We only knew that we had one month to see Egypt and Israel before we left for Nepal. We decided to spend 2 days in Cairo and then travel to Luxor with our new friends Candace and Andy and then decide where to go from there. Cairo is a very interesting, crowded city with a lot of pollution and soot everywhere. The people are very friendly and everywhere we went they said, "Welcome to Egypt" and smiled. It was very hot yet shorts of any kind are not worn here. Most women were wearing scarves on their heads and ankle length skirts while the men dressed in their "casual Friday" attire or long cotton floor-length shirts and cotton scarves wrapped around their head. They definitely stared at us everywhere we went with curiosity but were always excited to hear we were American. We walked around the city the first day, after sitting in the travel agency for 5 hours, and grabbed a drink at the Hilton on the Nile. You must be very careful in Egypt when it comes to eating or drinking, as most visitors get sick. The next day in Cairo was action packed. Mark, Max and I went to see the pyramids in Giza, a 40-minute cab ride. We were introduced to a man that would set us up with a tour. He was a big, round man in native dress who helped us for a fee. We later found out that he has two wives, a common practice in Egypt. We rode horses and camels to the pyramids and Max was thrilled. He almost cried when the camel stood up. He held on so tight and said with a shaking voice, "why does it have to sound like a monster when it moves". It really does make this awful groaning sound. Max has wanted to see the pyramids since we left home and was just blown away! He must have thanked Mark and I 20 times that day for taking him on the trip…moments like this make you so glad you are a parent! He eyes were lit up, as was his face. The pyramids, nine in all, were very impressive. The Sphinx was carved from a single stone and was beautiful. As we left the pyramids, school was getting out and there were kids everywhere in their uniforms shouting "Hallo" to us with their bright, shining faces. We were only able to spend 90 minutes at the pyramids since we had to meet the travel agent at 12:00 as we were leaving at midnight to Luxor, a 10-hour train ride. We booked first class as recommended by all the travel books. They recommend that you not take the sleeper cars since they are often "shot at" along the way with hopes of hitting a tourist! Great! So I was a little apprehensive to say the least. After we picked up our tickets we visited the Museum, which was amazing. The museum has hundreds of mummies and items found in King Tut's Tomb. We walked around town and along the Nile, had some dinner, played backgammon, and passed the time waiting to board our late train. We still smelled like camels and I knew we would make great cabin mates on the train, but we already packed and did not have a change of clothes. The train was great and we arrived almost on time in desperate need of a shower. We stayed at the Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor, a great find with beautiful gardens and a giant swimming pool. It normally runs $160 per night but booked by a travel agent it is a cool $45 per night. We had a balcony overlooking the Nile with the small villages, feluccas and sandy dessert and tombs in the background. Directly across was the tomb of Hatchepsut, the site where 67 tourists were gunned down and stabbed in 1997 by a terrorist group. There was heightened security, metal detectors, guards with machine guns and solders in trucks everywhere we went. I felt safer as a result but knew there was a reason for their presence. Later that day we visited the Luxor Temple that was right outside our hotel. [ add info] We enjoyed the site, however, it was extremely hot and we decided to go back for a swim at the hotel. There we met a young couple from England, Darren and Lisa, and invited them to join us all for dinner at the Classic Restaurant. The food was great and if you chat it up you can get a 50 percent discount. The next day we had plans to wake up early and visit the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, go for a swim and then visit the Karnak Temple for the light show, so we retired early. The Valley of the Kings [add info] and Karnak Temple [add info]. We really enjoyed Luxor, however, Mark was growing more impatient each day with the negotiating. Don't get me wrong…Mark LOVES to negotiate but here he met his match! They just wear you down, follow you around, and NEVER give up! (add Backsheesh) We decided to take a detour and visit a town called Dahab in the Sinai, a short flight from Luxor and a 1-hour taxi ride will get you to Dahab, a dive resort on the Sea of Aqaba. Dahab is so cool. It is a small town on the water that caters to divers and relaxation of all kinds. All of the restaurants along the water require you to take off your shoes, pull up some pillows and just chill. It was great! There are a lot of side trips to take from Dahab and we did them all. We visited the Colored Canyon the first day which is about 2-hours from Dahab. We stopped at a Bedouin Village to change cars to a 4-wheel drive since it is required to reach the canyon. The jeep was "rough" and sounded like pots and pans clanging up the road. The road to the canyon has barbed wire fences to discourage tourists from entering since the area still contains land mines. The U.N. marked the area two years ago after two Italians and four Israelis strayed from the road in Sharm-El-Sheik and died. I was shocked that the fences contained no warnings, signs or alerts. They were just there along with the three security checkpoints you must pass prior to entering the canyon. We had a Bedouin guide to help us navigate the canyon, a 9-year old boy who spoke only Arabic. The canyon was incredible with a variety of colors seldom seen in the desert. We hiked for several hours with the sun high and were ready for a swim. Our driver brought us to a location on the beach where you can swim with their pet dolphin in the open water…yeah right! But we went and there it was swimming right along with us, rolling and playing in the water. Mark reached out to touch it, was mistaken for a snack and bit on the hand. His injuries were much smaller than the story that developed as a result as he was quite proud of his dolphin bite. The next day we visited St. Catherines Monastery, the site where Moses saw the burning bush and heard the voice of God when he was wandering in the desert. It is located directly beneath Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery is the oldest example of Byzantine architecture still standing and dates back to 300 A.D. I was really looking forward to climbing Mt. Sinai, only 3750 steps to the top. The steps are called the "Steps of Repentance" built by a monk…I wonder what he did! Most people climb during the evening and sleep on the top since the sun can be unforgiving in the desert. We just wanted to climb up and enjoy the challenge and the view. But, Max would have no part of it and was not in the "adventurous" mood, so we turned back. I was really disappointed since you never know when you will have the opportunity again, but realized that it was too big challenge for Max. On the way back from the Monastery we visited with a Bedouin family and had some tea. I drank my tea so I would not offend them, however, Mark sat behind me and poured it in the sand and covered it up…Brave! For centuries these nomadic people have lived in the desert. They are very hospitable and gentle people but their weathered faces reflect the difficulty they experience in their everyday life. Max noticed a Bedouin boy playing on the sandy hill and decided to join in the fun. He was rolling empty cans down the mountain on a track he made in the sand by scooting down on his bottom. By the end of our visit there were four boys and they had created jumps and diversions for the cans, all smiling and laughing. It is great to see him having fun with games that don't have batteries, battle sounds or high prices. "Necessity is the mother of invention." After four days in he desert we were ready for a change and decide to take yet another diversion from our plan. We were so close to Jordan and the Lost City of Petra was too tempting. We took a taxi from Dahab to the Taba border, about 2 hours, completed the required paper work, and crossed the border into Israel. We then walked about one kilometer to Eliat and took a taxi to Jordan. Again we completed paperwork and security checks. They laughed when they examined my backpack only to find an American football (Mark's idea…result still pending). We spent most of the day getting to Petra utilizing taxis, buses or walking and were pleased to finally arrive. We unpacked our bags, had a great late lunch at the Red Cave Restaurant, and headed straight for the site. Petra is indescribable! Carved entirely into the naturally pink rocks, the remains of the once Nabataean city of Petra include temples, Roman theatres, monasteries, houses and roads. You walk through a very narrow gorge, the Siq, that curves through the most amazing rock formations and suddenly the path widens and you catch a glimpse of the most amazing building, the El Khazneh (The Treasury) Petra is an entire city discovered in the 1820's that once housed over 30,000 Nabataeans people. Nabataeans were industrious Arab people who settled in South Jordan over 2000 years ago. From hidden staging points they dominated the trade routes of ancient Arabia, levying tolls and sheltering caravans laden with Arabian Frankincense and myrrh, Indian spices and silks, African ivory and animal hides. Petra's increasing influence and prosperity was seen as a threat to the Rome and they took control in 106 AD. By the sixteenth century, Petra was completely lost to the West and remained lost for 300 years until a Swiss adventurer found the city after convincing a Bedouin guide to take him there. There are buildings, temples, caves where the locals lived, unique architecture, narrow stairways and beautiful colors that change in the canyon as the sun rises and sets. The vast site is worth all the time you can devote and is our favorite so far! We spent 2 days and I did not want to leave. Max rode a burro for the first time, we climbed over 1600 steps up and 1600 steps down, met a camel that drank soda and water from a bottle, and met several Bedouins that were born in the caves of Petra. They say that God was so angry he turned Petra upside down and turned it to stone, which is why several buildings show the staircase upside down. Simply fascinating! E-mail home 10/1/2000 Dear Friends and Family, Since we arrived in the Middle East mid-September we have ridden camels to the pyramids, seen the Egyptian Museum with all of King Tut's treasures, watched the sun set over the Nile, took a 10-hour train at midnight to Luxor (they recommend that you not take a sleeper car since they are often SHOT at by locals), saw the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple, visited the ancient Tombs, shopped the Bazaar, and survived our CRAZY taxi ride in Cairo. We went from Cairo to Luxor and then decided to take a side trip to the Sinai! We went to Dahab, a really cool diving town in the Sinai. From there we visited the Colorful Canyon (careful…watch your step because there are still land mines buried here!), St. Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai where Moses saw the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments, had tea with the Bedouins in the desert, snorkeled the famous "blue hole" and even swam with a dolphin in the ocean at dusk. Mark reached out to pet the "tame" dolphin and it bit him thinking he was lunch…he is totally proud of his very slight wound! We enjoyed Dahab so much we decided to take another side trip to Jordan, add another country to our list! In Jordan we saw the Lost City of Petra (featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and spent two days exploring the ancient city carved in the cliffs…and climbed 1600 stairs up and 1600 down! Petra is our favorite so far…absolutely magnificent! Max rode a burro and met a camel that drank soda from a bottle! From Jordan we went to where we will stay for the next week or maybe more, Jerusalem. We landed a GREAT apartment near the Old City and it feels wonderful to have more than one room to spread out in! Jerusalem is beautiful and has a lot to offer. We visited the Old City the same day that the ex prime minister, Ariel Sharon, made his visit to the Temple Mount even though he was threatened by the Palestinians that there would be trouble. They threw bottles and rocks injuring 30 IDF soldiers and there have been several outbursts since. When we arrived at the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) there were hundreds of soldiers in riot gear, police and ambulances everywhere… so we split! We will wait until after Rosh Hashanah to tour the Old City when it should be quieter. The rest of the city is full of energy and excitement and does not appear to even notice the issues. We are excited to visit all the historical and religious monuments while we are here. Our next flight is October 15th from Cairo (leaves at 3am) to India (7-hour lay over…yuk!) and then to Nepal! We REALLY miss our family and friends and it is GREAT to receive your e-mails, jokes and news from home…PLEEAASE keep them coming! We are all healthy and even escaped the famed "Egyptian Runs"! We hope all of you are happy, healthy and enjoying football season…Mark is absolutely crazy without it…and I miss the football parties! Max is growing up and learning a lot about life, culture and carrying his own backpack! We are really proud of him and know he misses his friends desperately! He turns 9 on October 2nd (Monday) and we will certainly celebrate Israel style (throw rocks and bottles with gasoline J)!