Living Abroad

I’m writing this last entry back at the Artemis. When we touched down at the airport I got SO excited! I’m back home! Well sort-of. Over the past year or so I have come to define home where the majority of my things are concentrated. It feels so good to be back!
Well on Day 8 the first thing we did was go have breakfast with Osman and his family. I love him and his family. His 3 boys are so polite and adorable. I think they may speak better English than I do! We had the most AMAZING rice pudding which I had to get the recipe for so I can make it when I get back to the states.
First site of the day was a mosque. I’d never been to see one before. It was beautiful! I don’t have a whole lot to write about it but there are not pretty cool pictures from there. It was fun. We had to remove our shoes and I got to wear a cloak. I forgot I was wearing it and tried walking out with it and they got REALLY mad at me.
We went to visit Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo. There we saw the Jewish Synagogue, Ben-Ezra. This place is important because it’s where they found the Genizah documents. There were the most important biblical scholar find until the Dead Sea Scrolls. Next we visited the Church, St. Sergios. This is the second oldest church structure in the world. It’s constructed on top of where they believed Jesus and his family might have lived while they were in Egypt. This concept fits with the tradition of the Coptic church, the geography, history, style of architecture and logic.
Our last 2 stops were quick ones because all sites close at 4 in Cairo. #1 was Memphis. The importance of this site is that Abraham was here with Sarah when he introduced her as his sister. This site was probably around 420 acres. This site has one of the most preserved statues of Ramses II. Most scholars believe that he is the persecution or Exodus pharaoh. We learned something very interesting here. All Pharaohs are depicted with big knees because apparently they are a sign of fertility. This is still practiced to this day. When an Egyptian man goes to ask the father for his daughter’s hand in marriage the father will check out the man’s knees. Stop #2 was Sakkara where we saw the Zoser Pyramid. There are 107 remaining pyramids and this site contains #1 and #107. The Zoser Pyramid is the some of the oldest stone work in the world.
We rounded out our trip to Egypt with a visit to a handmade rug shop and an Egyptian cotton shop. The handmade rug place was amazing! These people create beautiful rug designs from their head or just from looking at a picture. There were young boys sitting at looms all over the bottom story. They would invite all of us to sit down and help them work on their rugs.
Hotel. Dinner. Then it was finally time to say goodbye to Osman. Goodbyes are always hard but it’s even harder when you know you probably won’t see them again. He will always have a special place in all our hearts. He is such an amazing man and SO good at what he does. There was another early wake-up call the next morning… and I wonder why I’m so tired. Security at the airport was ridiculous. We had to show our passport at least 8 times. The ironic thing is I got through all of it with an entire bottle of water. Made me feel SO safe. We took a tram across the tarmac to our plane and right before I ducked my head to get in I glanced back across Egypt… I miss being there. My last thought before boarding was I’ll be back someday. I don’t know when but I know I’m going back. I fell in love… With the people, with the culture, with the simplicity of their way of life. I do NOT miss the sanitary conditions over there however.
While I was over there I made a decision. I’m going to join the peace corps after I graduate from college. I thought about not telling my mom and dad and letting them just read it in my blog but the more I thought about it the meaner that sounded. But anyway Egypt and the living conditions over there had such an impact on me this is something I feel like I need and really want to do. For a while I’ve been feeling a lack of direction and purpose in my life and I feel like this will give it to me! I’m really excited about the future and what it will hold for me.

If you made it this far, consider it like running a marathon. I’m impressed!

Love you all!

--Rebecca

Last Day Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004575&l=40d12&id=1523040053

I wasn’t sure where to stick this photo album. It’s mainly pictures of me at dinner on the cruise and all my friends. So if you have some spare time there are some good pictures

Dinner Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004569&l=1f6cc&id=1523040053

We had to leave the cruise this morning which was really sad. I could have used a couple more days just floating on the Nile. Our first stop of the day was Valley of the Kings. I don’t know what I was expecting but what I say wasn’t it. It was still really neat though. We couldn’t take any pictures in the tomb so all you’ll get to see is what the valley looks like. I would have loved to have been there in the early 1900’s when all the major excavation of the valley was going on!
Now common sense would tell you that the most exquisite tombs would be the kings but ironically enough theirs are the least ornate. The Queen’s are better than the Kings, the Nobles better than the Queens, and finally the best tombs are those of the workers. Go figure! Something else I found that was really interesting was that the Valley is the most visited site in Egypt. I would have guessed the Pyramids.
We drove by Queen Hatshepsut temple which I was excited about because she was the only female pharaoh. But once I learned the entire thing was fake I was glad we only stopped for a picture.
Next was the Worker’s Valley. These tombs are much smaller but the paintings on the wall look like they were done yesterday! Like I said earlier, these tombs are even more elaborate than the King’s tombs. Early Christians used to hide in these tombs so in many of them the walls have been defaced and are covered by lots of crosses. This is the only example of a worker’s city that has ever been found.
We made a visit to an Alabaster factory. I spent WAY too much money here but it was worth it. We got there and had a short “lecture” about the different types of alabaster and how they make it into different shapes. Alabaster is only found in the city of Luxor. This company is family run and they have made an effort to make all their pieces by hand, much like they were done in bible times.
By this point I was about to fall asleep. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight and was up at 5:30. So next stop was the temple of Karnak. It was incredibly HOT! This is considered “THE” temple, the place everyone wanted to come to. The temple itself cover 102 acres, the entire thing covers over 167 acres. It took over 200 years to complete and is 26 times as large as ancient Jerusalem.
I saw my first example of a mud brick ramp here. They are used to take the stones to a higher level. Stones were drug by men and oxen up the ramps on wooden sleds. Women would wet down the dirt with a mixture of fat, water, milk and other things to make the sleds slide easier.
Then it was time for more shopping! I wasn’t planning on spending any more today but my future roommate was a little TOO persuasive and the sales man was a little TOO good at his job! I’m sure you’re wondering by now where we were at. We were at Al-Fayed Perfumery. This is a factory where they remove the oil from flowers by wooden presses and leave them sitting for at least 6 months creating the essences that are then diluted for perfumes. You may recognize the name from the man who was in the car-crash with Princess Diana. Anyway it only takes 3 drops of essence in 50mL of water to make the type of perfume you would buy in the store. We had the best time trying on the different types. We got to smell scents that are related to the bible, such as frankincense and myrrh. Personally I think myrrh stinks!
Just when we thought the day might be over, wrong again. Still one more temple… Luxor! Half the temple was dedicated to Amenusis III and half to Ramses II. Moses most likely was found near this temple. He was found during the summer and this is where the royal family lived during the summer. The royal family was educated here so in all likely-hood he was taught THERE! There was a Mosque built on-top of the temple for this very reason. I really enjoyed getting to see the Road of the Sphinx. There are only 60 something left but they used to line the road all the way from Luxor to Karnak. Below each sphinx was a statue of guess who, that’s right Ramses II. The man really LOVED to look at himself!
Well that’s all I’ve got for now. We’re back on the train and I’m exhausted! I don’t think I’m going to sleep real well tonight and I’ve got another 5:30 wake-up call. One more full day… I’m ready to be stationary again but I don’t want to leave Egypt!
Love, Rebecca

Day 7 Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004574&l=b6d52&id=1523040053

Day 3: Cairo

I am writing this from a train. Now when I say train do not think Europe or United States train…. Think Rebecca is in Africa right now, in a third world country. It’s not that bad but I think I’m going to get beat to pieces. There’s not going to be a whole lot of sleeping tonight.
Story: Room check last night my RA called my room and I was asleep. So this morning I was talking to my roommate Emily and said I feel really bad that I didn’t answer the phone. Emily looked at me kind-of funny and said Kathleen said you talked to her. I said, NO I didn’t. I couldn’t have. I was asleep. But sure enough when I talked to Kathleen later I had hung up on her the first time and then the second time told her Emily wasn’t there and goodnight. I have no recollection of this WHAT so ever!
I went to the Pyramids of Giza today! Let me just say… EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! I wish everyone could visit them. As Ted said, I really wish I could call up all my friends and be like, As we speak I’m staring at the Pyramids. I thought about looking for a phone but considering it would have been 2 in the morning Central time I decided that might not be the best plan. We had a man there take a group picture of us and some how we ended up with them hours later. The Pyramids were a sight to behold. They weren’t smooth like I was expecting them to be. The pyramids would have been standing there when Abraham was alive. Can you imagine growing up with those in your backyard? Here’s an interesting thought. By the time of Joseph, the pyramids would have been around 1000 years old so they might have been like one of our modern day “tourist attractions.”
We also went to the Cheops Boat Museum. We learn about the different types of boats, a little about how they were maid, etc. I got to see the oldest boat known to man-kind. I never did find out why but we had to wear the goofiest looking shoe-covers I’ve ever had to wear in my life! We all looked slightly like Donald Duck.
Next stop, going inside one of the pyramid. Like a lot of places in Egypt we were not allowed to take pictures here either. Osman told us, when you get back home go into a dark room, take a picture, and tell everyone it’s from inside the pyramid. The passage-way down into the Pyramid is really narrow and you have to duck the whole way. It levels out to where you can stand for a little bit before heading up into the tomb. There is absolutely NO ventilation in that thing. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated that much in such a short amount of time in my entire life. The nice thing though was when you got outside it felt like you were in air-conditioning.
Last stop before we left the Pyramid site was at the Sphinx. This was pretty awesome looking. Just to be able to say that you’ve actually seen these things in person! The reality still hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m wondering if it ever really will. Right before the Sphinx is a temple. Temples on the west back of the Nile were used for mummification and the ones of the east, for worship. So this one was used for mummification
By this time we were all about to die but we had 2 more stops before heading for the train. The first of which was the Cairo Museum. You could have just left me there for a week and I would have been perfectly happy. If you spent only 1 minute at every display in the museum it would take you over 9 months to see everything. I could spend pages and pages telling you about what I say but it really wouldn’t do it justice so I’ll hit the highlights. Again this was another place we couldn’t take pictures! Favorites were the King’s mummy room and the King Tut exhibit, most specifically his mask. In the mummy room they have them unwrapped where you can see their face and feet mainly. These mummies still have hair, toe-nails, teeth, and various other things. It’s wild! You can actually picture the person. The King Tut items were exquisite! Although my first thought when I say the mask was, it looks too new. It looks like it was made a couple of years ago. Not 1000’s.
Did you know that in ancient Egypt women chose the men by giving them flowers? Personally I think that girls should give guys flowers every now and then anyway, but this is just pretty cool. 7 flowers means that you are in love with the man, 9 means you want to marry them and finally more than 10 means that you want to start a family.
So finally we get to where I am now… The train. The first one I saw go by wasn’t a sleep train and was disgusting. When we got on ours though it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Although the restroom left a LOT to be desired. It’s weird the things you begin to value after living overseas, and restrooms happen to be a BIG one! You couldn’t go while the train was stopped because the waste empties directly onto the tracks.
Emily and I decided to try and eat 7 saltine crackers in 1 minute. This is a very messy challenge. We happened to have the misfortune of shoving them all in our mouth right as our porter came by to bring us fruit. I was laughing so hard that I spewed cracker crumbs all over his face. Emily sprayed them all over the room and my bag. He started laughing at us and when I tried to take my fruit he wouldn’t give it to me saying that he would wait outside the room until we were done.
It’s these experiences… The traveling accommodations, the lack of sleep, the laughing and the stories that continue to knit our group even closer together! I’m going to be in Aswan in a few hours so until then…
Love, Rebecca

Day 3 Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004566&l=967f0&id=1523040053
Train Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004567&l=dfe63&id=1523040053

Here we are already at Day 2! I LOVE Egypt. Everyone here is SO friendly. As you ride around on the tour bus everyone smiles and waves at you. Of course I take this friendliness with a healthy sense of skepticism. But I’ll give them this…. They are a WHOLE lot nicer than Greek people.
We started out our day with a LONG bus ride to the city of Alexandria. Traffic, as always was atrocious. We toured the city on the bus for a while. We went by the place of some guy and spent some time wading in the Mediterranean Sea.
Our first major site for the day was the Catacombs. This place was pretty sweet. There were a bunch of openings that looked a little like honey-combs where they would put the mummified bodies. Mummification takes a total of 40 days for a commoner and 70 days for a Pharaoh. Christians used this catacomb as a place of refuge to hide. One of the major symbols through out the catacombs was a shell. This was representative of Christ because at the time period this was built Egypt would have been under the control of Pagan Rome. The place was musty and dank! And we couldn’t take pictures.
From there we were off to see the Pillar of Pompeii. I don’t remember a whole lot about this site. I’m sure it was important and I’m sure I’ve learned about it somewhere but my mind is drawing a blank at the moment. There were 2 sphinxes there and I asked Kathleen… Are these mini-sphinx? She looked at me kind-of funny and said, There’s no such thing as mini ones. You’re probably thinking of the Great Sphinx. Then shook her head and laughed. What can I say… I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tack in the box.
Next we went to see where the foundation of the Light House of Alexandria used to be. There is a castle of some sort there now. WE got some beautiful sunset pictures with the Mediterranean sea crashing in the background. This is one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. So if you ever feel like being a real smart-alek when someone asks you what your favorite wonder of the world is, say… Are you talking about the Ancient 7 Wonders or the Modern Ones, because there’s a big difference.
Our guide Osman, who is really really cool, apparently only remembers a couple of people’s names. Mine happens to be one of them. So he asked me questions and if I answered them right then he paid for ice cream. If I got them wrong then I paid. I got them both right. Yea me! Well he made sure I knew the answers in advance but I guessed really close when we were going over the questions.
See if you know:
1) What is the population of Egypt?
2) What is the population of Alexandria?

Answers:
76 million
5.5 million

I guessed 80 and 5. So I wasn’t that far off. But I wouldn’t want the group to
have the wrong information. So Osman helped me out a little. He came through for us later that evening with some of the most AMAZING ice cream I’ve ever had! It reminded me a little of sweet and condensed milk. This tops even Blue Bell. And that’s saying something right there.
We didn’t actually go here but I did get to take a picture of the modern day Library of Alexandria. It’s built on top of where the Ancient library is believed to have been. I really wish we had gotten to go visit it!
So day 2 has come to a close. We spent a lot of time of the bus so there’s not TOO terribly much to write about. Tomorrow we get to see the PYRAMIDS OF GIZA! Can’t wait. There’s sure to be a medium if not LONG entry. So enjoy!

Love, Rebecca

Day 2 Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004565&l=7483c&id=1523040053

I’m in AFRICA! I still can’t believe it. I’m on my 3rd continent for this trip! For the past couple humanities classes we’ve been studying about Ancient Egypt trying to learn a something about what we’re going to be seeing over the next week and a half. Personally I think we do a little studying to justify the traveling. But we just keep that thought to ourselves. Then we had our orientation about our trip and by the time it was all done I wanted to run outside, grab a taxi, and head for the airport. FORGET clothes! I was patient however and now I’m here!
Here’s a little background for you. Cairo is the biggest city in Africa, home to about 18 million people. They say that 1 out of every 4 Africans live in Cairo. To put it in perspective it would be like 78 million people living in New York. I’m not entirely sure what all I’m going to get to see while I’m here but I know that the Pyramids are on our list, Luxor, Karnak, Alexandria, a cruise down the Nile, and a camel ride… Just to name a few.
Our flight to Egypt was relatively uneventful but once we got here that’s when the excitement really started to set in. In Greece, it still feels a little like you’re in America. Granted, everyone is speaking Greek, but there is still a fairly American feel to it. When we landed in Egypt and stepped off the plane onto the tarmac I truly felt like I was in another country for the first time. Most of the women wear head coverings and both men and women wear traditional Egyptian clothing (long outfits that resemble dresses.) Needless to say I get stared at A LOT! We get stared at a lot in general because we’re American but with my hair color my head might as well be on fire for all the attention I feel like I’m drawing.
One of the number one rules over here is for the girls NOT to make eye contact. Apparently it’s very suggestive. I’m really having a hard time with that because I want to look at my surroundings but if you so much as glance in a man’s direction they go out of their way to make eye contact with you. When we finally made it through customs (got a really cool passport stamp by the way!) and were making our way out to the bus we had to parade through a large group of Egyptian people, mainly men. and I felt like I was an exhibit in a circus. Egypt is BEAUTIFUL but I definitely feel like a stranger. Once we were on the bus I thought, FINALLY! I’ll be able to look at the people. So I was looking at one of the military men (which are ALL over the place) and he gave me a head nod, flashed me a smile and a huge wink. It was at THIS point I realized that the windows were NOT tinted and why making eye contact might not be such a great idea.
Other cardinal rules over here are: NEVER EVER EVER drink tap water. This also means no vegetables, fruit, juice or anything that might have tap water in it. This is supposed to prevent you from getting sick but from what I’ve heard almost everyone does anyway. From what I’ve seen of Egypt already though, I will take being sick if it means getting to be here and see all of this. For example, on our way to the hotel we say the Great Pyramids poking out along the skyline.
Now I know I’ve talked about the drivers in Athens being bad and I didn’t think it was possible to get much worse… Until I came here! They do not have defensive drivers. They believe whole-heartedly in the saying the best defense is offense. Just about anything goes on the road. Essentially the bigger your vehicle, the more right-of-way. There’s everything from big tour buses, to donkey pulled carts. The dividing lines on the road are more for decoration than anything. We were on what should have been a 3 lane road and there were about 6 lanes of traffic. Only they weren’t really in lines of any sort. It makes driving in Dallas or Houston, under-construction, during rush-hour look like a cakewalk. Here an example… On the way to our hotel some car tried to make a u-turn into on-coming traffic and our bus hit the car. But over here the driver we hit won’t sue. Basically they say hi, bye, have a nice day and don’t get mad at the person who hit them. They believe that God will take care of the damage. So basically God is their insurance policy. I found this HIGHLY amusing. The headlights over here are also pretty sweet. Lots of them are different colors, like blue and red. Sometimes you’ll see a car whose headlights change colors from red to green to blue to purple.
I can’t WAIT to get out and start seeing everything. Some of the boys have a “bet” going on (more of a contest) to which one has the closest guess as to the number of pictures I’m going to take on this trip. The guesses range anywhere from 1500 to over 2000. Don’t worry I don’t think it will be quite that many but on the other hand it might because we’re counting every picture I take, not just the ones I decide to keep. Who knows? I’ll let you know who wins.
Can’t wait to put up pictures and let you know what’s going on in Egypt!
Love you all!
Rebecca
P.S. We don’t get to go anywhere without an armed escort. (He carries an uzzie) So don’t worry. I’m perfectly safe and having the time of my life!!!!! Oh, and I think there’s more danger that I come home with an Egyptian man than a Greek man. Egyptian guys are VERY cute! Just kidding. I’m planning on going back to Greece, 100% single. But it sure makes sight-seeing a whole lot more interesting!

PIctures for Day 1 and 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004564&l=68afe&id=1523040053