Rebecca's Page

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

3:30 AM wake-up call and a 3 hour bus ride later I was at Abu Simbel. You see pictures of the pyramids and these temples, especially this one but it never really hits home just how large they are until you are there.
At the front of the temple there are 4 GIANT statues of Ramses II. As I write these I keep having to double check to see which Pharaoh it was because Ramses II seems to have statues of himself ALL over the place. Talk about ego-centric and self-enamored. I no longer can claim that award. I actually got to see his mummy in the Cairo Museum. He had RED HAIR! Whether it was real or residual dye from the mummification process I have no clue but it’s pretty sweet just the same.
The other temple at Abu-Simbel was for Ramses II wife. He actually had 3 wives but he really loved this one and she is almost always the wife depicted with him.
What really floored me about this place is that this isn’t the original location. It was under water so the entire thing had to be moved. Once you look at the pictures I think you might understand why I’m so flabbergasted. I don’t understand how they moved the entire thing. It’s HUGE! I know I keep saying that but even now it still blows my mind.
When we got back we boarded the cruise boat for the first time. Let me just say I will vacation on the Nile ANY time. We walked into our bedroom and Emily and my jaws dropped. The room was about the size of a hotel room and you could actually walk around in the bathroom. We went to lunch a little skeptical, remembering the food we had been eating for the past several days, but it was amazing! I have to find a recipe for Beef Wellington and Pumpkin soup. Mom—I’m making a list of all the foods I would like when I get back. First thing I want after I get back to the airport is a Route 44 Sonic drink and cheese sticks. I know, weird request, but I’m really craving some American food right now.
We laid around all afternoon on the top deck, swimming, enjoying the sun, and marveling at the sights we saw as we floated down the Nile. While I’m thinking about it here are some interesting things I learned on this trip that I never heard in Sunday school.
1) The Pyramids were seen by Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus
2) There are 3 temples that are almost exact replicas of Solomon’s Temple
3) Christians picked up using pagan symbols on purpose
4) The golden calf the Israelites built was most likely in honor of the Goddess Hathor
I’m sure I’ll think of more as I go along but those were the ones that are standing out to me at the time.
It gets dark early in Egypt so when we got off to see the temple of Kom-Ombo it was dark. There was a mass-exodus off the boats and everyone was trying to get into the temple. There is NO concept of lines over here so we got separated for a little while and almost trampled by Asian tourists, who believe it or not are VERY vicious.
Kom-Ombo was used as a hospital or a pharmacy. The temples on the east side of the river were used for more for worship, schools, and secular purposes. Anything on the west side of the river was used for the mummification process or something relating to death. At this temple, archeologists found the largest number of mummified crocodiles ever. They’re pretty wild looking! The other major reason this temple is important is that it holds the oldest Egyptian calendar which helped to date Egypt’s history and in turn the bible. We almost missed the boat because we didn’t know what time departure was so they had to back it back up for us.
Side note: Emily and I had an interesting porter. We had a towel animal everyday and one day he left us flowers.

Day 6… We only did 1 thing today because apparently tomorrow is supposed to be a KILLER! We got up early again and set out for the temple of Et-Fu. This temple was dedicated to the falcon god, Horace. It took over 25 years to build and 160 to decorate. When the temple is begun, Egyptians would place a master plan of how they wanted to look years from then when it was completed. I think I may have to create one of these for my house someday.
One of the most important things we saw here was the ark they used to carry the statue of Horace on. Apparently the Ark of the Covenant we read about in the Bible would have looked similar to this. I’m always forgetting that Moses spent 40 years of his life in Egypt as a prince, and the Israelites even longer, so it would have had a HUGE impact on their architecture, art, etc.
We finally got to do some shopping on our way out of the temple. Osman hadn’t let us really do any shopping up until this point because he wanted us to feel completely safe. As we walked by the shops the owners would yell—No touchy, no hustle. I bought 3 scarfs and my Egyptian Dress. I am on a huge scarf kick right now! You have to barter because they’re all trying to rip you off. I’m slightly concerned about walking into a store back home, and saying, “I don’t like this price. I’m paying in cash, will you take 13 dollars?” I got from dress down from over 50 euros to 10. I told them how much I would pay and then kept trying to walk off until I got it for 10. It was kind-of fun!
We got back to the boat and had church services. I’m thinking about making a list… Strangest places I’ve ever had church. The Nile would definitely rank up there. Then Osman held a hieroglyphics class. I can’t wait to get back to one of the temples so I can look at the walls and identify some of the glyphs.
I spent the rest of the day laying on the top deck, enjoying the sun, and reading my book. Finally that evening was Egyptian Night. I’ve been looking forward to this night since we got to Egypt. Since we didn’t get to try on our dresses before hand they were too big on some of the girls. So I spent most of my time altering and pinning dresses. When I finally got to myself I had about 20 minutes to get ready. Emily did an AMAZING job on my hair is a grand total of 6 minutes.
Towards the end of dinner the staff was playing music and one of our guys Frank starts dancing around the dining room. So we all joined in, to everyone else’s amusement, dancing in a konga-line around the dining room. We headed the party upstairs and did what I call Jewish-style dancing. (Girls on one side and guys on the other.) It was all very G-Rated since we are Church of Christ and have NO clue how to dance.

That’s all for now!
Love, Rebecca

Day 5 & 6 Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004571&l=507d8&id=1523040053

Egyptian Night:
Album 1-http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004572&l=cfffd&id=1523040053
Album 2- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004573&l=e2f82&id=1523040053

Day 4: Aswan
So I started off my morning at 5. Emily’s alarm clock was still set for Athens time so rather than fixing it to Egyptian time she simply tries to calculate when she should set it for in her head. Well turns out she went the wrong way. I didn’t even look at my watch until I accidentally hit my button calling my porter and he pokes he head in wanting to know why we’re up because there’s still 4 more hours to Aswan. I turned to face her as she was braiding my hair and glared. However a glare is never very effective when you’re about to fall off the bed laughing. So 5 hours later we finally got off the train and set off to the Temple of Philae.
This temple is dedicated to Isis and is the most similar to the Temple of Solomon. This was the last pagan temple in use during the Christianity period of the Roman empire. So it was used for both pagan and Christians. The Gods on the left side of the temple (the side the Christians used) were defaced but the ones on the Pagan side were untouched. In 1960 when the Aswan Dam was built it made a lake and covered the temple up. So in 1972 they started making plans to move the temple. They started moving it in 1974 and the process was complete in 1980. I’m floored that they move temples over here. Because they’re HUGE! It didn’t even look like it had been moved.
We made a stop off at the High Dam and the Aswan Dam. Could have done with out these but I guess it’s all part of the complete “Egypt Experience.”
Then came my favorite part of the day…. We took a skiff boat down the Nile into Nubia! I understand why the people who go to Africa come back obsessed about it. This place is really legit. As we went down the river there were people fishing in their boats, birds everywhere, and a cool breeze blowing. As we went down the river young boys in canoes or on something that resembled a surfboard would hang onto the edge of the boat and sing for us. They could sing in several different languages. Of course one of m favorites was when the one on our side of the boat broke out singing the Macarena.
We finally got to shore and are you ready for this? I got to ride a camel! It took a couple tries to get on the silly thing because even sitting down they are massive! Sitting on a camel while it’s getting up and sitting down is an experience that I will never forget. My camel’s name was Ricky Martin. There were a bunch named Rambo. Right as we set out my camera battery died. I was really upset! So I didn’t get pictures of the Nubian Village but if I find some from someone else I’ll go ahead and put them up so you can get the full effect of Egypt. There are only 3 Nubian Villages left in the world. When we reached the Nubian Village we dismounted and went to see a Nubian house. While there we had Hibiscus Tea, shopped, and got to pet baby crocodiles. The Nubians catch them and/or raise them from birth and make them into pets. The guy was bringing it around so everyone could touch it and I reached out my head when all of the sudden he puts it up against my neck. I can’t remember the last time I was that scared. Not so much of the crocodile but out of pure shock. I went outside and simply stepped back to watch the people as they went about their daily lives. They are very poor and work hard but they are SO happy! They truly know what it means to build relationships and to KNOW people. As I watched one of my fellow students play “soccer” with some of the children using a coke can, it struck me how easy it was to see the love of God in that village. It’s surprising how clearly it shines through when it’s not being clouded by all the things the prosperity of our nation affords us. Finally when it was time to go we headed back to the skiff. On the return trip we got to ride on top! There are some things you do in life where you say… That was fun, but I don’t think I want to do that again. Floating down the Nile is definitely going on my list to do again! As I started up at the stars, listening to the motor churning the waters of the Nile, I felt more at peace than I have in a long time. I mean honestly… I just finished a camel ride, through the desert went to a Nubian village, and at that moment was cruising down the Nile on top of a skiff. Personally I don’t think that at that moment life could have gotten much better.
When I walked into my room on the boat my jaw dropped! The room is about the size of a hotel room and the bathrooms… You can actually WALK and MOVE around in them! It’s amazing what you begin to appreciate, isn’t it? The food has been out of this WORLD! I love beef Wellington and every soup I’ve had has been AMAZING! My favorite by far though was the pumpkin soup. I need to find a recipe for it.
Well I should wrap this entry up because I have to be up at 3:30 in the morning. Yes that is AM. We’re leaving for Abu Simbel. Not many groups get to go there so I’m really excited! Well minus the time I have to wake up but I can catch up on sleep later. I’m in EGYPT! Crusin’ the Nile. It’s weird to think that this is the VERY same river that Moses turned into blood. This trip has been worth every cent and so much more. So thanks Mom and Dad!

Goodnight everyone!

Love, Rebecca

Day 4 Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004568&l=42067&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