3W4D Reflecting in Luxor

The sheer amount of satellite dishes on rooftops never cease to amaze me...

...nor the stunning sunsets...

...or the extraordinary number and massiveness of ancient monuments here in Egypt.

I ride down the Nile on a felucca as the sun sets over Luxor, bringing an end to a hot and sticky but absolutely beautiful day. My brain is filled with images and information of the past few days of the Temples of Luxor, Karnak and Hatchepsut, West Bank Valley of Kings and Queen Tombs, and New Guerna.

But this is all a blur as I sit in the sunset sipping my diet coke and eating the pita bread I attempted to bargain down to the Egyptian price (I'm not even really sure what price it was supposed to be.) Not even the past few days of constant hassle and harassment of numerous taxi, horse or felucca ride offers, ka ni chi wa’s and nee how’s, “come inside my shop, I’ll give you a good price” and scorching heat has any effect on me. It has been a day filled with much learning about Egyptian culture while wandering through Luxor, discussing British and American politics while eating sundaes from McDonalds, conversing deeply about life goals and purpose while sitting on a column of the hypostyle hall in Karnak, and negotiating prices throughout Luxor while sweating profusely.

Traveling alone has its advantages and disadvantages but I’m starting to think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I really do enjoy traveling alone as I can create my own schedule, but mostly because it allows me to meet more people, both local and travelers. The other day I met the first Americans since I’ve been abroad. We instantly bonded– which was a relief because I was starting to think I would not meet any Americans. Being abroad has made me realize how little Americans travel and if they do, most do not come to this part of the world. And today I enjoyed a day of exploring Luxor with two Scottish guys, learning more today than I ever have about Scotland and the UK than in my entire life.

I’m not sure why it is that Americans don’t travel more, besides not having as much vacation time as Australians, Brits, Europeans, or perhaps even the rest of the world. They get at least 1 month, if not more, as opposed to our 1-2 weeks of vacation time. I can speculate why a lot of Americans don’t travel to this part of the world though – and it is because this part of the world is highly misrepresented in the media. In addition, there have been several attacks here, most notably the one at the Temple of Hatchepsut where 58 tourists and 4 guards were shot or stabbed to death while helpless donkey keepers could only watch from the hilltops above. There are those few who make decisions that do not put Egyptians in a good light, but with my experience so far, Egyptians are some of the kindest and welcoming people I have met on my travels. I really love this place.

Amazingly chill rooftop of my hostel :-)

After being here for almost four weeks, I have learned I am equipped to handle more than I thought I could. For one, the heat is nothing like I have experienced. But every day I start to get used to this. And I also wonder how workers were able to create such beautiful temples in the past in this heat. It’s not like they could just step inside the air-conditioning to cool down, or go grab a bottle of water to quench their thirst. I am also becoming a better haggler, but I prefer to say better negotiator. There is something satisfying about bargaining. You know the seller will not give you a price that will make him lose money so you just continue to negotiate until it is worth what you think it is. This is great practice because there is no risk involved – negotiating a few Egyptian pounds (less than 1 USD) as opposed to negotiating a few thousand or more if I was in a business back home.

I couldn't help but include this picture of McDonalds taking over the world - this is almost as bad as the McDonalds sitting RIGHT IN FRONT of the Pantheon in Rome.

Tonight is my last night in Luxor (for now) but I think I would like to return for a few days in December if time permits. I like the relaxed atmosphere. If I could compare some of the cities I’ve been in Egypt to cities in the USA, I’d say Luxor is comparable to San Diego, Dahab is comparable to Santa Cruz, and Cairo is comparable to NYC. Tomorrow I head to Aswan, to hotter temperatures and closer to the border of Sudan.

3W3D (mis)Adventures of Falafel the Camel #7

"Then come up on Mount Sinai, and stand in my presence on the top of the mountain."

3W2D Adios Dahab, Herrroo Luxor!

Full Moon Shining Over the Red Sea

Goodbye Dahab, hello Luxor. I really will miss Dahab. I chose a 1 hour plane ride over a 20 hour bus ride from Dahab to Luxor. In the taxi from the airport to my hostel, I find that Luxor is full of green and much more relaxed than Cairo (but not Dahab.) Tourism accounts for 85 percent of the economy in this town, which is not surprising since at every step I take I am hounded by taxi and caliche drivers offering rides, shop owners harassing me to step into their shop, and hotel touts convincing me that their hotel is the best.. Notice a trend here?

But really it is not all that bad. It really depends on your level of tolerance and the way you dress. To ward off unwanted attention, especially for females, wearing long sleeves and pants/skirts that cover all skin including necklines really helps. You will still get attention and harassment, but it is a lot less. Wearing sunglasses and avoiding eye contact is another mechanism I use to be able to walk through the streets.

Not everyone is trying to get something from you though. And rudeness, as I’ve seen a lot of tourists show, never gets you anywhere. I find that I have learned to read people better here and that Egyptians are quite welcoming – sometimes you just need a sense of humor. If only I could show that humor in my limited Arabic…

I’ve included a few pictures of my time in Dahab. I haven’t left yet, but I have a feeling I will miss Egypt.

3W1D Warning: Petra is Nothing Like the Movies

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Petra (in Jordan) is now in the top three of my favorite sites that I’ve experienced. Petra is an enormous archeological site that simply cannot be appreciated in one day. Even my two days there was way too short. Words and pictures (and movies!) do not do justice to this magnificent piece of architecture, but I will do my best.

Most people know Petra by the striking image of the Treasury peeking through the Siq, the ancient main entrance to Petra with its natural, narrow, deep canyon that curves to the Treasury. But there is much more to the site than this.

Around noon I follow a sign which points in the direction of the Siq. Following the hoards of camera toting and shorts and flip flop wearing tourists, I make the trek towards the Siq with the sun brutally shining down on me. As I enter the narrow and tall gorge, the images that I have seen before of the Siq does not give a fair image to the spectacular sight that is set before me. Our witty and entertaining Jordanian tour guide explains to us in perfect English (I later come to find that our eccentric guide also speaks Tagalog and Chinese) the history of this city carved into stone.

The Nabateans were an ancient Arab tribe that settled in southern Jordan who fought for their independence until the kingdom was eventually seized by the powerful Roman Empire. What made this culture so different and unique is that they were open to outside cultural influences and added these influences to their own society, creating a true cultural melting pot. This is reflective in the architecture of the city – for example, the carved Treasury has classical (Greek/Roman), Egyptian, Mesopotamian and local styles, all blended to create a rich piece of architecture.

I normally try not to go on tours because I prefer the flexibility of exploring a place on my own without crowds, but it was easier to reach Petra via a tour. As a result the first day was a whirlwind of the main sights without really scraping past the surface or going deeper into the site past theatre or Treasury.

The second day, I set out alone at 6am with a goal of beating the tourists and the heat to the Ad-Deir, or the Monastery. Once again, the trek through the Siq did not cease to amaze me. The quiet and stillness at 7am was quite a contrast to the day before where the sounds of tourists would bounce off and echo throughout the tall walls of the gorge. The reddish brown colors start to become more vibrant as the sun’s rays climb higher in the sky and cast itself onto the rock. Images of the Grand Canyon start to appear in my head – rightfully so because the rock formations reminded me of the Grand Canyon – but on a much smaller scale. I make my way towards the Treasury where a few tourists and camels were standing about. I take the obligatory tourist photo before continuing towards the Monastery.

The path to the steps to the Monastery was relatively easy, passing donkeys and camels lingering about, locals trying to sell me jewelry and other odd items, and various remnants of the fantastic city carved into rocks. I then hit the 800 steps to the top of the Monastery. The steps are not continuous, nor are they linear. They are unevenly carved into the rock, almost purposefully as if the designer wanted you to pause to take in the views of the mountain scenes on the way up. Unfortunately for me, these views were interrupted by smells of donkey doo left by donkeys climbing up the stairs. My adrenaline helped me to make it to the top of the 800 steps, where I was rewarded with the sight of the Monastery, a larger and more simplified embellished version of the Treasury. The large open space in front of the Monastery was probably a gathering space. I stood alone in this space and felt so tiny. A sign on a cliff catches my eye – “The Best View in Petra” so naturally, I headed towards this.

I sit on the cliff with a view to the Monastery and take a deep breath, close my eyes and breathe the fresh air while listening to the sound of silence. The heat is tolerable and after a few minutes I do not notice the sun shining on me anyway. My mind goes blank as I sit completely still, cross legged in the dirt. I do not know how long I sat there or how long my eyes were shut for but when I do open up my senses back to the world, the heat has gotten intolerable, the sun so bright that it hurts my eyes, and the tourists greater in number.

By the time I make it back to the meeting point, I had spent 9 hours exploring and still had not experienced everything. I wish I had more time here but I must move on. For now, I will have to be satisfied with re-watching Indiana Jones, The Mummy Returns and Transformers to remind me of my time here spent in Petra… :P

3W0D (mis)Adventures of Falafel the Camel #6

“Falafel’s new friend, Felucca gives him a lift to the Treasury in Petra” (*this one is for you Mike)