Sotto il Cielo di Roma!

Well more like a couple nights… whatever.

Making flight reservations seven months ahead of time can be both good and bad for several reasons. Clearly, the earlier you book reservations, the cheaper it will be but who knows seven months later what will actually occur during the semester and how home sick one will become.

I wouldn’t say I was incredible homesick, however, I neglected to bring winter clothing to Cairo so therefore, on my voyage for four days to Rome I had a blast (sans winter clothing).

I left Cairo Wednesday the 19th with Meghan and we headed off to Cairo International Airport – clearly after a fight with the cab driver – before finally saying goodbye to Egypt. I traded the remainder of Egyptian pounds before going through the final checkpoint and “officially” leaving Egyptian soil. We waiting in the terminal for an hour or so before boarding (also having to pay 22 LE for a small thing of Pringles – almost $4!!). We left Cairo aboard Alitalia and had a rather disappointing meal, but the quick hop (3 hours) across the Mediterranean was rather simple… until landing. We were, say 200 feet, off the ground and about to land on the runway when all of a sudden, we took a nose dive UP towards the sky. With the engines roaring we began circling around back over the Med and tried again. According to our Italian neighbors, the pilot, who shouted over the intercom while it was happening, said that another plane crossed the runway we were supposed to be landing on, oops.

We took the train and then the metro into Rome and it was rather chilly. We eventually found our hostel (right near Termini Train Station) northeast of the centre of town since there is no official downtown in Rome. We put our bags down and got ready and headed out for our first night on the town. We took a bus along one of the main corridors in central Rome and found a cute little trattoria where we were the only foreigners. I got a salami, tomato and mozzarella calzone and Meghan got spaghetti with meat sauce. It was excellent and we split a cheap (but good) bottle of wine. It was so cute being there at Christmas time with all the families out in their best (well that is normal, Italians are stunningly dressed year around), with kids, grandkids, cousins, the whole lot out to eat.

After dinner, we went to Campo de Fiori, a nightlife area right near where we ate. We went to a few bars, enjoyed happy hour specials, and just relaxed before our big day on Thursday where we had to see all of Rome in one day since Meghan was only in Rome for one day.

The next morning, we got up wicked early (6:45am) and took the bus to the Vatican. Vatican City, or the Holy See, is the head of the Catholic Church and is the smallest independent state in the world. It is completely surrounded by Rome (and Italy) and there are no border checks to get in/out of the country. We got there early and were some of the first people to enter Piazza San Pietro or St. Peter’s Square as the sun was rising. The square was virtually empty and a huge Christmas Tree was located near the center. We first decided to go into St. Peters Basilica, which is one of the largest (second only to one in Africa somewhere) cathedrals in the world. Built in the 16th & 17th centuries, the dome was designed by Michelangelo and is still one of the largest and most beautiful in the world. We saw the Swiss Guard that protects the Vatican, as well as Michelangelo’s famous Pieta which stands near the entrance to St. Peter’s, several tombs of popes as well as the soaring architecture of the Basilica itself.

A funny few notes: first, I accidentally swore in the Basilica. One reason for me getting deported from the Vatican. Then, all of a sudden something fell and I said: “that scared the sh-Krap out of me.” Reason two. Then, I said “there is probably a ninety-eight percent chance I won’t ever become Pope, but should I, I want to be named Leo (after my kitty, of course).” So I took a photo posing as Pope Leo and I got yelled at in Italian. But clearly I didn’t get deported, but it would have been a nice story.

After visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square, we grabbed a quick espresso while we waited for the Vatican museums to open. I may not be the biggest coffee drinker, but the espresso was pretty awful. Later, we had a decent cappuccino and I had another espresso which was better, but I was kinda disappointed.

At the Vatican museums, the first room we saw was Egyptian Art. I wanted to shoot myself. The Vatican Museums have artwork and relics from all over the world, not just unique to Italy or Rome, so we basically tore through this section and found the ancient Greek and Roman section before heading off to the Cappella Sistina, or the Sistine Chapel, which is where all the Cardinals meet to elect a new pope (once one dies, clearly). The ceiling is the most famous ceiling in the world, with Michelangelo painted as scenes from the bible including the Creation of Adam, which is where G-d had his outstretched finger almost touching the outstretched finger of Adam. Michelangelo’s Last Judgement is also in the Sistine Chapel, and I took photos even though I wasn’t allowed to. Along the walk to the Sistine Chapel, some incredible artwork including one of my favorite pieces of art is just painted on a random Palace wall. School of Athens by Raphael depicts Plato and Aristotle and other important figures during Greek antiquity. I can’t believe I got to see it.

After the Vatican, we ran to the Spanish Steps and grabbed a quick bite to eat for lunch. The Spanish Steps are a tourist attraction unto themselves. It has become increasingly popular among tourists and locals alike as these beautiful steps link the Trinita dei Monti, a famous church and the Piazza di Spagna at the bottom. This is in one of the main upscale shopping areas of Rome and the street directly at the bottom is comparable to Fifth & Madison Avenues in NYC and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The Steps are also a popular site in many films that feature Rome.

We then walked along through the shopping district, seeing all the beautiful holiday windows of Versace, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada, amongst others, until we got to the Fontanta di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain, which was made popular during the film, Roman Holiday, and a visit to Rome isn’t complete without a visit and a toss of a coin over one’s shoulder. It is the largest of all of the fountains in Rome designed under the Baroque architecture.

We then walked the two kilometers from the Trevi Fountain towards the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Along the way, we saw one of the Imperial Forums and a large crowd of people gathered, with tons of photographers focusing on a few gentlemen. Clearly, I took a few photos because this is Europe and you never know who is going to show up in the papers the next day. It turns out, that the Portuguese Prime Minister (and rotating EU-President) Jose Socrates, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. Unfortunately, French President Nicholas Sarkozy was meeting with the Pope. He is my favorite European leader so I didn’t get to meet him.

We then went to the Roman Forum, which was the centre of Ancient Rome. A little disappointing because much of the ruins are barely recognizable but it was pretty cool. The archways and Roman columns were my favorite part basically, but I love Roman columns with anything.

On the east-side of the forum is one of the most famous and recognizable structures in the world: the Colosseum. Actually called the Flavian Amphitheatre, this ancient feature of Rome was one of the largest built in the Roman Empire and is a must-see on every tourists visit to Rome (I actually saw it three times). Much of it was actually sacked during the centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire and a lot was taken for use elsewhere in Rome and Italy so much of the original theatre is actually gone. Most, if not all, of the entire upper level was gone, much of the interior was destroyed and the original floor, under which was dressing rooms and animal pens for the Gladiators, is now exposed. However, in my opinion, the current state of the Colosseum is actually more beautiful than it would have been two-thousand years ago. We walked around a little outside before heading inside to view the site.

We then went back to the Vatican to see St. Peter’s Basilica at night, which was incredible, especially right before Christmas with the tree in St. Peter’s Square. We then grabbed another great Italian dinner in a trattoria and then we went out to a pub crawl. Along the way, we walked by the Trevi Fountain at night, which was also incredible.

The next morning, Meghan went to the train station to head to the Airport since she had a very early flight out. I slept in and for the next two days was on my own, although I had incredible fun in the hostel with some great people from Turkey, Brazil, Australia, and Missouri.

Friday, I took it easy hanging out around Piazza della Republica, which is one of my favorite squares (especially at night). I chose to go out and see some of my favorite works of art and visit some churches all over Rome. I first walked back to the Spanish Steps, then walked around the upscale shopping areas around the Spanish Steps.

Rooftops of Rome from the top of the Spanish Steps. You can see the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the distance.

I love Roman architecture. Incredible. I then stumbled upon the Pantheon, which is an ancient Roman basilica with the most incredible dome, which is the largest unsupported dome in the world. It has stood for nearly 2,000 years and remains a beautiful site, despite how ugly it is outside.

Friday, I just walked around Rome a lot, since it is a very walkable city. I then went to the Piazza Navona which is a central square in Rome. A giant cathedral is on one side, while the Piazza is occupied during the Christmas season by a huge Christmas Market, which was so much fun but kind of an eyesore against the Roman backdrop.

Within the Piazza is Bernini’s famous fountain, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, which is gorgeous but was under reconstruction. The fountain is also featured in Dan Brown’s novel, Angels & Demons, which centres on the incredible works of art that make Rome one of the most incredible places I have ever been.

I walked around a little more, before going to the Pizzeria da Baffetto, which came highly recommended by a friend (Molly) who studied in Rome for the past semester. It was a flat, crispy crust but was great (and cheap too). Then, I walked around Rome at night stopping at the Pantheon and the Colosseum before heading back and going out with a few people from my hostel.

On my final day (Saturday, December 22), I walked around Rome all day, seeing tons of churches and incredible works of art as well as just the incredible architecture of Rome.

St. Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini.

A cool fountain by my Hostel.

I love the blend of yellow paint/stucco with the white/grey marble that is ever-present all over Rome.

The Chains of St. Peter, and below is the Tomb of Pope Julius II, which is an unfinished work by Michelangelo. The central figure is Moses.

I then walked around near Capitoline Hill, which has the Capitoline Hills and centers around the Piazza Campidoglio and a grand stairway designed by Michelangelo. Yet again, I love the mix of yellow paint and the white marble decorating much of the exterior of much of Rome.

Then, I walked around Il Vittoriano, which is the monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and also the most hated monument in all of Rome. It is very large and unimposing and is considered by most Romans as unattractive and cannot stand the site at the Piazza Venezia. It, however, does provide nice views of much of Rome.

I did some more walking around, since most of the churches were closed right after lunch until mid-afternoon. So here are just some photos of the beautiful buildings and streets of Rome.

I then went to see some Churches because of the incredible artworks that are just scattered everywhere throughout Rome.

Afterwards, I grabbed a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine to celebrate the holidays and heading home. I was at an Irish pub and they ended up showing American college football so I had a couple of Guinnesses before walking around Rome and heading back to my hostel to say goodbye to Rome.

Israel: My First Earthquake

So I managed to get across the Jordanian-Israeli border with ease and very little questioning. I bypassed a tour group so I didn’t have to wait several hours like I did at the Egyptian border. I then found an Arab bus that was leaving in thirty minutes for Al Qads, which is Arabic for Jerusalem. 32 Shekels ($8) and another forty minute drive through the West Bank, I was just outside of Jerusalem. I saw the “Apartheid Wall” that divides much of the West Bank and Palestinian Territories from Israel but my opinion will follow…

As we headed out of the West Bank into East Jerusalem, we drove up a highway (since Jerusalem is high in the mountains) that was lined with Menorahs celebrating Hanukkah. I completely forgot that it was the Hanukkah season and was overjoyed to be returning to the holiest city in the world. I arrived at the Damascus Gate of the Old City at about 1pm – with my huge bags in tow – where I fought my way through the Arab Souk in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. I finally managed to get through into the Armenian Quarter (familiar territory) before realizing it was still Shabbat so everything in the Jewish Quarter would still be closed. I grabbed a quick shwerma before heading to the Christian Quarter to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of the holiest sites for most Christians.

This Church is built on the site in Jerusalem where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and also buried. Also, there is the Stone of Anointing which was the place where Jesus’ body was placed following his crucification. It is also one of the stations of the Cross, but I didn’t really understand what all was going on and most were unwilling to really explain it to me. I touched the Stone (hopefully I am allowed to) for anyone who is Christian and who will be unable to do so in their lifetime. It was incredibly powerful seeing Pilgrims making the voyage to Jerusalem, and although it isn’t a pillar of my religious beliefs, the power that it brings to others is truly inspiring.

After wandering around the Old City for a little more, I hailed a cab (a Mercedes one of course, Israel is $$$) to go to Mt. Scopus, where I was staying with a friend for the weekend. I actually was staying with a friend of a friend and we kinda knew each other and so it ended up working out really well. My friend attends the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus which is technically in East Jerusalem and has incredible views of the Old City, West Jerusalem (New City), and most importantly, the Kotel, which is the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism.

And most of the time, I just hung out with friends in their apartment or hung around the campus area. It was so much fun just hanging out, watching movies, COOKING, going to the market, and just sitting around goofing off. It also nice not having gender segregation… one thing that is horrible about AUC. I honestly wish here in Cairo I could just go to female friends rooms, if only to watch a movie in pajamas or sit around and talk in the privacy and comfort of someone’s bedroom.

Anyways… Saturday night we went to an incredible restaurant/book store in Downtown near Ben Yahuda Street and then we went for a drink and to smoke some Houkah nearby. We also got ice cream and I got to hang out in the part of Jerusalem that I love so much. Then, the group of us returned to Mt. Scopus and watched a film.

The next morning, I awoke early and laid in bed for awhile until about 9:30am… when… the room started to shake a little. I didn’t think much of it; I really thought my friend was under the bed or pounding on the walls or something, so I went back to sleep. A couple hours later at breakfast (MILK & CHEERIOS!!!) one of her roommates yelled “there was an Earthquake this morning!” To which I replied, wow that was an earthquake. Kinda cool. It only measured 4.0 but I could definitely feel it. After putzing around for a little, Jen and I took one of the buses into downtown and went to the Shook (Israeli outdoor market), where I got some candy and sweets. We went to lunch at a deli (clearly delicious) and coffee on Jaffa Street before she had to return to campus for a quick class and I headed off to the Old City to visit the Kotel.

Just a quick note that I hadn’t even thought of. Earlier in the day, when we were deciding upon plans, I was asked if it was okay that we took a bus. I replied of course, before realizing the severity of the question. There are several students who live in Jerusalem that refuse to take buses anywhere because the Israeli bus system has been a favorite target amongst Arab suicide bombers. At least forty buses have been bombed in Israel in the past fifteen years, but there haven’t been any suicide attacks in Israel since 2005 (sans one in Eilat in January) which is why I actually think the Wall built between Israel and the Palestinian Territories has been effective. It does serve a practical purpose, which has been to protect the Israeli citizens. It has done just that. I understand some questions about the legitimacy of it, but how is it truly any different than an electrified border fence.

Back to my trip. So I walked through the Jewish Quarter before heading to the Kotel. The Kotel, or Western Wall or Wailing Wall, is the holiest site in Judaism. It is the only remaining wall of the walls that held up the Temple Mount, which is where the First & Second Temples stood. It is the only wall that remains from the Second Temple Era, which was destroyed two-thousand years ago. Now, atop the Temple Mount, sits two mosques. One the Dome of the Rock is one of the most famous mosques in the World and it is the Golden Dome that everyone sees when they think of Jerusalem. The other, al-Aqsa, is less recognizable, but the whole site represents the place that Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to heaven. So yes, three of the holiest sites in the three most important monotheistic religions. And you wonder why Jerusalem is such a hot topic?

During the 1948 War of Independence, Israel lost control of the Old City and the West Bank as it was annexed by neighboring Jordan. In 1967, upon the success of the Six-Day Way, the Jews gained control of the Western Wall for the first time since the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. So I went down, went through security, grabbed my favorite prayer book and put on my yarmulke and touched the wall. Every time I see it, sometimes inside me lights up. I can’t really explain it. I read some prayers at the wall, before saying a few prayers and touching a few items to the wall. It is also custom to write wishes or prayers on a piece of paper and place it in the crevices of the wall, as many believe the wall is a direct connection to G-d. After praying, I thought about it for awhile, and decided against walking up to the Temple Mount to see the two mosques. I don’t know if it was a lack of desire since I have seen so many mosques or my Jewish distaste for not being allowed to build a Third Temple, but I chose against it.

I walked around a little more, through an open-air mall before heading back to Mt. Scopus to head back to my friend’s apartment. That night we had pasta and meat sauce before lounging around for yet another night: hanging out, watching movies and just being lazy.

Monday was a continuation of Sunday night as I didn’t really leave the apartment since it was cold and dreary. I watched a movie or two with friends, had great food (including DR. Pepper) and just enjoyed my time, which was reminiscent of freshmen year in college. Community life was very important so it made it quite fun.

Monday night I took a bus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and then an overnight bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat, where I slept for most of the ride. I went through customs quickly and found a bus back to Cairo that left at 10:30. So I was back in Cairo by 5:30. I left Jerusalem at 9:30pm and twenty hours later, arrived back in Cairo, with only two weeks left in the Egyptian Capital.

Sorry for the lack of photos from most of my journey. They always say that when you are truly enjoying yourself, a memory is so much more important than a photo. I would agree. So yes, I leave two weeks from today (12/19) from Cairo and will be heading to Rome for four days. The last fourteen days I will be here in Cairo, finishing up the semester both academically and socially. I will be home in 18 Days! So excited, yet so sad at the same time. It has been quite a semester and I will begin in the next few days to wrap it up.

Enjoy the holiday season. I miss the snow and lights and shopping and food and time with friends and family, but I will be back soon! Best!

Jordan: What’s My Hotel Called Again?

Just days after returning from an exhilarating trip to Luxor and Aswan for Thanksgiving, I packed my bags again, this time heading elsewhere in the Middle East. I decided to travel by myself to Jordan and Israel for my last trip around the region, mainly because I had to get to Petra in Jordan and since I am so close to Israel, it was very important that I return. I had planned to meet up with friends at certain points during the trip, so I wouldn’t be alone all five days.

I left Wednesday evening from the Sinai bus station in Cairo. After dodging through the herds of Egyptians taking overnight buses to the Red Sea resorts (Sharm el-Sheik, El Gouna, Dahab), I found my way to the bus heading to Taba, which is the border town along with Israeli border. After a six-hour bus ride (in which I slept for most of it), I arrived at the Israeli border at 4:30am. Thinking “oh this should be a piece of cake” I took my time walking to the border, fiddling with my passport and crossing into no-mans land. Upon reaching the Israeli border, I realized a tour group had just been let off before us and it would probably take several hours! I went through the usual border procedures (where are you from, how long are you staying, why are you coming to Israel, who do you know) and the inevitable: “are you Jewish?” If so, “what was your Torah portion from your Bar Mitzvah”, which, if answered correctly, is your automatic gateway into Israel. I was in by 7:15 and took a cab to the bus station, only to realize that no buses went to the Jordanian border until later, so I met up with a couple of guys and we shared a cab to the border. In the one hour I was in Israel, we drove along the beautiful Red Sea, saw the area I went snorkeling in, passed by the mall and the beaches, and drove through one of my favorite places, Eilat. I reached the Jordanian border, crossed through effortlessly, and obtained my free visa without any question.

After crossing, the two guys I had taken the cab with were also going to Petra, so we hired a modest cab for the two-hour ride north through the mountains to Wadi Moussa, which is the town located outside of Petra. We stopped along the way and got great Bedouin tea (as usual) and made it to the town by 11am, where I checked into the quaint Valentine Inn, before heading with our driver to the entrance of Petra.

Petra was an ancient civilization – over two-thousand years old – where the citizens carved out a city into the mountainside. It is located in the southwest portion of Jordan, in a valley, surrounded by mountainous peaks. The entrance is nearly a kilometer long, and consists of a natural valley pathway that was enlarged. It also contains an elaborate water system and some carved out rooms in the mountain.

By far the most recognizable site at Petra is the Treasury, which is considered by most a tomb, carved out of the rock. Other than a little restoration work, the entire Treasury was carved from the single mountain and no additional rock was added. Again, I resort to photos to best display the ancient city.

We sat around for a little and I had tea with a few Bedouin women who graciously offered their tea and food. I guess I hadn’t realized that walking down into the valley to see the ruins would result in me having to walk back up at the end of the day, which I had to take in several stages. I got back to my hotel and took a quick nap, followed by some light reading, a decent, yet tasteless buffet at my Inn. I read a little more in the common area, but took an early night, since it was freezing and I had slept for only a few hours on the bus ride the previous day.

I got up relatively early the next day and I had been told that the only bus for Amman (capital of Jordan) would leave at 6:30am. I felt that was a lie so I woke up at 8 and walked to the bus station, where low and behold, there were a few minibuses waiting around until they were full to head to Amman. Best part: if I had taken the “lone” 6:30 bus, it would have been 15 Jordanian Dinars, or $20. But this minibus (which also only took 3 hours instead of 4) only was 3 Dinars, or $5. Brilliant.

I arrived in Amman and shared a cab to my hotel. I was exhausted at check in and did some more leisure reading before heading out to explore the area around my hotel. I had not planned to come to Amman to begin with, so I had no expectations. The only reason I came was because one of my Fraternity Brothers, Jake Patoski, was in Amman on business. So before we met up, I walked around a little, grabbed some tea, and bought a backgammon board! I have been meaning to buy one and I probably paid a little more than I would in Egypt, but it is great quality and I can’t wait to bring Towla back to the United States.

I ate dinner at Midan Abdoun (Abdoun Square) at a restaurant where all the writing was in Arabic and I had a decent shwerma wrap before grabbing a donut, across the street, before hailing a cab to meet Jake.

One side note, however. In Egypt, a lot of locals try and speak to me in English and so I have to force them to speak to me in Arabic. But in Jordan, as soon as they knew that I spoke some Arabic, they refused to speak to me in English. They kept saying “yanee” (like) or “lets figure it out. No English” which was great for my Arabic. Plus they speak the dialect I am used to. Anyways, it was great using my Arabic and the people actually understanding exactly what I was saying.

Jake and I went to a quasi-diner with great shisha and drinks where we caught up for awhile before heading across the street to a bar, called Blue Moon Pub. Didn’t expect much, however, this place was borderline American strip-club. Tons of women dancing around in skimpy clothing, dancing all over what seemed like high-powered business men. But first, no money was being exchanged and second the girls really seemed to enjoy it. We couldn’t understand if they were being paid or not by the bar or if they were just girls that come and play at the Bar. So weird.

After wishing farewell, I realized that I didn’t have my book on me so I therefore couldn’t remember what my hotel was called. I got in the cab and was like “oh man, where am I staying?” It also didn’t help that I had no idea what street I was staying on, what neighborhood it was in (other than just Downtown) or any landmarks within a ten-block radius of my hotel. The closest thing I could tell him was the Roman Theatre, which was a good 2-3 minute drive past my hotel. So we just went and I eventually told him to go down Shariyah Malik Hussein (King Hussein St) until I recognized where I was, and SUCCESS! I made it home and crashed.

I was nervous about Saturday since I wasn’t too positive of all the plans to get to the Israeli border and then from there into Jerusalem. Plus, my friend had been MIA in responding so I wasn’t sure of where I was going to stay. But I got up, took a cab to the “new cab place” where I could catch a service taxi to the Israeli border. It wasn’t too bad and the trip took only forty minutes. At the border, I took the necessary steps to leave Jordan only to realize I had to pay another 3 Dinars to take a bus to the border. The actual customs & passport facilities are 4km to the border, and you have to take a bus. You can’t walk. So I scrounged together 3 Dinars and was off to Israel…

I was in Jordan for a little over two days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Jordan is quite modern for an Arab nation and parts of Amman reminded me of a cross between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is definitely a more open society than Egypt, but is still trying to catch up to its Western, mini-America nation next door.

Way Down in Egyptland: Thanksgiving Style (Aswan)

For the second part of our Thanksgiving holiday, we headed south another four hours to Aswan, which is the southernmost city in Egypt. Nearly everything is located along the Nile and Aswan is no exception, although the river is at its most beautiful state down in there.

We left Luxor early-afternoon on Friday and prepared ourselves for the minibus ride. For security reasons, only two convoys leave Luxor bound for Aswan every day so we caught the three pm one, arriving in Aswan at about six o’clock in the evening. We quickly found a cheap hotel (50 LE total for 4 people) and then went exploring around the city. We found a cheap dinner at a decent Kosheri place (not as good as it is in Cairo, however), before walking along the Corniche and finding a relaxing place to sit, smoke shisha, and just have a good time. We walked a substantial distance along the Nile until we found a decent place overlooking the river. Yet again we had an early night, in anticipation of an early start Saturday.

The night before we had arranged a car to pick us up to take us to Philae, which is an island Temple complex located in the middle of the Nile. For decades, when the Nile would flood its banks, portions of the Temple would be submerged, thus deteriorating the beauty immensely. So during the construction of the Aswan High Dam, they relocated Philae piece-by-piece to higher ground on a nearby island called Agilika. Upon getting there, we realized that despite paying an admission fee, we still had to hire a boat to take us across the Nile. The set price is about 25 pounds or so, but not one of the Nubian boat drivers would budge below 40. So after biting my tongue (since everything in Egypt is about getting as much money as possible from tourists), we sailed to Philae.

The Temple of Isis is the most prominent structure at Philae and consists of several different colonnades of pillars and walkways and inscriptions and the like. They recreated much of the scenery located on Philae when they move the Temple and yet again, words cannot do it justice. Photos work so much better.

After Philae, we went to the Nubian Museum. Since Aswan is the gateway to Africa and the northern tier of the Nubian tribes, interaction between the Nubians and Ancient Egyptians occurred and so a lot of the museum is dedicated to the interaction between the peoples. It was very interesting seeing some of the vast differences, yet quaint similarities between the two cultures that relied so heavily upon the River Nile.

Lunch followed and clearly we were being adventurous that weekend so we decided to order… pigeon. Yes, we ate a pigeon. Very small and kinda tastes like chicken, but it wasn’t what I expected.

We took an hour-long felucca ride along the Nile, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings since the valley down south is so rich with vegetation, yet the desert is so close as well. It was relaxing with weather in the 70s as usual and the breeze made it even better. Just another relaxing day on the Nile.

We rounded up our trip at the Sharia as-Souq, or Market Street, where all we did was spend exorbitant amounts of money that we didn’t really have, but I got presents for some people, so I would consider it a moderate success.

We grabbed some pizza before we left and proceeded to the train station. Our train left Aswan at 5:45pm on Saturday night and we arrived back in Cairo at 7:30am the next morning. So it was nearly a fourteen hour train ride!! But we survived. And I slept for probably eight hours, which is incredible for me.

Overall it was a great weekend. As much as I love my Thanksgiving dinners, I have those every year. Only once am I studying for a semester in Egypt and only once do I get to say that I skipped Turkey Day to see the ruins of one of the greatest civilizations of all time.

…anyways… we are re celebrating Thanksgiving upon my return since both my dad and sister were sick and I wasn’t there. It also gives my mom an excuse to cook a huge festive meal that we can all enjoy and spend great quality time with each other.

Hope everyone is well. I am heading out to Jordan and Israel this upcoming weekend/week since most of my work for classes has slowed down significantly since the ridiculousness that was midterms month. I will be heading to Petra, Amman (hang out with a Fraternity Brother), Jerusalem to see a friend or two, and then back to Eilat, one of my favorite places in all the world.

Upon my return, I will only have two weeks left in Cairo and I have a billion things to do and see and eat. Oh – and finals as well. So the next three weeks will be very busy for me.

Have a great few weeks between holidays!

Way Down in Egyptland: Thanksgiving Style (Luxor)

Thanksgiving this year was rather bittersweet as it was the first time I have ever had Thanksgiving away from home. For the past twenty years, my mom has cooked the most delicious meals and we have always hosted Turkey Day as long as I can remember… I also remember her starting to cook on Monday usually. Throughout the years, however, numbers have risen and fallen, but I have always had the comfort of heading home to Murrysville for Thanksgiving. But this year – as life is – things were a little different.

I have officially been here for three months (I left JFK Aug. 25 arriving here early on the 26th so give or take a few hours) and one of the sites I have been most looking forward to is visiting Luxor, which is what four of us decided to do for the holiday weekend (we also went to Aswan, but I had no idea what that was until I got here). To clear up a few common misconceptions: Luxor is the site of the Ancient City of Thebes, which was one of the most important cities of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. On the East Bank of the River Nile, the Temples of Karnak & Luxor, while on the West Bank, the Ancient Necropolis, which is where the Valley of the Kings (& Queens), Hatshepsut Temple, and several other memorials to the Ancient Egyptians. Luxor does not contain the Sphinx or any pyramids of note. The reason I mention this is because the Luxor Resort in Las Vegas shows off huge replicas of a pyramid and a sphinx, neither of which are located there… Anyways… this is going to be an incredibly long post… just warning you.

We left Wednesday night (Nov. 21) at about 10pm on a night-train bound for Luxor. We left from Giza Train Station (near the Pyramids) and since it was Meghan’s birthday at midnight (she was turning 22, old, I know) we brought a celebratory bottle of wine for the train. Now in the winter, the trains to Upper Egypt (which is southern Egypt since the Nile flows northward. It is very confusing) are very packed so we had to sit second class with the people. Not bad for 46 pounds or about $9. During the ten hour train ride I: read an Egypt book, listened to my iPod, twiddled my thumbs, and SLEPT. Yes. Adam Shaffer, the kid who can never, ever sleep on moving transportation, SLEPT. I actually got a good four hours in. We arrived in Luxor, found our Hostel (dirt cheap, like less than $3 a night per person), rented bicycles and headed for the River Nile. The first day we decided to bike to the sites of the Theban Necropolis on the West Bank, which is all the ancient temples and tombs of the rulers of the New Kingdom of Egypt. We took a boat across and biked the few kilometers to the entrance to the Necropolis, which is the Colossi of Memnon. Pretty cool, I must say so myself.

We then found the ticket booth and bought several tickets (since you need a separate ticket for nearly every site. Quite expensive actually). We then hopped into a hired taxi which is just a minibus that drives around taking as many people where they want to go as possible, usually staying on a designated route and people just get on and off as they please. It only costs a dime, so I can’t complain. First, we went to the Temple of Seti I, which I clearly took dozens of photos, not so much realizing I would see thousands more ruins in the next few days. Seti I is believed to be the Pharaoh that took in Moses, while the son of Seti I, Ramses II, is believed to be the most powerful of all the Pharaohs and is also believed to be the “brother” of Moses. Just watch The Prince of Egypt… haha. Clearly words (or really photos can’t truly describe):

Then we took a cab to the Valley of the Kings, which is where most of the major Pharaohs during the New Kingdom have their tombs. Clearly the most famous is King Tutankhamen, or simply King Tut to the rest of the world. He is the boy king who ruled for only a few years, but because he was the last line of his family dynasty, all the family treasures were placed in his tomb. His treasures were discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, who had searched endlessly for Tut’s tomb, but had not discovered it until searching under the tomb of Ramses VI. There is also this big deal about the curse and blah blah blah (read: you should research it on your own).

Now King Tut’s treasures have found their way around the world and they will make it back to the U.S. in 2008 but clearly the reason we went to see Tut was because just three weeks ago, they finally unveiled his demummified remains to the public. His huge solid gold sarcophagus has been on display in his tomb for decades, but they were finally able to show his blackened remains to the public. Obviously no photos were allowed but I did download this off the internet to show you what he looks like. He is very petite (since he was young) and his shriveled-up body is just one of those things that “I am in Egypt, so I might as well see it” type deals.

So Tut was the first tomb we visited in the Valley of the Kings. We also had to pay separately to see him, but the extra $7 is insignificant. We saw three tombs (not as impressive as I would have originally thought) of Pharaohs, and walked around a little before heading out of the Valley.

Next, we went to Hatshepsut’s Temple, which is an incredible temple carved into the rocky side of a mountain near the Valley of the Kings. Hatshepsut was the only female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt and she ruled but was deposed by her son. Long story short, she created a great monument which was one of my favorite sights in all of Egypt. I learned about this in my art history class and this (along with Tut) were sights people from home were eager for me to see. It consists of three levels of colonnades, culminating with a temple at the top, all carved into a mountain. Unfortunately, a decade ago, a massacre happened at this Temple with sixty-two tourists being killed, but security was rather impressive here.

Above is Hatshepsut; notice the belly with the Pharaonic likeness. I learned in Art History that they distinguished her from the rest simply by adding a belly to show her femininity. Usually Pharaohs were shown with flawless bodies, even if it showed no representation of what they actually looked like.

After that we walked through the desert and we ended up at the Ramesseum, which is the memorial temple of Ramses II, probably the most powerful Pharaoh. Portions of this temple are completely intact, while others are in complete ruins. We were ushered up a huge wall to overlook the area, and we saw a gigantic statue of Ramses II that had fallen over. Pieces (including his feet, crown and hands were everywhere), but the most impressive part was the huge remain of his upper torso and head.

Then we visited a few more tombs of nobles and another Temple before biking back to the River Nile. At sunset, we found a cool restaurant with amazing views of the Nile, the Luxor Temple and the desert beyond. We splurged a bit since it was Thanksgiving and settled on a combo platter of Shwerma and chicken (with rice and cheese & cauliflower), but first they brought us a huge salad plate with tons of fresh vegetables, followed by bread and salad dips, then our main course, culminating in an amazing dessert of a unique cake with whipped cream and fresh fruit. A great dinner and a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving, although we had a few bicycle malfunctions and a few issues with the locals (who hound you at every turn: Felucca? boat ride? Taxi? Food? And then they are rather rude about asking for bakshish, or tips. But I had a good Thanksgiving. Nothing like my Mom’s dinner, but for the circumstances, it was decent.

*Since the Jews were most of the slaves during this period, this is where they lived. So, yes, Moses was here.

The next day we woke up rather early since we had two big sites left to see in Luxor: The Luxor Temple and the Temple of Karnak. Both were temples where Egyptian gods were worshiped, although Luxor Temple is much smaller, but still quite elegant. An Avenue of the Sphinxes used to line the path between the two temples (which are 3 kilometers apart). But only about fifty of the sphinxes actually remain and they open the plaza in front of Luxor Temple. Clearly we took ridiculous photos with them.

We then proceeded to enter the Luxor Temple, which is located directly on the Corniche along the River Nile. This Temple seemed huge (until we went to Karnak) and we saw it at night on Thanksgiving. At the front, a massive First Pylon is still relatively intact with one of two original obelisks (tall, pointy objects that look like Washington Monument) also in great shape. Like other columns, pillars, and obelisks in Egypt, the other obelisk from Luxor Temple was stolen; Napoleon took it and it now stands in the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris (I actually have seen it). Inside there is a mosque (clearly post-Ancient Egypt), although there are also massive statues of Ramses II. Further back, there are smaller chambers, several more columns and more and more ruins. Very cool, and just one of the massive complexes that dominated Ramses II long rule as Pharaoh.

This is a wall carving of Ramses, his wife, and his Brother. Some dispute it, but most agree it is Moses.

We made it through Luxor Temple in about forty-five minutes and decided on our flexible, yet still rather limited-time schedule, that we would take a carriage ride to Karnak Temple, which is about 3km away. After bargaining (which is a skill I have nicely perfected), we were off. Our driver was incredibly friendly and we spoke a lot about Egypt, the United States, Luxor and other things. After about fifteen minutes or so, we found our way to the ticket booth as we stared down this massive Temple complex. Karnak is a grouping of temples, chapels, pylons, obelisks, etc, but was the most important of all the worship places for the Theban Ancient Egyptians. I am incredibly glad that we saw this last of all the temples in Luxor because it is by far the most impressive and we spent a couple hours gawking at the sheer size of the entire complex. So instead of describing exactly what we saw (mainly because I can’t remember what everything was named), a photo journey will make all of our lives much easier.

After Karnak, we grabbed a cab back to the Luxor Temple and got a quick bite to eat. After a day and a half in Luxor, we decided to head to Aswan, which is the southernmost important city in Egypt. It sits at the base of the Aswan High Dam, which keeps the Nile River from flooding. Aswan is the starting point for heading into Africa and is considered the entrance to Africa. The Nubian people (Eastern & Northern Sudan, Southern Egypt) populate much of Aswan and the Sudanese border is only a couple hours away by car. But the last part of the trip is for another blog post. Too many photos and things I did in Luxor, so I am going to split it up.

I will leave you with two final photos of Luxor: one is a bazaar named after our wonderful President and the second is just a shot of the River Nile in Luxor, which was called Thebes for the Ancient Egyptians.

The Sahara or Antarctica?

Following the misery of midterms last week – I did well, don’t worry – we decided it was a great idea to head out to the Western Desert of Egypt. This desert, located 5-6 hours west of Cairo, is just a portion of the massive Sahara Desert that basically occupies all of northern Africa. Since it is midterm time, we all couldn’t really afford (both financially and time-wise) to head out for more than one night, so we arranged to head out quite early Thursday AM.

It all started out November 1 (right!?!?!) at 6:00am. I had been out the previous Halloween night, so I accidentally forgot to pack. As 6am rolls around I just grab the first articles of clothes I can find, toss them into my backpack and run downstairs, ignoring security telling me I need to fill out a vacation form. So by the time the bus arrives and Katie decides to come downstairs, we’re off, although we had to stop at the ATM.

Finally, at about 11:00am, we arrive at an oasis in the middle of the desert where we will take a 4×4 into the Western desert.

So for the next day or so, we traveled around the Sahara, first stopping in the Black Desert, which is black because of ancient volcanic ash in the middle of the desert. We stopped for lunch in a small oasis and had decent food, followed by a journey into the White Desert, which should be a natural wonder of the world. Most of the rock structures were created by dense rocks on top as the sand wore away the bases, creating busts of sorts that resemble so many different creatures. It also kinda looks like the Arctic or Antarctica because everything is so white.

We spent the night in the desert. Our guide cooked us a phenomenal meal – BBQ Chicken, rice, and a spicy stew – which was one of the better meals I have had in all of Egypt. We sat around and talked about everything before sleeping under the stars. Just like at Mt. Sinai, there is no light pollution so every part of the sky is littered with stars. Seeing far away galaxies and tons of shooting stars made the experience even cooler.

So overall, it was quite the experience, that, as usual, photos can’t truly do it justice. But at least I can try… check out the whole album on my Picasa Photo Albums.

Oh, and on a final note, in the mad rush of Thursday AM, I forgot sneakers. So I was basically stuck with flip-flops all weekend. However, on a surprising note, the sand of the Sahara wasn’t that hot at all!

It’s All Greek to Me… Including Me?

Athens tends to be a bit out of reach for many American tourists. Most would prefer to visit London, Paris or Rome, but I decided that being so close to Greece, I should take advantage of one of the most historical cities in the world (I just tend to visit historical cities: Jerusalem, Cairo, Istanbul).

I arrived Saturday morning and boarded the quite modern Athens Metro bound for downtown. The people seemed nice, although I clearly was a foreigner, since, like the infamous Gucci Corner at AUC, I wasn’t quite dressed up to par. Don’t worry – I stepped it up during the remainder of my stay. After checking in, I wandered around my neighborhood a bit, getting to know the lay of the land. Upon any traveler’s first awe-inspired gaze at something historically or culturally important, that moment tends to be ingrained in one’s memory for quite some time. I will always remember the moment I first saw the Eiffel Tower, or the Western Wall in Jerusalem, or even seeing the Statue of Liberty or U.S. Capitol Building for the first time, and as soon as I thought about when I would get to see the Acropolis for the first time, I glanced to the left down a side street and there it was. In all its glory. A huge outcrop of land jutting into the Athenian sky, impressing thousands of years of history down upon its mere visitors.

After a quick siesta, I climbed Lykavitos Hill, which is another random outcropping of mountain in the middle of Athens, although this is taller, and offers a spectacular view of all of Athens: from the mountains surrounding the ancient city all the way to the Aegean Sea beyond and islands kilometres away. Being the avid climber I am (Masada, Mt. Sinai, Red Canyon), I hiked the fifteen minutes to the top, which afforded amazing views of the entire city. Despite sunset occurring behind the clouds, I left a bit early to catch the lights of the Acropolis from halfway down the mountain. I caught this BEAUTIFUL shot of the Acropolis at dusk, which, seriously, should be a postcard.

I have a slight obsession with the Acropolis at night, so after I walked down the mountain, I sat in a Greek cafe for a few hours, talking with some locals. Most of them speak English and they couldn’t believe that I wasn’t Greek. This one lady thought I was her best friends nephew and prodded me for about fifteen minutes telling me to stop lying. I got that pretty much all weekend. “You look like my friend” or “I know someone who looks just like you” etc. Am I Greek??? Maybe.

After a long night of talking with one of my roommates, who was Israeli and possessed an amazing outlook on life, I slept throughout the night with the door to our balcony open, breathing in chilly air, which was a nice relief from Cairo.

The next day, I got up early and went to the National Archaeological Museum, which possesses the largest collection of antiquities in the world. Some of the prehistoric pieces were incredible, especially Agamemnon’s Mask (he was the Greek King that led the attacks on Troy). Also, some recognizable pieces that I had studied in art history made appearances during my tour…

After that, I went to several ruins sites, including Hadrian’s Library & The Roman Forum (both built during the Roman occupation), the Ancient Agora or marketplace, which was the centre of Greek life in Athens. There was an incredible Temple that is practically intact, and despite it being very heavy and dark looking, it is incredible.

I then stopped in at this extremely cool bar in the area of town where I had lunch.

After lunch, I stopped in quickly to the Jewish Museum of Greece (clearly) and saw artifacts from the Greek Jewish community, which dates back thousands of years (although no artifacts exist). It also describes the situation of Greek Jews during the Holocaust since Greece was divided three ways: between the Germans, Italians and Bulgarians. 87% of the Jewish population was killed during the Holocaust, but it also explains some of the stories of local Greeks who did their part against the resistance and hid Jews from the Nazis.

I then journeyed to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which at the time, was the largest Greek Temple in the world at it’s standing. Now there are a dozen pillars still standing, with one that recently fell… recently as in 1852… haha. I walked to the original Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics were revived in 1896. From there, I walked to the Southern Slope of the Acropolis and saw the Dynosian Theatre and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, before walking up to the top of the Acropolis. On the first day I went, it was overcast and dark, but I went back the next day. So all of these photos are just the best of both days.

At the entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylaia, which unfortunately is under major scaffolding. At the top, the largest, and by far most famous structure is the Parthenon, which is one of the most impressive Temples anywhere in the world. Parts of it have been destroyed, but seeing it in person is unlike any photo can ever describe. Just the sheer size of it, standing the tests of time, is just incredible. Some of it is still under restoration, as there has been speculation that the Parthenon is under immenent danger of collapse but several restoration of the columns have secured it for now. Which is why I recommend getting there as soon as possible… also at the top is the Erechtheion, which is a small temple where worshipers prayed to Athena (for whom the city is named after – Athena in Greek is Athens in English.

After exploring the Acropolis for the second time, I took the Metro to Pireas which is the port town located on the Aegean Sea. Everything I have read said it is beautiful; it simply isn’t. Tons of boats and ferries and fake purse/jeans/watch dealers lined up everywhere. I just got back on the train and headed to a random neighborhood to sit, drink some tea and wrote postcards.

Overall, seeing the sites was amazing… but the food was equally as great. I tried all the good stuff: a Greek Salad, a few Gyros (amazing), Souvlaki, Dolmas (grapeleaves), pita, Moussaka, which is lamb and eggplant, a variety of vegetables, and all of these come, usually topped with feta. Amazing. I also had great apple pie (purely American, haha) and Greek coffee, which is surprisingly refreshing, since I am not normally a coffee drinker.

Also for my fellow Sigma Chis, I searched long and hard for our letters, only to discover that the Sigma & Chi are not normally combined in the Greek language. The “S” sound and “Ch” sound are rarely found together, except in proper names, which I eventually found:

My journey on my own to Athens was one of the most memorable and worthwhile experiences. I was skeptical at first traveling alone, but I grew comfortable quite quickly and met tons of friendly people, both Greek and foreigners. I needed a few days to get some things in order and I needed a break from everyone at AUC (don’t worry – I still love y’all). The city far exceeded my expecations, despite it being a little seedy and rough around the edges, but I love cities like that. Perfection isn’t always a good quality, and Athens offers what I love: European charm, a sense of pride historically, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful surroundings. If I had to choose a place to live in Europe, it has suddenly shifted from London or Paris to Athens. Since I do know the Greek alphabet (thanks pledging), I was able to navigate quite easily. Now all I have to do is learn the language. Most people already thought I was Greek so it shouldn’t be too difficult to return!

In Istanbul, We Leave Room for Ataturk

For a few days, the students of the American University in Cairo dispersed from the Egyptian capital all over the region. Some went to the Red Sea, others to Jordan, or Israel, but a huge flock (several dozen) ventured to a city spanning two continents. Founded as the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople, as it was called, served as the capital of East Rome, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and now, as Istanbul, is one of the largest cities in Europe, and the most important cultural centre of Turkey, spanning the Bosporus Strait, with both a European and an Asian side of the city.

Since Meghan lived in Turkey for a year, she played guide (and she speaks Turkish!!), so she was the real convincer to get us to go. We left Wednesday night from Cairo International Airport on Egypt Air bound for Istanbul. Upon arrival and trying to figure out the whole Metro thing, we finally made it into the city. Along the way, however, on the train, a cute Turkish girl, about six years old, kept staring at me. To quote Carrie: “she was in love with you.” What can I say? I have this effect on little foreign girls. wAnyways… she kept staring at me, and her father kept telling her what to say, until she finally gained the courage to come over and sit across from me and say hello. After saying our names, I asked her “how old are you?” To which she replied: “I am good, thanks for asking. How are you?” I chuckled a bit, and then she almost missed her stop, and she ran back on the train and waved and said goodbye. So cute.

We ended up getting off the tram at our stop, Sultanahmet, which is the old part of the city, with a beautiful park directly between the Aye Sofia and the Blue Mosque. After finding our way to our hostel, and a brief encounter in which the hostel staff decide its a great idea to pretend like they have given our room away, we relaxed at the rooftop bar, taking in the view of the Sea of Marmara and looking across the water to Asia (from Europe).

The next day, we awoke early to pack in as many sites as possible. We began at the Aye Sofya (Hagia Sophia). Built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century (over 1,500 years ago), the Church of Holy Wisdom as it is translated, is one of the largest churches I have ever seen. Built in the Byzantine Orthodox tradition, it featured several mosaics of Christian art. But, following the fall of Byzantium, the Ottomans took over the Aye Sofya and converted it into a mosque. Instead of destroying the gold and mosaics, they simply painted over it, which, since the restoration has begun, has allowed for a museum that features the influences of both Christianity and Islam in the same building. From the exterior, it is a massive complex; for over 1,000 years it was the largest cathedral in the world. It was absolutely incredible inside; a huge domed main sanctuary with large chandeliers hanging from the domed roof. Huge arcades and passageways display the glorious mosaics which have recently been restored and a part of the complex is still under restoration.

Across the gardens from the Hagia Sophia, is the Blue Mosque. Created to rival the Hagia Sophia across the way, Ahmed I, Ruler of the Ottomans, built the mosque with amazing blue tiles and multiple domes on the roof. Despite converting the Hagia Sophia, he felt it necessary to create a true mosque across the way. He succeeded, although the Blue Mosque is more impressive outside, while the Hagia Sophia is more impressive inside. Also, the Blue Mosque kind of smelt like feet, but that is a mute point, since it is an expectation of mine when entering a mosque.

After the Blue Mosque, we went to the Basilica Cistern, which is a massive underground complex comprising of several hundred cisterns, or massive columns. This subterranean complex features walkways suspended above water with several interesting cisterns, including a couple of Medusa. It was eerily creepy underground, with the water and fish, as well. We grabbed a quick lunch, and walked around the Spice Bazaar (ironically, only a few shops actually sell spices. Right?), culminating in a little adventure on the ferry leaving behind the European side, bound for the Asian side.

On the Asian side, we took another small ferry to a tiny island in the middle of the Bosporus, which as legend has it, was built to house the daughter of an Ottoman Sultan who feared his daughter would die. Built to resemble a lighthouse, we walked around on a rather windy afternoon before returning to Europe. For dinner, we went to a great Ramadan Bazaar in the gardens near the Blue Mosque where several dozen shops and cafes set up shop to serve an Iftar meal at sundown. Like I mentioned earlier, Turkey has a predominately Muslim population, but the Middle East meets the West in Istanbul. We had a fantastic meal (cheap for Istanbul standards) with a crepe-like bread filled with cheese and cooked right before our eyes.

Following a quick nap, we headed out for dessert and a night on the town. We ate great desserts at a local place in Sultanahmet. I had a great chocolate and graham cracker pastry-esque item off the menu, while enjoying a beautiful night view of the Blue Mosque. After that, we adventured to Istiqlal Street (Independence Street) where we walked around for awhile, exploring the quaint coffee houses, book sellers, and retailers, while waiting for the city to come alive. We ended up settling on a cute cafe with bean bag chairs, where I had Turkish coffee (in Turkey, clearly), smoked Nargilay (Shisha, Houkah, whatever you call it), and played Tavlah (Towlah in Arabic, Backgammon in English), as we lived like the locals do. A fun hole-in-the-wall bar was our next stop, where we heard probably the worst singer in all of Istanbul perform several horrible renditions of American songs. But it was okay, since we all knew the words, we could drown her voice out. A quick dance club was next followed by a cheap cab at 3am across Istanbul back to hostel.

The next morning, Meghan had to purchase bus tickets for their journey to Izmir, so Carrie, Dylan and I went to the Chora Church, displaying one of the finest collections of Byzantine Christian art anywhere in the world. Housed in a nondescript building, several dozen mosaics and frescoes have been preserved (see amazing photos) or visit the Wikipedia page because it is simply amazing the degree to which this art has been saved and restored, especially since much of it is over seven hundred years old! Below is the Harrowing of Hell, I do believe.

The Chora Church lies near the edge of old part of Constantinople, so we were quite close to the Old City walls, so after a quick ascent, the wall offered quite a beautiful view of the city (both the European and Asian sides) as well as quite a historical insight, since throughout the centuries, multiple empires have risen and fallen at the expense of these walls.

Sneaking onto the bus back to central Istanbul was fun, yet very crowded since we thought we were going to have to hang onto the bus while it drove, but instead the driver just shut the door and we were crammed with several Turks having to shift our weight every time the doors opened. We ate a late lunch under the bridge crossing the Golden Horn with a good friend of Meghan who lives outside of Istanbul. Since Meghan did an exchange program in Turkey for one year, her family hosted a girl as well for a year. So we sat with Deniz for a couple of hours discussing tons, learning how she desires to study at Duke next year. She is extremely bright and it would be fun if she came to DC to visit us. After walking around a little bit more, we went back and got ready for dinner at a local restaurant serving up the two foods that I so desired the entire trip: tomato soup and Manti, which slightly resemble a ravioli or tortellini in a good yogurt sauce. It was decent, although I will be making a trip back to Adams Morgan to Mezze. Anyways… we concluded our night walking through a park, seeing a statue of Mustafa Kemel Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. He is everywhere: on the currency, on posters and in parks. So clearly, in the tradition of leaving room for: Jesus, Moses & Muhammed, we decided, in Istanbul, we should leave room for Ataturk!

The next day, I said goodbye to Ataturk & Istanbul to head to another cradle of history, Athens.

Goodbye Ataturk!

Turkey + Greece

An update on my holiday is forthcoming.  I promise.  I just need a day or so to get my life back in order.

Here is proof that I actually went..

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Out of Egypt

So I am heading out of Egypt for the first time in six weeks. After getting my resident Visa, I am off to Turkey and Greece. Tonight I will be heading to Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) the capital of East Rome, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottomans, and now one of the largest cities in Europe. Very important place. I will be there for three days, followed by a trip to Athens for another three days. I will return to Cairo after Eid-el-Fatr (the break fast holiday for Muslims at the end of Ramadan) holiday.

Have a great week/weekend!

Alexandria: Trains, Seafood, Books, and Ruins… what more could I ask for?

Venturing to the second-largest city in Egypt seemed like a logical thing to do at one point or another. Who from New York doesn’t want to see what LA or Chicago is like? So, five AUC students residing in a city of sixteen million decided this past weekend to travel to Alexandria, a city of 4 or 5 million, hugging the northern coast of Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea.

All week we contemplated purchasing advanced train tickets but we never quite got around to it… so Thursday AM, after a quick Metro ride to Ramses Train Station, we learned that not only the 12:00 and 13:10 trains were sold out, but the slightly more expensive – if you can call $8 one way expensive – French Bullet train at 14:00 was also sold out. The next train to leave was at 15:00 (3pm) so we reluctantly agreed to that (it was 10:30 in the morning), which also required us to sit second class. After walking around the neighborhood, grabbing a dirt cheap shwarma (3.50 LE, or about 65 cents), and sitting for a few hours in a coffee shop, we finally boarded Wagon Number 12 bound for El-Iskandreea (Alexandria, be’el Arabia). For second class (and paying less than 5 bucks one way), the Egyptian train was actually rather nice. I had a bigger seat, it reclined more, and I had about twice as much legroom as I did on my 8-hour Alitalia flight from the States, combined with the fact that I brought my pillow (I rarely leave Cairo without it) and the ride was a little over two hours, it was a nice way to travel. It was no TGV (the super-fast bullet trains in France), with its luxurious cabins and comfy chairs and tables, but it also didn’t come with the 80+ Euro price tag that some of those trains come with. Anyways…

So we left Cairo at 3pm, arriving in Alexandria a little after five. Meanwhile, the sun was setting and Iftar (the meal after sundown during Ramadan) was commencing upon our arrival. We immediately walked to the Corniche (walk along the Mediterranean) to catch a few quick pictures before finding accommodations. This is the second voyage here that we have gone without reservations, finding a very cute hotel called Hotel Crillon within walking distance of much of Alexandria. Squeezing five into a room wasn’t bad (Meghan in her sleeping bag, Carrie in her own bed, and the three guys, Dudestrong of course, pushed the other two beds together and slept horizontally across the beds for extra comfort). The hotel was very homey; very personal touches were added throughout making it feel like a B&B, with nice molding features and ultra-high ceilings. Oh and I forgot the best part (minus the orange cockroaches – we only saw one)… THE VIEW. We were directly across the street from the Mediterranean and had two French doors that opened overlooking the beautiful sea.

So after checking into our hotel and setting in, it was time for dinner. With its close proximity to the Mediterranean (read: on the Mediterranean), clearly we needed to get seafood for dinner. After a bit of wondering, we stumbled upon the Fish Market on the Western Cove, I do believe. As we sat down, they brought several small side salad dishes for us to enjoy as appetizers (the best was clearly a garlic yogurt dip, with the close second: hummus, and a third: a mystery red dip). We then proceeded to walk up to the fish counter and select whichever fish we wanted. Carrie and I split a Silver Bream which was great grilled; yet again, our dinner was enjoyed along the water. After dinner, we bought sweets and pastries from a patisserie located within the same restaurant complex. And to conclude our evening, we sat in a cafe across the street from the Med, smoking shisha, and drinking tea and Turkish coffee, an all too typical, but still enjoyable ending to the day.

The one major issue involving getting a waterfront hotel with a balcony (sans a fan or air conditioning) is the noise. We had our French doors open for the Mediterranean breeze, which was helpful, but since the busy Corniche was right below us, the sounds of cars honking and the hoofs of the horse-drawn carriages never quite seemed to dissipate. I got quite a bit of sleep, despite my friends saying they didn’t. And the highlight of our night: prior to going to sleep, we saw one of our good friends, the orange cockroach. They’re a rather harmless little being (except when they are scrambling at you); we only saw one in the bathroom and none (hopefully) crawled across Meghan as she slept in her sleeping bag. (See a photo in album).

We awoke early to ensure maximum time to explore Alexandria. Since it is Ramadan, most touristy places close early. We first went to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which is the new Library of Alexandria. In the time of antiquity, the Royal Library of Alexandria was the largest library in the world and eventually the collection was lost, so they built a new, sleek, modern looking building to house a new collection, complete with ancient manuscripts and artifacts from centuries ago.

Inside, we explored a few galleries and checked out the collection, but we only had two hours, since the library was only open from 10am until noon. Following a quick trip the Library, we went to the Catacombs of Kom El-Shuqafa, a burial city where the influences of the Greeks & Romans also blend with the Ancient Egyptians, but since they didn’t allow cameras in, were were unable to take photos of the beauty. Two primary levels of catacombs were located under Alexandria (the lowest one had flooded) and so we explored the underground burial site. After that, we walked to a ruins site of Pompey’s Pillar, located southwest of downtown. Here, certain aspects of many different cultures are evident with the Greek column, Roman baths, and Egyptian sphinxes.

Breezing through this site, we walked to the Roman Amphitheatre located near the train station, but the maps in our books were rather deceiving, so we took a cab the quite-short distance it was to the Roman Theatre. We performed a little, sang a little, played a little, learned a little, and got to experience the point in the amphitheatre where the speaker stands and the complexity of the architecture allows for the voice to echo and reflect back (kinda creepy the first time you do it). It reminds me of the place in the rotunda where you can whisper and hear someone else across the room whisper too. We decided upon an early dinner at a Greek restaurant, with yet another view of the Mediterranean from across the Corniche. After splurging – $11 divided by 5 people – on a bottle of white wine, we sat and relaxed and took the moment in. What a very long day of doing all the tourist things in Alexandria. We ended up taking an 8:00pm train back to Cairo where we sat first class (very very very chilly); I actually preferred second class and arrived home a little before 11:00pm. We came back and crashed and promised to return to Alexandria to see the library more in-depth and take the street-tram around the city… when it isn’t Ramadan and everything closes so early!

I finally figured out how to add photos to my blog… but all the photos (about 65 in all) have been uploaded to Picasa… have a great weekend!

No Reservations

In Egypt, the Muslim day of rest is Friday, so here, weekends run Friday & Saturday, with classes meeting from Sunday thru Thursday. A bit confusing? I know. I still wake up with the “what’s the date, day, time, place I am in look” every single day generally, even though I have now been here for three weeks. Since I have modified my schedule enough to only have Monday/Wednesday classes, theoretically I have four day weekends, every single weekend. Well this past weekend we decided to go to Mount Sinai & Dahab for quite an adventure (and all the photos have now been uploaded online… see left).

A little background first, however; Mt. Sinai is on the Sinai peninsula (in Asia but still in Egypt), but was taken over by the Israelis during the Six-Day Way in 1967 until peace was signed in 1979, so the area is heavily fortified with tons of security checkpoints, still reflecting the past and anticipating the future since Sinai is seen as an easy point of entry into Egypt. The bus ride from Cairo to Sinai (via the Suez Canal) is about seven hours, with an additional 1.5 hour ride to Dahab on the eastern coast on the Red Sea.

Thursday AM, we (Carrie, Meghan and I) were off, with a backpack and bag a piece, and no reservations beyond the 11am bus ride to Mt. Sinai. We decided to leave a day ahead of everyone and go to Dahab for the day instead of taking a seven hour bus ride, spending about 18 hours at Mt. Sinai and immediately returning. The bus ride to Mt. Sinai was very interesting; an older model bus with tons of people just getting on and off at their own leisure. Our bus driver was slightly crazy (would yell at basically everyone, except tourists, saying either they didn’t pay enough or they hadn’t properly checked their bags) and he also had quite a lead-foot. On the bus, I had several good conversations with locals. One man, Ahmed, was from the area and had decent English. He was coming from Cairo; he taught math locally and was obsessed with calculus (differential equations) which is amazing because most Americans don’t understand calculus, let alone Egyptians. Anyways… I also met a gentlemen, never quite caught his name, who got on the bus randomly, and also left the bus randomly. He spoke decent English as well and decided the bus ride was a perfect place to roll up joints of Hashish. I was offered some; and declined, thankfully because despite his good natured-attitude, I couldn’t help wonder what his intentions were.

We arrived at Sinai at 6pm, the three of us and one more tourist. Upon arrival, since it was iftar or the feast dinner, the town was rather deserted. Deserted as in, no noise whatsoever, no shops open, no people around, rather creepy since we didn’t have hotel or bus reservations anywhere. We managed to find a minibus driver and hired him to take us to Dahab through the mountains of the Sinai desert. Several cigarettes and checkpoints later, we arrived in Dahab, an old Bedouin village turned backpackers paradise snuggled beautifully between the Sinai mountains and the Red Sea, across the Gulf of Aqaba from Saudi Arabia. After finding the little camp we wanted to stay at (affectionately called Alaska Camp in the desert) we walked along the water to get some dinner. The food was great at an Egyptian take on Italian food called Portofino, but the best part was sitting on the beach, with the waves crashing 2 meters from our feet on the sand. Following dinner, we sat in another restaurant on the water, smoking shisha and enjoying fantastic milkshakes, talking about issues in the Middle East and genuinely enjoying each other’s company. What a day, what a day.

Waking up late in our nice air conditioned hotel for about $6 was nice the next morning. Even better was sneaking onto the private resort beach down-shore. Dahab in Arabic means “Golden” so the sand at Dahab was golden. After walking along the beach for a little, we stumbled upon one of the best beaches I have ever seen. The water was the bluest I have ever witnessed and with the backdrop of sand and mountains, it was also the prettiest. We laid around for a bit, going in the water, and generally being in awe of windsurfers who were taking advantage of the strong winds to play around in the cove. Carrie, Meghan and I walked over to inquire about the windsurfing, only to learn that: A) You can’t just do it for one hour; B) Courses were taught in 5 days with students not even getting into the water until day 3; and C) It was over 100 Euro just for a one-day package. Scrap that. We decided to walk back up to town and find a cool place to eat and just relax.

We did just that and found a fantastic Persian restaurant, another “on the beach” restaurant but this one, you just sat on the ground, relaxing with pillows, enjoying the breeze and the views. Following our meal, we relaxed; we smoked some shisha and I learned how to play Backgammon. Three hours later, we decided to go for a camel ride, but since the camels weren’t there we were swayed into horseback riding to get the camels. After bargaining, we got the price to an acceptable level and took it. But we never got the camels. One hour later, and slightly upset, we only paid the guy half of what we originally proposed and called it a day by ordering margaritas at a rooftop bar overlooking the Red Sea. All of our meals were enjoyed at restaurants hugging the water. What a beautiful day… only to be trumped by the hike up Mt. Sinai.

After taking a “personal taxi” with an Egyptian and his Swedish wife back to Mt. Sinai, we met an unfortunate roadblock (literally). At the base of the mountain is a security checkpoint where the tourist police basically force a guide (for 50 LE) upon you. Despite our other group of friends managing to slip past the barrier without a guide, we argued for fifteen minutes with the police before finally giving in and accepting our guide. Upon arrival at St. Katherine’s Monastery five minutes past the checkpoint, we realized that we didn’t need a guide…. or so we thought. Once settled in (with our bags in storage since we weren’t shelling out $55 American dollars for a room), we decided to get an early start on the hike up one of the most important religious mountains in the world. Oh wait – we can’t get past another checkpoint without a guide – so we had to find another guide who was willing to take us up the mountain. (We eventually realized the only reason we needed a guide and a security guard was because we were American. Yes! I love being a tourist!)

We hiked. And we hiked. And we hiked some more. Six kilometers up the camel path until we reached the final 750 steps up to the summit. By steps, I don’t mean steps by American standards. I mean rock steps; saying they were uneven was an understatement. The hike, until that point, wasn’t awful. We stopped a few times, but when we reached the steps, it became grueling. By that point, you are almost at the summit, but camels cannot go any further, so to reach the top you must climb the steps. They were quite intense and by seeing the fortitude and determination of the elders (including monks, nuns and other clergymen), I began to realize how important this journey really was.

After passing say ten stands selling everything from Coca and water, to renting blankets and mattresses, we made it! The summit was a lot smaller than I imagined. In my hiking glory days (aka my travels in Israel in January), when we reached the top, there was always tons of space to roam around and take in the natural beauty, but at the top of Mt. Sinai, there is a tiny Greek Orthodox church, a few rock-carved terraces, and that is about it. I’d say enough room maybe to hold one-hundred people comfortably, but instead there were a few hundred more. We arrived at about 3:30am and got maybe one hour of sleep under the most beautiful sky I have ever seen.

Hundreds upon hundreds of stars (I can’t even describe the beauty), tons of shooting stars and a few AUC students lying on the ground on the top of Mt. Sinai enjoying one of the important sites in religious history (for those of you unaware, Mt. Sinai is where G-d spoke to Moses and he received the 10 Commandments) sure was a sight to be seen. Since there was no light pollution, you could see so many stars and other stars in distant galaxies, which just added to the awe of the experience. At about 5am, when dawn starting showing itself, we all huddled together under a few blankets on a rock, hanging over the edge of the mountain and we finally began to see the beauty of the surrounding mountains. We were perched high above the rest of Sinai, able to see the horizon over Saudi Arabia as we eagerly awaited the pending sunrise. For me, it was even more intense, seeing the sunrise at Mt. Sinai on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Quite possibly the most incredible thing I have ever done. I said a few blessings in Hebrew (as I took photos) of the sun rising behind the mountains and finally showing itself to the hundreds of people making the pilgrimage. The feeling was so inspirational; seeing the sunrise from Mt. Sinai, the same point that Moses did when he received the commandments from G-d, was second only to touching the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Only Remaining Ancient Wonder of the World

Up bright and early again today for a quick taxi ride into Midan Tahrir. As usual we wait an hour until everyone is ready to leave and we head to the Great Pyramids of Giza. A little background, first however, thanks to our lovely tourguide lady, Emin (I believe). The Great Pyramids were built on the Giza Plateau by the Ancient Egyptians, outside of their major city, Memphis, but now Cairo (the present capital of 20 million people, city proper) has expanded immensely that the urban sprawl has reached the desert of the Giza Plateau.

So we are driving along and all of a sudden, there they are, rising above the ever-present smog. We drive around them and eventually come to a lookout point from the west where all we can see is the three pyramids. Looking from the west (which most of photos are), the Great Pyramid of Giza was the pyramid for the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, who first perfected this style of pyramid (over 2 million blocks of limestone, covered by a casing). His was the largest, and was known simply as the Great Pyramid of Giza and for 4,000 years, was the tallest man-made structure on Earth until 1300. Law forbid building larger than Khufu’s, but his son tried. Next to it (to the south) was the second largest pyramid, built by his son Khafre, who wanted to outshine his father, so he built his on an elevated platform (which is why it looks bigger when compared to the others). Khafre’s Pyramid still has a bit of limestone casing at the top, which distinguishes itself from the other two. Finally, Khafre’s son, Menkaure built his pyramid to the south of that and those are the three great Pyramids that comprise the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Following a quick glance from the observation point, we drove around to the Great Sphinx, which is a half-man, half-lion and acts as a guardian to the Giza Plateau and the pyramids in which the tombs are housed. We hung out there for a little, took some photos before heading off to lunch. The Great Sphinx is one of the largest and oldest statues and when it was originally discovered, it was covered in sand and has since been restored to some degree (minus the iconic nose, of course). Following Giza, we went to lunch and eventually went to Saqqara, about 20km south of Giza to another area of pyramids. There we went into a burial temple and saw hieroglyphics and wall paintings and went into a small pyramid where we saw the burial chamber. After that, we went to the Stepped Pyramid of Zoser, the first successful pyramid and toured around that tomb area. We ended up climbing a rock feature that had an AMAZING panoramic view, stretching from the Great Pyramids of Giza all the way to Cairo and everything in between including the fertile Nile River valley.

Despite it being 99 degrees all day, today was one of the most inspirational experiences I have ever had. Actually seeing the Pyramids is completely different than reading about them online or viewing them in books; seeing the strength of man, nearly 5,000 years ago and the monuments they were able to leave for thousands of years is a true testament to what we can do. I hope they stand for another 5,000 years so that people like me (and hopefully you) can enjoy them and appreciate them.

**I updated all of my photos from the weekend. You can find the link on the left-side of the blog. I changed it around a little, so if you bookmarked it, you can re-bookmark it because this is the definite site**

My Orientation Was Better Than Yours

So, unlike American University in DC, we didn’t have orientation leaders (sorry O-Staff) but they did however take us to the Red Sea.

Fridays in Cairo are like Shabbat in Brooklyn: there are only a few cars out, the city is eerily quiet and the pollution briefly lifts (seriously). Friday is the Islamic day of rest so we were able to make it through Cairo relatively quickly (and painlessly since I didn’t almost lose an arm, like usual). We boarded ten buses bound for Ein Sukhna, which is a little less than two hours east of Cairo on the Red Sea. After arriving, CRAZY LADY TOMADER gave us a few quick sessions before we skipped out to the beach before lunch.

For two days, we all sat out on lounge chairs, under the sun or in the crystal blue waters of the Red Sea. The food was a much needed upgrade from Cairo food, despite having to pay 8 LE for water at every single meal, or having a busperson remove our plates from right under our forks. It was quite hot (still in the upper 90’s, lower 100’s) and sunny all weekend (we did see one cloud) but we managed, realizing our friends were wasting away in classrooms across America. And now after a long weeekend at the beach, I am glad to be back in Cairo; the craziness of bazaars, or the taxi drivers who have no idea what a red-light is, to the moderately priced bottles of water and the crazy amounts of traffic, my melancholy was erased as soon as we entered back into the most ridiculous city in the entire world.

For all you orientation planners out there, take the kids to the beach. I worked as an orientation leader all summer, and I loved it, but taking the kids to Rehoboth Beach (or Ro-he-both, or whatever) wouldn’t be that bad of an idea (despite our A+ feelings about the scene). Taking them anywhere, for that matter, isn’t that bad of an idea. It’s about the bonding, not about the information. I think the only thing I learned this weekend was how much inefficient AUC really is, but in reality, I already knew that.