Cairo pt. 2

This lunch was amazing.  Jesse is giving you a real good look at what we had.  We had several dips that we dipped with a fry bread.  Never been a hummus fan but the spices that were in there were great.  We had a roasted chicken as well. We never did get to try the pigeon, maybe next time...

This is the back side of the Cairo museum.  It caught fire during the demonstrations/ protests they had a few month before.  They burned a government building in Tahiri square which I was told we would never be by, but come to find out we would be in that square. Being in a country that hate Americans, and we very much stood out, was a nervous feeling while in Cairo.

 

 

Swimming in our pool the last night.

 

So I'm Putting a link to the song "Some Nights" by Fun.  While driving in Cairo, and fearing for lives, cause they are the worst drivers I have ever seen, and I have been to Mexico and seen Californians drive in the winter in Idaho, our guide, Tam told the driver to turn on the radio.  This song came on and my dad said, "Oh good, we get to listen to Egyptian music".  Haha, I will always love this song now cause of his commet.  I did put a link up for the clean version.
Some nights by Fun

Dinner our last night. there is a story that goes with this.  We got back to the hotel around 4 pm, dinner was served at 6 pm at 40$ a plate. I didn't want to spend that kind of money on my kids, (Love you), but i knew I wouldn't get our monies worth, and my dad was really sick, throwing up and all.  We wanted snacks, not to much we were leaving at 2am for the airport.  So Jesse and I decide to walk out of the armed guarded gate to see if there is a store near by. There wasn't.  The hotel guy came running after us to see what we were doing. I told him, he said to eat in the dining room, I said we were not going to pay that kind of money for dinner.  A taxi driver said he would take us to a store.  I had 60$ in my pocket, no ID, If I was going to be robbed, I only wanted to part with 60$ and not my passport.  We get into a 1970's Datson, and Taryn had begged to come with us, against my better judgement I let her.  Our driver is a crazy driver, going against traffic and all, goes onto a dirt access road under an overpass.  He stops the car and I told Jesse to get ready to run, I had a really bad feeling, and Toms words rushing through my head "dont' do anything stupid". Our driver opens the door just to shut it again, I guess it was ajar.  Anyways he drives us past several stores, more Americanized convince store looking things and we keep driving.  Then I realize I have no idea what the name of our hotel is. We are now at a shopping district that is packed with people.  Egypt comes alive after dark.  We go inside and our driver helps us get a few items.  So even though I made some very stupid mistakes it turned out okay and we got to see the non-touristy part of Cairo.  If we had more time I would have liked to explore some more marketplaces.

Here is a little political post for you all.  After taking this picture, I actually took 3, some armed guards came up to me and told me to erase the pictures and to put my camera away in the airport.

Eating macaroons in the airport in Paris.

A drinking fountain where we didn't have to filter before we drank. And it was cold.

Cairo pt.1

I think the pictures speak for themselves.  One stone for the pryamide was at least 5 1/2 feet square.  No way for someone to pick up a stone to move it into place.

 

 

 

 

I do have to say the riding a camel was the most uncomfortable experience I have had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egypt day 4 still...

We were going to the valley of kings and queens today.  So amazing, no pictures were allowed. we bought some post cards, but seeing the tombs were amazing.  They way they did their tombs were that when a pharaoh was ruling they would start work on the tombs.  So the shorter time they ruled, the smaller tomb they had, sometimes they were ruling for such a short amount of time they didn't get to finish.  Some tombs had several rooms for the longer ruling pharaohs.  The painting was intricate and down the walls told the story of their life. another interesting fact is that when you see a picture of someone, and their beard is strait, they are alive, but when the beard is curved upward, they have passed away.  King Tuts tomb is here, but cost an extra 20$ to see. Most of the things from his tomb are in the Cairo museum that we would visit later in the week.

These pictures on the hillside are tombs of the priests to the Pharaohs.  they keep finding more burial grounds.

I cant even begin to tell you how hot it was here.  At least 120`.  and whoever didn't have sunglasses (Taryn) were in bad shape.  The sand is so white, it's reflection was awful.

 

 

Main transportation

The people who lived in these houses were relocated (on their own dime) because it was found they are living on top of something to be discovered.  With all the history they have over there, its a shame they don't have stricter laws (haha) about developing on ground that had not been examined.

Egypt is a very oil rich county but they export it out.  They have a major gas shortage.  Lines of cars in the morning.  I don't know how our guide was so lucky to always have gas.

Our last night on the ship with our guide Ahmed.

How we purified our water.  It may have taken care of parasites in the water, but didn't help with the taste.  And you don't want to get dehydrated here.

Egypt day 4

This is the Karnak temple.  It is now believed that the Luxor and the Karnak temple belong together.  They are located several miles away but archaeologists have found the boulevard  of sphinx that connect between the two temples that have long been buried.  So the row of Sphinx you see on the top picture connect to the row of sphinx found at the Luxor, that I don't have a picture of.

 

 

 

 

This is a lucky stone.  If you walk around it 5 times you will have wealth...still waiting on that.  If you walk around it 7 time it was for true love.  9 times for health.  Funny, no one went around 9 times.

 

 

The position of the moon in this picture was something of importance our guide said.  For what I don't know.

The Luxor temple.

 

 

There is still some original color on this stone.

 

The moon positions in this picture is so good that the guide wanted a copy of this picture.

 

 

This is the west bank of the Nile.

Misplaced picture from Karnak temple