Let me take you on a journey

On Dec 7, 2007 10:21 AM, Jessica Stone wrote:
Egypt. One of the things I most enjoyed was discovering, watching, and enjoying, a new place, climate, and people I had never experienced before. When Egypt is mentioned, most people conjure up images of pyramids, tombs, camels, and unending desert. While these are all accurate, there is actually so much more going on than I thought. One way I would like to share this with you, is by taking you on a short journey with me. A trek that uses many different forms of transportation, which was one of the highlights of this trip:

~Camel Ride~ Through the ancient pyramids was a whole new experience for me. Our journey was both hilarious and sketchy, especially trying to hold onto these animals as they stand up and sit down. I wondered how people long ago, and still today, use these guys as their main form of transportation- I think two hours on them would do me in! We were a sight to behold, 23 of us laughing, smiling, yelling, as our camels bobbed up and down, graceful in their own way. An odd mix of awkward and goofy, while demanding respect from their height and weight. Yet, I could help but gently stroke their neck because they are rather cute with their long legs and long eyelashes.
~Boat Taxi~ In Aswan, this is a major form of transportation. Just when I thought our little boat looked full, I saw one oozing with Egyptian men holding onto the top as their feet practically drug in the water. They gracefully glide on the water, but ram into each other while loading and unloading-their tin boats are rather dinged up, the rubber tires along the side a mere decoration I suppose. My favorite was one night to Elephantine Island where a family so generously opened their home for 23 of us. His wife cooked great food, and we even got a tour of their home. A true taste of Egyptian hospitality, especially as we went to leave I saw his wife bent over washing all of our dishes using only two bowls of water.
~Feluccas~ No motors, no steering wheel, just a small rudder to steer us along the Nile. To cruise along the Nile in such fashion made life seem so simple and serene. That night, we docked to eat and hang out on the beach. The locals and our boat guys made a fire, and welcomed us to join. Soon, they produced some basic instruments, and from them created delightful music. They started dancing and invited us to join in. After a while, it was a huge mix of all different nationalities, singing and dancing together by fire and moonlight. The meals that we were served were some of the best in all of Egypt. The staple is Pita with every meal, together with beans, rice, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus, meat, soup, pasta, and all made from the young boy on our boat with just one burner! I was so impressed.
~Walking~ You can miss many things from inside the shelter of a big bus, even a taxi. Most of my favorite experiences were as we wondered through the streets. Almost all the stores are inside/outside with people haggling, beckoning, joking with you, just so you'll step inside their shop. Some are just plain rude and aggressive, but most are just trying to get your attention or make you laugh. How else are you suppose to respond to, "come, let me help you spend your money" Or, "How many camels for her?" At first I was taken back, and slight offended, until I realized how many people really value camels, I just made me laugh. My personal favorite, "How many camels for you, so pretty" this guys asked me directly. I replied, "As many as there are stars in the sky!" Thinking that would get him, he pondered my response and said, "OK, I can do that' I left laughing so hard I was holding my sides.
~Donkey~ Another sight to see, 23 of us scurrying along roads, cliffs, alleys, shouting Arabic commands to them. They knew better than to listen to us, and just ran amuck. We rode them to the Valley of the Kings, a long valley nestled between huge mountains in the middle of no where. We visited three tombs of the dead Pharaohs. I was amazed at how well preserved they were. The detailed hieroglyphics and vivid color in some. Subsequently, I was saddened to think how much blood, sweat and tears had gone towards these rich men's tombs and temples.
~Bus~ We traveled by large coach bus since there were so many of us. Sometimes it was wonderful when we had long journeys. Like the 15 hour ride around the Red Sea since the two hour ferry ride was cancelled. Also, when it looked hot and dusty outside I could not help but think of the Isrealites. They had walked, rather wandered, this entire area, on foot for over years. However, I did feel high and mighty as we drove past ramshackle homes leaving dust in the small children's eyes. One ride was a three hour convoy at 3 am headed for Abu Simbel in the middle of the desert. The convoy, consisting of at least 400 other vehicles, was apparently needed for our safety. So odd. Abu was pretty spectacular, originally carved right out of a mountain-but now sits against a fake one since it was excavated from under water once the Aswan dam was built. The architecture is awe-inspiring, but I was torn knowing most of these were built for idol worship. I found a balance by praying to God while walking through the huge corridors with statues glaring down at me.
~Hot Air Balloon~ I managed to convince Brandon to do this one with me. I have always wanted to do this, and at Egyptian prices, we just had to! Watching the land slowly get smaller below us was great. I particularly enjoyed getting an up close view on people's houses, even watching some doing their everyday chores.
~Diving/snorkeling~ Dahab.Certainly a slower means of getting around, but very enjoyable. I had strong feeling about not diving, when I realized I had never given it a fair chance. So, I chalked one up on the adventure board and tried it. We only went down about 15 feet, with the instructor holding onto us the whole way. He did everything, but I did breath on my own with the odd regulator. Not nearly as creepy as I imagined, and since it was so clear the ocean just seemed to come alive. It was enough to make me think, 'I could get into this!'
~Hiking~ My favorite hike was to Mt. Sini. We had to hike at night, due to warm temperatures during the day. This meant starting at one am. No need for a flashlight, the moon guided us the entire way. I even saw two shooting stars! A mild hike brought us to the top at 3 am, and we were suppose to sleep until the sunset. I couldn't really sleep, not due to the sub zero temperatures, but rather thinking about where I was. God was here, chatting it up with Moses. How cool is that???
~Horses~ Jordan. Petra was breathtaking. A fusion of Gods creation, with the hands and ingenuity God created, to make an entire city built from the sandstone mountains. We did part of the tour by horse. I had envisioned galloping down the middle of the narrow entrance, just like Indiana Jones, but mine just wanted to meander. He was then beat on by the evil horse keepers, which almost made me cry. I would hate to be and animal in the Middle East for sure. All I can say is Karma.


My Favorite? Dahab.A small town on the sparkling, crystal clear Red Sea. The beach side is dotted with mellow restaurants that have no windows and cushion seating on the floor. The area is famous for it's fresh seafood, diving, and thick shakes-the latter of which I tried every flavor by having one every single day. The people there were so friendly, and sincere. The typical come and visit my shop/restaurant banter, but kinder. After just a few days, most people recognized us and offered a friendly chat and all smiles when we passed by them.


Such a unique time of traveling. We made some great friends along the way on our tour, and it was just "lovely" to have other people around to hang out with. (I try to use lovely, like this adorable British woman on our tour, but I just can't seem to pull it off. So many strange experiences, and learning about people that I had never interacted with. It made me so excited to see more places and people... which is just what will happen as we head off to India.....