Stepping 4,000 Years Back in Time; Egypt

Amazingly, I successfully ran the frequent flyer gauntlet - to get from Machu Picchu, Peru to Cairo Egypt, I travelled to Cuzco, then Lima, Peru, then to Mexico City, Atlanta, Boston, Paris, Prague (seen on T shirt "Czech Me Out"), and finally Cairo. I signed up for a tour here, so I was lucky to be escorted through customs by one of the local tour folks. When he found that I didn't have an Egyptian visa, the tour person discretely pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tore off the Egyptian tax stamp, licked it, and pasted into my passport. It was truly creative and it worked. It was 3 am by the time I was out of the airport and into the van, heading to the hotel. The early hours combined with jetlag may have added to the impression that I had truly taken a step back in time. For the first time in all my travels I felt like I had travelled into a different place and era. Egypt has over 2,500 Mosques and the entire route was lined with minerets, that were all beautifully highlighted with spotlights. All the roadsigns and advertising is in Arabic which adds to the sense of entering a different place. It's not just new words but now it's also a new alphabet. Much of this "difference" was dispelled yesterday on an all day private tour with Mohamed and Heersham of Gate One Travel. It was like getting together with old friends, who just happen to know everything about Egypt, past and present. We visited the oldest pyramids, the earliest Christian (Coptic) church and the oldest Synagogue in Egypt, both dating many years BC. In Egypt, becoming a tour guide takes years of study and a lifelong commitment to learning the history of the country. It was like being on a study tour and there was nothing I could ask that Mohamed didn't know.
One special visit that few tourists are allowed, was a visit to the City of the Dead. If you weren't wealthy enough to have a pyramid built for your grave, the ancient Egyptians would build a small house, with a small entryway which lead to your burial tomb in an enclosed back area. The main highway through downtown Cairo goes through the center of miles and miles of this cemetary. Graves were actually moved to make way for the highway to come through. Gradually the very poor started to move into the small one room entryways and make them their homes. The city tried unsuccessfully for decades to have them removed, but finally gave up, and had water and power supplied for this City of the Dead. Heersham drove us into the City of the Dead at my request and obtained permission for me to actually visit one of the homes. I was able to take pictures and hope to share them with you. Final highlights of my tour; driving through Cairo, and Mohamed telling me to look to my right. There in the middle of downtown Cairo was a strip of desert with the Pyramids and the Sphynx. For some reason I thought that we would have to drive miles into the desert to see them, but there they were, visible in the middle of all the Cairo rush hour traffic. The sight took my breath away. After years of seeing them in movies and books, they were in front of me. It was a moment that will always be frozen in time for me. The day ended with a trip to the Bizarre for Turkish coffee and a smoke of apple flavored tobacco in one of the hookahs (Turkish water pipes) that you find in all of the coffee shops everywhere you look in Cairo. Where the US has bars and clubs, Egypt has coffee shops, where time slows down and you can sit and smoke and watch the world walk by. It's hard to believe that the real tour that I signed on for starts tomorrow. It has already been an enchanting time here. Mohamed, Heersham, and I laughed all day as they helped me discover this beautiful city.*****
A last note, I am working on trying to get pictures published on this blog. The technology is well beyond my ability level, but I have several people trying to help with this. So that's all for now. Tonight I meet my fellow travelers at a dinner and off we go. Happy Trails to you, Marion in Wonderland

Greetings From Machu Picchu, Peru

It's hard to believe that 3 days ago I was sitting in my condo with Diane, discussing this trip over donuts and coffee. But I'm here and slowly learning to type on a Sapanish keyboard. Si?...A few things about the locale. Machu Picchu is more than words or pictures can describe. It's immense with surrounding mountain walls that are close to 90 degree angles. It is impossible to take a picture with any camera that could capture it. Truly, this is where God lives. I love the Peruvian lawn mowers used to keep the grass short at Machu Picchu. The entire site is covered with Llamas that happily munch their days away while hanging off of the steep terrain...... In closing one quick image to leave you with. I was in the middle of Cusco, a fairly large city when I saw an older couple in traditional Peruvian dress run across the 6 lanes of insane traffic, dragging their llama on a leash. I watched with mouth open as all 3 of them dashed into a bar. There has to be a joke in there somewhere (Bill?)....In short, Peru is beyond expectations. Uno Cervasa Por Favor!!!Happy Trails, Marion

Farewell Until.....

Only 4 days before I leave, so here is a quick summary of the remaining countries I will be visiting.****After Africa, I go to Moscow the capital of Russia for 5 days (for some nice shots of Moscow, see the first part of the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway.") Then on to India and a stop in the tiny country of Bhutan (between India, Nepal, China, and Tibet). In India I will be visiting the Taj Mahal as well as areas in the northwest and Bombay (now called Mumbai). From India I travel to Hong Kong, Xi'an China, and Tibet. Xi'an is where the emporer's tomb containing thousands of lifesized warriors on horseback was recently discovered.*** If you have seen Brad Pitt's movie "Seven Years in Tibet" you will know why I want to go to Tibet, (even if Brad isn't there). Finally, around Oct 20, I head back home to Jacksonville Beach.****While travelling I will try to keep this Blog updated as much as I can, but computer terminals may be tough to find. At a minimum, I will continue the Blog when I return - with lots of stories and new pictures. Take care of yourselves while I am gone. Thanks to everyone for reading the Log and for giving me ongoing encouragement and advice. In this life, I have been blessed with incredible friends.***** Happy Trails from RamblinMe

Kitty helping me pack during my last 4 days before I leave 

Next Stop: Africa & Madagascar, Sept 8 -18

This is the Animal Planet portion of the trip!! Did I mention lemurs? After a night in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, it's off to the much anticipated Madagascar, the island off the southwest coast of Africa. Only 2 flights a week on Air Madagascar (AirMad) to choose from. My goal was to get to the Berenty Reserve on the south end of the island and, after a month of work, I found a great American tour group that put together a trip for me to the Berenty Reserve.***** After 5 days in Mad, it's back to Nairobi Africa and the highlight of the trip - one night at Giraffe Manor. In the gorgeous manor house (built in1932) and 120 acres, the owners have been taking care of orphaned giraffes since 1974. The giraffes are so tame that they will put their heads through the open windows as you are eating your meals. There are only 5 rooms in the manor that are available for booking, and I was incredibly lucky to be able to get my one night there. One of the bedrooms is furnished with all of Karen Blixen's ("Out of Africa") furniture that she gave to the owners before she left Africa. My second day in Nairobi, I hope to visit Nairobi National Park, just south of the city. It's interesting that Nairobi is a city of over 2 million people and yet the city is a short drive from roaming Zebras, elands, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, ostriches, giraffes, leopards, lions, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, etc.. There is a fence that bounds the park but it's not unusual for animals to make a break for it. *****Leaving Kenya, I fly to Dar Es Salaam ("haven of piece" in Arabic) in Tanzania for one day before leaving for Russia. The exotic island of Zanzibar is a ferry ride away from the city and one last African adventure before heading to Moscow.**** Happy Trails, Marion

Giraffe Manor - Nairobi, Kenya, Africa 

Second Stop Egypt - Aug 29 to Sept 8

For Egypt I found a wonderful tour that seems to include all the famous monuments and cities that I can't wait to see. I arrive in Cairo at 2:30 am on Monday morning and have 3 days to explore the city and surrounding areas. The hotel is within walking distance of the pyramids. On the first night of the tour we are scheduled for a sound and light show that is projected off the pyramids. On Friday we fly to Aswan and tour the Temple of Isis. Then off to a ship that will take us down the Nile to Edfu where a horse drawn carriage takes us to the Temple of Horus and then back to the ship to sail to Luxor(the new name of ancient capital of Thebes). On Sunday we see the Neocropolis of Thebes, the Colossi of Menon, the Valley of Kings, the Valley of Queens, and a sound and light show at the Temple of Karnak. Sadly so many of the burial chambers of the Kings and Queens have been looted and the mummies have been moved and hidden to keep them from being desecrated. On Monday we travel to the Temples of Karnak and Luxor, visit the Avenue of the Sphinxes, and then cruise back to Luxor, where we take a plane back to Cairo and the end of the tour. I then have 3 days on my own and hope to further explore Cairo and the ancient seaside city of Alexandria. At 3:30 am on Thursday morning I say farewell to Egypt and head to my next stop, Nairobi Africa for more adventures.****A last note - while I am flying from Peru to Egypt, the best exhibit ever to come out of Egypt is flying to the US. The King Tut exhibit is spectacular. Please don't miss it if you have the chance!! Happy Trails. Marion

The Temple of Hather in Egypt with statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari