Home

That last line in the last post was all part of our plot to keep our parents clueless about our surprise arrival today! And clueless they were. Shocked, confused, and overjoyed. Brian, Kate, and Aria picked us up from the airport to take us home. It's a good and long-awaited day.

The travels have left us relishing memories and experiences. We are satisfied and ready to be home. So, thus ends the blog. Thanks for reading and keeping in touch.

Much love,

Andrew and Kristin

Trains

We woke up at 5 and took a shared jeep 3 hours to the train station.
It took about an hour for the jeep to fill and then we were off on the
beautiful drive down the mountain. Women waded through seas of green
as they furiously picked tea leaves. Everything looks so magically
beautiful with the striking contrast of green and sudden bursts of
bright colors flowing from women's saris. Even while breaking rocks
with sledge hammers (which is often seen on the road side) women wear
the saris and jewelry.

The train from Darjeeling to New Delhi would have been our longest
train experience yet, so we decided to pay a little more money and
travel on the express train. The Rajdhani Express makes less stops
and serves meals, tea, and snacks for free.

It was our nicest Indian train experience. The food was an Indian
version of airplane food, but it was filling and good. Plus free
water bottles! No steady procession of salemen and people asking for
food or money. Overall it was quieter and clean. The route took us
through rural areas with fields of rice and swollen tributaries. The
remoteness and hardships of rural Indian life is apparent even from a
window of a passing train. Terraced rice fields, banana tree
plantations, and green ponds reflecting clouds lined in water lilies.
Muscular buffalos. People farming and squatting. Always the beautiful
sari colors. The landscapes were rich in beauty.

We have a brief Delhi interlude before heading down south.

Last Day in Darjeeling

During the day it is usually foggy, making it a treat to glimpse the
mountains surrounding Darjeeling. But, we woke up early one morning
and the higher clouds were leaving the peaks in clear view. The
rising sun was a fiery orange throwing soft pinks against the
iridescent white of the Himalayas. This lasts some brief moments, but
it is breathtaking.

We've been going on little walks around the city often in the late
mornings after it warms up. One steep and long trail took us to a
gompa or a Buddist temple. The temple is perched on the edge of the
mountain surrounded by tall green trees and flower bushes. The
shifting fog added to the mystery. The temple is brightly painted as
if by set of 6 magic markers. Prayer wheels and sun-bleached and wind-
torn prayer flags surrounded the temple.

On our way back we tried a delicious new snack: chips made of smashed
chickpeas coated in salt, chili powder, and lime. It's soooo good!
We are surprised we can still find new foods and snacks and be so
impressed. Then we sat and watched a monkey family. They are so
entertaining to watch while jumping and hanging from everything. It's
wild how similar their faces and fingers are to ours. Maybe that is
why they never cease to capture our attention.

We found a place that sells "real coffee" as advertised. It's been a
familiar comfort and a regular stop in our days.

We've leave on an overnight train back to Delhi tomorrow.

Momos

We think we've mentioned momos a few times (only every post from
Darjeeling). Last night, we found the tastiest, most savory momos
around. We walked into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which looked
more like someone's house with a dining area connected to a kitchen.
We sat down in plastic chairs at the plastic table, covered in white
and red plastic tablecloth. And sat unnoticed. For about 10 minutes.
It wasn't busy. There were 3 Nepalese men sharing a small bottle of
whisky at the table next to us. It was them who alerted the owner of
our presence.

There were no momos, but the woman/cook offered to cook them up for
us, though it would take a while. We said yes but quickly wished we
hadn't. During the waiting time, a rat scurried in from outside and
made some hasty runs through the kitchen. Then a furry black dog
poked his snout through the door crack, opened the door, and walked
about the small room. We tried to remain distracted by our books. We
have been in these types of situations too many times in this trip.
There are 3 possible results (all extreme):

1. We eat (the food is ok) and wake up very sick.
2. The food tastes horrible.
3. The food tastes delicious.

We relished the momos (number 3) so much that we split seconds. The
dinner was tasty and cheap. We had a conversation with the Nepalese
men. Not really a conversation but there was some communication.

Darjeeling and the Zoo

Darjeeling is a great place to recover from the exhausting and
sometimes debilitating intensity of the other Indian cities we have
visited. It is quiet and some streets are pedestrian only. Believe
it. Pedestrian only. The weather cool which makes our long forgotten
fleeces (at bottom of our bags for almost 4 months) extremely
comfortable. There are lots of little shops and cafes to explore.
And we've been reading a lot. A sweet Nepalese family owns and
manages the hotel we are staying in. It has internet, a library, and
a restaurant, so we can easily just move around in our pyjamas
(pyjamas is a Hindi word by the way). We've decided to stay for about
a week here and just enjoy ourselves. Darjeeling is the first place
we have stayed more than 3 nights for the last 4 months.

Yesterday morning we woke to knocking on our door. The Nepalese man
wanted us to come to the rooftop to see "the mountain". Also, he has
been greetings us in the mornings saying "good morning balance" which,
we have gathered, is because he thinks we are a good balance unlike
other couples where one "talks talks talks" (hand signals included)
and the other just sits there (sad face).

It has been cloudy and misty and the views are often obstructed, but
for brief moments we gaze in wonder at the crisp snow-capped peaks of
some of the Himalaya's giants, including the third-highest mountain in
the world. The name is long and starts with a K.

Then we went to the zoo. It is small, but packed with Himalayan
fauna, such as, the Himalayan black bear, wolves, black and snow
leopards, red pandas, Indian tigers, and more. Next to the zoo is the
Everest Museum which showcases news articles and trekking gear from
famous climbers of Mt. Everest, including of course, Tenzing Norgay
and Sir Edmund Hillary. It's as close as we will ever come to Mt.
Everest. Never know. But probably.

On the way back we sampled some side stall savoury snacks served in a
newspaper cone. It was like Indian trail mix.

Varanasi to Darjeeling

Varanasi is a pilgrimmage site for Hindi people. One of the seven
sacred cities in the Hindu religion. People come to wash themselves
and throw offerings into the Ganges river. Our hotel overlooked one
of the ghats, which is a place where stairs enter the river for people
to bathe. Many throw colorful flowers into the water. Some ghats are
cremation ghats where bodies are cremated in public. We did not see
this. We only saw men in the water. And buffalo.

Varanasi is full of cafes, eateries, tailors, and shops selling music,
scarves, jewelry, and other souveneirs. These shops and cafes are
linked in a maze of narrow alleyways full of wandering cows, fighting
monkeys, lazy dogs, and people. We saw many people kissing their
hands and then touching the cows. Yesterday we took a 29 hour train to
NJP, a junction center in northern West Bengal. The train had a
constant procession of people selling
tea/coffee/snacks/toys/books/massagers/scarves/etc. Children in torn
dirty clothing would hop on the train and circulate asking for money.
Once a man without legs came through. So many sad and shocking sights.

Later...

Our train to Darjeeling was canceled, so we jumped on a land cruiser
and drove 2 1/2 hours along the switchbacks of mountain ridges and
through tea plantations at the base of foothills and multiple
waterfalls. It is gorgeous! So fiercely green and misty. As we
ascended we were driving through clouds. The car stopped along the
way for a snack break of delicious momos (Tibetan dumplings). Finally
the sun broke through and we were above the clouds in a hill station
town of Darjeeling. Darjeeling is above 2000 meters high. The air is
crisp and clean. It is quiet and beautiful. The city stretches over
the side of a mountain with tea plantations and the tallest of the
Himalayas in the horizon. Most people are Nepalese or Tibetan, which
means noodle and dumpling dishes. It is superbly relaxing.

To Varanasi

We enjoyed a relaxing few days in Jodhpur. We were the first
foreigners (and only) guests at a very very friendly guesthouse.
Friendly in the slightly irritating way. We got a lot of
attention...like calls on the phone at 7:00 am or 9:30 (asleep both
times) and knocks on the door sometimes just to say hello or to offer
us water every couple hours. All things considered the family and
helpers where incredibly sweet and helpful.

The day before yesterday we took a sleeper train to Varanasi. It was
a marathon 29 hours long (we gathered the delays were due to problems
with the brakes or "vacuum"). We slept in a 3-tier carriage with a/c.
There was also sleeper trains and chair class below us. The
airconditioning was nice but for 29 hours almost nothing would be
confortable. The room had 8 beds in it. It was clean, as was
the squatty toilet with the exception of a few small rogue cockroaches
The people around us were friendly and nice, and we had some good
discussions with them about Indian politics and culture. One man
bought us tea from the circulating tea-man. Part way through a young
girl and her husband joined our room. As the train pulled away she
had tears streaming down her face and her mother was running with the
window of our carriage until she couldn't anymore. We found out that
she was leaving her parental home after a visit. When a woman leaves
the parental home, she paints the tips of her fingers with henna. She
offered excitedly to paint Kristin's too. It was a fun and bonding
experience.

Train stations are another world. A sort of purgatory. Young boys
walk around reparing zippers or shining shoes for money. Young girls
and old men and women
walk around begging for money, often making gestures to their
mouththat they are hungry. People sleep on the floors, and often we
find ourselves weaving through them to walk. Have they been there for
days? Weeks? Mangy dogs roam around eating trash and pooping
everywhere. It smells bad and flies are everywhere. It's all in your
face, and crazy. Once you get on the right train, and it begins to
move, a weight is lifted off you. The experience for locals we
imagine is much different.

We arrived to Varanasi yesterday. After a wild trip on a rickshaw, we
arrived to our guesthouse on the Ganges River.

Today we have explored some of the back-alleys. The alleys are too
small for cars, which is great, so it is quieter and less intense.
Still enough room for cows, and motorcycles and bicycles
unfortunately.

The shopkeepers are not as aggressive. It is one of the more mellow
places we have been in India. Smells are fragrent and pleasant at
times, and the calm but massive river adds to the peacefulness. Maybe
we are starting to understand the peace travelers talk about when
coming to India. Maybe?

Jodphur

Still in Rajasthan but we are now in the "Blue City", Jodphur. Today
we visited the huge hilltop fort and palace of Meherangarh, which gave
us a little insight into the opluence and splendor of the lives of
maharajas. One of the best parts of visiting these places is seeing
the many rural Indians coming to see their national sights. They seem
very curious of us and eager to smile or shake our hands. Women wear
loads of bangles on their arms, gold and gemmed nose rings, earrings,
toe rings, etc. They wear anklets that jingle as they walk around.
Some have huge loops of gold in their noses. Women and some young
girls have the part of their hair painted red to match the red dot on
their forehead signifying marriage. Men wear colorful turbans and
have crazy big beards and massive mouse-like fuzzy mustashes. Andrew
decided to shave his thick beard because too often he was called "Ali
Baba" and we recieved more attention than we wanted.

We also tried some Rajasthani specials today: the creamy saffron
laced lassi is a favorite. And the big green chili rolled in batter
and deep fried was delicious. We stood with others using old
newspaper for a plate while we savored the spicy food. A man worked
behind us stirring an enormous vat of dough. Then after covering the
chili pepper in dough he plopped it into a huge vat of hot oil. It
was fun to watch.

One more day in Johdpur then a long train journey to Varanasi.

Agra to Jaipur

The next day in Agra, we saw the beautiful tomb, Itimad-ud-Daulah. It
was not as striking as the Taj, but maybe more beautiful in its
delicate and feminine details.

Then we drove to Jaipur. Adding to the list of animals on the street
are buffalo, camels, rats, and elephants. The drive went through
rural areas and beautiful farmlands.

Jaipur is known as the Pink City because its Old City has buildings
that are pinkish in color. We saw a beautiful hilltop Amber palace, a
palace on the water, the City Palace (inside the old city), and the
Palace of Winds. The Palace of Winds felt like we were in Alice in
Wonderland because of its 'toy house-like' design has a wall of over
300 tiny windows (about the size of a head) looking out to the street.
We also saw Jawa Mantar, a courtyard filled with huge structures
designed to tell time. One massive 28 meter high sundial claims
accuracy to 2 seconds.

We wandered through textile bazaars of silk scarfs, tie-dye and block
print fabrics (both famous in Jaipur), and colorful saris. One place
showed us how they make the block prints. We also saw how they cut
and polish beautiful gems. Jaipur is known for its semi-precious
stones. Both the real and the fake kind.

The streets are crowded with people, animals, trash, and many modes of
transport. People are often shouting at you, stepping in front of you
to try and make you come to their shop or take their rickshaw. In the
midst of the chaos, Kristin was bucked by the horn or a cow while
simultaniously getting clipped by a rickshaw. Thankfully all it left
was a bruise.

The food, drink and sweets are all delicious. We have yet to have
average Indian food. A milky-sugared and spiced chai or mango lassi
makes up for a crazy day. There is a fudge-like milk based sweet
called 'barfi' that tastes amazing. We usually have samosas from the
street for at least one meal a day. It is served with a tart or sweet
sauce. No GI problems yet! If we buy something on the street we make
sure and see them cooking it. Food from the street is served on a
flimsy small paper plate, and either on steel or plastic trays in
restaurants.

Tonight we head to Jodphur.

Agra

Crossing from Delhi into Uttar Pradesh state, we had to stop at the
border for the driver to show papers. A transgender individual (we
were told later but guessed first) dressed in a flashy turquoise sari
with an eight o'clock shadow approached the Nepalese driver, Bhuwan,
asking for money. We were surprised when he handed over some rupees.
Bhuwan told us that people believe the trangendered persons have the
power to curse or bless you, and that he threatened a car wreck if he
didn't give money. Bhuwan made it sound as if this is a common
exchange and normal to give money. After this interaction the car
wouldn't start. We can only assume that this aforementioned individual
did not receive adequate payment. So, after being pushed by men
dragging along trick monkeys on leashes, beating the battery with a
stick (literally), and long discussions between the monkey men,
driver, and passers-by, the car started and we were off. It is now
clear to us that on the road between Delhi and Agra there is a worm-
hole to an alternate reality.

We made it to Agra midday and walked around and in the white-marbled
Taj Mahal. Most visitors were Indian. It started to rain at one
point and everyone ran for cover. Some yelled and laughed as they
ran. We first sought shelter under a tree. Then we joined a line of
people flat against a red sandstone wall under a small awning.

The Taj Mahal story adds to its romantism and beauty. Absolutely
worth seeing. At the Taj we were approached way too many times by
people asking to take our picture. Usually we said no. But the
little kids and sometimes women were harder to say no to than than the
boys in tight jeans and aviator glasses. One girl kissed Kristin for
a picture. We continually had to move around to avoid being
bombarded. One tourist totally lost it, and she reamed a guy out
using a string of explatives. After that, a groundsmen hit the guy
over the head. We have been stared at here (even for prolonged
periods of time without shame) more than any other country we have
been to.

We tried some delicous traditional Indian sweets tonight. One has an
edible foil covering that is made from pounded silver.

Leaving for Rajasthan tomorrow.

Full Day in Delhi

We saw loads of Delhi today, but a highlight was Humayun's Tomb. The
beautiful red sandstone and white marble amongst lushious greens
gardens and palms was spectacular. It had a mystical elegance as the
rain brought out vivid hues against a grayish sky. We also enjoyed
Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and Gandhi Memorial. The Gandhi
Memorial was especially moving. Both are at the sites where each was
assasinated. The women are striking as they walk in colorful, flowing
saris. Bright pinks, reds, yellows, turquiose. It is a huge contrast
to the muddy grays and browns of the street below.

The food here is consistently delicious. We had high expectations and
so far they have been met. The flavors and combinations are so tasty
and wonderful. We ate Southern Indian food for lunch. At the end we
were given little sugar mint crystals and dried fenugreek seeds, which
they eat to aid in digestion.

Delhi is flooded, it would seem. The Yamuna river hasn't been this
flooded since 1978. The farmlands along the river have been flooded
and the people were forced to move their homes. So along a major
highway, families have set up make-shift tents and cots to live in.
We could see right in, and it looked cramped and dirty and very wet.
We stopped on the bridge to people watch. At the water's edge, people
gathered with an idol of a Hindu god (the Elephant god), prayed and
then sent it away down the river. This ritual is part of preparation
for an upcoming festival in October. A moment later a group of people
covered in red powder-paint were dancing and drumming and singing down
the street carrying another idol. They stopped, surrounded us, and
proceeded to beat drums, yell, and dance. For a second we thought
maybe we would become the offering. :)

New Delhi is nicer than Old Delhi as the name would suggest. The
roads are wider with defined lanes, more spacious, and cleaner though
that is not saying much.

Tomorrow we head for Agra.

Delhi

We arrived early this morning in Delhi (September 11 at 4 am). The
flight from Amman was smooth except for Andrew's brief period of
fainting and landing in a random man's lap as a result of dehydration.
No worries, though. His color came back quickly enough, and we both
had a good laugh. The muggy, oppressive heat in Delhi is a huge
contrast to the dry heat in Jordan. The urban poverty is immediately
in your face; the smells are often nauseating. People wandering
through trash, tents for homes set up on streets. On the way from the
airport we saw two people defecating by the road. Families bathed in
muddy water. Muddy describes the roads here. We are sure that there
are many different sides to Delhi, but this was our first impression.

It is post-monsoon season, but there was still a brief downpour on our
way to the hotel. Everyone ran for cover. After getting settled in,
we headed out to explore. The roads are crowded with rickshaws,
people on bikes, trash, cows, dogs, cars....The speeds of cars may be
slower than Cairo, but it seems just as chaotic and intimidating. We
met a helpful Indian man who tried to help us understand how the train
system works. We've ate some really spicy Indian foods, sweating from
the spiciness and the heat. But so delicious! Tomorrow we will see
some Delhi sites.

Jordan

A couple of days ago we took a ferry across the Gulf of Aqaba from
Nuweba in Egypt to Aqaba, Jordan. During the traveling, we met a nice
Belgian couple from Gent who thought it was ridiculous that we had
been to Maldegem (where we worked on the farm in Belgium). Apparently
Maldegem has a reputation for crazy country folk. We also befriended
a very friendly and helpful Egyptian man who works in Jordan. He
guided us through the process of getting ourselves and our bags to
Jordan and finding a hotel and bargained for us to make sure we paid
fair prices. It was incredible the way he would explain things to us
along the way just so we wouldn't worry. Together with the Belgians,
he joined us for dinner that night.

Early the next morning we took a bus to Wadi Rum. A Bedouin, named
Mujahad, with mostly false teeth and a very basic understanding of
English drove us through the desert. He had to hot wire the car (an
early 80s landcruiser?) to start it everytime we stopped. After
licking the tape on the casette a number of times halfway through our
drive there was a sudden 'pop' noise and then smoke came out of the
casette player. Later after hitting the casette tape over and over
against the steering wheel we had music again. Mujahad was a master at
making things work.

It wasn't as hot as expected. In the shade and even in the car with
the windows open it was perfect. We drove through huge sandstone
cliffs often seeing three or four camels resting in the sun. Besides
the camels the only signs of life were lizzard tracks ands lonely bird
perched on the sand or dotted shrubs. We saw an old Naabeten temple,
hiked up to a cool spring which had a beautiful view over the desert
and Wadi Rum village, and saw odd rock formations. A high rock bridge
and a giant rock with "legs" were the highlights. In the late
afternoon Majahad found a place in the shade of a rose-colored
sandstone cliff where he laid out a blanket and made tea. We stayed
for a while, and it was relaxing and peaceful. Only the noise of the
wind. At times the silence rings in your ears. Then he took us to a
beautiful red sand dune (the desert had white and red sand). The sand
looked so soft and so pure. Footprints quickly disappearing with the
shifting sand. He drove up ahead of us and let us walk for a little
bit. By late afternoon we were at the Bedouin camp where we'd spend
the night in a little tent in the middle of the desert. Other
tourists were there also from Italy, France, Spain and Japan. A
Sudanese chef cooked us dinner and breakfast, and we drank copious
amounts of sugared tea. Mujahad must have been the talented one
because after the sunset and the stars were out, he played a guitar-
like instrument and sang beautiful Bedouin songs around the fire. We
sat and listened for a long time as the scent of apple from his argile
(waterpipe) and fire filled the air. It was an almost out-of-body
experience the way the sounds and smells came together. At night it
didn't get so cold, but we did need fleeces.

The next day we took a bus to Petra. We walked about a mile through
the Siq, a huge and high sandstone mountain cut in half leaving a
turning and windswept passageway, which led to the impressive
Treasury, a beautiful and delicate tomb cut into the rose mountain.
Petra is an old city that has been cut into the mountainsides. Some
rooms are particulary beautiful in color with natural waves of blues,
whites, reds, pinks, yellow, and black. It looks like a painting all
over the walls and ceilings. We climbed to the top of a mountain,
called the High Place of Sacrifice that overlooks the city, and then
to other sites until our feet could take no more.

Jordanian people have been extraordinarily kind and generous. At
dinner the waiter brought us out desert and tea for free. At a sweet
shop, the owner gave us large samples to taste and charged us almost
nothing. Then we went to buy water and the grocery keeper gave us
sweets. Besides gifts people have gone out of their way to help make
us feel welcome and safe.

Keffiyahs are popular both with the tourists and Jordanians alike. The
keffiyah is a square head covering that is folded into a triangle and
rolled on the sides to stay on the head (sometimes with a thick black
band in on top). Traditionally Bedouins wear the red and white
keffiyeh, and we have heard Palestinians wear the black and white.
We're sure that other colors and patterns have other significance.
Most dress in long white or black robes. Some have pinstripes. Many
women in Jordan are either fully or mostly covered in black with only
a slit for the eyes. We've had barely any interaction with women.

Ramadan is finishing today or tomorrow. We are excited to see Eid.
We are heading to Amman today.

Dahab

In Dahab we can see Saudia Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba.  Popular for diving, Dahab has quite a few travelers who stay a week or longer to get their diving certificates. It is also popular with Russian tourists, even many of the restaurants and tour operators posting signs in Russian.

After a 2 hour minibus ride at 1 am yesterday, we started a 3-hour hike up Mt. Sinai.  The dark night sky and the herds of camels (and that it was 1 in the morning!) made it the hike seem surreal.  Throughout the hike Bedouin men would ask "Camel? Camel?" over and over. We must have heard this 100 times.  The further up and more tired our bodies, the more tempting the camel became. But we perserved. Moses didn't need a camel so why would we?  Every so often a little shop sold tea, coffee, hot chocolate, snacks and blankets for super-inflated prices.  We were sweating on the hike up, but when we'd stop the elevation and wind made it very cold.  We made it to the top at first light and found a safe cranny on the edge, and huddled together out of the wind watching the sun rise.  It was beautiful.  The light illuminated all that was around us and colors gradually came back to the earth after a night of greys and blacks. We hiked down a different route taking 3750 steps (we were told, we did not count) laid by a monk as a form of penance long ago.  The steps were sometimes hard to see, but the sights through granite cliffs and valleys was beautiful.  After a quick tour of St. Catherine's Monastery, where some claim the burning bush was, we headed back to the hotel to catch up on sleep.

Due to overbooking we were switched to an apartment-style room with air conditioning for the same price (15$). We really lucked out.  Last night we had dinner with some nice French guys we met on the hike.

Today we were driven by truck along the dramatic Dahab coast between rugged mountains and the brilliant blue and turquoise ocean.  The drive was short, but we could have driven happily for hours. After mask and fin fitting and some quick tips, we headed off towards the entry point. The reef had so many odd shapes and colors. The coral ended abruptly where deep ocean around 100 meters or deeper contined as far out and down as we could see.  Everything was so clear.  We saw fish big and small. Striped, polka-dotted, fluorescent purples and rainbow-colored.  Black and white.  And camoflaged.  Schools swam all around us and into the coral.  Underwater was perfectly quiet against vivid colors. It is another world.

We made our way along the reef and over the "table" to a huge drop in water depth.  There were free divers and scuba divers beneath us.  It was fun swimming through their tiny bubbles from 30 meters below.

Afterwards we rode camels along the rugged dramtic coastline.  At one point they started "trotting" which was hilarious.  On a side note riding a camel was not as comfortable for Andrew.

It was one of our favorite days of the trip.

Tomorrow we travel to Jordan.

to Dahab

Over 2 very long bus transports (though they were clean and had a/c!),
a short taxi, a wait at a bus station and 28 hours later, we are in
Dahab! and it is worth it! the drive through the Sinai was
beautiful: long stretches of white dessert and blue waters, through
deserted resort towns, a fiery sunset, multiple checkpoints requiring
showing our passports and police with guns on-board. We are staying
in a little bay area, reading by blue waters. Tomorrow, predawn, we
will hike Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise from the peak.

Luxor

In Luxor, the Nile is bordered by palms and lushious green farmlands.  People are growing corn, ochre, onions, garlic and wheat.  

The first day we explored some of the city and walked by the Luxor Temple, which is in the city center across the street from McDonalds.  Many pharoahs contributed to it's structure over various dynasties. In comparison Ronald seems to erect his structures overnight.

Today was tombs and temples. The West bank is full of tombs of ancient kings and queens.  We were driven through police checkpoints to the dry and dusty Valley of the Kings, where we explored three of the many tombs (known as the royal necropolis) cut into limestone mountains.  This is where King Tut's tomb and treasures were discovered in the 1920s.  We went in the deepest tomb, the longest, and then the one with the most vivid color remaining. The long tunnels descending underground are lined with etched and painted pictographs in blue, yellow, red, black from around 1500 - 1000 BC. We followed the long tunnel to the burial chamber where the tomb was kept.  Pharoahs spent their lives preparing for the afterlife by building their tombs and temples for gods, which were more important investments than their own houses.  Then we visited the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut, where our guide had been part of an excavation team.  It is also cut into the side of a mountain, but the original is mostly ruins after being destroyed by her stepson when he became ruler.  80 percent of the temple we saw has been restored. In 1997 58 people were killed in an attack by the Muslim Brotherhood at this site.  Afterwards we saw the Colossi of Memnon, two gigantic stautes 18 meters high.  And lastly, we went to the Temples of Karnak, which is claimed to be the largest religious building ever built.  The entrance is lined by sphinxes but  the most incredible part was the huge open-air hall,  filled with massive pillars covered in hyrogliphics and paintings of gods.  Karnak was built over a period of 1500 years by the pharoahs for their gods.  

It is a bit hot so we spent the afternoon by the pool (yaaaa!) before our long overland journey to Dahab on the Sinai peninsula.  We should arrive tomorrow.   

Alexandria

Alexandria stretches over 20 km on the Mediterranean. It's main
street hugs the coast and is lined with palms. Old, stylish cafes with
delicious pastries are scattered throughout. Egypt's second biggest
city, Alexandria seems quite small in comparison to Cairo.

The Alexandria Library with the modern architecture, high ceilings,
and students buried in books was a refreshing stop. It contains a
very respectable number of books and resources as well as (modern)
Egyptian paintings and sculptures. The cool and quiet peace of a
library was thoroughly enjoyable as an escape from the heat and noise
of traffic. We also saw an exhibit on Palestine which documented
Palestinian individuals' stories from 1948, when they were removed
from their land, to their lives now in refugee camps or elsewhere.
Then, just as we were leaving, we wandered into an exhibit on the
former President Anwar Sadat who was assasinated in 1981 in Cairo. He
was one of the first from the Arab countries to initiate peace with
Israel and is admired by most all Egyptians. There were personal
letters handwritten by Jimmy Carter on the White House stationary.
Also a peace pipe from a tribe of Native Americans in Colorado was
given to Sadat commending his efforts for world peace. He seems to
have been loved by his country and honored internationally.

We spent the night strolling the coastline. The sandy beaches were
littered with plastic tables and chairs and full of families eating
together. Children played in the dark water at night. Some men went
in the water. We saw one woman in up to her knees, still covered head-
to-toe including her face. Men were out fishing at night in boats and
from the shore. Some used nets and tried to catch anything left in
the tidal pools.

Last night we took the sleeping train south to Luxor. We had our own
little double cabin. After dinner the attendent helped us turn the
cabin into a bedroom. It was odd to wake up in the middle of the
night and realize we were moving on a train. It was not the smoothest
train either. The attendent woke us in the morning an hour before the
arrival. We looked out the window to see people working in fields of
corn and palm trees.

Exploring Luxor today and tomorrow.

Cairo

The enormity of the city (+20 million) is immediately apparent. After
passing through immigration, asking many people how to get to our
hotel, and refusing the many offers for tours and taxis, we were
pointed towards a shuttle bus that would connect us to a public bus
that was supposed to take us to our hotel. We were at the mercy of
those who spoke English as most everything is written in Arabic.

Thankfully we met a man at the bus terminal who was very nice. He was
going on our bus and even insisted to pay for our bus fare to welcome
us to Egypt. We saw pictures of his wife and two boys (one two days
old) and his engineering projects on a slide show on his phone. He
was a completely innocent and kind though we were suspicious until we
said goodbye. His stop was before ours and we still weren't quite
clear where to get off. But an hour later with the help of a couple
others, we made it to the last stop across a frightening street of
traffic from the hotel. We'd had time to observe Cairo traffic, and
it's laughably crazy. No lanes, often no lights. Continous honking
and buzzing of cars. Pedestrians holding tight to each other to
cross. Motorcycles zooming through cars without any rules. So to
cross the street (5 cars wide) we used more confident people as human
shields. We are much more comfortable now with the roads, though
every time we feel our bodies respond with a sort of "fight-or-flight"
response. The later it gets the streets are jam packed of honking
cars. We even saw a horse-drawn carriage galloping on a major street
with cars following close behind and all around. The horse was
frantically running being chased by buses and cars. Quite funny.
Many of the electronic walking men signs on crosswalks have the man
running. Cairo city planners must have a since of humor.

It's very hot here. Lots of pollution brings a haze over the city.
At night the Nile is filled with light beams, florescent neon light-
decorated cruise boats and feluccas (small sail boats). We often see
individual men or groups of men on the streets praying towards Mecca.
At sunset we walk pass groups of people gathered to break fast
together or iftar. It is a communal activity here like in Istanbul.

Most all women here wear the headscarves and dresses that cover their
arms and legs. Men wear pants, if not the long robes. Almost eveyone
has been very friendly and welcoming. Though we are often approached
by someone who "loves Americans" and "is not a tour guide" and just
wants to give us their business card or address in America, but to do
his we would need to follow them down streets, so we exercise patience
and endurance till we can break away. One man even said, "say yes, or
I will kill myself". They often yell anything just to get you to pause.

We've tried lots of delicious Egyptian foods - felafel sandwiches,
fava bean paste sandwiches, swarma, and a noodle, rice, and lentil
dish. We've found a place where we can both eat for about a dollar
together. The people who work here are starting to recognize us.

The Egyptian Museum was really cool, though it is really more of a
massive warehouse without air conditioning. We weren't allowed to
take the camera inside. It is overflowing with ancient and priceless
treasures. So much that many are without labels or behind something
in a corner. The oldest statue was from the 4th dynasty, around 2500
BC. The most jaw-dropping treasures were from King Tut's tomb. Over
1500 treasures were found in the tomb of the young king, from jewels,
to thrones and boats and leopard-skin shields and golden claw-footed
beds all of which he would use in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians
were fascinated with the afterlife. We saw King Tut's famous golden
mask. The face looks just like him because it helps the gods to
recognize him amongst others.

Day two - the pyramids and sphinx of Giza. We are unable to describe
the feeling of being there. As we drove through the city, the point
of a pyramid began to poke through the crowded housing and buildings.
The city seems to stop abruptly, and all of a sudden we were standing
in desert gazing up at the magnificent pyramids. We crouched down
through a very narrow slanted pathway into the tomb and burial chamber
of one of the pyramids. Still have the dust of the pyramids on our
sandals. Then we saw the papyrus institute, where we learned about
the process of paper-making from papyrus reeds. We had an interesting
conversation about women in Egypt with the guide of the tour who was
an Egyptian woman.

On the tour we met a friendly Singaporian who was working in Israel.
He is an executive member of the Marriott collection and invited us to
the executive lounge for dinner and dessert and then breakfast. Then
we spent our last day with him seeing Islamic Cairo, Old and Coptic
Cairo.

In Alexandria now.

Modern Istanbul, Ramadan Celebrations and a Hamam

We are getting caught up on updates. Free wifi has been difficult to
find in Cairo.

So... This is about our last two days in Istanbul.

There was a fascinating (and free) exhibit near the Aya Sofya. It
opened our eyes to the Muslim peoples' contributions to modern
science, math, astronomy, and virtually all others areas. Not only
did it give a sense of hope and inspiration but also showed us how
much we didn't learn in school. Huge contributions to modern surgery
and timekeeping, for instance, came from the Ottoman Empire during the
(not so) "Dark Ages.". It was really interesting.

Then we visited the Grand Bazaar which was more like a mall. But
nearly 700 years old! We expected something more like the chaos of
the medinas in Morocco. We were on our guard for hassling, but got
none. There was even a sign warning people not to hassle tourists.
It is gigantic with over 4000 shops and 66 connecting streets selling
Turkish carpets, jewelry, ceramics, leathers, sweets, and much much
more.

We also visited modern Istanbul in the district of Beyoglu. We napped
in the breezy tree-lined Taksim Park then walked down the popular
Istiklal Caddesi, which is basically an outdoor mall with many
recognizable Western stores intermixed with Turkish restaurants and
the occasional Turkish shop. We saw Whole Foods grocery bags for
sale, the ones that say, "the better bag" on the side. A lost
shipping container maybe? Off the main street we found many
fashionable boutiques filled with Turkish designed clothing and
jewelry. Creative and energetic young people are everywhere.

The next day we took the cheap ferry across the Bosphorous to Asia.
Still in Istanbul though. The view from the ferry was very nice with
barges and other ferries criss-crossing with the city as the
backdrop. The Asian side brings less tourists (and less English) but
we enjoyed walking around.

After we went to the spice market which was full of all the Turkish
delight and bahklava we could ever eat, peaks of colorful spices, and
Turkish decor. We then crossed the Galata bridge, passing lines of men
fishing in the Bosporous. This bridge connects the old city to the
modern.

Ramadan has been great time to visit allowing us to observe
behaviors. There have been many outdoor concerts of beautiful
Turkish instrumental music and random western favorites including a
strange rendition of Summer Lovin' from Grease. Families gather in
the parks to picnic, bringing bags of homemade kabobs and drinks ready
for Iftar. Restaurants have been busy preparing for the feast, and
every surface is covered with ready-to-eat plates. People sit
languidly at the table not touching their bread. We try to hide in
the park and eat dinner before sundown not wanting to make their wait
even more difficult. Then the call echos from various minarets around
the city and eating commences. Smiles reappear. Life returns to the
streets. Musicians throw down their instruments and run for food.
Celebrations continue late into the night. The area feels very
carnivalesque, with a man walking on stilts through crowds, whirling
dervish performances (we saw a man spin for over two minutes
continuously, pause for about 45 seconds, and start again), stands of
calligraphy painters, weavers, glass-blowing, and more, and lots of
sweets (popcorn, ice cream, cotton candy). We tried a delicious soft
lollipop that the man makes and swirls right in front of you.

The last night in Istanbul Kristin tried the Hamam experience - a
Turkish bath. It was a women only hamam. So here is her story:

I was taken down some steps to a room with individual changing rooms.
Then woman attendant whistled and motioned with her hands that I
should remove everything and wrap a towel around me. Then she took me
to the bath room. It was a rectangular room with gray marble flooring
and a large raised marble square in the middle. There were six low
marble sinks spaced three on each side of the square. The sink was my
basin. (I had thought a basin meant a bathtub and was caught off-guard
when I realized I would be bathing in the nude not partly hiding in a
tub, because as you probably know, I am modest). So, she pulled off
my towel and told me to sit next to the basin/sink. It was constanlty
running warm water. I was told to douse myself with the water for ten
minutes, then she would be back for the massage. I was the only one
in there and started to think maybe it'd be a little more interesting
if someone else was in there. Before I knew it, the woman came back
in only in white undies followed by three tourists in bikinis. What?
She told me to get naked! Now I wished I could escape the
awkwardness. Being alone wasn't so bad. As the others found their
sinks and starting dousing themselves (in their bathing suits), she
caught my attention and patted the marble slab indicating it was time
for my massage up on the slab in the middle of the room. I tried to
appear fine with being the only naked one in the room as I briskly
walked to the middle. She puts on a scrubbing mitt, and following her
broken commands, I laid on my stomach, then back, then sat up to be
wholly exfoliated. Then back to the basin for a rinse. Now soap and
massage. The scene repeats, only this time instead of a mitt, it's a
huge soapy loofah. I am covered in suds and get a little massage.
Turning over is a challenge because soap and marble are a slippery
combination. It ended with her shutting her eyes tight to indicate
that I should follow. As soon as my eyes were shut, the huge loofah
was exfoliating my face almost too well. Then a bucket of water
rinsed enough soap off for me to make my way back to my sink and
finish the rinse. Then she comes and sits behind me for a shampoo.
At this point, though very awkward, I am feeling very nice and clean.
Then a rinse and off to the sauna before the final cool-off rinse. I
am clean and refreshed. It was a totally awkward though great
experience.

Ephesus

Today we saw ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus (Efes is Turkish).
Bonus info: Efes is also the name of the most widely available beer.
Besides Pompeii, Ephesus is the largest, best preserved ancient site
by the Mediteranean. What we saw today is from roughly 300 BC to 200
AD, but the city was founded by Grecians in 1000 BC. Most
recognizable was the huge theater, the beautiful two-storey library,
and stadium. Ferral cats roam through the ruined marble walkways,
Roman columns, and scattered statues. The detailing is truly
beautiful and ornamental. Mostly ruins now, we walked through
bathhouses, arcades, a brothel, and a temple. Paul, of course, made
Ephesus famous but did not arrive until around 50 AD. Imagining the
busy city of Ephesus with thousands of people walking the marble
street everyday makes Paul's letter seem more vivid. The ruins are
surrounded by a picturesque hilly countryside near the sea. Even the
bus loads of tourists could not take away the mystique and beauty of
this place.

Taking the night bus to Istanbul for a couple of days before Egypt.