STACY IN EGYPT

EGYPT’S TOP 10 THINGS [11-1]

1. The hyeroglyphics. After staring at the walls long enough, I started to actually be able to understand some of it… Made me want to study it.

2. The TONS of artifacts everywhere… Made me want to be an archeologist. Would have grabbed a shovel and just started digging, but I would have been arrested.

3. The pyramids. You can only get them here. Vegas does not count.

4. The beautiful women. Primarily their Cleopatra-like eyes.

5. The protection. Our tour group was nearly always escorted by bodyguards, who often acted as my personal bodyguards. Overly friendly girl+ tendency to wander + single status = overprotective guard (who wanted to keep me to himself!) It was very funny when one of the Bedions was trying to dress me up… I thought my guard was going to kill him just for wrapping his arms around me. If looks could kill…

6. GYPSIES (& their mint tea)!!!!!! As much as you all think I already am one, I’m nothing compared to the Bedouins, who have hardly changed for thousands of years. They have no residence, but rather go (via camel, donkey, and foot) where the wind blows them…Although, let’s face it—it’s Egypt…. The wind doesn’t blow very often. Thus they live in semi-stationary camps in the desert. I heard many observers pitying these people, as they seem to live in such harsh conditions… I envy them. F-R-E-E-D-O-M. During my two personal encounters, they took me right in… As you can see.

7. The loop cross & the beatle. These are symbols of life and protection… These, along with the Bee, were my favorite Egyptian symbols.

8. The money. Instead of some gray haired old man, there are pharaohs in full head-dress! Much more exciting!

9. St. Catherine’s. “The oldest working Christian monastery in the world.” This was our first stop in Egypt…. Completely different than anywhere else we went. A picture of solitude and serenity. It is a church where the alleged burning bush [still] is… and sits beneath Mt. Sinai, where Moses met with God.

10. Luxor. Luxor is completely different than Cairo... it is so much more lush and green with beautiful flowers everywhere. Cairo has the pyramids and the sphinx, but Luxor holds the best temples and tombs.

11. The Cairo Museum & mummies! So creepy and so fascinating. When in Cairo, do the museum, and pay the extra price to see the dead kings… unwrapped.

-1. The heat! It gets sooooooooooo hot! Engrained in my mind is our group, wandering around the Valley of the Kings outside of Luxor, thinking that we were all going to collapse—It was great to go in the tombs, if for no other reason, than to cool off! Ok, there were many other reasons, but it was a nice bonus. [Plan your trips accordingly, and drink lots of bottled water!]

EGYPT'S TOP 10 PHOTOS

Call of Prayer. The sun was setting as the moon was rising over Luxor Temple; and as the huge statues of pharaohs and “gods” stared down at me, Islamic chants began to sound from the nearby mosque.

Golden Markets. There are few things more enchanting than walking through small alleyways lined with stalls of bold colors, flashing metals, and fresh foods. My favorites in this market: the lights, the hookahs, and the antique camera and watch place where I bought my old Cairo train engineer’s pocket-watch (the only watch I own).

Sun Setting on Pyramid. The pyramids are frighteningly close to the city… I guess I should say, the city is frighteningly close to the pyramids! But as I gazed up this powerful silhouette, I was instantly transported back in time to ancient Egypt.

Mooving. The roads in Cairo are the craziest I have witnessed in the world. Every mode of transportation, carrying every sort of thing, all at the same time… going every different direction… A taxi ride in Cairo is one of the greatest adventures one can take! (I think Sheryl would agree.)

Mary’s Light By Day. I passed her in an alley on my way to Ben Ezra Synogogue… one of the most amazing churches/ temples I’ve ever been in (where I was not allowed to take pictures). It has an incredible story, though.

Farm View from Train. Oh, the overnight train from Cairo to Luxor!... Where I could touch every part of my room from one spot. It was a very fun, musical (yes, I still have your dance moves on video), experience… and Luxor was definitely worth the long ride!

Neighborhood View from Bus. There are really no houses in Cairo. Everyone lives in concrete apartments with tons of satellite dishes on the tops of the buildings… It’s all quite strange.

In the Shadow of Giants. Inside the courts of Luxor Temple… a huge area surrounded by giant limestone puzzle pieces (ruins that have yet to be pieced together). In fact, there are ruins all over Luxor; for this reason, people are actually forbidden to dig under their own homes, because they will undoubtedly dig up some great treasure!

Sacred Bloom. The lotus flower. This, along with the papyrus plant, is one of the most holy symbols of ancient Egypt… and it is no wonder why, with such beauty.

Nile River Guide. There is nothing like floating down the Nile River—especially at dusk, while listening to our guide’s eerie tunes being sung and played (drums and back-up by his sons).