Three Countries, Three Days

An Egyptian mother and her son in the countryside.

To try and some up the last few days into a few short paragraphs is next to impossible, thankfully Nathan has been working full-time on the photo end of the blog and has some work to show off. We last left off in Cairo, where we saw the pyramids. Since then we have followed the route of the Israelites during the Exodus out of the Nile delta and into the Sinai desert. After a long bus ride with several stops at significant sites–Wells of Moses and the oasis of Elim–we arrived at Mt. Horeb. This is the proposed site of Mt. Sinai; where Moses received the ten commandments. 

Looking smashin' at 5am Kevin!

The church on top of Mt. Sanai.

We the ascended the mountain at 1:30 in the morning to capture the sunrise on Nathan's D7000. It was not fun to hike 3 hours by flashlight but by the time we had reached the top and took in the amazing view of the landscape those discomforts instantly faded. The rest of the day was a blur of monastery's, bus rides, and border crossings. After leaving the base of Mt. Sinai we travelled to the southern most tourist town of Jordan called Aqaba. 

After a pleasant stay in a three week old hotel we started begun another full day of site seeing. The lost city of Petra, aka Sela,  was on the agenda. This city of tombs is carved out of the rock faces it inhabits. If you have ever seen Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade you have see the most recognizable tomb at the site. As impressive as the mile long crevasse serving as the cities entrance is, Nathan and I found the hillside over looking of the valley gave a more complete picture. 

A chariot making its way down the road to Petra.

A portrait above the tombs. 

Finally after all this excitement we stayed over night in Amman, the capital of Jordan. The next day we awoke early to see Mt. Nebo, where Moses overlooked the promise land (Deut. 34). Unfortunately, crossing the Jordan river into Israel marked the end of the Arab country part of the tour, but it was an acceptable trade when we arrived at our hotel on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Now in Israel for the remanded of the trip I am able to look back on Egypt and Jordan and realize I must go back at some point in my life. The curse of travelling, the more places you see, the more you realize there are even more that must be seen. 

Well that is all for today, please excuse me as I go check out the sunsets on the Israeli coast. 

-Kevin

Pyramids, Papyrus, and Pushy Camel Jockeys

Once again time has lost all bearing; jet lag, overwhelming experiences, and long waits have collaborated to create what I can only call "time traveling". This experience is common among oversea excursions and leaves the host unable to comprehend simple everyday tasks. Survival mode takes over, giving food, rest, and bathroom breaks primary importance. The last five days are a blur, spinning around my head like fruit in a blender. But I will try to organize what I can and articulate it in a way that bears some understanding.

Lets start with Tuesday. The plane ride over the North Atlantic was with out a hitch. Flying seems to have lost it's excitement although I still cannot find a way to sleep. Landing in Amsterdam at noon on Wednesday was a highlight for Dad I am sure, as it was his first time to see Holland–his parents homeland. A quick rail ride downtown brought us to our hotel located beside the Central Train Station. With only 24 hours on hand no much could be accomplished, however we did swing by Anne Franks house, the Rijksmuseum, and the Dutch Resistance Museum.

An early flight to Cairo got us to the airport first thing in the morning bringing us to Egypt by three o'clock local time. This was my first step out of my comfort zone. Arab countries can be intimidating but I am thankful I took World Religions and Cultural Anthropology last semester to give me a little cultural understanding. Thursday night was spent getting to the hotel and settling in. Friday gave us a first real taste of this amazing place. Because the tour we booked did not start until Saturday we found a guide and car to tour some of the more low key sights. We toured some of Old Cairo which contained the proposed sights of Moses being found in the Nile and the refuge location of Jesus, Joseph and Mary. Mosques and Castles followed along with a interesting trip to the Nation Papyrus Museum where we learned how to make the worlds first paper and had a chance to pick up some awesome souvenirs.

Although the intricacy of King Tutankhamuns Mask equally compares, the vastness of the Pyramids at Giza cast a large shadow over the memories of today. The great sphinx and three famous pyramids lived up to the hype and provided an impressive representation of Egypt's amazing history. Pictures don't do it justice but until you see it for yourself it will have to do. The Egyptian Museum containing over 300,000 artifacts is located right downtown next to the Tahrir square where 2 million protested for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak a few months ago. Protest are still going on calling for peace between Egyptian Christians and Muslims. Yesterday 1.5 million took the streets, so don't be surprised if Theo makes a few jokes about causing a riot when he came to Cairo.

Well that is all I have for the moment, much more to come though, believe me.

-Kevin

Help You Get By!

Kevin says he's not writing the newest post until tomorrow, but I cant wait to share some pics. Hope these help you dedicated readers to get by until then! :P

The very fancy and very shmancy hotel lobby.

Two young Egyptian kids ran up from the fields they were working in to say hello to us.

Our "brother" Achmed at the Papyrus Institute, showing us how to peel back the plant.

The open courtyard of a mosque downtown.

Talk about a full load. Market downtown Cairo.