Day 15 - Rome and Home

We arrived in Rome early afternoon from our EgyptAir flight.  EgyptAir served meals on the 4 flights we were on and the seating was spacious – a first class operation.  Upon arriving in Rome, we rented a car to take to our hotel which was the same square (Rondo) as the Pantheon and our room overlooked the Pantheon.  Driving a car in an Italian city (as we have found out from other trips) is a real challenge.  Even though we had MapQuest driving directions, the street names don’t match what the instructions say.  This is especially true when there are many winding, one-way only streets with many being pedestrian only.  It took us awhile to get to our hotel as holiday shoppers were also out and about clogging streets and sidewalks. 

 

 

 

The Pantheon is truly a ruin (in more than one way) and is a fitting ending to our trip of many ruins  While pictures may show it to be white marble, as the pictures below indicate it is rusty brown/black now.  However, the inside statues and wall decorations have been preserved.  The highlight of the pantheon is the ceiling dome which allows light in.  The inside reminds me of the Capitol.  King Umberto I as well as Viktor Emmanuel and Raphael are buried in the Pantheon.  It is currently being used as a basilica. 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a delightful dinner at an outside restaurant – Hosteria Pantheon next to our hotel.  The weather was mild and they had outdoor heaters which almost made it too warm.  This hotel was picked by Jim due to its location to ancient Rome and we originally were going to spend 5 nights here as we roamed Rome.  However, we opted to use the time in Rome to fly to Egypt and thus only had one day to see some things in Rome.  The hotel is one that we would return to for future Rome visits. 

 

 

 

We walked the streets after dinner taking in the Novana Square which has 3 Bernini fountains which are classics as well as throwing our pennies in Trevi Fountain. While it would have been nice to spend another day in Rome, we had a flight to catch to come home today (Monday). 

 

 

 

 

 

We travelled many different ways on this trip – rental car first and last day, train to Herculaneum, ship to Greece, Turkey, Israel and Crete, airplane to and from Rome, Cairo and Luxor, and bus as part of the ship land tours.  Outside of driving in Rome and one rough sea day on the Mediterranean, all went smoothly with no hassles.  (note:  when we arrived in Philadelphia after a 10 hr. non-stop flight from Rome, our Philadelphia to Cleveland flight had been cancelled and the later flight was delayed 2 hrs. so we spent 7 hours at the Philadelphia airport before we got home to Cleveland at 1 am today (Tuesday)

While we weren’t sure what to expect for some problem areas (Israel and Egypt), we saw little military or police presence in Israel and Egypt.  However, when we checked in for our flight home this morning, US Airways check in was adjacent to ElAl and there was a high presence of police and military (with automatic rifles pointed at the crowds from a mezzanine level) as all ElAl bags were opened and searched.  Israel is noted for having the safest airline in the world. 

The trip was fantastic and I am so glad we were not put off by security issues.  In Egypt which depends heavily on tourism, many tours have been cancelled and the tour operators in Luxor at the Valley of the Kings are very frustrated that what people see on national media regarding Tahrir Square dissuade them from coming to the Valley of the Kings where only pharoah tombs and donkeys  abound.  Likewise in Israel, they expect a sharp decrease in holiday travelers to Bethlehem this Christmas. 

If any reading this blog have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me at pamswim@aol.com.  This trip was one I dreamed of for a long time and it exceeded all my expectations in so many ways.  J

Day 14 - Dec. 15 - Alexandria

Our third day in Cairo began around 7 am driving the 3 hour trip to Alexandria, former capital of Egypt, and a port city of Egypt.  Alexandria, with a population of 9 million,  has a history which includes being founded by Alexander the Great, being the throne city for Cleopatra, marked by the towering Pharos lighthouse at the entrance to its harbor which is one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and had a great library which is renowned for its archive of ancient knowledge.  It was once the capital of Egypt, but many misfortunes which have included the Mediterranean Sea swallowing up buildings, a fire that destroyed the ancient library, the Pharos lighthouse collapsing and the Muslim rulers moving the capital to Cairo.  Today Alexandria is reviving itself and its beautiful coastline( called the Corniche).  We visited first King Farouk’s palace and the Montazah Palace Gardens. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then explored the  Aqaitbey Fortress with the Pharos lighthouse which was viewed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World in ancient times, the Fish Mummification Museum and the aquarium where we saw fish from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.  We then heard the Call to Prayer and went to the mosque where our guide, Yasir, explained the religious significance and 5 pillars of Islam.  The Call to Prayer then began and we could see it in action.  A committed Muslim answers this call 5 times daily, either at the mosque or in their own home or way as necessary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went to lunch at the The Fish Market which had a tremendous panoramic view of the Alexandria coastline with grilled fish to die for. 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we went to the library complex (which was closed today due to the constitutional referdum in Alexandria).  The library is the only one in Alexandria, but includes a children’s museum, deaf museum, and planetarium.  All cities, including Cairo, only have one large library as opposed to the US where we have small community libraries. 

 

 

 

 

 

We then visited the only Roman amphitheater in Egypt.  The amphitheater  was discovered when excavation took place for a new apartment complex.  In 2010 the ruins of a Ptolemaic-era temple was uncovered with statues of gods and soldiers.  This amphitheater only sat 800 as opposed the other the theaters we saw on this trip.  We then headed back to Cairo.

 

 

 

 

On the 3 hour trips we had lots of conversation with our guide, Yasir, who we also had for day one of Cairo.  He is in his mid-20’s with a wife of 2 years and a little boy, Mohammed (1 yr) who he hopes will be a doctor some day.  Yasir himself was a talented student scoring over 95 in secondary school in languages which qualified him to attend public university in languages.  He speaks Arabic, English, Spanish and Italian fluently.  One can attend public  university for a minimal amount if one scores over 90 in secondary school; otherwise one must attend expensive private university ($2-3,000/yr) to further one’s education. 

Some conversation included the constitutional referendum that began today in certain parts of Egypt.  Judges went on strike when Dr. Morsy, the 5 month president of Egypt, expanded his powers above judicial review on Nov. 22 and precipitated the latest protests in Cairo and Alexandria.  For this reason there were not enough judges to oversee the election process so they are voting in stages with Alexandria voting today and other areas voting next Sat  We saw lines for voting (much like Fl) and one of the museum attendants indicated he had voted “no” already, but had to stand in line 3 hrs. to vote.  The Egyptian people overthrew Mubarak 2 yrs. ago in their revolution or “Arab uprising”.  Mubarak had been in office 30 yrs. and rules Egypt in a dictatorial fashion, pocketing much money for himself, family and friends.  The Egyptians wanted more rights and better conditions so Dr. Morsy won by a narrow margin and took office 5 months ago.  Egyptians are a happy people who lie structure – they want to know the rules, obey them and see punishment if rules are broken.  The Morsy period has been fraught with un-enforcement of rules and a drafted constitution which lacks certain safeguard rights for women and religious tolerance.  Even liberal Muslims are being urged to vote “no”.  Yesterday, Friday, which is a holy day with no work as Muslims attend mosque at noon, the main Alexandria mosque speaker urged a “yes” vote and was drowned out by the mosque prayer participants.  The politics in Egypt are complicated and they view democracy so far as a “messy” situation which produces protesting and an unsafe environment.  How this will work out is the future is yet to be determined, but will be a painful process (hopefully non-violent). 

The personal tour we have been on in Egypt was necessitated when Norwegian Cruise Line dropped Egypt from its cruise itinerary.  We had allocated 5 days in Rome at the end of the trip and decided to go to Egypt instead for 4 ½ days (this happened in early Oct. before the latest protests).  Jim researched extensively tour operators and chose a relatively new group – Janna Tours – which have been excellent in all respects.  While this was to be a small group tour, we are the only ones on it and have gotten excellent service and knowledgeable Egyptologists for all our tours.  We have felt safe the whole time even though we are 3 blocks from Tahrir Square and have done many things in Cairo proper.  We will be leaving Cairo tomorrow morning to fly back to Rome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 13 - December 14 - Luxor

Our second full day in Egypt began with us taking an hour flight south to Luxor, the home of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.    Luxor is divided into the east and west bank of the Nile River with a city environment on the east side that includes 2 of the most famous temples – Karnak and Luxor -  and on the west bank lies the Valley of the Kings and Queens.  We went through Old Qurna on the drive from the airport to the famous tomb and temple areas of Luxor.  Qurna takes one back in time as housing consists of granite walls with grass roofs.  Donkey carts abound is this area both for carrying materials and in the fields to help with the growing of crops.  People are dressed in traditional  Arab dress.  The pictures below are indicative of this rural Egyptian village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Valley of the Kings lies in a deep northern ravine of the limestone hills of Qurna a “suburb” of Luxor. The valley is surrounded by high cliffs dominated by a natural pyramid shaped peak.  The Egyptian king period is divided into the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms.  In the Old Kingdom, the kings had their tomb (interim resting place before they entered the after-life) housed in a pyramid.  Their tombs were begun right after the King was crowned and included artistic decorations on the wall depicting life, jewelry and precious items to the king, food and drink to sustain the dead king and protective items as the king journeyed through the 12 perils/gates to the hereafter.  The pyramids were like a sign that said “Steal what’s inside” to tomb robbers who did.  Many historic artifacts were stolen never to be found.  In succeeding kingdoms, the kings commissioned someone to find a secret place to house their tomb to protect it from the tomb robbers.  The Valley of the Kings and Queens became a treasure trove as tombs were discovered, led by Howard Carter.  This didn’t stop the tomb robbery entirely as archeologists and workers stole items and sold them to private collectors.  We were not allowed to take a camera to the identified tomb areas.  63 tombs have been identified with the last one found in 2007.  Only 12 are currently open to the public.  We took a tram to the tomb area and went through 4 different tomb areas.  Most of the treasures in the tomb have been removed and are in the Egyptian Archeology Museum in Cairo which we visited yesterday.  Even the mummies of the kings were removed, but the granite grave boxes (sometimes nested 4 deep) still remain in the tombs as well as the decoration on the tomb walls.  We went into Ramses II, V and Merenptah’s tombs as well as the “boy king” – Tutankhamon who became king/pharaoh at 11 and died at 18.  His tomb was the smallest as his unexpected death left little artifacts to store for the afterlife.  The Valley of the Queens is noteworthy as Nefrititi’s tomb is located there, but is currently closed to the public so we did not stop at the site.  See pictures below  of the valley and holes in the landscape indicate digging locations.  The Valley of the Kings was an area I long wanted to see. 

 

 

We then drove to the Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut which combines the natural landscape with a monumental temple.  Hatschepsut is the most famous of Egypt’s queen pharaohs.  She married her half brother, Tuthmosis III, and her history is fraught with family drama.  The pictures below show the restoration of her temple. Note Jim and I with our crossed hands indicated we are king and queen - you will see this symbolism later at one of the temples.

 

 

 

 

After lunch at an Egyptian restaurant, we ventured to the east bank to view the famous Karnak and Luxor temples as well as an alabaster factory.  The Karnak temple is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Thebian gods and the greater glory of pharaohs.  This is a park inside the city that spans acres of lands including a holy lake (which you walk around 5 times for good luck).  The Karnak temple was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom time.  The temple was added on to many times and the decoration and hieroglyphs  on the walls are stunning examples of preservation of color and detail. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Luxor Temple located in the heart of the city of Luxor was also built during the New Kingdom by pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramses II.  Alexander the Great added the Baroque Shrine of Amun portraying himself as an Egyptian pharaoh.  In the 14^th Ct. the mosque of Abu el Haggag was added and dedicated to a local sheik.  The Coptic Christians also added a small chapel to this structure. 

 

 

 

After a long day in Luxor and the surrounding area we boarded EgyptAir for an 11:30 pm flight back to Cairo.  We are fortunate that we are met my tour representatives and a driver at each place which safely delivered us back to our hotel.