Friends and Family,
While attempting to leave Morocco, a misunderstanding on Royal Air Maroc
regulations for check-in split the group in half. The guys + Kate + Chuck were left behind while the girls + Jenny went on ahead. Despite a 5 hour delay, we finally arrived in Cairo, greeted by Walid.
After a nap in the bus, the other half of our group finally arrived and we headed off on an 8 hour bus ride to the Sinai Peninsula and St.
Catharine's. With an afternoon and evening to rest, our wake-up call was
set for 1 AM, on the bus by 1:30, and being led up the mountain by our
tour guide, Moses (I wish I were kidding about his name) at 2 AM.
The thirteen of us and approximately 300 other people were stumbling up
the side of the mountain lit only by flashlights and shooting stars. When we reached the top, we had the most rewarding prize of all, the sunrise on top of Sinai, the highest peak on the peninsula.
While everyone back at Olaf had their fall break, we were all pleased to
know that even though it was late, we were put up for three days and four nights in a Red Sea beach-side resort for ours. Soaking up the sun,
catching up on light reading, snorkeling, and a challenging volleyball
game of America V Hungary kept us busy and left us all sun-kissed.
Almost a week after arriving in Cairo, our group went to see the Pyramids at Giza. Unfortunately, the infamous Cairo smog was there too hindering our view, but we did get the opportunity to climb in the great Pyramid Khufu, and all the way to the Kings burial room. That day, our group stopped by the other pyramids at Giza, looked at a 3000 year old boat, and checked out the sphinx. After several very successful tourist-y pictures of all of us kissing the sphinx or presenting the pyramids as if light as a feather on our hands, we went back to our hotel. The next day, we visited Memphis, Saqqara, the Step Pyramid complex, and several tombs of royalty in the vicinity of the Step Pyramid.
In Cairo we were joined by Dr. and Mrs. Hagen, Kate's parents and Dr. and Mrs. Graft, Beth's parents for a week long stay.
Our trip to Luxor, was four solid days of touring. Every day, our wake up call was at 5 am, and we were on the bus rolling at 6. The reasoning given for that was to beat the crowds and the heat, but I think our tour guide secretly enjoyed watching a bunch of college kids stumble around at 5 in the morning. Wearily dragged around the ancient city of Thebes, we saw the sort of things most people only read about in their history books. Before leaving Luxor, a few of us decided to go on a hot air balloon trip.
Our Thanksgiving Day was spent waking up at 5 am, stumbling to breakfast
after rolling into some clothes, and almost too cheerily greeted with
“Happy Thanksgiving” from the more alert Jenny.
We stopped at Hatshepsut's Temple, and then to the Valley of the Kings.
While there, we saw King Tut's tomb, and resting in his eternal home was
the king himself. Unaware of current events, most of us didn't realize the significance of being able to see the body of the famous king, as this is the first time his body has been on display. After that we wandered around to a couple other tombs that were brightly painted at the end of long stuffy corridors of stone, and then headed out. We visited a couple of other tombs before ending touring for the day.
Chuck and Jenny surprised the group with a boat ride on the Nile lasting
about an hour. We also received a messenger from Olaf, Dave Wagner,
updating us on all the gossip and very important news from home.
With no expectations for a meal that even semi-resembled a traditional
Turkey Thanksgiving, we unenthusiastically headed to dinner only to find
cranberry sauce, turkey, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and an
overall surprisingly traditional thanksgiving.
During our time here in Cairo, we are studying at the American University, learning specifically about Ancient Egyptian civilization. While staying in downtown Cairo in the Cosmopolitan hotel, we're incessantly accosted by the locals shouting at all the American students. But we have been warmly welcomed by the staff at the hotel as we have been sending two groups of Olaf students (Global and TIME) here every fall.
Until next time,
Your traveling Timer
While attempting to leave Morocco, a misunderstanding on Royal Air Maroc
regulations for check-in split the group in half. The guys + Kate + Chuck were left behind while the girls + Jenny went on ahead. Despite a 5 hour delay, we finally arrived in Cairo, greeted by Walid.
After a nap in the bus, the other half of our group finally arrived and we headed off on an 8 hour bus ride to the Sinai Peninsula and St.
Catharine's. With an afternoon and evening to rest, our wake-up call was
set for 1 AM, on the bus by 1:30, and being led up the mountain by our
tour guide, Moses (I wish I were kidding about his name) at 2 AM.
The thirteen of us and approximately 300 other people were stumbling up
the side of the mountain lit only by flashlights and shooting stars. When we reached the top, we had the most rewarding prize of all, the sunrise on top of Sinai, the highest peak on the peninsula.
While everyone back at Olaf had their fall break, we were all pleased to
know that even though it was late, we were put up for three days and four nights in a Red Sea beach-side resort for ours. Soaking up the sun,
catching up on light reading, snorkeling, and a challenging volleyball
game of America V Hungary kept us busy and left us all sun-kissed.
Almost a week after arriving in Cairo, our group went to see the Pyramids at Giza. Unfortunately, the infamous Cairo smog was there too hindering our view, but we did get the opportunity to climb in the great Pyramid Khufu, and all the way to the Kings burial room. That day, our group stopped by the other pyramids at Giza, looked at a 3000 year old boat, and checked out the sphinx. After several very successful tourist-y pictures of all of us kissing the sphinx or presenting the pyramids as if light as a feather on our hands, we went back to our hotel. The next day, we visited Memphis, Saqqara, the Step Pyramid complex, and several tombs of royalty in the vicinity of the Step Pyramid.
In Cairo we were joined by Dr. and Mrs. Hagen, Kate's parents and Dr. and Mrs. Graft, Beth's parents for a week long stay.
Our trip to Luxor, was four solid days of touring. Every day, our wake up call was at 5 am, and we were on the bus rolling at 6. The reasoning given for that was to beat the crowds and the heat, but I think our tour guide secretly enjoyed watching a bunch of college kids stumble around at 5 in the morning. Wearily dragged around the ancient city of Thebes, we saw the sort of things most people only read about in their history books. Before leaving Luxor, a few of us decided to go on a hot air balloon trip.
Our Thanksgiving Day was spent waking up at 5 am, stumbling to breakfast
after rolling into some clothes, and almost too cheerily greeted with
“Happy Thanksgiving” from the more alert Jenny.
We stopped at Hatshepsut's Temple, and then to the Valley of the Kings.
While there, we saw King Tut's tomb, and resting in his eternal home was
the king himself. Unaware of current events, most of us didn't realize the significance of being able to see the body of the famous king, as this is the first time his body has been on display. After that we wandered around to a couple other tombs that were brightly painted at the end of long stuffy corridors of stone, and then headed out. We visited a couple of other tombs before ending touring for the day.
Chuck and Jenny surprised the group with a boat ride on the Nile lasting
about an hour. We also received a messenger from Olaf, Dave Wagner,
updating us on all the gossip and very important news from home.
With no expectations for a meal that even semi-resembled a traditional
Turkey Thanksgiving, we unenthusiastically headed to dinner only to find
cranberry sauce, turkey, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and an
overall surprisingly traditional thanksgiving.
During our time here in Cairo, we are studying at the American University, learning specifically about Ancient Egyptian civilization. While staying in downtown Cairo in the Cosmopolitan hotel, we're incessantly accosted by the locals shouting at all the American students. But we have been warmly welcomed by the staff at the hotel as we have been sending two groups of Olaf students (Global and TIME) here every fall.
Until next time,
Your traveling Timer