Dear All,
I am still digesting all our adventures and experiences here, but am beginning to get a feel for the complexities and richness of Egypt and Cairo.
Jonathan has related much of our trip to Luxor. The intense burning heat, the dust, and the overwhelming sense of human labor that was involved in moving massive stones unimaginable distances, all for the purpose of the afterlife. The delicacy of the carvings inside tombs, and the delightful depictions of daily life in the tombs of the Valley of the Nobles, with such fine detail gave us a wonderful insight to the nature of the people who worked to make the tombs of their Pharoahs.
I have a particular memory seared into my mind of the Tomb of Queen Hatshepsut. Her tomb was located at the base of a soaring sandstone cliff, forming a protective semi-circle around the complex. The tomb, somewhat reconstructed, admittedly, rose three stories, each a series of square arches behind which was a terrace, blending into the surrounding cliff, which rose at least a thousand feet above. We walked up the long slope to the first terrace where we saw the remains of carvings, sculptures and painting. All very impressive. But it was when I slipped away from the crowds and went up to the third terrace that I had my sublime moment. I was alone, surrounded by columns, sculptures on three sides, and the sheer rock on the back. I looked up that dizzying height of sandstone to the azure sky above, to see a falcon hovering, and I held my breath in the total silence. It will remain with me forever.
The tombs themselves are, of course, remarkable, not only for the feat of production, with those steep steps down into the bowels of the earth, and carving out of large chambers, but for the painting, which, I am assured has not been touched up, and indeed, it is forbidden to do any touching up. Those colors are all ground from minerals such as lapiz lazuli, turquoise, etc, and are often really bright.
I am getting to like Cairo! I think that much of the mess we encountered on our arrival was due to Ramadan, when I suspect people just let things go. Certainly, garbage is a serious problem here, and everyone complains, as the government has failed to implement any foolproof method of clearance-corruption, of course. But now that Ramadan is over, the streets are relatively clean, and the daily life of Cairoeans is busier. We took some of our students into the Medieval, Islamic section yesterday, to show them the wonderful architecture and atmosphere there. Just local families, shops and clean, cobbled streets, with very beautiful madrassa libraries, mosques and old palaces. Our guides show us the big sites, we show them the quieter, more typical, local ones. The students have had great success in the great bazaar, learning quickly how to bargain for great tunics, jewelry, and the like, as well as enjoying the atmosphere of one of the most famous coffeehouses, Fishawi's, set deep in the bazaar. Others went desert camping to the White Sands National Park, which was a great success, despite very long drives there. Everyone seems to be well, now, thank goodness, after doses of pepto bismol, electrolytes and cipro have done their work!
I will try and give you more information re; Cairo before we leave, as I gain more perspectives on this extraordinary city.
All the best,
Barbara.
I am still digesting all our adventures and experiences here, but am beginning to get a feel for the complexities and richness of Egypt and Cairo.
Jonathan has related much of our trip to Luxor. The intense burning heat, the dust, and the overwhelming sense of human labor that was involved in moving massive stones unimaginable distances, all for the purpose of the afterlife. The delicacy of the carvings inside tombs, and the delightful depictions of daily life in the tombs of the Valley of the Nobles, with such fine detail gave us a wonderful insight to the nature of the people who worked to make the tombs of their Pharoahs.
I have a particular memory seared into my mind of the Tomb of Queen Hatshepsut. Her tomb was located at the base of a soaring sandstone cliff, forming a protective semi-circle around the complex. The tomb, somewhat reconstructed, admittedly, rose three stories, each a series of square arches behind which was a terrace, blending into the surrounding cliff, which rose at least a thousand feet above. We walked up the long slope to the first terrace where we saw the remains of carvings, sculptures and painting. All very impressive. But it was when I slipped away from the crowds and went up to the third terrace that I had my sublime moment. I was alone, surrounded by columns, sculptures on three sides, and the sheer rock on the back. I looked up that dizzying height of sandstone to the azure sky above, to see a falcon hovering, and I held my breath in the total silence. It will remain with me forever.
The tombs themselves are, of course, remarkable, not only for the feat of production, with those steep steps down into the bowels of the earth, and carving out of large chambers, but for the painting, which, I am assured has not been touched up, and indeed, it is forbidden to do any touching up. Those colors are all ground from minerals such as lapiz lazuli, turquoise, etc, and are often really bright.
I am getting to like Cairo! I think that much of the mess we encountered on our arrival was due to Ramadan, when I suspect people just let things go. Certainly, garbage is a serious problem here, and everyone complains, as the government has failed to implement any foolproof method of clearance-corruption, of course. But now that Ramadan is over, the streets are relatively clean, and the daily life of Cairoeans is busier. We took some of our students into the Medieval, Islamic section yesterday, to show them the wonderful architecture and atmosphere there. Just local families, shops and clean, cobbled streets, with very beautiful madrassa libraries, mosques and old palaces. Our guides show us the big sites, we show them the quieter, more typical, local ones. The students have had great success in the great bazaar, learning quickly how to bargain for great tunics, jewelry, and the like, as well as enjoying the atmosphere of one of the most famous coffeehouses, Fishawi's, set deep in the bazaar. Others went desert camping to the White Sands National Park, which was a great success, despite very long drives there. Everyone seems to be well, now, thank goodness, after doses of pepto bismol, electrolytes and cipro have done their work!
I will try and give you more information re; Cairo before we leave, as I gain more perspectives on this extraordinary city.
All the best,
Barbara.