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Sultana · 10-06-2005, 09:33 AM

#2: Today...I don't what day today is. I think it's Thursday.

Hey everybody! Honestly, I've been grabbing every opportunity for internet, and today was exactly opportunity #2. :P

Last we heard from our heros, they were in Aswan, yes? The night I wrote the last email, I paid for all my future sins in advance. I was horribly, horribly ill. Sadly, I missed the extra tour of Abu Simble (sp?). I could barely get myself out of bed, I don't remember the last time I hurt that badly. Tummy problems, but not what you think. I'll leave it at that. I actually am not fully recovered until tonight, was left very weak. But I march on. We're in Luxor now. Comparatively the Big City, yes?

So the cruising on the Nile has been very nice. It's a small boat, but nicely appointed. Still can't drink the water though, including teeth-brushing. We're going though amazing amounts of bottled water.

Since that last email we've been to 7-10 different monuments/places including the Temple of Horus and the Crocodile god whose name escapes me at the moment(night tour, wonderful) - they had mummified crocs, Temple at Kom Bombo, the Luxur temple (again, at night. It gives chills, with the dramatic lighting and all. Plus it's much cooler). In the evening we went to a papyrus factory. It was rather like a time share presentation, ha!

Today we toured the Valley of the Kings, including the very actual tomb of King Tut!!! (70 Egyptian pounds extra, lol.) as well as Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple (commissioned by Queen Hapsutshut, the only woman to rule Egypt in her own name), and Karnak Temple, which is more like a temple complex, 55 acres of different temples and assorted buildings, statues, and obelisques (sp?). It was about 115 degrees at noon, and we were dying. Oh! I tried a lovely mango ice cream called Squizz. It's good. :P

After Karnak we went to an alabaster factory/store, it was another time share sales thing, lol! But I did get a little basalt statue of a goddess I'm rather keen on, but I don't remember her name just now. Lion-headed lady, haven't seen much of her around this southern part of Egypt. Apparently she and Bast were more popular in the Northern part of the country. Too bad.
The best part of the store was that there was a little village around it. Of course the men approached me with useless bits of alabaster, "as a gift," after the presentation of which they wanted a tip. Now I've been tipping frequently and generously for everything from TP to un-asked-for turban-wrapping lessons, but they're gonna have to do better than giving me a dirty rock, you know? And that's when the kids came out. They stay a distance away, but point to their mouths, indicating they want our American snacks. I brought out a giant pack of gum, and in a nanosecond I was swamed by children, all grabbing for the pack. Like any good ex-PE teacher I made the universal disapproving ah ah ahh! noises, and luckily, as I was taller than them, managed to get the pack evenly distributed, even to the tiny 2-year old who was too shy to come all the way to me. Biggest brown eyes I've ever seen! I also handed out several pens to the kiddies, who no doubt ran off to graffiti the monuments out back. Ah well.

It's true, they all like gum and pens, but in some cities, we get reproachful looks if we dare to give away the inferior capped kind. Apparently the status pen of choice is "Automatic", and they're as good as money.

By the way, the exchange rate here is $1= 5.75 Egyptian Pounds.

We are not going to get Jack's luggage back before the end of the trip, have I mentioned that? *sigh* Oh well.

It's kinda funny, we still have 4-5 more days to go, and yet I feel like I've been here for a much longer time, lol. I don't mean that in a bad way, but man, we've lived at least three days in one 24-hour cycle every single day we've been here.
It's been a lot more like camping than I would have thought. :P

We're taking a sleeper train (oh joy. Really, should be called the No Sleep Whatsoever train, lol!) back to Cairo in a few hours, and I think I may be able to carve out a few more emails then. We'll have a lot more free time - which I plan to spend a significant amount of in the giant freaking bazaar, hello? :P

I should mention here that Jack is sending his own separate email, I think he is dissatisified with mine, ha.

I guess I'll stop here. As much as I know you all pine for my communiques, I don't want to abuse you. Too much. OK, I do, but I have a chance at a hot dinner soon, and I don't want to blow it.

Miss you guys!

10-06-2005, 09:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
Sultana Falling Angel Location: L.A. L.A. land	#2: Today...I don't what day today is. I think it's Thursday. Hey everybody! Honestly, I've been grabbing every opportunity for internet, and today was exactly opportunity #2. :P Last we heard from our heros, they were in Aswan, yes? The night I wrote the last email, I paid for all my future sins in advance. I was horribly, horribly ill. Sadly, I missed the extra tour of Abu Simble (sp?). I could barely get myself out of bed, I don't remember the last time I hurt that badly. Tummy problems, but not what you think. I'll leave it at that. I actually am not fully recovered until tonight, was left very weak. But I march on. We're in Luxor now. Comparatively the Big City, yes? So the cruising on the Nile has been very nice. It's a small boat, but nicely appointed. Still can't drink the water though, including teeth-brushing. We're going though amazing amounts of bottled water. Since that last email we've been to 7-10 different monuments/places including the Temple of Horus and the Crocodile god whose name escapes me at the moment(night tour, wonderful) - they had mummified crocs, Temple at Kom Bombo, the Luxur temple (again, at night. It gives chills, with the dramatic lighting and all. Plus it's much cooler). In the evening we went to a papyrus factory. It was rather like a time share presentation, ha! Today we toured the Valley of the Kings, including the very actual tomb of King Tut!!! (70 Egyptian pounds extra, lol.) as well as Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple (commissioned by Queen Hapsutshut, the only woman to rule Egypt in her own name), and Karnak Temple, which is more like a temple complex, 55 acres of different temples and assorted buildings, statues, and obelisques (sp?). It was about 115 degrees at noon, and we were dying. Oh! I tried a lovely mango ice cream called Squizz. It's good. :P After Karnak we went to an alabaster factory/store, it was another time share sales thing, lol! But I did get a little basalt statue of a goddess I'm rather keen on, but I don't remember her name just now. Lion-headed lady, haven't seen much of her around this southern part of Egypt. Apparently she and Bast were more popular in the Northern part of the country. Too bad. The best part of the store was that there was a little village around it. Of course the men approached me with useless bits of alabaster, "as a gift," after the presentation of which they wanted a tip. Now I've been tipping frequently and generously for everything from TP to un-asked-for turban-wrapping lessons, but they're gonna have to do better than giving me a dirty rock, you know? And that's when the kids came out. They stay a distance away, but point to their mouths, indicating they want our American snacks. I brought out a giant pack of gum, and in a nanosecond I was swamed by children, all grabbing for the pack. Like any good ex-PE teacher I made the universal disapproving ah ah ahh! noises, and luckily, as I was taller than them, managed to get the pack evenly distributed, even to the tiny 2-year old who was too shy to come all the way to me. Biggest brown eyes I've ever seen! I also handed out several pens to the kiddies, who no doubt ran off to graffiti the monuments out back. Ah well. It's true, they all like gum and pens, but in some cities, we get reproachful looks if we dare to give away the inferior capped kind. Apparently the status pen of choice is "Automatic", and they're as good as money. By the way, the exchange rate here is $1= 5.75 Egyptian Pounds. We are not going to get Jack's luggage back before the end of the trip, have I mentioned that? sigh Oh well. It's kinda funny, we still have 4-5 more days to go, and yet I feel like I've been here for a much longer time, lol. I don't mean that in a bad way, but man, we've lived at least three days in one 24-hour cycle every single day we've been here. It's been a lot more like camping than I would have thought. :P We're taking a sleeper train (oh joy. Really, should be called the No Sleep Whatsoever train, lol!) back to Cairo in a few hours, and I think I may be able to carve out a few more emails then. We'll have a lot more free time - which I plan to spend a significant amount of in the giant freaking bazaar, hello? :P I should mention here that Jack is sending his own separate email, I think he is dissatisified with mine, ha. I guess I'll stop here. As much as I know you all pine for my communiques, I don't want to abuse you. Too much. OK, I do, but I have a chance at a hot dinner soon, and I don't want to blow it. Miss you guys! __________________ "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come." - Matt Groening My goal? To fulfill my potential.