Spring In Spain

April 21st,

I'm writing this in the cafe down my street that has free wireless internet.  As of last week our internet has been out in the house, so I haven't had a chance to update my blog.  Here is a quick description of what's been going on in the last weeks since coming back from Egypt.

The rest of Semana Santa was relaxing, fun and culturally interesting.  All of Andalucía was celebrating the holy week before Easter with huge processions.  Had I just arrived in Granada I would have been a little surprised as the giant, exquisitely decorated statues of the Virgin and Jesus were being carried by people dressed in multi-colored Ku Klux Klan hoods marching to the beat of drums.  The rain put a damper on the day, but it was fun to see something very Spanish while living here in Granada.

School has seriously picked up and I have a lot of work to do in these last 6 weeks before finals and summer.  It is crazy to think that I have been here in Spain for over 8 months and will be leaving relatively soon.  

For future trips, I'll be in Almería this weekend to visit Antonio's hometown for their spring festival.  We'll be staying in his friend's beach house.  In May, Heiko, Antonio and I we'll be heading to Lisbon for a long weekend.  I'm excited to see Portugal.  My dad and brother will be coming to visit me as soon as I finish finals.  The day they leave, I'll begin my last trip of the year with a three week tour through Greece and Turkey. 

Its been an incredible year and here at the end things only seem to be picking up.  I'll be home in California August 1st.

Some Pictures From Egypt

March 30th-April 6th

Please click on the links to see photos of my trip to Egypt.

Hieroglyphics 

Egypt Part 1: A Cruise On The Nile

Egypt Part 2: A True Adventure

Egypt Part 2: Cairo

Incredible and Perfect, Our Last Day In Egypt

April 5th,

We woke up at 8:00 still tired from the day before.  In the hour before we met the taxi drivers at 9:00, we ate breakfast and packed our day bags.  Veronica decided to stay in the hotel as she was feeling tired.  She was the only one who actually got to really enjoy the 5 star hotel.  

At 9:00 we met our taxis outside the hotel. Melissa and I sat in the back as it was Chupi's turn to sit in the front.  A little less super exciting than the day before, we still put on the music and clapped our way to our first destination.  

The day actually started off a little slow as we first went to a perfume store, to hear another fast-talking presentation.  The prices were better than the one we saw in Aswan and we got to try on a lot of scents.  Antonio and I bought some for gifts for Heiko and Alberto.  From the perfume store, we left to start our actual day of touring.

We drove through the dirty streets of Cairo, parking by the "community of religions." For the next 2 hours, we wandered the labyrinth of cobble stone streets and close buildings visiting the Christian and Jewish, "new" section of Cairo.  We visited the convent of St. George, in which I took off my shoes to enter the chapel and took more pictures with little kids.  We then went to the Ben Ezra synagogue, that was in great condition and absolutely decorated.  I was really glad to see it and glad it was in such good condition.  From there we went to another church to find it full of people holding newly baptized babies.  We did a picture swap as they wanted pictures of us and the girls took a lot of pictures with the babies.  The last church we visited was the "hanging church."  Built on a suspended foundation, the church was open space underneath.  It had beautiful wood beams and stained class windows.

Leaving the "community of religions," we drove to Cairo's most famous landmark, the Citadel of Salah Al-Din with its famous mosque and museums.  We walked up the hill, the day having grown quite hot.  We went to a smaller mosque and I took off my shoes and walked on the green carpet, the interior ring with pillars.  We then walked up to the lookout, passing the famous mosque and heading to the military museum.  The view of Cairo from the lookout was impressive.  The pyramids of Giza stood in the distance like grey triangles.  The city was dirty and the large mosques and hotels overshadowed the hundreds of thousands of apartment buildings.  We then went to the military museum.  I spent a long time looking around.  Melissa and I had a deep conversation about politics.  Not wanting to be late for the taxis we headed down the hill.

Piling back in the taxis, we went to a restaurant good but still a little touristy.  I had a good conversation with the family from Madrid.  

After lunch we drove to a beautiful mosque in old Cairo.  Legend has it that the King cut off the hands of the architect so he would never be able to make something so beautiful again. 

By this point my camera battery had completely died and I had forgotten to bring my other battery.  We headed to the famous Cairo bazaar.  A true labyrinth of shops, and multiple floors.  Entering it is a a guaranteed spending spree.  Melissa and I bought a music tape at one of the first shops we passed.  We wanted to buy our taxi driver some new music.  Our head taxi driver was our local guide and he took us to the second level to a store that had good prices and run by nice people.  I walked around the top level, exploring the cute shops.  We spent a long time there as everyone from our group bought souvenirs and gifts.

Back down in the city square we were invited to a wedding and the girls attracted a lot of unwanted attention.  We met up with the taxis and decided to head back in the direction of the hotel stopping at a tea house first.

The drive back was so perfect, beautiful and exciting that I will never be able to fully describe it.  We gave the tape to the taxi driver who was happy we'd thought of him.  He took off the wrapping (taking his hands off the steering wheel while doing this).  We popped in the tape and blasted the Arabic music.  The sky was dark and we danced in the back seat.  The taxis were racing again as we sped neck and neck on the freeway.  We were driving so fast.  Lara, the Spanish girl from the Madrid family, was taking pictures with her SLR camera.  The flash from the camera seemed surreal as it shined against the paint of the cars speeding by.  Our taxi took the lead and in the next moments I was given a most incredible image.  As we crossed the bridge form Cairo to Giza, over the Nile, I looked out the window to see the outline of the pyramids, green and grey in the garden of lights below.  

The drive continued to be otherworldly as we became submerged in the thick of the traffic.  The taxi driver asked if I wanted to drive and I said "No thank you!"  In the middle of the freeway, I saw two young boys run from car to car, jumping from truck to truck.  I saw one of the most ridiculous things I'd ever seen in my life,  a veterinarian (I'm assuming) artificially inseminating a cow in the middle of the freeway.  He had on a huge glove...  I couldn't stop laughing.  

We pulled into the parking lot of the tea shop and found four tables. The taxi drivers set up backgammon.  They ordered tea and hookahs.  I gave some money to the begging little kids.  The least I could do.  I was sitting next to Melissa and the family from Madrid.  Once everyone was settled in and talking, the wife from Madrid stood up, saying she wanted to dedicate a poem to me.  I looked her in the eye and listened as she recited a poem to me that summed up this incredible year.  I was really touched and had never had someone that I didn't know very well say something so nice about me.  Rafa from Galicia "tinged" the glass and asked me to make another toast.  I stood up and said thanks to the taxi drivers, the group for an incredible two days.  I almost cried, but caught myself.  I was little shaken but happy and enjoyed the last hours I would have in Cairo with a great group of people.

Back in front of the hotel, Hussein told us to pay him what we thought he deserved, I gave him a big tip and said thanks for showing us everything.  Back in the hotel, I got cleaned up and joined everyone out on the balcony.  We all knew the trip was soon over and didn't want to admit it.  We stayed up late until dozing off on the balcony.  We'd be getting up at 4:00am to head back to Spain.

Entering The Pyramids, Kissing The Sphinx, Ditching The Group, Driving A Taxi, Mummies

April 4th,

We woke up at 7:00 for a breakfast that was good although nothing compared to the cruise.  It was really foggy and I hoped it would burn off.  Quickly packing our day bags, I put on my blue Umbral© shirt and went down to the main room to meet the group and climb aboard the bus.  

Today we would be visiting the pyramids, the whole reason we had come to Egypt.  Driving through Giza, the city was basked in fog.  I couldn't see anything until suddenly a giant figure emerged from the mist.  There it was, Kiops, the largest pyramid.  Its sheer size took up more than the viewing field of the bus window.  We drove to the parking lot, passing thousands of tourists and their preying camel riders and trinket salesmen.  From where we were parked, we could see both huge pyramids, Kiops and Mezfrin.  

The pyramids were made of individual stones, built on top of each other.  Amro went over their history.  Exiting the bus, we had a little more than an hour to explore and go inside the grand pyramid.  We ran up to its great base and climbed up on the rocks.  They were incredibly huge.  Each boulder was taller than me.  We walked half way around it, before doubling back to go into the entrance of the tomb.  A steep, tight, claustrophobic tunnel led down to the center room.  It was hot and damp.  Hundreds of people were coming up and down but I still could imagine how incredible it would have been to discover this place.  The tight roof reached a point in which we entered an open room with a solitary, empty sarcophagus.  With the exception of the paint on the walls from the discoverer, there was nothing in it.  We exited the same way we came and entered the light and fresher air.  I loved it.

We did a photoshoot in front of the pyramids, taking a ton of photos, knowing we wouldn't have an opportunity like this almost ever again.  Melissa didn't have her camera, so I was her principal photographer.  We walked together, snapping photos and admiring the behemoths.  The sun had pierced through the fog and it was beginning to get hot.  Walking by the base of Kiops, we were accosted by a guy with an Arafat headdress.  In the next five minutes, Melissa and I were worked by professionals.  I always give a polite "La Shukran," or "No Thank you," to the merchant salesmen, but today I learned you have to be firm, as Melissa and I suddenly found ourselves in Arab dress riding a camel having photos taken of us.  The guy of course wanted a tip.  Thinking I had a euro or some plaster bills, I foolishly opened my wallet and pulled out a five euro bill.  He took it.  I realized what had happened and got really mad.  I held myself, realizing I had been played and instead yelled an obscenity loudly in his face and turned and left.  I apologized to Melissa for swearing and for the rest of the day I would loudly yell "NO!," to anyone who approached me trying to sell something.

We headed back to the bus, late as usual.  We drove to a lookout where we could see all three pyramids from a distance.  We took a stacked pyramid picture and other funny ones holding them up with our hands and pushing them.  

We then drove to another spot and got out to see the Sphinx, waiting patiently at the base of the temple and Grand pyramid.  It wasn't as big as one would expect, although still impressive as it was carved out of one solid piece of rock.  We entered the temple area and climbed up a parallel wall that gave us great views of the half lion-half man.  I kissed the Sphinx with a well staged photo and took a lot of pictures.  She didn't ask me any riddles but I was still so happy to see her.  

We were supposed to board the bus to head back to the hotel when Antonio did something that was so spontaneous that it would make our next two days in Cairo arguably the best of the trip.  Antonio had met a random guy who had a rentable taxi service.  For 10 euros he would drive us around all day and take us to all museums, historical spots.  The group would do the same thing, rushed for 100 euros.  Feeling a spirit of adventure rise up my whole body, I said what the hell and went back to the bus to grab our stuff.  Then the unexpected happened as two groups of people from the trip decided to come along with us.  A couple from Galicía, Patricia and Rafa and a family from Madrid.  We were glad they decided to come and climbed into the three taxis, meeting our driver, Hussein, an older looking man who spoke good English and had a book filled with positive feedback.  His car looked ready to fall apart.  I sat in the front, the seat belt not working.  I whipped out my journal to jot down a note as we sped off, starting a true adventure.

I could never had imagine a scene like this.  Hussein put in an old cassette tape that blasted Arabic music through the sound system.  We sped through the streets, seeing women carrying the baskets on their heads, men smoking hookah and being bombarded by  the visceral cacophony that is Cairo.  A chaos so pure, so out of the ordinary, that I felt strangely calm.  The three taxis engaged in a full on race through the city and freeway.  This would be our method of travel for the rest of the day with dancing, ridiculous traffic maneuvers, like high fiving, passing cigarettes and tea from the windows, holding hands between cars at 60 miles per hour, cutting each other off and driving ridiculous speeds in cars that were all too unsafe.  It was like a movie, but better as I was living it.  At one point, the three taxis were neck and neck on the freeway.  We were dancing in ours, I was pumping my fist in the air, bouncing in my seat and hanging my head out the window like a dog, the wind blasting through my hair.  Antonio was filming, the camera out the window.  We made fake drive by attempts, cut each other off and ignored all safety and cautionary steps.  This was Cairo.  This was Egypt.  This was the Third World.  I loved it, but knew I'd never really want it.  

Our first destination was a papyrus store.  They made all of the papyrus and painting by hand right there in the shop.  We left the papyrus store and continued our dance party and insane driving.  The day had become perfect.  We drove to a restaurant for lunch that made the fresh bread right there in the stone ovens.  We sat at a long table and toasted to the spontaneity of this group and the adventure so far.  The food was great and after lunch we got back in the taxis and headed south of Cairo, to the world's oldest man made structures, the stepped pyramids of Saqqara. 

Driving away from Cairo, we were surrounded by incredible beauty.  Palm groves, green fields, juxtaposed by the desert sands.  It was a long drive, but we made it fun with our dancing and crazy antics.  Melissa, Chupi and Vero clapping in the back seat, me in the front.  We came to a police checkpoint where I saw our driver actually pass a handful of cash as a bribe, scrunched in his hand to the "police officer."  I gave him a euro to cover his expense as I felt bad and told him that police in Spain and America don't do that.

We drove up a sandy hill, getting a view of the valley below and stopping to take pictures of the step pyramids of Saqqara.  Smaller than their more famous cousins, the step pyramids are actually much older.  The oldest human structures in the world, still standing!

Back in the taxis, I did the unthinkable.  I drove the Hussein's taxi all the way back to the police checkpoint.  I asked him, half joking and he said OK.  The rusty old stick shift was pretty ridiculous as I don't think I actually shifted.  I may have started it in first or second, the rest of the gears more or less sliding into one.  I drove past the other cars, waving, while still driving "carefully."  I think I was the first person who had actually used the breaks.  The other drivers went along with this and sped ahead to cut me off.  Antonio was filming and caught the most amazing shot.  We were side by side and as they closed in, I dropped it down a gear and revved the engine and sped ahead.  Here I was in front of the oldest building on Earth and driving a Cairo taxi.  Either I was oblivious to culture or truly understood it.  I had a lot of fun driving the taxi and got back into my passenger seat to soak in even more of the day.

We drove to another spot to take pictures of the pyramids from a distance in the middle of a field with palm-trees.  We then drove back to Cairo, stopping for water and gas.  We handed more tea out of the window and were probably on the 4th playing of the cassette tape.  Back in Cairo city limits, we headed to the Cairo museum, one of the must sees in Egypt.  After changing more euros to Egyptian pounds in the famous Nile hotel, we entered the incredible Cairo museum.  

The museum was huge, with thousands upon thousands of priceless artifacts from the tombs on display.  Unfortunately the space wasn't that great as things were stacked on top of one another.  The little cards describing the objects were probably last updated in the 1970's.  We stuck together in our little group until we reached the "Royal Mummies," exhibit.  We had to pay a little more, but with my student discount it was definitely worth it.  I went in with Chupi and Melissa.  The room was filled with about 2 dozen mummies, brown and leathered.  Incredible to see something preserved for 4,000 years in such perfect condition.  I saw the mummy of Pharaoh Ramses II, the most famous Pharaoh.  

The rest of the museum was equally incredible.  The hall with the treasures discovered in King Tut's tomb was impressionable.  When I finally found the room with King Tut's sarcophagus and the absolutely perfect gold and blue gem mask, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.  I remembered drawing that years ago and I was so happy to see it.  Chupi and I then went to the room with animal mummies.  The mummified crocodile was impressive.  

Outside, I introduced myself to the girls' Egyptian friend, Ahmed.  The girls were going to go hang out with him.  The drive back to the hotel was crazy as we avoided the traffic and sped along the bank of the Nile.   I talked a little with Hussein about his life here in Cairo.  We pulled into the hotel parking lot and I paid for me and the girls.  Rather than go to Alexandria as we had originally thought, we decided to spend another day in Cairo and told the taxi drivers that we would meet them outside the hotel at 9am.

I took a much needed shower. In true Spanish fashion, Chupi opened a package of chorizo sausage that he had been carrying with him the whole time.  We ate it while relaxing in the room.  For dinner we met up with the girls and Ahmed and went to a restaurant fairly close to the hotel.  I had a nice felafel dish.  All of us were really tired from the day and headed back to fall quickly asleep.

Crocodiles On My Head, Swimming In The Nile, Landing In Cairo, Living Like There Is No Tomorrow

April 3rd,

The knocking on the door for the breakfast wake up call shook me from my deep sleep.  We went upstairs and had breakfast. 

Deciding to risk missing a day trip in a small boat up the Nile to visit the Nubians by going with our friend Mohammad, we left the boat at 9 and headed to the mosque where we had agreed to meet yesterday.  I put on my swimsuit and sandals and debated bringing my life jacket.

I think everyone was mutually surprised, including Mohammad, as all parties were on time and committed to the deal.  In the next few hours, I would have the best time so far on the trip and one of the best times of this whole incredible year.

With the camera out and ready, Antonio and I crossed the line of white boats, ducking under their colored canopies and decorative tapestries.  We met our driver, a kind looking, slightly big man who had two little sons on board as well.  The kids were funny and cute.  Third world children.  We started up the motor ready to begin our adventure. 

We had a private boat.  We pulled out onto the main Nile and then headed up the river taking a side stream toward the village of the Nubians.  Having put complete faith in a man who I didn't trust, I could only hope for the best.  Heading up the side stream we saw other people from our group come back the other way.  I waved and pumped my fist in the air.  We went up to the white roof and I marveled at the incredible beauty of the Nile.  Up on the roof Mohammad began to play a drum and sing.  He taught us some dances.  We were speaking to him in Spanish as he though all of us were Spaniards.

Entering Nubian country, we floated along the stream, dodging boulders and seeing warning signs in Arabic about the current and crocodiles.  We arrived at the dock of the Nubians and I ran up the sandy hill to catch up with Mohammad who had gone up ahead.  The town was very pretty with painted houses and women in Muslim dress.  There were dozens of camel riders, each one offering a ride to the tourists.  We walked together into a Nubian house with an open dirt patio.  In the center were glass cages housing crocodiles.  I got to hold one which I kissed and put on my head.  Mohammad knew everyone in the village.  We got henna tattoos while sipping on mint tea. 

Outside, we ran into everyone from our group. They already had to go and were getting to take our time.  We all mounted on camels, the girls in front and then got the longest camel ride I've ever had.  Veronica and I shared a camel that seemed to be lopsided as I kept slipping off.  We said goodbye to the village and got back on the boat.

We pulled into a deeper part of the Nile, still close to the shore and went swimming for the next hour.  I did a flip off the top of the boat and then swam with Antonio to a large rock about 30 yards away.  The girls and Mohammad swam over too.  

Sun bathing on the deck on the way back to the cruise ship, I felt like a king.  Back safely on our cruise ship, I said thanks to Mohammad and paid him 10 euros for the incredible morning.

Back on board we only had about 30 minutes to wait before our last lunch.  I took a hot shower and changed into the one nice shirt I'd brought along for the trip.  Antonio and I entered the dining room a little early and said hi to Hussein, our waiter and then got to take pictures with the chefs.  We loaded up the plates with more delicious food and sat down.  I wanted to make a toast, and once everyone was seated I "ting, tinged," my glass, stood up, suddenly nervous, and delivered an unprepared free form speech.  Although grammatically incorrect, I said thanks to our guide, crew members and for everyone else who had put up with our crazy antics.  I got a big round of applause.

In the next two hours before having to leave the boat, we cleaned up our rooms and packed our bags.  I sat upstairs talking with some of the people.  At 4 we had to leave the boat.  I had had an absolutely amazing time and was already missing it.  I shook hands with the crew members and gave one last long look at the Nile before boarding the bus.

I fell asleep on the drive to the airport.  There were a lot of groups all heading to Cairo.  We had to wait around for a while before boarding our plane for Cairo.  The pilot came in screaming fast, but everything went well with the landing.  Landing in the capital city were were met by more representatives from Royal Vacaciones.  After having to wait and fight to the front to get our luggage, we then walked a couple hundred yards, dodging the traffic to our bus parked up on the hill.  The bus would take us to two hotels, Pyramids Park and Grand Pyramids, both in the neighboring city of Giza on the other side of the Nile.  Were were assigned rooms and told what to do once we arrived at the hotel.  

The 5 start hotel was lavish, extravagant and the most luxurious place I've stayed in this year.  With is huge swimming pool, Bedouin tents and incredible conference halls, the hotel's wealth was matched in size only by the surrounding area's poverty.    Our room was posh with a flat screen TV and balcony overlooking the yard.  Housekeeping brought in more towels and extended the couch into a bed for Chupi as we were sleeping three in the room.  We tried swimming in the pool, but were told that it closed at 6:00pm.  

The girls were going to be meeting up with an Egyptian friend who had studied at UCSD, so Chupi, Antonio and I had a guys night out.  Our hotel was 4o kilometers from the center of the city, so out on the street we caught a taxi.  "75 pounds," he told us.  "15," we replied.  "OK."  We jumped in and sped off in the worst car I'd ever been in.  Smelling of gasoline, no seat belts and a driver who swayed back and forth on the road, I accepted the fact that I was already dead and found a surprising calm as we sped at high velocity over the bridge to Cairo. 

We asked him to drop us in the center next to the main square.  Having no plans, we decided to wander around.  After passing the area dominated by globalization, we got into the poorer, local neighborhoods.  We stopped at a nut store and ate some pistachios while drinking water.  We found a back alley with tables of men smoking hookah.  We sat down at a table and without sharing a common language with the waiter ordered beers and a hookah.  We were invited into the shop itself and sat with a few men.  One of the guys spoke English and we talked to him a little.  We hung out for a while, talking about the trip so far.  We then decided to go back to the hotel around 3:00 as we would be getting up at 7:00 to see the pyramids.

Our taxi ride back was even crazier than the first one as we sped through Cario at night, not stopping for a single red light.  The driver didn't actually know where he was going, but we eventually made it back to the hotel.  

Almost To Sudan! Abu Simbil, Aswan Dam, And Al-Jazeerah Sensation!

April 2nd,

The visit to Abu Simbil would cost 90 euros and no one wanted to pay it.  Antonio, Chupi, Melissa and I left the ship at 12:00am and went up the steps.

I began asking the guards and people directly outside the ship which was a mistake as they were all in cahoots with the cruise company.  The problem with Abu Simbil is that it is 250 kilometers away from Aswan, almost to the boarder of Sudan.  The road is not in good shape and frequented by bandits.  There are many security checkpoints, controlled by the military.  Military escorts are required as the area is dangerous.

I tried bargaining with some taxi drivers on the street. Their English was not good and they kept changing the price.  Their taxis were not legally allowed to go that far so we would have to go to a bus station, catch a bus and then take another taxi there.  There were also only two time windows to enter, one at 4:00am and 4:30am.  All of the challenges didn't stop us from asking a myriad of people from taxi drivers, train station employees, police and a separate hotel.  The hotel said we could have jumped on their trip for 20 euros but it was too late to sign up.  We decided we would head back to the boat and tell Amro we would go with the group.  I knew I would regret not seeing this temple and at least we had tried.

Back on the boat I was really tired having only slept 4 hours from the night before.  I showered and made ready my day pack.  At 3:00am we went upstairs to tell Amro we were coming with the group.  I grabbed my pillow and jacket as we boarded the bus.  I found a seet by the window and immediately passed out.  I remember waking up in the middle of the 3 hour ride to find us bumping along a dark desert road.  I thought to myself that it was good that we hadn't come in our own taxi.

At 6:00am we pulled into the Abu Simbil parking lot, passing the AK-47 carrying, black uniformed police.

Abu Simbil was on the shore of Lake Nasser, the location where Ramses II was born.  The two temples that we were about to see were dedicated to the Pharaoh and his favorite wife, Nefertiti.  Pushing and smiling with the mass of people, we passed through the security checkpoint and walked down the sandy, stone path to the temples.  Turning the corner, Abu Simbil was an incredible sight.  Two giant temples carved directly into the rock.  In the main temple's facade were 4 sitting pharaohs, smiling at the rising sun in the East.  On the roof of the temple were 20 monkeys who would say goodbye.  I was captivated by the first Pharaoh's smiling face, Ramses II as a young man.  So detailed and life looking.  Behind us was the lake sparkling and lined by palm trees.  I took pictures in front, but found it difficult to soak it all in.

Entering the temple, I was impressed by the by the towering pharaohs and the square labyrinth of rooms each with their hidden story.  On the walls were detailed, exaggerated drawings of Ramses II accomplishments.  Scenes of war in which Ramses II was killing five warriors at once.  There were drawings of the defeated enemies running away.  The second temple dedicated to Nefertiti was less extravagant but also stunningly beautiful with its symmetrical statues of the queen and paintings of her inside.  

Once leaving we still had 20 minutes left and Antonio and I ran around the monument exploring.  Back on the bus after meeting up with other people from our group we headed back toward Aswan.  Too short of a time, but worth it in the end.  I slept hard during the three hour ride until we arrived at boat.

I was tired but decided to avoid taking another nap before lunch and instead jumped in the pool to clean off the desert dust.  Lunch was great and afterwards I lazed on the top deck, writing and soaking up the sun.

At 3:00pm we went for our afternoon trip to Egypt's largest dam and a perfume shop.  The dam was kind of funny to see after all of the temples but it was still interesting.  The biggest in all of Africa and maybe the world.  I was becoming better friends with the people in our group.  Our next stop was a perfume shop run by the famous Fayed family.  We were given a glass blowing presentation and perfume smelling exhibition.  I didn't buy anything but it was interesting.  We headed back to the boat.

We had free time before dinner and decided to walk around Aswan without the group.  We did a big loop and then stopped in a bazaar.  We walked once through, checking out the many stalls.  There was a DJ playing and a guy came up and said that he would give us free icecream if we danced.  I'm sure I'm on Al-Jazeerah TV as the entire fair watched us sway back and forth and recorded us with their cell phones.  We did get free ice cream.  Here is the link to the youtube video that Chupi took of our dance: Dancing in Aswan Bazaar.

Leaving the bazaar, we ran into a guy who said he could do the same trip that the group was offering tomorrow for 20 euros to visit the village of the Nubians for 8 euros.  His name was Mohammed and he had a more welcoming demeanor than everyone else we had met.  We told him we'd meet him by the mosque at 9:00 the next morning, deciding to risk not going to the Nubians by trying to save some money.  I didn't think he would actually come, but it was worth a shot.

Back on the boat we had dinner and then went up on the deck to talk and hang out.  I was really tired after two days with practically no sleep and went downstairs to go to bed.

From Edfu to Kom Ombo, Luxor To Aswan, The Nile Cruise Continues

April 1st,

Antonio and I woke up at 6:00am having left our window blinds open letting the morning sun stream into our room.  It was an hour before our wake up call.  We packed our day bags and went up on the roof.  I stayed up on the terrace at one of the glass tables to write until breakfast at 7:00am.  

The food on the boat has been fantastic and I ate my fill of bread, fruit, vegetables and cheese.  

We then quickly boarded the bus, receiving our cards as we left.  We were accosted by lots of kids as we boarded bus trying to sell us little trinkets.  Today we were heading to Edfu Temple, dedicated to the sun god Horus.  We drove through the streets of Aswan before pulling up to the entrance of the incredible complex.  

This temple was the best one I'd yet seen.  The entrance was in the traditional style except the front was guarded by statues of Horus in Falcon form.  The walls were decorated with incredible hieroglyphics.  Tall, intricately carved images of Horus and the other gods.  As we leaned against the stone wall, the courtyard filled to the max with tourists, Amro told us about the importance of proportion and balance in Egyptian culture.  Every characteristic, every feeling has an opposite.  Osiris the good god of the dead was contrasted by the bad god Set.  

We entered the interior of the temple, the best preserved in all of Egypt.  I cannot fully describe it, other than my jaw had dropped and I was flat out blown away.  These temples made Rome look new.  From the floor to ceiling in a dozen or more rooms were exquisite, incredibly detailed hieroglyphics.  I took so many photos and kept wanting to take more.  The ceiling was held up by incredible columns with huge bases.  The tops like papyrus and flowers.  Some hieroglyphics still showed their colors which made me imagine what the temple must have looked like in its original form.  Some of the hieroglyphics had been destroyed or hacked away by the Christians who had rediscovered Edfu temple.

We had an hour to walk around and the time flew by so fast.  I was with Melissa, Jennifer and Veronica.  We took a lot of photos but also explored a lot.  Realizing we were already late for the scheduled time, we ran back to the bus.

Back on the boat it was only 11:00am.  We talked with Amro about doing some of the trips on our own.  The visit to  Abu Simbel would cost 90 euros to go.  Antonio wanted to do it on our own in a taxi.  I was down but wanted to plan it out as Abu Simbel from Aswan was three hours away, almost to the Sudan.  We decided to think it over and make a plan.

I went up onto the deck in my swimsuit talking to the girls and some of the Spaniards from the group.  Absolutely incredible to be looking at the Nile from the boat.  The landscape would change so drastically between lush jungle to harsh desert.  I jumped in the pool before heading downstairs for lunch and returning upstairs to do more of the same.

At 5:00, we made it into Aswan and our boat did an impressive maneuver and turn into its docking point.  The waiter came up with the bell letting us know we had a half an hour before starting our visit to the Kom Ombo Temple.  We got off the boat and were once again accosted by vendors. 

We walked from the dock, past a touristy restaurant and bazaar, before climbing the stairs to the entrance.  A nicely preserved temple, Kom Ombo Temple is famous for its dedication to two gods.  Horus the good and Set the bad.  The Falcon and Crocodile.  It was incredibly lit up at night, with flood lights illuminating the hieroglyphics.

After our quick tour, we had time to wander around.  The crescent moon and view of the coast made the temple feel even more surreal.  Antonio was recording more footage for our video and I walked around with the girls and Chupi.  We had to be back on the boat by 7:45 and headed back in that direction.  The young boy who works on the boat was waiting for us (I think Amro had sent him to find us so we wouldn't be late) and help guide us through the bazaar.  We were still accosted and I ended up buying some cheap little necklaces sold to me by a five year old kid.  I know he won't get to keep that money, but I wouldn't want to be selling that at 5 nor see any other kid selling it.  Brought into a world only to be taken advantage of.  Jennifer played clapping games with one of the little girls, the other kids looking on, before we went back on the boat.  

Dinner was fantastic.  I knew I would miss the time here on the boat.  Down in our rooms, Antonio and I found that one of the laundry guys had made our towels into swans and created a "mummy" with our clothes, pillows and towels.  Whether they like us or not, we've certainly met everyone on the boat.  We began talking to him and he showed us the worker's rooms and limited living quarters.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the wealth discrepancy and trying to some how justify it, when I can not. 

After hanging out in Chupi's room, we went back upstairs as we had been told that there would be a dance party with the whole group.  As Antonio had said "la fiesta empieza cuando llegamos," we got everyone to come into the disco and started a crazy party.  We did the Macarena and danced with the workers.  We had a conga line going and I alternated from talking briefly to people to helping get them on the dance floor.  The workers then had us do "traditional" games that involved us wearing a string with a potato attached trying to knock another potato by rocking our legs.  It was hilarious to watch.  I failed miserably.  I spoke with a cool couple from Estonia in English (our group may be all Spaniards but there are other people on the boat). 

Everyone became tired and left, except us.  Melissa and I salsa-ed while Jennifer and Antonio went swimming.  We all went back down to our rooms after heeding the call of the boat manager.  

At 12:00 we left the boat to begin a ridiculous hour of trying to search for a taxi to Abu Simbell, the un-missable excursion to take place at 3:15 am.  With the group we'd pay 90 euros each.  None of us wanted to pay that price and in the two hours before we had to tell Amro if we were going with him or not, we left the boat to see what we could do.

7000 Years Of Human History In 7 Hours

March 31st,

The wake up call was at 5:00am and it rang twice before I answered it.  We quickly got up and organized our day bags.  We went upstairs for a fantastic breakfast.  Lots of fruit, cheese and vegetables.  

Before meeting up with the group, Antonio and I ran upstairs to the top deck to view the Nile.  A stunning morning view.  The green coast and the sky filled with different colored hot air balloons.  We were late to the bus  as we ran to catch up with the group.

The bus took us through Luxor, the restaurant signs in English and Arabic.  

Today we were heading to 4 historic spots: Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, The Valley of the Kings and Al-Deir, Al-Bahari Temple.

Pulling into the parking lot of the Karnak temple, I knew I had traveled to a different world.  A long stone road, led to the perfectly symmetrical walls that guarded the entrance to the temple of the Sun God.  On either side of the road were hundreds of statues of goat-lions, the animal of Ra.  The oldest temple in Egypt it is around 6,000 years old.  Promising to let us have picture time after his explanation of the history, Amro told us about the temple.  I missed some of the description in Spanish, but remembered two main points.  First the walking stance of the Egyptian statues symbolizes the military march, the current of the Nile and/or the link to the heart.  In the hieroglyphics a sun over a duck means the birthday of the King.

We walked all the way to the end of the once spanning complex.  Absolutely incredible.  We saw the two tall obelisks and a statue of a scarab that we walked around 7 times for  good luck.  Although looking pretty ridiculous in my white shirt and fedora, I was glad to have it as the sun came up fast and beat down on us.  To think that 4 months ago I was wading through 3 feet of snow in Poland is ridiculous.  Now basking on the banks of the Nile and exploring Egyptian ruins.  What a year!  We took a lot of photos, so many that I went against my normal rule and dropped my photos down to six mega pixels as I won't have enough.  I'd almost taken 200 photos by the end of the first day.

I foolishly hadn't brought any water and was getting really dehydrated.  I loved examining all of the hieroglyphic, incredible in their detail.  I made a last glance back at the temple before boarding the bus. 

We drove through the streets of Luxor, across town to the spanning sight of  the temple of Luxor.  The temple had the traditional symmetrical walls and central obelisk, but was made even more incredible by the hundreds of columns that made the temple proportionally equal. 

We walked through the temple admiring the platforms and huge stone walls.  In the back passage way, we were shown the "first porno," a hieroglyphics scene depicting the artificial insemination of the Sun God Horus to the Goddess of the Nile.

The hieroglyphics were truly incredible and I tried my best to remember sixth grade history.  Our guide gave us free time and we were allowed to wander around.  We were immediately accosted by men in traditional dress, wanting us to pay them for a picture.  One guy even had Melissa and me do a "ceremony," in which I touched the hieroglyphics and then Melissa.  We apparently married.

We had to head back to the bus, the last ones to arrive yet again.  The included day had ended and now began our additional paid for journey.  We drove a little farther out through the desert.  Winding through the sand dunes, we were heading to the Valley of the Kings.  in our cruise ship and bus we were living in a bubble, but Antonio and I saw the "real Egypt," the life of the poor people as we drove through the streets.  

We pulled into a central visitor's center and then boarded a tram to the entrance of the tombs.  The Valley of the Kings had been discovered in the early 1920's and was a spanning series of canyons hiding the ceremonial tombs of the Pharaohs.  We only had admittance to three tombs and had the ability to choose.  

The first tomb we went into was for Ramses VII, and entering it, I saw incredible hieroglyphics. Although slightly worn, I could see the once vivid colors giving life to the drawings.  What I remember about this tomb was the long hallway, open room and next hall way with the actual sarcophagus.  Melissa and I walked around trying to soak it all in.  Coming back out, I stood alone for a minute, breathing in deeply through my nose, while looking at the two pictures, one a god with wings and the other a scarab.  I walked back out, putting on my hat as I exited the tomb.

Our next tomb really felt like an adventure movie, as we had to climb these huge stairs supported by the rock and then climb deep underground.  This tomb was particularly hot, like a sauna, and I was pretty sure the one guard in the central room was going to pass out from the heat.  Also beautifully decorated.  I tried to imagine what it would have been like to discover this place, especially this one as there were booby traps. 

Our last tomb was a large hallway with a huge interior burial room.  We stood at the back looking up at the entrance.  We didn't have much time and had paid a lot for what would have been cheap to do on our won.  Still, I was so happy to have seen it.  

The last stop of the morning was the Al-Deir, Al Bahari Temple, an incredible 3 story monument with large sloping ramps built into the center of the mountain.  We walked to the top floor and our guide explained everything before telling us to meet back in 45 minutes.  We explored and took pictures.  Admiring the clear difference between the hot desert sand and the green valley where there was water, I explored the top area.  It seemed like a lot of time for not that big of a place.  I took my time walking down and met up with the girls at the snack shop where they were being proposed to and offered many camels by the workers.  As we boarded the tram, we learned that there was another level and temple that we had missed.  I didn't want to miss it, so I jumped out and ran all the way back up to the top, snapped a ton of fast pictures of the colored hieroglyphics and then ran all the way back to the bus.

We stopped along the side of the road to see the Colossus of Memnon.  Two twin Statues of sitting figures.  We took photos before heading back to the cruise ship.

We were welcomed on board by the crew with hot tea and clean towels to wash our hands and face.  We then had a much needed lunch and drinks.

An excerpt from my journal about eating lunch on the ship:

Dining on the cruise ship is an eye opening experience in the world we live in today.  Our waiter, Hussein is always waiting on us.  Its an open buffet and the crew is constantly cooking and preparing for the next meal.  The table is set with three sets of silverware.  From our window we have incredible views of the Nile as our motonave glides without rocking over the surface.  The view from the window is a constantly moving postcard of palm groves, sandy banks and flocks of white egrets.  As I eat my copious amounts of food, viewing this paradise, I have the lifestyle that I support and demand.  This is my fist experience on a cruise and I have to say I really like it.  But when I look past the natural beauty and put down my fork, I see that salient juxtaposition, that dilemma of equality that I choose to ignore.  On the banks of the river are crumbling houses, starving children.  On the Nile are small boats that rock violently in our wake.  When I leave the boat I am accosted by people trying to sell me trinkets.  I brush them away like the sweat flies and climb aboard my air-conditioned bubble of the bus.  This is privilege, capitalism, equality, irony.  The more I travel, the more I'm confused by the world, and the more it seems to all come together.

After lunch, we went up onto the roof to swim. I took advantage of the free time to write while looking at the incredible landscape from the bow of the boat.  For the rest of the afternoon we would be cruising on the Nile to our next destination.

4:00pm was tea time and we went down to the covered deck for some tea and cake.  The life.  A massage guy came around and Antonio volunteered me.  I went downstairs to the massage room and truly lived up the cruise experience.  

At 5:00pm we had our orientation about the rest of the trip.  Amro explained all of the additional trips and their prices.  We were told our hotel rooms to be in Cairo (we're actually in Giza, on the other side of the Nile).  The prices were high and we wanted to talk to him later about doing stuff on our own.  The meeting went an hour too long as people kept asking stupid questions.  We talked to Amro, who told us to talk to him tomorrow.

We hung out in Chupi's room before coming back upstairs to salsa on the dance floor.  Outside was a crazy scene as little rowboats selling touristy stuff latched onto the boat and tried to sell things to us.  They would throw the packages of clothes up into the air and expect us to throw money back down to them.  Crazy.  After dancing, we went upstairs to swim.  We wanted to stay up until 2:00 to see the boat pass through the gates so we went downstairs to shower and get ready for bed before coming up at 1:45.  We went right up to one gate and completely stopped as we waited for more water to be put in.  Once the level was sufficient enough, the boat was allowed to pass through.

Now in the second part of our cruise down the Nile, I went to bed, ready for the next day.

8 Days In Egypt, Or The Best Trip Of The Year!

March 30th,

And the next adventure begins...

The wake up call to our room woke us up at 7:00am.  We quickly got ready, having showered and packed our bags the night before.  We left our great hotel and headed toward the metro.  I had on my big green backpack and was carrying my mom's suitcase.  Having used the Barcelona public transportation the whole week, we did a great job navigating the hour ride to the airport, taking the Blue line to Sants Barcelona and then train platform 9 to the airport.  In el Prat we sat in a cafe and I talked with my mom about what I'd learned this year and what I want to do.  I love her a lot.  My mom's flight was delayed two hours, so I had some extra time with her.  At 10:50 we headed to my check in gate and met up with Antonio and Franciso, aka "Chupi."  I gave my my mom a big hug and kiss on the cheek.  I will see her again in 4 months.  A long time, but we got through 7 without seeing each other.  She got in line to show her boarding pass and go through security.  I ran over to her to say goodbye one more time before she went up the escalator and back home to LA.

And as she left, I was once again on my year abroad. Alone and independent.  I got in line with Antonio and Chupi and we immediately began to joke around.  We were in a huge line of people also waiting to go to Egypt.  Judging by the bald heads, wedding rings and nice clothes we were definitely going to be the youngest ones on the trip.  We called the girls who were on their way and began our documentary video that Antonio is planning on keeping throughout the trip.  The girls came and we moved up in the line.  Melissa, Veronica and Jennifer look like they will be a lot of fun to travel with.  Initially a little nervous to be the connecting person between two distinct groups of people, I didn't need to worry as the group hit it off well right from the start.

We went up to the ticket desk and had to wait an extra minute as Antonio and Jennifer went to get our actual tickets from Halcón viajes.  The rest of the process went fast as we checked in our stuff, went through security and stopped in duty free for supplies.  We then almost immediately boarded a bus that took us directly to our "private plane" (a plane dedicated solely for our tour group).  The difference of going through a travel agent and organized group.  It was raining as I stepped inside the aircraft and gave a last look to Barcelona.

Our flight went really well and we were actually fed.  This trip to Egypt should be incredible.  4 nights on a cruise on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan stopping to tour all of the famous monuments along the way, then 3 nights in Cairo to tour the pyramids and explore the city.

Landing in Egypt was how I thought it should be.  Palm trees and rolling sand dunes.  Flying in, we had seen the blue Nile cut a fertile swath through the desert, the cradle of civilization.  The difference of traveling with an organized group was salient, as they ushered us into a bus which took us into the airport.  Dozens of men with placards held high beckoned to the groups.  We found our guy and got in line.  My visa price had been included in the trip fee and I received a cool Egyptian sticker and stamp in my passport.  We then quickly exited, boarding the buses and saying "No" to the many men trying to collect tips by helping to carry the luggage.  

Our group was the last to get off as we stopped at two cruise ships before ours.  Disembarking we walked through the main rooms of the 4 boats, the first being incredibly furnished, with its own jewelry store and bazaar.  Our boat, the least fancy was no slouch, as we had 4 levels, a cafeteria, hangout room with bar and dance floor and two terraces.  Our rooms were in the lowest level, almost next to the motors and right at the level of the river.  Antonio and I joked that we would be the first to die and hoped we could swim to the shore of the Nile before the boat sank.

Entering our rooms we saw that there were only two beds, Antonio and I quickly jumped on them leaving Chupi without one.  We went upstairs to ask and Chupi and Melissa were each given their own rooms.  Very comfortable.  As it turned out, the boat wasn't that crowded, so we ended up having the entire bottom floor to ourselves!  We got settled into our rooms, establishing Chupi's as the minibar for our "illegal" drinks.  It might have been "everything included," but there is always a catch, the big one being that all drinks, including bottled water had to be purchased on the ship.  The ship knew that you would have to buy it, because we couldn't drink the water unless we wanted some case of Montazuma's Egyptian Style Revenge.  Before dinner, we went back off the boat to the little tourist shops in Luxor and bought some water and refreshments, sneaking them back onto the ship.

We headed upstairs to the dining hall after hearing the bell rung by one of the crew members.  The dinner was fantastic!  We were introduced to Hussein, who would be our waiter for the next four days.  We basically had our own table, and were joined by a late 30's something, fit man from Bilbao named Agustin.  The food was delicious and I ate way too much.  

After dinner, we had a brief group orientation.  We met our guide, Amro, who spoke great Spanish (or at least it sounded great to me).  He told us about the plan for tomorrow, visits to Karnak and Luxor temples and for 65 euros more, the visit to the Valley of the Kings and Al Deir Al Bahari Temple.  Most trips were included in a set price we had paid, but some excursions had an additional price.  I really wanted to see the Valley of the Kings so I signed up despite the extra price.  They briefly turned on random Spanish country, music and I danced Salsa with Jennifer.  We then decided to take a night swim, and went downstairs to change into our swimsuits. 

The only ones foolish enough to be up, as we would be starting tomorrow at 5:00am, we decided to maximize our time on the Nile.  We had a private deck and I loved looking out at the lights on the banks, hearing the night sounds and smelling that distinct third world country smell.  Antonio and I jumped in, the water really quite cold.  I quickly got out, until Melissa and Veronica jumped in and said it was warm.  Chicas.  I jumped in again, swam around and got out once I was too cold.  The night air was perfect and I quickly dried off.  We sat in a circle of whisk chairs in our yellow and white towels.  The moon and lights cast a radiant glow on the faces.  We hung out on the roof until 12:30 before heading downstairs.

After a quick shower and climbing into bed, Antonio and I talked about the day, laughing and joking.  I was really happy to be traveling with my roommate and the rest of the people in the group.  I was so fortunate and blessed to have an opportunity like this.  I fell quickly asleep, ready for the next adventure.

Some Pictures From My Mom's Trip to Spain

Photos from my mom's trip to Spain.