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back in Cairoback in Cairo Everyone has been asking me if things feel or look any different here in Cairo after the revolution.  When I left, there were tanks in my neighborhood, a curfew, lots of gunfire, there was no internet, and Mubarak was still president.  Now, Mubarak is gone, the police are back on the streets, the tanks have rolled out,...

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from ancient to medieval in Cairofrom ancient to medieval in Cairo On Tuesday we started our day with a cab ride to Tahrir to see the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. We spent a few hours enjoying the Tutahnkamun exhibit, Akhenaten collection, and other ancient art and artifacts of Egypt. We then took a taxi to the Citadel. The views of the city were stunning. We...

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weddles in luxorweddles in luxor This past week has been a whirlwind!  After seeing some sights around Cairo with Ryan, my parents arrived and we left for Luxor.  We arrived in Luxor around midday and decided to check out Luxor Temple in the afternoon sunlight.  It was incredible.  The city of Luxor creeps right up to the edges of these ancient sites,...

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Mount SinaiMount Sinai Last weekend we went on a faculty trip to Mount Sinai.  After a 9 hour bus ride through barren, empty, desert, along the eastern coast of Egypt and across the Sinai Peninsula, we made it to Dahab where the best thing about our hotel was the coral reef meters from our room.  Another 2 hour bus ride through a forbidding...

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Unfinished ObeliskUnfinished Obelisk Once we got to Aswan and after a crazy taxi experience that entailed some serious driver rivalry, keys stolen from the ignition, a chase involving a tire iron, and a group of tourists, ahem, us, quietly unloading our luggage and finding another cab... (yeah, I know, OH EGYPT!) Anyhow once we got to Aswan, we decided...

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Dahab

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Posted by Emily | Posted on 24-01-2011

Category : Family, Scott & Diane's Visit, Travel & Sightseeing, Travel within Egypt, Welcome in Egypt

While Brandon’s parents were in town, we decided to visit Dahab on the Red Sea.  The snorkeling there is absolutely amazing and it is apparently deemed a little safer than Sharm El Sheikh (where there have been some recent shark attacks).  If you haven’t been to Dahab, it’s beautiful!  Looking across the Red Sea, you can see Saudi Arabia, and behind you, the stunning landscape of the Sinai Peninsula.  It’s really gorgeous.

I love all the restaurants and cafes lining the coast.  It’s definitely a relaxing place to hang out.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

The first day we were there, we did some snorkeling in the bay where we saw all kinds of colorful fish and corals.  The next day, we walked out to an area called the Island.

Photo by Scott Canfield

It was absolutely amazing.  I wish I had an underwater camera because describing all the colorful sea life simply can’t convey how awesome it really was.  We saw all kinds of colorful triggerfish, parrotfish, cornetfish, pufferfish, and dozens of other types of fish I can’t even name.  We even saw a school of barracudas!  It was such a neat experience!

We also had a great time relaxing, reading, and playing cribbage (my new favorite game!).  By late afternoon, however, it was clear that a storm was blowing in.

Photo by Scott Canfield

There was an incredible storm that night, complete with spectacular thunder and lightning, hail, and of course power and water outages.

Photo by Scott Canfield

The next morning the sea was totally calm with virtually no wind, and the tide was very low.

Photo by Scott Canfield

There were hundreds of hermit crabs and creepy crawly starfish along with cats and dogs rummaging around the low tide for something to eat.

Photo by Scott Canfield

That afternoon we had to drive back to the airport in Sharm El Sheikh to catch our return flight home.  We were happy to hear that the roads were clear after the huge storm.  But as we made the trip back, we realized that most of one of the roads was completely covered in mud and rocks, which meant we shared a two-lane road with oncoming traffic at top speed.  It was a little bit scary, especially when we came to areas with mud, rocks, and debris blocking the road.  And with the sun going down, I was honestly a little worried, but we made it!

Khan Al Khalili

Posted by Emily | Posted on 23-01-2011

Category : Family, Scott & Diane's Visit, Sightseeing in Cairo, Travel & Sightseeing, Welcome in Egypt

Photo by Scott Canfield

After taking in the ancient Egyptian sights in Cairo, we visited the Khan Al Khalili.  I really like walking along the streets lined with medieval buildings, ornate Islamic architecture, and vendors selling everything from spices and scarves to t-shirts and jewelry.

I think the architecture is my favorite part, and Scott took some really nice photos.

Photo by Scott Canfield

I feel like I see something new every time I’m there.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

This “Gift Shop” was new… or at least we had never seen it before.  They had a lot of really beautiful, high-quality ceramics, furniture, and other crafts.  I’m definitely going to have to remember this place!

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

There is certainly no shortage of cats in Cairo.  This one was ready for us to take him home, but we had to decline.  Sorry little guy.

Photo by Scott Canfield

The rain started again while we were out, and the shopkeepers hurried to cover everything with plastic.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Fortunately for everyone, it didn’t last long, and we resumed browsing and shopping for souvenirs.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

It’s always fun to visit the Khan, even though it can get be a totally overwhelming experience with so many sights, sounds, and smells.

But the adventure didn’t end until we’d successfully crossed approximately six lanes of traffic to catch a taxi home.

Photo by Scott Canfield

I think the look on my face says it all.  Haha.  But we made it!

Rain in Cairo

Posted by Emily | Posted on 23-01-2011

Category : My Life in Cairo, Oh, Egypt, Scott & Diane's Visit, Welcome in Egypt

In addition to bringing all kinds of great stuff from the States, Brandon’s parents were kind enough to bring along some lovely Oregon weather!  We had lots of cloudy days, fog, and yes, even rain!

It was almost like being back in Oregon!  I love Egypt, but it was a nice weather vacation.  I’ll take gray skies and rain wherever I can get ’em.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Look at the weird look of confusion on my face.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Yep,  it was the real deal.  And it didn’t just stop after a few minutes.  It rained all afternoon and then off and on for a few more days!  It was wonderful!

Photo by Scott Canfield

Memphis and Saqqara

Posted by Emily | Posted on 23-01-2011

Category : Family, Scott & Diane's Visit, Sightseeing in Cairo, Travel & Sightseeing, Welcome in Egypt

The morning we drove to Saqqara was quite foggy.  With visibility low, our driver suggested we visit Memphis since the sun might come out a little later in the day.  Brandon and I had never visited Memphis, and after consulting our handy Lonely Planet Egypt book, we were kind of surprised we hadn’t!  Apparently Memphis was the capital of Egypt for most of the Pharaonic period and was full of gardens, palaces, and temples.  Sadly, there is little left of Memphis, but there is a nice open-air museum and some beautiful statues.

Photo by Scott Canfield

The site itself was beautiful, with leafy trees, palm trees, and all kinds of greenery… a nice change from the usual desert landscape.

I think my favorite part was seeing this Sphinx.

Photo by Scott Canfield

He may not be as large as his Giza cousin, but his charming face and headdress make a world of difference.

Photo by Scott Canfield

On our way out of the archeological site, we realized we had almost missed the most spectacular colossus in Memphis!

Photo by Brandon Canfield

This colossal statue of Ramses II was incredibly well-preserved.  Look at all of that detail!

Photo by Brandon Canfield

Photo by Brandon Canfield

We were certainly glad that our driver had recommended a visit to Memphis, and by the time we left, the fog was beginning to lift and the sun was shining.

We headed to Saqqara where we visited my all time favorite museum in Egypt, the Imhotep Museum.

It’s a great museum, and I love how it points out things like “the oldest stone ceiling” and “the oldest stone frieze.”  It’s pretty amazing to consider that we were looking at some of the oldest stone architecture in the history of mankind.

After leaving the museum, we entered the Saqqara complex, which is entered through a hypostyle hall.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

The step pyramid must be under restoration.  It always seems to have scaffolding on it and different areas are off-limits.  It looks like they have been clearing away the sand that had piled up on the steps and are covering it with new bricks.  I feel incredibly presumptuous even pretending to know what is going on, haha.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photograph by Brandon Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

From Saqqara you can see several other early pyramids including the “bent pyramid” and the “red pyramid” (above).  And looking through the Cairo haze in the other direction, we could even see a glimpse of the Giza pyramids (below).  It’s quite a view.

Photo by Scott Canfield

We had a lot of fun walking around the tombs and looking at the beautifully carved reliefs.  We then walked along the causeway back toward the entrance and headed home.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Visiting the Pyramids with Brandon’s Parents

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Posted by Emily | Posted on 22-01-2011

Category : Family, Scott & Diane's Visit

The past two weeks have just flown by!  Brandon’s parents have been visiting and we had tons of fun sightseeing and spending time together.  Brandon’s dad, Scott, is a phenomenal photographer, so nearly all of the photos I’ll be posting from their visit were taken by him.  So thanks, Scott for letting me share some of your incredible photos.

First up on the sightseeing itinerary were the pyramids at Giza.  Even though this marked my sixth visit to this wonder of the world, it is amazing to me how each visit is always guaranteed to be an awesome experience.

Photo by Diane Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

I thought it was amazing to see these zoomed in shots of the top of the Great Pyramid.  Makes you wonder how it would have looked 4,000 years ago when it was still fully intact.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

We had a great time walking around and taking in the sights.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Even though it has been pretty hazy lately, the views were great and it made for some beautiful photos.

Photo by Scott Canfield

We noticed something going on off in the distance.  Normally there are tourists riding horses or camels in the desert around the pyramids, but it looked like they were filming a movie or something out there this time.  I’m very curious to find out what it was.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Fortunately, however, we had our own entertainment…

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

We also visited the Cheops Solar Boat Museum.

Photo by Scott Canfield

It always amazes me to see how well preserved these things are!

Photo by Scott Canfield

Here’s Brandon and Diane examining some incredibly preserved grass thatch from the boat.  I’m in the background… a little preoccupied by my much too large mandatory museum footwear.

You have to wear these special canvas booties over your shoes to enter the museum.  The reason for this is beyond me, but when in Egypt…

Photo by Brandon Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

After visiting the museum, we headed back to the Great Pyramid, and Brandon, Scott, and Diane ventured inside!

Then we set out to find a nice camel for the famous camel photo.

This one turned out to be quite the photogenic camel.  He really knew how to pose!

We then headed toward the Sphinx.

Photo by Scott Canfield

Photo by Scott Canfield

Since it was getting late, and we were all pretty hungry, we decided to check out the Pizza Hut across from the Sphinx.  It is nothing short of mind blowing that this is in fact the object of the Sphinx’s eternal gaze, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

Giza Sphinx Pyramids Pizza Hut

Photo by Scott Canfield

Giza Pyramids Pizza Hut

Photo by Scott Canfield

I wonder what the Pharoah’s would think of Giza today.  I think they would at least be proud that it is still a source of wonder and mystery so many thousands of years later… and the Pyramids have certainly proven themselves to be a feat of architectural engineering that far surpass anything else today.  It seems almost certain that in 3,000 more years, the Pizza Hut will be dust and the Pyramids will probably look just about as good as new.