Egypt, the Magnificent
April 18-21, 2018
If you’re like me, you were about 8 when you first saw the Pyramids of Giza, maybe in a TV cartoon, maybe in a photo in Life magazine. Life was my introduction to great reportorial photography.
So I’m only going to re-post some favorite shots and suggest you re-read the original posts if you want to be reminded what Egypt was like, once upon a millennium vs. what Egypt is like today. I had already become aware earlier in the trip how little I know about the world vis à vis politics, economics, religions, etc. And Egypt was (still is) no exception.
Reminder that the main part of Egypt is in Africa — but the Sinai Peninsula is in Asia. As our excellent (unveiled) Muslim guide, Mona, said: ‘I am not African. I am not Asian. I am Egyptian.’ When we were leaving her back at the ship, a Viking asked her what she thought of America: ‘We know how to tell the difference between politicians and people. God bless Egypt. God bless America. And God bless all of you.’
Luxor and Karnak...
The bus ride out to the these temples was fascinating. Gun towers, and locals with rifles at crossroads, were there for our security. Other locals were there to wave — we were told they like Americans. Or maybe they just like a caravan of buses full of tourists who will spend money in their country. I can’t blame them.
Karnak... I cannot begin to imagine what it looked like when it was ‘new.’ The vast temple complex was begun around 2050 BCE.
A typical home along the roadway.
Sinai Desert...
An off-road safari (actually, that is a road).
There is always a mosque in the vicinity.
Our destination was a Bedouin camp at Wadi Mandar. Their sole source of income appears to be shows for tourists, including a skirt-twirling whirling dervish, a snack of Bedouin goat cheese, and a very friendly young camel driver who was the only one of the camel boys who obviously loves his beast of burden.
Suez Canal...
Lots of sand. And guard towers. Below the wall you can see the hiking path. And I did see a couple of hikers.
Alexandria and Giza...
Once upon a time, the historic port of Alexandria was the second most powerful city in the world, after Rome. As late as the 1900s, it was a very hip, cosmopolitan and multi-national place. Today, not so much... I think those are lanterns on display.
This business appears to be a junkyard... note the stack of car bodies.
The best-known Pyramids are practically in the city of Giza, in the greater Cairo area. Obviously, the city grew up around them. A decent movie filmed here is Cairo Time, with Patricia Clarkson.
Study in greens...
The Viking who offered to take my picture didn’t wait for me to get to the pretty end of the camel. #
ORIGINAL POSTS*
*I've been having trouble recently getting the Original Post links to work. If you'd like to read any of them: Go to the right column and scroll down to ARCHIVE, then locate April 2018. The Original Posts will be there.
