On Thursday we were in Athens. I went off and we attempted to go to the Acropolis, but sadly it was too late in the day by the time we got there and we weren’t allowed in. I did however have a great day in Athens and also went way up high a mountain, almost at the Acropolis and took some really nice pictures.
On Friday we were in Izmir, Turkey and I took a crew tour. They are nice here and often set up tours for the crew only. They are at much cheaper prices than you would ever find and include transportation. We went to the House of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus. The House of the Virgin Mary is the structure that is said to be where she spent her last days of her life. It is very small and there isn’t much else at the site than an open air church (which is just some benches and an altar) and a wishing well. The well has 3 faucets and there is one for love, health, and wealth. It was a very short visit. Then we drove to Ephesus which is I guess what I would describe as an unburied ancient city. It was spectacular. Extremely large structures (in ruins), a colossal amphitheater, and public baths… it was as if you could picture people there, there were streets and everything. Really neat. It was huge so we spent a long time there. I also learned that Turkey is in both Europe and Asia… and lucky for me Izmir is in both!!! So yes I have been to Asia and Africa and Europe… just 3 more to go!
And last but CERTAINLY not least… on Sunday I went to Cairo! It was an overnight trip and we didn’t waste a minute! We left the ship 7am on Sunday. We drove 3 hours to Cairo. First we stopped at the Egyptian Museum. It is huge and has thousands of artifacts that have been dug up, from tiny beads from pieces of jewelry, to coins found in skeleton hands, to pieces of tomb walls over 4000 years old covered in hieroglyphics, and even King Tutankhamen’s famous sarcophagus and treasures. Many ancient things that I have seen in history books I saw in this museum. It was amazing and a great start to the trip. Our tour guide was also incredible and kept talking most of the 3 hour bus ride and of course throughout the entire tour of the museum. Then we got back in the bus and went to a Citadel of Salah Al-Din, which apparently is an important mosque… From the top we could see the Cairo skyline, sadly it is really gross in the sky and misty. You could faintly make out the pyramids, had it been clearer… oh wow that would’ve been a sight!! Then we went to our hotel to check in and have lunch. Casey and I took a short nap, we only had an hour, then it was back to the bus! We were taken to the Sound & Light show… now I knew this would be near the pyramids, but as we walked up, I didn’t realize they were RIGHT THERE! Breathe taking. Seriously. Incredible. It really stopped me in my tracks. We were there right as the sun was setting and they were just amazing. The 3 pyramids, with the Sphinx right in front. I didn’t realize the Sphinx was right at the site. The Sound & Light show was a narration with colorful lights, laser designs and a stone screen displayed pictures of Egyptian motifs. It was basically about the time of the pyramids, from the point of view of the Sphinx… or maybe the pyramids and pharaohs… It was hard to tell, plus we were too busy being “omg this is amazing”. After that show we were taken to a Papyrus museum where we were shown how it was made (papyrus, if you didn’t know is the first type of paper ever made, it comes from the papyrus plant and takes 12 days to make). We were able to purchase some pieces and pick up any cartouches we might have ordered earlier on the bus, it was nice that the tour gave you opportunity to do this. After this stop we went down to the Nile and took a dinner cruise. Yeah, I cruised on the Nile! Granted this was a boat, not a ship like mine, but it did have a buffet! During the meal there was local music and traditional dance. We had a belly dancer as well as some men dancing like I’ve never seen before, no clue what it was, but it was fun. Then back to the hotel where we CRASHED like never before! What a long day.
We were given a wake up call at 7am and had to be on the bus by 8. Our first stop was Saqqara which is the site of the very first pyramid, which is actually the very first stone structure that we know of today. We also got to go inside a separate tomb, which had many beautiful pictures on the walls, which included the apparently only picture of a Pharaoh showing emotion, he was smiling. There were a few creepy crawl spaces in there, it was really neat. Then we drove to an open air museum at Memphis. Where lies the enormous statue of Rhames II, which I am sure you will recognize when you see the picture… amazing. The 2nd Sphinx was also there, completely made of one piece of alabaster. Then we were finally off to the BEST most ANTICIPATED site!!!!! THE PYRAMIDS!!! We drove up to the top where you can take a panoramic shot that includes all 3 pyramids, I wasn’t able to get that picture however (I’ll get the ones that Casey took) because I wanted to ride a camel! Those who wanted too walked down the side and we each hopped on a camel. Then we walked down to the base of the pyramids in a caravan of camels. It was so awesome. It was about a 7 - 10 minute ride, maybe not even that long. The others took the bus down, but we beat the bus, so maybe it was 10 minutes. It was amazing. I was able to get nice shots as well. My camel was nice, my friends took a video of me when he stood up! I can’t wait to see it, I’ll have to try to post it. It was a very bumpy ride! When we got to the pyramids, we got off and met the rest of our group. Then we took pictures of the pyramids up close and then (again those who wanted to for an extra cost, just $6), went inside the 2nd pyramid, and of course I was one of them! I can’t believe I went IN a pyramid!!! You see this tunnel and a guy takes your ticket, then you look down and see that it slopes WAY down and its very narrow, barely 2 people across. The floor has tiny wood ledges like a ladder to walk down, not really stairs. You have to duck WAY down, I hit my head quite a few times. Literally, you are basically squatting as you walk down. When you get to the bottom the ceiling is higher, but only about a foot above my head. This lasts about 40 steps, then its another slope, but going back up, it is much easier to walk up! The air is really thick, since there isn’t much down there, and you get really hot and sweaty. If you are claustrophobic, don’t even think about it (Casey didn’t go, when we were buying the tickets we told her to not even ask what they were for - and that was before we even saw how tiny it really is!). So you get up and the space opens and it’s a large room, we looked around… and that’s all it was. A large room! There was just one open spot in the ground, where surely a sarcophagus was before. So we went back outside. It only took about 10 minutes total, but it was SO worth it because now I can say I’ve been INSIDE the pyramids!!!! We took more pictures and then drove down to see the Sphinx. Casey and are idiots and were took excited to try to take pictures kissing him that we didn’t realize that we didn’t follow the group… back on the bus we learned that we were supposed to go up to the side, not in front… so I have no side view pictures and I didn’t get a kissing picture because we couldn’t get it right from where we were!!! BOO!! But it’s ok. Also another let down… a man stopped me and was showing me pictures from the camel ride…. But no one took a picture of me!!! He had nice pictures with the 3 pyramids in the background with the person on the camel. I’m so mad that they somehow forgot to take my picture and I was too excited that I didn’t even notice them taking pictures of others so I didn’t know to tell the guy I wanted one too. Pout. But it’s ok, I’ll live. Then it was time to say goodbye to the only surviving seven wonders of the world… and take the 3 hour trek back to work.
I had a really busy week… but it was SO amazing. I can’t even go on more about it. The pyramids were everything I expected them to be. I am going to try to take a day trip there again before I go. I loved it!!! Pictures to come soon, I promise!!!!
