...but the fire is so delightful!"
I never realized how true that statement was until yesterday. It started snowing here in Porto Rafti and kept up until after dark sometime last night. We didn't go into Athens because the metro and the buses weren't running because the roads were so bad so we stayed in Porto Rafti and had church here. After church we busted out the leftovers and for the rest of the afternoon just lounged around in our p.j.'s playing spades (my new favorite game), rummy, mafia, etc. It was awesome to just hang out. Also, we were supposed to leave for the Peloponesse (Corinth and Olympia) this morning but because of the road situation our trip has been postponed until Wednesday.
I absolutely love it here and and so blessed to be here! Thank you all so much for your love and support of me and everything that I set out to do! I love you all so very much! :)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
***UPDATE***
The challenge has been postponed for a week from Monday. We sat down and talked it through and we're running low on fruit and since its the weekend we won't get anymore until next week and we're leaving on another trip on Monday and it would be too hard to have that much control over what we eat. So we will be resuming the challenge for the next full week. I'll keep you posted! :)
Oh, and for everyone out there, we did not feel the earthquake. It didn't make it far enough out to Porto Rafti and we didn't go into Athens until later in the afternoon. We didn't even know anything had happened until parents started calling.
Love you all!
Oh, and for everyone out there, we did not feel the earthquake. It didn't make it far enough out to Porto Rafti and we didn't go into Athens until later in the afternoon. We didn't even know anything had happened until parents started calling.
Love you all!
Happy Valentines Day
Happy Valentines day everyone! Like every year, I was not looking forward to this day. We have a few couples on this trip, some that were already formed but some that are the end result of living in such a small space. I could just imagine what it was going to be like watching them all day. Well, this year proved to be much different than I had expected. Why was this day so special?? Well, I'll tell you. The boys here got together with our faculty advisor Dr. Griffith and sang a little song for the girls. They sang (in perfect harmony) "Let me call you sweetheart" and finished down on one knee with a rose in thier hands for each of the girls! It was so precious and definitly made my day.The girls the night before had gotten together and made valentines to stick on all of the boys doors. I'm talking like 2nd grade construction paper hearts and rhyming poems. It was great! And some of the girls that didn't have early classes woke up and made a cake for all of us to have at lunch! Put all of that together and it makes for a pretty awesome day!
Well, the past week has been crammed full of tests and classes and quizzes among other things (sleep, breathing, and finding time to just sit down). I did however manage to find time to read one of my new favorite books. "Redeeming Love" is a story inspired by the book of Hosea and is one of the best books I have read in a long time. If you haven't read it yet and christian romance stories appeal to you then read this book. I know I sound like a commercial but whatever! Haha!
Last night on our way back to Porto Rafti some friends and I decided to take a challenge. For the next week, starting this morning, we aren't going to eat anything but fruits and veggies and drink nothing but water for a whole week. This afternoon at lunch we all sat together to be strong for one another during this very difficult time! Haha! I'll let you know how successful we are!
Well, I've got another test tonight (surprise, surprise) so I must go and study for it but I love you all and will write later!
Well, the past week has been crammed full of tests and classes and quizzes among other things (sleep, breathing, and finding time to just sit down). I did however manage to find time to read one of my new favorite books. "Redeeming Love" is a story inspired by the book of Hosea and is one of the best books I have read in a long time. If you haven't read it yet and christian romance stories appeal to you then read this book. I know I sound like a commercial but whatever! Haha!
Last night on our way back to Porto Rafti some friends and I decided to take a challenge. For the next week, starting this morning, we aren't going to eat anything but fruits and veggies and drink nothing but water for a whole week. This afternoon at lunch we all sat together to be strong for one another during this very difficult time! Haha! I'll let you know how successful we are!
Well, I've got another test tonight (surprise, surprise) so I must go and study for it but I love you all and will write later!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
More pictures!!
Sunrise on the Nile
Man making Alabaster
Our motorboat
Temple of Karnak
Avenue of Rams at Karnak (Jesus would have been here!!)
The boys stretching around one of the HUGE columns... it wasn't as hard as Lucas is making it though! haha
Temple of Luxor
Place in the Temple of Luxor where Moses would have sat!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Pictures
View from the top deck of the boat as we passed another boat
Me riding the camel! His name was Francisco
Lacey and me on our camels
Holding the crocodile!
Sunset from our little motor boat
View from our window on the cruise!
I'm finished!!! Finally :)
Sunday, February 3
This morning we woke up at 5:30 and were leaving the boat by 6 to head to the Temple of Edfu. It is the temple that is dedicated to the falcon god, Horus. We were supposed to take horse drawn carriages to the temple but Sam (my roommate) and I didn't get our wake up call so we kinda made everyone a little late... OOPS! :) Well, we took a bus to get there instead and it all worked out! haha Osman said we'll ride carriages in Alexandria so we won't be missing out! :) This temple tells the story of the beginning of good and evil in Egyptian mythology. It was really cool to see all of the pictures and heiroglyphics that tell all of these ancient stories! When we got back to the boat around 9 we had one of the most moving church services that I have ever had the privilage of being a part of. We have some of the most talented guys on this trip. They are so on fire for God and I am very blessed to be able to spend time around such awesome godly men. Our service was going to be centered around communion and we were going to be talking about the original Passover (because we were in the place where it all started!). The boys that lead singing lead songs like "How deep the fathers love for us" and "Do not fear"... ones that normally I have a difficult time making it through. Well, this morning Captain reminded us just where we were and what we were being able to experience. He told us to go and look out the window at the Nile and imagine it being completely full of blood. Until that moment I hadn't really thought about it like that. I hadn't fully grasped the fact that I was walking where Moses had walked. I was getting to follow the footsteps of one Gods most faithful servants. He had his doubts and he stumbled but that is what makes him such a hero and getting to see where he went and the influence that he made on the culture was really awesome! One of the boys led a prayer after the singing and he just started to cry. Everything had finally hit him too and when that was coupled with reading about Jesus' sacrifice it was just so powerful and emotional. There wasn't a dry eye in the place but it was such an awesome experience! I won't ever take communion the same way again. After church we had a free day for the rest of the afternoon so all the girls put on our bathing suits and went to lay outside on the top deck. (Tanning in February?? Yep we did!! haha). It was really fun to just lay around and read, do mad libs, and play cards. Before dinner Osman gave us a class over heiroglyphics. It was really cool to be able to read such an ancient language and learn how to write it (well, our names at least! haha). Dinner tonight was Egyptian night!! It was so much fun! We all dressed up in the outfits that we had bought at the bazaar and did really exaggerated eye make-up and tried to look as authentic as possible. After dinner we went back up to the lounge to dance the night away! This time there was a group of Islamic teenage girls who joined us! The taught us some of their dances and we got to teach them the macarana and the YMCA!! It was so much fun!
This morning we woke up at 5:30 and were leaving the boat by 6 to head to the Temple of Edfu. It is the temple that is dedicated to the falcon god, Horus. We were supposed to take horse drawn carriages to the temple but Sam (my roommate) and I didn't get our wake up call so we kinda made everyone a little late... OOPS! :) Well, we took a bus to get there instead and it all worked out! haha Osman said we'll ride carriages in Alexandria so we won't be missing out! :) This temple tells the story of the beginning of good and evil in Egyptian mythology. It was really cool to see all of the pictures and heiroglyphics that tell all of these ancient stories! When we got back to the boat around 9 we had one of the most moving church services that I have ever had the privilage of being a part of. We have some of the most talented guys on this trip. They are so on fire for God and I am very blessed to be able to spend time around such awesome godly men. Our service was going to be centered around communion and we were going to be talking about the original Passover (because we were in the place where it all started!). The boys that lead singing lead songs like "How deep the fathers love for us" and "Do not fear"... ones that normally I have a difficult time making it through. Well, this morning Captain reminded us just where we were and what we were being able to experience. He told us to go and look out the window at the Nile and imagine it being completely full of blood. Until that moment I hadn't really thought about it like that. I hadn't fully grasped the fact that I was walking where Moses had walked. I was getting to follow the footsteps of one Gods most faithful servants. He had his doubts and he stumbled but that is what makes him such a hero and getting to see where he went and the influence that he made on the culture was really awesome! One of the boys led a prayer after the singing and he just started to cry. Everything had finally hit him too and when that was coupled with reading about Jesus' sacrifice it was just so powerful and emotional. There wasn't a dry eye in the place but it was such an awesome experience! I won't ever take communion the same way again. After church we had a free day for the rest of the afternoon so all the girls put on our bathing suits and went to lay outside on the top deck. (Tanning in February?? Yep we did!! haha). It was really fun to just lay around and read, do mad libs, and play cards. Before dinner Osman gave us a class over heiroglyphics. It was really cool to be able to read such an ancient language and learn how to write it (well, our names at least! haha). Dinner tonight was Egyptian night!! It was so much fun! We all dressed up in the outfits that we had bought at the bazaar and did really exaggerated eye make-up and tried to look as authentic as possible. After dinner we went back up to the lounge to dance the night away! This time there was a group of Islamic teenage girls who joined us! The taught us some of their dances and we got to teach them the macarana and the YMCA!! It was so much fun!
Monday, February 4
Today we docked in Luxor and got off the boat for the last time. We went first to the Valley of the Kings which is where the kings that reigned during the New Kingdom were buried. They were all buried in different caves on the side of a mountain. We went and saw the tomb of Tutmosis III (Pharoah of the earlier Exodus date) and then we got to see King Tut's tomb!! It was really cool to get to see the famous tomb of King Tut!! Inside they had his mummy and his sarcophogus. After the Valley of the Kings we went to the Temple of Karnak. This temple was more like a small city instead of a temple. It was HUGE! Inside the part of the temple that was reserved for the priests there are 134 columns! This was also a place where Jesus would have come when he lived in Egypt. On our way out of the temple we saw a huge statue of a scarab and tradition is that if you walk around the scarab 3 times you'll be rich, 5 times you'll get married, and 7 times you'll get pregnant. So of course, being Harding students, we had to walk around 5 times. No more than that though! No way was I walking over 5! But it did get a laugh that all the girls walked around 5 times... the boys were all a little jumpy after that! :) That evening we went to the temple of Luxor which was, next to church, was my favorite things! When it says in Acts 7:22 "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action" it is talking about the temple of Luxor. Since Moses grew up as an Egyptian prince he would have been educated in the place where the royal family of that time was educated which was Luxor, no matter which date of the Exodus you take. This would have been the exact place that Moses would have been and knowing what we know about where boys would have sat and where girls would have sat during this time we can make a fairly accurate guess as to where in the temple he would have been too!! SO COOL!! We went and sat down on the left side of the temple and sang. The only reason Osman had us stop was because we would have missed our train. It was definitly another one of those 'wow' moments where all you can do is sit back and take it all in. Experiences like these are so humbling and really put things in perspective for me. I am so blessed to be here. Tomorrow is our last day with Osman. I really don't like to think about leaving him. This trip is really teaching me how to put my faith into action and being able to be a witness to Osman is just one of the many ways that I am being shaped and molded into a stronger Christian.
Tuesday, February 5
This morning we got woken up at 4:30 to be ready for the train to stop at 5. We got off the train at 5 and got on the bus which took us to Osman's house. His wife had stayed up half the night making food for us so we could have breakfast at their house. We stayed there for like an hour and sang some more before getting back on the bus to begin our 3 hour drive to Alexandria. Also this morning I woke up with a feeling like someone had filled my lungs with lead so that they wouldn't work anymore. My head was congested, my chest was congested, and my throat hurt and I had to sit on a bus for 6 hours there and back.... I was not a happy camper. I soon figured out though that I was not the only one who had these symptoms. There were about 10 of us in all that were beginning to get sick. Since I was so sick though I didn't get out of Alexandria what I would have liked to so I don't really rememeber much of what went on and what we saw. When we first got there we went and saw the largest catacombs in the world. After the catacombs we went and saw Pompeii's pillar. After that we went to lunch at McDonalds (we begged for mcdonalds because no one wanted to eat anymore bread or rice or pasta). After that we went to the Palace of the last royal family in Egypt. It sits right on the Mediterranean and is absolutely gorgeous! After that we went to the place where the Lighthouse at Alexandria would have stood. From there we took, according to Osman, a "horse dragged carriage" (a horse drawn carriage) down the street. Like I said before, the first rule of driving in Egypt is there are no rules. When our carriage pulled out into the street we merged, yes... we MERGED into oncoming traffic in a flippin horse carriage!! It was fun though! Our driver thought we were a little crazy because we screamed a lot! Osman left us when we got back to Cairo that night. There was not a dry eye there. He gave us all hugs and kisses on the head and told us how much he loved us and then he drove away. He has been such a wonderful influence on my life and I pray that I had the same effect on him.
Well, y'all I'm finally finished!!! I know that I wasn't able to convey to you all everything that I was able to experience but I hope that I did a good job of trying!!! I love you all!!!
Temple of Edfu
The girls on Egyptian night
TNT and Zeta Rho on Egyptian night (mom, you'll appreciate this one!)
Me and Osman!!!!!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Walking in Memphis... the original.
Thursday, January 31
Today we started the morning in Memphis, Egypts first capital. There we saw one of the biggest statues of Rameses II. It was found from the knees up and even without its legs it is 30 feet long. When they found the statue they left it laying down and when I stood next to it, it was still taller than me. After Memphis we went to see the Step Pyramid of King Dzoser. It was pretty cool too see more ancient pyramids that have stood the test of time! Osman thought it would be funny to take off with the bus while Magdi, our bus driver, was in the bathroom and make us chase after him across the Sahara. Another experience I'll never forget! haha :) I also had my first real experience with the forwardness of the men in Egypt. The merchants wouldn't leave us alone! After that we went into Old Cairo City which is the part of the city that would have been around when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt. We got to go to the church that sits on top of the house where they would have lived during their time in Egypt. The actual house part is roped off but we could look down into it. And even though they can't be 100% positive that this was the actual spot they know for a fact that it was definitly it that general area. This was my first experience of getting to see where Jesus would have been and that was really cool to me. I can't wait to see what other exciting things that God has in store for me! After the church we went to go see a Mosque. I have never been inside a Mosque before so this was a different experience for me. We were warned beforehand that the girls needed to wear skirts so we all had on our long skirts but when we got there we found out that not only did we need to be wearing skirts but we also needed to have our heads covered so the mosque supplied us with these lovely green robes to cover our entire bodies with. We got to explore inside the mosque and witness some people worshipping. It was really neat to get to see different ways that people worship. After all that we went to a papyrus shop and got to see how papyrus was made! It was so cool to see this ancient way of making paper still being used today!
Friday, February 1
Last night we took a night train to the Southern part of Egypt to Asswan. This afternoon we got to take our camel ride to a Nubian village! I know I know, why am I so excited about riding a camel when I can just drive to the zoo and pay $3 for it? Well, I'll tell you. When you ride a camel at the zoo the saddle has bars around it to keep you safe AND the camel is already standing up.... both of which are not true with Egyptian camels. They are squatted on the ground it what looks to be a really painful position and you have to crawl on top of them (they are really tall so for those of us with short legs this is a difficult task to accomplish). The guy makes you scoot all the way up on the saddle so you are right at the very front and then he tells you to lean all the way back while the camel stands up then he hits the camel until its makes one sudden jerk and you are thrown up into the air while it gets to its hind legs and then you are jerked again while it stands all the way up. They are really unsteady animals but they are so much fun! The only scarier thing is when it sits back down at the end. Once at the village we got to walk around and interact with the people and then we went to a house of some people that Osman knew. We all got henna tatoos and..... I held a crocodile!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, thats right. I held a crocodile. I mean it was only a baby one but it still counts haha!
Saturday, February 2
Asswan is where the dams were built on the Nile so we went and visited those and then got on a motor boat and traveled to an island temple called the Temple of Philae. It is one of the oldest and most well preserved temples in Egypt today. It was our first real taste of Egyptian architecture. After we saw the temple we got to go to an Egyptian cotton store! It was like heaven in this store! Sheets and towels and clothes... the only downside... they were all ridiculously expensive! It was cool to see everything being made though! The cruise boat left the dock around 2 in the afternoon and we docked again in Kom-Ombo. We went and saw the Temple of Kom-Ombo which was the temple dedicated to the crocodile god. Inside they had on display 2 mummified crocodiles. It was pretty awesome to see! After that we went into the Bazaar to do our shopping for Egyptian night on the cruise. It was absolutely terrifying and had Osman not been talking to us through our ear pieces the whole time telling us what to say and what to buy and how much to pay for stuff I may have had a minor mental breakdown. It was so stressful! Everyone is in your face trying to get you to buy things and asking you way too much money for everything. Its very overwhelming! After we all got our outfits we went back to the ship and got ready for Captains night. We all got dressed up and went to dinner, I forgot my camera so I'm at the mercy of others for pictures of tonight but I'm sure I'll get them soon! It was so much fun! I am so excited about how close our group is getting!
I love you all and will write more tomorrow!!
Today we started the morning in Memphis, Egypts first capital. There we saw one of the biggest statues of Rameses II. It was found from the knees up and even without its legs it is 30 feet long. When they found the statue they left it laying down and when I stood next to it, it was still taller than me. After Memphis we went to see the Step Pyramid of King Dzoser. It was pretty cool too see more ancient pyramids that have stood the test of time! Osman thought it would be funny to take off with the bus while Magdi, our bus driver, was in the bathroom and make us chase after him across the Sahara. Another experience I'll never forget! haha :) I also had my first real experience with the forwardness of the men in Egypt. The merchants wouldn't leave us alone! After that we went into Old Cairo City which is the part of the city that would have been around when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt. We got to go to the church that sits on top of the house where they would have lived during their time in Egypt. The actual house part is roped off but we could look down into it. And even though they can't be 100% positive that this was the actual spot they know for a fact that it was definitly it that general area. This was my first experience of getting to see where Jesus would have been and that was really cool to me. I can't wait to see what other exciting things that God has in store for me! After the church we went to go see a Mosque. I have never been inside a Mosque before so this was a different experience for me. We were warned beforehand that the girls needed to wear skirts so we all had on our long skirts but when we got there we found out that not only did we need to be wearing skirts but we also needed to have our heads covered so the mosque supplied us with these lovely green robes to cover our entire bodies with. We got to explore inside the mosque and witness some people worshipping. It was really neat to get to see different ways that people worship. After all that we went to a papyrus shop and got to see how papyrus was made! It was so cool to see this ancient way of making paper still being used today!
Friday, February 1
Last night we took a night train to the Southern part of Egypt to Asswan. This afternoon we got to take our camel ride to a Nubian village! I know I know, why am I so excited about riding a camel when I can just drive to the zoo and pay $3 for it? Well, I'll tell you. When you ride a camel at the zoo the saddle has bars around it to keep you safe AND the camel is already standing up.... both of which are not true with Egyptian camels. They are squatted on the ground it what looks to be a really painful position and you have to crawl on top of them (they are really tall so for those of us with short legs this is a difficult task to accomplish). The guy makes you scoot all the way up on the saddle so you are right at the very front and then he tells you to lean all the way back while the camel stands up then he hits the camel until its makes one sudden jerk and you are thrown up into the air while it gets to its hind legs and then you are jerked again while it stands all the way up. They are really unsteady animals but they are so much fun! The only scarier thing is when it sits back down at the end. Once at the village we got to walk around and interact with the people and then we went to a house of some people that Osman knew. We all got henna tatoos and..... I held a crocodile!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, thats right. I held a crocodile. I mean it was only a baby one but it still counts haha!
Saturday, February 2
Asswan is where the dams were built on the Nile so we went and visited those and then got on a motor boat and traveled to an island temple called the Temple of Philae. It is one of the oldest and most well preserved temples in Egypt today. It was our first real taste of Egyptian architecture. After we saw the temple we got to go to an Egyptian cotton store! It was like heaven in this store! Sheets and towels and clothes... the only downside... they were all ridiculously expensive! It was cool to see everything being made though! The cruise boat left the dock around 2 in the afternoon and we docked again in Kom-Ombo. We went and saw the Temple of Kom-Ombo which was the temple dedicated to the crocodile god. Inside they had on display 2 mummified crocodiles. It was pretty awesome to see! After that we went into the Bazaar to do our shopping for Egyptian night on the cruise. It was absolutely terrifying and had Osman not been talking to us through our ear pieces the whole time telling us what to say and what to buy and how much to pay for stuff I may have had a minor mental breakdown. It was so stressful! Everyone is in your face trying to get you to buy things and asking you way too much money for everything. Its very overwhelming! After we all got our outfits we went back to the ship and got ready for Captains night. We all got dressed up and went to dinner, I forgot my camera so I'm at the mercy of others for pictures of tonight but I'm sure I'll get them soon! It was so much fun! I am so excited about how close our group is getting!
I love you all and will write more tomorrow!!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Pyramids, Temples, and Mummies, OH MY!
Well, we just got back from Egypt yesterday afternoon after an exhausting but wonderuful 8 day excursion to the "black land around the river nile." It was one of the most life changing experiences of my life. I learned so much and yes, it happened again while in Africa, I fell in love. Too bad he has a wife and kids! Haha! I'm talking about our tour guide Osman. Except he was more than a tour guide. He was always looking out for us. He always made sure that we stayed in the nicest hotels, had enough water (sometimes more than enough), and was in our heads (literally) when we would go shopping. When we would be in a market place, we'd all have our whisper sets in our ears and he would watch us all to make sure we were safe and if he felt like we weren't getting a good deal he'd talk into his mic and make sure we got what we deserved. He would tell us if he thought it was a 'good' deal (a bad one) or an 'excellent' deal (a good one). He never went to bed until he know that we were all safe in our rooms and he never failed to make us laugh. He loved hearing us sing on the bus and it is very obvious that God is working on his heart. He knows what is right but at this point in his life it is hard for him to come out with his beliefs because of his friends and family. Please pray for him and his family and he comes to know more about Jesus and his love for him. Captain told us before we left that we'd cry when we had to leave Osman and I definitly didn't believe him but that last night on the bus I found out just how right he was. We sang and taught him "Potato Chip, Potato Chip, Crunchy, Crunchy" along with numerous other songs (mainly VBS style haha). I didn't think I'd get so attatched to him but I did. I hate to think that I may never see him again but who knows what God has planned for this amazing mans life!
Also I have never craved fruits and veggies more than I do right now! After a whole week of nothing but rice, bread, pasta, bread, rice, carbs, more bread, and some potatoes it starts to have some negative effects on the body! When we got back to the Artimis, Fofi (our cook) had a lunch of carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and every fruit imaginable sitting on the table waiting for us. It was incredible!
Ok, so I am going to try to write as much as I can about each day we were gone! So much happened each day that I'm not sure if it'll all fit but I'll try my best! :)
Tuesday, January 29th
We left for Cairo this afternoon about 12:30. Our flight was one of the most turbulant flights I have ever been on. It got even better when we started our descent. I could see out the window and could see we were really close to touching down when all the sudden the plane hit the ground and started swerving back and forth. It was absolutely terrifying! We think that a gust of wind came through and hit as we were touching down and the piolet tried to compensate and over-corrected. Sammy (the man in charge of tours in Egypt) met us at the airport and then took us to his house to meet his family and have pizza and birthday cake. Osman and his family met us at their house and then Osman left with us to begin our journey. Egypt is a totally different culture than I have ever experienced before. We learned on our first day that the number one rule of driving in Egypt is that there are no rules. These people can take 3 lanes and turn them into 6 or 7. Osman told us on our way to the hotel, "see those pretty white lines? well, they are just for decoration." Also there are no speed limit signs anywhere nor are there any bike/horse/donkey lanes. Every one drives together! It's crazy!
Wednesday, January 30
Today was the coolest day EVER! We saw the pyramids! I got to see the same pyramids that Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus all saw! I am so blessed!! It is so amazing to me structures were built thousands of years ago and they are still standing! I stood next to one of the base stones of the 1st pyramid (King Khofu's pyramid) and it came up to my shoulder! This particular pyramid is approximately 137 meters tall and is comprised of about 2.3 million blocks. It is so fascinating to me that these people had nowhere near the kind of technology that we have today but they still managed to build something of that magnitude! We also got to go inside, YES inside, one of the pyramids! It wasn't all that exciting, and pictures weren't allowed but now I can say that I have been inside a pyramid! It wasn't decorated inside because the only reason for having pictures in the tomb was to help the dead person to get to the afterlife. At the time the pyramids were built people believed their kings to be gods and gods didn't need help getting to the afterlife. Pictures didn't come until much later. The passage way down was about 4 1/2 feet tall so we were basically crawling (there is a boy in my group that is like 6' 5" so it was pretty funny watching him go down) and it went down at about a 45 degree angle. Once we got inside, the room was about 10x6 ft and it was really hot! But now I can say that I've been in one!! Next we went to the Solar Boat museum. It was really cool. It contains a boat that was found buried at the base of the first pyramid! The reason its called a solar boat is because they used to think that if was used to take the king to the afterlife but Osman told us that in order for that to be true this particular boat wouldn't have touched water but that this one had so it was most likely a funeral boat to take the king from the East side of the river (life) to the West side of the river (death). After lunch we went to the Cairo museum. This museum contains a lot of Egyptian artifacts collected from different tombs, temples, etc. that haven't been stolen by the British museum. Inside we got to see the "King Tut Room" which has all of the things that were found in his tomb except his mummy and his sarcophagus, which are still in his tomb at the Valley of the Kings. Also we got to see the "Mummy Room" which houses about 15 different mummies including Pharoah Rameses II (the pharoah that would have ruled during the later date of the exodus) and Pharoah Tutmosis III and his daughter Hatshepsut (the ones who would have ruled during the earlier date of the exodus). It was such an awesome experience to be able to stand next to the bodies of the men who could have been the ones whose hearts were hardened by God! It really opened my eyes to what I was actually getting to do and experience and what I was getting to see! I am so blessed! After the museum we stopped by a jewelry shop to make some purchases before heading back to the hotel!
Alright, I'll write about the other days tomorrow. I am exhausted and benadryil and my bed are calling my name! I love you all! 
Also I have never craved fruits and veggies more than I do right now! After a whole week of nothing but rice, bread, pasta, bread, rice, carbs, more bread, and some potatoes it starts to have some negative effects on the body! When we got back to the Artimis, Fofi (our cook) had a lunch of carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and every fruit imaginable sitting on the table waiting for us. It was incredible!
Ok, so I am going to try to write as much as I can about each day we were gone! So much happened each day that I'm not sure if it'll all fit but I'll try my best! :)
Tuesday, January 29th
We left for Cairo this afternoon about 12:30. Our flight was one of the most turbulant flights I have ever been on. It got even better when we started our descent. I could see out the window and could see we were really close to touching down when all the sudden the plane hit the ground and started swerving back and forth. It was absolutely terrifying! We think that a gust of wind came through and hit as we were touching down and the piolet tried to compensate and over-corrected. Sammy (the man in charge of tours in Egypt) met us at the airport and then took us to his house to meet his family and have pizza and birthday cake. Osman and his family met us at their house and then Osman left with us to begin our journey. Egypt is a totally different culture than I have ever experienced before. We learned on our first day that the number one rule of driving in Egypt is that there are no rules. These people can take 3 lanes and turn them into 6 or 7. Osman told us on our way to the hotel, "see those pretty white lines? well, they are just for decoration." Also there are no speed limit signs anywhere nor are there any bike/horse/donkey lanes. Every one drives together! It's crazy!
Wednesday, January 30
Today was the coolest day EVER! We saw the pyramids! I got to see the same pyramids that Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus all saw! I am so blessed!! It is so amazing to me structures were built thousands of years ago and they are still standing! I stood next to one of the base stones of the 1st pyramid (King Khofu's pyramid) and it came up to my shoulder! This particular pyramid is approximately 137 meters tall and is comprised of about 2.3 million blocks. It is so fascinating to me that these people had nowhere near the kind of technology that we have today but they still managed to build something of that magnitude! We also got to go inside, YES inside, one of the pyramids! It wasn't all that exciting, and pictures weren't allowed but now I can say that I have been inside a pyramid! It wasn't decorated inside because the only reason for having pictures in the tomb was to help the dead person to get to the afterlife. At the time the pyramids were built people believed their kings to be gods and gods didn't need help getting to the afterlife. Pictures didn't come until much later. The passage way down was about 4 1/2 feet tall so we were basically crawling (there is a boy in my group that is like 6' 5" so it was pretty funny watching him go down) and it went down at about a 45 degree angle. Once we got inside, the room was about 10x6 ft and it was really hot! But now I can say that I've been in one!! Next we went to the Solar Boat museum. It was really cool. It contains a boat that was found buried at the base of the first pyramid! The reason its called a solar boat is because they used to think that if was used to take the king to the afterlife but Osman told us that in order for that to be true this particular boat wouldn't have touched water but that this one had so it was most likely a funeral boat to take the king from the East side of the river (life) to the West side of the river (death). After lunch we went to the Cairo museum. This museum contains a lot of Egyptian artifacts collected from different tombs, temples, etc. that haven't been stolen by the British museum. Inside we got to see the "King Tut Room" which has all of the things that were found in his tomb except his mummy and his sarcophagus, which are still in his tomb at the Valley of the Kings. Also we got to see the "Mummy Room" which houses about 15 different mummies including Pharoah Rameses II (the pharoah that would have ruled during the later date of the exodus) and Pharoah Tutmosis III and his daughter Hatshepsut (the ones who would have ruled during the earlier date of the exodus). It was such an awesome experience to be able to stand next to the bodies of the men who could have been the ones whose hearts were hardened by God! It really opened my eyes to what I was actually getting to do and experience and what I was getting to see! I am so blessed! After the museum we stopped by a jewelry shop to make some purchases before heading back to the hotel!
Alright, I'll write about the other days tomorrow. I am exhausted and benadryil and my bed are calling my name! I love you all!
Me at the pyramids!
Standing next to a base block!
The Solar Boat
"Kissing" the Sphinx
The Pyramids right outside downtown Cairo (so cool!)
We're back!
We got back into Porto Rafti yesterday afternoon around 1! Its good to be back but I miss Egypt! Right now I am really sick (head congestion, chest congestion, coughing, etc.) so I will write all about the whole trip when I can think straight and am able to tell everything! There are about 10 of us that are sick like this so pray that we all get better soon because we are leaving again next week for another trip! I'll write more later! Love you all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
