At long last the first posting of 2014!!

We have been traveling a lot this year so first the posting from the March trip to Egypt. Wow what an experience.

Well before we left we took a last photo of the Boys.

And here are Ane and our friend Carol who decided we couldn't go without her (She lives in Cotcachi too) sitting in the lounge in Amsterdam between flights

Here is Ane on our first morning in Egypt heading for breakfast at the Mena House with the Grand Pyramid in sight maybe 500 yds away.

that morning we visited the step pyramid at the Imhoptep complex where we first saw a model of the complex.

and then went to the smaller complex where the Mereruka Tomb was.

Here is me inside and our leader took the photo where no photos allowed.

Just so you know...

Then we went to the Imhoptep Step Pyramid complex entrance

Just inside the entrance were double rows of columns

which opened out into the great courtyard where the pyramid is along with the camel ride vendors and other vendors were everywhere.

To the right of the wall above and around the corner were what have been described as healing chambers.

back out in the courtyard it is evident how vast he complex is..

Then it was back on the bus and a little further south to the bent pyramid..

we also went to the red pyramid and i went inside and visited three chambers that were pretty large and full of bat guano..ugh

The highlight of the trip happened on the second morning starting at 4 am to 6 am and there were no photos not even cameras allowed inside the Queens and Kings chambers of the Grand pyramid. sorry no photographic evidence you will just have to take my word for it but was a very high energy experience and I can just say that "that is in no way a a burial chamber"

Later in the morning we went back and visited the grounds around the pyramid complex at Giza.

here is Ane at the Grand Pyramid

and just to prove I was there

The middle and third pyramid there are three smaller pyramids beyond them. 

The second pyramid with its partial cladding still there.

All the pyramids of Giza were clad with sand stone or marble but the coatings were mined and used to construct buildings in Cairo!!!

and by Just turning around you can see the back of the Sphinx.

Looking at the second pyramid you can see that the first two base layers are made up of much larger stones than the ones on up. The guy next to the corner stone is about 5 ft tall.

We did go the the Sphinx too.

That afternoon we went to the Cairo Museum but again no photos but here is a shot of the Nile going thru Cairo.

The next morning we flew to Aswan and were met by a bus at the airport. we then went to a Granite Quarry which is the area where much of the temple granite came from. We visited the quarry while we waited for our convoy and military escort to form up for the 3 hour trip to Abu Simbel. The sloping surface in the center is a obelisk that cracked while it was being quarried.

Here is a shot from the top of the obelisk showing the crack.

Curious groves at sides of the obelisk seem to indicate that they would just take another granite rock and pound away until they had the surface they wanted. (who knows)

We came to a few checkpoints on the highway thru the desert from Aswan to Abu Simbel.

We arrived mid afternoon and checked into our hotel.

Here is the view over lake Nasser created by the Aswan High dam.

And after a relaxing swim we had a poolside lecture from our guide Robert Buval.

And what turned out to be the first of several Dawn visits was to the Abu Simbel Temple complex that was moved up out of the flood waters of the dam. Quite an engineering feat and it now sits high and dry above the lake in its own artificial mountain.

Again no photos allowed inside but the idea is that the temple is aligned with the sunrise so that on certain days the light goes all the way thru three chambers and hits only the center and right hand statues and not the left hand statue. When they moved the complex they kept that alignment.

Here are three shots from near the shoreline of the two temples 

On the left is the Colossi of Ramses II and on the right the 

"small temple" for his wife and consorts?

When we let Abu Simbel for another 3 hours on the desert we noticed several natural formations that could be mistaken for man made pyramids.. quite unreal.

Upon returning to Aswan we boarded our Nile river cruiser where we would be for the next 5 nights. Two of which were to be at the dock in Aswan.

The next morning we went to the Island of Philae where the Temple of Isis was.

entering the courtyard of Isis 

The columns were quite ornately done

Ane at wall just outside Isis temple entrance

Ane and Carol in one of the side rooms inside temple.

The classic Faluca Nile river sail boat.

The desert comes right down to the riverbank across form Aswan

Some of the more adventurous in the group swim in the Nile that afternoon

Later we visited a Nubian Village 

and a Nubian teahouse

Where the owner allowed us to hold his Nile Crocodile!! No it isn't stuffed it is alive...

Back outside on the way to the boat we see a desert Cadillac chewing his dinner.

and Nubian teenagers cruising the village thoroughfare

Some of the sights along the Nile around Aswan:

Moored Falucas

A beautiful Mosk

Nest morning we visited the Satet Temple complex.

this temple was scavenged for stone to build a sugar factory and what is left is in the process of being restored.

 the group explores the restorations

to the left front of the temple along the banks of the river you find foundations for houses and fortifications overlooking the Nile.

the nearby Khnun Temple from the Dynasty XII-XXX

Eastern portico of the Khnun Temple from the Ptolemaic period

And the gateway of Amenhotep II dynasty XVIII

Moving through this gateway and down to the left we came upon the back of the older Temple of Kalabsha from the Ptolemac Period. Very close fitting blocks of stone.

and the front of same.

and toward the river the promanade up to the temple of Kalabsha

Our boat returns to take us off the Island and back to our river cruiser

Where we "board" (literally)_

Old water wheel seen as we leave the area

Beautiful water bird along the river

Fisherman deploying his nets

Then he scares the fish towards them

We depart Aswan the next day to cruise toward Luxor. First stop was 

Kom Ombo where they celebrated the Crocodile. We arrive with other boats one of the few temples where there were several tour groups, we almost had most of the sites to ourselves.

This temple overlooks the banks of the NIle and is quite well preserved

Some wall art 

It is really a fairly small complex as seen from the side.

After leaving Kom Ombo we cruise to Edfu and the temple of Horas and ride in horse drawn carriages to the temple.

then the race is on

we did arrive safely and the horses got to wait under the shade

Here we enter temple of Horus

Thru the entrance into the courtyard

Here is Ane next to statue for Horus

And on into the temple where there was a hall of columns

another shot from deep inside looking back out at the columns

Upon leaving Edfu the group enjoys a warm day on the upper deck

and some scenes along the river

fish camp:

Farming

Herding

Unknown Temple on shore

We cruised over night and arrived in Luxor in time to depart and take buses to the Temple of Karnak for a dawn visit to the reflecting pool.

This is a vast Temple and we wandered around quite a while. Here Ane found a great seat where as she says: "she is in good company"

View from the third inner temple towards the frontof the complex

Here is a fairly preserved painting over the entrance to the third temple

Beautiful carvings

The largest obelisk of Karnak

This was the largest collection of columns we saw something like a room with 128 or so of these massive structures all with carvings

Sphinx /Lions line both sides of outer courtyard guarding the entrance to the temple and it is rumored they used to line a road all the way to the Luxor temple where we saw a similar double row of them that night.

Here we are leaving Karnak and cross the immense stone plaza 

and from the other side of the plaza we look back at Karnak easily the largest site we visited

That night we 

That night we went to the other side of Luxor and visited the Temple of Luxor which is located along side the river and is preceded by another double row of Lions/Sphinx s.

 Here at the entrance is the brother of the Obelisk that stands in Paris. 

          

this is a massive statue compared to Ane

Just inside is the first courtyard. it was fairly large and lined with columns.

and on into the next courtyard which was filled with very large columns again.

The next morning we went for a camel ride. 

Here Ane mounts up..

I did get to ride too

the group rests at halfway point

Scarecrow shot from camel-back

Then we went to Banana Island, welcoming water buffalo.

and their corcadile was not friendly

we did see bananas ripening on the plant very different than I thought they would look.

Very clever pigeon roost, concentrates their droppings and makes it easy to collect the eggs and or harvest a pigeon (it was on the restaurant menu)

an abandoned water wheel mechanism.

and Isack from Finland tried out a water pipe (only tobacco and some spices)

We had a native lunchon in the open air restaurant. Lots of food, breads etc.

Next morning we were up again before dawn to go for a hot air balloon ride over the valley of the kings area.

The balloons are readied 

Looking toward the valley of the kings (beyond the plateau)

with Thebes Temple in foreground.

yet another balloon joins us.

Sun comes up thru the dust and haze

Here are new grave excavations just being developed

Workers start at dawn and climb to work

The desert seemed vast from our perch

The Colossi of Memmon from the air.

all good things come to an and and we flew back to Cairo and spent 3 days resting and shopping. Here Ane enjoys breakfast at the Mena House with the Grand Pyramid out the window.

More to come on our next posting will get photos of our trip to Norway in June.