An Alternative Easter Break

Due to my injury, Mary and I had to abandon our ambitious plans to spend break in Bern and Paris. I flew home on Sunday morning, had a long layover in Philadelphia, and after the drive home from Chicago I arrived home by 1:00 am. Traveling was stressful and exhausting. I was wheeled around at every airport, and this was necessary since I was crutching and had 2 bags to carry. My week at home was quiet and relaxing, and I healed a lot. I went to the doctor on Monday morning where they x-rayed me again and replaced my splint with a heavy boot. I continued to use crutches all week, and then I went back to the doctor and then to the physical therapist yesterday. They told me that I can walk in my boot, and I am starting physical therapy exercises. I will not be able to have the normal PT appointments since I am back in Europe for a month, but I will start with certain exercises and increase the intensity and add more exercises in 1-2 weeks or when I feel I am ready. Now back to studying Classics and spending two weeks in Rome!

Saturday Night at the Beehive

On Saturday we drove from Cuma to Rome where we all scattered for our ten-day Easter Break. I flew out on Sunday morning to head home, and I spent Saturday night at the Beehive Hotel with Sarabeth. We then went to the airport together on Sunday morning so I could catch my flight and she meet her parents. The Beehive is about two blocks from Termini, the central train station in Rome. We stayed in a dorm room with four bunk beds and eight beds. This was my first time staying in a co-ed room. Our room was full, though we did not meet everybody. I was surprised and impressed with how cordial everyone was with each other and how interested they were in everyone else’s travels. These are the types of conversations that I don’t think I would start in a dorm room in Rome, but our roommates were all very nice and I was happy to listen in and learn as Sarabeth told them about our trip. In our room was a veterinary student from New York. She is nearing graduation, and this trip was her celebration. She was really really excited about getting Italian pizza. On the bed above mine was a young woman, probably in her mid-30s, from Washington (the state). She was visiting Sicily with friends and then spending a few days in Rome before flying home. She is a product developer at Nike, and she was very proud of her Nike sneakers. My only complaint about her was her loud snoring right above me. We also roomed with a young man from Greece who was very interested in our travels there. The last person we met was a young German man. He was a bizarre character, and he certainly thought the same of Sarabeth and I. Sarabeth is loquacious, and she talks very fast. Despite his excellent English he did not understand her explanation of our trip. She kept repeating “study” and “vacation” and he protested “Study, vacation? Which one? You can’t do both!” He finally understood that we were on vacation from studying, and then he teased us for spending this Saturday night “vacation” so quietly in the hotel. He joked saying he hoped he wouldn’t make too much of a ruckus when he came back late. I was certainly unaware if he did.

For dinner, Sarabeth and I ate downstairs at the vegetarian restaurant in the Beehive. We each got vegetarian lasagna, and it was delicious. Our waitress also brought us toasted bread and sun dried tomato hummus. The restaurant seemed very progressive, and it seemed even more progressive when we asked for the check and our waitress told us that we pay what we feel we should pay. There was a card on our table with suggested prices, most with a $2 range, so we based our bill off of that.

Since Sparta

From Sparta we drove to Pylos and then to Olympia. Olympia is a fascinating site, where the first Olympic games took place in 776 BC. Crutching to the site, through it, and through the two museums there, was exhausting. I was unable to get around the on my own with all of this walking. The group was very sensitive to my needs, and they helped me along by carrying me some of the way. I was tossed around but mostly carried by Reed, the varsity football player in our group, and Sarabeth, our volleyball star. We were surely a site to see with me on piggyback with a bandaged yet clearly swollen leg and someone else following close behind with the crutches. I was still able to enjoy this day. What I found most interesting about the ancient Olympics is that there were no team sports. Individuals competed for every prize, and with a victory they often achieved the status of a hero. I thought this reflected on the priorities in ancient Greece and especially on the individuality and competitiveness of their human-like gods.

From the Peloponnese we took an overnight ferry to Italy. Then we spent an entire week in Cuma at the Villa Vergiliana outside of Naples. Staying at the Villa was such a treat and the perfect timing considering my limited mobility. Every meal was served to us at the Villa or packed in bag lunches for our days on the sites. So I did not have to worry about getting food or going out to eat. The food was delicious too. We were all shocked at our first dinner when we were served full bowls of pasta only to find out afterwards that this was the first of four courses. Dinners were served by Mina and her family, who own the villa. Her seven-year-old son Marco helped at dinner, and he may have stolen the hearts of every girl on the trip. We were blown away by his perfect manners, bilingualism, and enthusiasm in serving us. Every night after dinner he played cards with the boys, and they all had a great time.

While staying at the Villa, we saw archaeological sites at Paestum (ancient Poseidonia), Herculaneum, and Pompeii. I was helped around by piggyback at Paestum and Herculaneum, but I was unable to go to Pompeii because exploring the site requires hours of walking. The decision to not see Pompeii was facilitated by the fact that I spent many hours there a few weeks earlier over Spring Break.

The ankle

I expected challenges on this trip, but this one was unforeseen. I will certainly have long-lasting memories from Sparta because I sprained my ankle. Louisa, Allie, Sarabeth and I decided to go for a run in Sparta. We were jogging down the sidewalk towards the stadium and running track when I badly turned my left ankle. It immediately swelled, and I had quite an impressive egg. The girls helped me hobble back to the hotel, and as soon as we got there, Dr. Krentz was in my room calling Spiros and making preparations for us to go to the hospital. We thought my ankle could be broken, and it certainly needed to be protected. Spiros arrived in his car almost immediately. We then headed off for the hospital, and despite my pain the ride was almost amusing. Dr. Krentz (who is tall) was cramped in the back seat, and I winced in the passenger’s seat while Spiros flew through the streets of Sparta, honking his horn at any barrier along the way. At one point Dr. Krentz told him he could slow down and that my life was not in danger. Once at the hospital, Spiros wheeled me in on a wheelchair, and we were treated immediately. This was a public hospital and certainly different than any American hospital I have ever been to. My entire treatment cost 3 euros (about $5). My ankle was x-rayed, and we were very glad to hear that it wasn’t broken. Only one of the doctors spoke (very crude) English, and he said “ligaments” and indicated with his hands that they were stretched. So I have a sprained ankle, they put me in a splint, I got crutches at the only open pharmacy, and the Spartan medical advice is to not put any weight on my bad ankle and to go back to another doctor in two weeks.

The Peloponnese...

is so beautiful! The snow-covered mountains and shoreline are unbelievable. We had a very interesting visit to Corinth where we were led by Corinth’s director of excavation, Guy Sanders. In Sanders’ approach to archaeology, he does not focus nearly as much on major events and productions. Our tour with Sanders at Corinth contrasted sharply with that at the Athenian Agora with John Camp. During our tour of the Agora, Camp focused on the architecture of the Agora and major events which occurred there, such as the trial of Socrates. Instead of discussing these famous events and productions, Sanders told us extensively about individual skeletons he has found and analyzed and what can be inferred about these individuals’ lives, deaths, and diets from their muscle and bone formations. He hardly mentioned the Temple of Apollo or Corinth’s prominence in the history of Christianity.

Athens

We reconvened in Athens on the Monday after Spring Break for a hike up the Lykavittos hill. This gave us a great view of the Acropolis and the city, and Dr. Krentz showed us everything we would see. On Tuesday we visited the Hypasteion, the most complete extent Doric temple. We also climbed the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon. The Parthenon is often thought to be the most beautiful Greek temple, and people even say this since most of its sculpture has been removed. It exhibits the finest features of Doric and Ionic architecture, and all of the columns lean in slightly so that it does not contain a single straight line. I found its location above Athens to be dominating and inspiring.

We had the privilege in Athens of receiving guided tours from the excavators at various sites. Jutta Stroszeck guided us at Kerameikos, and John Camp led us around the Athenian Agora. John Camp was a particularly fascinating guide, and he emphasized the importance of the Greeks in history because of their lasting influence in the Olympics, coinage, philosophy, and democracy, among other things. Camp showed us archaeological storerooms at the Agora where we saw rows upon rows of pottery as well as ancient skeletons. The amount of pottery we have seen on this trip makes it easy to overlook it as mundane. Camp spoke to us about the importance of pottery in learning about history, and he certainly renewed in me an interest in and an appreciation for pottery. Pottery is breakable but indestructible, and since styles are in constant change, a trained eye can immediately tell what time period a piece is from.

Jennifer Neils, a professor at Kenyon College and expert on Greek art, guided us at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, and Molly Richardson, who works at the American School in Athens, guided us through the Epigraphy Museum. Dr. Toumazou (Davidson Classics professor) joined us at the National Archaeological Museum, and it was a joy and surprise to see him. He is currently on Sabbatical, and he happened to be in Athens when we were. On the 14th, we took a ferry from Athens to the island Aegina, which, like most places we have seen, is absolutely beautiful. There we visited the Temple of Aphaia.

We stayed at the AthenStyle Hostel while in Athens, and this was the group’s first hostel experience. I was in the room with four girls (another room had the other three), and the room was tiny. There was barely room to walk between the two bunk beds, and the beds were very close to the walls at the head and foot of them. The breakfasts at the AthenStyle were simple, consisting of bread, jam, water and orange juice. The bread though was delicious and may have been the best bread I’ve had all trip.

Spring Break - Italy

I flew from Athens to Rome on Monday morning where I met Dad at the airport. I had not seen him since before the trip started, and now we were able to spend almost seven days together. He had flown into Rome about an hour before me, so the timing was almost perfect.

From the Rome airport, we took a train to Naples then caught another to Sorrento. In Naples we were both starving for lunch, so we set off in search of a particular pizzeria that Dad had read about in his guidebook. We thought we followed the directions, but we could not find this particular pizzeria. With our suitcases in tow we walked for blocks in search of this restaurant before finally conceding. We stopped at another restaurant, and the pizza was delicious. After this we realized that the many restaurants written up in guide books are often tourist attractions and cannot be better than any authentic Italian pizzeria. This was my first Italian pizza, and it was amazing. Dad and I talked about how pretentious we may be at the end of the trip so that we will never allow ourselves to eat American pizza again. I hope this isn’t true because I do love pizza, and I would like to be able to return to my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee, the Pizza Man. ☺ After our next train from Naples to Sorrento, we had an extended stop in Sorrento waiting for the public SITA bus to take us to our final stop, Positano. Little did we know that holdups at SITA bus stops would become a recurring theme. The bus did finally come, and we arrived safely in Positano and found our hotel, the Savoia.

Dad and I have a particularly great memory starting at the SITA bus stop in Positano, from which we hitched a ride into Sorrento. We were waiting at the stop in the pouring rain. Two scheduled buses never came, and it was nearing the time when the third bus should arrive, but we were losing hope. While we waited, a very nice Italian lady lent us her umbrella, and the three of us cowered under it. Then a passing car stopped to talk to her and ask if she wanted a ride. They were going to Sorrento, and she needed to go in the other direction, but she told them that we were going to Sorrento. The driver then offered to take us, and our friend pushed us toward the car, saying that they are her friends, her friends, her friends!, and we should ride with them. I looked at Dad, and he shrugged, so we hopped in the backseat. We were able to talk some to the relatively young man and his wife, and especially memorable about this ride was the moment when we almost hit an oncoming SITA bus. The road between Sorrento and Positano is very narrow and tortuous, and it always presents a problem when a SITA bus encounters another car. The bus honks its horn before it goes around every curve since because of its size it must cross the center line on these curves, and cars around the bend cannot see it coming. So approaching the curve, we distinctly heard the call of the SITA bus, but our driver pressed forward. Then he rounded the curve just as the SITA bus did, far on our side of the road. Our driver slammed on his brakes, and all was fine, but his wife got very upset with him. Dad and I cannot understand a word of Italian, but we knew exactly what she was saying. She raised her voice, gesticulated wildly, and even made the honking sound in imitation of the SITA bus. Perhaps shamefully, Dad and I really enjoyed this experience.

On Wednesday we visited Pompeii, which was fascinating. I will return to Pompeii with the classics group shortly before Easter, but it was the first time each of us visited. We had no conception of the size of Pompeii, and we spent over four hours at the site but still did not see everything. Most of the Pompeii mosaics have been removed to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, which we visited on Thursday. We were able to learn and understand a lot more about Pompeii by seeing many of the best-preserved artifacts at the museum. We spent hours here too and did not get through everything. We were scholarly for all but about five minutes of this visit, and during these five minutes Dad and I just had to get some silliness out of our systems. We goofed off a little bit and took some very funny pictures of us imitating sculptures. After the Archaeological Museum, we visited the Diocesan Museum, which was also wonderful. The Diocesan Museum showcases Christian art of the region which consists mostly of paintings, altars, and sculptures depicting biblical characters or scenes. Dad and I were especially stunned by the graphic paintings of martyrdom. My life has been unbelievably painless, and I only caught a glimpse of that by looking at those paintings.

During our walk from the National Archaeological Museum to the Diocesan Museum, we were caught in a sudden and vicious thunder, lightning and hail storm. It may have been a slightly gloomy day, but the storm seemed to come out of nowhere. The hail that fell was the most intense hail I have ever seen. The hailstones were huge, and they bounced back up as they hit the ground, but soon the sidewalk was covered. This scene reminded me of the scene from Home Alone 2 when the robbers slip on the pearls that Kevin drops in their path. The hail on the sidewalk in Naples created a similarly perilous situation, and Dad and I hid under an awning as we watched the storm strike.

After an excellent five nights in Positano and many adventures in Positano, Sorrento, Naples and Pompeii, we rode the train back to Rome on Saturday. We then spent a day and a half exploring in Rome. Among other things, we went to All Saints Anglican Church, visited the Vatican, saw the Fountain of Trevi and the Spanish Steps, and searched for towels (to be explained later). The visit to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica was especially overwhelming, and I will definitely return for longer when the group goes to Rome. Over ninety popes are buried in the basilica, and the basilica seemed to focus even more on the popes than on Christ. While we were there, the guards came in to stop anyone from traversing the nave. We watched a procession in which a few priests led at least 100 people chanting something very beautiful. They chanted the entire way from the entrance to the left altar where they held some sort of mass. We were glad to see this take place, especially since we had just been wondering how often the basilica was actually used for organized worship.

Now to explain the towels. It is reasonably expected that I lose something on this trip since we are staying in so many hotels and traveling constantly for four months. Well, I had been doing very well and had not lost anything until Positano. Then, probably because it was Spring Break and I was with Dad, I finally let my guard down, and I left two things there. One was my towel and the other my iPod charger. I had only used the towel at the hostel in Athens, but I would need it after break because the group would be staying in another hostel for six nights. We thought that the next hostel might have towels at reception for borrowing, but we did not think it wise to risk that, so Dad and I scoured Rome for a towel. We saw monuments and enjoyed the scenery as we searched, but we nonetheless searched for a towel for hours. Dad kept expecting tourist shops to have them, but he finally accepted that Rome is not the North Carolina beach we are so used to. It was getting very late and we were getting desperate, so we practically gave up on the towel search and Dad said I could just take one from the hotel. Then on our way back we passed a towel store! We looked at each other with glee and jumped in. The store had many varieties and colors, free engraving, and it wasn’t even expensive. I chose a red towel with gold engraving, and I got my name engraved in black, to resemble Davidson colors. We had found me a towel, it was of my choosing, and even had my name stitched in it. But, to make the story even better, I used the towel for the first time at the hostel last night, and it doesn’t fit around me! It is definitely a kid’s towel, or just not a shower towel, because it is absolutely tiny. And the hostel does lend out towels for 2 euros, so I bought one this morning. Mary said such a story would only happen to me because “my life is an adventure.” Perhaps.

During our time in Italy, as a result of people-watching and conversation, Dad and I made many observations about the Italians. First of all, we were surprised by their short stature. I am not particularly tall, but I was taller than maybe every other or every third Italian man I saw. Second, the Italians are very passionate talkers, and they gesticulate constantly and loudly. During the hours that we spent at SITA bus stops, we made many such observations. Printed very clearly at the front of every SITA bus was a sign to not talk to the driver. However, almost every driver engaged in very passionate conversations with his passengers. As he drove and chattered, he still did not fail to use dramatic hand motions. I hope it does not sound like I am making fun of the Italians, because I do not at all intend to. I admire such passion and engagement in life.

All of this observation of the Italians and their gesticulation reminded me of my high school freshman English teacher, Mrs. Cicero. Mrs. Cicero had a profound effect on me for many reasons, and she is one of those people who I have always aspired to be like. Though this is probably one of the least significant things I learned from her, I distinctly remember her talking about the Italians’ hand gestures during the first few weeks of freshman year. Because of her almost overwhelming personality, I can now imagine that during these first weeks our class probably seemed overwhelmed and utterly confounded by her. One day as she spoke very passionately (and I don’t remember what about), she paused to explain one of the reasons why she uses so many hand gestures. She said that, though she was born and raised in Wisconsin, her family is Italian, and the Italians talk as much with their hands as with their mouths. She also said to not be intimidated by that. I don’t know why I have remembered this insignificant detail for so long. Nevertheless, I thought about it on my way to Italy, and I tested this theory during my stay there. As you can tell already from my writing, it is very true. The Italians gesticulate constantly, loudly and passionately, but I love it. ☺

The Start of Spring Break – Athens

On Saturday morning, the group flew from Istanbul to Athens for the start of Spring Break, a much-needed ten-day vacation to do whatever one pleases. I spent the first two days of break with Liz and Allie in Athens. We shared a room at the Easy Hostel, and had a truly blessed and wonderful two days. I even wrote in my personal journal that I enjoyed every minute of it.

From the airport in Athens at the start of break, we took a bus, two trains, and finally a walk to get to our hostel. Dr. Krentz was with us on the bus and first train, and he guided us almost like a father would. He has lived in Athens and knows the city quite well. When he left us, we were finally alone in a huge foreign city. But we arrived at our Easy Hostel without any trouble.

This was my first time staying in a hostel, though we will start staying in more after spring break. It was quite different than the hotels we are used to, and it had no amenities. Our room had four beds on two bunk beds, no soap, towels, television, refrigeration, or a working shower curtain. And at night the hallways were pitch black. Breakfast, though it sufficed for us, consisted of bread, jam, and eggs.

After crashing at the hostel for about an hour, we explored the city for a few hours. The three of us love to walk and explore, and we took full advantage of this time together. We headed towards the Acropolis and walked up part of the way through tiny streets with adorable small houses, most of which were white-washed and covered with overgrown vines. At one point we were convinced we were trespassing because we were on the narrowest, most definitely single-file path between two houses. We also had a delicious meal on Saturday and picked up food at the grocery store for a light dinner in the hostel.

On Sunday, we woke up at 6:00 am to find a 7:30 English service at a Greek Orthodox church that we had read about online. Though we got turned around and lost several times on the way to the church, we found it right on time only to find it closed and gated up. The guard there looked at us like we were crazy and said he wasn’t sure if the church ever has services, let alone English ones. This was a disappointment, but we decided to look at the map and just go to any church that we saw. We headed towards St. Nicholas, where we stopped and watched part of a Greek service. This was a very interesting experience. We were the only people there for the start of it, and we stayed for about 20-30 minutes until an elderly woman came in and got mad at us for sitting in her seat. After this, we had basically given up hope of finding an English service, so we headed back to the hostel for breakfast and so Allie and Liz could ask the receptionist questions about catching their ferry to Santorini on Monday. After we ate and they asked the necessary questions about the ferry, it was probably around 9:30 am. They needed to visit the ferry booking agency, so we set out in that direction. Then at exactly 10:08, we stumbled across St. Paul’s Anglican Church.

An Anglican Church! That must have an English service! Sure enough, St. Paul’s has a 10:15 Sunday service, and it was no coincidence that we showed up at this time. We stayed for a beautiful and very interesting service in a packed church. In front of us sat a young American couple who we talked to afterwards. Allie approached them because she noticed the man holding a Boston College mug, and Allie is from Massachusetts. He and his wife are living Athens as he gets his PhD in archaeology at the American School in Athens, where Dr. Krentz studied!

As we left church, we saw a major festival going on across the street. We decided to go, and this was quite a cultural experience! This was a children’s festival in which kids all dressed up in costumes. There was fair food, music and dancing, and all sorts of other festival activities. We had a blast, and being there with so many happy people and cute kids having the time of their lives was inspiring. There was confetti all over the ground, and it seemed to me like everyone was smiling. The festival was adjacent to national arboretum in Athens, and we walked through this and we also walked through this and the miniature zoo there. At the fair, as I bought some delicious fried fair food, I met two American girls from Minnesota who go the University of Wisconsin! I told them that I was from Mequon, and we have common acquaintances from high school both at Davidson and Madison.

After the festival, we went on a walking tour of Athens, using a guide book which we borrowed from the breakfast room at the hostel. The walk was really interesting and was the perfect activity for our Sunday afternoon. We again had a delicious late afternoon lunch. Then, as we continued our tour, we ran into Sylvian, our archaeological guide from Eretria! Talk about a day of coincidences! Overall, Sunday was a truly awesome day, as was the entire time that I spent in Athens with Liz and Allie. It was inspiring for me to be with two other people who also wanted to explore, be restless for a few days, and go to such an early church service on Sunday. I said goodbye to them early (at 5:30 am) on Monday morning as they caught a ferry to Santorini and I headed for the airport.

Istanbul!

I loved Istanbul! The city is beautiful and fascinating, and I would go back anyday. Istanbul was bright, clean, and beautiful, and though I loved Cairo, far different from it. First, we all had spectacular views from our hotel windows. We looked out upon the Blue Mosque and the Aghia Sophia. The only negative aspect of our proximity to the mosques was our 5 am wakeup calls by the call to prayer at sunrise.

Among the sites we saw in Istanbul were the Theodosian Walls, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, the Blue Mosque, Aghia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Choras church museum, and monuments on our “Byzantium walk”. We also had two free days in Istanbul, though we were unfortunately inclined to spend much of this time studying for our four tests on Thursday and Friday. The other unfortunate part of our time in Istanbul (and Turkey in general) was that it rained practically all day everyday.

On Monday, I went to the Grand Bazaar, the famous shopping center in Istanbul of 4,000 shops. This is a must-see for any tourist, even those like me who don’t particularly enjoy shopping. The Grand Bazaar sells every type of clothing, jewelry, accessory, or souvenir that you could possibly want, and haggling is expected. However, it is much classier and tamer than the markets in Cairo or Aswan. I enjoyed the experience far more because I felt safer and more experienced. And while the girls were still called “pretty lady” or “Miss America” or “beautiful eyes/butt/hair”, the overall experience was not degrading or depressing as it often felt in Egypt. Most of the merchants were much nicer and not as pushy. At the scarf store, I found it particularly amusing how the merchant modeled for me every scarf I pointed at. He would flamboyantly twirl them, wrap them around his neck in a pretty knot, and smile.

Twice, the group spent time in Taksim, which is the “hip” shopping area of Istanbul. At night, this area is packed with young people, and it is really exciting to be there surrounded by swarms of bustling Turks. I say this because we got the impression that this was real Istanbul, and we saw very few tourists in Taksim. Though I would be lonely and very unwise to Taksim by myself, especially at night, I loved spending time here and experiencing the big city feeling of being alone responsible and aware of your existence. You are free, (strong?), and independent. This made me think of what it would have been like to go to a huge university, like most of my high school friends who are at the Universities of Wisconsin or Minnesota. I am so glad I’m at Davidson, but I can also see the appeal in being just another person.

Matt and I had a funny experience in Taksim that I may tease him about for the rest of the trip. We were walking back to the bus past a very nice-looking hotel. He wanted to go in and explore, so we do (or try to). As we walk in, he whispers that the employees at such hotels can never bother you because they don’t know if you are staying there or not, and if they ask you it and are wrong it reflects terribly on them. So we barely walk into the lobby and look around a little, when the porter approaches us and asks if we are staying here. We first act like we don’t know what he’s talking about, but we were caught with no way out but the door. As the porter ushered us out, Matt admits that he “just got served.” We decided that instead of fearing away from exploring fancy hotels, next time I should reply to the porter in French and pretend I don’t understand their English.

Also during our first visit to Taksim, Matt told me that Matt L. had gotten roasted chestnuts on the streets of NYC during orchestra tour and shared them with the group. In Istanbul, these little stands were everywhere, and I too decided to do the same. The chestnuts were delicious, and when I go to NYC, I am hitting up the chestnut stands. Thanks, Matts. ☺

On Friday night we went into Taksim for the second time. This was our last night before spring break, and we had a group dinner to celebrate Allie’s birthday, the end of testing and the start of break. (I, foolishly, still had one more test to take when I got back to the hotel at 10, but that’s another story). Louisa, Rob, Trent, Wheat and I took a taxi from the hotel into Taksim. That was one of the more frightening experiences of my life, and I would not do it again. First we had trouble getting a taxi. Rob approached every driver we saw and said we would only pay 20 lyra for the ride. Nobody would take us, and we finally consented to 30 lyra without traffic and 35 with traffic. The five of us tumbled in the taxi, with the three boys in the back and Louisa on my lap in the front. Our driver was ruthless, and he took every possible risk in his tiny car. He even laughed at scaring stray dogs by swerving at them and then away at the last possible instant. It was not fun, and on multiple occasions, I clenched Louisa in fear. But we made it through the heavy traffic, and the driver even let us off a couple blocks away from Taksim because we were in a standstill. We then ran through the streets to the central court area, arriving at 7:18, late for the 7:00 time set by Dr. Krentz. The rest of the group was nowhere to be seen, though we ran around the square looking for them. We then waited for about ten minutes as I tried to phone Jensen and Dr. Krentz. We weren’t sure if we should wait longer or find our own restaurant, and we began to accept that the group had gone to dinner without us. Right when we turned to find a restaurant, we spotted Dr. Krentz and Matt across the square, and we yelled and sprinted towards them. The entire group also appeared with them, we weren’t sure from where, but we reunited and all had a delicious meal together.

Something Turkish, Greek or Roman

Since Assos, we have been to the ancient sites of Troy, Pergamon, Sardis, Didyma, Miletos, Priene, Magnesia, Ephesos, Aphrodisias, Kanukkale, Hierapolis, Sagalesssos, Antalya, Perge, and Aspendus before Istanbul. That’s many Turkish towns, many ancient cities, and a lot to confuse when I study for my tests, think about Greek and Roman history, or finally try to blog! But I have learned so much and have lots to retell.

After reading the Iliad and watching “Troy,” visiting Troy itself was somewhat of a disappointment. Years of ancient cities were built on top of each other at Troy, so very little of any individual city can be seen at once on the site. Trying to depict conflicting histories on the same land is impossible, as evidenced to us at Troy. Troy was an excellent example of how archaeologists inherently destroy evidence as they go, and it differs from most of the other sites we visited because it was inhabited for so long. We had a class discussion in the Odeon, or small theatre, at Troy, and even though having discussion in an ancient theatre is typical on the Classics trip, I hope that I never cease to marvel as we relax on ancient politically heated stone steps. Troy also has its very own modern Trojan horse, and we all climbed up to take pictures. That almost made my day.

At Pergamum, in the modern city of Bergama, we encountered the strongest winds I have ever experienced. Due to the weather, we were not able to learn a lot but we still spent hours here playing in and fighting the wind for the strength to even stay standing. This was one of the best days of the trip. At this biblical site, I was overwhelmed with God’s power as so clearly manifested to me by the force of the winds. The city was also huge, and we ran around into all the different coves, rooms, and buildings to better see the acropolis or the modern town and scenery below.

Many of the sites we visit contain Roman baths. The concept of public bathing is foreign to us, so we all tend to marvel at these structures. These baths typically have three rooms: a cold water room, warm water room, and hot room, and I was always amazed by how huge the baths were. When we stopped at Kanukkale, we visited the (very touristy) hot springs. They felt great to stand in, but we all just took off our shoes and rolled up our pants. I must be very spoiled and/or vain, but I really appreciate private bathing! I cannot imagine, even if I was accustomed to it, being so free in public. Public baths still exist in Turkey, and they are apparently quite popular. Gülin, our Turkish tour guide, strongly encouraged everyone to experience a Turkish bath. Some of the other girls did in Istanbul and said it was a great experience.

At Ephesos, among other things, we discussed the story in Acts of Paul in the theatre at Ephesos. I sat on the very seats in the very theatre where this event took place! These biblical sites are fascinating, though I wish Dr. Krentz spent more time with us discussing Roman history and the early years of Christianity. He specializes in Greek history, and that’s clearly where most of his interest lies. We also saw the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. While I love to be able to say that I have been to another of the ancient seven wonders, there is not much to see of the Temple of Artemis. All that is left standing is one column (on top of which is a massive stork’s nest). The temple, however, was the largest ancient temple and was massive, as we saw by the area of land containing the remains of the temple.

We had a particularly fun visit to Aphrodisias, most memorable of which was our footrace in the stadium. The girls and guys (most of us at least) lined up along the start line at one end as Dr. Krentz counted down to a start. Rob and Reed stood at the far end of the theatre at the designated finish line and to declare the winners. Us Classics kids are competitive, and after a few false starts, we finally got a clean start and the race began. It was amazing to me how fast the guys were, and within a few seconds they were all far past the girls. In very impressive wins, Trent won among the guys and Sarabeth among the girls. As soon as Trent won, Rob and Reed came sprinting the other way screaming the victory, so the girls did not really know where to stop. The race was exhilarating, though the ground of the stadium is not flat as I hope it was for the races in the ancient days. I twisted my ankle, harmlessly, several times during the race. Trent apparently went all out on this race, and immediately after his win he collapsed on the stadium steps and stayed there for about twenty minutes. He was okay, but it took him quite a while to join the group at the temple of Aphrodisias.

We also had a particularly memorable time visiting Sagalassos/Heirapolis. Sagalassos is very high on a mountain, and there had been a massive snowstorm the day of our visit, so the site and the narrow, meandering mountain roads leading up to it were snow-covered. The most logical decision seemed to be to forfeit our trip to Sagalassos. But no. Gülin insisted on calling the governor to ask him to please plow the mountain roads because a group of serious archaeologists needed to see the site. This tactic worked, and the road was cleared foot by foot in front of our eyes as we followed the plow up the mountain. Then as soon as we got off the bus at the site, us serious archaeologists, including Gülin, Dr. Krentz, and our bus driver Kadir, broke into a massive snowball fight. The site managers watched us and had to patiently wait for us to finish before we even glanced at the excavations. We had an impressively long fight, and for those who can check, Kyle posted a hilarious video of it on Facebook.

Assos, Turkey

We spent our first five nights in Assos, Turkey at the Kervansaray Assos hotel. This was a wonderful location on the Aegean, and the hotel is a converted fortress. The view from our room was beautiful, with water and distant mountains in every direction. Louisa and I were on the second floor, and since a first floor addition was built to the back of the hotel, our window opened onto the roof of this addition. We loved spending time on the roof and reading or just taking in the scenery. Just as this roof allowed for such enjoyment, it also caused a tremendous fright during our second to last night in Assos. There was torrential rain and terrible thunderstorms this night, and I woke from my sleep to the loudest and most bizarre wailing I had ever heard. I at first thought it was part of my dream, but it became so real that I woke up to see a screeching cat in our room. I freaked out, yelled at Louisa, and jumped towards the cat so that it wouldn’t jump from the window ledge onto my bed, as it looked like it was about to do. I must have made a point because the cat quickly leapt out of the room, but it frightened us so that I still shudder when I think about its wailing. Louisa’s reaction was priceless. She groggily uttered, “well, that’s creepy.” :)

While in Assos, we spent almost the entire time reading the Iliad. We even read parts of it aloud as it is meant to be read. On our last day in Assos we saw the ancient temple and theatre there. This was beautiful and, like most classical temples, in an inspiring location on top of a hill overlooking water and mountains. Along the road that we took from the hotel to these sites (which was an incredibly long and steep climb that I, wrongly, thought I could run up!), we passed many loose sheep and cows. We also spent time relaxing in the theater, and some students put on little performances. Wheat rapped to “Ice Ice Baby,” and Mary and Louisa sang the lollipop guild song from The Wizard of Oz.

Thessaloniki and Xanthi

Monday, February 2nd, was somewhat of a failed adventure but also a wonderful day. The group was exhausted and getting weary since we had not had a true free day since January 19th in Egypt. We drove from Makrynitsa to Olynthos, but the museum there was closed. Then all restaurants were closed (because it was a Monday) until we reached Thessaloniki. Immediately after unloading at the hotel, we explored for restaurants and found a delicious pita gyro shop called Luigi’s. (It was very late in the afternoon by this point). They had delicious pita gyros. Then Allie, Louisa and I decided to explore Thessaloniki by taking a walk to the water. We went for what turned out to be a six-mile walk until dusk. We found the famous white tower on the water and then walked along an exercise path until we reached the end of the dock. It was an amazing walk, and we had wonderful conversation so that we all got to know each other more deeply. We agreed and disagreed on many things, but the conversation was inspiring for me since we were able to share beliefs without getting offended or confrontational. On the way back to the hotel, we lost our way and had to awkwardly consult Greek-speaking passers-by and a large map we had from the hotel. Once we found the street we should be on, we celebrated by each getting a little treat at a local bakery. That night, we ate at a crêpe restaurant that we had found on our walk and had delicious crêpes! They were different than ones I had had in the past because they were thicker, and the ingredients were different. I ordered one with many thick toppings – salami, potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese.

On Tuesday, we visited Vergina and saw the tumulus thought to contain the tomb of Philip II, Alexander the Great’s father. The site is literally a huge burial mound, and the museum is built inside the mound. Walking into the museum, you walk through a long dark tunnel under a huge mound of earth. The museum was one of my favorites because it was dark and almost mysterious, and the descriptions were thorough. I also find it so mysterious and interesting how much was put in people’s tombs for storage or preparation for the afterlife. It certainly is a foreign concept to us. Philip II’s tomb house, if you will, (what is thought to be his tomb; there is not universal consensus on this) was beautiful. It was in a large building (9.5 x 5.6 m) with the tumulus built around it, and is remarkably well-preserved. In preparation for our visit to Vergina, we read sources on Philip II’s assassination. Pausanius, the assassin, fled the site and was killed before anyone could ask him questions about his motives, so there are countless theories it.

On Wednesday, as we drove from Thessaloniki to Xanthi, we stopped in Philippi, the site of the first Christian community in Europe. Saint Paul traveled there in 50 A.D., and he wrote the epistle to the Philippians based on the community in Philippi. In addition to seeing the remains of the city with its church, market, and Roman agora, we especially enjoyed seeing the bathroom. Look up the ancient toilets at Philippi to picture this, because this is another idea that is completely foreign to us. We all sat on the toilets (and with 17 of us there were many to spare), and we sat about a foot away from the person next to us.

We had a free day on Thursday in Xanthi, Greece. While Xanthi is a sizeable town, it is small and relatively easily to navigate (though I did manage to get lost here too). On Thursday, I went to a very nice long “lunch”, starting at 3:00 pm, with Dr. Krentz, Emily, Louisa, Allie and Reed. The lunch was with the wife of a Davidson graduate and her two young children. The woman (and I can’t remember her name!) is Greek, and she met her husband in Germany while he was on a Davidson study abroad trip there. She is now a lawyer in Xanthi. Her husband tragically passed away because of a sickness several years ago, and there is a memorial scholarship in his name for Davidson students. We had a really delicious meal with her, and it was a valuable and eye-opening experience for us to meet her and her children. I definitely take my parents’ lives and having a stable two-parent household for granted.

More Greece

We continued on Sunday to the battle site of Thermopylai and the Neolithic settlement at Dimini. We drove through beautiful snow-covered mountains from Delphi. From the distant ground, such as at the monuments of Delphi, it appeared as if only the tips of the distant mountains were snow-covered. However, driving through them, there were long stretches of deep, beautiful snow. Thermopylai is named for the hot springs there, and we saw the steaming water – a huge contrast to the cold weather we were experiencing. We saw two monuments at Thermopylai commemorating the famous battle where the Persians killed a front of 300 Spartans.

We spent Sunday night in Makrynitsa, an adorable tiny town in Greece. Dr. Krentz told us that we needed to pack a small bag for the night because we could not take our suitcases into the hotel. When we arrived in Makrynitsa, the reasons were clear. The town streets are narrow, stone and uneven, and the bus would not have been able to fit through the town. Our hotel was well into the town and atop a narrow uphill stone street/path. Then the hotel itself was probably the most old-fashioned hotel I have ever seen. We called it a hobbit house since everything was miniature – the doors tiny and the ceilings low. The rooms themselves were interesting, and this was the first place where we actually had to share beds. (Going on the trip, I expected to share beds the entire time, but we have always had twin beds except for in Makrynitsa). Our showers also did not have shower curtains (and neither did our next hotel in Thessaloniki).

In addition to appreciating our hotel in Makrynitsa, we all fell in love with the town. It was quaint and authentic, and it had wonderful little shops and a total of two restaurants. We saw several spice shops, and in one of the street spice stores Louisa and I saw a special spice named Louisa. Though spending only one night in Makrynitsa was tiring and involved extra travel and complicated logistics, Dr. Krentz was right. The town was so cool that we were all so glad to be able to spend only one night there.

Delphi, and the Hike!

Friday afternoon, about half of the group and Dr. Krentz hiked up one of the Delphic mountains to a small hut, or lookout on the very top. Our hotel was on the lowest street in Delphi, so before we even started the hike we climbed the public stairs on the hill Delphi is built on. We then climbed the mountain, and this was one of the most fun hikes I have ever been on. We were surrounded by mountains and water, and the view was amazing. I hiked most of the way with Bryce and Liz, and as we “neared” the top we increasingly felt that we were not heading towards the lookout. We were still on a trail, and at a critical turn the trail markers directed us right. Therefore we turned right. Little did we know, the lookout was only a short distance to the left. We ended up far off any trail with no idea how to get to the lookout. We just headed in the direction we thought the hut to be, and I eventually spotted it in the distance. To get there, we bushwhacked, trespassed, followed the goat trails, climbed over recently exposed rocks and even over a low barbed wire fence. It was quite an experience, and we got tired and DIRTY! I was so glad to get to the hut safely and without any broken ankles. After marveling at the scenery, we followed the trail down the mountain and quickly saw the point where we turned awry. We soon met Dr. Krentz and Jensen who were waiting for us on the trail. On the way down, Liz and Bryce talked about how our experience was similar to that of Ephialtes in the movie “300” (which I haven’t seen).

On Saturday, we visited the Delphi Museum and the site of the Delphic oracle. This was fascinating since the Delphic oracle is one of the most famous sites we will see this trip. It was pouring rain on Saturday, but still great to be there. We saw the site of the oracle, the Athenian treasury, the remains of the Siphnian treasury, and the theatre. Unfortunately the site closed earlier than we had thought, and we were not allowed to continue to the race-track. We returned on Sunday morning to see the stadium and race-track. I loved seeing the race-track, and I especially loved the long, cold, early morning uphill climb that we had to take to get there. I definitely understand how that wakes one up.

Back to Greece

We rode the ferry last night from Crete back to Athens. Thankfully, nobody got sick this time! The ferry docks early, at around 6:00 am, so our day was long. First we saw the site of the burial of the Athenians from the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. There is a huge burial mound at this site, and it is enclosed by a fence that we could not enter. The Battle of Marathon is listed as one of the most decisive battles in history. The Persians invaded the Athenian plain, and in a shocking victory 192 Athenians died against 6500 Persians deaths. This battle was decisive not because it ended the Persian War but because before this battle, nobody could stand up to the Persians. Dr. Krentz is writing a book on the Battle of Marathon that should be published in Spring, 2010. I look forward to reading it (and obtaining his signature) after hearing so much from him.

We also saw the trope, which was the site where the Persians turned and fled the battle site. A trophy was erected above a large column, and this column was reconstructed for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. We saw the trophy itself at the Museum of Marathon.

On Thursday, January 29th, we visited Eretria, Lefkandi, and Thebes. We first saw the remains of a house in Lefkandi from the Dark Ages. It was an intriguing site, and very little is known about the use of the site and likely builders. In Eretria, we saw the remains of a Greek city, and we visited the Eretrian Museum. Eretria is a Swiss excavation site, and Sylvian Fachard, the head of the Swiss School of Archaeology at Eretria gave us a tour of the museum, sites and acropolis. Sylvian was an excellent guide and a remarkable character. I found his family background especially interesting. He was born in New York and raised in Switzerland, and his mother is Greek. He speaks French, Italian, English and Greek and seemed like an all-round brilliant guy. He joined us for lunch, and I learned a lot by hearing from an active archaeologist. In particular, we learned about all of the paperwork and endless bureaucracy involved in starting a dig. Similar to problems of eminent domain in the U.S., a school must buy a property before digging it, and this often involves forcing a family to sell their home.

We also saw the House of the Mosaics in Eretria. This house, built in 370 B.C. and destroyed by fire in 270 B.C., was probably the residence of a very wealthy family. It has been dubbed “House of the Mosaics” for its beautiful and intricate floor mosaics.

I really enjoyed this meal at a taverna in Eretria with Sylvian. The meal was delicious, and I had pasticcio, a Greek pasta dish. In addition to being able to talk with Sylvian, I got to see a whole other side of Spiros. He does not usually eat with the group, but when he does he does not talk because he only speaks Greek. Well, Spiros sat next to Sylvian, and they had quite the conversation which Sylvian translated for us. The breakfast that morning at our hotel in Thebes was sub-par. Everywhere we have stayed this trip has had complementary breakfasts, and the range in quality has been vast. Thebes was the worst, and even I, and I proudly consider myself not picky, did not enjoy it. We could tell that Spiros was very passionate about whatever he was talking to Sylvian about, and he was using many dramatic hand gestures. He apparently told Sylvian that the breakfast was so bad he wanted to throw it in the hotel staff’s face! He also complained about the elevators which were, it is true, almost too small for one person. But by my estimations the hotel in Thebes was the best we have been to because it had free wireless! I don’t know if I should write this, but the password was wonderful – 1234567890.

On Friday, we visited the site of the Battle of Chaironeia, which occurred in 338 B.C. Philip II, king of the Macedonians, and his son Alexander, defeated the Greeks. This was a decisive battle because it was the end of the free Greek poleis. We then continued the drive into Delphi. More than any of the other Greek towns we have stayed in, Delphi is a vacation spot. It is under and between beautiful snow-covered mountains and is therefore a popular ski resort. Our hotel experience in Delphi was also interesting. It was filled with Greek high school students, and they were LOUD and frisky. We received several prank phone calls during the evening and early morning, and they all came back from the clubs at 5:00 am. This return must have awoken the entire hotel, and Dr. Krentz was not happy the next morning.

Crete

We rode an overnight ferry to Crete on Tuesday night. I hate to say that my experience on Crete is tainted by this ferry ride and my first day here, but I think it is. I got terribly sick, probably from the motion of the ferry, and I spent the entire next day sleeping in the hotel. I could not remember feeling that weak or miserable, and I slept for twenty hours Wednesday and Wednesday night. While I was sick, the group visited Vathypetro, Arkhanes, and Anemospilia. Thankfully the recovery was relatively fast.

I joined the group on Thursday, and I participated in everything except for a short hike during the day and dinner that night. We visited Knossos and the Herakleion Museum. Knossos is the site of a Minoan Bronze Age palace, and it is the only palace that survived the great destruction on Crete in the Late Minoan IB period (LMIB). The palace was discovered and excavated by Sir Arthur Evans during the early twentieth century. He used much of the evidence to do reconstruction and restoration to the palace. These restorations have been controversial because they involve changes to the excavation site which rely on incomplete evidence and Evans’ use of biases and personal interpretations. However, the restorations do allow a visitor to better imagine what the palace looked like. The Herakleion Museum was somewhat of a disappointment since it is currently undergoing renovation. Most of its artifacts were not on display, but we were still able to see some great pieces.

On Friday, we visited Phaistos, Ayia Triadha and Gortyn. This was a cold and very rainy day, so we did not spend as much time as we hoped to at each site. Spiros had actually predicted that it would rain Thursday, so we switched the Thursday and Friday schedules. But then it rained on Friday and not Thursday. Oh well. Phaistos is the site of a Minoan palace that was destroyed in the LMIB period. We also stopped at Ayia Triadha, but the site was closed so we were not able to explore it. Then we stopped at Gortyn and saw the inscription of the Law Code of Gortyn, which we read. The Law Code discusses family matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, and the handling of property. It is a long list of laws that begins with the invocation “Gods!”

We spent Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights in Siteia. Compared to Herakleion, Siteia seemed like a sleepy, dead town. The town is actually much bigger and nicer than we first thought, but it still did not compare to Herakleion. On Sunday night, the group enjoyed a dinner together in celebration of Reed’s birthday. The food was delicious, and it just kept appearing on the table. We had all sorts of traditional Grecian food, and I am learning to like feta cheese! Monday was a free day for studying for our four tests on Tuesday. Matt and I tried to have a quick lunch by walking to a bakery that we had been to on our first day. However, neither of us have senses of direction, and we seemed to go everywhere in Siteia in search of this bakery. We never found it and had to find our way back to the hotel by following the shoreline. We then had gyros at a place next to the hotel. It was a long and very good walk, but definitely not anticipated.
On Saturday, we drove to Malia and Gournia, the sites of two more palaces. Malia was closed, but we did explore Gournia. Then on Sunday, we visited the Siteia Museum and the palace at Zakros.

Overall, visiting Crete was a wonderful experience, as I’m sure every visit on this trip will be. There were some unexpected obstacles such as sickness (for me and others), weather, and sites being closed. However, I would return to Crete anytime just to drive along the coast and see the landscape. We drove through mountains on narrow, circuitous roads, and the views of the water, mountains and countryside were breathtaking. The historical aspect of our tour was challenging because so little is known about Minoan Bronze Age civilization. Most of what we and any archaeologist or historian can do on the subject is speculate. But this requires us to think, and that is why we are on this trip.

Half Day in Greece

On Tuesday, January 20th, we left Egypt on a flight from Cairo to Athens. Spiros, our bus driver who will be with us for most of the trip, met us at the airport. Spiros also drove the Classics group that Dr. Krentz led in 2005. We are in a double-decker bus with tables on the first level and a great view on the top.

After arriving in Athens, we drove to Thorakos, the site of an ancient Greek theater. It is not a well-known or particularly important site, and it was completely open to visitors. The area was stunning. The theater is under a hill, and we decided to climb to the top. There was no path up the hill, so we had to climb over stones and make our own paths. Once we made it to the top, the view was spectacular. We could see civilization, countryside, and water for miles, and it was breathtaking. (Though maybe I am biased – my breath had also been taken by the exertion of the hike). ☺ Though the sites we saw in Egypt were beautiful, I could tell right away that Greece is more beautiful and spectacular compared to the Egyptian desert.

We also visited the Temple of Poseidon and the dismantled Temple of Athena. They were each on hills overlooking the Aegean Sea, and again the view was beautiful. The Temple of Athena is completely dismantled and only contains stone formations. Dr. Krentz had us explore the site and try to formulate a plan of how the temple was constructed. This was interesting but also challenging since evidence was lacking and we had only just seen our first Greek temple – the Temple of Poseidon.

Cairo

On Sunday, January 18th, we spent our first full day in Cairo. We saw the Pyramids and the great Sphinx, and we visited the Cairo Museum. We climbed the great pyramid, and that was a life-changing experience. We climbed stairs up a tiny portion of the outside and then entered a small corridor to go into the pyramid. Then there was a long hike to the top. Parts of the climb were easier than others, but all of it was through narrow passageways. This is a claustrophobic person’s nightmare! For much of the climb we were bent over walking because the ceiling was so low and the hike steep. The taller a person, the harder the climb because of how low the ceiling gets. You also go along the same path up and down the pyramid, yet there is barely room for two people to stand side by side, so letting others by slowed down the process of reaching the top or bottom. At the top of the pyramid was a small, very hot, and echoing chamber. In it was a large (empty) tomb in which the pharaoh was buried.



As I was climbing the pyramid, I knew that in the unlikely event that this structure suddenly gave way or if someone had a heart attack, then there would be little to no hope for their survival. However, I realized that these fears were unreasonable and should not stop anyone of good health from climbing up. Climbing the great pyramid was an eye-opening experience that, in that moment, allowed me to live life to the fullest. It was exhilarating and wonderful.

Our visit of the Cairo Museum was also very interesting. The museum is built like a Western building, so it didn’t seem to fit in Cairo as it would have in Western Europe. The museum is massive, and it would take days or weeks to see everything. However, many members of the group were disappointed in the museum since so many artifacts were not labeled. I would have loved to learn the historical significance of everything that was there, but we mostly could only look and wonder. One of the most fascinating exhibits, of course, was King Tut’s treasures. We saw his gold masks and the huge amount of stuff that was found in his tombs. The amount of treasure found is remarkable, especially since the area around his tomb is not very big. (Last week, we saw where he was buried at the Valley of the Kings). At King Tut’s burial spot was not only gold, jewelry and other valuable objects, but also everyday objects such as his sandals and underwear. Anything that was important to the king was saved. Our tour guide reminded us also that King Tut is so well-known precisely for the reason that he is not known. He lived to be a maximum of twenty-two years old, and he reigned for a short period. If his tomb contains all this treasure, then we can only imagine what some of the great pharaohs’ tombs, such as Rameses’, contained.

In Cairo, we stayed at a very nice hotel, the Marriott. It is a five star hotel, and is apparently the largest hotel in the Mideast. It has over one thousand rooms, a huge courtyard, many shops and restaurants, a casino, and more. The breakfasts were also remarkable. However, the unfortunate thing was that several peoples’ suitcases were broken when we arrived at the Marriott. We don’t know if this was the fault of the porters there or if it happened on our multiple bus rides or on the flight from Luxor to Cairo. My roommate at the Marriott, Sarabeth, had a broken suitcase. We had quite an experience taping her suitcase with yellow duct tape.

I have spent some time in New York and Chicago, whose streets and drivers are supposed to be terrible and frightening. However, those tame American cities are nothing compared to Cairo. Hesham told us multiple times that the driving rule in Cairo is that there is no rule. This is so true. There are some traffic lights, but when they turn red, the drivers do not stop. We even saw our bus driver run a red light. There are some police officers on the streets, and only with their presence do drivers seem to respect anyone else on the streets. Crosswalks also do not mean anything, and crossing the streets as a pedestrian in Cairo was crazy. Cars will not stop for you, and if you see an opening, you have to sprint across the street. I was amazed by how many cars also did not use their lights at night. Flashing lights were used as a menace, especially towards pedestrians. The sounding of horns is also constant. By spending time in Cairo I realized how flawed the system of beeping is, especially there. If everyone constantly sounds their horn, then there is no way to know what a beep means or who it comes from. It’s like the boy who cried wolf—every sounded horn means less and less. Finally, parking spaces also mean nothing. If someone wants to stop, it seems like they just their car and get out. If they block someone in a parallel spot next to them, no bother. Very strange.

Despite the surprise regarding the streets of Cairo, I had a wonderful time there. I loved exploring the streets (never alone) and eating Egyptian food in some of the street restaurants. Americans are so spoiled by the huge menus at restaurants. At most of the restaurants we saw, there were two options: chicken or meat (beef/pork). However, the food was delicious, if not greasy, and I am so thankful that I did not get sick from any of it. Also, some of my favorite restaurants in the States are what I call “hole-in-the-walls.” The food is cheap and good, and I love the relaxed atmosphere. However, I did not know until I visited Cairo what a true hole-in-the-wall is. Few street restaurants have tables, and they literally consist of a hole in the side of a building with a kitchen and a counter. Awesome.

Something else that was interesting about Cairo—
The city is expanding rapidly, and the population increasing. Many new apartment buildings are being built, yet they seem to never be finished. Almost all of them have pillars on the roofs to allow for further expansion.

Home - Aswan

We are on the cruise ship “Serenade” going up the Nile, which is going south since the Nile runs north. (“Upper Egypt” is southern Egypt and “Lower Egypt” northern. When our tour guide, Hesham, talks about this, he says that America and all those other countries work upside down.) We are spending four nights on the Serenade, traveling on it from Luxor to Aswan. In Luxor, we saw the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. We also visited the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, where King Tut’s tomb was found. We saw current excavations taking place there, and that was very interesting. There were many Egyptian men digging, chiseling, hammering, and carrying stone and debris. Most of them were wearing their traditional religious garb. I was surprised at how primitive the process of excavating is, but I suppose that it must be since only human hands can feel an artifact. We have also visited the Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, and Phile Temple. The Phile Temple, which we visited in Aswan, is on an island in the Nile. However, the island that we visited it on is not the island on which it was built. It was built on a different island and then, because of flooding, had to be dismantled, moved and reconstructed. The temple was moved from 1972-1980.

At the Valley of the Queens, I was particularly moved by seeing the skeleton of a six-month-old fetus in the tomb of Prince Amunherkhepeshef. The remains are well over three thousand years old, yet the skeleton appeared to be in excellent condition. On the feet, I could see the individual formations of every toe-bone. I came close to tears at this sight because it was an undeniable visible reminder that a fetus is a life.

In addition to basic accounts of what we are doing and seeing on the trip, I also plan to include in this blog random accounts of funny, interesting, and unexpected things that happen to us.
On the cruise ship, Mary and I had an adventure washing our jeans in the tiny sink and shower in our cabin. Somehow we both fit into the bathroom to do this, but we still aren’t sure how that worked. This will be the required method of washing clothes on this trip!

There is a little gift shop by the dining room on the boat, and the men who work there don’t seem to have had much business. They are very pushy with their products. Cartouches are the ancient Egyptian symbol for eternity or everlasting life, and they are inscribed all over the temples. The gift shop sells cartouche bracelets, and when we were waiting outside of the dining hall for lunch to start, one of the vendors was advertising the silver bracelet cartouches. He said that they are $25 dollars, or $20, “I don’t mind.” I found it amusing that the price, even on this cruise ship, was so flexible.

Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country, about 85% of the population being Muslim. The call to prayer is sounded through the cities five times a day, and all the Muslims must fall and pray. Though others in the group have, I have not yet seen anybody pull out a carpet to pray during these times. In the store selling the papyrus papers, one of the workers pulled out a carpet to pray when the call sounded, as he was working. Though I am not Muslim, I think there is a lot to learn from this devotion, if genuine, and from the constant practice of the presence of God.

We just got back from the street markets in Aswan. They were selling all sorts of things, and peddling is expected. The vendors chase after you, and you must learn to not make eye contact or stall. Even children run at you, and they are fearless. I would definitely describe these people as confrontational, but it’s not dangerous because there are so many people around. I only bought some needed shampoo, so I look forward to more market shopping in Cairo.