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Friday, January 25, 2019
Update 20
Here's a few juxtapositions we've seen recently:
-A huge CAT dirt mover passed by a donkey pulled cart
-A Christian church with a Muslim security guard
-A Muslim woman wearing a hijab walking by a stall selling sexy Cleopatra outfits
-Looking out our airport window: the green rich Nile delta next to the barren desert...you could almost draw a straight line to divide the two
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-A huge CAT dirt mover passed by a donkey pulled cart
-A Christian church with a Muslim security guard
-A Muslim woman wearing a hijab walking by a stall selling sexy Cleopatra outfits
-Looking out our airport window: the green rich Nile delta next to the barren desert...you could almost draw a straight line to divide the two
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Update 19
RE was closed for the next two days to celebrate Revolutionary Day (1954 independence from British). We headed to the Egyptian Museum...and we're overwhelmed! All those tombs we saw had been loaded with jewelry, furniture, miniature weapons & servants, pottery, food, clothing, sarcophagus & mummies...and all these treasures filled the museum....and we heard only 15% were on display. One area alone held about 120 sarcophaguses!! Two temperature controlled rooms were the "tomb" for about 20 mummies.
We were both feeling like it was just sooo wrong that all this was taken out of their tombs...and the mummies out of their personal caskets...just so we could gawk at them! But then we read the display describing how the tombs were being robbed*, plundered & destroyed for years before the Egyptian gov't decided to protect them by housing them in this museum built in 1858. (*Gurda was named in particular...we wondered if related to our guest house family???)
After about 3 hours, we couldn't digest any more. We grabbed a sandwich & Cheetos ...love a taste from home :). Then to market-to-market to buy...a sweater & that's it. But we did see anything & everything including butchered meats, veges, spices, raw wool, breads, bedding, clothing, kitchen stuff, water pipes & every known trinket there is!! Khan el Khalili filled narrow & winding streets crammed with stalls & customers but still motorcycles raced through the cracks of space. Totally crazy.
Our second day off, we headed to RE to the English church service & enjoyed visiting with others from many other countries. Then we crawled into a Tuk Tuk & headed for the Ottoman museum & a mosque built in 263AD and ended up at the Citadel which included the Muhammad Ali Mosque & the Police Museum. It was a delightful to see many young families enjoying the open space...and it made us grin to be asked a couple times to have us in their pictures.
It was a perfect way to spend the Egyptian Revolutionary Day...much like our 4th of July...and we even got to watch fireworks from our hotel room!
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We were both feeling like it was just sooo wrong that all this was taken out of their tombs...and the mummies out of their personal caskets...just so we could gawk at them! But then we read the display describing how the tombs were being robbed*, plundered & destroyed for years before the Egyptian gov't decided to protect them by housing them in this museum built in 1858. (*Gurda was named in particular...we wondered if related to our guest house family???)
After about 3 hours, we couldn't digest any more. We grabbed a sandwich & Cheetos ...love a taste from home :). Then to market-to-market to buy...a sweater & that's it. But we did see anything & everything including butchered meats, veges, spices, raw wool, breads, bedding, clothing, kitchen stuff, water pipes & every known trinket there is!! Khan el Khalili filled narrow & winding streets crammed with stalls & customers but still motorcycles raced through the cracks of space. Totally crazy.
Our second day off, we headed to RE to the English church service & enjoyed visiting with others from many other countries. Then we crawled into a Tuk Tuk & headed for the Ottoman museum & a mosque built in 263AD and ended up at the Citadel which included the Muhammad Ali Mosque & the Police Museum. It was a delightful to see many young families enjoying the open space...and it made us grin to be asked a couple times to have us in their pictures.
It was a perfect way to spend the Egyptian Revolutionary Day...much like our 4th of July...and we even got to watch fireworks from our hotel room!
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Update 18
My birthday! Sun shone brightly into our room...a birthday treat for me! Ate breakfast at our hotel...impressive buffet..then off to RE. Rog did some one on one teaching with a priest, Joshua. For 1 1/2 hours he pronounced & explained the meaning of words Joshua didn't know from the Bible! Imagine that...Rog teaching a priest about the Bible. Cracked me up! I copied & stapled English midterm test and then both of us edited an English power point presentation the Doctor here prepared & is going to give. She needed help with the grammar & spelling.
While we were eating lunch, a young boy selling flowers kept giving me pleading eyes as he sat on the curb with cars rushing by within inches. I couldn't resist so I got flowers for my birthday. :)
We got our lesson plans for the class we're teaching later when we got back so we spent some time prepping. It's a beginners class of 20 some students. We practiced introductions, saying the letters names & the correct way to use Mr., Mrs. and Miss. The students were engaged & freely participated. It was fun & easy for us!
On our way back to our room, we stopped to buy rich desserts which we thoroughly enjoyed. The miracle of Messenger made it possible for me to get birthday wishes from most of my kids & grandkids!! I stayed up late reading the Facebook birthday wishes & felling very special.
So another birthday in another country...lucky me!!
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While we were eating lunch, a young boy selling flowers kept giving me pleading eyes as he sat on the curb with cars rushing by within inches. I couldn't resist so I got flowers for my birthday. :)
We got our lesson plans for the class we're teaching later when we got back so we spent some time prepping. It's a beginners class of 20 some students. We practiced introductions, saying the letters names & the correct way to use Mr., Mrs. and Miss. The students were engaged & freely participated. It was fun & easy for us!
On our way back to our room, we stopped to buy rich desserts which we thoroughly enjoyed. The miracle of Messenger made it possible for me to get birthday wishes from most of my kids & grandkids!! I stayed up late reading the Facebook birthday wishes & felling very special.
So another birthday in another country...lucky me!!
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Update 17
Moving on up!! That's been our experience here in Cairo—from a horrid first night, to a much better room ($40) though cold & we had to swat flies on a regular basis—to a fabulous 16th floor room with a view of the Nile and a heater!! It's ironic how it all worked out. When the reservations for one ran out, we had to move and for $15 more, we got this luxurious room. If only we'd known!! In 4 days we'll be moving again to the room right on the All Saints campus—for just $20 a night...wondering if we'll be moving up or down?
Our walk to RE is about the same. It's funny how quickly it feels like home when you walk the same streets two or more times a day...see the same store keepers, shoe shiners, street sweepers, boys parking cars, etc...The man who sells Coke Lite is my buddy & waves even when I don't stop for a 30cent can.
This morning we worked on our lesson plans before heading to RE. Once there we both worked on sorting & distributing clothes. Not sure where it all comes from but comes in 100 lb grain bags which we dump on a table, let the refugees dig through as we try to sort a bit.
At 3, we went to our classrooms to make sure we could play the soundtrack that goes with our lesson & set up for class. At 3:30 class started...with 1 student on time. By 3:45 about 10 & by 4 we had 12. We spent some time learning a bit about each. Four of the boys had let their home country alone...family still there...probably avoiding being forced to join the military. Now they told us they hope be be a teach, chef, doctor & a salesman. I pray they can!!
Lesson went well as the kids were anxious to learn & felt free to ask questions. The 1 1/2 hour raced by & so many thanked us as they left. Ahh...we both love teaching. We celebrated eating at Pizza Hut!
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Our walk to RE is about the same. It's funny how quickly it feels like home when you walk the same streets two or more times a day...see the same store keepers, shoe shiners, street sweepers, boys parking cars, etc...The man who sells Coke Lite is my buddy & waves even when I don't stop for a 30cent can.
This morning we worked on our lesson plans before heading to RE. Once there we both worked on sorting & distributing clothes. Not sure where it all comes from but comes in 100 lb grain bags which we dump on a table, let the refugees dig through as we try to sort a bit.
At 3, we went to our classrooms to make sure we could play the soundtrack that goes with our lesson & set up for class. At 3:30 class started...with 1 student on time. By 3:45 about 10 & by 4 we had 12. We spent some time learning a bit about each. Four of the boys had let their home country alone...family still there...probably avoiding being forced to join the military. Now they told us they hope be be a teach, chef, doctor & a salesman. I pray they can!!
Lesson went well as the kids were anxious to learn & felt free to ask questions. The 1 1/2 hour raced by & so many thanked us as they left. Ahh...we both love teaching. We celebrated eating at Pizza Hut!
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Thursday, January 24, 2019
Update 16 by Roger
Every time we are out on the street we see some unfortunate people who are in need.
Old men or ladies sit on a piece of cardboard waiting for a passerby to give something to them. Some have a package of tissue that they hold out to us hoping for a bit more than they paid for it. Others just hold out their hand in the the universal gesture, or if hungry they put their hand to their mouth to make it clear.
I notice a boy walking from person to person with his hand out, then a man reaches into his pocket and nonchalantly passes a small bill to the boy.
A child sits in a broken plastic chair blocking a parking space until someone needs it, then he collects some baksheesh for "saving" the spot for the driver.
I am approached by a man speaking in Arabic asking me something. I don't understand...then he says in English, "Give me dollar." I don't want to encourage him to beg so I keep walking but I think about him a lot. Soon after that another man is crawling across the road on his hands and knees. His bare legs wave uselessly behind him. He has no feet. He can survive here only through the generosity of those around him.
I am not going to change the way that people get help here by any action I take or don't take. It seems so sad to us, but this is how it works here. And it has been this way for a very long time. The attitude is "you have some and I don't so share a bit of what you have". Baksheesh.
It's not hard to understand. It is just different from what we are accustomed to. Maybe we should rethink some of our customs.
I will be changing my ways and rather than trying to discourage them by ignoring their behavior I will offer what they want which is just a small amount. I will feel better and they will feel better about us, too.
Maybe travel does change us.
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Old men or ladies sit on a piece of cardboard waiting for a passerby to give something to them. Some have a package of tissue that they hold out to us hoping for a bit more than they paid for it. Others just hold out their hand in the the universal gesture, or if hungry they put their hand to their mouth to make it clear.
I notice a boy walking from person to person with his hand out, then a man reaches into his pocket and nonchalantly passes a small bill to the boy.
A child sits in a broken plastic chair blocking a parking space until someone needs it, then he collects some baksheesh for "saving" the spot for the driver.
I am approached by a man speaking in Arabic asking me something. I don't understand...then he says in English, "Give me dollar." I don't want to encourage him to beg so I keep walking but I think about him a lot. Soon after that another man is crawling across the road on his hands and knees. His bare legs wave uselessly behind him. He has no feet. He can survive here only through the generosity of those around him.
I am not going to change the way that people get help here by any action I take or don't take. It seems so sad to us, but this is how it works here. And it has been this way for a very long time. The attitude is "you have some and I don't so share a bit of what you have". Baksheesh.
It's not hard to understand. It is just different from what we are accustomed to. Maybe we should rethink some of our customs.
I will be changing my ways and rather than trying to discourage them by ignoring their behavior I will offer what they want which is just a small amount. I will feel better and they will feel better about us, too.
Maybe travel does change us.
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Update 15 by Roger
We stopped to visit with four women refugees from Eritrea while they were eating lunch.
Mona proudly told us that she was the elder sister and that she will soon be graduating from the cleaning class. She was excited because she will now be able to get a job and earn about 3000 Egyptian Pounds each month (about $175). Because food and other necessities are cheap here she will be OK but she will live on the edge.
When I mentioned the refugees to a local man, he said that they will basically be slaves to the rich people who hire them.
I am hopeful that the women will continue to improve their skills and move on to better paying jobs.
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Mona proudly told us that she was the elder sister and that she will soon be graduating from the cleaning class. She was excited because she will now be able to get a job and earn about 3000 Egyptian Pounds each month (about $175). Because food and other necessities are cheap here she will be OK but she will live on the edge.
When I mentioned the refugees to a local man, he said that they will basically be slaves to the rich people who hire them.
I am hopeful that the women will continue to improve their skills and move on to better paying jobs.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Update 14
Mohammed took us to the airport by 8 & we felt like we were leaving a good friend. Back in Cairo, we soon headed out to Refuge Egypt & quickly got put to work. Rog registering new refugees & I passed out & sorted clothes. Next @200 students came to pay ($6) & be assigned classes based on the results of last week's testing. Kind of chaotic. It took 4 staff & 4 volunteers to get it done in 3 hours. What made it so rewarding was knowing many of these young, eager kids came from countries where there had been no education for years due to war. As one boy said, "We are so blessed to be here!" And so are we.
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Update 13
Another day...another temple! But we'd save the best for last: Karnak. More & bigger pillars, statues, gateways, carvings, sphinx...and tourist. Really the first time we waited in a line. We lost the crowd by hiking to the end...about 900 Ft and slowly making our way back gaping at the quantity, quality & size. I have no more descriptive words to use after writing about the sights we've already seen these last 3 days. You know that savoring feeling you get when you eat the last bite..the moist center of a gooey warm cinnamon bun...maybe that describes how I felt.
In the nearby Luxor Museum we saw 2 mummies—one believed to be Ramses I. It had been lying around in some Niagara Falls Oddity spot, then purchased for $2M by U of Georgia, examined & ID'd and finally put to rest in the Luxor Museum...a good will offering!:). Also in the museum was a wooden box...totally decorated...a smaller box also decorated that fit inside it...believed to be the coffin of a wealthy African woman who died almost 4000 years ago. Dang that's old! Most of the stone statues in the museum were found in 1989 right on the Karnak grounds. (See Louise it's not too late!)
Our taxi driver (same one we've been with many times), Mohammed took us to "the best Egyptian food" in Luxor. We shared the meal and as usual, it was more than enough. Of all our travels, I think I've enjoyed Egyptian food the best...except desserts aren't offered.
Then we went to the hotel that Mohammed had arranged—he probably got a cut for it & the restaurant too. It was also a relic of the past...once elegant & a gem...now fading fast. A huge empty dining room with dusty table, a pool surrounded by worn out lounge chairs, many broken mirrors, etc...but adequate for one night.
After grabbing our jackets, we headed to the Nile malecon where we'd met a boat owner earlier who'd promised us a romantic sunset ride for $20..and it was. We admired the large sail boats & fancy huge cruise ships...but as usual, we were happy to travel more simply.
It's amazing what you can see in just 3 days!
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In the nearby Luxor Museum we saw 2 mummies—one believed to be Ramses I. It had been lying around in some Niagara Falls Oddity spot, then purchased for $2M by U of Georgia, examined & ID'd and finally put to rest in the Luxor Museum...a good will offering!:). Also in the museum was a wooden box...totally decorated...a smaller box also decorated that fit inside it...believed to be the coffin of a wealthy African woman who died almost 4000 years ago. Dang that's old! Most of the stone statues in the museum were found in 1989 right on the Karnak grounds. (See Louise it's not too late!)
Our taxi driver (same one we've been with many times), Mohammed took us to "the best Egyptian food" in Luxor. We shared the meal and as usual, it was more than enough. Of all our travels, I think I've enjoyed Egyptian food the best...except desserts aren't offered.
Then we went to the hotel that Mohammed had arranged—he probably got a cut for it & the restaurant too. It was also a relic of the past...once elegant & a gem...now fading fast. A huge empty dining room with dusty table, a pool surrounded by worn out lounge chairs, many broken mirrors, etc...but adequate for one night.
After grabbing our jackets, we headed to the Nile malecon where we'd met a boat owner earlier who'd promised us a romantic sunset ride for $20..and it was. We admired the large sail boats & fancy huge cruise ships...but as usual, we were happy to travel more simply.
It's amazing what you can see in just 3 days!
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Sunday, January 20, 2019
Update 12
From our room I heard children chanting and so off I went to find the source. Under a cane stalked roof on a dusty floor covered particulate by mats, I found an older man with a long stick point to a chipped blackboard covered with Arabic & a mass of children chanting the words. Shortly, he cam over to see me & when I asked if I could stay, he grinned & said certainly. I watched as he moved among the grouped students...about 70...getting each group to recite or read from a book they held. Often 3 groups were reciting at the same time but different lessons. Kids not under his direct supervision were doing the what you'd expect...swatting each other, pulling hair, tossing paper wads...mostly the boys...made me smile.
At one point, the teacher brought 2 very young girls over & had them recite the ABC's & spell some words for me. He tenderly put his hand on the shoulder of one of them and said she is very smart & comes to school every day. Putting his hand on the other, he said she too was very smart but did not come to school as often...then shook his head.
After about 30 minutes, the teacher dismissed one group at a time having the last group clean up. Then the teacher came over sit by me (I was on a block of cement holding up a post.). When I told him I'd been a teacher, he grinned & said "Then you understand." As I'd suspected, he'd divided the kids by levels..not age...six mats...K-5. Pretty sure he didn't do a formal testing. If I understood him correctly, many of the kids go to another school maybe in the morning as he only taught in the afternoon.
He had been teaching 30 years. He grinned when I complimented him on the kindness he showed his students, the control he had over the large group & the respect the students had for him. I love being in classrooms..anywhere & everywhere!!
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At one point, the teacher brought 2 very young girls over & had them recite the ABC's & spell some words for me. He tenderly put his hand on the shoulder of one of them and said she is very smart & comes to school every day. Putting his hand on the other, he said she too was very smart but did not come to school as often...then shook his head.
After about 30 minutes, the teacher dismissed one group at a time having the last group clean up. Then the teacher came over sit by me (I was on a block of cement holding up a post.). When I told him I'd been a teacher, he grinned & said "Then you understand." As I'd suspected, he'd divided the kids by levels..not age...six mats...K-5. Pretty sure he didn't do a formal testing. If I understood him correctly, many of the kids go to another school maybe in the morning as he only taught in the afternoon.
He had been teaching 30 years. He grinned when I complimented him on the kindness he showed his students, the control he had over the large group & the respect the students had for him. I love being in classrooms..anywhere & everywhere!!
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Update 11
Makmoud is the eldest male of the family who runs our guest house. He enjoys visiting with us & we encourage it. Often he and several of his family are gathered around a fire outside their home in the early morning & again late evening. They always offer us tea which even I accept. He has 7 children & says "over 40 grandkids." He proudly took us into his home to show us pictures of his grandfather, father & some of his family pictures hanging on the adobe walls. He smiled saying his grandfather went by camel to Mecca. It took him 6 months one way. His father by car & he by airplane. His daughter showed us the gigantic bowl of bread dough she was going to bake in the outside domed oven later.
Each morning Makmoud wakes at 3 am & goes to his mosque to pray until 6 am. Talk about devotion! These mornings he's wrapped in a couple long blankets like coats...but says he like it better now than when it is hot. Warm weather brings mosquitoes, scorpions & cobras. Made us appreciate being here now & will stop moaning about being chilled!!!
Makmoud has a keen sense of humor and walks & talks very slowly. A feeling of peace and contentment seems to linger in his presence.
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Each morning Makmoud wakes at 3 am & goes to his mosque to pray until 6 am. Talk about devotion! These mornings he's wrapped in a couple long blankets like coats...but says he like it better now than when it is hot. Warm weather brings mosquitoes, scorpions & cobras. Made us appreciate being here now & will stop moaning about being chilled!!!
Makmoud has a keen sense of humor and walks & talks very slowly. A feeling of peace and contentment seems to linger in his presence.
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Update 10
The sun kissed the horizon & the prayers from the mosque filled the air as our techno colored balloon glided over the ruins of the ancient Egyptian temples & tombs, our guest house and the small village near of KomLoLa. Tiny men cutting sugar cane, women hanging clothes, cows & goats in stables, water being pumped in rice paddies, donkeys pulling cart loads of grass & veges, truckload of men on their way to work, roofs storing grains & straw...such a menagerie of scenes with only the occasional donkey bray & the whoosh of the fire lifting our balloon breaking the silence. Our first balloon ride...an excellent & uplifting experience !!
We came down from our high & took off most of our 5 layers of clothing then went off to explore the Rameseum ruins built by Ramses II who called it his Temple of a Million Years—that's a man with a vision! He'd be disappointed that only 29 of the original 130 columns still stand and the 18' statue of himself is mostly huge chunks lying at his feet...& it's only about 3000 years old.
As we finished eating lunch, we met Nubi who told us he was the grandson of the man who showed the famous archeologist Carter where to find King Tut's tome. He proudly pointed to the picture hunting in the restaurant showing his grandfather wearing the golden belt of King Tut & standing next to Carter. How can you doubt him?
Between admission fees, balloon ride, taxi rides & the every need to tip, it was time to find an ATM. When we asked about finding one, Nubi, of course, was a taxi driver too & you'd think in the Valley of the Kings that would be easy...wrong. Nubi took us to the nearest one. No go. Took us to one farther away. No go. So finally he dropped us at the ferry so we could cross the Nile to the East Bank of Luxor—much more developed part. With a sigh of relief, we found on ATM that worked.
It was close to a McD so, why not?? It was the first McD (besides India) where I couldn't just get a small burger...smallest one was the 1/4 lb.
Right across the stree was the Luxor Temple with a mosque built within the ruins. We were escorted first into the mosque where there were several open matted prayer rooms & 2 overly decorated caskets of a beloved sheikh & his son who lived 800 yrs ago. As we exited, our guide looked us in the eyes and said so sincerely, "All people, Muslims, Hindu, Christians should not look at faces but only into their hearts. All should live in peace." Shalom is a common greeting here. Wish it was everywhere!
We then checked out the rest of the Luxor Temple. This one is bigger & more preserved than ones we've already seen. I know...how can that be?? Almost 30 sphinx line both sides of the entrance...and the archeologist are still uncovering them. They believe the line of sphinx extends 3km to the entrance of the Karnak Temple! Imagine that!! Seeing all these magnificent carved stone work makes me thing of the slaves & Moses' words, "Let my people go." (Not sure if the time frame fits —will have to check that out.)
Back on the ferry (always one of my favorite rides), we went back to KimLoLa and our cozy guest house.
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We came down from our high & took off most of our 5 layers of clothing then went off to explore the Rameseum ruins built by Ramses II who called it his Temple of a Million Years—that's a man with a vision! He'd be disappointed that only 29 of the original 130 columns still stand and the 18' statue of himself is mostly huge chunks lying at his feet...& it's only about 3000 years old.
As we finished eating lunch, we met Nubi who told us he was the grandson of the man who showed the famous archeologist Carter where to find King Tut's tome. He proudly pointed to the picture hunting in the restaurant showing his grandfather wearing the golden belt of King Tut & standing next to Carter. How can you doubt him?
Between admission fees, balloon ride, taxi rides & the every need to tip, it was time to find an ATM. When we asked about finding one, Nubi, of course, was a taxi driver too & you'd think in the Valley of the Kings that would be easy...wrong. Nubi took us to the nearest one. No go. Took us to one farther away. No go. So finally he dropped us at the ferry so we could cross the Nile to the East Bank of Luxor—much more developed part. With a sigh of relief, we found on ATM that worked.
It was close to a McD so, why not?? It was the first McD (besides India) where I couldn't just get a small burger...smallest one was the 1/4 lb.
Right across the stree was the Luxor Temple with a mosque built within the ruins. We were escorted first into the mosque where there were several open matted prayer rooms & 2 overly decorated caskets of a beloved sheikh & his son who lived 800 yrs ago. As we exited, our guide looked us in the eyes and said so sincerely, "All people, Muslims, Hindu, Christians should not look at faces but only into their hearts. All should live in peace." Shalom is a common greeting here. Wish it was everywhere!
We then checked out the rest of the Luxor Temple. This one is bigger & more preserved than ones we've already seen. I know...how can that be?? Almost 30 sphinx line both sides of the entrance...and the archeologist are still uncovering them. They believe the line of sphinx extends 3km to the entrance of the Karnak Temple! Imagine that!! Seeing all these magnificent carved stone work makes me thing of the slaves & Moses' words, "Let my people go." (Not sure if the time frame fits —will have to check that out.)
Back on the ferry (always one of my favorite rides), we went back to KimLoLa and our cozy guest house.
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Update 9
Who knew there were so many tombs!!! Over 3000 already excavated in this area alone. We did our best to visit many of them in the Valley of the Queens and the Tombs of the Nobles...12 total. Considered the best (and most expensive $70 each) of all tombs anywhere is the tomb of the beloved & most beautiful one of 5 wives of Ramses, Nephertari. Worth every penny! Brilliant rich colors in intricate detail etched in 3D covering the walls & ceilings of the tomb's corridor & side rooms about 200' deep. Royalties with variety of jewels, headdresses, & clothing including leopard skins; slaves worshiping, preparing foods, headless, rowing boats & working; chariots pulled by galloping horses being whipped by drivers; lotus flowers; birds of all types especially fierce eagles & vultures & proud peacocks; the doglike figure embalming; grapes & wine makers; soldiers armed; cows alive & other butchered; barbers, bakers, fishermen & farmers plowing...I could go on and on and on....Each tomb unique though similar in many ways. Some with large statues, others pillars, fake tomb openings & side rooms. Simple unreal. 3500+/- old....and we celebrate a place after 100 years. We had the pleasure of having a 10 year old boy as our guide in the Valley of the Nobles. He was so charming and pleased to be with us. We taught him some English and he in turn, taught us some Arabic...and that children are children wherever we go.
When we tired of being enclosed in tombs, we walked by the remains of a palace & the ruins of the storage bins Joseph (yup, the many colored robe guy) had built during the 7 years of abundant wheat harvest in preparation for the 7 years of famine that he'd predicted. Talk about a bible story coming alive!
We had a traditional light supper of grilled vegetables, tahini & bread in the small village nearby. As we walked by the Temple of Mendin at Habu, many children ran out to greet us so I had them form a circle & we played Ring Around the Rosie..laughing as we fell. I wonder what made children laugh 3500 years ago in this same place??
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When we tired of being enclosed in tombs, we walked by the remains of a palace & the ruins of the storage bins Joseph (yup, the many colored robe guy) had built during the 7 years of abundant wheat harvest in preparation for the 7 years of famine that he'd predicted. Talk about a bible story coming alive!
We had a traditional light supper of grilled vegetables, tahini & bread in the small village nearby. As we walked by the Temple of Mendin at Habu, many children ran out to greet us so I had them form a circle & we played Ring Around the Rosie..laughing as we fell. I wonder what made children laugh 3500 years ago in this same place??
Sent from my iPhone
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