[For better timeliness we fast forward to Athens for now, where we have been for over a week.]

Athens has been surprisingly cold–shockingly, even, coming from Egypt. The puffer and rain jackets have emerged from the recesses of the suitcases again, to which I myself must still add several more layers beneath.  The fur coat shops which abound here are tempting–there are dozens, including one on the ground floor directly below our flat, one opposite the lane on our right, and one on the street corner on the rear side of our building.  Our 4th-floor flat (6th floor from ground) opens onto Mitropoleos Square in the heart of Athens downtown, behind the Greek Orthodox Athens cathedral.  There are numerous restaurants, bakeries, retail shops and clothing boutiques very near, more so even than where we stayed in Rome.  (Though, contrary to what we expected, the seafood variety in the supermarkets is much more limited here.  Maybe we are in too urban an area.)

It has been refreshing to not be driven by packed tour and flight schedules, and instead be back on our own schedule and agenda again, including work and schoolwork and laundry with unpredictable washer and dryer.  There has even been time for one to feel under the weather for a day and recuperate, and to seek out minor saxophone repairs. As a result, we did not visit the Parthenon until last Tuesday. (Jeff observed that we must have been among the rare visitors to the city to have resisted the call of the Acropolis for so many days–five, until the rainy days lifted for a bit.)

Mitreopolis Square (at Metropolitan Church of Athens, or Athens Cathedral). Like in Rome, we walk everywhere. The Acropolis is 10 mins. away.

A view of Mitropoleos Square from our flat. We were surprised Wednesday morning by the pleasant sounds of marching bands below, but could not discover the occasion.

A rear view of the Athens cathedral in Mitropoleos Square from our flat. There are chimes for the hour, a single chime for the half-hour, and some kind of wake-up (lengthier) chiming at 7:30 a.m. The chimes are pleasant, but all take place 2 minutes late (from satellite time).

Laundry and schoolwork; can stay in PJs for a change …

Athens cathedral on a rainy day.

Small Byzantine church of St. Eleutherios (13th C.?) adjacent to the Athens cathedral. These small churches are preserved, many still in use, and appear throughout the urban neighbourhoods Our building appears behind the cross.

Tiny Byzantine church 2 blocks away whose name I could not discover.

Walking around town to track down a saxophone repair shop.

Walking around town to track down a saxophone repair shop. (2)

Walking around town to track down a saxophone repair shop, by Athens market.

Walking around town to track down a saxophone repair shop. (4)

Walking around town to track down a saxophone repair shop. We did find it, finally, and a quick diagnosis and simple repair were made for us free of charge.

A Walking Tour of the Athenian Agora

Like in Rome, the ruins are to be found everywhere–it is fascinating to study the ancient everyday buildings discovered beneath most constructions in downtown Athens.  But to start, we of course visited the site of the ancient Agora–the “birthplace of democracy”, administrative centre and marketplace of classical Athens.

Here’s a short walking tour for you of the Agora, Mom and Dad, with charming companions Marius and Jeff who will present a few buildings or ruins of particular interest from each significant period in history.  (Note: Apart from the Stoa of Attalos, no other ruins have been restored; they have only been excavated by archaeologists.)

A View of the Agora

Ruins of the Painted Stoa (among the greenery) on northern edge of the Agora, with a train running alongside. The Stoa of Attalos is the columned building on the right. We had lunch at left, first.

A zoomed-in view of the map shows the key sites of Ancient Athens. We only entered 1 & 2; the remaining 3-6 we visited from the exterior.

Athenian Agora c. 150 AD.

Marius at the entrance to the Agora at the start of the Panathenian Way. Jeff walking towards the Odeion of Agrippa.

Looking southwest from the Temple of Hephaistos across the Agora at the Stoa of Attalos, and Acropolis in distance.

[The following notes were written with the help of on-site display panels, and the texts that Marius and I studied.]

From the Classical Period (480 – 323 BC)

Athens was levelled by the Persian troops in 480 BC after the Persian wars (in which Greece triumphed), and was immediately rebuilt on a grand scale by Pericles, leader of Athens’ “Golden Age” and strong advocate of democracy.  During this time (5th-4th c. BC), administrative buildings and temples were erected, and the waste drainage channel known as the Great Drain was constructed.  And between 469-399 BC, Socrates spent his days here walking and philosophizing.

Only the Temple of Hephaistos from this period, situated overlooking the Agora, is so well preserved.

Remains of the Temple of Ares in foreground. Marius points to the Stoa of Zeus.

Marius says, Come along with me to the Temple of Hephaistos!

The Temple of Hephaistos

The Temple of Hephaistos (2)

The Temple of Hephaistos, west side. The frieze behind the columns was restored.

The Temple of Hephaistos, west side.

Path to the Bouleuterion (looking west). Jeff is looking at the Tholos further south.

The Bouleuterion, where the 500-man council, the Boule, decided on citizens’ matters.

The Great Drain, upstream (looking north).

This torso of Hadrian, obviously from a later period, was used as a sewer cover for the Great Drain. Marius wonders if this torso belongs to the head of Hadrian’s that he identified from afar, in Rome’s Capitoline Museum.

The Great Drain, downstream (looking south).

From the Hellenistic Period (323 – 86 BC)

Economic recovery followed the reign of Alexander the Great, and new monuments and buildings–mainly various additional stoa (buildings of roofed colonnades) containing commercial shops–were built in the 3rd-2nd c. BC.

The Stoa of Attalos is a two-storey, roofed colonnade from 2nd c. BC which housed shops in ancient times, and has been fully reconstructed with original materials as of the 1950s with American funding (John D. Rockefeller, I believe) to serve as Agora museum.

The Middle Stoa (looking south). Please excuse one of our guides for yawning!

The Middle Stoa. (2)

The Middle Stoa (it is very long), looking southeast. The Acropolis appears in background.

Towards the Stoa of Attalos (looking east), walking behind the Odeion of Agrippa on left, and the Middle Stoa on right.

Behind the Odeion of Agrippa (looking north).

At the Stoa of Atallos, which was masterfully restored in the 1950s.

From the Roman-Byzantine Period (86 BC – 13th c. AD)

The Roman conquest of Athens in 86 BC destroyed the Agora.  It was rebuilt by Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD) but commercial activity was moved to the newly-built Roman Agora, or Forum, to the east.  The Athenian Agora was reserved for the worship of various Roman divinities, and received further embellishment in 2nd c. AD under Hadrian and Antoninus.

3 of 4 remaining colossi of Tritons and Giants at the Odeion of Agrippa

Odeion of Agrippa panel.

A colossus of a Triton at the Odeion of Agrippa

The Odeion of Agrippa, looking south at Marius and the Acropolis in distance.

All that remains of the Arsenal (speculative), with modern safety grates. Situated north of steps to Temple of Hephaistos.

Roman agora or forum, situated east of the Athenian agora.

Looking west at the Tower of Winds, or Horologion of Andronikos, is a hydraulic clock from 1st c. BC. It is adjacent to the Roman forum in the distance (behind the arches).

Hadrian’s Library (adjacent to Roman forum) from Roman period.

The Athenian Agora was destroyed again in 267 AD by Herulian invaders loyal to Byzantium (although the four colossal statues of the Tritons and Giants somehow remained); Roman reconstruction left the Agora area outside of fortification walls.  The Agora was gradually abandoned from the 7th c. after other invasions; the Temple of Hephaistos was transformed into the church of Aghios Georgios Akamas (662-663) with the visit of Emperor Constans II to Athens.

The Agora remained deserted for the next two centuries.  The church of the Holy Apostles and small private dwellings were built over the area, all of which were deserted again by the 13th c.  The church was restored in the 1950s.

Later period constructions, with the Church of the Holy Apostles in background.

Later period constructions, with Byzantine Church of the Apostles in background. The church was restored in the 1960s.

And now, let’s walk to the Agora Museum

It is extremely rewarding to see, on display at the Stoa of Attalos museum, important artifacts–ballots, ballot boxes, and ostraca that supported the very early workings of democracy, among other illustrated objects from Marius’s studies and our reference books–all unearthed from the Agora just tens of metres away.

Ostraca for Ostracism, “a unique type of voting intended as a means of protecting the city against aspirants to despotic power”. The upper two specimens show votes for Pericles and Kimon.

Jury allotment machine, ballot discs.

6th c. child’s chamber pot.

Athenian Agora model, as viewed from east. The Stoa of Atallos covers the foreground; Marius contemplates the Temple of Hephaistos immediately before him.

Thank you for joining our small tour! Time to go in now from the cold!

The Jaz Royale had arrived overnight in Aswan; this was to be our last full day.  The Egyptian food, pastries, and Turkish coffee aboard the ship, our guide, the crew and cruise itself, the river Nile … we would certainly miss it all!

The Nile drifts by at Aswan, outside our cabin window (looking west). In the distance on the hilltop is Mausoleum of Aga Khan.

View from cabin as confirmed by phone GPS imagery.

Phone GPS imagery while at Aswan. The straight bar across the Nile below Seheil Island is the first Aswan Dam. Marked at the bottom as “Aswan Dam” is typically referred to as the “Aswan High Dam”. Philae is in the area in between. (The Nubian village we later visited is around the letter ‘h’ in the text label “Seheil”.)

Marius at breakfast aboard the ship, with yet another jam in hand. The flat, flaky Egyptian breakfast pastry is delicious with a dusting of fine sugar.

Ashore to Aswan!

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Morning.  Past the old Aswan Dam to the Temple of Isis at Philae by ferry.

One confesses that the Ptolemaic temples do begin at some point to appear not dissimilar, with each their massive limestone façade of the first entrance pylon carved with large reliefs of the dedicated god(s) of worship, through which one passes to observe impressive but dense hieroglyphs depicting a crowned Ptolemy alongside Osiris, Isis, Hathor, Horus and other gods sometimes intact, other times chiselled away at certain wall elevations.  What is particularly noteworthy about the Temple of Isis at Philae is that it was relocated to its present site brick by brick, stone by stone, from a nearby island.

Driving west (no, not me) across the Aswan Low Dam.

Looking north from the Aswan Low Dam. We would later take one of these small ferries to reach Philae.

Looking south from the Aswan High Dam, the Nile downriver. The Aswan Low Dam can be seen as a faint horizontal in the very far distance.

Looking southeast from the Aswan High Dam, with Lake Nasser.

Looking south from the Aswan High Dam, at Lake Nasser.

The vastness of Lake Nasser.

A new Aswan High Dam hop walk by the Young Master of Funny Walks. It’s like that daily, actually.

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

The first or “low” Aswan Dam was constructed at the turn of the 20th century at the site of the first cataract to control Nile flooding and to make irrigation more predictable.  It was subsequently heightened several times over the decades to increase capacity but ultimately was inadequate to the task, with floodgates that at times filled to bursting.  The Aswan High Dam was thus built 6 km upstream in 1970, creating in the process Lake Nasser, the largest freshwater reservoir in the world.  Nevertheless, as of 1900 the Temple of Isis, situated on the island of Philae, had become partially submerged.  With each successive heightening of the first Aswan Dam over subsequent decades, the Temple of Isis became further submerged.  Our guide told us that boats could sometimes navigate through the gap that extends halfway down the center of the first pylon, above the main entrance to the temple.

UNESCO launched a campaign in 1960 to save the site.  (UNESCO had successfully campaigned to save Abu Simbel in 1960 also, before the construction of the Aswan High Dam; but Abu Simbel was not already under water.)  In 1972, work began.  An enormous double wall of copper plates was built around the island; sand was tipped in between the plates; then, the water was pumped out from the island.  The bricks and monuments were removed, cleaned and restored.  (Any paint or colour had already been irretrievably lost.)  Finally, the Temple of Isis was reconstructed painstakingly on the nearby island of Agilkia.  Photogrammetry had been used to measure and ensure position of all bricks and parts to within one millimetre of their original positions.  In the 1980s, the temple was opened to visitors once again. The temple is situated upriver of the Aswan Dam and must be reached by small ferry.

Ferry dock to Philae.

Ferry to Philae, looking north. The Aswan Low Dam can be see on the horizon on the left.

Ferry to Philae, approaching the Temple of Isis from the west side of the island.

Temple of Isis entrance courtyard. (Entrance 90 degrees to the right.)

Temple of Isis entrance courtyard. (2)

Temple of Isis entrance courtyard. (3)

Temple of Isis first pylon. Boats could sometimes pass through the upper central gap when the temple was still submerged.

Temple of Isis first pylon. (2)

Courtyard looking east.

Temple of Isis first pylon. (3)

Standing on the east side of the Temple of Isis, with the incomplete Vestibule of Trajan in the background.

Standing on the east side of the Temple of Isis.

Looking east, the original temple site can be seen on the water in the distance, including the surrounding walls built to protect the temple during relocation work.

The incomplete Vestibule of Hadrian.

The incomplete Vestibule of Hadrian from east side.

Back by ferry.

Departing Philae from west side, with view of Vestibule of Hadrian.

Back to pier and Jaz Royale (behind the Crown Empress).

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Later, Marius and I spent some time studying our photo sample of the Greek graffiti left by the early Christians.  The third and fifth lines of our Greek specimen clearly read ΘΕΟΦΙΛΕΣΤΑΤΟΥ (THEOFILESTATOU) and ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ (EPISKOPOU), both terms which still appear today in Greek Orthodoxy.  A further web search revealed that the graffiti at Philae is of rather popular interest.

Wall detail showing Ptolemy on right.

Wall detail again showing Ptolemy on right.

Ancient Greek graffiti by Coptic Christians.

French graffiti left by Napoleon’s men inside the doorway of the first pylon. “L’AN 6 DE LA REPUBLIQUE …” (Year 6 of the Republic …)

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Late afternoon.  At a Nubian village, and Aswan night market.

Before the construction of the first Aswan Dam, the Nubians resided just above (south of) the first cataract and further to the south on the land which is now Lake Nasser.  They were then displaced and some settled on the shores of the Nile north of the dam, keeping to themselves and their culture with a resentment towards the Egyptian government.  At the same time, the villages they created were of interest to outsiders, and now their settlement caters mainly to tourists.  (Marius shows some of their unique culture with photos, which I will be careful to not cover here.)

It was a brief visit for us by yet another ferry before the sunset, with hawkers and camels running through.  We then returned to Aswan (where we viewed the Cataract Hotel from the water as mentioned earlier) had a quick walk through the night market, and then packed up our cabin to catch our 6 AM flight to Cairo (3 AM lift to Aswan airport) the following morning.

Typical Egyptian freighter with eyes to see.

Ferry to Nubian village.

Nubian coffee shop on Nile shore (no doubt catering to tourists).

The choppy waters around the First Cataract.

The choppy waters around the First Cataract, looking west.

Arriving at the Nubian village..

Nubian village path..

Buying spices. Most were familiar enough to me. The blue is indigo, not a spice. We bought some curry and Egyptian saffron.

Aswan night market.

Ashraf, our guide, awaiting us at Cleopatra Coffee.

Aswan night market. (2)

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Given the time of year, we see few tourist or expat children about.  Rather as expected, on our river cruise most of our fellow passengers were some years older than Jeff (and certainly all retired … <ahem> … like me).  Perhaps two dozen of them, we learned, were part of a group following an archaeologist-led tour of Egypt:  They were accompanied to sites and presented lectures by both a doctoral student in archaeology, and Zahi Hawass, a well-known archaeologist and Egyptologist.  This allowed special access to some site areas barred to the general visiting public.  I had seen such tour offerings advertised in magazines such as National Geographic and Archaeology, and did not know what to expect of the premium cost of such tours–the report sounded quite positive so far. [Note #1 to self and others]

Another twenty or so passengers were members of a French tour group, who would remain with the cruise after Aswan, to sail the return trip to Luxor again.  (Most of us would depart at Aswan and fly back to Cairo or elsewhere.)  The remaining passengers were individuals like us.  Of the latter there was a retired but youthful scuba-diving couple from the UK who embarked on diving trips around the world, and had just come for a cruise break from diving the Red Sea.  [Note #2 to self and others]

For the two remaining days of our short cruise, we visited the grand temple sites on the Nile up to the Aswan High Dam.  (Of these, we did not visit Esna.)  Not surprisingly–and of great fun–each cruise stop was different.  We reached the temples from the cruise dock variously by foot, by calèche (horse-drawn carriage), or by small ferry.

All of these temples were built during the Ptolemaic period of Egypt (332-30 BC), formed following the conquest of Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean and Persia by Alexander the Great.  These later rulers of Egypt of Greek descent knew well enough to establish their supreme eminence through temple-building and by setting images of divine approval of their succession as pharaohs, on the temple walls.  Later touches were added by the Roman emperors under Trajan and Hadrian, who had an inclusive view of religion and considered this an easy way to demonstrate their interest and concern for Egypt.

Late morning.  At Edfu, on the Nile western bank, at the Temple of Horus-Ra.

The Temple of Horus-Ra (a falcon-sun god who is different from just plain Horus the falcon god but the precise distinction is unclear to me) is among the best preserved in Egypt, in large part thanks to the desert sands which buried it to its ceilings.  Even in the first centuries AD, it was buried by accumulated debris and sand by several metres, such that the early Coptic Christians who occupied it only saw and defaced images high up on the walls (by chiselling described here and in Marius’s post, here), leaving the lower few metres gloriously intact.

The Temple exterior and courtyard.

Outer temple complex.

We were taken by a well-worn calèche along the streets of Edfu, to the temple. As we rode, I watched the left carriage-wheel tire loosen itself and roll away behind us. The driver stopped to repair it from the box under his seat as we waited.

Walking to the temple main entrance. The temple follows a common design, with a large imposing wall (“pylon”) with motifs forming its main entryway.

Just inside the main courtyard, behind the main pylon.

Looking north across the courtyard.

Temple columns, courtyard west.

Temple columns, courtyard west. (2)

Ceiling detail, courtyard west.

Archaeological analysis of the outer temple complex.

Outer courtyard before first pylon (looking west).

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Temple interior hieroglyphs.  Then, back to Edfu pier.

Inner chamber walls.

Looking upwards of the wall, the ravages of time and defacement by the Coptic Christians can be seen.

Inner chamber walls. (2)

Studying inner chamber walls.

Wall detail showing Horus at bottom right, followed by Hathor to left, followed by Ptolemy (?) wearing double crown of Egypt.

Staircase to roof. A temple with a second-storey is a new innovation.

Staircase to roof. (2)

Perimeter corridor detail showing multiple images of Habi, god(dess) of the Nile.

Perimeter corridor.

Perimeter corridor detail.

Perimeter corridor. (2)

Perimeter corridor wall detail, showing Ptolemy being crowned as ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. Ptolemy’s cartouche (oval outlined symbols which include two feathers and a lion–thanks to Marius’s notes!) is can be seen to lower left of figures.

Back through Edfu by caleche, looking right at central market.

Back through Edfu by caleche, looking left past tuktuk at requisite minaret at town centre.

Back through Edfu by caleche, looking left along street.

Back to the dock.

[View photo gallery with descriptions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Evening.  At Kom Ombo, on the Nile eastern bank, at the Temple of Sobek and Horus.

The Jaz Royale sailed for a mere couple of hours from Edfu to arrive at Kom Ombo on the opposite bank of the Nile.  Walking on foot from the pier along a path of dried mud we reached the Temple of Sobek and Horus.

Please see the previous post for additional description and photos.

In the morning, we would visit the other side of the Aswan dam.

Marius has already written recently about the temple sites as we sailed from Luxor to Aswan, therefore no need for me chronicle in the usual way again here.  Rather, some of these locations are here presented in a different manner especially to amuse you both, dearest Mom and Eugene …

On the Nile

Sunset, departing Luxor.

We now began our cruise up the Nile south to Aswan, with a few stops in between. About 30 minutes later, as we stood admiring the sunset on the top deck, our guide pointed out an old steamship docked upriver from Luxor. Its interior, he told us, was used for the set in “Death on the Nile,” the 1978 film starring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, and David Niven and Angela Lansbury, among others.

What fun to watch the film while actually cruising the Nile ourselves, we thought! And by sheer coincidence, the video was already there on my iPad! We watched it over a few installments late at night as our ship sailed to Aswan. During the course of this, we were amused to identify a couple of inconsistencies to share with you here.

Nile sunset.

We depart Luxor (and Karnak)! The old Winter Palace Hotel is in the background.

We depart Luxor (and Karnak). Jeff would accept a Turkish coffee any time before 5 p.m.

Looking due south along the Nile from Luxor.

Nile sunset. (2)

Luxor Bridge.

Luxor Bridge. (2)

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Remember “Death on the Nile”?

Death on the Nile (1978): David Niven as Colonel Race, Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, and Angela Lansbury as Salome Otterburn.

Karnak walkway. Presumably this was on the old steamship seen across the water.

The interior of the Karnak.

Karnak railing. Presumably this was on the old steamship seen across the water.

Death on the Nile: The steamship Karnak before the Cataract Hotel in Aswan.

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Death on the Nile, Inconsistency #1

After a long day at the pyramids in Giza, on the west bank of the Nile across from Cairo, all the characters dance the evening away at the Cataract Hotel which we noted is in … Aswan!

It is not a matter of merely using the opulent hotel’s interior as a movie set, since, the next morning and thereafter, the hotel’s name is clearly shown several times.  The first Nile cataract is famously located at Aswan, the end of most upriver journeys by boat from Cairo (since the cataracts hindered much further progress before 20th-century engineering intervention), 4 to 7 days’ sail away!  (I believe that if I had been a Nile valley native myself while watching the film, I’d have been thoroughly confused.)  So are they in Cairo, or are they in Aswan?

Scenes from Death on the Nile, with timestamps:

00:12:40 Simon Doyle and Lynette Ridgeway on top of a pyramid at Giza.

00:14:15 Simon Doyle and Linette Ridgeway on horseback beside the Great Sphinx.

00:15:19 Hercule Poirot quietly observes from beside the Great Sphinx.

00:15:29 That evening, at the Cataract Hotel …

00:18:17 That evening, at the Cataract Hotel …

00::21:42 That evening, at the Cataract Hotel …

00:22:46 The next morning, at the Cataract Hotel … (here there is no doubt!)

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Death on the Nile, Inconsistency #2

The ship departs Cairo (presumably, since they had just visited the pyramids and Sphinx), and sails to Karnak, but first makes a stop at Kom Ombo, at the Grand Temple of Sobek and Horus!

Kom Ombo is at least one to two days’ sail south of Karnak.  In essence, they would have had to sail a day south of Karnak, then reverse to sail north again.

Marius (and even Jeff, who only half-watches) immediately noted the discrepancy, given our own visit to Kom Ombo and the temple dedicated jointly to the crocodile god and the falcon-headed son of Isis and Osiris.  Many of these temples south of Karnak were restored or rebuilt by the Roman emperor Trajan (who at times also repurposed the stones for other buildings as well).

The Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god, and of Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, on Kom Ombo.

The Temple of Sobek and Horus, main entrance detail.

Wall detail.

Wall detail showing Sobek.

Wall detail of Egyptian calendar. Apparently this was the only example existent which allowed understanding of the Egyptian calendar.

Temple, west side.

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Of course, if in the film the characters had actually started the cruise at the Cataract Hotel at Aswan (which would overcome Inconsistency #1 above, Giza pyramids aside), then their appearance at Kom Ombo would have been logical; after that they could have sensibly cruised northwards on to Karnak.  However, immediately subsequent to Karnak and prior to the first murder, they find themselves at Abu Simbel, which is even further south of Aswan.

Scenes from Death on the Nile, with timestamps:

00:40:44 The steamship Karnak approaches Kom Ombo, where the Temple Sobek can clearly be seen.

00:42:21 To the Temple of Sobek on Kom Ombo.

00:42:42 Suddenly everyone is at the Temple of Karnak!

00:45:05 At the Temple of Karnak, where a heavy stone will soon fall dangerously near Lynette Ridgeway.

00:50:38 Now everyone is at Abu Simbel, farther south from Karnak than Aswan.

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

We did enjoy the film, and the inconsistencies we observed did add to our entertainment.  Marius thought the ending was clever and wouldn’t have guessed how it was done, and Jeff said it was as he expected.  Marius and I would be happy to watch it with you again!

(Now separated into shorter logs to reduce bandwidth.)  Still catching up with our logs from Egypt.  Again from last week–

The Valley of the Kings

Sunrise.  Above the Nile around Luxor.

Marius and I were up very early once again, in order to meet a 4 am start for a hot-air balloon ride over the Nile valley and the Valley of the Kings! We had never experienced hot-air ballooning before.  It seemed the ideal place in the world to try.

We were ferried across the early morning darkness of the Nile with about 30 others from different river cruise ships.  Our hot-air balloon was of the largest kind, accommodating 30 passengers at a time in a large rectangular basket partitioned into a two 2×2 compartments, plus the pilot in between in his own central compartment.  The flames to heat up the air in the balloon kept us warm in the cold, but hissed so loudly as to prevent even a yelling conversation.  We lifted off slowly and gracefully from the ground, like a slow outdoor elevator.  There were perhaps 10 other such balloons launching with us, a spectacular and colourful sight even before the sun broke the horizon.

Early ferry across Nile.

Ferrying across Nile to west bank, at 4:30 am. There were about 30 others in our group.

Other balloons prepping on the ground.

Other balloons prepping on the ground (2).

Inside the basket.

Lift-off.

Lift-off (2).

Lift-off (3).

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

Once we reached sufficient altitude, the hissing thankfully became intermittent.  The pilot then served as our guide as well, calling out noteworthy sights and landmarks.  From the air at about 500 metres, we viewed the glorious ancient sites, the villages and greenery and the sunrise over the silvery Nile.

Slow ascent before sunrise.

Slowly ascending looking south back at the launch area.

Slowly ascending. The balloon itself rotates slow around, providing a full 360-degree view every minute or so.

Looking northwest. The dark ribbon of paved road at right leads westward to the Valley of the Kings. We will soon pass over this road.

A view of Howard Carter’s house. The paved road to the Valley of the Kings is behind us. Our balloon descended very low at this point, after clearing the hills around the Valley of the Kings, to take advantage of wind currents.

Looking back southwards along our flight path. Other balloons have launched also.

The paved road leading to the Valley of the Kings, at sunrise.

Looking east, with the Nile in the distance. The sun has not risen yet.

Looking west at the Valley of the Kings in the far distance (pale area) at the end of the dark paved road. (We have rotated back around.)

Looking west over the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut below in front of the cliff ridge.

[View photo gallery with complete captions by double-clicking on any photo above.]

The sun just clears the eastern horizon beyond the Nile

Looking west. In the upper desert area above the green irrigated zone: At centre right is the Ramesseum, the mortuary temple of Ramses II. At upper left is Madinat Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramses III. (Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple is to the far right, out of view of this photo.)

Sunrise over the Nile. Looking directly at the heart of Luxor on the east (far) bank: The Temple of Luxor is at the exact centre of the far bank with a few river cruise ships clustered in front (among which was ours); also, the small reflective patch of water to the left above the Nile is the sacred lake of the Temple of Karnak.

Looking south at our balloon launch area.

Looking westward. The Valley of the Kings is now on the right behind the high ridges. The walled compound at centre is Madinat Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramses III..

Looking south to irrigation canals branching from the Nile.

The “Magic Horizon”-brand balloon.

Nile irrigation canals looking south.

Looking for a landing spot.

Descending over irrigation canals.

Descending southwards.

Landing. The buildings throughout Egypt are perpetually in a state of incomplete construction to avoid a tax that is applied only to completed buildings.

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Apparently such a large hot-air balloon requires 1000 hours’ piloting experience. The balloon is at the mercy of the wind currents, so the flight itinerary is planned and chosen with knowledge of the wind patterns at different elevations and hours of the day. The landing site, therefore, is also not fully within one’s control. At the end of our ride, our balloon took several false attempts to approach a landing as the pilot targetted a spot and then deemed various conditions unsuitable. The landing crew was visibly in pursuit on the ground below. When we finally did land, we touched ground so smoothly that we stood at ease throughout the landing itself, with the ground crew able to still shift and adjust our hovering basket while we remained comfortably standing.

All continued to proceed like clockwork–we were immediately picked up and driven to a roadside restaurant under a tent, where Jeff and our guide, Ashraf, awaited us with excellent coffee and breakfast. We then proceeded to the Valley of the Kings. It was now just 7:30 am.

Morning.  At the Valley of the Kings.

The history and lore of the place take one’s breath away. It is a sun soaked, dusty-dry valley in the limestone hills and cliffs set back from the Nile. It is on higher ground than we expected. The very little rain that falls here runs off and dries quickly, making the site ideal for tombs to last millenia, when undiscovered.  The pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (from c. 1539 BC) preferred no outward ostentation at all for their tombs, concealing them in hills and underground, in order to preserve them for eternity.  We visited four tombs in all, the tombs of Merenptah (d. 1204 BC?, the thirteenth son and successor of Ramses II), of Ramses IV (d. 1150 BC), and of Ramses IX (reigned 1126-08 BC), in addition to the tomb of Tutankhamen (reigned 1333-23 BC), along with throngs of other visitors.

As our guide explained, there are beautiful tombs, and there are famous tombs, usually not one and the same. All tombs, with the exception of Tutankhamen’s, had been completely emptied in antiquity, either by plunderers or by rulers after the New Kingdom period (c. 1075 BC onwards) to move the royal mummies for safekeeping and to reappropriate the treasures. The tomb of Ramses IV is representative of many of the tombs in the area, consisting of a downward-sloping passage decorated with hieroglyphs and friezes of cobras and twining snakes, leading to a larger chamber that contains large stone sarcophagi.

Since we could take virtually no photos within the tombs, Marius has written his own impressions of his visit, with a few photos (click here).

Marius and I have read together over the years various stories about the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb.  Most recently we enjoyed the corresponding chapter in C. W. Ceram’s Gods, Graves, and Scholars, in anticipation.  Tutankhamen’s tomb, though famous, is less unremarkable in itself.  Perhaps this is why Tutankhamen’s mummy and one golden sarcophagus are still kept on display inside the tomb, to add value to the separate entrance ticket.  Everything else has been removed to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum.  Just as it had disappointed Howard Carter to see for the first time, the mummy appears carbonized black, in poorer condition than most other mummies.  The tomb wall paintings and hieroglyphs are well preserved, and we lingered awhile to compare the layout to those in the maps we had studied: somehow we could see the treasury room, but not the entrance to the “annex”.

Plexiglass model of Valley of the Kings viewed from the farthest point from the valley entrance (i.e., looking eastwards), with numbered markers indicating tombs.

The underside of the plexiglass model shows individual tomb layouts

Riding into the Valley of the Kings.

Ah, the Valley of the Kings!

A bloody nose at Ramses IV’s tomb.

A bloody nose at Ramses IV’s tomb (2).

Ramses IX tomb description.

Other tombs to visit; only 8 are open to visitors at any time, of which a single pass allows 3 visits. We are walking towards KV8, Merenptah’s tomb.

Merenptah tomb description.

Outside Merenptah’s tomb, looking across to Ramses IX’s tomb entrance at left.

Before Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Tutankhamen tomb description.

Just inside Tutankhamen’s tomb–no further photos allowed.

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Deir El-Bahri

Around noon.  At the Temple of Hatshepsut.

After departing the Valley of the Kings, we visited the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahri, which we had also viewed from the air the same morning.  As a mortuary temple, it was not a tomb, and thus photography was allowed here.  It saw use as a sanctuary to wisdom and medicine at the time of the Ptolemies (2nd C. BC) then as a Coptic monastery from the 6th C. AD onwards.  The temple is actually one of three temples on the same site, all damaged by rockfalls from the surrounding cliffs; only Hatshepsut’s underwent significant restoration (with the use of concrete) by a Polish archaeological team in the 1960s.

This area’s further significance is a tomb situated high in the cliffs overlooking the temple to the south; better known as the Royal Cache, it was here to which the royal mummies were moved after the New Kingdom period, for the safekeeping mentioned above.  The discovery of the Royal Cache formally came to light in 1881, and the mummies are now on display in the Egyptian Antiquities Museum.  While excavating (and treasure-hunting) by the general public is illegal in the area, Ash mentioned that it still quietly persists.

Temple, left courtyard.

Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple. It is three tiers high–we can visit only the second and third levels.

Temple, right courtyard. The limestone cliff-quarry walls rise up behind the temple.

Entering the temple.

Departing Deir El-Bahri. In the limestone hills above right, are more tombs and caches continually under excavation. Somewhere to the very far right is situated the shaft of the Royal Cache.

Departing Deir El-Bahri.

The Sanctuary of Amun-Ra, wall detail.

Exterior monuments, all of Queen Hatshepsut herself.

The Sanctuary of Amun-Ra, or the Bark Hall, where the sacred bark (boat) arrived annually from Karnak. Some of the wall pigments were restored, if I recall the guide’s words correctly.

Temple, right courtyard detail (2).

Queen Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir El-Bahri.

Temple, right courtyard detail.

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Just before sunset, the Jaz Royale raised anchor and we set sail for Aswan, with a few stops in between.

Ferry bank to Nile east bank.

Ferry bank to Nile east bank. Marius is with Ashraf, our guide.

Ferry bank to Nile east bank (2).

The east bank of the Nile at Luxor, seen across the water. The Temple of Luxor (including hypostyle columns) is at centre. Our river cruise ship is not one shown fully here, but partially off-screen to the far right. The ships are all similar, with three closed decks above water level They dock side-by-side, such that we board the ship closest to the dock and at times must step through to the ship’s other side in order to reach and board our own ship. Our greatest count on one occasion was to reach our Jaz Royale by first crossing through 5 other ships.

Small boats at Luxor dock.

The dock near the Jaz Royale.

The dock near the Jaz Royale: our Nile GPS location.

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Still catching up with our logs from Egypt.  Again from last week–

Ancient Thebes

Now in Luxor, or Ancient Thebes, the administrative heart of Upper Egypt in ancient times.  It was slightly hotter here than in Cairo–similar to a pleasant fall day in Santa Clara, CA, in fact.  All three of us were now on break from work and school for these 10 days in Egypt.  Our knowledgeable guide for the next 4 days would be Ashraf, who is from Aswan but based in Luxor.  I confess I hadn’t realized that so many of the marvels of ancient Egypt were to be found in one place.

Late afternoon, at the grand Temple of Karnak, on the eastern bank of the Nile.

Karnak is a temple for the worship of Amun-Ra, with progressive additions by different pharaohs over the centuries. Unlike the pyramids at Giza, which had been visited by European travellers since the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, some in the course of pilgrimages to the Holy Land, this area was “rediscovered” by Europeans only in the 17th century.

The Hypostyle (columned) Hall is indeed magnificent.  No heavy blocks fell down on us from above, as in the 1978 “Death on the Nile” (which starred Peter Ustinov as Poirot).  But, more on that film later …

Temple of Karnak northern entrance with row of “cryosphinxes” leading to first pylon (wall shown).

Just past the first pylon.

Just inside the temple, showing the massive brick ramp used to construct and then decorate the first pylon.

Holding area for the royal boats (Seti II, 1204-1194 BC).

Holding area for the royal boats (Seti II, 1204-1194 BC) (2).

Wall detail, holding area for the royal boats.

Before the 2nd pylon with requisite Rameses II (1290-1224 BC) colossi.

Colossus of Ramses II (1290-1224 BC), before the 2nd pylon.

Entering the Temple of Karnak.

The Hypostyle Hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall.

Views of the celebrated hypostyle hall (panoramic).

The first perimeter courtyard with Hatshepsut’s obelisks in view: one in centre and one lying on its side at far right, knocked over by the resentful Thutmose III (1490-1436 BC). The shorter obelisk at left belongs to Thutmose III.

Giant granite scarab by the sacred lake. Circle it 7 times to have a wish granted; Marius therefore ran around it 14 times to have two wishes.

A portion of the first perimeter wall.

Looking southeast through the Festival Hall of Thutmosis III.

Looking towards the columns of the hypostyle hall, with obelisk of Thutmose I or III.

Middle Kingdom Temple (panoramic).

Middle Kingdom Temple.

In ancient times when these temples were in active use, when the Nile reached its highest level every September, the god Amun-Ra would travel with priestly assistance in a long procession along a 3-km ceremonial path overland from the Temple of Karnak to the Temple of Luxor in a sacred boat.  The return journey would later be made on the Nile, downstream.  We took a short van ride to Luxor, given the time we had.

Dusk, at the Temple of Luxor, further south along the eastern bank of the Nile.

The Temple of Luxor is in the very centre of the modern city of Luxor, and is beautifully illuminated at night.  It was buried to several metres deep by centuries of debris.  When the Muslims arrived in the 12th century to build a mosque at the heart of the city, it was revealed, after excavation, to be on the very roof of an earlier (4th century) Christian church in the grand court of Ramses II.  The mosque remains in active use, but its entrance has since been moved to a different side of the temple.

Early Christian narrowmindedness and hypocrisy is sadly evident in many of the monuments in Upper Egypt:  Evading Roman persecution in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the Christians sought refuge in Egyptian tomb and temple sites.  While living within these shelters, some of which they naturally converted into their own places of worship, they objected to the Egyptian polytheistic gods depicted on the walls, and chiseled away many of the faces.  Examples of this can be seen here and elsewhere in the Nile Valley.

The Temple of Luxor, the grand pylon of Ramses II (1279-1224 BC).

The Temple of Luxor, the grand pylon of Ramses II (1279-1224 BC).

12th C. mosque built on 4th C. church built in the centre of the grand court of Ramses II.

The grand court of Ramses II.

The grand court of Ramses II with silhouette of boy.

The great colonnade of Amenhotep III (1402-1364 BC) proceeding southwest..

The Solar Court of Amenhotep III (1402-1364 BC) looking further southwest..

Christian chapel converted from a hall dedicated to Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great’s well-worn cartouche.

To be precise, we departed Cairo yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m., and are now on a boat on the river Nile somewhere between Luxor and Aswan.  But wifi is soooo slow, this is all for now.  Happy birthday, Simone!

[From last week]  We packed up our Rome flat into our suitcases again, and wheeled ourselves over the cobbles to Roma Termini to catch the train to Fiumicino Airport, all according to schedule (with a usual measure of scrambling).  My only minor regret was that the Vittorio Emanuelle park remained closed that week, so I couldn’t get one last picture of Marius with the Porta Alchemica.

What a thrill it was, a few hours later, to land in Cairo and to find ourselves in this exotic land!  Here and there a basic word of Arabic was familiar enough to my ears from graduate years at McGill.  Marius was inspired to buy and use a pocket Arabic phrasebook from the hotel.  We had opted to follow a small, organized tour for our visit to Egypt, given traveller advisories and our lack of familiarity with the country.  Jeff had chosen the tour well, and there was a guide to meet us right at the gate, see us through immigration and customs, and to the minivan, where a different guide with driver took us directly to Giza slightly to the west of Cairo.  Our tour had begun.

We stayed the first two nights in Giza with an impressive view of the Great Pyramids over a nearby building.  The next few days continued to present awe-inspiring sights and experiences, the stuff of all our history and archaeology books, for child and grown-ups alike.

Saqqara

Early morning.  At the ancient step pyramid of Djoser (alt.: Zoser), the oldest pyramid and stone building in the world from c. 2630 BC.

Most of these sites are in various states of being restored or further excavated.  The limestone enclosing wall is a surprisingly intact original, and shows the fine “air-vacuum” technique used by Djoser’s architect to fit the blocks together with no air gaps.  Djoser was so pleased with the construction that he permitted his architect to be buried nearby as well.

Entering the pyramid complex through the surrounding wall constructed of densely packed tufa limestone blocks.

The stairway across the courtyard leads to an excavated pit in which were found canopic jars.

Djoser’s step pyramid viewed across the courtyard over a magnificent frieze of cobras.

At the bottom of this deep pit were found canopic jars containing vital organs believed to be Djoser’s.

This entryway is connected to the pyramid across the courtyard, via a deep underground. (We did not visit this.)

Excavations of tombs belonging to lesser royalty and nobles, including Djoser’s pyramid architect.

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Outside the tomb of Idut. Photography within tombs is generally forbidden, in Egypt.

Walking to the tomb of Idut.

Caption: The Tombs of Idut, Unas-Ank and Inefert.

Before the Tomb of Mehu.

Before the Tomb of Mehu (2).

Excavations for another tomb, currently underway.

Walking back around the Djoser complex.

Walking back around the Djoser complex (2).

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Ancient Memphis

Mid-morning.  At the old capital of Egypt, the midpoint between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

Memphis, at the modern town of Mit Rahina, was much loved by Ramses II (1290-1224 BC), who built numerous monuments to himself there and elsewhere around the Nile valley.  This ancient site was lost to time and rediscovered in the 17th century.

The Colossus of Ramses II.

Memphis, c. 3300 BC: “This UNESCO World Heritage site was the first capital of Egypt, founded by King Meni (Menes) who united Upper and Lower Egypt. …”

Hatshepsut’s Sphinx.

Hatshepsut’s Sphinx (2).

The Colossus of Ramses II. The feet were broken when the colossus was removed from the swamp in which it was found, face-down.

The Colossus of Ramses II. Unlike the intact right side, the left side is eroded.

A less colossal colossus of Ramses II. There are more to be found here, and elsewhere around Egypt.

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Giza

Early afternoon.  Marius gets a cartouche made!

Not merely for tourists, as Egyptians also exchange cartouches as gifts–especially couples.

The jeweler positions little silver hieroglyphic characters spelling MARIUS on the front. (The other cartouche is mine.)

Firing after placing the symbols.

The back of Marius’s cartouche, scarab, lotus flower, eye of Horus, and ankh, symbolize good luck, love, protection, and long life.

Marius’s new cartouche!

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Mid-afternoon.  At the Great Pyramids.

We were dazzled upon arrival.  There was absolutely nothing more exhilarating and surreal for us, than to visit the pyramids of Giza–there are six more in addition to the Great Three–on camelback!  We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and Marius considers this to be the best part of our entire journey so far.  We four, including our guide, Hend, each rode a camel as part of a camel train led by the camel driver on foot.  It was thrilling to be in the desert heat under a perfectly clear blue sky.

Trekking to the pyramids (panoramic view).

Marius with camels.

Before the Great Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren). We were dazzled by the sight the moment we arrived.

Our camel train rearguard.

Our camel train. Our Cairo guide, Hend, is with us.

Jeff may have gripped the handle so tightly as to have removed it from the saddle altogether.

Silly poses for tips. (Yes, others besides Marius were obligated to do them, too.)

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Onwards to visit the interior of the Great Pyramid of Khafre (the middle pyramid)!  It was interesting to experience, even though these pyramids were completely looted in antiquity.  The walls are perfectly bare.  It is a cramped passage.  It is possible only to stand up in the (now empty) burial chamber, but no photos are allowed once within.

Onward to the Great Pyramid of Khafre!

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The Great Sphinx was magnificent, but surrounded by visitors.  The old black-and-white photos of the area often show the waters of the Nile in the foreground with the Sphinx in the background (as well as some explorers on camels).  It is a view no longer existent as the water table has significantly decreased since the installation of the Aswan Dam.  There was merely a large patch of damp sand about 50 metres in front of the paws of the Sphinx.

That night, we received a call from the tour company to learn that our flight to Luxor had been rescheduled.  We would be picked up 3h earlier, at 4:30 am.  Fortunately this still allowed the opportunity to store our 3 large suitcases and saxophone (and extra books) at the airport hotel along the way, so that we could be of much lighter weight for this cruise portion of our trip.  By late morning, we had arrived in Luxor and were checked into the river cruise ship Jaz Royale, our floating hotel for the next 4 nights.

One dilemma for the moment is, what to do for Hallowe’en?

Marius courageously wore his Sherlock Holmes costume on a very rainy day in London during our Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour. It was to serve as costume for wherever in the world we might find ourselves at Hallowe’en. I was further pleased to note, soon after our arrival in Rome, that the small bookstore downstairs does stock a few [Italian] copies of The Complete Sherlock Holmes.

Young Sherlock Holmes and Watson in Piccadilly Circus, awaiting the start of the walking tour.

[London] Marius in costume (and slight disarray), with neon raingear exposed. We dispensed with the white shirt, dress pants and shoes given the inclement weather.

The tour brought us to numerous places including this pub sanctioned by Conan Doyle’s estate.

But alas, these mixed-residential, uneven Roman streets with typical ground-level, shuttered storefronts alternating with narrow, gated entryways leading to upper-level apartments (such as ours), do not work well with costumed children seeking candy. Moreover, we have seen very limited evidence of Hallowe’en celebrations here, apart from a small display of Hallowe’en-oriented Kinder Surprise candy at the supermarket checkout stand. A quick online search showed no family/Hallowe’en “meetups” nearby.

The solution for now may be a quiet, indoor celebration with a few Kinder Eggs of the kind above. It does look like thunderstorms for most of this week …

The end of our street, via Machiavelli.

Via Merulana

Marius is 11!  Due to limited kitchen resources here in our Rome flat, and what turned out to be limited seafood counter hours at the neighbourhood grocery on Sunday (i.e., no mussels as originally planned … but they had 1 kg of clams!) we settled on preparing a lovely spaghetti alle vongole for Marius’s birthday dinner last night.

And today we were able to find a reasonably-sized chocolate cake with requisite candied cherries as well, so Marius’s birthday is being celebrated across two days.

Happy birthday, Marius!  Can’t believe you’re now 11!

11-year-old boy with spaghetti alle vongole.

Happy birthday, Marius!