First things first:
It's my Dad's birthday tomorrow, so happy birthday, Dad! Hope it's a good one!
I did a day trip to Dendara and Abydos today, and I think they have been my favorite places in Egypt so far. I think the distinct lack of 100 tourists per square foot may have had a lot to do with that, but they were also just really cool places.
Both were structurally really well preserved, even if the Copts came through and defaced all the artwork in the name of Christianity. The roof was still up in both of them, which gives a very different impression than columns holding up open sky. Very mysterious, with lots of beams of light streaming down from strategically placed windows.
Of the two, Dendara was definitely the coolest. For some reasons the "caretakers" (I put the word in quotes because really you can do anything you want if you pay them enough) had opened up all the locked rooms, so I got to go into all the secret passageways, including up onto the roof and down into the crypt. It cost me a few pounds in baksheesh, but it was well worth it to have full access to the place. I was happily geeking out crawling around on my hands and knees in the footsteps (kneesteps?) of ancient priests.
Tomorrow is my last day in Luxor, and I'll spend the night on the train back to Cairo, where I'll hit the embassy to sort out absentee voting and extra passport pages, then it'll be off to Sinai to climb Mt. Sinai.
It's my Dad's birthday tomorrow, so happy birthday, Dad! Hope it's a good one!
I did a day trip to Dendara and Abydos today, and I think they have been my favorite places in Egypt so far. I think the distinct lack of 100 tourists per square foot may have had a lot to do with that, but they were also just really cool places.
Both were structurally really well preserved, even if the Copts came through and defaced all the artwork in the name of Christianity. The roof was still up in both of them, which gives a very different impression than columns holding up open sky. Very mysterious, with lots of beams of light streaming down from strategically placed windows.
Of the two, Dendara was definitely the coolest. For some reasons the "caretakers" (I put the word in quotes because really you can do anything you want if you pay them enough) had opened up all the locked rooms, so I got to go into all the secret passageways, including up onto the roof and down into the crypt. It cost me a few pounds in baksheesh, but it was well worth it to have full access to the place. I was happily geeking out crawling around on my hands and knees in the footsteps (kneesteps?) of ancient priests.
Tomorrow is my last day in Luxor, and I'll spend the night on the train back to Cairo, where I'll hit the embassy to sort out absentee voting and extra passport pages, then it'll be off to Sinai to climb Mt. Sinai.
2 comments:
Beautiful pixs! It looks like this leg of your journey has been more enjoyable. Keep writing...we love reading! The Migliozzi Family
Mobile Ms. T, Tomb Raider!
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