holidays – Page 4 – HurricaneMaine

Merry Christmas!

I love taking pictures of Christmas trees. There are many here in Cairo and other areas I have visited.

For my birthday on Christmas Eve we left Luxor and flew back to Cairo. The resort had decorations and played Christmas music continuously.

After a quick workout at the gym we stopped at 4 fat ladies bakery. They are amazing and make Western cakes and cookies. We bought a slice for each of us to celebrate my birthday. We ate a cookie walking around and looking at shops along the way back to Nicole’s apartment. They even had gingerbread which I bought for the car ride tomorrow to Alexandria.

Once back at the apartment we had cake. Mine was a fudge cake with lotus frosting. The others were an apple cake and carrot cake. Yummy!

For dinner we went to a great seafood restaurant called Ibn Hamido in New Cairo. It was fabulous and very famous. On the way I found other decorations as well as a mosque with a service station next to it. The sign in the hill says chill out!

The mosque is on the left. It obviously is not completely in the picture.

Santa is sleeping above the I and the V!

The seafood bisque was buttery but not too rich. We also had Sea Bass on a bed of gratin potatoes. The shrimp, fish, and tahini were delicious.

I see these Santa’s in many places here.

Afterwards, Nicole and I went to the new City Centre mall and watched the new Star Wars movie. It is an unbelievably immense mall and the decorations were beautiful.

Underneath the tree there were photo booth scenes you could use for a holiday photo.

A hazy start to this Christmas morning. May everyone have a Merry Christmas!

Hot air balloon, Luxor/Karnak temples, and story from the one we didn’t see…

Another early morning but this time to be picked up for a hot air balloon ride over the valley of the Kings. What a great time! It is very cold in the morning in the desert but heats up during the day.

I have never seen a balloon being inflated and it was fascinating to watch. You are actually warmer in the balloon because of the flames to hear the air. I highly recommend this as an activity if you visit.

Floating over the monuments we toured the day before was pretty spectacular as was seeing the sun rise and looking at the vast area of Luxor.

You can see the irrigation channels that keep the area green. It is not an Oasis but fed from the Nile

Sugar cane is a major crop which requires a lot of sunlight and water.

We used hod-hod soliman at www.hodhodsolimanballoons.com. They pick you up, take you to the location then drop you off wherever you want (or back to your hotel). Very professional with an experienced crew.

Children from nearby will follow the balloons and been for money. It breaks my heart as they do not go to school and even doing so does not give them a job as this is a class society. You are born into your class and you are unable to move into a different one.

Afterwards we went straight to Luxor temple. Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned. It is on the east bank of the Nile and different from the other temples and mortuaries.

The largest line of Sphinx.which used to connect the temples of Luxor and Karnak. It is called avenue of the Sphinx and monuments were carried between for celebrations. There is another line on the otherside of the walkway. Excavation between the 2 sites is still underway.

The colonnade of Amenhotep III which served as the original entrance to the Temple of Amun. The walls around it were built by King Tutankemun.

This area was covered in mud and sand to the top of these columns. During building in the area, these structures were found and excavation began.

There are so many hieroglyphics it is overwhelming. To be able to touch something that is at least 4000 years old is impressive. The color that was used is original and impressive how color and detail is used.

The Karnak temple complex is also on the east bank of the Nile about 2k away. It means fortified village. 30 pharoahs contributed to the building over a long period of time which is evident when you travel through it from the front to the back as the styles change along the way.

The row of Sphinx that connect to those at Luxor temple.

One famous aspect of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall in the Precinct of Amun-Re. It is 50,000 sq ft or 5,000 m² with 134 massive columns in 16 rows. It is the largest collection of columns in the world. It was created by Seti I and his son Ramses II. The columns represent a papyrus flower.

The architraves on top of these columns are estimated to weigh 70 tons and may have needed levers to lift them. This would be an extremely time-consuming process. Some believe large ramps were constructed of sand, mud, brick or stone to bring them up the ramps.

Hatshepsut had twin obelisks erected at the entrance to the temple. One still stands, as the tallest surviving ancient obelisk. Obelisks were a symbol of the sun god Ra and we’re important in religious ceremonies. Usually two were at the entrance to a temple.

As you travel around the perimeter there is an open air museum of the various artifacts that were scattered throughout and are now catalogued by years and styles.

The sacred bark shrines of Seti II. They were dedicated to Theban deities.

This was a pretty tiring day and we went back to the resort for a very late lunch and relax by the Nile. We played ping pong and then set out that night to go to the Winter palace where Agatha Christy wrote her famous book Death on the Nile and others. It is beautiful.

Stories from a shop owner

We found a tea and perfume shop where we drank hibiscus tea and talked with the owner. Mostafa found a magnet of a statue with a large erect penis. We found this hysterical and then we were told the story.

Ahmed the owner talked about Amehkim or Min. Min the Egyptian god of fertlity, virility, rain, and the desert has a great story. The image of Min is one of a human male with one arm and one leg. In the ancient legend, Min was given the order of protecting a city in Egypt when the ruler and all the men had to leave on a military campaign. The women were left alone and in need of a protector. When the ruler returned he found that all the women in the city pregnant. The god Amun punished Min for this by cutting off one leg and one arm. However, all of his progeny were strong and useful and he was elevated to the level of a god. Henceforth Min was recognised as the one armed, one legged god with the large, erect penis.

Of course this is the one temple we did not go in. We were pretty tired at this point.

And I did but some tea and perfume which are oils and long lasting.

Luxor. The valley of the Kings.

We got up super early the next morning on December 23rd to fly to Luxor. There are a few ways to get there:

1. Take a Nile river cruise from Cairo to Aswan. It is pretty. People like it. You get port stops along the way. But if you want to get out and see things it might not be for you. It does have a tour to all the things you want to see at the stops and it is self contained which means you are on the ship for a long time. But I don’t want to do that for 3 or 4 days and the price you pay is not just it. You do have to tip at the end so plan on spending more money than the quoted price.

2. You can also drive the 8+ hours. It is easy to get a car to take you but will cost you a bit too.

3. Or you can fly. It cost about $250 USD round trip but only takes an hour and is the best option if you are trying to pack a lot into 10 days. We flew obviously as part of the trip includes learning diving which will take days away.

We arrived at the Ville Jolie at about 9 in the morning and set out right away to tour. We found a taxi to take us to some of them local sights.

In Luxor we stayed at the Jolie Ville which is right along the Nile. It is beautiful here.

The statues of Memnon (Colossi)

The Colossi of Memnon are two massive faceless stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III from 1350 BCE, in the Theban Necropolis in Luxor. Memnon was slain by Achilles during the Trojan war. They are cut from a single block of stone. The statues sit at the funerary entrance of the temple and that part is currently being excavated. The ground level was as high as these statues when they were discovered.

Valley of the Kings

Next was the Seti II temple. Mustafa was able to negotiate a taxi to take us everywhere for 500 Egyptian pounds. That slowed us to tour at our leisure and know that a car was waiting for us.

Seti may have only reigned for about six years, from about 1199 until 1193 BC. In ancient Egypt the long reign of a king is generally followed by succession problems. Ramses II was successful and had a long reign. Ramses son took power but was older as a result of Ramses long reign and Seti was that runners son. Seti was not known as a good ruler and had competition from another concurrent ruler. His resign was so short that his burial changer was not completed before his death.

Ramses IV was the third pharoah of the twentieth dynasty in 1156 BCE. He reigned 6 years and used extensive building activity to maintain Egypt’s prosperity in a time of deteriorating conditions in the country.

Ramses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He reigned from 1186 to 1155 BC and is most likely the last great monarch of the New Kingdom to have any real authority over Egypt.

Hatshesut temple. She was the 5th pharoah of the 18th dynasty in 1478 BCE. She was the 2nd female pharoah and installed herself after the death of her father.

Al-Deir Al-BahariHatshepsut was a great leader in re establishing trade routes, bringing back trees successfully to replace from other areas, and one of the most prolific builders in all of ancient Egypt. Her buildings are considered the most Grand and this one, her mortuary temple at Al-Deir Al-Bahari.

It starts out cold in the desert in the morning and night in the winter but still gets quite hot during the day. It drains the battery of the phone quite extensively. This was a lot of sight seeing for the first day.

For something different at night we took a Felucca out on the Nile to catch the sunset. This is a covered boat. It was beautiful and we stayed until it was dark then found a local restaurant to eat dinner.

Cairo for Christmas

I’ll miss spending Christmas with my kids this year. It will be the first I have not been with at least one of them. And it was a tough decision to decide to travel instead of going home, but tax rules limit the time each year to be home and I reached my limit this year.

It doesn’t always feel like Christmas as decorations in China go up much later than in the States. It is still festive as there is still a Holiday party and secret Santa at school. Some places are decorated and play Christmas music.

The trip to Cairo was long (11 hours) and soon I was at my friend Nicole’s place. Nicole worked with me in China last year and miss seeing her as we used to run in the Nike run club together. We walked to get a local breakfast. We had Foul, which is a fava bean dish and very tasty, an eggplant dish, tahini, falafel, and bread. Yes that is typical for breakfast.

Yum. My favorite type of food and so tasty.

Afterwards we went to Sakkara Archeological site which is 19 km South of Cairo. This is the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. One minute you are driving on a highway and the next you are in a desert. The pyramids were amazing. This area is a burial ground.

The step pyramid of Djoser. This pyramid was constructed for the pharoahs burial by Imhotep. It is there center of a large burial complex with many ceremonial structures.

I really don’t remember what he said as I was seriously jet lagged. You must know that just because they are talking does not mean they are a free guide. If you pay them attention, you will need to pay them money so you might as well let them take your picture for you!

Next was the Imhotep museum. Imhotep was the first to build monument structures out of stone. He was high priest of the sun god Ra in the 27th century BC.

Outside the museum there is a little Oasis.

Above this Sphinx are hieroglyphics depicting the Bedouin people. They are portrayed as being skinny as they are very poor people in the desert. It is the same today. Bedouins wear head scarves that are red or black pattern on white.

Next…The pyramids of Giza.

The pyramids are the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and I was amazed as it is the only one of the wonders to remain largely intact since 2580 BC. It is believed it was built for the pharoah Khufu.

One thing I learned walking around areas is not to address Egyptian people selling wares. Just keep walking. They are endearing though and try to make you smile, which you do, then laugh… And then they try that much harder. Giza had the most ambitious peddlers due to their poverty. If you ask a question about anything, be prepared to pay. Information is not free and neither is the help. But that is okay. 100 Egyptian pounds is 6 USD. Yes I worked hard for my money but I’ll pay here if I use a service. Many people do not have much to live on.

I did want to ride a camel. This gentleman had a beautifully dressed camel and at a good price of 200 Egyptian pounds.. As you walk away they will offer something else. He was funny and friendly and I had a great time.

They obviously know where to park the camel to get the correct shot. He also dressed me in a Bedouin scarf.

Camels are pretty easy to ride but you pitch forward and side to side when they lower down or get up to standing.

Afterwards we had a light lunch across from the Giza entrance.

Nighttime in downtown Cairo

I don’t recommend this if you do not have an Egyptian guide. We went to see a mosque and do some jewelry shopping.

You remove your shoes to enter this area. Women are on one side and men enter on the other side.

It is very crowded here downtown, you will be mobbed with people selling you things, and it can be unsafe if you do not look out for your belongings. Nicole’s boyfriend Mostafa made this possible as he was born here and knows how to handle the area.

It was crazy and I get to a point where I have had enough and just want to leave. I was at that point.

Where my friend lives is out of the way so finding a way home was very difficult as many taxis don’t want to navigate this mess. We eventually went by metro which is not a very robust system to get around but did the trick. I was pretty exhausted by this point and we needed to get up early to get to the airport to go to Luxor.

Education is not compulsory here. Many children do not go to school.

There are many schools to learn how to make quality carpets.

4 lessons…3 river views… 2 massages (fish!)… and a Calypso burlesque show

Yes I was humming 12 days of Christmas when I wrote that title.

Since I am not running as much because the half marathon is next week, I usually walk more as a result. I wanted to go to the botanic garden which is a national park and purchased a ticket for a live show elsewhere later in the evening. Both those places made the other points of a triangle with my hotel. The hotel was close to the hospital I had appointments at.

I walked it anyway.

Lesson #1. Look at the details. I scanned the route but missed the bit about a ferry. It is the only way across the river. No worries but it was hot out. Most of the walk was not very scenic. Except for this sign…

I thought it was pretty humorous.

I followed maps towards a commercial dock but an alley before it led to a small village and at the end you can catch a boat for 10 baht. (That is 33 cents). No schedule, just when there are people to take.

The other side of the river was beautiful. A lot of vegetation. Some houses and a few were very modern looking.

It was a very narrow road with bicycles, motor bikes, and a few cars sharing the road.I saw a cute little coffee shop and purchased water and carrot cake. There was literally nothing around it.They grow their own organic produce.

Further down the road was the Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park And Botanical Garden. Many people were riding bicycles and a healthy heart race was going on.

From here I found the path to get to the riverfront where the Calypso show will be at. Though a little tired I decided I would have to walk this because…

…you guessed it. I needed to cross a different section of the river going a different way and needed a ferry.

Lesson #2. When you follow the path through the jungle it is best to not know what is underneath you.

The path took me on a concrete walkway elevated in the boggy jungle. There were street lights. How bad could it be? Not very as long as you did not think about what was rustling around and beneath you. I could only imagine!

I have to say though I loved hearing the birds and overall it was the most delightful part of the day as it was peaceful.

Little pathways came off of the major path that led to people’s houses. You could tell because there would be a random door blocking the path. I don’t think anyone would get in the water to try to get around!

This reminded me of northwestern PA where people have cabins they stay in during the summer. The houses are nestled amongst trees with little roads between.

Lesson #3. I had already learned to not look dogs in the eye or speak to them here in Thailand. They are trained to protect. But a dog on a porch and I’m far away won’t mind if I take a picture…

I didn’t get the picture. I started walking away quickly when it growled and lept off the porch. It followed me a bit. If I would have run or looked back I’m sure it would not have let me go. I met a few other dogs today that knew I was a stranger and glad I was on the other side of a fence.

Finally I reached the ferry which was a motorized row boat. No signs. Just a guy with boat.

Looking back at the jungle whence I came.

Yes, this is the pier I climbed onto when I crawled out of the boat. I sometimes wonder what I’m thinking…

I still walked a distance this time through a really upscale neighborhood and many shops to look at.

This caught my eye. Two cemeteries (Jewish and Protestant) side by side.

Finally at Asiatique by the Riverside I had time to look around and find something to eat before the show started. There, old warehouses were converted into blocks of shops and restaurants.

Pineapple fried rice and a mango smoothie.

At the riverfront.

An old building from the time of trading between Siam and Europeans.

Lesson #4. You can get two massages at the same time. Fish (garra rufa) for your feet along with a seated massage. Once you put your feet in, it really tickles then it just feels cool. They increase the blood flow to the skin and eat dead skin cells. Just what I needed after walking so much.

Now the show. There are male and female performers. Some of the males dress as female and the opposite. But they include many different cultures and some from different countries. They do lip sync.

Elvis!

You can take pictures with the performers at the end. This guy was great singing as a female and was hilarious!

A very good but tiring day! Yes, I took a taxi home!

Wandering Bangkok

Late afternoon I left to wander the streets of Bangkok. Of course one must stop at temples along the way.

Erawan shrine.On the way to the next temple I saw many Christmas displays with holiday music playing.

Wat Pathum WanaramOne of the monks was trying to get one of the cats to play with a laser. The cat was not amused.Inside the temple. It is always peaceful inside Buddhist temples.Now hungry I decided to go to the palladium night market and on the way stumbled on a different part of the winter street food.The pad Thai here is amazing and the first thing I saw. I enjoyed the dish while listening to Christmas music.

A nearby shrine.
At another night market on the way back I enjoyed mango sticky rice. Yummy.

And the affection of another cat.

Upgrade… This is a boring post.. But how often do I fly business class…

Every once in awhile it is okay to splurge. It seems little but why not.I was having pain in my breast with enlarged lymph nodes in my armpit and decided to have it checked out at Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok. They are very thorough and once there they run every test without having to come back to make other appointments. First class hospital. Worth my time.I booked Kenya airways and received an email on whether I wanted to bid for upgrade to business class. I did some research on the difference in price and bid for about 20% of the difference between business and coach, or $75. It was accepted for the flight there. Since it was a later night flight I was excited about sleeping in seats that reclined to a bed. Even better yet was the pass to the premium lounge.Of course, people who know me understand that the first thing I saw was the jar of marshmallows in the lounge. I can’t help it…I didn’t stop at marshmallows, and yes they were strawberry flavoured. I had carrot soup, spring rolls, fried fish, Thai fried rice, fresh pear, wine…If I would have known how great the lounge was I would have gone to the airport when earlier!!!Probably not, but will consider purchasing a lounge pass on long layovers.I people watched from up above…I even graded papers…. Yeah not exciting… But so many to do and they take over an hour a piece to grade. Got to love IB courses…You literally can walk right in to the plane. You get a special lane for security, fast track through the gate, and all this space…The seats had so many positions for lounging and of course sleeping.I will take the snack offered on this flight any day. Definitely better than what is offered in coach.By reclining to a flat bed I had a great 1.5 hours of sleep before landing. Since my appointments at the hospital are early morning, I appreciated that.Update: the source of the pain is lymph nodes most likely caused by hormone levels. Not sure what that means, why it is lasting so long, and what will resolve it… But at least it is not a mass that needs worried about. Since there is family history I wanted it checked by one of the best hospitals around. They also helped with the hepatitis B series I still need to get!Now tomorrow I can tour Bangkok!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Today is already Thursday and Thanksgiving here in China. There has been a lot going on which is true anywhere you are. Teachers especially can relate to this time of year and the school year in general.I would not really be aware that Christmas is coming other than the “cable box” which includes some US channels now regularly has Christmas commercials. I might also add the Black Friday ads in my inbox and blog feed that I see but am glad to miss the actual event. I still however search on weekends the channels I know are most likely to play Christmas movies. But I’m glad there is not the craziness here or that I don’t have to do much gift giving as family does not do that anymore. For the kids, I fly them out to see me once a year instead.A local store in the expat area does bring out the seasonal goodies and I am on charge of the secret Santa at my school.I have had fun joining a craft club. This month we used glass paint to decorate glasses. We meet at a local restaurant, eat, and craft. Fun!I am thankful to be in an area where good fresh food is cheap. Everything in this picture was 85 kuai. That is about $12. These before were purchased for a Thanksgiving dinner I cooked for a Chinese friend of mine who had never had an American Thanksgiving dinner. For reference the turkey we bought was 280 kuai or about $40.That is a good system that is honest in what it costs to bring something to the table. The US good system has everything skewed incorrectly. The food here is fresh and must be used in a few days unlike the week or so veggies last in the states.The night of Thanksgiving dinner. Lily and her son had never had roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. She loved mashed potatoes and wants to learn how to make them. Lily brings international people together. I met her at a ball and was welcomed into her group. She does so much for us that we loved to do this for her.From left above is Killian the athletic trainer, Lily, Edward her son, Stephen, Evan, and Siqin who are good friends at the school.I also go to Internations events once a month. Each time they are at a beautiful hotel with great food and people from all over the world who are members.The Canton tower from the hotel deck of the last event.Since I’m training for a half marathon on December 8, my life is pretty much just running. This includes after school with kids, with the Nike run group, and on my own on weekends.At the last run with Nike at the sports center there were more groups dancing including these women in traditional Chinese clothes and umbrellas. One of these days I’m going to just join in their dancing. Very graceful and beautiful. You can see groups dancing in every park throughout the day.On other runs on the weekend I run along the river……Or I run through the mall of the world pedestrian area. It is always beautiful.Our school did have a Thanksgiving dinner the weekend before and a barbecue with corn hole competitions the night before. Both were a wonderful time but I forgot to take pictures!As for school work, my students turned in their individual assessment. This is a scientific experiment that they create and report on. Think college level publishing of an experiment. They take a long time to grade.Tso Tso loves the pencil but waits patiently until I put it down.

More Guangzhou…

Ryan and I toured around areas of Guangzhou before he left.

Dongshan neighborhood

My friend Lily hosted a lunch at a local vegetarian restaurant that I am familiar with: shifunyuan vegetarian behind the Wuyangcun metro. We had fun lunching together with her son and my friend Siqin.

Siqin is in the center and Lily is on the right.

We ate wonderful food. A pumpkin dish.

Vegetarian fried rice.

Eggplant in a Thai sauce.

Sweet and sour tofu.

We then walked around the charming neighborhood a few blocks away. Very expensive to live with great schools, historic homes with architecture, and beautiful churches.

There was a history of silk and women’s role in garment industry art installation.

There were also commemorations to modern China as the holiday was this last week.

The canals on the way to the park.

We cut through the local park to get to the metro that could take us home. It was beautiful as well.

Taigucang

At night we met other friends for dinner in an older part of Guangzhou. There are not many high buildings despite having a large metro stop with a huge underground mall that spans several blocks.

Frog legs, bamboo with mushrooms, soicy green beans, spicy cabbage, and other meat dishes.

Afterwards we went to the wharf where there are large converted warehouses. This city amazes me with everything it has. It is crazy big.

Amy, Ryan, me, Amy, Siqin, Stephen, and Fiona.

We were pretty whipped and Ryan needed to fly the next day to go home. Always pretty emotional.

At the airport.

I tried to get a tattoo appointment whole he was here just do he could see the tattoo artist from last year that he had met. Through setting up the appointment he had a chance to meet with her and have some fun one night. I left him at the airport to go to the appointment. The result is this tattoo. This is the artist and the girl that Ryan was able to see again.

And a better view of the dragon tattoo. It is upside down of course.

Chinese National Day

Ryan came to visit during the second biggest Chinese holiday of the year! They always decorate the various areas around the city with flowers arranged in incredible sculptures. He actually arrived the day before the start of the holiday and I was glad that they opened the exhibit across from Canton Tower early before it became crowded. As usual it was beautiful.

Each of these large flowers are made of plants. China National Day was on October 1st and celebrated the birth of modern China and the Cultural Revolution.

This is the 70th anniversary of national Day.

After viewing flowers we walked to a hotpot restaurant. I love restaurants like this where you choose bins of various foods that you can add to the hot pot from veggies to various proteins. You cook your goodies in a pot with very fragrant broth at the table.

After that I showed Ryan the book center. It is many floors of a book store. Each floor is a different genre with other stores surrounding it as well as restaurants and cafes. This is the English section. I always seem to be drawn to Marvel.

We met with Killian and his twin brother Zach. Killian is the athletic trainer at the school and a lot of fun. Zach is a journalist from Taiwan who just applied to law school. We went to the Beijing Lu temple for vegetarian food and then went to play pool at Mr. Rocky’s cowboy bar. They actually did a great job in designing the bar. It was packed on a week night and many things for people to do. Here Zach ordered flights of beer. It came with dry ice coming up from the middle. I especially liked the peppered beer. Yes, it tasted like pepper. I like to try the unusual foods!

Afterwards we played ping pong at the sports center near to our apartments. Since playing I finally bought my own paddles. I might as well learn from the masters here in China. They are really good here and never toil busy to give helpful hints on holding paddles.

I love the exercise equipment that everyone uses and found on the street. People use it regularly especially those who are older. It helps with flexibility.

The next day we went for Korean food and ate bibimbap. I added these little fishes and it tasted great!After, we went to Liwan Lake Park. Right outside this sign is so funny. Since it has clothing in the store I think it should read “children’s wear center”. Instead you see this….

Other views of the park.

We missed some of the celebration including the fireworks but had a great day having fun.