Friday, October 9, 2015

Cairo



(Note - I've been challenged with formatting this post; not all of the photos have captions or are in order - but I think you will get the gist of things!!!  -Joan)

Day 3 of early wakeup calls, but we were pumped because today we were headed to see the pyramids!  We had a very early breakfast in La Veranda, at a window seat, and watched as activity on the pier in Port Said reached fever pitch.  Buses were lining up, police and military men were walking about, and vendors were setting up shop. 

I am not a very experienced "cruiser" (this was only our second cruise, ever,)  but I was surprised when we left the boat that the passengers had to walk through a gauntlet of very aggressive vendors on our way to the bus.  This was after passport checks that seemed somewhat random.  

We boarded the bus and met Hannah, our exuberant guide for the day, and set out for the long drive to Cairo.  As we started to drive through Port Said on our way to Cairo, we noticed that police vehicles were stopping traffic to allow our convoy to proceed through intersections (making several U-turns around boulevard dividers along the way,) and that these police AND open trucks with machine-gun toting soldiers were accompanying us.  The predominant noise was honking horns - not only in the city, but once we got on the highway as well.  Our driver was excellent at honking his horn : - D  As we drove through the streets of Port Said, we noticed people on the streets waving enthusiastically and blowing kisses our way.  We later learned that our ship, when it had visited Port Said two weeks earlier, was the first cruise ship to dock in this port for two years.  For many years tourism was one of the major drivers of the Egyptian economy, but after the Arab Spring it is now producing less than 20% of the revenue it once did.  Clearly the local residents were happy to see our convoy. 






Local citizen photographing our bus as we pulled away from the port

KFC Delivery vehicles



Traffic stopped to let us pass; note the horse carts in the background
First view of Cairo
Cairo Traffic


We passed several structures like this on our drive; Hannah explained that they are pigeon houses.  Pigeons are raised for food.  (Originally they delivered mail - carrier pigeons?)


We arrived at the Egyptian Museum at 10.  It's situated adjacent to Tahrir Square, which was the sight of massive protests in 2011, ultimately leading to the ouster of then-President Hosni Mubarak.  


Lily Pond with a stand of Papyrus Reeds in front of the Museum
Cooling off with a tasty beverage outside the museum
The entrance to the pier where our boat was docked, on the Nile River
Interior of the boat.  The waiters wore tunics with belts copied from mummy-style jewelry

Egyptian Museum 2.JPG
Another interior shot, photo credit to Kristoferb via Wikipedia.  The display cases are old oak glass cases, some with ornately carved legs, some stacked on top of each other.
some things are universal...

From the Egyptian Museum, we headed for the Nile River, for our featured “Nile River Cruise.”  The boat was basically a barge with a large dining room built on it, decorated to look like the interior of King Tut’s tomb.  We had an Egyptian buffet lunch and were serenaded by local musicians, who were soon joined by a very enthusiastic belly dancer (who in turn was greeted by several VERY enthusiastic photographers!)






After a relaxing hour cruising the river in a nice air conditioned space, it was time to head to Giza and the Pyramids.  Cairo is a very large city and as we drove through the city to the outskirts, suddenly there they were, looming in the distance just outside of the city.  There was a lot of excitement in our coach as our fellow travelers caught their first glimpse of these amazing structures.  















We were warned both before leaving our ship, as well as by our tour guide, to NOT get on a camel for a ride and to NOT accept offers from locals to take our photos.  The Camel Drivers frequently “take you for a ride” that may cause one to miss their ride back to the ship, and then basically demand ransom to let you off the camel.  Helpful photographers likewise demand ransom for cameras and cell phones, or simply run away with them.  We were told that both are very aggressive – however I think their aggressiveness was tempered by the gun-toting security guards escorting our group. 

On the grounds at Giza is another museum, the Cheops Boat Museum.  This was an unexpected, fascinating stop.  In the 1950s an archeologist working near the pyramids discovered a pit covered with huge granite blocks.  Inside the pit was an ancient Egyptian boat, disassembled into 2,000 plus pieces.  The wooden pieces were removed from the pit and the boat was reassembled.  The museum showcases the restored boat.  It was in the water at least once; historians are unsure whether it may have been used to transport funerary items for the burial of one of the pharohs.







From the Cheops Boat we had a short drive to see the Sphinx.






The sphinx was our last sightseeing stop of the day, but it was not the last sight we saw.  Our visit to Egypt occurred as the 4-day observance of the holiday of Eid was beginning.  During this holiday, it's customary to sacrifice a sheep (or a cow) and then give the meat to the poor, so that everyone is able to eat meat during the holiday.  So there were flocks of sheep and some cows on the streets of Cairo (and being transported in the beds of trucks on the highway.)  


At one point Hannah, our guide, got on the loudspeaker and said "Look on the left!  It's a wedding party!"  She explained that the bride and her family are responsible for contributing certain household items to the new home as part of her dowry, and the groom and his family bring appliances etc.  There is a happy procession to deliver all these items to the new home.  We looked out our windows (we were on a highway) to see lots of happy people sitting on the backs of pickup trucks, other trucks with the wedding goods, another truck with guys dancing on the roof, and still more guys on motorcyles and on foot singing and dancing in the road. 









We also spotted a middle of the road restaurant, waiting for customers.



All in all this was an incredibly full day which I will remember and treasure forever.  

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

Second consecutive very early wake up call, to set out for our visit to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee.  Our first stop was at the Basilica of the Annunciation, situated at the site that it's believed an angel appeared to Mary and gave her The Good News, that she was going to be the mother to the Son of God.  This is a scene which has been portrayed in countless pieces of religious art - my favorite being this one, in the National Gallery in London:

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/upload/img/crivelli-annunciation-with-saint-emidius-NG739-fm.jpg


The church was built in 1969 over the site of two previous churches, one Byzantine and the other a Crusader-era church.  The Modern church sanctuary is reached by climbing a set of exterior stairs, and is decorated with depictions of the Virgin from various countries / cultures, each done by an artist from that country.  The results are breathtaking:


One of my favorites (of course!) Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico.  Legend has it that Our Lady appeared to the peasant Juan Diego in the 1500's; if memory serves her image was the first to depict The Virgin as a non-white European.  By another miracle, I was able to text this image, real time, to my mother back in California and share the moment with her!!!

This gorgeous mosaic is from Japan; these first two examples show me how the image / idea of Madonna and Child transcend borders

This image is the French contribution to the collection

Spain 
The stunning piece from the USA
The cave believed to have been the home of Mary

Detail of the Virgin from Brazil
From the main sanctuary, there are stairs to descend to the Grotto, which contains a shrine around a large rock within a cave where it is believed that Mary lived when she received the good news.  The architecture permits natural light to flow into the grotto; one can also view the dome of the main sanctuary from the grotto.  The struts supporting the ceiling are designed to resemble a manger roof, and the floor shows the Jerusalem Cross. 













From the grotto, one walks outside and can view an ongoing archaeological excavation being constructed at the site. 


Rich with Moshe, our charming guide for the day.  Although Jewish he had a wonderful reverence and appreciation for the spirituality associated with the Christian sites we visited. 


From the Basilica we walked a few steps to the adjacent St. Joseph's Church, which is built over what is believed to be the workshop of Joseph the Carpenter, husband of Mary.  Walking over we had a real Kumbaya moment - Real, as Sunday Mass was in session and the congregation was singing Kumbaya.  Magical.  Since Mass was in progress, we took a side door and walked down a corridor that led to another grotto behind this church, which is in fact an ancient workshop.  






As we drove out of Nazareth for our next visit, Rich spotted this:





Our next visit was to the hauntingly beautiful and tranquil Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.  The mountain is crowned with the 1930's era Church of the Beatitudes, which is set in beautiful gardens with spectacular views of the surrounding land and seascapes.  The church is octagonal, with each side representing one of the eight Beatitudes:


Blessed are...the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are....those who mourn: for they will be comforted. 
Blessed are....the meek: for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are....those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. 
Blessed are....the merciful: for they will be shown mercy
Blessed are....the pure in heart: for they will see God. 
Blessed are....the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. 
Blessed are....those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 




One of my favorites, Pope John Paul II, preached here, and left these for the church

View of the Sea of Galilee from the Loggia outside the Church of Beatitudes




We left this special spot to head for the Sea of Galilee, specifically to the spot where Jesus is said to have performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, The Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter.  We experienced another lovely moment, as a group of central American pilgrims were singing softly as we approached the church. 


Shore of the Sea of Galilee



Church of the Primacy

This is the rock where the local people were said to have laid the loaves and fishes that Jesus multiplied


After a brief stop at the Sea of Galilee, we were off for Capernaum or the City of Christ.  This is a well preserved village where it's believed Jesus lived and preached. It is also believed to have been home to the Apostles Simon (Peter,) Andrew, James and John.  The spot is dominated by a museum built over the home said to be of Saint Peter, as well as an ancient synagogue.  


Floor of the school (Midrash) adjacent to the synagogue.  These carvings are game boards for the children; our guide said that Israeli children still play these games today.  Interestingly Midrash has the same root word as Madrassa, the word used today for Islamic schools. 

Interior of the Synagogue

Museum over ruins reported to be those of the home of St. Peter
From here we headed to Yardenit, the spot on the Jordan River where it's believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.  As one approaches the site there are inscriptions on the wall with the words Jesus is said to have heard from heavenly voices as he emerged from the waters after his baptism:  ‘Thou art my beloved Son, with thee I am well pleased.”  





Those of us who dipped our toes in the water had them nibbled by these little fishies




After this very full day, it was time to head back to the ship and sail out of Haifa, bound for Port Said, Egypt.  We sailed away as the sun was setting on Haifa - a lovely farewell to Israel.