I'm Scheduled to Return to South Africa in January.....

This will be my third trip and while Johannesburg is not one of my favorite cities I think this will be a good job because I will also be working at Cape Town (and the Cape of Good Hope) with a side trip involving a one-day job in Durban.

I have heard from many people that Cape Town is the most beautiful city in Africa and I'm particularly looking forward to checking it out. The way my schedule is set up I will also have the better part of two weekends free in Cape Town so I hope to do some touring.

I will be working for Chevron this trip and start off in Johannesburg--my third trip and job there. That job will last for a week then I fly to Cape Town and work ten days before flying to Durban for a one-day job and return flight to Johannesburg. Overall, as it stands, it will be a 20-day job unless more is added on before now and January 9.

I'll be taking my computer and posting as I go. I'm kind of excited about this trip--going to see something new......

The Results Are In.....

During our week north of Lima we accomplished the following:

We performed 251 dental extractions and numerous children's checkups. Most of the extractions involved surrounding villagers and the children's checkups included the local communities and the orphanage where the clinic was located. The oldest patient was 91 years old and another patient was elderly with a diagnosed brain tumor. Several wisdom teeth were extracted.

1,151 pair of glasses were issued--some were prescription glasses while other were reading glasses. Because of the language problems the eyechart in the background uses only the letter "M" turned four directions while the person being tested holds the letter in the way he/she sees it on the chart. The tester moves progressively to smaller letters and when the person being tested can no longer accurately hold the letter in the same position as the chart, their eye strength is calculated for each eye and a set of glasses is assembled with those strength lens. Crude and basic--but it works. Reading glasses are much easier--the person being tested simply tries different strengths until they are satisfied.

The medical staff treated or consulted 1,284 people during the week. Many were basic but essential child physicals--most of the children had never been to a doctor before. Some minor tumors were removed and other ailments treated. A significant number of pregnant women were examined but no babies were delivered on this trip.

The pharmacy was always busy and at times overwhelmed. Much of what we dispensed involved painkillers and antibiotics. Since we were only there a week and it will be at least a year until we return it wasn't possible to prescribe long-term medications since it would be impossible to have them refilled.

Checked Out the Ancient Capital of the Inca Empire Today……

Cusco, or Qosqo, represented for the ancient Incas the “navel of the world” or the origin of life. With the Andes peaks towering overhead, it is a beautiful area that was established long before the Spaniards arrived. At its peak, Cusco was in the 14th Century a city of sophisticated water systems, paved streets and no poverty for the 15,000 Incas who lived here. Less than a century after the Incas reached their greatest influence the Spaniards did arrive and the rest, as they say, is history……..

Under Spanish rule, the Incas really got shafted big time. It was a Spanish military tactic to capture the king, torture him until they had all the information they could get, and then publicly execute him. When his heir took over he met the same fate—probably cut down on in-house intrigue within the royal Inca family. But as long as the Spaniards held the king the Incas wouldn’t revolt.

With the rediscovery of Machu Picchu in 1911, Cusco has again become an important Peruvian city and much of its ancient charm still exists. The public plazas are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Today it’s considered a jewel of Inca and colonial architecture and I stayed back today and explored it on foot. Most of the group took the day trip to Pisac, another village nearby with an alpaca farm, but I visited it last year so I spent the day walking I don’t know how many miles up and down the cobblestoned streets and sidewalks.

The Peruvian government, to its credit, it trying to protect the cultural heritage of the city and the area but the reality is that it is now a city full of European and American backpackers with the assorted issues they bring. I would conservatively guess I was offered marijuana or cocaine at least a dozen times today by streetvendors.

I walked quite a ways down to the artists market looking for gifts, not drugs, and found a few items but for the most part it wasn’t particularly good quality stuff but still interesting to wander around and look. On the way back I stopped at a textile weaving center and bought myself a nice Peruvian rug that I intend to use as a wall decoration.

For lunch I stopped at a restaurant on the main plaza, or Plaza de Armas, and got a table outdoors on the second floor looking out over the plaza. I had an alpaca steak and a local soup and it was really peaceful and restful. I shot a video of the plaza which is embedded here and you can see the beautiful flowers (spring is starting here) and


ancient architecture of the two churches. You can also see it’s raining in the background and was slowly coming toward the city. As I was eating, they were playing a Peruvian Andes pan flute music—you know, the kind Zamphir used to hawk on cable television in the 1980s—but here in this setting it sounded really neat. It’s a relaxing music and I had one of those rare moments—they don’t happen often—but everything seems so perfect I really don’t want to come home.

But as usual the moment doesn’t last and the rain arrived along with heavy sleet so I moved back just inside the open doors and sat there drinking coca tea till the rain let up. The plaza had been full of people but when it started raining they all headed for the buildings except for one old man who just sat in the rain talking to himself. When it started sleeting he still sat there as it built up on his shoulders and hair until a policeman went over with an umbrella and brought him in.

After the rain stopped I returned to the hotel for a short nap then walked around a couple more hours. There are four very old Catholic churches here but they charge tourists to visit and that annoys me so I just wandered around the outside and appreciated the architecture.

At night the group—only ten of us continued on to Cusco—had supper together at one of the Plaza de Armas restaurants that featured good food and traditional (pan flute) Peruvian music.

Tomorrow around noon we’ll fly back to Lima and spend Tuesday as free time in Lima and fly out around midnight Tuesday night—arriving in Houston around 6:30 am.

Machu Picchu Hasn’t Changed Much in the Last Year……

.....but then it hasn’t changed much in the past 2,000 years. But for an ancient civilization it is relatively new to us since it was only rediscovered in 1911. Of all the places I’ve been fortunate to visit I think Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and the Pyramids in Egypt are the three most amazing things I’ve ever seen. All three have similarities and their fascination with the astrological association to earth is a common thread.

We started the trip at 4:00 am with a bus ride up into the Andes to the ancient fortress at Ollantaytambo. The trip took about 1 ½ hours and sunrise is early here so we got to see the sun come up over the peaks as we were driving through small villages and it was an interesting drive. We didn’t take the train from Cusco like we did last year since there is a worker’s strike that has the station closed there but we did catch the train at Ollantaytambo and made another 1 ½ hour trip up through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Overall I thought it was more interesting this way since just riding the train gets old after a few hours.

We arrived really early and were one of the first groups into the park. Amazingly we got the same guide as we had last year and did about a 2 ½ hour guided tour of the ruins. Since I had done this last year I was able this time to concentrate on just the things I found interesting and this was a lot more meaningful this time. It was a much smaller group this year and at the end of the tour most of us climbed up to the guard house overlooking the ruins where the most spectacular views are.

Since I posted on the blog extensively about Machu Picchu last year I’m just going to include some new photos here.

Zero to 11,200 feet in 55 minutes......

Checked out of the hotel at 5:30 and took a bus to the airport and caught an early morning flight to Cusco. The flight is only one hour but is really strange in that you take off, reach cruising altitude and land without ever descending. You literally go from sea level to 11,200 feet in one hour. In Cusco we caught a bus to the Royal Inca Hotel—where we stayed last year—and everybody split up. I think we needed alone-time at this point. I don’t care how good of condition you’re in that altitude change tears you up—headaches and short breath. I started drinking Coca tea immediately which is a local remedy for altitude sickness and have done pretty well so far but two of our group are already pretty sick. I wandered around the ancient Plaza de Armias and adjoining cathedral plaza for a couple of hours—just looking and not buying anything. Monday we are going to the Pisac Market in the mountains so I’ll probably buy there.
Around noon I was hungry so I found a place on the main plaza—upper story with a great view of the main cathedral—and had a pizza and bowl of guinea pig soup. Guinea pig is a big menu item here and I’d always wanted to try it. Tastes like chicken.

After lunch I returned to the hotel and took a two-hour nap then wandered around some more and checked my email at an Internet Café—the hotel doesn’t have Internet.

In the evening a small group of us went to a restaurant on the main plaza and I had a local trout dinner and it was back to the hotel and to bed early. We leave for Machu Picchu at 4:00 am.

Friday was a lighter day.....

in that we finished around 2:00 pm and it took a couple of hours to box up our equipment and it on the bus. Before we left the director of the orphanage invited us to the soccer field and the children sang some songs and presented us all with “medals” for being here. Evidently several church groups support the orphanage financially and even visit from time to time but we were the first group to actually spend time here and set up shop. It was kind of an emotional time—some of the group members were teary-eyed when we left. I wasn’t—but then I’m tough.

The work load Friday, although shortened, was still interesting. We had an elderly man brought in who had a brain tumor. He also had severe teeth problems but the local dentals wouldn’t treat him because they were afraid of the tumor. The poor old man was so miserable he couldn’t talk and had been that way for a long time. The dentist with our group didn’t hesitate and pulled almost all his lower teeth and the poor old guy was so happy he was praying, crying and crossing himself.

We had a bunch more children brought in on the last day and I’m including a short video of an extraction on a young teenager. If you can zoom in on the video and play it, it is kind of graphic but does give an idea of the conditions we worked under—flashlights, no running water, etc. To view the video double-click the small triangle on the lower left side of the photo.

We ate supper on a pier—really nice restaurant but frankly I doubt if very many people really appreciated it. We were so tired but it is a tradition to have a nice meal after the last day.

We got back to the hotel even later than usual and had to get up for a 5:30 bus to the airport. Tomorrow it’s up to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Finished Up Our Next to Last Day Today and the Crowds Have Grown Each Morning.....

Monday was relatively light but Tuesday the crowds had started to grow and we were tired Tuesday to the point some were dozing off on the bus at the end of the day. Wednesday was really heavy crowds and some of the group skipped dinner and went straight to their rooms. Tonight (Thursday) we sent out for pizza to be waiting at the hotel when we got in tonight. Tomorrow will be the final day and it has been much more hectic than last year but we've seen a lot of people who haven't had medical services here for several years.

We had television crews come in today with some very important looking people whom we later found out were from the Ministry of Health and that always causes apprehension and concern but today, possibly because of the cameras, the government fully endorsed what was going on at the orphanage and approved of our group's work. In fact we were called together as a group before the bus left today and told the governmental agency for this district has proposed to employ up to ten doctors/medics to serve the clinic on a regular basis next year. The orphanage director felt our group had a lot to do with that decision. If this even partially develops in the future it will be the greatest contribution we could have made.

We had four dentists today and I spent the entire day helping two children's dentists. Despite the trauma of dental work, they seem so appreciative of having their toothaches disappear. This afternoon we had a group of ethnic indigenous Indians come in--the Peruvians call them "Mountain People"--and they looked like they could have been models for a National Geographic cover. We saw five or six of the women--their faces must have a thousand wrinkles, they have long braided hair almost to the floor, wear distinctive hats and hooped skirts over pants. And of course their clothing is the beautiful distinctive Peruvian woven colors.

We had a 91-year-old man come in today and when the doctor asked him what was wrong his reply was "I hurt all over." I'm not sure what they did for him but he passed his physical with flying colors--that is a very rare age up here in this area.

Yesterday we had a little girl brought in with a severe cleft palate and the dentist with our group thinks there's a very good chance he can refer her to a specialist in Houston that will do the operation without charge. The paperwork's already been initiated.

The stories just go on and on--a lot of them are tragic but many have good endings and some are even funny. One of our group escorted a woman to the pharmacy for antibiotics and while he was waiting an older man came over and got right in his face. Our member realized he was blind as a bat when he asked "Where America?" When told "Texas," he responded "Oh, yeah." Later when our group member saw him again the man was standing there looking through a dirty window and shaking his head. They had fitted him with a pair of Coke-bottle lens but he looked like he was amazed at the things he was seeing out the window with them. As our guy was walking over to congratulate him on his new glasses he turned and yelled out "Viva Texas!!!"

I've lost track of how many dental extractions I've assisted but we've had some tough cases and have done several wisdom teeth including one impacted one that was removed sideways without cutting the tooth in half--a very difficult procedure from what I was told.

Tomorrow will be our last day here and from what our group leader told us tonight, it may be our last trip here ever--if the government keeps its promise and employs doctors and medics here we won't be needed any more. That's what it's all about....

Of course I can't close out this post without a picture of one of the little girls who came in today. Her mother got the dental work but we had to take turns holding her because she was so small. In the picture you can see her big dark eyes and also her mother's missing tooth.

One more day tomorrow; Saturday to Cusco; and Sunday to Machu Picchu again......

We Had Much Larger Crowds Awaiting Us This Morning.....

As we arrived this morning the crowds had already formed at the gate. It's still not the sense of urgency that we had last year when the crowds stayed in line all night so as not to lose their places but it was much busier today.

The dental clinic was much busier and I got out from behind the sterilization vats and got to do some over-the-shoulder help today. I was working with one of the Peruvian dentists and she doesn't speak English so that made for an interesting afternoon but overall we got a lot done. She specializes in children's dentistry which can be both rewarding and gut-wrenching. It's kind of difficult to watch the little ones--and some are really little--come in and you can see the fear in their eyes. Then they go through the pain-killing shots and the trauma of having teeth extracted. We don't do fillings here--no drills--so it's basically pulling teeth all day long. On the other hand, some come in with their mothers and watch with fear from the corner while their mother gets her teeth worked on.

Today I did a lot of topical anesthetic application and holding the flashlight. I enjoy it and it's personally rewarding. I literally tower over the dentist so holding the flashlight is easy enough for me.

Since this was our second day--and first full "organized" day--we met this evening and discussed what we had experienced. In addition to the many children we've had a number of really sad cases involving pregnant women who had been abandoned by their husbands--one is expecting any day now and was dumped in a park last weekend and had been sleeping on park benches the past two nights. We had a cocaine addict come in asking for money to attend a rehab program--he got a referral slip instead. A lot of the children are basically healthy but had never had a medical exam and their mothers just wanted to assure themselves their children were healthy. As I said Monday, I feel many of the children from the orphanage have better dental hygiene, overall health and often seem happier than the children from the surrounding villages. It's something to watch them--they're always in groups--and they take wonderful care of each other. They hold hands in lines, watch over the really small ones and seem to have a real sense of caring for each other. I guess when they don't have parents they have to watch out for each other but they are really good at it.

Set Up the Dental Clinic Today.....

We have a Canadian and two Peruvian dentists and started our clinic this morning. It is much less hectic here than it was in Piaura last year--the lines are shorter and we don't have that sense of urgency we had on the last trip.

We had a relatively light case load but that will probably pick up as the week progresses. For a while today we saw the children from the orphanage and according to the dentists they had overall very good teeth.

My job is sterilizing the equipment--scrubbing it and then doing a "cold sterilization" with chemicals. I'll do other jobs as needed--charting, escorting to the pharmacy, holding flashlight, etc but mostly I just sterilize. I enjoy it, it keeps me busy but also allows me periods where I can roam around and help in other areas.

It's a hour and a half ride both ways in a bus and that's almost the hardest part of the day--the bus isn't particularly comfortable and the roads are rough plus we have to start early and arrive late.

Tonight we walked, as a group, down to the ocean and ate at a local seafood restaurant. I love Peruvian ceviche and had that with some shrimp and squid. The group this year is a good group--different from the members last year--but a good diverse group.

It's late, I'm tired, and this will be a short post. Should be another interesting day tomorrow.....

Visited the Orphanage Today and Set up the Medical Clinic......

We made it back to Lima and had some problems getting through customs but finally got to the hotel on the southern part of the city called Miraflores and we are in a hostel about two blocks from the Pacific Ocean.

Today we took our bus about an hour and a half to the north of Lima to an orphanage where we'll be setting up the clinic for this week. The orphanage is the work of one man and is a large complex spread out over a fairly large area and we'll be working in a building that's only partially finished but is already a basic medical clinic so we already have some equipment to work with and the facilities are better than the school where we worked last year in Piaura. We have four dentists, two medical doctors, two nurses, two physician's assistants and two pharmacists. For the first time we have a OBGYN which is kind of a big deal since many of the patients who come in are expecting or have just had babies and it's not unheard of that one or two deliveries may be made this week.

Although we're working in the orphanage, we will be mostly treating the surrounding villagers and this is an extremely impoverished area--most of these patients have had no medical services since this group was last here. I'll be working in the dental area this year and don't know for sure what I'll be doing yet.

After we set up today we got to take a tour of the orphanage--they prefer to call it a "community." There are about 650 children here aged from a few days old to teenagers. All have been abandoned, orphaned, rejected, mistreated or outright abused. I felt like we were violating their privacy by touring their dorms and dining hall and taking photos but they all just loved having their pictures taken and all clamored to be held and hugged.

As you can see from the top photo I made a new friend fast. The nursery was especially touching--how small babies could be abandoned is beyond me but they seem to be well cared for here. The orphanage is dirt-poor but here seem to be plenty of volunteers to take care of the children and they all seem happy. I said it last year and still believe it.....Peruvian children are the most beautiful children I've ever seen but it's kind of gut-wrenching to see what some people can do to small children. As much as I'd like to be optimistic, these children are abandoned in an impoverished country that provides few if any services for children and I'm afraid the future doesn't bode well for many of these kids, especially the girls.

Tomorrow we head out early for the first day. It'll be hectic in the morning but by afternoon we should be starting to operate smoothly and it should be a very rewarding week.

After a Summer at Home I'll be Heading Back to Peru in November.....

I will be taking part in my second medical mission to Peru from November 1-12 with the same group as last year--Olive Branch--but this time we'll be going about an hour north of Lima and setting up a medical clinic in an orphanage. Basically we'll take over the school for five days and provide medical, dental and optical services for the surrounding villages.

Last year I worked in the optical group dispensing eye glasses and literally cases of reading glasses. This year I'm tentatively scheduled to work with the dentists and that could include anything from holding a flashlight to chemically sterilizing the equipment or anything else that's required.

We'll be traveling by bus each day from Lima where we'll be staying in a hotel. Last year I only briefly saw Lima so this will be a good opportunity to experience the city. There are a few familiar faces with the group this year but most of the 22 people in this group will be new to me.

I've also signed up for the side trip to Machu Picchu again. I really enjoyed it last year, know a little more about it now, and am really looking forward to experiencing again one of the most incredible sights I've ever encountered in my travels. I won't be taking my computer this time but will be posting an account after we return and promise a bunch of breathtaking photos again.

Coptic Churches, the Mohammed Ali Mosque and an Ancient Synagogue.....

…..and I’ve really come to like this country. Monday morning I got up early and took the final tour I’ve wanted to do: Coptic Christian Cairo and the Citadel overlooking the city.

The day was cool and overcast so it was a good day to be inside. We started with a visit to the Citadel—home to Egypt’s rulers for over 700 years. The huge Mosque of Mohammed Ali towers over the city—I can see it in the background from my hotel room across the city.

The Mohammed Ali Mosque is relatively new—built in the 1850s and is unusual in that it is Turkish in design but it has still become the symbol of the City of Cairo. Like most mosques here, the outer court is open-air and contains an ornamental fountain for the ritual cleansing before prayers. There is also a large clock here—the gift of the French in return for one of the giant obelisks from the Temple of Luxor. Problem is, the clock has never worked and still doesn’t today and the French are still keeping the obelisk.

Inside, it is much larger than the two old, historic mosques I visited Saturday and the overall theme is the color red. It truly is massive and far better lit which, with the red carpeting, gives it a hotel lobby ambiance. The Granite work is amazing—especially on the niche that points to Mecca and on the elevated pulpit for the Imam to make his calls to prayers. As amazing as this mosque was, I still prefer the two historic Mosques of Sultan Hassan and ar-Rifai because of their age and histories.

From the mosque we visited some of the Coptic Christian Churches of Cairo—and there are several. For a period, Egypt was a Christian nation and came under occupation and persecution by the Romans. Partially in response to the Romans, the Copts requested Muslims come to Egypt and the result was that Islam became the predominant religion—80% Islam, 15% Coptic Christian and various other beliefs. Although it hasn’t been a perfect relationship, the two religions do seem to exist peacefully and are literally side-by-side in this old part of Cairo.

According to tradition, St. Mark, one of the 12 Apostles, introduced Christianity into Egypt—starting in Alexandria in the first century. As the religion spread, it did so separate from Rome and therefore is an Orthodox Christian creed. From Moses to Jesus’ family’s exile in Egypt after his birth, Egypt has been important to Jews and Christians. One of the churches here, the Church of St. Sergius, is built over a cave that is believed to have been one of the places the Holy Family took shelter during their flight into Egypt. Cameras were not allowed inside, which is a shame because it is a very unusual ancient church with beautiful icons but we did get to see the crypt.

We also visited the Church of St. Barbara, long one of my favorite saints, who was martyred after her father killed her for trying to convert him to Christianity. This church did allow photos and I’m including one here. The most prominent features were the artwork, dating back to the 1700s.

Along the route we stopped at the historic Ben Ezra Synagogue. After the Roman expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem in the first century AD, Egypt became the center of Judaism—a presence that lasted here until 1948. By that time the numbers had dwindled and when Israel was created in 1948—with the resulting war with Egypt—the remaining Jews were forced out here. Today there is a miniscule presence and one active synagogue in the city center. This synagogue is inactive but has been meticulously preserved and is open to the public. Again, photos weren’t allowed inside.

The final church on the tour was the famous “Hanging Church,” a misnomer in that nobody was ever hung here. It is the most beautiful of the Coptic Churches and is so called because it was built over the old Water Gate of the Roman fortress of Babylon—probably around fourth century A.D. Constructed over the Water Gate, the church was thus “suspended” and therefore the name “Hanging Church.” The artwork is spectacular and the church features ornate marble on the columns and pulpit. I am posting a photo of the interior here.

Tomorrow morning I head back to Paris and then to Houston. This has been a good trip—even Cameroon was a better assignment this time—and Egypt is one of the most impressive countries I’ve visited so far…..

Made an Unexpected Side Trip to Alexandria…..

…..when one of my students from this city invited me to visit for a day. His company sent a driver and picked me up at the hotel for a 3 ½ hour drive through the Sahara Desert north to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and this beautiful city founded by Alexander the Great around 332 B.C. The city is steeped with history: Roman occupation, naval battles, wars, and Cleopatra committed suicide here after watching here Egyptian fleet defeated and destroyed by the Romans.

The long drive was well worth it—Alexandria does have tourism but not on the scale of Cairo or Luxor so the sights were not as crowded. We visited the famous Fort Qaitbey, built in the 1400s on the sight of the old Pharos Lighthouse—one of the original, ancient Seven Wonders of the World. The fort contains the oldest mosque in Alexandria as well as a naval museum. Over the years it has been attacked by the Romans and Greeks as well as Napoleon’s navy. The British bombarded it in 1882—so the fort has seen its share of action.

Obviously with Cleopatra here, there is considerable Roman history including a red granite pillar erected around 300 AD in tribute to the Roman Emperor. Known as Pompey’s Pillar, it is part of a complex of catacombs and a beautifully excavated Roman structure known as the Amphitheatre of Kom al-Dikka.

Probably the highlight of the trip was a visit to the fantastic Montazah Palace built by King Farouk. The palace was closed to the public but has beautifully landscaped grounds that can be explored and one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen—and of course the Mediterranean Sea was a beautiful deep blue.

The 3 ½ hour drive back at night was a long haul but the day was an unexpected trip that turned out to be a great experience.

If You’ve Ever Been Curious About the Inside of a Mosque…..

…..I visited two very large, historical mosques today. I didn’t get back to the hotel until 2:30 am so I slept in and walked over to a former royal residence called Abdeen Palace. It required a 30 minute walk through downtown Cairo and I’m very comfortable here—wandered through the street vendors and alleyways and didn’t get too lost. The palace was closed for many years after the overthrow of the royal family but the current leader, President Mubarak, reopened the beautiful building and grounds as a museum. I went to see the world-class collection of military artillery but also wandered through the section of gifts to the president during his presidency and you wouldn’t believe some of the gold and silver gifts these oil-rich states give each other—dinnerware, crystal, weaponry, jewelry and so much more.

I ate lunch at a street café and then caught the Islamic Cairo tour. I was the only person signed up this afternoon so basically I got a personal tour and my guide was an Egyptian woman who was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. She also gives the Coptic Cairo tours so she had a good knowledge of both religions.

The first mosque, Mosque of Sultan Hussan, as built between 757-1356 AD. Almost all the mosques here are open to the public during the day except at prayer times and on Fridays. It is a massive stone building (it seems all buildings in Egypt are massive stone structures) and after entering through huge and very tall wooden doors, you walk through what feels like a stone tunnel into the main chamber of the mosque. The inside is very large but the overwhelming sensation is that of height—the dome soars far above the tiled floors. For light at the ground level, long chains from the ceiling hold lamps. There are no pictures of course, but geometric designs are everywhere, in the tile, on the walls, and crafted into the ceiling. Passages from the Koran are carved into the marble walls forming a “border.”

In the center of this huge chamber is a circular pavilion where the worshipers wash before praying. It is fundamental requirement that Muslims be clean and this pavilion is a fountain where they wash their faces, eyes, hands and feet before praying. The prayer room is carpet-covered and the niche in the back represents the direction to Mecca. Again, the geometric designs in the tile and marble inlays is intricate and gold trim covers much of the wall. The door to the right opens to a short staircase that leads to a podium much like a church pulpit where the Imam delivers his sermon.

From here we went to the Mosque of Al Rifai—somewhat newer but grander in construction with the same towering dome. Here the dome was supported by large alabaster and marble columns and the niche points the way to Mecca. The green hue is misleading—the interior was not tinted. Again, the doorway on the right leads to the “pulpit” and in this mosque the woodwork was emphasized. On this door the wood was inlaid with ivory and ebony to create the geometric designs. Both mosques had a wooden stand to hold a large copy of the Koran for prayer services. Like everything else, this stand was elaborately decorated.

Some of the side rooms hold the burial crypts of important leaders—one of them, I was surprised to find, was the final resting place of the former Shah of Iran. The mosque trip was interesting and I learned a lot. Monday morning I hope to visit the Citadel and will get to visit the Mohamed Ali Mosque—the largest in Cairo.

From the mosques, I visited the famous Khan al-Khalili—the largest bazaar that dates back to 1382. Historically this has been where the tribes from all the Middle East would collect to trade and barter their goods. Today they meet to take the tourist’s dollars (or Euros). I didn’t spend much time there but just visited to say I’d seen it.

Tomorrow (Sunday) one of my students last week is coming from Alexandria to pick me up and give me a tour of that Mediterranean Sea city founded by Alexander the Great. I look forward to it and this will be a truly personal guided tour. Monday I hope to do the Coptic Cairo tour with the Citadel.

Tuesday I head home….

Finished the Job and Started My Free Time With A Day Trip to Luxor…..

…..and in many ways it is one of the most amazing sites I’ve ever visited. Reportedly it would take a week to visit everything here but I selected the things I was most interested in and designed a custom one-day trip. I flew from Cairo at 5:00 am and arrived in Luxor an hour later after the sun was up. I flew on an old Airbus 321 that looked like it should have been scrap-piled ten years ago but I didn’t worry about it until after the sun had come up and I glanced outside the window and couldn’t believe my eyes. In fact, I had to take a photo: That’s right folks, that’s duct tape on the aircraft wing!!!

Anyway the city tour was fantastic. We started in the Valley of the Kings and I visited four underground burial tombs of Egyptian kings including the burial crypt of Tutankhamen, or King Tut, which involved descending a ramp deep underground into the chamber which displays the burial coffin with his mummy inside. I also visited the tombs of three of the Ramses kings but Tut was the highlight. Cameras weren’t allowed inside, so here’s one of me at the top. Since the interesting stuff was underground and no photos were allowed, I didn’t get a lot of pictures but here’s another one I found interesting involving caves in the cliffs above the tombs. These were caves where the Christians lived to escape persecution during the Roman occupation. The Coptic Christians occupied this area around 500 BC and, frankly, desecrated many of the hieroglyphics and beautiful wall pictures. The ancient Egyptians recorded many of their pictures in the nude and the Coptic’s came in and chiseled out naked parts of the anatomies. Kind of an ancient Moral Majority I guess but they desecrated a lot of antiquities forever.

From the Valley of the Kings I went to the Hatshepsut Temple—an ancient mummification, or mortuary, temple that was discovered around 1850 completely buried under the sand. It’s still being reclaimed from the dessert but is yielding a treasure of information and antiquities.

The highlights of the day, however, were the two temples on the east bank of the Nile: Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. Considered a showpiece of Pharaonic temple architecture, Luxor was built by a series of Pharaohs and modified by Alexander the Great. With a massive stone entrance with a giant obelisk and two solid stone colossi of Ramses II, the entrance is awe-inspiring but the temple inside, dominated by columns, is even more so. It’s a massive complex, still under renovation and excavation.

Nearby Karnak, or Temple of Amun, is even more breathtaking. Covering over 40 acres, you enter through another massive entrance lined with rows of stones sphinx and pass imposing statues of Ramses II into the most amazing series of stone columns I’ve seen anywhere: A massive forest of 134 columns that the pictures here don’t do justice to. Inside the temple, you wander through a series of passageways, alleys, dead-ends, hidden staircases and water pools—all covered with ancient hieroglyphics and artwork. I spent three hours in it and then went back after dark and attended a light and sound show where they lead you through the whole complex at night. We had a full moon and sky full of stars which made it even more magical.

I caught a midnight flight back to Cairo and even through I was dead tired I couldn’t sleep—I kept having visions of duct tape……