Making History!

Egypt. If you were to ask me last summer if I would ever imagine traveling to Egypt I would give a clear, assertive no. The past eight days I have been in Egypt and have loved every second. It has been absolutely unreal!  As the news may have informed you Egypt turned out to be more of a battlefield than anything else. We were blessed to see many of the sites we had originally planned to visit and the political upheaval only interefered with our JC group at the end of our endeavors. I must say I never felt fear or even worried about our safety because our teachers and tour guides here were very protective and kept us away from the choas erupting nearby. I am amazed by all of the events that have transpired this past week. I was sittting on my professors bed with twenty other students watching the news and asking questions about the situation, the government, and the possible results of such a rebellion. The riots we were witnessing (as I am sure many of you did) on the news were happening just 15 minutes away from our hotel. It makes me sad to see the people I have gained a love and respect for here in Egypt are being directly influenced and hurt by the internal contention within Egypt. Change is necessary, whether it be good or bad Egypt will never be the same! We were told we may be the last JC group to travel to Egypt for quite some time which is sad but I am grateful to have traveled to Egypt at a time when history is being made.

 I am grateful to be an American where my rights and freedoms are not only given to me but protected.  

 On our way to Egypt we took many stops to see archeological sites. This is Kelsey and I rockin the hard hats. She was my Egypt buddy for the week. We roomed together in many different hotels and on the midnight train. She is a party in a half. She is loud, spunky, and doesn't take crap from anyone. To describe or respond to anything she would always say, "that is hot." Haha Love her!

LOVE this picture. These are two of my three roommates. Left is Skyler and right is Victoria. We just saw our first pyramid. I can't describe in words how excited I was but this picture does some justice on the excitement level of our bus!!

 Rach and I taking a little jump off the pyramid. No big deal!

These are the Giza Pyramids behind me. These bad boys are gorgeous and definitely a highlight of this trip. We went inside a few of them and honestly pictures cannot do justice.

 Of course the camels (Kris this is for you). We saw hundreds of camels throughout our stay in Egypt. They are always decorated in elaborate clothing of some kind. I cannot help but laugh because these are such strange creatures yet everyone rides them around like horses. We actually got to ride one around Luxor on Wednesday. One thing I have learned from this experience is that I cannot take anyone on a camel seriously.

 The Sphinx and all its glory!

Oh the Sphinx...this picture was a work in progress. It took numerous tries to get the perfect angle and I am still kissing his chin. However, it is the craziest site to witness twenty people standing alone with their eyes closed, puckering while making subtle adjustments to go up an inch or to the right a tad. Many people were pulling out their cameras not for the Sphinx but for the line of people trying to steal a smooch.

 The most tender moment of the trip was at the Sphinx. I was taking a photo for a friend and a Muslim mother rushed over to me, pointed at the camera and then back at me. I was very confused as to what she wanted from me. Finally I understood...I am blonde. Haha there are quite a few blondes in the JC group and we figured that is was like being a different race to have blonde hair. She gathered all of her children around me so they could have a picture with a blonde. I love children and when all these kids (whom normally refuse pictures in Jerusalem) came running my direction with open arms and precious faces...I couldn't ask for anything better.

Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut. One of my favorite places we went all week. Hatshepsut was the Pharaoh in the 18th Dynasty. She was the longest ruling woman and one of the most adored Pharaohs in Egypt's history. She was depicted as a man throughout her ruling. Look up the history for more details it is phenomenal. This Temple has girl power written all over it!

Cute man at Hatshepsut's Temple.

Colossae of Memnon

Ramesseum. This place is HUGE!

  

We took a boat across the Nile to go ride camels. This is the gang playing a little game called "signs" in order to pass the time away.

 This is my camel driver named Abraham. We were lectured numerous times about the dangers of camel drivers but I loved my driver. He is 17 years old and dreams of going to Paris. His English was pretty good so it was fun to carry on a conversation with him about his family and his passions. At the end of the ride I gave him a dollar but he wanted a kiss...sorry Abraham maybe another time!

 My wonderful twin and a bent pyramid.

 The boys trying to recreate their own pyramid!

The overnight train ride was a PARTY!!! We packed lots of people in a tiny, sweaty room to play games and talk the night away. Sleeping was not a problem. We play so hard in the day that by the time the moon comes out, my little eyelids have no choice but to shut down.

 Hiking Mount Sinai. This was BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks to you mom I love hiking. We all got a wake-up call at 2:30 in the morning. Drank some nasty brown water they called hot chocolate and off we went. It was dark most the way up so we used our little headlamps. When we got to the top it was breathtaking. We sang lots of hymns and took many pictures. We read Moses 1 the night before we hiked it in order to get a better perspective of what we would be in for. I cannot believe that I stood in the same place that many marvelous, spiritual events took place so many years ago.

 Bliss! Although it was cold on top (thanks grandma for the jacket it was wonderful) I felt so warm and peaceful. There was a devotional and a little testimony meeting on top. I am beginning to understand why I am here and what I want to take from this wonderful program. I am blessed! Sitting on top of the mountain overlooking the land below I felt a feeling of power and worth unlike ever before. I know this program is changing me and I just hope that I am accepting and open to the wonderful adventures ahead of me. 

A few random, beautiful shots: 

 The Nile at night!

(Ramesseum) All of the architecture here is beautiful. Grandpa if you were an Egyptian you would be creating amazing structures like these. Brilliant!

Dad this picture is for you! I am very proud of this pic. It is on top of Mount Sinai. Thanks for teaching me how to take a panorama shot. I am using it often:)