Today was entirely devoted to the museum and sites at Delphi. We left the hotel at the usual 8:30 and walked about 15 minutes to the Delphi Museum. I was very impressed with the design of the building’s interior and how they displayed the items. The impetus for the reconstruction was the 2004 Olympics, an effort most likely to capitalize on the increase in tourists and to show off Greece’s history. But nevertheless, the design of this museum certainly increased the significance of the different pieces. To me, the time and effort put in to the exhibit reflects the value, both inherent to the object itself and in the opinions of the Greeks, of the items on display.
This museum had large, spacious and well-lit rooms. These rooms were modern and clean. There were many clear and informative explanations, and almost every item had its own plaque. Items both large and small had spotlights, but the light was never too harsh for the piece. The color behind the artifacts helped also helped them stand out. I enjoyed seeing the pictures from the excavation behind the pieces themselves. The juxtaposition of the time periods (the item from classical antiquity, the picture of the excavation from a hundred years ago, and the modern display) added depth to the exhibit as a whole. The well-placed benches added to the experience for a different reason, but were also much appreciated. My desire to take a closer look, and even second and third looks, increased because of the clarity of design and flow between exhibits.
After the museum, we went to the lower of the two sites, hoping that the rain would let up a bit more by the afternoon, because we planned to spend more time at the higher site. Just in case you were wondering, it was in the 40s today and got colder as the day progressed. The rain and the cold dampened (pun intended) our spirits and made it harder to appreciate the ruins, but the lower of the two sites is less impressive.
We took a few hours off to break for lunch and to change into warmer clothes, and then headed out again at 2. When we got to the entrance of the higher site, I noticed a sign warning visitors that no one would be let in after 2:15 and that the site closes at 2:30. Apparently, this is a new schedule change and we only go to look around for about 20 minutes. We sped through most of the site, but didn’t have time to visit the stadium. (The Temple of Apollo, which housed the Delphic Oracle, is very unimpressive as it stands today. It has been taken apart over the years, and its materials – esp. iron – have been removed and used in other building projects.) We reconvened outside the gates and decided to scrap half of tomorrow’s schedules. We won’t be visiting the Neolithic site of Dimini (which is interesting, but not visually so). Instead we will go to the higher Delphic site tomorrow morning and take notes on Dimini while we are on the bus. I was in favor of this plan, especially with the hopes that the weather will be better for pictures.
The rest of the day has been devoted to reading and calling on skype. It’s amazing how quickly time passes when you have a lot to do. I even stayed in and had cereal in the lobby for dinner as I used the internet (and got several strange, but justified, looks from the Greek hotel guests). I think I walked off most of the soreness from yesterday’s hike, but boy did I need a hot shower this morning to losen up my muscles! We have a long bus ride tomorrow, unfortunately, but we end up in Thermopylia, the site of the famous battle of the 300 Spartans. I’ll fill you all in with details when they come!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January 30
This morning we left the hotel at the usual 8:30, but unfortunately, the Thebes museum was closed for renovations. So instead of the museum, we walked around Thebes a bit and looked at the various sites that have been discovered when someone has proposed a new construction project. I think we saw 5 on just our 30 minute walk. We also came across some temple ruins that have just fallen down into a ditch on the side of a hill. This whole scenario is just so bizarre to me. That these ruins are just left here (in addition to the accumulating trash) without any sort of archaeological activity just goes to show you how much there is to discover here. Apparently, these hundreds of years old blocks and capitals are relatively unexciting.
We left Thebes for Delphi, stopping along the way at Chaironeia, the site of the battle between the Macedonians and the Greeks in 338 BCE. This battle marked the end of the free status of Greek city-states. Phillip II was the king of Macedonia and his son, Alexander, fought alongside him. There is not a lot of information on this battle, and we discussed the details of what little there is, including strategy of the Macedonians, which seems to include a fake retreat so as to divide the Greek lines, and then charge the divide with the cavalry. I’m no expert in battle strategies, but it was still pretty interesting to look at the region myself and envision the battle.
We got to Delphi around 1pm and we extremely disappointed to find out that we will be sharing the hotel with a large number of high school students who are here for the weekend. They are extremely noisy, and giggly, and everywhere. And for a while there, someone kept calling my room and hanging up when we’d answer. That got old fast. I don’t know that I ever went through that particular stage of adolescence, but I can sympathize with those who cringe at the site of a hoard of teenagers. (I can say that now because I am technically no longer one of them – going on 3 months.) The chaperones don’t seem to care at all what these students are up to. But hopefully they won’t be too loud when I go to sleep.
Enough about them. So having arrived at 1, lunch was on the brain. Allie and I decided to hit up the super market instead of a long sit down meal. Krentz had proposed a hike up to the top of the hill/mountain (it was harder to climb than a hill, but not what I’d call a mountain) at 3, and we wanted to get some work done before we left. This hike was not easy. It took over an hour to get to this look-out on the peak (well, there is more to why it took so long, but I’m getting to that). The path wasn’t too steep, but there were so many turns (I think the technical term is “setback”), that it took us forever. I am going to be sore in the morning. The path was basically an hour’s worth of climbing broad steps. It was a great work out, but oh am I feeling the stiffness already.
The group who decided to hike consisted of about 10 people, including Krentz. After about 20 minutes, we had divided into 3 groups according to our pace. I was in the middle pack with Bryce and Caroline. The trail’s path is very clear, and just in case you need more assurances, there are several painted markers along the way. Well, the three of us got to a fork in the path and we couldn’t tell which way the faster paced group had gone. The way to the left seemed faster (the destination had been visible up to this point and we knew which direction it lay), but there were more markers in the distance on the right option. So, without a lot of thought put into it, we took the right pathway. This turned out to be a mistake. We ended up on the other side of this hill, at about the same elevation as the fork. There was also a home here and a dirt road. The path, which was now the road looked like it kept going around this hill, so we decided to go over the hill to reach the lookout. I’m pretty sure we were following goat trails at this point and we crossed some (relatively) newly exposed rock. That was cool. Sure enough we did reach this look-out, but by this point the others had waited and left. After having taken some beautiful pictures and gazed out over the valley for a few minutes, we spotted the group heading back down the path and shouted that we had finally made it.
I think one of my favorite aspects of this trip is the hikes. It is a great opportunity for some exercise and we get rewarded with such beautiful scenery. And normally I would have been irritated at our mistake and my competitive nature would have been frustrated that I was the one of the last people to reach the top, but instead I was just happy. I wondered to myself why I wasn’t upset, and I decided that this misstep provides a great story (or at least a great memory). And that’s what these trips are all about – the experiences. I had some nice conversations with Bryce and Caroline. We got to go on an adventure, and literally took the road less travelled. We got all nerdy and compared our little trek up the mountain to the Persians’ being led up the mountain by Ephialtes, the Spartain traitor, on the goat path. This stealthy strategy gave the Persians the break they needed to defeat the 300 Spartans. Since Bryce was leading the way (and he had on a backpack – Ephialtes had a hunchback), he became Ephialtes.
We headed back down the hill and made it back to the hotel worn out. My legs were a wee bit wobbly. I then washed the dirt out of my pants and used up two bottles of the free mini shampoos provided by the hotel to get them completely clean. Dinner was at 7 and Krentz suggested to our group (there were 7 of us) that we each pick an item – appetizer or entrée – and we could all share them. This turned out to be a great plan and saved us a few bucks too. The meal ended up consisting of a Greek salad (you’ll be shocked to find out that this was not my pick), stuffed cabbage (this was my choice, though I had wanted the stuffed tomatoes, but they were out of season), grilled pork, fried calamari, mousaka (an eggplant, beef, and potato dish that comes out like lasagna – it’s Greek and delicious), and fries (I don’t know why Krentz ordered fries, that seemed a bit bland to me). We also shared a kilo of the local wine and it too was very good. Krentz scheduled today to be a discussion day about the literature we had read earlier in the week. The first time slot was 6, and the second was over dinner at 7. So the discussion during the meal was on Hesiod’s poems “Works and Days” and “Theogony.” I like discussing the readings because they always end up being more interesting than I had originally thought.
So now I am in the room (the teenagers are actually quiet now!) and am trying to get some of Herodotus read before I fall asleep.
We left Thebes for Delphi, stopping along the way at Chaironeia, the site of the battle between the Macedonians and the Greeks in 338 BCE. This battle marked the end of the free status of Greek city-states. Phillip II was the king of Macedonia and his son, Alexander, fought alongside him. There is not a lot of information on this battle, and we discussed the details of what little there is, including strategy of the Macedonians, which seems to include a fake retreat so as to divide the Greek lines, and then charge the divide with the cavalry. I’m no expert in battle strategies, but it was still pretty interesting to look at the region myself and envision the battle.
We got to Delphi around 1pm and we extremely disappointed to find out that we will be sharing the hotel with a large number of high school students who are here for the weekend. They are extremely noisy, and giggly, and everywhere. And for a while there, someone kept calling my room and hanging up when we’d answer. That got old fast. I don’t know that I ever went through that particular stage of adolescence, but I can sympathize with those who cringe at the site of a hoard of teenagers. (I can say that now because I am technically no longer one of them – going on 3 months.) The chaperones don’t seem to care at all what these students are up to. But hopefully they won’t be too loud when I go to sleep.
Enough about them. So having arrived at 1, lunch was on the brain. Allie and I decided to hit up the super market instead of a long sit down meal. Krentz had proposed a hike up to the top of the hill/mountain (it was harder to climb than a hill, but not what I’d call a mountain) at 3, and we wanted to get some work done before we left. This hike was not easy. It took over an hour to get to this look-out on the peak (well, there is more to why it took so long, but I’m getting to that). The path wasn’t too steep, but there were so many turns (I think the technical term is “setback”), that it took us forever. I am going to be sore in the morning. The path was basically an hour’s worth of climbing broad steps. It was a great work out, but oh am I feeling the stiffness already.
The group who decided to hike consisted of about 10 people, including Krentz. After about 20 minutes, we had divided into 3 groups according to our pace. I was in the middle pack with Bryce and Caroline. The trail’s path is very clear, and just in case you need more assurances, there are several painted markers along the way. Well, the three of us got to a fork in the path and we couldn’t tell which way the faster paced group had gone. The way to the left seemed faster (the destination had been visible up to this point and we knew which direction it lay), but there were more markers in the distance on the right option. So, without a lot of thought put into it, we took the right pathway. This turned out to be a mistake. We ended up on the other side of this hill, at about the same elevation as the fork. There was also a home here and a dirt road. The path, which was now the road looked like it kept going around this hill, so we decided to go over the hill to reach the lookout. I’m pretty sure we were following goat trails at this point and we crossed some (relatively) newly exposed rock. That was cool. Sure enough we did reach this look-out, but by this point the others had waited and left. After having taken some beautiful pictures and gazed out over the valley for a few minutes, we spotted the group heading back down the path and shouted that we had finally made it.
I think one of my favorite aspects of this trip is the hikes. It is a great opportunity for some exercise and we get rewarded with such beautiful scenery. And normally I would have been irritated at our mistake and my competitive nature would have been frustrated that I was the one of the last people to reach the top, but instead I was just happy. I wondered to myself why I wasn’t upset, and I decided that this misstep provides a great story (or at least a great memory). And that’s what these trips are all about – the experiences. I had some nice conversations with Bryce and Caroline. We got to go on an adventure, and literally took the road less travelled. We got all nerdy and compared our little trek up the mountain to the Persians’ being led up the mountain by Ephialtes, the Spartain traitor, on the goat path. This stealthy strategy gave the Persians the break they needed to defeat the 300 Spartans. Since Bryce was leading the way (and he had on a backpack – Ephialtes had a hunchback), he became Ephialtes.
We headed back down the hill and made it back to the hotel worn out. My legs were a wee bit wobbly. I then washed the dirt out of my pants and used up two bottles of the free mini shampoos provided by the hotel to get them completely clean. Dinner was at 7 and Krentz suggested to our group (there were 7 of us) that we each pick an item – appetizer or entrée – and we could all share them. This turned out to be a great plan and saved us a few bucks too. The meal ended up consisting of a Greek salad (you’ll be shocked to find out that this was not my pick), stuffed cabbage (this was my choice, though I had wanted the stuffed tomatoes, but they were out of season), grilled pork, fried calamari, mousaka (an eggplant, beef, and potato dish that comes out like lasagna – it’s Greek and delicious), and fries (I don’t know why Krentz ordered fries, that seemed a bit bland to me). We also shared a kilo of the local wine and it too was very good. Krentz scheduled today to be a discussion day about the literature we had read earlier in the week. The first time slot was 6, and the second was over dinner at 7. So the discussion during the meal was on Hesiod’s poems “Works and Days” and “Theogony.” I like discussing the readings because they always end up being more interesting than I had originally thought.
So now I am in the room (the teenagers are actually quiet now!) and am trying to get some of Herodotus read before I fall asleep.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
January 29
Today we left the hotel at 8:30 and had a very full day. We drove about an hour and 15 minutes to a site at Lefkandi. This one is interesting both for its historical significance and what has happened to it in the last 30 years. So there is not much known for sure about this place, except that certain things happened here: a couple was buried (the man by cremation and the woman by inhumation), their burial site was 2 and a half meters below the floor level of an unfinished structure, it was torn down, at some point something burned, a huge burial mound was erected on top, and other people are buried nearby. All this was discovered in a construction site in 1980. So the question is, why was this structure put up over the burial site? Why wasn’t it finished? Why was it torn down? What function would it have served (it has some features that would lend itself to being a home – but there were no signs of its having been lived in). And this tomb – it dates back to 1000 BCE, a time when these kind of structures were not built and wouldn’t be so for another couple hundred years. So there are just a lot of questions left unanswered about this place, but the modern side is also puzzling.
In Greece, before any construction project, the site has to be analyzed by the ministry of culture to make sure there aren’t any finds a few meters deep. Here, a man went through the standard process, but they found this incredible site just a few meters into this mound. I’m not sure about the details, but in the meantime (a couple of years have passed), the man who owned the property is getting furious and decides to bulldoze the area, knocking down the stone walls of the tumulus. I hope I have provided enough info to prove how important and incredible this find was and now there are only sections of the walls left in this 50 m long tomb.
I’m just trying to figure out why he would go to such extremes? He must have been meeting dead ends at every corner and frustrated with the government’s response to his concerns. I wonder if he had a full appreciation for the site, or if all he could focus on was the money he was losing. I know, after talking with our archaeological guide today, that there is compensation offered to the owners of these sites, and that, if the site is important enough, there is not much anyone can do to keep the property. It’s like when the US government wants to construct a highway and needs to pass through a certain area with home. I’m pretty sure all the homeowners can do is accept the compensation and move. They at least have some sentimental hold on their homes, so I can understand if they tried to resist, but this man was already planning a demo project. I seems that he was just frustrated by the money we has losing. I know I am not in a financially independent place in my life right now, so I may not have a clear perspective on the issue, but the site at Lefkandi is so interesting and complex. I can’t believe he would be so bold and rash to just go and bulldoze the area.
So that was just the first bit to our day. We drove another 15 minutes to the ancient city of Eretria. Here, we were met by, Sylvian, a Swiss archaeologist and assistant director of the excavation project that remains here year round. He spoke to us about the main items in the museum, showed us around the “House of Mosaics,” named because of the pebble mosaics which covered the floors, showed us around the excavated sections of the ancient city of Eretria and took us up the hill to the acropolis to show us the massive fortification wall the surrounded the city. It was a very busy day. Everything was so interesting. I think this is definitely one of the best sites we have visited, and Sylvian knew his stuff! It’s so cool to be reading ancient sources like Herodotus’ The Histories, which date back to 425 BCE, and see the cities he mentions that fought in these battles. And then going and seeing these massive fortifications (the one at Eretria was 40 km long) and composed of these huge stone blocks. Just thinking about the fear that these people must have lived in on order to necessitate such a project (it took 10 years to finish). It’s fascinating to see it all up close, personally climbing the hill and imagining the construction of such a wall.
By now it is 2:30 in the afternoon and the not so good (but free) breakfast has long since been digested. Krentz talks Sylvian into having lunch with us (if you can still call it lunch, it has gotten so late) and we go to a great little restaurant where no one speaks any English. Sylvian (having grown up in Switzerland) speaks English, Italian, French, and Greek, so we were just fine. He is a really interesting guy and made us all want to apply for an excavation project.
We finally got back to the hotel around 5. The main roads are still blocked by the orange famers. I’ve just been researching what Allie and I are going to do come spring break and trying to finish my homework. Apparently, I have outgrown my motion sickness and I can get a lot read on the bus now. That will definitely help me stay on top of my work. I’ve felt like I’ve been wasting so much time just sitting on the bus listening to my ipod.
Tomorrow is also a busy day. We end up in Delphi, so if anyone has any pressing questions, I’ll see what I can do.
In Greece, before any construction project, the site has to be analyzed by the ministry of culture to make sure there aren’t any finds a few meters deep. Here, a man went through the standard process, but they found this incredible site just a few meters into this mound. I’m not sure about the details, but in the meantime (a couple of years have passed), the man who owned the property is getting furious and decides to bulldoze the area, knocking down the stone walls of the tumulus. I hope I have provided enough info to prove how important and incredible this find was and now there are only sections of the walls left in this 50 m long tomb.
I’m just trying to figure out why he would go to such extremes? He must have been meeting dead ends at every corner and frustrated with the government’s response to his concerns. I wonder if he had a full appreciation for the site, or if all he could focus on was the money he was losing. I know, after talking with our archaeological guide today, that there is compensation offered to the owners of these sites, and that, if the site is important enough, there is not much anyone can do to keep the property. It’s like when the US government wants to construct a highway and needs to pass through a certain area with home. I’m pretty sure all the homeowners can do is accept the compensation and move. They at least have some sentimental hold on their homes, so I can understand if they tried to resist, but this man was already planning a demo project. I seems that he was just frustrated by the money we has losing. I know I am not in a financially independent place in my life right now, so I may not have a clear perspective on the issue, but the site at Lefkandi is so interesting and complex. I can’t believe he would be so bold and rash to just go and bulldoze the area.
So that was just the first bit to our day. We drove another 15 minutes to the ancient city of Eretria. Here, we were met by, Sylvian, a Swiss archaeologist and assistant director of the excavation project that remains here year round. He spoke to us about the main items in the museum, showed us around the “House of Mosaics,” named because of the pebble mosaics which covered the floors, showed us around the excavated sections of the ancient city of Eretria and took us up the hill to the acropolis to show us the massive fortification wall the surrounded the city. It was a very busy day. Everything was so interesting. I think this is definitely one of the best sites we have visited, and Sylvian knew his stuff! It’s so cool to be reading ancient sources like Herodotus’ The Histories, which date back to 425 BCE, and see the cities he mentions that fought in these battles. And then going and seeing these massive fortifications (the one at Eretria was 40 km long) and composed of these huge stone blocks. Just thinking about the fear that these people must have lived in on order to necessitate such a project (it took 10 years to finish). It’s fascinating to see it all up close, personally climbing the hill and imagining the construction of such a wall.
By now it is 2:30 in the afternoon and the not so good (but free) breakfast has long since been digested. Krentz talks Sylvian into having lunch with us (if you can still call it lunch, it has gotten so late) and we go to a great little restaurant where no one speaks any English. Sylvian (having grown up in Switzerland) speaks English, Italian, French, and Greek, so we were just fine. He is a really interesting guy and made us all want to apply for an excavation project.
We finally got back to the hotel around 5. The main roads are still blocked by the orange famers. I’ve just been researching what Allie and I are going to do come spring break and trying to finish my homework. Apparently, I have outgrown my motion sickness and I can get a lot read on the bus now. That will definitely help me stay on top of my work. I’ve felt like I’ve been wasting so much time just sitting on the bus listening to my ipod.
Tomorrow is also a busy day. We end up in Delphi, so if anyone has any pressing questions, I’ll see what I can do.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
January 28
So, getting up at 5am is not fun. I did manage to find a cup of coffee, but only one cup. We got on the bus around 5:45 and set off for Marathon. Today was interesting. We saw some really great sites, but the timing was particularly unfortunate. Just when I had fallen back asleep on the bus (I held out for about 45 minutes), Krentz came over on the loudspeaker and told us we were stopping at a burial site. At this point, we were in Marathon and had stopped at a burial mound which more than likely holds the cremated bodies of 192 Athenian soldiers who died in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. Krentz spent all last year on sabbatical doing research for a book on this battle, so he is chock full of information and passion, but 7am in the frigid air makes for a not so pleasant time no matter how interesting the material. Next we stopped at the Tropean column (reconstructed for the 2004 Olympics). Tropean means “turning point” in Greek and was supposed to mark where the Persian enemy turned and fled.
Things picked up when we stopped to trek up one of the smaller hills and got to look out over the plain where the battle took place. That actually was really cool and beautiful. I think this hill was smaller than the one we hiked up our first day in Greece, but the morning sun warmed our bodies and our spirits. We visited the Marathon museum, which held some of less interesting finds from the burial mounds (the really cool stuff is in the Athens museum, which we will visit later) and some Greek statues of Egyptian gods which were worshipped in the once wildly popular cult of Isis. It’s interesting to see the Greek artistic styles applied to Egyptian gods – the female gods here have the draped robes, the medium used was marble instead of limestone, and the faces were different, but I can’t really put my finger on exactly how.
From the museum we went to two side by side temples at Rhamnous and discussed why these temples were built so close, why the later temple wasn’t finished, and determined how many columns were intended to compose the colonnade (only five had been erected and they were uncut). No one knows the answer to any of these questions, but we tossed around some ideas (ran out of money, some ominous sign, and others I can’t remember).
All this happened before 11:30. It was a busy morning, but that means we got the rest of the afternoon off. Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying in Thebes. We went out for a quick lunch after we checked into our rooms, and I have got a bunch of catch-up reading to do, so I won’t be able to do any exploring of the city until tomorrow.
Allie and I are having an “Office” party tonight after we finish with our readings. The plan is to start with season 1 and go from there. She has only ever seen one episode (“The Dundies” from Season 2), so she needs a full background before she can watch any other seasons.
Tomorrow is a full day. I plan to drink plenty of coffee at the hotel breakfast, or supplement with some Nescafe at any one of the hundreds of cafes that line the streets.
Things picked up when we stopped to trek up one of the smaller hills and got to look out over the plain where the battle took place. That actually was really cool and beautiful. I think this hill was smaller than the one we hiked up our first day in Greece, but the morning sun warmed our bodies and our spirits. We visited the Marathon museum, which held some of less interesting finds from the burial mounds (the really cool stuff is in the Athens museum, which we will visit later) and some Greek statues of Egyptian gods which were worshipped in the once wildly popular cult of Isis. It’s interesting to see the Greek artistic styles applied to Egyptian gods – the female gods here have the draped robes, the medium used was marble instead of limestone, and the faces were different, but I can’t really put my finger on exactly how.
From the museum we went to two side by side temples at Rhamnous and discussed why these temples were built so close, why the later temple wasn’t finished, and determined how many columns were intended to compose the colonnade (only five had been erected and they were uncut). No one knows the answer to any of these questions, but we tossed around some ideas (ran out of money, some ominous sign, and others I can’t remember).
All this happened before 11:30. It was a busy morning, but that means we got the rest of the afternoon off. Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying in Thebes. We went out for a quick lunch after we checked into our rooms, and I have got a bunch of catch-up reading to do, so I won’t be able to do any exploring of the city until tomorrow.
Allie and I are having an “Office” party tonight after we finish with our readings. The plan is to start with season 1 and go from there. She has only ever seen one episode (“The Dundies” from Season 2), so she needs a full background before she can watch any other seasons.
Tomorrow is a full day. I plan to drink plenty of coffee at the hotel breakfast, or supplement with some Nescafe at any one of the hundreds of cafes that line the streets.
January 27
Man, yesterday and today have been very boring. All I have done for the last 48 hours is study, take tests, and think about the tests I had yet to take. I’m now the most tired I have been over the past two weeks. But I do have the energy to write this blog.
Yesterday was the free day and, as I said, all I did was study. Today should have been different, if we had stuck to the schedule. We were supposed to stay in the hotel until 2pm, then go visit a museum on our way to Heraklion, where we would have gotten onto the ferry at 6. But, there was a change of plans because of the strike by the orange farmers. Apparently, they are not satisfied with the subsidy offered by the government and they were planning to block all the main roads with their tractors. (Given the number of oranges I’ve consumed since leaving the States, I guess I’m pro orange.) So, we decided we didn’t want to spend the next few weeks trapped in Crete and left the hotel at 9:30 this morning. That meant that we cancelled the museum plans since there was no opportunity to finish taking the tests this morning. This cancellation meant that we had about 6 hours to kill in Heraklion. That turned out to be pretty boring and expensive. Since all there was to do was hang out in cafes and study, I spent mucho dinero on coffee and tea.
Just to let you know, when I say tests in the plural, it is not an accident. This semester abroad trip covers four classes: art and architecture, history, literature, and archaeology. On test days (there are four over the course of the semester) we take four individual tests, each of which takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. So all this means that test days are miserable.
But I’m finished. Yeah! Now we are on the overnight ferry to mainland Greece and we will travel to Marathon and spend the next two nights in Thebes. We will have to take back roads because of the orange farmers, but Spiros is the man and will get us there. We will have another 6am departure from the ferry, but this time there is no hotel to go have breakfast. I’ve got some fruit in my backpack, but I imagine a morning without coffee will not be fun.
If anyone has a skype account, let me know because I now have an account and my own headset. When I find a free wifi hotspot (unfortunately they are few and far between), I can give you a call!
Yesterday was the free day and, as I said, all I did was study. Today should have been different, if we had stuck to the schedule. We were supposed to stay in the hotel until 2pm, then go visit a museum on our way to Heraklion, where we would have gotten onto the ferry at 6. But, there was a change of plans because of the strike by the orange farmers. Apparently, they are not satisfied with the subsidy offered by the government and they were planning to block all the main roads with their tractors. (Given the number of oranges I’ve consumed since leaving the States, I guess I’m pro orange.) So, we decided we didn’t want to spend the next few weeks trapped in Crete and left the hotel at 9:30 this morning. That meant that we cancelled the museum plans since there was no opportunity to finish taking the tests this morning. This cancellation meant that we had about 6 hours to kill in Heraklion. That turned out to be pretty boring and expensive. Since all there was to do was hang out in cafes and study, I spent mucho dinero on coffee and tea.
Just to let you know, when I say tests in the plural, it is not an accident. This semester abroad trip covers four classes: art and architecture, history, literature, and archaeology. On test days (there are four over the course of the semester) we take four individual tests, each of which takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. So all this means that test days are miserable.
But I’m finished. Yeah! Now we are on the overnight ferry to mainland Greece and we will travel to Marathon and spend the next two nights in Thebes. We will have to take back roads because of the orange farmers, but Spiros is the man and will get us there. We will have another 6am departure from the ferry, but this time there is no hotel to go have breakfast. I’ve got some fruit in my backpack, but I imagine a morning without coffee will not be fun.
If anyone has a skype account, let me know because I now have an account and my own headset. When I find a free wifi hotspot (unfortunately they are few and far between), I can give you a call!
January 25
Wow, today was a great day. The sites we saw weren’t particularly amazing, but the food we ate today was exceptional. Well, breakfast wasn’t very good, actually. The hotel just basically offers bread and jam, but I was able to snag an orange and stick it in my backpack for a snack later on and it was delicious.
This morning we visited a less than inspiring museum in Sitia. The main attraction is this ivory and gold covered statue found at Palaikastro. The statue has been badly burned, most likely from the fire that also ruined the building in which it was found, and completely smashed, likely an intentional action. It may have been destroyed along with the house by an invading enemy that destroyed most of the palaces on Crete. The next place we visited was Kato Zakros, the last of the Minoan complexes on our trip. This coastal compound one was pretty much like all the others, just on a smaller scale. Interestingly, because of the higher level of the Aegean sea, much of the site was filled with water and mud. We walked around for a bit on the site, pointing out the palace-like features, while clearly distinguishing this smaller complex from the grand structure at Knossos.
Getting to Kato Zakros required a slow, winding drive and on the way back to the hotel later that afternoon, someone got so car sick that we had to pull the bus over so they could throw up. I think I have fortunately grown out of my tendency toward motion sickness, because I never got the least bit queasy and I was even in a backwards facing seat. But before I start on the rest of the day, I must mention the delicious lunch we had. On our way to the site at Kato Zakros, we pulled over in town to ask about the lunch possibilities. A restaurant owner overheard our inquiries and offered his place and we gladly accepted as nothing else was open. They served us family style and brought out delicious breads, dips, Greek salads, pork kabobs, cheese pastry puffs, and dolmades (grape leaves wrapped around a rice mixture –excellent). Everything was delicious, especially the feta cheese which was so creamy it was almost more like goat cheese.
When we got back to the hotel I decided to take a nice walk around the town to check things out. I walked by the fishing boats, about 8 or 9 puppies, some children playing soccer, bought a coke zero (though I soon realized it had a Santa Clause on it so I’m not sure about the expiration date, but it tasted just fine) and found a pretty little Greek Orthodox church. The woman behind the counter at the hotel says they have daily services at 5, so I’ll try and check that out tomorrow.
Our group has the first set of tests on Tuesday, so we met at 5 this afternoon for a review session. It was helpful for me, though I think it only stressed some people out even more. I’m not worried. If my grades are poorer than normal because I am spending more time getting to know the cities better, then that’s a trade I am willing to make. I’m sure that I’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to do all the studying I need.
Reed had his 21st birthday a few days ago, so his mother sent Krentz some money to take us all out to dinner. Spiros found us a wonderful restaurant just a few minutes from the hotel. Krentz called ahead and worked it out with the restaurant that he would pay a certain amount per person, and they would serve us different items from the menu in a continuous flow. Everything was amazing. There were lamb meatballs, sausage, two different chicken dishes, an eggplant dish, a Cretan specialty that involves very hard bread that is softened with a tomato salsa topping, cheese pastries, breads, and a chocolate and fruit plate for dessert. I think I will be full for the next month and a half.
And just as a side note, some of the more stressed out students took the opportunity to relax via refreshments and I don’t think they will be waking up tomorrow morning as early as they had planned. I’m glad. Crete is too wonderful a place to spend your time worrying.
Okay it is getting late and I do need to get up in the morning to study.
This morning we visited a less than inspiring museum in Sitia. The main attraction is this ivory and gold covered statue found at Palaikastro. The statue has been badly burned, most likely from the fire that also ruined the building in which it was found, and completely smashed, likely an intentional action. It may have been destroyed along with the house by an invading enemy that destroyed most of the palaces on Crete. The next place we visited was Kato Zakros, the last of the Minoan complexes on our trip. This coastal compound one was pretty much like all the others, just on a smaller scale. Interestingly, because of the higher level of the Aegean sea, much of the site was filled with water and mud. We walked around for a bit on the site, pointing out the palace-like features, while clearly distinguishing this smaller complex from the grand structure at Knossos.
Getting to Kato Zakros required a slow, winding drive and on the way back to the hotel later that afternoon, someone got so car sick that we had to pull the bus over so they could throw up. I think I have fortunately grown out of my tendency toward motion sickness, because I never got the least bit queasy and I was even in a backwards facing seat. But before I start on the rest of the day, I must mention the delicious lunch we had. On our way to the site at Kato Zakros, we pulled over in town to ask about the lunch possibilities. A restaurant owner overheard our inquiries and offered his place and we gladly accepted as nothing else was open. They served us family style and brought out delicious breads, dips, Greek salads, pork kabobs, cheese pastry puffs, and dolmades (grape leaves wrapped around a rice mixture –excellent). Everything was delicious, especially the feta cheese which was so creamy it was almost more like goat cheese.
When we got back to the hotel I decided to take a nice walk around the town to check things out. I walked by the fishing boats, about 8 or 9 puppies, some children playing soccer, bought a coke zero (though I soon realized it had a Santa Clause on it so I’m not sure about the expiration date, but it tasted just fine) and found a pretty little Greek Orthodox church. The woman behind the counter at the hotel says they have daily services at 5, so I’ll try and check that out tomorrow.
Our group has the first set of tests on Tuesday, so we met at 5 this afternoon for a review session. It was helpful for me, though I think it only stressed some people out even more. I’m not worried. If my grades are poorer than normal because I am spending more time getting to know the cities better, then that’s a trade I am willing to make. I’m sure that I’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to do all the studying I need.
Reed had his 21st birthday a few days ago, so his mother sent Krentz some money to take us all out to dinner. Spiros found us a wonderful restaurant just a few minutes from the hotel. Krentz called ahead and worked it out with the restaurant that he would pay a certain amount per person, and they would serve us different items from the menu in a continuous flow. Everything was amazing. There were lamb meatballs, sausage, two different chicken dishes, an eggplant dish, a Cretan specialty that involves very hard bread that is softened with a tomato salsa topping, cheese pastries, breads, and a chocolate and fruit plate for dessert. I think I will be full for the next month and a half.
And just as a side note, some of the more stressed out students took the opportunity to relax via refreshments and I don’t think they will be waking up tomorrow morning as early as they had planned. I’m glad. Crete is too wonderful a place to spend your time worrying.
Okay it is getting late and I do need to get up in the morning to study.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
January 24 - Part 2
I just got back from another delicious dinner. We went into the first restaurant we found, Zorba’s, and had a great time. The owner spoke very good English and we had a great meal. I ordered another Greek salad and an order of chicken souvlaki (kabobs). The waiter brought us some wonderful olive paste to go with our bread. It was made of out kalamata olives and I told Dad that I would probably eat them till my tongue turned into one single acid bump. They come with the salads and are even served with breakfast, so I am in heaven here. The local wine here is very good. I had a glass with dinner and enjoyed it very much.
This afternoon I poked around Sitia a bit. Of course, most shops were closed because of the time (4:00pm), but I did find one little market shop open and I bought a few packages of Greek yogurt. The hotel where we are staying has a mini fridge and yogurt is a great snack when we get back from our site-seeing.
The night life is picking up. It’s all locals now, and the café where I am sitting seems to be a fairly popular place.
Tomorrow morning we don’t leave till 9am, so the plan is to get up early and do my studying in the morning before we leave. I usually am too tired to do any serious work in the afternoon. That and I get the itch to explore a little bit. Also, getting up early and getting mentally stimulated helps me not fall asleep on the bus when we drive to the different sites.
Thanks for reading and please comment or email me: elshevock@davidson.edu!
This afternoon I poked around Sitia a bit. Of course, most shops were closed because of the time (4:00pm), but I did find one little market shop open and I bought a few packages of Greek yogurt. The hotel where we are staying has a mini fridge and yogurt is a great snack when we get back from our site-seeing.
The night life is picking up. It’s all locals now, and the café where I am sitting seems to be a fairly popular place.
Tomorrow morning we don’t leave till 9am, so the plan is to get up early and do my studying in the morning before we leave. I usually am too tired to do any serious work in the afternoon. That and I get the itch to explore a little bit. Also, getting up early and getting mentally stimulated helps me not fall asleep on the bus when we drive to the different sites.
Thanks for reading and please comment or email me: elshevock@davidson.edu!
January 24
Today we packed up our bags and left Heraklion for Sitia. Sitia is about a two hour drive, but we broke up the trip by visiting various sites along the way. The first place we went to was Malia, but it was closed due to a shortage in staff. That was frustrating. It was a nice day today, much better than yesterday. Next we visited Gournia. This site was excavated in 1901 by a woman named Harriet Boyd. She uncovered an entire town surrounding a central complex. This center is much smaller than the one at Knossos, and I would hesistate to call it a “palace,” as it was described to when discovered. Prof. Krentz sent us out for 30 mins to search for indications that it was indeed a palace and for those that would help argue otherwise. This center seemed to have much in common with other palaces we’ve seen, but everything was on a much smaller scale. There was no central courtyard however, the one extant was off to the side and not paved. There were only two indications of columns and there was no grand staircase. One of the more interesting, and distinguishing features, was the “sacred” stone that sticks up out of the intersection in one of the paved roads (when I say road, picture narrow walkway – no car would ever fit here). In antiquity it was common for stones to represent a god, so it is likely that there were religious functions associated with the center palace.
We had about 15 minutes to explore the site and as I wandered, I was trying to figure out the layout of the town and how this layout affected the social and economic life. I tried to imagine how many rooms were meant for (or allotted to) one family. Prof Krentz and I think we found one area that seemed to be a likely downstairs for one family’s home. The town’s set-up had me considering what kind of social environment existed here. Was it a communistic society, with a communal storage system? Or did each home have its own separate storage system? According to modern standards, this was a very small town and I can easily imagine the family going up to the main town center (“palace”) for their portion, or the center distributing the grain and oil to the various homes for personal storage. Just given the size of the town, the shared religious beliefs (it seems reasonable to me that there would only be one religion that people would follow, with varying degrees of devotion), and the central location of the “palace” that this town would share most of the goods and food. I don’t know about the incomes of the people, whether there were large differences or not. If a family did live in the “palace” and ruled the surrounding town, they would likely be wealthier than the average townsperson, but among the people, I would think everyone was roughly on the same socio-economic level. These theories are only based on my perception of the town’s layout, but from what I can tell, it seems that the homes were all roughly the same.
After Gournia, we hopped on the bus for an hour before getting off at a small Minoan home called Chamais. This home sat atop a hill and looked over the harbor. Of course, it was gorgeous up there, and there are now several luxury apartments that flank the coast. When you look down by the shore you can see the little town where I am now staying, Sitia. The site here was very small in comparision, possibly because the rest of the ruins have slowly fallen down the hill. There were strong, thick walls to protect against the winds.
I’m surprised I survived the bus rides today. The direct distance between Heraklion and Sitia is not very long, but travelling through the mountains means a winding road and several people got pretty green by the end of the ride. Crete is very beautiful and we passed more white houses with blue doors and shutters. Sitia is a quiet town, especially during the non-tourist season. The hotel rooms are bare, but sufficient. I don’t know if it is just in Greece, but at this and the last hotel, you have to insert your key into a certain slot on the wall in order to turn on the power in the room. It seems like an economically sensible idea to me, it ensures that no power will be wasted on an empty room.
The café right next to the hotel is a free wifi hotspot. I just finished a Greek coffee – very strong and very good. The fine grounds at the bottom of the cup are strange to me, but at least I know my coffee is very fresh. So at some point (not now because I feel the urge to nap coming on) I will post new pictures on my facebook page. If you don’t have a facebook page, just give me your email address and I’ll send you a link.
I’ll post more tonight after dinner when I come back to the café. I think I’d like to go on a short walk right now to check out the town and then nap for a bit.
We had about 15 minutes to explore the site and as I wandered, I was trying to figure out the layout of the town and how this layout affected the social and economic life. I tried to imagine how many rooms were meant for (or allotted to) one family. Prof Krentz and I think we found one area that seemed to be a likely downstairs for one family’s home. The town’s set-up had me considering what kind of social environment existed here. Was it a communistic society, with a communal storage system? Or did each home have its own separate storage system? According to modern standards, this was a very small town and I can easily imagine the family going up to the main town center (“palace”) for their portion, or the center distributing the grain and oil to the various homes for personal storage. Just given the size of the town, the shared religious beliefs (it seems reasonable to me that there would only be one religion that people would follow, with varying degrees of devotion), and the central location of the “palace” that this town would share most of the goods and food. I don’t know about the incomes of the people, whether there were large differences or not. If a family did live in the “palace” and ruled the surrounding town, they would likely be wealthier than the average townsperson, but among the people, I would think everyone was roughly on the same socio-economic level. These theories are only based on my perception of the town’s layout, but from what I can tell, it seems that the homes were all roughly the same.
After Gournia, we hopped on the bus for an hour before getting off at a small Minoan home called Chamais. This home sat atop a hill and looked over the harbor. Of course, it was gorgeous up there, and there are now several luxury apartments that flank the coast. When you look down by the shore you can see the little town where I am now staying, Sitia. The site here was very small in comparision, possibly because the rest of the ruins have slowly fallen down the hill. There were strong, thick walls to protect against the winds.
I’m surprised I survived the bus rides today. The direct distance between Heraklion and Sitia is not very long, but travelling through the mountains means a winding road and several people got pretty green by the end of the ride. Crete is very beautiful and we passed more white houses with blue doors and shutters. Sitia is a quiet town, especially during the non-tourist season. The hotel rooms are bare, but sufficient. I don’t know if it is just in Greece, but at this and the last hotel, you have to insert your key into a certain slot on the wall in order to turn on the power in the room. It seems like an economically sensible idea to me, it ensures that no power will be wasted on an empty room.
The café right next to the hotel is a free wifi hotspot. I just finished a Greek coffee – very strong and very good. The fine grounds at the bottom of the cup are strange to me, but at least I know my coffee is very fresh. So at some point (not now because I feel the urge to nap coming on) I will post new pictures on my facebook page. If you don’t have a facebook page, just give me your email address and I’ll send you a link.
I’ll post more tonight after dinner when I come back to the café. I think I’d like to go on a short walk right now to check out the town and then nap for a bit.
Friday, January 23, 2009
January 23
So I woke up early this morning to buy some oranges from the nearby fruit stand. We had an earlier start than yesterday (we left at 8 today, therefore my shopping trip was an hour earlier), so the fresh and delicious breads I expected to smell were replaced by the fresh and very dead fish. Even though the fish stands smelled terrible, it still made me smile. I’d rather smell the authentic smells of the town and I like that they vary by the hour. I did buy my orange and spiced things up by throwing in a kiwi. We had to pack a lunch today since the sites were about an hour’s drive and we wouldn’t make it back into town by lunchtime.
The weather today was not great. It was rainy, cold, and windy, but none of these factors was strong enough to prevent us from following the plan for the day. Krentz compromised by allowing us to take the necessary notes on the bus, so we could leave our notebooks behind and just see the different aspects afterwards. We tried to go to Ayia Triada where that sarcophagus I mentioned yesterday was found, but the place was closed. It’s not tourist season and I imagine the guard just didn’t want to show up for what was likely to be a light day attendance wise. Phaistos was open, however, and we went there next. Here was another of those Minoan palaces, though a little smaller and less grand than the one at Knossos. Phaistos hasn’t had the reconstruction that Knossos has undergone, so we got to see what has actually been uncovered. I wish the weather hadn’t been so dreary because it really affected what we could absorb and I was a bit crabby. Next, we went to Gortyn. This city rose in prominence as Knossos began to decline, right as the Romans we coming in to power here. Gortyn didn’t resist the Romans, so this was one of the few places that weren’t destroyed. It became the capital of Crete. What we visited was the Law Code of Gortyn, which dates back to the 5th century BCE. It deals mainly with family situations like divorce, inheritance of property, adoption, and slaves. I did my journal entry on one particular law:
In reading the Law Code of Gortyn, I was surprised by the provision entitled to women in the case of divorce: “And if a husband and wife should be divorced, she is to have her own property which she came with to her husband and half the produce, if there be any from her own property, and half of whatever she has woven within, whatever there may be, plus five saters if the husband be the cause of the divorce…” (40). The woman is by no means left without the ability to continue on with her life. She gets her dowry back, her work during the marriage does not go unnoticed as she gets half of whatever she has woven, and if the husband causes the divorce, she gets extra compensation. Yes, the money during the marriage resides in the hands of her husband and the money she receives in the divorce will go to her next husband, but there is real consideration for the care of women after a divorce. I imagine this law came about because it would be easy to disregard the needs of divorced women. They likely got taken advantage of, as the weaker of the two in the relationship at this time. These laws work to provide some assurance that the female can continue with her own life after the divorce from her husband.
At this site is a church dedicated to Saint Titus. Paul sent Titus to preach to the people of Crete and even became the bishop of Crete. It is possible that Titus was buried under this church. That was my favorite part of the day. For some reason the church was blocked off, so we couldn’t really check it out, but I did get a picture of it.
We headed back to the hotel and ate our lunches on the bus. The original idea was to picnic somewhere, but the weather didn’t really make that plan very appealing. We did see the most beautiful rainbow on the way back. It was full and bold. Every color was visible and it was right among the hills.
When we got to the hotel I just couldn’t resist the urge to nap and slept for about 2 hours. It was wonderful. Around 4:30 I headed out with about 4 other students and Krentz in search of Kazantzaki’s grave. It was only a 10 minute walk. Krentz really wanted to go see it. I’ve never read any of Kazantzaki’s books, but I decided to tag along. Krentz treated us to some Greek coffee afterwards at this little café called 40 Eggs. The sign was in Greek, but on it were a tipped over basket and a number of eggs strewn about. Each was cut in half and physically attached to the sign. Krentz speak a little Greek and we figured out what the sign read. I liked this little place. Everything here has such a slower pace when it comes to meals. No one will rush you. They won’t even bring you the check until you ask for it. Meals here are social occasions and are meant to be fully enjoyed. Most shops close between 3 and 6 so the owners can nap, and then open up again. I like the pace here: busy mornings for shopping, lazy afternoons, and social evenings.
I forgot to mention something yesterday. There are many stray dogs here. They all seem very happy and well fed, but at the same time, they are very aggressive towards moving vehicles, almost to the point where you’d think they were suicidal. The drivers are used to it and barely slow down, which actually adds to the horror for the tourist. I hate to be gruesome, but I haven’t seen any road kill so it seems that the dogs aren’t in too much danger.
Oh, and there is a very interesting thing about the rain here. I think I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs from Egypt that we went to the Nile dam. Well, a consequence of the dam was Lake Nassar. This new lake increases the amount of water that evaporates in the area and lots of reddish dust comes up with the water. Clouds form and migrate north and then dump the rain on places like Greece. So now, the rain is filled with dirt and gets all over your clothes and makes the streets dirty. Spiros was complaining about it because it gets his bus dirty, and true enough, we could barely see out the window by the time we got home. I even had to get out my scrub brush to clean off my jacket.
Alright, I think that’s all I have for the day.
The weather today was not great. It was rainy, cold, and windy, but none of these factors was strong enough to prevent us from following the plan for the day. Krentz compromised by allowing us to take the necessary notes on the bus, so we could leave our notebooks behind and just see the different aspects afterwards. We tried to go to Ayia Triada where that sarcophagus I mentioned yesterday was found, but the place was closed. It’s not tourist season and I imagine the guard just didn’t want to show up for what was likely to be a light day attendance wise. Phaistos was open, however, and we went there next. Here was another of those Minoan palaces, though a little smaller and less grand than the one at Knossos. Phaistos hasn’t had the reconstruction that Knossos has undergone, so we got to see what has actually been uncovered. I wish the weather hadn’t been so dreary because it really affected what we could absorb and I was a bit crabby. Next, we went to Gortyn. This city rose in prominence as Knossos began to decline, right as the Romans we coming in to power here. Gortyn didn’t resist the Romans, so this was one of the few places that weren’t destroyed. It became the capital of Crete. What we visited was the Law Code of Gortyn, which dates back to the 5th century BCE. It deals mainly with family situations like divorce, inheritance of property, adoption, and slaves. I did my journal entry on one particular law:
In reading the Law Code of Gortyn, I was surprised by the provision entitled to women in the case of divorce: “And if a husband and wife should be divorced, she is to have her own property which she came with to her husband and half the produce, if there be any from her own property, and half of whatever she has woven within, whatever there may be, plus five saters if the husband be the cause of the divorce…” (40). The woman is by no means left without the ability to continue on with her life. She gets her dowry back, her work during the marriage does not go unnoticed as she gets half of whatever she has woven, and if the husband causes the divorce, she gets extra compensation. Yes, the money during the marriage resides in the hands of her husband and the money she receives in the divorce will go to her next husband, but there is real consideration for the care of women after a divorce. I imagine this law came about because it would be easy to disregard the needs of divorced women. They likely got taken advantage of, as the weaker of the two in the relationship at this time. These laws work to provide some assurance that the female can continue with her own life after the divorce from her husband.
At this site is a church dedicated to Saint Titus. Paul sent Titus to preach to the people of Crete and even became the bishop of Crete. It is possible that Titus was buried under this church. That was my favorite part of the day. For some reason the church was blocked off, so we couldn’t really check it out, but I did get a picture of it.
We headed back to the hotel and ate our lunches on the bus. The original idea was to picnic somewhere, but the weather didn’t really make that plan very appealing. We did see the most beautiful rainbow on the way back. It was full and bold. Every color was visible and it was right among the hills.
When we got to the hotel I just couldn’t resist the urge to nap and slept for about 2 hours. It was wonderful. Around 4:30 I headed out with about 4 other students and Krentz in search of Kazantzaki’s grave. It was only a 10 minute walk. Krentz really wanted to go see it. I’ve never read any of Kazantzaki’s books, but I decided to tag along. Krentz treated us to some Greek coffee afterwards at this little café called 40 Eggs. The sign was in Greek, but on it were a tipped over basket and a number of eggs strewn about. Each was cut in half and physically attached to the sign. Krentz speak a little Greek and we figured out what the sign read. I liked this little place. Everything here has such a slower pace when it comes to meals. No one will rush you. They won’t even bring you the check until you ask for it. Meals here are social occasions and are meant to be fully enjoyed. Most shops close between 3 and 6 so the owners can nap, and then open up again. I like the pace here: busy mornings for shopping, lazy afternoons, and social evenings.
I forgot to mention something yesterday. There are many stray dogs here. They all seem very happy and well fed, but at the same time, they are very aggressive towards moving vehicles, almost to the point where you’d think they were suicidal. The drivers are used to it and barely slow down, which actually adds to the horror for the tourist. I hate to be gruesome, but I haven’t seen any road kill so it seems that the dogs aren’t in too much danger.
Oh, and there is a very interesting thing about the rain here. I think I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs from Egypt that we went to the Nile dam. Well, a consequence of the dam was Lake Nassar. This new lake increases the amount of water that evaporates in the area and lots of reddish dust comes up with the water. Clouds form and migrate north and then dump the rain on places like Greece. So now, the rain is filled with dirt and gets all over your clothes and makes the streets dirty. Spiros was complaining about it because it gets his bus dirty, and true enough, we could barely see out the window by the time we got home. I even had to get out my scrub brush to clean off my jacket.
Alright, I think that’s all I have for the day.
January 22
This morning I decided to get up early so I could one, finish my assigned reading, and two, see the city in the morning. Apparently, all the bakeries and shops open early in the morning and the streets are filled with the smells of fresh breads and pastries. So after having breakfast in the hotel and finishing my readings on the site we were to visit today, I set out in search of some fresh fruit and a double espresso. I bought a nice looking apple and orange from a fruit stand and a double espresso from a nearby café. It was the start of a very nice day. The market area did smell wonderful and there were many people out doing their morning shopping. I don’t know when everyone sleeps. We just came back from dinner (we ate from about 8 to 10) and the restaurant only started filling up as we were leaving.
But back to dinner later. So we hopped on the bus and drove to the palace at Knossos. This huge site holds the ruins of an ancient Minoan home, later termed a “palace” by Sir Arthur Evans, the early 20th century excavator. This building was enormous and very sophisticated for 2000 BCE. It was reconstructed twice, in 1700 BCE and in 1450 BCE. The controversial aspect of this place is the restoration/reconstruction undertaken by Evans. We spent about 2 hours just learning about different rooms and discussing different theories as to their functions. Because of the number of storage jars and the nearby tablets, this building most likely served administrative purposes for the town – distributing grain, olive oil, or wine. It also probably had rooms for stone masonry, religious rooms, an upstairs court yard (50m by 25m), in addition to the living quarters. We expected the site to be very crowded (last trip there were several lines leading into the various rooms) but, fortunately, we were the only people there for the majority of the time. Krentz and about half the group tried to go on a walk described in the Blue Guide to Crete, but we couldn’t quite figure out where the described path was. Krentz tried to get directions from some locals, but they didn’t seem to agree with the book’s route. So it just ended up bring a nice walk on a beautiful day with no particular destination.
We went to lunch in town and I ordered a delicious tuna salad. I just can’t help getting salad for a least part of my meal wherever we go: the tomatoes and olive oil are just too goo here to pass up. I also had a glass of the house white wine. I really have no idea what I’m ordering, but I just figured I should try the wine wherever I go here. It was pretty good, actually; it was on the verge of sweet.
Since the Heraklion Museum is closed because of reconstruction, we had to go take our chances with an exhibit that displayed only some of the museums artifacts. Krentz didn’t have high hopes, but the exhibit did a pretty good job, actually. They displayed the best known and most important items, and provided a nice range. We saw some incredible pottery and vases. My favorite piece was the Ayia Triada sarcophagus (1300 BCE), and we are going to Ayia Triada tomorrow. The entire sarcophagus is painted and depicts the burial ceremony and I love the brightness of the colors. It seems so fitting to me to bury the loved one in a brightly colored box.
After the museum, I headed back to the hotel for a nap and some reading. When Krentz saw the equivalent of a study hall in the lobby of the hotel later on, I think he felt a little guilty, so he lightened the assignment for Saturday. For dinner I went with the girls to a great little restaurant they found last night. I got the Greek salad, of course, some tomato soup and split a half kilo of the house red with Krentz. None of the girls really seems to be interested in trying the wine, opting to put more money towards the meal I guess. Interestingly, none of the guys seems to be interested in putting much money towards the meals, opting to invest their money in the liquids. Dinner was very nice and none of the restaurant will hurry the customers at all. You have to signal for the check when you are ready to leave. Even with a fairly light meal we ended up spending about two hours at the restaurant.
We have a ways to drive tomorrow to get to the sites so we are leaving the hotel by 8. I’ll let you know how it goes.
But back to dinner later. So we hopped on the bus and drove to the palace at Knossos. This huge site holds the ruins of an ancient Minoan home, later termed a “palace” by Sir Arthur Evans, the early 20th century excavator. This building was enormous and very sophisticated for 2000 BCE. It was reconstructed twice, in 1700 BCE and in 1450 BCE. The controversial aspect of this place is the restoration/reconstruction undertaken by Evans. We spent about 2 hours just learning about different rooms and discussing different theories as to their functions. Because of the number of storage jars and the nearby tablets, this building most likely served administrative purposes for the town – distributing grain, olive oil, or wine. It also probably had rooms for stone masonry, religious rooms, an upstairs court yard (50m by 25m), in addition to the living quarters. We expected the site to be very crowded (last trip there were several lines leading into the various rooms) but, fortunately, we were the only people there for the majority of the time. Krentz and about half the group tried to go on a walk described in the Blue Guide to Crete, but we couldn’t quite figure out where the described path was. Krentz tried to get directions from some locals, but they didn’t seem to agree with the book’s route. So it just ended up bring a nice walk on a beautiful day with no particular destination.
We went to lunch in town and I ordered a delicious tuna salad. I just can’t help getting salad for a least part of my meal wherever we go: the tomatoes and olive oil are just too goo here to pass up. I also had a glass of the house white wine. I really have no idea what I’m ordering, but I just figured I should try the wine wherever I go here. It was pretty good, actually; it was on the verge of sweet.
Since the Heraklion Museum is closed because of reconstruction, we had to go take our chances with an exhibit that displayed only some of the museums artifacts. Krentz didn’t have high hopes, but the exhibit did a pretty good job, actually. They displayed the best known and most important items, and provided a nice range. We saw some incredible pottery and vases. My favorite piece was the Ayia Triada sarcophagus (1300 BCE), and we are going to Ayia Triada tomorrow. The entire sarcophagus is painted and depicts the burial ceremony and I love the brightness of the colors. It seems so fitting to me to bury the loved one in a brightly colored box.
After the museum, I headed back to the hotel for a nap and some reading. When Krentz saw the equivalent of a study hall in the lobby of the hotel later on, I think he felt a little guilty, so he lightened the assignment for Saturday. For dinner I went with the girls to a great little restaurant they found last night. I got the Greek salad, of course, some tomato soup and split a half kilo of the house red with Krentz. None of the girls really seems to be interested in trying the wine, opting to put more money towards the meal I guess. Interestingly, none of the guys seems to be interested in putting much money towards the meals, opting to invest their money in the liquids. Dinner was very nice and none of the restaurant will hurry the customers at all. You have to signal for the check when you are ready to leave. Even with a fairly light meal we ended up spending about two hours at the restaurant.
We have a ways to drive tomorrow to get to the sites so we are leaving the hotel by 8. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
January 21
So we made it to Crete. Waking up this morning wasn’t too bad, but it was largely due to the fact that I kept waking up every hour or so anyway. We all managed to get off the boat and onto the bus. The hotel in Crete let us have breakfast there this morning for just a little extra charge, so we went straight there and waited in the lobby until 7. That must have been a sore sight: 20 or so basically unconscious college students sprawled out across this nice lobby, soon to devour their weight in scrambled eggs and toast. I decided it was better that I stay awake. I knew that I would wreck my day if I fell back asleep, so I turned on m ipod and did some of my assigned reading and made sure to drink plenty of coffee at breakfast.
We left the hotel at 8:30. Though it was nice outside the hotel, it was frigid at the first site. The wind blew hard and the skies threatened rain, but fortunately never followed though. This site contains the ruins of a villa that dates back to 1600 or 1500 BCE. What remains of mainly just the bottom level of the stone walls and a fes column bases. Again, we tested our archaeological skills by picking out the clues to help us determine: the entrance, the functions of the various rooms, the number of stories, etc. I was good at picking out certain features, like the stone bases that probably supported wooden columns, the shrine area, the basin-like stone, the squared off stone block walls verses the rougher stone walls, but I didn’t always know what these features signified. I think by the end of the trip I’ll be much better at examining these features.
Next we went into town and tried to find a place called Anemospilia. Prof. Krentz had been here 2 times previous and knew he had managed to find it both times by asking around town. His Greek isn’t great, so after walking up and down the same street a couple of times, we were steered in the right direction. It took us between 30 and 40 minutes to climb up the path, but we made it. Apparently the fence around this site was new, but not so new that it was hole-free. So after squeezing through, we made it to the ruins of a building which dates back to 1700 BCE. Given the positions of the skeletons found here when the site was excavated, it is likely that a human sacrifice was occurring here, just as an earthquake destroyed the structure.
On the boat last night, we discussed the issue of exhuming skeletons for the sake of study. As I listened to the debate, I felt that if given the choice, I probably wouldn’t disturb the body. I would wan to respect the wishes of that person, despite what could be garnered from going against them. While we didn’t end up coming to a conclusion, it did leave everyone wondering how far was too far? This question popped into my mind as I was trying to find a hole in the fence so we could study an ancient site that has been closed off for some unknown reason. It seems to me to be the basic problem. Someone out there has legitimate reasons for me to leave this site alone, yet for the sake of study, I am willing to break those rules. And really, at the time I didn’t give it all that much thought. I even felt a little rush as I squeezed into that little hole. So now I wonder that, given how easily I made mental excuses here, what would I really do at the barrier to a grave?
By now, the wind is blowing so hard that I can hardly hear Prof. Krentz and I keep losing my balance, but I still feel exhilarated from the trek. We snap photos of each other and the view. From this hillside, you can see miles into the distance. There are lambs and olive trees, farms, and fishing boats. Allie and I had great conversations up and down the hillside.
By now it is 1:00 and we are starving. We go into town and I end up having lunch with Prof. Krentz, Allie, and Emily. We ordered some appetizers to share: fried feta cheese, and garlic yogurt with fresh bread. They were incredible! Then I just had to get a Greek salad, and I didn’t regret it. I shared a half kilo of the local red wine with Krentz and Allie. And just when things couldn’t get any better, the waitress brought some fresh dessert, on the house. These were little fried balls of cheese, drizzled in honey. I even had a sip of the raki (I think it’s along the lines of vodka), that she brought with it. It wasn’t anything I’d particularly want again, but now I can say that I don’t pass out with a sip of hard liquor.
Lunch lasted till 3:00 and we had the afternoon off. I wanted to walk around Crete a little bit, and Bryce and Emily joined me. I bought some fruit and drank an espresso while we were out, and Bryce seemed to marvel at my coffee obsession. I told him I come by it naturally.
I just finished some laundry in the sink and washed the Egyptian dirt out of my socks and pants. Now I have some reading to finish and it is lights out for Bonzo.
We left the hotel at 8:30. Though it was nice outside the hotel, it was frigid at the first site. The wind blew hard and the skies threatened rain, but fortunately never followed though. This site contains the ruins of a villa that dates back to 1600 or 1500 BCE. What remains of mainly just the bottom level of the stone walls and a fes column bases. Again, we tested our archaeological skills by picking out the clues to help us determine: the entrance, the functions of the various rooms, the number of stories, etc. I was good at picking out certain features, like the stone bases that probably supported wooden columns, the shrine area, the basin-like stone, the squared off stone block walls verses the rougher stone walls, but I didn’t always know what these features signified. I think by the end of the trip I’ll be much better at examining these features.
Next we went into town and tried to find a place called Anemospilia. Prof. Krentz had been here 2 times previous and knew he had managed to find it both times by asking around town. His Greek isn’t great, so after walking up and down the same street a couple of times, we were steered in the right direction. It took us between 30 and 40 minutes to climb up the path, but we made it. Apparently the fence around this site was new, but not so new that it was hole-free. So after squeezing through, we made it to the ruins of a building which dates back to 1700 BCE. Given the positions of the skeletons found here when the site was excavated, it is likely that a human sacrifice was occurring here, just as an earthquake destroyed the structure.
On the boat last night, we discussed the issue of exhuming skeletons for the sake of study. As I listened to the debate, I felt that if given the choice, I probably wouldn’t disturb the body. I would wan to respect the wishes of that person, despite what could be garnered from going against them. While we didn’t end up coming to a conclusion, it did leave everyone wondering how far was too far? This question popped into my mind as I was trying to find a hole in the fence so we could study an ancient site that has been closed off for some unknown reason. It seems to me to be the basic problem. Someone out there has legitimate reasons for me to leave this site alone, yet for the sake of study, I am willing to break those rules. And really, at the time I didn’t give it all that much thought. I even felt a little rush as I squeezed into that little hole. So now I wonder that, given how easily I made mental excuses here, what would I really do at the barrier to a grave?
By now, the wind is blowing so hard that I can hardly hear Prof. Krentz and I keep losing my balance, but I still feel exhilarated from the trek. We snap photos of each other and the view. From this hillside, you can see miles into the distance. There are lambs and olive trees, farms, and fishing boats. Allie and I had great conversations up and down the hillside.
By now it is 1:00 and we are starving. We go into town and I end up having lunch with Prof. Krentz, Allie, and Emily. We ordered some appetizers to share: fried feta cheese, and garlic yogurt with fresh bread. They were incredible! Then I just had to get a Greek salad, and I didn’t regret it. I shared a half kilo of the local red wine with Krentz and Allie. And just when things couldn’t get any better, the waitress brought some fresh dessert, on the house. These were little fried balls of cheese, drizzled in honey. I even had a sip of the raki (I think it’s along the lines of vodka), that she brought with it. It wasn’t anything I’d particularly want again, but now I can say that I don’t pass out with a sip of hard liquor.
Lunch lasted till 3:00 and we had the afternoon off. I wanted to walk around Crete a little bit, and Bryce and Emily joined me. I bought some fruit and drank an espresso while we were out, and Bryce seemed to marvel at my coffee obsession. I told him I come by it naturally.
I just finished some laundry in the sink and washed the Egyptian dirt out of my socks and pants. Now I have some reading to finish and it is lights out for Bonzo.
January 20
So yesterday was the free day and I got to spend a whole day doing nothing. I woke up and went downstairs to have a nice, big breakfast. The Marriott’s breakfasts are wonderful, and they serve everything you could imagine. Then I spent the day reading, watching tv and packing. I did have to buy a new suitcase. I didn’t trust my current suitcase to last the week, let alone the next 4 months. The one I got is great, though, and everything transferred very nicely.
We had to wake up early, again, so we could catch our flight. I think I was asked to show my passport about 15 million times. The flight was fine enough. I finished my book, The Hours, and listened to James Taylor as I read. The heaviness of the thematic content needed a nice, light, musical background. Flying over the Mediterranean and into Greece was the best part.
We landed on Greece and met our bus driver, Spiros, and the double-decker bus that is to be our home-away-from-home for the next month. There are tables on the lower level and more seats on the upper. I think those who want to sleep (the boys) will be upstairs for the most part, and those who want to chat and do some work (the girls) will be downstairs. I spent the drive just gazing out the window. Picures just don’t do justice to the little white painted houses with the blue doors. I now want a white house with a blue door – regardless of where I live. Even though Egypt is exotic and fascinating, I absolutely prefer Greece. Everywhere you look is beauty. The water is a bright cerulean and the hills are rolling and green. The breeze has a fresh, crisp feel that wakes you up without making you feel cold.
Since we were taking the ferry to Crete, and the ferry didn’t leave till 9 pm, we stopped at a few sites in Greece. First, we went to Thorikos, which is an ancient theater in the outskirts of Athens. This theater dates to about the 6th century BCE. The Belgians came and restored half of it and left the other half as is. Prof. Krentz thinks they did more than just restore the present materials—it looks like they did a lot of reconstruction and moved several stones to different locations (an action largely frowned upon by archaeologists). Once you move an artifact you can never put it back they way it was. I think of it like tampering with the evidence at the scene of a crime. There is so much to learn from the context of the object exactly where it is found.
We decided to trek it up the hill to the very top so we could take some pictures. There was a fence that intended to prevent us from doing such a thing, but we strapping young lads and lassies are not to be trifled with and we easily found and climbed through a hole. When I mean hill, I mean it technically is not a mountain, but coming from the Lowcountry, it might as well have been. I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached the top (which took about 15-20 minutes), but it was so worth it. The view from up there was incredible and just having that feeling of accomplishment made up for any fatigue. There was even a random column up there, so Allie and I took some cheesy senior yearbook photos to commemorate the moment.
We headed back to the bus and decided that a nice pit stop for some food would be great. Having had breakfast at 7 am followed up by some always satisfying plane food, we were very hungry. So Spiros stopped at this little Greek sandwich shop and everyone ordered a Gyro. They were incredible! Even watching a lamb’s head on a rotisserie right behind you doesn’t matter when you have chicken, feta, and tomatoes wrapped up in a warm pita. I topped it off with a Coke Zero. Greece got a zillion bonus points for having excellent, cheap food.
So back on the bus for another site. Next we went to a region called Sounion. Here, we went to the Temple of Poseidon and then the Temple of Athena which date back to the 5th century BCE. Lord Byron even scratched his name onto one of the columns at the Poseidon temple, but because of the new ropes around it, Prof Krentz couldn’t show it to us. This temple was beautiful. There is something about being able to see the age of a building that makes it even more beautiful. It’s like seeing a beautiful, older woman who isn’t ashamed of her years. She’s proud of what she’s seen and accomplished and doesn’t mind the toll that it has taken on her body. She is proud of her past.
The sun was setting as we visited this temple, so the pictures are beautiful, but we had to move quickly. The Temple of Athena was basically just the foundation, but Prof. Krentz took the opportunity to teach us how to read these remains to determine the original function.
We made it to the ferry by 7pm, only to find out dinner didn’t start till 8pm. But after dinner, we gathered to discuss what we had been learning and debated whether it was right to dig up cemeteries in order to learn about ancient cultures. We didn’t really come to a conclusion (how can you if you really think about it), but in the argument, I tended to argue the side which wanted to respect the beliefs and desires of the person. In ancient Egypt, the dead built such marvelous tombs and buried all the possession with them because that was to be their home for eternity. And in modern times, the burial grounds of the Native Americans are just as sacred. Again, we didn’t come to a conclusion.
The room I am staying in for the night is very small. There were four us of in one tiny closet-sized room. We have to leave the ferry before 6 am and will be lovingly awakened by something along the lines of a fog horn, so I have decided to set my own alarm and take a shower to help wake me up.
We had to wake up early, again, so we could catch our flight. I think I was asked to show my passport about 15 million times. The flight was fine enough. I finished my book, The Hours, and listened to James Taylor as I read. The heaviness of the thematic content needed a nice, light, musical background. Flying over the Mediterranean and into Greece was the best part.
We landed on Greece and met our bus driver, Spiros, and the double-decker bus that is to be our home-away-from-home for the next month. There are tables on the lower level and more seats on the upper. I think those who want to sleep (the boys) will be upstairs for the most part, and those who want to chat and do some work (the girls) will be downstairs. I spent the drive just gazing out the window. Picures just don’t do justice to the little white painted houses with the blue doors. I now want a white house with a blue door – regardless of where I live. Even though Egypt is exotic and fascinating, I absolutely prefer Greece. Everywhere you look is beauty. The water is a bright cerulean and the hills are rolling and green. The breeze has a fresh, crisp feel that wakes you up without making you feel cold.
Since we were taking the ferry to Crete, and the ferry didn’t leave till 9 pm, we stopped at a few sites in Greece. First, we went to Thorikos, which is an ancient theater in the outskirts of Athens. This theater dates to about the 6th century BCE. The Belgians came and restored half of it and left the other half as is. Prof. Krentz thinks they did more than just restore the present materials—it looks like they did a lot of reconstruction and moved several stones to different locations (an action largely frowned upon by archaeologists). Once you move an artifact you can never put it back they way it was. I think of it like tampering with the evidence at the scene of a crime. There is so much to learn from the context of the object exactly where it is found.
We decided to trek it up the hill to the very top so we could take some pictures. There was a fence that intended to prevent us from doing such a thing, but we strapping young lads and lassies are not to be trifled with and we easily found and climbed through a hole. When I mean hill, I mean it technically is not a mountain, but coming from the Lowcountry, it might as well have been. I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached the top (which took about 15-20 minutes), but it was so worth it. The view from up there was incredible and just having that feeling of accomplishment made up for any fatigue. There was even a random column up there, so Allie and I took some cheesy senior yearbook photos to commemorate the moment.
We headed back to the bus and decided that a nice pit stop for some food would be great. Having had breakfast at 7 am followed up by some always satisfying plane food, we were very hungry. So Spiros stopped at this little Greek sandwich shop and everyone ordered a Gyro. They were incredible! Even watching a lamb’s head on a rotisserie right behind you doesn’t matter when you have chicken, feta, and tomatoes wrapped up in a warm pita. I topped it off with a Coke Zero. Greece got a zillion bonus points for having excellent, cheap food.
So back on the bus for another site. Next we went to a region called Sounion. Here, we went to the Temple of Poseidon and then the Temple of Athena which date back to the 5th century BCE. Lord Byron even scratched his name onto one of the columns at the Poseidon temple, but because of the new ropes around it, Prof Krentz couldn’t show it to us. This temple was beautiful. There is something about being able to see the age of a building that makes it even more beautiful. It’s like seeing a beautiful, older woman who isn’t ashamed of her years. She’s proud of what she’s seen and accomplished and doesn’t mind the toll that it has taken on her body. She is proud of her past.
The sun was setting as we visited this temple, so the pictures are beautiful, but we had to move quickly. The Temple of Athena was basically just the foundation, but Prof. Krentz took the opportunity to teach us how to read these remains to determine the original function.
We made it to the ferry by 7pm, only to find out dinner didn’t start till 8pm. But after dinner, we gathered to discuss what we had been learning and debated whether it was right to dig up cemeteries in order to learn about ancient cultures. We didn’t really come to a conclusion (how can you if you really think about it), but in the argument, I tended to argue the side which wanted to respect the beliefs and desires of the person. In ancient Egypt, the dead built such marvelous tombs and buried all the possession with them because that was to be their home for eternity. And in modern times, the burial grounds of the Native Americans are just as sacred. Again, we didn’t come to a conclusion.
The room I am staying in for the night is very small. There were four us of in one tiny closet-sized room. We have to leave the ferry before 6 am and will be lovingly awakened by something along the lines of a fog horn, so I have decided to set my own alarm and take a shower to help wake me up.
Monday, January 19, 2009
January 18
Today we visited the pyramids and the Cairo Museum. The pyramids were amazing. I honestly never thought I would ever have a chance to visit them. We left really early to go see them. Cairo traffic is terrible. No only are traffic rules insignificant, but we hit gridlock for I don’t know how long (I really don’t since I fell asleep). But we got to the pyramids and it wasn’t all that crowded. Oh, and the hotel provided us a body guard. Apparently, there was a terrible shooting in 1997, where someone opened fire and killed around 70 tourists. Understandably, the tourist industry suffered terribly and insurance went through the roof. That is also the reason for all those security check points, but again, the alarms going off don’t matter here.
The history of these monuments is really interesting. They were built in the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom, about 2500 BCE! They were burial tombs for the pharaohs. They were pretty ineffective as tombs, however, as they became the equivalent of neon flashing signs, easily found by robbers. That’s why underground tombs became the burial of choice in the Middle Kingdom. Surrounding the pyramids are underground tombs called mastabas. These were the tombs for the pharaoh’s high ranking officials and employees, so that they could continue to serve him in the afterlife. Further away are the valley temple and the funeral temple. The valley temple was for the worship of the common people to the pharaoh as the sun god incarnate. The funeral temple was for the priests. The size difference of the pyramids was due to the wealth of the pharaoh, and his relationship with the priests.
The largest temple was actually the oldest of the three. It held the tomb of Kefron. Adjacent is the slightly smaller pyramid of his son, Keops, and the smallest held the grandson’s tomb. The base of the pyramids are perfectly aligned with the N, S, E, W directions. These temples were polished so that they gleamed and reflected the golden color of the sand. But just as the Coliseum’s materials were stripped and reused for other structures, so too was the limestone removed and used for other projects.
We got to go inside the largest temple. If I were prone to claustrophobia, I would have freaked out going in there. The entrance and first few paths are fine enough, but as soon as we started to go up into the pyramid, the tunnel got really small. I was crouched over to about half my size and the plank we walked on comfortably allowed one person to go up or down at a time, but this was the only way in and out, so people were continually passing each other. We finally got the room that held the tomb. I can’t imagine how robbers got in here, especially using torches and without oxygen being pumped into the room. It was a very high ceiling and the sides were of the same sandstone, but the granite sarcophagus was still there. And when I mean just there, I’m not kidding. There weren’t any security measures or guards or anything. We all just went up to it and touched it and leaned against it. That room was pretty amazing just to think about how old it was. And when the tunnel was larger in certain spots, we could see the inside layers of the pyramid and how the blocks were laid out.
Then we went to see the sphinx. There is a theory that Kefron put his face on the existing sphinx, explaining why the head is a little out of proportion with the rest of the statue. All pharaohs considered themselves the sun god incarnate and the sphinx was thought of as the falcon of the horizon of the sun. I liked the sphinx better than the pyramids. In between the feet of the statue there is a granite rock with and inscription which tells the story of Tutmoses IV (a pharaoh in the 18th dynasty – 1200 years after Kefron). He grew weary while in the desert one day and took refuge in the shadow of the sun god. At this time, the sphinx was buried in the sand up to his head. The sun god came to him in a dream and told him to uncover him from the sand and that he was the chosen one to rule the throne (ahead of his 6 older brothers). When the Arabs came, they were also frightened by the head popping out of the sand and called it the “father of terror.” No one is certain how the nose came off. Some believe these Arabs may have smashed it out of fear. Others believe it was struck when Napoleon’s forces came and battled here. The original sphinx was cut out from the mountain, but the differences in color and the puzzle-like appearance come from restoration projects, some dating back to Roman times.
After the trip to the pyramids we went to lunch at a great Egyptian restaurant. They served us wonderful, fresh baked pita bread (it came out piping hot and still full of air) and five different dips. Then we were served chicken, rice with golden raisins and cinnamon, and French fries. I’m not sure if they thought that all Americans just expect meals to be served with French fries, or if it was actually on the menu. (Davidson paid for this tab, so the meal was already decided for us.)
After lunch we went to the Cairo Museum. I was surprised by the lack of design in the interior space. The neutral colors of the walls almost took away from the similarly colored statues and pieces of art. The museum was stuffed with artifacts, to the point where your brain had reached its capacity to take in anymore. My favorite exhibits were King Tut’s treasure and the mummified animals. King Tut was loaded and crocodiles from thousands of years ago are still just as scary. Actually, the thought of being buried with your treasure made me reflect for a minute. I immediately thought that the whole idea sounded ridiculous. I know this feeling comes from the difference in how our cultures perceive the afterlife. The pharaohs expected to use all the items they were buried with, so they packed in everything they acquired over their lifetime. But still, what about those left behind? What about the family? My mom inherited several pieces from her grandmother when she passed away, and my mom loves the memories that accompany those pieces. And I know my grandmother wanted my mom to enjoy those things just as much as she had. The difference must come from the status of the pharaoh as a god, not a man. He was to be worshipped after he passed on to the next realm, and temples with his statues were established just for this purpose. The focus must have been on the next life. But if the pharaoh wants to be buried with his stuff so his future life will be similar to that of the present, I can’t see why that would be something to look forward to. It would just be an endless eternity of the present.
Another question I had was what type of relationship would this pharaoh have with those around him? Like his wife or his children? Was he able to be all that much of a husband or a father? What about from the child’s point of view? What would it have been like to grow up believing your father to be a god?
Those were just some thoughts I had on the day. Tomorrow is a free day. I need to mail home some of the stuff I’ve bought and try to find a decently priced suitcase – mine is already falling apart. I’m also going to post more pictures on Facebook tomorrow and include some descriptions. Then all I want to do is read at this café down the street and drink coffee.
Please comment on this blog. I’d like to hear what you are thinking or if anyone is actually making it to the end of these posts.
The history of these monuments is really interesting. They were built in the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom, about 2500 BCE! They were burial tombs for the pharaohs. They were pretty ineffective as tombs, however, as they became the equivalent of neon flashing signs, easily found by robbers. That’s why underground tombs became the burial of choice in the Middle Kingdom. Surrounding the pyramids are underground tombs called mastabas. These were the tombs for the pharaoh’s high ranking officials and employees, so that they could continue to serve him in the afterlife. Further away are the valley temple and the funeral temple. The valley temple was for the worship of the common people to the pharaoh as the sun god incarnate. The funeral temple was for the priests. The size difference of the pyramids was due to the wealth of the pharaoh, and his relationship with the priests.
The largest temple was actually the oldest of the three. It held the tomb of Kefron. Adjacent is the slightly smaller pyramid of his son, Keops, and the smallest held the grandson’s tomb. The base of the pyramids are perfectly aligned with the N, S, E, W directions. These temples were polished so that they gleamed and reflected the golden color of the sand. But just as the Coliseum’s materials were stripped and reused for other structures, so too was the limestone removed and used for other projects.
We got to go inside the largest temple. If I were prone to claustrophobia, I would have freaked out going in there. The entrance and first few paths are fine enough, but as soon as we started to go up into the pyramid, the tunnel got really small. I was crouched over to about half my size and the plank we walked on comfortably allowed one person to go up or down at a time, but this was the only way in and out, so people were continually passing each other. We finally got the room that held the tomb. I can’t imagine how robbers got in here, especially using torches and without oxygen being pumped into the room. It was a very high ceiling and the sides were of the same sandstone, but the granite sarcophagus was still there. And when I mean just there, I’m not kidding. There weren’t any security measures or guards or anything. We all just went up to it and touched it and leaned against it. That room was pretty amazing just to think about how old it was. And when the tunnel was larger in certain spots, we could see the inside layers of the pyramid and how the blocks were laid out.
Then we went to see the sphinx. There is a theory that Kefron put his face on the existing sphinx, explaining why the head is a little out of proportion with the rest of the statue. All pharaohs considered themselves the sun god incarnate and the sphinx was thought of as the falcon of the horizon of the sun. I liked the sphinx better than the pyramids. In between the feet of the statue there is a granite rock with and inscription which tells the story of Tutmoses IV (a pharaoh in the 18th dynasty – 1200 years after Kefron). He grew weary while in the desert one day and took refuge in the shadow of the sun god. At this time, the sphinx was buried in the sand up to his head. The sun god came to him in a dream and told him to uncover him from the sand and that he was the chosen one to rule the throne (ahead of his 6 older brothers). When the Arabs came, they were also frightened by the head popping out of the sand and called it the “father of terror.” No one is certain how the nose came off. Some believe these Arabs may have smashed it out of fear. Others believe it was struck when Napoleon’s forces came and battled here. The original sphinx was cut out from the mountain, but the differences in color and the puzzle-like appearance come from restoration projects, some dating back to Roman times.
After the trip to the pyramids we went to lunch at a great Egyptian restaurant. They served us wonderful, fresh baked pita bread (it came out piping hot and still full of air) and five different dips. Then we were served chicken, rice with golden raisins and cinnamon, and French fries. I’m not sure if they thought that all Americans just expect meals to be served with French fries, or if it was actually on the menu. (Davidson paid for this tab, so the meal was already decided for us.)
After lunch we went to the Cairo Museum. I was surprised by the lack of design in the interior space. The neutral colors of the walls almost took away from the similarly colored statues and pieces of art. The museum was stuffed with artifacts, to the point where your brain had reached its capacity to take in anymore. My favorite exhibits were King Tut’s treasure and the mummified animals. King Tut was loaded and crocodiles from thousands of years ago are still just as scary. Actually, the thought of being buried with your treasure made me reflect for a minute. I immediately thought that the whole idea sounded ridiculous. I know this feeling comes from the difference in how our cultures perceive the afterlife. The pharaohs expected to use all the items they were buried with, so they packed in everything they acquired over their lifetime. But still, what about those left behind? What about the family? My mom inherited several pieces from her grandmother when she passed away, and my mom loves the memories that accompany those pieces. And I know my grandmother wanted my mom to enjoy those things just as much as she had. The difference must come from the status of the pharaoh as a god, not a man. He was to be worshipped after he passed on to the next realm, and temples with his statues were established just for this purpose. The focus must have been on the next life. But if the pharaoh wants to be buried with his stuff so his future life will be similar to that of the present, I can’t see why that would be something to look forward to. It would just be an endless eternity of the present.
Another question I had was what type of relationship would this pharaoh have with those around him? Like his wife or his children? Was he able to be all that much of a husband or a father? What about from the child’s point of view? What would it have been like to grow up believing your father to be a god?
Those were just some thoughts I had on the day. Tomorrow is a free day. I need to mail home some of the stuff I’ve bought and try to find a decently priced suitcase – mine is already falling apart. I’m also going to post more pictures on Facebook tomorrow and include some descriptions. Then all I want to do is read at this café down the street and drink coffee.
Please comment on this blog. I’d like to hear what you are thinking or if anyone is actually making it to the end of these posts.
January 17
Today was just a travel day. We flew from Aswan to Cairo. The hotel where we are staying for the next three nights is ridiculous! It is a Marriott and feels like the lap of luxury. I don’t know how we managed to get this place, but Krentz has told us not to get used to this type of hotel as it is pretty much downhill from here, accommodations wise. There are several different restaurants in the hotel and a casino. Rob and Reed already each lost 20 dollars.
I got a little down by the end of the day. I think I got dehydrated. It’s hard to make sure to get enough water, especially since we should only drink bottles water and the air is so dry here. Then I got motion sickness from the airplane and bus. I rallied for dinner, however and had a really nice time with 5 of the other students and Prof. Krentz. We found a little place above a meat shop in downtown Cairo. I ordered a half chicken and some pita bread. After dinner we stopped at a little shop and got some Cadbury’s milk chocolate – delicious.
Oh and of course the hotel charges for internet use. But as it turns out, the apartment buildings right next to the hotel give off a decent signal, so we’ve been able to sit in the hallway a use this internet for free. It slows down when all of us are on, but when only one person tries it works great.
I managed to download Skype but have failed to have a phone conversation with it. So I’m going to try and get that to work tomorrow.
I got a little down by the end of the day. I think I got dehydrated. It’s hard to make sure to get enough water, especially since we should only drink bottles water and the air is so dry here. Then I got motion sickness from the airplane and bus. I rallied for dinner, however and had a really nice time with 5 of the other students and Prof. Krentz. We found a little place above a meat shop in downtown Cairo. I ordered a half chicken and some pita bread. After dinner we stopped at a little shop and got some Cadbury’s milk chocolate – delicious.
Oh and of course the hotel charges for internet use. But as it turns out, the apartment buildings right next to the hotel give off a decent signal, so we’ve been able to sit in the hallway a use this internet for free. It slows down when all of us are on, but when only one person tries it works great.
I managed to download Skype but have failed to have a phone conversation with it. So I’m going to try and get that to work tomorrow.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Internet!
Yeah the Internet is working so enjoy the posts, they are pretty long, but good stuff, esp read the wednesday night one.
January 16
Today we are in Aswan and visited the Philae Temple. Our first stop was the dam that controls the Nile. I finally bought a Coke Zero and it was delicious. I’m saving the can for Allie; her brother collects coke cans. We took a ferry boat to the temple because it is on an island. Because of the dam, however, the temple has been moved, block by block, from Philae Island to Anjelica Island, having been under water for about 80 years (the first dam was built in 1904, the second in 1982). This too is a Hellenistic Temple, built around 200 BCE to 200 CE. The temple here contains the last official use of hieroglyphics—they soon transition to Coptic writing, which uses the Greek alphabet with 5 additional letters for the unique Egyptian sounds.
This temple also has graffiti (though it is incised, which is strange in itself). The early Christians left incised crosses when the temple was converted to a Coptic church. The French left graffiti when Napoleon came to this area and fought a battle near the pyramids. My favorite piece of graffiti is someone’s name, B. Mure, to which another person added “stultus est” (“is stupid”).
My favorite part about the morning was the chance to sit down with the guide, Hisham, over a delicious cup of cappuccino at the temple’s outdoor café. Soon others from the group joined and we discussed the characteristics of Egyptian and American education, esp. college.
At 5:30 we are going to the Aswan Market, and hopefully I’ll be able to get on the internet after dinner and tell you all about it.
This temple also has graffiti (though it is incised, which is strange in itself). The early Christians left incised crosses when the temple was converted to a Coptic church. The French left graffiti when Napoleon came to this area and fought a battle near the pyramids. My favorite piece of graffiti is someone’s name, B. Mure, to which another person added “stultus est” (“is stupid”).
My favorite part about the morning was the chance to sit down with the guide, Hisham, over a delicious cup of cappuccino at the temple’s outdoor café. Soon others from the group joined and we discussed the characteristics of Egyptian and American education, esp. college.
At 5:30 we are going to the Aswan Market, and hopefully I’ll be able to get on the internet after dinner and tell you all about it.
January 15
This morning we left the boat bright and early (7:30 am) so that we could spend a good two hours at the Edfu Temple, before getting back to the boat for the 10:00 departure. This temple was visually astounding. It is very well preserved, though it is much younger than the other temples we have visited. This temple was constructed by Ptolemic pharaohs (Ptolemy was one of Alexander the Great’s generals who claimed Egypt as his land to rule after Alexander’s death) between 237 and 57 BCE. The façade (known as a pylon) was constructed by the famous Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XII. The temple was built in the same style as those from 1000 years previous. It is incredible to me that a particular style can last so long (in America, styles from just 30-40 years ago we think of as horribly outdated).
After Egypt’s decline such temples were no longer maintained or used and, as with the Temple Luxor, and when the protective mudbrick walls were no longer constructed to protect it, the Nile flooded and eventually filled the temple with tens of feet of mud. In the Middle Ages, the poor would come and live here and the smoke from their fires can be seen on the ceilings, as can mold, a consequence of the water they used. This use seems ironically appropriate because this temple’s construction allowed for greater use by the common people.
A desire was growing for more contact with the gods by the common people. The temple was consequently constructed with an external corridor. The outer wall of the temple itself became the main prayer wall, as the people believed that the god resided just behind that wall.
It is incredible how every surface of the temple is decorated with either incisions (the outer walls) or reliefs (the inner). There is even a purpose behind the different methods: is was taboo to cross the shadow of another, therefore the images on the outer walls would be subject to the bright sun, and event the gods in the images shouldn’t cross the shadow of another god’s image. And to top it off, every single image was painted! It is no wonder that this temple took over 180 years to build, which was a typical amount of time for such a project.
After visiting the temple, we got back on the boat where most of us spent the rest of the morning reading Book 2 of Herodotus’ The Histories. Every now and then, I look up from my book and marvel at the surroundings. It is so beautiful here. There is never a cloud in the sky, the sun is warm and the breeze is cool. Just behind the lush greenery lie desert and sandy mountains. I see now how much these people depend on the Nile for their very existence. It just wouldn’t be possible to survive in this region otherwise.
This afternoon we visited the Kom Ombo Temple. This too is a Hellenistic temple built sometime between 200 BCE and 200 CE. As with the Edfu Temple, this temple had an outer corridor, though it was added later, and the previous outer corridor became an inner corridor (we know this because of the difference in detail of the decorations, as the newer and less detailed decorations reflect a time with less wealth. The most interesting aspect of this temple is its dedication. It is evenly divided in half so as to serve two different gods: Horus and Sobek. Another distinction of this temple is the description of the temple’s particular calendar, incised on the walls. The Egyptians had an almost perfect calendar, with 12 months of 30 days each, and at the end of the year, they added 5 additional days as celebrations of the birthdays of the 5 major gods.
Tonight was Reed’s birthday, so the waiters all came out with drums and tambourines and sang to him in Egyptian. We followed up their song with “Happy Birthday.” Apparently, they knew it was his birthday because they looked through our passports. Tonight will be an early night, everyone is pretty tired, esp. since no one got enough sleep last night. I’m keeping up with my journals and assigned reading, so far. My goal is to have all my work finished by the time we have free days, so I can take the entire day off. Our first free day is in Cairo. I want to look around a little bit, but mostly I want to find a café and go on the internet. Then I want to read my book. It’s nice not having TV as a distraction, though I have no idea what is going on in the states. I’ll check the news when I can get online.
After Egypt’s decline such temples were no longer maintained or used and, as with the Temple Luxor, and when the protective mudbrick walls were no longer constructed to protect it, the Nile flooded and eventually filled the temple with tens of feet of mud. In the Middle Ages, the poor would come and live here and the smoke from their fires can be seen on the ceilings, as can mold, a consequence of the water they used. This use seems ironically appropriate because this temple’s construction allowed for greater use by the common people.
A desire was growing for more contact with the gods by the common people. The temple was consequently constructed with an external corridor. The outer wall of the temple itself became the main prayer wall, as the people believed that the god resided just behind that wall.
It is incredible how every surface of the temple is decorated with either incisions (the outer walls) or reliefs (the inner). There is even a purpose behind the different methods: is was taboo to cross the shadow of another, therefore the images on the outer walls would be subject to the bright sun, and event the gods in the images shouldn’t cross the shadow of another god’s image. And to top it off, every single image was painted! It is no wonder that this temple took over 180 years to build, which was a typical amount of time for such a project.
After visiting the temple, we got back on the boat where most of us spent the rest of the morning reading Book 2 of Herodotus’ The Histories. Every now and then, I look up from my book and marvel at the surroundings. It is so beautiful here. There is never a cloud in the sky, the sun is warm and the breeze is cool. Just behind the lush greenery lie desert and sandy mountains. I see now how much these people depend on the Nile for their very existence. It just wouldn’t be possible to survive in this region otherwise.
This afternoon we visited the Kom Ombo Temple. This too is a Hellenistic temple built sometime between 200 BCE and 200 CE. As with the Edfu Temple, this temple had an outer corridor, though it was added later, and the previous outer corridor became an inner corridor (we know this because of the difference in detail of the decorations, as the newer and less detailed decorations reflect a time with less wealth. The most interesting aspect of this temple is its dedication. It is evenly divided in half so as to serve two different gods: Horus and Sobek. Another distinction of this temple is the description of the temple’s particular calendar, incised on the walls. The Egyptians had an almost perfect calendar, with 12 months of 30 days each, and at the end of the year, they added 5 additional days as celebrations of the birthdays of the 5 major gods.
Tonight was Reed’s birthday, so the waiters all came out with drums and tambourines and sang to him in Egyptian. We followed up their song with “Happy Birthday.” Apparently, they knew it was his birthday because they looked through our passports. Tonight will be an early night, everyone is pretty tired, esp. since no one got enough sleep last night. I’m keeping up with my journals and assigned reading, so far. My goal is to have all my work finished by the time we have free days, so I can take the entire day off. Our first free day is in Cairo. I want to look around a little bit, but mostly I want to find a café and go on the internet. Then I want to read my book. It’s nice not having TV as a distraction, though I have no idea what is going on in the states. I’ll check the news when I can get online.
Dance party
Wednesday Night – Egyptian Dance Party on the boat
So I am going to try to do this story justice, but it’s almost too much to believe. The boat we are on has planned an Egyptian night for all the passengers. Dinner is at eight and is followed by a dance party in the lounge upstairs. I had no intention of going to the party, but as Allie and I are looking at my pictures, Rob stops by the room and tells us that we should join the group up at the bar in the lounge. Allie and I head up there and for about 20 mins everything is pretty chill. At first we are the only people in the room and some awful techno/Egyptian music is playing. 10 minutes later a group of Asian tourists (all dressed in the cheap Egyptian costumes sold in the gift shop) starts taking pictures on the dance floor. Soon enough a woman is dancing all by her lonesome on the dance floor and Rob decides he is going to go join her. The room, which has filled up by now, gets into the music and about twenty people swarm the dance floor. That’s just the beginning. When “The Macarena” comes on, we all (about 8 of us) jump up and do the dance all by ourselves. The “DJ” lets us plug in our ipod and Darryl and Rob dance for everyone to “Billy Jean,” Backstreet Boys comes on and we all belt out the words. Now this whole time, we are the youngest people in the lounge by about 20 years. We are also the only Americans in the room and our tour guide is hanging out in the back of the lounge watching us the whole time—there is a 6:30 am wake-up call and we are leaving the boat by 7:30. Then the boat happens to be going through the locks (it’s 11:00pm by now) so we all go up to the top deck to watch the water levels change—pretty cool. And here the night ends for me. I’ve still got about 30 pages of Herodotus left to read.
So I am going to try to do this story justice, but it’s almost too much to believe. The boat we are on has planned an Egyptian night for all the passengers. Dinner is at eight and is followed by a dance party in the lounge upstairs. I had no intention of going to the party, but as Allie and I are looking at my pictures, Rob stops by the room and tells us that we should join the group up at the bar in the lounge. Allie and I head up there and for about 20 mins everything is pretty chill. At first we are the only people in the room and some awful techno/Egyptian music is playing. 10 minutes later a group of Asian tourists (all dressed in the cheap Egyptian costumes sold in the gift shop) starts taking pictures on the dance floor. Soon enough a woman is dancing all by her lonesome on the dance floor and Rob decides he is going to go join her. The room, which has filled up by now, gets into the music and about twenty people swarm the dance floor. That’s just the beginning. When “The Macarena” comes on, we all (about 8 of us) jump up and do the dance all by ourselves. The “DJ” lets us plug in our ipod and Darryl and Rob dance for everyone to “Billy Jean,” Backstreet Boys comes on and we all belt out the words. Now this whole time, we are the youngest people in the lounge by about 20 years. We are also the only Americans in the room and our tour guide is hanging out in the back of the lounge watching us the whole time—there is a 6:30 am wake-up call and we are leaving the boat by 7:30. Then the boat happens to be going through the locks (it’s 11:00pm by now) so we all go up to the top deck to watch the water levels change—pretty cool. And here the night ends for me. I’ve still got about 30 pages of Herodotus left to read.
January 14
Today we visited the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings. These are the burial grounds for the royal tombs. This particular site was chosen because of the pyramid shaped figure on the top of the mountain. (The pyramids were no longer being constructed in the Middle Kingdom because of the lootings.) The construction of these tombs began as soon as the person was born, meaning sometimes that construction was not finished when the person died, as with the tomb of Ramesses IX. The reason King Tut’s tomb is so famous is because he was not famous; therefore the looters left his tomb alone and it was in almost perfect condition when it was found in 1922.
To me the most striking aspect of the trip today is the difference between Egypt 3000 years ago and the Egypt today. The wealth of Egypt in the time of the pharaoh that allowed them to build such elaborate and beautiful tombs contrasts sharply with the poverty that persists today. At every site we visit we a hounded by vendors trying to sell us postcards and figurines and sometimes they can be quite aggressive. When we took a simple rail cart up to the valley of the tombs, a vendor hopped on the side and hung off the edge, all the while trying to sell his postcards. It is very sad, actually. What’s worse is that in order to get around these vendors, we have to be almost rude. I am so used so looking people in the eye or even giving a cheerful smile, yet any eye contact with these vendors and they see it as an opportunity to sell me something. Even when someone, besides our guide, explains some feature of the tombs means, we are expected to pay them, whether or not we asked for the explanation. What happened to Egypt? The Roman Empire? What happened when Rome fell?
The religion of ancient Egypt includes a lot of concern for the afterlife. It is fascinating to me how different peoples of different times focus on what comes next (be it heaven, reincarnation, etc.). It seems an inherent human longing for some sort of life after this one. There is a desire for this life to count towards something in the next. Some of the images of tombs we saw today portray the final judgment, where the heart of the deceased is placed on scale and weighed against the feather of justice. Even the Egyptians thousands of years ago wanted the actions of their present lives to count towards some better future—a reason to be “good” in this life, a reason for meaning. Some people may see the similarities in belief systems as evidence of one religion gleaning aspects from a previous one, but I think there is something more to it than that. These common features, I think, reflect a common truth. If peoples from thousands of years ago also desired intimacy with the gods and a reason to choose good over evil then that desire must be there for some purpose. It seems like a meaningful life has been a desire since the first civilizations.
Other things that I’ve observed or that have happened:
There are security checkpoints everywhere, except they don’t even bat an eye when the alarms go off on every person that passes through.
Today in one of the tombs, an Egyptian local walked up to our groups and asked if we were a family. Then, joking I hope, he asked which of the girls he could buy. He said Allie was worth 100,000 camels. Later she got another offer of 20,000 chickens. I think the camel deal sounds better.
We can’t drink the water here because our bodies aren’t used to the bacteria. I think everyone is trying to walk the thin line between dehydration and spending all your money on bottled water.
When the boats are docked, they line them up side by side. This means that if our boat isn’t right next to the shore, we have to walk through the other boats to get to ours. This afternoon we passed though the lobbies of four boats (and weirdly each had a distinct smell) before getting to ours.
Tonight there is a party on the boat where everyone is supposed to dress up in Egyptian clothes and they will serve traditional Egyptian food at dinner. The outfits start at 5 dollars and no one wants to waste room in their suitcase and then carry clothes they won’t wear around Europe for the next four months, so I think we are all going to be party-poopers and pass on the dress up aspect.
I got lucky this week and got a single room on the boat.
If our tour guide isn’t with us when we try to buy water from the guy who is driving our bus, he will try to raise the prices and rip us off.
Its winter here in Egypt, but I probably still got a bit of a sunburn today. The weather is actually really nice, though. It gets fairly cold at night. At midday, when the sun is the hottest, there is still a cool breeze through the mountains. The only time I’ve been all that hot is when we visited the underground tombs.
To me the most striking aspect of the trip today is the difference between Egypt 3000 years ago and the Egypt today. The wealth of Egypt in the time of the pharaoh that allowed them to build such elaborate and beautiful tombs contrasts sharply with the poverty that persists today. At every site we visit we a hounded by vendors trying to sell us postcards and figurines and sometimes they can be quite aggressive. When we took a simple rail cart up to the valley of the tombs, a vendor hopped on the side and hung off the edge, all the while trying to sell his postcards. It is very sad, actually. What’s worse is that in order to get around these vendors, we have to be almost rude. I am so used so looking people in the eye or even giving a cheerful smile, yet any eye contact with these vendors and they see it as an opportunity to sell me something. Even when someone, besides our guide, explains some feature of the tombs means, we are expected to pay them, whether or not we asked for the explanation. What happened to Egypt? The Roman Empire? What happened when Rome fell?
The religion of ancient Egypt includes a lot of concern for the afterlife. It is fascinating to me how different peoples of different times focus on what comes next (be it heaven, reincarnation, etc.). It seems an inherent human longing for some sort of life after this one. There is a desire for this life to count towards something in the next. Some of the images of tombs we saw today portray the final judgment, where the heart of the deceased is placed on scale and weighed against the feather of justice. Even the Egyptians thousands of years ago wanted the actions of their present lives to count towards some better future—a reason to be “good” in this life, a reason for meaning. Some people may see the similarities in belief systems as evidence of one religion gleaning aspects from a previous one, but I think there is something more to it than that. These common features, I think, reflect a common truth. If peoples from thousands of years ago also desired intimacy with the gods and a reason to choose good over evil then that desire must be there for some purpose. It seems like a meaningful life has been a desire since the first civilizations.
Other things that I’ve observed or that have happened:
There are security checkpoints everywhere, except they don’t even bat an eye when the alarms go off on every person that passes through.
Today in one of the tombs, an Egyptian local walked up to our groups and asked if we were a family. Then, joking I hope, he asked which of the girls he could buy. He said Allie was worth 100,000 camels. Later she got another offer of 20,000 chickens. I think the camel deal sounds better.
We can’t drink the water here because our bodies aren’t used to the bacteria. I think everyone is trying to walk the thin line between dehydration and spending all your money on bottled water.
When the boats are docked, they line them up side by side. This means that if our boat isn’t right next to the shore, we have to walk through the other boats to get to ours. This afternoon we passed though the lobbies of four boats (and weirdly each had a distinct smell) before getting to ours.
Tonight there is a party on the boat where everyone is supposed to dress up in Egyptian clothes and they will serve traditional Egyptian food at dinner. The outfits start at 5 dollars and no one wants to waste room in their suitcase and then carry clothes they won’t wear around Europe for the next four months, so I think we are all going to be party-poopers and pass on the dress up aspect.
I got lucky this week and got a single room on the boat.
If our tour guide isn’t with us when we try to buy water from the guy who is driving our bus, he will try to raise the prices and rip us off.
Its winter here in Egypt, but I probably still got a bit of a sunburn today. The weather is actually really nice, though. It gets fairly cold at night. At midday, when the sun is the hottest, there is still a cool breeze through the mountains. The only time I’ve been all that hot is when we visited the underground tombs.
January 13
Today seemed like the first real day of the trip. I had a nice photo opportunity this morning, as Sarabeth and I sat reading some ancient Egyptian excerpts. We just happened to be in a spot that overlooked the Nile—very appropriate for the material. (I was surprised that the texts we read on the legend of Osiris and Isis did not go into more detail.) We hopped on the bus that took us to our ship, the Serenade, in Luxor. The meals provided by the ship are hardly Egyptian, but it’s nice to ease my stomach into completely different foods from my normal diet.
The best part about the day was our trip to Karnac. The temple here is enormous and amazing. Our guide for the Egypt part of the trip (I think his name is spelled Hisham) is very knowledgeable and Prof. Krentz is keeping him on his toes. On the bus ride there we got some basic background to Egyptian history. This temple was first built in the Middle Kingdom (that’s 2000 BCE!), and the additions to the structure continue into the New Kingdom (1500-1000 BCE). The temple is dedicated to the main god, Aman Ra. From our readings and from the inscriptions in the temple, the description of his worship seems very monotheistic, which surprised me. The preservation of this site is unreal. There are even spots where the paint still exists. Though imagining these beautiful structures covered in paint seems wrong to me.
My favorite part of the temple was the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut. She ruled as pharaoh for about 20 years during the New Kingdom. For whatever reason, most likely religious but possibly political, her inscriptions (made by every pharaoh on the columns and surfaces of the temple) inside the temple were uniformly removed. According to our guide she was “monumentally assassinated.” The obelisk she constructed, however, could not be removed or the surfaces re-inscribed as it is considered to physically represent the sun god himself. The priests constructed a huge wall to hide the obelisk. This wall, meant to diminish the memory of Hatshepsut, actually ensured it as the wall protected the obelisk over time and has helped to preserve it beautifully.
After the trip to the temple, we stopped at a shop that sold real papyrus paper. We even saw a demonstration on how papyrus is made and got to see firsthand how durable it is. (It’s no surprise that documents written on this paper have lasted so long!)
Next, we went to the Temple Luxor. This temple, until a few decades ago, was almost completely filled in with mud, an effect of the Nile’s flooding. The façade of the temple, which was lit up since we went here at night, was absolutely beautiful. I doubt any other place we visit will be able to surpass it. To me, the most interesting part about this temple is how history has left its mark on it. Our guide says its nickname is the “Temple of Humanity.” The structure was built for the most part by two of Egypt most famous pharaohs: Aminophenes III (he used his great wealth to care more for detail and intricacy) and Ramesses II (he put up statues to himself everywhere there was room). When Alexander the Great came in 332 BCE, he had himself coroneted as pharaoh (realizing the way to the Egyptian heart was through religion) and cut away one room’s center columns to construct a chapel, dedicated to Aman Ra and depicting himself as a pharaoh. The Romans left their mark by putting up frescoes over some of the insricbed walls and building two ionic columns, an arch and a niche. When Christianity became the religion of the empire the space was used for a time as a church. And now, with the rise of Islam, there stand a mosque, built in the 11th century CE, basically on top of the temple. Again, because of the mud deposits, the ground level 3000 years later was much higher, so the mosque has been excavated around and now almost falls into the temple.
I am so impressed by Egyptian history. Seeing these sites first hand adds entire levels of depth and richness to the material we are learning. (Like when Upper and Lower Egypt were unified under Ramesses II and the images of the papyrus and lotus flowers, each representing the two kingdoms respectively, were inscribed into these monuments.) The fact that we will be travelling on the Nile, the very heart and life of ancient Egypt, just makes this whole experience all that more amazing.
The best part about the day was our trip to Karnac. The temple here is enormous and amazing. Our guide for the Egypt part of the trip (I think his name is spelled Hisham) is very knowledgeable and Prof. Krentz is keeping him on his toes. On the bus ride there we got some basic background to Egyptian history. This temple was first built in the Middle Kingdom (that’s 2000 BCE!), and the additions to the structure continue into the New Kingdom (1500-1000 BCE). The temple is dedicated to the main god, Aman Ra. From our readings and from the inscriptions in the temple, the description of his worship seems very monotheistic, which surprised me. The preservation of this site is unreal. There are even spots where the paint still exists. Though imagining these beautiful structures covered in paint seems wrong to me.
My favorite part of the temple was the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut. She ruled as pharaoh for about 20 years during the New Kingdom. For whatever reason, most likely religious but possibly political, her inscriptions (made by every pharaoh on the columns and surfaces of the temple) inside the temple were uniformly removed. According to our guide she was “monumentally assassinated.” The obelisk she constructed, however, could not be removed or the surfaces re-inscribed as it is considered to physically represent the sun god himself. The priests constructed a huge wall to hide the obelisk. This wall, meant to diminish the memory of Hatshepsut, actually ensured it as the wall protected the obelisk over time and has helped to preserve it beautifully.
After the trip to the temple, we stopped at a shop that sold real papyrus paper. We even saw a demonstration on how papyrus is made and got to see firsthand how durable it is. (It’s no surprise that documents written on this paper have lasted so long!)
Next, we went to the Temple Luxor. This temple, until a few decades ago, was almost completely filled in with mud, an effect of the Nile’s flooding. The façade of the temple, which was lit up since we went here at night, was absolutely beautiful. I doubt any other place we visit will be able to surpass it. To me, the most interesting part about this temple is how history has left its mark on it. Our guide says its nickname is the “Temple of Humanity.” The structure was built for the most part by two of Egypt most famous pharaohs: Aminophenes III (he used his great wealth to care more for detail and intricacy) and Ramesses II (he put up statues to himself everywhere there was room). When Alexander the Great came in 332 BCE, he had himself coroneted as pharaoh (realizing the way to the Egyptian heart was through religion) and cut away one room’s center columns to construct a chapel, dedicated to Aman Ra and depicting himself as a pharaoh. The Romans left their mark by putting up frescoes over some of the insricbed walls and building two ionic columns, an arch and a niche. When Christianity became the religion of the empire the space was used for a time as a church. And now, with the rise of Islam, there stand a mosque, built in the 11th century CE, basically on top of the temple. Again, because of the mud deposits, the ground level 3000 years later was much higher, so the mosque has been excavated around and now almost falls into the temple.
I am so impressed by Egyptian history. Seeing these sites first hand adds entire levels of depth and richness to the material we are learning. (Like when Upper and Lower Egypt were unified under Ramesses II and the images of the papyrus and lotus flowers, each representing the two kingdoms respectively, were inscribed into these monuments.) The fact that we will be travelling on the Nile, the very heart and life of ancient Egypt, just makes this whole experience all that more amazing.
Intention
Hello all, I haven’t had access to the internet for a while, so I will just post what I’ve been writing in my journal each day. I'm in a McDonald's in Aswan, on a really weak connection, so I hope this works. I’m including much of what I’m learning, just in case you are interested in some Classical history. Of course I’m including daily events and memorable moments, but if you just want to skim the info, I won’t take offense.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Hotel Maritim in Luxor
Hello again. I am writing from a hotel and more specifically, my bed! It feels so nice to be horizontal. Sleeping in a chair gets really old by the third flight. But I am here, and happy, and soon to be on the "Serenade," the boat that will take us up the Nile. I've also got my cell phone working, for anyone who wants to call me. If you so desire (I'm pretty sure it's a toll free number so the call will be free), just follow these steps:
dial this toll-free number: 1-866-305-6462
enter my global premium number: 447-942-227-419
And hopefully I will answer. The best time to call is probably between 11 am and 5 pm, your time.
It was dark when we finally got to Egypt, so I haven't been able to see much, but I will let you know what I see and do tomorrow!
dial this toll-free number: 1-866-305-6462
enter my global premium number: 447-942-227-419
And hopefully I will answer. The best time to call is probably between 11 am and 5 pm, your time.
It was dark when we finally got to Egypt, so I haven't been able to see much, but I will let you know what I see and do tomorrow!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Waiting in the Terminal
Hello! This is the first post of my Classics Trip. So far I have made it all the way to Terminal D of the Charlotte airport. The car ride here was a bit stressful, but ater setting off several alarms at security, I am chilling out with everyone. This picture cracks me up. Apparently no one is capable of being away from the internet for more than a few hours, myself included. And now, the new way to insure that you are never more than a click away is to bring your own power strip!
Professor Krentz just said the flight is delayed, so that just gives me more time to put off doing the work I need to finish.
For those of you who wonder why I named my blog "Liz Gets to Blast Off," here is an explanation. In pre-school, instead of getting gold stars for good work, we got to move our paper rocket up this chart. When we got to the top of the chart we got a button that said "I blasted off!" It then became my goal to blast off as many times as possible. This trip is the college equivalent of blasting off.
Professor Krentz just said the flight is delayed, so that just gives me more time to put off doing the work I need to finish.
For those of you who wonder why I named my blog "Liz Gets to Blast Off," here is an explanation. In pre-school, instead of getting gold stars for good work, we got to move our paper rocket up this chart. When we got to the top of the chart we got a button that said "I blasted off!" It then became my goal to blast off as many times as possible. This trip is the college equivalent of blasting off.
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