As I lie in my bed, I feel guilty of thinking that the trip would not be worth it, as I mentioned earlier we are a group of diverse personalities and I didn’t know how we would get along. I now realize that it was our diversity which had made trip enjoyable. It brings a smile to my face when I see Karthik eager for a patel shot from different angle against every monument in same pose of his face tilted at 45 degrees, Saurabh trying to capture each moment in a perfect way and when the perfection was achieved his eyes gleaming with excitement and not stopping to rub it in our faces, Manoj was perfectly balanced I wonder how he manages it, I on the other hand never wanted to be in any photograph, trying be capture a moment in my lens or who cringed every time I saw myself in a snap. With these thoughts in my mind I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
Day 2: 16th December 2006 – Luxor As usual I woke up to the alarm ringing from Saurabh’s mobile. We had to freshen up in the train as no hotel was booked for us in Luxor. We arrive in Luxor at 5:30 in the morning. Sabry from Travco picked us up from the railway station and we arrive in the Hotel where we meet Suraiya our guide for the day. This lady seems to think to we are some kids from college and thought that we might not appreciate the information on the monuments of Luxor, so she did not part with much information throughout the trip.
Valley of Artists
We started at about 6:30 towards the valley of artisst. On the way we captured the river Nile with calm waters flowing through the city. The setting of Valley of Artists is perfect against tall rocks. It has remains of the residence places of the artist’s house. There are two tombs of the artists which are open to the public. We had visited few tombs in past two days but no tomb was as colorful as these two tombs of the artist. Each painting looked like it was done yesterday. As I gaze at these elaborate art work a thought strikes me we consider ourselves technologically advanced but the paints in our house do not stand for 2 years while these 3000 year old paintings still stand in their fully glory. I wonder what kind of technical advancement did they possess. Would we ever be able to find a key to this mystery? We finish capturing the pictures of this valley of artist and move ahead.
Temple of Hatsepsut
Our next stop was Queen Hatsepsut’s temple. She was the only women in the history of ancient Egypt who took to the throne after death of her consort and half brother Thutmose II. She also wore the royal false beard to the throne. According to customs of ancient Egypt a woman cannot ascend the throne. The high priest advised her to create a temple for the Sun God and depict that she was born as son to the pharaoh. So she constructed a temple as offering to Sun God and depicted as herself as a boy. The temple is three-tiered and surrounded on three sides by high desert cliffs. With its facade of simple square columns, it looks more like a public library than a temple. The monument designed against a cliff is an architectural harmony between man and nature. Heliographic paintings on the wall depict the queen’s divine conception. Although vandalized by Hatsepsut’s foes and buried in sand for centuries, the masterpieces has not lost its splendor. It is an incredible expression of the absolute power of pharaoh, whether woman or man. The temple will remain highpoint of our visit. We could manage to capture the temple against its majestic settings and spent a considerable amount of time in the temple admiring and capturing the beauty of the place. Drinking in the beauty of the temple we proceeded to our next stop of the day.
Valley of Kings
It was almost 11 or 11:30 or so when we reached Valley of Kings. Valley of Kings is cluster of tombs dug in the mountain. It was surprising to see how well-preserved the tombs are especially the colour of the paintings. It is true that they have been protected from light for thousands of years but that does not decrease the awe we felt on seeing them. I cannot express the feeling on seeing the colours and script of the paintings. The wall of the 4 tombs we saw were dipped in the sea of colours. The tombs are size of a small house but the ceilings are much higher than normal ones. Although photography is not allowed within the tombs we sneaked in a few and ended paying a small amount to the caretaker of the tombs. All the tombs in the valley have been plundered except for Tutankhaman’s tomb, treasures of which lie in museum at Cairo. Our guide Suraiya was rushing us, I don’t know why? Fuming we proceed to our next step.
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple is dedicated to God Amun. Although badly ruined only few sites in Egypt would be as impressive as Karnak. It could be the largest temple complex ever built by man covering an area of 100 hectres. The temple has been restored by UNESCO. If today I say the temple is impressive, one can only imagine the grace this place would have had in its young times. Our guide told us that the temple was built and enlarged over a period of 1800 years. It was customary for the kings to add something to this temple during their reign. We took photos of the obelisk raised in this temple. The wall paintings look as they were done yesterday. The temple does not retain any colour these paintings must have had but that does not diminish the effect. The sanctum sanctorum has rock stand on which the golden statue of God Amun was placed. The sanctorum has door behind the idol. The high priest was supposed to enter from the back door, perform his duties and go back via the back door. The priest or king were forbidden to show their backs to the Lord, it seems so similar to Indian custom isn’t it. There is a sacred pond from which water was used to purify the idol. Water from Nile via underground canals kept the pond filled with water. Of course we did not forget to capture the beauty of temple in our lenses. The temple is said have a courtyard lined up with ram headed sphinx which led to the Luxor temple, but you see only remains of it as modern construction has lined up the once 3 km courtyard joining the two temples. Our next step is the Luxor Temple but we are too tired after visiting the Karnak Temple.
Luxor Temple
We wanted to break for lunch and then visit Luxor Temple but it seemed Suraiya wanted to finish off things and go off. She pushed us to visit the temple which we did but not without sitting at the temple for a good 15-20 minutes. Luxor Temple though smaller than Karnak Temple is worth seeing. Luxor Temple is also created and dedicated to God Amun. Two obelisks created by Ramseay’s II stand guard in the entrance of the temple. Ramseys’s II our guide told us was too fond of himself and his creation. The description fit Saurabh to the T and thereby was rechristened as Ramsey’s II. The name stuck to him throughout the remaining journey. Out of the two obelisks one lies in museum at Paris. The Temple of Luxor is interesting for having had within it a mosque and a Coptic church. The mosque is even still in use. These religious places were created by the Arabic and Roman rulers of Egypt. We finish off with this temple pretty soon and there comes to an end to the visit to the majestic creation of the past. A tryst with River Nile It is about 4 or 4:30 in the evening as we huddle to the hotel from where we started in the morning. We take some time to freshen up and see ourselves in small open air restaurant. Karthik and I order a cappuccino and Nescafe. We are relishing the coffee and our usual lunch arrives. There is Egyptian rice today instead of spaghetti and is first time I relish my lunch. We are tired and it starts showing on our faces at least the photos reflect that. We laze around till the tiredness wears off and its 5:00 in the evening. We walk by river Nile and Saurabh wants to take ride on the Faluka. A faluka is a sailboat with a particular type of sail made from cloth. Manoj is not very keen to take the ride due to security reason and is tensed major part of the trip at least till he saw the patrol boat. I enjoy the trip, but the somewhere the trip upsets me, I still can’t put a finger to what upset me but something did for major part of the evening. The faluka ride was great seeing the sun set by the river throwing up the pink colour, the reflection of which was seen in the waters of Nile was simply awesome. We returned to the bank after a ride of about 45 minutes. We walk by the Luxor temple which is now illuminated with evening lamps. If I found the temple beautiful by day, the sight of the temple against the lights is sheer poetry. We snap those moments. Manoj had then a brainwave to visit the Karnak temple that too in horse carriage which we did but the temple was not lit up lamps. After the boat and horse carriage ride we decide to cover the distance of 3km on foot. One distinct feature of Luxor is traffic is very minimal. Near to our hotel we spotted a souvenir shop as we were exchanging currency. Karthik Kalkur went to exchange the currency while we three of us entered the souvenir shop. We threw ourselves on the papyrus painting as there were genuine and less in price compared to the one we bought at papyrus gallery. I selected the painting as Saurabh and Manoj bought a bust of Queen Nefertiti, I still regret not buying it. When the time to pay the bill came, we remembered that Mr. Kalkur was missing, we assumed him to have gone to the hotel. As we entered the hotel we saw Mr Kalkur greeting us with his sweet smile. He said he enjoyed an Egyptian belly dance at hotel. I don’t know how good it was for that we have to ask him only. We started to the railway station soon. We boarded the over night train to Cairo. My legs had already given away by then. We chit chat and pass the time as we doze off.
Day 4: 17th December 2006 – Cairo I wake to find a raging allergy covering my face and my lips have swollen up. It becomes a good joke by the day. We check into the President hotel to freshen up. After a usual heavy breakfast we start for the Cairo Museum to our dose of mummies and treasures. We meet our guide Maggie by the gate. Cairo Museum The place is swarming with tourist as bees swarm a beehive. The museum has huge collection of ancient Egyptian history. In addition to Egyptian history it has stuff dating to Greek and Roman period also.
The highlight of the museum though is world famous king Tutankhaman’s treasures found in his grave. There is an entire room dedicated to his treasures. In ancient Egypt body is put in a coffin, then that is put in another coffin, and that is put in 2nd coffin and then into a bigger 3rd coffin! Then this whole thing is kept in box like structure and 2 more box structures like this on top of the other! Keep in mind that EVERYTHING was made of pure gold, including the boxes and stuff. King Tuts face was covered with the 11kg gold and his face with the unmistakable beard is so popular whenever Egypt is mentioned. The special head gear and the funny beard etc which are often seen when you talk about Egyptian Pharaohs constitute that face mask of King Tut, and it was also in the museum. Maggie told us that there was another king’s tomb on top Tutankhaman’s tomb which protected the tomb from being plundered. How amazing it is that a relatively unknown king in Egyptian era is a famous entity today. This treasure included gold chairs, tables, cots, slippers, daggers, sticks, rings, masks, toe caps etc all in pure gold. After seeing the treasure, I thought what would it be like if treasures of all the king would have been unearthed? Lost in thought we enter the mummification section. It is eerie feeling seeing the mummies of the kings. Believe it or not the skin, teeth, nails and hair are still intact and gleaming. One unique thing was the thumb of these Egyptian kings were as long as their other fingers. After finishing with the museum we buy few books at the entrance and then get to our next which is Khan el Khalili market.
Khan el-Khalili
Bazaar After relishing on Egyptain Tea, we set out to explore the bazaar. The bazaar is similar to any market in India, but the stuff they sell here is not authentic. The market is marked with narrow lanes and shops on both sides. I was hunting for bust of Queen Nefertiti while Saurabh was looking for sheesha. After combing the market for close to two and half hours or so, I gave up on my search for the bust and I think so did Saurabh. It was 3:30 in the afternoon as we started for President Hotel. We went to a café for a cappuccino and to our delight we found vegetarian pizza. Over a cup of hot coffee we bought our kartush which we had ordered through Maggie. The kartush has our name inscribed in heliographic script on one side while the other size had image of our zodiac signs. I do think we paid more that normal price for it. Nevertheless after enjoying our three veggie pizzas, we went to the hotel to collect our belonging. We checked out of the hotel at 5:30 in the evening. We reached Cairo railway station to board our train to Alexandria. Believe me the traffic is no less than any Indian city. The train puffed into the station and we got into it. It is almost time to say good bye to Egypt which we do with happiness written in our eyes. We see the photos on the train which have come out remarkably well. At least they appeared good on the LCD screen; the final outcome is yet to be seen. Time flies as we reach Alexandria. Alexandria Airport We reach Alexandria Airport by 11:00 in the night and we are in for a long wait. There is not a soul at the airport and it looks like starting of some C grade Hindi film of Horror genre. There are no cafeteria around which are open. Around 1:30 we go for security check in. Unique behavior at the airport is the officials are busy smoking while doing immigration check and passengers smoke in the airport premises which generally prohibited. We board the flight at about 3 in the morning. The plane lifts into the air and we are zonked off. My eyes open at Sharjah Airport only.
Day 5: 18h December 2006 – Sharjah Airport As we come out of the airport, Manoj gets a call from Sudheer asking him to convey a message to me that my Mom has called Sylvia my testing manager at Bangalore to find out my whereabouts. As soon Sudheer’s call is over I get call from Prasanna conveying the same. I call my mother informing her about my whereabouts and later called up Sylvia. I wonder at the anticlimax of the trip and wonder should this be the way the trip should have ended. With such thoughts in my mind we take taxi towards Dubai.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Travel to Old Civilization Part 2 - Cairo
Cairo
We arrive in Cairo by 10 in the night. Sheriff, the representative from Travco escorts us to President Hotel. Unfortunately this hotel fades in comparison against the one in Alexandria, but we do not let that dampen our spirits. It’s about 11 and the only night we would be spending in a hotel, so we decide to make most of it. A bottle of red wine was already purchased at Sharjah Duty Free, which was corked open. Glasses start clinking against the assortment of namkeens and Pistachios. Saurabh, Karthik and I make most of the wine, joking and sharing hidden stories of the past (Btw I confession to make boys are better if not best than girls in gossiping.) That night Karthik discovered a formula to a deep and satisfying sleep (a glass of wine before bed) which we got to know in the morning.
Day 2: 15th December 2006 – Cairo
It is 6:30 in the morning as I wake up to the call of the alarm from Saurabh’s mobile. I sit back against the bed as the morning sun peeps in from the balcony. You know it felt different as I watch the sun urging me to get up, embrace and enjoy the gift of life which the Almighty has bestowed upon me. Shaking the philosophy away I went about my morning activities and see my self in the breakfast hall on the 10th floor. As I see Cairo city from the window, it reminds me of Bombay, the high rise building, the flyovers look so similar. We enjoy our first meal of the day and as usual my breakfast size befits my over healthy physique. We meet our guide for Cairo City Madeline (who turned out to be the best guide of the trip.) In addition to Giza Pyramids, we decide to visit the Step Pyramids of Sakara for which had to shell out extra 50$ each which we still feel is high priced. Giza Pyramids We set out to visit the pyramids, the weather is quite pleasant a little windy and the sun is not very hot. Maggie our guide is busy analyzing us as Indians, asking question commenting on Kalkur and Saurabh that they look very young and that I do not have Indian features (which I have heard for the first time.) We answer the questions which she poses one after another on Indians, India and her culture. We get to know that she is Major in Archeology. Still chitchatting we see the Pyramids lining against our sight. We are enjoying the sight of it as our vehicle takes us near the Oldest and only surviving member of the Ancient Wonder of the World. Words cannot start to explain the feeling that sets in on seeing these gigantic structures which have braved the challenges time must have thrown on its face. The pyramids were covered by a smooth coat which was stolen in later centuries; remains of which can be seen on the apex of the second pyramid. Our guide starts telling us about the history of Egypt. History says that the largest pyramid belongs to King Cheops of the 4th dynasty of Egypt. The pyramid was built in 30 years and the king had changed his mind regarding his burial chamber three times. Finally the burial chamber is made near the apex of the pyramid. One cannot fathom how such gigantic slabs of stone were brought to this place. We take the journey inside the pyramid, and the scene which it presents is better than the outside picture. The corridor of the pyramid is a sight to see. We walk on the makeshift steps to reach the burial chamber. One LBCD(London Born Confused Desi) comments on the way there is nothing but an empty room and a tomb. His remark that his money was lost had us in splits for the entire day. On seeing the burial room our mouths fell open. Breath of each stone in the room is size of our arms spread apart. I cannot stop staring at height of the room that my neck starts straining. Our only regret is that we cannot take photos of this amazing sight, but Saurabh seems to have taken a few stealthily using his mobile camera. I take one backward glance of the room to etch it my memory and head back out. We were still to get to terms with what we saw inside the Pyramids that we forgot to take photos of the pyramid complex (we have less photos of the pyramid which we realized later.) We head to a point from where the three pyramids can be seen. We lap up this place by taking many patel and group shots. We have one photo which has us taking Walk like Egyptian pose. Localities here pose for photo and demand money which surprised us. After having our fill of the photos we set out to visit the Sphinx. The Sphinx The Sphinx or the Guardian of the 2nd Pyramid has represented the essence of Egypt since time immemorial. Although we have seen pictures of sphinx in our text books, nothing can compare to the sight of seeing the Sphinx with one’s naked eyes which dates back to 4500 years. The Sphinx represents King Khafre of the 4th dynasty whose tomb lies in 2nd pyramid. The Sphinx carved from limestone is a marvel from the ancient Egypt. Sphinx has body of lion with head of king Khafre and lost its nose during Turkish invasion. The Sphinx is of enormous size with its paws 50 feet long while entire length is of 150 feet. The head is 30 feet long and 14 feet wide and its height is 73.5 metres. As a custom we take patel shots against it and move back to capture the beauty of whole complex of three pyramids and the Sphinx standing in guard to them through our lens. After a first hand history lesson we visit a small museum where a statue of King Ramseys II is placed. We take few snaps around the place and head to the Step Pyramids of Sakara. Step Pyramids of Sakara The decision to visit the step pyramids was certainly a good one. The Giza Pyramid is definitely a wonder of the world but I would say without mincing words that the Step Pyramid is definitely the photogenic one. The Step Pyramid belongs to Djoser a ruler from the 3rd dynasty. History says that the tomb was not designed to be pyramid but a mastaba (underground burial chamber). The king wanted a wider mastaba then what was designed. The architect after some extent could not widen it so he built one mastaba on top of another, this continued till there were six mastabas on top of one another. Each mastaba represents a step in the structure. The entrance to the complex starts with a false door leading to an assortment of pillars of various sizes which next opens up to the Step pyramid complex. There is a tomb of nobleman near the step pyramid. The paintings done on the wall of the tomb is intricate. By the time the photo session of step pyramids was over, we were all famished. We proceeded to restaurant for a lunch. The lunch consisted of Filafil, Egyptian Rice, Raita, Spaghetti, Khabus and French fries. Though a dry lunch we ate like there was no tomorrow. Papyrus Gallery We reached papyrus gallery to see the paintings. The local guide at the gallery told us that papyrus is considered very holy in Egyptian history as the base of the papyrus represents the pyramid while its leaflets are shaped in form of sun. We saw the process of how papyrus is changed to a writable form. We are left to observe the paintings in the gallery. We spend watching each painting and getting to know the legend behind it. We were discussing whether to buy paintings at the gallery as they were costly. After lot of thinking about the price and whether we can find better painting at any other place, Manoj, Karthik and I bought our paintings. Karthik took a painting which depicted key of life. Manoj took a painting which featured offering to the Sun God while my painting featured birds depicting circle of life. Next we head to the railway station to board our 1st classs sleeping train which would take us to Luxor. The first thought on seeing our compartment was “Yeh to shuru hote hi khatam ho gaya.” After chatting for some time we visited the bar in the train. We took some snaps and decided to call it a day.
We arrive in Cairo by 10 in the night. Sheriff, the representative from Travco escorts us to President Hotel. Unfortunately this hotel fades in comparison against the one in Alexandria, but we do not let that dampen our spirits. It’s about 11 and the only night we would be spending in a hotel, so we decide to make most of it. A bottle of red wine was already purchased at Sharjah Duty Free, which was corked open. Glasses start clinking against the assortment of namkeens and Pistachios. Saurabh, Karthik and I make most of the wine, joking and sharing hidden stories of the past (Btw I confession to make boys are better if not best than girls in gossiping.) That night Karthik discovered a formula to a deep and satisfying sleep (a glass of wine before bed) which we got to know in the morning.
Day 2: 15th December 2006 – Cairo
It is 6:30 in the morning as I wake up to the call of the alarm from Saurabh’s mobile. I sit back against the bed as the morning sun peeps in from the balcony. You know it felt different as I watch the sun urging me to get up, embrace and enjoy the gift of life which the Almighty has bestowed upon me. Shaking the philosophy away I went about my morning activities and see my self in the breakfast hall on the 10th floor. As I see Cairo city from the window, it reminds me of Bombay, the high rise building, the flyovers look so similar. We enjoy our first meal of the day and as usual my breakfast size befits my over healthy physique. We meet our guide for Cairo City Madeline (who turned out to be the best guide of the trip.) In addition to Giza Pyramids, we decide to visit the Step Pyramids of Sakara for which had to shell out extra 50$ each which we still feel is high priced. Giza Pyramids We set out to visit the pyramids, the weather is quite pleasant a little windy and the sun is not very hot. Maggie our guide is busy analyzing us as Indians, asking question commenting on Kalkur and Saurabh that they look very young and that I do not have Indian features (which I have heard for the first time.) We answer the questions which she poses one after another on Indians, India and her culture. We get to know that she is Major in Archeology. Still chitchatting we see the Pyramids lining against our sight. We are enjoying the sight of it as our vehicle takes us near the Oldest and only surviving member of the Ancient Wonder of the World. Words cannot start to explain the feeling that sets in on seeing these gigantic structures which have braved the challenges time must have thrown on its face. The pyramids were covered by a smooth coat which was stolen in later centuries; remains of which can be seen on the apex of the second pyramid. Our guide starts telling us about the history of Egypt. History says that the largest pyramid belongs to King Cheops of the 4th dynasty of Egypt. The pyramid was built in 30 years and the king had changed his mind regarding his burial chamber three times. Finally the burial chamber is made near the apex of the pyramid. One cannot fathom how such gigantic slabs of stone were brought to this place. We take the journey inside the pyramid, and the scene which it presents is better than the outside picture. The corridor of the pyramid is a sight to see. We walk on the makeshift steps to reach the burial chamber. One LBCD(London Born Confused Desi) comments on the way there is nothing but an empty room and a tomb. His remark that his money was lost had us in splits for the entire day. On seeing the burial room our mouths fell open. Breath of each stone in the room is size of our arms spread apart. I cannot stop staring at height of the room that my neck starts straining. Our only regret is that we cannot take photos of this amazing sight, but Saurabh seems to have taken a few stealthily using his mobile camera. I take one backward glance of the room to etch it my memory and head back out. We were still to get to terms with what we saw inside the Pyramids that we forgot to take photos of the pyramid complex (we have less photos of the pyramid which we realized later.) We head to a point from where the three pyramids can be seen. We lap up this place by taking many patel and group shots. We have one photo which has us taking Walk like Egyptian pose. Localities here pose for photo and demand money which surprised us. After having our fill of the photos we set out to visit the Sphinx. The Sphinx The Sphinx or the Guardian of the 2nd Pyramid has represented the essence of Egypt since time immemorial. Although we have seen pictures of sphinx in our text books, nothing can compare to the sight of seeing the Sphinx with one’s naked eyes which dates back to 4500 years. The Sphinx represents King Khafre of the 4th dynasty whose tomb lies in 2nd pyramid. The Sphinx carved from limestone is a marvel from the ancient Egypt. Sphinx has body of lion with head of king Khafre and lost its nose during Turkish invasion. The Sphinx is of enormous size with its paws 50 feet long while entire length is of 150 feet. The head is 30 feet long and 14 feet wide and its height is 73.5 metres. As a custom we take patel shots against it and move back to capture the beauty of whole complex of three pyramids and the Sphinx standing in guard to them through our lens. After a first hand history lesson we visit a small museum where a statue of King Ramseys II is placed. We take few snaps around the place and head to the Step Pyramids of Sakara. Step Pyramids of Sakara The decision to visit the step pyramids was certainly a good one. The Giza Pyramid is definitely a wonder of the world but I would say without mincing words that the Step Pyramid is definitely the photogenic one. The Step Pyramid belongs to Djoser a ruler from the 3rd dynasty. History says that the tomb was not designed to be pyramid but a mastaba (underground burial chamber). The king wanted a wider mastaba then what was designed. The architect after some extent could not widen it so he built one mastaba on top of another, this continued till there were six mastabas on top of one another. Each mastaba represents a step in the structure. The entrance to the complex starts with a false door leading to an assortment of pillars of various sizes which next opens up to the Step pyramid complex. There is a tomb of nobleman near the step pyramid. The paintings done on the wall of the tomb is intricate. By the time the photo session of step pyramids was over, we were all famished. We proceeded to restaurant for a lunch. The lunch consisted of Filafil, Egyptian Rice, Raita, Spaghetti, Khabus and French fries. Though a dry lunch we ate like there was no tomorrow. Papyrus Gallery We reached papyrus gallery to see the paintings. The local guide at the gallery told us that papyrus is considered very holy in Egyptian history as the base of the papyrus represents the pyramid while its leaflets are shaped in form of sun. We saw the process of how papyrus is changed to a writable form. We are left to observe the paintings in the gallery. We spend watching each painting and getting to know the legend behind it. We were discussing whether to buy paintings at the gallery as they were costly. After lot of thinking about the price and whether we can find better painting at any other place, Manoj, Karthik and I bought our paintings. Karthik took a painting which depicted key of life. Manoj took a painting which featured offering to the Sun God while my painting featured birds depicting circle of life. Next we head to the railway station to board our 1st classs sleeping train which would take us to Luxor. The first thought on seeing our compartment was “Yeh to shuru hote hi khatam ho gaya.” After chatting for some time we visited the bar in the train. We took some snaps and decided to call it a day.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Travel to the ruins of an Old Civilization - Alexendria
Recently i have visited Egypt, here is the travalogue by my dear friend Karthik Iyer, his account of the memoirs of the visit which will remain fresh in my mind for so many years to come...
Time Travel
Yes that is how I would describe this journey of mine. Few years ago I had seen an audio visual of the Giza Pyramids, images of which had haunted me all these year. It seems unbelievable to me that one of my dreams is about to be fulfilled. On this journey with me are my colleagues Manoj, Saurabh and Karthik Kalkur. We were individuals of diverse tastes and temperament visiting Alexandria, Cairo and Luxor in Egypt. Well thus began the journey of a lifetime.
Day 0: 13th December 2006 – Sharjah International Airport
It was my 2nd off after 4 days of support shift. I was finishing shopping of remaining items on my checklist. As agreed I left at 5:30 in evening to my colleague’s place as we had decided to share the taxi to the airport.
To cut cost Air Arabia was chosen as travel medium. On reaching the airport we found it to be in a state of complete mayhem. Air Arabia checkin counter was queued up with travelers busy jumping the line and haggling with half bored and tired executives regarding the excess baggage. To my surprise for first time in my short travel history I have seen tourists getting on the conveyer belt and pushing the luggage. It looked like people wanted to travel with the luggage. After a long wait of 45-50 minutes we were able to acquire our boarding pass. It seemed like an ordeal about to begin. My thoughts were confirmed the moment, the immigration officer’s system broke down and the other officer refused to co-operate with us. After standing in the immigration queue for about an hour we were finally able to clear the procedures.
The aircraft took off after a delay of an hour and half. I sent a silent prayer requesting the Almighty to make the rest of the journey smooth and pleasant.
Day 1: 14th December 2006 – Alexanderia
We reached Alexandria, Egypt’s 2nd largest metropolis at 5:30 in the morning. Mohammed our travel assistant from Travco Travel Company of Egypt came to escort us to Renascence Hotel. On reaching the hotel we crashed in the bed. A spectacular view of Mediterranean Sea wished us good morning as we woke up to sound of waves crashing against the shores. After a sumptuous breakfast we were all anxious to greet the city Alexandria named after Alexander The Great.
Our city tour was scheduled to begin at 12:00 in the afternoon, so we decided to pay a visit to the Mediterranean Sea. The sea greeted us with its transparent green color. We walked the long stretch against the sea, the Mediterranean wind whispering in our ears and the morning sunlight caressing our skin.
Along the coast we saw buildings with their colors off and crumbling plaster which somewhere reflected on the economy of the country. The sea provided us with ample opportunity to try of photography skills. The glimpses of men with the fishing hooks and young couples whispering nothings into each other ears reflected on the social culture of the city. Alexandria is similar to any Indian city but carrying a 60’s look.
The city life is of course modern, but there is this other side that you see, a normal day to day life of people which is laid back unlike ours which is hurried or rushed.
Most the roads are made of cobble stones, and side by side the cars (trust me the newest car in Alex is a 1970s Lada or a Datsun or Fiat, including the taxis!), there are horse carts going clickety clackity while the sweet smell of sheesha (Arabic smoke pipe) envelopes the air. It was just too good. No doubt the city had captured a piece of my mind with its once seductive glance.
On returning to the hotel we found our guide to the city Medath waiting for us in the hotel foyer. He was ready to start the day which had following highlights
National Museum of Alexandria
The CataComb
The Pompey Pillar
The Roman Amphitheater
The National Library
The Citadel
We reached our first point of visit at 12:45 in the afternoon which was the National Museum.
National Museum of Alexandria
The museum of Alexandria narrates history of the Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic era. The museum has 4 stories each telling a story of the bygone era. We saw various artifacts from past now in resorted form. The Pharonic section depicts journey of the ancient Egyptians to their eternal after life. The museum displays statues of the many famous rulers of the ancient Egypt. A section gives us an insight into the mummification process and various items used in the process like the Canopic jars. The museum also displays an amazing collection of busts, paintings and items of the Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic time.
After spending about 2 hours and a half in the museum we head to second highlight, the Catacomb.
The Catacombs in Alexandria
The Catacombs (meaning underground tunnels) are located in the middle of the city and are now surrounded by residential localities. Medath our guide told us that they were discovered by a pure chance when a donkey fell into the trench in the early 19th century. The underground cemetery starts with a spiral staircase which leads to three levels for the funeral ritual. The catacomb has tombs of the king, the queen and her children and the bodyguards, noble people. This monument represents an amalgamation of the cultures of Egyptians, Greek and Romans. The funeral customs are of ancient pheronics while the architecture speaks of Greco-Roman style. The catacombs provided such elaborate view and setting which refuses to go off my mind and leaves me speechless. This philosophy of an elaborate and magnificent after death setting simply amazes me
On a short distance from the Catacombs is the Pompey pillar. A visit to the pillar was not part of the original plan, but we requested our guide to gives some time to visit it which he gracefully allowed.
The Pompey Pillar
Medath told us that the Pompey Pillar is the biggest memorial column in Egypt. It is made from red granite which has height of 28 meter. The column looks almost gray from a distance, but up close it is the same fine, red Aswan granite that is so common in Egyptian monuments.
The red granite was brought via the Nile River from Aswan. The pillar was erected during the times of Alexander the Great.
A staircase beneath the Pompey Pillar took us the Royal Library of Alexandria.
The Royal Library of Alexandria
Today the royal library is in ruins. I feel numb on seeing this once largest library of the world a seat of knowledge. Our guide informed us of the concept of indexing followed in the library. We saw grooves made in the walls to keep the recordz. The collection consisted of papyrus rolls. It seemed that the ancient society was aware of the collecting ideas and documenting them, the gist of each such meeting were kept in the grooves in the library. Indeed a novel way of knowledge management. There are several blocks made in the walls were the literary wonders must have been kept.
Our guide told us about an interesting anecdote. Alexander the great used to send pigeons to his nobles to inform about a meeting. The nobles arrived to library with the pigeons. When pigeons rested on the column of the Pompey pillar, the whole town knew that a meeting was in progress.
What would be it like to see the roman gladiators fight in presence of the royal family and large audience? The question was answered when we visited the Roman Amphitheatre unearthed in the middle of the city. The theater stands a testimony to bygone Roman era.
The Roman Amphitheatre
Am I in Rome? That is the question I ask myself on seeing this majestic piece of history from the Roman period in Alexandria. Amphitheater means double theater. To know the meaning of the word “Grand” one has to see this Amphitheatre in Alexandria. It is damn grand and impressive shaped as a semicircle. The amphitheater has no stage but a stone. The stone is so placed that the voice of the speaker resonates. Believe me the resonance theory works, we tried it out and it did work. I imagined myself to be standing on this round stone speaking to a good number of people in front of the royal family overlooking the clear blue sky and it sure felt “GREAT.” Our guide told us that the theater was used for artistic purpose rather than fights. UNESCO has been doing restoration of the theater so it is hard to know what’s correctly rebuilt and what is restored.
The next attraction of the city is the citadel. On the way to citadel we captured the yellow color trams running on the tracks laid on the city. The trams have one coach or two. Amazing mode of transportation of the time gone by which is not seen in many cities. It feels good to look at this mode of transportation. One another rare sight is carriage drawn by horse or man on a horse back, which is commonly seen in Alexandria. We are enjoying the sights of the city as we arrive at the citadel by the sea. It is 4:30 in the evening as we reach the citadel.
The Citadel
This beautiful monument is situated on the shores of the sea. It sure is an impressive thing still standing high and mighty braving the waves which lash against it. The citadel is built on same place where once stood the famous lighthouse of Alexandria.
The citadel today provides a place to hawkers, couples watching the sunset, people fishing and few practicing snorkeling. We take photos against this impressive monument as the sun sets in the sea giving a rosy tinge to sky and which makes the picture perfect.
We walk by the citadel soaking our minds with the beauty. This postcard image will linger forever in my memory.
It is 5:45 in the evening as our stomach start to rebel. At the restaurant as we ask for a vegetarian meal, the waiter and manager draw blank stares. Well we somehow get them to prepare something for us consisting of Spaghetti, Tomato Gravy, Kabus (Egyptian bread), French fries, filafil and vegetables. We did not know then that this was the lunch and dinner we are going to have during our stay in Egypt.
We debate on whether to visit the Alexandria Library or head back to the railway station. On majority vote we decide to visit it and the sight which the library presents leaves us spell bound.
The New Library of Alexandria
The new library of Alexandria was funded by UNESCO. The design was chosen after a fierce competition among chosen architects of the world. When we saw the architectural masterpiece our mouth fell open on seeing the beauty of the library. The library has 10 stories consisting of 4 basement floors and 6 floors under slopping circular roof. It is open to general public at a nominal fee following the tradition of the ancient library. The outer walls have amazing carvings on the wall. A beautiful water fountain welcomes the visitors at the foot of the library. The library is surrounded by amazing light works which makes it a sight to eyes in the night. The Alexandria library is 2nd largest in the world and has more than 5 million books.
It is 7:30 in the evening and the climate has turned chilly now. We now start for the railway station where to our amazement found that the local people want to be tipped (baksish) even for turning a seat around. We sit back in our comfortable seating chairs as we start towards Cairo. Our minds are filled with events and sights of the day. The train starts as discussion pours out and post mortem of the day begins.
As I write about my travel, one realization struck was that four of us had blended so well. Lot of anecdotes, jokes, one-liners flow from time to time which made the journey enjoyable. It was like chance pe dance. At the start of the journey we were skeptical regarding the rechargeable batteries and memory card we had, but by end of the first day we were able to make judicious use of both the cameras. Surprisingly we were able to achieve a good balance between enjoying the sights of the city, soaking in the history and in taking photos.
Time Travel
Yes that is how I would describe this journey of mine. Few years ago I had seen an audio visual of the Giza Pyramids, images of which had haunted me all these year. It seems unbelievable to me that one of my dreams is about to be fulfilled. On this journey with me are my colleagues Manoj, Saurabh and Karthik Kalkur. We were individuals of diverse tastes and temperament visiting Alexandria, Cairo and Luxor in Egypt. Well thus began the journey of a lifetime.
Day 0: 13th December 2006 – Sharjah International Airport
It was my 2nd off after 4 days of support shift. I was finishing shopping of remaining items on my checklist. As agreed I left at 5:30 in evening to my colleague’s place as we had decided to share the taxi to the airport.
To cut cost Air Arabia was chosen as travel medium. On reaching the airport we found it to be in a state of complete mayhem. Air Arabia checkin counter was queued up with travelers busy jumping the line and haggling with half bored and tired executives regarding the excess baggage. To my surprise for first time in my short travel history I have seen tourists getting on the conveyer belt and pushing the luggage. It looked like people wanted to travel with the luggage. After a long wait of 45-50 minutes we were able to acquire our boarding pass. It seemed like an ordeal about to begin. My thoughts were confirmed the moment, the immigration officer’s system broke down and the other officer refused to co-operate with us. After standing in the immigration queue for about an hour we were finally able to clear the procedures.
The aircraft took off after a delay of an hour and half. I sent a silent prayer requesting the Almighty to make the rest of the journey smooth and pleasant.
Day 1: 14th December 2006 – Alexanderia
We reached Alexandria, Egypt’s 2nd largest metropolis at 5:30 in the morning. Mohammed our travel assistant from Travco Travel Company of Egypt came to escort us to Renascence Hotel. On reaching the hotel we crashed in the bed. A spectacular view of Mediterranean Sea wished us good morning as we woke up to sound of waves crashing against the shores. After a sumptuous breakfast we were all anxious to greet the city Alexandria named after Alexander The Great.
Our city tour was scheduled to begin at 12:00 in the afternoon, so we decided to pay a visit to the Mediterranean Sea. The sea greeted us with its transparent green color. We walked the long stretch against the sea, the Mediterranean wind whispering in our ears and the morning sunlight caressing our skin.
Along the coast we saw buildings with their colors off and crumbling plaster which somewhere reflected on the economy of the country. The sea provided us with ample opportunity to try of photography skills. The glimpses of men with the fishing hooks and young couples whispering nothings into each other ears reflected on the social culture of the city. Alexandria is similar to any Indian city but carrying a 60’s look.
The city life is of course modern, but there is this other side that you see, a normal day to day life of people which is laid back unlike ours which is hurried or rushed.
Most the roads are made of cobble stones, and side by side the cars (trust me the newest car in Alex is a 1970s Lada or a Datsun or Fiat, including the taxis!), there are horse carts going clickety clackity while the sweet smell of sheesha (Arabic smoke pipe) envelopes the air. It was just too good. No doubt the city had captured a piece of my mind with its once seductive glance.
On returning to the hotel we found our guide to the city Medath waiting for us in the hotel foyer. He was ready to start the day which had following highlights
National Museum of Alexandria
The CataComb
The Pompey Pillar
The Roman Amphitheater
The National Library
The Citadel
We reached our first point of visit at 12:45 in the afternoon which was the National Museum.
National Museum of Alexandria
The museum of Alexandria narrates history of the Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic era. The museum has 4 stories each telling a story of the bygone era. We saw various artifacts from past now in resorted form. The Pharonic section depicts journey of the ancient Egyptians to their eternal after life. The museum displays statues of the many famous rulers of the ancient Egypt. A section gives us an insight into the mummification process and various items used in the process like the Canopic jars. The museum also displays an amazing collection of busts, paintings and items of the Graeco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic time.
After spending about 2 hours and a half in the museum we head to second highlight, the Catacomb.
The Catacombs in Alexandria
The Catacombs (meaning underground tunnels) are located in the middle of the city and are now surrounded by residential localities. Medath our guide told us that they were discovered by a pure chance when a donkey fell into the trench in the early 19th century. The underground cemetery starts with a spiral staircase which leads to three levels for the funeral ritual. The catacomb has tombs of the king, the queen and her children and the bodyguards, noble people. This monument represents an amalgamation of the cultures of Egyptians, Greek and Romans. The funeral customs are of ancient pheronics while the architecture speaks of Greco-Roman style. The catacombs provided such elaborate view and setting which refuses to go off my mind and leaves me speechless. This philosophy of an elaborate and magnificent after death setting simply amazes me
On a short distance from the Catacombs is the Pompey pillar. A visit to the pillar was not part of the original plan, but we requested our guide to gives some time to visit it which he gracefully allowed.
The Pompey Pillar
Medath told us that the Pompey Pillar is the biggest memorial column in Egypt. It is made from red granite which has height of 28 meter. The column looks almost gray from a distance, but up close it is the same fine, red Aswan granite that is so common in Egyptian monuments.
The red granite was brought via the Nile River from Aswan. The pillar was erected during the times of Alexander the Great.
A staircase beneath the Pompey Pillar took us the Royal Library of Alexandria.
The Royal Library of Alexandria
Today the royal library is in ruins. I feel numb on seeing this once largest library of the world a seat of knowledge. Our guide informed us of the concept of indexing followed in the library. We saw grooves made in the walls to keep the recordz. The collection consisted of papyrus rolls. It seemed that the ancient society was aware of the collecting ideas and documenting them, the gist of each such meeting were kept in the grooves in the library. Indeed a novel way of knowledge management. There are several blocks made in the walls were the literary wonders must have been kept.
Our guide told us about an interesting anecdote. Alexander the great used to send pigeons to his nobles to inform about a meeting. The nobles arrived to library with the pigeons. When pigeons rested on the column of the Pompey pillar, the whole town knew that a meeting was in progress.
What would be it like to see the roman gladiators fight in presence of the royal family and large audience? The question was answered when we visited the Roman Amphitheatre unearthed in the middle of the city. The theater stands a testimony to bygone Roman era.
The Roman Amphitheatre
Am I in Rome? That is the question I ask myself on seeing this majestic piece of history from the Roman period in Alexandria. Amphitheater means double theater. To know the meaning of the word “Grand” one has to see this Amphitheatre in Alexandria. It is damn grand and impressive shaped as a semicircle. The amphitheater has no stage but a stone. The stone is so placed that the voice of the speaker resonates. Believe me the resonance theory works, we tried it out and it did work. I imagined myself to be standing on this round stone speaking to a good number of people in front of the royal family overlooking the clear blue sky and it sure felt “GREAT.” Our guide told us that the theater was used for artistic purpose rather than fights. UNESCO has been doing restoration of the theater so it is hard to know what’s correctly rebuilt and what is restored.
The next attraction of the city is the citadel. On the way to citadel we captured the yellow color trams running on the tracks laid on the city. The trams have one coach or two. Amazing mode of transportation of the time gone by which is not seen in many cities. It feels good to look at this mode of transportation. One another rare sight is carriage drawn by horse or man on a horse back, which is commonly seen in Alexandria. We are enjoying the sights of the city as we arrive at the citadel by the sea. It is 4:30 in the evening as we reach the citadel.
The Citadel
This beautiful monument is situated on the shores of the sea. It sure is an impressive thing still standing high and mighty braving the waves which lash against it. The citadel is built on same place where once stood the famous lighthouse of Alexandria.
The citadel today provides a place to hawkers, couples watching the sunset, people fishing and few practicing snorkeling. We take photos against this impressive monument as the sun sets in the sea giving a rosy tinge to sky and which makes the picture perfect.
We walk by the citadel soaking our minds with the beauty. This postcard image will linger forever in my memory.
It is 5:45 in the evening as our stomach start to rebel. At the restaurant as we ask for a vegetarian meal, the waiter and manager draw blank stares. Well we somehow get them to prepare something for us consisting of Spaghetti, Tomato Gravy, Kabus (Egyptian bread), French fries, filafil and vegetables. We did not know then that this was the lunch and dinner we are going to have during our stay in Egypt.
We debate on whether to visit the Alexandria Library or head back to the railway station. On majority vote we decide to visit it and the sight which the library presents leaves us spell bound.
The New Library of Alexandria
The new library of Alexandria was funded by UNESCO. The design was chosen after a fierce competition among chosen architects of the world. When we saw the architectural masterpiece our mouth fell open on seeing the beauty of the library. The library has 10 stories consisting of 4 basement floors and 6 floors under slopping circular roof. It is open to general public at a nominal fee following the tradition of the ancient library. The outer walls have amazing carvings on the wall. A beautiful water fountain welcomes the visitors at the foot of the library. The library is surrounded by amazing light works which makes it a sight to eyes in the night. The Alexandria library is 2nd largest in the world and has more than 5 million books.
It is 7:30 in the evening and the climate has turned chilly now. We now start for the railway station where to our amazement found that the local people want to be tipped (baksish) even for turning a seat around. We sit back in our comfortable seating chairs as we start towards Cairo. Our minds are filled with events and sights of the day. The train starts as discussion pours out and post mortem of the day begins.
As I write about my travel, one realization struck was that four of us had blended so well. Lot of anecdotes, jokes, one-liners flow from time to time which made the journey enjoyable. It was like chance pe dance. At the start of the journey we were skeptical regarding the rechargeable batteries and memory card we had, but by end of the first day we were able to make judicious use of both the cameras. Surprisingly we were able to achieve a good balance between enjoying the sights of the city, soaking in the history and in taking photos.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Zombie!!!!
Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?
But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying...
In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, dou, dou, dou, dou, dou...
Another mother's breakin',
Heart is taking over.
When the vi'lence causes silence,
We must be mistaken.
It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen.
In your head, in your head they're still fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are dying...
In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head, Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, oh, oh, Oh, oh, oh, oh, hey, oh, ya, ya-a...
- The Cranberries
Today Taliban militia killed one more innocent Indian Engineer K. Suryanarayana, and what am i thinking:(
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?
But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying...
In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, dou, dou, dou, dou, dou...
Another mother's breakin',
Heart is taking over.
When the vi'lence causes silence,
We must be mistaken.
It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen.
In your head, in your head they're still fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are dying...
In your head, in your head,
Zombie, zombie, zombie,
Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,
In your head, Zombie, zombie, zombie?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, oh, oh, oh, Oh, oh, oh, oh, hey, oh, ya, ya-a...
- The Cranberries
Today Taliban militia killed one more innocent Indian Engineer K. Suryanarayana, and what am i thinking:(
Client Satisfaction, How Far are we pushing ourselves to achieve this!!!
"Customer is like a God" , i have been hearing this since my childhood, and its true also in many senses as he fulfills the sole purpose of the existense of one business, by giving him more business. Excellent Customer service is the Mantra of success, but how far are we pushing ourselves to achieve this.
I want to have a point of view of all professionals out there, that how far do we go to achieve this...how much we sacrifice, if yes why do we do it..is it because of insecurities, or ambitions or any other driving factors...
if you ask me..looking at people around me and even my self, i guess we push bit too much for this...reasons i am also finding out...
I want to have a point of view of all professionals out there, that how far do we go to achieve this...how much we sacrifice, if yes why do we do it..is it because of insecurities, or ambitions or any other driving factors...
if you ask me..looking at people around me and even my self, i guess we push bit too much for this...reasons i am also finding out...
Thursday, April 13, 2006
A legend Dies!!!!
Yesterday a legend in Kannada Film Industry, Dr. Rajakumara died..
i personally dont know much about the veteran but what i learnt from my colleagues is that he was like a god in karnataka...one who was multi talented, a thorough gentle man who never did any such act in his movies which will drive his fans to the wrong path, he never smoked or boozed...even in his acting...heartly condolance for such a great man..
But there is one thing which has left the scars on the memories of such a great man for the people who are not from karanataka coz they know him as just an actor, the reasons for the scars is the rioting / holliganism happening in the banglore by the people out there...
There are incidents of Looting, Mob Violence and even attacking the campuses of companies like Microsoft...why do one has to come out on road and show his rage or i will say anger on God in such a manner. Obstructing the normal lives of a comman man who has nothing to do with any one..
It has happened to the extent that public as well as private offices are closed in Bangalore.. to avoid any mishaps to their employees..
Are we so unpridicatble or so emotionally imbalanced, that we can not bid farewell to a good soul with peace and calm...
i personally dont know much about the veteran but what i learnt from my colleagues is that he was like a god in karnataka...one who was multi talented, a thorough gentle man who never did any such act in his movies which will drive his fans to the wrong path, he never smoked or boozed...even in his acting...heartly condolance for such a great man..
But there is one thing which has left the scars on the memories of such a great man for the people who are not from karanataka coz they know him as just an actor, the reasons for the scars is the rioting / holliganism happening in the banglore by the people out there...
There are incidents of Looting, Mob Violence and even attacking the campuses of companies like Microsoft...why do one has to come out on road and show his rage or i will say anger on God in such a manner. Obstructing the normal lives of a comman man who has nothing to do with any one..
It has happened to the extent that public as well as private offices are closed in Bangalore.. to avoid any mishaps to their employees..
Are we so unpridicatble or so emotionally imbalanced, that we can not bid farewell to a good soul with peace and calm...
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Beach Burns:)
I went to a beach in Dubai yesterday...was feeling a bit laze..idea was to have some sun bath..never tried it before..though
The beach was nice, good weather and good crowd as well..
So i started with a smin in the sea, ofcourse on the shores:)) and then i lied on the sand..to relax..
every thing was fine till evening, utill these rashes poped up..now i am on medication..
When ever u go to beach with wierd ideas in Middle East, take a good sun lotion with you...
The beach was nice, good weather and good crowd as well..
So i started with a smin in the sea, ofcourse on the shores:)) and then i lied on the sand..to relax..
every thing was fine till evening, utill these rashes poped up..now i am on medication..
When ever u go to beach with wierd ideas in Middle East, take a good sun lotion with you...
Sunday, April 09, 2006
My First Blog!!!
So here i am writing my first blog ever...just wondering what to write..but i must admit that i am bedazzled the way this thing works...
Hoping for some more things to come in near future...this one is just to have a start..
Hoping for some more things to come in near future...this one is just to have a start..
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