08 05 Cairo

May 8 Happy late Mother's Day! As you can probably tell from the pictures, Sunday was a full day. We started out by driving to Memphis and mostly looking at scultures that still remain, including a huge statue of King Rameses II. We then went to Saqqara and viewed the temple located there and the Step Pyramid. Following this we drove to Old Cairo and visited the Mohammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque on the Citadel. Pictures will never do this grand building justice, especially the gorgeous interior. Included in the pictures are one of the chandeliers given by Louis Philippe of France. We then visited the Hanging Church, and another church where the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) is supposed to have stayed while they were in Egypt. After this we visited a nearby Jewish temple. We ate lunch a few blocks away at a buffet and then visited the Perfume Palace next door, where we sampled scents of essential oils. After checking into a hotel for a few hours to sleep and shower, we took a night cruise on the Nile where we enjoyed supper and entertainment, including a belly dancer and a whirling dervish. Some of us have realized that we still need work on our belly dancing technique. After finishing at 12:30 a.m., we drove to the airport in order to catch our 3:30 a.m. flight to Athens.

Class picture in front of the sphinx at Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt.

Amr explaining a stele at Memphis.

The temple at Saqqara that serves as an entrance to the Step Pyramid complex.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser designed by Imhotep, believed to be a precursor to the "true" pyramids as found at Giza. The step pyramid structure is essentially a series of tiered mastaba tombs, tapering to the top. Notice Sami in the foreground, searching for a hipper ringtone.