Making our way back up the Nile

It’s about time that I finished the blogs telling you all about Egypt.  Especially since it was about seven months ago!  I can’t believe how time is flying...

Okay, so I’d last left it at our farewell to the felucca.  While it was very sad to have to leave, there were many more highlights in store so it was onwards and upwards to Kom Ombo temple, the site of the world’s first calendar.  It was pretty cool how it was quite recognisably a calendar, albeit based around seasons and planting etc. rather than just days like we have now.  Having checked out the mummified crocodiles (!) in the small museum also on site it was then time to head towards the Temple of Horus in Edfu.  Horus, the hawk god, is one of my favourite Egyptian gods because he’s so easily recognisable with his peaked nose (well, hawk I guess) and elaborate headgear.  

Excited to be at the Temple of Horus in Edfu

 

Adrian doesn’t have particularly fond memories of this temple as he was propositioned by a rather crusty old man who was hanging around checking out the hot young men.  While the rest of us thought it was quite funny, I think Adrian might have a few mental scars yet to heal...  The interior of the temple was quite amazing, with room upon room of hieroglyphics.  When the Christians found the temple, they scratched out the figures (especially their faces) because (I’m guessing) they were ‘false idols’.  But quite a lot of the figures were buried under layers of sand that had drifted into the temple so it’s quite cool to be able to see some that are still intact.

After an overnight in Luxor where we wandered around town and checked out the beautifully lit Luxor Temple, the next day it was time to see the Valley of the Kings!  Having heard so much about the valley we had very high hopes and it didn’t disappoint.  You’re not able to take photos so there’s no visual evidence, but the colours of the paintings inside the tombs were just spectacular.  It was also really cool to be able to see how the painting process was carried out, with two draft layers in red and black outline before the final, full colour, painting was applied.  Basically the more inexperienced workers would do the drafts, with the higher up (and actually paid) workers doing the final versions.

After the Valley of the Kings it was onwards to Hatshepsut (rhymes with ketchup) Temple.  The colours here were also stunning and quite amazing given the temple’s exposed situation set into a cliff face.  Dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut it’s formed of three tiers of columns, making it really striking.  Later that day we visited Karnak Temple which had a hall of columns (134 in all) which you could wander amongst and see all the different types of hieroglyphics.  It was really neat to see the different styles, with some deeply cut into the stone while others were raised and more 3D.

Being mummies at Hatshepsut Temple (Adrian's a man hence crossed arms, I'm a lady hence straight arms)

Peek-a-boo at Karnak Temple!

After another night in a sleeper train it was back up to Cairo where we visited the Egyptian Museum.  Again, no photos inside, although I was desperately tempted as the treasures from Tutankhamen’s tomb were just amazing.  And it’s not even the stuff they think was the most elaborate!  It’s pretty cool that at least one tomb’s treasures survived though so we have an inkling about what it was all like.  Seeing the detail on the sculptures, including the beautiful jewellery was just stunning.  They're actually building a brand new museum called the Grand Egyptian Museum, much closer to the pyramids, so it would be cool to go back in 10 years to see what that's all like when it's finished.

We then had an afternoon free so we went exploring out into urban Cairo to do some shopping at a fair trade store I’d heard about, and then managed to get hopelessly lost in the markets before miraculously finding another member of our group who pointed us in the right direction.  Basically, instead of going to the touristy side of Khan-al-Khalili, we went to the locals area which is a total maze and quite bewildering!  Luckily we made it back though and didn’t miss the bus...

Next stop, Dahab!

Platinum!

One of the things I do when I'm not doing my actual PhD research (which probably occurs more often than it should), is form part of my research institute's 'Green Impact' team.

Green Impact is an environmental accreditation and awards scheme run by the UK's National Union of Students and involves over 100 unions across the UK.  Our team at the Grantham Research Institute was awarded gold for the 2011-12 year, but we were determined to work harder and come top and get the platinum level.  However, only one department per university can be awarded platinum and LSE's Estates team had won it every previous year, so we had a lot of work to do!

However, throwing our dignity away, we did all sorts of things like silly videos about recycling and not wasting water (too embarrassing to be published here I'm afraid), donning trackpants and gloves and spending time gardening and pulling weeds as part of a community engagement project, and a running and pedometer challenge to reduce our energy footprint.

And it worked!  We won platinum and beat Estates, and also won the award for best energy saving idea.  That was my idea for a challenge to inspire people to turn off their computer monitors overnight, and so we now have a £30 voucher for a local vegetarian restaurant to spend - yum!

So, a bit of a skite, but it's really rewarding to get recognition for all our hard work.

Grantham's Green Impact team with the LSE School Secretary

Melting Malaysia

Just a quick update to say hello from swelteringly hot Kuala Lumpur (you know it is legitimately hot when even locals tell you they're finding it tough to deal with)!

It was 35ºC yesterday and today with only the occasional breath of wind to help cool things down.  Fortunately the hostel is air conditioned which makes it a good respite when it all gets a bit much. 

I had this delicious beef ball soup (which comes with noodles with a soy, mince and vege combo on top) for dinner last night and have also had the best freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which I ordered not knowing what it was, just pointing to something that looked good on another table - the hunch paid off! 

I'm either off to Melaka tomorrow or up north to do some walking/rafting - we'll see how the budget's looking before I decide... Travelling alone makes you very efficient with your time - I've already seen Chinatown, Little India, Petronas Towers, the base of KL Tower, the National Museum, the Islamic Arts Museum, the Central Market, lots of temples and mosques, as well as the Batu Caves! And I'm only on day 2! 

So stay tuned for more adventures...

Rekindle

I've just come across this beautiful video introducing Rekindle, which is an amazing social enterprise based in Christchurch using salvaged wood from the earthquake to make the most gorgeous furniture.

rekindle - waste wood into furniture from Dollarmixbag / Ash Robinson on Vimeo.

It is well worth watching the full video as it tells a truly inspiring story about the types of people and ideas that I think should be encouraged throughout our community.

And, if you'd like to support Rekindle you can either (if you're Christchurch-based) let them know about any wood available for salvage, or buy a piece of their furniture.  If I wasn't a poor student I definitely would!  Their website is at www.rekindle.org.nz. 

Abu Simbel and cruisin' the Nile

One of the optional extras on our trip was a visit to Abu Simbel.  Having had it highly recommended to us by people who'd already been to Egypt (thanks Pam!) we decided to go have a look and it definitely did not disappoint.

A 3am start was followed by a long convoy bus ride down from Aswan to the site.  Abu Simbel, which is only about 50km or so from the border with Sudan in the south, is the name for two temples constructed by Ramesses II in in the 13th Century BC and then moved, in their entirety, in the 1960s to save them being flooded by the Nile as a result of the construction of the Aswan Dam.

As well as being absolutely amazing to look at inside and out, these temples (one for Ramesses II himself and the other for his wife, Nefertari) are amazing feats of engineering.  And I'm talking here about their original, and relocated, construction!  Just thinking about the size of each component part and how they were constructed, then moved, piece-by-piece (they moved this entire mountain!) was quite awe inspiring.

They're situated right on the banks of the Nile (much better than underneath it) and have an amazing atmosphere.  I took a video but unfortunately the strong wind makes it pretty impossible to make out what I'm saying, so you'll just have to make do with this one from the BBC:



After the long trip back to Aswan we boarded our felucca for a few days sailing up the Nile.  I have to say that while I wasn't really expecting much, this was a major highlight of the trip.  Although in hindsight, realising that it was all about lazing around and doing nothing in the sun, how could it not be a highlight!

It was just so relaxing and peaceful to be gracefully swooping down the Nile without a care in the world, apart from whether to read or have a bit of snooze!  It was also really cool to actually go swimming in the Nile and realise how clean it was - it was clear to beyond our toes even.  And lots of fun to jump in and be towed behind the felucca on a rope.

All our meals were cooked on board our felucca (called 'Butterfly') by our crew and we got to try all sorts of things like fresh dates and other goodies.  Unfortunately the food didn't agree with some of us (although I was fine - absolutely could not believe I didn't get sick in Egypt despite eating everything under the sun including dodgy street kebabs; it was an absolute miracle) so my extensive collection of diarrhoea tablets and rehydration sachets came in very handy.  Considering the toilet was the bushes at the side of the river I'm very pleased it wasn't me!

We also had a couple of fun nights up on the banks of the river playing a long game of charades which, while starting between a couple of us as a way to pass the time ended up involving nearly the entire tour group, as well as another night hanging out by a fire, dancing and toasting marshmallows.

I was pretty devastated to have to leave, but there were more temples to see and hieroglyphics to read!  Onwards to Luxor...