I am finally in Rome. The keyboard here is a little different so bear with me! Anyway, Iàm so glad to be here. It is absolutely beautiful. It is about 730 and New Years will be here soon. Yesterday, we had a 4 hour flight from Cairo to Rome and took a shuttle to our hotel. I am rooming with Brandy again, and we have to share a bed, but it is okay because she is really cool! We will be getting 2 new roommates this evening...4 total. It will be hectic getting ready in the morning with 4 girls!
Anyway, after we settled in our room I inquired with the front desk about getting a dentist to fix my teeth. They said that dentist offices are closed on Sunday and I would have to wait til Monday. So...we went to lunch! Our first real lunch in a couple weeks. It was so awesome. I shared a prosciutto pizza with Brandy, made from a pizza oven. It had the amazing thin crust. Yum! After that, we wandered briefly to check out stores. Our hotel is kind of on the edge of Rome, which is good and bad. It is a little walk to the main sights, but at the same time is quieter and not too hectic. There are tons of amazing clothing stores and restaurants in the near vicinity of the hotel. I found this really neat store around the corner that has really cute clothes and the owner is also the designer. I picked up a really cute top for €20. After wandering, we relaxed in our room for a bit and then headed out for dinner with the whole group to another pizzeria. Since only a few hours had gone by after lunch, I wasnt too hungry and didnt eat. After the dinner, some of the group went to an Irish pub that reminded me of TGI Fridays restaurants. It was just okay, so we left.
Today, I woke up and had breakfast...bread with Nutella and coffee...the perfect breakfast! After that, it was dentist hunt time. The front desk man sent me to a dental office down the street. Jessica and Brandy accompanied me. The person there only spoke Italian, and from what I understood, they only cleaned teeth and didnt have a dentist to do dental work. I loved that I could finally put my 1 1/2 semesters of Italian to work! We went back to the front desk man and told him that it wasnt a dentist, just a tooth cleaner. So, he sent us to another dental office. We walked there, and rang the bell, but no one answered. I wrote down the telephone number and went back to the hotel. The front desk man called and the dentist said he would come in at 12 to see me. I was so happy! I went back, and the dentist was really nice. He put a temporary filling in to seal out the air until I return home to get dental work. He said it was a very good break....grr! Anyway, he only charged me €25 for the whole thing, which is really good. I was afraid it would be at least a couple hundred euro. I was happy and my mouth was numb.
We decided it was time for a short break. There was a street fair right next to our hotel that we checked out. They had all sorts of good things! I got some amazing salami from a meat market at the fair...10 slices for less than 2 euro. Cheap lunch! I also picked up a knockoff Burberry scarf for myself and a little something for Marcey. We took our lunch back to the hotel and ate it. After that, some of the group decided to take a walk to a lunch spot. I decided to check it out. I ended up getting a torta della nonna, which is a cake that is hard to describe but it was just okay. We wandered a little more to see the New Years Eve stages being set up across town and I found another cute clothing store (got a cute red top for NYE for only €15), but headed back to the hotel after that. I have just been hanging out, waiting for dinner time to arrive and 15 more people to be added to our group.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years Eve! I will try to update soon.
Love, Amy
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
The Sphinx and Broken Teeth
Today was an interesting day...I broke my tooth on a soft roll at dinner. I am okay but was a little shaken up. I am hoping to visit a dentist tomorrow when I go to Rome.
Other than that, this morning we visited the Sultan Hassan Mosque. It was a huge building, really neat. After that, we went to the pyramids at Giza. They were really amazing. I stood next to one of the bricks and it is about as tall as me! I have a picture to show just how large the pyramids actually are. We also saw the Sphinx. I thought it would be a lot bigger but nevertheless it was amazing to see. After that we went to a t-shirt store for people to pick up souvenirs. It was way overpriced but I got a Red Bull that had Arabic written on it which was neat. After that, we went to the Egyptian Museum. It was really overwhelming with all of the King Tut items from his tomb, and many other artifacts. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside and describing stuff is really hard. We were gone all day today, from 8 am to 5 pm with no lunch breaks, very intense!! Anyway, I'm really tired and my tooth is hurting so I will try and update sometime in Rome. Keep me in your prayers!!
Love, Amy
Other than that, this morning we visited the Sultan Hassan Mosque. It was a huge building, really neat. After that, we went to the pyramids at Giza. They were really amazing. I stood next to one of the bricks and it is about as tall as me! I have a picture to show just how large the pyramids actually are. We also saw the Sphinx. I thought it would be a lot bigger but nevertheless it was amazing to see. After that we went to a t-shirt store for people to pick up souvenirs. It was way overpriced but I got a Red Bull that had Arabic written on it which was neat. After that, we went to the Egyptian Museum. It was really overwhelming with all of the King Tut items from his tomb, and many other artifacts. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside and describing stuff is really hard. We were gone all day today, from 8 am to 5 pm with no lunch breaks, very intense!! Anyway, I'm really tired and my tooth is hurting so I will try and update sometime in Rome. Keep me in your prayers!!
Love, Amy
Friday, December 28, 2007
Sound and Light Show
Hi everyone! I love the fact that I can update more while I'm here...even if it's a bit pricey, it's worth it. Last night we went to the sound and light show at the pyramids at Giza (where the Sphinx is). I must say, it was very interesting. I don't know what I was expecting, but this was like a Disney show with cartoons and stuff being shown on the pyramids. The voices they used sounded like the Haunted Mansion or Pirates ride...I was saying "Dead men tell no tales"...if you know that voice from Pirates ride I think, that's what they sounded like. Other than that, I'm excited to walk around the same pyramids today and then we're off to the Egyptian Museum. Traffic in Cairo is so nuts, I don't think there are any rules and it is a demolition derby of sorts. We have seen about 20 almost-accidents but no real accidents. I have only spent $110 here in Egypt the whole time which is amazing...more $$$ for Italy!!!! Yay! I have gotten rid of a few items in my suitcase to make room for new ones hopefully. Oh and today was a 7 am wake up call...lovely! I knocked out about 10 last night and feel like a new person this morning. Anyway, it is breakfast time and I'm hungry. Sorry if this post is a little jumbled, I'm trying to type fast because of the cost. I will try to check my email and post this evening so email me.
Speaking of email, my Cox account is acting up and will not let me respond to any email. I can read it but that's about it. So...I have a Gmail account that I will use from now on. Email me there. It's ayc2782@gmail.com
Talk to everyone soon!
Love, Amy
Speaking of email, my Cox account is acting up and will not let me respond to any email. I can read it but that's about it. So...I have a Gmail account that I will use from now on. Email me there. It's ayc2782@gmail.com
Talk to everyone soon!
Love, Amy
2 Days til Italy!!!
Gosh, I cannot wait til Italy!! I have really been slacking on my journal. I need to start it up again but things are so intense here. Today was a 4 a.m. wake up call. That's pretty much the norm. We are gone all day seeing the sights and are exhausted in the evening. I will try my best to refresh and update you guys though!!
I checked my email today as well. I loved hearing from everyone...Mom, Nick, Marcey, Pattie, Candy...I was kind of teary eyed (and still am) from reading the email. Glad to hear everyone had a safe and nice Christmas. I wish I could have joined you!
I think I left off in Aswan. That morning we flew to Abu Simbel, which is about an hour south of Aswan and very close to the Sudan border. We stayed there for a couple hours, just to see the temples located there. The temples were immense! It's kind of sad, but most of the group are tired of seeing temples. After awhile, all the temples and hieroglyphs all blend in together. Also, I am getting pictures of funny translations ( or lost in translation) of English from Arabic. At Abu Simbel, there were "Family" flavored chips. Wonder if they were salty, sweet, or a little of both???
After we returned from Abu Simbel, we took a felucca, which is kind of like a sailboat, to a botanical garden. Our felucca driver was a little nuts, and we got stuck on a sandbar and also ran into another boat. It was kind of scary!! The botanical gardens weren't too exciting. Just a bunch of trees. Our felucca picked us up to take us to the camel rides. That was I think the most interesting part of my journey thus far! There were a bunch of camels awaiting our group, and they handed us a number which determined our camel. I got the young guy who thought it would be funny to name my camel "Ferrari" and hit it in the butt with a stick while I controlled the reins. It was a scary uphill ride. I survived, however, with pictures to prove! I think the worst part was getting on and off the camel. I almost fell off!!
After the camel ride, we returned to our hotel. I thought I would try the hookah. It was interesting, not bad, but interesting. It was apple flavored, which made it a little better as I don't smoke and don't really like it.
The next morning, we went to the Nubian Museum in Aswan before catching our cruise ship. I enjoyed looking at all of the ancient jewelry the most. After the museum, we made a short stop to stock up on bottled water for our cruise. Our bus driver bought us sugar cane juice. It wasn't too bad! Time for the cruise...
The cruise ship isn't exactly Carnival or the like, but it was an experience in itself. The rooms were tiny, and I had a triple this time, as there are an odd number of girls. I roomed with Diana and Brandy. As it was Christmas Eve, the ship was decorated interestingly. I really don't understand Egyptian Christmas decorations. There was an especially weird decoration with a baby made out of dough in I think a manger with a dough snake in there...it was really odd. Trying to describe these decorations just don't do them justice...they are very weird. They had a Christmas dinner for us, but the cruise food was weird also. I had my staples of rice and bread. Either I'm gaining weight from all the carbs, or losing from not eating that much. The jury is out...I've worn the same pair of jeans for the past 5 days I think, so they've stretched out. I got kind of emotional when I went into the dinner as I wasn't celebrating Christmas with the family. Everyone is really nice in my group though, but it can get hard when you don't know people that well and get lonely.
After dinner, I stayed up to watch the ship's Christmas spectacular even though next morning was a 4:30 wake up. This was probably another trip highlight so far as I am baffled by how odd some things can be. First, there was this man that spinned around in circles with some weird rainbow colored dress to music. He must really like Celine Dion as he twirled to the same song twice, 3 songs in all. I was crying I was laughing so hard at it, but I think some people actually liked it. He also brought some little 8 year old girl under the skirt thing while he twirled, I just couldn't figure it out. After that was the belly dancer. She was very interesting as well, definitely had a belly on her too!
Christmas Day we had to wake up super duper early to get off the boat at 7 for another temple visit. We were only there an hour, and back to the boat it was. At least they had good coffee and bread on the ship for breakfast...I stocked up!!! In the afternoon, the cruise ship asked Dr. Hood to give a speech on ancient Egypt. Our group had to go, which was kind of a bummer. I tried my best to stay awake...it was hard!! The next day, we took a horse and carriage (definitely not Cinderella) to another temple....I felt bad for the horses as they were super skinny and were whipped with something with barb wire at the end. Even though I'm allergic, I'm an animal lover and don't believe in that sort of thing.
The next day we disembarked our ship early and headed out for a loooong day at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and many more sights. We went to where King Tut's tomb was, but our guide said it isn't worth it to go in as all of the treasures are at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which we are going to tomorrow. I am looking forward to that! I got some amazing pictures of people in hot air balloons going over the temples. I wish I could upload my pictures as telling you is one thing, but the visual is much better! At the Valley of the Kings, I hung out with Jessica the whole time. She is very much like me, quiet and really nice. We climbed into one of the tombs, which was a hike. After we got out, we were pretty much done and over the tombs as there aren't any items in there, just more hieroglyphs. We went to Tut's tomb to take a picture outside of it by the sign and saw the paparazzi all around. Starstruck as I am, I wanted to see who it was. Turns out, the president of France was there! In true stalker style, I lined up with the paparazzi and got some pretty cool shots of him. Everyone said I should have tried to sell them to the Enquirer or something. I think that beat the tombs!!! After that, we went back to our ship for a quick lunch and then it was off to the temples of Luxor and Karnak. We were in Luxor finally! The temples were some of the better ones. The French president was at Karnak and I got another pic of him. Jessica snuck out early to go to McDonald's and got me a burger. It was pretty good!!! No dinner that night on the ship for me!!!
Yesterday, we finally got off the ship. I just thought it was okay. I was more interested in their weird decorations than anything else. We had another early morning as we had to meet up with the other tour buses for a military convoy escort to the temples outside Luxor. Apparently, it is through a dangerous stretch of Egypt and buses of tourists were killed there 10 years ago. It was kind of scary!! The bus was 3 hours to the first place, 2 to the second. I saw a guy with a San Pedro hat there and of course took a picture...got a little homesick!
Late last night we checked into our Luxor hotel. I roomed with Diana this time. The tour company almost lost one of the girls' luggage...they left all our stuff in the lobby the whole day. I felt so bad for her, but luckily they found it. There was a Pizza Hut/KFC next to the hotel...score!! Jessica, Benji, Thomas, James, Diana and I all left the group and went there. It was interesting...Pizza Hut is kind of fancy there and a sit-down restaurant!! The pizza was almost the same, it was kind of glistening grease when it came out but I didn't care...I stuffed my face! It's funny how we find comfort in American fast food establishments outside of the U.S. We also got some KFC, it was great as well. After that, we sat at the hotel bar and got a drink. I have become a beer drinker, which is really weird, but I'm trying new things. As we sat there, the hotel club DJ tried to recruit Diana, Alex and I to go to his club. We thought we'd try it for a few minutes as it was a 4 am wake up call. We went there, and were the only people there. It was funny, they had advertisements for the club and added pictures of Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher...like they've ever been there or would want to! I asked when people were coming as we were the only ones, and the DJ said "Within minutes" but no one ever came so we left. As we were walking back in, the power went out and it was kind of scary!
We woke up this morning for an early flight to Cairo. After we arrived, we went to the Citadel and Muhammad Ali mosque. We had to take off our shoes to go inside, and if skin was showing on the girls, they had to wear some robe thing that looked like a hair salon apron. Only one of the girls, Melanie, had to do so. After that, we went to Coptic Cairo, which is the Christian area. We went in a couple churches and a synagogue. I enjoyed seeing the art and architecture in the churches and cannot wait till Italy for the good stuff. We have free time till 5 when we are getting picked up for the Sound and Light Show at Giza Pyramids, so a few of us ventured out into Cairo to go to Hardee's (Carl's Jr.). I had a chicken sandwich with fries and it tasted like heaven.
Anyway, I have been on the internet for an hour so I am hoping to update tomorrow as this hotel has internet access, which is lovely. When we get to Rome on Sunday, I'm not too sure how the computer situation is going to work but hopefully I will be able to call home more often. Also, no more 4 am wake up calls, which is nice. I had no idea they would work us to the bone! Our tour guide said that we are doing in 9 days what people do in 3 weeks...intense! I miss and love everyone, especially Bailey. Keep me in your prayers!! Oh, and I checked my grades and have one A and one B, am waiting for the 2 other classes to update.
Amy
I checked my email today as well. I loved hearing from everyone...Mom, Nick, Marcey, Pattie, Candy...I was kind of teary eyed (and still am) from reading the email. Glad to hear everyone had a safe and nice Christmas. I wish I could have joined you!
I think I left off in Aswan. That morning we flew to Abu Simbel, which is about an hour south of Aswan and very close to the Sudan border. We stayed there for a couple hours, just to see the temples located there. The temples were immense! It's kind of sad, but most of the group are tired of seeing temples. After awhile, all the temples and hieroglyphs all blend in together. Also, I am getting pictures of funny translations ( or lost in translation) of English from Arabic. At Abu Simbel, there were "Family" flavored chips. Wonder if they were salty, sweet, or a little of both???
After we returned from Abu Simbel, we took a felucca, which is kind of like a sailboat, to a botanical garden. Our felucca driver was a little nuts, and we got stuck on a sandbar and also ran into another boat. It was kind of scary!! The botanical gardens weren't too exciting. Just a bunch of trees. Our felucca picked us up to take us to the camel rides. That was I think the most interesting part of my journey thus far! There were a bunch of camels awaiting our group, and they handed us a number which determined our camel. I got the young guy who thought it would be funny to name my camel "Ferrari" and hit it in the butt with a stick while I controlled the reins. It was a scary uphill ride. I survived, however, with pictures to prove! I think the worst part was getting on and off the camel. I almost fell off!!
After the camel ride, we returned to our hotel. I thought I would try the hookah. It was interesting, not bad, but interesting. It was apple flavored, which made it a little better as I don't smoke and don't really like it.
The next morning, we went to the Nubian Museum in Aswan before catching our cruise ship. I enjoyed looking at all of the ancient jewelry the most. After the museum, we made a short stop to stock up on bottled water for our cruise. Our bus driver bought us sugar cane juice. It wasn't too bad! Time for the cruise...
The cruise ship isn't exactly Carnival or the like, but it was an experience in itself. The rooms were tiny, and I had a triple this time, as there are an odd number of girls. I roomed with Diana and Brandy. As it was Christmas Eve, the ship was decorated interestingly. I really don't understand Egyptian Christmas decorations. There was an especially weird decoration with a baby made out of dough in I think a manger with a dough snake in there...it was really odd. Trying to describe these decorations just don't do them justice...they are very weird. They had a Christmas dinner for us, but the cruise food was weird also. I had my staples of rice and bread. Either I'm gaining weight from all the carbs, or losing from not eating that much. The jury is out...I've worn the same pair of jeans for the past 5 days I think, so they've stretched out. I got kind of emotional when I went into the dinner as I wasn't celebrating Christmas with the family. Everyone is really nice in my group though, but it can get hard when you don't know people that well and get lonely.
After dinner, I stayed up to watch the ship's Christmas spectacular even though next morning was a 4:30 wake up. This was probably another trip highlight so far as I am baffled by how odd some things can be. First, there was this man that spinned around in circles with some weird rainbow colored dress to music. He must really like Celine Dion as he twirled to the same song twice, 3 songs in all. I was crying I was laughing so hard at it, but I think some people actually liked it. He also brought some little 8 year old girl under the skirt thing while he twirled, I just couldn't figure it out. After that was the belly dancer. She was very interesting as well, definitely had a belly on her too!
Christmas Day we had to wake up super duper early to get off the boat at 7 for another temple visit. We were only there an hour, and back to the boat it was. At least they had good coffee and bread on the ship for breakfast...I stocked up!!! In the afternoon, the cruise ship asked Dr. Hood to give a speech on ancient Egypt. Our group had to go, which was kind of a bummer. I tried my best to stay awake...it was hard!! The next day, we took a horse and carriage (definitely not Cinderella) to another temple....I felt bad for the horses as they were super skinny and were whipped with something with barb wire at the end. Even though I'm allergic, I'm an animal lover and don't believe in that sort of thing.
The next day we disembarked our ship early and headed out for a loooong day at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and many more sights. We went to where King Tut's tomb was, but our guide said it isn't worth it to go in as all of the treasures are at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which we are going to tomorrow. I am looking forward to that! I got some amazing pictures of people in hot air balloons going over the temples. I wish I could upload my pictures as telling you is one thing, but the visual is much better! At the Valley of the Kings, I hung out with Jessica the whole time. She is very much like me, quiet and really nice. We climbed into one of the tombs, which was a hike. After we got out, we were pretty much done and over the tombs as there aren't any items in there, just more hieroglyphs. We went to Tut's tomb to take a picture outside of it by the sign and saw the paparazzi all around. Starstruck as I am, I wanted to see who it was. Turns out, the president of France was there! In true stalker style, I lined up with the paparazzi and got some pretty cool shots of him. Everyone said I should have tried to sell them to the Enquirer or something. I think that beat the tombs!!! After that, we went back to our ship for a quick lunch and then it was off to the temples of Luxor and Karnak. We were in Luxor finally! The temples were some of the better ones. The French president was at Karnak and I got another pic of him. Jessica snuck out early to go to McDonald's and got me a burger. It was pretty good!!! No dinner that night on the ship for me!!!
Yesterday, we finally got off the ship. I just thought it was okay. I was more interested in their weird decorations than anything else. We had another early morning as we had to meet up with the other tour buses for a military convoy escort to the temples outside Luxor. Apparently, it is through a dangerous stretch of Egypt and buses of tourists were killed there 10 years ago. It was kind of scary!! The bus was 3 hours to the first place, 2 to the second. I saw a guy with a San Pedro hat there and of course took a picture...got a little homesick!
Late last night we checked into our Luxor hotel. I roomed with Diana this time. The tour company almost lost one of the girls' luggage...they left all our stuff in the lobby the whole day. I felt so bad for her, but luckily they found it. There was a Pizza Hut/KFC next to the hotel...score!! Jessica, Benji, Thomas, James, Diana and I all left the group and went there. It was interesting...Pizza Hut is kind of fancy there and a sit-down restaurant!! The pizza was almost the same, it was kind of glistening grease when it came out but I didn't care...I stuffed my face! It's funny how we find comfort in American fast food establishments outside of the U.S. We also got some KFC, it was great as well. After that, we sat at the hotel bar and got a drink. I have become a beer drinker, which is really weird, but I'm trying new things. As we sat there, the hotel club DJ tried to recruit Diana, Alex and I to go to his club. We thought we'd try it for a few minutes as it was a 4 am wake up call. We went there, and were the only people there. It was funny, they had advertisements for the club and added pictures of Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher...like they've ever been there or would want to! I asked when people were coming as we were the only ones, and the DJ said "Within minutes" but no one ever came so we left. As we were walking back in, the power went out and it was kind of scary!
We woke up this morning for an early flight to Cairo. After we arrived, we went to the Citadel and Muhammad Ali mosque. We had to take off our shoes to go inside, and if skin was showing on the girls, they had to wear some robe thing that looked like a hair salon apron. Only one of the girls, Melanie, had to do so. After that, we went to Coptic Cairo, which is the Christian area. We went in a couple churches and a synagogue. I enjoyed seeing the art and architecture in the churches and cannot wait till Italy for the good stuff. We have free time till 5 when we are getting picked up for the Sound and Light Show at Giza Pyramids, so a few of us ventured out into Cairo to go to Hardee's (Carl's Jr.). I had a chicken sandwich with fries and it tasted like heaven.
Anyway, I have been on the internet for an hour so I am hoping to update tomorrow as this hotel has internet access, which is lovely. When we get to Rome on Sunday, I'm not too sure how the computer situation is going to work but hopefully I will be able to call home more often. Also, no more 4 am wake up calls, which is nice. I had no idea they would work us to the bone! Our tour guide said that we are doing in 9 days what people do in 3 weeks...intense! I miss and love everyone, especially Bailey. Keep me in your prayers!! Oh, and I checked my grades and have one A and one B, am waiting for the 2 other classes to update.
Amy
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Egypt Update!
So here I am, in Egypt! I have a few days worth of updates, so we'll start with Wednesday, January 19.
I woke up early in the morning, 3 am to be exact, and headed to the airport for our long day of multiple flights. Our first flight was from LAX to JFK. Most of our group got the full body security search! They went through all of my bags, the wand, the whole deal. When they touched us in a private area, they would use the back of their hand (like that made a difference!)
Next leg was JFK to Zurich. 8 hr flight. Really long and didn't sleep too much! Zurich Airport was really nice, we flew over Paris and could see the Swiss countryside, with snow covered mountains and little villages.
Finally, it was Zurich to Cairo. It seemed like the longest flight but it was really only 4 hours. The food was weird but dessert was good - Swiss white chocolate custard! The airport at Cairo was truly an adventure. First, we had to purchase an Egyptian visa for $15 from the bank. Then we went through customs. They didn't ask us anything, they just stamped our passport.
At the airport, there was a sign that said if they found any drugs on you, that you would get death by hanging. Scary!
Getting out of the airport was interesting - there were tons of people with signs waiting to pick up people. We met our guide then took our luggage to the tour bus. On the bus, we got an intro to Cairo.
Finally, we made it to our hotel, Shepheard's Hotel. It was very nice. We had to go through a metal detector to get in the hotel. The hotel was decorated for Christmas, with poinsettias, a gingerbread house, and fake snow with penguins. I roomed with Jessica. We sat in our room for 2 hours or so watching music videos, both Arabic and American ones!
Then, we went to the lobby, where I tried to cash travelers checks at a shady bank...they said they needed the receipts, and later when I went, they said their travelers check system was down. I just changed $40 cash. It was interesting that the bank was open 24 hours. Then, we ventured into the streets of Cairo to get dinner. Our walk was very interesting - the Egyptian army was everywhere on the street with guns. We had to walk down a dark street filled with military vehicles and army guys with guns. The girls were scared! We also stopped by a little convenience store to get water - a large bottle cost only 2 Egyptian pounds, or 40 cents. We walked through a plaza, and most of the guys stared and said stuff to us in Arabic. We ended up in front of a Sbarro pizza place, just like those at the mall. Dr. Hood and the guys went in there to eat, but Brandy, Jessica, Yvette and I weren't sure if we wanted it or to eat at the hotel. Jessica decided to try a restaurant with gyros that was 2 doors down. We weren't sure about it, so we ended up at Sbarro. There were ants walking around the pizza, but I tried to ignore it because I was so hungry! I got cheese because I figured that would be the safest. It tasted weird so I just picked at it. Jessica said her gyro was good and only 50 cents! We walked back down the same scary street to the hotel. I wanted to take some pictures but felt kind of scared to!
I then went to the hotel gift store to buy a phone card. The guy tried to sell me perfume, papyrus and more! When I got out of the store, I realized the whole card was in Arabic and I couldn't read it. I went up to my room and tried to make a collect call but the operator couldn't understand, so I just went to sleep.
That was the 19th and 20th. On the 21st, Jessica and I both woke up at 4:30 and couldn't sleep anymore. We turned on the TV and watched more music videos. We agreed that Cairo is "creepy Cairo"! In one of the Arabic music videos, one of the girls looked just like Audrina from The Hills! They played a lot of the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani. It was breakfast time! Breakfast was great - lots of pastries, pancakes, fruit, sausage, etc.
After breakfast, I went to the pay phone outside the hotel and was able to figure out the all-Arabic calling card. I called home and talked to Mom for about 3 minutes before getting cut off. We gathered our luggage and met Dr. Hood and the gang in the lobby for our full day excursion. We took our bus first to Dashour. The bus ride was very interesting! When we got out of the city, we followed the Nile River on our bus. We saw people riding donkeys, water buffalo, and people with herds of sheep walking alongside the bus.
Dashour was amazing. We saw 2 pyramids - the reddish pyramid and the bent pyramid. Got a few pictures. There were guards on camels with guns there. We traveled by bus to the next destination - Memphis. On the way, we saw lots of carpet schools, even a Magic Carpet school! We were serenaded by Yvette and Melanie, who sang songs from Aladdin. At Memphis, we saw a huge limestone carving of Ramses II and a limestone sphinx. Then, it was off to Sakkara. We went inside a tomb and saw hieroglyphics on the walls, but weren't allowed to take pictures. It was amazing that some of the colors were still on the hieroglyphics - reds and greens. The hole down to the burial chamber was boarded up, and the tomb was raided and robbed many years ago. I sat with Jessica most of the time. We decided that "My Humps" by Black Eyed Peas was a fitting song for all the camels we saw, plus the Egyptian MTV played the video earlier that day. At Memphis, someone offered to marry Yvette for 5 camels. It was funny!
Then we ventured back into Cairo for a really late lunch at 3 pm. Lunch was bad. They had weird items such as pigeon on the menu. Dr. Hood ordered fava beans and falafel for the whole group. Falafel was ok but the fava beans were so oily so I didn't attempt it. I got chicken kabobs and the chicken was pink so I got grossed out and didn't eat it. I have been living off bread the whole time!
After that, we went to a papyrus institute. The traffic in Cairo was nuts - there are no signals and you pretty much go at your own risk - pedestrians, cars, anything goes. At the papyrus institute, they showed us how to make papyrus from the plant. They had lots of stuff to buy, but it was way overpriced.
Then, we went to the train station. We waited there forever for the train. I roomed with Alex this time. The room was soooo tiny...it was the size of a small closet! There was barely enough room for the suitcases, let alone us! It had a sink and 2 fold out beds. Then, dinner came. We weren't sure if it was chicken or fish...no one could decide! It tasted odd, so I didn't eat it. I had bread...again! Alex got the "whiskey special" with her dinner...it was barely a swallow! Most of the group headed to the club car after dinner, which was a bar and some seats. We shared bottles of wine and played "2 Truths and a Lie." We found out that Dr. Hood was a park ranger and he gave Mr. T a ticket because kids in his group yelled out "fire"! The train was so bumpy that we didn't know how we were going to sleep. Alex had some Tylenol PM - we took some and attempted to knock out. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When you flushed, you could see the train tracks below...that's where the waste goes! I woke up that morning and attempted to use the terrible sink, which was practically impossible. We just hung out in the room waiting for breakfast and our arrival in Aswan. Breakfast was 4 types of bread and was decent.
We finally got off the train in Aswan. Aswan is definitely more touristy and resort-like than Cairo. The landscape is pretty and right on the Nile. It reminded me of Lake Havasu for some reason. First we took our bus to the boat ramp to go to Philae. There was a bazaar at the boat station, but we weren't allowed to shop. One vendor was allowed on the boat, so I bought a necklace off him for 10 pounds ($2). The boat was small but neat - we went to Philae and saw the temple there. The hieroglyphs were amazing. When the French and British invaded, they wrote over the hieroglyphs and etched crosses into the sandstone to make it a church. We took the boat back and saw the High Dam and Lake Nasser. Then, we went to the unfinished obelisk. It was definitely a hike over numerous rocks to see it, and the thing just looked like a huge rock itself! Finally, we took the bus to the hotel's boat for Hotel Isis Island. The hotel is very nice and resort-like with 2 pools, a bar, club, restaurants, etc. They decorated for Christmas very strangely. Santa looked like a cross between Planet of the Apes and the Abominable Snowman from the Matterhorn. He had a blue face, which was weird! Also, there was some strange decoration made out of sugar cubes, broccoli and Christmas lights...we couldn't figure it out. I roomed with Lynn for 2 nights.
We were all hungry. The schedule is very odd here. We are up and eat breakfast by 8 at the latest, then go all day, not stopping for any lunch until 2 or 3. I'm getting to where I'm not that hungry anymore. We had lunch at the hotel. I had tomato soup that was lukewarm and gross. After, I called home for a couple minutes. We met up with Benji and James (guys in our group) for some drinks...really gross wine! The guys are funny...they bought turbans and Egyptian clothes and wear them out.
I went back to my room to shower - Lynn wasn't there. They only give one key per room which is weird. I went to Jessica's room for a bit, then decided to leave a note on my room door for Lynn, but she was outside. I showered and called it an early night...5:30 am wake up call!
So far, I have learned that I can live without most things and still make do. These things include makeup, food, bathrooms, nice clothes, etc. Today I did the camel ride...but it's getting late here and tomorrow's another early morning. I will try to blog as much as I can but things are expensive here and time is limited, so I'm not sure if and when I'll blog again! Tomorrow is the cruise for 3 days. I am missing everyone, especially Mom and Bailey. Talk to you all soon! Please email me, even if I don't read it for a few days, I would love to hear from everyone. My email is ayc2782@cox.net in case you don't have it.
Love, Amy
I woke up early in the morning, 3 am to be exact, and headed to the airport for our long day of multiple flights. Our first flight was from LAX to JFK. Most of our group got the full body security search! They went through all of my bags, the wand, the whole deal. When they touched us in a private area, they would use the back of their hand (like that made a difference!)
Next leg was JFK to Zurich. 8 hr flight. Really long and didn't sleep too much! Zurich Airport was really nice, we flew over Paris and could see the Swiss countryside, with snow covered mountains and little villages.
Finally, it was Zurich to Cairo. It seemed like the longest flight but it was really only 4 hours. The food was weird but dessert was good - Swiss white chocolate custard! The airport at Cairo was truly an adventure. First, we had to purchase an Egyptian visa for $15 from the bank. Then we went through customs. They didn't ask us anything, they just stamped our passport.
At the airport, there was a sign that said if they found any drugs on you, that you would get death by hanging. Scary!
Getting out of the airport was interesting - there were tons of people with signs waiting to pick up people. We met our guide then took our luggage to the tour bus. On the bus, we got an intro to Cairo.
Finally, we made it to our hotel, Shepheard's Hotel. It was very nice. We had to go through a metal detector to get in the hotel. The hotel was decorated for Christmas, with poinsettias, a gingerbread house, and fake snow with penguins. I roomed with Jessica. We sat in our room for 2 hours or so watching music videos, both Arabic and American ones!
Then, we went to the lobby, where I tried to cash travelers checks at a shady bank...they said they needed the receipts, and later when I went, they said their travelers check system was down. I just changed $40 cash. It was interesting that the bank was open 24 hours. Then, we ventured into the streets of Cairo to get dinner. Our walk was very interesting - the Egyptian army was everywhere on the street with guns. We had to walk down a dark street filled with military vehicles and army guys with guns. The girls were scared! We also stopped by a little convenience store to get water - a large bottle cost only 2 Egyptian pounds, or 40 cents. We walked through a plaza, and most of the guys stared and said stuff to us in Arabic. We ended up in front of a Sbarro pizza place, just like those at the mall. Dr. Hood and the guys went in there to eat, but Brandy, Jessica, Yvette and I weren't sure if we wanted it or to eat at the hotel. Jessica decided to try a restaurant with gyros that was 2 doors down. We weren't sure about it, so we ended up at Sbarro. There were ants walking around the pizza, but I tried to ignore it because I was so hungry! I got cheese because I figured that would be the safest. It tasted weird so I just picked at it. Jessica said her gyro was good and only 50 cents! We walked back down the same scary street to the hotel. I wanted to take some pictures but felt kind of scared to!
I then went to the hotel gift store to buy a phone card. The guy tried to sell me perfume, papyrus and more! When I got out of the store, I realized the whole card was in Arabic and I couldn't read it. I went up to my room and tried to make a collect call but the operator couldn't understand, so I just went to sleep.
That was the 19th and 20th. On the 21st, Jessica and I both woke up at 4:30 and couldn't sleep anymore. We turned on the TV and watched more music videos. We agreed that Cairo is "creepy Cairo"! In one of the Arabic music videos, one of the girls looked just like Audrina from The Hills! They played a lot of the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani. It was breakfast time! Breakfast was great - lots of pastries, pancakes, fruit, sausage, etc.
After breakfast, I went to the pay phone outside the hotel and was able to figure out the all-Arabic calling card. I called home and talked to Mom for about 3 minutes before getting cut off. We gathered our luggage and met Dr. Hood and the gang in the lobby for our full day excursion. We took our bus first to Dashour. The bus ride was very interesting! When we got out of the city, we followed the Nile River on our bus. We saw people riding donkeys, water buffalo, and people with herds of sheep walking alongside the bus.
Dashour was amazing. We saw 2 pyramids - the reddish pyramid and the bent pyramid. Got a few pictures. There were guards on camels with guns there. We traveled by bus to the next destination - Memphis. On the way, we saw lots of carpet schools, even a Magic Carpet school! We were serenaded by Yvette and Melanie, who sang songs from Aladdin. At Memphis, we saw a huge limestone carving of Ramses II and a limestone sphinx. Then, it was off to Sakkara. We went inside a tomb and saw hieroglyphics on the walls, but weren't allowed to take pictures. It was amazing that some of the colors were still on the hieroglyphics - reds and greens. The hole down to the burial chamber was boarded up, and the tomb was raided and robbed many years ago. I sat with Jessica most of the time. We decided that "My Humps" by Black Eyed Peas was a fitting song for all the camels we saw, plus the Egyptian MTV played the video earlier that day. At Memphis, someone offered to marry Yvette for 5 camels. It was funny!
Then we ventured back into Cairo for a really late lunch at 3 pm. Lunch was bad. They had weird items such as pigeon on the menu. Dr. Hood ordered fava beans and falafel for the whole group. Falafel was ok but the fava beans were so oily so I didn't attempt it. I got chicken kabobs and the chicken was pink so I got grossed out and didn't eat it. I have been living off bread the whole time!
After that, we went to a papyrus institute. The traffic in Cairo was nuts - there are no signals and you pretty much go at your own risk - pedestrians, cars, anything goes. At the papyrus institute, they showed us how to make papyrus from the plant. They had lots of stuff to buy, but it was way overpriced.
Then, we went to the train station. We waited there forever for the train. I roomed with Alex this time. The room was soooo tiny...it was the size of a small closet! There was barely enough room for the suitcases, let alone us! It had a sink and 2 fold out beds. Then, dinner came. We weren't sure if it was chicken or fish...no one could decide! It tasted odd, so I didn't eat it. I had bread...again! Alex got the "whiskey special" with her dinner...it was barely a swallow! Most of the group headed to the club car after dinner, which was a bar and some seats. We shared bottles of wine and played "2 Truths and a Lie." We found out that Dr. Hood was a park ranger and he gave Mr. T a ticket because kids in his group yelled out "fire"! The train was so bumpy that we didn't know how we were going to sleep. Alex had some Tylenol PM - we took some and attempted to knock out. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When you flushed, you could see the train tracks below...that's where the waste goes! I woke up that morning and attempted to use the terrible sink, which was practically impossible. We just hung out in the room waiting for breakfast and our arrival in Aswan. Breakfast was 4 types of bread and was decent.
We finally got off the train in Aswan. Aswan is definitely more touristy and resort-like than Cairo. The landscape is pretty and right on the Nile. It reminded me of Lake Havasu for some reason. First we took our bus to the boat ramp to go to Philae. There was a bazaar at the boat station, but we weren't allowed to shop. One vendor was allowed on the boat, so I bought a necklace off him for 10 pounds ($2). The boat was small but neat - we went to Philae and saw the temple there. The hieroglyphs were amazing. When the French and British invaded, they wrote over the hieroglyphs and etched crosses into the sandstone to make it a church. We took the boat back and saw the High Dam and Lake Nasser. Then, we went to the unfinished obelisk. It was definitely a hike over numerous rocks to see it, and the thing just looked like a huge rock itself! Finally, we took the bus to the hotel's boat for Hotel Isis Island. The hotel is very nice and resort-like with 2 pools, a bar, club, restaurants, etc. They decorated for Christmas very strangely. Santa looked like a cross between Planet of the Apes and the Abominable Snowman from the Matterhorn. He had a blue face, which was weird! Also, there was some strange decoration made out of sugar cubes, broccoli and Christmas lights...we couldn't figure it out. I roomed with Lynn for 2 nights.
We were all hungry. The schedule is very odd here. We are up and eat breakfast by 8 at the latest, then go all day, not stopping for any lunch until 2 or 3. I'm getting to where I'm not that hungry anymore. We had lunch at the hotel. I had tomato soup that was lukewarm and gross. After, I called home for a couple minutes. We met up with Benji and James (guys in our group) for some drinks...really gross wine! The guys are funny...they bought turbans and Egyptian clothes and wear them out.
I went back to my room to shower - Lynn wasn't there. They only give one key per room which is weird. I went to Jessica's room for a bit, then decided to leave a note on my room door for Lynn, but she was outside. I showered and called it an early night...5:30 am wake up call!
So far, I have learned that I can live without most things and still make do. These things include makeup, food, bathrooms, nice clothes, etc. Today I did the camel ride...but it's getting late here and tomorrow's another early morning. I will try to blog as much as I can but things are expensive here and time is limited, so I'm not sure if and when I'll blog again! Tomorrow is the cruise for 3 days. I am missing everyone, especially Mom and Bailey. Talk to you all soon! Please email me, even if I don't read it for a few days, I would love to hear from everyone. My email is ayc2782@cox.net in case you don't have it.
Love, Amy
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Trip Itinerary
EGYPT ITINERARY DECEMBER 19 - 30, 2007
Dec. 19: Leave LAX for Cairo
Dec. 20: Arrive Cairo. Transfer to Hotel. Dinner is on our own.
Dec. 21: We are picked up at our hotel at 8:30 am for a full day tour of Memphis, Sakkara & Dahshour; after a rest at the hotel, we transfer to the Train Station for the overnight Wagons Lit train to Aswan. Dinner and breakfast will be provided on the train.
Dec. 22: Upon our arrival in Aswan, we will be taken to our hotel, the Isis Island, to leave our baggage. We will then visit the High Dam, the Temple of Philae (boat), and the Unfinished Obelisk. In the afternoon we have a felucca ride during which we will stop at the Kitchener Botanical Island; we will also visit St. Simeon Monastery by camel. We spend the night at the Isis Island Hotel in Aswan. Dinner is on our own.
Dec. 23: Early this morning we go to the airport for our flight to Abu Simbel. Upon our return to Aswan we visit the Nubian Museum. We spend the night at the Isis Island.
Dec. 24: Before lunch we check into our cruise ship and sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Greco-Roman Temple, and then sail to Edfu for the night.
Dec. 25: Early in the morning we visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu and sail to Luxor where we spend the night.
Dec. 26: Early in the morning we cross the Nile to visit the West Bank, the Valley of the Kings (3 tombs), the Valley of the Queens (3 tombs) and the Valley of the Nobles. We will also visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon we visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor.
Dec. 27: We will have an all-day excursion by private bus to Denderah and Abydos. We spend the night at our hotel in Luxor.
Dec. 28: After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo. We will visit Coptic Cairo, including the Hanging church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and the Sultan Hassan mosque, and the citadel. That evening we leave the hotel for the 7:30 Sound and Light at Pyramids show.
Dec. 29: We leave the hotel at 9 am for a full-day tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx, the Solar Boat; if we want to go inside the Pyramids, we will pay the entrance fees ourselves. In the afternoon we will visit the great Egyptian Museum before returning to our hotel at approximately 6 pm.
Dec. 30: After breakfast we will visit early modern Cairo, after which we will be taken to the airport for our early afternoon flight to Rome.
ITALY ITINERARY DECEMBER 30, 2007 - JANUARY 19, 2008
Dec. 30 - Jan. 1:
We arrive in Rome on Dec. 30 and transfer to our hotel. Jan. 1st is a leisurely day to recuperate from the flight. We will take an orientation walk down the Via Nazionale for a first glimpse of some of the fabulous sights of the Eternal City, including the Forum, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. There will be time to experience la dolce vita romana; you can visit some of Rome's great churches, window shop, or walk to the Piazza Navona for cappuccino or some of the world-famous gelato at Tre Scalini.
Jan. 2-3:
On the 2nd we visit the VILLA GIULIA museum, which has a particularly fine collection of Etruscan antiquities. On January 3rd we leave for an excursion north of Rome to Etruria and to the Etruscan cities of CERVETERI and TARQUINIA. The daily lectures will familiarize you with ancient Roman institutions and the character of the Romans as they saw themselves.
Jan. 4-6:
On the 4th we visit the heart of the ancient city, the FORUM with the ruins of the Roman Senate, temple of the Vestal Virgins, and the temple to Julius Caesar; the PALATINE HILL where Nero and other emperors lived; the great arch celebrating CONSTANTINE's triumphs; and the fabulous COLOSSEUM. We also visit the CAPITOLINE MUSEUM on the beautiful square of the same name designed by Michelangelo, where we see the superb equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Wolf nursing Romulus and Remus, and many other artifacts of ancient times. Lectures on these days cover the Punic Wars, Roman comedy, and the establishment of the Senate as the seat of power in the Roman Republic. On the 6th we take the subway and the train out to OSTIA ANTICA, the extensive ruins of the port city of ancient Rome. Wander slowly through the lonely streets, duck into typical houses, visit the theater and the Market Place, baths and apartment houses.
Jan. 7-8:
This morning (after the first mid-term), we begin our excursion to the South. We drive to the beautiful city of SORRENTO on the Amalfi Coast, south of Naples. On the way we'll stop for a hike up MT. VESUVIUS, the volcano which buried Pompeii. The fumes and the smoke let you know that Vesuvius is still active! Dinner tonight in a restaurant in Sorrento. On the morning of the 8th we take the ferry to the Island of Capri, the flower-decked island where Roman emperor Tiberius maintained his pleasure-villa. Perhaps you will want to take the chair lift up to the summit of of this mountain/island, Monte Solaro, for fabulous views out over the sea. In the evening we return to Sorrento and are driven to our hotel in Pompeii. Group dinner tonight at our hotel in Pompeii. The lecture today begins a series on the great individuals who molded Rome and spread her power over the world.
Jan. 9:
Early this morning we walk to ancient POMPEII, the city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Visit the ancient squares, theaters, temples, stores, bars, brothels and villas. See the Villa di Misteri with its mysterious frescoes. See the chariot-wheel ruts in the stone, the garden statuary, the system of running water and heating, and the forms of those who died, buried by tons of ash.
Jan. 10:
Today we take the Circumvesuviana train to nearby HERCULANEUM, another buried city revealed by modern archaeology. We return by train to Pompeii for the evening. Lecture topics in this section of the class include the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Civil War and the beginning of long reign of Augustus, while literature includes the blunt love poetry of Catullus and parts of Virgil's Aeneid, the great Roman epic poem.
Jan. 11:
This morning we visit the NATIONAL MUSEUM in NAPLES, the main repository for the wonderful finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the great amphitheater in Pozzuoli, where we can walk underneath the floor to see where professional gladiators and wild beasts were kept before their bloody fights in the arena. In the afternoon we arrive in Villa Adriana, to the east of Rome, where we spend the night.
Jan. 12-13:
This morning we visit HADRIAN'S VILLA and his superb GARDENS before making the lovely drive through rolling country, past castles and hill towns and into FLORENCE, Renaissance City on the Arno. Our comfortable hotel in the city center lets us walk the medieval streets to visit the world's greatest collection of Renaissance Italian art, the UFFIZI GALLERY before dinner in a typical Tuscan restaurant. On the 13th (after the Second Mid-Term) we will visit the Palazzo Vecchio, Dante's House, and the Ponte Vecchio before we with the BARGELLO MUSEUM, with its collection of sculpture by Michelangelo and Donatello as well as the ACCADEMIA MUSEUM, home to DAVID (the statue). Lecture material includes the lyric poems of Horace.
Jan 14:
Today we'll visit the DUOMO and the Church of SANTA CROCE. For the adventurous, we will climb to the PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO and visit the church of SAN MINIATO AL MONTE.
Jan. 15-16:
Today we return to Rome. Back at our hotel, we hear about the imperial Roman families of the first century A.D. Group dinner tonight. On the 16th we walk through the heart of old Rome, Roma antica, to visit Augustus' ARA PACIS, Hadrian's PANTHEON, and the great squares, the Piazza Navona and the Piazza di Spagna. The Roman poet Martial and the Antonine Emperors form the lecture material.
Jan. 17:
Today, all day, we spend in Vatican City. In the VATICAN MUSEUM, we will be sure to visit the sections devoted to Roman antiquities including portrait busts and the famous statue of AUGUSTUS OF THE PRIMA PORTA. There will be ample time to see the SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo's recently restored frescoes and the papal STANZE with the great works of Raphael. Of course you will be able to visit ST. PETER'S BASILICA, and perhaps climb to the dome and the roof. The lecture focuses on the poet Juvenal.
Jan. 18-19:
The final exam is this morning. Otherwise today is a free day, with plenty of time to visit some of the many churches and museums of Rome or just to shop. Tonight we dine at a typical Roman restaurant on specialties of the place and the season for our farewell dinner. On the 19th we transfer to the airport for the flight home. Arrival in Los Angeles is scheduled for the late afternoon of the 19th.
Dec. 19: Leave LAX for Cairo
Dec. 20: Arrive Cairo. Transfer to Hotel. Dinner is on our own.
Dec. 21: We are picked up at our hotel at 8:30 am for a full day tour of Memphis, Sakkara & Dahshour; after a rest at the hotel, we transfer to the Train Station for the overnight Wagons Lit train to Aswan. Dinner and breakfast will be provided on the train.
Dec. 22: Upon our arrival in Aswan, we will be taken to our hotel, the Isis Island, to leave our baggage. We will then visit the High Dam, the Temple of Philae (boat), and the Unfinished Obelisk. In the afternoon we have a felucca ride during which we will stop at the Kitchener Botanical Island; we will also visit St. Simeon Monastery by camel. We spend the night at the Isis Island Hotel in Aswan. Dinner is on our own.
Dec. 23: Early this morning we go to the airport for our flight to Abu Simbel. Upon our return to Aswan we visit the Nubian Museum. We spend the night at the Isis Island.
Dec. 24: Before lunch we check into our cruise ship and sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Greco-Roman Temple, and then sail to Edfu for the night.
Dec. 25: Early in the morning we visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu and sail to Luxor where we spend the night.
Dec. 26: Early in the morning we cross the Nile to visit the West Bank, the Valley of the Kings (3 tombs), the Valley of the Queens (3 tombs) and the Valley of the Nobles. We will also visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon we visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor.
Dec. 27: We will have an all-day excursion by private bus to Denderah and Abydos. We spend the night at our hotel in Luxor.
Dec. 28: After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo. We will visit Coptic Cairo, including the Hanging church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and the Sultan Hassan mosque, and the citadel. That evening we leave the hotel for the 7:30 Sound and Light at Pyramids show.
Dec. 29: We leave the hotel at 9 am for a full-day tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx, the Solar Boat; if we want to go inside the Pyramids, we will pay the entrance fees ourselves. In the afternoon we will visit the great Egyptian Museum before returning to our hotel at approximately 6 pm.
Dec. 30: After breakfast we will visit early modern Cairo, after which we will be taken to the airport for our early afternoon flight to Rome.
ITALY ITINERARY DECEMBER 30, 2007 - JANUARY 19, 2008
Dec. 30 - Jan. 1:
We arrive in Rome on Dec. 30 and transfer to our hotel. Jan. 1st is a leisurely day to recuperate from the flight. We will take an orientation walk down the Via Nazionale for a first glimpse of some of the fabulous sights of the Eternal City, including the Forum, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. There will be time to experience la dolce vita romana; you can visit some of Rome's great churches, window shop, or walk to the Piazza Navona for cappuccino or some of the world-famous gelato at Tre Scalini.
Jan. 2-3:
On the 2nd we visit the VILLA GIULIA museum, which has a particularly fine collection of Etruscan antiquities. On January 3rd we leave for an excursion north of Rome to Etruria and to the Etruscan cities of CERVETERI and TARQUINIA. The daily lectures will familiarize you with ancient Roman institutions and the character of the Romans as they saw themselves.
Jan. 4-6:
On the 4th we visit the heart of the ancient city, the FORUM with the ruins of the Roman Senate, temple of the Vestal Virgins, and the temple to Julius Caesar; the PALATINE HILL where Nero and other emperors lived; the great arch celebrating CONSTANTINE's triumphs; and the fabulous COLOSSEUM. We also visit the CAPITOLINE MUSEUM on the beautiful square of the same name designed by Michelangelo, where we see the superb equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Wolf nursing Romulus and Remus, and many other artifacts of ancient times. Lectures on these days cover the Punic Wars, Roman comedy, and the establishment of the Senate as the seat of power in the Roman Republic. On the 6th we take the subway and the train out to OSTIA ANTICA, the extensive ruins of the port city of ancient Rome. Wander slowly through the lonely streets, duck into typical houses, visit the theater and the Market Place, baths and apartment houses.
Jan. 7-8:
This morning (after the first mid-term), we begin our excursion to the South. We drive to the beautiful city of SORRENTO on the Amalfi Coast, south of Naples. On the way we'll stop for a hike up MT. VESUVIUS, the volcano which buried Pompeii. The fumes and the smoke let you know that Vesuvius is still active! Dinner tonight in a restaurant in Sorrento. On the morning of the 8th we take the ferry to the Island of Capri, the flower-decked island where Roman emperor Tiberius maintained his pleasure-villa. Perhaps you will want to take the chair lift up to the summit of of this mountain/island, Monte Solaro, for fabulous views out over the sea. In the evening we return to Sorrento and are driven to our hotel in Pompeii. Group dinner tonight at our hotel in Pompeii. The lecture today begins a series on the great individuals who molded Rome and spread her power over the world.
Jan. 9:
Early this morning we walk to ancient POMPEII, the city buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Visit the ancient squares, theaters, temples, stores, bars, brothels and villas. See the Villa di Misteri with its mysterious frescoes. See the chariot-wheel ruts in the stone, the garden statuary, the system of running water and heating, and the forms of those who died, buried by tons of ash.
Jan. 10:
Today we take the Circumvesuviana train to nearby HERCULANEUM, another buried city revealed by modern archaeology. We return by train to Pompeii for the evening. Lecture topics in this section of the class include the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Civil War and the beginning of long reign of Augustus, while literature includes the blunt love poetry of Catullus and parts of Virgil's Aeneid, the great Roman epic poem.
Jan. 11:
This morning we visit the NATIONAL MUSEUM in NAPLES, the main repository for the wonderful finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the great amphitheater in Pozzuoli, where we can walk underneath the floor to see where professional gladiators and wild beasts were kept before their bloody fights in the arena. In the afternoon we arrive in Villa Adriana, to the east of Rome, where we spend the night.
Jan. 12-13:
This morning we visit HADRIAN'S VILLA and his superb GARDENS before making the lovely drive through rolling country, past castles and hill towns and into FLORENCE, Renaissance City on the Arno. Our comfortable hotel in the city center lets us walk the medieval streets to visit the world's greatest collection of Renaissance Italian art, the UFFIZI GALLERY before dinner in a typical Tuscan restaurant. On the 13th (after the Second Mid-Term) we will visit the Palazzo Vecchio, Dante's House, and the Ponte Vecchio before we with the BARGELLO MUSEUM, with its collection of sculpture by Michelangelo and Donatello as well as the ACCADEMIA MUSEUM, home to DAVID (the statue). Lecture material includes the lyric poems of Horace.
Jan 14:
Today we'll visit the DUOMO and the Church of SANTA CROCE. For the adventurous, we will climb to the PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO and visit the church of SAN MINIATO AL MONTE.
Jan. 15-16:
Today we return to Rome. Back at our hotel, we hear about the imperial Roman families of the first century A.D. Group dinner tonight. On the 16th we walk through the heart of old Rome, Roma antica, to visit Augustus' ARA PACIS, Hadrian's PANTHEON, and the great squares, the Piazza Navona and the Piazza di Spagna. The Roman poet Martial and the Antonine Emperors form the lecture material.
Jan. 17:
Today, all day, we spend in Vatican City. In the VATICAN MUSEUM, we will be sure to visit the sections devoted to Roman antiquities including portrait busts and the famous statue of AUGUSTUS OF THE PRIMA PORTA. There will be ample time to see the SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo's recently restored frescoes and the papal STANZE with the great works of Raphael. Of course you will be able to visit ST. PETER'S BASILICA, and perhaps climb to the dome and the roof. The lecture focuses on the poet Juvenal.
Jan. 18-19:
The final exam is this morning. Otherwise today is a free day, with plenty of time to visit some of the many churches and museums of Rome or just to shop. Tonight we dine at a typical Roman restaurant on specialties of the place and the season for our farewell dinner. On the 19th we transfer to the airport for the flight home. Arrival in Los Angeles is scheduled for the late afternoon of the 19th.
...and I'm off!!!
I was chosen to go on a CSULB winter study trip to Italy and pre-trip to Egypt, and it's fast approaching. I leave this Wednesday, the 19th, on a journey of a lifetime. So much to do between now and then...packing, studying for finals, finals, and other last minute prep.
A lot of people have been asking me to email them from the road. I figured instead of sending out individual emails, that it would be much easier for me to post trip updates on a blog and just email the link to everyone. SO....here goes. Hopefully I follow through and post often, as this will not only update everyone on my whereabouts, it will also help refresh my memory and be a neat souvenir when I return! I probably won't post pictures until I return. I will post the trip itinerary on here as well so you will know where I'm at if nothing else.
Anyway, I must get back to studying. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas...I'll be floating on the Nile for Christmas, and New Year's Eve will be celebrated Roman style! Keep me in your prayers!
A lot of people have been asking me to email them from the road. I figured instead of sending out individual emails, that it would be much easier for me to post trip updates on a blog and just email the link to everyone. SO....here goes. Hopefully I follow through and post often, as this will not only update everyone on my whereabouts, it will also help refresh my memory and be a neat souvenir when I return! I probably won't post pictures until I return. I will post the trip itinerary on here as well so you will know where I'm at if nothing else.
Anyway, I must get back to studying. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas...I'll be floating on the Nile for Christmas, and New Year's Eve will be celebrated Roman style! Keep me in your prayers!
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