Thursday, April 30, 2009

We began the day at Saccara, the site of a small pyramid that contained the burial chamber and accoutrements of one of the pharaohs. Surrounding the pyramid and included at the site was an area similar in style but much smaller than Karnak, where we were yesterday. The elaborate architecture and artwork of the ancient Egyptians continues to amaze all of us as we see their work. Saccara lies just into the desert on the divide between the fertile Nile River Valley and the Sahara Desert.

Egypt is a land of contrasts; between the very wealthy in the cosmopolitan city of Cairo and the incredibly poor that live and work there as well; between the busy traffic that chokes the streets designed for two million people in a city of now twenty million (the third largest city in the world) and the horse drawn carts that carry people and produce about; between the modern technology that makes Egypt one of the major players in the world and the farmers harvesting their crops by hand and thrashing their grain on thrashing floors, letting the chaff blow away in the wind; between the expensive carpet factories and the underpaid poor boys that weave the carpets, and so on. We on the trip have felt the amazing contrasts and relish the blessings of living in the great nation we do, and resting comfortably with our Savior.

We left Saccara and drove to Memphis, one of the several capitals of Ancient Egypt where we were able to see the largest stone statue in the world, Ramses II, laying in the place it was discovered among the relics of his once lavish courtyard. Once again we were completely amazed at the engineering and artwork that characterized those ancient Egyptian Cultures. Unlike many of the other sites we visited there remains little of the ancient city of Memphis, however, what is there is spectacular.

We stopped on our way to lunch at a Carpet School where we were able to see young men learning their trade and then up to the second floor where the finished products were displayed. No Pam, I didn’t buy a carpet! Several of our group were able to purchase some beautiful carpets and are seriously excited about getting them back to grace their homes.

Lunch today was great as we sat in a rooftop restaurant that overlooked the Great Pyramids where we visited after lunch and stopped to do some more shopping.

Shopping is getting far better for our group as we’ve been educated through the multitude of vendors that have vied for our money since we began this trip. We are all learning to bargain and discern which of the things we see are tourist junk and which are legitimate souvenirs. We have the ignoring “walk on by” ploy down to a science and only the most skilled and persistent are able to turn our heads. It probably would have been good to have mastered this a bit earlier in the trip.

After our brief shopping stop, we went to see the Giant Pyramids of Giza and began with a group picture before we all took a brief camel ride on the most lethargic and disinterested camels in Egypt. We all took lots of pictures and some went down inside of one of the Pyramids, only to confirm what the guide had told us – that it was hot and smelly with no art work left on the walls. The size of these tombs is unbelievable, but the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, are far more impressive in terms of the preservation of the actual burial chambers and art work. One of the tombs we observed in the Valley of the Kings, housed a pharaoh, who se son went on to be king and built the largest of the pyramids in Giza, only to be followed by his son, who built the second largest and grandson who reigned and then built the third and final pyramid and three small replicas for his three wives. Leaving we stopped to observe and take pictures of the giant Sphinx, the largest one in the world, very close to the pyramids and thought to be part of the original complex.

The last thing we did today, was to stop at a Papyrus Factory, where we all learned how papyrus is made and looked over the magnificent artwork that depicts the mythology of ancient Egypt and all that makes it a wonderful place to experience. Many of our group bought artwork and are anxious to share with you the wonderful pieces with family and friends.

~ Clergy Comments ~

On the eve of our last full day on this Holy Land pilgrimage, I asked several of our pilgrims the question, “What will be different about your spiritual life when you return home?” Some of the responses follow:

“The Bible has absolutely come alive to me, I will read with much greater understanding.”

“After completing The Bible in 90 Days program last Fall, this trip has helped me to picture the places where the biblical stories took place the Bible lives in me.”

“I am anxious to share with my family and friends the wonderful people we have met on this trip.”

“I will be praying for the people we have met, and for future peace in these lands where the heroes of our faith lived.”

I would say that, based on these comments, which could be repeated by many others in our group, this has been a “successful” pilgrimage. Tomorrow, after a full day of activity we begin our journey home to Portland/Vancouver. This may be the last blog entry, if so, thank you for your prayers for us. We are all anxious to get home, but will return filled with wonderful memories and great friends! - Bruce