Yes, it has been a long time – far too long – since I wrote, but I’ve been busy. And yes, a lot of that time has been spent warring with those two evil giants, United and Lufthansa Airlines!
If our tickets had not been purchased long before, we never would have made another trip with United OR Lufthansa, especially after they kept The Husband’s suitcase last year and would not give it back on our trip to Germany. Even though they had it and knew we wanted it back they would not give it to us simply because we had not filled out a report that NONE of the SIX Lufthansa employees we talked to at the time of loss told us we needed to have!
This time United changed our itinerary some 45 minutes before our flight was supposed to leave, delaying it by over two hours which would have made us arrive at Dulles some hour after our Egypt flight left. I went ballistic and found perhaps the only competent United employee, who – bless her! – managed to get us tickets to London and from there to Cairo on a flight that was leaving in thirty minutes. We were assured our luggage would be transferred.
They lied. We made it to Cairo, but our luggage didn’t. Having learned a hard lesson, we immediately filled out a report… which did little good. We spent the next three days in one of the most exclusive, beautiful resorts in the world – the Mena House Hotel at the base of the Pyramids – in clothes that we had to wear for five days.
Finally, in desperation, we appealed to our tour company who worked their magic and got our luggage returned (unharmed!) within twenty-four hours. Of course, we had to pay for the service – and they had earned it, so I don’t begrudge paying them. What I do begrudge is that after being so completely incompetent United/Lufthansa refused to reimburse us for what we had to pay to rectify their mistake! That is just one of the reasons I plead with everyone if you value your time, your itinerary and your luggage, do not fly United or Lufthansa!
After that grisly start, though, Egypt was magical as it always is. We got to tour the scientific labs in the Museum of Egyptian Culture and (of course) visit the Pyramids, which never gets old as there is so much on the plateau. We saw parts of Old Cairo that we had never seen before, toured what is believed to be the oldest Coptic church in the world (so beautiful and inspiring!), then flew to Aswan and on to Abu Simbel (a rather surreal experience) and boarded our tour boat on Lake Nasser. The boat was a luxurious floating palace, complete with elevator and full-sized swimming pool on the top deck, but difficult to board. There are no standard docks on Lake Nasser. To get on the cruise ship you clamber down some big rocks, then step across onto the pointy front of a motorboat – sort of a lighter, an open boat with benches along the side – then down 2-3 steps to where you can sit. It’s scary, because the boat is always in motion. I’m a drylander. Thank Heavens there were lots of strong young sailors to help us! Then you get to the ship, where you have to clamber up a flimsy and disconcertingly mobile ladder/stair-type thing. This is every time you want to get on or off the ship. Heaven only know how they get the luggage and supplies aboard!
We got to visit Calabsha, a Ptolemaic temple that has been cordoned off for years – it’s close to an Army base – and it was fascinating. And beautiful. And fun, because I got to play with a Nile crocodile. He was a little thing, just about two feet long, and so cute. Someone got a picture of me with it on my shoulder, but I don’t know who and haven’t gotten a copy.
One of jewels of the trip was our trip to Abu Simbel, the incredible Ramesside temple that was literally moved up the mountain to keep it from being flooded by the lake in the 1960s. I have seen films, but I still don’t know how they did it, because the temple redefines the meaning of ‘big.’ It is huge! And what is wonderful is that it is aligned exactly the way the original was – within less than an inch off! – so the rising sun on the solstices penetrates the great hall exactly and illuminates a lovely statue of Ramses the Great.
Believe it or not, this was my eighth trip to Egypt, but the first time I have ever seen Abu Simbel. It is literally incredible.
While staying in Aswan after leaving the cruise ship, we went to Philae for the sound and light show – interesting, but I’m not fond of sound and light shows. I’d rather have gone in the daylight and explored the temple even though I’ve seen it before.
Aswan was fascinating, including the Nubian Museum. Several friends of mine dug years ago at the Nabta Playa (a pre-dynastic site) out in the Nubian Desert. The dig has been closed for years, but sadly the standing calendric stones were being vandalized by thugs, vandals and idiots, so the stones were moved to an open air display at the Museum, and it’s lovely. I took pictures, thinking to share them with my friends… unfortunately, one of them died several years ago and another has apparently disappeared from the face of the earth. Sad. I think they would have been happy with the arrangement.
Several pleasant days later we were heading north toward Luxor by bus when our leader decided we needed an unscheduled treat. He had called a friend of his who was curator of a little rock cut chapel of Seti I out in the desert, a site not open to tourists, but he opened it for us. There was also the ruin of a Roman fort and a huge well, now unfortunately dry. The chapel was tiny, but fascinating. Such a treat!
Of course in Luxor we visited Karnak and Luxor Temples, and the Valley of the Kings, where we paid a small fortune to go down into Seti I’s tomb, which has been closed for years. Sadly I simply could not make it down to the bottom (over four stories) but did make the third level and – more importantly – out again. It was worth every drop of sweat and heaving breath – one of the most magnificent tombs ever made.
In Luxor we stayed at the fabled Winter Palace Hotel, but in the Pavilion in the Garden, not in the historic old building. (In the pavilion you can count on the plumbing working, our guide said) It was wonderful, with a huge glorious garden – complete with a herd of flamingoes and a couple of strutting peacocks, a luxurious café, a charming coffee shop and beautiful sitting areas. Plus, every morning our chamberman would bring me a flower… and our waiter in the coffee shop would bring me another flower when he poured my coffee. (Just one little accident with a recalcitrant coffee pot and I was never allowed to pour coffee again!) I wore flowers in my hair every day! (Mostly roses.) I guess being the old lady of the tour paid off!
The tour finished, our group returned to Cairo, where everyone would leave for their homes. Once again we stayed at Le Meridien, which is a very nice hotel but nothing special… except it is next to the airport so you can just walk to your gate. The Husband and I were staying an extra couple of days, hoping to spend time seeing the things we wanted to – a full day in the Tahrir Square Museum, some shopping in the Khan el Khalili (especially the gold market!) but quite frankly, we were too exhausted from climbing steps and walking over acres and acres of broken ground. We slept in.
However, our dear friend Dr. Salima Ikram (Egyptologist and Director of the Animal Mummies project) invited us over for a country-style breakfast and some leisurely conversation – something the three of us seldom get to enjoy. A lovely time!
A funny thing while we were waiting for our gate to open at the Cairo airport. I was making notes and The Husband was playing on his phone when a Muslim family (several men and completely covered women, even to lace over the eye holes in their niqabs), a bunch of children and one infant sat on the benches opposite us. I was modestly dressed (American style) in jeans, sweater and jacket and as you know I have bright red hair. The children were staring at me wide-eyed, so I smiled and gave them a little wave. The older ones gave me a hesitant wave back, so I smiled again and thought that was that. Suddenly the mother walked over to me and put the infant in my arms. Judging from the earrings the baby was a girl and about four months old.
I was gobsmacked, and my first thought was to wonder how I would get this ‘souvenir’ through customs. I smiled, though, and the mother smiled back and nodded her head. At least, I think she was smiling for the little I could see of her eyes through the lace crinkled. Then she walked the five or so feet back to their bench and sat down.
Wow. I tickled the baby’s chin and babbled baby talk, and the baby babbled back in Arabic baby talk (I guess) and we both chuckled and she waved her arms… The only thing I did not do was move. I didn’t stand up, I didn’t even wiggle – didn’t want the chance of ‘she tried to kidnap my baby’… After a few minutes though the baby became restive and fussy (I think she was hungry) so I called ‘Mommeee’ and the lady came back. We both smiled and nodded some more and she took the baby and I thought that was that.
About half an hour later (after the baby had disappeared under the helmet of the mother’s niqab and apparently had dinner) the mother brought her back and put her back in my arms. We both gurgled and cooed as the entire family clustered around, all smiling – I think – and nodding and some even took pictures. Finally their plane was called and they left – taking the baby with them.
What was truly weird about this was that we were all absolute strangers… and in some sects of Islam the Devil has red hair, which is an automatic strike against all redheads. Oh well, it was a cute baby and a pleasant interlude. It was nice to have such a friendly moment with people of a completely different culture, even if we couldn’t understand a word of what the other was saying.
And – Mirable Dictu! – our trip home was unmarred by any aviation evils!
Since returning we’ve made two more trips – one to Fayetteville AR where I taught a class on memoir writing and The Husband attended a memorial service, and another to Charleston SC for the 129th Sons Of Confederate Veterans reunion. Both were delightful trips, except for going and coming on both of them the heavens opened and the rain poured! There were some times we had to pull over to the side of the road and wait until we could see to drive. I don’t how I have offended the rain gods, but maybe I should make an offering to Tlaloc… since the Egyptians didn’t have a rain god.
We also attended the NRA convention in Dallas, and a wonderful time it was. Such fun! Actually, after attending several NRAs and SCVs I am beginning to have hope for the continuation of genteel society and civilization. Both are remarkable for their good manners and civility. Both are always attended by both sexes, all races and ages and I never remember any unpleasantnesses or shouting. (There is one exception I remember – a child of about four or so got separated from his mother and, terrified, went into a very understandable tantrum – but that’s all.)
There is so much courtesy exhibited at both events. For example, at the last NRA the carpeting was uneven – some booths had lots of padding, some just the basic carpet – and after a day of walking I was tired and caught my toe on a bit of carpet and stumbled. I didn’t hit the floor – I couldn’t – there were at least three men holding me up. I assured them I was perfectly all right, I had just stumbled, and thanked them. They were all concerned, and all three of them walked with me back to meet my husband, who was rightfully startled to see me with such an honor guard. They explained how I had fallen – I really just stumbled! – and how they just wanted to see that I got ‘home’ all right. We found out later that one of them was an Olympic competitive shooter and another a multi-medaled sniper! And at the SCV it was pretty much the same kind of old-fashioned courtesy – doors opened everywhere, chairs were pulled out… I even had my hand kissed at the Grand Ball! Even more flattering, the coordinator for the Debutante Presentation decided to include some copies of my novels in the debutantes’ goody bag of gifts and asked me to autograph them! Talk about an ego-booster!
So – that’s what my personal life has been up to, but I do have one rather nifty professional announcement. After years and years of blogging, writing essays and teaching, I have amassed a great amount of material about writing and the writer’s life, information that could be helpful to others. So… I curated the lot, chose the best and most applicable to our present time and am publishing them in four volumes of 50 essays each. The first one released on July 31, and the others will release on August 7, August 14, and August 21, all for $0.99 per volume! The title is 50 BLOGS ON WRITING AND THE WRITING LIFE BOOK ONE… and BOOK TWO, etc. All available from Amazon and KU.
Get it on Amazon:
Book One | Book Two | Book Three | Book Four
Now I have to get to work on the two novellas I have due before fall…
It never ends, does it?
I hope all of you have had a lovely and safe time and that all is well in your world.