The election

I haven't posted for such a long time and no one reads it much anyway except for me but... our last trip to Egypt was not long after the fall of Mubarak and all the people were so full of hope.

Everyone was very optimistic about the future of Egypt, very hopeful for themselves and their children. Most of them, it seems, failed to recognize just how difficult the transition would be, and how democracy can so easily be corrupted by money and selfish motives.

Hopefully, whoever is elected president can put the good people of Egypt's interests ahead of their own.

Picture taken on train to Alexandria:

At the alabaster factory

One of my favorite photos. These two children were playing beneath a donkey cart outside of an alabaster factory on the west bank in Luxor. The young boy was using a rope which hung from the rear of the cart as a swing (visible in the 2nd photo). They both posed willingly and happily accepted the baksheesh (a tip).

A sample of Egypt 2008

School children in Luxor, Egypt

In October of 2010 we were able to visit a local school in Luxor, the El Shahoda Primary Mixed School. I love this picture of the kids. It shows just how much alike kids are everywhere in the world, the boys act crazy and the young ladies just smile and wave.

Egypt October 2011

Today is my birthday and I am thinking of Egypt, as that's where I was on my last birthday.

On our last trip we were privileged to be invited for dinner at the home of a local family. The young man, Mahmoud, works at the Cairo Marroitt and we got to know him having stayed there several times in the past.

Mahmoud along with his mother and sister live on El Harum St., harum means pyramid in Arabic and their home is very close to them indeed. As guests we were treated royally with a wonderful meal of chicken and duck along with native Egyptian dishes which I cannot name. They were extremely gracious hosts even giving us gifts when we left.

Mamoud's mother and sister spoke almost no English and my Arabic is limited but we all had a wonderful evening together nonetheless.  Hopefully someday we can return to Cairo and invite these kind people to be our guests.

The colors of Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu is a seldom visited temple on the west bank of Luxor, Egypt. My wife and I hired a taxi and went to see it on our last trip to Egypt. The colors and condition are simply remarkable for such an ancient site.

Egypt - my favorite place in the world

This is a shot from Kom Ombo Temple on the Nile River