The Egypt Travellog

So we just spent the last week running around Egypt. Never in my life did I imagine that I would see the things I have seen in the last few days. I feel like there is no way to adequately discuss them all.

Let me throw out a brief summary. Driving by bus through the Negev desert we stopped at various sites along the way like Beer-sheba where Abraham dwelt and a Wadi that may be the spot where Moses struck the rock and lost the promise land. We stayed at a Kibbutz (named Ketura after Abraham’s third wife) in the Rift valley (you know, that big valley between Africa and Asia that holds the Dead Sea!) and spent some time running around the sand dunes. The Kibbutz is like a united order community that supports itself by raising algae in the desert to sell as a super antioxidant agent. They are a little crazy but also very noble.


The next day we drove down to the Red Sea and crossed into Sinai and Egypt. From the Border there you can see four countries that share the gulf of Aquaba. Sinai is desolate and very empty, even worse than Barstow. We drove straight through crossing under the Suez Canal through a tunnel (they don’t let you get close enough to see it but we could see the masts of ships as they sailed down it). Two or three more hours and we hit Cairo. Our hotel was near Giza so as we drove there we could see the pyramids attacking the city horizon. They are HUGE. We got up and personal with them the next day even crawling inside one of them.  We also drove up to see the ruins of Memphis. Everything in Egypt is horrendously old. At the end of the day we were dropped off at the airport and flew down to Luxor (ancient Thebes).

There we saw the Valley of the Kings with its ancient empty tombs with nothing but paint to show what they once were. Granted the paint is 4,000 years old. The only one home was King Tut, who has been returned to his tomb which we got to enter. We also visited the temples on the east side of the Nile, tons of crazy pictures and statues there. We also left the usual tourist path for a moment to visit a random tomb (pit tomb #33) where it is believed that the Joseph Smith mummies containing the book of Abraham were found. :)))))

We rode camels, boats on the Nile, Taxis and carriages. It was quite the trip but was fabulously hot. (112 I think was the max). After two days we returned by night train to Cairo. We visited a couple of Coptic churches that claim Jesus stayed there on his flight to Egypt. At c. 1400 years old they are fairly young for this land. We then saw the Egyptian museum and I got to stare into the faces of dozens of 4,000 year old Pharaohs including Ramses II who may have seen Moses. I saw that famous gold mask of King Tut. It was really strange to be standing inches away from it. 300+ lbs of gold in that room. Crazy.

The next night we spent at a hotel deep in the Sinai at the foot of one of dozens of possible Mount Sinai’s. We got up at 2 am the next day and climbed it to watch the sunrise. There were so many pilgrims that you could see the trail of flash lights all the way down the three mile trail. We kept running into camels with owner hopefully encouraging us to give up the hike and ride a camel up for a small price. Few did. We sang songs and enjoyed the spectacular view from the top while the sun climbed and gave light to the world. Descending we took the staircase built by monks from a 1400 year old Monastery at the foot of the mountain. Imagine going down 2,400 feet of stairs. It was painful. Through our drive returning to Israel we stopped briefly at the sites of Marah where Moses healed the bitter water, and the other rock/water incident. Also Rephidim where Aaron and Hur held up the arms of the aging prophet so Israel could prevail.

The sun set over the racing desert as we followed the rift valley past the Dead Sea. We were able to jump out for ten minutes and touch the lowest point on the surface of the earth. The water was… greasy. My hand is really soft though. We finally return to our beloved Jerusalem Center after a 22 hour day starting at Sinai. It is very good to be back at this place that now is home.

That is the travel log. I wish I could expound on the sites and feelings each visit provoked. I suspect it will take a lifetime to expound though. It will take most the day to process the 900 pictures I took. So in a few months if anyone feels like having me talk for a long time I can put together a pretty significant slide show lasting several hours. And there are still three months left in the summer! What more can happen?

Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments

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3 thoughts on “The Egypt Travellog

  1. D. Riley Rackliffe

    I can be reserved although it looks like I am booked for a number of months. I am also fairly cheap, all I require is travel and living expenses.

    I think I’m up to 2,000 photos now. I fear I may wear out my camera at this rate.

  2. Nathan Rackliffe

    We’d like to book you for a couple of weeks. Are you taking reservations?

  3. Dad

    It would have been nice to be with you. Nephi #5?

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