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Travel Blog of the Gaps
Egypt is in the midst of a parliamentary election campaign.
As with most countries, an election tends to stir the the social soup a bit. For example, parts of the opposition are boycotting this year's campaign. But such votes are among the most "internal" activities possible for any set of people, and Toby & I are thus poorly informed interlopers. It is nonetheless interesting to notice some of the campaign posters that have begun appearing on cars and buildings. I've included a couple of photos.
Egypt has established a quota that at least 12% of the parliament must be women, so female candidates' faces appear on their campaign posters. Some of them depict women with covered heads, and a few others show women who are comfortable bucking the trend by showing their hair. In this largely Muslim society, a minority of native Egyptian girls or women appear in public with an uncovered noggin. How this style of dress will effect the election's outcomes, I have no clue. But in the end, I have no doubt that the Parliament will remain largely male, just as in the US House & Senate.
Politics still effected us interlopers on Monday. We had scheduled an early morning trip to the Valley of the Kings, which along with other spots on the west bank of the Nile, comprises a millennia old necropolis (burial ground) and temple zone of Ancient Egypt's Pharaohs and nobles. However, Suzanne, the wife of Egypt's current leader, Hosni Mubarak paid Luxor a visit that same morning to campaign for her husband's party, and along with her visit came restricted access to the only bridge across the great river.
Enter our intrepid, problem-solving driver(s). We were whisked to the banks of the Nile and hoisted aboard a private boat where we were carried quickly to another waiting car on the west bank. Its driver took us to our chosen destinations, and a couple of his own choosing.
Sadly, guards at the Valley of the Kings, where lie the tombs for King Tutankhamen, Ramses I, II, III, IV, V, VI, Seti I & II, etc., do not allow photos. (They even confiscate all cameras.) This is understandable, because flash photography over time will deteriorate the ancient colors that sat so long in total darkness. Still the wall paintings and carvings are often mesmerizing, and I would have enjoyed sharing photos with you.
They are still excavating several of the tombs in the valley. Many Egyptian men wearing their long tunics were using pick-axes and shovels to dig into the hills and reed baskets to carry debris to either waiting dump trucks or just shouldering it to a scree pile. The scene resembled more than you can imagine Hollywood's portrayal of a Middle Eastern mummy movie.
Our last two stops on the west bank were the reconstructed Memorial Temple of (Queen) Hatshepsut (pronounced hat-SHIP-suit), which is built dramatically into the side of a mountain, and Ramses III's much better preserved memorial temple, Medinat Habu. For some reason, Medinat Habu looked like it was preparing to be the scene of a Discovery Channel special, with heavy duty lighting and screens scattered about. However, the beauty of the architecture and the large carved reliefs overcame the distractions.
After lunch on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Nile River traffic, we took a 90-minute ride on another private boat (cost: E£100, or about $17.50). We would have enjoyed hiring instead one of the sail-driven feluccas, but no wind was available to propel them along the river. Tour groups that had promised felucca rides were forced to tow the boats along in a rather pitiful flotilla of disabled flotsam.
The day has drawn to a close, and likewise this entry must end. It was, all in all, a good day.
Blog to you later!
As with most countries, an election tends to stir the the social soup a bit. For example, parts of the opposition are boycotting this year's campaign. But such votes are among the most "internal" activities possible for any set of people, and Toby & I are thus poorly informed interlopers. It is nonetheless interesting to notice some of the campaign posters that have begun appearing on cars and buildings. I've included a couple of photos.
Egypt has established a quota that at least 12% of the parliament must be women, so female candidates' faces appear on their campaign posters. Some of them depict women with covered heads, and a few others show women who are comfortable bucking the trend by showing their hair. In this largely Muslim society, a minority of native Egyptian girls or women appear in public with an uncovered noggin. How this style of dress will effect the election's outcomes, I have no clue. But in the end, I have no doubt that the Parliament will remain largely male, just as in the US House & Senate.
Politics still effected us interlopers on Monday. We had scheduled an early morning trip to the Valley of the Kings, which along with other spots on the west bank of the Nile, comprises a millennia old necropolis (burial ground) and temple zone of Ancient Egypt's Pharaohs and nobles. However, Suzanne, the wife of Egypt's current leader, Hosni Mubarak paid Luxor a visit that same morning to campaign for her husband's party, and along with her visit came restricted access to the only bridge across the great river.
Enter our intrepid, problem-solving driver(s). We were whisked to the banks of the Nile and hoisted aboard a private boat where we were carried quickly to another waiting car on the west bank. Its driver took us to our chosen destinations, and a couple of his own choosing.
Sadly, guards at the Valley of the Kings, where lie the tombs for King Tutankhamen, Ramses I, II, III, IV, V, VI, Seti I & II, etc., do not allow photos. (They even confiscate all cameras.) This is understandable, because flash photography over time will deteriorate the ancient colors that sat so long in total darkness. Still the wall paintings and carvings are often mesmerizing, and I would have enjoyed sharing photos with you.
They are still excavating several of the tombs in the valley. Many Egyptian men wearing their long tunics were using pick-axes and shovels to dig into the hills and reed baskets to carry debris to either waiting dump trucks or just shouldering it to a scree pile. The scene resembled more than you can imagine Hollywood's portrayal of a Middle Eastern mummy movie.
Our last two stops on the west bank were the reconstructed Memorial Temple of (Queen) Hatshepsut (pronounced hat-SHIP-suit), which is built dramatically into the side of a mountain, and Ramses III's much better preserved memorial temple, Medinat Habu. For some reason, Medinat Habu looked like it was preparing to be the scene of a Discovery Channel special, with heavy duty lighting and screens scattered about. However, the beauty of the architecture and the large carved reliefs overcame the distractions.
After lunch on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Nile River traffic, we took a 90-minute ride on another private boat (cost: E£100, or about $17.50). We would have enjoyed hiring instead one of the sail-driven feluccas, but no wind was available to propel them along the river. Tour groups that had promised felucca rides were forced to tow the boats along in a rather pitiful flotilla of disabled flotsam.
The day has drawn to a close, and likewise this entry must end. It was, all in all, a good day.
Blog to you later!
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