Heading south to...Upper Egypt?

As our time in Egypt comes to an end, there was still one last adventure to be had - take a Nile cruise to Upper Egypt! What a wonderful way to end a two year adventure here in North Africa.

Turns out, if we want to get to Upper Egypt from Cairo we actually head south!?! As it was, and continues to be, the Nile was the centre of life for the people of Ancient Egypt. This river, both the longest in Africa and the world, is also one of the few that flows north. This meant, it was far more difficult for people to travel south, heading "up" the river. This difficulty made the mountain ranges that lined the shores of the Nile in southern Egypt a perfect place for tombs and burial sites for phoroahs, being protected mostly by the difficulty of reaching this far south.

This has resulted in the incredible Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, where many of the pharoahs were buried, including the famous Tomb of King Tut. A hot air balloon ride over these stunning valleys (with the Nile off in the distance) was a spectacular experience that got our adventure off to a great start.

Along with these tombs, of which experts believe they have only found a fraction of them all, the pharoahs built temples and shrines in honour of their various gods - and to prove to others just how devout and wealthy they were. These building projects have lasted some 4000 years and continue to impress.

The most awe-inspiring has to be Abu Simbel which was built by Ramses II to let the Nubians (enemies to the south) know that he and Egypt were in charge. What makes this all the more impressive is that in the 1970's, with the damming of the Nile to protect farm land from floods, this massive monument came under danger of being under water. With the help of UNESCO and some very patient and diligent stone workers, the entire monument was cut into pieces and moved up and back from the water's edge some 300 metres - and you'd never be able to tell if there wasn't video evidence.

What follows in an incredibly small sample of the 400 or so pictures taken - pictures I hope to share with you in the near future!

Photo Album

The Kenyan Safari - a dream come true!

WOW! Where has the time gone! I cannot believe it has been so long since I wrote in here! So much has happened in the time between posts that the only thing I can do is begin again. And what a beginning!
Over the holidays, which are a little longer when working in private schools, we got to fulfill our dream of going on safari. We chose a five day trip through Kenya where we visited three National Parks - Aberdare National Park, Lake Nakaru National Park, and the Masai Mara! All were sensational. It is an experience that will not soon be forgotten, and serves as a wonderful reminder of why we decided to make the difficult decision to leave Canada and teach elsewhere.
As you have likely heard before, pictures are worth a thousand words, and the link below should take to a few hundred pictures, so I will not waste too many words here.
Briefly though, in Aberdare National Park we stayed at a lodge called The Ark. This was built next to a watering hole where we got to see elephants and water buffalo, along with a few other small creatures, up close. We were literally five feet from the animals when in the blind at the base of the building. It was also where, as we were leaving, that we got to see the elusive leopard. A wonderful start indeed. Next it was to Lake Nakaru, which is known for its two million plus population of flamingoes. Unfortunately for us it was not the time of year to see the multitudes, but there were still a few hundred hanging about. There was however no shortage of animals, including a rather bold family group of baboons that under the watchful eye of the leader wandered arounder the vans and the people! Lastly we were off to the Masai Mara which is Kenya's side of the Serengeti. When the migration happens, it is either to the Masai Mara from the Serengeti, or vise versa. Again, our timing was not perfect, however as you will see there was no shortage of animals, and it only leaves us in further wonder of what a spectacle the migration must be!
So please, enjoy the photos, and have a wonderful New Year!

Kenya Safari https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151113002015405.780991.684235404&type=1&l=7411a23cd4

One of my goals will be to write here more often, so keep those comments coming!

Peace.

Canada's Turn

CANADA’S TURN TO BE HEARD

To whom it may concern,

The year 2011 has been an interesting year to say the least. It has been a year of extreme highs and lows, and now it is Canada’s turn to wade into this year of history. And fortunately for Canadians our place in what may prove to be a defining year for our planet does not require us to make much of a sacrifice. It requires us to vote. But how does our vote, a single mark on a page, place Canada at the forefront of this historical year, you ask? Because more than ever our vote means something greater than whom we elect. On Tuesday morning, newspapers around the world will have one or two lines about who is our new Prime Minister. More in-depth analysis may include the name of the governing party, but likely will end at that. That is unless, you vote. We all vote. Not 60% of us. 100% of us. If as many people vote as possibly can, THIS WILL MAKE NEWS AROUND THE WORLD. It will be the lead over who won and who didn’t even here in Canada. It will be news. And then those people, reading this news around the world will begin to ask why? Why, in this year, have Canadians decided that one of the most important things we can do on a Monday is vote.

And we will answer, “Because we can. Because thousands have died this year in hopes of achieving this right for themselves. Because the youth of so many countries have risen up against tyranny. And because we know this same youth is watching, on TV, on the internet, and we wanted them to know, we are watching too. We are watching them struggle and we are hoping and praying they will be victorious. We are voting so we can add our voice to the millions around the world that are asking for theirs to be heard, and we are telling them that we hear them, and we are honouring them by casting this vote.”

Please vote. Vote for whom ever you like. Vote because you don’t like something. Vote because in this year, 2011, we understand, Canada is a country others hope and dream about. Theirs is a good dream. Ours is a good reality. It may not be perfect, but it is all we have at this moment in time, and it is more than many will realise in their lifetime. But it is a good dream that is only getting better.

I began this letter to you with, “To whom it may concern,” and I firmly believe, this concerns us all. We are watching here in Cairo, and we are hoping the momentum of 2011 continues on Monday, May 2 with Canada taking its turn to have its say. Good luck.

Peace,

John Arthur Dinner
Grade 7 Teacher
Canadian International School of Egypt
Cairo, Egypt

Thank you and a song

I just wanted to thank everyone who I got to see, and those that I didn't, for the kindness showed to me, and my family, during our brief visit home. On top of getting to see our brothers, and most of our family, the highlight for me has to be returning to St. Andrew's! The welcome I received was unanticipated and overwhelming. It has inspired me, and confirmed in me that I am headed in the right direction. It was one of those rare life-affirming moments that I will cherish forever. Thank you.

My wife, Tasha, and I are now back in Cairo, and it has been an emotional and uplifting time. The students are all excited to be back to school after the ordeal they have been through, and continue to live. They have found sanctuary at school, and it is reassuring for them to know that teachers, who come from other parts of the world, have chosen to return.

I will do my best to report back to you on everything that unfolds over the coming days and months. For now, continue to keep Egypt and Egyptians in your prayers, along with all those people who are trying for the first time to be heard and to find freedom. It is those thoughts and prayers, I am sure, that give the people the strength and the willingness to carry on. Thank you.

And as a little treat, here is a song that some friends of mine (who sang at our wedding by the way) have written. Enjoy.

52songproject.com/songs/song-8-jan25/

Tahrir Square!

A friend we have made while Egypt shared with us his photos from the 5 days he spent in Tahrir Square. An incredible experience for him, and I feel privileged to be able to share it with you.

Please keep Egypt and Egyptians in all your thoughts. Peace.

Click the link below (or paste it into your browser)...

http://hashish.smugmug.com/EgyptianPeopleCivilizedUprisin

Mr. Dinner is safe!

Thank you very much for everyone's thoughts and prayers. It was greatly appreciated and worked like a charm. My wife Tasha and I are out of Cairo, but our thoughts remain with our neighbours and friends, not to mention our students who are left behind.

I will update more once we've had a chance to catch our breath and digest all we have seen and done in the last month.

Thanks again. I feel truly blessed. Peace.

Here are a couple of photos from our last day in Cairo.

Neighbours stocking up.

Our 'alley-block'.

Neighbourhood road-block.

Security guard?!?

Keeping the peace in our neighbourhood and watching over our place while we are gone. I can think of no better hands! Thanks fellas!

The tank at the entrance to our neighbourhood.

On our way to the airport!!

Cairo City Champions!!

In Egypt, volleyball ranks very near the bottom in terms of sporting popularity - first being football, umm, I mean soccer - which probably is more accurately the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most popular sport!! This followed by European handball, basketball, and then maybe volleyball. Maybe.

In any event, we managed to put together a team for a city tournament - we had about eight practices, maybe nine, and two exhibition games to get us ready - and WE WON!! It was an exciting day as we went undefeated to the finals where the boys won a three set thriller, two games to one (25-14, 24-26, 25-23). It was awesome, and just another reason teaching is pretty much the coolest profession on Earth!!

C.I.S.E - Cairo City Champs #1!!

Jordan - must mean "Crossroad"

With another week long holiday on offer – this time because of a second Eid festival in the Muslim calendar, Eid-al-Adha which celebrates a story many faiths are very familiar with, the willingness of Abram to just about sacrifice his son – we were off to Jordan.

Most people, if you have ever even thought of Jordan the country, and not the basketball player, probably only associate it with one significant site – Petra, the stunning and spectacular city carved into the sides of mountains, and hidden from Westerners for centuries. But Jordan is more than this newest wonder of the world. It has an incredible geography that comes from being so close to two continental divides, and a history that seems only fitting when you consider it sits directly in the middle of so much historical, political, and religious turmoil. And with that, it was time for our one hour and bit flight from Cairo to Amman.

We had been told renting a car was the way to go in Jordan as it is a small country that is friendly on the foreign drivers. Needless to say, we did, but not without some serious nerves having just come from Egypt where driving is as much a contact sport as soccer is – not really allowed, but if no one is looking (and no one is, ever) all is fair! But driving truly is the way to go in this country as it frees you from the schedules of public transport that is trouble-some and confusing at the best of times.

After an evening of recovering from our tough travel day (remember that whole hour of flying?), we set out to explore.

The "Promised Land"

On the first day we traveled to Mt. Nemo to visit where Moses first spied the ‘promise land’ and subsequently died at the ripe old age of 120 (we’re shooting for 125); from there we wound down to the River Jordan (more of a muddy stream smaller than 16 Mile Creek at this time of year) to see where it is believed Jesus got baptized by John the Baptist!

The site of Jesus' baptism.

After that it was a short drive to the Dead Sea which is so named because of its incredible levels of salt which is a result of sitting at the lowest point on Earth, some 400 m below sea level – floating in this sea is really something that has to be experienced!



Day two took us to the former Roman city, Jerash. This city is on the Eastern frontier of what was once the Roman Empire, and the ruins here are compared to Pompei. It is truly extraordinary to think of how far the Roman Empire expanded at a time when most travel was by row boat and foot! And then to see the ruins, some incredibly well preserved, elbowing up next to a modern Islamic city is quite something.

The Temple of Artemis - who was Artemis?

Day three was a driving day to find that lost city of Petra, but on our way we crossed some stunning scenery as we moved through mountains that separated the relatively fertile soils of the Jordan valley to the barren desert that covers roughly 90% of the country. Also along the way was a stop at a Crusader castle for some more history – the beginning of the truly violent divide between Islam and Christianity. It is a sorry history on both sides, and something that has us hoping that the bad decisions of today (or the ones we think are good, but turn out not so well) do not have 1000 year repercussions!

After 7 hours of winding around 300 km of roads through the mountains we finally reached our destination, Petra! And just in time for the night walk – a highly recommended activity that takes you on a candle-lit walk to the city inside the rock. An eerie way to be introduced to such a place, but interesting as it is as close as possible these days to replicating what it must have been like to enter and leave the city in the dark. We followed this up with a trip to a cave believed to have been in use for some 6000 years, and for the last 1500 years at least, as a tavern for weary travellers. Today, it sits next to a posh guest house, but once inside you can almost taste the history.

The next day gave us a chance to really explore this magnificent creation of human ingenuity – a city protected and hidden, and very nearly preserved for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Believed to have been a place where the people of the area hid their bounty from controlling the region’s trading routes, it is more recently thought to have been a sacred place where many important people were buried in tombs. However you slice it, it is impressive to see and impressive to walk around in.

Kind of speaks for itself.

The centre-piece known as "The Treasury"

From here it was a short drive for our last adventure – out to the desert for some camping – which as it turned out is actually like staying in a pretty nice motel in the middle of nowhere that provides an outstanding restaurant, a pool, and even an ampli-theatre (that unfortunately sat empty while we were there). Now of course we have loads of desert here in Egypt, but what makes this desert interesting is the incredible rock formations and the fact this was the setting of the Arab uprising during World War I led by T.E. Lawrence, a British soldier made famous by Lawrence of Arabia. Epic and historical country for sure! Made even more epic when taken in at 60 km/h on your ATV! Not quite the romantic way of seeing the desert, like on the back of an uncomfortable camel, but a truly hair-raising good time!

Now if your head is spinning after having read all this, simply grab a map of the world and find Jordan – it’s just east of Israel and the West Bank, a little north of Saudia Arabia, west of Iraq, and a little south of Syria and Iran. No wonder this place has seen it all. Amazingly, it stands proudly as a place of incredible beauty and history!

I think we'll go straight!!

Many differences, many similarities!

You don't see this too often driving around Canada!!

Obviously anytime someone travels thousands of kilometres to a new continent and country, they are going to encounter differences. Differences in language and culture, differences in thoughts and ideas, differences in appearance and priorities. More often than not however, when one travels thousands of kilometres to a new continent and country, it is the many similarities that remind us that home may be far in distance, but the heart travels with us; and it is our hearts that show us we are all in this together.

For instance, in my last posting I mentioned how kids here are the same as kids everywhere, which left me missing students of the past - and how so many of the characters I once taught are reflected in the new characters I get to teach here!!

This morning was another one of those mornings when I remembered that no matter where I go, I go with my brothers and sisters of the world, and I go with their hopes and dreams, loves and losses. This morning I got to join thousands of Egyptians, Canadians, Americans, English, Australian, Korean, you name it, at The Great Pyramids of Giza. And while many were there this morning to take in the spectacular ancient ruins, many more were there to show their love and support to those affected by breast cancer.

It was just one of those mornings where every fibre of my being seemed to be stretched to its very limit as I tried to take in everything that surrounded me - many thousands of years of history; a modern phenomenon that does not care about race, creed, or colour; an ancient culture that honoured their dead with HUGE monuments; a modern, multi-cultural world that honours their dead with memories, and walks, and fundraisers, and research, and monuments of our own; a personal stake in what is happening and has happened; a future so bright, yet so unknown. It was quite overwhelming.

It was a strange and wonderful day indeed. A day I had to share with you because you have shared so much with me. Thank you.

Ready to walk in support of a cure - by the pyramids!?!

Sporting pink, Egyptian style!!

And we're off! Literally thousands kicking up the dust of thousands of years!

Traveling in style - after the walk was done of course!!

We were at THE Pyramids!?!

To School and then Mt. Sinai!!

It's incredible that nearly a month has passed since I last had an opportunity to sit down and write to you everything that is going on. Just goes to show how fast time flies when you're having fun!

Since my last post, school has gotten underway, quite successfully, and you may be surprised to learn, the kids here are just like kids everywhere else! They like to play, they don't like to sit, and most times they wish they were home doing something other than listening to their teacher!!

One thing that has really impressed me here though, is that while Arabic is most student's first language, almost all speak fluent English, and many at our school are also part of the French Immersion program. This means that throughout their day they spend 3 hours speaking to their teachers in French, 1 hour in Arabic, and 2 hours with English - an impressive feat for anyone, not to mention students as young as Grade 1!! I find this especially incredible as I continue to struggle with English and hope to one day speak more than passing French! Makes those 40 minutes of French most of you do seem like a breeze (and an opportunity not to be wasted!!), n'est pas?

With a couple of weeks under our belts at school, it was time for the students to get a rest from me, and fortunately, Egyptian Armed Forces Day (Oct. 6) and then Thanksgiving came so close together, that they combined the holidays for a nice long weekend. To help us celebrate this important time of year we headed to where it all began for Christians, Jews, and Muslims - MT. SINAI!!

A big reason for wanting to come to Egypt is the obvious history of the land. Civilization, at least as we are familiar with it, has been in this neck of the woods for thousands and thousands of years. But one of the defining moments for many of the cultures of the world took place right here in Egypt, on the Sinai peninsula, when God spoke to Moses and the 10 Commandments were born. No matter your beliefs on how or why this happened, to be sure, in the history of human civilization, the adoption of these commandments as law and as a way to govern was an inspired step forward in the way people dealt with each other. As a result, this place holds considerable significance for people from all walks of life and faiths.

Of course, before tackling the midnight hike up the mountain, some much needed R & R was called for on the Sinai coast, in a small little coastal town of Nuweiba - a sleepy village on the Gulf of Aqaba with stunning views of the mountains, the sea, and near the cross roads of four countries (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia) and two continents (Africa and Asia). No wonder there is so much history in this area!!

A pretty sweet way to start this adventure and remind me of just how much I have to be thankful for!

I wonder how long people have been traveling down this little beach road??

Our little huts, with an emphasis on little - no wasted space here!

Amazing what you can get used to - camels on the beach!! (those are mountains of Saudia Arabia faintly in the background)

After a couple of days of relaxing, it was now time to follow in the footsteps of Moses, and hike up Mt. Sinai. To do this we left at midnight(!?!), and began our walk at about 3 in the morning (more !?!?), in what seemed like another world - a hundred languages, hundreds of people, just as many camels, and all the smells and sounds that go with it all - IN THE DARK!

I have often said pictures can never do justice to the experience, and in this case, I have never been more right. Walking in the dark up the side of this famous mountain, feeling the presence of so much, listening to the chatter, the singing, and the chanting of others as they too make their way up in the darkness will be something I never forget. That, and the fact our guide decided he didn't feel like making the final ascent up the 750 steps and instead choosing to sleep at one of the little rest stops along the way!! Oh well, I think it actually gave us more a sense of adventure as we had no idea what to expect.

Eager anticipation of the sunrise over the mountains. The ever changing colours were awesome!

A just a few of the hundreds of people taking in the warmth of the sun and rejoicing in the new day. There was singing, a few solemn prayers, and a number of religious services, giving a real sense of the pilgrimmage we were a part of on this night.

It was truly a tremendous experience, and despite being surrounded by desoltion (there is no greenery anywhere), the colours of the rocks and sky were something I've never witnessed. Spectacular! And to think, "I coul be sitting right where Moses sat some 4000 years ago!?!", is not something I could ever express adequately. Maybe if I spoke a second, or even third language!

Looking back up in the day - Mt. Sinai!

The OTHER Pyramids

As our first day approaches (finally!?!) we took one last opportunity to go exploring around our area. Instead of hitting up the more famous, and far more crowded pyramids of Giza, we decided to go a little further south and see some the lesser known, but still very impressive, tombs. Admittedly, we are now even more excited about seeing The Great Pyramids of Giza, because these were pretty great, and it makes me appreciate how grand they must be to be termed 'great'.

Our first stop was to Saqqara, Egypt's largest archeological site, covering nearly seven square kilometres - one French archeologist spent an astonishing 75 years here!! What Saqqara is, is a massive grave yard of ancient Memphis, once thought to be the capital of ancient Egypt for a time.

The centre piece of Saqqara is the Step Pyramid. It is considered to be the earliest stone built monument in the world - it is thought to have been constructed in 2650 BC!!

The Step Pyramid

From just north of the Step Pyramid, the Great Pyramids of Giza (the famous ones) can be seen in the distance.

As part of the funeral complex, we were able to go into one of the crypts where we came across these hyroglyphics which I am pretty sure say, "Learning to read is fun so we can read to learn!"

From Saqqara, we drove a little further south to Memphis, the ancient capital. Not much remains of the place, but the open air museum is built around the huge fallen statue of Ramses II, one of the most ruthless and successful(?) leaders of antiquity.

Massive limestone statue of Ramses II.

From Memphis, it was a short drive a little further south to the sites of the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. Building upon the success of the Step Pyramid, ancient architects wanted to build a smooth faced pyramid. Their first attempt was the Bent Pyramid, which given away by its name, didn't quite live up to their hopes as they had to change the angle to get it finished. Their next attempt was far more successful, and the huge Red Pyramid is considered the oldest 'true' pyramid.

The Red Pyramid - too big even to fit in the picture!


Inside the Red Pyramid - hard to see, but truly something to experience. Staring up into, and standing underneath, thousands of pounds of ancient rock carved perfectly to right angles. How'd they do that?

Looking back over the desert at The Red Pyramid.

The tiny Bent Pyramid!!

Kidding, it is huge!

The interesting thing about this Bent Pyramid, is not only its shape, but that it is one of the last remaining pyramids with it's some of its smoothness intact. At just about everywhere else, including The Great Pyramids, the limestone used to create these smooth sides was removed for the building of ancient Cairo!

Next up - SCHOOL!!!

With more time, you get PICTURES!!

The incredibly busy summer that has just passed still seems as though it was just yesterday. But with so much having happened, it also seems like it was years ago I was saying good-bye to the students of St. Andrew's and the family and friends I love so much!

So with this little added time before I begin my school year, here are just a few of the thousands of pictures from the amazing wedding right up until the diving trip in the Red Sea over the weekend - get out those atlases, find the Red Sea, and it will be easy to figure out this is a great area for diving for many reasons!

Husband and wife!!

Taking a little time to ourselves in our getaway boat!!

Honeymoon travels!

Gone - 4 years in the making, 15 minutes of shaving!!

Sunset on the Nile!

Front gate of my new school - Canadian International School of Cairo

Our street.

Headed out into the desert to get to the Red Sea

There it is!! The Red Sea!

Not too shabby! Beautiful dive spot with coral reaching up 30 metres to get to the surface!

There were some pictures being taken under water, and hopefully I can get my hands on them to share with you. They won't do the diving experience any justice, but they are fun to share at least.

Take care. Peace.