tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112178732024-03-17T20:04:52.082-07:00Travels With RobbyThe journal of a couple exploring every corner of this wonderful planet. Come join us on our adventures!Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-26769283322185804552024-03-15T18:45:00.000-07:002024-03-17T11:29:56.700-07:00Incredible India - Part 2: Delhi - The Capital City<p><br /></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Exploring Delhi (Old and New)<br /></span><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Tuesday and Wednesday, February 6 - 7</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5XJmDPLuS-rVhyphenhyphenKq5sTKu001Fp8XM4oGH-WZGvolSgbD6CosfIJqd3U__3tmGopKxnu3oeR4AyFLl8i5SlvNTyfr2BNw_FFVXe6Eyls4QUXXOCiw7OE_BxYMcGVBd1BD7gZLhiXr-X0AEeyKssN2wd5gjLFkRpZrVBx69SRUNQM6VmDWJbU-/s4170/IMG_1043a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="4170" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5XJmDPLuS-rVhyphenhyphenKq5sTKu001Fp8XM4oGH-WZGvolSgbD6CosfIJqd3U__3tmGopKxnu3oeR4AyFLl8i5SlvNTyfr2BNw_FFVXe6Eyls4QUXXOCiw7OE_BxYMcGVBd1BD7gZLhiXr-X0AEeyKssN2wd5gjLFkRpZrVBx69SRUNQM6VmDWJbU-/w640-h436/IMG_1043a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Does International travel scramble your internal clock for
a few days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It certainly does mine! Our journey from San Francisco to New Delhi (including the eight-hour layover in
Dubai) took 27 hours, but India is thirteen-and-a-half hours ahead of
California, so we left on Sunday afternoon, and arrived on Tuesday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Of course, one could say that India is 11-and-a-half
hours <i>behind</i> California on the clock, and one day <i>ahead</i> on the calendar, but
that gets <i>really</i> confusing.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That extra
half hour time difference is because India straddles two time zones, so the government split the difference and put the entire country in between.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The bottom line is that Rob and I would be awake or asleep approximately
12 hours opposite to home on this journey, so we were very grateful to have planned
our trip to include a free day before beginning any scheduled activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arranged with our travel agent to be
picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel, the beautiful New Delhi
Oberoi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first of the four
Oberoi hotels we would call home during this trip, and each one of them was
stunning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can recommend this hotel
chain if you come to India!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">My memories of that first day are pretty hazy, but I DO
remember that we each booked a 90-minutes massage in the hotel spa, and it was
heavenly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD5KJ0inidxkfBzF1xnWA9ZXbMHbdZW8iNdUbgiJZowchjPkEGeBGbvmU6esqe6zlPlGE-8hESaqQ2QHA7myLHeMByd4LEYClGCSo98PRmPFPfk_-yWXUk4slkOpE9d1QE9ToBOebF-zXP4DHGycb4CtLT6QLHVIn3eyQ8jYh4zqJrzwDaEWr/s3968/IMG_3338a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2754" data-original-width="3968" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD5KJ0inidxkfBzF1xnWA9ZXbMHbdZW8iNdUbgiJZowchjPkEGeBGbvmU6esqe6zlPlGE-8hESaqQ2QHA7myLHeMByd4LEYClGCSo98PRmPFPfk_-yWXUk4slkOpE9d1QE9ToBOebF-zXP4DHGycb4CtLT6QLHVIn3eyQ8jYh4zqJrzwDaEWr/w640-h445/IMG_3338a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The pool next to the spa at the Oberoi New Delhi</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our tour started in earnest, bright and early on Wednesday
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide Raj and driver Ram
picked us up at 9:00 and we set out for a very full day of sightseeing in this
huge sprawling city of 35 million people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our first stops were in Old Delhi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Jama Masjid</b>, also known as the Friday Mosque,
is a huge mosque of red sandstone and marble built by Shah Jahan in the 1600s,
the Mughal era. (Shah Jahan is also the ruler who built the Taj Mahal.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mosque is still in use and remains one of
the largest and best-known mosques in India. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Outside of the entrance, we removed our shoes - as we would do whenever entering a Muslim temple - and I was provided with a long strip of cloth to wrap around my waist like a skirt. Then we entered the large </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;">courtyard through one of the four
entry gates. The main gate stands opposite the mosque and opens to the Red Fort
across the road.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;">The Shah used to enter
from his palace through this gate and stand on the balcony over the courtyard,
which could hold 25,000 worshippers.</span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"> </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;">In
one corner of the gallery is an ornate white marble structure that serves as a
reliquary, as it holds inside a hair of the beard of Mohammed.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLcxiKyWMY4ZQY6kNme9F2DEvRvNxT9VTHDbO08hwqCcA_Xw1BUEvj0ptqWnQyj4BFT6kGStAHZ0DzlDBkRl8aA7jY1WxYFtusYeOYI9oS0Axlmb8lNPADDJ8gBY5C4Qw2qLbB8Bm-ZuZp3mRciPSFGBbeixqwe1I8phgBB-zdqGDMD74KcuK/s5118/IMG_1023aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2875" data-original-width="5118" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLcxiKyWMY4ZQY6kNme9F2DEvRvNxT9VTHDbO08hwqCcA_Xw1BUEvj0ptqWnQyj4BFT6kGStAHZ0DzlDBkRl8aA7jY1WxYFtusYeOYI9oS0Axlmb8lNPADDJ8gBY5C4Qw2qLbB8Bm-ZuZp3mRciPSFGBbeixqwe1I8phgBB-zdqGDMD74KcuK/w640-h360/IMG_1023aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jama Masjid </b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6n8UPWcO4LJObXQ-gGrqW031BcpJv5F9EeFbfeVnB8Jo_E1otjk5iCD20mSw_S-hAqg7_QEnzELYgHHqDshnQB5mQWt2b8iYzRbT-mIXQiVZXeUh5i8rBE2cwixFlncx7qqQawjcUM1gC_kJl4NZ2wNQVXzoA6fmkDKw0yHyBRpKIJGwET5/s2928/IMG_1030a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2928" data-original-width="2447" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6n8UPWcO4LJObXQ-gGrqW031BcpJv5F9EeFbfeVnB8Jo_E1otjk5iCD20mSw_S-hAqg7_QEnzELYgHHqDshnQB5mQWt2b8iYzRbT-mIXQiVZXeUh5i8rBE2cwixFlncx7qqQawjcUM1gC_kJl4NZ2wNQVXzoA6fmkDKw0yHyBRpKIJGwET5/w534-h640/IMG_1030a.JPG" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Jama Masjid seen through the main entry gate</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JN53Oq8MuxStjxiG8d54gMdEz_3xKUNocnPxlmT2ArPE5bnGrdglOkhpay1SeHTAirHmlmyZtcKOH8m98PtUqKSneD0brxSzXGSsP6EdwgIPI2SgWpSmChSZjA9SuLB6do5HEqGNJj0YJ2EbE-SGe3xuGSOt9rsqnidfzex7R3IGl1wXNcTk/s5120/IMG_1032a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="5120" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JN53Oq8MuxStjxiG8d54gMdEz_3xKUNocnPxlmT2ArPE5bnGrdglOkhpay1SeHTAirHmlmyZtcKOH8m98PtUqKSneD0brxSzXGSsP6EdwgIPI2SgWpSmChSZjA9SuLB6do5HEqGNJj0YJ2EbE-SGe3xuGSOt9rsqnidfzex7R3IGl1wXNcTk/w640-h346/IMG_1032a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The large courtyard and one of the entry gates</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhgDu7FLQMFp8-eXcGPzLofdTWeHFA5To9m80rmzZqOHUmXSHbcXf1r0WgD_OYONv_EE4MyVRxIhBLLFpyhV6WiyToRhS4lnYCkfvbBiPz1s_rZ_h-VcB4ChN6bk1-wLiUUnJbjh4bV5ZRMglucEHh0kXcwyg8FC118CVr_crX5VEkx-gSjaJ/s4524/IMG_1053a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4524" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhgDu7FLQMFp8-eXcGPzLofdTWeHFA5To9m80rmzZqOHUmXSHbcXf1r0WgD_OYONv_EE4MyVRxIhBLLFpyhV6WiyToRhS4lnYCkfvbBiPz1s_rZ_h-VcB4ChN6bk1-wLiUUnJbjh4bV5ZRMglucEHh0kXcwyg8FC118CVr_crX5VEkx-gSjaJ/w640-h412/IMG_1053a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This entry gate leads to the Red Fort. <br />The shah would arrive here and observe the services from the balcony above.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmSATEi7XAZ0ieRD3DHz5EUifsD-8owkImmTs5eFb1WIy6XUFf42M2PAgBN8ASJ5YebVy8qrPmoNoFRxMNKVd8vfIOeewHX7j5k0ufKE4sqn_BsE91aSOgPpeO6WDalvVZiTAR0eZRUEgAsKF2VIBoKIL6fa9-WKR-LDCA3NEBrbTtM3xeln6/s3159/IMG_1025a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3159" data-original-width="2107" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmSATEi7XAZ0ieRD3DHz5EUifsD-8owkImmTs5eFb1WIy6XUFf42M2PAgBN8ASJ5YebVy8qrPmoNoFRxMNKVd8vfIOeewHX7j5k0ufKE4sqn_BsE91aSOgPpeO6WDalvVZiTAR0eZRUEgAsKF2VIBoKIL6fa9-WKR-LDCA3NEBrbTtM3xeln6/w426-h640/IMG_1025a.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob with our guide, Raj</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EDevP4CJS5HQ24paLA1q5yffuL-x1fYJ4xcKpZUtVuc7zYgAv2Oc41-ykhP89-7MK2okBzjKAOkHHuSMlM6Fs9WmGHWG7fzN_zFnBL7MqcOnK6nIfHsqkadcgH6YP0angEvx51ZQuf27yhgBpRir5AKCpy2CurzGR2IUhNySS91tQoaAKO6u/s1242/Mohammed%20Reliquary.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1242" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EDevP4CJS5HQ24paLA1q5yffuL-x1fYJ4xcKpZUtVuc7zYgAv2Oc41-ykhP89-7MK2okBzjKAOkHHuSMlM6Fs9WmGHWG7fzN_zFnBL7MqcOnK6nIfHsqkadcgH6YP0angEvx51ZQuf27yhgBpRir5AKCpy2CurzGR2IUhNySS91tQoaAKO6u/w640-h436/Mohammed%20Reliquary.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Reliquary holding a hair from the beard of Mohammed stood <br />in a corner of the courtyard.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzape9BNHqkk4qO817CyfNz0rk4E7CrH6lDDM5BRh19PlmejQ0OMn4x3B4sMqzowH5mMp5RSt8ByrPX_z9xmh9v6F021p-JGTsepvEa5ccVTgWkpwNLYtspqFhrtx-_RY_E_MXipjojD8GhCeJYgbSuvSA9W7ckIzvunH2oj1immfk1aVcm7m/s1730/Jama%20Masjid%20Designs.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1730" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzape9BNHqkk4qO817CyfNz0rk4E7CrH6lDDM5BRh19PlmejQ0OMn4x3B4sMqzowH5mMp5RSt8ByrPX_z9xmh9v6F021p-JGTsepvEa5ccVTgWkpwNLYtspqFhrtx-_RY_E_MXipjojD8GhCeJYgbSuvSA9W7ckIzvunH2oj1immfk1aVcm7m/w640-h554/Jama%20Masjid%20Designs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Arabic calligraphy of verses of the Qu'ran is frequently used as a decorative element.<br />I loved the scalloped arches of the mosque.</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Jama Masjid sits on a high platform above <b>Chandni Chowk</b>,
"The Moonlight Square," a maze of ancient streets, also built by Shah
Jahan, and now filled with shops filled with goods of every type. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfenFxD13dQPkYhlaWRR3RiJTq5Ranz8jh8JW1Q0xdE4cq5m4bXjjv4ozYZ8ZCJ3mfSQm4Exd4_AA9gAGbZBtHZyQ7Vq0aeQIjZhdQFqjFJaMJ6k-mgJf8mLQTQqC14Sx3Q_3MunnRhkL7J7vRe2tY1Ej-Qhmsrzu9XCTenL2DOtbJX4BILqf/s4355/IMG_1058a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2812" data-original-width="4355" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfenFxD13dQPkYhlaWRR3RiJTq5Ranz8jh8JW1Q0xdE4cq5m4bXjjv4ozYZ8ZCJ3mfSQm4Exd4_AA9gAGbZBtHZyQ7Vq0aeQIjZhdQFqjFJaMJ6k-mgJf8mLQTQqC14Sx3Q_3MunnRhkL7J7vRe2tY1Ej-Qhmsrzu9XCTenL2DOtbJX4BILqf/w640-h414/IMG_1058a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Raj and Rob descend the steps to Chandni Chowk</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We followed
Raj through the streets, dodging cars, motorbikes, tuk-tuks, and bicycle
rickshaws - and the mass of people - to observe the little food stands, tiny
shops, the tangle of electrical wires overhead. Above one food stand, there
were monkeys swinging on those wires and climbing all over the buildings
enjoying handouts of bananas from the vendor below. </span></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRSH0cA3b8wmJSK9BCQs-UeHjNzfQBg9wS-Evs5cuAMLIvHmMIIOX4Qf0kE807fLmJ5B_9bd8IvBmOe6ZFbkHHceey0oipdy4GNvOGvLKWGhr6jLwUuna58hMh68MM0DvgGD_oBDenntzw8NZ7oh1jymOHcXhr2O2XpRhS8rZo1qT_VKV2i_D/s1200/Streets%20of%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1200" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRSH0cA3b8wmJSK9BCQs-UeHjNzfQBg9wS-Evs5cuAMLIvHmMIIOX4Qf0kE807fLmJ5B_9bd8IvBmOe6ZFbkHHceey0oipdy4GNvOGvLKWGhr6jLwUuna58hMh68MM0DvgGD_oBDenntzw8NZ7oh1jymOHcXhr2O2XpRhS8rZo1qT_VKV2i_D/w640-h564/Streets%20of%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The streets of Chandni Chowk</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTviVu57gjHWaT-7nBRoRPLEWC8-KRuAyhBf-09RZZa5pSHM-E8ePgQbWNQIMusqP5_9_CYpoM2q3Rsg5s-b6KJ4fLdcEdOF0fBIKk0eKzInvaZ9_b9M3LRbKaDRwyNaAeXYM_sEsOBnPIzNPlYaftS3m_70y3wbUwk5dFzAF81gdrzk4O7Xp5/s1971/Monkeys%20of%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1971" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTviVu57gjHWaT-7nBRoRPLEWC8-KRuAyhBf-09RZZa5pSHM-E8ePgQbWNQIMusqP5_9_CYpoM2q3Rsg5s-b6KJ4fLdcEdOF0fBIKk0eKzInvaZ9_b9M3LRbKaDRwyNaAeXYM_sEsOBnPIzNPlYaftS3m_70y3wbUwk5dFzAF81gdrzk4O7Xp5/w488-h640/Monkeys%20of%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The monkeys of Chandni Chowk. <br />(The macaque at the top is catching a tomato thrown by a vegetable vendor.)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After the walk, we enjoyed a bicycle rickshaw ride to the
old city gate at the end of the main street. As we rode, I noticed that many of
the buildings along the street must have once been very beautiful, with ornate
facades and balconies, but that they are now in various states of
disrepair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In earlier times, this must
have been an elegant boulevard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
thought became a recurring observation throughout our trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehniqe4AwtXfYir0xUp9Fzit7LmV8OHA3voKQCas_GBw-jvQWxpJU_rfyrYaHFXpdmNqfkHVx2PqZT47b37iOYJsdIee6n9gcrdwui1wBKO5U1bBCHgv_Tb89aljg9uLIDPT0L_Ojja9gKBrpy6r281U5qKmIkzUQOKo_WhH03bBBKj2srDle/s4280/IMG_1123a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4280" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehniqe4AwtXfYir0xUp9Fzit7LmV8OHA3voKQCas_GBw-jvQWxpJU_rfyrYaHFXpdmNqfkHVx2PqZT47b37iOYJsdIee6n9gcrdwui1wBKO5U1bBCHgv_Tb89aljg9uLIDPT0L_Ojja9gKBrpy6r281U5qKmIkzUQOKo_WhH03bBBKj2srDle/w640-h419/IMG_1123a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Rob and Joan with our bicycle rickshaw driver</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505;"></span></p><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ9UQScMLeiI-hN_usKsVkw2B-CDhGH8YAIh42PnAOJD7ENJStR19Z5x-pKEvwBv3ZRkCWBWdRvQyvI4BRe2lIVUrITtH_SiFNvrMgiaukxeK82xJK5A0s3rW0HPuOycJxCvAo3MnPEvzxhY_nvRP_1mmbXlDjYCIUu35nc0px5xxygHDbw7M/s3168/Main%20Street%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3168" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ9UQScMLeiI-hN_usKsVkw2B-CDhGH8YAIh42PnAOJD7ENJStR19Z5x-pKEvwBv3ZRkCWBWdRvQyvI4BRe2lIVUrITtH_SiFNvrMgiaukxeK82xJK5A0s3rW0HPuOycJxCvAo3MnPEvzxhY_nvRP_1mmbXlDjYCIUu35nc0px5xxygHDbw7M/w640-h516/Main%20Street%20Chandni%20Chowk.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZVvQ3Sis_n9-gR-wDUTHrLgeVFdB8OPCnZ0Gu0owpbELGwEh2WbqYaXWZ2L3RI-Xorajagd82LxwLwZLW97QoPyFk-yGOzkAKkr2iolBtZDQLbCbhH9PXKUJUkDul276s09hw8W_uO8P-NMo0ZLZodA62C3kQNixqb2KLErSTU05ytMPPUj6/s3769/IMG_1115a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2720" data-original-width="3769" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZVvQ3Sis_n9-gR-wDUTHrLgeVFdB8OPCnZ0Gu0owpbELGwEh2WbqYaXWZ2L3RI-Xorajagd82LxwLwZLW97QoPyFk-yGOzkAKkr2iolBtZDQLbCbhH9PXKUJUkDul276s09hw8W_uO8P-NMo0ZLZodA62C3kQNixqb2KLErSTU05ytMPPUj6/w640-h462/IMG_1115a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Hints of the former beauty of these old buildings</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although there certainly were tourists there, Chandni Chowk
is not aimed at tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
genuine Indian marketplace, filled with local people (mostly men) buying,
selling, sleeping in the little squares in the middle of the road, sitting on
the curb getting a shave, or chatting with their friends.</span> </span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Verdana",sans-serif" style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n3mvm6FwIVU_viPbc4qtJRhL18dp265ceS1mj7dBBX0TXHsjqwk2-xEV_aa31dSzv9sE7vJQJkPb0f_TKHerp14SuqSAG2wJ-MX3rl5SGwy85a6523KEYoNWW1tV43pDz9PWgU6oh-pdIIM4WW1DVRvZzA3yHH5qztgAaS6B_zHLPEybjJl8/s3832/IMG_1094a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2764" data-original-width="3832" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n3mvm6FwIVU_viPbc4qtJRhL18dp265ceS1mj7dBBX0TXHsjqwk2-xEV_aa31dSzv9sE7vJQJkPb0f_TKHerp14SuqSAG2wJ-MX3rl5SGwy85a6523KEYoNWW1tV43pDz9PWgU6oh-pdIIM4WW1DVRvZzA3yHH5qztgAaS6B_zHLPEybjJl8/w640-h462/IMG_1094a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">An old city gate leading into the Spice Market</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0xjz-eBTGLTDM7FC6xu2fF94wrpDPBrPAfzs5uM2XAHmOf6COn3oj_1nADaIHFDk8XmRnRH8V6GRGt0Y__KE0puhDfCDUHoHV9t7AQYw_Eonqmc4u0eKmZh2iZQ1kHVR_dFxPUYnlJOjChK1i4cnxul0vVEFF1MfVlR1BGgWhqDlP1vmYn4m/s2000/Market%20Scenes.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2000" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0xjz-eBTGLTDM7FC6xu2fF94wrpDPBrPAfzs5uM2XAHmOf6COn3oj_1nADaIHFDk8XmRnRH8V6GRGt0Y__KE0puhDfCDUHoHV9t7AQYw_Eonqmc4u0eKmZh2iZQ1kHVR_dFxPUYnlJOjChK1i4cnxul0vVEFF1MfVlR1BGgWhqDlP1vmYn4m/w640-h464/Market%20Scenes.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The busy market streets of Chandni Chowk</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our rickshaw ride
ended at the largest spice market in Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We visited one of the shops and made our first purchase of this
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Masala Chai, curry powder, and
turmeric – some of the staples of Indian cuisine.</span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRIXURpqoZXfPiUto4HQ04639L5uGgrCjxPHCh4oH5_50PGCXJGKNMtIlfPc07PNzFIQbHIyYQhF1BZbqfXmA91ezVmhpkUWlwgUCjpW0k1oQwnP8VLKfo-r3vKy3gIqg2CHcbfR0DiXycGJgnCvteupVsMnZXqlFkBhmzMW9Zw_kEvXQM8ln/s1852/Spice%20Market.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1852" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRIXURpqoZXfPiUto4HQ04639L5uGgrCjxPHCh4oH5_50PGCXJGKNMtIlfPc07PNzFIQbHIyYQhF1BZbqfXmA91ezVmhpkUWlwgUCjpW0k1oQwnP8VLKfo-r3vKy3gIqg2CHcbfR0DiXycGJgnCvteupVsMnZXqlFkBhmzMW9Zw_kEvXQM8ln/w640-h374/Spice%20Market.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I love Spice Markets!<br /></span></b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoz8UK-GPTSbkI6bVgTLpYpJZ1-oAIz0KAjHnTZkRycfokqipufX9LpKwKo6IKADlLcngxJLyrqj3H5WaM9u6EcuT0KvBSwUHshiNlxIUT0lVIAONr9DZFKLkQwD-5nm2kns1p_2xUZKIwuXCGfhf89Ql822bRG_xXF8yxEjPtTNyszoZXrBt/s1732/Flower%20Market.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1732" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoz8UK-GPTSbkI6bVgTLpYpJZ1-oAIz0KAjHnTZkRycfokqipufX9LpKwKo6IKADlLcngxJLyrqj3H5WaM9u6EcuT0KvBSwUHshiNlxIUT0lVIAONr9DZFKLkQwD-5nm2kns1p_2xUZKIwuXCGfhf89Ql822bRG_xXF8yxEjPtTNyszoZXrBt/w640-h286/Flower%20Market.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Flowers are very important in Indian culture. <br />We saw them sold in every city. They are used as offerings in Hindu temples</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Our bicycle rickshaw returned us back to Jama Masjid. Along
the way, we saw the exteriors of the golden-domed <b>Gauri Shakar Sikh Temple </b>and
the bright red <b>Sri Digambara Jain Lal Mandir Temple.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jain temple includes a bird hospital, demonstrating
the Jain philosophy to preserve all life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had attributed this belief to Hindus, but it is the Jains who go so
far as to wash the road in front of them so they will not injure any small
creatures.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDYoruh8b5ASM7zcjO4QEs5132IEl514u2hAegXbEpMavUpsJgloyP7ssBb_JYUTLO_NWlfeztbm_tnOraWzPE3_FzMTwzaKJTNxrRW_C3FxAADxvtHUSt7GSdWjtqg-x3SbZiaFYgTvgLsok0-7mQbZUwvFQ-zz2Rv83CqqR2xK5ORqHg98M/s2212/IMG_1130ab.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1735" data-original-width="2212" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDYoruh8b5ASM7zcjO4QEs5132IEl514u2hAegXbEpMavUpsJgloyP7ssBb_JYUTLO_NWlfeztbm_tnOraWzPE3_FzMTwzaKJTNxrRW_C3FxAADxvtHUSt7GSdWjtqg-x3SbZiaFYgTvgLsok0-7mQbZUwvFQ-zz2Rv83CqqR2xK5ORqHg98M/w640-h502/IMG_1130ab.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #050505; text-align: left;">Sri Digambara Jain Lal Mandir, the Jain temple<br />The </span>Gauri Shakar Sikh Temple stands behind it.</b></span><span style="color: #050505; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QWjr0-_6-QkvXyWci9L5lzamv-oOZL8GofxhKSPV_h6KU2xiyFc7dRD7kUv1bH2Bpgdy52ZeAC7D_TPP5IXtGPEoeAZfRKNVZCXYR3FRS3xoTFGWAuL9_9efnafc0_WCxYnyHKR_m26f4jNUydlh9gJI4mbSI0SwKB0kqhHS0EYydK9mmh-p/s4402/IMG_1118a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4402" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9QWjr0-_6-QkvXyWci9L5lzamv-oOZL8GofxhKSPV_h6KU2xiyFc7dRD7kUv1bH2Bpgdy52ZeAC7D_TPP5IXtGPEoeAZfRKNVZCXYR3FRS3xoTFGWAuL9_9efnafc0_WCxYnyHKR_m26f4jNUydlh9gJI4mbSI0SwKB0kqhHS0EYydK9mmh-p/w640-h424/IMG_1118a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b>Gauri Shakar Sikh Temple</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">At the end of the road stands the <b>Red Fort</b>, a huge complex,
also started by Shah Jahan, once surrounded by a moat with crocodiles and still
used by the Indian military. The Lahore Gate is the location of an annual speech by the Prime Minister of India.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9MHzKJFrOfs_2ZDeJDku8cZSfGYoHeaOHSHXb9CFAFiy68M8SGjaJZ1WLz1w803b92rry3sZ6cPhra7NNJlmB7AKxQXolLOHLU2evt9zbmlGYTQKZYy3oE-MklUSqWmeQRoWExnOJ99MMuUkTidO7aCrz5XvUDZ6vK8IrXh48KddH4ckmwB1/s4720/IMG_1029a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2648" data-original-width="4720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9MHzKJFrOfs_2ZDeJDku8cZSfGYoHeaOHSHXb9CFAFiy68M8SGjaJZ1WLz1w803b92rry3sZ6cPhra7NNJlmB7AKxQXolLOHLU2evt9zbmlGYTQKZYy3oE-MklUSqWmeQRoWExnOJ99MMuUkTidO7aCrz5XvUDZ6vK8IrXh48KddH4ckmwB1/w640-h360/IMG_1029a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Red Fort viewed from Jama Masjid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iRJlxz43hDB-xOSih0IZbB2uj-ZjfrsJZgJjQc3F1732AAZvOTUoTiZuDznYLR4uBqAi5ATJJhCOfUJS2Is2MctK2SFZmTKcVDYtGTyEd4TI-Xde6Xv89qKGn24mPlsvWCA3j41zSmr6y4bzmbwDXkDihOxK-4hg0bOL13mBJNvC1K3uGGt1/s3606/IMG_1126a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2789" data-original-width="3606" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iRJlxz43hDB-xOSih0IZbB2uj-ZjfrsJZgJjQc3F1732AAZvOTUoTiZuDznYLR4uBqAi5ATJJhCOfUJS2Is2MctK2SFZmTKcVDYtGTyEd4TI-Xde6Xv89qKGn24mPlsvWCA3j41zSmr6y4bzmbwDXkDihOxK-4hg0bOL13mBJNvC1K3uGGt1/w640-h494/IMG_1126a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Lahore Gate of the Red Fort</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our next stop was <b>Raj Ghat</b>, the site where Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi was cremated following his assassination in 1948. The setting is
serene, with a park filled with large grassy lawns and trees, and so many flowers that the breeze
filled the air with a lovely scent. Plaques along the walk held quotes from
Gandhi. There were dozens of both tourists and Indian families coming to pay
their respects to the man who is remembered as the Father of the Nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stood on the walkway above the cremation
site, which has wreaths of fresh flowers laid upon it every day while our guide
shared the fascinating story of Gandhi and the freedom fighter who assassinated
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although they both wanted
independence for their country, Nathuram Vinayakrao Godse was a Hindu
Nationalist who believed that Gandhi gave too many concessions to the British
when settling the Indian Partition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A tragic ending to a noble life.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBijAEqZ4eEVdReWGIOsB6EXuCsWtkznErsPXQP7nwwNYqAUqjVmD-lba3GoMyP_ZZYdp7U8AMDVmSskxIA8S1Vlzm_lAOC5-MWkJCIfhDZzPtmIjseWVxrxvPs2NsdbIJfENWCs3aiR7yWiZMg6_yA8OS8ZyjbDA8NHM4V8JTMXP-irF1lEk/s4974/Raj%20Ghat.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4974" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBijAEqZ4eEVdReWGIOsB6EXuCsWtkznErsPXQP7nwwNYqAUqjVmD-lba3GoMyP_ZZYdp7U8AMDVmSskxIA8S1Vlzm_lAOC5-MWkJCIfhDZzPtmIjseWVxrxvPs2NsdbIJfENWCs3aiR7yWiZMg6_yA8OS8ZyjbDA8NHM4V8JTMXP-irF1lEk/w640-h386/Raj%20Ghat.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Raj Ghat</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zQYC0_gp2Y2bnOaAsMSnNo-SJuxicxheQsbFVlDf_WBzb495TOswqchbEhRkD1qK0hiZ1AMKODp6OMHN__De6UzNRRwXBSCUZ5N-3Iw2XwERhKo15hcPyKkDWnWQd5rw1no0FNHFlyqs9wIAv2gGIjvveabCMWnxqDvNTGAUJaHVp7_xauyT/s1813/Gandhi.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1813" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zQYC0_gp2Y2bnOaAsMSnNo-SJuxicxheQsbFVlDf_WBzb495TOswqchbEhRkD1qK0hiZ1AMKODp6OMHN__De6UzNRRwXBSCUZ5N-3Iw2XwERhKo15hcPyKkDWnWQd5rw1no0FNHFlyqs9wIAv2gGIjvveabCMWnxqDvNTGAUJaHVp7_xauyT/w382-h640/Gandhi.jpeg" width="382" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Wisdom from Gandhi and his face on Indian banknotes.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Ram then drove us to A</span><b style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">grasen ki Baoli</b><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">, an ancient step
well. No one knows when it was originally built, but archaeologists believe
that it was rebuilt in the 14</span><sup style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">th</sup><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;"> century. Raj explained that no one
ever used to visit this hidden treasure until Bollywood filmed a movie here.
Now it is a popular little oasis in the city. Toward the bottom of the 103
steps, the temperature is cooled up to 10 degrees by the water in the well,
which rises and falls with the rainy and dry seasons.</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">The many pigeons on the old stone walls
seemed to enjoy the protected spot.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp2HyKfYn-7q5r2HJY5_0dujYGxvmJ-rTJuvRi2BzySQaQBnl1a7d2D2WX14oNX9vPJ44Li1jeeatLpdCKZm3Y0ptVS-3Gg0Eft4zE4zgyzqXw_uYK1ApDqfo5FEEU3iPP4OobnTlmD9CbyQ1fme6Qm2FcNA5_3lK7RCzkRepuCC3r22MKcyW/s1800/The%20Agrasen%20Ki%20Baoli.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1800" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp2HyKfYn-7q5r2HJY5_0dujYGxvmJ-rTJuvRi2BzySQaQBnl1a7d2D2WX14oNX9vPJ44Li1jeeatLpdCKZm3Y0ptVS-3Gg0Eft4zE4zgyzqXw_uYK1ApDqfo5FEEU3iPP4OobnTlmD9CbyQ1fme6Qm2FcNA5_3lK7RCzkRepuCC3r22MKcyW/w640-h384/The%20Agrasen%20Ki%20Baoli.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Agrasen Ki Baoli -an ancient step well, with a ruined building next to it<br />and lots of pigeons roosting on the old rock walls.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Following the step well, we stopped at a shop that makes and sells
Kashmir pashminas and rugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
proprietor and an artisan demonstrated the method of hand-knotting and weaving
the intricate designs, and much to my surprise, we did actually buy a gorgeous
hand-knotted rug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had always regretted
not buying a hand-woven rug we had loved in Turkey, so this was my chance to
remedy that decision.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHS-0IP7fOtKuQaKvY_6T-ZglvpzTPdEu1B3gPDX1pLWf1BoeQ_juoOTIofZQJA9xP3Y1VNAxaK48leArczKXUKCK4-Cc4AfzoYTmWJOfhyphenhyphenm4C_AC0IePkjPuu9rajkfJr4EBerWV8qIrTwYvHXuw2VoSTs1VlH_fxG4DNp95OeqViXn7xwdC/s1726/Rugs.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1726" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHS-0IP7fOtKuQaKvY_6T-ZglvpzTPdEu1B3gPDX1pLWf1BoeQ_juoOTIofZQJA9xP3Y1VNAxaK48leArczKXUKCK4-Cc4AfzoYTmWJOfhyphenhyphenm4C_AC0IePkjPuu9rajkfJr4EBerWV8qIrTwYvHXuw2VoSTs1VlH_fxG4DNp95OeqViXn7xwdC/w640-h400/Rugs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Our host shares the tools and techniques of making the hand-knotted rugs of Kashmir.<br />Our new rug fits perfectly in the entryway of our home.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We left “Old Delhi” and headed into the crazy traffic of
modern <b>New Delhi</b>, the capital city of India. The traffic was worse than Cairo! No
one pays any attention to the lane markings. Drivers of cars, motorcycles, tuk
tuks, and donkey or ox carts just push their way into the crowd...a particularly
interesting strategy in the many roundabouts built by the British when they
ruled India. During our days in the cities, I learned to close my eyes, enjoy
the chorus of the endless honks and beeps and toots, and trust in our
professional drivers. (Our guide called it organized chaos, but trust me...It was disorganized chaos!)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We passed by the huge grounds of the <b>Presidential Palace</b>
and other government buildings within the complex then stopped at <b>Lazeez
Affaire</b> Restaurant for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
restaurant offered a set menu of about ten different Indian dishes. I guessed
from the foreigners around us that the restaurant caters to tourists, so although
the dishes were all spicy, they were not too hot for my western palate. (I came
to learn that the Indian version of “mild” is my version of “blazing hot.”)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gpKhmU_MA8hnymTFBUEcParAaO7qwJZYdNI0JfMZ7iYDl8Ad8wQmk_lWFp_Cg3c-n3wVPRTGipA6uUHf0WxSgjdmIIsKFjHC1ciRHrDWYOPTZL-q5KRyEoWe6yINsvjEdJ7u8VLuS3qZqXnWv3c0S2ffxEBCHPwkfY4_zNC4PWhsKv2qUK6M/s4767/IMG_1166a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2418" data-original-width="4767" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gpKhmU_MA8hnymTFBUEcParAaO7qwJZYdNI0JfMZ7iYDl8Ad8wQmk_lWFp_Cg3c-n3wVPRTGipA6uUHf0WxSgjdmIIsKFjHC1ciRHrDWYOPTZL-q5KRyEoWe6yINsvjEdJ7u8VLuS3qZqXnWv3c0S2ffxEBCHPwkfY4_zNC4PWhsKv2qUK6M/w640-h324/IMG_1166a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Presidential Palace and government buildings of New Delhi <br />stand in a well-guarded compound.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUCTDCae57yZDTrHrZ61dEWYNM9YFx8PDzswSvrki3BBNw7icIviRIdENbd8T6T8vfeylETQ3D31I1e8FNMAAzrHuqG6DvjdphOZSxYMXEMtjd87mWEMaluClapMt7e5fOKnhyfz5DjtKY7Fz2GYhoSt1jMFNomAPB-tM6pe0WyB-s0ed1Wrg/s4607/IMG_1168a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="4607" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUCTDCae57yZDTrHrZ61dEWYNM9YFx8PDzswSvrki3BBNw7icIviRIdENbd8T6T8vfeylETQ3D31I1e8FNMAAzrHuqG6DvjdphOZSxYMXEMtjd87mWEMaluClapMt7e5fOKnhyfz5DjtKY7Fz2GYhoSt1jMFNomAPB-tM6pe0WyB-s0ed1Wrg/w640-h394/IMG_1168a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob heads into Lazeez Affaire Restaurant</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Iuo1O2es4M8A6nSUi8HtfQuQEoBo6uac7IzNyzc58VUxU2iBSm7coCpPbPT0dIZv_74YyK8r19SUrfb51iAlhlhA2DVixsUtMcz_ulO4lnnE2LN1ELll867EonPYBublRjUnmxuv3ZllC2KVAGxZLNayj2mAeaLcONyglGtKMCnMykjiGdzl/s2927/Road%20signs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2927" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Iuo1O2es4M8A6nSUi8HtfQuQEoBo6uac7IzNyzc58VUxU2iBSm7coCpPbPT0dIZv_74YyK8r19SUrfb51iAlhlhA2DVixsUtMcz_ulO4lnnE2LN1ELll867EonPYBublRjUnmxuv3ZllC2KVAGxZLNayj2mAeaLcONyglGtKMCnMykjiGdzl/w438-h640/Road%20signs.jpeg" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>A relatively clear intersection at one of the Delhi roundabouts.<br />The street signs in Delhi are printed in Hindi, English, Punjabi, and Urdu.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After the delicious lunch, there were still two more stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple, </b>also known as Birla Temple for the family that built it, is dedicated to
Vishnu the Protector and his consort, Lakshmi. The outside of the temple was
lovely with ochre and red walls, but sadly, no cameras
were allowed inside, so I bought a little book with pictures of the Hindu gods
we saw inside the temple. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAvvd07o4vLeISPgtZmRPOd7JbGlvYF8-NfUXHn9qCDqmvG26UeohpB447iWXKBAlwde1xJvM9VNv2TcjBfuKYAAFpXtupwNKOcmUI9y1Nf8pCcI01SNJvq3gbCUiYwBwhlUP51Bg97Pf3LLJGhtRtRCloKVGTE34Tq-8J8-361HGU3n3A5X-/s3810/The%20Hindu%20Temple.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3810" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAvvd07o4vLeISPgtZmRPOd7JbGlvYF8-NfUXHn9qCDqmvG26UeohpB447iWXKBAlwde1xJvM9VNv2TcjBfuKYAAFpXtupwNKOcmUI9y1Nf8pCcI01SNJvq3gbCUiYwBwhlUP51Bg97Pf3LLJGhtRtRCloKVGTE34Tq-8J8-361HGU3n3A5X-/w504-h640/The%20Hindu%20Temple.jpeg" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple exterior</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I have always loved Greek and Roman mythology and their
pantheon of gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This trip gave me a
much better understanding of Hindu mythology as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, unlike the Greeks and Romans, the
Hindu religion is alive and thriving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Raj bowed reverently before the statue of his patron god, the
monkey-faced Hanuman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He explained that
each god is associated with a particular day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hanuman, who is usually worshipped on Tuesdays, is know for love,
compassion, devotion, strength, and intelligence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder he is one of the most popular gods.</span></p><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">For those of you who are as ignorant of Hindu religion as I was, here is a little primer on some of the most popular of the many gods of Hinduism, using photos of the statues inside the temple taken from my purchase.</span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAied4fCUAYnQ8ZRTDnoNt_G9Q5sMd_HA6yTEmLzb_DNBUsnrZJ5OxClxNVrA70JWrbbsS7msFGeOlI4EP3zHK7qXKu9FpTuHogpwqRmF1Fm0tDlCgKwvGrgQc0SrNgKS7SrDSuBNW7leXpc5pHfIlZFFW13ObCNC4ZcQt_Qx-vbIZHDJOPVa/s1811/Trimurti.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1811" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAied4fCUAYnQ8ZRTDnoNt_G9Q5sMd_HA6yTEmLzb_DNBUsnrZJ5OxClxNVrA70JWrbbsS7msFGeOlI4EP3zHK7qXKu9FpTuHogpwqRmF1Fm0tDlCgKwvGrgQc0SrNgKS7SrDSuBNW7leXpc5pHfIlZFFW13ObCNC4ZcQt_Qx-vbIZHDJOPVa/w640-h298/Trimurti.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">These are the three gods of the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism.<br /> Brahma, the Creator Vishnu, the Protector Shiva, the Destroyer </span></b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyLbqfEWa2Hg2K4FzCVpmQW3S6iuFn35xc_YFSMRj0qQPtr6mn0eBZOnwWoBw8BFxJ4pAiO6JA9tUn9ErQz1FHBMRaTWuw4Pgcovx9WJQyQtrOtEHDtbenHfjmdsBOWtls7eaAAuSLNhyphenhyphen2yu6bx_ymmIuoTeHcByOqevBjFOyXvlkYIj2QrMu/s1652/Vishnu%20and%20Lakshmi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="1194" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyLbqfEWa2Hg2K4FzCVpmQW3S6iuFn35xc_YFSMRj0qQPtr6mn0eBZOnwWoBw8BFxJ4pAiO6JA9tUn9ErQz1FHBMRaTWuw4Pgcovx9WJQyQtrOtEHDtbenHfjmdsBOWtls7eaAAuSLNhyphenhyphen2yu6bx_ymmIuoTeHcByOqevBjFOyXvlkYIj2QrMu/w462-h640/Vishnu%20and%20Lakshmi.jpg" width="462" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Each of the three primary gods has a consort. <br />Here are Vishnu and Lakshmi, to whom this temple is dedicated.<br />Brahma's consort is Saraswati, and Vishnu's is Parvati</span></b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbp7gPet0IZFzIP__Yye4IA9mDybkRrwgSKdTYIJzn1Pt7-rs0u5mi_YSOO7tR5VY6p_nfujzR1ooGfXkk3I7V0DPYxcFGolwkWwrQ0W9MVRfg5xStnmfLtoC1qSYw2f5ofDGCXxppw1xvJfrqvtTlreMNy1MSqfTMzTWyaNCqmlNnY0bnxy8/s1440/Hamuman%20and%20Ganesha.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1440" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbp7gPet0IZFzIP__Yye4IA9mDybkRrwgSKdTYIJzn1Pt7-rs0u5mi_YSOO7tR5VY6p_nfujzR1ooGfXkk3I7V0DPYxcFGolwkWwrQ0W9MVRfg5xStnmfLtoC1qSYw2f5ofDGCXxppw1xvJfrqvtTlreMNy1MSqfTMzTWyaNCqmlNnY0bnxy8/w640-h440/Hamuman%20and%20Ganesha.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are Hanuman, the monkey-faced god, and <br />Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati.<br />I have a soft spot for Ganesha, a god who removes obstacles.<br />And I was surprised to learn that his father, Shiva the Destroyer, <br />doesn't rain down destruction. <br />Instead, Hindus can pray to him to destroy the bad qualities within themselves.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of destruction, this temple was quite new
because the Mughal Empire had destroyed many of the Hindu temples around
India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw more evidence of this at
our final stop for the day, the wonderful Muslim complex at <b>Qutub Minar.</b> This
UNESCO World Heritage site in south Delhi was filled with ruined buildings from
before the 12th century. The ruins are still covered with gorgeous carvings and
Arabic calligraphy, but Raj pointed out that the stone carvers were Hindus, and
they had incorporated Hindu designs into the carvings. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZ9e32afJzNPh4mqZTtTbQtSYsZowlk5OgqtAtKEtLutLyGWBYjsGT-dIqtS6xNi5i6Ef8xV-w6tT4nl9EyIOArAPCY11tksbvw-CPhsHDr41i4rrUPeAvJ1GBN5LQ7YeoEBz8rrgmdCAFTXoBS23eON3pYeKSxyU331QDJLTRvIHtvpnZXkk/s1908/Qutub%201.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZ9e32afJzNPh4mqZTtTbQtSYsZowlk5OgqtAtKEtLutLyGWBYjsGT-dIqtS6xNi5i6Ef8xV-w6tT4nl9EyIOArAPCY11tksbvw-CPhsHDr41i4rrUPeAvJ1GBN5LQ7YeoEBz8rrgmdCAFTXoBS23eON3pYeKSxyU331QDJLTRvIHtvpnZXkk/w640-h320/Qutub%201.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the gorgeous ruins in the Qutub Minar complex.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rggnQm2OD6NgJnY2EOyQj03e90gVmHPXVNX2qT4_-5altbnrc5ieomwy-DJr7oZ9Uqg16t9mkeXaxgv9-5bMjEKRlwz7_4FLQ1nIwEpmKrEwxKeVahKJsd-cwyF_LY7SY-OQDvtQFX48cQj2t5wGje0lnd9lmbfqYJQv3kkt5lBVTOZno5jl/s4933/IMG_1205a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4933" data-original-width="2771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rggnQm2OD6NgJnY2EOyQj03e90gVmHPXVNX2qT4_-5altbnrc5ieomwy-DJr7oZ9Uqg16t9mkeXaxgv9-5bMjEKRlwz7_4FLQ1nIwEpmKrEwxKeVahKJsd-cwyF_LY7SY-OQDvtQFX48cQj2t5wGje0lnd9lmbfqYJQv3kkt5lBVTOZno5jl/w360-h640/IMG_1205a.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Notice the floral designs woven into the Islamic script by Hindu scuptors.<br />This created a new Indo-Islamic style of architecture.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZd18ogTppp0xNzUKFxJDqAPO3pMTck6JkaVTNQSatilnI0krgPVoTdY_hSlsmDuzUZylj-aKy8XIZU5rSvjogj513Wtl8cXvwrdJwILjC983p2zWcpsktha77MhCnKYZ-u4u37sYKEasSn_oh_RxknkOVo0SzBQ_ZknIJkbFsCRTEMQb_8f3/s1754/Qutub%20Minar%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1754" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZd18ogTppp0xNzUKFxJDqAPO3pMTck6JkaVTNQSatilnI0krgPVoTdY_hSlsmDuzUZylj-aKy8XIZU5rSvjogj513Wtl8cXvwrdJwILjC983p2zWcpsktha77MhCnKYZ-u4u37sYKEasSn_oh_RxknkOVo0SzBQ_ZknIJkbFsCRTEMQb_8f3/w640-h394/Qutub%20Minar%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Tomb of Shams al-Din Iltutmish, the second sultan of Delhi in the 1200s.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdFvy1jlvBsh74aq2wQzE0szDD5AedAyDuiNeRsEJDfUGkUWLI3oRtA57GlBasgbo43VpnJuHRyNa8FJWtrpQjTM6X0XEB6HbB9vVErHctRmPQS30SHDOKftv_q45DgpUWa1hpb0-KOwP3QoxRMoBD3yg_Zu04GvIoA4-TXY4GaSLR4VmiKh3/s4357/IMG_1203a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="4357" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdFvy1jlvBsh74aq2wQzE0szDD5AedAyDuiNeRsEJDfUGkUWLI3oRtA57GlBasgbo43VpnJuHRyNa8FJWtrpQjTM6X0XEB6HbB9vVErHctRmPQS30SHDOKftv_q45DgpUWa1hpb0-KOwP3QoxRMoBD3yg_Zu04GvIoA4-TXY4GaSLR4VmiKh3/w640-h408/IMG_1203a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruins of the madrasa, an Islamic school, in the Qutub Minar complex.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wU4vIaRb12DrENsYvr8pcQ7uTapyKBBq4B3cgHUgrX3ptEcBPH-W6nh0KjXafWs8aXU4CduuOx_Dw8sXrnJGbr_rrzdkwQerXXcxjgFqdTIW256kBUnIsgTe0SMLUnkNL2rfIQoL8JJI4qCIE7_tAuKso2XJcTfqNwEjBZcr1ngQJfB6fW0V/s1920/Iron%20Pillar.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="1920" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wU4vIaRb12DrENsYvr8pcQ7uTapyKBBq4B3cgHUgrX3ptEcBPH-W6nh0KjXafWs8aXU4CduuOx_Dw8sXrnJGbr_rrzdkwQerXXcxjgFqdTIW256kBUnIsgTe0SMLUnkNL2rfIQoL8JJI4qCIE7_tAuKso2XJcTfqNwEjBZcr1ngQJfB6fW0V/w640-h568/Iron%20Pillar.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Iron Pillar is a notable part of the Qutub Minar complex. It is considered one of the world's foremost metallurgical curiosities. <br />It was first erected in around 402 A.D. in front of a Vishnu temple in Udayagiri. <br />It was moved to this location in the 10th century.<br />The ancient pillar of iron weighs 6,511 kg (14,354 pounds!)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The highlight of the complex is the 73-meter tall Qutub Minar, a brick minaret built in the 12th century. It is gorgeous, with six sections of red
brick, each with a unique design.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeYmYSgWL22-nJnQwc-muH427cHcysnawXYvLSX2Kd2EVoSvyWHgoqvff_OEgDG7ctbsEDR8etw2A5AvqV3hUIJBH_znFs-cJfw_yKMKu6OkD-HjnWhyphenhyphenGOg9rpa_uYVVl6REX5EAAGJf4sSF_J9uoPSOXvzIYrCvNc1ELYBzpQS1ZfswQ4kvq/s1975/Qutub%203.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1905" data-original-width="1975" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeYmYSgWL22-nJnQwc-muH427cHcysnawXYvLSX2Kd2EVoSvyWHgoqvff_OEgDG7ctbsEDR8etw2A5AvqV3hUIJBH_znFs-cJfw_yKMKu6OkD-HjnWhyphenhyphenGOg9rpa_uYVVl6REX5EAAGJf4sSF_J9uoPSOXvzIYrCvNc1ELYBzpQS1ZfswQ4kvq/w640-h618/Qutub%203.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nQ-Lvi8RGb3IpVTu6jA8JBfhpWa8Cqi71telo2mSInNeYMEyaeCwcYfpIHlYNX-vaEH2vQFRGa9zOjpbIKE80vEt7A0JEUW1HGIpbbzlXeV3s9MZJIDY8zbcstC2BUfJkSKOXJse17pOdGgwAwtqxyaesKdZJyqAwMjnHl17B0cAI62Hrgfb/s1827/Qutub%204.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1827" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nQ-Lvi8RGb3IpVTu6jA8JBfhpWa8Cqi71telo2mSInNeYMEyaeCwcYfpIHlYNX-vaEH2vQFRGa9zOjpbIKE80vEt7A0JEUW1HGIpbbzlXeV3s9MZJIDY8zbcstC2BUfJkSKOXJse17pOdGgwAwtqxyaesKdZJyqAwMjnHl17B0cAI62Hrgfb/w378-h640/Qutub%204.jpeg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Each segment of the Qutub Minar was unique</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUnz9w344ArBsZB9ydrPlr3I8DuZEyivPs1ERN6LVnvV5JRufxFQ9cVFgNVnvoL70M07NYBxGHB9VQKVoxQUevq1x7Y2lch42E6dGu0m4yjw2iJLU8FESvYMT4joUJ_NqeTI29ogT-0qeqVfJEUgTrq8gJ81dJYwBXPji8369jrudqgY_0ztL/s4748/IMG_1224a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4748" data-original-width="2818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUnz9w344ArBsZB9ydrPlr3I8DuZEyivPs1ERN6LVnvV5JRufxFQ9cVFgNVnvoL70M07NYBxGHB9VQKVoxQUevq1x7Y2lch42E6dGu0m4yjw2iJLU8FESvYMT4joUJ_NqeTI29ogT-0qeqVfJEUgTrq8gJ81dJYwBXPji8369jrudqgY_0ztL/w380-h640/IMG_1224a.JPG" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Joan and Rob - and the obligatory tourist photo!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The tower was beautiful, but my favorite sight was the ruin of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">beyond the
tower. Dating from 1193, it was the first mosque built in Delhi after the Muslim conquest and was built on the grounds of a destroyed Hindu temple. The
intricately carved pillars of the original temple were used by the Muslims to
hold up the mosque. The faces of the Hindu gods had been defaced, as Muslim art
does not include animals, humans, or gods, but the columns were still gorgeous.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5xRZG9ENaQyaIaEaqn37bCek9JDAiWffJx5O22yl_3Zq7iUOvT7YTc2pSFPNf5AF4GvTtcUCqcFpasIyMSrH3WGALfjd0C4j27NKA1Mp7kpOAV3Wl392fTgbgs5s5fYPcMcnj4sMQmigrPJ1i0iGvqi0pFlzQ1gYq5aM2n_86ukBNA30fxtD/s1080/Qutub%205.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5xRZG9ENaQyaIaEaqn37bCek9JDAiWffJx5O22yl_3Zq7iUOvT7YTc2pSFPNf5AF4GvTtcUCqcFpasIyMSrH3WGALfjd0C4j27NKA1Mp7kpOAV3Wl392fTgbgs5s5fYPcMcnj4sMQmigrPJ1i0iGvqi0pFlzQ1gYq5aM2n_86ukBNA30fxtD/w632-h640/Qutub%205.jpeg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbg9XwUQ6KiZucUgE8HomwBMYJbTBul2jd3up4aPf4CalTU6Bo-UwFzx9gZ4YgNz3a7hBaa6mWcbj036mrrjQbN_q47UuWRHyg20y-lWSebgRykplapwT_8Eg6bwgW5f3D1EE6M3SMSk0KpGBgAnkWdh0cazZGhQb5lxTCj7FJYrdTW3LuGeL/s1406/Qutub%206.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1406" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbg9XwUQ6KiZucUgE8HomwBMYJbTBul2jd3up4aPf4CalTU6Bo-UwFzx9gZ4YgNz3a7hBaa6mWcbj036mrrjQbN_q47UuWRHyg20y-lWSebgRykplapwT_8Eg6bwgW5f3D1EE6M3SMSk0KpGBgAnkWdh0cazZGhQb5lxTCj7FJYrdTW3LuGeL/w640-h388/Qutub%206.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Carvings on the ancient Hindu pillars used to support the roof of the mosque.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Historic"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">There was one final sight at the Qutub Minar complex - the Alai Minar of Alauddin Khalji. This ruler expanded the Quwwat ul-Islam mosque and wanted to tower two times higher than the Qutub Minar. But after his death in 1316, the project was abandoned, and the only thing left is this immense cone of stone. It was pretty jaw-dropping, in spite of its lack of completion. But my favorite sight were the Indian ring-necked parakeets roosting high up on its rocks!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLQl52NJKLc9AzEv8qQEkcclNvztT8gcl8JgbCd6eoobSZTEkcMtpxUxOmh84vXbaGprjygHSxeveC5azNepyzTSyWKhoKOTjI5WwAZ4KD1dU7MUwt87_unihE42dkUOMgchHf9RYxfKEI6VYKNetlENfpCq1HEtVKAj8QaO5ZLanaatCeLtG/s4778/IMG_1193a.JPG" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2653" data-original-width="4778" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLQl52NJKLc9AzEv8qQEkcclNvztT8gcl8JgbCd6eoobSZTEkcMtpxUxOmh84vXbaGprjygHSxeveC5azNepyzTSyWKhoKOTjI5WwAZ4KD1dU7MUwt87_unihE42dkUOMgchHf9RYxfKEI6VYKNetlENfpCq1HEtVKAj8QaO5ZLanaatCeLtG/w640-h356/IMG_1193a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Alai Minar</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqo8PL_2U_LdrCw4GAxwdE3A9LSRMcQGbMydMjWYBdxMN2aKfyTjzfcPQbWP-vO_r-Vo-Bd_7k3WRuwrm2IQf_2RaTjA79gR4wfTltHDnElCD7gVwZLoIg30wTs38ZGvc89v2JZ_N2-bAhHJfH92uxBf70LRL0Gmkb3J7f9doCDBtULflRAcw/s3432/IMG_1188a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1860" data-original-width="3432" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqo8PL_2U_LdrCw4GAxwdE3A9LSRMcQGbMydMjWYBdxMN2aKfyTjzfcPQbWP-vO_r-Vo-Bd_7k3WRuwrm2IQf_2RaTjA79gR4wfTltHDnElCD7gVwZLoIg30wTs38ZGvc89v2JZ_N2-bAhHJfH92uxBf70LRL0Gmkb3J7f9doCDBtULflRAcw/w640-h346/IMG_1188a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pigeons and an Indian ring-necked parakeet on the ruins of Alai Minar.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">What a spectacular start to our trip!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: verdana; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">We returned to the Oberoi with a head full of new sights and information, but completely worn out, so we cancelled dinner reservations, packed for our journey to Varanasi the next day, and went straight to bed.</span></span></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-69044577649813385402024-03-13T15:57:00.000-07:002024-03-17T10:55:42.940-07:00Incredible India - Part 1: Reflections on Travel to India<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To Go or Not to Go? That was the Question</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rob and I talked about visiting India for several years
before we finally took the leap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The distance
from California, the unfamiliar culture, the poverty, the crowded cities, the
reports of sexual violence, the current right-leaning government all
contributed to our indecision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
friends who had recently traveled there were enthusiastically positive about
their experience, so when we received a travel brochure in the mail last year that
described an exciting itinerary, we agreed that it was finally time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were pretty sure that this would be our only trip to
India, so we packed as much as possible into the eighteen days of the
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our focus was northern India,
which includes the cities known as “The Golden Triangle” – Delhi, Agra, and
Jaipur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we branched out from this iconic
tour to also include Varanasi, the Ranthambore National Park, Udaipur, and
Aurangabad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not have skipped any
of these unique locations, but it did make for a pretty intense trip with a lot
of internal travel and very little time for relaxation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we were designing the trip again, we would
probably have added two or three days for just catching our breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned from our trip completely exhausted
– and very jet-lagged from the eleven-and-a-half hour time difference - but
with wonderful memories and a new understanding and appreciation of this
important country.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNciHZkYMqBFrWGHswPfZpQ2DH2UGH4QeRj8OnkXZnZZbLcuj-MyX_KNXjQhAFhyjiLYeJ6DwIT2GNdKc8rngbErYTLqFW6-CQKbX6_20knshF8uc6ZPfvRbrGC4b-5P9IJ6ZNQWjUp6U0MZ23onIIKA2uN53umyaUs73QV8WuroSDHxjBOy63/s978/Map%20of%20India.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="978" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNciHZkYMqBFrWGHswPfZpQ2DH2UGH4QeRj8OnkXZnZZbLcuj-MyX_KNXjQhAFhyjiLYeJ6DwIT2GNdKc8rngbErYTLqFW6-CQKbX6_20knshF8uc6ZPfvRbrGC4b-5P9IJ6ZNQWjUp6U0MZ23onIIKA2uN53umyaUs73QV8WuroSDHxjBOy63/w640-h596/Map%20of%20India.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Itinerary: New Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park, <br />Udaipur, Aurangabad, and back to New Delhi</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To be perfectly honest, I think some of my initial
hesitation about our trip came from knowing so little about this major world
power. If you are an India expert, you
can skip this part, but for the rest of us, here (with a bit of help from
Wikipedia) is:</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Very Brief History of India</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">India is one of the world's most ancient civilizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Indus Valley civilization, from about
2500 – 1900 B.C., formed the first urban culture in South Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hinduism, the primary religion in India, is
considered the world’s oldest religion, with the Vedas, the sacred texts of
Hinduism, composed between 2000 – 500 B.C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism all have their roots in Hinduism, and our
trip would take us to several important temples of all these religions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzJxHDqyUbX0QeuKaTtF6xHhTMy2BhTCXI3BVLKNRSj6tJob9BY2nt_Tb9zC_NSY_wL57XnNO9-e56KwrbWAuNyvPBox3KDj3XcRYOP5ReOAjWeyDiauj2h9zU4N5O7MYIK2oW1_Pu3o_etD4qTB_Vwx7RF-JR7nKRffVVvYjxQmijFBpDvK/s900/Indus%20Valley.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="900" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzJxHDqyUbX0QeuKaTtF6xHhTMy2BhTCXI3BVLKNRSj6tJob9BY2nt_Tb9zC_NSY_wL57XnNO9-e56KwrbWAuNyvPBox3KDj3XcRYOP5ReOAjWeyDiauj2h9zU4N5O7MYIK2oW1_Pu3o_etD4qTB_Vwx7RF-JR7nKRffVVvYjxQmijFBpDvK/w400-h326/Indus%20Valley.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Indus Valley in what is now northwestern India - from World Heritage Encyclopedia<br />https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v5BwfqPQexdaSK3B9_xhjsh05STKLVPw8HCNUYPjaH5thHiJYZ6q1nQiL9xS_WAa_PtfDqbCz8rtvHj4pKWsjfsz79PJAQqbKHJzkSqu3-5azjrsL2AD2d1r8alC8wdD_JDtklQWaCw3Z0vQ2DANqpl0f65tC-_tB0ybqy0fNxLzD8IH0Ysj/s1822/Three%20Temples.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1822" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v5BwfqPQexdaSK3B9_xhjsh05STKLVPw8HCNUYPjaH5thHiJYZ6q1nQiL9xS_WAa_PtfDqbCz8rtvHj4pKWsjfsz79PJAQqbKHJzkSqu3-5azjrsL2AD2d1r8alC8wdD_JDtklQWaCw3Z0vQ2DANqpl0f65tC-_tB0ybqy0fNxLzD8IH0Ysj/w640-h380/Three%20Temples.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hindu temples along the Ganges in Varanasi, Buddhist cave temple of Ellora, <br />Jain and Sikh temples in Old Delhi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Classical and Medieval periods of Indian history, from
about 200 B.C. through 1500 A.D., consisted of a long string of empires and
dynasties, none of which were familiar to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Trade with the outside world flourished with the Silk Road and the spice
trade routes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The early modern period began with the 1526 A.D. invasion of
the Muslim conqueror, Babur, a descendent of both Timor and Genghis Khan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Mughal Empire ruled India for the next
three centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these Muslim
emperors were tolerant of the Hindu religion, and much of the celebrated architecture
of India, including the Taj Mahal, was built during this period and
incorporates both Muslim and Hindu art and design.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsBGSL8GnFYix6VE7nWLLVtsv1oOyS1FD0qvjrnWvrWbv9EVc6soGLoQCAxBWo843sTh8P_IKOgXXolxuuRbFZX-uhyphenhyphenks9nM3atX37MemqgyAzJK6iErLuLG3TpoOnpWSQK2jX-W1IpOw3dFn7MHMtVcp9s8Xpl7p3O2X3uY0eIcewCcxmrtb/s2982/IMG_1648a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="2403" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsBGSL8GnFYix6VE7nWLLVtsv1oOyS1FD0qvjrnWvrWbv9EVc6soGLoQCAxBWo843sTh8P_IKOgXXolxuuRbFZX-uhyphenhyphenks9nM3atX37MemqgyAzJK6iErLuLG3TpoOnpWSQK2jX-W1IpOw3dFn7MHMtVcp9s8Xpl7p3O2X3uY0eIcewCcxmrtb/w516-h640/IMG_1648a.JPG" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Taj Mahal on a misty morning</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">During the Mughal period, the European traders began to gain
a foothold in India, with the Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French all
establishing outposts here, and in the mid-1700s, the British East India
Company expanded its military presence and took over large parts of the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They further expanded their
power through treaties with various Indian princes, and by the mid-1800s, over
50% if India was under the direct rule of the “British Raj,” with the other 48%
governed through British alliances with the various maharajahs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The World Wars of the 20<sup>th</sup> century,
and a growing independence movement led by men such as Mahatma Gandhi, finally led
to Indian independence in 1947 and the establishment of a Parliamentary system
of government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TcxLEYoGG17xFQbufWESmRWIHFa0szvbO4jUaEE9YX_slbKozuyG5OTvluyCQM2z_uGB3HhlC05a6qGdg8s0zwtbbonAuVTGQV-vLxYOs0o_5Ypqog3cLsHoUwnFZNdEktL5rP5nQ8NhzkIc3ulABFSK87hhpAsl6pe9jaLBrwuEwenZXJr5/s3882/IMG_1175a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2389" data-original-width="3882" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TcxLEYoGG17xFQbufWESmRWIHFa0szvbO4jUaEE9YX_slbKozuyG5OTvluyCQM2z_uGB3HhlC05a6qGdg8s0zwtbbonAuVTGQV-vLxYOs0o_5Ypqog3cLsHoUwnFZNdEktL5rP5nQ8NhzkIc3ulABFSK87hhpAsl6pe9jaLBrwuEwenZXJr5/w640-h394/IMG_1175a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Statue of Gandhi leading his first group of followers. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today, India is an important modern civilization, with some
unique challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country is about one-third
the size of the United States, but it has slightly more than four times as many
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, in 2022 India, with its 1.4 billion people, passed up China as the most populous country in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is on its way to becoming the
third-largest economy in the world, although it still struggles with immense
poverty and social stratification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
United States maintains a friendly relationship with India, but India’s powerful
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also maintains close ties with Vladimir Putin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The population is about 75% Hindu, but there
have been recent, and sometimes violent, tensions between the Hindus and the
14% of the population that is Muslim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
previously held views of Modi, whom I had viewed as authoritarian and
intolerant, were challenged on this trip by our guides, who were unanimously
strongly supportive of him, saying that he has done great good for the people
of India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will reserve judgment but look forward to watching India’s story more closely in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK! I think that's enough school-teacher history!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upcoming
posts will dive into the rich culture of India.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-20600727731294982132023-04-05T13:26:00.002-07:002024-03-10T11:17:21.710-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 13: The Dead Sea<h1 style="text-align: left;">Lounging on the Shores of the Dead Sea</h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It seemed somehow weirdly appropriate that we were spending the
final day of our journey at the Dead Sea, a name that has a tinge of finality to it.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFUIViPZT084SF7ApcJfwrYSk1h2m2nyf0dASCOvhg8UNcpUswqssJIMrxCFJK0EPl3EkddeGv6D30bfl6I7xtzWmqoPHGrr4G3Yybxo0O4hqs3pZXVbbEl7TFFXwB25EZvXFqu7WzVXVzJowfclViBUPhZN5lR3iM6ntKPxzNc0mfA0Tqg/s2922/20230223_102639a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="2922" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFUIViPZT084SF7ApcJfwrYSk1h2m2nyf0dASCOvhg8UNcpUswqssJIMrxCFJK0EPl3EkddeGv6D30bfl6I7xtzWmqoPHGrr4G3Yybxo0O4hqs3pZXVbbEl7TFFXwB25EZvXFqu7WzVXVzJowfclViBUPhZN5lR3iM6ntKPxzNc0mfA0Tqg/w640-h556/20230223_102639a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Salt flats around the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and the border between Jordan and Israel runs
right through the middle of the lake. The
lake’s surface is 1,412 feet (430.5 meters) below sea level, making it the
lowest land on our planet. It is
currently 31 miles (50 kilometers) long and 9 miles (15 kilometers wide),
although since 1960, when some of the water of its only tributary, the Jordan
River, was diverted for human use, the lake been shrinking noticeably. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It has been known as a dead sea for millennia. The Arabian name is <i>Al-Bahr Al-Mayyit</i>,
meaning Sea of Death. The Romans called
it <i>Mare Mortuum</i>. The name is very
apt. The water is almost ten times saltier than the ocean, and the only living things
in the lake are tiny amounts of bacteria and microbial fungi. But it is filled with minerals – potash,
bromine, magnesium, sodium chloride.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Because of these minerals and the almost always sunny climate,
it was well-known in the ancient world for its healing properties. One of the earliest health resorts in history
sat on its banks and was used by Herod the Great. Visitors still come here for
the mud baths at resorts along its shore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The first third of our two-hour ride from Petra to our last stop wound through the mountains with some magnificent views of the sandstone hills and valleys. After a quick stop at an overlook of the low, flat landscape below, we headed down the steep mountains toward the Dead Sea.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ahnQRyN6bXikfmapcroU0wBb9JvrB4oe1wqkutNj7ktBnRh3e11cGW2eXkoMSJtXAlc08FC5bfWywgOxeHzCuwUTsAizI2JF3FKNMHDW9XCEfUDCrFp6O9jiNTzNv0pMXCVhoMR6Iun0hGrwDe0lPmxQPlWPx5mPJr-6MkoDuyO2anE6kQ/s3000/20230223_085852a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ahnQRyN6bXikfmapcroU0wBb9JvrB4oe1wqkutNj7ktBnRh3e11cGW2eXkoMSJtXAlc08FC5bfWywgOxeHzCuwUTsAizI2JF3FKNMHDW9XCEfUDCrFp6O9jiNTzNv0pMXCVhoMR6Iun0hGrwDe0lPmxQPlWPx5mPJr-6MkoDuyO2anE6kQ/w640-h640/20230223_085852a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The long and winding road</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3450" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9bFS14uKOt3cVAs2Bz2u5KWOsfYF_IEMFqsvkXS-XpkRCbeTajaGiYRy-lIrseOSxg8KqjQT-r1TV537HrAxKwGmqx0Coy4ahtPd6YEJugI9hBmxaHPfAFj7BoKzmylDpt8-mvUEv6urKmsGKjbrtvKiY3udFkDhLf9ulPM-e4-qfRqt5A/w556-h640/20230223_085732a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="556" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our first view of the Jordan Rift Valley</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9bFS14uKOt3cVAs2Bz2u5KWOsfYF_IEMFqsvkXS-XpkRCbeTajaGiYRy-lIrseOSxg8KqjQT-r1TV537HrAxKwGmqx0Coy4ahtPd6YEJugI9hBmxaHPfAFj7BoKzmylDpt8-mvUEv6urKmsGKjbrtvKiY3udFkDhLf9ulPM-e4-qfRqt5A/s3450/20230223_085732a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsseTrj1_IejolJwQpoxomxuJlRvdPwbwJDUJznJdZwR79v-fQwaZAOtm0drjoUHR9i79mvMvsyFqB4nNo7HXE94vosynUK-e6nBzCQrEeO4UW-qfExc2pKuFzc5h2qQ2BpHPWErCAAEzJgdkBKT6vEfsogYRA8R0XxU9Fv13PooQ3OIbLGQ/s3172/20230223_085848a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3172" data-original-width="2911" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsseTrj1_IejolJwQpoxomxuJlRvdPwbwJDUJznJdZwR79v-fQwaZAOtm0drjoUHR9i79mvMvsyFqB4nNo7HXE94vosynUK-e6nBzCQrEeO4UW-qfExc2pKuFzc5h2qQ2BpHPWErCAAEzJgdkBKT6vEfsogYRA8R0XxU9Fv13PooQ3OIbLGQ/w588-h640/20230223_085848a.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>At the overlook</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we reached the valley floor, we drove through an
agricultural landscape with date palms and fields of tomatoes. All along the road, young men were selling
huge bins of tomatoes for $1.00. We occasionally
had to slow down to avoid the sheep being herded down the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIuhq9r158GhWtzTmPrUJ3-tYD_lLd1bch6rR9IQfbESa5sV2i-GjCGtbGU1Pe09TtVP8TNdkx4JKYnBMyRJRUit6UahKpskTDFdBKrLz14kJi6YmRF_fZoowB495POowC2INHdQV8NOlOnmWb3MpvvsiWuZVlOo31O_xemYvNPtPMI-gNQ/s3503/20230223_094616a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3503" data-original-width="2995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIuhq9r158GhWtzTmPrUJ3-tYD_lLd1bch6rR9IQfbESa5sV2i-GjCGtbGU1Pe09TtVP8TNdkx4JKYnBMyRJRUit6UahKpskTDFdBKrLz14kJi6YmRF_fZoowB495POowC2INHdQV8NOlOnmWb3MpvvsiWuZVlOo31O_xemYvNPtPMI-gNQ/w548-h640/20230223_094616a.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sheep on the highway</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="2936" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkUCBbgTJjfnVHBEywxQyAN-LFZHjM-zWbykMVOLJhpjI-vC7BQT0PQCfF3FNu0aovkqdMb5AM4ZKdRpRLH_XV4FBUGvxoZovYu9uboRovEkrsikWVza9jFeDsHrS2BUMH-FXenQsaL3416XW9YZMr-NZOXXKeeLj7AtUintiz7nK4d2Bpg/w640-h554/20230223_094709a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Tomatoes spilled in the dirt</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkUCBbgTJjfnVHBEywxQyAN-LFZHjM-zWbykMVOLJhpjI-vC7BQT0PQCfF3FNu0aovkqdMb5AM4ZKdRpRLH_XV4FBUGvxoZovYu9uboRovEkrsikWVza9jFeDsHrS2BUMH-FXenQsaL3416XW9YZMr-NZOXXKeeLj7AtUintiz7nK4d2Bpg/s2936/20230223_094709a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPObFfTDwkr4nAaViwRsLuX1sGYssRfz-Dn3M7d6pgtO7kow9CiZhFmOZhSHja5VzREINTTQY5wL3P_cR-jeeWwq-zzqjH8OjwD7gHfA-apjdWt_gU-W9jf81StWyduo6qB7cx_yDBLZIekTV8My6M0_VvVeng0Vg_3UuF7mpVRn8FdaBdA/s2814/20230223_094818a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2126" data-original-width="2814" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPObFfTDwkr4nAaViwRsLuX1sGYssRfz-Dn3M7d6pgtO7kow9CiZhFmOZhSHja5VzREINTTQY5wL3P_cR-jeeWwq-zzqjH8OjwD7gHfA-apjdWt_gU-W9jf81StWyduo6qB7cx_yDBLZIekTV8My6M0_VvVeng0Vg_3UuF7mpVRn8FdaBdA/w640-h484/20230223_094818a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One of the small towns along the shores of the Dead Sea</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2105" data-original-width="2784" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEf_Sf7egbfgK5z1UywzXbd-AQR_lv1J5__QKC_4nmcDh16iwyWUGanFuwSd6IE27hAyzI3ZoIPLz8Gjsw4oV2MVZd1zhQ22A6E4XiJDbLQYE1YGj255-pfBzaxxoF6F1lA92EopXnXMuttAEZ0iK7aIJhy_Oily8zZOye6iqJ01sLlr40LQ/w640-h484/20230223_095749a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Agriculture in the valley</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Soon we reached the shores of the Dead Sea. The not particularly attractive southern section
was lined with mining operations and machinery, but as we moved north, the
industry was replaced by a few resorts on the banks of the bright blue water. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-LarvaoNoQ4xcnMUAb7qfPQm43Zhk_TfHgklPOT5eCiymqDzp65J1a78XHL53Gn5OMGT3oxJwW_FCfEfsT7_lGoGp46s894hVXsMgKdDkfHSuMe2pY9hiHNvRHRSmSgQSOkc1Y7MH9T-ytGOCSDrdY9PUBr32Wby7BLQYh1p_4H-IxzqqQ/s1865/20230223_100312a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1865" data-original-width="1737" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-LarvaoNoQ4xcnMUAb7qfPQm43Zhk_TfHgklPOT5eCiymqDzp65J1a78XHL53Gn5OMGT3oxJwW_FCfEfsT7_lGoGp46s894hVXsMgKdDkfHSuMe2pY9hiHNvRHRSmSgQSOkc1Y7MH9T-ytGOCSDrdY9PUBr32Wby7BLQYh1p_4H-IxzqqQ/w596-h640/20230223_100312a.jpg" width="596" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mining operations along the southern shores of the Dead Sea</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our hotel, the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, is close to the northern
tip of the Dead Sea, not far from where the Jordan River empties into the
lake. The hotel was spectacular, built
on several levels with bright gold sandstone blocks, several pools, restaurants,
and lounges. We happily settled into our
room, which had a terrace with a great view of the lake and the Israeli-occupied
West Bank of Palestine directly across from us.
About twenty miles beyond the West Bank were the hills of Jerusalem, and
the ancient city of Jericho lay to the northwest of us in the valley. What a historic landscape!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVJ4GnhbGMW9KaOgtgTU1W-l7FUfECGZkKCEtzOWdp6u1NXRn2Int8qmWcKBC4BciJEhFwvDO8kujDs_eMYLKyKim23OmzyXVrZ9YIhK7sv98k57AdGQRRpjuCQus-7QksQBCrp9cyZwqGsEF_4uGa1KG_VpW-0yOMcoNBhAghBGmiSqWow/s3188/20230223_111503a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3188" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVJ4GnhbGMW9KaOgtgTU1W-l7FUfECGZkKCEtzOWdp6u1NXRn2Int8qmWcKBC4BciJEhFwvDO8kujDs_eMYLKyKim23OmzyXVrZ9YIhK7sv98k57AdGQRRpjuCQus-7QksQBCrp9cyZwqGsEF_4uGa1KG_VpW-0yOMcoNBhAghBGmiSqWow/w602-h640/20230223_111503a.jpg" width="602" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The view from our terrace of the Kempinski Ishtar Hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnGFrfUdH_lBOP8CUZS8x4BDOSc95iUuRz6QBj2FBb5_ZdSTL03YUHdhCr8kjX6oOjOfKDcE7iq5S903Do-210aDfoLkJtTst5EIynL3lDjqvpSkrpK1u2srGJQvsk03SR0kCLTmWiDVe9nkf-qIW3NPwgdpV-nsD0nGunlOjzhaAI0QHDg/s3246/20230223_111749a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="3246" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnGFrfUdH_lBOP8CUZS8x4BDOSc95iUuRz6QBj2FBb5_ZdSTL03YUHdhCr8kjX6oOjOfKDcE7iq5S903Do-210aDfoLkJtTst5EIynL3lDjqvpSkrpK1u2srGJQvsk03SR0kCLTmWiDVe9nkf-qIW3NPwgdpV-nsD0nGunlOjzhaAI0QHDg/w640-h548/20230223_111749a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Joan on the terrace</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVrf_I84baJj-lY1P3nCK20Ndwl7gAcGVYcTeWwxPFacz3x8U7M2n4FING1Cs1QxLtEN_GYMuTD3WTYwaUKlBb1ogSsxmQ-dPfbCJU6UfGrTsHVWMvnF484nNf4YxCsNatuM1jOQTu5038mv1KLkDXA194HhL-H_f8u_QxHjLvtZdXxV96g/s4000/20230223_132112a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVrf_I84baJj-lY1P3nCK20Ndwl7gAcGVYcTeWwxPFacz3x8U7M2n4FING1Cs1QxLtEN_GYMuTD3WTYwaUKlBb1ogSsxmQ-dPfbCJU6UfGrTsHVWMvnF484nNf4YxCsNatuM1jOQTu5038mv1KLkDXA194HhL-H_f8u_QxHjLvtZdXxV96g/w480-h640/20230223_132112a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rooms and walkways around the hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwtDI_XZi7gnXQ4JrENqPGERLsoEVSzogZDua88HkhsJsysjMSBiw1jD2MDWSaMhqT2SHW0w_TDVfB_GqW8ZoMZiW9ifToo3TiPfNth6gwVfSrr6baRzHY0uOpsmSC3YBEWy90DlA2w6yWfqmn6eUMjDEwkiHWcwaqmcKaJ5Upjks-7tfZg/s3731/20230223_132117a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwtDI_XZi7gnXQ4JrENqPGERLsoEVSzogZDua88HkhsJsysjMSBiw1jD2MDWSaMhqT2SHW0w_TDVfB_GqW8ZoMZiW9ifToo3TiPfNth6gwVfSrr6baRzHY0uOpsmSC3YBEWy90DlA2w6yWfqmn6eUMjDEwkiHWcwaqmcKaJ5Upjks-7tfZg/w514-h640/20230223_132117a.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of several buildings of rooms</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHn4KeF4dIlMfsc9CbByVyvL7ckpNadgvqcSKeLHYxMAyTMqxWRlGXAKQNd729C_DQ3qb-KU28ih6Yz6M3MIZgIuIoU0wNOim4dj0DTubUSUHTcVGqTtonAC5Y4CI7r-7kg0vH0-yRA4lDwKhkwKyM_ZeqB2PO7OmBDDBK9cbFYZpHU7BI0Q/s2976/20230223_132951a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2087" data-original-width="2976" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHn4KeF4dIlMfsc9CbByVyvL7ckpNadgvqcSKeLHYxMAyTMqxWRlGXAKQNd729C_DQ3qb-KU28ih6Yz6M3MIZgIuIoU0wNOim4dj0DTubUSUHTcVGqTtonAC5Y4CI7r-7kg0vH0-yRA4lDwKhkwKyM_ZeqB2PO7OmBDDBK9cbFYZpHU7BI0Q/w640-h448/20230223_132951a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The grounds of the hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxCPXsdzeYueCbG6LXvUJRtebHVm-oySKNlKixAHurPSqkJS7e8P33R29Df7FRYcSZo8HUR3h_qQhtF-ppMuEGFdMVaABt4TluCf0F78IhUtrzj7o5DayimGtHBoxOTCp_WGQAFU2Zd6FIRZ9Fjiju6EQSqrefC8CgffSApRlOju7E2Y-xw/s4000/20230223_132331a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxCPXsdzeYueCbG6LXvUJRtebHVm-oySKNlKixAHurPSqkJS7e8P33R29Df7FRYcSZo8HUR3h_qQhtF-ppMuEGFdMVaABt4TluCf0F78IhUtrzj7o5DayimGtHBoxOTCp_WGQAFU2Zd6FIRZ9Fjiju6EQSqrefC8CgffSApRlOju7E2Y-xw/w640-h480/20230223_132331a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the several pools</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq4ApAbm45b4s3bgtJHySnlws6suI3pI9orJS80NoOfzecmnWTBSTvUugnapZdt62P_xO8oUG2qjXbg9gyTR3EZWI6zIRij4ZBJW0WAv2fYDORF0He6-bvN34KNDFb4H_0wqur9A_JSHbfRNZXTaExLF-PbaZB5Yx0ngWqaYvldn2RyxNKQ/s3774/20230223_132406a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2743" data-original-width="3774" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq4ApAbm45b4s3bgtJHySnlws6suI3pI9orJS80NoOfzecmnWTBSTvUugnapZdt62P_xO8oUG2qjXbg9gyTR3EZWI6zIRij4ZBJW0WAv2fYDORF0He6-bvN34KNDFb4H_0wqur9A_JSHbfRNZXTaExLF-PbaZB5Yx0ngWqaYvldn2RyxNKQ/w640-h466/20230223_132406a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Infinity Pool above the Dead Sea</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0mb6luMj7eCnqRLV6Om6Juu0gGdHM88sRJaetcLwo8gP20bwJCyRejfdfK-MSLd1hGX2yMkS4k16KE0y1txC2d95wy4oHNiCkrASb02d50W1EellQPf3ts2ZeCFMqDrIYvLKqLcSRZjJqj0O0NMZ0AGzo0x5tWDrBYFFgkSGoVJN2_X37A/s3953/20230223_132514a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3953" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0mb6luMj7eCnqRLV6Om6Juu0gGdHM88sRJaetcLwo8gP20bwJCyRejfdfK-MSLd1hGX2yMkS4k16KE0y1txC2d95wy4oHNiCkrASb02d50W1EellQPf3ts2ZeCFMqDrIYvLKqLcSRZjJqj0O0NMZ0AGzo0x5tWDrBYFFgkSGoVJN2_X37A/w640-h468/20230223_132514a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lounge Chairs at the Infinity Pool</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMyBGGQWZMYrgp42JYz-7VvCyyJBdOJ3gvmJOVNc0LqOlO5uinODsUkWVqpIFQC2CoojK161nw6qfQPjIVp4V-_f1F-v20Ao3h9c-HN8ZQLhvSrnq6uDc_XWdWCUwcq4Q1wIaSi3HbUH91-Ts3MhjA1d738An5A2HV2EJYbYavU9BiZX_gQ/s3844/20230223_133004a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3844" data-original-width="2911" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMyBGGQWZMYrgp42JYz-7VvCyyJBdOJ3gvmJOVNc0LqOlO5uinODsUkWVqpIFQC2CoojK161nw6qfQPjIVp4V-_f1F-v20Ao3h9c-HN8ZQLhvSrnq6uDc_XWdWCUwcq4Q1wIaSi3HbUH91-Ts3MhjA1d738An5A2HV2EJYbYavU9BiZX_gQ/w484-h640/20230223_133004a.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Wading Pool</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsz3xS3XbtpNlD3ACVhooGdLfXF1Zsqr0jhlNxEpaFJ98kQ6N7JpxuSCvPphLJI-oLPOOhj2srFLBsYkeIHDLjQTCPdWfBKBFc5C_kQeGof8ajqYTLLU44mVxLurJ_-087rQxr4pNusO5sqGaLxqAf71ZGSZmPm21leN4m19kAvX7dX4YlQ/s3594/20230223_131925a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3594" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsz3xS3XbtpNlD3ACVhooGdLfXF1Zsqr0jhlNxEpaFJ98kQ6N7JpxuSCvPphLJI-oLPOOhj2srFLBsYkeIHDLjQTCPdWfBKBFc5C_kQeGof8ajqYTLLU44mVxLurJ_-087rQxr4pNusO5sqGaLxqAf71ZGSZmPm21leN4m19kAvX7dX4YlQ/w534-h640/20230223_131925a.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet another pool at the hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked through the large grounds of the hotel to the
restaurant just above the lake where we enjoyed a delicious lunch, including one of the best treats of the
entire trip, a “Green Gazpacho” soup made of cucumber, green apple, mint, and
lemon. (When we got home, I tried to
duplicate it. My efforts were okay, but
I’m going to keep experimenting until I get it right!)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3GTfgfGphVkEmazImNxd--mqZxx7aH3csKSvKD5FTMd62jlWOzE2HL5HhvzycDX0tWxAoFKIWFCifC72fLmO4vcIV1ekPH7d2pXN5ND2OtW0MM3rZFqBuUmRKvz9LsgtjN31Dn4HRkduF24dv12_QSftRMXKReFKBqCuBytJsogxrpguEQ/s3340/20230223_123013a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2431" data-original-width="3340" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3GTfgfGphVkEmazImNxd--mqZxx7aH3csKSvKD5FTMd62jlWOzE2HL5HhvzycDX0tWxAoFKIWFCifC72fLmO4vcIV1ekPH7d2pXN5ND2OtW0MM3rZFqBuUmRKvz9LsgtjN31Dn4HRkduF24dv12_QSftRMXKReFKBqCuBytJsogxrpguEQ/w640-h466/20230223_123013a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Akkad Pool and Grill Restaurant</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGL3yaZBG2DqL4qC_betDgARZtMzLrHaA3scUgsXrAClZd1Q2Zeq_I56aDM2ihQyNyCBp0tKwMkqYUwaOdKh3NRYbC1ZbkJ-s8NBVanPgO74vJPbdPyqZbDTMCG407vV8DNAqH1LpCuKERXblNcZmcyTJ-DC787_oEvz9t8kxKmXCwHZDuQ/s3206/20230223_123025a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3206" data-original-width="2882" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGL3yaZBG2DqL4qC_betDgARZtMzLrHaA3scUgsXrAClZd1Q2Zeq_I56aDM2ihQyNyCBp0tKwMkqYUwaOdKh3NRYbC1ZbkJ-s8NBVanPgO74vJPbdPyqZbDTMCG407vV8DNAqH1LpCuKERXblNcZmcyTJ-DC787_oEvz9t8kxKmXCwHZDuQ/w576-h640/20230223_123025a.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Inside seating at the Akkad Restaurant</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR3xWwsZdJpDyj3C0E6ocSJJriYhdVDS-ANvlLpZrqif4LrgGBY1kEKa7KHX6LsIH-C2wP_2GfM-TbKPQNyNuyO-J19pTfoacsYWQE7i47NtkNI44CIWbmCBzmkWFn0rK6IqXv_WW3gl5yPJazayq15yudyq5VU_aAHlIlNasO2Bp1G6T5w/s3000/20230223_123404a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="3000" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR3xWwsZdJpDyj3C0E6ocSJJriYhdVDS-ANvlLpZrqif4LrgGBY1kEKa7KHX6LsIH-C2wP_2GfM-TbKPQNyNuyO-J19pTfoacsYWQE7i47NtkNI44CIWbmCBzmkWFn0rK6IqXv_WW3gl5yPJazayq15yudyq5VU_aAHlIlNasO2Bp1G6T5w/w640-h590/20230223_123404a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Green Gazpacho Soup - YUM!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf3-oQiIY6HPHYYzI0N9V9q63TqPXLaCUkrmT0DqGAMvYctQrMmxHKP8I0yyass48YB7V_yd8JAshvEzeztuOk4_PrA5JXicaXM69fEJesuduAlxYk07w1oUKSgjmuRMeeDOjUu0R7-MWQYRHzgmttYbDZKAR7noXhtzmxjCoSLE3zc16sw/s3587/20230223_125600a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3587" data-original-width="2863" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf3-oQiIY6HPHYYzI0N9V9q63TqPXLaCUkrmT0DqGAMvYctQrMmxHKP8I0yyass48YB7V_yd8JAshvEzeztuOk4_PrA5JXicaXM69fEJesuduAlxYk07w1oUKSgjmuRMeeDOjUu0R7-MWQYRHzgmttYbDZKAR7noXhtzmxjCoSLE3zc16sw/w510-h640/20230223_125600a.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Fresh Mediterranean cuisine</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE1rFdwag8bWB0YsFI6OAafbFhcA5ZrEgEitoV5JdgEtI-V7DHF8WJykmTIzLzkYWPoMrcUoerXDIrRTsGx3fvt9PlPt6H3icQBJ6OsE_BjO7lyoQjg2Ob6rD7AzDe5z0GrKRohXBLZt_TCzS2BLoiKtbBbYX2WeeOvQuVSuza2pHfg5bTg/s3704/20230223_125606a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="3704" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE1rFdwag8bWB0YsFI6OAafbFhcA5ZrEgEitoV5JdgEtI-V7DHF8WJykmTIzLzkYWPoMrcUoerXDIrRTsGx3fvt9PlPt6H3icQBJ6OsE_BjO7lyoQjg2Ob6rD7AzDe5z0GrKRohXBLZt_TCzS2BLoiKtbBbYX2WeeOvQuVSuza2pHfg5bTg/w640-h499/20230223_125606a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Fresh fish - but not from the Dead Sea!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As gorgeous as the hotel was, it was really just a spot to
relax before our long journey home. We
spent the afternoon sitting pool-side, exploring the various pools and artwork
of the hotel, and packing our bags. (My
clothes always seem to gain weight on our trips. My suitcase never packs quite as flat as when
we started. It's a mystery!) <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFcWBOjqy9rsVYAli9qt9iWeBdYDUCAWSP1m_QLlRvm0SRbnUTBFCgqOugdLiEmUnl3xaOldvoPB3JhxTH56-UHB7ztwQkHsrT2dbJGTNeqJMph2B3nneCAtYMp2VIX5hBmoNBS2g062uf6ygp-5ruRl15qx412VM-0r1tgpXk8_whXAAtw/s2883/20230223_160648a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2883" data-original-width="2541" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFcWBOjqy9rsVYAli9qt9iWeBdYDUCAWSP1m_QLlRvm0SRbnUTBFCgqOugdLiEmUnl3xaOldvoPB3JhxTH56-UHB7ztwQkHsrT2dbJGTNeqJMph2B3nneCAtYMp2VIX5hBmoNBS2g062uf6ygp-5ruRl15qx412VM-0r1tgpXk8_whXAAtw/w564-h640/20230223_160648a.jpg" width="564" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The fearless birds have learned that tourists leave crumbs.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBLKURftamXT5CtZV6Eyrf7dgv1XJ0Q-M4xLaldbVXooRCIKcMa_MKDhZD-hen3_UEpsYYvWv2Y9CfRlNckLF8fe7uVCSASGJx3E9qmpNbZAbG1CwkeGoroe_RGWq2txera5Q11dlGcr5oivvhVGqt4I4hryCMGjOyXDH--anSJSMaGrJUQ/s4000/20230223_132136a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2596" data-original-width="4000" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBLKURftamXT5CtZV6Eyrf7dgv1XJ0Q-M4xLaldbVXooRCIKcMa_MKDhZD-hen3_UEpsYYvWv2Y9CfRlNckLF8fe7uVCSASGJx3E9qmpNbZAbG1CwkeGoroe_RGWq2txera5Q11dlGcr5oivvhVGqt4I4hryCMGjOyXDH--anSJSMaGrJUQ/w640-h416/20230223_132136a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sculpture garden over the Dead Sea</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpGvowckQBM-LrZvDb_Yo_edINK_33OVZzHbXEykbqPj-MmYXCY1EinjA_cVvINjB6IYNyJSDxhMzEt_sVHG-XiNS5wlwJk0fg3lDcSx9WE5EYSqtuPU07zzQiY1hCA2bTXcAf-bjL4929Kax3fdJAEZ7qKBWudUCxsAJ7Ybz6zktNeOOQw/s3636/20230223_132708a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3636" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpGvowckQBM-LrZvDb_Yo_edINK_33OVZzHbXEykbqPj-MmYXCY1EinjA_cVvINjB6IYNyJSDxhMzEt_sVHG-XiNS5wlwJk0fg3lDcSx9WE5EYSqtuPU07zzQiY1hCA2bTXcAf-bjL4929Kax3fdJAEZ7qKBWudUCxsAJ7Ybz6zktNeOOQw/w520-h640/20230223_132708a.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the lobbies in the hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CXTZh40urCoy7Vl15L6oE89WuQC7weVcLHnF-EkIFKCBjfu1dKSB2wbI2g2FFL2Y4qemeFQHajRdZ2bJXMaYsZvozKAVLfpY9nci8SjxxNM0gE8LOegM0fxjIew_98hndnY8PKI4NnvYZ_cU0Aipuia3zNMFdsbk6sO7LqPho8Z3rPJlOg/s4000/20230223_132728a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CXTZh40urCoy7Vl15L6oE89WuQC7weVcLHnF-EkIFKCBjfu1dKSB2wbI2g2FFL2Y4qemeFQHajRdZ2bJXMaYsZvozKAVLfpY9nci8SjxxNM0gE8LOegM0fxjIew_98hndnY8PKI4NnvYZ_cU0Aipuia3zNMFdsbk6sO7LqPho8Z3rPJlOg/w480-h640/20230223_132728a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Blue and purple orchids</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bgpuL4N_Wc3v83dnFIW3WtRMCK2CiVc0N0W7JeRGdnUJ6aT36m-50ObkTbwSiMhlKnX7cFCC7MrqUjUuvS0uAR3IOzgcnGdKnytT5UioVP5tiq7aqFO1YSFwyb7hn5-bykgBIdV6rN1jtZBnYxTbowlEycJLzC1QPa_hHdFU5d2l7t8oow/s2927/20230223_132803a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2927" data-original-width="2927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bgpuL4N_Wc3v83dnFIW3WtRMCK2CiVc0N0W7JeRGdnUJ6aT36m-50ObkTbwSiMhlKnX7cFCC7MrqUjUuvS0uAR3IOzgcnGdKnytT5UioVP5tiq7aqFO1YSFwyb7hn5-bykgBIdV6rN1jtZBnYxTbowlEycJLzC1QPa_hHdFU5d2l7t8oow/w640-h640/20230223_132803a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A 700-year-old olive tree</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTQi3qpwxQtdIy-QzO2fiZxOYD45II7ooQCrktLH-cDVLrmkqvW05wIsNLgQbPc6K5Z2VIWHjV2Zfpi5UUKTh1m5FkBQIb0ldBnNAiebtXMb1IKNcGrQOy-GteQko0zk8p1kh-jhFI7hwkGoZiKLPnJYSn1gZ_YdID9hAmNElNgRJyL8R6Q/s3062/20230223_132838a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3062" data-original-width="2885" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTQi3qpwxQtdIy-QzO2fiZxOYD45II7ooQCrktLH-cDVLrmkqvW05wIsNLgQbPc6K5Z2VIWHjV2Zfpi5UUKTh1m5FkBQIb0ldBnNAiebtXMb1IKNcGrQOy-GteQko0zk8p1kh-jhFI7hwkGoZiKLPnJYSn1gZ_YdID9hAmNElNgRJyL8R6Q/w604-h640/20230223_132838a.jpg" width="604" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCXrZvpTEZo25lsgj--9SxCLkka2-pBa5ufsMyPcLeAQe7QrX6vZhooE-3nfk7pnJjWGibtkZyECmCyXEyqxS8q3h3eHbjT_lL03l3hOpgSYDIfbo4ztp3q7QCuqFR7UPSRqvuG4JX7-KK2h2MXamFWIMhof__QURJofdgLo2AffHcHLO7g/s3899/20230223_132942a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3899" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCXrZvpTEZo25lsgj--9SxCLkka2-pBa5ufsMyPcLeAQe7QrX6vZhooE-3nfk7pnJjWGibtkZyECmCyXEyqxS8q3h3eHbjT_lL03l3hOpgSYDIfbo4ztp3q7QCuqFR7UPSRqvuG4JX7-KK2h2MXamFWIMhof__QURJofdgLo2AffHcHLO7g/w640-h492/20230223_132942a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDjw6oscsH7jFMCanE9mODA_9fkVN8HS_R5lRWoWFUQ47naldtKJOruqLjlXJUluLnf5yfX8lJLbIV5LQao54MkfLr8f9fht3bns8b68tYfJSE6H9B3cSVLexpxL8nY8X3TsmEOrX_qtCpTqpsAKMnjunurLGKTmjJ5U-t9KQboVViPV84Q/s3353/20230223_133603a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2341" data-original-width="3353" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDjw6oscsH7jFMCanE9mODA_9fkVN8HS_R5lRWoWFUQ47naldtKJOruqLjlXJUluLnf5yfX8lJLbIV5LQao54MkfLr8f9fht3bns8b68tYfJSE6H9B3cSVLexpxL8nY8X3TsmEOrX_qtCpTqpsAKMnjunurLGKTmjJ5U-t9KQboVViPV84Q/w640-h446/20230223_133603a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sculpture in the main lobby</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had been told that we would be able to see the lights of
Jerusalem from our room, and sure enough, there were city lights far off in the
distance over the lake. A beautiful
sight for our last evening of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8E5NImuSUyYtpUZEo78SFtfzpBcYVC00YAFL7Vg5o1rX3tNkYvhTOGfSAYAfABg84wv3mdxAoSw9sO_6x6s-_sUZgw_u6gCs4ePc0aj6QY53VjhhxKqE4Ux1L41DA9bciBprlZzKC3kjzhU79l7R0P0kAk0rB4p0PlrudXuNeJdcDDHm3w/s3096/20230223_200104a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2874" data-original-width="3096" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8E5NImuSUyYtpUZEo78SFtfzpBcYVC00YAFL7Vg5o1rX3tNkYvhTOGfSAYAfABg84wv3mdxAoSw9sO_6x6s-_sUZgw_u6gCs4ePc0aj6QY53VjhhxKqE4Ux1L41DA9bciBprlZzKC3kjzhU79l7R0P0kAk0rB4p0PlrudXuNeJdcDDHm3w/w640-h594/20230223_200104a.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The lights of Jerusalem</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We woke before sunrise for our 5:30 a.m. drive to the Queen
Alia International Airport in Amman, only about an hour away. The plane ride home was long, with transfers
in London and Phoenix, but since the first two flights took place in daylight, I got a lovely view of icy Hudson Bay as we passed over.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74GdAsm3GuJ3FvzQwsbuFAkM3cDSaRld2EOgvRJuCujqHFBcgee9vT0nDz0y1mkmlSyHxabkz5RBCiX71efPgj8VA-BpB0z8l3ekAdXVWH3BUm2wHRM3fxuBzDjYWuQ3uxUyr0pq5PkhqT6CsKmNa-p6El4x3h-trQSXMwAHQDctqJaYgBg/s3375/20230224_072304a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74GdAsm3GuJ3FvzQwsbuFAkM3cDSaRld2EOgvRJuCujqHFBcgee9vT0nDz0y1mkmlSyHxabkz5RBCiX71efPgj8VA-BpB0z8l3ekAdXVWH3BUm2wHRM3fxuBzDjYWuQ3uxUyr0pq5PkhqT6CsKmNa-p6El4x3h-trQSXMwAHQDctqJaYgBg/w588-h640/20230224_072304a.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Queen Alia International Airport in Amman</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoqmHRi46q16WkADmblUJBMAEjAa1QpumLkc6KSliSSf3n4liYtzzAQUzuAfMItTvGYd_ksWjqgOI1GdQrdvlWLgKyq32mk1NsyA4da_UjsJid9eSv-WWcKk_YEezorrBFH5MFAGyB30O25dISj64cKXbO3N0qFCXFHrVUls0Pb-xXxZgSA/s3832/20230225_001122a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoqmHRi46q16WkADmblUJBMAEjAa1QpumLkc6KSliSSf3n4liYtzzAQUzuAfMItTvGYd_ksWjqgOI1GdQrdvlWLgKyq32mk1NsyA4da_UjsJid9eSv-WWcKk_YEezorrBFH5MFAGyB30O25dISj64cKXbO3N0qFCXFHrVUls0Pb-xXxZgSA/w502-h640/20230225_001122a.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudson Bay in February</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-gBaRdjo1mXjMwXnOPaVppx_LeJtFBY4HoPNO7AbZBNydUFkxaqUuqJSrD3CzqDV4_2bFLZW8m8ATkC6n3vCoMLh03gcHL8cwx43-to4d6uyj69y9k1_IsM4Xx_57CZfnM3QqibcFAUc9ILzznQvwVTfI-QBgbwlHk31TU3dSQhWmJZ3_A/s3121/20230225_001145a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3121" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-gBaRdjo1mXjMwXnOPaVppx_LeJtFBY4HoPNO7AbZBNydUFkxaqUuqJSrD3CzqDV4_2bFLZW8m8ATkC6n3vCoMLh03gcHL8cwx43-to4d6uyj69y9k1_IsM4Xx_57CZfnM3QqibcFAUc9ILzznQvwVTfI-QBgbwlHk31TU3dSQhWmJZ3_A/w616-h640/20230225_001145a.jpg" width="616" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoy checking out our progress on the flight map.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a very long day, but as is always true on our homeward journey, our heads were filled with wonderful memories from another wonderful trip.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6Z3635ZFfjUQPdSr6oi2xMr67bQPuxVipR9tAms4PviYxorydEPWALNcIXIXHwnwA1HjzoZYaJh40C3QtktVTY4uAbSLRHrPQ5p9jXa9ynH74yJbg0lxUyXhiKc53hXYJy84YgA7csOihI1eOWEzVol8kDtYQpQGMbiyDYeSw08FeiJRjg/s4000/20230216_092250.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6Z3635ZFfjUQPdSr6oi2xMr67bQPuxVipR9tAms4PviYxorydEPWALNcIXIXHwnwA1HjzoZYaJh40C3QtktVTY4uAbSLRHrPQ5p9jXa9ynH74yJbg0lxUyXhiKc53hXYJy84YgA7csOihI1eOWEzVol8kDtYQpQGMbiyDYeSw08FeiJRjg/w480-h640/20230216_092250.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Travel Partners through Life</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Enjoyed this post? Never miss out by subscribing to this blog! <a href="https://follow.it/travels-with-robby?leanpub" target="_blank">Subscribe here</a> </span><p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-72151301985796043612023-04-02T11:41:00.008-07:002023-04-10T12:27:10.943-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 12: The Rose City of Petra<h3 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>February 21, 2023</b></span></h3>
<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Rose City of Petra</span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most of us know that there were Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World. On the very first day of this trip, we had seen the only one of them still standing, the Great Pyramid of Giza. (And a few days later, we stood on the very spot where
another of them - Pharos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria - had once shone its
great light.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But did you know that there are Seven <i>New</i> Wonders of
the World? The seven were chosen by tens
of million voters in an online survey done by a Swiss organization, “The New 7
Wonders Foundation.” And today, Rob and
I visited one of them – the ancient city of Petra. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl-kgZPmrS3p587sK1XxCuIwzsI_n_8RYa06KNzd9VzwXim8mFMhCQ7jHWwBHKEhp5usdqCnyZBMIb6G5NZ1uT4t7vWVcrRQp4YA9l3Ir9OUS0gtiu3ev5S9cnYQEogHgO2efuC9-gfeeUmdFp_7P40GoPlPzcoxf3iSCbhSs7YU-dCWxuA/s3815/20230222_091033a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3815" data-original-width="2895" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghl-kgZPmrS3p587sK1XxCuIwzsI_n_8RYa06KNzd9VzwXim8mFMhCQ7jHWwBHKEhp5usdqCnyZBMIb6G5NZ1uT4t7vWVcrRQp4YA9l3Ir9OUS0gtiu3ev5S9cnYQEogHgO2efuC9-gfeeUmdFp_7P40GoPlPzcoxf3iSCbhSs7YU-dCWxuA/w486-h640/20230222_091033a.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Al-Kahzneh, the "Treasury," is the most famous building in Petra,<br />but there was so much more!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All I really knew about Petra was that it had a beautiful
building carved right into the face of a cliff.
Our visit revealed so much more! This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one
of the greatest archaeological treasures in the world. It sits in a valley midway between the Gulf
of Aqaba and the Dead Sea, its ancient populations protected by high walls of sandstone
mountains on all sides. And those mountains were <i>covered</i> with carved buildings!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We woke up early and met our guide, Samir, immediately after
breakfast in a not entirely successful attempt to beat the crowds. T</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">he entry gates into Petra were across the street </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">from our hotel. We entered, dashed through the gauntlet of the vendors hawking
their souvenirs from the row of stalls, then headed down the dusty road toward the ancient settlement.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhDnKWfKbFuCTd0Hcfz4hYTOhPr2gIYcAn4Dd6OyUDUG_5gj0UGT-ozUJEdk1OWwwF3wbU4VGFUS9iseHUFaGdBUKAM1zmT1-QVYnuLUE6Oa7WmoizYslv_xHVK3QRYKKTc1QZdYOZ1MbGYfgSehovH5y7yTKyMuB97XuqYfD4ncAhaDA4Q/s3000/20230222_080921a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2653" data-original-width="3000" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhDnKWfKbFuCTd0Hcfz4hYTOhPr2gIYcAn4Dd6OyUDUG_5gj0UGT-ozUJEdk1OWwwF3wbU4VGFUS9iseHUFaGdBUKAM1zmT1-QVYnuLUE6Oa7WmoizYslv_xHVK3QRYKKTc1QZdYOZ1MbGYfgSehovH5y7yTKyMuB97XuqYfD4ncAhaDA4Q/w640-h566/20230222_080921a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The entrance to the archaeological site of Petra</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw3gxrqq2GCKUhTTIj-bfpvA7Zp-BSYR_pADqbRqIz1qUnX41HherrJzGGwS_l-W3D3HRzU51H6FiX1KdQ-iGKP7NHioGXckaDM5NtHgSRdL8RFJMCNZ7udQuHQs1F233dqvbnYdKCSqDBQsapURUMRhfLJPBIKwMyA4nZYuJY1DrEDMn5Q/s3304/20230222_082128a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2520" data-original-width="3304" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJw3gxrqq2GCKUhTTIj-bfpvA7Zp-BSYR_pADqbRqIz1qUnX41HherrJzGGwS_l-W3D3HRzU51H6FiX1KdQ-iGKP7NHioGXckaDM5NtHgSRdL8RFJMCNZ7udQuHQs1F233dqvbnYdKCSqDBQsapURUMRhfLJPBIKwMyA4nZYuJY1DrEDMn5Q/w640-h488/20230222_082128a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The road to Petra in the early morning.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My first hints that there were some unexpected marvels here came in the Bab as-Siq, which means “gateway to the Siq." We first passed by the "Djinn Blocks," which are large funerary monuments. They get their nickname from a Bedouin belief that they were inhabited by djinn. Just beyond was a double tomb - the Obelisk Tomb above and Triclinium below. The Triclinium still contains the stone benches that were used for funerary feasts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupPpP8wKWSnTMj1ZrsDtySq_4Vl4pD6tlNuitIPHG6gEDoUDu5wJN2R0Q1cGYVuBN2Il7PW26tSyqZJekTpvgh4ZXMXMid2em18B1otUmD8VQemipuzFKNBDlsYUowB6wbUkugklc7EvYSIcyfrOWIteCsXY-wfCC3DSsZ7d0pM5GFok1Ww/s2586/20230222_052926a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1804" data-original-width="2586" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupPpP8wKWSnTMj1ZrsDtySq_4Vl4pD6tlNuitIPHG6gEDoUDu5wJN2R0Q1cGYVuBN2Il7PW26tSyqZJekTpvgh4ZXMXMid2em18B1otUmD8VQemipuzFKNBDlsYUowB6wbUkugklc7EvYSIcyfrOWIteCsXY-wfCC3DSsZ7d0pM5GFok1Ww/w640-h446/20230222_052926a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Djinn Blocks</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn99uKVGOiGIBcKXDbIKPNWS46SGmQ4oabOTeoh5TD4fSworLvpMmOp__uFo712dNZYAaUFM1wkBKfABHLd2NotOyHWYaYB5eY3jW-jjmYF9TmufVnsfj78PLIMrx4RNakdD9NwnxDL3Fi-YJb8lTX1bAPXm8rn-L_tOXxu88v_vHhVitNMw/s3289/20230222_052918a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2703" data-original-width="3289" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn99uKVGOiGIBcKXDbIKPNWS46SGmQ4oabOTeoh5TD4fSworLvpMmOp__uFo712dNZYAaUFM1wkBKfABHLd2NotOyHWYaYB5eY3jW-jjmYF9TmufVnsfj78PLIMrx4RNakdD9NwnxDL3Fi-YJb8lTX1bAPXm8rn-L_tOXxu88v_vHhVitNMw/w640-h526/20230222_052918a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Obelisk Tomb and Triclinium</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlqVOJ11bmwTf2iSqDLmhRmqq58ZnJJsAUys8802ZToCIqwohAFwdKFGFGXx2Yx157gS3X-hepb8efhhCHPQlgApZiLp1QLdlTj_yVw10vq5tOzue5CyAXKB5ES4mnDlo04xYXgLswk1oXkcahAQCSaErDcK4K-olgKmywhe_HJAjJMmogQ/s3698/20230222_053147a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2599" data-original-width="3698" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlqVOJ11bmwTf2iSqDLmhRmqq58ZnJJsAUys8802ZToCIqwohAFwdKFGFGXx2Yx157gS3X-hepb8efhhCHPQlgApZiLp1QLdlTj_yVw10vq5tOzue5CyAXKB5ES4mnDlo04xYXgLswk1oXkcahAQCSaErDcK4K-olgKmywhe_HJAjJMmogQ/w640-h450/20230222_053147a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The</b></span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"> Obelisk Tomb sits above the Triclinium</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Soon we entered the Siq, the long, narrow gorge that winds
through a deep canyon, cut by rain and wind, to the valley below. Sandstone hills loomed up
to 240 feet on either side of us, and there were a multitude of man-made caves,
temples, inscriptions, and other decorations carved into the sandstone
walls. As we walked, Samir shared some of
the history of Petra. It is believed that humans have lived in this area for
about 7,000 years, but the golden age of Petra was between the 2<sup>nd</sup> C.
B.C. through the end of the 1<sup>st</sup> C. A.D. The city was home to between 20,000 and 30,000
people, the Nabataeans, who carved these gorgeous monuments and tombs. Under the Nabataeans, Petra thrived as a major
stop on the “Incense Route,” the trading route that carried frankincense and
myrrh, spices, pearls, and other luxury goods between the Roman Empire and
Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6LRDihcSosP0drqGKoPN2QW9vJGRW-xNAJF4NFsk_EPvlq38FMxydamHXfoF7hW8H7sTvip2IcxfapMxZ06Xdwue44A8CF-M1r5jC2gx9aEAn9QUEpLojd_s7Uk0-aVpPr_jeh5U72yvhzJVFg1_s5QbAWRguzV6pNQGhdnV5ov8XAhtVw/s3301/20230222_083128a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3301" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6LRDihcSosP0drqGKoPN2QW9vJGRW-xNAJF4NFsk_EPvlq38FMxydamHXfoF7hW8H7sTvip2IcxfapMxZ06Xdwue44A8CF-M1r5jC2gx9aEAn9QUEpLojd_s7Uk0-aVpPr_jeh5U72yvhzJVFg1_s5QbAWRguzV6pNQGhdnV5ov8XAhtVw/w582-h640/20230222_083128a.jpg" width="582" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Entering the Siq</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbls8lVHvr6jbCxll_rK1GMRxDSTcnR6zJZ935RADMarG7lP7inVDM_9lHFC91BodQi_Cas2-JGvWD6-ye6V7uXDUE8p5u4NWkmj7gOiCpVJEKMpZidJlfwPfbuYtikAKUdUQjcwqcO_gmZDN42hdxjmYvrHE0mHDlElsgCg5tZ0qRnFzfPA/s3157/20230222_094902a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3157" data-original-width="2911" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbls8lVHvr6jbCxll_rK1GMRxDSTcnR6zJZ935RADMarG7lP7inVDM_9lHFC91BodQi_Cas2-JGvWD6-ye6V7uXDUE8p5u4NWkmj7gOiCpVJEKMpZidJlfwPfbuYtikAKUdUQjcwqcO_gmZDN42hdxjmYvrHE0mHDlElsgCg5tZ0qRnFzfPA/w590-h640/20230222_094902a.jpg" width="590" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Products of the ancient "Incense Route" are still sold in Petra.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I loved the long walk through the Siq. Petra’s nickname is “The Rose City” due to the
vivid pink shade of many of the rock walls, although for me, one of the most
striking and beautiful things about Petra were the <i>many</i> colors, greys, purples, blacks, and browns streaking
through those rocks, and the way they glowed bright gold in the sunlight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKzdZbqYwa1O2z63pgYveHGZRDJde7sIEQe0igG8-mriIxWfMmFBGlMoyaGXLMkZASiUFwKSoJR2WUafUt55Szg8pECzSLl5wm22EvWrUIVcNs6CVUnSAIZL2EOW-p81O2b95sL6HIveRux3kLO4cKDz4HQIscA_9VLOcA83U5jYvsj4q4g/s3700/20230222_083637a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3700" data-original-width="2867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKzdZbqYwa1O2z63pgYveHGZRDJde7sIEQe0igG8-mriIxWfMmFBGlMoyaGXLMkZASiUFwKSoJR2WUafUt55Szg8pECzSLl5wm22EvWrUIVcNs6CVUnSAIZL2EOW-p81O2b95sL6HIveRux3kLO4cKDz4HQIscA_9VLOcA83U5jYvsj4q4g/w496-h640/20230222_083637a.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Joan and Rob in the Siq</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY2v9vlhL1fx5Bj-LNnilVKDwxE8vGb9qjNJAzIxlXPytOw8Ty37QjbwW8yxN8fliPswKKCAyrKYLUVFXEfff3QS2VH24VFEftw9Jh5jfHl7m56PNNAu5_x-H5Rxg34wGCMmCyEQlNaHL98wVcm7doJMwhqI4jBcEdCFKKP58vIhO08LvYA/s3691/20230222_054631a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="2952" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY2v9vlhL1fx5Bj-LNnilVKDwxE8vGb9qjNJAzIxlXPytOw8Ty37QjbwW8yxN8fliPswKKCAyrKYLUVFXEfff3QS2VH24VFEftw9Jh5jfHl7m56PNNAu5_x-H5Rxg34wGCMmCyEQlNaHL98wVcm7doJMwhqI4jBcEdCFKKP58vIhO08LvYA/w512-h640/20230222_054631a.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Siq winds through the natural passageways cut by water, wind, and sand.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsB_I_DzZBuNR7U-bbvOb1AjQ73jogiUU19wOBSDeYFKawci9I-DSgDQ24M6lN6bn4k2Ylo6_mT8WDCQRpunY6yOS7W1SKFtpaxxyei-RFUjaS-kjEeI0SYsWmvzJzoLGG0A2Dnj36WnLFrmWg_IWR69pScOK4hwx8bOWA8Q0pRQJJQ2K2g/s4000/20230222_083445a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsB_I_DzZBuNR7U-bbvOb1AjQ73jogiUU19wOBSDeYFKawci9I-DSgDQ24M6lN6bn4k2Ylo6_mT8WDCQRpunY6yOS7W1SKFtpaxxyei-RFUjaS-kjEeI0SYsWmvzJzoLGG0A2Dnj36WnLFrmWg_IWR69pScOK4hwx8bOWA8Q0pRQJJQ2K2g/w480-h640/20230222_083445a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The black lines in the rock are evidence of ancient volcanic eruptions.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTyHaW0aTvtfxJBR-etY8pdozKeSxvtBLN4GbS-2EMZ3uRfDvxlUMMkKr4MmhjJGuJu8GjrzlS4iPRGSlgMGCflgFBcMp2pr5GWqtL9fqqItN-L3ysHrjw1vGok55ofjFVWOk07KXCEgxAhCGyjqaqEbixW6HuffLMFQoe60ZdquO1FgegQ/s4000/20230222_084302a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTyHaW0aTvtfxJBR-etY8pdozKeSxvtBLN4GbS-2EMZ3uRfDvxlUMMkKr4MmhjJGuJu8GjrzlS4iPRGSlgMGCflgFBcMp2pr5GWqtL9fqqItN-L3ysHrjw1vGok55ofjFVWOk07KXCEgxAhCGyjqaqEbixW6HuffLMFQoe60ZdquO1FgegQ/w480-h640/20230222_084302a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The pink sandstone that gives "The Rose City" its name.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZaqTpkV3TR15xRkra9fbTtbrjYVelt-jiIGhxGb6-BI2vs3jSN73TcQmzW85rbrxdapXiHYGdH2e7G3bgI4PVla5joM72UZxJlHSxx84iotoCYtvyacQ6vK2qbJbA0e68WphX8VSxGHYGwpgoSXXoCYcy_ic-aq2nhkRTo4-NtCzJodqkA/s4000/20230222_084415a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZaqTpkV3TR15xRkra9fbTtbrjYVelt-jiIGhxGb6-BI2vs3jSN73TcQmzW85rbrxdapXiHYGdH2e7G3bgI4PVla5joM72UZxJlHSxx84iotoCYtvyacQ6vK2qbJbA0e68WphX8VSxGHYGwpgoSXXoCYcy_ic-aq2nhkRTo4-NtCzJodqkA/w480-h640/20230222_084415a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The pinks and greys give the smooth rock a marble-like effect.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtkfKjOHMmm0hHyi8Xo39-SqGDKYy5fzzN5SGDRIVtSNK0TgBrZdLc5YUNL0_4U8jC3jHkxpByUWeiNKJfR_WlOQNQeMAgZak3GO6ecE1dccigMnz8Wqe-FKPJs6yFZcggr5cx9wD_fJhy-ei1id0lJWdl1fGssTXC6ILtfJw3A4FEyrXgw/s4000/20230222_084719a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtkfKjOHMmm0hHyi8Xo39-SqGDKYy5fzzN5SGDRIVtSNK0TgBrZdLc5YUNL0_4U8jC3jHkxpByUWeiNKJfR_WlOQNQeMAgZak3GO6ecE1dccigMnz8Wqe-FKPJs6yFZcggr5cx9wD_fJhy-ei1id0lJWdl1fGssTXC6ILtfJw3A4FEyrXgw/w480-h640/20230222_084719a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGZuggHFf12Lj-5COO_nsl1xeesE6Pr5T988Icj2wiazePQlzN55HJSAqqPBadP9aVjIIvAJphfw7E30chzFcMTco-NIfRIpAnh1yUIEnM6QutDjFOYk6729sCF0qrIk2hujLQ0Tv-I6AD88nY6CI0i7QI5YjN22x70KakZCE9szCfYkEVQ/s4000/20230222_085128a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGZuggHFf12Lj-5COO_nsl1xeesE6Pr5T988Icj2wiazePQlzN55HJSAqqPBadP9aVjIIvAJphfw7E30chzFcMTco-NIfRIpAnh1yUIEnM6QutDjFOYk6729sCF0qrIk2hujLQ0Tv-I6AD88nY6CI0i7QI5YjN22x70KakZCE9szCfYkEVQ/w480-h640/20230222_085128a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pinks, golds, and browns streak through the rock walls</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iOhADudjvH8xtVAV_n4puMnhfeltwiinUFcRv1w8usOD6QZ18dAWC6AjAHH9-E86p5T1VXcGhNpcqiWFa-Cn1noDpK11v2vuGOddYJiLmLso3b_tV6TkQ6iI2g_aLBynSf_IEn6gcvTagXlnwqkBj6fPPtgHv5xQe39FkKDwhLROLDRYGg/s4000/20230222_085549a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iOhADudjvH8xtVAV_n4puMnhfeltwiinUFcRv1w8usOD6QZ18dAWC6AjAHH9-E86p5T1VXcGhNpcqiWFa-Cn1noDpK11v2vuGOddYJiLmLso3b_tV6TkQ6iI2g_aLBynSf_IEn6gcvTagXlnwqkBj6fPPtgHv5xQe39FkKDwhLROLDRYGg/w480-h640/20230222_085549a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pinks and purples chiseled by human hands</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Samir had grown up here and was proud to show us his knowledge of some of
the secrets of the canyon unnoticed by many of the other visitors – the profile
of a face in one cliffside, a rock that looked like a fish from the side but an
elephant from straight on, and the remains of a sculpture showing a camel caravan. During the 1<sup>st</sup>
C. A.D., Petra became a “client state” of the Roman Empire, and we could still
see remnants of the stone road the Romans had laid down on the passage through
the Siq. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkGzqWJTmCC0eeateOGOXt4U8Wcg7ftnVDSYHQXCvPK44C_kE2YFS_gb7_7G-bzSSgSkgJ-20f50Apqeca7LV5wkAkF_u16ax09fnrHUVp7HRha1TzRp5a-kmsbt-_mU1cHVThFlstwkU0HakoztatW-bFOsqAC1xyIz3_1FJTotzesbVeQ/s4000/20230222_083814a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkGzqWJTmCC0eeateOGOXt4U8Wcg7ftnVDSYHQXCvPK44C_kE2YFS_gb7_7G-bzSSgSkgJ-20f50Apqeca7LV5wkAkF_u16ax09fnrHUVp7HRha1TzRp5a-kmsbt-_mU1cHVThFlstwkU0HakoztatW-bFOsqAC1xyIz3_1FJTotzesbVeQ/w480-h640/20230222_083814a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The profile of a face in the passage</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSksmzueOBhESC0WRLiFshGQlmZNZjES9UOyfj95oRGWD0EJOE2XOyHSZsmAmUxDW2eX5rmV6_sgrF1PHQHnDDsxdRLt2lGRDqjo3cNwrd2yRFUDqrSK3lkVineRP5yAX3q8uA1TTt-IJNagfkrQf4ldKBrywNfEL4KOKtJ7UypHJiv_OCoA/s4000/20230222_085224a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSksmzueOBhESC0WRLiFshGQlmZNZjES9UOyfj95oRGWD0EJOE2XOyHSZsmAmUxDW2eX5rmV6_sgrF1PHQHnDDsxdRLt2lGRDqjo3cNwrd2yRFUDqrSK3lkVineRP5yAX3q8uA1TTt-IJNagfkrQf4ldKBrywNfEL4KOKtJ7UypHJiv_OCoA/w640-h480/20230222_085224a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The profile of a fat fish becomes...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwEDVlkLIZfh60-5eEi8o8etxfg8Xu2vyoTjCRK0p1PbrN1oNn6REA0q5tpvCTWzOlILVjfJpV44ZjwLqVzFrRVBOhUPPxoqN6nZq3gQJ8-yuhmn_0qKdnxjwq1edmhvtfeO3s7i2rXSZMN8033ueOq7jOv0Nxj3--0F4AWol9UxAJD9yFA/s3453/20230222_085239a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3453" data-original-width="2867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwEDVlkLIZfh60-5eEi8o8etxfg8Xu2vyoTjCRK0p1PbrN1oNn6REA0q5tpvCTWzOlILVjfJpV44ZjwLqVzFrRVBOhUPPxoqN6nZq3gQJ8-yuhmn_0qKdnxjwq1edmhvtfeO3s7i2rXSZMN8033ueOq7jOv0Nxj3--0F4AWol9UxAJD9yFA/w532-h640/20230222_085239a.jpg" width="532" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>...the face of an elephant when viewed from the front!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDWZc0cZAJ9MzOWCDuEIHeRKCRtI8lquYodN__pnjOURTEeV_xc3S9zfnqGovccwADJzkiN6JS8RxYpHNdhkDtS_U6oCstASEqz6FDgSXIb9kvOgki3M72pFpxgwxHjmuXX6Ke4ThqpZEjUUBJHhBIbDRfcV5suI-chqCsu5oVGYXNKqmVA/s3852/20230222_085949a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3852" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDWZc0cZAJ9MzOWCDuEIHeRKCRtI8lquYodN__pnjOURTEeV_xc3S9zfnqGovccwADJzkiN6JS8RxYpHNdhkDtS_U6oCstASEqz6FDgSXIb9kvOgki3M72pFpxgwxHjmuXX6Ke4ThqpZEjUUBJHhBIbDRfcV5suI-chqCsu5oVGYXNKqmVA/w498-h640/20230222_085949a.jpg" width="498" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The remnants of a sculpture of a trader and his camel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2EHziIDPJ2e4sVr2Qjf3a_EKVuDc74WFMltAEavI4Kf7jsT_ZIg7mJi8t6Foq9YR1e6yqRIihhaRC1hgM6hFT9y-mpJihRee6KWbOXI06M6Xv6MoJ4EZ2JzDXBsv52xMrtZesbq9aHLFn3ejYj3njIJYuXZfmTH2dfU0-PJntAc17gs0JQ/s3523/20230222_085312a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="2938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2EHziIDPJ2e4sVr2Qjf3a_EKVuDc74WFMltAEavI4Kf7jsT_ZIg7mJi8t6Foq9YR1e6yqRIihhaRC1hgM6hFT9y-mpJihRee6KWbOXI06M6Xv6MoJ4EZ2JzDXBsv52xMrtZesbq9aHLFn3ejYj3njIJYuXZfmTH2dfU0-PJntAc17gs0JQ/w534-h640/20230222_085312a.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Romans laid this ancient cobblestone road. They eventually annexed Petra.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHgs8f34HZ6TH-z2cB-gHsZJpgc9xR-u7X1jEZda8duhlA4KBmwhO6P0Y5fhLRnRVddKiQ_0lHUcZj18BC_lg0AF9puceUKUa_ODgwAxjgMPHtiUS4B5i-Xj2XBt9ODOD6Ceyi9tV1uPPsYr1WTYRuJaNfLI9jYwBP0q5pHY0Ls8_s2B2tQ/s3691/20230222_090327a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHgs8f34HZ6TH-z2cB-gHsZJpgc9xR-u7X1jEZda8duhlA4KBmwhO6P0Y5fhLRnRVddKiQ_0lHUcZj18BC_lg0AF9puceUKUa_ODgwAxjgMPHtiUS4B5i-Xj2XBt9ODOD6Ceyi9tV1uPPsYr1WTYRuJaNfLI9jYwBP0q5pHY0Ls8_s2B2tQ/w520-h640/20230222_090327a.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">More remnants of the Roman road</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is an arid climate, so, in addition to their architectural skills, the Nabataeans became amazing
water conservationists. They carved or built long channels along the walls of the Siq and filled these channels with clay pipes
that carried the water to the valley below for irrigation. But this canyon could be a dangerous place in
the rain, as flash floods would turn it into a raging river, so the Nabataeans built small dams to stem the
flow of water from the numerous smaller gorges on the sides of the canyon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHqfjdyB871LsnlOZdSWqC5M0OVQODy0TLvJ_Bx-o8LDFDa7bUrkUScglCAZZRbaquYvd57lSPkYfa4C92I1ZQ8pxcXzLtzj7kfDTV2efGli7X1r3z2dETjCvWczSofeVJkE3-rIT1w9LVxaXH3hxiGYHnKwOOjF1T8hcH1Er28g8Fnbywg/s4000/20230222_083415a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHqfjdyB871LsnlOZdSWqC5M0OVQODy0TLvJ_Bx-o8LDFDa7bUrkUScglCAZZRbaquYvd57lSPkYfa4C92I1ZQ8pxcXzLtzj7kfDTV2efGli7X1r3z2dETjCvWczSofeVJkE3-rIT1w9LVxaXH3hxiGYHnKwOOjF1T8hcH1Er28g8Fnbywg/w480-h640/20230222_083415a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Water channel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GtJVrcsAdgvX0WGYzyIYHV4Z1pd2Y8MLaRUQY2XurwUky_K0afM8kQlSuSLrT7vv7-6Pks1ne6G7pB7rYCP3Dd07UzLpLuHE0Ix7jV-q0S2MlR-WmpQ_ozG47C6yLgrnyloAPkqt5fvpHWXogjAb-S3CsLfS2Rp5ypRddNUVq39XXBpqEg/s3863/20230222_090055a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2727" data-original-width="3863" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GtJVrcsAdgvX0WGYzyIYHV4Z1pd2Y8MLaRUQY2XurwUky_K0afM8kQlSuSLrT7vv7-6Pks1ne6G7pB7rYCP3Dd07UzLpLuHE0Ix7jV-q0S2MlR-WmpQ_ozG47C6yLgrnyloAPkqt5fvpHWXogjAb-S3CsLfS2Rp5ypRddNUVq39XXBpqEg/w640-h452/20230222_090055a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Water channels carved out on either side of the Siq.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qimPKM5x8jONd4wDg32Q-fYdViJPz-RSiu6HxcAx-4sg7J873iIMe_K_T5ssI3nWDIIXucYZRImA9eb5s6xxMpC4d-fC8f2XdB74ywWLtx-qMTAezcpJTeS21aNUQjPMOue5Gw6Pp6_ioFvuYXV-kdUd3zm1UOwtu5roVAl-RQUWw0m61A/s4000/20230222_122550a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qimPKM5x8jONd4wDg32Q-fYdViJPz-RSiu6HxcAx-4sg7J873iIMe_K_T5ssI3nWDIIXucYZRImA9eb5s6xxMpC4d-fC8f2XdB74ywWLtx-qMTAezcpJTeS21aNUQjPMOue5Gw6Pp6_ioFvuYXV-kdUd3zm1UOwtu5roVAl-RQUWw0m61A/w480-h640/20230222_122550a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQGsuFKb6Mh3AL-HGUK3mi-Up0h7rg4-WuVow7LX_8hM92ODfcweLXnKPwU9iJNjYnYJBY6d4nLYKbJIjfJJBrkcm0BJeXXnYcfcAk8P5tZDkBZAEyRN6WZBTAdJZs03pPApRyTJQBbFSNdrhuUUzPi7LvPQEv_PahbelS9ksIPk80Tb3MA/s2116/20230222_143129a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="2116" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQGsuFKb6Mh3AL-HGUK3mi-Up0h7rg4-WuVow7LX_8hM92ODfcweLXnKPwU9iJNjYnYJBY6d4nLYKbJIjfJJBrkcm0BJeXXnYcfcAk8P5tZDkBZAEyRN6WZBTAdJZs03pPApRyTJQBbFSNdrhuUUzPi7LvPQEv_PahbelS9ksIPk80Tb3MA/w640-h544/20230222_143129a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">These fitted clay pipes that used to lie in the channels were displayed in the Petra Museum</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ff60Vr3B_wUsc_iyEBXuhAo1558VcwuYpU46FzNq6ooFuFNwjvP9Gdd7W6azHfzL_ZCc7XKtXsG_fRwHj2HJFjQzs7dC2C8f6gdBizSMxLHVaMDB4j_py4YPHBF-fb13POLhXUD-vO7uywTzhX1PLKXCbjkHGw9JtIrguMWJRHoDU7Exvg/s4000/20230222_083546a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ff60Vr3B_wUsc_iyEBXuhAo1558VcwuYpU46FzNq6ooFuFNwjvP9Gdd7W6azHfzL_ZCc7XKtXsG_fRwHj2HJFjQzs7dC2C8f6gdBizSMxLHVaMDB4j_py4YPHBF-fb13POLhXUD-vO7uywTzhX1PLKXCbjkHGw9JtIrguMWJRHoDU7Exvg/w480-h640/20230222_083546a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the many dams that prevented water from flowing into the Siq</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOs7fjk6sEdjVPp6tzjFmJHyeIDj8XorWFs0VRv37prJn8xByseKwBxbExgB0F0Uqavwjht5OxGWpYGZtTZc64RkjIxZSsmV7IEURacuMP2A7QpAGey6Ls26xUerQTkOesko9EAr3IYkWc7KBMS37Ol8FtuY_AYlV7wxAvFy1JgVZAp4kzcg/s4000/20230222_085405a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOs7fjk6sEdjVPp6tzjFmJHyeIDj8XorWFs0VRv37prJn8xByseKwBxbExgB0F0Uqavwjht5OxGWpYGZtTZc64RkjIxZSsmV7IEURacuMP2A7QpAGey6Ls26xUerQTkOesko9EAr3IYkWc7KBMS37Ol8FtuY_AYlV7wxAvFy1JgVZAp4kzcg/w640-h480/20230222_085405a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the several small canyons that needed a dam to prevent flooding</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLY2vl0Ad8HvhOTY4j1iKiDCXFqwePwpJcS5J1AhGN2qL88pT2TGN0WrmMx1znsVNA3yE93o4oeAAQda2-9v0GHxnNR_y7CzPEXVNR4yO0VxPL1L28f6KHIioqM3hnu9Rx-oY-6hBLc0JMz2IOCX11d9Giyd7N9aCUfBfZPcxqzxFFWDbuCg/s3624/20230222_090540a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3624" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLY2vl0Ad8HvhOTY4j1iKiDCXFqwePwpJcS5J1AhGN2qL88pT2TGN0WrmMx1znsVNA3yE93o4oeAAQda2-9v0GHxnNR_y7CzPEXVNR4yO0VxPL1L28f6KHIioqM3hnu9Rx-oY-6hBLc0JMz2IOCX11d9Giyd7N9aCUfBfZPcxqzxFFWDbuCg/w530-h640/20230222_090540a.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3jvuNVuY5xmgWWrh1lO5PnT45HOFCJEpD7P7zaag1BauB3ZaZpwrweSEMzMN8YlCacKs2lstCyZAMZiUYR8fXWLy1vi6OkkDIGSSd76g0zeR4F-k7Z-c6czWYK5uQq2EmEeZrU6DNinjVTNABB0fCYvnbIXPB_uv7omyvaC-Szyil99Y2g/s3393/20230222_090553a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3393" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3jvuNVuY5xmgWWrh1lO5PnT45HOFCJEpD7P7zaag1BauB3ZaZpwrweSEMzMN8YlCacKs2lstCyZAMZiUYR8fXWLy1vi6OkkDIGSSd76g0zeR4F-k7Z-c6czWYK5uQq2EmEeZrU6DNinjVTNABB0fCYvnbIXPB_uv7omyvaC-Szyil99Y2g/w566-h640/20230222_090553a.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My heart beat faster when, through the opening in the passage at the end of the Siq, we
caught the first glimpse of the monument that draws most visitors to Petra –
Al-Khazneh or “The Treasury.” We emerged
from the canyon into a large square filled with visitors, souvenir vendors, and
Bedouins offering photo opportunities with the many camels lying patiently on
the ground. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCM-CP13R6fuPsrmMdv0kDlbhI7Gxh6kups6dPBArJdHfM3HQ_WlblJYybiCLVlYL_gYDZaQhR2v_fTRc07T2fBvrwhI9jpzSs_He7rr2kNCpdmx3rhXLLyJXTVCPB4MfBkRfGQwGwop-Fbo9It6KuiFOKNm3V4r6sxDxz1U5ExqUL-NVgUw/s3549/20230222_090711a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3549" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCM-CP13R6fuPsrmMdv0kDlbhI7Gxh6kups6dPBArJdHfM3HQ_WlblJYybiCLVlYL_gYDZaQhR2v_fTRc07T2fBvrwhI9jpzSs_He7rr2kNCpdmx3rhXLLyJXTVCPB4MfBkRfGQwGwop-Fbo9It6KuiFOKNm3V4r6sxDxz1U5ExqUL-NVgUw/w534-h640/20230222_090711a.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">First peek at Al-Khazneh, the Treasury</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBeI4QMJHKczop7wSw8o-oEl_0_PHTALIL_WmyMNuZjuSbDQOV2PbjfuJrBPdwyyMZUorhOA6ObA8JHSdZxL3Aqks5ciPNCVlUmSEiB8YQvq76a4cyFkgypqAG9xwpjFNOdKv-PhxW2S00HAAlxEYc5o_z1hJhyDAR4c6FJXuK13w2HeF8A/s3947/20230222_090703a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3947" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBeI4QMJHKczop7wSw8o-oEl_0_PHTALIL_WmyMNuZjuSbDQOV2PbjfuJrBPdwyyMZUorhOA6ObA8JHSdZxL3Aqks5ciPNCVlUmSEiB8YQvq76a4cyFkgypqAG9xwpjFNOdKv-PhxW2S00HAAlxEYc5o_z1hJhyDAR4c6FJXuK13w2HeF8A/w480-h640/20230222_090703a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuSAsNDeDMNexv0yuBMYDGxu8rVCM6Z3oQQBvHXaPYhHOaejUdfEksJFseiiJ9HiF1E7Z5HHYu9liUAgiybWQ4gJyenJrVWzWBjc4ti3Qnwt2OtU1HUI0VmlCLHr8Ui3edlR40d7he9Ydk_G9vfuvezjMliVxQsMZXV7-65NFXCpcN5tV-A/s3910/20230222_090903a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3910" data-original-width="2933" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuSAsNDeDMNexv0yuBMYDGxu8rVCM6Z3oQQBvHXaPYhHOaejUdfEksJFseiiJ9HiF1E7Z5HHYu9liUAgiybWQ4gJyenJrVWzWBjc4ti3Qnwt2OtU1HUI0VmlCLHr8Ui3edlR40d7he9Ydk_G9vfuvezjMliVxQsMZXV7-65NFXCpcN5tV-A/w480-h640/20230222_090903a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Travelers at Al-Khazneh</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdKQzobG1PTazcqx4OPqwU28YyIULl0HvLmnOORhireJpYEELPmHnRKzHU5TqQ7zmDGXcl81vg_py-UAjje15ssGYtmOGUkGsMLcF_xPQCXhUeqlLhr9Pch0-CGF9W7NdoXyFhusXYHJFMYLurN-Ifl7Xz6-H1RYpuzEy3F5s-ycvDI3_WA/s3523/20230222_090940a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="2939" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdKQzobG1PTazcqx4OPqwU28YyIULl0HvLmnOORhireJpYEELPmHnRKzHU5TqQ7zmDGXcl81vg_py-UAjje15ssGYtmOGUkGsMLcF_xPQCXhUeqlLhr9Pch0-CGF9W7NdoXyFhusXYHJFMYLurN-Ifl7Xz6-H1RYpuzEy3F5s-ycvDI3_WA/w534-h640/20230222_090940a.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The busy square in front of Al-Khazneh</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDx25E6sJnTpMFAgil380F0Ln77zJpLmfeMHmnOZFhJ8mIdnTcMIbRxDqkUObTIfCi_r636ZHb3VIvs9HkCOijhUk-YYrmm0tlJ1JkGnv-zH7vBQJYhXxbR0lp2GtRPuGfNvRMUBg8SBG9nBut1V9uaVMEmBRglTf8svgTndiemfIJgPcGQ/s4000/20230222_091606a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2758" data-original-width="4000" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDx25E6sJnTpMFAgil380F0Ln77zJpLmfeMHmnOZFhJ8mIdnTcMIbRxDqkUObTIfCi_r636ZHb3VIvs9HkCOijhUk-YYrmm0tlJ1JkGnv-zH7vBQJYhXxbR0lp2GtRPuGfNvRMUBg8SBG9nBut1V9uaVMEmBRglTf8svgTndiemfIJgPcGQ/w640-h442/20230222_091606a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the many camels in the square</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kNC2nRdZL_OAI9N_SwAUXAzOLWueq8hjFoWBu6xtMSzPguQ43zA2VdBOq0ZjlnxAWsGHkTpTY_DqT4MIlHMg60T0NQ2Y_MqEy1d6mkbdDyKFYEGHAVcimuducny85qq4fPp8pABG3SGCglV6S5fVIZ6KsWLW5rlbc2KC7M7aGPePJDWICw/s3032/20230222_091142a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="2888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kNC2nRdZL_OAI9N_SwAUXAzOLWueq8hjFoWBu6xtMSzPguQ43zA2VdBOq0ZjlnxAWsGHkTpTY_DqT4MIlHMg60T0NQ2Y_MqEy1d6mkbdDyKFYEGHAVcimuducny85qq4fPp8pABG3SGCglV6S5fVIZ6KsWLW5rlbc2KC7M7aGPePJDWICw/w610-h640/20230222_091142a.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob makes friends with a sweet-looking camel.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u0g2kkcZjrhtowxGA1bjW9E9e347yhfarxrIp_yR9AaQGUuGV-rHLWnlMeihIk0o_yo5T5Xg5I5fiL7DWjengiRdwejE41ueMgdKCw_T8I6AYiKPSziaUTykW5TzWW7Z9vuwLakjmzl_mbzIJzVc9EzZ_-quXNFEzpEbw30GCmPoWaUJaw/s2641/20230222_091457a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2541" data-original-width="2641" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u0g2kkcZjrhtowxGA1bjW9E9e347yhfarxrIp_yR9AaQGUuGV-rHLWnlMeihIk0o_yo5T5Xg5I5fiL7DWjengiRdwejE41ueMgdKCw_T8I6AYiKPSziaUTykW5TzWW7Z9vuwLakjmzl_mbzIJzVc9EzZ_-quXNFEzpEbw30GCmPoWaUJaw/w640-h616/20230222_091457a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tourists could buy camel rides throughout the square and the rest of the site.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Al-Khazneh, or "The Treasury," is one of the best preserved of all the monuments in Petra.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is the mausoleum of King Aretes IV, the king who ruled here from 9 B.C. to 40 A.D. during the period of the construction of the most notable monuments of Petra.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Treasury got its nickname because of the mistaken belief that it was filled with a pharaoh’s hidden treasure. The orb sitting at the top center of the building became the focus for the treasure hunters and is pocked with bullet holes, but actually, the orb is a solid funerary urn.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The sandstone building is weathered by years of sand and wind, but it is still an impressive sight.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWclxRr_MEacWxFROkpJnORTn41Vfy_EZl-Armuxrzsap1ZnxB-HvBKDYjOAbKvH8-W_RNMezakeABSo0Lvk3zxo9G6yN_sdyIVkKIhLVDYd2AW2ZGgtqeFGRk7ViKZFtIxj5dXnB5Sa75PrqRgjtQOC4_E2Y4RRl_gLor8c-pGprmxZJpg/s3743/20230222_091211a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="3743" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWclxRr_MEacWxFROkpJnORTn41Vfy_EZl-Armuxrzsap1ZnxB-HvBKDYjOAbKvH8-W_RNMezakeABSo0Lvk3zxo9G6yN_sdyIVkKIhLVDYd2AW2ZGgtqeFGRk7ViKZFtIxj5dXnB5Sa75PrqRgjtQOC4_E2Y4RRl_gLor8c-pGprmxZJpg/w640-h506/20230222_091211a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Details of the upper level of Al-Khazneh, with the orb at the top center</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnrjtS_cLLhOM9fILwNNlNcCNoVnDEkWZQlS8BJhzFr4X-_Taq2BqINReEtj58XkF_FI1LL5jqhlk74E_MjWnPesw7PSk5yA2lyIRyaVSvK3k4gDbeoluRPcG0FXT3Ts8-DtPxj4cO2g0IZUBbDN_1lL3aIbzZJTA1ZOjf6tc-GZydewjpg/s4000/20230222_091216a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnrjtS_cLLhOM9fILwNNlNcCNoVnDEkWZQlS8BJhzFr4X-_Taq2BqINReEtj58XkF_FI1LL5jqhlk74E_MjWnPesw7PSk5yA2lyIRyaVSvK3k4gDbeoluRPcG0FXT3Ts8-DtPxj4cO2g0IZUBbDN_1lL3aIbzZJTA1ZOjf6tc-GZydewjpg/w640-h480/20230222_091216a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Details of the lower half of Al-Khazneh. Entry into the tomb was prohibited.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The biggest surprise for me were all of the other tomb
facades and other monuments surrounding us here in the square.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrlICiuyJn8C3GUkdFJnuPRa01zGP5Wx-Rtib52IjOl2qdZTsVcJIFhL0P79kYfteVktWhVYdni9S9gzgblm4oi4iOUdUwdOyB-Bx0i8QMOniet9dDlBNoSpnaQXhguiJswrKdQa9fibwjXxMMdAzqEfv4FiJUZy5c92A2M9Ktjqb6fhCLw/s3382/20230222_091621a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3382" data-original-width="2966" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrlICiuyJn8C3GUkdFJnuPRa01zGP5Wx-Rtib52IjOl2qdZTsVcJIFhL0P79kYfteVktWhVYdni9S9gzgblm4oi4iOUdUwdOyB-Bx0i8QMOniet9dDlBNoSpnaQXhguiJswrKdQa9fibwjXxMMdAzqEfv4FiJUZy5c92A2M9Ktjqb6fhCLw/w562-h640/20230222_091621a.jpg" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A tomb in the great square</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxhkKMP5Xl2PqtqsaWelAtPw0aN59JM2-s1JIxK5dc9XMiSA7mLpGUAbUZxT-o0f5dbNfEDhDwuGhWl8Gi0X6MFUlkh_Bc_fjx57b4Wz3DV7Enp-QOKQab_qNkxoN0WzRyg3bT_Omnr098b9Qz5vhYGoqgzS8-OuTynrKlPmiZM9A7UjWJQ/s3234/20230222_091828a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3234" data-original-width="2636" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxhkKMP5Xl2PqtqsaWelAtPw0aN59JM2-s1JIxK5dc9XMiSA7mLpGUAbUZxT-o0f5dbNfEDhDwuGhWl8Gi0X6MFUlkh_Bc_fjx57b4Wz3DV7Enp-QOKQab_qNkxoN0WzRyg3bT_Omnr098b9Qz5vhYGoqgzS8-OuTynrKlPmiZM9A7UjWJQ/w522-h640/20230222_091828a.jpg" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Another of the "Djinn Blocks" that are found throughout the site.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My amazement continued throughout
the rest of the visit. What a magnificent city this must have been! Almost every cliff face was carved into
temples, tombs, buildings. The </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Tombs of the Royals” filled the cliffside high above us. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">There were other giant facades around the tombs of other prominent nobles.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">One wall
was filled with smaller, but beautifully decorated, tombs of the lesser nobles.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">And other hills were filled with the simple
tombs of the common people.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because of
the Nabataeans’ trade with other cultures, the Treasury and other buildings here
showed Hellenistic and Roman influences, including acanthus-topped columns,
floral friezes, and figures of Greek gods.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseBX3b77_Mgu6ilEYM-C0T80TYJ43AOM9Mat4LnSQiwTafI8waGIA5tcDsMr6VQR-HTle8mF0Mw6e62OxCrR0E2LAubL3m6EDTEiwGTp9n3inVJ2M291Oi-RIz8X53BM2iv-iqlERj2VPpXhOCKEF_YbI6ZZGyDfbyVqVnYpye_KGrdOQKA/s2576/20230222_070557a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2247" data-original-width="2576" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseBX3b77_Mgu6ilEYM-C0T80TYJ43AOM9Mat4LnSQiwTafI8waGIA5tcDsMr6VQR-HTle8mF0Mw6e62OxCrR0E2LAubL3m6EDTEiwGTp9n3inVJ2M291Oi-RIz8X53BM2iv-iqlERj2VPpXhOCKEF_YbI6ZZGyDfbyVqVnYpye_KGrdOQKA/w640-h558/20230222_070557a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Samir leads Joan further into the valley</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC37rX_nYKHA-aUhvY-o5JQy-jVaIyaO84CHkBXf-OcudPAAn6nPQd7uruDFiIUh12fATvd9hIX1SSZ0LgY523hAlfjTtJsJ8eCTfhvT2ORuH3eL7bWgyyALCNOPPJhiY2fk37w0yZrMvExVgx5sxzmAjpPkdjJJei6PfDXH1lG_Rb-x7eeA/s2965/20230222_095507a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2218" data-original-width="2965" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC37rX_nYKHA-aUhvY-o5JQy-jVaIyaO84CHkBXf-OcudPAAn6nPQd7uruDFiIUh12fATvd9hIX1SSZ0LgY523hAlfjTtJsJ8eCTfhvT2ORuH3eL7bWgyyALCNOPPJhiY2fk37w0yZrMvExVgx5sxzmAjpPkdjJJei6PfDXH1lG_Rb-x7eeA/w640-h478/20230222_095507a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Tombs of the Royals covered a hillside high above us.<br />From the left: The Palace Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Urn Tomb</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AmhexU32ZGXnt44xAUdJPmQZAEhmiEm5nq6kFLzXDE1PuAWnATFp4wAfzsy1G0bMBGwWBrWsZF1_D-c1r5mmP3Ko__vwLfNa_GbixIdiHqoJFwbEnw8a-Ss6MuxuY3Kr6E_MSRe-hxo-RGnmjCeGrj8xz65XEBGu2kIkFzWfIYSXfKdnng/s2389/20230222_095156a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="2389" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AmhexU32ZGXnt44xAUdJPmQZAEhmiEm5nq6kFLzXDE1PuAWnATFp4wAfzsy1G0bMBGwWBrWsZF1_D-c1r5mmP3Ko__vwLfNa_GbixIdiHqoJFwbEnw8a-Ss6MuxuY3Kr6E_MSRe-hxo-RGnmjCeGrj8xz65XEBGu2kIkFzWfIYSXfKdnng/w640-h590/20230222_095156a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Below the Tombs of the Royals were smaller tombs and dwellings.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJe_ZgSQd2EOUTx5nJVF64vhK7LXgte21wBxslnm3Y6V1p42rW3ObEZjXf1VIGfqKUXoqv79b70mZzlsnEKRdlk1gpagaKmwu4g-dCFvWEm45ZenBUNlp2WjE4fKnPjc3FX7vWnBOPYQNDlEah4Yj1YfZckUI09_XYLRRA3vOeJEfof8_Lw/s3523/20230222_094940a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="3523" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJe_ZgSQd2EOUTx5nJVF64vhK7LXgte21wBxslnm3Y6V1p42rW3ObEZjXf1VIGfqKUXoqv79b70mZzlsnEKRdlk1gpagaKmwu4g-dCFvWEm45ZenBUNlp2WjE4fKnPjc3FX7vWnBOPYQNDlEah4Yj1YfZckUI09_XYLRRA3vOeJEfof8_Lw/w640-h468/20230222_094940a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Urn Tomb, one of the Tombs of the Royals</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">High-ranking people in Nabataean society included governors, high-ranking military officers, priests and wealthy merchants. Some of their tombs are shown below.</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0HBTgpo2VwmBp4oteI9rF6CZHJCEAOlPiV67o-Rmt6jRtQK57ZYNgN9QDRjIqyQSqTWTinVanumovWM5LuLlsZ2SiuiVjnW3ULNJA3YXBi_5IY6orozXHopi5EqsQCaqsyQDtfj28DbY_aEZElvRm6GRMeeoWSbGYaTdwWAi24FNoJb27w/s4000/20230222_092637a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0HBTgpo2VwmBp4oteI9rF6CZHJCEAOlPiV67o-Rmt6jRtQK57ZYNgN9QDRjIqyQSqTWTinVanumovWM5LuLlsZ2SiuiVjnW3ULNJA3YXBi_5IY6orozXHopi5EqsQCaqsyQDtfj28DbY_aEZElvRm6GRMeeoWSbGYaTdwWAi24FNoJb27w/w640-h480/20230222_092637a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Some cliff faces were completely carved into the facades of tombs of notable people.</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCyibRzqlfAAHFZpxtfOiy37i_P7hc4DDsfIjX5SDkJeGC5I3dhA3YEmA1E9z5WjtketOgblJqgc5yJfo8-EvedWqOcx9eyn2ceCeRVaE_vNK3lwYdXxhDAug4rfY1PtZFPKBrpMrTsmWYW_98Hun8UmI0hpAl02z6-aC00mHyDOr_G0JQA/s2337/20230222_120109a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2042" data-original-width="2337" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCyibRzqlfAAHFZpxtfOiy37i_P7hc4DDsfIjX5SDkJeGC5I3dhA3YEmA1E9z5WjtketOgblJqgc5yJfo8-EvedWqOcx9eyn2ceCeRVaE_vNK3lwYdXxhDAug4rfY1PtZFPKBrpMrTsmWYW_98Hun8UmI0hpAl02z6-aC00mHyDOr_G0JQA/w640-h560/20230222_120109a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">There are over 1,000 tombs in Petra. Most of them do not identify the people who lie within.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdTVeOsPct7FxrOhARWNyMqCvXizymZLV08YkdC78jJ5W3FYa3gE4dBRiE01i3ZwFVUP24NUFGbqZQ5iBBQ9VJkejdM7isyAHlXUnGSWhVWXF0jT7RMBbwnoMeIKO0T4L2jOD51s8gnpGqxTYCY0fKUtfbNRQLQOYJD_94ByzVL6N4GWOjg/s3806/20230222_120117a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="3806" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdTVeOsPct7FxrOhARWNyMqCvXizymZLV08YkdC78jJ5W3FYa3gE4dBRiE01i3ZwFVUP24NUFGbqZQ5iBBQ9VJkejdM7isyAHlXUnGSWhVWXF0jT7RMBbwnoMeIKO0T4L2jOD51s8gnpGqxTYCY0fKUtfbNRQLQOYJD_94ByzVL6N4GWOjg/w640-h394/20230222_120117a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The tall Uneishu Tomb to the left is one of the few identified as belonging to a particular family. Uneishu was the head minister to Queen Shaqilat II.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbhpngyO2HcjZD6sMLX9N1MnlLpMzJaZy9qnHc-7s1Zd4Ooc-sBTa2Yv1u7AzdWyGJrG1Z9veJW6cJeQXPMEbQvjwTnWJnDlMd1wmUN7Dw0oHcdMac-BEPB9Niob-ar1ixbvwq1goMfgoOy0fMSVKvzQSVvPE7_TNPSzxXgyjVqHLLi2Lhw/s3741/20230222_092711a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3741" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbhpngyO2HcjZD6sMLX9N1MnlLpMzJaZy9qnHc-7s1Zd4Ooc-sBTa2Yv1u7AzdWyGJrG1Z9veJW6cJeQXPMEbQvjwTnWJnDlMd1wmUN7Dw0oHcdMac-BEPB9Niob-ar1ixbvwq1goMfgoOy0fMSVKvzQSVvPE7_TNPSzxXgyjVqHLLi2Lhw/w506-h640/20230222_092711a.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A donkey and camels take advantage of the shade provided by one of the tombs.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqcrv0UmboTKxvXQgE87D4rB3-R7xMbGpuIypvjaTr5Ip2YJSdKjy_XR206JSTtpEmmIT_Q7c6A9vsHUbY3wGvaO-GRK2tgMfEwmUyXkxfcv3wJ9XO9bhUloCbDk-5UL5abzdUdM9RtzH0oQuzYv82lcB2y_FeCfUa7oMpbz3zvvb6j6YTQ/s3308/20230222_092824a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3308" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqcrv0UmboTKxvXQgE87D4rB3-R7xMbGpuIypvjaTr5Ip2YJSdKjy_XR206JSTtpEmmIT_Q7c6A9vsHUbY3wGvaO-GRK2tgMfEwmUyXkxfcv3wJ9XO9bhUloCbDk-5UL5abzdUdM9RtzH0oQuzYv82lcB2y_FeCfUa7oMpbz3zvvb6j6YTQ/w580-h640/20230222_092824a.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSMuUb224yf4But3RYhlumo8gVC02G_SvMU5JgkjIiguLSi719fxdjjhF3WCw1sgfG614U1SBXvmVay4QbofuohxJu-bHs5aUGwzxL7zJDxvspRk1jBKetrv6csvOKlhuEwjJaADq4YPFhMGPEW7zFHuO8dT9O9n4PfSoTLQQjPLjVhLA5g/s3758/20230222_092928a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3758" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSMuUb224yf4But3RYhlumo8gVC02G_SvMU5JgkjIiguLSi719fxdjjhF3WCw1sgfG614U1SBXvmVay4QbofuohxJu-bHs5aUGwzxL7zJDxvspRk1jBKetrv6csvOKlhuEwjJaADq4YPFhMGPEW7zFHuO8dT9O9n4PfSoTLQQjPLjVhLA5g/w510-h640/20230222_092928a.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdcjq_IZODfQ5W71_lEbeLNjGeTs_R-HB1_ATuMRfWI_R_eXbJqsKI8kg60zxo1a1UiFwKC3ozVROMlBhLx_anmed3DvoCL45pVsrcJc17-IQ7st2JfILz3SMCVG5etkq2rDErBwrWL-k2UMdpT63mDfAh6kDZObdJFy0BXYSqRI6enU-Tw/s3771/20230222_092938a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3771" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdcjq_IZODfQ5W71_lEbeLNjGeTs_R-HB1_ATuMRfWI_R_eXbJqsKI8kg60zxo1a1UiFwKC3ozVROMlBhLx_anmed3DvoCL45pVsrcJc17-IQ7st2JfILz3SMCVG5etkq2rDErBwrWL-k2UMdpT63mDfAh6kDZObdJFy0BXYSqRI6enU-Tw/w510-h640/20230222_092938a.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcTzuo6SRcMp5q8bTo9iQAQjGJU1CGBK2uL_Cd6FUl91GAcqTkhpo4YI1jTJ8L7I5ILw1KhbjfkpmpS3P54NbctiCR5Uf_rrstP_X0OH5Q6ahP36jFS2SqTAPWb39OHN2UKQq39PnJOTONvWC6EiNWc5FEI8IWQalinHZ3alWhdayGn42YQ/s3288/20230222_093134a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="2916" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcTzuo6SRcMp5q8bTo9iQAQjGJU1CGBK2uL_Cd6FUl91GAcqTkhpo4YI1jTJ8L7I5ILw1KhbjfkpmpS3P54NbctiCR5Uf_rrstP_X0OH5Q6ahP36jFS2SqTAPWb39OHN2UKQq39PnJOTONvWC6EiNWc5FEI8IWQalinHZ3alWhdayGn42YQ/w568-h640/20230222_093134a.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_Ccz2n3m15UfwdczNlhh1IaN3Eh2_GmYUJNPMe92u4cz4VHOfCvIh4I6SaJvy7ddHOeLT85qV2G6vMvAInyNf7FZylvwh-IDOzAriTInZ4vN8zEuBCDNdcckYt1sw7HDhMTSSbk2h1aSUd1ptaB9YkHTlZgxnXD7eZatKT5nkO1TY3dkbQ/s3468/20230222_093024a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_Ccz2n3m15UfwdczNlhh1IaN3Eh2_GmYUJNPMe92u4cz4VHOfCvIh4I6SaJvy7ddHOeLT85qV2G6vMvAInyNf7FZylvwh-IDOzAriTInZ4vN8zEuBCDNdcckYt1sw7HDhMTSSbk2h1aSUd1ptaB9YkHTlZgxnXD7eZatKT5nkO1TY3dkbQ/w554-h640/20230222_093024a.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufVDCRyn2i4dY1LXKVWiSj9mparEKqh8GoiVC_Q-zZXy4jLlMa2wzcBpTziJ1Q-n9FFqXNoFa5-zOgmxh1HGUGBmiostA4aZy_HT1ENvXpxPn0mbMNxfm-mMfohFXb1ITUFxBXNdIYlRmPWATv7zHIwojKmNeatSmQpgKXCPXFCaROkfiXA/s4000/20230222_093513a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufVDCRyn2i4dY1LXKVWiSj9mparEKqh8GoiVC_Q-zZXy4jLlMa2wzcBpTziJ1Q-n9FFqXNoFa5-zOgmxh1HGUGBmiostA4aZy_HT1ENvXpxPn0mbMNxfm-mMfohFXb1ITUFxBXNdIYlRmPWATv7zHIwojKmNeatSmQpgKXCPXFCaROkfiXA/w640-h480/20230222_093513a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The "Street of Facades" is believed to be one of the oldest burial sites in Petra</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jzEH_geve5xVoxcGGswiueoLEg5dPBgHTXHrXWSHXGZvxdrAid49bOiYFJVbwgJb-U-kOJzQ_uJ7mmvr80KkgH3r_LFPyeQ1K3dz91jIYCf6StBPu7KbRTnUZ4DwpGdyQjg1sq9npOILuy5nGvRYy5tGicdHs5HQ5OwF-mzDL24xv6sScg/s3881/20230222_093854a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="3881" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jzEH_geve5xVoxcGGswiueoLEg5dPBgHTXHrXWSHXGZvxdrAid49bOiYFJVbwgJb-U-kOJzQ_uJ7mmvr80KkgH3r_LFPyeQ1K3dz91jIYCf6StBPu7KbRTnUZ4DwpGdyQjg1sq9npOILuy5nGvRYy5tGicdHs5HQ5OwF-mzDL24xv6sScg/w640-h464/20230222_093854a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tombs of the common people dotted the rocks all over the site.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXm7kR3DnIKRbC1th6DUC4lwv_Nkdv_nZSFIiJy2rkLhyuhyO8VdyDS8ucZCZynLuXDS6uXoCc9rqeuorUDjGHE6Q2ktbEyHktW_s_D62YpSeKjNHxqPHsG7dDBw-4SRYnUUItoSZZtypFgaC6jBj8ZW2kL-2irLPJmnuWZj3kiACK456mw/s3617/20230222_093938a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3617" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXm7kR3DnIKRbC1th6DUC4lwv_Nkdv_nZSFIiJy2rkLhyuhyO8VdyDS8ucZCZynLuXDS6uXoCc9rqeuorUDjGHE6Q2ktbEyHktW_s_D62YpSeKjNHxqPHsG7dDBw-4SRYnUUItoSZZtypFgaC6jBj8ZW2kL-2irLPJmnuWZj3kiACK456mw/w640-h522/20230222_093938a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMojjby8gg8NEnl6NouVQeFmJ7xjy8RXbQPrYqXFwGUM0D7d1gYZa4keQ-HpdFwkp1r8-s5ftJwT_3rB9XL3BWogHAsKuplzic1MvRkQvLEhnCqKhHfM1VQ40YM713kzvb0Eln18TgDW1yYw8kV-pvHaF9J5FOJLNvX0hdaDSz4fCA2N6iSQ/s3819/20230222_094239a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3819" data-original-width="2864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMojjby8gg8NEnl6NouVQeFmJ7xjy8RXbQPrYqXFwGUM0D7d1gYZa4keQ-HpdFwkp1r8-s5ftJwT_3rB9XL3BWogHAsKuplzic1MvRkQvLEhnCqKhHfM1VQ40YM713kzvb0Eln18TgDW1yYw8kV-pvHaF9J5FOJLNvX0hdaDSz4fCA2N6iSQ/w480-h640/20230222_094239a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Visitors visit the empty tombs.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The valley was not just full of ancient and silent buildings. It was bustling with life, and we enjoyed watching the tourists, Bedouins with their camels, donkeys, and horses, stalls selling souvenirs and scarves, goats grazing on the hillside. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10sP-N2wljIiEUjLHjzCBKgR_nr9K2gQmMzZXtNRlBvgMhYVoMWrFWB-dkRMhmZAhWDmW-qqGo9MZ2-IENPS7yn0kIAGwkyjnWtOILhfZYERZBLySyLR48XSf2lgEkrorMZFhFmbX9Yy8YUOhn3-kT3IZHs8LVI_8EqSEp1QqUEdpVxOxSg/s3691/20230222_092107a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10sP-N2wljIiEUjLHjzCBKgR_nr9K2gQmMzZXtNRlBvgMhYVoMWrFWB-dkRMhmZAhWDmW-qqGo9MZ2-IENPS7yn0kIAGwkyjnWtOILhfZYERZBLySyLR48XSf2lgEkrorMZFhFmbX9Yy8YUOhn3-kT3IZHs8LVI_8EqSEp1QqUEdpVxOxSg/w520-h640/20230222_092107a.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDyZbDFM0Lt991EMVONAytzVGh1fKQMFydiBFoQzo22PUm0O_-aAXFHqBliyjgRrdFUKc5EWjo4PRa_uqZ1tgtHMJMS0Mj7yKz1iQQHTpc_tAwFGJV0MjnRWo-obzu84z-4yASVA6vj4fG3bhO9i6YSJ2NMDfZ8nIKADDy05dEQwWtNYcBw/s4000/20230222_092832a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2691" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDyZbDFM0Lt991EMVONAytzVGh1fKQMFydiBFoQzo22PUm0O_-aAXFHqBliyjgRrdFUKc5EWjo4PRa_uqZ1tgtHMJMS0Mj7yKz1iQQHTpc_tAwFGJV0MjnRWo-obzu84z-4yASVA6vj4fG3bhO9i6YSJ2NMDfZ8nIKADDy05dEQwWtNYcBw/w430-h640/20230222_092832a.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Vendors selling souvenirs in front of the ancient tombs</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vLcOfriuKj-8byZHf2GhKZ0MhJtj2Mty3SXdib0V0prvhaUxHNXLe1X5xI0hbn9g5DCNqMT4acfCOxE2GoHRgVHYadJr2mOZlbVTcUJjHQcBOM2kAkJsPzG55SYFwY6GaQnzJT-jZvzNGuc4m_uN2f5FsabXNCYMduog3_rvsvWRYsn4jA/s2691/20230222_093110a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2691" data-original-width="2583" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vLcOfriuKj-8byZHf2GhKZ0MhJtj2Mty3SXdib0V0prvhaUxHNXLe1X5xI0hbn9g5DCNqMT4acfCOxE2GoHRgVHYadJr2mOZlbVTcUJjHQcBOM2kAkJsPzG55SYFwY6GaQnzJT-jZvzNGuc4m_uN2f5FsabXNCYMduog3_rvsvWRYsn4jA/w614-h640/20230222_093110a.jpg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Bedouin and his donkey in front of the Street of Facades</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvpKiGg6i_AsGVkQ7lCZfw700uEWUCJEYa4OeikUBJzAGwOrak5yUVWudrQw7ybY617DqSbEgtWH3cEx43YnTXi8myYd3VFyJ0nR533eMOZvAco1B6UlmrfFIQkDdS4UXc3UKnjGYlZH3YVbYMN5V9jRxe_j3wq85_Yf6iVyuSQsljTsBcA/s3024/20230222_094120a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2651" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvpKiGg6i_AsGVkQ7lCZfw700uEWUCJEYa4OeikUBJzAGwOrak5yUVWudrQw7ybY617DqSbEgtWH3cEx43YnTXi8myYd3VFyJ0nR533eMOZvAco1B6UlmrfFIQkDdS4UXc3UKnjGYlZH3YVbYMN5V9jRxe_j3wq85_Yf6iVyuSQsljTsBcA/w562-h640/20230222_094120a.jpg" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A herd of goats on the hillside</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN71Zo7jPnxXVI9kVY6BfhpYE6W0kAp4HHhlEXQxX5alUI7PrKjZGc6BcsnzJ8KUHjOpLLCAfcu7G5-XYXAJydOZkond74FZ2zNCqzaVymvVmWSVJMSDdy4ZsQkuEOT2_lymBEps6H3KRbdGzvh-ag1_-1tRVCeiOzp4UgKejPwvHPsEkuZg/s3430/20230222_094551a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3430" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN71Zo7jPnxXVI9kVY6BfhpYE6W0kAp4HHhlEXQxX5alUI7PrKjZGc6BcsnzJ8KUHjOpLLCAfcu7G5-XYXAJydOZkond74FZ2zNCqzaVymvVmWSVJMSDdy4ZsQkuEOT2_lymBEps6H3KRbdGzvh-ag1_-1tRVCeiOzp4UgKejPwvHPsEkuZg/w560-h640/20230222_094551a.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxfkPHdVuTwQcCTgsa0nZ74-U-JUcjIJCz6AeF2g0XvJ-90g0G1lo5o-02S6kmjySulFjrc4wNTiQFUq2461eIRpUxg92eeyTLMlqXgSMUBSeSnjdAH7B9aqCyAJ0FF-A_r2EWSH7863pNuqg8erM1BX08xSR9_floFM8qNyIVaeaV0gfrw/s3098/20230222_095206a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3098" data-original-width="2474" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxfkPHdVuTwQcCTgsa0nZ74-U-JUcjIJCz6AeF2g0XvJ-90g0G1lo5o-02S6kmjySulFjrc4wNTiQFUq2461eIRpUxg92eeyTLMlqXgSMUBSeSnjdAH7B9aqCyAJ0FF-A_r2EWSH7863pNuqg8erM1BX08xSR9_floFM8qNyIVaeaV0gfrw/w512-h640/20230222_095206a.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">An ancient way of life connects with modern life in Petra</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVuV6dgCuwqSXPvrU3zNGnlHhJGkatmx-viDVziLwb5FKW-1KwenmJudxCCCTZ4cO0HQd3VI9MODX0iFSqxzHJgypdGrITS43UTKCf8C_nXaAc_ZfLURCCTfN4kNDt5_cM3Vr19fWuNqqz401Ge6Vk7v88W6xoZxQs_bc1Z2FRr1bkMyCbw/s3161/20230222_100101a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3161" data-original-width="2940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVuV6dgCuwqSXPvrU3zNGnlHhJGkatmx-viDVziLwb5FKW-1KwenmJudxCCCTZ4cO0HQd3VI9MODX0iFSqxzHJgypdGrITS43UTKCf8C_nXaAc_ZfLURCCTfN4kNDt5_cM3Vr19fWuNqqz401Ge6Vk7v88W6xoZxQs_bc1Z2FRr1bkMyCbw/w596-h640/20230222_100101a.jpg" width="596" /></a></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCkY8O6_O4UMjmBI8zy1-TQwehNk_OcQmyfsb39avXSPfE8Kzwof_2OwJLi5nAH1fkeAsI9M0eXmlbULserLNk-TJ3iCSX3jrrP-uJ-ShReMWdR8_AzGiObA4iHRoKAAHmo9yvs8O6e8r90553J3tOjup1VgyF6--Wokf1Jj2a1lOoyGVjA/s2640/20230222_101850a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2413" data-original-width="2640" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCkY8O6_O4UMjmBI8zy1-TQwehNk_OcQmyfsb39avXSPfE8Kzwof_2OwJLi5nAH1fkeAsI9M0eXmlbULserLNk-TJ3iCSX3jrrP-uJ-ShReMWdR8_AzGiObA4iHRoKAAHmo9yvs8O6e8r90553J3tOjup1VgyF6--Wokf1Jj2a1lOoyGVjA/w640-h584/20230222_101850a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">An ancient pistachio tree </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7bKJxxvCmU2gV28GxmuJZKnIa0QdB0agH8ZQE45TCT_fj6LSY-3afhwO2ptfZr-lh81Hm0AMH58QZ3O1Jjk26mlsE06ssaMSFMzJYtfBm_Ckb-NqM2RHZ1sM-yaYKpvKlLSiuNBwA4wYguxDfnNrgk9uv-Lyq4E0OvIATqoY9TI1--RIzQ/s3634/20230222_070837a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3634" data-original-width="2725" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7bKJxxvCmU2gV28GxmuJZKnIa0QdB0agH8ZQE45TCT_fj6LSY-3afhwO2ptfZr-lh81Hm0AMH58QZ3O1Jjk26mlsE06ssaMSFMzJYtfBm_Ckb-NqM2RHZ1sM-yaYKpvKlLSiuNBwA4wYguxDfnNrgk9uv-Lyq4E0OvIATqoY9TI1--RIzQ/w480-h640/20230222_070837a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Halfway down the valley, we stopped at a small shop to rehydrate.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we walked further into the wide valley, the Roman influence
became more evident. The amphitheater
resembles a Roman theater, except the Nabataeans carved it into the stone, as
they did their other monuments. The
Great Temple is free-standing, but strongly resembled Greek and Roman ruins we
had seen in other places. And in front
of the Great Temple stands Temenos Gate, constructed during the reign of
Hadrian or Trajan after Rome annexed Petra in 106 A.D.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJWYctA9WV_z-S7pv7kMbVovma30AI2lpEFV8LO3L_ZUAsTHOwQEQi4HOO8LheVpoKxW3xZdRum3jz_yOX7HEAKT0GHozq5893FM9mPDbvt2i0CEV44U4WlaDNId51gZv_5xHS4ewP19SGj-pZ4ZlotvzZVhY2PBKwrB_s539Hex-eNs5zw/s3910/20230222_064611a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="3910" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJWYctA9WV_z-S7pv7kMbVovma30AI2lpEFV8LO3L_ZUAsTHOwQEQi4HOO8LheVpoKxW3xZdRum3jz_yOX7HEAKT0GHozq5893FM9mPDbvt2i0CEV44U4WlaDNId51gZv_5xHS4ewP19SGj-pZ4ZlotvzZVhY2PBKwrB_s539Hex-eNs5zw/w640-h480/20230222_064611a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Theater is carved into the cliffside.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7KF-ALTvr0rtrf0IYRMV4BGcI-7PyTk2H56Z15o7N_1pBx-0pIOC6EC7L8wYaD4vCxCy4jX-rFG698Cr_rC8x09j8NIZMgqXKG50FiqVUbJryl_uCApNc3ksoJ5V2Ij-Q6DDw_WUumbsKexUvz5T7K-CxA1puOP8f87wJbZ2pB_rSwkxMg/s4000/20230222_101951a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7KF-ALTvr0rtrf0IYRMV4BGcI-7PyTk2H56Z15o7N_1pBx-0pIOC6EC7L8wYaD4vCxCy4jX-rFG698Cr_rC8x09j8NIZMgqXKG50FiqVUbJryl_uCApNc3ksoJ5V2Ij-Q6DDw_WUumbsKexUvz5T7K-CxA1puOP8f87wJbZ2pB_rSwkxMg/w480-h640/20230222_101951a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Street of Colonnades</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqoRcSWPpEvqfCF6D0jQuVxqW9Ws7bEVVKFSrupLamCkCY3SWW12m5SMYuyT7Llj3PfyAJVpz1BVUxaN7ZaZwGPEG05ygxzsPxnDlI67ViSG6pwgv_LX0BrAWln_nb9IKiL6Vcz6JII1HuFZpx7niEbTcZMANlYz1NTPxB4NpYM6KvL0vsg/s3153/20230222_102208a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3153" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqoRcSWPpEvqfCF6D0jQuVxqW9Ws7bEVVKFSrupLamCkCY3SWW12m5SMYuyT7Llj3PfyAJVpz1BVUxaN7ZaZwGPEG05ygxzsPxnDlI67ViSG6pwgv_LX0BrAWln_nb9IKiL6Vcz6JII1HuFZpx7niEbTcZMANlYz1NTPxB4NpYM6KvL0vsg/w608-h640/20230222_102208a.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlpkbT8vxoXaTSzWjRTD6MXRGkERuS0kS28pQGYAAK1AJ2izOqkZylaDNf7X6d11Lmn0ilMJK9xKZYmiLZx3TR-BLAZuTJtHyRBwbYXm0vXzt8iThvRe6CoDqE87L5M-7WjS1p-YeUe2r4zavCFQxB0aTgobrK9Of1EvypTub7_jQp5jLuQ/s4000/20230222_102502a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2652" data-original-width="4000" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlpkbT8vxoXaTSzWjRTD6MXRGkERuS0kS28pQGYAAK1AJ2izOqkZylaDNf7X6d11Lmn0ilMJK9xKZYmiLZx3TR-BLAZuTJtHyRBwbYXm0vXzt8iThvRe6CoDqE87L5M-7WjS1p-YeUe2r4zavCFQxB0aTgobrK9Of1EvypTub7_jQp5jLuQ/w640-h424/20230222_102502a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Great Temple shows Hellenistic and Roman influences</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvLQDpnXC2VEasDe0ggwhPFm-9cLV9sJ2xAvvy5bCriTRySEHOG2ywRgYozVkPj-U_w5HiunfCGR31VRbrK-fwudcLTnTAsXF_PCXv5uJ6IURFHmnQUy6CT-TaRqFGE48AVPVODUoRx7QrpDalDH9zTSNS8HpB--p4OkAZ5B0aEYuvKKPsg/s4000/20230222_102508a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvLQDpnXC2VEasDe0ggwhPFm-9cLV9sJ2xAvvy5bCriTRySEHOG2ywRgYozVkPj-U_w5HiunfCGR31VRbrK-fwudcLTnTAsXF_PCXv5uJ6IURFHmnQUy6CT-TaRqFGE48AVPVODUoRx7QrpDalDH9zTSNS8HpB--p4OkAZ5B0aEYuvKKPsg/w640-h480/20230222_102508a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The remains of the Great Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We climbed the stairs to the upper levels of the Great Temple to explore.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4Lt-_cL_dCSIySgK4M8B1bLWW7WT_7IE_0hoo92adQGOzSMXg1jK4sLlQOLouUG3g6-HAfX9iX-nZVx_RRv02Gk04Nv_vabgEEaM5KL-uk9RUELrtkhzmashUoJE5kVlPuCc1dKAamyas2YJiC2MhBoU_SSIvn9X-WK6w4-6qtTeHa_YGg/s3549/20230222_104825a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3549" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4Lt-_cL_dCSIySgK4M8B1bLWW7WT_7IE_0hoo92adQGOzSMXg1jK4sLlQOLouUG3g6-HAfX9iX-nZVx_RRv02Gk04Nv_vabgEEaM5KL-uk9RUELrtkhzmashUoJE5kVlPuCc1dKAamyas2YJiC2MhBoU_SSIvn9X-WK6w4-6qtTeHa_YGg/w540-h640/20230222_104825a.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBh2TjArfd8tMKD8-lcCsSyOCuAg_HxkVLMnlSw-VKp8xU4DMAhsf2a0G8y5N9flSBZae8tRFwVhu7a0-D-TnRk_TNvhRvXsV4-zKGAF08yshwohfo31y-wkPHv8ZWox1i2KPxb1Aav8Mo5pZCTCEd0pj7pa3flaBaGkYAzMl9udWjWEjCXQ/s4000/20230222_105036a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2225" data-original-width="4000" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBh2TjArfd8tMKD8-lcCsSyOCuAg_HxkVLMnlSw-VKp8xU4DMAhsf2a0G8y5N9flSBZae8tRFwVhu7a0-D-TnRk_TNvhRvXsV4-zKGAF08yshwohfo31y-wkPHv8ZWox1i2KPxb1Aav8Mo5pZCTCEd0pj7pa3flaBaGkYAzMl9udWjWEjCXQ/w640-h356/20230222_105036a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The upper terrace of the Great Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle0GHZMU6ClLogtlQ3d9dolqVykwznntnjg22oZAF6c-y5vyCqQbdwAGUouf9kdw9kg8HOawI0eMcGlMIm1S_6mvPYp1ZpSZQwGxLNsFhMqVda2O5jOMOb1pyZVeYMZIb49c7fThWEi29vghD_2ZzPbLrQ03vLZjDfBnsY8itLlbfoSLEzw/s3553/20230222_105204a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3553" data-original-width="2829" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle0GHZMU6ClLogtlQ3d9dolqVykwznntnjg22oZAF6c-y5vyCqQbdwAGUouf9kdw9kg8HOawI0eMcGlMIm1S_6mvPYp1ZpSZQwGxLNsFhMqVda2O5jOMOb1pyZVeYMZIb49c7fThWEi29vghD_2ZzPbLrQ03vLZjDfBnsY8itLlbfoSLEzw/w510-h640/20230222_105204a.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I wondered what the creature atop this column was meant to be...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9Jz-N7Ap3NrkRK1k_KefJOpsPjstABx7mvzY7Et8rFr3gIkwUt2L_G3t8eZQNk6LTJ-Yg3FhbVTj6F1MfZgjHQzVbPTJfmFYBAHv-o7v6Xm81nlj3oUKvprMIiFW4vvDFWpBrSsDU6_LKcZdDnalB9viMoWKSMtRJnp-4b600DyZS1neJA/s3287/20230222_144644a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3287" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9Jz-N7Ap3NrkRK1k_KefJOpsPjstABx7mvzY7Et8rFr3gIkwUt2L_G3t8eZQNk6LTJ-Yg3FhbVTj6F1MfZgjHQzVbPTJfmFYBAHv-o7v6Xm81nlj3oUKvprMIiFW4vvDFWpBrSsDU6_LKcZdDnalB9viMoWKSMtRJnp-4b600DyZS1neJA/w584-h640/20230222_144644a.jpg" width="584" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">...until I saw one of the originals in the Petra Museum...an elephant!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiualtNF1bpTm3zljvpYCcMwkCZhikstkx90IT4d0JT0llfJwxvo9Pe61PrzokzHGvwOy8nLmZjoy1rctOsVCUhzWTmaP3E_fzaqHOZMAEYrw0z5BJyd9fkPCIUnc81jdCt87Qazg3RoGxic8mrGdLhg3Ww30b1LvjHI5WSq4EQ8xqkezxPw/s3459/20230222_102447a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3459" data-original-width="2890" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiualtNF1bpTm3zljvpYCcMwkCZhikstkx90IT4d0JT0llfJwxvo9Pe61PrzokzHGvwOy8nLmZjoy1rctOsVCUhzWTmaP3E_fzaqHOZMAEYrw0z5BJyd9fkPCIUnc81jdCt87Qazg3RoGxic8mrGdLhg3Ww30b1LvjHI5WSq4EQ8xqkezxPw/w534-h640/20230222_102447a.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temenos Gate (AKA Hadrian's Gate) below the Great Temple. <br />A temenos is the entry into a sacred place.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIz3Ribsn64gr_qCPMO9G-dJcGARjzLa3qKccRC0sxLqUprnpXoty_adft3-RSu4wQ9LTa7xeR_mppOZAMY2ATE58DnaDEK09wmv4NsmADidoM-rFihCmCH5ev5b5HWobGwT22p-Xe5hDEgoW-6SE5Qk-Cv8EB3cq-Hgmi2BhV9-HLVus-A/s4000/20230222_104637a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIz3Ribsn64gr_qCPMO9G-dJcGARjzLa3qKccRC0sxLqUprnpXoty_adft3-RSu4wQ9LTa7xeR_mppOZAMY2ATE58DnaDEK09wmv4NsmADidoM-rFihCmCH5ev5b5HWobGwT22p-Xe5hDEgoW-6SE5Qk-Cv8EB3cq-Hgmi2BhV9-HLVus-A/w480-h640/20230222_104637a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Details of the floral decorations on the Temenos Gate</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapPLJ6EAM3gD1pUQAZNx9g8HhzK1LjQvhU-Qu-3oqI5C3G3MAJM_UZrNIenkyHHjbJJSOOtboN9uoiAfUm5HI1Na4aQ8roOISsH7bFzbPxQNYgckqYvqe-bQNPgcE8Yqne_-YpCtirafkIZTeMHNoJH9yL-7IqGcbALc3BRupKLWxQbBWrQ/s3896/20230222_105305a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3896" data-original-width="2922" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapPLJ6EAM3gD1pUQAZNx9g8HhzK1LjQvhU-Qu-3oqI5C3G3MAJM_UZrNIenkyHHjbJJSOOtboN9uoiAfUm5HI1Na4aQ8roOISsH7bFzbPxQNYgckqYvqe-bQNPgcE8Yqne_-YpCtirafkIZTeMHNoJH9yL-7IqGcbALc3BRupKLWxQbBWrQ/w480-h640/20230222_105305a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The ruins of the Winged Lion Temple lie across from the Great Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwkVVDHG-KpQU8HFFNSbWpiAH4Xh1GbRY0rEglO4ksBGwTMuYD1eO51Tb92r5LAc4vWXOWxZLGgbzw2QMDa56NXHuX6PC4GhVC8UOItNEbP6eHA9XA2XWPXWepRbY63JH-hs4jxrPweR8uv1cqFMLhn7O8DkeEbF-iOsJpcn-XEGobkUTXg/s3000/20230222_104545a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2519" data-original-width="3000" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwkVVDHG-KpQU8HFFNSbWpiAH4Xh1GbRY0rEglO4ksBGwTMuYD1eO51Tb92r5LAc4vWXOWxZLGgbzw2QMDa56NXHuX6PC4GhVC8UOItNEbP6eHA9XA2XWPXWepRbY63JH-hs4jxrPweR8uv1cqFMLhn7O8DkeEbF-iOsJpcn-XEGobkUTXg/w640-h538/20230222_104545a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Winged Lion Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After exploring the Great Temple, we continued to the last
large monument in the valley, and the best-preserved free-standing building,
the Qasr al-Bint Far’un, or Castle of the Pharaoh’s Daughter. The name was given to the building based on a
Bedouin legend, but it is most likely a temple to Dushara, the main god of the
Nabataeans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooo5pQShZjaznAuzAO_d9uirxZ3P1sCD3K9DK5bo2ez-urZeZSGWyHigBckNmSmZ7m1hEjYdnNuoq9hTBmy0TUnRD2dlwdyZAWc0AIdsKK4ewny2bZhw70GjjM0sdfTe7TC4XRYxBsqxkNKyrL2q5wZHN0UL918eAIO_Pw0NPL_o032RCvQ/s3000/20230222_104330a.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="3000" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooo5pQShZjaznAuzAO_d9uirxZ3P1sCD3K9DK5bo2ez-urZeZSGWyHigBckNmSmZ7m1hEjYdnNuoq9hTBmy0TUnRD2dlwdyZAWc0AIdsKK4ewny2bZhw70GjjM0sdfTe7TC4XRYxBsqxkNKyrL2q5wZHN0UL918eAIO_Pw0NPL_o032RCvQ/w640-h616/20230222_104330a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Qasr al-Bint Far'un</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs_DRXim1GogkTLPbziVY4dePTbgBiRSwNiXzB_0g4UK6LEwyPz2jJsjc8iYAeZk_pOiZKQN1VikWxm6QBuzzc-SZ116oJLnF-U3HvyGIZcjFCX4GhqbILVTA8E6Y5BIcZkJL7nABZNBgRPl8RyJdEZvWzkhiJ7TYQxNqM3_XbB05BSL7EA/s2995/20230222_102952a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2853" data-original-width="2995" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs_DRXim1GogkTLPbziVY4dePTbgBiRSwNiXzB_0g4UK6LEwyPz2jJsjc8iYAeZk_pOiZKQN1VikWxm6QBuzzc-SZ116oJLnF-U3HvyGIZcjFCX4GhqbILVTA8E6Y5BIcZkJL7nABZNBgRPl8RyJdEZvWzkhiJ7TYQxNqM3_XbB05BSL7EA/w640-h610/20230222_102952a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we finished our explorations, we were approached by eager
young men offering to guide us up the 800 steps to the other best-preserved
building in the complex, Ad Deir, or “the Monastery.” Ten years ago, we might have taken on the
challenge, but this time, we were content to take a welcome lunch break at the
buffet restaurant at the very end of the valley.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGQWU0tRtoMAEfCaPq8_4BIKjXQYlKz2qVVQsDNVo4w4ZtWtbfNGT2PvaEVnu66lpI0GS6IEh4okplhGWcmwXULFR7A4MTvwDnYKkQkWja3lD5Ep7b2TOcjMN3aaZRI9sfvJuGr5Hi9JGKHjpJwORIxKQLhDMTEp-sempGY4-swDtQ_9IjA/s1515/1620px-Al_Deir_Petraa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1515" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGQWU0tRtoMAEfCaPq8_4BIKjXQYlKz2qVVQsDNVo4w4ZtWtbfNGT2PvaEVnu66lpI0GS6IEh4okplhGWcmwXULFR7A4MTvwDnYKkQkWja3lD5Ep7b2TOcjMN3aaZRI9sfvJuGr5Hi9JGKHjpJwORIxKQLhDMTEp-sempGY4-swDtQ_9IjA/w640-h456/1620px-Al_Deir_Petraa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ad Deir, the Monastery, was one of several buildings we did not see for ourselves in our visit.</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">We learned that there were other buildings hidden up in the hills that we did not have the chance to see, such as the Tomb of the Roman Soldier and the ruins of a Byzantine Church.</span></b><br />Credit: Azurfrog, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah-JGmM_PG3NDKalWHYwJlL_ovvUo5-VhHvYrtJ_r0lGglYQ4UHMC0C0oNXCSdq5KpN6u1YzOP9yX6LuJRDSPlkznS-lDiPEGvnHNyrjqeDn0lg-79GmUtMwMy9X0NlQAOt54GPuvSOVHwk6MHIWS7YFSgYhBvZacm1cD7muHk_aRUwxmAw/s3126/20230222_114211a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3126" data-original-width="2966" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiah-JGmM_PG3NDKalWHYwJlL_ovvUo5-VhHvYrtJ_r0lGglYQ4UHMC0C0oNXCSdq5KpN6u1YzOP9yX6LuJRDSPlkznS-lDiPEGvnHNyrjqeDn0lg-79GmUtMwMy9X0NlQAOt54GPuvSOVHwk6MHIWS7YFSgYhBvZacm1cD7muHk_aRUwxmAw/w608-h640/20230222_114211a.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We had a delicious buffet lunch in the restaurant under the red roof.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxsque5hPZ7M-CFbctb4JZYBGAqq29UJTWjMS4BsQGWqeg_XURWzLYzzl2oBKB0qPscEmdsabOTDR0gjvUDHo-y9HAv78CyipkUznJW7X5LmItqOnWtT8uRDd4i5pVVHh5592QW5GyPqZ2J_NuBpUT1aHNV-DhxkrMfT32YzqzjMaqbuROQ/s4000/20230222_110959a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="4000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxsque5hPZ7M-CFbctb4JZYBGAqq29UJTWjMS4BsQGWqeg_XURWzLYzzl2oBKB0qPscEmdsabOTDR0gjvUDHo-y9HAv78CyipkUznJW7X5LmItqOnWtT8uRDd4i5pVVHh5592QW5GyPqZ2J_NuBpUT1aHNV-DhxkrMfT32YzqzjMaqbuROQ/w640-h456/20230222_110959a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDsSuoVHGiFPSuXMeVwv6t_Pswh94BiB5G5xZNQ6qCI2Q-KitEpyIHRRxAJLL944Jj17LOgMFsTcWMlkTfINEhLkX2LnFkJYAL-jioRUy7IY_Ef2rXOMD9yFAhsIZhS6Q16Fwcqbo27odn7zpwATm6RcH8i6N1ID8l8IrtgPLRi5VG8zWYg/s4000/20230222_111003a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDsSuoVHGiFPSuXMeVwv6t_Pswh94BiB5G5xZNQ6qCI2Q-KitEpyIHRRxAJLL944Jj17LOgMFsTcWMlkTfINEhLkX2LnFkJYAL-jioRUy7IY_Ef2rXOMD9yFAhsIZhS6Q16Fwcqbo27odn7zpwATm6RcH8i6N1ID8l8IrtgPLRi5VG8zWYg/w640-h480/20230222_111003a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHHg3P6vzNBZuDAfLKGr_LnFH2vTwerIeVdGYNvfdAT_Qn-7OfTkW3_vNd5R28qgkdQYPc-vAeoABK3_3vPGNb4aUQ4DMT-KrRePTT5lFnoh1yu744Z73fwwnqRurcoscWZ4L886BMdCsG_d450JC4xI1AX7oix-DiC9djTHZbQekPheHBA/s3000/20230222_114131a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2776" data-original-width="3000" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHHg3P6vzNBZuDAfLKGr_LnFH2vTwerIeVdGYNvfdAT_Qn-7OfTkW3_vNd5R28qgkdQYPc-vAeoABK3_3vPGNb4aUQ4DMT-KrRePTT5lFnoh1yu744Z73fwwnqRurcoscWZ4L886BMdCsG_d450JC4xI1AX7oix-DiC9djTHZbQekPheHBA/w640-h592/20230222_114131a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob makes another new friend. </span></b> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Following our lunch, more young men gathered around offering
donkey rides back to the Treasury. It
was going to be an uphill climb and the day was getting warm, so Rob, who is a great
negotiator, haggled for a decent price, and up on the donkeys we climbed! We had walked farther than I had realized, so
it turned out to be a great decision – and a fun one!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlIRISCYAHG7S74Y7D0tEYXav1a7wBf5wzg2zNxaEpJEdI-HIQvNReMKZMRWvvpO5SzS7RcA3mf-IWnYqsVr_GLoeQhXlJTPMWTGPh4aUGb2XauU3EB9JYKqEsxQS1K5Hcx7Vtw3O4Sc5rTOJP3mnVIR2Jqm_4ujEdD9E6SD2KHtI6yckyw/s3387/20230222_085305a.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3387" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlIRISCYAHG7S74Y7D0tEYXav1a7wBf5wzg2zNxaEpJEdI-HIQvNReMKZMRWvvpO5SzS7RcA3mf-IWnYqsVr_GLoeQhXlJTPMWTGPh4aUGb2XauU3EB9JYKqEsxQS1K5Hcx7Vtw3O4Sc5rTOJP3mnVIR2Jqm_4ujEdD9E6SD2KHtI6yckyw/w640-h546/20230222_085305a.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8kcOsdIODlP_AeCki_k5cTreRxpM5bXZG5hkQm-GwIC-4IO81sZyC3ffmZvZPG9_40mvuWfWQ8fNqEip7ZS3nLw-mRVnkhKxzft31CRLzXz0ZrdoMUZiCrvldiRmBl28SsYxvZHkCIC49FMjf1EhzBTbW6EAF06YzEf6t6xpGmrgmPnl_A/s3140/20230222_115526a.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3140" data-original-width="2865" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8kcOsdIODlP_AeCki_k5cTreRxpM5bXZG5hkQm-GwIC-4IO81sZyC3ffmZvZPG9_40mvuWfWQ8fNqEip7ZS3nLw-mRVnkhKxzft31CRLzXz0ZrdoMUZiCrvldiRmBl28SsYxvZHkCIC49FMjf1EhzBTbW6EAF06YzEf6t6xpGmrgmPnl_A/w584-h640/20230222_115526a.jpg" width="584" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A Bedouin and his dogs accompany Rob on his donkey.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The walk back up the Siq went much more quickly than the
walk down as we were not stopping to gape at the various sights, but we had not
brought water with us, so we were thrilled to find a stand making
fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice as we exited the canyon. What a treat!<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd977P9Ff-MsPdj2rSpnWvr3mkxjQb_iUnLpEeufDfyAeeyX3Ze98eWiuDpcYXtGYr21Ut3w_Jh9bYS4lGMnkqG2s_ppLsHeB5LOhaknoLuynlQbon2vPZFALW19T14-45tjptx0ZLfzuzxu29nusTW044w1XHq4KS3_Bp8QsMbZDW42mQQ/s3274/b.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3274" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd977P9Ff-MsPdj2rSpnWvr3mkxjQb_iUnLpEeufDfyAeeyX3Ze98eWiuDpcYXtGYr21Ut3w_Jh9bYS4lGMnkqG2s_ppLsHeB5LOhaknoLuynlQbon2vPZFALW19T14-45tjptx0ZLfzuzxu29nusTW044w1XHq4KS3_Bp8QsMbZDW42mQQ/w586-h640/b.jpg" width="586" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob heads back into the Siq<br /><br /></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVm8A7_FWx-FhIxy1ckMXFUVZD15TMPi8L5xGbtsr_kWOd17f4y_uJnDLWoJrpA4q4_oXiuVwoxh5L_ILaav-PB9rkGyX9w5tk02lHpGfcQhq49o5wmUKTrGZvl4WTpw3E06iCSSmP8ZHP0vLdq8ZyHclex5jLO9elEq4vFTz8nhTew1KeOw/s2525/ab.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2326" data-original-width="2525" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVm8A7_FWx-FhIxy1ckMXFUVZD15TMPi8L5xGbtsr_kWOd17f4y_uJnDLWoJrpA4q4_oXiuVwoxh5L_ILaav-PB9rkGyX9w5tk02lHpGfcQhq49o5wmUKTrGZvl4WTpw3E06iCSSmP8ZHP0vLdq8ZyHclex5jLO9elEq4vFTz8nhTew1KeOw/w640-h590/ab.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Once we were out of the canyon, it was a warm uphill climb.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEytH2bdgCrm39yzLoZtq6Ycs0Cwed7P2k017Mz5ZWeNz644WfPkZ6qsrz3Lyh6VNqQZx6L0TjzmVi2YfNT6IhN2IE7811MzuRvu6PLO4OV41UtjID9UtPvpR6d2zZA_OEiI86UQ2khwxsTxeqcWN0S7i_HihPh5cSxGqXcnixtaqV6AUyJw/s3954/20230222_123443a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3954" data-original-width="2966" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEytH2bdgCrm39yzLoZtq6Ycs0Cwed7P2k017Mz5ZWeNz644WfPkZ6qsrz3Lyh6VNqQZx6L0TjzmVi2YfNT6IhN2IE7811MzuRvu6PLO4OV41UtjID9UtPvpR6d2zZA_OEiI86UQ2khwxsTxeqcWN0S7i_HihPh5cSxGqXcnixtaqV6AUyJw/w480-h640/20230222_123443a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thumb up! We are saved!<br />This rest stop made one of our favorite drinks - fresh squeezed pomegranate juice!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithcuZp4qquCnUWlt___nWNAzjwtKIOd8oWmFgm8zcVJefUawj9FIY1MWmmKvkXedwCVQNzq6jvYbSqirBjicnzhUp5eGF1H-Tto-Yh3gnOhA9XoXKqu_-IY5qmsjZ4mKlwXcwRrDd7aQ-Gs5ZCpLgtOKnkOVbgJ_SknogqoR_kB3wtwa77A/s4000/20230222_123740a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithcuZp4qquCnUWlt___nWNAzjwtKIOd8oWmFgm8zcVJefUawj9FIY1MWmmKvkXedwCVQNzq6jvYbSqirBjicnzhUp5eGF1H-Tto-Yh3gnOhA9XoXKqu_-IY5qmsjZ4mKlwXcwRrDd7aQ-Gs5ZCpLgtOKnkOVbgJ_SknogqoR_kB3wtwa77A/w480-h640/20230222_123740a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Weary but happy</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEgi69T8cLWLJkSrqzLGUVdDTA1zkjqp_cUOzH-MyscmO5Oe05ip24JktQxXiMiFqUukooCf6ejaX1A3a2mvETdCyjeWvDSy0byR5jYa00UjKjLO8n-iA4NOLncaUCPdQIIS_hswpWPPM9AlmKZ-aZvXb4CbVi14LwAz-a1MPRcXWlVRLHg/s3000/20230222_123320a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2380" data-original-width="3000" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEgi69T8cLWLJkSrqzLGUVdDTA1zkjqp_cUOzH-MyscmO5Oe05ip24JktQxXiMiFqUukooCf6ejaX1A3a2mvETdCyjeWvDSy0byR5jYa00UjKjLO8n-iA4NOLncaUCPdQIIS_hswpWPPM9AlmKZ-aZvXb4CbVi14LwAz-a1MPRcXWlVRLHg/w640-h508/20230222_123320a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Djinn Blocks were a sign that we were almost back!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to our hotel for a much-needed rest, then I walked back
across the street to the small museum filled with artifacts taken from the
city. The informational videos and
posters helped me gain a better understanding of the history of Petra, and the artifacts dated all the way from Neolithic time through the Edomites (earlier residents of the valley), the Nabateans, the Romans, the early Christians, and the rise of Islam. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoT97wJ1xh6fsg77ioZYcd6uBr8vRqYaxQonr0CPTsU4QWY4hOzMDn95bnYWmDnE0Po-Mu3UzWfFFwyl6P1uA-JaeZeM--toOtLrVpZ4v91h21_Gn--4jvGRZ8QihxmBEiQswlSfwvAyrkTalnkO9w5DviKDvS4skHpPb83AazGYYJi-8VSw/s3489/20230222_141933a.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3489" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoT97wJ1xh6fsg77ioZYcd6uBr8vRqYaxQonr0CPTsU4QWY4hOzMDn95bnYWmDnE0Po-Mu3UzWfFFwyl6P1uA-JaeZeM--toOtLrVpZ4v91h21_Gn--4jvGRZ8QihxmBEiQswlSfwvAyrkTalnkO9w5DviKDvS4skHpPb83AazGYYJi-8VSw/w550-h640/20230222_141933a.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here is just a sampling of some of the artifacts dating from the Nabatean Period and gathered from many of the tombs, temples, and homes we had seen today. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTb7DGyzzwAMs-I6pzYwxg3MxfqyTrh-Rmovge61p1hD9kD3bqZQTDbAyJhg4Bn4bt9Z5xcSKPsaNnH-x04uliMn3osAijQ7lJNtz3nsgDE8acKffyQTWCL29xPKQkDroC4WtPIp8j-SysaUQfrAfSqMyLfXcRWit74iZP38yTlfA8nBV2w/s3304/20230222_143154a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3304" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTb7DGyzzwAMs-I6pzYwxg3MxfqyTrh-Rmovge61p1hD9kD3bqZQTDbAyJhg4Bn4bt9Z5xcSKPsaNnH-x04uliMn3osAijQ7lJNtz3nsgDE8acKffyQTWCL29xPKQkDroC4WtPIp8j-SysaUQfrAfSqMyLfXcRWit74iZP38yTlfA8nBV2w/w582-h640/20230222_143154a.jpg" width="582" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A bust of Dushara, the primary Nabataean god - associated with Zeus</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ft_cdIOnqSzKFn-OMc2KkTk7yyNBy_iA7Ew_mvR2m9XdDO239uoNHd5k2NToOUrpEGfjawIs4CYOtSvcwn4l4DnyfwqJ2iS0giZ-wJ9AonZVZuGokXmRktSFnWQQ261nX6OZ6gWD6fyM32wtIuAFKxHYmY2uKgzs9KBDxW_QGT36LQtx_A/s2273/20230222_144558a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2273" data-original-width="1622" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ft_cdIOnqSzKFn-OMc2KkTk7yyNBy_iA7Ew_mvR2m9XdDO239uoNHd5k2NToOUrpEGfjawIs4CYOtSvcwn4l4DnyfwqJ2iS0giZ-wJ9AonZVZuGokXmRktSFnWQQ261nX6OZ6gWD6fyM32wtIuAFKxHYmY2uKgzs9KBDxW_QGT36LQtx_A/w456-h640/20230222_144558a.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Probably the head of a Nabataean Priest or god</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtUa15NNV4Ky_aSb1KwFDfFuFADOr0Xk6JkmE6ILcjntH1lEyetKL2DDNExrrdBonyQVCGyDjLUEB0Tq8E3e6zlYGyg_8NCfXVrV6OAvmqSmbxbU11XKJzOEtwkuOJ4Oijv4d6vkVVTwAgbGVQ-u9zdDLNSuTJMQNZjGURRtOkOp5r2odJw/s4000/20230222_144657a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="4000" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtUa15NNV4Ky_aSb1KwFDfFuFADOr0Xk6JkmE6ILcjntH1lEyetKL2DDNExrrdBonyQVCGyDjLUEB0Tq8E3e6zlYGyg_8NCfXVrV6OAvmqSmbxbU11XKJzOEtwkuOJ4Oijv4d6vkVVTwAgbGVQ-u9zdDLNSuTJMQNZjGURRtOkOp5r2odJw/w640-h264/20230222_144657a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Typical Nabataean column capital</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y6H0KvRTLZPWf4Kew709kvNED8zwu9825-B5mle17ScBHLRciDvxpP_qLln8rZE1vRuCK3vmgSAKjiMs2hFH060azHPi7bZ0_8d2_MHJpmfCR0IB-8PKGKvMLvxCMFpfgJ6rusxCSBJDmzcO9wNkeAC3ilnZLjwJbm-Eic_qf9h-lNmCA/s2646/20230222_144730a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2163" data-original-width="2646" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5Y6H0KvRTLZPWf4Kew709kvNED8zwu9825-B5mle17ScBHLRciDvxpP_qLln8rZE1vRuCK3vmgSAKjiMs2hFH060azHPi7bZ0_8d2_MHJpmfCR0IB-8PKGKvMLvxCMFpfgJ6rusxCSBJDmzcO9wNkeAC3ilnZLjwJbm-Eic_qf9h-lNmCA/w640-h524/20230222_144730a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A head of Medusa shows the Hellenistic influence on Nabataean culture and art</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklJOt3jfLa3JkkTBRBn8K-uDfpwtipBclIx8Iod7ZI7iN8NvM5QdUOMMiMcmZkZB0ar9F2uqilNUb8Cp65lL3UHiP_aDYrumxzM5_rvS88NxbjOXGvt0u9H0zKg_YWZlg-yfy74Dl6P7NTYHelLTzuc_UwLAzc3HM3ht9CcmDzb38PoxojA/s3108/20230222_144845a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3108" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklJOt3jfLa3JkkTBRBn8K-uDfpwtipBclIx8Iod7ZI7iN8NvM5QdUOMMiMcmZkZB0ar9F2uqilNUb8Cp65lL3UHiP_aDYrumxzM5_rvS88NxbjOXGvt0u9H0zKg_YWZlg-yfy74Dl6P7NTYHelLTzuc_UwLAzc3HM3ht9CcmDzb38PoxojA/w618-h640/20230222_144845a.jpg" width="618" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This sphinx was found near the Temenos Gate.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjkQINuDhnERrGbSjwPmmJmWmrLdblcfsynVM8rzfwo1AgjJqgPR-tVXD_28vKbTb1pPKRdCy0AoQUD67mKL-yllkb3088hzOKO5Fc31W-J_KR8PAYWCJfb8FJe2I7_u7-FGCZrwxcH_ZjrpZ58WmQzt3DycExh1VCNYcJtiaNt7ehZIcfw/s4000/20230222_145014a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjkQINuDhnERrGbSjwPmmJmWmrLdblcfsynVM8rzfwo1AgjJqgPR-tVXD_28vKbTb1pPKRdCy0AoQUD67mKL-yllkb3088hzOKO5Fc31W-J_KR8PAYWCJfb8FJe2I7_u7-FGCZrwxcH_ZjrpZ58WmQzt3DycExh1VCNYcJtiaNt7ehZIcfw/w410-h640/20230222_145014a.jpg" width="410" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A statue of Isis in mourning for Osiris shows the Egyptian influence on the art here.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z5rd-6rro18y__Dh8WPVtDvrTEh1mVH7Q5IyGVBp93W500ms0p4pu0qFoQqqfvPV0sjC1wbn-ag_Ky1ennLFUF3kfHJu1LhY5yMz2U57hEBfOS8Ev2voa9FrkHziktxOkhkPRb3J1jBlBx1HPEGTCN0DTJILmPQiUZkuwoKSmqEUsi4WaA/s3761/20230222_145147a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3761" data-original-width="2720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z5rd-6rro18y__Dh8WPVtDvrTEh1mVH7Q5IyGVBp93W500ms0p4pu0qFoQqqfvPV0sjC1wbn-ag_Ky1ennLFUF3kfHJu1LhY5yMz2U57hEBfOS8Ev2voa9FrkHziktxOkhkPRb3J1jBlBx1HPEGTCN0DTJILmPQiUZkuwoKSmqEUsi4WaA/w462-h640/20230222_145147a.jpg" width="462" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">"Goddess of Hayyan" This Arabian style goddess was found in the niche of a temple.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrMviWQ6pslpsS-i9LaobhTa_SvqZDSsYHdnR-kGRPtfEsrVbjCO7KCsHVFAlG2Pfey5VZGuYEF29uKW4hgMF-ia1TqeO_iAuHWQ_spx2bWaAWDUfMrNP2hch2sLfi8-ORV_Jqr775muO-azvBWmpMwLN-iEt0RZ846ZklWmmKE5qJeiqgQ/s3610/20230222_145223a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3610" data-original-width="2897" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrMviWQ6pslpsS-i9LaobhTa_SvqZDSsYHdnR-kGRPtfEsrVbjCO7KCsHVFAlG2Pfey5VZGuYEF29uKW4hgMF-ia1TqeO_iAuHWQ_spx2bWaAWDUfMrNP2hch2sLfi8-ORV_Jqr775muO-azvBWmpMwLN-iEt0RZ846ZklWmmKE5qJeiqgQ/w514-h640/20230222_145223a.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Zodiac lamp</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo3fzHRzI3xvMMHgA11YpS5n5bD_3LsERD_M_9l6_yGXO0SMFP_R9VVzpl6VvPofkBga45K1W8rPZiKGqIgl13Y74dfArXoLM9UJ052HDAOD_9h684NCstFPW9yG9b5mbyo24D7CnD7t9sdeo-8pO4Tz47tfcL2kAW06uWf4QCa91YwI4EA/s2955/20230222_145308a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1916" data-original-width="2955" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo3fzHRzI3xvMMHgA11YpS5n5bD_3LsERD_M_9l6_yGXO0SMFP_R9VVzpl6VvPofkBga45K1W8rPZiKGqIgl13Y74dfArXoLM9UJ052HDAOD_9h684NCstFPW9yG9b5mbyo24D7CnD7t9sdeo-8pO4Tz47tfcL2kAW06uWf4QCa91YwI4EA/w640-h414/20230222_145308a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A Corinthian-Nabataean column capital with the head of Dionysus and grape vines.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnJ43ClmoJgPtkWH3c6nH4vmdG4WsbOpDfpPgfG02NY68gC7DgBM3IUEP4ldwyy5uhQHI1LsSF07QBaH0-c5_1HwaI6GdHkUyfgfXGzpck4Fnq9IMeLMRmsSHK13eIHcL4WD-TSgDNp-d_nxEK8hIA2QPnTjJpwnC5TAWCLtgcUebigFEdQ/s2225/20230222_150644a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1767" data-original-width="2225" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnJ43ClmoJgPtkWH3c6nH4vmdG4WsbOpDfpPgfG02NY68gC7DgBM3IUEP4ldwyy5uhQHI1LsSF07QBaH0-c5_1HwaI6GdHkUyfgfXGzpck4Fnq9IMeLMRmsSHK13eIHcL4WD-TSgDNp-d_nxEK8hIA2QPnTjJpwnC5TAWCLtgcUebigFEdQ/w640-h508/20230222_150644a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Petra site includes the ruins of homes and villas in the adjoining hills. The homes were decorated with colorful plaster. </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY18VgjBlllH1cdsStCSLtQe8u3ZD9WndytVtwF0nuVRenhUCW0j20BXy9cUjpg18ckIAF53QcroBFV9tb1MIoNdLP9JaOPIqtTQ2X2I6AVYBEvqOBEbYp8AU0gOo-Q-VXsdFo3_RKu_LTjVLJGA5r8zejna-TVrYy55xsE42uRTGpcmeYsw/s3029/20230222_150655a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3029" data-original-width="2012" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY18VgjBlllH1cdsStCSLtQe8u3ZD9WndytVtwF0nuVRenhUCW0j20BXy9cUjpg18ckIAF53QcroBFV9tb1MIoNdLP9JaOPIqtTQ2X2I6AVYBEvqOBEbYp8AU0gOo-Q-VXsdFo3_RKu_LTjVLJGA5r8zejna-TVrYy55xsE42uRTGpcmeYsw/w426-h640/20230222_150655a.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95_ZScA8J8RXz601dDF8QEiN6W28843_NebP6-dFIu3iuUq9WZMwuk6V-zJ6TjVvxJKfd1TL7bCaHm-_lypc2vi6RI41PloEzNA-J2o5_CDnPNcJU8G2wUP6IqvyirO-7YPpUDzlHHnwX8rHMIHWLThooXODHL7ozq8BxCh6_IFGPnqNkmg/s3000/20230222_150840a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="3000" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95_ZScA8J8RXz601dDF8QEiN6W28843_NebP6-dFIu3iuUq9WZMwuk6V-zJ6TjVvxJKfd1TL7bCaHm-_lypc2vi6RI41PloEzNA-J2o5_CDnPNcJU8G2wUP6IqvyirO-7YPpUDzlHHnwX8rHMIHWLThooXODHL7ozq8BxCh6_IFGPnqNkmg/w640-h504/20230222_150840a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Petra was also known for its pottery, and several examples were shown in the museum.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSNbu0mH_bXtjMOhfdKjpgSOXDTz3taopcMeepG3lS9L8H5wiKlTqizAXUPEHJYPNrDit8JOiMn2oZwsem4U9JpDTOo0T-1QIyneCOQLfCvadvbDXCM_2N1-19NqLW1RGmUbRSRRDb5w4c3fGmXNa2RkkYnvowwcd-cU5WUVbQXrPW_QR7g/s2039/20230222_150854a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2039" data-original-width="1967" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSNbu0mH_bXtjMOhfdKjpgSOXDTz3taopcMeepG3lS9L8H5wiKlTqizAXUPEHJYPNrDit8JOiMn2oZwsem4U9JpDTOo0T-1QIyneCOQLfCvadvbDXCM_2N1-19NqLW1RGmUbRSRRDb5w4c3fGmXNa2RkkYnvowwcd-cU5WUVbQXrPW_QR7g/w618-h640/20230222_150854a.jpg" width="618" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I like this little pottery hedgehog.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Al-Khazneh may be called The Treasury, but the entire site of Petra is a treasure chest of beautiful sights. Today was one of the highlights of all of our travels. Now it was time to pack once more for the very last stop on our trip, the Dead Sea.</span></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-44023037231149335432023-03-29T14:00:00.001-07:002023-04-05T12:28:48.278-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 11: On the Road to Petra<div style="text-align: left;"><b>February 20, 2023</b></div>
<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the Road to Petra</span></h1>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If Egypt is part of your travel dreams, don’t skip the short
hop to Jordan! Our visit to the
archaeological site of Petra was one of the highlights of our trip! (Although, we had to get there first. The site of Petra is coming up in the next post, but the "getting there" today had several unexpected delights.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We were up early for the short walk from the Cairo Airport Meridien
Hotel to our one and one/half hour flight to Amman, Jordan. Our airport greeter and driver were there
when we arrived, and we set off for Petra right away. Some differences between
Jordan and Egypt were immediately apparent. We saw very few cars on the roads,
even around the city of Amman, and the landscape, while still desert, was much less
barren. We passed by farms, small
settlements of Bedouin tents, and Bedouin men herding their flocks of sheep and
goats. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After two hours, we stopped for a
buffet lunch that was held in the New Jerusalem Rest House, which also held an art gallery and market for some gorgeous traditional Jordanian artwork. We browsed through the marble boxes, mosaic
landscapes, colorful lamps. We rarely
buy large objects on our carry-on only travels, but we loved the Ostrich Eggs
that were intricately “painted” with tiny mosaic pieces, so we gave in to the
impulse, bought one, and arranged to have it shipped home.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />Soon after lunch, our SUV turned up into the mountains where
we spotted the ruins of a Crusader castle sitting on top of a hill. The castle is called Shobak Castle, (</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">Qal'at ash-Shawbak</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">),</span><span style="background-color: white;"> and also known as </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Montreal Castle as it is atop a hill known as Mons Realis, or Royal Hill.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It was built in 1115 A.D. by the Crusader King
Baldwin I and withstood several attacks by the armies of Salah ad Din (Saladin)
before falling to the Muslim armies in 1189.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">In the 14</span><sup style="font-family: verdana;">th</sup><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> century, it was rebuilt and expanded by the Mamluks, but
finally abandoned. It is open for tours now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsa0JAziOO4eU-hGdfldQtzULnkSHcQCh18MnAyIQ5v5kC-0F2KouLo5GMgXtbXKKTcekKiC3FyGmPwbREa6ro7JEYX6YXt6ZvzIVc3m6pQm1YLnjidGmI6ppxWX2UziLHUjy5jKvoHLoh3riYXj7-pIOASbYKivfT_BzNiyLHpqTPK_g_w/s3636/20230221_112434a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3636" data-original-width="2983" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsa0JAziOO4eU-hGdfldQtzULnkSHcQCh18MnAyIQ5v5kC-0F2KouLo5GMgXtbXKKTcekKiC3FyGmPwbREa6ro7JEYX6YXt6ZvzIVc3m6pQm1YLnjidGmI6ppxWX2UziLHUjy5jKvoHLoh3riYXj7-pIOASbYKivfT_BzNiyLHpqTPK_g_w/w526-h640/20230221_112434a.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Shobak Castle and the remains of a village below</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G4weCaBQjn9qDhUtubWLNXLWOnQgwrR1D6YsmtG6VfsP_PVD2PIk0MFMZwMl6jl-keUWfWJ3cja2d-rzL0VNuZ2_SBl2ACMpFxcVlD3GhnH6rtYil_Q0yV_7WTHzCNPg2k05cunXXSQm9KMLrlE9_STUJ4GaKpdyh9t9icyi16NPHLvyRw/s3247/20230221_112606a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="3247" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4G4weCaBQjn9qDhUtubWLNXLWOnQgwrR1D6YsmtG6VfsP_PVD2PIk0MFMZwMl6jl-keUWfWJ3cja2d-rzL0VNuZ2_SBl2ACMpFxcVlD3GhnH6rtYil_Q0yV_7WTHzCNPg2k05cunXXSQm9KMLrlE9_STUJ4GaKpdyh9t9icyi16NPHLvyRw/w640-h344/20230221_112606a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Shobak Castle</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />There is not much else in this remote corner of Jordan…except
“The Smallest Hotel in the World!” Mohammed Al Malahim, also known as Abu Ali, used to work as a
guide at the castle. A few years ago, he converted his old VW Bug into a tiny and lavishly
decorated hotel room that can accommodate two people. The hotel’s “reception room” and restroom are
just across the road, and he and his wife prepare traditional Bedouin food for
guests and visitors. I did not realize
it when we visited, but his little hotel became quite well known, and he has
had a number of distinguished guests over the years.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXgY8BkxLzCuk-kmdnGD7xZKAzDEg1KTYBPb3KqPXm1Nyb_zg4ybTupnk4_hJmf4C2a-ZykssLc2mD0pSZtPl4OuNcJrLFI5LVc85T9DIYpGt8bA-eu2VPzC93mogKV4PHN-Xx9j46W35IBss0g8-HLoS355P-Ae47LgnZ6I9JUiP8SSZCA/s3853/20230221_112326a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3853" data-original-width="2476" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXgY8BkxLzCuk-kmdnGD7xZKAzDEg1KTYBPb3KqPXm1Nyb_zg4ybTupnk4_hJmf4C2a-ZykssLc2mD0pSZtPl4OuNcJrLFI5LVc85T9DIYpGt8bA-eu2VPzC93mogKV4PHN-Xx9j46W35IBss0g8-HLoS355P-Ae47LgnZ6I9JUiP8SSZCA/w412-h640/20230221_112326a.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlE4iqg04EpT6XZ6SZ38jxd7uYtcyylwtCVGVzJG1hIBDgP3WfzywjDjrVcVn4dPrvj5a1qNKTxl4Eb6kKrYyu9IUdYRyaImbdyh9ZFgo3FyjqAeW8-dNlQzpkDrMPRm0-mleo2ASNwOXWemb_rJKaraHPzs9SutRqTidYddENBYjyT1fYA/s3899/20230221_112336a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3899" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlE4iqg04EpT6XZ6SZ38jxd7uYtcyylwtCVGVzJG1hIBDgP3WfzywjDjrVcVn4dPrvj5a1qNKTxl4Eb6kKrYyu9IUdYRyaImbdyh9ZFgo3FyjqAeW8-dNlQzpkDrMPRm0-mleo2ASNwOXWemb_rJKaraHPzs9SutRqTidYddENBYjyT1fYA/w492-h640/20230221_112336a.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Hotel sleeps two people, and it is reputed to be quite comfortable.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5PtaivkC0xVXbHlM5ckSp6z8WYQIzpfptID3fQsstPx42c9ohEGeSXGOmqfVkz9rdXJeHlPDQaI0pZktUiutvWzp5xntqzH_N-nbDLOHrx4Emnqp2EGQHTuI6AtU1_b0V4OAcaKynx5GccMl236rACmHWLCXO6w2oTk_zn_8wbQXkHzxmA/s3798/20230221_112405a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3798" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5PtaivkC0xVXbHlM5ckSp6z8WYQIzpfptID3fQsstPx42c9ohEGeSXGOmqfVkz9rdXJeHlPDQaI0pZktUiutvWzp5xntqzH_N-nbDLOHrx4Emnqp2EGQHTuI6AtU1_b0V4OAcaKynx5GccMl236rACmHWLCXO6w2oTk_zn_8wbQXkHzxmA/w506-h640/20230221_112405a.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQAifbGXIUf0wFzPj8FfEvY-Y7DBjgaou8vfUlo1U3zMwtglk96CXCPHSCJ8SdwalnizyR-u00QAs1SyFr2VrQ3hFJ0n95f95CvJ6MKUBIpwXgV0X4Qtv0f6pQwL4qqF-MOcBgDFmZN9PYVXGeA0y7p2YuO4RlXvhMPvPtiwruDDQZE8V0A/s3933/20230221_112412a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3933" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQAifbGXIUf0wFzPj8FfEvY-Y7DBjgaou8vfUlo1U3zMwtglk96CXCPHSCJ8SdwalnizyR-u00QAs1SyFr2VrQ3hFJ0n95f95CvJ6MKUBIpwXgV0X4Qtv0f6pQwL4qqF-MOcBgDFmZN9PYVXGeA0y7p2YuO4RlXvhMPvPtiwruDDQZE8V0A/w488-h640/20230221_112412a.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">You can find his Facebook and Instagram pages at "The Smallest Hotel in the World"</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While we were visiting with him, Mr. Al-Malahim showed us a large white
Persian cat. I assumed it was his, but
he said it was just wandering the neighborhood. After some discussion, our driver put the cat in a safe container, and it rode with us for forty-five minutes the rest of the way to Petra. The cat found a new home with our driver’s
daughter!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-xhzVmAlx9Bw0yy_oZOej5z-6x0Ei7KxWYQ4_AeZLeDY5YMSrLVuwiuhKpseYoD_H0Df8uIrqg6U1Jl_Uj9PX4UMUyfqocOLqplAO2trqIeNMgq5ru2cm_EJxFeQ9n3Lmjl6PgbIm2YIXctCY0hqrwpHKcdz-IFhVLuph79HLMcxE801AA/s3516/20230221_112750a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3516" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-xhzVmAlx9Bw0yy_oZOej5z-6x0Ei7KxWYQ4_AeZLeDY5YMSrLVuwiuhKpseYoD_H0Df8uIrqg6U1Jl_Uj9PX4UMUyfqocOLqplAO2trqIeNMgq5ru2cm_EJxFeQ9n3Lmjl6PgbIm2YIXctCY0hqrwpHKcdz-IFhVLuph79HLMcxE801AA/w546-h640/20230221_112750a.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdrd3vrBp_G7PzTNMhtr5zYGAG5yXYTp0WwA99XG97IkL8K1JxSA1mii6w_Msqea6r3Qnwngdl5gaYou7YvFzfS6MZK3QUyyk_cZEfxz6fP9SM3Tj6toq56wfMrCzzfhwL2w6iS35quMAb166aOEP4qcBvkUwkoadNNXDNKA217wEumVkvQ/s3000/20230221_112258a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2287" data-original-width="3000" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdrd3vrBp_G7PzTNMhtr5zYGAG5yXYTp0WwA99XG97IkL8K1JxSA1mii6w_Msqea6r3Qnwngdl5gaYou7YvFzfS6MZK3QUyyk_cZEfxz6fP9SM3Tj6toq56wfMrCzzfhwL2w6iS35quMAb166aOEP4qcBvkUwkoadNNXDNKA217wEumVkvQ/w640-h488/20230221_112258a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Of course, Rob had to make friends with the local dog!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />It was well into the afternoon before we checked into the
Movenpick Petra Hotel. Our corner room
had a balcony that looked down on the entrance to the archaeological site and Petra
Museum across the street. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtJQekiFe3axmrFt2kCzamtaujtNaKO0oLIZgXlfDCPPuVb8DgVVZJKutl05xZiz3hT45kHjWcm7PkHUB6HDQCitaCMarcsKYR2Fn4DsFTXefrBpWSZERqcbPABc-1GBfndLrNXWwup7nrxlZa8_FLVQ-VGvA5iF3nDLlc-kt1UfEsOlIMQ/s2911/20230221_180213a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2762" data-original-width="2911" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtJQekiFe3axmrFt2kCzamtaujtNaKO0oLIZgXlfDCPPuVb8DgVVZJKutl05xZiz3hT45kHjWcm7PkHUB6HDQCitaCMarcsKYR2Fn4DsFTXefrBpWSZERqcbPABc-1GBfndLrNXWwup7nrxlZa8_FLVQ-VGvA5iF3nDLlc-kt1UfEsOlIMQ/w640-h608/20230221_180213a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Movenpick Petra Hotel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiG3owCJjAGbBLeFMOSnUpMnHLy-azurCqroG4SJdWxzVPhj6L9ZMA5ucX8XKWHF8YLnFI0In305cR_7DmPtX5u6nnsr-LS54B-sboUfwBhCA8fcQ5ZOsm9vjmg4Dya_ZHtZPztR1Dxev0-sTUQKBSZhPlAqzylW5wl4Z5k4WzyIkBX8v8Q/s3940/20230221_122113a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3940" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiG3owCJjAGbBLeFMOSnUpMnHLy-azurCqroG4SJdWxzVPhj6L9ZMA5ucX8XKWHF8YLnFI0In305cR_7DmPtX5u6nnsr-LS54B-sboUfwBhCA8fcQ5ZOsm9vjmg4Dya_ZHtZPztR1Dxev0-sTUQKBSZhPlAqzylW5wl4Z5k4WzyIkBX8v8Q/w480-h640/20230221_122113a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our balcony</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5I-TFSjEohWzC538ib8xg8xqb8JLL76BGDH-IOzVuV3vpNu33_7L-YjhyeEL0K9Ur-j2AKcyWLAQk96FrnqXdep4-5r7eMxbfQIciMkGqYk2EgwMKcdvR3mD5PHdztO8paR3SXL_QrEafWxFXfuzXBdrq4On2LiuJfZDhuS5sDMGJzJLEg/s3380/20230221_122124a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3380" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5I-TFSjEohWzC538ib8xg8xqb8JLL76BGDH-IOzVuV3vpNu33_7L-YjhyeEL0K9Ur-j2AKcyWLAQk96FrnqXdep4-5r7eMxbfQIciMkGqYk2EgwMKcdvR3mD5PHdztO8paR3SXL_QrEafWxFXfuzXBdrq4On2LiuJfZDhuS5sDMGJzJLEg/w568-h640/20230221_122124a.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>And the view from the balcony of the Petra Museum</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY6IJyuXLsIWLcpBlkuIgtw8BWuoZdoSYUOzgE3gWoyq5Ei6_Ps0ZWHNLoXrjrNrnWtHmPBgm3yBkJh_6Q3lwgzXh0wtLw3LXuewqgmb1n2SgWkY-A9qvQ85yzRXPHZ7RSfFyyFXWgfo3BV3JgPuvkIIxi4N2btiDkVMB_E_--8v9WAaRzg/s3724/20230221_122144a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="3724" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY6IJyuXLsIWLcpBlkuIgtw8BWuoZdoSYUOzgE3gWoyq5Ei6_Ps0ZWHNLoXrjrNrnWtHmPBgm3yBkJh_6Q3lwgzXh0wtLw3LXuewqgmb1n2SgWkY-A9qvQ85yzRXPHZ7RSfFyyFXWgfo3BV3JgPuvkIIxi4N2btiDkVMB_E_--8v9WAaRzg/w640-h502/20230221_122144a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The entry gate to Petra in front of our hotel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We rested a
bit, then explored the small town (which seems to have mostly LOTS of hotels
and small restaurants and tourist shops). </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X8o_LvtrZMNSEAzZcg507a4aaVHFnxt0iXOEMWagOWbVt_1QLjOsUhWUpeNOO5W3n85Dh1FWvzL-qKEDF6ztR4XbquZtXN4KNqaJnG0bD7muvaz4bpV5nw7IPOM1yayxPxNJRlRGxfnwf-oHNGfkBH3kPSiKD6jfPoSfiDJyIxJ2xeSa4g/s2949/20230221_174856a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2233" data-original-width="2949" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X8o_LvtrZMNSEAzZcg507a4aaVHFnxt0iXOEMWagOWbVt_1QLjOsUhWUpeNOO5W3n85Dh1FWvzL-qKEDF6ztR4XbquZtXN4KNqaJnG0bD7muvaz4bpV5nw7IPOM1yayxPxNJRlRGxfnwf-oHNGfkBH3kPSiKD6jfPoSfiDJyIxJ2xeSa4g/w640-h484/20230221_174856a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The main street of Petra</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJUBXd1pGb5-E9cFSFqfLXZkOmZu2OC87_QHfLjAhZ9LniOjlITuXYVEA_yPDmxgGndYwdmritumNnj0JsCmMwRdYrlL2gtw1c7tjxYjaDMHn49eYaZXJhynBXMS8BbmGd-PMKGL85lC8Pl5SooRICKLVOFU5dGxl7DB8s77tbhjFVccATw/s3747/20230221_175247a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="3747" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJUBXd1pGb5-E9cFSFqfLXZkOmZu2OC87_QHfLjAhZ9LniOjlITuXYVEA_yPDmxgGndYwdmritumNnj0JsCmMwRdYrlL2gtw1c7tjxYjaDMHn49eYaZXJhynBXMS8BbmGd-PMKGL85lC8Pl5SooRICKLVOFU5dGxl7DB8s77tbhjFVccATw/w640-h422/20230221_175247a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The hills were terraced with rows of rock walls.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkCL3574zW3nH-pwxhpTebst2sArGk7lZT5UENi_xQe1UW97f8Kh22phzmMAsotlYgJ-oyx0eFVF9tzJCcK11LlmH44r2vg_GaliWmLnIKOG74m-xAXoDvMTs2GshaPGlNqsLVP933-uvxl9_no63YNCID6dOlcCKnARo6eT33Mot1xAWyA/s3480/20230221_175407a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkCL3574zW3nH-pwxhpTebst2sArGk7lZT5UENi_xQe1UW97f8Kh22phzmMAsotlYgJ-oyx0eFVF9tzJCcK11LlmH44r2vg_GaliWmLnIKOG74m-xAXoDvMTs2GshaPGlNqsLVP933-uvxl9_no63YNCID6dOlcCKnARo6eT33Mot1xAWyA/w552-h640/20230221_175407a.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqkjYV8X6h3nUy8lGTzkVpKV9Ul5dGcjUvVK2SuADUdi3Oyi_8yHlgO5Kcl4AnQJxNoHzxSoJt5Dd_FTA5EQMzdx-RdyXntCjc011bqyA3-6G1yVljP1NEkLK_PT4jUAkvU4fPE0SlMH38OzRofOjI-jbtkp--TUvEjKbuHlAv1C5OpMGKQ/s2977/20230221_175919a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="2580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqkjYV8X6h3nUy8lGTzkVpKV9Ul5dGcjUvVK2SuADUdi3Oyi_8yHlgO5Kcl4AnQJxNoHzxSoJt5Dd_FTA5EQMzdx-RdyXntCjc011bqyA3-6G1yVljP1NEkLK_PT4jUAkvU4fPE0SlMH38OzRofOjI-jbtkp--TUvEjKbuHlAv1C5OpMGKQ/w554-h640/20230221_175919a.jpg" width="554" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rob is happy...two dogs in one day!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Back in the gorgeous public rooms of the hotel, we enjoyed “Chocolate Hour,” which is offered every afternoon and includes various fruits and goodies we could dip into a chocolate fountain.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">We followed this up with the drink that had become our “go-to” drink of almost every day of the trip – a delectable blending of lemon and mint.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoYC1qGvRXRy4sGgatKFEXQI59xfq2MmqOUTgdDeBzmA61HM4OHUxtQwJK9bAlPlBYXXfhpZ_IbsEaBH7HvS1ALJXUr8qIy6TOZZWQ6Bk-EwienjLvZaJlyHEqnvr0NlTDeWbwoOXBRfBo6Et19qJ08Fzwbfys0NdETzPRujSeAIZW2T8sg/s3962/20230221_155059a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3962" data-original-width="2971" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoYC1qGvRXRy4sGgatKFEXQI59xfq2MmqOUTgdDeBzmA61HM4OHUxtQwJK9bAlPlBYXXfhpZ_IbsEaBH7HvS1ALJXUr8qIy6TOZZWQ6Bk-EwienjLvZaJlyHEqnvr0NlTDeWbwoOXBRfBo6Et19qJ08Fzwbfys0NdETzPRujSeAIZW2T8sg/w480-h640/20230221_155059a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0GGYJmUvAQUa_-DjiYVdc2CRAEE0IhWVmXZGw8qXFRsaS0suPyJKB4ZtcRLhVqgs-PAGvmT1YKdqScsFSnIHwOl90xRq8H0PNuZjn7077OeUkdtrhS0ygmHkcYS9SoArDZwK3nj_saB1n_BtUta4S7nlES5nvCI981cU7CyviV23nXFsBw/s4000/20230221_154009a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0GGYJmUvAQUa_-DjiYVdc2CRAEE0IhWVmXZGw8qXFRsaS0suPyJKB4ZtcRLhVqgs-PAGvmT1YKdqScsFSnIHwOl90xRq8H0PNuZjn7077OeUkdtrhS0ygmHkcYS9SoArDZwK3nj_saB1n_BtUta4S7nlES5nvCI981cU7CyviV23nXFsBw/w480-h640/20230221_154009a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFV1fOOFPGPImmP1VqIvbtncTBHWfB8K4bs0vRzak5emzVK7Nr7wyZsSb5HLTNRqKoy_h_B_Gbj5ofsTJPFzBecKmwxFx8tUgAzmnIKjwvOVLzSqp5Gshp0H-EfcyoTYrXbkwFqqjGIwS7kUlOsJmHLtcSQNdBAFhAgt2D-3H7Ef7a2LfWg/s3644/20230221_155353a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3644" data-original-width="2989" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFV1fOOFPGPImmP1VqIvbtncTBHWfB8K4bs0vRzak5emzVK7Nr7wyZsSb5HLTNRqKoy_h_B_Gbj5ofsTJPFzBecKmwxFx8tUgAzmnIKjwvOVLzSqp5Gshp0H-EfcyoTYrXbkwFqqjGIwS7kUlOsJmHLtcSQNdBAFhAgt2D-3H7Ef7a2LfWg/w524-h640/20230221_155353a.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Chocolate Fountain</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnxjYrwFQxV3PYWh5zOPJ06nv72R7DNPFtbiIILI8tcZW-aSrf-PqFoykfLQl4hvNqlDSo-8r5NVl7wwS6IulteDwcGMbY0GDkWEi56TkaTBnj7mAyQwLUEsLnTI_UK6PIbPtYS-gNnFqNO3zHTY2vtl6UDE9utVuyScAYac0N_yTWkixOg/s4000/20230221_155659a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnxjYrwFQxV3PYWh5zOPJ06nv72R7DNPFtbiIILI8tcZW-aSrf-PqFoykfLQl4hvNqlDSo-8r5NVl7wwS6IulteDwcGMbY0GDkWEi56TkaTBnj7mAyQwLUEsLnTI_UK6PIbPtYS-gNnFqNO3zHTY2vtl6UDE9utVuyScAYac0N_yTWkixOg/w480-h640/20230221_155659a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rob enjoys our favorite refreshment - mint and lemon</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m1nZBf2-hv181B_tAFVkyeYNvxzA1Aqw6t2OTpTLXaC45kMP0RH58YrOBf92x9lKB7-nBy1SxQIb7WWmZ6vGYY4Z0eZ9qbIvjR7pQengGz8iT0Gk_iOgetXbVZn5fpu-8pEBPfBPsE3sQUFjcRXl2_X7Wcg-e185mAwMG9SskaK2QVetvA/s3932/20230221_171302a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3932" data-original-width="2949" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m1nZBf2-hv181B_tAFVkyeYNvxzA1Aqw6t2OTpTLXaC45kMP0RH58YrOBf92x9lKB7-nBy1SxQIb7WWmZ6vGYY4Z0eZ9qbIvjR7pQengGz8iT0Gk_iOgetXbVZn5fpu-8pEBPfBPsE3sQUFjcRXl2_X7Wcg-e185mAwMG9SskaK2QVetvA/w480-h640/20230221_171302a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Movenpick Bar</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JlrSnw0E5SmH37zRb6sdDlDm3wKKo0Awqu5UJNPVgVxacZNX9dKVSCbgrMj-wPpKLlaPqDL3mzbd2cw4sIZimfCRSt991aGQ2v-jgKwFGCB71KTMNFRfrzZLkr4_l-1dU_xcz021wmrNAQlY-Jn2TerH3rriVEZy3T3Elc_mTbIWDalBkg/s4000/20230221_171452a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JlrSnw0E5SmH37zRb6sdDlDm3wKKo0Awqu5UJNPVgVxacZNX9dKVSCbgrMj-wPpKLlaPqDL3mzbd2cw4sIZimfCRSt991aGQ2v-jgKwFGCB71KTMNFRfrzZLkr4_l-1dU_xcz021wmrNAQlY-Jn2TerH3rriVEZy3T3Elc_mTbIWDalBkg/w640-h480/20230221_171452a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This man was creating beautiful artwork with colored sand.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo4BeR6Ks8-VT8ENEsfOejpHMgynMhD7ms9rSyExos1LPMLxjvA-3yNWWVApmhFfjlfgT4-KkEkLowy5t86FGvKWPSHj9QZT_AuALm6BKKkk_08GhaE3hHMVON9xAL5r88PCHPm4uhNSpEew239ksbGYVCeWt5RghrbnkFo2JM2CdYvBVkQ/s3173/20230221_190344a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="2063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo4BeR6Ks8-VT8ENEsfOejpHMgynMhD7ms9rSyExos1LPMLxjvA-3yNWWVApmhFfjlfgT4-KkEkLowy5t86FGvKWPSHj9QZT_AuALm6BKKkk_08GhaE3hHMVON9xAL5r88PCHPm4uhNSpEew239ksbGYVCeWt5RghrbnkFo2JM2CdYvBVkQ/w416-h640/20230221_190344a.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A great dessert at the Movenpick's dinner buffet</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DvF4YCniJ-7MSfM9DwV6Jm35zFc7s8a28U2hOgNf508H2rQNTuAZ_FdiyGKqVora68-pb4FGHzLS6OihU2ovkwYmd7Kf4RpOhdaCi6EEnTSJv_AVC1bFJjUWP8t1gXCioDKpZTWQhx0uqPwf4XFBNWPtIzfTjeNRV0XOu2Rj_TInUux4yw/s2729/20230221_180204aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2097" data-original-width="2729" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DvF4YCniJ-7MSfM9DwV6Jm35zFc7s8a28U2hOgNf508H2rQNTuAZ_FdiyGKqVora68-pb4FGHzLS6OihU2ovkwYmd7Kf4RpOhdaCi6EEnTSJv_AVC1bFJjUWP8t1gXCioDKpZTWQhx0uqPwf4XFBNWPtIzfTjeNRV0XOu2Rj_TInUux4yw/w640-h492/20230221_180204aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunset over the Petra Museum</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After a huge buffet dinner at the Movenpick dining room, we were ready for early bedtime. The next day would be a big one - exploring the archaeological wonders of Petra.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-52838153617406025072023-03-27T11:37:00.001-07:002023-03-27T11:39:20.070-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Days 9 and 10: The Treasures of Alexandria<div class="separator"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"> February 18 - 19, 2023</h4><h1 style="text-align: left;">The Treasures of Alexandria</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today was a long day of transition…an early morning flight back to
Cairo followed by a four-hour drive. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We were happy to discover that our driver, Said (Sah-eed), who had been our driver on our earlier stay in Cairo was with us once again. He picked us up at the airport, then navigated skillfully through the crazy traffic of the city and along the modern highway that would take us to the second largest city of Egypt, Alexandria.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBjvBzrrJLt8P2fpuj0UM56UXOyK4ZbDJ8q-xUFA-pjzQ2WJvwvhDxtHx1TB4c6azCalihHSB3TbP-9-eUXj8Kp31yoHhXfU8c8FiX2DjPublTP82LEGMaIfzGbkJZcMO2LrkiNtpCK9hFNRF52Zjyeoc5IEIqb_EF1_76ne-FXngofns_Q/s3624/20230219_094143a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3624" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBjvBzrrJLt8P2fpuj0UM56UXOyK4ZbDJ8q-xUFA-pjzQ2WJvwvhDxtHx1TB4c6azCalihHSB3TbP-9-eUXj8Kp31yoHhXfU8c8FiX2DjPublTP82LEGMaIfzGbkJZcMO2LrkiNtpCK9hFNRF52Zjyeoc5IEIqb_EF1_76ne-FXngofns_Q/w530-h640/20230219_094143a.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b> T<span style="font-size: medium;">he view of the landscape of Egypt on our flight from Aswan to Cairo makes it easy to understand why 95% of the population of Egypt lives within a few meters of the Nile River!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKi89aPBvDCsf_0oovVVZk_cS-3hznARf0Pe9dQ4Y3zB-2uUBcu7yfhYVjqGNGYh9l3FSpdPTLJRL4mWr_hFdhEWf9xocLMk__cHEOguCMzbkCKi90ig1OsJHD7fuTqRjycICXxxMbmLJ6bfBIyP7SE3D_hul2ONgIEmIiFZtZbui1mqP3Q/s3525/20230219_102858a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="3525" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKi89aPBvDCsf_0oovVVZk_cS-3hznARf0Pe9dQ4Y3zB-2uUBcu7yfhYVjqGNGYh9l3FSpdPTLJRL4mWr_hFdhEWf9xocLMk__cHEOguCMzbkCKi90ig1OsJHD7fuTqRjycICXxxMbmLJ6bfBIyP7SE3D_hul2ONgIEmIiFZtZbui1mqP3Q/w400-h297/20230219_102858a.jpg" width="400" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Starbucks and McDonald's somehow show up in airports everywhere.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had been so focused on the ancient Egypt of the Pyramids that I really hadn’t done any research on Alexandria. All I knew was that it once had a lighthouse and a library. I was surprised and delighted with how much it has to offer. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Alexandria was just a small town called Rhacotis when Alexander the Great
arrived here in 331 B.C. He fell in love with this beautiful spot on the Mediterranean Sea and decided to create a city here. The city quickly grew and eventually became the capital of Hellenistic Egypt. After Alexander's death, the port was left under the leadership of his friend
and general, Ptolemy, who eventually had himself declared a god and founded the
Ptolemaic Dynasty, which lasted until the age of Cleopatra VII and the conquest
of the city by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C. And, indeed, the ancient sites we visited during our two days here displayed a blending of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman religions and architecture.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The modern city stretches for over fourteen miles along the coast of
the Mediterranean, with high-rise apartments and hotels lining the coast
highway, dotted here and there with ancient monuments and more recent
historical sites. Said drove us to the
waterfront where our new guide, Zahraa, welcomed us warmly and took us to a nice local
seafood restaurant where we selected our own fish from those caught fresh today.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisfdI7A2M4_duqZu1I3lguOxOSa-x1kM3yMU_mtcsIilJKfnhEo4rijTxPKLO_p_BIF4yEuAylBToYPmyQ73tHWXGehJlMI9hU5WDzyVQDzvENTN85KhWjHHT9ZFRxVFWgg4PwXuU6qWXnN7Ywdx7o5h-Bta0j72oKkggdcok4oQc20wm3g/s4000/20230220_125944a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisfdI7A2M4_duqZu1I3lguOxOSa-x1kM3yMU_mtcsIilJKfnhEo4rijTxPKLO_p_BIF4yEuAylBToYPmyQ73tHWXGehJlMI9hU5WDzyVQDzvENTN85KhWjHHT9ZFRxVFWgg4PwXuU6qWXnN7Ywdx7o5h-Bta0j72oKkggdcok4oQc20wm3g/w640-h480/20230220_125944a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The city of Alexandria stretches for miles along the Mediterranean coast.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6spSmQeumJQyUptv3goLRiZetxROnZxlwFK9-WgMflHbkm-HAIuNj5zFcmnu66HusaRVXrTMCLEVG_KG62nADbnLVDvFbiCSeu5JbKNM3rQCDb41G5wauzKIs9Q3vgGJEtKpvr1cVGpRk5KTggYoGEs7q1CYsZGSD4JJZJie1yj2jgaWN3w/s4000/20230219_142511a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6spSmQeumJQyUptv3goLRiZetxROnZxlwFK9-WgMflHbkm-HAIuNj5zFcmnu66HusaRVXrTMCLEVG_KG62nADbnLVDvFbiCSeu5JbKNM3rQCDb41G5wauzKIs9Q3vgGJEtKpvr1cVGpRk5KTggYoGEs7q1CYsZGSD4JJZJie1yj2jgaWN3w/w640-h480/20230219_142511a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A typical Egyptian lunch</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We followed lunch with a short driving trip along the clear blue water of the sea. Zahraa pointed out the new library, which we would visit the next day, and how the architecture of the office buildings and high-rise apartments had been influenced by other cultures around the Mediterranean, especially Italy. She offered to take us to the fortress that now stands on the site of the ancient lighthouse, but as it had been an exceptionally long day, we decided against any further exploration until the next morning. </span></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh7_XDhC0IzSbApDhhvgvQmasiwpwCpvbcC6Tu17SDkLltP89XnBNt05XmJXUxw7_BxjpQ3ZgYDdFO7Y0KSxJHyqfAUv48_FH141VdSLZOjDA6eJ9LU1A3SnFL2W9-eVx0XRB_NBrlLeJfyqnkyZl14RQ1zutPLUvUNAcEZS95s1k9gordA/s3000/20230220_130705a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3000" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh7_XDhC0IzSbApDhhvgvQmasiwpwCpvbcC6Tu17SDkLltP89XnBNt05XmJXUxw7_BxjpQ3ZgYDdFO7Y0KSxJHyqfAUv48_FH141VdSLZOjDA6eJ9LU1A3SnFL2W9-eVx0XRB_NBrlLeJfyqnkyZl14RQ1zutPLUvUNAcEZS95s1k9gordA/w640-h604/20230220_130705a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;">A view of the Bibliotecha Alexandrina, the new Library of Alexandria.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbp4uRJ718oD0AOm1zEnEjFB43-HFPenFeKZKxubaUuFM1aYjltEk8HLFY21XFoK-EqD40VA7OMS1H3PgZhASICVndrkV3h7llED-VUNpDdEu2wznkfirTPZAN2yidFjtIHLf5Z6TTXcQcjbLCQBrji3HPMq8Si-ldNr8q7mtWC4otKdAysQ/s3069/20230219_152556a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3069" data-original-width="2686" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbp4uRJ718oD0AOm1zEnEjFB43-HFPenFeKZKxubaUuFM1aYjltEk8HLFY21XFoK-EqD40VA7OMS1H3PgZhASICVndrkV3h7llED-VUNpDdEu2wznkfirTPZAN2yidFjtIHLf5Z6TTXcQcjbLCQBrji3HPMq8Si-ldNr8q7mtWC4otKdAysQ/w560-h640/20230219_152556a.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Many of the buildings showed European influence from other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmHpU6bVeANhba0dKLh6NkeGkTIJwFWLSbeoCVLFqKXZEDksC-n6lyOMbJflUlhpuN3UTp3SyNlJkAX03tLGvrFb-6q60JbkcphfmF_htTXuSO_9OoF1sLQkM7yjpBercPH5obId7Be-IMwPvkeKQlOopbGOq_6IlYm0Z-HgNQAxN_i39eQ/s3000/20230219_152801a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2328" data-original-width="3000" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmHpU6bVeANhba0dKLh6NkeGkTIJwFWLSbeoCVLFqKXZEDksC-n6lyOMbJflUlhpuN3UTp3SyNlJkAX03tLGvrFb-6q60JbkcphfmF_htTXuSO_9OoF1sLQkM7yjpBercPH5obId7Be-IMwPvkeKQlOopbGOq_6IlYm0Z-HgNQAxN_i39eQ/w640-h496/20230219_152801a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupSrszv4WWYm1W3uKzp6Pn2mrvzaMpe4utejGcO-wYmApfXs0Rb8xSIQh0DhxBeMn68Van0_zEroBLvXbDVCdZmvWEp-PkGFabnBRXRzUQKxauAxGL9VwlgMZKxB37hXBL0Qga2letnRWoTtW2k1ecY6N-JNPCuQiXz5fXmylSgwfGVdgpA/s3000/20230219_152133a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2797" data-original-width="3000" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupSrszv4WWYm1W3uKzp6Pn2mrvzaMpe4utejGcO-wYmApfXs0Rb8xSIQh0DhxBeMn68Van0_zEroBLvXbDVCdZmvWEp-PkGFabnBRXRzUQKxauAxGL9VwlgMZKxB37hXBL0Qga2letnRWoTtW2k1ecY6N-JNPCuQiXz5fXmylSgwfGVdgpA/w640-h596/20230219_152133a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This fortress was built on the site of the original Lighthouse of Alexandria.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Four Seasons Alexandria Hotel was lovely. We settled into our room, where our window on
the 14<sup>th</sup> floor had a splendid view of the Mediterranean coast, called room service for a
light meal, and went to bed early.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceHBl0iu7DHwhDOatuuoiFmP9ICgWf6J_kn73G5dtwB45FXKzqQoZP8g1Iy75Y1-asAknTu-_j_VDSPsXYxk16lWd-ZQiJl6tCiAlsB51N0JxfbgmJMPSW_W9NFmOOxBFCDQFOV4s0JVtHEB-_imxp4KmBeiSuVGoxKQLUCuPgg60qT2bvg/s3660/20230219_155203a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3660" data-original-width="2922" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceHBl0iu7DHwhDOatuuoiFmP9ICgWf6J_kn73G5dtwB45FXKzqQoZP8g1Iy75Y1-asAknTu-_j_VDSPsXYxk16lWd-ZQiJl6tCiAlsB51N0JxfbgmJMPSW_W9NFmOOxBFCDQFOV4s0JVtHEB-_imxp4KmBeiSuVGoxKQLUCuPgg60qT2bvg/w319-h400/20230219_155203a.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lobby of the Four Seasons Alexandria Hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRs-ygHvZN_F82AqucDQ2r_ii1T97ve6iMJAPX1_QPRqrYzPESfU4DVcieuWA3IAfJKdM5yTztxf2A95b-25FZ6WtFIqAQRcy6eQOSBOBxbiBTwpLF9sXj3xWxrBjH0hL0q5RDsSiObI_XLb5ZiJu5mdM48bSFh25gYRf6-AiCHMzKzCM8w/s3203/20230219_160247a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3203" data-original-width="2881" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRs-ygHvZN_F82AqucDQ2r_ii1T97ve6iMJAPX1_QPRqrYzPESfU4DVcieuWA3IAfJKdM5yTztxf2A95b-25FZ6WtFIqAQRcy6eQOSBOBxbiBTwpLF9sXj3xWxrBjH0hL0q5RDsSiObI_XLb5ZiJu5mdM48bSFh25gYRf6-AiCHMzKzCM8w/w576-h640/20230219_160247a.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Two weary travelers on our balcony overlooking the sea.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyczBwA3oR5MNLchcxrzTE2bwQm_OiuDYz_3DboFyaHVrEOocUsZYUKcqZ9IMEW25UAGyvXlST6W7-ioXVU2RSixf4i1pMHSgeLtCsCrb42DUp1BcuTFrIiR-oSGBwPRQQxkC5fwWjzvYrE7Vr-q1qlZ-SLZcc45x5MJBK0VUnzDHSCp7CKA/s3738/20230219_174914a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3738" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyczBwA3oR5MNLchcxrzTE2bwQm_OiuDYz_3DboFyaHVrEOocUsZYUKcqZ9IMEW25UAGyvXlST6W7-ioXVU2RSixf4i1pMHSgeLtCsCrb42DUp1BcuTFrIiR-oSGBwPRQQxkC5fwWjzvYrE7Vr-q1qlZ-SLZcc45x5MJBK0VUnzDHSCp7CKA/w640-h514/20230219_174914a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunset over the Mediterranean Sea</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our next day was much more
exciting. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Alexandria, like Cairo, is built upon the ruins of older civilizations and any time a building comes down, an older one is discovered beneath it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We
started our day at the catacombs, known as the Tomb of Kom El-Shouqafa and dating from
the first through the fourth centuries. I was surprised to learn that this site pre-dates the catacombs of Rome. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">These catacombs
were discovered in the late-1800s quite by accident when a donkey fell down a shaft. The attempt to get him out uncovered a
labyrinth of chambers deep in the earth, filled with the bones of those who had
been laid to rest here. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Before descending into the catacombs, we explored the courtyard, which was full of broken columns, headless sphinxes, marble sarcophagi, and the Tigran tomb, all that remained from a large ancient cemetery in another part of Alexandria. Because of the interesting painted artwork that remained, the tomb was re-assembled here next to the Tomb of Kom El-Shouqafa. Both the Temple of Tigran and the catacombs demonstrate the blending of cultures that was taking place in Alexandria, with Greek and Roman additions to the artwork.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIulvAFexarZKkrv-IEJKWx-S-xOYsYyGeS6c4GA3EWPY_Tg4w-Ccr0-OhWCulvUFXqeuUlTK3ZU1aPXW2Ex8uFwoIXxnmiOXfqbA6xg9fqyOKosq9RE0GHwww5fsNMSYsRLR_fw0_AC6oSKfV3TGW7NF_X_HXp-ec6Wa1rj8fK209a9T1A/s3071/20230220_094155a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3071" data-original-width="2949" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIulvAFexarZKkrv-IEJKWx-S-xOYsYyGeS6c4GA3EWPY_Tg4w-Ccr0-OhWCulvUFXqeuUlTK3ZU1aPXW2Ex8uFwoIXxnmiOXfqbA6xg9fqyOKosq9RE0GHwww5fsNMSYsRLR_fw0_AC6oSKfV3TGW7NF_X_HXp-ec6Wa1rj8fK209a9T1A/w614-h640/20230220_094155a.jpg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Artifacts in the courtyard of the Tomb of Kom El-Shouqufa</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusZi84BQ4L9H-L0xc_eDufcTWMHn6umn17h9tUbpn4hj-gMYyBc0sDmn5HK7Nd14yUHmggFF_HQBHokDulUPjQiwZko-hrFSlqqKuz-tKKqqxkrabHOZ4wxtgMUJRru-tkCCLTOzZJmTQPedbCRIlJOWq6dxIEQadwzudVHehUsqs_nu-xg/s1930/20230220_102604a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1685" data-original-width="1930" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusZi84BQ4L9H-L0xc_eDufcTWMHn6umn17h9tUbpn4hj-gMYyBc0sDmn5HK7Nd14yUHmggFF_HQBHokDulUPjQiwZko-hrFSlqqKuz-tKKqqxkrabHOZ4wxtgMUJRru-tkCCLTOzZJmTQPedbCRIlJOWq6dxIEQadwzudVHehUsqs_nu-xg/w640-h558/20230220_102604a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Where there is a temple, there have to be temple cats!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J1UNU8Ghk-pPrEs6D5O3na-KFQ6cR2I3kKuC4_bjKMN4x0LCn_L3OIYyx_8n1TKmMcKJuHuKJtA1p0P-ycYhGyVaWJWUxm9ojETZzOvW8d0oK0hB__3mf0tr2qKFtAZpwTJKLKnxpvLOXqvIrKWxl6umtX2NnZRiIPiMYhD8KcIlQWci0Q/s3563/20230220_101908a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3563" data-original-width="2964" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J1UNU8Ghk-pPrEs6D5O3na-KFQ6cR2I3kKuC4_bjKMN4x0LCn_L3OIYyx_8n1TKmMcKJuHuKJtA1p0P-ycYhGyVaWJWUxm9ojETZzOvW8d0oK0hB__3mf0tr2qKFtAZpwTJKLKnxpvLOXqvIrKWxl6umtX2NnZRiIPiMYhD8KcIlQWci0Q/w532-h640/20230220_101908a.jpg" width="532" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Water spout</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPYxHm_RrmZFOG5Xg6Sr-bePn4Ig3jLxM7jm2TM514owERqoEYMJtSJerK8nM5f2XLrGt9cC9X-tKctz5q8PkAZ-caV3ItaCJiqjo0Iko-9dvVeU6tloP5dbXJ9HLyGojzte0Pr73f7zyRqtva4CMMaE0gt-0eGIyCueRXo4wriO83_XK2Q/s3691/20230220_094632a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPYxHm_RrmZFOG5Xg6Sr-bePn4Ig3jLxM7jm2TM514owERqoEYMJtSJerK8nM5f2XLrGt9cC9X-tKctz5q8PkAZ-caV3ItaCJiqjo0Iko-9dvVeU6tloP5dbXJ9HLyGojzte0Pr73f7zyRqtva4CMMaE0gt-0eGIyCueRXo4wriO83_XK2Q/w520-h640/20230220_094632a.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Tigran Tomb was moved to this location.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx107EftFNulO1idOVMo_HO_rmIcWrot3LhkS0WQuolrdiJj-xezIW3GmlLN-J6Tua1dVK28sz8Iv4V_fWuhFdxJrwVT96Dn3ARmL6dFPbWdvT5bTU1orpTt5qpQYJ0JpmTGxVnjmPijgIbIeg-cbUGvWXQnMQpAdomPL98u-xtY2FhOa_FA/s3637/20230220_094450a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3637" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx107EftFNulO1idOVMo_HO_rmIcWrot3LhkS0WQuolrdiJj-xezIW3GmlLN-J6Tua1dVK28sz8Iv4V_fWuhFdxJrwVT96Dn3ARmL6dFPbWdvT5bTU1orpTt5qpQYJ0JpmTGxVnjmPijgIbIeg-cbUGvWXQnMQpAdomPL98u-xtY2FhOa_FA/w528-h640/20230220_094450a.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the artwork inside the Tigran Tomb was well-preserved.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXKr2g1XzXfxu2X9jqTmSgY9DVyYjEPAo8mLYHmsP_ZfugbsPLwmk2bM4quoQvyJIc-O6xEnA99c9X_LWiYz5V6_-xXEj9c_yREombry7oVN32ipMq4EhWVTTT4DpFF-KRyDtFUpPOGy5wz4Ey97tMYM_huSI49dbR2qsbaNSxBYFKwv-0A/s4000/20230220_094503a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="4000" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXKr2g1XzXfxu2X9jqTmSgY9DVyYjEPAo8mLYHmsP_ZfugbsPLwmk2bM4quoQvyJIc-O6xEnA99c9X_LWiYz5V6_-xXEj9c_yREombry7oVN32ipMq4EhWVTTT4DpFF-KRyDtFUpPOGy5wz4Ey97tMYM_huSI49dbR2qsbaNSxBYFKwv-0A/w640-h452/20230220_094503a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Egyptian influence was still strong, but the mummy of Osiris lies upon a Roman-style bed.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMhk6HseOKAbuZRbxkl7vJe7M92ZclzvT70sTMOM9A75Ic_dHSou-PbL_HxxgIxd5svq0dYTfoZybRj-rDn5-93Qj_dIiAqvy_7-WLvUf5ptnkrq4INarvvEt6-EYbifuFFzxiSeVK0T01iO6f7NDBpOcNlIKdlwxzPZQ0SxqXaQ5Crad2g/s3853/20230220_094522a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3853" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMhk6HseOKAbuZRbxkl7vJe7M92ZclzvT70sTMOM9A75Ic_dHSou-PbL_HxxgIxd5svq0dYTfoZybRj-rDn5-93Qj_dIiAqvy_7-WLvUf5ptnkrq4INarvvEt6-EYbifuFFzxiSeVK0T01iO6f7NDBpOcNlIKdlwxzPZQ0SxqXaQ5Crad2g/w640-h480/20230220_094522a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This painting again shows Osiris, entering the Afterlife.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw0Z54y3oiAHR5prv-AwCsDKCQUU5d8v-6djcfBeKx0XvwUYUpQ_qA13QTknBn0MgUK64XHIkzfPCbh5CgDi6TyWiGX5Ljpg0UqKqdZR510OfZ4qeFxyKkDik0ipguubW1pzs2z1QqwTmC9Ovwc46pi3npbIN06sry7qjDLGe7hwbSqI9Og/s2944/20230220_094538a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="2208" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsw0Z54y3oiAHR5prv-AwCsDKCQUU5d8v-6djcfBeKx0XvwUYUpQ_qA13QTknBn0MgUK64XHIkzfPCbh5CgDi6TyWiGX5Ljpg0UqKqdZR510OfZ4qeFxyKkDik0ipguubW1pzs2z1QqwTmC9Ovwc46pi3npbIN06sry7qjDLGe7hwbSqI9Og/w480-h640/20230220_094538a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The tomb also included Greek influences with this head of Medusa.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To enter the catacombs, we walked down a
long spiral staircase into the maze of rooms below. The tomb was originally dedicated to the burials of one prominent family. Family members would hold the funeral
celebrations down in the crypt where lovely small temples were carved into the stone and served as “headstones”
for their family members. (We could see
the holes behind the temples where the bodies were slid into their final resting place.) There was even one room with seats around the
edges for a funeral feast…with the rule that all food must be consumed so that
it did not absorb and bring any evil spirits to the surface. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-h4T9u3ZNAir9C7K79q44hFMia1vlaQvF2EDNAnqKb2raGfO847DNYrVGQMTqZmb8pRZzFAcprqEG_WC6Q8mhUXsjhKLT5wlSs3ejWPmkwDW3Xsic_cygnPx-ZyvVsf4kggx_78tlNH5GKd1X-fbWxrI5eL4Pcewd0yuF_R65WNq2Oh4VQ/s3630/20230220_095052a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3630" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-h4T9u3ZNAir9C7K79q44hFMia1vlaQvF2EDNAnqKb2raGfO847DNYrVGQMTqZmb8pRZzFAcprqEG_WC6Q8mhUXsjhKLT5wlSs3ejWPmkwDW3Xsic_cygnPx-ZyvVsf4kggx_78tlNH5GKd1X-fbWxrI5eL4Pcewd0yuF_R65WNq2Oh4VQ/w528-h640/20230220_095052a.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bodies would be lowered through the shaft to the catacombs below.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqVDiA8PnmoHD1tQgZvYnowHeQuuKz8Ja3PXIQCtr3A_teigdsJJeGJI7YjUyaTv67aZ02AxknFqGEE3XJcrBRaTG11048IKTXN_zfKGELmFOiSb8DIzeQ8z39K7w3yZBgVSDgdouJacfB-LB0ObqoKL7kBzw2Cx6ePCEnbgk6tafkwiEXg/s4000/20230220_095136a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2852" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqVDiA8PnmoHD1tQgZvYnowHeQuuKz8Ja3PXIQCtr3A_teigdsJJeGJI7YjUyaTv67aZ02AxknFqGEE3XJcrBRaTG11048IKTXN_zfKGELmFOiSb8DIzeQ8z39K7w3yZBgVSDgdouJacfB-LB0ObqoKL7kBzw2Cx6ePCEnbgk6tafkwiEXg/w456-h640/20230220_095136a.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The staircase spiraled around the shaft.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBdyD1V-BEntrLkS0zsWDzoyASyL0GkSgjg26yj6bwCxtVyC1XlU5WgrMNPlEknZLNOafaq48EA1WnF0tEX5yWGOA1SsGhfif2I3y9In3xVqtuYvpMqbhFaPJSeSKUcuqftrMw4ebOYrsFVyZm_SBYneMj4OK5__wfgKX7akVuQ4Bqp7BAQ/s3617/20230220_095522a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3617" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBdyD1V-BEntrLkS0zsWDzoyASyL0GkSgjg26yj6bwCxtVyC1XlU5WgrMNPlEknZLNOafaq48EA1WnF0tEX5yWGOA1SsGhfif2I3y9In3xVqtuYvpMqbhFaPJSeSKUcuqftrMw4ebOYrsFVyZm_SBYneMj4OK5__wfgKX7akVuQ4Bqp7BAQ/w530-h640/20230220_095522a.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One of the ornate tombs carved into the rocks of the catacombs.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHgK52u4bff1A2o2JPjz9yj9wdVLsvXsku4rTwq3veWeqwXIkVeOdVxCLpO3PgZgEhae2lo04L4-BE9cD-NKuFLIDwbXcUEQY1UJ-h2B06iaMvwTCcEDWQpglc0s8lr6zR7bymIUpQYDq0Q2nkuRZJWRKBerz9A8wZjiDm3D4QwfnpmnfpA/s4000/20230220_095734a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHgK52u4bff1A2o2JPjz9yj9wdVLsvXsku4rTwq3veWeqwXIkVeOdVxCLpO3PgZgEhae2lo04L4-BE9cD-NKuFLIDwbXcUEQY1UJ-h2B06iaMvwTCcEDWQpglc0s8lr6zR7bymIUpQYDq0Q2nkuRZJWRKBerz9A8wZjiDm3D4QwfnpmnfpA/w640-h480/20230220_095734a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Egyptian and Roman influences in the tombs.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMtul-6wF0KXAZuBOyhRGqekd1OiYfiP0WrfprhmRWvgleFFpqLMsolY_2zlygnMkJCGmCTqwhWMub7qUdhB8EFlRLGTbsZCBczn4noI9WSKIraC7Kn7_Ve5XJ0ygLviZGAdvPZdnVa4MMFWft58DpMMn6w_p17tXjaBUtLdnXRO16kuayg/s2560/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMtul-6wF0KXAZuBOyhRGqekd1OiYfiP0WrfprhmRWvgleFFpqLMsolY_2zlygnMkJCGmCTqwhWMub7qUdhB8EFlRLGTbsZCBczn4noI9WSKIraC7Kn7_Ve5XJ0ygLviZGAdvPZdnVa4MMFWft58DpMMn6w_p17tXjaBUtLdnXRO16kuayg/w640-h480/Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Anubis dressed as a Roman soldier</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlE6VDEZUmi3QTKqIlgWwauu8eRnmDW0w_jsgVnIO1P-2jc_qxiuA8eJtAuLjuwf2oZECfOpeSxyJYcFYXmP6cGTQi55a6hoodE80Z-s38gg7-PQn3EkHjo__x_eeI_TN28mRIkEIA_jSVReECvypZsLnNZyp9X0QWLcTcv6H9-7Usk8aJw/s3738/20230220_095821a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2226" data-original-width="3738" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlE6VDEZUmi3QTKqIlgWwauu8eRnmDW0w_jsgVnIO1P-2jc_qxiuA8eJtAuLjuwf2oZECfOpeSxyJYcFYXmP6cGTQi55a6hoodE80Z-s38gg7-PQn3EkHjo__x_eeI_TN28mRIkEIA_jSVReECvypZsLnNZyp9X0QWLcTcv6H9-7Usk8aJw/w640-h382/20230220_095821a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP0Xt2Dxd8BO4Q0Lh1oMps7aLnGUdBB2OMRr26h_v0JAZ4s8_BoSYozRYSxmlftASSGFPu3dGQmodC8nGBEsAyUOdhR5n_YxJ9pNpLipGg_lTXK_jld15RV-Gyu68zHWSrnY8AMF_cdZpc9e7Q6KqzmuDuwJBXriCECF6EL1ifPlLnu85lA/s3875/20230220_095954a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2597" data-original-width="3875" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP0Xt2Dxd8BO4Q0Lh1oMps7aLnGUdBB2OMRr26h_v0JAZ4s8_BoSYozRYSxmlftASSGFPu3dGQmodC8nGBEsAyUOdhR5n_YxJ9pNpLipGg_lTXK_jld15RV-Gyu68zHWSrnY8AMF_cdZpc9e7Q6KqzmuDuwJBXriCECF6EL1ifPlLnu85lA/w640-h428/20230220_095954a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaucqQp2CEfED_ykoKELHKFnqtLbWSsZRQJO0NGRrIGZadt3y8oqWycj-1UEi97BnrPMcMXGxpWpOF-neMzbGVrfKxqGRU-I8zaLMgdzgxscz_iUyVCAiJlHIV4R4Y2Pf-fL1movHlIpI7H_DcN_BzARmEtJEfEwgZqNVLdlw3k2WU9aJiA/s3371/20230220_100042a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3371" data-original-width="2766" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdaucqQp2CEfED_ykoKELHKFnqtLbWSsZRQJO0NGRrIGZadt3y8oqWycj-1UEi97BnrPMcMXGxpWpOF-neMzbGVrfKxqGRU-I8zaLMgdzgxscz_iUyVCAiJlHIV4R4Y2Pf-fL1movHlIpI7H_DcN_BzARmEtJEfEwgZqNVLdlw3k2WU9aJiA/w526-h640/20230220_100042a.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxRZPTrN66-AIsw0uKx4_eDAgCmhkMw6_UlCEHkEmiP9Vm4Pcp0b1E6RnuIPYfVXZpCFA68HDHRTV-WuhloZrvOoHr12djUd9da87evDOnQWLVD2TkGSedDpxBP3znMxwBJ1rpTdT2n0yAaUVHvgcC5x3ICac9LELpBbzjJIzD002RsBIsQ/s3926/20230220_100907a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3926" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxRZPTrN66-AIsw0uKx4_eDAgCmhkMw6_UlCEHkEmiP9Vm4Pcp0b1E6RnuIPYfVXZpCFA68HDHRTV-WuhloZrvOoHr12djUd9da87evDOnQWLVD2TkGSedDpxBP3znMxwBJ1rpTdT2n0yAaUVHvgcC5x3ICac9LELpBbzjJIzD002RsBIsQ/w490-h640/20230220_100907a.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoWedkcmmhQySXnyCULmeu0GJ375C8ZZS64Lbh6n78ADXSpB6MANfw16claed0leB2vyPz4lEYyHsYP_9F3DIgkMyaD0VASKfwRph178pWdSsKsVQdzsyqrORYCoHBx13JnSIammW2g1XDn-NrYw75Aa0Ph4wGKgth3lDE5mN4FjfQv2QIg/s3720/20230220_101446a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3720" data-original-width="2215" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoWedkcmmhQySXnyCULmeu0GJ375C8ZZS64Lbh6n78ADXSpB6MANfw16claed0leB2vyPz4lEYyHsYP_9F3DIgkMyaD0VASKfwRph178pWdSsKsVQdzsyqrORYCoHBx13JnSIammW2g1XDn-NrYw75Aa0Ph4wGKgth3lDE5mN4FjfQv2QIg/w382-h640/20230220_101446a.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Joan and Rob in the Catacombs</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the years, more people were buried here, so many</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> rooms were simply rectangles filled with niches where bodies had been placed. (Other than one display containing both human and horse bones, the remains have all been removed, of course.) </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZKy30kmTvVTmcmRTbe-FhNaKLS4mwfc-_9Ub08ibRF3vrvEtdrCywU_fnMpfF9BcYJ22Lv8O1fRuAIHCc7Yg4uUa-c1zUar389ZemKrxWqtwKtYg8JPNW_uNIz2eTr7Ap-DHkKTBxmlbEdSwhsSuO0yY6V7PRO5HIK41_PSG_S7hatsyzg/s3840/20230220_095340a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZKy30kmTvVTmcmRTbe-FhNaKLS4mwfc-_9Ub08ibRF3vrvEtdrCywU_fnMpfF9BcYJ22Lv8O1fRuAIHCc7Yg4uUa-c1zUar389ZemKrxWqtwKtYg8JPNW_uNIz2eTr7Ap-DHkKTBxmlbEdSwhsSuO0yY6V7PRO5HIK41_PSG_S7hatsyzg/w500-h640/20230220_095340a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KMsmmRr4ThrzloO6UAV-5OidXEX7QGqOOjSpdDUUEU9jZmBpBSk8R8D_68S5vepjwrOQOyLSnc2bHmHvn9VRztsJmsvQha7ek5piGWFtbLexGEAy3o5x7vVrTsPCukbhTaM76O3eVZHeuYcAIUVzxE49ootmLORvrNbRKnHtPWfe_jOMFA/s3893/20230220_100134a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="3893" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KMsmmRr4ThrzloO6UAV-5OidXEX7QGqOOjSpdDUUEU9jZmBpBSk8R8D_68S5vepjwrOQOyLSnc2bHmHvn9VRztsJmsvQha7ek5piGWFtbLexGEAy3o5x7vVrTsPCukbhTaM76O3eVZHeuYcAIUVzxE49ootmLORvrNbRKnHtPWfe_jOMFA/w640-h456/20230220_100134a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d-pGwoD1ZfAn6Hrwq2GONO-dZ3dXylMrwiwiSjX26UH2KlVIjgQ9Kv6wtWPvZBkTxQfOvOLP9MkzLrNqE71HPaHirLgIwJJVsQL0oMy5z9ytbg2Oyv-9o3MBsVVX0jwd0WGYRqZvzYJQTlXzDkkPXm8TzeotealQessWXzLl0zAoDFmwZg/s3752/20230220_101204a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3752" data-original-width="2814" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d-pGwoD1ZfAn6Hrwq2GONO-dZ3dXylMrwiwiSjX26UH2KlVIjgQ9Kv6wtWPvZBkTxQfOvOLP9MkzLrNqE71HPaHirLgIwJJVsQL0oMy5z9ytbg2Oyv-9o3MBsVVX0jwd0WGYRqZvzYJQTlXzDkkPXm8TzeotealQessWXzLl0zAoDFmwZg/w480-h640/20230220_101204a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Several of the people were buried with their horses, whose bones were displayed here.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our next stop was the Serapeum
(the Temple of the God Serapis), which was once the largest and most magnificent of temples in the Greek quarter of ancient Alexandria. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj05fwzbDDw28mYL7YxmX7RPO9GbQANd2s8ImBacpaNc1EpW8gnZXVq79jo4OLKRR3NvRZWXFNA7yS462TbUVGwpn1c3PdOz_ZYA8w5q7P7dfwIy3vAjn--fEL00UBQG72-VEtOMmMnXtO0ZLdwXW8z-iHiu_wXKY1BciFZ27Kb9H7aQRZtg/s3711/20230220_102909a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="3711" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj05fwzbDDw28mYL7YxmX7RPO9GbQANd2s8ImBacpaNc1EpW8gnZXVq79jo4OLKRR3NvRZWXFNA7yS462TbUVGwpn1c3PdOz_ZYA8w5q7P7dfwIy3vAjn--fEL00UBQG72-VEtOMmMnXtO0ZLdwXW8z-iHiu_wXKY1BciFZ27Kb9H7aQRZtg/w640-h426/20230220_102909a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is not much left of the temple now, other than pieces of the outer walls, a few broken columns, and a large stone statue of the sacred scarab beetle. The most prominent feature in </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pompey’s Pillar, an obelisk erected by the
Romans who occupied this city at the time that the Roman Empire extended all
the way around the Mediterranean Sea. The
pillar, which was erected in honor of the emperor Diocletian, stands atop the small hill and is flanked by two serene sphinxes. Behind the pillar are the
remains of the Piscina, a Roman bath house. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOsJghz-CZulaJVY8IdDJp-Nkx8sF57l-1_v4nxhvdM_qvcdXZsIPz3NNFw1E8nA__Q0iOA6enVFU77qCROaut2dm1fdrToKB09wExwKEs3_0iOdrQEaSFZ9eRvt8gCJ82TAMB0u0X65A5gxqQ-9tA3fh6QAozbDqGc89ZLd9LHOwM234qg/s3258/20230220_103216a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3258" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOsJghz-CZulaJVY8IdDJp-Nkx8sF57l-1_v4nxhvdM_qvcdXZsIPz3NNFw1E8nA__Q0iOA6enVFU77qCROaut2dm1fdrToKB09wExwKEs3_0iOdrQEaSFZ9eRvt8gCJ82TAMB0u0X65A5gxqQ-9tA3fh6QAozbDqGc89ZLd9LHOwM234qg/w590-h640/20230220_103216a.jpg" width="590" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pompey's Pillar between two Egyptian sphinxes</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywZ8glg_2i63ftbJo-CFkwWn54sYsCy9dAQXA7uOG3gX9FyRp21VhihrVYMOqhh6Rs9F_0fSsZkO2mP-P-i1RWf8FoS2ZxYhCz0NOGvVb2D3Jnne1RPg9BGSXwnzvzuR7ZMaSKkSgto11DqWwa-5lDW1QtadsCe62ZOw_lPbghWbXyN7f9Q/s3344/20230220_103610a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3344" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywZ8glg_2i63ftbJo-CFkwWn54sYsCy9dAQXA7uOG3gX9FyRp21VhihrVYMOqhh6Rs9F_0fSsZkO2mP-P-i1RWf8FoS2ZxYhCz0NOGvVb2D3Jnne1RPg9BGSXwnzvzuR7ZMaSKkSgto11DqWwa-5lDW1QtadsCe62ZOw_lPbghWbXyN7f9Q/w566-h640/20230220_103610a.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3YmXLF3LVwM_8ZikWEuAi1FK2txtW2u2Q0O1LHb_NeRlxHJmxH-X00kXydNMGBmXyGCk0Z1qby2fkaXcrwey1JQb1GGFi7URd7T5FmWWbzR4pAlnEN1VMvY3dWtSkfR-rPzxLuGnRSgrVqjGuSuTsGQpf0Q8DG7XR18DbQEuDeedjfPdwg/s3486/20230220_103525a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3486" data-original-width="2955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3YmXLF3LVwM_8ZikWEuAi1FK2txtW2u2Q0O1LHb_NeRlxHJmxH-X00kXydNMGBmXyGCk0Z1qby2fkaXcrwey1JQb1GGFi7URd7T5FmWWbzR4pAlnEN1VMvY3dWtSkfR-rPzxLuGnRSgrVqjGuSuTsGQpf0Q8DG7XR18DbQEuDeedjfPdwg/w542-h640/20230220_103525a.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sarcophagus</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv7fy5OMDV6xZMRJrDd-IhqDmlhOzOL3-3PHrxepdS_ofSWejMPwUECLh-OwVt5PyHqK91h74yUuZntV0p-A5SXcJqZMXixMPZQj3vtmTSAlxxsrRVnWgx7pimmIuEsOoWqwDOtF0QsONPO5Yx3SPkpLCTbi27i2A-Sk4HKzrhNT_SVcHxQ/s3556/20230220_103537a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3556" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv7fy5OMDV6xZMRJrDd-IhqDmlhOzOL3-3PHrxepdS_ofSWejMPwUECLh-OwVt5PyHqK91h74yUuZntV0p-A5SXcJqZMXixMPZQj3vtmTSAlxxsrRVnWgx7pimmIuEsOoWqwDOtF0QsONPO5Yx3SPkpLCTbi27i2A-Sk4HKzrhNT_SVcHxQ/w540-h640/20230220_103537a.jpg" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Scarab Beetle</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ7lvDxGLPHGmJJJNnQbEZmbFeaqoE8o9oTbaK6XjNpZaEHmWGEG86mUHsRpsmmaA9-zbc1eXWixWX4iS6-g9ECxrZhxw16t92LmvQ1-xGystC3Z-NFJ-oREVPaiDnTW160ft_93-_HkAAWWaV0mqhTEJBHhbaWlqM0FedDWtHLui2ngU0g/s3903/20230220_103812a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3903" data-original-width="2927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ7lvDxGLPHGmJJJNnQbEZmbFeaqoE8o9oTbaK6XjNpZaEHmWGEG86mUHsRpsmmaA9-zbc1eXWixWX4iS6-g9ECxrZhxw16t92LmvQ1-xGystC3Z-NFJ-oREVPaiDnTW160ft_93-_HkAAWWaV0mqhTEJBHhbaWlqM0FedDWtHLui2ngU0g/w480-h640/20230220_103812a.jpg" width="480" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Around 423 A.D., the Temple of Serapis became a Christian church.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rU1QhwxbMReVpkpD7CybFDnw3vXFy_boP2eu9tCuSCl2YiHhkkxgdUMb9AtY7bzc6s7h0EN50W_Gce45yPXc0chX78Ps4538_CxKq5MDxYFtXZALAEOSSoyHWdEWI_M8aLtKvHwoTLYJHqxBO3TnbJSnPXjpJ27MdGbc62W9OXUYZaWMwg/s3556/20230220_103225a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3556" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rU1QhwxbMReVpkpD7CybFDnw3vXFy_boP2eu9tCuSCl2YiHhkkxgdUMb9AtY7bzc6s7h0EN50W_Gce45yPXc0chX78Ps4538_CxKq5MDxYFtXZALAEOSSoyHWdEWI_M8aLtKvHwoTLYJHqxBO3TnbJSnPXjpJ27MdGbc62W9OXUYZaWMwg/w540-h640/20230220_103225a.jpg" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I really enjoyed the Mona Lisa smiles on the sphinxes at this site.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKn1T6IQ0TGAZv8aYZg0ZuK-OOQgyAZnQENtHUr5kzR48LTT6jQ5ZKUtdkkhZmczt9M_2fYnscjtuL-2NB9ZjGYhqz1C1vclNXkwS_KoN2S80COJ8ivt3ST6ZxAFusIiLktAP5Fois6bhH3N0xRjqLv70fC9Tm7LY9gdmifvz0nGeY2WSdA/s3072/20230220_105046a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2677" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKn1T6IQ0TGAZv8aYZg0ZuK-OOQgyAZnQENtHUr5kzR48LTT6jQ5ZKUtdkkhZmczt9M_2fYnscjtuL-2NB9ZjGYhqz1C1vclNXkwS_KoN2S80COJ8ivt3ST6ZxAFusIiLktAP5Fois6bhH3N0xRjqLv70fC9Tm7LY9gdmifvz0nGeY2WSdA/w558-h640/20230220_105046a.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVXTd2u2yc6npwRxnN8QziTPQFH3X47S3Kixtvj0_9UayX2ln4WQooH-o_sQDbKoJq216vVPnbAUWLXd4Pi7c2tmMvLz0o4569ilcRAJuDKiMhUn5POZl8VMGaUAIRBrPeMI7OCs0hRCJwgnhUFxDCfT0w227fnT8YhaPEEBTxvBRigrr4w/s3597/20230220_105147a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3597" data-original-width="2740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVXTd2u2yc6npwRxnN8QziTPQFH3X47S3Kixtvj0_9UayX2ln4WQooH-o_sQDbKoJq216vVPnbAUWLXd4Pi7c2tmMvLz0o4569ilcRAJuDKiMhUn5POZl8VMGaUAIRBrPeMI7OCs0hRCJwgnhUFxDCfT0w227fnT8YhaPEEBTxvBRigrr4w/w488-h640/20230220_105147a.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dhJtTCL5cW6poAN_QUhIceQ-pNWBQ-8wo6cSS_7g5Xjua2M2EljGWu83ceElSGtdqO7rUNongotfN2Tlk3LzsI__QPpBD4r7emmGWYcAX52GUMBmRgqRBNCcDFeGD0L20XKkNHYM1sztI9t4s3fvFED8yUjzAxyh122iQ3vD9EKhWiuABQ/s4000/20230220_104817a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dhJtTCL5cW6poAN_QUhIceQ-pNWBQ-8wo6cSS_7g5Xjua2M2EljGWu83ceElSGtdqO7rUNongotfN2Tlk3LzsI__QPpBD4r7emmGWYcAX52GUMBmRgqRBNCcDFeGD0L20XKkNHYM1sztI9t4s3fvFED8yUjzAxyh122iQ3vD9EKhWiuABQ/w640-h480/20230220_104817a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Bath House was called the Piscina</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw another Roman bath house at
nearby Kom El-Dikka, the site of the Roman theater and its surrounding
buildings. This site dates from the Roman period in Alexandria, between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. The excavation of Kom El-Dikka is still on-going. Zahraa, our guide, said that her
grandmother used to play on the mound that once covered this site, never guessing
what lay beneath her feet. Imagine what
discoveries would still be found if a modern city didn’t cover this
region! There is some speculation that
this may be the site of Alexander’s burial, as it has never yet been
discovered. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7BQ9OAJZeqUSUATk3ZsD6ah3nvluKoAXfN2bJRodhqGLXgNyRLQm8zQyqR6if3JET_HBOgLzqMnqlmn9GiVhX8s4tg5hTmFrDCnni7uOkqtARYfKhfJFCsJW9mryY98V5IRUoHZ71-zklxB9MtGqN_NbB3EZlNSyAYWgj5R4zAJ0iffQWQ/s3932/20230220_112743a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3932" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7BQ9OAJZeqUSUATk3ZsD6ah3nvluKoAXfN2bJRodhqGLXgNyRLQm8zQyqR6if3JET_HBOgLzqMnqlmn9GiVhX8s4tg5hTmFrDCnni7uOkqtARYfKhfJFCsJW9mryY98V5IRUoHZ71-zklxB9MtGqN_NbB3EZlNSyAYWgj5R4zAJ0iffQWQ/w640-h480/20230220_112743a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Roman Theater</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vZxfscGZlM0qAE-ki758zC3mWotAJ8jK6anBZjQH7rm5agF-_MjNGRYzuEEVnwgF8KgyoGJ0yMOylWG1z9ztPPXhl4nKBhJYkXUC4cOsofjPxMa2vq3gOR_29Ysx9CoIFa0kyQbV_X94-XiKEGH1n9zWAOSWwF1bP0V9h9VrlK001qLgIQ/s3832/20230220_113252a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2874" data-original-width="3832" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vZxfscGZlM0qAE-ki758zC3mWotAJ8jK6anBZjQH7rm5agF-_MjNGRYzuEEVnwgF8KgyoGJ0yMOylWG1z9ztPPXhl4nKBhJYkXUC4cOsofjPxMa2vq3gOR_29Ysx9CoIFa0kyQbV_X94-XiKEGH1n9zWAOSWwF1bP0V9h9VrlK001qLgIQ/w640-h480/20230220_113252a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLRMht3YWuYES6viP9rp_YdKwEmtyv_vT1ZJ0ZbPMNQe0g-JpInGmGZgCvqAXA-yjsEzBXf3yCis-i9G-CulmNbJZToKh9yEI2R0skNo8kX4pyahqngt-Ay6Gbofy6zFJFyR27v31ibGd6U5VET5hMEjHGkltoEcCKIS5rE4NlpUH9LHiHA/s3970/20230220_113605a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3970" data-original-width="2977" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLRMht3YWuYES6viP9rp_YdKwEmtyv_vT1ZJ0ZbPMNQe0g-JpInGmGZgCvqAXA-yjsEzBXf3yCis-i9G-CulmNbJZToKh9yEI2R0skNo8kX4pyahqngt-Ay6Gbofy6zFJFyR27v31ibGd6U5VET5hMEjHGkltoEcCKIS5rE4NlpUH9LHiHA/w480-h640/20230220_113605a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Zahraa, our guide in Alexandria</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEWAqBIaUjWhO_GvaZL12mz1knqgjnuW_uzGg25BWIl6HFBhRb7zj8XiVDppvODbPu9KwqBcTaTtucuLutmblQJ3NYX1pYJa2tF3_NoZb0j_XoJnv_4oX-yW9Dr62SgBmOcFo3cafJffHeAQITzodg2vVclQ-x06arDCcEgbQRE_fxZ2Kyg/s4000/20230220_113700a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEWAqBIaUjWhO_GvaZL12mz1knqgjnuW_uzGg25BWIl6HFBhRb7zj8XiVDppvODbPu9KwqBcTaTtucuLutmblQJ3NYX1pYJa2tF3_NoZb0j_XoJnv_4oX-yW9Dr62SgBmOcFo3cafJffHeAQITzodg2vVclQ-x06arDCcEgbQRE_fxZ2Kyg/w480-h640/20230220_113700a.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Several of the artifacts displayed were gathered from the underwater archaeological site of Qaitbay, lying in the water beneath the site where the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria stood for many centuries before being destroyed between 956 and 1323 A.D. by a series of earthquakes and tsunamis that damaged it and finally swept it and other relics from the ancient city into the sea.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp6SxHGwJx7nc78BgEPcGYDZZqkiqkuyLDteeHod3BjkAZBDHmvdwOFcs9sQgNRLpZRssAvHO69WeSe4SXpo0HvpsFayG5hcnmUg3Zp5nQyzC6iZb369m_zEL_nc2O03IAjROKsr_KW76jT0Yk49f3G69ZxHmFiuPpYK4tvH4wpRxAmTtGw/s4000/20230220_113758a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2570" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp6SxHGwJx7nc78BgEPcGYDZZqkiqkuyLDteeHod3BjkAZBDHmvdwOFcs9sQgNRLpZRssAvHO69WeSe4SXpo0HvpsFayG5hcnmUg3Zp5nQyzC6iZb369m_zEL_nc2O03IAjROKsr_KW76jT0Yk49f3G69ZxHmFiuPpYK4tvH4wpRxAmTtGw/w412-h640/20230220_113758a.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xe0uLXYmakOoH2NDwwtM9h3mbliOevOTi-UGI2z6RXZP8RLk_3R-NJ-vhbb9e96rIHk4MNnUzfjb3YgyJ3qTbtcjbOv8EIY8PtSZA-FwHzlQwCkifbkOZH1Jt5LYjKZpTg4ZElzjwgYRB61hgLztwYKNX1IJdGy8EQJLROORqgH6DtoBeA/s3000/20230220_113805a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2756" data-original-width="3000" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xe0uLXYmakOoH2NDwwtM9h3mbliOevOTi-UGI2z6RXZP8RLk_3R-NJ-vhbb9e96rIHk4MNnUzfjb3YgyJ3qTbtcjbOv8EIY8PtSZA-FwHzlQwCkifbkOZH1Jt5LYjKZpTg4ZElzjwgYRB61hgLztwYKNX1IJdGy8EQJLROORqgH6DtoBeA/w640-h588/20230220_113805a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Obelisk recovered from the underwater site</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfurWFUfVbF3e4d5o0iY5Nn4UwMR7eFEQIKBoBniKPET2T8RohzliLoZaIOSyRBzZrmik-FqobbDXMa26zVAW3Ku2XDyKgktvea_D7LRJhJohkvrmD4O3q8nnzzRwR1IwHk-FA9qhXLLbLxmF_AEnTXTcGQsBEwj6iAWljTtJJAAipg8g02A/s3474/20230220_113816a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3474" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfurWFUfVbF3e4d5o0iY5Nn4UwMR7eFEQIKBoBniKPET2T8RohzliLoZaIOSyRBzZrmik-FqobbDXMa26zVAW3Ku2XDyKgktvea_D7LRJhJohkvrmD4O3q8nnzzRwR1IwHk-FA9qhXLLbLxmF_AEnTXTcGQsBEwj6iAWljTtJJAAipg8g02A/w552-h640/20230220_113816a.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Sphinx of Psammeticus was one of the most beautiful pieces recovered from the underwater site. It dates from the 500s B.C.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0zj5IL0l0spP-kaRqvIneL-h2KUo7UHuBEexRekrSsZHi9lyCaEsssiQn6DELDgtASsO_HNxWlmlzbpv3yD_Th66aBjfwmkqT3YT51lIxqXgYJlug4j6MKnl-iyKf1XrctwL1HwBXZBjl17-GzlWLNyMd5sK28GArjm7CgcYmOyF6xbGQ/s4000/20230220_113111a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2788" data-original-width="4000" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0zj5IL0l0spP-kaRqvIneL-h2KUo7UHuBEexRekrSsZHi9lyCaEsssiQn6DELDgtASsO_HNxWlmlzbpv3yD_Th66aBjfwmkqT3YT51lIxqXgYJlug4j6MKnl-iyKf1XrctwL1HwBXZBjl17-GzlWLNyMd5sK28GArjm7CgcYmOyF6xbGQ/w640-h446/20230220_113111a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The foundations of lecture halls line the road</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfxcfRol2jvLHGjXpZ3XvueMD3YRGDy87Cp_8YsmK5IST6xIr9U79OjygCEF1yjdoYF8SzS9BbmZXjxGIB1lomWQP5j3CQfzC4qMt5yNKHnZwo6fNZ0IM7ajVewo8vUf28ks4BtjyE6le249KTFb_t1Iwx2ndz_5shxY8COdjfbXHl0BMOg/s4000/20230220_114729a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfxcfRol2jvLHGjXpZ3XvueMD3YRGDy87Cp_8YsmK5IST6xIr9U79OjygCEF1yjdoYF8SzS9BbmZXjxGIB1lomWQP5j3CQfzC4qMt5yNKHnZwo6fNZ0IM7ajVewo8vUf28ks4BtjyE6le249KTFb_t1Iwx2ndz_5shxY8COdjfbXHl0BMOg/w640-h480/20230220_114729a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Roman Baths of El-Dikka</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5066e3RfDftChlhB0Tny4crpFooLH89EH62ePbkNr7cPzD0yw1pAVZtMVt86tiAHwhTkC32VcodFkUJJQPpyHHkXu_fEtWbuVG3terp2rZserODAf8uqNpCKzHeIk_R4grNs22CKvR8GCfAQbqtwb6bOtUKXpmThDl_ALjafgDNpyZr8YQ/s3477/20230220_114819a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="3477" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5066e3RfDftChlhB0Tny4crpFooLH89EH62ePbkNr7cPzD0yw1pAVZtMVt86tiAHwhTkC32VcodFkUJJQPpyHHkXu_fEtWbuVG3terp2rZserODAf8uqNpCKzHeIk_R4grNs22CKvR8GCfAQbqtwb6bOtUKXpmThDl_ALjafgDNpyZr8YQ/w640-h452/20230220_114819a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The foundations of homes</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4idvI6C8uh1A4gIezIVu7MPb6gdU2AWiFQD5gt-P1TSn5IIZFWmtagwgmWiXs5nuCeSYvvL2FMwWmHOW5zFRun5BHJRr_W5kYr7EAWmhmn6lBp0SZGy9db-1VmU_PwJ7RnTkFTWMj_Tb3zU2PmxyyZZEJzoeprlzUbyVEd7rH22zwu4MKA/s3608/20230220_115031a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3608" data-original-width="2460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4idvI6C8uh1A4gIezIVu7MPb6gdU2AWiFQD5gt-P1TSn5IIZFWmtagwgmWiXs5nuCeSYvvL2FMwWmHOW5zFRun5BHJRr_W5kYr7EAWmhmn6lBp0SZGy9db-1VmU_PwJ7RnTkFTWMj_Tb3zU2PmxyyZZEJzoeprlzUbyVEd7rH22zwu4MKA/w436-h640/20230220_115031a.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Mosaic floors inside one of the excavated homes</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What would a visit to Alexandria
be without a visit to its famous Library?
Of course, the great library built by Alexander is long gone, burned to
the ground with all its treasures many years ago. But Egypt celebrated its heritage with the
construction of a modern new library, the largest in Egypt and the second largest in the world – second only to the Library of Congress.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">(So who did burn the ancient Library? There are three major theories. For those of you who are interested, as I was, here is a link to a short and interesting article: <a href="https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/burning-library-alexandria#:~:text=The%20first%20person%20blamed%20for,to%20be%20set%20on%20fire." target="_blank">The Burning of the Library of Alexandria</a> )</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://www.bibalex.org/en/default" target="_blank">Bibliotheca Alexandrina</a> was designed by a
Norwegian architectural company and funded by contributions from many
nations. It is designed to represent the
sun, but with one section cut out – to symbolize that learning is never
finished. The back wall is inscribed
with sayings in the alphabets of every known language.
The immense reading room is used every day by both Egyptian students and
scholars from around the world. It holds
several artifacts from history, including the first printing press to print the
Qu’ran. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphnG0JCG9aCsTy-H560LTJWVbywJWUr0tRNWT5pbmbRaYqF4xXEBdqN4rqx8WaxnT4kUVxFypBtjZ8aOPzGxLXsX6i2xUAfpnG2eNI8O0hAPfC9mVczKvYy3GJPpQffa5NRgcyFixrx3TMgOnGHqI6L4LUX1uxYrdXLLyIgH_AA3HsShRQQ/s3492/20230220_123534a.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3492" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphnG0JCG9aCsTy-H560LTJWVbywJWUr0tRNWT5pbmbRaYqF4xXEBdqN4rqx8WaxnT4kUVxFypBtjZ8aOPzGxLXsX6i2xUAfpnG2eNI8O0hAPfC9mVczKvYy3GJPpQffa5NRgcyFixrx3TMgOnGHqI6L4LUX1uxYrdXLLyIgH_AA3HsShRQQ/w640-h416/20230220_123534a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A model of the modern Libary of Alexandria</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyaZ9BTr84A_hi9kQE6NhalAQHcs9qh4cqZEWEaJhoSPv_PtUUwZ50WxD8Rj6hoVfX_OE7Y_1FQwpDqRqdrXYeYEfY2KZrgKMEzzKV9Q-JJZCJYWUP8ykmGpKcpskF2jYjZlnb3wgZXzF5UKOrusZTrCLBa4sH5pLI2OgrQFqLYKDcU3IOg/s4000/20230220_121119a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyaZ9BTr84A_hi9kQE6NhalAQHcs9qh4cqZEWEaJhoSPv_PtUUwZ50WxD8Rj6hoVfX_OE7Y_1FQwpDqRqdrXYeYEfY2KZrgKMEzzKV9Q-JJZCJYWUP8ykmGpKcpskF2jYjZlnb3wgZXzF5UKOrusZTrCLBa4sH5pLI2OgrQFqLYKDcU3IOg/w640-h480/20230220_121119a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Engravings in the languages of the world.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_8m2OE6c1VTUK30CIuOMILOa7UJ__bgT4fpEsrM3kd_plkAKVoJPB-TEUcEUi8Y_4O855N3UIqmRhgGYH0X8wM2WJm0c9mYsxeCMgMpjXmq4B9YNXMF9-6mLY6G4LFmIWtyhj2Lma3hgkZag9hVaHPNl0AKk-3a_QLrkRrjy72o1WYW8xg/s4000/20230220_121608a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_8m2OE6c1VTUK30CIuOMILOa7UJ__bgT4fpEsrM3kd_plkAKVoJPB-TEUcEUi8Y_4O855N3UIqmRhgGYH0X8wM2WJm0c9mYsxeCMgMpjXmq4B9YNXMF9-6mLY6G4LFmIWtyhj2Lma3hgkZag9hVaHPNl0AKk-3a_QLrkRrjy72o1WYW8xg/w640-h480/20230220_121608a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Zahraa tells us about the history of the library.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBh_b4bRWyFr_0tXmtSOYT86x9NXcIPPsUS-KU0kWJPNb3yKrB-hgmI8EBQj43d0cpICqekhpTrgsoB4u2xrWe7qTROG6oYp0-uLuRafzat3-KCIGZqjp0bD16Ia7a7xRu6ABoOC7U0mBRj2xfV7vYId3dEIGwgsce82HXJBOsULlX_GRhw/s3853/20230220_122551a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3853" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBh_b4bRWyFr_0tXmtSOYT86x9NXcIPPsUS-KU0kWJPNb3yKrB-hgmI8EBQj43d0cpICqekhpTrgsoB4u2xrWe7qTROG6oYp0-uLuRafzat3-KCIGZqjp0bD16Ia7a7xRu6ABoOC7U0mBRj2xfV7vYId3dEIGwgsce82HXJBOsULlX_GRhw/w640-h480/20230220_122551a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Just a portion of the great Reading Room in the Library of Alexandria</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUidmEhZVFbkkEd0_WjnOFLe2A7eSKrIVVFaWA80lMI8px2bvAztv6RnmorAISIasMSAQmSaHaOzrx-YjIrIXhMpdXqL6rX770JGJf5uxYv8TaBhHQdGPaUgLiLow-IBmeSPuWd_otihN3uWOyJRC5gfOicveXyMcDwFz34rDL87UNnt8X2A/s3886/20230220_122749a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3886" data-original-width="2948" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUidmEhZVFbkkEd0_WjnOFLe2A7eSKrIVVFaWA80lMI8px2bvAztv6RnmorAISIasMSAQmSaHaOzrx-YjIrIXhMpdXqL6rX770JGJf5uxYv8TaBhHQdGPaUgLiLow-IBmeSPuWd_otihN3uWOyJRC5gfOicveXyMcDwFz34rDL87UNnt8X2A/w486-h640/20230220_122749a.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The printing press that made the first printed copy of the Qu'ran</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oRZ65FpzXf09pBUlN6y85dhZlPCE3A1reyCP2IVAA_FMVYtkncLBlyVg8wgg4VkZAeMyB8PcyB-QXmqTV-50mUxagRoqYFGZWDT3uRDO85ELFw3RKyF6RUkN88GkB2PyWfiIeoLqaqmZ3b8by78MdtClUc2cr23GWb1p3o_s1Zr4cy2xNQ/s3539/20230220_123217a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3539" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oRZ65FpzXf09pBUlN6y85dhZlPCE3A1reyCP2IVAA_FMVYtkncLBlyVg8wgg4VkZAeMyB8PcyB-QXmqTV-50mUxagRoqYFGZWDT3uRDO85ELFw3RKyF6RUkN88GkB2PyWfiIeoLqaqmZ3b8by78MdtClUc2cr23GWb1p3o_s1Zr4cy2xNQ/w542-h640/20230220_123217a.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Other artifacts in the Reading Room</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNJtA_fyN3pVChbt9WhlrTkclgjRSfc9CEB_qzOvk42SEicNJH64b051mhAMQ9p75xRyre8X8NUebT7Lwnx4Dlvhkx8SCSSkevvMqCJUruBV1XGaEST-a-pGiAf5SylGZnU_BdJnKu7NfMmYh9R24KA7nhLUGpQBQVHPdQMImwh-m_oCxg/s2916/20230220_122844a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="2916" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNJtA_fyN3pVChbt9WhlrTkclgjRSfc9CEB_qzOvk42SEicNJH64b051mhAMQ9p75xRyre8X8NUebT7Lwnx4Dlvhkx8SCSSkevvMqCJUruBV1XGaEST-a-pGiAf5SylGZnU_BdJnKu7NfMmYh9R24KA7nhLUGpQBQVHPdQMImwh-m_oCxg/w640-h600/20230220_122844a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Of course, you can't have a library without a section devoted to Shakespeare!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We ended our busy day with another typically
Egyptian meal at a restaurant next to the site of the famous Lighthouse of
Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse and much of Roman Alexandria
was destroyed in an earthquake and tsunami in the 14<sup>th</sup> Century. In its place stands a fortress built by
Sultan Ashraft Qaitbay in the 15<sup>th</sup> Century, built using some of the
stones of the original lighthouse. Below
this small peninsula, submerged beneath the sea, remains a large area of
archaeological treasures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3AiX1ANemo-gfw7AzvkFEoUy8_iHP8mTsIEm2cgvy_Q_yOHpyOH3PhmcJNubh3ZBXhO5Oh90LmdCrJLgzP8sL4ca_xcbt5IMpFe95987pDas8h72ngLI5hEODP-aHNA6K2NHg31Sb8HVP__rhzFShnk8OtGr5QF78KtW6vFoyk2v5mnNUw/s3267/20230220_125747a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3267" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3AiX1ANemo-gfw7AzvkFEoUy8_iHP8mTsIEm2cgvy_Q_yOHpyOH3PhmcJNubh3ZBXhO5Oh90LmdCrJLgzP8sL4ca_xcbt5IMpFe95987pDas8h72ngLI5hEODP-aHNA6K2NHg31Sb8HVP__rhzFShnk8OtGr5QF78KtW6vFoyk2v5mnNUw/w588-h640/20230220_125747a.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Fortress of Sultan Ashraft Qaitbay</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoDx-V4tsK7BpcaWKt--stKBbU3TvekY3_haw__CNpyZQrWvAfM8KYx7n9heoWWKYCcd88oEkeDdTIwI545Dw_zYG-uWDV8ZKGJLwKlE7ok0KgWx79G2c_kJ2-a1aHwBaF3vXeRN1OihW25G4wDNC_AwIzsm7KNs5n81mJLlDuegfOJANyg/s3970/20230220_125759a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="3970" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoDx-V4tsK7BpcaWKt--stKBbU3TvekY3_haw__CNpyZQrWvAfM8KYx7n9heoWWKYCcd88oEkeDdTIwI545Dw_zYG-uWDV8ZKGJLwKlE7ok0KgWx79G2c_kJ2-a1aHwBaF3vXeRN1OihW25G4wDNC_AwIzsm7KNs5n81mJLlDuegfOJANyg/w640-h410/20230220_125759a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A view of the busy harbor in front of Alexandra that sits upon the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDEUO-XdqI1AGc0z14wMjlLM4ymY5E22fPtlaZLt-IuEtkIjz8EFubigeYI6szq72GBmMYf7T_HYd3L-4jFNLb2s85DJEW4uMDA7th3oYI6zILuw0DnbmKKLQ82UjTxCHDmuy7rqrR-pFGnzRJhq7kd4f7RDnpIJRzj2pL5F6euEFbljIoA/s3628/20230220_140400a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="2916" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDEUO-XdqI1AGc0z14wMjlLM4ymY5E22fPtlaZLt-IuEtkIjz8EFubigeYI6szq72GBmMYf7T_HYd3L-4jFNLb2s85DJEW4uMDA7th3oYI6zILuw0DnbmKKLQ82UjTxCHDmuy7rqrR-pFGnzRJhq7kd4f7RDnpIJRzj2pL5F6euEFbljIoA/w514-h640/20230220_140400a.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Saying good-bye and setting off for the next adventure!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch, we said good-bye to
our sweet guide and took the long drive back to Cairo where we checked into
the Meridien Airport Hotel before our early morning flight to Jordan. Phenomenal Petra is coming up!</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-45289213008702761152023-03-23T15:10:00.001-07:002023-03-23T15:12:30.251-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Days 8 and 9: Abu Simbel and the Old Cataract Hotel<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> February 16 - 17, 2023</span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;">Abu Simbel and the Old Cataract Hotel</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rob and I woke up bright and early to disembark for the last time from our Nile cruise ship, Moon
Goddess. Our bags were taken to our hotel, but we headed directly to the small airport in Aswan for a short
flight to Abu Simbel., the huge monument that Ramses II had erected as a tribute
to himself. You may recognize
this temple as it is the most famous of the various structures that were disassembled
and moved to higher ground when the Aswan High Dam was erected in the 1960s,
creating a huge reservoir which fills the valley between the “old” dam and the new
one.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO5j4ehCOP3YiftT339_9y_Vd085YTs_MQheiWJjG7YJgk_YtE8AS5RC_35qnDJK3vabFGt58vFdtiR5qT0QY2C7M35CI5US3A_XR-oTgrBpyH9TQNU7JXKzjcecSYxJJzkZ-C_pWqV0vKziAZX315lXYQJrSAs5jEAZSUuIGTLkBd7H0mQ/s2314/20230217_092045a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="2314" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO5j4ehCOP3YiftT339_9y_Vd085YTs_MQheiWJjG7YJgk_YtE8AS5RC_35qnDJK3vabFGt58vFdtiR5qT0QY2C7M35CI5US3A_XR-oTgrBpyH9TQNU7JXKzjcecSYxJJzkZ-C_pWqV0vKziAZX315lXYQJrSAs5jEAZSUuIGTLkBd7H0mQ/w640-h456/20230217_092045a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This site is such a popular destination that Egypt Air provides the equivalent of a bus service, with several forty-five-minute flights each day zipping between Aswan and the tiny airport near the temple. From our plane, we could see Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. The creation of the lake was controversial as it would flood an area containing both ancient monuments and villages of the Nubian people. Nine monuments, including the Temple of Philae which we had visited the previous day, and the people were re-settled.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJkMdxfLXcXnlrROM0cBIwSWGe8hQEJSkEQHHpUKiiGBdq12ft56Rm6-bqmB_qnFLwX3BaYryEevUqxRK5Adk98MMJFVoEakRlBJghQZY90HbWYzHm6j098AFEo857YC9JfvJKM0w5o517THlxbQMC7StwX7PcAymthErQxI5umjQxPjnzQ/s3052/20230217_064816a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3052" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJkMdxfLXcXnlrROM0cBIwSWGe8hQEJSkEQHHpUKiiGBdq12ft56Rm6-bqmB_qnFLwX3BaYryEevUqxRK5Adk98MMJFVoEakRlBJghQZY90HbWYzHm6j098AFEo857YC9JfvJKM0w5o517THlxbQMC7StwX7PcAymthErQxI5umjQxPjnzQ/s320/20230217_064816a.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel was just one of many that day.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The original temple had been carved into the side of a
mountain, and both the impressive façade and the interior chambers were all taken
apart and rebuilt, then covered with an enormous mound of earth that now replicates the
original mountain.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5FbYLjFvZnOhIw_SRR2zOudKNnAZutf1RXpBvHJtPXdzL5P_15lop7PPtQ573gzukIoY2pLJdcEE67TDvYBSr_NNfZRDALtBgtSZBw5pCaF6jKlyap29XExacYI3ULF_utiaAMAdBFeFKi45DVCq2jtZlOZ0-AOwn4fXhSADT21nvaHJmA/s3829/20230217_084504a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2371" data-original-width="3829" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5FbYLjFvZnOhIw_SRR2zOudKNnAZutf1RXpBvHJtPXdzL5P_15lop7PPtQ573gzukIoY2pLJdcEE67TDvYBSr_NNfZRDALtBgtSZBw5pCaF6jKlyap29XExacYI3ULF_utiaAMAdBFeFKi45DVCq2jtZlOZ0-AOwn4fXhSADT21nvaHJmA/w640-h396/20230217_084504a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The large mound of the artificial mountain covering the reconstructed temple.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZKYapMnqyQQxHwvtNhi_6kWHymX0Fx0t9NFRQXQhf1PlntD2SHGdVghbAnn3r7IRz0jp02Bw04zdCpxh61ON2_XI-jcu_8BAt7Ii446OnNIkCtv_f8Qnxqi5q-TFC2W9UBcCye1Wx1c6asmT7cbTfanDHczmNCw2Od7Gs9bqmWuT6TvjVw/s2583/20230217_084825a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1970" data-original-width="2583" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZKYapMnqyQQxHwvtNhi_6kWHymX0Fx0t9NFRQXQhf1PlntD2SHGdVghbAnn3r7IRz0jp02Bw04zdCpxh61ON2_XI-jcu_8BAt7Ii446OnNIkCtv_f8Qnxqi5q-TFC2W9UBcCye1Wx1c6asmT7cbTfanDHczmNCw2Od7Gs9bqmWuT6TvjVw/w640-h488/20230217_084825a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lake Nasser lies at the foot of the monument</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQK1o281pyLRntfN5ReDpjuqAHiCpUZgUJIHMVTMjMgZ4AiNkfmJ9h7NL3cr4ZOrNiOMcKWfEME_j7ZOBpwylrWfK7zST_MHk7ENmHD-jQLwWRJ955iFto8FreWx6C70A6fZ9caIQt_dnIl3BJkzO743zdR7DV1-Yk7pr0AV1L8I1Bg1jUQ/s3567/20230217_085016a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="3567" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQK1o281pyLRntfN5ReDpjuqAHiCpUZgUJIHMVTMjMgZ4AiNkfmJ9h7NL3cr4ZOrNiOMcKWfEME_j7ZOBpwylrWfK7zST_MHk7ENmHD-jQLwWRJ955iFto8FreWx6C70A6fZ9caIQt_dnIl3BJkzO743zdR7DV1-Yk7pr0AV1L8I1Bg1jUQ/w640-h440/20230217_085016a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Approaching Abu Simbel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi4GTrufLYMsbeYRMuiFNk2fzjykQhNpogn4MC8Gbyz_SycdhgtSadYloTPlfZoPcTBcv3ILN7vTy5NgIpRfPosOo8IH8-ex8IuxFvJsPCoZZi6J0UpqjIpYUB3w56Y0RU8usXFwfbLC49akaylhrGdafAtp1ggukYcas2Vzp-3uGhwVdVw/s3028/20230217_085907a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3028" data-original-width="2816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi4GTrufLYMsbeYRMuiFNk2fzjykQhNpogn4MC8Gbyz_SycdhgtSadYloTPlfZoPcTBcv3ILN7vTy5NgIpRfPosOo8IH8-ex8IuxFvJsPCoZZi6J0UpqjIpYUB3w56Y0RU8usXFwfbLC49akaylhrGdafAtp1ggukYcas2Vzp-3uGhwVdVw/w597-h640/20230217_085907a.jpg" width="597" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Joan and Rob at Abu Simbel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="3420" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9-Om3qk3oOl93NupGBRE6lr8vNUlJz5zImLkt_YY7H1O3Pe-RextiXNPPR7yu8HJRdLBo09tS0-JIz6nWSOPQ3OgkvItMBcSQOEVa64skFK7v-Li4G2OPvVdKwp5xXaaZhh7WPEOSBOzpsVe8zbej8fxMtKyE0XP_feJfrlLS_omB8sLfw/w640-h452/20230217_092030a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Lots of flights meant lots of crowds!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ramses II must have had a surprisingly good opinion of himself. (He did, after all, consider himself to be a living god.) All four of the huge statues on the front of
the temples are images of the Pharoah, and other images of his exploits and
offerings to the gods are carved into the interior walls. The smaller statues at his feet represent his
children, mother, and favorite wife, Nefertari, and below these are statues of Horus and other
Egyptian gods.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKXN0LFcrWixNqQ1qAfhCIJtx6E0AeS8Cz2cD8TEkTvUUCZyG9OBCmVKQjjgNcKggHNiN8YscMnE2h3k9o3a9V6PAuf4UJ62I7gHteKfQl75bG870vuT-0ozQBSKMA2MpmdwPgP-JQqQ6pUum2QTmFA5e9JG3SUuntVqBhCwUYNsUhOiFEg/s3427/20230217_090107a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3427" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKXN0LFcrWixNqQ1qAfhCIJtx6E0AeS8Cz2cD8TEkTvUUCZyG9OBCmVKQjjgNcKggHNiN8YscMnE2h3k9o3a9V6PAuf4UJ62I7gHteKfQl75bG870vuT-0ozQBSKMA2MpmdwPgP-JQqQ6pUum2QTmFA5e9JG3SUuntVqBhCwUYNsUhOiFEg/w536-h640/20230217_090107a.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0E1kwHCWsuSPWSkopMYi0G0t_XDYS_WWu78YMjGWmXqLSExXbBEGuCsqOekzeE8gKfDjbrJrSd5DRFRyOInW2z9CKd9TJ82NJVmET_eNVKjj-lLJ89EGWkTsAVm6Vz1KNL7G7EWqBL-y8sFRfjgqOxOEvGxx-CureiezLylMPw1IVk3z4g/s4000/20230217_090128a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0E1kwHCWsuSPWSkopMYi0G0t_XDYS_WWu78YMjGWmXqLSExXbBEGuCsqOekzeE8gKfDjbrJrSd5DRFRyOInW2z9CKd9TJ82NJVmET_eNVKjj-lLJ89EGWkTsAVm6Vz1KNL7G7EWqBL-y8sFRfjgqOxOEvGxx-CureiezLylMPw1IVk3z4g/w480-h640/20230217_090128a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Queen Nefertari</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlSn-1o6JQ4I5ebJhoHk9o5YBhkZHpmGOWweMnqnT0Bmn2F_FF1zjigmUwy7rtSlPllM-VPNDastCqsAJAoLozjHgZnDymkr1OgnYeVT3L6m9tzGvBMmrT9MGP9kWuogSXodH4jd95auPLMgoabbIir9y2EiefouBaGoKhDV2t48RGrgFgw/s4000/20230217_090139a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlSn-1o6JQ4I5ebJhoHk9o5YBhkZHpmGOWweMnqnT0Bmn2F_FF1zjigmUwy7rtSlPllM-VPNDastCqsAJAoLozjHgZnDymkr1OgnYeVT3L6m9tzGvBMmrT9MGP9kWuogSXodH4jd95auPLMgoabbIir9y2EiefouBaGoKhDV2t48RGrgFgw/w480-h640/20230217_090139a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Her size in relation to his tells me something about women's place in society.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDwssSjI57Nwd3n0N8FM8gFo7mOljxuRRRgfzr_nt0FFTrjmA3uwZDhUC4JcppACCDg74NxcHdXnz2h7XrCZFxcut7PPp-PpOM-u-aczJ-1zW_kPA9E2B8_FeFeeM-Xp1vav9fPdZdxQ-2j-1BK8PzbfeosODnAoFI3EqYryRiMJBTKoK8w/s2930/20230217_090218a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDwssSjI57Nwd3n0N8FM8gFo7mOljxuRRRgfzr_nt0FFTrjmA3uwZDhUC4JcppACCDg74NxcHdXnz2h7XrCZFxcut7PPp-PpOM-u-aczJ-1zW_kPA9E2B8_FeFeeM-Xp1vav9fPdZdxQ-2j-1BK8PzbfeosODnAoFI3EqYryRiMJBTKoK8w/w622-h640/20230217_090218a.jpg" width="622" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The temple is dedicated to the Sun God, Amun-Ra, who stands between the colossal statues of Ramses II</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IX7cxq3FNTP5j6y_BBJqHPUTWfE6BYy0x4-3qHhWVUwTJxCVBHdkYiyQZLKFZCj7KdqzRdx5NnGhzGtfjkIfUkn6RY2sAhPUTvBTxc423YqQtA5boh_ODo2k8W8ZLH9XOUnVsQUNp4wboKZAGa7-GseftkgQ40Jw-Xbq8S59Z67WeXHVnQ/s3613/20230217_090151a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3613" data-original-width="2874" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IX7cxq3FNTP5j6y_BBJqHPUTWfE6BYy0x4-3qHhWVUwTJxCVBHdkYiyQZLKFZCj7KdqzRdx5NnGhzGtfjkIfUkn6RY2sAhPUTvBTxc423YqQtA5boh_ODo2k8W8ZLH9XOUnVsQUNp4wboKZAGa7-GseftkgQ40Jw-Xbq8S59Z67WeXHVnQ/w510-h640/20230217_090151a.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64PvQ1koJkHSx6abE1xs3iYkOroUV0STFS6Gdr6fcVptvR5DiQY4UDwjlmmTYmHaffSi6nbN9E-mtc3PjEd_kud1Dgqlm7WTqqq_sFy8cnylcNQrlcG2TP5j0ZH4ql9VF7KRY4xUjeDTrpbZn7tYuq-OY6EzXb6tplQfU5OWuKGvTLlts1Q/s3041/20230217_091705a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3041" data-original-width="2920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64PvQ1koJkHSx6abE1xs3iYkOroUV0STFS6Gdr6fcVptvR5DiQY4UDwjlmmTYmHaffSi6nbN9E-mtc3PjEd_kud1Dgqlm7WTqqq_sFy8cnylcNQrlcG2TP5j0ZH4ql9VF7KRY4xUjeDTrpbZn7tYuq-OY6EzXb6tplQfU5OWuKGvTLlts1Q/w614-h640/20230217_091705a.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiANlYRwihS7SH4Bd1ejO1hnXl84bzCvB_plIGXB_8zKV4uqe8H1P-z63CI96oN1bfcjoGGvSbsf58cXIn5SyvGYGGSD-YHgoHdqSj5PMIzwCgZlJMIUw4qYorA8LBgCaft_2GVbIEo1QLR7RSWdEv6P6jIa-lKW16MhPJGaPDjT3pLX3Zpw/s3846/20230217_091716a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="3846" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiANlYRwihS7SH4Bd1ejO1hnXl84bzCvB_plIGXB_8zKV4uqe8H1P-z63CI96oN1bfcjoGGvSbsf58cXIn5SyvGYGGSD-YHgoHdqSj5PMIzwCgZlJMIUw4qYorA8LBgCaft_2GVbIEo1QLR7RSWdEv6P6jIa-lKW16MhPJGaPDjT3pLX3Zpw/w640-h480/20230217_091716a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ramses' children and the god Horus stand in front of his images.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tourist brochures touting the treasures of ancient Egypt often show the exterior of this huge temple. What they <i>don't</i> show are the fantastic images carved into the interior walls of the temple. These are
amazingly well-preserved. The colors
were not as bright as those we had seen in the tombs of the Valley of the
Kings, but the images showed extraordinarily little sign of erosion or deterioration. (They were also hard to photograph due to the crowds and lighting inside!) Many of the images portray Ramses' defeat of the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKRUJqoamApJJtZ0CpRYzZEFRHJEDFRCulos5O226fM3CkyBAxVp_54zF7I2jc0cwhKP9p6JSffMZCx533v93v9H9Ccv64ODrhA5WHf5IlZzglpEpVR-RzJWTIP47eApnYeF9no0gJ2LqDu_CfdURglqlQCSvfEamkrKCayKcEXIv35pKVQ/s3000/20230217_090325a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2743" data-original-width="3000" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKRUJqoamApJJtZ0CpRYzZEFRHJEDFRCulos5O226fM3CkyBAxVp_54zF7I2jc0cwhKP9p6JSffMZCx533v93v9H9Ccv64ODrhA5WHf5IlZzglpEpVR-RzJWTIP47eApnYeF9no0gJ2LqDu_CfdURglqlQCSvfEamkrKCayKcEXIv35pKVQ/w640-h586/20230217_090325a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Inside the entrance are eight pillars depicting Ramses deified as the god Osiris.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTvsEJuEMh_ozkzjwzjfyx5YsJsnngOFxih7UO0lIVG4ZZ-1Y2vjOcLDZDBgd6Co_vHtU46EByDO6QNbnYOWrJcmXcBcKsRKYkv_cMWKNJzeDyeBnRBKhfMXxb5Cw5ciNMjeWa4F9QRXUUfJxymEnMX3MYUEYpWg5GOqEMS9t1vYvQnAzIA/s3925/20230217_090420a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3925" data-original-width="2944" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTvsEJuEMh_ozkzjwzjfyx5YsJsnngOFxih7UO0lIVG4ZZ-1Y2vjOcLDZDBgd6Co_vHtU46EByDO6QNbnYOWrJcmXcBcKsRKYkv_cMWKNJzeDyeBnRBKhfMXxb5Cw5ciNMjeWa4F9QRXUUfJxymEnMX3MYUEYpWg5GOqEMS9t1vYvQnAzIA/w480-h640/20230217_090420a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The crowds waiting to go into the sanctuary</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHVkNM9pjn25pe7Oz-IzMQbKGD9DE8YwNYlfo-GcIhjinYg0OtnkDNThmUmZ-qFFjaTjlgk88q0WITEL18FRrAL1b3sxROyfwIt-j2Ygf8HKolBMSORhwYhBFRrJTdS-jvl4poLfp7zRi_-FwFQbihTQni_bSh5KV2mMRmuQj3GhwNu5BlA/s3198/20230217_090648a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3198" data-original-width="2938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHVkNM9pjn25pe7Oz-IzMQbKGD9DE8YwNYlfo-GcIhjinYg0OtnkDNThmUmZ-qFFjaTjlgk88q0WITEL18FRrAL1b3sxROyfwIt-j2Ygf8HKolBMSORhwYhBFRrJTdS-jvl4poLfp7zRi_-FwFQbihTQni_bSh5KV2mMRmuQj3GhwNu5BlA/w588-h640/20230217_090648a.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The four figures inside the sanctuary are Ra-Horakhty, the deified Ramses, and the gods Amun-Ra and Ptah.</b></span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYFWEVFffex-uWP61oC7zZ5W0JJo5RrHBku_7qnzjkQTp-Jb1U4Rm18UXR9MfHGYCVs8p9_9vD6F1Xl8aknkn8WeBXqZJu83O7OKJ8-TQ4BqTIfw8ngYhXFBUB2U2GlJ2a8ODZWYmt8rrMe3nsjUH9Lw8PZ0Z2CVfFIyn-P9uZt3TyO4bZQ/s4000/20230217_090656a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYFWEVFffex-uWP61oC7zZ5W0JJo5RrHBku_7qnzjkQTp-Jb1U4Rm18UXR9MfHGYCVs8p9_9vD6F1Xl8aknkn8WeBXqZJu83O7OKJ8-TQ4BqTIfw8ngYhXFBUB2U2GlJ2a8ODZWYmt8rrMe3nsjUH9Lw8PZ0Z2CVfFIyn-P9uZt3TyO4bZQ/w480-h640/20230217_090656a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A Royal Barge</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTqWkQDREhq8xVDHA4PREyg5WaWz_Sj6nFalCxxbxFT4db7F5l2AJLdzwWMwvkQPxV4BW9bbPMJNkzelgunegqv56mLU-OCDcWJiaK-yi3UO1MVDNPc728korsta7jxySr28ZJjVSB8jspo_jgLqJT55xXTW82e-2l1lvV5n82YQvmma1ZQ/s3904/20230217_090809a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2813" data-original-width="3904" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTqWkQDREhq8xVDHA4PREyg5WaWz_Sj6nFalCxxbxFT4db7F5l2AJLdzwWMwvkQPxV4BW9bbPMJNkzelgunegqv56mLU-OCDcWJiaK-yi3UO1MVDNPc728korsta7jxySr28ZJjVSB8jspo_jgLqJT55xXTW82e-2l1lvV5n82YQvmma1ZQ/w640-h462/20230217_090809a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Slaves carrying the barge</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaXtyQTBriu-3jE1WyXQrih2840AStCi67wK2gx9UwdGaVjE1F53VQe-PN3Ivug58EEdBpEqI1DBzbK1MswqqdKyEhZV9RN1V7qhfZhaSyoIK5g959M5L1VhL2UzrLfJz6M6nc1DPvrtJna1mekqc3geFKabW58FIKC7CqCf_6J2aQueYIQ/s3286/20230217_090950a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3286" data-original-width="2939" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaXtyQTBriu-3jE1WyXQrih2840AStCi67wK2gx9UwdGaVjE1F53VQe-PN3Ivug58EEdBpEqI1DBzbK1MswqqdKyEhZV9RN1V7qhfZhaSyoIK5g959M5L1VhL2UzrLfJz6M6nc1DPvrtJna1mekqc3geFKabW58FIKC7CqCf_6J2aQueYIQ/w572-h640/20230217_090950a.jpg" width="572" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Images of the Gods</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-a4_CUYlT-_6ZuYh4cBByA16jOBKNIUqbAFRVOzrONZmu6d608bgq4y6YdfnRlIk5GC1eVbd0orR8OZW7BzLzLpN5fy-8yqafICfXKTLnp5Z74z1kf-zCTLK34ZaOEvjpIAUBuS0oJ0gN6IREp4Dlc4BxVTKKts_vdl_NGev09Kz2uUay7A/s3792/20230217_090835a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3792" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-a4_CUYlT-_6ZuYh4cBByA16jOBKNIUqbAFRVOzrONZmu6d608bgq4y6YdfnRlIk5GC1eVbd0orR8OZW7BzLzLpN5fy-8yqafICfXKTLnp5Z74z1kf-zCTLK34ZaOEvjpIAUBuS0oJ0gN6IREp4Dlc4BxVTKKts_vdl_NGev09Kz2uUay7A/w506-h640/20230217_090835a.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Images of the Gods</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmDoNd3yGFlIM4vexwzhhTXQg0PP763lRXhBH4VIlpEWp8I5RjE0Fw9BBkIwn1R1aN4GB1TIfdr9PLOoCXfeN5ydoA49HMINQb28Mrd6Ar5ruFSLjZOcryKWHrfjMinY-EKI16XdAoqh50-UZhG5w6aYkiqm4Su6jBnqLCJ-EPI0U2YNJjg/s3758/20230217_090915a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3758" data-original-width="2852" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmDoNd3yGFlIM4vexwzhhTXQg0PP763lRXhBH4VIlpEWp8I5RjE0Fw9BBkIwn1R1aN4GB1TIfdr9PLOoCXfeN5ydoA49HMINQb28Mrd6Ar5ruFSLjZOcryKWHrfjMinY-EKI16XdAoqh50-UZhG5w6aYkiqm4Su6jBnqLCJ-EPI0U2YNJjg/w486-h640/20230217_090915a.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD-VWx9lwoyJiSL56a8WQ59PACb9KQbaJB1hjgRZjo6F4dpAQjE0HQgo2Otsg9x7ABXutzfFgdWW1jtWV4BokZYcjcgwsQsKjE03CkSJ6US6aA6BmPWe70KCp0M09Rv5Fz4FRxuW7OebnECXjt4Mn_9BGGb3v3fnLxzy7MBLfWgl50vgk8Q/s3117/20230217_091037aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3117" data-original-width="1556" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD-VWx9lwoyJiSL56a8WQ59PACb9KQbaJB1hjgRZjo6F4dpAQjE0HQgo2Otsg9x7ABXutzfFgdWW1jtWV4BokZYcjcgwsQsKjE03CkSJ6US6aA6BmPWe70KCp0M09Rv5Fz4FRxuW7OebnECXjt4Mn_9BGGb3v3fnLxzy7MBLfWgl50vgk8Q/w320-h640/20230217_091037aa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horus</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMQ8Zr46aAE5huhqC2LweuQ-ywiq1a7oXchybBLvd0v2qpHR94SRM5yKYM1NavAMWoK0eiqh70aXsnrSYb5djrnimKrzf3ffqAMb7CSuJltyJiLPjQQpViukJov7fQpzr7pZhf6Pnu1ZU6_0nPW0gM0XBxmmKXIZmuVUN0VR7tgzunL3iqg/s3932/20230217_091135a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3932" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMQ8Zr46aAE5huhqC2LweuQ-ywiq1a7oXchybBLvd0v2qpHR94SRM5yKYM1NavAMWoK0eiqh70aXsnrSYb5djrnimKrzf3ffqAMb7CSuJltyJiLPjQQpViukJov7fQpzr7pZhf6Pnu1ZU6_0nPW0gM0XBxmmKXIZmuVUN0VR7tgzunL3iqg/w640-h394/20230217_091135a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I love the movement in this image of the </b></span><b style="font-size: large;">pharaoh riding into battle.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6xn1PDgIY4CiiTqMALEo1w-GNE55CXEkvcNoZlFtK__vd_na5mKU7q8H1XQ-rThyIr40hPrdxbueYOpSDydzulVGlamswtgRLwkgecDzlaVjpQbkNLLlgnTBfiA2irgzHOGkHjzei-SmFmohlkrXb1ESMjTKMjJCTtYVJ2qT30O-A24QZQ/s3553/20230217_091240a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3553" data-original-width="2642" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6xn1PDgIY4CiiTqMALEo1w-GNE55CXEkvcNoZlFtK__vd_na5mKU7q8H1XQ-rThyIr40hPrdxbueYOpSDydzulVGlamswtgRLwkgecDzlaVjpQbkNLLlgnTBfiA2irgzHOGkHjzei-SmFmohlkrXb1ESMjTKMjJCTtYVJ2qT30O-A24QZQ/w476-h640/20230217_091240a.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ramses vanquishes his enemies.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">To the right of the Temple of Ramses is a second large “mountain” containing a temple dedicated to
Ramses’ wife, Nefertari, and the goddess, Hathor, but once again, he puts his own image front and center, while she
stands a bit on the sidelines. This echoed what we had seen on other statues, with tiny figures of the wives and children carved at the feet of the pharaoh. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkcvgDsTNPXJCtDmuIsX0xpgP_wqrMIn-afWZSB6_djOE2vPfCRsLJD1DkJtGH9TCG73Bap6-QRTO0qgmwesdmNEw8TKogHoj0iC75zH8ArynNuu5APihP7pEZQ7NL8NIv2XVg_9Hp28YaFq4B9awlqTPiqs5YihM6g47aFBz61dzDiFnxw/s3639/20230217_093024a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="3639" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkcvgDsTNPXJCtDmuIsX0xpgP_wqrMIn-afWZSB6_djOE2vPfCRsLJD1DkJtGH9TCG73Bap6-QRTO0qgmwesdmNEw8TKogHoj0iC75zH8ArynNuu5APihP7pEZQ7NL8NIv2XVg_9Hp28YaFq4B9awlqTPiqs5YihM6g47aFBz61dzDiFnxw/w640-h376/20230217_093024a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The "Small Temple" of Nefertari and Hathor<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O9W4Ox1GuFccTIbvkKlDf-ydGVZSqEW6gU8TnrfPDhjoaEdO4w3RGDNZCZjQA_RjYRvVoSArBfF-Ni2X-Hz0CWWLwXHWOS2eWZhOIIwcivtyYd5Mbsc1ELvp0kM0IpRSiOsmvf2vQAnDjCEoAyQear-V1ueR94O37Hm1CVhTKfh9Fjz3Ew/s3451/20230217_093132a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3451" data-original-width="2922" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1O9W4Ox1GuFccTIbvkKlDf-ydGVZSqEW6gU8TnrfPDhjoaEdO4w3RGDNZCZjQA_RjYRvVoSArBfF-Ni2X-Hz0CWWLwXHWOS2eWZhOIIwcivtyYd5Mbsc1ELvp0kM0IpRSiOsmvf2vQAnDjCEoAyQear-V1ueR94O37Hm1CVhTKfh9Fjz3Ew/w542-h640/20230217_093132a.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ramses II puts himself front and center, even in his wife's temple...</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTM5nM9Bu_hvzx8U0wmfTcjOfgixHXRyxHtOBT2epGL3d7H3PDQiSBWfuPiXZcTq7SRwu0pMYgPfOxGa_zb--A8ekJU6VyZWc9t0WWHHVW9vP82ayRXRO6AHm0q86cUQsFUx6eg5QtCWBT35NE4LqoOPS4cBCG88A2SQ8FU4984H1hOY9sQ/s3569/20230217_093055a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3569" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTM5nM9Bu_hvzx8U0wmfTcjOfgixHXRyxHtOBT2epGL3d7H3PDQiSBWfuPiXZcTq7SRwu0pMYgPfOxGa_zb--A8ekJU6VyZWc9t0WWHHVW9vP82ayRXRO6AHm0q86cUQsFUx6eg5QtCWBT35NE4LqoOPS4cBCG88A2SQ8FU4984H1hOY9sQ/w538-h640/20230217_093055a.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>...however, she has the rare honor of being portrayed as large as he is.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The inside of her temple was, like his, filled with images of rulers and gods...with perhaps a few more women, as this was a temple in honor of Nefertari and the goddess Hathor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvtHw94k9LBbzwVlGn-p-xZ7va4lvjBxhMFL67Y6LhPq9DOJYBIQtsPnR5pO-whLwKODlutL1yJOPTPX3Iv0RaoatagKIGriSBBrtP3_BbaM1T1ntCDAvirzKtMU931KWTP1MtBc1xSS9C4fBDv19FPxjfJ2lkPeC89Pp7_9EPrMukOOOxA/s2945/20230217_093330a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="2945" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvtHw94k9LBbzwVlGn-p-xZ7va4lvjBxhMFL67Y6LhPq9DOJYBIQtsPnR5pO-whLwKODlutL1yJOPTPX3Iv0RaoatagKIGriSBBrtP3_BbaM1T1ntCDAvirzKtMU931KWTP1MtBc1xSS9C4fBDv19FPxjfJ2lkPeC89Pp7_9EPrMukOOOxA/w640-h552/20230217_093330a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Crowds inside the Temple of Nefertari</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZYv9q0XFVR4NS6Jdv2X5Bcypi5JRS6XL5fxsczI59f65C9qVEuJtJhCmALqqTeFP7DHF-lVQfUNaySJSqaOiSPGG4HOospGurMNLr6ItdsdXEqdWVZT8nZweWMuH6BAwgfFQzf5vtf-6q4f06fJKe3e7JPIi0EZCUBn4BulksQGNP4HVGQ/s3881/20230217_093343a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3881" data-original-width="2966" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZYv9q0XFVR4NS6Jdv2X5Bcypi5JRS6XL5fxsczI59f65C9qVEuJtJhCmALqqTeFP7DHF-lVQfUNaySJSqaOiSPGG4HOospGurMNLr6ItdsdXEqdWVZT8nZweWMuH6BAwgfFQzf5vtf-6q4f06fJKe3e7JPIi0EZCUBn4BulksQGNP4HVGQ/w490-h640/20230217_093343a.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The goddess Hathor</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqMoArcY2N9XmmgZiCUZcPsoMjhr9ZQho5aq_lGfoykBHPEuOCqkpxm06aBkTFNvezzOhOcYvMKi8c-Du9_z9p7x0xxonvWC9zAw_bSXlxj7GV04fbbjOMXOyhII3bGN9hV2Edtr0EQaSfFgtjTJ6yZWq7S82xFu09aefFbzzRQlmORPiQ/s2508/20230217_094055a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2508" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqMoArcY2N9XmmgZiCUZcPsoMjhr9ZQho5aq_lGfoykBHPEuOCqkpxm06aBkTFNvezzOhOcYvMKi8c-Du9_z9p7x0xxonvWC9zAw_bSXlxj7GV04fbbjOMXOyhII3bGN9hV2Edtr0EQaSfFgtjTJ6yZWq7S82xFu09aefFbzzRQlmORPiQ/w640-h622/20230217_094055a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>More scenes of pharaoh defeating his enemies<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTBBRdLbW-KRLRtcV3cTPdvmqnb9gdcw5U7MxNb7IYphddARuKk-beoytHvXKqySuyjM8Msq44STTmgHrWrXSvguiEqgNniuf3g-Li5120ZNwlOzzrOb0G8tCYdTzu1ikp9sa0nbCD16pvkBZ1mE4gfbUvZbqYQy_BMpYpdMHsGQDzzwtqA/s3656/20230217_093408a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3656" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTBBRdLbW-KRLRtcV3cTPdvmqnb9gdcw5U7MxNb7IYphddARuKk-beoytHvXKqySuyjM8Msq44STTmgHrWrXSvguiEqgNniuf3g-Li5120ZNwlOzzrOb0G8tCYdTzu1ikp9sa0nbCD16pvkBZ1mE4gfbUvZbqYQy_BMpYpdMHsGQDzzwtqA/w640-h512/20230217_093408a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8aiJ5KA40SgSfa0v2W-VDtpkvbYY_WeNj5u33NZ8IeuRXh5i4jALtcsYwbJTVX-FaMM9aOAmxvqeN2BN3ns27lel7qL721CqKvnodgT9xXYmSOQchcJquCBZcodxhHG1QgAIKIbIYzS2U9uiXpeDHwh-TkM5qt-WkxaTcVTcaGtCiP4B4g/s3677/20230217_093444a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3677" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8aiJ5KA40SgSfa0v2W-VDtpkvbYY_WeNj5u33NZ8IeuRXh5i4jALtcsYwbJTVX-FaMM9aOAmxvqeN2BN3ns27lel7qL721CqKvnodgT9xXYmSOQchcJquCBZcodxhHG1QgAIKIbIYzS2U9uiXpeDHwh-TkM5qt-WkxaTcVTcaGtCiP4B4g/w640-h522/20230217_093444a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Thoth and Horus bless the pharaoh, who wears the double crown of the united Lower and Upper Egypt.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhLprWn2HGT16l1VWdu2n_Kd0yoWFbAN9U2nuf_Lp_nF67nRurCLPNv7oZwU5B4UoSI8DvdBIbwGGf2p9nEGBOaaadY8mc-6aGBejmPd-PwJip4Hw3KZdduneW6VFr5c5eeuhatfvvZ-7M4g3wHRwfCbmLXMHjqQT1Ls2MvMjmd757M3LEA/s2804/20230217_093601a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="2242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhLprWn2HGT16l1VWdu2n_Kd0yoWFbAN9U2nuf_Lp_nF67nRurCLPNv7oZwU5B4UoSI8DvdBIbwGGf2p9nEGBOaaadY8mc-6aGBejmPd-PwJip4Hw3KZdduneW6VFr5c5eeuhatfvvZ-7M4g3wHRwfCbmLXMHjqQT1Ls2MvMjmd757M3LEA/w512-h640/20230217_093601a.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hathor</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuRcBdD_SdJ3DkTLJ0AKerzhzodRv4keTSDRrz7rh6_kIsK2KCZnVLk59kEz3Rs1h8_9dP6BdVzhQ5cy2P0MnI67QVrsz117G5m89uJQw6xQ_WzdCupUclGBXfzRqGQ3eOxQfgtHqJRNntwoJtKOf8wH-5aYgMcUTh_hgWevTbqT3hTh4ew/s3954/20230217_093951a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3954" data-original-width="2341" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuRcBdD_SdJ3DkTLJ0AKerzhzodRv4keTSDRrz7rh6_kIsK2KCZnVLk59kEz3Rs1h8_9dP6BdVzhQ5cy2P0MnI67QVrsz117G5m89uJQw6xQ_WzdCupUclGBXfzRqGQ3eOxQfgtHqJRNntwoJtKOf8wH-5aYgMcUTh_hgWevTbqT3hTh4ew/w378-h640/20230217_093951a.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Horus</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYo0H7Z5aycAJgthZdCyL_M2fELMXrk6u46MVP2NZqDv7tfTRAMSeCMn2z1FC6ayDvvaSJ7xAr7-yVGDiVxUoRMz3QZZSwBoyO5cjuMz7mcBtEqJgMIYMBQ-SSb8lJc8hCrKz2vdLhzNb9bO1z1p4yaakOpogyOw9fWrWTj6cHkSoLBCSQ/s3221/20230217_094014a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3221" data-original-width="2778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKYo0H7Z5aycAJgthZdCyL_M2fELMXrk6u46MVP2NZqDv7tfTRAMSeCMn2z1FC6ayDvvaSJ7xAr7-yVGDiVxUoRMz3QZZSwBoyO5cjuMz7mcBtEqJgMIYMBQ-SSb8lJc8hCrKz2vdLhzNb9bO1z1p4yaakOpogyOw9fWrWTj6cHkSoLBCSQ/w552-h640/20230217_094014a.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The goddess Mut, considered the divine mother of the pharaohs</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vXf9iB7iOsmujgE3bHpx7fynYnQhYL1V9eJURRAlndvlivnQkdlvssG9lT8LtPbfexTmty0pDwyvBTBtVBVMGIGCIs5xZczW0LEM2qs91sIqangojUI4ejhvvJcVVaNdtgKCLX8l6HlEXhh4O21ZVZ0CbfhHPSQleefBZlfO8rg0Z716Zw/s2732/20230217_094222aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="2732" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vXf9iB7iOsmujgE3bHpx7fynYnQhYL1V9eJURRAlndvlivnQkdlvssG9lT8LtPbfexTmty0pDwyvBTBtVBVMGIGCIs5xZczW0LEM2qs91sIqangojUI4ejhvvJcVVaNdtgKCLX8l6HlEXhh4O21ZVZ0CbfhHPSQleefBZlfO8rg0Z716Zw/w640-h616/20230217_094222aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hathor, Mut, and Thoth</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRBMzUlZgZ3vY_RCrLC7mJccz1TEuXIMsDmq3uDgrn5yfpzXIIiR5HixCymSXWlZ0aF2KkFXeX514Ote1MNYL5pXj2Kx_kCrwAB3Liq8xIPPUhtrBldpNKWwC4HCQeYQKwZ_ZPZQcsui0tEOQWFcB5cwmHtLlycstci6AhKxbz6Vd2TpV-g/s3142/20230217_094307a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3142" data-original-width="2820" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRBMzUlZgZ3vY_RCrLC7mJccz1TEuXIMsDmq3uDgrn5yfpzXIIiR5HixCymSXWlZ0aF2KkFXeX514Ote1MNYL5pXj2Kx_kCrwAB3Liq8xIPPUhtrBldpNKWwC4HCQeYQKwZ_ZPZQcsui0tEOQWFcB5cwmHtLlycstci6AhKxbz6Vd2TpV-g/w574-h640/20230217_094307a.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ramses gives offerings to Horus</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b_h2kxWnPFdJ7QrhqT9FcSikS3TclmJx8ZddYn56HYO8QqFaQTsssroHgqlnvwd0EdjwARsYBoy341tRfiIzr_EGIEmOBfMWk7w36YG7tdix8GUh9uQppjIM6qX1nB-LysnxaHdPUZLY50viNIunt1SpoUUKofTX0bIv2mAFg0UqlBDdvg/s2977/20230217_102632a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="2529" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b_h2kxWnPFdJ7QrhqT9FcSikS3TclmJx8ZddYn56HYO8QqFaQTsssroHgqlnvwd0EdjwARsYBoy341tRfiIzr_EGIEmOBfMWk7w36YG7tdix8GUh9uQppjIM6qX1nB-LysnxaHdPUZLY50viNIunt1SpoUUKofTX0bIv2mAFg0UqlBDdvg/w544-h640/20230217_102632a.jpg" width="544" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Isis, Mut, and Hathor</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>The Old Cataract Hotel</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">By late morning, we were on our return flight to Aswan where
we checked into the best hotel of the entire trip, the gorgeous Sofitel Legend
Old Cataract Hotel. This historic hotel has stood here overlooking the
cataracts of the Nile since 1899. It has hosted royalty, presidents, actors,
and other luminaries over the years, including Omar Sharif and Queen Noor,
whose photographs hang in the hallways, and Winston Churchill and Agatha
Christie, who both had suites here for many months. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31_lIIWqKUC3RKK677Lda2KNRZ7Rzmf8XpTIXuJPZcPqQpNhWuxbvsx4VVPYTW7hVRViO3BotYKMq02grMjsLkPhvhnrkqw5A6H8MN4MN_ea1_P2V94rt5dj1tvlLgvgL_S9cwkSQ3X67jeBEXMjEe1eadfVkQB_tt7vtZUjISVGworJ1jA/s3703/20230217_140200a.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2845" data-original-width="3703" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31_lIIWqKUC3RKK677Lda2KNRZ7Rzmf8XpTIXuJPZcPqQpNhWuxbvsx4VVPYTW7hVRViO3BotYKMq02grMjsLkPhvhnrkqw5A6H8MN4MN_ea1_P2V94rt5dj1tvlLgvgL_S9cwkSQ3X67jeBEXMjEe1eadfVkQB_tt7vtZUjISVGworJ1jA/w640-h492/20230217_140200a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Old Cataract Hotel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXyJim0eq4MAEoFrnhGe0FPRL7P5hyonsVrfz-JCd6J0YW0FTxdgFU_PNfTN-TDh0la4aEKNyNkz-IfRwAaTmQU5sbg5ekXBfF8KAwqQVMSp7m6Sya3fVPNL1xEE3vZcC8PuCaNv60rtG1HmvXeNQSzZcNro7YygOUebeRRlJ8W7saoLowg/s3375/20230217_132859a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXyJim0eq4MAEoFrnhGe0FPRL7P5hyonsVrfz-JCd6J0YW0FTxdgFU_PNfTN-TDh0la4aEKNyNkz-IfRwAaTmQU5sbg5ekXBfF8KAwqQVMSp7m6Sya3fVPNL1xEE3vZcC8PuCaNv60rtG1HmvXeNQSzZcNro7YygOUebeRRlJ8W7saoLowg/w568-h640/20230217_132859a.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>View of the Nile from the Terrace</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKzfHaCVbK7t7JrWOuK2DUaKpzhxTNeX5oUThiZ_zlEcsP8VVEGsUzybtC4JJ2CttWS5-x1eAu-2-6V7O4SPO2_DiFHqpAruiDfPOogC7NYXiKMlGyKcm_H4Xi9nFO3Hs_agLpC92QKz4ahJPrszvyz1CPXSao6J5hr_T_DsHzEk_7-0pw/s3617/20230217_132923a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3617" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKzfHaCVbK7t7JrWOuK2DUaKpzhxTNeX5oUThiZ_zlEcsP8VVEGsUzybtC4JJ2CttWS5-x1eAu-2-6V7O4SPO2_DiFHqpAruiDfPOogC7NYXiKMlGyKcm_H4Xi9nFO3Hs_agLpC92QKz4ahJPrszvyz1CPXSao6J5hr_T_DsHzEk_7-0pw/w530-h640/20230217_132923a.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our room was in the new tower to the left.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3390" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRRIrZ75ryyfaFHVgXjOJHcatlsz45f7OFmpgi3nAuo-SQIKxRkWEfobNYQERqqYCn4nowH9N_4bl3E7viYHMvV-UAx_auuNiSypSKGpm_Rjn7mTAqQSzrMsg232Y81aqIV23Qy_bN678zTPDr3ppTss58a_CcJQcHsS31JyB8Kmm1W-6-w/w566-h640/20230217_132954a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="566" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rob waits on the terrace for our room to be ready.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Rob and I had a gorgeous room on the top floor of the “new” wing with a balcony overlooking the Nile and the tip of Elephantine Island and the remains of an ancient temple. I loved watching the feluccas and brightly colored tour boats floating below us all day long. It was interesting, though, to see the contrast between “tourist Aswan’ and some of the regular neighborhoods of Aswan. If you looked only through the window of our room, you would see beauty and prosperity. But through the window in the hallway looking toward the town, you would see a shabby neighborhood of shacks and dirt. I can only hope that tourism aids the plight of the poorer people here.</span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRz0Nr3V6VVzAlIhU_Bv5ahxBMh6R-baYAiRX4kG7JFenbjWAyFxkXFehS-n34FBCw9Tm5CU1eU8w8Gv7OYyHSow4oMC_pgsuiGpOCztZmbvWt2i-4JlDYWWJsD2-ZAgS1j-ltmBIh7lwVNxNFgjYVm-tFndqbQ0A_mGrsj7wBpGHG5NNdw/s3173/20230217_135705a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="2960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRz0Nr3V6VVzAlIhU_Bv5ahxBMh6R-baYAiRX4kG7JFenbjWAyFxkXFehS-n34FBCw9Tm5CU1eU8w8Gv7OYyHSow4oMC_pgsuiGpOCztZmbvWt2i-4JlDYWWJsD2-ZAgS1j-ltmBIh7lwVNxNFgjYVm-tFndqbQ0A_mGrsj7wBpGHG5NNdw/w598-h640/20230217_135705a.jpg" width="598" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our hotel room</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3338" data-original-width="2944" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0bQTeS5RCpU6H7IkDwpEnNND-Vj8a9FPwXOGwNgBfNMWbVhb8hSofCN4BPlqoyxDKVeWKOn_DcdHN2vHno_CTrKKNHKT9JttECqQ3qhbBX-tglO-0gdtTQ3qRfQktlIcDJ3X3d4zMBVej7S5-SC1tTXF0UlqPe3c6jGjfMVg6JBl7NfUIA/w564-h640/20230217_140121a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="564" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I loved sitting on the balcony and watching the boats below on the Nile.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Three views from our balcony:</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0bQTeS5RCpU6H7IkDwpEnNND-Vj8a9FPwXOGwNgBfNMWbVhb8hSofCN4BPlqoyxDKVeWKOn_DcdHN2vHno_CTrKKNHKT9JttECqQ3qhbBX-tglO-0gdtTQ3qRfQktlIcDJ3X3d4zMBVej7S5-SC1tTXF0UlqPe3c6jGjfMVg6JBl7NfUIA/s3338/20230217_140121a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1STyn0LfLATxUTQYHhc-kgPF5t4MlJOsqy3vx5yfyc6BwOd__8sZHeXQyjXC5ZxmhnoJd-krZ05qsrD7vvUXYBbIlQltz7DWD0n8UT2QSo9DHL02vUffRViYOaKdWZ70KuC4fRv5MiPH92UvvxIqY0tQ2IhwPmrGnCt8VE7b_c7G7J8Bfw/s3903/20230217_140136a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2927" data-original-width="3903" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1STyn0LfLATxUTQYHhc-kgPF5t4MlJOsqy3vx5yfyc6BwOd__8sZHeXQyjXC5ZxmhnoJd-krZ05qsrD7vvUXYBbIlQltz7DWD0n8UT2QSo9DHL02vUffRViYOaKdWZ70KuC4fRv5MiPH92UvvxIqY0tQ2IhwPmrGnCt8VE7b_c7G7J8Bfw/w640-h480/20230217_140136a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Some of the islands that form "the cataracts"</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBDdnL8llSKhU_pHVJ_i9p0qeq5T6-x3IJHUZjw63nmvkSE9npO1blw3-ZRpb0NUQdd0im1eO0d71NtFAkRWeFSwOVLCRx31NxXFHhU-L3yPPFN8fWMDbo95NOqWZZfAMTx3z58zEe-4QZSsuJFaXDoJqaoGCw7K_O0oN_gTHTkAZDDWaQQ/s3748/20230217_140144a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3748" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBDdnL8llSKhU_pHVJ_i9p0qeq5T6-x3IJHUZjw63nmvkSE9npO1blw3-ZRpb0NUQdd0im1eO0d71NtFAkRWeFSwOVLCRx31NxXFHhU-L3yPPFN8fWMDbo95NOqWZZfAMTx3z58zEe-4QZSsuJFaXDoJqaoGCw7K_O0oN_gTHTkAZDDWaQQ/w640-h504/20230217_140144a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Across the river were ruins of old temples on Elephantine Island where we had visited the Nubian village the day before.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjgyCoH0g4cTxrAIle7V9j_kflp_-6lboXYOZkwSCCI9S_JnV4d_MOTUHOgew3DkoDDe9UYxi0XFfKsF13xnyewZsanjk3c1VhJfsHR4y5rXzbKQyG40GJnNX0zB5MSEV55yI3D72vKHEZhBZLq_cy9Y1IeldYar6-bayRI1cSw-K3-9RKA/s3701/20230217_140154a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="3701" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjgyCoH0g4cTxrAIle7V9j_kflp_-6lboXYOZkwSCCI9S_JnV4d_MOTUHOgew3DkoDDe9UYxi0XFfKsF13xnyewZsanjk3c1VhJfsHR4y5rXzbKQyG40GJnNX0zB5MSEV55yI3D72vKHEZhBZLq_cy9Y1IeldYar6-bayRI1cSw-K3-9RKA/w640-h486/20230217_140154a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Our view of the hotel from our balcony.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The hotel has several restaurants, including “1902,” which
offers a French dining experience that lasts for about two to three
hours, as they offer a tasting menu with wine accompaniment. Rob and I did not have the patience for three
hours of dining, but, as the breakfast buffet is served in the same room, we
did get to enjoy the beauty of the restaurant in the mornings.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOiWtkw2eyjpTWkYoBDrNy-EccVDWRixVObplb-DZL5fKIhBt4U5SZXDkOJ5oIA3GRN0na5k7Cre1nqod5f-ak7HDLm9Nov7O66M9wKJyn8ff9Fbn9M7AQuIgNJlUXvxgrBqrCShaBbV5-viKRDXQKDyHCLR6ZN8xoCcXZFbVy0-ZpOgNXA/s3400/20230218_075246a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3400" data-original-width="2929" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOiWtkw2eyjpTWkYoBDrNy-EccVDWRixVObplb-DZL5fKIhBt4U5SZXDkOJ5oIA3GRN0na5k7Cre1nqod5f-ak7HDLm9Nov7O66M9wKJyn8ff9Fbn9M7AQuIgNJlUXvxgrBqrCShaBbV5-viKRDXQKDyHCLR6ZN8xoCcXZFbVy0-ZpOgNXA/w552-h640/20230218_075246a.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtJeAP3d4ihMoH3VOSZj6tnsbrw-n1OKRcfEs1aIdXWPZkwlZOO8-UWBLBroaCe_2kRgzmoLsz9gJyyOPwlpCCgPuW_W0883DZN9MarSFisgIE5m7jXa_HnNE7aXVKHr8nPjhT-kdFSbYUA8I6lm6zk6CNCQ-G1YprtWKWLFzJDWH3k-4FQ/s3910/20230218_170420a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="3910" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtJeAP3d4ihMoH3VOSZj6tnsbrw-n1OKRcfEs1aIdXWPZkwlZOO8-UWBLBroaCe_2kRgzmoLsz9gJyyOPwlpCCgPuW_W0883DZN9MarSFisgIE5m7jXa_HnNE7aXVKHr8nPjhT-kdFSbYUA8I6lm6zk6CNCQ-G1YprtWKWLFzJDWH3k-4FQ/w640-h480/20230218_170420a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stayed in the Old Cataract for two nights, and our full
day there was, as Rick Steves calls free days on his tours, “a vacation from our vacation,” the one day of our trip with absolutely no itinerary. We had a leisurely breakfast,
spent some time at the pool, explored the beautiful grounds of the hotel, and just relaxed. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX5FlUqgSGli9wN_YFbS-c7nqd3wgafk3qkt4b44ZV1J0ZeJJDTpTYTNvZAyJSgpukTWEe8Pp5qygFAF59ZI74cM5uf0-6ClP7M6Eyop5FBLssEyQr_nVg0Yoi2H7fZqLB54MCCRu1OZ9Glx6K5Bhle60mXOqILSX7jnxL6hgczhKBSq3Ng/s3381/20230218_075651a.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3381" data-original-width="2974" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX5FlUqgSGli9wN_YFbS-c7nqd3wgafk3qkt4b44ZV1J0ZeJJDTpTYTNvZAyJSgpukTWEe8Pp5qygFAF59ZI74cM5uf0-6ClP7M6Eyop5FBLssEyQr_nVg0Yoi2H7fZqLB54MCCRu1OZ9Glx6K5Bhle60mXOqILSX7jnxL6hgczhKBSq3Ng/w562-h640/20230218_075651a.jpg" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rob on the lower terrace in front of the pool area and "our tower"</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjna2EuBrlml-IhuIT5LyjXFoycFDv0u5DOuHqchBe-E-nW_H2WAXRqUVxDiHdYJkZCOg3gTuOHI_SuDx87fJlhEP3qzO5sORj28ZpKhCtryyFZSYVVX_g1IhKtFlr4DljZ2PgdldpiSyss9979aHxrs7DupuambxKcEOq2iN1I2IXJrZWjUg/s3482/20230218_075720a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3482" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjna2EuBrlml-IhuIT5LyjXFoycFDv0u5DOuHqchBe-E-nW_H2WAXRqUVxDiHdYJkZCOg3gTuOHI_SuDx87fJlhEP3qzO5sORj28ZpKhCtryyFZSYVVX_g1IhKtFlr4DljZ2PgdldpiSyss9979aHxrs7DupuambxKcEOq2iN1I2IXJrZWjUg/w552-h640/20230218_075720a.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The pool</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3_X-3iwM3eNmRJJwOb4tiK1X6ZDLNbfSo3xU6YwIJvkagMcz2JBcsOhYUW4ozGBXE8n0htFyP3mKfesG78xXZ9vtd7rA-uSIwBc82l2J3kxqXemmcpWv1fAsiWQu2yoZcJux2ntPjWPFNe1VoiPhXjOu_hppvkh3dHUkNUQQeOGF9wgHYw/s4000/20230218_100204a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3_X-3iwM3eNmRJJwOb4tiK1X6ZDLNbfSo3xU6YwIJvkagMcz2JBcsOhYUW4ozGBXE8n0htFyP3mKfesG78xXZ9vtd7rA-uSIwBc82l2J3kxqXemmcpWv1fAsiWQu2yoZcJux2ntPjWPFNe1VoiPhXjOu_hppvkh3dHUkNUQQeOGF9wgHYw/w640-h480/20230218_100204a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo4VNo_8e9cMhblw9CEkwxrzLZWLHjc_BjYasqkOTaEncdN3HM9I24YisoXL-0IZIwMkVklB8JLH8rRFtBPs3yzWPxqdxhO1rE12c77fUfYg9Dhbqlu4-EMnUC1I9XvRbBoTjpn8k-Aw6mzzhrycuGMjKbkBs0jManJiuVOScY5MGIVvNUA/s3801/20230218_101307s.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="3801" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo4VNo_8e9cMhblw9CEkwxrzLZWLHjc_BjYasqkOTaEncdN3HM9I24YisoXL-0IZIwMkVklB8JLH8rRFtBPs3yzWPxqdxhO1rE12c77fUfYg9Dhbqlu4-EMnUC1I9XvRbBoTjpn8k-Aw6mzzhrycuGMjKbkBs0jManJiuVOScY5MGIVvNUA/w640-h488/20230218_101307s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That afternoon, I took the tour of the historic hotel where I learned a little of its history and got to visit Agatha Christie’s suite, which you can book for $10,000 a night if you like! (We could not visit Churchill’s rooms because someone was staying there – for the same price. I wonder who it was.) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdlXpWQAPdRe-USG-7p6EGbh3AdEgwmUMZdLpFgz28AXh3R-dcZ2AufyghMm-v67RU6YOwiXrd3VyCdmfXDpkDSZyg2GOW2vZY1HcwEDFBeKP4XTXt0nfs4gjREYybWLsUZBCz6EVjt-24AiRAmbjjqCghzq4Y-9twBYh3wOyaW4eQFkdIQ/s3638/20230217_144620a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3638" data-original-width="2705" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdlXpWQAPdRe-USG-7p6EGbh3AdEgwmUMZdLpFgz28AXh3R-dcZ2AufyghMm-v67RU6YOwiXrd3VyCdmfXDpkDSZyg2GOW2vZY1HcwEDFBeKP4XTXt0nfs4gjREYybWLsUZBCz6EVjt-24AiRAmbjjqCghzq4Y-9twBYh3wOyaW4eQFkdIQ/w476-h640/20230217_144620a.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <b> For those who are interested, here is some information about the history of the Old Cataract Hotel</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PKv3h6q2nKWthV6SAQ7bMuA-Swsc5JTk48rdyexq9-TaitwujWViARpdSO1tak9vP17EzRb9AYz-YwgozckEGBzx0HH7nDo9G8s4DaH0d7Imijxjk-8FpwMM6RZ-hDfaE3bBvobG2WKta7BTFDeg8ruomMPLAy2Gx-4jCArrQsDmW-mZxA/s3285/20230218_170301a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3285" data-original-width="2687" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PKv3h6q2nKWthV6SAQ7bMuA-Swsc5JTk48rdyexq9-TaitwujWViARpdSO1tak9vP17EzRb9AYz-YwgozckEGBzx0HH7nDo9G8s4DaH0d7Imijxjk-8FpwMM6RZ-hDfaE3bBvobG2WKta7BTFDeg8ruomMPLAy2Gx-4jCArrQsDmW-mZxA/w524-h640/20230218_170301a.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">For many years, this was the only telephone in the hotel...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku8oNk04JppT191wmE5fvVuNTPJFibD-d8x6hZhpYOHUZYd-NHSfPYC2H5Ut8yO18tHLn2SZCBZ31OSOZk9M9nUcw4Ro4XSnPQnSQd7gULo8vk7e75HscSHfIeA39ipRZXYy5DcHT0GJes556aJrSxgBsAtkwYnWVPKFEi6uE1JnFm_IUPg/s4000/20230218_170322a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgku8oNk04JppT191wmE5fvVuNTPJFibD-d8x6hZhpYOHUZYd-NHSfPYC2H5Ut8yO18tHLn2SZCBZ31OSOZk9M9nUcw4Ro4XSnPQnSQd7gULo8vk7e75HscSHfIeA39ipRZXYy5DcHT0GJes556aJrSxgBsAtkwYnWVPKFEi6uE1JnFm_IUPg/w480-h640/20230218_170322a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">...and this was the Reception Desk.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pFeeQZJSivpZdWSNkpITtGqr0TLZ4YF0min1pq6NDlRONhla_39wwftv87x5EADfzza49B389E9Qlp17hgseDNtrWDiKwViUdCRntc1Ywj4F--cNmDP9KfgWGa_AAI6lH74keGHFSlW9CAlK7OQSHBU7BCVtsna0AGb5OVdaPrRKY89ynw/s3262/20230218_170551a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="2841" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pFeeQZJSivpZdWSNkpITtGqr0TLZ4YF0min1pq6NDlRONhla_39wwftv87x5EADfzza49B389E9Qlp17hgseDNtrWDiKwViUdCRntc1Ywj4F--cNmDP9KfgWGa_AAI6lH74keGHFSlW9CAlK7OQSHBU7BCVtsna0AGb5OVdaPrRKY89ynw/w558-h640/20230218_170551a.jpg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the hotel's light fixtures.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV4f5UBEwEXL_KvpMsO9DFMqu2oZsYipbFt7i-lH66ii70OGz8qaPdROr-shKsJikxVKcYBXtbTOW2vwKoOvl4vJwy-ghcmZLZ5C7aEg9WuT5VqAOiWvFPkEBEs6sY7HEuZTlTM5FcIVhYRKoP1uHAnCA8X6xj3XlKt0Xp6u40YlimsYuaA/s3690/20230218_171029a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3690" data-original-width="2332" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV4f5UBEwEXL_KvpMsO9DFMqu2oZsYipbFt7i-lH66ii70OGz8qaPdROr-shKsJikxVKcYBXtbTOW2vwKoOvl4vJwy-ghcmZLZ5C7aEg9WuT5VqAOiWvFPkEBEs6sY7HEuZTlTM5FcIVhYRKoP1uHAnCA8X6xj3XlKt0Xp6u40YlimsYuaA/w404-h640/20230218_171029a.jpg" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Agatha Christie lived in these rooms for the year of 1937.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxAhA9bdcbNid7Jb8jjDRTvIvSPVC-8zNzi3KmrzXiIbEEFzJJsKrPyfv5DKbWaSUITNwbUJiUpgzPZwzPyunm5vSzRoJDgYvW5l_nytJiuSqAhjb8px0h1QFDdpXIoiRl_JtIBAHx1YBrUtvnVA-009RNnK95Z78zi6e6kGhJWL251VyyA/s3681/20230218_171109a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3681" data-original-width="2921" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxAhA9bdcbNid7Jb8jjDRTvIvSPVC-8zNzi3KmrzXiIbEEFzJJsKrPyfv5DKbWaSUITNwbUJiUpgzPZwzPyunm5vSzRoJDgYvW5l_nytJiuSqAhjb8px0h1QFDdpXIoiRl_JtIBAHx1YBrUtvnVA-009RNnK95Z78zi6e6kGhJWL251VyyA/w508-h640/20230218_171109a.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Agatha Christie's Living Room</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkfT4n0cUL99E5yXl823BWH2MjUXqY06qajE4N1G-5HbFadaA0iymaZjhMX5kk--orn8X4kwLw-NZxLBDI1g8ZapyoV_yxQL_aj0SYgPUvtKx3qUhMdtabnlN9rMAarmVerOYdwkkTodt4F2GL8F3w1ZRzVJODKYg9gDqUMbdPZ1bVDmvAg/s3244/20230218_171156a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3244" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkfT4n0cUL99E5yXl823BWH2MjUXqY06qajE4N1G-5HbFadaA0iymaZjhMX5kk--orn8X4kwLw-NZxLBDI1g8ZapyoV_yxQL_aj0SYgPUvtKx3qUhMdtabnlN9rMAarmVerOYdwkkTodt4F2GL8F3w1ZRzVJODKYg9gDqUMbdPZ1bVDmvAg/w592-h640/20230218_171156a.jpg" width="592" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Her bedroom</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKkP1U7W-MvFe21HKkkJjMTz2yRkHHbi0Oy11uBePQNVUm_s3MQZlH8PqSJMqcWTvKU0JEnA-7kOsQp9RjROvBt2QtDyidYamPgsWwO2NRh6I0-RVzUskwxfNVk97qtcbZY3NHW662u3q9tBoiXKcfYlWE_ZTqrAD61lZgy7gltU0eMxscA/s4000/20230218_171549a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKkP1U7W-MvFe21HKkkJjMTz2yRkHHbi0Oy11uBePQNVUm_s3MQZlH8PqSJMqcWTvKU0JEnA-7kOsQp9RjROvBt2QtDyidYamPgsWwO2NRh6I0-RVzUskwxfNVk97qtcbZY3NHW662u3q9tBoiXKcfYlWE_ZTqrAD61lZgy7gltU0eMxscA/w640-h480/20230218_171549a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The sitting room</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQaXSvddMg6VIKlX1r5WbIb1OZjhmbSUF8xQvY5Eg1YIvSaqBbEfYj9KUtDaFXnVi0yYNTv08RAVWRWN9ZIrvuAdec9HEjvlCktE6OrzltZRKJodiy2yDy-B1JGndmYfR6H8gweGOmF20tAzvVdRfK9LyZMjLIpdm8zEd4R-jT9C1EhGz8A/s3369/20230218_171744a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3369" data-original-width="2947" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQaXSvddMg6VIKlX1r5WbIb1OZjhmbSUF8xQvY5Eg1YIvSaqBbEfYj9KUtDaFXnVi0yYNTv08RAVWRWN9ZIrvuAdec9HEjvlCktE6OrzltZRKJodiy2yDy-B1JGndmYfR6H8gweGOmF20tAzvVdRfK9LyZMjLIpdm8zEd4R-jT9C1EhGz8A/w560-h640/20230218_171744a.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Agatha Christie's writing desk. She used inspiration for her stay here to write "Death on the Nile."</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nQ_iNenaWWVNjUaC_kDfV3S3z2hRe5VDapKj0Ke7pTIb7JO91lccsc0Cv3GRqegCAQvVWeH8Ac34MXKXppFiJnQA1Henp4vgZCddoEBtCwpj30uLV6yoG8-Pa1NdaXT2ApgIZHIYl6Gy6grOmo6PJCjGLkU5ZG8nSZOsQF9uVSoD5XE1Og/s4000/20230218_172022a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nQ_iNenaWWVNjUaC_kDfV3S3z2hRe5VDapKj0Ke7pTIb7JO91lccsc0Cv3GRqegCAQvVWeH8Ac34MXKXppFiJnQA1Henp4vgZCddoEBtCwpj30uLV6yoG8-Pa1NdaXT2ApgIZHIYl6Gy6grOmo6PJCjGLkU5ZG8nSZOsQF9uVSoD5XE1Og/s320/20230218_172022a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The Agatha Christie suite included a photo of Clemmie Churchill and her daughter, as this suite was her refuge when Winston’s smoking annoyed her too much. </b></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAES6ThYLvQWRUsCr_Fy0vZzuavTWAyMVYg9f8NdPIUh6PLXMthKGWY93CySH1_9ypVMTNiROASvjE4ryZQY_3-5xgrhCkIuETpsLDEHEZ6Y3HvX_BOPcfRk4iOKqxG4sAVVb9-XgDr9rOpNvbCSlZjIYG3b56LWLDnJg0i_KutYGXdsRKYw/s3839/20230218_172409a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3839" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAES6ThYLvQWRUsCr_Fy0vZzuavTWAyMVYg9f8NdPIUh6PLXMthKGWY93CySH1_9ypVMTNiROASvjE4ryZQY_3-5xgrhCkIuETpsLDEHEZ6Y3HvX_BOPcfRk4iOKqxG4sAVVb9-XgDr9rOpNvbCSlZjIYG3b56LWLDnJg0i_KutYGXdsRKYw/w480-h640/20230218_172409a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the original elevators in the Old Cataract Hotel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP_M6BkqE1CGv_Wv14RuNIEAJLxs9YXnHGXOnP-QbQiapmhl0wgnCVWd3zeZTfj9wRUCKm9q0RXtVVHAlZOMBWGoihcIcoEIiiUh7VMu_OzG6EPYWfqObcHbdzuQBUxniupQJ2V-0AVlBQrq7g1pKe6lgEXShghOOxjOceTt6kA1xK7htcA/s3366/20230218_172644a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3366" data-original-width="2985" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP_M6BkqE1CGv_Wv14RuNIEAJLxs9YXnHGXOnP-QbQiapmhl0wgnCVWd3zeZTfj9wRUCKm9q0RXtVVHAlZOMBWGoihcIcoEIiiUh7VMu_OzG6EPYWfqObcHbdzuQBUxniupQJ2V-0AVlBQrq7g1pKe6lgEXShghOOxjOceTt6kA1xK7htcA/w568-h640/20230218_172644a.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A photo and note from Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor, who was one of the many celebrities and dignitaries whose pictures graced the walls of the hotel.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After a wonderful dinner on the terrace, it was time to
pack up again for our next adventure, the city of Alexandria on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-23690730961739115342023-03-22T21:54:00.001-07:002023-03-23T10:11:52.784-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 7: A Lovely Day in Aswan<h4 style="text-align: left;">February 16, 2023 </h4><h1 style="text-align: left;">The Cataracts of the Nile River, a Nubian Village, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the Temple of Philae</h1><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today was a nice change of pace. We woke up in the final destination of our
Nile River Cruise, the busy city of Aswan.
After breakfast, Deda escorted us along the waterfront to our waiting
boat, and we boarded for a lovely, relaxing float through the “cataracts,”
where the Nile flows past a series of small rock islands, creating gentle
rapids. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHFeNX2xoFMevgrkLrruFidI6Uhtr0l0bHV1wsrcLbdY1YbEMupj-rSftPdqiyxNE_5Zv2ZCB1dGiZMXAE3gxEZoBmD8cs7OFxoZOnhlu3Tm7PbtZ8X5qgMcgSTOKwtCq9nwlLB1r4FuWa28gnBdLSdIuONSfnAgOz7tf1OMHzfAwkxhGVA/s3141/20230216_083210FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3141" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHFeNX2xoFMevgrkLrruFidI6Uhtr0l0bHV1wsrcLbdY1YbEMupj-rSftPdqiyxNE_5Zv2ZCB1dGiZMXAE3gxEZoBmD8cs7OFxoZOnhlu3Tm7PbtZ8X5qgMcgSTOKwtCq9nwlLB1r4FuWa28gnBdLSdIuONSfnAgOz7tf1OMHzfAwkxhGVA/w612-h640/20230216_083210FB.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjGYKAbfIeLapm0Jg9dFzpMPJQdR4z_uz11XwYOQL1qEyhgoyV9Tkkyv07QyRnSj09nekkr7_f7dUT7CefLk4cJlkrN7GM3YYeX4Okgi3jQq3xoEi5glmvpdkPlSdSw9PCaaJaCiK9zIa3tM2IrN4IOq7eFUbgrKwLy75Ddp-aIj8v4k5Mg/s4000/20230216_093603.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjGYKAbfIeLapm0Jg9dFzpMPJQdR4z_uz11XwYOQL1qEyhgoyV9Tkkyv07QyRnSj09nekkr7_f7dUT7CefLk4cJlkrN7GM3YYeX4Okgi3jQq3xoEi5glmvpdkPlSdSw9PCaaJaCiK9zIa3tM2IrN4IOq7eFUbgrKwLy75Ddp-aIj8v4k5Mg/w480-h640/20230216_093603.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>One of the islands in the part of the Nile called "The Cataracts"</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyXqrke221IElvTr4EpvH9aF_Eirk6wo0fItAIU5Qc1vipocFrACRlfCGPnD0CMW8WAp2oKn3luBaHGZow98568cixj8RFeDqo69a4pJolIuEnMLlfmgEjuEMbL4GdPb7_D0Lbv39PjiuvRxvORclzsMaVCa6fyTiIagO1L9_a2NYVvHWIA/s4000/20230216_091802FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="4000" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyXqrke221IElvTr4EpvH9aF_Eirk6wo0fItAIU5Qc1vipocFrACRlfCGPnD0CMW8WAp2oKn3luBaHGZow98568cixj8RFeDqo69a4pJolIuEnMLlfmgEjuEMbL4GdPb7_D0Lbv39PjiuvRxvORclzsMaVCa6fyTiIagO1L9_a2NYVvHWIA/w640-h374/20230216_091802FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3cHc8QhPzKR8rJJUjMLWVc3l3f2pox33GD3ZhLzR51qiC9xMW7flbg46qJSg4j35AG7A9ZJoBlhj7v2GnFweLex8S0sg68VaGro9EFLuzLfMfRiS12dfxJwMt3m5iAA0O27QZ5v7ti4eLjCRRWUaQm0hjB4OUKGb07EbPzgYwYvvNi0eMg/s3000/20230216_092240FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="3000" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3cHc8QhPzKR8rJJUjMLWVc3l3f2pox33GD3ZhLzR51qiC9xMW7flbg46qJSg4j35AG7A9ZJoBlhj7v2GnFweLex8S0sg68VaGro9EFLuzLfMfRiS12dfxJwMt3m5iAA0O27QZ5v7ti4eLjCRRWUaQm0hjB4OUKGb07EbPzgYwYvvNi0eMg/w640-h612/20230216_092240FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC2slHZ5sThEVOth7_pWrc2z6-O1VPhiVHxPePGkYWzyku7ZAX3t-vzMeRhO0EEksPndQcFmGsEIdv1AN9_IVVoUOPlKVE-ZoogU3U4gArxFm0N3C144OqiWdZCebRv16icbiQSx1WlCMekLxI6Fga98-bWTkZJFhRTBnBRXORiMeOeI_Vg/s3906/20230216_092425FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC2slHZ5sThEVOth7_pWrc2z6-O1VPhiVHxPePGkYWzyku7ZAX3t-vzMeRhO0EEksPndQcFmGsEIdv1AN9_IVVoUOPlKVE-ZoogU3U4gArxFm0N3C144OqiWdZCebRv16icbiQSx1WlCMekLxI6Fga98-bWTkZJFhRTBnBRXORiMeOeI_Vg/w492-h640/20230216_092425FB.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rob enjoying a peaceful float down the Nile River</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The day could not have been more
beautiful, with sunny skies and mild temperatures. High on a ridge above us was the mausoleum of
Aga Khan III, a well-loved figure who worked for a more liberal view within
Islam, advocating for equal rights and education for women and for eradicating
poverty. He and his wife lived the
latter part of their lives in a villa that still sits on the hillside below the
mausoleum. We also passed by the Aswan
Botanical Gardens on one island, and Nubian villages on Elephantine Island, the
largest island here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4tf4etdhIZjzZfpWhz-LJAHoX5cObGDusdTWLddctiUxk4qnFTuYvj9zkfqZJ588XuoPhgR0xfINVbVKLFIgk_nhh7K0AUU89hDeEV228VKbFl3zlbw_Gp4ue5yXHaoEvJ8ZncPBjLgpk_H5f9LUCuwUrkd5orf-QdunbYNW2Jxahccphg/s3852/20230216_085507FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3852" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4tf4etdhIZjzZfpWhz-LJAHoX5cObGDusdTWLddctiUxk4qnFTuYvj9zkfqZJ588XuoPhgR0xfINVbVKLFIgk_nhh7K0AUU89hDeEV228VKbFl3zlbw_Gp4ue5yXHaoEvJ8ZncPBjLgpk_H5f9LUCuwUrkd5orf-QdunbYNW2Jxahccphg/w498-h640/20230216_085507FB.jpg" width="498" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Mausoleum of Aga Khan III above his villa</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yNMiJNxHbIOa_uocwr53ve_Fqqu49IVDdFAnidnAhA5QjcXUsCRiekeXLKKvUaVyHtMyMgksyspGd3ocmySYAjZXQLPrcwrWvYL_gJvADcULMSmbF5m0hXzD-XDXGVAIkkw-dtRyELfQXU54PgZKPlcRNqCupn-5J8cm-Tyfd536QkpK6w/s4000/20230216_084113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yNMiJNxHbIOa_uocwr53ve_Fqqu49IVDdFAnidnAhA5QjcXUsCRiekeXLKKvUaVyHtMyMgksyspGd3ocmySYAjZXQLPrcwrWvYL_gJvADcULMSmbF5m0hXzD-XDXGVAIkkw-dtRyELfQXU54PgZKPlcRNqCupn-5J8cm-Tyfd536QkpK6w/w480-h640/20230216_084113.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Dome of Abu Al-Haba above the Tombs of the Nobles in the hillside.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg_P2OJlhoIw5O3SjMXbwmj3QsK9I3JwWdYZLRGCYZuV4_9-LFd_LvICUo2_abY6t0izy6sYH3QFhu_Z0yzY9duUFR-z6__CY9v5bL9tTFvdz94iacyhusFxzDUykZh_pQ7Risn-hpHWVx7bVK_oBySkFmdAfYozQ5fWDfYf_b3S7AjQJTQ/s2834/20230216_084706FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2373" data-original-width="2834" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg_P2OJlhoIw5O3SjMXbwmj3QsK9I3JwWdYZLRGCYZuV4_9-LFd_LvICUo2_abY6t0izy6sYH3QFhu_Z0yzY9duUFR-z6__CY9v5bL9tTFvdz94iacyhusFxzDUykZh_pQ7Risn-hpHWVx7bVK_oBySkFmdAfYozQ5fWDfYf_b3S7AjQJTQ/w640-h536/20230216_084706FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Aswan Botanical Gardens</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Go5i9ttc-2GliOf7nIOVwfNsX_tjGUEXd0quQl-KfecP9EYkKyAJsqfSG5xk5BSuu_fyX5ZGThDtToS9Sq-4IHdTIzMqv2vw-SVVPxR0A5kz2bR91oOoz_lbuULgdKPnRAttG-nlsqN9ZwXd5j29C9VNca5wFVD9rfwlflO5b_QUv8X6rg/s4000/20230216_092731.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Go5i9ttc-2GliOf7nIOVwfNsX_tjGUEXd0quQl-KfecP9EYkKyAJsqfSG5xk5BSuu_fyX5ZGThDtToS9Sq-4IHdTIzMqv2vw-SVVPxR0A5kz2bR91oOoz_lbuULgdKPnRAttG-nlsqN9ZwXd5j29C9VNca5wFVD9rfwlflO5b_QUv8X6rg/w480-h640/20230216_092731.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cows graze on some of the islands</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXBIteS7qxHMuRRTAxjkWnWBqHkdgKxvogHBAuZY9W5YkYvHmwEcPQIyFY1iAy32_Kzjk28wHidpIbHe-XOQzK8y140SbbQbRU9B8qppFbvSiPcPGPgH8qz80NL4T9MdBje-f5YlxGJNfXGujs8CFl30m5L4WyL33-JJvlwohlC1Not9x3w/s3000/20230216_093119FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="3000" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXBIteS7qxHMuRRTAxjkWnWBqHkdgKxvogHBAuZY9W5YkYvHmwEcPQIyFY1iAy32_Kzjk28wHidpIbHe-XOQzK8y140SbbQbRU9B8qppFbvSiPcPGPgH8qz80NL4T9MdBje-f5YlxGJNfXGujs8CFl30m5L4WyL33-JJvlwohlC1Not9x3w/w640-h540/20230216_093119FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>These red brick houses were constructed here illegally and are going to be demolished</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RV17ms8S_QTqOJPOhjsQ7C7oKEHu9BuialbURqqsw3rtM73b3SUoormaTRauPeB4K8eqWgHYcgSoba-rMlmBg4Sr-kK6A-HBQ3FtKqSRro-TR8G5n4iHaXm5l_MJxdDnwJHxDJlPph-qPIQOfpUVaN0iBf9joPB1n46hcax3XQ6gmyALTw/s3328/20230216_093212FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3328" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RV17ms8S_QTqOJPOhjsQ7C7oKEHu9BuialbURqqsw3rtM73b3SUoormaTRauPeB4K8eqWgHYcgSoba-rMlmBg4Sr-kK6A-HBQ3FtKqSRro-TR8G5n4iHaXm5l_MJxdDnwJHxDJlPph-qPIQOfpUVaN0iBf9joPB1n46hcax3XQ6gmyALTw/w576-h640/20230216_093212FB.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A water wheel along the Nile</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Aswan is predominantly Nubian in population, and our guide,
Deda, grew up in a Nubian village. After
our delightful cruise down the river, we docked at Elephantine Island, the largest of the islands in this region. In ancient Egypt, this island was the border between Egypt and Nubia, the ancient kingdom just south of Egypt. In the ancient religion, the island was the home of Khnum, the ram-headed god who controlled the waters of the Nile.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are two Nubian villages on the island and we got to visit one of them. As we walked into the village, we could see </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">children out in their schoolyard
listening to their principal read some announcements, and some of them waved
excitedly to us as they spotted us peeking at them over the wall. We walked around the village, stopping to watch a farmer working in his fields, accompanied by egrets who follow him to peck at the
bugs he turned up from the dirt. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYe4BOAZHbF5uJEwBO5ToF373_Ofqc-A9gP_NsWVjJ5Uzl6uJoeqEjITkvpBPAFA1Ir9a9IOIrKZ4w62X2xmm1Qa8K_FnllNb78fmD_guKBZkNqdrfUGE5o9xuh0UY5cIBjVnTKJxFiwGd4S7OE731xoiiR3C9I6bqn1hVr0nwQTCd-qhzQ/s4000/20230216_094843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYe4BOAZHbF5uJEwBO5ToF373_Ofqc-A9gP_NsWVjJ5Uzl6uJoeqEjITkvpBPAFA1Ir9a9IOIrKZ4w62X2xmm1Qa8K_FnllNb78fmD_guKBZkNqdrfUGE5o9xuh0UY5cIBjVnTKJxFiwGd4S7OE731xoiiR3C9I6bqn1hVr0nwQTCd-qhzQ/w480-h640/20230216_094843.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Deda and Rob walk into the village.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAt5_pd4okeIbb3otdoRV5Tikcjq78IBMOG1mfCbN8NAErR2C2ZZBhECtUO7b47NAVx4eT8bwYPNBgYyLnXrS2AMJBlBB2nWOmBn-5UEDMYkNaDtOuOoB44KhZ0vDLmVg8HOzpElq6_DtLbXjZZnh0l0DJyn2qnZC40rGqlxDMTpkK-cnXA/s3462/20230216_095023FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3462" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAt5_pd4okeIbb3otdoRV5Tikcjq78IBMOG1mfCbN8NAErR2C2ZZBhECtUO7b47NAVx4eT8bwYPNBgYyLnXrS2AMJBlBB2nWOmBn-5UEDMYkNaDtOuOoB44KhZ0vDLmVg8HOzpElq6_DtLbXjZZnh0l0DJyn2qnZC40rGqlxDMTpkK-cnXA/w554-h640/20230216_095023FB.jpg" width="554" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The principal of the School reads morning announcements to the children.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88ymRaQOQt9RLHthvIm7jUqlSeXzXpDPtkwDkM5NbQ0it3lOQFb-cQG6ueB1pPZm_OFKd0jtIUbbESLSV0nHt4baYtm3zdq3O7A5b6Ljnz023JOxGJw5CNqSXMQwrSTRA80vVkSQ6qjTQ7E2fcKeD_aYbXIKtx37KxSdUhTAri02ufETQfg/s4000/20230216_095120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88ymRaQOQt9RLHthvIm7jUqlSeXzXpDPtkwDkM5NbQ0it3lOQFb-cQG6ueB1pPZm_OFKd0jtIUbbESLSV0nHt4baYtm3zdq3O7A5b6Ljnz023JOxGJw5CNqSXMQwrSTRA80vVkSQ6qjTQ7E2fcKeD_aYbXIKtx37KxSdUhTAri02ufETQfg/w480-h640/20230216_095120.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguK66w9kvxbz7wMYk9Yj-wTVNqR3Nn_owWfxVMGmkrDJeUaWD--q1o-3k-5qSRI0zrYGeW2ixKeoYBq8IYkRzJf8SD83S-eVyOlVn8F417Rz_8mzr5yJOg4NWSEYlrMD0437NK-d5VsOQygW1_STZaTdHumYQ27zHIug6rrb1CCatjNlgJmg/s3886/20230216_095425FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3886" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguK66w9kvxbz7wMYk9Yj-wTVNqR3Nn_owWfxVMGmkrDJeUaWD--q1o-3k-5qSRI0zrYGeW2ixKeoYBq8IYkRzJf8SD83S-eVyOlVn8F417Rz_8mzr5yJOg4NWSEYlrMD0437NK-d5VsOQygW1_STZaTdHumYQ27zHIug6rrb1CCatjNlgJmg/w494-h640/20230216_095425FB.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Several of the homes were brightly decorated with scenes from Egyptian life.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPR1QM1kwU_5zOexwE2s8FE6eC8F3DDi5zlSYp17UG-j7jeevdsdARJhdfeCJHw4SDEZcPn-FP3msatchxXOOCwzx7YvOxsYDCINbUkLqMyOkUGyRFW4onpVOcBPkr6ugogSx6r2RWl_iZ9193LepyIgXiQy1jSKibrmLPKsaUppGYIT3rw/s3126/20230216_095318FB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3126" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPR1QM1kwU_5zOexwE2s8FE6eC8F3DDi5zlSYp17UG-j7jeevdsdARJhdfeCJHw4SDEZcPn-FP3msatchxXOOCwzx7YvOxsYDCINbUkLqMyOkUGyRFW4onpVOcBPkr6ugogSx6r2RWl_iZ9193LepyIgXiQy1jSKibrmLPKsaUppGYIT3rw/w614-h640/20230216_095318FB.jpg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A farmer tills the soil while an egret waits for a snack.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One
of the local men had turned his home into a museum to share the daily life of
the Nubians with visitors. His daughter,
a medical doctor, gave us a tour of the home, demonstrated the household tools,
and explained the significance of the artwork decorating the walls. She also showed us a room filled with taxidermy
animals of the area and a display of many insects that live here, including the
sacred scarab beetle. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoTRNyuvBHtdLpvmOrwvF5WkdcU5eAHhQptCc1k3W5dVginik4UtVqtn3OtFwp-X5zUf6hIanzVOuIjWTEZ7_D3QyBtofW1rgl_5Jh6XOluJp9bOOb_jyTiIPI9hxTW_pZUUObZMpWPicInMJ-ZHHOLdi4d9OzWiHBiGQwvNjnXTNckFv8w/s4000/20230216_100503FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoTRNyuvBHtdLpvmOrwvF5WkdcU5eAHhQptCc1k3W5dVginik4UtVqtn3OtFwp-X5zUf6hIanzVOuIjWTEZ7_D3QyBtofW1rgl_5Jh6XOluJp9bOOb_jyTiIPI9hxTW_pZUUObZMpWPicInMJ-ZHHOLdi4d9OzWiHBiGQwvNjnXTNckFv8w/w480-h640/20230216_100503FB.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMTnrbppMG-BH4fw0EP6Kb4e2T3nrXjPnj_n8k8NbDkXRfmkWrOjeh0CNn1eCk6ipq2Ae3Ct6OJRRyHkkvljP3uHLWtaM94Xz4l41rPF50BYmjpKp4Ch9d32LePtG78DDWbdP9A0i0hJy9xQkuyPQoBnwymypG1qZFBXQS5bZmr67kZU-gg/s3558/20230216_100520FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2939" data-original-width="3558" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMTnrbppMG-BH4fw0EP6Kb4e2T3nrXjPnj_n8k8NbDkXRfmkWrOjeh0CNn1eCk6ipq2Ae3Ct6OJRRyHkkvljP3uHLWtaM94Xz4l41rPF50BYmjpKp4Ch9d32LePtG78DDWbdP9A0i0hJy9xQkuyPQoBnwymypG1qZFBXQS5bZmr67kZU-gg/w640-h528/20230216_100520FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U9P19rGu3c1z8GoZ6v6Mnk0Qc-WvzwohxFkQv3lhiq5u-Fv_afSlEwBkgWMYhjSE0Kfa9Nv6esLx7t9K6NXVm6VSNqx_7GZ1ObafgpX8Xo_G29UnGtf3xgXfEZ22bKiMS66SiJ8cDJYVVAlcwe79rw64u4voqvxqZZNDpmDAgk3il-4ihg/s4000/20230216_100804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U9P19rGu3c1z8GoZ6v6Mnk0Qc-WvzwohxFkQv3lhiq5u-Fv_afSlEwBkgWMYhjSE0Kfa9Nv6esLx7t9K6NXVm6VSNqx_7GZ1ObafgpX8Xo_G29UnGtf3xgXfEZ22bKiMS66SiJ8cDJYVVAlcwe79rw64u4voqvxqZZNDpmDAgk3il-4ihg/w640-h480/20230216_100804.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher0ArKFuVnh73FveyhAgQcANGi6fgv-iw5mIA0KKfUTqd700PsC5v4tHCL07pWtA8Mo0F9IQUgVbtPDMNuGlXbEM5VOn5l4BqZO0rWEh_5hfgIqBcex2HG0_JXGs2vcOC4ZQtsrBTy0B-MlNzcRK9B9aKEsZu_PJ_NTjaunHwb2Zk1Z_cFg/s3778/20230216_100559FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="3778" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher0ArKFuVnh73FveyhAgQcANGi6fgv-iw5mIA0KKfUTqd700PsC5v4tHCL07pWtA8Mo0F9IQUgVbtPDMNuGlXbEM5VOn5l4BqZO0rWEh_5hfgIqBcex2HG0_JXGs2vcOC4ZQtsrBTy0B-MlNzcRK9B9aKEsZu_PJ_NTjaunHwb2Zk1Z_cFg/w640-h490/20230216_100559FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlcBznWUVqhkAfjmTO6PoCn5hEuULCIgfUII5xRasNTIIMfbPCTJhkxJJKE69T9u-lNJ-Iz9rUJSbH-mStzYLKfrpkCj0BmO6UPLPAH022YLE6enCjowZwvP9nal9g3oLEhFStIvPrqhrIFxK5RwyeE_OyW2CsguS5I6U6bCrgf5XhTcr7g/s3896/20230216_100604FB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="3896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlcBznWUVqhkAfjmTO6PoCn5hEuULCIgfUII5xRasNTIIMfbPCTJhkxJJKE69T9u-lNJ-Iz9rUJSbH-mStzYLKfrpkCj0BmO6UPLPAH022YLE6enCjowZwvP9nal9g3oLEhFStIvPrqhrIFxK5RwyeE_OyW2CsguS5I6U6bCrgf5XhTcr7g/w640-h480/20230216_100604FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ68r38fbMJzkPO4Mjk3Y9py8uEvFwaoPXHoJrjJdfyesrgDYZLIAtZ1Pcha9AVaQ4-3YkJKj3dK2Ep74Sswco_qFP5_ZnYjz6YYEXYIzO_J9vjPATYb4unEzZWY3OALFk3wtREXYlIwuIUuG_LD250R3PRsBlbIZYr8cg011mpJh0eZuYmQ/s4000/20230216_102012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ68r38fbMJzkPO4Mjk3Y9py8uEvFwaoPXHoJrjJdfyesrgDYZLIAtZ1Pcha9AVaQ4-3YkJKj3dK2Ep74Sswco_qFP5_ZnYjz6YYEXYIzO_J9vjPATYb4unEzZWY3OALFk3wtREXYlIwuIUuG_LD250R3PRsBlbIZYr8cg011mpJh0eZuYmQ/w480-h640/20230216_102012.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtKgBrEQZQKLhFiyfgnQkKcbtpQqaRcTlBaqP4fN0i6d6INgkuB3jR1JFIGLnPg9kJGpLNYD95bInRQP6Pdou5k0nPMWKXjAEJ5nVVAZOIapYTXhiOM0cKQ23RQzag61ORCGjIf2Ds0uqLS_6BCWCp8GGoyhBAFD3njCFOQ_jYIAohg5GeQ/s4000/20230216_102429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtKgBrEQZQKLhFiyfgnQkKcbtpQqaRcTlBaqP4fN0i6d6INgkuB3jR1JFIGLnPg9kJGpLNYD95bInRQP6Pdou5k0nPMWKXjAEJ5nVVAZOIapYTXhiOM0cKQ23RQzag61ORCGjIf2Ds0uqLS_6BCWCp8GGoyhBAFD3njCFOQ_jYIAohg5GeQ/w480-h640/20230216_102429.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeefezQHVs_wonLWAay1KazV3qwXSohJrw00jMwFX9IXU9w98ZZIcRVE0W18DY-cgPc-Rvk29F5oIWml3FuvaKau98IbtZGRsdzU0gnvCtA5mr4fKitYrHQrwJUSy31gOdS2bJKKuPveYOT5muzAOVF5iJfCV7u8P0QoNMtJdyAyzao6KgQw/s4000/20230216_102828.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeefezQHVs_wonLWAay1KazV3qwXSohJrw00jMwFX9IXU9w98ZZIcRVE0W18DY-cgPc-Rvk29F5oIWml3FuvaKau98IbtZGRsdzU0gnvCtA5mr4fKitYrHQrwJUSy31gOdS2bJKKuPveYOT5muzAOVF5iJfCV7u8P0QoNMtJdyAyzao6KgQw/w480-h640/20230216_102828.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fish of the Nile</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpAdhDaz9G-hvoegMpj7RMJoyMEFLVZ5Jeu52EofE1rDaX3D4R63tdttvwP0tWrHRl6M-hcr0yNNN2McSuyp0I57hX3HPBE_2EoS156YAqaiZV1BUBu1PUmJ5tCWXQqm7EQnxNcs2SW2yoYz_oBRxaUHmwUl3Fqp4oMoMMcvPiE2gjr2zrQ/s4000/20230216_103038.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpAdhDaz9G-hvoegMpj7RMJoyMEFLVZ5Jeu52EofE1rDaX3D4R63tdttvwP0tWrHRl6M-hcr0yNNN2McSuyp0I57hX3HPBE_2EoS156YAqaiZV1BUBu1PUmJ5tCWXQqm7EQnxNcs2SW2yoYz_oBRxaUHmwUl3Fqp4oMoMMcvPiE2gjr2zrQ/w480-h640/20230216_103038.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;">The </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5f6368; text-align: left;">Scarab Beetle</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;"> was the symbolic representation the sun god, Ra.</span></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxs8TkWQpX0sT818I2hSBqqrx4hBLx3WYpibVgxgU8sM1bg04AepG6ptw9XP6BNQ3FC4Y5TPOx4gkSQ-qTHvmlbvmNesdGyHBmSUW07HeQqEYryDtDA-jPp2ue9yGN2DMXAobU8bXRJCS3MrRrRT__WcdvdmZW0X4BAUnih1HhT7MtgMnvA/s4000/20230216_103406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxs8TkWQpX0sT818I2hSBqqrx4hBLx3WYpibVgxgU8sM1bg04AepG6ptw9XP6BNQ3FC4Y5TPOx4gkSQ-qTHvmlbvmNesdGyHBmSUW07HeQqEYryDtDA-jPp2ue9yGN2DMXAobU8bXRJCS3MrRrRT__WcdvdmZW0X4BAUnih1HhT7MtgMnvA/w480-h640/20230216_103406.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLc6m9vImSmbsIk-hDWHj62z8qV2vFOwOLufidrsyLM0F5uaUTBXmwqYLIUxUZJyIOupQoufR2EPEgxZTtOL53klhY1kWfeuBOH7pclS8cETpWPd9HdDIA5h2LEw7TeGWZysvSil2r1z_eGP9cboD9AiQ8DeP-qTHrVUqGAikEpmetJBvk5w/s4000/20230216_103637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLc6m9vImSmbsIk-hDWHj62z8qV2vFOwOLufidrsyLM0F5uaUTBXmwqYLIUxUZJyIOupQoufR2EPEgxZTtOL53klhY1kWfeuBOH7pclS8cETpWPd9HdDIA5h2LEw7TeGWZysvSil2r1z_eGP9cboD9AiQ8DeP-qTHrVUqGAikEpmetJBvk5w/w640-h480/20230216_103637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to Aswan on a felucca, the traditional boat
of the Nile. Dozens of them dotted the
river, filled with tourists enjoying the day.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLjQGdrF2xtPRtKoXlXrb0gg9XNOXMR-81eWlPhtw-p9JJvBTxxezs0VMSVHOBBalJJkMKqilJhxxNQT7htO7gcnREceMYwMqqLOSREw10F2OO51PhV58yoi1zXk4VH6odzAoKP79uISLSV9sSOHliehDtqZhr_WXwsuZQjbpDvXNlbtrzA/s4000/20230216_104934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLjQGdrF2xtPRtKoXlXrb0gg9XNOXMR-81eWlPhtw-p9JJvBTxxezs0VMSVHOBBalJJkMKqilJhxxNQT7htO7gcnREceMYwMqqLOSREw10F2OO51PhV58yoi1zXk4VH6odzAoKP79uISLSV9sSOHliehDtqZhr_WXwsuZQjbpDvXNlbtrzA/w480-h640/20230216_104934.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-RDjXu5X57AB7P21_TuQa45yqmuophUNrl5cS7RNPTcPwIo47xMY-iGAhhfbSZSe0lSEnwKKwatMnb5Vyw1MIYM1hWST9TeGy__neREt7jv1wBYfKB2hXXct9lY5TochxbnvJ8AF5j1HdS-v5LppJumUg-MXfX31BHQuz9X8-azqxWjFZQ/s4000/20230216_105804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-RDjXu5X57AB7P21_TuQa45yqmuophUNrl5cS7RNPTcPwIo47xMY-iGAhhfbSZSe0lSEnwKKwatMnb5Vyw1MIYM1hWST9TeGy__neREt7jv1wBYfKB2hXXct9lY5TochxbnvJ8AF5j1HdS-v5LppJumUg-MXfX31BHQuz9X8-azqxWjFZQ/w480-h640/20230216_105804.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU-HEioJvyDfJQW47_k-8JYC4S_IvQBkHcwO8V6AjuEXMMMZ3xZMFiRX82PSTrYaQmrcRozT7B-PspfuAxFKaKtV6gWaDBpSbR99Vg420i82GvgqcEY9NxdaKyLRAGoT0N4u2YPrOw6QhMv94tj2WCW8adWbOYCgR0xdopyTzNmxInv69rA/s4000/20230216_105851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU-HEioJvyDfJQW47_k-8JYC4S_IvQBkHcwO8V6AjuEXMMMZ3xZMFiRX82PSTrYaQmrcRozT7B-PspfuAxFKaKtV6gWaDBpSbR99Vg420i82GvgqcEY9NxdaKyLRAGoT0N4u2YPrOw6QhMv94tj2WCW8adWbOYCgR0xdopyTzNmxInv69rA/w480-h640/20230216_105851.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiet_Lh9W-Wl1nxMcQF4H2nlIR7v4FFOW4Zm3gTbqq15jBNcSlXHMSoQwIoGTkiz0Sn1zB1SFDx5F8RCpMwD9skqYcDlUiL-MisY9G1PnHz_U8g7iuHh7EoxbBVPK4FE22nsajz2QR_s8x2l5fCUGtl7lfBDiHJbzWEN4kURn1oVeXbmiR3DA/s4000/20230216_112338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiet_Lh9W-Wl1nxMcQF4H2nlIR7v4FFOW4Zm3gTbqq15jBNcSlXHMSoQwIoGTkiz0Sn1zB1SFDx5F8RCpMwD9skqYcDlUiL-MisY9G1PnHz_U8g7iuHh7EoxbBVPK4FE22nsajz2QR_s8x2l5fCUGtl7lfBDiHJbzWEN4kURn1oVeXbmiR3DA/w480-h640/20230216_112338.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch back on our cruise ship, we went out again for
two more interesting stops. A limestone
quarry sits right in the middle of the city and is famous for its “unfinished
obelisk,” a long hunk of carved limestone partially chiseled out of the
mountain. Imagine the dismay of the
workers when, after months of hard labor, the partially finished obelisk
cracked down the middle! We learned that the obelisks we had seen miles away at the temple of Karnak had come from this quarry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ0MSAmveU5gBmoHGQj67TqdZX5raN0U5K7ouLCnIApY03_Wj7GNnbHD2Bwed71Pk5IFGSNxDBPCOS9kGj53_0XXqY8hlfNWZO0TQRQISkptXR-j6A1qaVOHqdGFBAmb9nyI8bSnCgQkafrQLyFs2UcO7zFTufuB_n0Mm2shT0utw0DbH9w/s4000/20230216_140239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJ0MSAmveU5gBmoHGQj67TqdZX5raN0U5K7ouLCnIApY03_Wj7GNnbHD2Bwed71Pk5IFGSNxDBPCOS9kGj53_0XXqY8hlfNWZO0TQRQISkptXR-j6A1qaVOHqdGFBAmb9nyI8bSnCgQkafrQLyFs2UcO7zFTufuB_n0Mm2shT0utw0DbH9w/w640-h480/20230216_140239.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The limestone quarry where many of the obelisks of ancient Egypt were made.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_VkPAW4Gbs6UydD9oiji_JG3eNTO59lebbTwNDGJ7LLQI_GfGawwrQ6AZdL6EKvw3Ev4oCy7YMbxGW1z8Z0Srro9yOPMN11smvHAobotbUSeuG6OndBIMIJISCpE7eqGdbkmNvt9z5bMi4CoCa21_NYY_LVmnHLfaX3Ix1MVP0j3INRPhw/s4000/20230216_140429.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_VkPAW4Gbs6UydD9oiji_JG3eNTO59lebbTwNDGJ7LLQI_GfGawwrQ6AZdL6EKvw3Ev4oCy7YMbxGW1z8Z0Srro9yOPMN11smvHAobotbUSeuG6OndBIMIJISCpE7eqGdbkmNvt9z5bMi4CoCa21_NYY_LVmnHLfaX3Ix1MVP0j3INRPhw/w640-h480/20230216_140429.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The long straight stone slanting down like a ramp is the "Unfinished Obelisk"</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our last stop of the day took us through the crazy traffic
of Aswan, (where, as in Cairo, traffic lanes are just a suggestion,) to another
boat that took us to the gorgeous Temple of Philae. This temple is one of nine that had to be
moved from their original locations to save them from being covered by the rising of
Lake Nasser after the building of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpVMcePHTWgYwwzSWlUEXyYDoyB_9Ch9AmzZgsT8qmceVIU93873zsOR3xN2-PiqCa87XBp3P0vEOfeYt4jQR6OS0eUAiDybDFybBxm6LoeAFh2oD7pqZEuWdTsEFEDJpk7CqXmknfhrygbODuGfyET6nXzcBVhYnVF6lsVbuc0t8VYo91A/s4000/20230216_143152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpVMcePHTWgYwwzSWlUEXyYDoyB_9Ch9AmzZgsT8qmceVIU93873zsOR3xN2-PiqCa87XBp3P0vEOfeYt4jQR6OS0eUAiDybDFybBxm6LoeAFh2oD7pqZEuWdTsEFEDJpk7CqXmknfhrygbODuGfyET6nXzcBVhYnVF6lsVbuc0t8VYo91A/w480-h640/20230216_143152.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Every tourist site had souvenirs on sale.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr60dDNfuoXRPIAF7j1MUicAAD1bAA22gljb5xme7ANoJINhxqTf0MldF6rIkLFMVmc_V1q-LGs1_X2NYlgBl65AK1A4opQ6HpR_F10qGQ2lO0_Wilc0vxnA3yU98KuMnp2omHuabnfxIuhl9pqKJIN_ROew2sqJdVRpKSgBkLqkEIPCpAA/s4000/20230216_144059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr60dDNfuoXRPIAF7j1MUicAAD1bAA22gljb5xme7ANoJINhxqTf0MldF6rIkLFMVmc_V1q-LGs1_X2NYlgBl65AK1A4opQ6HpR_F10qGQ2lO0_Wilc0vxnA3yU98KuMnp2omHuabnfxIuhl9pqKJIN_ROew2sqJdVRpKSgBkLqkEIPCpAA/w480-h640/20230216_144059.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Approaching the Temple of Philae</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Temple of Philae was built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty
(the last dynasty of ancient Egypt) and is dedicated to Isis, the goddess of healing,
birth, and magic, her husband, Osirus, god of the underworld, and their son,
Horus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL78HlTVkutwBayZp0MzYzVC0N4BuOLt5KHP4kbmr8XJI-24mL-wVFgM4AuyczkmJE8iMY2479Cv5U6Zk-kaLUFdTQE0zyohEQO71rs4hsQjHbODUS2tjW-PqYQX0yWFOXbAh0-x_hSo5TFDRtKwkqIIammYzmaqRkww5f8fzUnWULp0OYA/s3007/20230216_154624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="3007" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL78HlTVkutwBayZp0MzYzVC0N4BuOLt5KHP4kbmr8XJI-24mL-wVFgM4AuyczkmJE8iMY2479Cv5U6Zk-kaLUFdTQE0zyohEQO71rs4hsQjHbODUS2tjW-PqYQX0yWFOXbAh0-x_hSo5TFDRtKwkqIIammYzmaqRkww5f8fzUnWULp0OYA/s320/20230216_154624.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpv2ALO8amX6Wf2TOPhgMQNpPR_Gv9yx5AK5TPJmCWftPwr7rtY5OqxRaOEm7M2FRa_R4BDCl52xXacBGJ2KFYNYirhwegKiFAmN9Xxl1lO81kaJhB5HttlnbGSYu0brpYOJop0O3v3pUX2ooxekRX6kMGmPe2l8Tu5kyFMCV7qwpn9XYVBA/s4000/20230216_145746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpv2ALO8amX6Wf2TOPhgMQNpPR_Gv9yx5AK5TPJmCWftPwr7rtY5OqxRaOEm7M2FRa_R4BDCl52xXacBGJ2KFYNYirhwegKiFAmN9Xxl1lO81kaJhB5HttlnbGSYu0brpYOJop0O3v3pUX2ooxekRX6kMGmPe2l8Tu5kyFMCV7qwpn9XYVBA/s320/20230216_145746.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkbDliopiJ-q6BPGjE6ldlP_ChIO95fwElHfliGkh9OQzSADurL-GONDXiOFVVUGXNA8J5Hmi2G9EaBq6N1HkSmP4ZawWNxJbuaz4_UND6H7cAGzItkWj_atkygXa1f38-HXnro-Vm-gqik569Bdhk_5Eky_QD-0JzEOUk744ePmP_Tpb4g/s4000/20230216_151346.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkbDliopiJ-q6BPGjE6ldlP_ChIO95fwElHfliGkh9OQzSADurL-GONDXiOFVVUGXNA8J5Hmi2G9EaBq6N1HkSmP4ZawWNxJbuaz4_UND6H7cAGzItkWj_atkygXa1f38-HXnro-Vm-gqik569Bdhk_5Eky_QD-0JzEOUk744ePmP_Tpb4g/s320/20230216_151346.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8TBfQF2fgVwWfzRgVccbi3CojiykeuOhe9GXR-ws8t8ops7trjexrLd7V_X_d3Zw6XqwFl_-W9u7his95P3HBMTr-YLnMHIC5VICfMgRZJxlI_4WvlX-P-O3N6EvRXtF2ZHqx2AmvBUCwR1n8U3tOJUi0HoCi8u3GAnmvfk42L3IV78p2A/s4000/20230216_151608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8TBfQF2fgVwWfzRgVccbi3CojiykeuOhe9GXR-ws8t8ops7trjexrLd7V_X_d3Zw6XqwFl_-W9u7his95P3HBMTr-YLnMHIC5VICfMgRZJxlI_4WvlX-P-O3N6EvRXtF2ZHqx2AmvBUCwR1n8U3tOJUi0HoCi8u3GAnmvfk42L3IV78p2A/s320/20230216_151608.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Like the other temples we had visited, the walls of the temple were covered with engravings of the Egyptian gods. Some of the engravings were visibly defaced, their forms hacked with chisel marks by early
Christians who were trying to erase the old religion. Inside the temple, there was a Christian altar
and marks of the cross on the wall, along with the older figures of the
Egyptian gods. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxZs2kdaFZaNmhXEDNbmHngQO_Hm7JHgw51aR7tSe7xLgziKn7SNG-F0-x2Uo6sSyWvyf287EqZExUCIvmEhpsA2917u4mcjQfFfuwpLm6_Nx_ia1WLqWbHRNICwRkeV5NfkH3KqQBjrQYAdutrsOWjK7F2h53hT4NsdWB_9nzJqX-BsyIA/s4000/20230216_145701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxZs2kdaFZaNmhXEDNbmHngQO_Hm7JHgw51aR7tSe7xLgziKn7SNG-F0-x2Uo6sSyWvyf287EqZExUCIvmEhpsA2917u4mcjQfFfuwpLm6_Nx_ia1WLqWbHRNICwRkeV5NfkH3KqQBjrQYAdutrsOWjK7F2h53hT4NsdWB_9nzJqX-BsyIA/w480-h640/20230216_145701.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G0yltzichn-CDZzLIX6PExHIJ2p00m2rAaLaZ7CuS4ww1Zj18K74TUAynaEnIVhMPiFG7oKSBxblFYcIvfbg4feaYLJUWwd6_nzfi59vLgMHerdvcH2RxETGBFkDMG5ne2kjUKsZXR1tXiwRfWlykqd--R4BBvsDt3UjsfkLivAgD807og/s4000/20230216_150257.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G0yltzichn-CDZzLIX6PExHIJ2p00m2rAaLaZ7CuS4ww1Zj18K74TUAynaEnIVhMPiFG7oKSBxblFYcIvfbg4feaYLJUWwd6_nzfi59vLgMHerdvcH2RxETGBFkDMG5ne2kjUKsZXR1tXiwRfWlykqd--R4BBvsDt3UjsfkLivAgD807og/w480-h640/20230216_150257.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Faces of the gods chipped away by early Christians</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRsmTlEfk6412mh0sX9oc_ynoZpKjWzyr-bICr_sbXar6Jy0cBypYvhAwmemjBWNWtWwHDeshJO74PV5Bb1ZRjCW578KXpxQYZB4qrVP94QWe2fl8tfLEhuSggB_72mmCULg2s-dP9VHdPIxBtIZOc49zB1GinMnop_pYqOa3Ru9RSqRmKw/s4000/20230216_151235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRsmTlEfk6412mh0sX9oc_ynoZpKjWzyr-bICr_sbXar6Jy0cBypYvhAwmemjBWNWtWwHDeshJO74PV5Bb1ZRjCW578KXpxQYZB4qrVP94QWe2fl8tfLEhuSggB_72mmCULg2s-dP9VHdPIxBtIZOc49zB1GinMnop_pYqOa3Ru9RSqRmKw/w480-h640/20230216_151235.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpZU-dho2E1uGc7QB1lQz2FGYAJB885qZBBwwu1k252ZdB2BfTw3PfcZrtmlt0CWUNKEQLRUT-7UVu7-mhSzUUDGE-xyiml8hYP9aK3tIApfazzdymERhfVqT-fGOTSi1kymSWvclgiG5LhwlxrRhYc_X2C32kKfz9qy-mnv0qkynShfz0Q/s4000/20230216_150436.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpZU-dho2E1uGc7QB1lQz2FGYAJB885qZBBwwu1k252ZdB2BfTw3PfcZrtmlt0CWUNKEQLRUT-7UVu7-mhSzUUDGE-xyiml8hYP9aK3tIApfazzdymERhfVqT-fGOTSi1kymSWvclgiG5LhwlxrRhYc_X2C32kKfz9qy-mnv0qkynShfz0Q/w480-h640/20230216_150436.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Earlier engravings on a column replaced by a cross</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VlXNXqr9JCiL0in8SnvSt-w6qCfhVN9p1_lasE3TfA50ZnnzQslr1W54uL31PLApVn0plp8Qwe9Z6fBNZ_PE4KcQelIGOspvxIxI9lODsWtyZsRBiTtflXFq9t-MB7cZulC3mPro8MwqJkioUmJkqAOQilQKfgMimCXorzcpi4lXCVDuuA/s4000/20230216_151835.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VlXNXqr9JCiL0in8SnvSt-w6qCfhVN9p1_lasE3TfA50ZnnzQslr1W54uL31PLApVn0plp8Qwe9Z6fBNZ_PE4KcQelIGOspvxIxI9lODsWtyZsRBiTtflXFq9t-MB7cZulC3mPro8MwqJkioUmJkqAOQilQKfgMimCXorzcpi4lXCVDuuA/w480-h640/20230216_151835.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Interior of the Temple</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqZAnDXBgYiG6GypSN7Q0a_2xpwH2mTXTa3VQFEINHNsS3o80kcre6RKrWFz1szwVZkwunSUL7nV8Zxmhxrk6Zo4odj9_1eppz5tgGae4WtsF63MoVkfrlvORmNp3ANn-XuErxlIbjUhcIfE4i-jz0dl9oh2w4p9dIYyrxaSx4NYoqHahow/s4000/20230216_152014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqZAnDXBgYiG6GypSN7Q0a_2xpwH2mTXTa3VQFEINHNsS3o80kcre6RKrWFz1szwVZkwunSUL7nV8Zxmhxrk6Zo4odj9_1eppz5tgGae4WtsF63MoVkfrlvORmNp3ANn-XuErxlIbjUhcIfE4i-jz0dl9oh2w4p9dIYyrxaSx4NYoqHahow/w640-h480/20230216_152014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A pharaoh brings offerings to the winged goddess Isis</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrRsIj5DidKHFXHM5IxoeLx-qfntNUyVptn41I8XTd6twJOJ_3L03aaLFVw4UC9r7UQF9moDvUpjSzWqkYJhf5OdycidY7UoHsWWAqHkDpdE6MA6ABxIb8b2EYVC48oGyukCEPl3e8RqgvY_RSqW6dvUDM3XwBWIVSYkeU2Nrt059nicRgA/s4000/20230216_152124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrRsIj5DidKHFXHM5IxoeLx-qfntNUyVptn41I8XTd6twJOJ_3L03aaLFVw4UC9r7UQF9moDvUpjSzWqkYJhf5OdycidY7UoHsWWAqHkDpdE6MA6ABxIb8b2EYVC48oGyukCEPl3e8RqgvY_RSqW6dvUDM3XwBWIVSYkeU2Nrt059nicRgA/w480-h640/20230216_152124.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW0X7X7JGB2lOH60gQ_NOCrJMukE0dl5WdIbdqe11Ui340YcY2Dj35rVL5-XW-AGFkQTuAsS_MzSHQVG3iuWUR9lGwWeGOdjKrBHJDo3IeNQch6WdXqIYYXIl_uNMY0AmWMI6MM_8y7ZEnRmhsC7865KJEkVDdIYMEECnTgWCNGRkbQbylA/s4000/20230216_152141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW0X7X7JGB2lOH60gQ_NOCrJMukE0dl5WdIbdqe11Ui340YcY2Dj35rVL5-XW-AGFkQTuAsS_MzSHQVG3iuWUR9lGwWeGOdjKrBHJDo3IeNQch6WdXqIYYXIl_uNMY0AmWMI6MM_8y7ZEnRmhsC7865KJEkVDdIYMEECnTgWCNGRkbQbylA/w480-h640/20230216_152141.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The goddess is either Isis or Hathor. They were both portrayed with the horns.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I loved the row of faces carved into the tops of columns on
one side of the temple courtyard. This
was the Mamezi, the Royal Birth chamber, and the seven faces depict a mother on each of the
seven days following birth. The first
face grimaces in pain, but each day becomes a little more cheerful, until the
seventh day shows a laughing mother enjoying her new little one. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajqikY1r_gef6u5DzeMe5-JGTfdZ9QoNsOPHyDuhYXy9yBdEDizr80DcXF29CO8DjnM7OSN6gGIAZ2BzZ7u2BTgHeL1TihTswAbTWIcKHb0tLZsX4NGELdk0h1cqJUnOzUnK2KS_8izSJnnX_838ipLmzzO2Lg8YodD3GQwiyAxPH0Wcr-g/s4000/20230216_150143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajqikY1r_gef6u5DzeMe5-JGTfdZ9QoNsOPHyDuhYXy9yBdEDizr80DcXF29CO8DjnM7OSN6gGIAZ2BzZ7u2BTgHeL1TihTswAbTWIcKHb0tLZsX4NGELdk0h1cqJUnOzUnK2KS_8izSJnnX_838ipLmzzO2Lg8YodD3GQwiyAxPH0Wcr-g/w640-h480/20230216_150143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5U-cLXQPfb1650x-gasBZOcH9KIcOUbMLlJtVGhn9bzvsT-SIXxLq2hF_q173NowxXhQrQnyLLJfjbRl5AGXpmisnx1OeY_Kkkv6Szbty5ViJzGvEQQd8XYGD3GTh9ADz7eh1ii6eqoKrSZsEcAomyhiqnmpQWPdElVaUnVblf3yVLi7cw/s4000/20230216_152331.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5U-cLXQPfb1650x-gasBZOcH9KIcOUbMLlJtVGhn9bzvsT-SIXxLq2hF_q173NowxXhQrQnyLLJfjbRl5AGXpmisnx1OeY_Kkkv6Szbty5ViJzGvEQQd8XYGD3GTh9ADz7eh1ii6eqoKrSZsEcAomyhiqnmpQWPdElVaUnVblf3yVLi7cw/w480-h640/20230216_152331.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A pained face on the first day after giving birth</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24teolT3BhQjkY9mPEb8RgCaYIXHPACCQPz1Mr9dyOEgvvz89acAZaRRR4s6UxCpUCAuFk5HT8EIc4MX24ZE8D54Bf-5UUwEbhguD_KNFQdnTK_u355JVHhbRKKUKgf6q0c_mMcHFRw-VshaKLUcnhhqpGwaL14bU3aapXcXeNNmx6YXFOA/s4000/20230216_152425.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24teolT3BhQjkY9mPEb8RgCaYIXHPACCQPz1Mr9dyOEgvvz89acAZaRRR4s6UxCpUCAuFk5HT8EIc4MX24ZE8D54Bf-5UUwEbhguD_KNFQdnTK_u355JVHhbRKKUKgf6q0c_mMcHFRw-VshaKLUcnhhqpGwaL14bU3aapXcXeNNmx6YXFOA/w480-h640/20230216_152425.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>And a much happier face on the sixth day!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our visit to Philae ended at the café near the docks where
we were enchanted by the many temple cats that hang out here begging for
treats. The café actually sells little
cups of catfood, and Rob was happy as a kid at the petting zoo, handing out
treats to the cats gathered around his feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyN7Sy0xgdBCXr2izZsyI9HuV8raXM1YRtyuwIOOPHkMnirBBUhMc-MnBttgSxOeAEueLK5P01PsV7o6e6MmUt4CidK_0d8zWof6wZUrtrwMtm-h1931ZM98AXCKPETI3wujk9gTYtychhyCTMKNLbNvnu9H5WKnI5802EeQEYC7mY7pRXA/s4000/20230216_152241.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyN7Sy0xgdBCXr2izZsyI9HuV8raXM1YRtyuwIOOPHkMnirBBUhMc-MnBttgSxOeAEueLK5P01PsV7o6e6MmUt4CidK_0d8zWof6wZUrtrwMtm-h1931ZM98AXCKPETI3wujk9gTYtychhyCTMKNLbNvnu9H5WKnI5802EeQEYC7mY7pRXA/w480-h640/20230216_152241.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>One of the temple cats greeted us inside the temple...</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu5wb5sve3vO1tDJhG5_VkjJyMd25Vdmz5VO63B9JzH7xLOoUNbZc56G6IEhPeq1wz7-TlpbKFfuZ3h_UXqXqbLexbr7IygE-EUbp2meEJEq-3vYN2LedX2RYeUVpeFktGPMGtkFpXZh61ft3ZYLCztxRVwVQ6ZzTHyrIgw7v_qshgWx3UA/w480-h640/20230216_154329.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>...but most of them were in the cafe waiting for handouts</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu5wb5sve3vO1tDJhG5_VkjJyMd25Vdmz5VO63B9JzH7xLOoUNbZc56G6IEhPeq1wz7-TlpbKFfuZ3h_UXqXqbLexbr7IygE-EUbp2meEJEq-3vYN2LedX2RYeUVpeFktGPMGtkFpXZh61ft3ZYLCztxRVwVQ6ZzTHyrIgw7v_qshgWx3UA/s4000/20230216_154329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qhXZhgUAiNIuq5ckGDc1hnku_qUVltlieINilJldCRXxxi7BPlh69isRADtA7TZe8S6u05VCzzWiKQSUi8ICFtw6VPxwebsCZhKt3eZl5frkyPWVrMy6M75Rk4TzOMkCik5RQh_9y7jPMhM-mI9wb96nNvC0G0ZX6MgdEMZtUhS-x1hgHg/s4000/20230216_154516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qhXZhgUAiNIuq5ckGDc1hnku_qUVltlieINilJldCRXxxi7BPlh69isRADtA7TZe8S6u05VCzzWiKQSUi8ICFtw6VPxwebsCZhKt3eZl5frkyPWVrMy6M75Rk4TzOMkCik5RQh_9y7jPMhM-mI9wb96nNvC0G0ZX6MgdEMZtUhS-x1hgHg/w480-h640/20230216_154516.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was late afternoon by the time we returned to our cruise
ship to pack our bags for the next part of our journey. In honor of our visit to Elephantine Island, our final gift from Mahmoud was an elephant!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHGPchsHeT151XfgEx5CoIYf2qPJDeYAU4CMWYfCwqa9dfGmslUEC5HfMnl2gCQWNNohC9nRrdKzWoMWEotOa4NF9GyaL_A7__JTimWOK5xF6fJVbCDMaHXvVN3epSXX0arPFy2jrw-kXoQDscIBigz03YCLysfkG7HNfIUvg47FOcDFfAg/s4000/20230216_115026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHGPchsHeT151XfgEx5CoIYf2qPJDeYAU4CMWYfCwqa9dfGmslUEC5HfMnl2gCQWNNohC9nRrdKzWoMWEotOa4NF9GyaL_A7__JTimWOK5xF6fJVbCDMaHXvVN3epSXX0arPFy2jrw-kXoQDscIBigz03YCLysfkG7HNfIUvg47FOcDFfAg/w480-h640/20230216_115026.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-85203367543345126292023-03-20T08:51:00.002-07:002023-03-22T15:48:14.102-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 6: Two Unique Temples Along the Nile River<h2></h2><h3 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">February 15, 2023</span></b></h3>
<h1 style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Two Unique Temples Along the Nile River: <br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">The
Temple of Horus at Edfu and the Double Temple of Horus and Sobek at Kom Ombo</span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Everyone knows about the Great Pyramids of
Egypt and the important temples of Karnak and Luxor, but today we explored some
of the lesser-known temples along the Nile River.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Rob and I woke up to the call to prayer loudly
emanating from the minarets in the town of Edfu where our ship, the Moon
Goddess, had docked during the early morning. We ate a quick breakfast, then
set out to see the Temple of Horus. We were supposed to go in one of the many
horse-drawn carriages that were crowding the streets of the village, but there
had been an “incident” recently, so our tour director chose to change this
plan.</span><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-lw0uDPOqn5w0FLsFmKNppoUOp8YQRt_R3sCObnQfxT6d_lNep-chQvcCM_r2Z_AvlqrQcRE14xJMMikjlrhhoPN2Yh_RApvBg-VjBGBixdJdE75NXUmd8mYJv5YnRew_WWL1GkFjwLvj6Re746WXnrymeoNSqdF0lzNNd8VjuQoV-agew/s3155/20230215_073935aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3155" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-lw0uDPOqn5w0FLsFmKNppoUOp8YQRt_R3sCObnQfxT6d_lNep-chQvcCM_r2Z_AvlqrQcRE14xJMMikjlrhhoPN2Yh_RApvBg-VjBGBixdJdE75NXUmd8mYJv5YnRew_WWL1GkFjwLvj6Re746WXnrymeoNSqdF0lzNNd8VjuQoV-agew/w608-h640/20230215_073935aa.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The dock in the town of Edfu</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilltDtFBjPeTrzvMUxRz31aM52naH77f5AHLcRWbSFUCSUb9aK6wWNSkzjdzpMxnaNunulJYxWJR8SJhN9sgUABYDongl_fG9-ePSPz_z6iQQFnCNggR4yhDpBpPooJ3HUgzBSb6HKz0cUqLxnYzpeVmIJc-WkL6W9NvgXhjyAI8jYDa0PzA/s2589/20230215_083339aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2478" data-original-width="2589" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilltDtFBjPeTrzvMUxRz31aM52naH77f5AHLcRWbSFUCSUb9aK6wWNSkzjdzpMxnaNunulJYxWJR8SJhN9sgUABYDongl_fG9-ePSPz_z6iQQFnCNggR4yhDpBpPooJ3HUgzBSb6HKz0cUqLxnYzpeVmIJc-WkL6W9NvgXhjyAI8jYDa0PzA/w640-h612/20230215_083339aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Many visitors traveled to the Temple of Horus by horse-drawn buggies</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><p></p>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The Temple of Horus</span></span></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The Temple of Horus is the best-preserved
temple in Egypt as it was completely buried under twelve meters of desert sand
for centuries until it was discovered and excavated in 1860 by the French chief
of Egypt Antiquities, Auguste Mariette.</span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDTp9Zwzsk3krSMvKKJ15xB03qLX-Wup-jrO2gYzHxw6VoCK15Fz3iIbDIxNJrl_i3O-FN-o0wap8q0Ugdz-VP-j4seyCiWBXUEG7Eii7og6iiPDB4wpwaMGJJTURXf3SwJcYiFYecpL5zPSvJzwjt4cNLe1yUFOxer3iGEpQLJnFt4PpXg/s4000/20230215_094123a.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDTp9Zwzsk3krSMvKKJ15xB03qLX-Wup-jrO2gYzHxw6VoCK15Fz3iIbDIxNJrl_i3O-FN-o0wap8q0Ugdz-VP-j4seyCiWBXUEG7Eii7og6iiPDB4wpwaMGJJTURXf3SwJcYiFYecpL5zPSvJzwjt4cNLe1yUFOxer3iGEpQLJnFt4PpXg/w640-h480/20230215_094123a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Temple of Horus<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we approached the temple, we could see high above us the remains of an old brick village. That village was built upon layers of rubble and earth, and it was at “ground-level” until the excavation created a great square in front of the uncovered temple far below the much more recent town.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrVlECuSVILmvEYpLRM-R1VY_Ix4tZc2lSJDdAaYmvX5HXNxWiSKhvk-SjeczbvIVgy-0M1PAtBqental9PVw2zPFVO9-GSw9Rp7uRFv8mZWKUDUP3trfEoaqICibntbXd80wmwMnISRe1nWnK5WB3NZBP5lE5GbaQRNmhGW_Zwl2ogNn_Q/s3000/20230215_084238a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2823" data-original-width="3000" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrVlECuSVILmvEYpLRM-R1VY_Ix4tZc2lSJDdAaYmvX5HXNxWiSKhvk-SjeczbvIVgy-0M1PAtBqental9PVw2zPFVO9-GSw9Rp7uRFv8mZWKUDUP3trfEoaqICibntbXd80wmwMnISRe1nWnK5WB3NZBP5lE5GbaQRNmhGW_Zwl2ogNn_Q/w640-h602/20230215_084238a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The walls of a more recent village that used to be ground-level until the excavations began.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqermQpjONXlQoVu-F62jtx_srUmcEJRprXg8Bz4qPLcx7cQcevGVbuGrISVYbhA46rXpllVjLIoZ3aklXUJEQkoPnlD6vi5GP21_LOKfQ_QpXtKyJrwTz88I2lC2wA9L0n_8ghEcrFJJNRFI1nLTSsfnayoO7UBqZ3d0HFWTeTyTxcjLlbw/s2913/20230215_084441a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2459" data-original-width="2913" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqermQpjONXlQoVu-F62jtx_srUmcEJRprXg8Bz4qPLcx7cQcevGVbuGrISVYbhA46rXpllVjLIoZ3aklXUJEQkoPnlD6vi5GP21_LOKfQ_QpXtKyJrwTz88I2lC2wA9L0n_8ghEcrFJJNRFI1nLTSsfnayoO7UBqZ3d0HFWTeTyTxcjLlbw/w640-h540/20230215_084441a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>On the hill to the right is more of the village that existed here until the late 1800s.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5MZ0lvh3NzJENq1POvuLSZ92maMMvtNSrkC1buYnne8H8YzO184CX2pW8tSTtsWGH6IMKtZQMYeFlJHRAktkmG4I7__9VfnoxvHSTrOP_AN1zWNXAy2-5WtGDKBbZIMa3pN8j2XDhP2zQz_xbisjNrvTH2EoC7EFRsI-HDMC9UA2ReasAA/s3261/20230215_084649a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3261" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5MZ0lvh3NzJENq1POvuLSZ92maMMvtNSrkC1buYnne8H8YzO184CX2pW8tSTtsWGH6IMKtZQMYeFlJHRAktkmG4I7__9VfnoxvHSTrOP_AN1zWNXAy2-5WtGDKBbZIMa3pN8j2XDhP2zQz_xbisjNrvTH2EoC7EFRsI-HDMC9UA2ReasAA/w588-h640/20230215_084649a.jpg" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hieroglyphics on the ancient walls in front of the temple.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrEwFb8urGvXM1EYS603DHJ3kSBpzcGFupnZ2krG21ahECPGNHZCbskTm9TR9NRNlWgqDwMwv3wFKT5LtTGqzTx657ZtM9oCV9B_PTWfej3_g4jkHqYfW0UPm7Ln6Qjd-B5dVOdC2ikBFgTG1bv9TrdeHSIs5SbvqgVrLMhp3nhL7tI1pNA/s3000/20230215_084822a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="3000" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrEwFb8urGvXM1EYS603DHJ3kSBpzcGFupnZ2krG21ahECPGNHZCbskTm9TR9NRNlWgqDwMwv3wFKT5LtTGqzTx657ZtM9oCV9B_PTWfej3_g4jkHqYfW0UPm7Ln6Qjd-B5dVOdC2ikBFgTG1bv9TrdeHSIs5SbvqgVrLMhp3nhL7tI1pNA/w640-h604/20230215_084822a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The large figures are the Pharoah destroying his enemies, watched by the falcon-headed god Horus and his wife, goddess Hathor.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTxJF85Ol5VJL-mb51si3PggKhcva9ftTTlrL782Toaz5dRKi9PFaWwdbU2p231HgsSHs-VRBOp4EIwvzmVcwXflmYDscp_seCn3Mtb4C5sAur2KNP6HizGWVHE9rFLCLvJPYAqCCFZqudoUfkX4NW8c20uy_hfxDmi3sNcuhOfI76uaZPA/s3193/20230215_094431a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3193" data-original-width="2526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTxJF85Ol5VJL-mb51si3PggKhcva9ftTTlrL782Toaz5dRKi9PFaWwdbU2p231HgsSHs-VRBOp4EIwvzmVcwXflmYDscp_seCn3Mtb4C5sAur2KNP6HizGWVHE9rFLCLvJPYAqCCFZqudoUfkX4NW8c20uy_hfxDmi3sNcuhOfI76uaZPA/w506-h640/20230215_094431a.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We paid our respects to the falcon representing Horus.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQME-4ImfVfZQiiWwaZ9Jg6bkU20jNNyh5rEfNmZe-VX0nXH7BR8VxfuOHyoD1vnS1wVdJ4WLvJzq1fKXmx43T2Jwn5eV-yqHicMToYDBmiCnYjRCJnPAfmTIFXosHw8ugfM9o45NNGhj5-N8OlGKLXlcgq7q2ZC0qhlGiLYI_25FeoRfDQ/s2243/Horus%20with%20hat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="2243" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQME-4ImfVfZQiiWwaZ9Jg6bkU20jNNyh5rEfNmZe-VX0nXH7BR8VxfuOHyoD1vnS1wVdJ4WLvJzq1fKXmx43T2Jwn5eV-yqHicMToYDBmiCnYjRCJnPAfmTIFXosHw8ugfM9o45NNGhj5-N8OlGKLXlcgq7q2ZC0qhlGiLYI_25FeoRfDQ/w640-h574/Horus%20with%20hat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Horus is often shown with the double crown of a pharaoh. In the engraving on the wall behind his, the pharaoh presents an offering to the god.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The design of the temple echoed the Karnak complex, with two
great rectangular pylons at the entrance, a large courtyard behind that, and
the temple rooms and sanctuary at the back. Ptolemy III built this temple circa 275 BC
(the Roman Era in Egypt). Ptolemy III was descended from Ptolemy I, a general
in Alexander the Great’s army. The first Ptolemy used the same trick as
Alexander and claimed to be the son of Amun Ra, establishing himself as ruler
of Egypt. (I couldn't help but wonder, "How did these guys get away with this?" I guess it was a case of "Might makes Right.")</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked through the tall entrance into the large courtyard in the middle of the temple. Deda showed us an Egyptian 50-pound note, which has a drawing of this courtyard on it.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9OPjREEpBCWpp1mY9hxk3ncmAbscUnQMd805Riz_muNKFBvLwEd4GniyauQ-ttF_5sZOkbI5MukLmVoJ8p3d0hYpATCppztiO-hGdSUD_YqVzEpqUkXNrh6XhDBiQs3Tm8b-z8N2PR7jsKHTzgkWuuNPCRsodnfGL-Ke1201Mk08FCBhag/s3812/20230215_094554a.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2364" data-original-width="3812" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9OPjREEpBCWpp1mY9hxk3ncmAbscUnQMd805Riz_muNKFBvLwEd4GniyauQ-ttF_5sZOkbI5MukLmVoJ8p3d0hYpATCppztiO-hGdSUD_YqVzEpqUkXNrh6XhDBiQs3Tm8b-z8N2PR7jsKHTzgkWuuNPCRsodnfGL-Ke1201Mk08FCBhag/w640-h396/20230215_094554a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The courtyard of the Temple of Edfu</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL7PCYc1cN8H7JrtVQP0pfMGTglkcCMqavHb8qaRow6E36DuXax5oA85petpkpSphV7va7R1J_QRMTkNNO2hgE_2rCnPGacrMxgBKlqhUZh-ntZcuwV1LjIlFEGLee-OzVA_A1Y6mfSxjST93Sc_Cs8ubEctjlTI2mXaU1yoni1VRSatt2w/s1267/20230215_090028a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1267" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL7PCYc1cN8H7JrtVQP0pfMGTglkcCMqavHb8qaRow6E36DuXax5oA85petpkpSphV7va7R1J_QRMTkNNO2hgE_2rCnPGacrMxgBKlqhUZh-ntZcuwV1LjIlFEGLee-OzVA_A1Y6mfSxjST93Sc_Cs8ubEctjlTI2mXaU1yoni1VRSatt2w/w640-h586/20230215_090028a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Deda shows us the depiction of this courtyard on the Egyptian 50-pound note.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The inner chambers of the temple are dominated by huge columns with graceful leafy tops. The many images engraved (and once painted)
inside the temple rooms tell stories of the Pharaoh’s exploits and offerings to
the gods, the purification of the temple with salt and incense, along with
hundreds of hieroglyphics and smaller images. Many of the images of the gods
had been defaced by early Christians who were trying to wipe out the earlier
religion.</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoeGRSvjf1ew-gt0iAc-_pFFA8xZQSPzNvvzTQ--A23IvgtPTKPJqVZyF8FJZIcodYI6yCclPXM5YK9f7jVeUoREinnsoXbEaVw3NhR_ippYtve3eKMsceHJvpOv371zrhL9LT1TNOBfV-UJUxtJgaXDmHt1vob4ASe45qGkLlNFz7qgEnw/s3954/20230215_090819a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3954" data-original-width="2966" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoeGRSvjf1ew-gt0iAc-_pFFA8xZQSPzNvvzTQ--A23IvgtPTKPJqVZyF8FJZIcodYI6yCclPXM5YK9f7jVeUoREinnsoXbEaVw3NhR_ippYtve3eKMsceHJvpOv371zrhL9LT1TNOBfV-UJUxtJgaXDmHt1vob4ASe45qGkLlNFz7qgEnw/w480-h640/20230215_090819a.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlQwlw04CZCX5YtG3kfveLU5FlBgFpkbQmM5btcvjM82GPOfPSjy1EPWP9ovUVYMZ-K4g8VDpvCbUYfK4maqqBQ6VIKhNTQ_jmZjl3tQl4Fa3ItIb5mEACPXRbztrEb0Yk-I44TU6OL2Dugc6MaDcVwQ0G7HRA-pg8r4WlpVbotyTmlybFQ/s3671/20230215_090836a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3671" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlQwlw04CZCX5YtG3kfveLU5FlBgFpkbQmM5btcvjM82GPOfPSjy1EPWP9ovUVYMZ-K4g8VDpvCbUYfK4maqqBQ6VIKhNTQ_jmZjl3tQl4Fa3ItIb5mEACPXRbztrEb0Yk-I44TU6OL2Dugc6MaDcVwQ0G7HRA-pg8r4WlpVbotyTmlybFQ/w524-h640/20230215_090836a.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7nZEwPJE7t3RekhYCa6hs_pMl6g7tCv7oFJu3633gLEhzUFP7anAhVRgXVW3anpwj7zvl2AL4j4QrQj9hz1XxWXJuaJTkzJjysJhL9deYLWMginR-reXZZW7hoyBLSKqU7-3U9m2JtR7bnFxSH07o5MRLSfJsS02hGl_tC63W9fCv77FSQ/s3696/20230215_090852a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3696" data-original-width="2476" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7nZEwPJE7t3RekhYCa6hs_pMl6g7tCv7oFJu3633gLEhzUFP7anAhVRgXVW3anpwj7zvl2AL4j4QrQj9hz1XxWXJuaJTkzJjysJhL9deYLWMginR-reXZZW7hoyBLSKqU7-3U9m2JtR7bnFxSH07o5MRLSfJsS02hGl_tC63W9fCv77FSQ/w428-h640/20230215_090852a.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The pharaoh purifies the temple grounds with salt.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjn5qkC51KYiO6n8slMOeCL8sw3n7YfowmJN9l7YoERr6y5sYZAKeLj1A4jvs0Iz-DhKjMRjB1hNHh8VCCxAIu-krGK6KbvhxGJFKOKxWsCqQsIBuyZ-0JTXbB6URFpQ8SFzQWeCdpOuS5YhTe5xPGHJFyTZl6oxemTdMIIPaasedPwx_fQ/s3805/20230215_090921a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3805" data-original-width="2854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjn5qkC51KYiO6n8slMOeCL8sw3n7YfowmJN9l7YoERr6y5sYZAKeLj1A4jvs0Iz-DhKjMRjB1hNHh8VCCxAIu-krGK6KbvhxGJFKOKxWsCqQsIBuyZ-0JTXbB6URFpQ8SFzQWeCdpOuS5YhTe5xPGHJFyTZl6oxemTdMIIPaasedPwx_fQ/w480-h640/20230215_090921a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Horus receives gifts from the pharaoh</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_npvHV0X_yvbPI3Er9y3448kZC6DtgDhFV_J_z0PXF-iudQJqqZoftAv0XQh1_4okSF61IWzev_H0odWSV8SjiImG4TeebQ8xp9wPFQZdu78FhF956ADeLTliHnSF9BrVUwcvrOqQlCpElzDU8-8qrDeIAe1DOA-mS_pFxqyAzpOl3Ms8w/s4000/20230215_090947a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_npvHV0X_yvbPI3Er9y3448kZC6DtgDhFV_J_z0PXF-iudQJqqZoftAv0XQh1_4okSF61IWzev_H0odWSV8SjiImG4TeebQ8xp9wPFQZdu78FhF956ADeLTliHnSF9BrVUwcvrOqQlCpElzDU8-8qrDeIAe1DOA-mS_pFxqyAzpOl3Ms8w/w640-h480/20230215_090947a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Early Christians chipped away at these images in their attempt to destroy the old gods.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgkJrrWzZjMIbXS9MSD9PBHtEncHh6HKLDwaZOOq54jdnR6R2TQ9LcPnZj7iC9sCYIEDEqFSUBfoQLQGsCz54RyYNfn_8GfnEEUfCGa5FfVWx9jtxZubgRPcdcA4EV3UciZNN8LAED36lAfCxfyuROAi8_ph2xDIXS5zrd-5wLQm1ULtZog/s4000/20230215_092538a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgkJrrWzZjMIbXS9MSD9PBHtEncHh6HKLDwaZOOq54jdnR6R2TQ9LcPnZj7iC9sCYIEDEqFSUBfoQLQGsCz54RyYNfn_8GfnEEUfCGa5FfVWx9jtxZubgRPcdcA4EV3UciZNN8LAED36lAfCxfyuROAi8_ph2xDIXS5zrd-5wLQm1ULtZog/w640-h480/20230215_092538a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">There were many images of Horus in the Temple dedicated to him.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilO3bbtzyVElwt_T4UZReF2-c1HX__mu6sxnb7YRdTHyt5qKQoMck2ujrM6YMOK2RA9MhIrjKzpvIFWLPjsxFsypRO15jQydZIxmBxUuEEI3AE2JPQplB1gla9uGsTeEEXgJ_MI2mIOLk5f5jHZkndjt19eGG0vGLZA2RFwLy3MYmx5p_cQ/s3647/20230215_092305a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3647" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilO3bbtzyVElwt_T4UZReF2-c1HX__mu6sxnb7YRdTHyt5qKQoMck2ujrM6YMOK2RA9MhIrjKzpvIFWLPjsxFsypRO15jQydZIxmBxUuEEI3AE2JPQplB1gla9uGsTeEEXgJ_MI2mIOLk5f5jHZkndjt19eGG0vGLZA2RFwLy3MYmx5p_cQ/w640-h520/20230215_092305a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3EJnkrACsHUpRLFLeGz1444KQe8edhN069l1vbfhfWnvi0bgklCMParAhh4_lQ2NgzGcyrSho1Otj2lrhvJwH41aEvwWahNwrHxI9bp2DAmHeFJAP1vb_iOEuViahBViv7c8latN2nMulBpaevrs3WBj6sdrxtKihwLwJFO8BQTxiv5VSw/s3778/20230215_092132a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3EJnkrACsHUpRLFLeGz1444KQe8edhN069l1vbfhfWnvi0bgklCMParAhh4_lQ2NgzGcyrSho1Otj2lrhvJwH41aEvwWahNwrHxI9bp2DAmHeFJAP1vb_iOEuViahBViv7c8latN2nMulBpaevrs3WBj6sdrxtKihwLwJFO8BQTxiv5VSw/w508-h640/20230215_092132a.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIHKaQVYmwXEnXxHxJd4tvwSDgvEXe6D0wxbDalmHQXnuPK4BLb0jocLBESnPSqKJCUSMV5A-xVAyOL2UYjyr86mWs0Rk5YIz_RrdwVts5pAl0HkHJ37dXvuCiCmPM_jdw0zX0hEePeubZ2sUg7uc_uq570JHr-L8cNgKX8ux9aHoTKqIFw/s3950/20230215_091559a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3950" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIHKaQVYmwXEnXxHxJd4tvwSDgvEXe6D0wxbDalmHQXnuPK4BLb0jocLBESnPSqKJCUSMV5A-xVAyOL2UYjyr86mWs0Rk5YIz_RrdwVts5pAl0HkHJ37dXvuCiCmPM_jdw0zX0hEePeubZ2sUg7uc_uq570JHr-L8cNgKX8ux9aHoTKqIFw/w640-h486/20230215_091559a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">As in the other temples we visited, there is an inner sanctum. One of the treasures of the temple, a royal
barge, now resides in the Louvre, although there is a replica of it in the
sanctuary of the temple, which also held the granite base that once held a
golden statue of the falcon-headed god, Horus.</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsghIjrjoywIGKggIJGS2nFLlU2qywQfxTMIN3eCJSbHAlp7NEx51TRGb4LkjkfNDTJsb-pn0eAeZ1Y8wSQ353mz_IZNhU2fDttCkJujwEkvX02-XOdm6DLtfbmww-Vc0h6SGPulrltgRYj1ZUaZkVnrgZa-1TxfRhNopIEmlcHmVwfmKhyA/s2967/20230215_091046aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="2967" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsghIjrjoywIGKggIJGS2nFLlU2qywQfxTMIN3eCJSbHAlp7NEx51TRGb4LkjkfNDTJsb-pn0eAeZ1Y8wSQ353mz_IZNhU2fDttCkJujwEkvX02-XOdm6DLtfbmww-Vc0h6SGPulrltgRYj1ZUaZkVnrgZa-1TxfRhNopIEmlcHmVwfmKhyA/w640-h548/20230215_091046aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The entrance to the Inner Sanctum</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-wiket7HrdBis_R3tk0dD2P92gB98FTg3MQTA_wtb7unZAhho3LTFvHo1NEa2GDrNKaT2bMhZYyJakv4Vih6zXMXoZuORq08UKHukTIYcE_IfoYovUMJDORv3itZCzXZSba__qZF6AsawHQggMQwGqLjP3KP5fYjHp8zSQTGZW3ULzzFJQ/s3436/20230215_091815a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3436" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-wiket7HrdBis_R3tk0dD2P92gB98FTg3MQTA_wtb7unZAhho3LTFvHo1NEa2GDrNKaT2bMhZYyJakv4Vih6zXMXoZuORq08UKHukTIYcE_IfoYovUMJDORv3itZCzXZSba__qZF6AsawHQggMQwGqLjP3KP5fYjHp8zSQTGZW3ULzzFJQ/w558-h640/20230215_091815a.jpg" width="558" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is a replica of the royal barge. The original now rests in the Louvre Museum.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Because this temple had been so well-preserved by the sands that covered it, the outer wall of the temple was still standing, creating a corridor between the temple building and the wall. As we walked through that passageway, we saw the Nile Meter that was used to determine annual taxes. High
water meant good crops – and higher taxes.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUf8VE3v-oCI_C7FmYH2b0WRH2EgH695tmvitOir-txutktSj7lKM9jIc4R_x-1Kf40iUqCVfYalKwrJ7uqIbr3WkVHGIeIC3ZeREJAJmXSM5H1K2TLfysUO-fjIY7IiNE-Hq41B_2BYb4QhUUvxvgM2f69NNCjh77tJgdU1oaByMHywTCA/s3183/20230215_092607a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3183" data-original-width="2952" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUf8VE3v-oCI_C7FmYH2b0WRH2EgH695tmvitOir-txutktSj7lKM9jIc4R_x-1Kf40iUqCVfYalKwrJ7uqIbr3WkVHGIeIC3ZeREJAJmXSM5H1K2TLfysUO-fjIY7IiNE-Hq41B_2BYb4QhUUvxvgM2f69NNCjh77tJgdU1oaByMHywTCA/w594-h640/20230215_092607a.jpg" width="594" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Rob and Deda walk through the passageway between the temple and the outer wall.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Further along the corridor, the engravings on
the walls told the story of the famous battle between Horus (the falcon-headed
god of good power) and Seth (Horus’s uncle and the god of evil power). We
walked along a series of engravings, like the panels of a graphic novel,
telling an interesting tale. (</span></span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the joys of this trip was rediscovering Egyptian mythology, and this temple was a wonderful place to do that!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The characters in this tale were: </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Osirus, the great and good god who ruled Egypt and gave laws and civilization to man</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Seth, the brother of Osiris and the god of deserts, eclipses, and thunderstorms -and who was jealous of Osiris's power</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Isis, the goddess of healing and magic, and both wife and sister to Osiris</span></li><li><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, was an important deity who represented the power of the sun and sky.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The plot:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">In his jealousy, Seth kills Osiris, steals the throne of Egypt, and scatters Osiris's dismembered body throughout the land. Isis finds all the pieces and uses magic to restore Osiris to life, but he must now become the god of the Underworld. Isis sends her son Horus on a mission of vengeance, so Horus
pursues Seth, a shape-changer who takes the shape of a pig/hippo. In the engravings, Horus spears him several times
but is unable to kill the immortal god. The only solution is to confine Seth,
so the penultimate panel shows Horus subduing him. The final panel shows
all the gods celebrating the victory of Horus.</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpXfJawfwaaWOX6WDUQdx-JBekYZTD9c3lehLPxXxRjCUZY2joxnoX6JEFzGociljhTDOi1QKf1Rhn1FqM2UUsAy0w94QwvR3H_H8ULGPeRM6-ZYsnwNmdMqfh4Ue2Bhzc4feN_8GNU52MS95INyUtGLomOs1LS9uln00eLJ_sjBtR2qVXA/s3874/20230215_093619a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3874" data-original-width="2906" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpXfJawfwaaWOX6WDUQdx-JBekYZTD9c3lehLPxXxRjCUZY2joxnoX6JEFzGociljhTDOi1QKf1Rhn1FqM2UUsAy0w94QwvR3H_H8ULGPeRM6-ZYsnwNmdMqfh4Ue2Bhzc4feN_8GNU52MS95INyUtGLomOs1LS9uln00eLJ_sjBtR2qVXA/w480-h640/20230215_093619a.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This wall tells the story of Horus's pursuit of Seth</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNOSezlnEpBwO047tQxO0Q5KbvlsJLfnkbvCenRRcNtxHD5DX6q7TQ9uwaAARUBZIk8K1eGFS2IhmOHURTCoXFnHfpWjt0y98Uu_cVzDBWa_pI1KRkbzb7Buk64mcNRWJH73iFSpKRkgh4UkgOTMBtXsXYFf0gMWe6jVNuIuCkBNJcg_m3Q/s3851/20230215_093117a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3851" data-original-width="2927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNOSezlnEpBwO047tQxO0Q5KbvlsJLfnkbvCenRRcNtxHD5DX6q7TQ9uwaAARUBZIk8K1eGFS2IhmOHURTCoXFnHfpWjt0y98Uu_cVzDBWa_pI1KRkbzb7Buk64mcNRWJH73iFSpKRkgh4UkgOTMBtXsXYFf0gMWe6jVNuIuCkBNJcg_m3Q/w486-h640/20230215_093117a.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Isis entreats Horus to avenge her murdered husband, Osiris.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWZ3qimnN1RsJ6WviSlfl-7mo9McvNrPg_PMqX_DU7c60lVa8co2_kC7ifXSXXlvj7kJ0GMPqIJh7tcSf7dNodhCOfC0Wwc1Caqmly7zMlhD2rmE-IWXQsxBb7yKPo0y53BvEjS43OwY7fM2plR7KuRQcH3_5WLHxuAh9NwbrKcPkCMTUyQ/s4000/20230215_093137a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWZ3qimnN1RsJ6WviSlfl-7mo9McvNrPg_PMqX_DU7c60lVa8co2_kC7ifXSXXlvj7kJ0GMPqIJh7tcSf7dNodhCOfC0Wwc1Caqmly7zMlhD2rmE-IWXQsxBb7yKPo0y53BvEjS43OwY7fM2plR7KuRQcH3_5WLHxuAh9NwbrKcPkCMTUyQ/w640-h480/20230215_093137a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Horus pursues Seth, who is disguised as a pig/hippo type creature. Horus spears Seth repeatedly but is unable to kill him.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaHoqdib43tq_aFLt29V-M0rFIpShW9PcKtLQJ30tX1rRqjHtvimerft3hikRTmyixehQhVS3TxqC86WOvJ2_zFlOpgbMxY_fZLSYrlFQnNpkHl9nFsy7g81KfXCoJL9Ts_oemBJwMU59s7oxVXU4ZhbkSzl47h_g0gwHyuRuxblcisID3Q/s3906/20230215_093253a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsaHoqdib43tq_aFLt29V-M0rFIpShW9PcKtLQJ30tX1rRqjHtvimerft3hikRTmyixehQhVS3TxqC86WOvJ2_zFlOpgbMxY_fZLSYrlFQnNpkHl9nFsy7g81KfXCoJL9Ts_oemBJwMU59s7oxVXU4ZhbkSzl47h_g0gwHyuRuxblcisID3Q/w492-h640/20230215_093253a.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The pursuit goes on for months...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWMehIgU_rQzTqoXrof2ojwrwiaUCTVNJYNWEavnUw2nYPLk9BwRQUbFGleTQRA73XOo28c87FFyImxxlrQawWU7-ts4Vb-WXna0mgqpWUNbrZ8rdDdy-FM42SjdSSbPyo9RGksMuoA6T6rGcWGw1prAd7hN3QaeifNaEGOZ08wxm6slz1Q/s3925/20230215_093330a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="3925" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWMehIgU_rQzTqoXrof2ojwrwiaUCTVNJYNWEavnUw2nYPLk9BwRQUbFGleTQRA73XOo28c87FFyImxxlrQawWU7-ts4Vb-WXna0mgqpWUNbrZ8rdDdy-FM42SjdSSbPyo9RGksMuoA6T6rGcWGw1prAd7hN3QaeifNaEGOZ08wxm6slz1Q/w640-h480/20230215_093330a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">...still in pursuit</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K4eK9RTN7ErQVZPt9WmEex2a8ba5_F0575uwZM49z80VTwpt2AMiW13oisYZrVALVvXunXY4VrJUTY7UribU0L2mrv3gE6x2fVUslw4nOltFBiSapPM7p66_LqHLcyNZkF2uxIG1dm9_tuRlntyAyFjHsXn72IMX1IMEtasIrTfpcUkrwA/s3715/20230215_093504a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="3715" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K4eK9RTN7ErQVZPt9WmEex2a8ba5_F0575uwZM49z80VTwpt2AMiW13oisYZrVALVvXunXY4VrJUTY7UribU0L2mrv3gE6x2fVUslw4nOltFBiSapPM7p66_LqHLcyNZkF2uxIG1dm9_tuRlntyAyFjHsXn72IMX1IMEtasIrTfpcUkrwA/w516-h640/20230215_093504a.jpg" width="516" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Seth is finally confined.</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLaXaoARkD9XLVQ1PT1qfQbo5P9Jc7qNDDOskOnWHrBSa2GZiQx1C8m3VPV04I-XlhzVEQU1O7nUY702lMVKJKTAMi30XngjewTuow8KXwyulcX6kZERTeGOtbLpQ3hZhyEDOrH6BaRlsZvOPo3BNLdPBGOIopwqabgHn-iLAPvzbnDZ9cQ/s3143/20230215_093638a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2657" data-original-width="3143" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDLaXaoARkD9XLVQ1PT1qfQbo5P9Jc7qNDDOskOnWHrBSa2GZiQx1C8m3VPV04I-XlhzVEQU1O7nUY702lMVKJKTAMi30XngjewTuow8KXwyulcX6kZERTeGOtbLpQ3hZhyEDOrH6BaRlsZvOPo3BNLdPBGOIopwqabgHn-iLAPvzbnDZ9cQ/w640-h542/20230215_093638a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Isis and Horus present his victory over Seth to the pantheon of gods.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">In front of the temple was the Mamezi, or divine birthing house. Hatshepsut was the first to use this
idea. Being born in the Mamezi gave legitimacy to a pharaoh’s claim to the
throne.</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELp5xDZJO3HIySRIYU9u7w_q97wFmeOhHlZcMSlYq84FtvX5vN_ipCc_zp2IayZBiqJ3pvl2puGKj7oni3itzyjdUqztE-ivwAxSfBgf78i2SQHTs3hPzge5BgfSU8nD6DYC5DN8MiLxhYmEYNBYva77YdrFaI7LxJiNqPnKSUzlCjqrPHQ/s3000/20230215_094301a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="3000" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELp5xDZJO3HIySRIYU9u7w_q97wFmeOhHlZcMSlYq84FtvX5vN_ipCc_zp2IayZBiqJ3pvl2puGKj7oni3itzyjdUqztE-ivwAxSfBgf78i2SQHTs3hPzge5BgfSU8nD6DYC5DN8MiLxhYmEYNBYva77YdrFaI7LxJiNqPnKSUzlCjqrPHQ/w640-h616/20230215_094301a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Mamezi - the divine birthing house</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFbn6OnWlv-8QNfTyWZyyIxkgF4P26sT5-v7g1MdumZGRaY9UIVujQFcOHSOo_RL0oPYTN5zPyuTQc6pqENW-tWJYeNUmT_t5ebm7RzqYNH8VLOcasMEq76TWZjWEVxqKmyrN-eXvtk0t2tId2PDJuREwcFKjDWYKidlHh9kmJQPrjeM2-Q/s3839/20230215_095605a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3839" data-original-width="2577" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFbn6OnWlv-8QNfTyWZyyIxkgF4P26sT5-v7g1MdumZGRaY9UIVujQFcOHSOo_RL0oPYTN5zPyuTQc6pqENW-tWJYeNUmT_t5ebm7RzqYNH8VLOcasMEq76TWZjWEVxqKmyrN-eXvtk0t2tId2PDJuREwcFKjDWYKidlHh9kmJQPrjeM2-Q/w430-h640/20230215_095605a.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Columns of the Mamezi</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">As with all the ancient sites we visited on the trip, the return to our van included a walk through the marketplace of enthusiastic hawkers of scarves and souvenirs.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PqRnOK8FGrOdVUhHhJrH3ZhmLpxQ6aZfpLh-VDNbHFucqZ8SgAt855J_tttOe_J7-OlpYzh00QjDwTjmRiU-Ss8VBnli95hWls6S22FBRiEy-Pe2KYzHanm8tqveGcMerGCAjDA6sJFoibFq_f10yoWA8rCATpA6egTEjJi67_vEVU-6FA/s2955/20230215_101657a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2497" data-original-width="2955" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PqRnOK8FGrOdVUhHhJrH3ZhmLpxQ6aZfpLh-VDNbHFucqZ8SgAt855J_tttOe_J7-OlpYzh00QjDwTjmRiU-Ss8VBnli95hWls6S22FBRiEy-Pe2KYzHanm8tqveGcMerGCAjDA6sJFoibFq_f10yoWA8rCATpA6egTEjJi67_vEVU-6FA/w640-h540/20230215_101657a.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Unique Temple of Kom Ombo</span></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">We spent the next few hours back on board,
enjoying a barbeque lunch on the sun deck while cruising further down the Nile
to our next stop of Kom Ombo. This stretch of the river was lush with agriculture and palm forests. The Nile really is the source of all life in Egypt. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWLm7jNKEMEPYD27bvfOmkoDn8vQyQdtqSiighvdGMV8OEbclPnHlUYwabDYlYSOvUAzG49Ha-mglTpcN-AqgFjL_3o4e7sTYS6MDsfKTZZVZhtpfOf0Q0wXxJoFt1ZwQrlm8dbVWQUE-_tnC8hvE3jWUKqM5X3Ri9XXjiFP4PNhz3UGtA/s3481/20230215_125900a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3481" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWLm7jNKEMEPYD27bvfOmkoDn8vQyQdtqSiighvdGMV8OEbclPnHlUYwabDYlYSOvUAzG49Ha-mglTpcN-AqgFjL_3o4e7sTYS6MDsfKTZZVZhtpfOf0Q0wXxJoFt1ZwQrlm8dbVWQUE-_tnC8hvE3jWUKqM5X3Ri9XXjiFP4PNhz3UGtA/w552-h640/20230215_125900a.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Rob enjoys an Egyptian feast</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHzrGWbGf_oLQLicrHMKI6T6LEGHXLZFHfKRj9Kau2phTZ9FfEirPOSX3wcgBuY1BT60jE_uno3rIqIBVWUShDHqmlYADUsT1Inr43-8mMv6MYY6W5YCjy2aIr5XfbAbf20cYutorP8TwlZlbW2pR2DB-CYlZlrAnKTnzCuqXUTCT6dZkFw/s2941/20230215_131928a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2123" data-original-width="2941" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHzrGWbGf_oLQLicrHMKI6T6LEGHXLZFHfKRj9Kau2phTZ9FfEirPOSX3wcgBuY1BT60jE_uno3rIqIBVWUShDHqmlYADUsT1Inr43-8mMv6MYY6W5YCjy2aIr5XfbAbf20cYutorP8TwlZlbW2pR2DB-CYlZlrAnKTnzCuqXUTCT6dZkFw/w640-h462/20230215_131928a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Irrigated fields</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6GHubt6wwwf_mI8R9HiLAUlkkx97GlZoPmLFY9_XuOCOU6tYv1gdjAAUTKqFBbV28nxgnFee4_baFxU2DFjhyHmxIpZy4pw1TjEYYnUL_NEhAFePE9Oa4lrxsrnfsnrw0VI8ztnLHew2NTa568H0KgbiJ7JuIPot7iEdhJvEIWzsTouPuQ/s3039/20230215_131937a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3039" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6GHubt6wwwf_mI8R9HiLAUlkkx97GlZoPmLFY9_XuOCOU6tYv1gdjAAUTKqFBbV28nxgnFee4_baFxU2DFjhyHmxIpZy4pw1TjEYYnUL_NEhAFePE9Oa4lrxsrnfsnrw0VI8ztnLHew2NTa568H0KgbiJ7JuIPot7iEdhJvEIWzsTouPuQ/w632-h640/20230215_131937a.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Goats, donkeys, and cows all graze along the river.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZMPk_aCl27Myog79J6XcQ6uD3CIzBttxW51ctTgmFM-B5YPgF9conneA-b5pLolBOYx-pjPuJgumEdsQVshAGOML_WZvwswVeIG46jNs5KND9K-xFbrwglyztLt6JOXgCSJ4wEYv97DG7eP3aHdbW4RuUDSknbNL6quTISF3KPNMwSgbkg/s4000/20230215_133334a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZMPk_aCl27Myog79J6XcQ6uD3CIzBttxW51ctTgmFM-B5YPgF9conneA-b5pLolBOYx-pjPuJgumEdsQVshAGOML_WZvwswVeIG46jNs5KND9K-xFbrwglyztLt6JOXgCSJ4wEYv97DG7eP3aHdbW4RuUDSknbNL6quTISF3KPNMwSgbkg/w640-h480/20230215_133334a.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSf6Z-0KdIrKsbAGQrMEfYWZ4bcE4tSIBja_nt0aBSuDxIFT7tl-2WbrzYiz7XGYr86fEbxC73MbwHnIl9yymuPjghuZcxBVi7asF5kdKNSD1VTbbrBkavZ51JHQC5PGRZONxCeLpkm5ejS2pdrudDfOTb7DrVmhR8P2YeApYl4n8r4MKxg/s3000/20230215_142916a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2608" data-original-width="3000" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSf6Z-0KdIrKsbAGQrMEfYWZ4bcE4tSIBja_nt0aBSuDxIFT7tl-2WbrzYiz7XGYr86fEbxC73MbwHnIl9yymuPjghuZcxBVi7asF5kdKNSD1VTbbrBkavZ51JHQC5PGRZONxCeLpkm5ejS2pdrudDfOTb7DrVmhR8P2YeApYl4n8r4MKxg/w640-h556/20230215_142916a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We passed a small group of buildings carved into the soft rock.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L9YQA-QrpXnmYWvKrJer2DR-LVc5Dcq7bAm9_y09dZM7UGuTPNSm8og_WmErf_jfFHp3bGY-vvlzT3hQJTb1Ycm0okurVFT30Luft-wbgPjGB5mf8iPNiqXuRlUr6Gb2zIjq6-TrU8cYjgfgjuOxE0GrH_WDXvu2IVTlAJht6izQvEb72w/s3906/20230215_143055a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2652" data-original-width="3906" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L9YQA-QrpXnmYWvKrJer2DR-LVc5Dcq7bAm9_y09dZM7UGuTPNSm8og_WmErf_jfFHp3bGY-vvlzT3hQJTb1Ycm0okurVFT30Luft-wbgPjGB5mf8iPNiqXuRlUr6Gb2zIjq6-TrU8cYjgfgjuOxE0GrH_WDXvu2IVTlAJht6izQvEb72w/w640-h434/20230215_143055a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">And one of them seemed to be a small temple, with columns carved around the opening.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></span></span></h3><h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Dual Temple of Kom Ombo: The Temple of Horus and the Temple of Sobek</span></h3><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The name Kom Ombo </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;">means “pile of gold.” It was astounding to see how much gold the ancient Egyptians used for the burials of the pharaohs!</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;"> The town is the site of a unique temple, the
only one dedicated to two gods – Horus, the falcon-headed god (his</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana;"> second
temple of the day) and Sobek, the crocodile-headed god, who represents the Nile
and fertility. (One of my photos below tells the story of Sobek.) The temple,
also built during the Greco-Roman period, includes two entrances, two
colonnades, and two courtyards. Hadrian or Trajan built the outer walls. (We
run into Hadrian frequently on our travels. He did get around!!!)</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> </span></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0e4t4xS6RChNUeMuL8s_NRNPnukGDW0JyVKLu9o9JXO4jOLEX4_GR1BZDtPa-bN0FamyINyOcL1djASRm6f4hqlhrmzr91deuwXiRwXVozwVy2UNVPUTt7cL13dCVNCkxlfUYzMGHElSUFZc9J__kE8RUH1NoYwQ9Qaij3I_ZfoRv4s6RA/s3925/20230215_172435a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="3925" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0e4t4xS6RChNUeMuL8s_NRNPnukGDW0JyVKLu9o9JXO4jOLEX4_GR1BZDtPa-bN0FamyINyOcL1djASRm6f4hqlhrmzr91deuwXiRwXVozwVy2UNVPUTt7cL13dCVNCkxlfUYzMGHElSUFZc9J__kE8RUH1NoYwQ9Qaij3I_ZfoRv4s6RA/w640-h480/20230215_172435a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The left side is dedicated to Horus and the right side to Sobek.</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDPijHX8KYvsU8RzHJo9ogSd9ltH5kfr7qo5zkEza8VyjhHLo_vs2hnD9ieYvd9s5RWEoMs-NCidvmF9BQKco9f29HzVo5hCBFBCHL9u2PIwfcl3KF63urcGmqt6B8f89l9EhKD4QyW8oKC9dqslJ6YqiQkKdrYGHcbMk3N8t-NHlRibFzg/s3349/20230215_172609a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3349" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDPijHX8KYvsU8RzHJo9ogSd9ltH5kfr7qo5zkEza8VyjhHLo_vs2hnD9ieYvd9s5RWEoMs-NCidvmF9BQKco9f29HzVo5hCBFBCHL9u2PIwfcl3KF63urcGmqt6B8f89l9EhKD4QyW8oKC9dqslJ6YqiQkKdrYGHcbMk3N8t-NHlRibFzg/w574-h640/20230215_172609a.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Joan, Rob, and Deda at Kom Ombo Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxfQfML34qguK5-uySWtXdeVSEQlymjmnYC99rU9hkFrkTmbWGRjxkb4qE-LPjcJHStLhqkW9WEHehQKWYJuMaLqAjHwaK92fpGEr70zNo8ypnekg753JMGQWbtyASlhbsS_uqy5bOACH-iPs918PTHNPPVPwjW3oaa6QxpkEaCcbuhcpLw/s3899/20230215_172244a.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2329" data-original-width="3899" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxfQfML34qguK5-uySWtXdeVSEQlymjmnYC99rU9hkFrkTmbWGRjxkb4qE-LPjcJHStLhqkW9WEHehQKWYJuMaLqAjHwaK92fpGEr70zNo8ypnekg753JMGQWbtyASlhbsS_uqy5bOACH-iPs918PTHNPPVPwjW3oaa6QxpkEaCcbuhcpLw/w640-h382/20230215_172244a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The rear chambers of the temple.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1LaYI60LJnxb1Jh71InJEvWbU8Xs-lGCAM_36Kfnq9ql-UBJ0zy2ITrbUfjGtVysE_mvS119p51Nl9KBTDbChBNinlgjKU-puq1cSOaQxBhA9moHkq9nrN3kEjTvbEfiosO8M9k3GyJsqkKOMIjta-f7h00fidX1yx-Rk5kVAaTdrsP6Tw/s3421/20230215_170404a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3421" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1LaYI60LJnxb1Jh71InJEvWbU8Xs-lGCAM_36Kfnq9ql-UBJ0zy2ITrbUfjGtVysE_mvS119p51Nl9KBTDbChBNinlgjKU-puq1cSOaQxBhA9moHkq9nrN3kEjTvbEfiosO8M9k3GyJsqkKOMIjta-f7h00fidX1yx-Rk5kVAaTdrsP6Tw/w562-h640/20230215_170404a.jpg" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This man was keeping watch on the visitors to the temple.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Like all the other temples we had visited on this trip, the walls were covered with images and stories of the gods and pharaohs.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJbjOwS5fAc5Z-UFdqbuwAilZomt9BklE9UgIfhs90iF77bgpd2ZJOWt_jw_vSt22DnGWcv66ShGiNBawlogjrDxz7YbsLyFSZLFFr51Idcewq61IZUjV23oPxSIqUDVIBLNwYODyh7TVOWbAMyiO1wFGwTpzJ9zTPcAwFx0XLbavkCErlw/s3281/20230215_170855a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJbjOwS5fAc5Z-UFdqbuwAilZomt9BklE9UgIfhs90iF77bgpd2ZJOWt_jw_vSt22DnGWcv66ShGiNBawlogjrDxz7YbsLyFSZLFFr51Idcewq61IZUjV23oPxSIqUDVIBLNwYODyh7TVOWbAMyiO1wFGwTpzJ9zTPcAwFx0XLbavkCErlw/w586-h640/20230215_170855a.jpg" width="586" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I liked this carving of ancient Egyptian antelopes.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6m2Vmt3-iUrQELb0e7nVqBzLyqYJ4Whn5ctsh7lBhGB8rjTsUS10rm_UwdjjbOVcnbxt_O8cfV1v1FtdwiApYIL3n6MLqi3ppk3utdjUoOnqKdfJ_WGT_oQS7SzpXDwVeuf378uy6d7S6cbEvOPdQM68r_Jt18d4QRTZ6XaPi_86OyTzMQ/s3630/20230215_170948a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3630" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6m2Vmt3-iUrQELb0e7nVqBzLyqYJ4Whn5ctsh7lBhGB8rjTsUS10rm_UwdjjbOVcnbxt_O8cfV1v1FtdwiApYIL3n6MLqi3ppk3utdjUoOnqKdfJ_WGT_oQS7SzpXDwVeuf378uy6d7S6cbEvOPdQM68r_Jt18d4QRTZ6XaPi_86OyTzMQ/w528-h640/20230215_170948a.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Eagles on the underside of the roof of the temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpifNhmiMoGdcAYH_fYbRdQVV7yNwPlLNLN2HnyV0mEmzbA0TgiWn2TZMJyE8lQsD-CyR7wzTrOk9JYxrm5vt_ll3443Ax5bKStyLaZ-8bpnLaQaoIATm68c0qcuxZWdfuL1gR_BJCSKTM6MAdDUI36HgAhQMo3mGizLQbuoDjZJA4RJ0uw/s3803/20230215_171246a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3803" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpifNhmiMoGdcAYH_fYbRdQVV7yNwPlLNLN2HnyV0mEmzbA0TgiWn2TZMJyE8lQsD-CyR7wzTrOk9JYxrm5vt_ll3443Ax5bKStyLaZ-8bpnLaQaoIATm68c0qcuxZWdfuL1gR_BJCSKTM6MAdDUI36HgAhQMo3mGizLQbuoDjZJA4RJ0uw/w504-h640/20230215_171246a.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T-UI7PIE96pqaZy89WQSKj1dKEZP-RJBAQK28jDe3oG50NZGgLeLFW2384ueF0fm-BEq5J6YeqR6ofBih_8QEqgQC8LEol6msX2Ct7I4vHoQTqrDV89DdFPjAJloeFiMJSxMlKhpy2_fLxbZg5pZyODVqThs3Sx5YjS3Top8pD7bGzMYPw/s3681/20230215_171307a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3681" data-original-width="2697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T-UI7PIE96pqaZy89WQSKj1dKEZP-RJBAQK28jDe3oG50NZGgLeLFW2384ueF0fm-BEq5J6YeqR6ofBih_8QEqgQC8LEol6msX2Ct7I4vHoQTqrDV89DdFPjAJloeFiMJSxMlKhpy2_fLxbZg5pZyODVqThs3Sx5YjS3Top8pD7bGzMYPw/w468-h640/20230215_171307a.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The left side of the temple focused on Horus.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI4ZFWSUOuSO7LrC8eDz3I3s5glgOcfCJdbjHWu-361TIph0nVVeRQNZIsrBCTPIk6SsirNYXGqD3eR1owgnkollrAOwxXNMYUNPrLcyFGczfmSqDjH8Ylc25d-FGNnZAoIPLp4hKBYhkcyLDkDrFxTlsDcBdHRl3sFfep9YF9Mp_EYvJfw/s3940/20230215_171413a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="3940" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI4ZFWSUOuSO7LrC8eDz3I3s5glgOcfCJdbjHWu-361TIph0nVVeRQNZIsrBCTPIk6SsirNYXGqD3eR1owgnkollrAOwxXNMYUNPrLcyFGczfmSqDjH8Ylc25d-FGNnZAoIPLp4hKBYhkcyLDkDrFxTlsDcBdHRl3sFfep9YF9Mp_EYvJfw/w640-h480/20230215_171413a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Thoth, the ibis-headed god, was the god of mathematics and science, and Horus anoint a pharaoh.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vSff7L70NHOVp_j1O36_y4mdc3tUH7rJG2Y-VeyrsEyiJuKOawFU6CYGhNsoTFVFWtuGn19kf_42lzkUJMNR2A41KZRNVm6JbDk42OrYI-409SjnIze6XSRwYXF36Usp_IpaUTr7M8O_Vwp6ZeWTKx9ReyD83mepDlvag7yQgB_4XtGySw/s4000/20230215_171605a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vSff7L70NHOVp_j1O36_y4mdc3tUH7rJG2Y-VeyrsEyiJuKOawFU6CYGhNsoTFVFWtuGn19kf_42lzkUJMNR2A41KZRNVm6JbDk42OrYI-409SjnIze6XSRwYXF36Usp_IpaUTr7M8O_Vwp6ZeWTKx9ReyD83mepDlvag7yQgB_4XtGySw/w640-h480/20230215_171605a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8gcK8ZwpKRWVGoSMpIjuBNSNKYPaQgJ3dhldZF_mrT2wxHpWSK9QU4JywA2rfTxfTDnTF1ovNoCZxFPAVzxNLMZZlF38kb2nZFeMZpCIFj3fbJOZ5vS0_ik2CTDUumuhv5V8LF2fdXw4Hrq_zANC7BB9pOy9H3OnFs1D1cqZoUiT3jW8Ww/s3903/20230215_171627a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2927" data-original-width="3903" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8gcK8ZwpKRWVGoSMpIjuBNSNKYPaQgJ3dhldZF_mrT2wxHpWSK9QU4JywA2rfTxfTDnTF1ovNoCZxFPAVzxNLMZZlF38kb2nZFeMZpCIFj3fbJOZ5vS0_ik2CTDUumuhv5V8LF2fdXw4Hrq_zANC7BB9pOy9H3OnFs1D1cqZoUiT3jW8Ww/w640-h480/20230215_171627a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">Another of the highlights here was the detailed
calendar: a list of Festivals of ancient Egypt and a calendar of the year
engraved on the walls. The ancient Egyptians knew that the year was 365 ¼ days
long. Like us, they divided the year into 12 months. Each month was 30 days,
but a week was 10 days long, so there were three weeks each month. That left 5
days left over for festivals – and an extra day every four years – so </span></span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">the first
Leap Years were invented here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The ancient Egyptian year started in June with
the appearance of the star Sirius. There were three seasons: Flood season,
Sowing season, and Harvest season. The calendar on the walls of the temple
includes the offerings the priests must make to the gods on each day.</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnjSuBNu1QGHh86meehm8H7WUv_hwEt9X466HDyCa7bAXI_iLS26YqT1j0Pv-3TcWYUBF80hCYmer5zUJ1FHhEVig5RGPSgk-wqeJgbnjiQg6gdrqfRFVjAp4Em4AoZmRomMw90Ldnyi3x_bGv1rP9c2e_Lvyn6CrqKcwgj6Ia11DRhzWdg/s3297/20230215_171110a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3297" data-original-width="2788" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnjSuBNu1QGHh86meehm8H7WUv_hwEt9X466HDyCa7bAXI_iLS26YqT1j0Pv-3TcWYUBF80hCYmer5zUJ1FHhEVig5RGPSgk-wqeJgbnjiQg6gdrqfRFVjAp4Em4AoZmRomMw90Ldnyi3x_bGv1rP9c2e_Lvyn6CrqKcwgj6Ia11DRhzWdg/w542-h640/20230215_171110a.jpg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Several of the Egyptian deities were portrayed with lion heads. These stand to the right of the list of festivals</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACIIdAnx-4WJx2ONI9N7Fu05pZOHp8w_IFBrQe0K-b1dN7sKnbouXik8CTkDY3_nczrBkC9TwBKr1O6Pj3WS0X_TorT19SVUzhiYRHhiyy29SNWQX0QgVcKbPloKMApHF8950Dpo0wtQez_JFbi0fTX-2rW0n48BeZdkvY7WaYNqJtI6LZg/s3778/20230215_171120a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="2606" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACIIdAnx-4WJx2ONI9N7Fu05pZOHp8w_IFBrQe0K-b1dN7sKnbouXik8CTkDY3_nczrBkC9TwBKr1O6Pj3WS0X_TorT19SVUzhiYRHhiyy29SNWQX0QgVcKbPloKMApHF8950Dpo0wtQez_JFbi0fTX-2rW0n48BeZdkvY7WaYNqJtI6LZg/w442-h640/20230215_171120a.jpg" width="442" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the earliest calendars</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">This temple also included a medical clinic,
and one wall depicted medical instruments that were remarkably like those used
today!</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBvIYWWK45jyWvdc8r-8ddDUQgfCr9ro7tMVVKRZmRed7QcWdn7bGRqlTLbFSgl9Ct-Vp6mZ0HUdlSNddnr8c9aHGgAo7dswnMlbkPUdos24K-EBn_FtIm621eglRfsOpR-HrAh2YNG5HEJL6mLK1Sm29FTQ3IRNQ0BuejYxiLl5NbaE08A/s2783/20230215_170557aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="1899" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBvIYWWK45jyWvdc8r-8ddDUQgfCr9ro7tMVVKRZmRed7QcWdn7bGRqlTLbFSgl9Ct-Vp6mZ0HUdlSNddnr8c9aHGgAo7dswnMlbkPUdos24K-EBn_FtIm621eglRfsOpR-HrAh2YNG5HEJL6mLK1Sm29FTQ3IRNQ0BuejYxiLl5NbaE08A/w436-h640/20230215_170557aa.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Ancient medical instruments look familiar!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">The right side of the temple was dedicated to Sobek, the god of the Nile. Of course, a temple to Sobek must include a
sacred crocodile, and sure enough, there was a deep pool where a chosen
crocodile lived and was honored until his death when his body was mummified. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;"></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJzBpXMKLgulhEbpuMIgZFqxvbUNPPU0ZNvhe2PFa3pOB8Ni338acFFjnM5z7zOm7gjulHrDPlgHbc_rWRCzo10ui4bMXP_XyjsDWstMBzmyrX84e4d5qLQ6JlmotJNwTRATEq1rlbEzm-XoQ1ZzsEwUf0QS5vI-Iec4Gpw7Syzj1hseT0Q/s3239/20230215_171836a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3239" data-original-width="2895" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJzBpXMKLgulhEbpuMIgZFqxvbUNPPU0ZNvhe2PFa3pOB8Ni338acFFjnM5z7zOm7gjulHrDPlgHbc_rWRCzo10ui4bMXP_XyjsDWstMBzmyrX84e4d5qLQ6JlmotJNwTRATEq1rlbEzm-XoQ1ZzsEwUf0QS5vI-Iec4Gpw7Syzj1hseT0Q/w572-h640/20230215_171836a.jpg" width="572" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Pharaoh gives offerings to Sobek and his wife, Renenutet, goddess of fertility and the harvest.<br /><br /></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8KC8TzAVse653_0u5tc6MHIS4Pt0u60dT3didOTWHNUmMw_n-wcqpnCfk0urDcPG0Z2Q3iNuWGFsqhYLYmQRtigU-_xI3tXm_0Ma1D0ssDU9fjW8_GWqDgz73HXk8vhG40YIrOZgZGylWdOrSbcowbXYzqK17o3CL368TWK0aJZKR2midw/s3664/20230215_172207a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3664" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8KC8TzAVse653_0u5tc6MHIS4Pt0u60dT3didOTWHNUmMw_n-wcqpnCfk0urDcPG0Z2Q3iNuWGFsqhYLYmQRtigU-_xI3tXm_0Ma1D0ssDU9fjW8_GWqDgz73HXk8vhG40YIrOZgZGylWdOrSbcowbXYzqK17o3CL368TWK0aJZKR2midw/w524-h640/20230215_172207a.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The pool of the Sacred Crocodile</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some of the sacred crocodiles were still here! A small museum near the temple held the bodies of several mummified crocodiles, discovered under a nearby home. </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxBRD0ftBspQpSQyV-Pg4E0HHlP3hDlCVlWWdulTI3odDA2j90X9rccbaJZ-srBZLt17X9atET5w60Qus6qJZ2BcdpTsdfpbSPBOM0WhwswuA8ia0AHq-7ln70VJU_74KbXzccfxLvhCi6K4SwEvVsF77_W9mf2u7hjE6rs0ofuCYWxCoIA/s3511/20230215_172951a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3511" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxBRD0ftBspQpSQyV-Pg4E0HHlP3hDlCVlWWdulTI3odDA2j90X9rccbaJZ-srBZLt17X9atET5w60Qus6qJZ2BcdpTsdfpbSPBOM0WhwswuA8ia0AHq-7ln70VJU_74KbXzccfxLvhCi6K4SwEvVsF77_W9mf2u7hjE6rs0ofuCYWxCoIA/w640-h546/20230215_172951a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Mummified crocodiles</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-ON8l71sJ47Pf50kcR_mQYEEFgMQ_oyjGvR1wDO7uedMCYViB8sfhiYa1kwwWdU2djNNG90JG9-VjPhWJXF8R9qZvv5SVX3eb3xwAQPtRiIIVhVN87jwGYfPic6McTTJj8CZ0x6rGQ3O8PVpQQeP2HvQ23fx0CEUouimyDwExqXsJB6-_A/s3000/20230215_173006a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="3000" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-ON8l71sJ47Pf50kcR_mQYEEFgMQ_oyjGvR1wDO7uedMCYViB8sfhiYa1kwwWdU2djNNG90JG9-VjPhWJXF8R9qZvv5SVX3eb3xwAQPtRiIIVhVN87jwGYfPic6McTTJj8CZ0x6rGQ3O8PVpQQeP2HvQ23fx0CEUouimyDwExqXsJB6-_A/w640-h592/20230215_173006a.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj756CzjvQXdtlJRm8TWEGLKkS4XVVHMhQbW6ZmPevdiEuqGayCWRsF3lhZO8z8P_FX5n_Id0GgTzi25JqZDa1C62A9R6tVJlWSilSDsI0CMBdxW1eaF--0WV_-UZKR7LNnn0jlPH_QkvtgaQh5E-11zSEK_48rC1N2WLAIbuFbuTKlXiEEdw/s2801/20230215_173313a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2362" data-original-width="2801" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj756CzjvQXdtlJRm8TWEGLKkS4XVVHMhQbW6ZmPevdiEuqGayCWRsF3lhZO8z8P_FX5n_Id0GgTzi25JqZDa1C62A9R6tVJlWSilSDsI0CMBdxW1eaF--0WV_-UZKR7LNnn0jlPH_QkvtgaQh5E-11zSEK_48rC1N2WLAIbuFbuTKlXiEEdw/w640-h540/20230215_173313a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Some were still in their wrappings.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNgEfgeyY-S9eJlpE_f-C39a_ezdSq_yNnk45NIaqlBfH4RHZxQx_WO7U86zt69dYRx7a13xz8zhndI5QNnmC5zJrJBt7XSBTTvE2vWI7VaJEYmYqRmJimWx_inUlRF7Yyd07JkfN_WMCVJofFaFeJ3DEi0G0uNjOoAnie1CCwO5nBvc7XA/s2942/20230215_173247a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="2942" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNgEfgeyY-S9eJlpE_f-C39a_ezdSq_yNnk45NIaqlBfH4RHZxQx_WO7U86zt69dYRx7a13xz8zhndI5QNnmC5zJrJBt7XSBTTvE2vWI7VaJEYmYqRmJimWx_inUlRF7Yyd07JkfN_WMCVJofFaFeJ3DEi0G0uNjOoAnie1CCwO5nBvc7XA/w640-h416/20230215_173247a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Fossilized crocodile eggs</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5O6MrZqoW9-khbKsuzTgLcyqrgy8wJ957TiZOlYwGGAXL8XPEfQ3fJW_lfck9vMpJa5Zx7k3FACtp33sseiwiwFFr9icXQbZ7Q8QrA9FpKhnjQEZ1fPv7ln3dlWc7mbmidvRVnhEdYbJAOkobfq2Py7K7u0fHwGJ_c4XoN8Hr9vBJVE_Tg/s3632/20230215_173156a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3632" data-original-width="2849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5O6MrZqoW9-khbKsuzTgLcyqrgy8wJ957TiZOlYwGGAXL8XPEfQ3fJW_lfck9vMpJa5Zx7k3FACtp33sseiwiwFFr9icXQbZ7Q8QrA9FpKhnjQEZ1fPv7ln3dlWc7mbmidvRVnhEdYbJAOkobfq2Py7K7u0fHwGJ_c4XoN8Hr9vBJVE_Tg/w502-h640/20230215_173156a.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The burial chamber of two of the crocodiles</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhJiwPdsbMWVnLtNvDyruRMya_yVcj7JNdLk6NWX4c5VVRLjvTcrO8moV7fhDal_81axqWayfsiHh93ifZEvbJJkP_N7GgknEno5K7DM7p_FBSYM_R9R6mheZJ8-Jga5IB8GrMcrCFwNS0ubXt0QyJpc1AIL45S0vydeRtbaiRzKxNdkgpw/s4000/20230215_173138a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2798" data-original-width="4000" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhJiwPdsbMWVnLtNvDyruRMya_yVcj7JNdLk6NWX4c5VVRLjvTcrO8moV7fhDal_81axqWayfsiHh93ifZEvbJJkP_N7GgknEno5K7DM7p_FBSYM_R9R6mheZJ8-Jga5IB8GrMcrCFwNS0ubXt0QyJpc1AIL45S0vydeRtbaiRzKxNdkgpw/w640-h448/20230215_173138a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Travois for the sacred crocodile</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADxcennRkmEfLo3bHHGvg6_Qr8-4sHVnPeLjt9fLBoBZTSCMdJDUKmGHHOoh58OlqXds3a96k8ZYPSybSi-wd28KMco3ZdnhSdOkF6uxyG1_9frfZhoMuFHUMEc-DP6nVQDHgQHeVZy9fpN9IGHZe8O_pJdAnuTNpoxrPLCi1VnEqdNGM4w/s3154/20230215_173058a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3154" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADxcennRkmEfLo3bHHGvg6_Qr8-4sHVnPeLjt9fLBoBZTSCMdJDUKmGHHOoh58OlqXds3a96k8ZYPSybSi-wd28KMco3ZdnhSdOkF6uxyG1_9frfZhoMuFHUMEc-DP6nVQDHgQHeVZy9fpN9IGHZe8O_pJdAnuTNpoxrPLCi1VnEqdNGM4w/w372-h640/20230215_173058a.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Small carving of Sobek</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #050505;">One final thought on all the temples we have visited this trip. Our brief time in each was simply not enough to soak in everything. Every wall
and column is covered with images and hieroglyphics - and all of them tell a
story. It made me wish I were an Egyptologist!</span><span style="color: #050505;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a long day, so we were glad to get back
to our boat for a rest and an early dinner. As usual, we returned to our
stateroom to discover our clean towels folded into a creature. Today was,
appropriately, a crocodile! </span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51sR7hZJA3VAl1KgZSCOq9iqyDY5uD8dolHXVtv6o9B_HCDCW8dI89fXzrnWiZVwImowYo7SPg3EhftKU1bIDc3f1k1uZ2rANhehvvvviKjgAZbv_e86qS0GsHgmvbmCP7iD4W6OIMgtVJCDzBsYW9gR3SMZ0WAch0TKy0SJAOKQRKYq4Hg/s3000/20230215_103354a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2706" data-original-width="3000" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51sR7hZJA3VAl1KgZSCOq9iqyDY5uD8dolHXVtv6o9B_HCDCW8dI89fXzrnWiZVwImowYo7SPg3EhftKU1bIDc3f1k1uZ2rANhehvvvviKjgAZbv_e86qS0GsHgmvbmCP7iD4W6OIMgtVJCDzBsYW9gR3SMZ0WAch0TKy0SJAOKQRKYq4Hg/w640-h578/20230215_103354a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A happy crocodile on our bed.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"></span></div><span style="color: #050505; font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-89581828235411334242023-03-18T16:48:00.001-07:002023-03-22T15:46:22.872-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 5: A Valley of Kings and the Temple of a Queen <div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h2 style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">February 14, 2023</span></h2><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, and Cruising Down the Nile</span></h1></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKfZIpoyfOQn35uKXXRjfQxQCYA-AfrrdeyAW9l26XR56ATT_4Q8CzIBexz6nBO4TEmDMKgF_JnIJyzhkVa9Gj_uE6qkor08Z2k4ic7PhQYdrdpYeigKjXuNnN24GL4bYKrwQMOOUS6tx9Xsu_kHYIRu3TzsT5mKcAf9FKCyWbKYsvD7tJg/s5184/IMG_0080a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKfZIpoyfOQn35uKXXRjfQxQCYA-AfrrdeyAW9l26XR56ATT_4Q8CzIBexz6nBO4TEmDMKgF_JnIJyzhkVa9Gj_uE6qkor08Z2k4ic7PhQYdrdpYeigKjXuNnN24GL4bYKrwQMOOUS6tx9Xsu_kHYIRu3TzsT5mKcAf9FKCyWbKYsvD7tJg/w640-h360/IMG_0080a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The <span><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Valley of the Kings is a network of canyons winding its way through the soft limestone hills on the west bank of the Nile just across the Nile River from Karnak and Luxor. It is famous as the necropolis of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom were buried in pyramids. Those of the Middle Kingdom were scattered in various separate locations. But the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, (18th – 22nd Dynasties), in their attempt to prevent grave-robbers from taking the precious possessions the kings would need in the afterlife, chose to have their burial chambers buried deep into the sides of the mountains. The location was supposed to be kept secret, but the secret got out, and every one of the sixty-two tombs here were plundered – with one famous exception. Young King Tut remained in his burial tomb with his possessions until his discovery by a young boy in 1922. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There is also a symbolic significance to the location of this valley. Karnak, the great temple of Amon Ra, the sun god, stands on the east side of the Nile, greeting the rising sun, while the Valley of the Kings sits on the west side, the tombs of the pharaohs lying under the glow of the setting sun.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met our wonderful guide, Deda, first thing in the morning and boarded one of the many colorful boats ferrying visitors across the Nile. Our driver was waiting on the other side to drive us the short distance to the entrance to the site. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWCRaOwrRhT8lR8P02foNIxZwPvL4ITqWjc5WYPlcT0SfXI_McGtg0CgqKiS_rx6F4MY21gIG4x_3ZCpT0FzoQGpIn-DEmujd9nu1IAv9KbghH_yifyzMlVYVx8YMvedyzv_PPuweQ3n_jrAK37IRbQ-tPty4QaqOgxsv0M3lLBk_rTw8OQ/s4000/20230214_123003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWCRaOwrRhT8lR8P02foNIxZwPvL4ITqWjc5WYPlcT0SfXI_McGtg0CgqKiS_rx6F4MY21gIG4x_3ZCpT0FzoQGpIn-DEmujd9nu1IAv9KbghH_yifyzMlVYVx8YMvedyzv_PPuweQ3n_jrAK37IRbQ-tPty4QaqOgxsv0M3lLBk_rTw8OQ/w640-h480/20230214_123003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Boat ride from the east bank to the west bank of the Nile.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaahShVJBfQfkb6OCes0HO9rPfkdUAkJ9yDr4r686b77FD2Fx_RC4XZ4CkgRrRDexR83LzFMKqmDKuMVKQV3DYJGsp7gNkm7x82NsdJPbSz88rzdZK-daIsn03dVdiimwRXLV9KG8ENOMUoIu2ekR_1jSpEA9dmx40yqhN5-6iZ5DFrU4rg/s3530/IMG_0073.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3530" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaahShVJBfQfkb6OCes0HO9rPfkdUAkJ9yDr4r686b77FD2Fx_RC4XZ4CkgRrRDexR83LzFMKqmDKuMVKQV3DYJGsp7gNkm7x82NsdJPbSz88rzdZK-daIsn03dVdiimwRXLV9KG8ENOMUoIu2ekR_1jSpEA9dmx40yqhN5-6iZ5DFrU4rg/w640-h528/IMG_0073.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My favorite travel partner</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On the way to the valley, we passed by the home of archaeologist Howard Carter during his work here in the 1920s and 30s. Carter, funded by his patron, Lord Carnarvon, had been digging in this valley for several years. He found nothing but empty tombs, and Lord Carnarvon, who was tired of getting no results, had given him notice that 1922 would be the last season. Then in November of that year, a boy who worked on the excavation team was inside of the tomb of Rameses VI and dropped a jar of water. The water immediately vanished through the floor, so the young man went running for Carter with the news that there must be another chamber below the floor. Tutankhamen’s burial location had remained hidden because King Ramses VI’s much larger tomb was built just over the tomb of the rather insignificant young Pharoah, who died at the age of nineteen. His is the one and only intact tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings. (There were additional intact tombs discovered by French archaeologist, Pierre Montet, in the ancient city of Tanis.)</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvZ6mODe4v4ee6_9qrGilocXIzBBDOyB3epNdWuegNKtjhASV1_EP7788rhFov0Pj0AnlMcHEjANZtUpkTK_ttBlm0sH3gLxEoS7Qx7LH3BCaOUfCTcnc-jNGtc1NaEfKVB287u-Q0il1nsAaq22ue9W3KIR30l8Fe4V_iryV8L--WesuOw/s3144/IMG_0153a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2073" data-original-width="3144" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvZ6mODe4v4ee6_9qrGilocXIzBBDOyB3epNdWuegNKtjhASV1_EP7788rhFov0Pj0AnlMcHEjANZtUpkTK_ttBlm0sH3gLxEoS7Qx7LH3BCaOUfCTcnc-jNGtc1NaEfKVB287u-Q0il1nsAaq22ue9W3KIR30l8Fe4V_iryV8L--WesuOw/w640-h422/IMG_0153a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The house used by Howard Carter, the archaeologist in charge of the excavations in the Valley of the Kings. </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Visitors Center had some helpful exhibits, including a 3-D map of the valley, showing the location of the excavated tombs. I loved the model showing each of the tombs UNDER the ground so we could see how they were placed relative to each other. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDV2tXxNpefIk-Ea4FOh6G2Ko4RAnpqsckLXmWfcw1sElXa-ojEO5UPdO6K22lkVwiqSchgdcsQ2MwWSsENoXF0wCWGtojVvhPEEFSmTztWJpWiwoqrLfJ99PVoXcg--zwwI9zw7efEN6NoIR9V6aC_YsvQkezvTn5iba6dOeOhQNNrxFcQ/s3936/IMG_0075a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3936" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDV2tXxNpefIk-Ea4FOh6G2Ko4RAnpqsckLXmWfcw1sElXa-ojEO5UPdO6K22lkVwiqSchgdcsQ2MwWSsENoXF0wCWGtojVvhPEEFSmTztWJpWiwoqrLfJ99PVoXcg--zwwI9zw7efEN6NoIR9V6aC_YsvQkezvTn5iba6dOeOhQNNrxFcQ/w640-h472/IMG_0075a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A diagram of workers painting the walls of the tombs</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahOjXpZtalknU8BmaSFDfHuPCUyP_fr12SqPyXI3U9-C8Q7ASysrxuIQ_5ufVu8OaizsF-sgBAL907ZUIjDcx_SqEQcd9-kuG4_SGX2IhbCR4JUAy--kpxr84rtL8jWGXgyCg7kDICkKOoA6hOR2wVmzN7rz2z5Xu3p3eCrdAE3RR067QKg/s3472/IMG_0076a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="2630" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahOjXpZtalknU8BmaSFDfHuPCUyP_fr12SqPyXI3U9-C8Q7ASysrxuIQ_5ufVu8OaizsF-sgBAL907ZUIjDcx_SqEQcd9-kuG4_SGX2IhbCR4JUAy--kpxr84rtL8jWGXgyCg7kDICkKOoA6hOR2wVmzN7rz2z5Xu3p3eCrdAE3RR067QKg/w484-h640/IMG_0076a.JPG" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The 3-D map showing the location of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVPBXKkgyPvhiphdL-XwmFZ6FRsyUu52XsrVE1kZHBaj5ZM7dLtnuEag7O-TA8E5TMYf8My7zZm-B_yrGDjafbTBVf-rh6BYbz3xddRqn74lPwsctbhZ4L1Ym8EF7zEesjFZxVd2_BFm0wrkhmmK8o4hiL5UWQQd46Ng40dSg3AjGNvEURQ/s5184/IMG_0077a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="5184" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVPBXKkgyPvhiphdL-XwmFZ6FRsyUu52XsrVE1kZHBaj5ZM7dLtnuEag7O-TA8E5TMYf8My7zZm-B_yrGDjafbTBVf-rh6BYbz3xddRqn74lPwsctbhZ4L1Ym8EF7zEesjFZxVd2_BFm0wrkhmmK8o4hiL5UWQQd46Ng40dSg3AjGNvEURQ/w640-h210/IMG_0077a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">All the passageways, chambers, and locations of the tomb were suspended beneath the map.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQcz9g5klfXOec-q4WyRVWUxYREpzAKcpTWzsCDlcGp61ig0QYbByBluB3awamKlZfueJWYh_yCC1hxyHN5Jl95kIbxY_ByZAQgHs-hXRQ-x4CcWlseCB81T2luAhow-xEf56pygVkv1suihHH1N1sq_MLQ8BMY60igkWSPzECNZkluCg3g/s4498/IMG_0078a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1937" data-original-width="4498" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQcz9g5klfXOec-q4WyRVWUxYREpzAKcpTWzsCDlcGp61ig0QYbByBluB3awamKlZfueJWYh_yCC1hxyHN5Jl95kIbxY_ByZAQgHs-hXRQ-x4CcWlseCB81T2luAhow-xEf56pygVkv1suihHH1N1sq_MLQ8BMY60igkWSPzECNZkluCg3g/w640-h276/IMG_0078a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Tomb of King Tut Ankh Amun</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Many of the tombs are open to the public, but Deda had arranged for us to visit the “extra-ticket-required” tombs of both Tutankhamen and Ramses VI. We walked down some steep stairs to the lower tomb of King Tut and entered the short passageway that leads to his small burial chamber and the adjoining room that had once held his treasures. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEU62YHnbb-SEq_GgiQ3nh3318cBAuy0V2oPsy8QacxsmH7IGzyesLlvnEt7uZ5-9WWP-T7Sdygu4HUB5RkUMM5bl17BC4lSXYKnTRcqmKlTXyKgWJLFteINRYzxh6GbNd7lA_gGpZMu4tFXc6HC6umBEqiLmiGXF1MeLaDrLX07SCOwHwQ/s3653/IMG_0084a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="3653" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEU62YHnbb-SEq_GgiQ3nh3318cBAuy0V2oPsy8QacxsmH7IGzyesLlvnEt7uZ5-9WWP-T7Sdygu4HUB5RkUMM5bl17BC4lSXYKnTRcqmKlTXyKgWJLFteINRYzxh6GbNd7lA_gGpZMu4tFXc6HC6umBEqiLmiGXF1MeLaDrLX07SCOwHwQ/w640-h494/IMG_0084a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob outside of the Tomb of Tut Ankh Amun</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rpnKI8hg_C27ko329H-jY1mwWb83nHuDlmmrvVp-ZbiCbX6T9g4EKmojnFzV-b46b8bniSsViwZ4hc1bGDFdwnlm6jdDH8lTUkCVSR4VNHGhXVg5pIgr402b-fEbP4MIgzui4NIXvFahITQIqRBwWHZGSZoAiHPmj-rB4lqN24bz1lbUow/s3814/IMG_0081a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="3814" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rpnKI8hg_C27ko329H-jY1mwWb83nHuDlmmrvVp-ZbiCbX6T9g4EKmojnFzV-b46b8bniSsViwZ4hc1bGDFdwnlm6jdDH8lTUkCVSR4VNHGhXVg5pIgr402b-fEbP4MIgzui4NIXvFahITQIqRBwWHZGSZoAiHPmj-rB4lqN24bz1lbUow/w640-h452/IMG_0081a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A diagram of Tut's tomb and descriptions of the paintings on the walls of his burial chamber.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The still vivid paintings on the walls tell the story the Imy Dwat, the mystical journey of the soul from the earthly plane to the realm of the afterlife. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodXKhmU2JgINpB_H47Gtb-vUuBX9UrCypjb4rIZiyHTveRzcLRVO4nwCWN83SXaScmnDqyJbrz1yFmTg1vcNTtC1c89OCTna3Gq0vOs9HY6W5kTggvQgx8uLT9beQJyFFEAgaLmas2TOONT2db4MXWAA6HmjVabhaMYk04RwnL9CTXpnlPw/s1599/IMG_0083aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1599" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodXKhmU2JgINpB_H47Gtb-vUuBX9UrCypjb4rIZiyHTveRzcLRVO4nwCWN83SXaScmnDqyJbrz1yFmTg1vcNTtC1c89OCTna3Gq0vOs9HY6W5kTggvQgx8uLT9beQJyFFEAgaLmas2TOONT2db4MXWAA6HmjVabhaMYk04RwnL9CTXpnlPw/w640-h616/IMG_0083aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The first panel shown above is a bit out of our view to the left on the photo below. Anubis is the jackal-headed deity who accompanies the dead to the afterlife. Hathor, the goddess who helps the soul make its transition to eternity, returns life back to Tut with the ankh, the symbol of life.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0OtOlgOJxJTo4-Tg9QdLK97Efc62KAwOSBNWddqGU4xABSiNc6UjAAH8FbzGQMe0K-x2bt7ORZ0BAa3hQkZWozlT34VmM-Y6gfIaql86I6KroNeLyjcaml5GpsTL9dHd9rhwyiwOtoVPOZImXkHaUSpzVJpcA6GlC6Uvg75Y1fX68-cCcw/s4979/IMG_0088a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="4979" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0OtOlgOJxJTo4-Tg9QdLK97Efc62KAwOSBNWddqGU4xABSiNc6UjAAH8FbzGQMe0K-x2bt7ORZ0BAa3hQkZWozlT34VmM-Y6gfIaql86I6KroNeLyjcaml5GpsTL9dHd9rhwyiwOtoVPOZImXkHaUSpzVJpcA6GlC6Uvg75Y1fX68-cCcw/w640-h356/IMG_0088a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The panels on the walls show rituals and spells from The Book of the Dead. The First Hour of the Imy Dwat depicts baboons and Egyptian deities.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOkvaXkw1ReKn1qx1W1Oub8TXpUK_K4A053UdkTDuBjj7pXi5dsh_7dUbE7NMvWnX678zxrj-InSHcatdpS_FJuIgK-LhK610-1Qr8K5ZDlLD0InGgj8I1_DikzMJAXgb8bLebTvXQ8YX2AQpfdUrRwdVzOdiOlf1_FvWviggZNFFhaQgpA/s4699/IMG_0090a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4699" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOkvaXkw1ReKn1qx1W1Oub8TXpUK_K4A053UdkTDuBjj7pXi5dsh_7dUbE7NMvWnX678zxrj-InSHcatdpS_FJuIgK-LhK610-1Qr8K5ZDlLD0InGgj8I1_DikzMJAXgb8bLebTvXQ8YX2AQpfdUrRwdVzOdiOlf1_FvWviggZNFFhaQgpA/w640-h396/IMG_0090a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The first three figures on the left show Tut, in the middle, being greeted by Osiris and Nut.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Epnu2LG4mOVovToypGiebZR8YwvaKfbD8ByerGtvPYN8IwOV4MK5pzMvDN4Xz-Gj5jvW0zjZwIL8tPyfgo3_xQv4oMDAyvafH8CG1CCBkEFI_j2edYHtyKBfkJErzIF6PDE-ofsyMACC-gnncQR8nOaEKDLoUeYWo3_MvJn46KefvIANOg/s4856/IMG_0091a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2755" data-original-width="4856" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Epnu2LG4mOVovToypGiebZR8YwvaKfbD8ByerGtvPYN8IwOV4MK5pzMvDN4Xz-Gj5jvW0zjZwIL8tPyfgo3_xQv4oMDAyvafH8CG1CCBkEFI_j2edYHtyKBfkJErzIF6PDE-ofsyMACC-gnncQR8nOaEKDLoUeYWo3_MvJn46KefvIANOg/w640-h364/IMG_0091a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This shows King Ay as a priest performing the Opening of the Mouth ritual for Tut as Osiris.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJPAfkGiIIn0-MamDsVKsa6mzHi1Ti_Upwns7RO9ke5PO-yTomDJVyrDLCTe4FAmL4R6v9oE6tHpGM5TBpiK9EMi-j2uYd6FvSV7-S7Z2BJG-bzMpGbNg1D8LKd3qbNRzv39xfPhiUUspGZi5TlOb9_GoPBbCopwBdBYYicTAEqqmNvf0ZQ/s4205/IMG_0092a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4205" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJPAfkGiIIn0-MamDsVKsa6mzHi1Ti_Upwns7RO9ke5PO-yTomDJVyrDLCTe4FAmL4R6v9oE6tHpGM5TBpiK9EMi-j2uYd6FvSV7-S7Z2BJG-bzMpGbNg1D8LKd3qbNRzv39xfPhiUUspGZi5TlOb9_GoPBbCopwBdBYYicTAEqqmNvf0ZQ/w640-h444/IMG_0092a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Funeral Procession from the Book of the Dead, Spell One</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Imagine the joy and excitement of the team that uncovered the hidden tomb, filled with over 3,000 artifacts, including Tut’s golden throne, his sarcophagus, and the three nested coffins inside that held his mummy. The coffins and treasures now lie in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but his remarkably well-preserved mummy and the stone sarcophagus remain in his final resting place.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8snYLJwk7pROXrkqPiU66zUtIPJxEUVDFVsOU7iUX3Vn5KHVv7HLG4ppm01KL2GFJP6B57PTrn0egdiYXdBF4TGnLeOn9K7Sp4P5PZyvH773ytHkVWuboioGEjBWP-VJrbqrEsEBQqRGSlaAo4rVnsqExqfBal35yH1QpD6jrt83IxvJbg/s5184/IMG_0089a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8snYLJwk7pROXrkqPiU66zUtIPJxEUVDFVsOU7iUX3Vn5KHVv7HLG4ppm01KL2GFJP6B57PTrn0egdiYXdBF4TGnLeOn9K7Sp4P5PZyvH773ytHkVWuboioGEjBWP-VJrbqrEsEBQqRGSlaAo4rVnsqExqfBal35yH1QpD6jrt83IxvJbg/w640-h360/IMG_0089a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The large sarcophagus that held the three nested coffins of King Tut</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I was surprised to see that his mummy still lies here! I felt sad as I looked that his young face, but I also thought that perhaps he, more than any other pharaoh, attained eternal life because all the world still knows of him.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWg0QVJvYjx068Ajnq6yM0_jN5E8eodNYjn80ZJWBJJtR38yUHAROwVGJAXQ4PM4ouPMmowR8UkESr9p93NgOpf5AuId1-9kB9FxHWDh_Glf-Y7vDzin4K6VcKXaKp0n2_95S1SExpQXHHFHtkhd6goSg4LV6bhA49ftBOIc4mH1Kz_GD4A/s4968/IMG_0085a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2427" data-original-width="4968" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWg0QVJvYjx068Ajnq6yM0_jN5E8eodNYjn80ZJWBJJtR38yUHAROwVGJAXQ4PM4ouPMmowR8UkESr9p93NgOpf5AuId1-9kB9FxHWDh_Glf-Y7vDzin4K6VcKXaKp0n2_95S1SExpQXHHFHtkhd6goSg4LV6bhA49ftBOIc4mH1Kz_GD4A/w640-h312/IMG_0085a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The mummy of the young pharaoh, Tutankhamen</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfclg-15sP7-QLHveakXPfSdpolXsdiqD91vJQI2KNx_KBWxTMzUh9WRE7jpu0u4mHe04moA6CdQ7vtyWIT_MRaL3ABBjWY2cwkEJAHj7EegQYElsnqJye_9zaGJeda0lROgn2f7V9Eu7K3qtJHEqLbSyqvFcoeq1lUSaJqQJpZixKHZZCjw/s4611/IMG_0086a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4611" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfclg-15sP7-QLHveakXPfSdpolXsdiqD91vJQI2KNx_KBWxTMzUh9WRE7jpu0u4mHe04moA6CdQ7vtyWIT_MRaL3ABBjWY2cwkEJAHj7EegQYElsnqJye_9zaGJeda0lROgn2f7V9Eu7K3qtJHEqLbSyqvFcoeq1lUSaJqQJpZixKHZZCjw/w640-h404/IMG_0086a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tut's features were still visible.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Tomb of Rameses VI</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Just above Tut’s small tomb, we entered the much larger tomb of Rameses VI. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pY3CXiZ9kyMpyqzcC_GVRKn7VdlnDro90kfVuZT9Ip3oRxr0fOfXWfOUwJl1Lg0q4T62uPYfuu_6EQSusZlTqw9jG-sgBTsZ_CPiCftxuFW2o2Fb3R8fXoHm-UtUpdeAyOps1bca2CzT4orhqN43R-3p_PqsoBRFEbbQtGEPiaD9VGa2Zw/s4306/IMG_0098a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="4306" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pY3CXiZ9kyMpyqzcC_GVRKn7VdlnDro90kfVuZT9Ip3oRxr0fOfXWfOUwJl1Lg0q4T62uPYfuu_6EQSusZlTqw9jG-sgBTsZ_CPiCftxuFW2o2Fb3R8fXoHm-UtUpdeAyOps1bca2CzT4orhqN43R-3p_PqsoBRFEbbQtGEPiaD9VGa2Zw/w640-h398/IMG_0098a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pharaoh Rameses VI - This sign discussed the partial restoration of his sarcophagus which we saw inside his tomb.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg983TxLUZBSC2nmgVddyp3abbpmS_eZOnhD09-Pc-mwk4qZDVk95ddidv83vn3mrYK8k9B2HStZuX6zrNwqjeBp5DWhC-Iwu0zyLUiHsuY5Q5y1XgetzKtSbBUf2TqV7bz_hI2vcYWjpivKmagLdKEw_Tx5Vp8SNWkWWbyr85YqgNNzeI7bA/s3805/IMG_0139a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2615" data-original-width="3805" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg983TxLUZBSC2nmgVddyp3abbpmS_eZOnhD09-Pc-mwk4qZDVk95ddidv83vn3mrYK8k9B2HStZuX6zrNwqjeBp5DWhC-Iwu0zyLUiHsuY5Q5y1XgetzKtSbBUf2TqV7bz_hI2vcYWjpivKmagLdKEw_Tx5Vp8SNWkWWbyr85YqgNNzeI7bA/w640-h440/IMG_0139a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Diagram of Rameses' tomb, which is much larger than Tut's.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked deep into the mountain to the much larger burial chamber with adjoining rooms…all empty – except for the sarcophagus - and the art! </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hZsZJMSnD3EgVVadwhxX3KcwytPWsP4sEBTDlQfOCYJdq3aSFg-aoilS2fY4kO_cAYopingpeWodvDJxPkyqt3x-XJhIPkVHBvEfMwODGiajivzyL9aoU3xvLNZrWOddlcZT4o3BbWd4FEn4IWcuLfJNlcm_F7qmIDbVPP2ip8DJeL9cJg/s4518/IMG_0102a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4518" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hZsZJMSnD3EgVVadwhxX3KcwytPWsP4sEBTDlQfOCYJdq3aSFg-aoilS2fY4kO_cAYopingpeWodvDJxPkyqt3x-XJhIPkVHBvEfMwODGiajivzyL9aoU3xvLNZrWOddlcZT4o3BbWd4FEn4IWcuLfJNlcm_F7qmIDbVPP2ip8DJeL9cJg/w640-h412/IMG_0102a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The walls toward the entrance to the tomb were plain and nearly bare...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisC6GJVYfw6th4zkya7vihned45ratSM4XHuKkI1NfpCYEwxBbT9_RnP5v0SumpqPknxBqVEBhr8FX7Zne8r-TZTMQwMQ-pPpih8-Wj0718JkL8Jm6srlVryidGAILSwwSUI2Ltpx1aKb5O7yFFAPaDz-XKVWQVVLx7jD1-3S0AwuI-SiMng/s4582/IMG_0105a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4582" data-original-width="2725" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisC6GJVYfw6th4zkya7vihned45ratSM4XHuKkI1NfpCYEwxBbT9_RnP5v0SumpqPknxBqVEBhr8FX7Zne8r-TZTMQwMQ-pPpih8-Wj0718JkL8Jm6srlVryidGAILSwwSUI2Ltpx1aKb5O7yFFAPaDz-XKVWQVVLx7jD1-3S0AwuI-SiMng/w380-h640/IMG_0105a.JPG" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...<b><span style="font-size: medium;">but as we went deeper into the tomb, we began to see colors and designs everywhere</span></b>.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75_1R_YGZO-BeO-vJ9k794HHCFKFOlbIAQfzarB1Z5ta9mNPR4xUIwr38bJzX3a-ji2clltiB-MWG3drlCLAiw0TOLbQkXq7MQWxKz1g4VrM6_HkXlfq-aNJxx-ArYW3LG2axCFJUICLPJ2a7Qg3Rltt1QBT-wYA06W_bm1CCNyi5la_HQQ/s4930/IMG_0116a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2869" data-original-width="4930" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75_1R_YGZO-BeO-vJ9k794HHCFKFOlbIAQfzarB1Z5ta9mNPR4xUIwr38bJzX3a-ji2clltiB-MWG3drlCLAiw0TOLbQkXq7MQWxKz1g4VrM6_HkXlfq-aNJxx-ArYW3LG2axCFJUICLPJ2a7Qg3Rltt1QBT-wYA06W_bm1CCNyi5la_HQQ/w640-h372/IMG_0116a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyfrrMIZrLnq1MXeiXmiTmQZOw6VaXaqNZR4QfJ7b_HoSjc5VLbXA8MC_2t07sXsWqxgR4oWHYcAeCDzeW4Ph6Ig-HFYTcQ8446lKYsWmKplFQnLaAWFHOI0VVGXob69cHNZJd0ouymnsDd85YJK34EK5S9pDK0DKoQYW_AvfMrYEwcewhQ/s5093/IMG_0111a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="5093" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyfrrMIZrLnq1MXeiXmiTmQZOw6VaXaqNZR4QfJ7b_HoSjc5VLbXA8MC_2t07sXsWqxgR4oWHYcAeCDzeW4Ph6Ig-HFYTcQ8446lKYsWmKplFQnLaAWFHOI0VVGXob69cHNZJd0ouymnsDd85YJK34EK5S9pDK0DKoQYW_AvfMrYEwcewhQ/w640-h360/IMG_0111a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVggrN_Rvzp6ELS3mGKBi5P0biIj_hAV39_WwvXe6EhOfyifaccv6Cfof21oIDo8zIrX7TohKOFShtlY0gP84AvGa_eQVCsYXCWbTrgwUrE44TF0IpynH45a6QbdrA5zmZ2bdblcPGNbG5aJt4fOvmXb2MV58q10GiUjwYjD9MyJrFBoW_ng/s3651/IMG_0113a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3651" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVggrN_Rvzp6ELS3mGKBi5P0biIj_hAV39_WwvXe6EhOfyifaccv6Cfof21oIDo8zIrX7TohKOFShtlY0gP84AvGa_eQVCsYXCWbTrgwUrE44TF0IpynH45a6QbdrA5zmZ2bdblcPGNbG5aJt4fOvmXb2MV58q10GiUjwYjD9MyJrFBoW_ng/w510-h640/IMG_0113a.JPG" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">At the bottom of the tunnel was the burial chamber and broken sarcophagus of Rameses VI.</span></div></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MvoHA-asDX5Q750yVA5xUgTDQBslO4fCLS3n4TgjnzcMYCR6769vTKPDYaBf6KiKrgZwGn0BbjGBt1EQ40xnJqisHoinHE9pi4Z4NAbqOBhu5YcHpICCIoUPwaV35w4fk5VG0am8eBFcSoBW5MP7jJ1Kd5WnA9QqfrRziI3nE9N560YaVA/s5093/IMG_0138a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="5093" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MvoHA-asDX5Q750yVA5xUgTDQBslO4fCLS3n4TgjnzcMYCR6769vTKPDYaBf6KiKrgZwGn0BbjGBt1EQ40xnJqisHoinHE9pi4Z4NAbqOBhu5YcHpICCIoUPwaV35w4fk5VG0am8eBFcSoBW5MP7jJ1Kd5WnA9QqfrRziI3nE9N560YaVA/w640-h360/IMG_0138a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGfgBJMTUBne2_E2DuPrCoqhfXv3q-JOJGw0uDxzOjruEPlrc0QFPcmVFDxv339ne7UB9g-XZuU7UCAWm9BIvCnCKTaWEl_B0rQIfS8HS_FXBihHsSPFQ3OoEOCPh0lAm-6xOpnXcaWixgiqmaiabYkpvnlPTZM6PTfWp_Syr9H0sp2Vw1A/s5184/IMG_0120a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGfgBJMTUBne2_E2DuPrCoqhfXv3q-JOJGw0uDxzOjruEPlrc0QFPcmVFDxv339ne7UB9g-XZuU7UCAWm9BIvCnCKTaWEl_B0rQIfS8HS_FXBihHsSPFQ3OoEOCPh0lAm-6xOpnXcaWixgiqmaiabYkpvnlPTZM6PTfWp_Syr9H0sp2Vw1A/w640-h360/IMG_0120a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgeDJzqEmzRse03DQl6wybBRyYyBDdGla-6Qy1WRR9N-jhxviJSJdjB9rKeBHKhfxm-Yfp_6-3zNdYGocQ7ZfeRwRMbsELfGfjFT2R9QTmTrb5F7vqTVsnbizLzbKH5IqyjdIrL03wnrWRN_voxIh1YBQclreQoK7Cd4i7a7wmPYRHRoMIg/s4876/IMG_0121a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4876" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgeDJzqEmzRse03DQl6wybBRyYyBDdGla-6Qy1WRR9N-jhxviJSJdjB9rKeBHKhfxm-Yfp_6-3zNdYGocQ7ZfeRwRMbsELfGfjFT2R9QTmTrb5F7vqTVsnbizLzbKH5IqyjdIrL03wnrWRN_voxIh1YBQclreQoK7Cd4i7a7wmPYRHRoMIg/w640-h382/IMG_0121a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJRPG-qNf34uWyUrUDqJCSdB5b49tyJRwLhmRVcq-7Adm0lFM_ZXBU0yE0_wfSWBuIt7iw9_P4OZIdeSM7H-obD-YhzxLTwv4b7yyhty4gY79JfLDAq9ekCuhb6F5hXXgnVh1tLKwUa1kpukTeCBBThWjwWOvbPwmZ0tN3uB4r5eTVtYTXg/s5144/IMG_0124a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="5144" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJRPG-qNf34uWyUrUDqJCSdB5b49tyJRwLhmRVcq-7Adm0lFM_ZXBU0yE0_wfSWBuIt7iw9_P4OZIdeSM7H-obD-YhzxLTwv4b7yyhty4gY79JfLDAq9ekCuhb6F5hXXgnVh1tLKwUa1kpukTeCBBThWjwWOvbPwmZ0tN3uB4r5eTVtYTXg/w640-h360/IMG_0124a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSDPgbvDy0U6G-_0MzeAfmdBV4gfFU4r0oLMcWGgWpwC_gXNY-uYuhPDdkKARLAXnajsAp_h3KE51WsyoVJxS3OA8dFjGutpWB0ZFxJiFzDWt8JzKPK3kGVLOoucteX06swV45TWAg9NJ-JUFLScMyMLz3gnXSej9lOmk8ztoog6Uo9IKQ/s4656/IMG_0123a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4656" data-original-width="2615" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSDPgbvDy0U6G-_0MzeAfmdBV4gfFU4r0oLMcWGgWpwC_gXNY-uYuhPDdkKARLAXnajsAp_h3KE51WsyoVJxS3OA8dFjGutpWB0ZFxJiFzDWt8JzKPK3kGVLOoucteX06swV45TWAg9NJ-JUFLScMyMLz3gnXSej9lOmk8ztoog6Uo9IKQ/w360-h640/IMG_0123a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: right;"></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The biggest thrills of this visit were the vivid, colorful paintings and engravings still on the walls. Hieroglyphs telling about the accomplishments of the pharaohs, large images of the kings and the gods, cartouches showing their names, animals, barges, servants, soldiers covered every inch of the walls of the hallway, ceilings, and chambers.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlUTMEv9za3ig-ghv47WSz7tnkKw_-k5X_8HWG_1s-oDUavK4-2M60opQASV8Rk6eQc_Td2H72pFeis1AR0hVTA6q4R6JjLwxy1MFDZ3B8L6pAM-DOVFCwNSRuBkQIrk6uhRdnznXXH3b7hOawqMIuauXB71anh89IoD7HETCgyoVtkZktA/s4959/IMG_0106a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4959" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlUTMEv9za3ig-ghv47WSz7tnkKw_-k5X_8HWG_1s-oDUavK4-2M60opQASV8Rk6eQc_Td2H72pFeis1AR0hVTA6q4R6JjLwxy1MFDZ3B8L6pAM-DOVFCwNSRuBkQIrk6uhRdnznXXH3b7hOawqMIuauXB71anh89IoD7HETCgyoVtkZktA/w640-h376/IMG_0106a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZl6HRVPkNbkLZ6cax6js7y5FKg7d0sKTDglDiVLBucjj_lTp3V9friD1IcKxuD4LRe7uZawr8BsPPOOdgp6K5vsJF3Nnj8Ro5paL0JMNe1yIPakfGLs1vANT4PjbX9fjL_9BEKu7sPEpBcNshi0BvQxbb9ZqnKdu3V459bk4KFLva_mD4Q/s5086/IMG_0107a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5086" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZl6HRVPkNbkLZ6cax6js7y5FKg7d0sKTDglDiVLBucjj_lTp3V9friD1IcKxuD4LRe7uZawr8BsPPOOdgp6K5vsJF3Nnj8Ro5paL0JMNe1yIPakfGLs1vANT4PjbX9fjL_9BEKu7sPEpBcNshi0BvQxbb9ZqnKdu3V459bk4KFLva_mD4Q/w640-h366/IMG_0107a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0zqKyCq7t8c6WlURwaO-0Wa70JYsUeMLGT6fK6A9FIeInUMLyNohlPoSfJ3iZh2RUrEaXTwrA959iVIZdiEEM6VNJlcYW8c1Ud2dwENieu2yaCLYh2J_Y1CZSa1Z2q61a_QA0gNFCBRbJ9V3iTIWeFBV02zj620-wegjTLjIGPZq-xwGPQ/s5184/IMG_0108a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0zqKyCq7t8c6WlURwaO-0Wa70JYsUeMLGT6fK6A9FIeInUMLyNohlPoSfJ3iZh2RUrEaXTwrA959iVIZdiEEM6VNJlcYW8c1Ud2dwENieu2yaCLYh2J_Y1CZSa1Z2q61a_QA0gNFCBRbJ9V3iTIWeFBV02zj620-wegjTLjIGPZq-xwGPQ/w360-h640/IMG_0108a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENq_wghQTCah2vhqjZpSv7ZPHAtv3otqGMfPMbD0EcezgwSKildHDHUFu--rCtniGSqi8IM52aCAI3R9Wo04JBMrKVS11yEHUz14ZLDNj1O486YDw-H2M40jIP9wz7MnSGt65rFU3s9703kSlGlKMRDNSbr42u8gaUHZ5CvNbCJeepfuNHQ/s5104/IMG_0109a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5104" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENq_wghQTCah2vhqjZpSv7ZPHAtv3otqGMfPMbD0EcezgwSKildHDHUFu--rCtniGSqi8IM52aCAI3R9Wo04JBMrKVS11yEHUz14ZLDNj1O486YDw-H2M40jIP9wz7MnSGt65rFU3s9703kSlGlKMRDNSbr42u8gaUHZ5CvNbCJeepfuNHQ/w366-h640/IMG_0109a.JPG" width="366" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdZ73X4Bhiit-V8H_5p5c25PxCtD2V2ZGm82wdx03idahV05RuZxUswSIU7qhJF-pyo6rNDPmMoLDOC5jwvLjdLWdWkrYIEDDJmL-EOqtVvn30OxY2kyuMFXcUO0nJrIctSWefOLmkZnPvkXaq8wJM32kvVfofw1wLo5fjQ1vt1otfVgApg/s5091/IMG_0110a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5091" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdZ73X4Bhiit-V8H_5p5c25PxCtD2V2ZGm82wdx03idahV05RuZxUswSIU7qhJF-pyo6rNDPmMoLDOC5jwvLjdLWdWkrYIEDDJmL-EOqtVvn30OxY2kyuMFXcUO0nJrIctSWefOLmkZnPvkXaq8wJM32kvVfofw1wLo5fjQ1vt1otfVgApg/w640-h366/IMG_0110a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqOMJOgpmB8iEBBJFc2sA8o7IFS4N4pi3kMUooY7WdcwZ-J4PDyOxDSozj1ZtbYPzSaFCjhT_D_NKmc-Du4DnrGwloz_s66xLVSmJ4kfOMtk1eZvPWha_19tzSYgGP0QuTKL65zygkXIgJkHPYyf8iXXolw6TYUqxUqv6SDBGgKGMbueL8A/s5184/IMG_0112a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqOMJOgpmB8iEBBJFc2sA8o7IFS4N4pi3kMUooY7WdcwZ-J4PDyOxDSozj1ZtbYPzSaFCjhT_D_NKmc-Du4DnrGwloz_s66xLVSmJ4kfOMtk1eZvPWha_19tzSYgGP0QuTKL65zygkXIgJkHPYyf8iXXolw6TYUqxUqv6SDBGgKGMbueL8A/w360-h640/IMG_0112a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRqJF-3xRzJXkJ_vHaOGTLZeU1VNDtNNCsTJ6O0jT8NzOY8Wan7AGA1ZrXrQzhV9hYsLngAtdSuOPd9MK9bUB8sp_lpUYCspKTCshExPQd5MZf84tFBvta8bevC9bf79h_1giMrLo1-WkPz9S9V5KGl94fB_L1zvElnifroOgCkzufOvQrg/s5184/IMG_0114a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRqJF-3xRzJXkJ_vHaOGTLZeU1VNDtNNCsTJ6O0jT8NzOY8Wan7AGA1ZrXrQzhV9hYsLngAtdSuOPd9MK9bUB8sp_lpUYCspKTCshExPQd5MZf84tFBvta8bevC9bf79h_1giMrLo1-WkPz9S9V5KGl94fB_L1zvElnifroOgCkzufOvQrg/w360-h640/IMG_0114a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K4Fn84t9hPM17EALD9pCqyDzJ2ADY-xcLCLMXvq8s-hUCP2ygPDew7f5O32_cjCTvTVFgLrFi-pz6_d4B1lzwNHhuTwFOA4Q8dVTkhM_EoQQA015lQpkn7M8aa-039B0WiN6MGXzgEQMXSqfOShrDRJPdGJ6mDvnAazaHImxktcJ-GZkdQ/s5184/IMG_0115a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K4Fn84t9hPM17EALD9pCqyDzJ2ADY-xcLCLMXvq8s-hUCP2ygPDew7f5O32_cjCTvTVFgLrFi-pz6_d4B1lzwNHhuTwFOA4Q8dVTkhM_EoQQA015lQpkn7M8aa-039B0WiN6MGXzgEQMXSqfOShrDRJPdGJ6mDvnAazaHImxktcJ-GZkdQ/w640-h360/IMG_0115a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCE_1-40Lk0aDmkg7ji6oQZ9rSx7lZlT4jdHRMUX8ZwP7IjQS4kyJW-uJvQGzEAfhf_I5_lX4CnGFwnfEBMqpjlVexqDVg9msponSHoonAfyR-3zZE0qiqkr6xucDHpMFnmlRKVb_F6Ma1vgBtf3rsjjxTzG7eK0AY1MdxgODUnCqNXJtZg/s5184/IMG_0117a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCE_1-40Lk0aDmkg7ji6oQZ9rSx7lZlT4jdHRMUX8ZwP7IjQS4kyJW-uJvQGzEAfhf_I5_lX4CnGFwnfEBMqpjlVexqDVg9msponSHoonAfyR-3zZE0qiqkr6xucDHpMFnmlRKVb_F6Ma1vgBtf3rsjjxTzG7eK0AY1MdxgODUnCqNXJtZg/w640-h360/IMG_0117a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIE_dH2D1LLML0l81XzZj9Kpy1azt9pZ6oopqcdUIGtIlrpAAhQ0AlUWtgIKQ1YdKli4cRfQe_UhK_3IazFFptb3aC3eDeuKWZcsia2rke20EubSzUnneDVwHJTjcLilb4TTpNF7bb1WxbztYRgeAIAQbVTi7FfKXM1vMtRQ6I-DDdRpoTw/s5080/IMG_0119a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2854" data-original-width="5080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIE_dH2D1LLML0l81XzZj9Kpy1azt9pZ6oopqcdUIGtIlrpAAhQ0AlUWtgIKQ1YdKli4cRfQe_UhK_3IazFFptb3aC3eDeuKWZcsia2rke20EubSzUnneDVwHJTjcLilb4TTpNF7bb1WxbztYRgeAIAQbVTi7FfKXM1vMtRQ6I-DDdRpoTw/w640-h360/IMG_0119a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvepeCsu6AfexwZnpNV_nlYFjlAxvcQ9ncL8Qr5jGDL4WQpxROMcIbCKuQGglCOQxMHGSUQPyKnUUKodQ6BCw0_0B-9L8mBVrMvQZI4NrVI5EGu6BroOsH0YGNkNVNXvrJpNJoNK_JrZU6ZsLvIwOOlOBkvRuiDciF1_U-FUuas-R2LDi_AA/s4910/IMG_0125a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4910" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvepeCsu6AfexwZnpNV_nlYFjlAxvcQ9ncL8Qr5jGDL4WQpxROMcIbCKuQGglCOQxMHGSUQPyKnUUKodQ6BCw0_0B-9L8mBVrMvQZI4NrVI5EGu6BroOsH0YGNkNVNXvrJpNJoNK_JrZU6ZsLvIwOOlOBkvRuiDciF1_U-FUuas-R2LDi_AA/w640-h380/IMG_0125a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyOBCWm2ChYYUYUDnjUghoKoo98PDlomciSljvvxgmEeEO5IlZOQldCZzoSsT0M8CfrkaJuSpc2o6-8b6uaUSv5WGx2SNXB_wxhPnB0MWgWMNZ_zd8_MsIAdxmUJBxDSdFEV9JU3Y1FU2hsr3wnMjFNOVzYeAqxj-BnXWdtiOOrw1z5pewQ/s4248/IMG_0126a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="4248" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyOBCWm2ChYYUYUDnjUghoKoo98PDlomciSljvvxgmEeEO5IlZOQldCZzoSsT0M8CfrkaJuSpc2o6-8b6uaUSv5WGx2SNXB_wxhPnB0MWgWMNZ_zd8_MsIAdxmUJBxDSdFEV9JU3Y1FU2hsr3wnMjFNOVzYeAqxj-BnXWdtiOOrw1z5pewQ/w640-h428/IMG_0126a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQXcPGewBONzUkG6OpQv1XFxL5r7lmrjrmnbdSLs2Q8Drknf3deJPYuRz9A066ke0Mkh2BuOpBzF9k_iql-05Led-rwJzJoOIKnOyDqhhBK9x9oNYL8zLgvyYTDLKToAYplC-lwztDZrPXwYnKA1ghNCYjbHUBdlfQKCIVOyNjsVde6qU4w/s5080/IMG_0127a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2854" data-original-width="5080" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQXcPGewBONzUkG6OpQv1XFxL5r7lmrjrmnbdSLs2Q8Drknf3deJPYuRz9A066ke0Mkh2BuOpBzF9k_iql-05Led-rwJzJoOIKnOyDqhhBK9x9oNYL8zLgvyYTDLKToAYplC-lwztDZrPXwYnKA1ghNCYjbHUBdlfQKCIVOyNjsVde6qU4w/w640-h360/IMG_0127a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk7DK-e2Z9JKA5prFY40T4LPnsvILSBKBroUI1DAXLGyVkeNyN_32BY3_u3SZo8P4CCcoZO71x2OYc0JvkHIlR9n5guarkLK8Fi6eRB8qmn-QJuDZPuVrN4oVg-1qnBQt0yfb0wWuhyoRUppviGLnL-eoTG2MAGv_iRgGGWLMaiOa0Az8eg/s4813/IMG_0128a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="4813" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk7DK-e2Z9JKA5prFY40T4LPnsvILSBKBroUI1DAXLGyVkeNyN_32BY3_u3SZo8P4CCcoZO71x2OYc0JvkHIlR9n5guarkLK8Fi6eRB8qmn-QJuDZPuVrN4oVg-1qnBQt0yfb0wWuhyoRUppviGLnL-eoTG2MAGv_iRgGGWLMaiOa0Az8eg/w640-h376/IMG_0128a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_09356krFQCVFxMWX31oMom-NCRRdVx0GeXhhgw8vBJMxgXD8yLZhYQJceiL9lTaF2DtXQrPrfyOo9BWHjzjn_StgIx39E3IiR6CiBRmT-FwgtKVs8rApE4L3T-37U2up-YcLkEdeAa1lX9TfGblrEjXIkqJ1fz8hiWC5kBP4wKFBmV233w/s4870/IMG_0129a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4870" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_09356krFQCVFxMWX31oMom-NCRRdVx0GeXhhgw8vBJMxgXD8yLZhYQJceiL9lTaF2DtXQrPrfyOo9BWHjzjn_StgIx39E3IiR6CiBRmT-FwgtKVs8rApE4L3T-37U2up-YcLkEdeAa1lX9TfGblrEjXIkqJ1fz8hiWC5kBP4wKFBmV233w/w640-h382/IMG_0129a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB31inMuIXeJHeAc31ffrZMCv8uhQ5kVEL3f1poM-ytvALjaEjBCgUcwH9oltFhaSV5XWLyX7lVgFpjGgo5f1vAdHS5hkvYF_OcU8N5QBdhTnGY-jPBziaoVEBDyI2UEaWubVAtMJFArrf6SXqCIIgI0CMkjDGruIPrKulcvX5RV65RbJ6hA/s4733/IMG_0130a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="4733" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB31inMuIXeJHeAc31ffrZMCv8uhQ5kVEL3f1poM-ytvALjaEjBCgUcwH9oltFhaSV5XWLyX7lVgFpjGgo5f1vAdHS5hkvYF_OcU8N5QBdhTnGY-jPBziaoVEBDyI2UEaWubVAtMJFArrf6SXqCIIgI0CMkjDGruIPrKulcvX5RV65RbJ6hA/w640-h374/IMG_0130a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOACaQcTm5kPqRUr7_M6Lia7fHwHAZWeRmbJoZyOJsxmHEXlEb0decS_laTQiyT1EwpCfwYagoV9_skQqBLBLP0oW7IWDwUhRah2RN-Oj5DH4pvJOhKFraTUMWeenAIYTLcvTh4M5g00C50tHRwITH41kLC2YjRyZVZXziSA8w8w-Qg4Bd2A/s4484/IMG_0131a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4484" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOACaQcTm5kPqRUr7_M6Lia7fHwHAZWeRmbJoZyOJsxmHEXlEb0decS_laTQiyT1EwpCfwYagoV9_skQqBLBLP0oW7IWDwUhRah2RN-Oj5DH4pvJOhKFraTUMWeenAIYTLcvTh4M5g00C50tHRwITH41kLC2YjRyZVZXziSA8w8w-Qg4Bd2A/w640-h416/IMG_0131a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwOGnKR0N-u5ciZaIHRv5a9-zZGdroul9QgsFB_Y5zW6MwRjb782oo27VJN4FW-LsJPvBhlxHlTmol-CwH-9xbn0qDAhk9ni_TB7CQOQZs4zis6vdccQMesZpcp2ZbVT45D2Crw8b5Mpc77jJOFmMJSgsuTg90GSBFzj6754LTa_BTDu9Q/s4503/IMG_0133a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="4503" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJwOGnKR0N-u5ciZaIHRv5a9-zZGdroul9QgsFB_Y5zW6MwRjb782oo27VJN4FW-LsJPvBhlxHlTmol-CwH-9xbn0qDAhk9ni_TB7CQOQZs4zis6vdccQMesZpcp2ZbVT45D2Crw8b5Mpc77jJOFmMJSgsuTg90GSBFzj6754LTa_BTDu9Q/w640-h382/IMG_0133a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xFyre_XUj4zENTDHKPV4l7OTNX_aRZgh2U9NhXGKXkZYa3-u167KZKxfYAL6qdaeR_m0RqoefRMe6hb-OmPxu_p1oqFWuuAG5HOwGeL1Wuru13CI_E6qJAnaC4hblDx3xrksq6jA8Ial0eGLOohZaIFT9ApBVyiYl9sxZQiQaNpEiWO_xA/s5184/IMG_0134a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xFyre_XUj4zENTDHKPV4l7OTNX_aRZgh2U9NhXGKXkZYa3-u167KZKxfYAL6qdaeR_m0RqoefRMe6hb-OmPxu_p1oqFWuuAG5HOwGeL1Wuru13CI_E6qJAnaC4hblDx3xrksq6jA8Ial0eGLOohZaIFT9ApBVyiYl9sxZQiQaNpEiWO_xA/w640-h360/IMG_0134a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktbYA6BeCikonva8zMnYlchdubQDCwdFW_CozWvDXBOw9WlqWiKDa5f9W98sR6vnVFF4VWfipkmNPGPPkYEi6B9Xb4_4x2w6VN0-XjVkzPXrbZj9TEUNv7JjIo2qmVPrfFzoWVzX1HgodtKSWrN2F2jATj9UfIvg7gfhvEEwrc0IsUSpnzQ/s4944/IMG_0136a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="4944" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktbYA6BeCikonva8zMnYlchdubQDCwdFW_CozWvDXBOw9WlqWiKDa5f9W98sR6vnVFF4VWfipkmNPGPPkYEi6B9Xb4_4x2w6VN0-XjVkzPXrbZj9TEUNv7JjIo2qmVPrfFzoWVzX1HgodtKSWrN2F2jATj9UfIvg7gfhvEEwrc0IsUSpnzQ/w640-h360/IMG_0136a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In both tombs, the burial chamber scenes are about Imy dwat, the journey to the afterlife. Everyone’s journey ends with a series of questions by several juries of the gods. Then the heart of the person (the one organ left in the body following mummification) is balanced on a scale with the heart on one side of the scale and a feather on the other. If a person had done good works, his heart would be lighter than a feather and he would continue to eternal life. If evil, his heavy heart would spell his doom. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most of this fabulous artwork is almost perfectly preserved, hiding for years in dark caverns in a dry desert climate. What a treasure for us!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Tomb of Rameses IX</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also visited one of the “public” tombs, that of Rameses IX, which was also interesting, although not quite as spectacular as the other two.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJlF5x278fKQ3Z5eiS8PCQUfe5bTOql7-L-oRBJyXRGlnY8Dzk0b-peuP2IEM2GoOAxs6nmopCT8VvCNlZVkpZpZmEsVZYBLKPrHWFg4MLkhLUO674d5GKtvqv_niPipBsKKYNrQq_VetqcA0Vye2XCiDGYp8Ko9FQGZbS-tidsVM39JjTw/s3847/IMG_0143a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="3847" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJlF5x278fKQ3Z5eiS8PCQUfe5bTOql7-L-oRBJyXRGlnY8Dzk0b-peuP2IEM2GoOAxs6nmopCT8VvCNlZVkpZpZmEsVZYBLKPrHWFg4MLkhLUO674d5GKtvqv_niPipBsKKYNrQq_VetqcA0Vye2XCiDGYp8Ko9FQGZbS-tidsVM39JjTw/w640-h376/IMG_0143a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdM5KboUdVSMdQkjtNfrN8vT6QvZNMNTnP-sbCSS28KPolvNvaAAaddo7Q323Mh3US4tyU5NjHjtDO3wGJTKl-ClW-377xBj4CjAEaS6j60nU0_wys96CXYdTwkzMTug6WoENlBRpQ1H-zA3e-tOMdzSN_5j7EPlck7nrHLNXHj9eR_jofw/s5184/IMG_0144a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdM5KboUdVSMdQkjtNfrN8vT6QvZNMNTnP-sbCSS28KPolvNvaAAaddo7Q323Mh3US4tyU5NjHjtDO3wGJTKl-ClW-377xBj4CjAEaS6j60nU0_wys96CXYdTwkzMTug6WoENlBRpQ1H-zA3e-tOMdzSN_5j7EPlck7nrHLNXHj9eR_jofw/w640-h360/IMG_0144a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUJ8ECdWliMySx9mMJMg3C6JME7Vo5_LGZkfipLNAtVkW0GnJ_TwublGxjqw8VLiMCJ6cEFIbHZaE-BWoxxfTIGru0fnRpTjpZuMKTzdGlFONJ09NvKS2affenCmDVslR_-ilQD9f_dRjnLGg8FzNbQsYCJTLh5yqUogPb7vVt_xXRuuVIw/s4231/IMG_0146a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4231" data-original-width="2602" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUJ8ECdWliMySx9mMJMg3C6JME7Vo5_LGZkfipLNAtVkW0GnJ_TwublGxjqw8VLiMCJ6cEFIbHZaE-BWoxxfTIGru0fnRpTjpZuMKTzdGlFONJ09NvKS2affenCmDVslR_-ilQD9f_dRjnLGg8FzNbQsYCJTLh5yqUogPb7vVt_xXRuuVIw/w394-h640/IMG_0146a.JPG" width="394" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1nIGp0BWh5q6caKz_vtT9qPm34Qsc-B7-mcBMTIq3dx1P9xVBQGUwENIcnHjGY1pRtFyz-wMhNfyAqtilDf6NXBoDVlusUWdc9PeNMLgJtBwrczHtACx_DoICnhfK_M2BHfZ_y4VnHmOLuqsELEPE9FHZTNf3Zi1gSuy_i3Svfh-KlhwYQ/s5184/IMG_0147a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1nIGp0BWh5q6caKz_vtT9qPm34Qsc-B7-mcBMTIq3dx1P9xVBQGUwENIcnHjGY1pRtFyz-wMhNfyAqtilDf6NXBoDVlusUWdc9PeNMLgJtBwrczHtACx_DoICnhfK_M2BHfZ_y4VnHmOLuqsELEPE9FHZTNf3Zi1gSuy_i3Svfh-KlhwYQ/w360-h640/IMG_0147a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8OqTI3C5BRJL0t-_4Bx4s_UK901j21smTxND7sAAyY30LgsJPDalXwaVHg1x4meUVXsJ0MvusyGardd7CR22QAHsdLpatV7SF_QmotvmwMeM89vxXecLq4jiMIVfjd3SX8mm9oC_kcXXCi8VJ5jaMc1FHb3Eq2gnciboWZHQLgCc0mdCqQ/s4461/IMG_0148a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="4461" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8OqTI3C5BRJL0t-_4Bx4s_UK901j21smTxND7sAAyY30LgsJPDalXwaVHg1x4meUVXsJ0MvusyGardd7CR22QAHsdLpatV7SF_QmotvmwMeM89vxXecLq4jiMIVfjd3SX8mm9oC_kcXXCi8VJ5jaMc1FHb3Eq2gnciboWZHQLgCc0mdCqQ/w640-h404/IMG_0148a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5veR-M5Nt6f3zdbf0OsAPMceepjm-zBqRlhs7svV23Sha98Hn2JcPzcCuMq5t2ahAU-46yQm7uxawSEebuD31dOB2zmPUIrVZUE6YhAtzCrPrB3T44flK2-VXNwpWlWKxuaakAeZbaBi-6Gm55s4ErQiSQXfBFKgVgzu56QZEBZPOyhHsOA/s5184/IMG_0150a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5veR-M5Nt6f3zdbf0OsAPMceepjm-zBqRlhs7svV23Sha98Hn2JcPzcCuMq5t2ahAU-46yQm7uxawSEebuD31dOB2zmPUIrVZUE6YhAtzCrPrB3T44flK2-VXNwpWlWKxuaakAeZbaBi-6Gm55s4ErQiSQXfBFKgVgzu56QZEBZPOyhHsOA/w640-h360/IMG_0150a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The stairway into Ramses IX's burial chamber</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdykFnqCbH-1KPyPsOnII2SG1YXhtQt1C9W0f4qXwAuYSyeoPZwlYV4GzsenTRBamTp1MGtHt09nWGo5cqwQgv6wzNoIQ6IEKNZ8MUggTQT4xNsSGMDMX3N6Zz_LnWfqnVfChBWy4kG_nsdap9gStwsW32kws9ckxERq94ZobpIMCWMuXFg/s4944/IMG_0151a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4944" data-original-width="2777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdykFnqCbH-1KPyPsOnII2SG1YXhtQt1C9W0f4qXwAuYSyeoPZwlYV4GzsenTRBamTp1MGtHt09nWGo5cqwQgv6wzNoIQ6IEKNZ8MUggTQT4xNsSGMDMX3N6Zz_LnWfqnVfChBWy4kG_nsdap9gStwsW32kws9ckxERq94ZobpIMCWMuXFg/w360-h640/IMG_0151a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4qmytT1xzeOIrlrvp6Ar-xvMFomU1Zy0BU8NoKZUCNQj-lG8queMaDRYZttvbEVf3mRV2FZsRUvkU0IiuX7xtprIYCFcssQqGbqYfHC9hcgMp-XC-FVkKknU1Q1jEf9zUTblGS12crlohLv-sfuxiIAr_FFB0nh4LhtKzAdeWhPeZr-4XQ/s4840/IMG_0152a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4840" data-original-width="2719" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4qmytT1xzeOIrlrvp6Ar-xvMFomU1Zy0BU8NoKZUCNQj-lG8queMaDRYZttvbEVf3mRV2FZsRUvkU0IiuX7xtprIYCFcssQqGbqYfHC9hcgMp-XC-FVkKknU1Q1jEf9zUTblGS12crlohLv-sfuxiIAr_FFB0nh4LhtKzAdeWhPeZr-4XQ/w360-h640/IMG_0152a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The Temple of Hatshepsut, the Pharaoh Queen</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8TdxPH0C17I8_w_RTeJUX-Xv82p95cve6xTlxWvLaJyR_HGUQ1rxNbAYaLJPslqizS0I_G34ZjUojCa1ojqCQihrRDuRNzJfUW-KjxarOO7VpNEHpZLs4yI9Rb1Dqhq--32Octy7lbu8qDHJzm_TPtBlk3B3ohvFyvQ0jkB8iERqaxvmqw/s4931/2%20IMG_0155.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2818" data-original-width="4931" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8TdxPH0C17I8_w_RTeJUX-Xv82p95cve6xTlxWvLaJyR_HGUQ1rxNbAYaLJPslqizS0I_G34ZjUojCa1ojqCQihrRDuRNzJfUW-KjxarOO7VpNEHpZLs4yI9Rb1Dqhq--32Octy7lbu8qDHJzm_TPtBlk3B3ohvFyvQ0jkB8iERqaxvmqw/w640-h366/2%20IMG_0155.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Hatshepsut</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Valley of the Kings was just the start of our day. Our next stop was the Temple of Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh. Her story is remarkable, and a little complicated, so try to follow along on her little soap opera!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU027zrIXIs_JtbkI4x2u1JdxFce8b3sJ4pz8hUVOhzY1gPsdkNdBOf6ZAvz5i0ekHwnEgli9IhBvZ90ohZ35UG5gfhs-6EcnpUNNJfbonYCwJdFzITZqJIA0NTJaZGu1F5fUWiMwUDSoFf6ZYfuVZ5BR8b7Uc6pPqRmCiBdi__j9sVHRqZQ/s3587/Hatshepsut%20in%20museum.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3587" data-original-width="2741" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU027zrIXIs_JtbkI4x2u1JdxFce8b3sJ4pz8hUVOhzY1gPsdkNdBOf6ZAvz5i0ekHwnEgli9IhBvZ90ohZ35UG5gfhs-6EcnpUNNJfbonYCwJdFzITZqJIA0NTJaZGu1F5fUWiMwUDSoFf6ZYfuVZ5BR8b7Uc6pPqRmCiBdi__j9sVHRqZQ/w490-h640/Hatshepsut%20in%20museum.JPG" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">We had seen Hatshepsut's face in the Egyptian Museum. She wears the ceremonial beard to demonstrate her power as pharaoh.</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQrB_pnJ8pyHcNJAKBSODlya32x-IvX1KEQRtd39NL00BBwsfzlVOhvxHtI4TUCIu2WudRSWl6HCOXHnJuSMRrrcxWq0VUj49VWbgarWVPFRAWFV_y7ZA-q13J_CqGmRLTQqXI0up1qEukr-yTuz3CyBIZS1jrwbxutRQlt7F0cghO9L-LA/s2775/8%20IMG_0161.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="2334" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQrB_pnJ8pyHcNJAKBSODlya32x-IvX1KEQRtd39NL00BBwsfzlVOhvxHtI4TUCIu2WudRSWl6HCOXHnJuSMRrrcxWq0VUj49VWbgarWVPFRAWFV_y7ZA-q13J_CqGmRLTQqXI0up1qEukr-yTuz3CyBIZS1jrwbxutRQlt7F0cghO9L-LA/w538-h640/8%20IMG_0161.JPG" width="538" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Hatshepsut's face on one of the Sphinxes along the path to her temple.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I and his royal wife. But Tutmosis also had a son with his other wife, a non-royal woman. His son could not be pharaoh unless descended from a royal mother – or unless he married a royal woman – so he married his half-sister, Hatshepsut, and became Thutmose II.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ0IuxFN_3r1RgofXWaIFkkuMQBpvy14qhjuM5bpNn2gJuuv47X2GXB4YibHEwWDyO8bgJjNfCkHP6T0kUkyAY7SKq8UgH3mN23HuKf1AO-bvhb4mUuXuwhmeJyq7LLGejUzkdGffDiCasuGcsMja9HqpfXktPYQK4UtZFneH9dd5zPsK0A/s725/20%20IMG_0173%20Thutmose%20II.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="506" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ0IuxFN_3r1RgofXWaIFkkuMQBpvy14qhjuM5bpNn2gJuuv47X2GXB4YibHEwWDyO8bgJjNfCkHP6T0kUkyAY7SKq8UgH3mN23HuKf1AO-bvhb4mUuXuwhmeJyq7LLGejUzkdGffDiCasuGcsMja9HqpfXktPYQK4UtZFneH9dd5zPsK0A/w272-h390/20%20IMG_0173%20Thutmose%20II.JPG" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thutmose II</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibcPk4loG41obC2KiWXu3YRg3TdTnOlbqRUCSnZEtElbMDw2r2aHoeuimKfgwwuLtaV4mgpJBVwyD4iNdt83LpEZl99-tgOYg6V0swwg9HShLekz6pUIvHuL9VgC1HrKJg2kqRvv1Ckjjp22JKZqwlQXsCjASkSyEyMeBnAXMv73eeUGxng/s2047/21%20IMG_0174a.JPG" style="clear: right; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1643" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibcPk4loG41obC2KiWXu3YRg3TdTnOlbqRUCSnZEtElbMDw2r2aHoeuimKfgwwuLtaV4mgpJBVwyD4iNdt83LpEZl99-tgOYg6V0swwg9HShLekz6pUIvHuL9VgC1HrKJg2kqRvv1Ckjjp22JKZqwlQXsCjASkSyEyMeBnAXMv73eeUGxng/w297-h388/21%20IMG_0174a.JPG" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hatshepsut</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It gets even more fun from here! Thutmose II and Hatshepsut had a daughter named Nefru (royal but not eligible to be pharaoh), and he and his other non-royal wife had a son, another Thutmose. Solution? Young Tutmosis married young Nefru and became Thutmose III. So notice that young Thutmose was Hatshepsut’s stepson, nephew, AND son-in-law!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thutmose III was too young to rule, so Hatshepsut became regent, ruling in his place until his majority, but she must have enjoyed the power because after three years, she declared herself to be the daughter of Amun Ra, the mighty sun god. How could she get away with this? Her powerful and loyal priest, Senenmut, (who is also rumored to have been her lover), declared that the gods had selected her. and she reigned as pharaoh for nineteen years!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Senenmut designed a huge temple for her. The design is unique among Egyptian temples and reminds one of the columned buildings of Greece and Rome, but in fact, the Greeks and Romans got the inspiration for THEIR columns from the ones in this temple.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqkQXg63--vNvKFXnEOKBfVDRYnz9vLF62CnJPmc-Jm2sKe4jfKLaoHNjb3vqeI3q7SDDzp9XH_WGl4QjblkSdgAHjfs0tIBliJUIcvuFpP96oPFGfqnivReyMysHDxKDzNz96Mwj3H3TZua8Vnx4svsDwxOrAfocjJCm49kIO0uYWln5qg/s3017/20230214_110608.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2258" data-original-width="3017" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqkQXg63--vNvKFXnEOKBfVDRYnz9vLF62CnJPmc-Jm2sKe4jfKLaoHNjb3vqeI3q7SDDzp9XH_WGl4QjblkSdgAHjfs0tIBliJUIcvuFpP96oPFGfqnivReyMysHDxKDzNz96Mwj3H3TZua8Vnx4svsDwxOrAfocjJCm49kIO0uYWln5qg/w640-h478/20230214_110608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Hatshepsut</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcs50HwGRj8IvGF3x4sGlTwvVppO5b5Wu7uJGgKJjnZxfa96OGKZTcS6jdDN2LWN1wD0inROqiGftXCdHtPxEQiaXF6DfYBqIGoVwDpvR7c6a7vK-xRnbutRzTojtLebpWnQH2t22fe2XWXyXFwnnr5TvZEDeyDLnHpke48MyjhQ2F28ABQ/s4293/9%20IMG_0162.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="4293" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcs50HwGRj8IvGF3x4sGlTwvVppO5b5Wu7uJGgKJjnZxfa96OGKZTcS6jdDN2LWN1wD0inROqiGftXCdHtPxEQiaXF6DfYBqIGoVwDpvR7c6a7vK-xRnbutRzTojtLebpWnQH2t22fe2XWXyXFwnnr5TvZEDeyDLnHpke48MyjhQ2F28ABQ/w640-h430/9%20IMG_0162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rv7PSvMXKB-p70H-0LMllJRhXTXsGQbdtEHCWPtT5IY1RAyWPJa-Su5yY-rlFskHar1lqyEysDBPDpjhahBzotu5hefQxWCRzrDLQJVuwBZB0EcvrlmQmz1b7PE0KmW_TWCk7n0VmJzOYCpjOIQFFNUh5YfG5b-GFWJy0aAhXO6eC76Oyw/s3310/10%20IMG_0163.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="3310" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rv7PSvMXKB-p70H-0LMllJRhXTXsGQbdtEHCWPtT5IY1RAyWPJa-Su5yY-rlFskHar1lqyEysDBPDpjhahBzotu5hefQxWCRzrDLQJVuwBZB0EcvrlmQmz1b7PE0KmW_TWCk7n0VmJzOYCpjOIQFFNUh5YfG5b-GFWJy0aAhXO6eC76Oyw/w640-h536/10%20IMG_0163.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bird engravings on some of the columns</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked up the two sets of steps to the temple, and Deda explained the artwork carved into the walls. One of her greatest accomplishments was sending an expedition to Puntland (Somalia) to establish a trade route. Egypt exchanged gold in return for ivory, leopard skins (worn by the priests), and Arabic gum, a crucial ingredient in mummification. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0XmzNnAZZixWr7Ih3qbA-dF4qoEhw5FTNp7FNGaUoFBR05tqcqqDr4iOHeS-xnFGoFdWEDdzVVYiz18DMVT-wQtsGbv68SQeBf59qfEh_yW5qJlb9ypGknGtGuR6-YBieBeFW2KntgzY0dS-A9N-35s143708yPyu02cqHrJm5SscPd3SQ/s4243/15%20IMG_0168.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4243" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0XmzNnAZZixWr7Ih3qbA-dF4qoEhw5FTNp7FNGaUoFBR05tqcqqDr4iOHeS-xnFGoFdWEDdzVVYiz18DMVT-wQtsGbv68SQeBf59qfEh_yW5qJlb9ypGknGtGuR6-YBieBeFW2KntgzY0dS-A9N-35s143708yPyu02cqHrJm5SscPd3SQ/w440-h640/15%20IMG_0168.JPG" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Faint engraving of an antelope and hieroglyphics</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheqKASaQI3QNEeaecnS_oa3Nyn3fp_dJ2CYmTKGqW8BvaOxhcax_dY7d3Q1Tj8VKMU0XzkuCXl8FwbnRCC-YIlZGFIavOF5nX5u7cMu5Nk7CuTmvXXrDuKgNnHDUHF-KZPx4m6RF6tfsjcQ6pVh0t9Iv_m-GyF4pm2Q7cXKSBDq3w2ylCXw/s4572/17%20IMG_0170.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4572" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheqKASaQI3QNEeaecnS_oa3Nyn3fp_dJ2CYmTKGqW8BvaOxhcax_dY7d3Q1Tj8VKMU0XzkuCXl8FwbnRCC-YIlZGFIavOF5nX5u7cMu5Nk7CuTmvXXrDuKgNnHDUHF-KZPx4m6RF6tfsjcQ6pVh0t9Iv_m-GyF4pm2Q7cXKSBDq3w2ylCXw/w640-h408/17%20IMG_0170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A tribute to the trade route to Puntland established by Hatshepsut</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9EV3ON25uUiHkqGz49ycbq07hzR4fiLIEGnQIhS4rQlymA99qbXOSjmJ-Q3fVXSl3FhrSrGgeIZS35r8uDkJTs4W_68R4nEVotqukMo-B1wuEwDiWXnGyFl2rbqMQ5ogGD-CzIQOpAy-k-lwb-n6pAksGpPHTsHh68E87UAMzxGKkcXbiw/s4152/18%20IMG_0171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4152" data-original-width="2347" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9EV3ON25uUiHkqGz49ycbq07hzR4fiLIEGnQIhS4rQlymA99qbXOSjmJ-Q3fVXSl3FhrSrGgeIZS35r8uDkJTs4W_68R4nEVotqukMo-B1wuEwDiWXnGyFl2rbqMQ5ogGD-CzIQOpAy-k-lwb-n6pAksGpPHTsHh68E87UAMzxGKkcXbiw/w362-h640/18%20IMG_0171.JPG" width="362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Because these paintings were on wall that were exposed to the air outside, so they are not well-preserved, but these also pay tribute to Hatshepsut's many accomplishments.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the manner of some later Roman emperors, her son tried to erase her name from history and take credit for her accomplishments. We saw on the walls of her temple where he had her image scratched out. But the temple and various statues remain. The statues are interesting because they are the face of a woman sporting the ceremonial beard, which indicated her status as a powerful pharaoh.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux_v46iYW8fP9rfWysSi0tpv0lZxHiifULssfw1IoCOdPd_TK1BWSNKOdoYTGUziBs7NohmjKwjQpN31jeoPhCv9eEQwdaFrwTa5VANnBMRHd6qDCbTvXO75D5nx5H738zBaTzK_XCgn7GUxNZ1mjtTs-yN4_Tco0BVAWM30AFjuQFiIfkQ/s3495/16%20IMG_0169.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3495" data-original-width="2868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhux_v46iYW8fP9rfWysSi0tpv0lZxHiifULssfw1IoCOdPd_TK1BWSNKOdoYTGUziBs7NohmjKwjQpN31jeoPhCv9eEQwdaFrwTa5VANnBMRHd6qDCbTvXO75D5nx5H738zBaTzK_XCgn7GUxNZ1mjtTs-yN4_Tco0BVAWM30AFjuQFiIfkQ/w526-h640/16%20IMG_0169.JPG" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look carefully, you can see the faint lines of a destroyed painting of Hatshepsut</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In spite of his revenge against his mother for taking power, Tutmosis III went on to become one of the greatest pharaohs in history. He ruled for forty years and expanded the boundaries of Egypt from Iraq to Libya to South Sudan.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We visited the cafe near the entrance to the Temple for some refreshment before continuing with the day's explorations.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdzgzbTp1h_AEVhqqoJLBAvkoXtYRCwds1Aht9EUs389SSX81vHXWcCSfb0m7UbjXJj1Hgklr0V-yvtdSt4ladKq2clDHE62yhShDxrha7xm0ZzS-UYkvA6AS4aI4y774Isfrvw4XGiOJ82-r-n5GQzt-FX_B0KggXKo5PIBgFNpqCq9aRA/s3738/20230214_111202a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdzgzbTp1h_AEVhqqoJLBAvkoXtYRCwds1Aht9EUs389SSX81vHXWcCSfb0m7UbjXJj1Hgklr0V-yvtdSt4ladKq2clDHE62yhShDxrha7xm0ZzS-UYkvA6AS4aI4y774Isfrvw4XGiOJ82-r-n5GQzt-FX_B0KggXKo5PIBgFNpqCq9aRA/w514-h640/20230214_111202a.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Colossi of Memnon</span></h3></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A little further down the road, we made two quick stops before returning to our cruise ship. Standing in a small field were two enormous statues known as the Colossi of Memnon, both depicting Pharaoh Amenhotep III. They were built around 1350 BC, and stood in front of his mortuary temple, the largest temple in the Necropolis of Thebes. </span></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The temple was destroyed and the statues were badly damaged by a huge earthquake around 1200 BC. This area (called Thebes by the Greeks) was well-known to both the Greeks and the Romans, and for some reason, they associated this statue with a hero from the Trojan War, Memnon. The large cracks in one of the statues whistle and wail when the wind blows through them, so the Greeks had the story that the mother of Memnon was crying for her lost son.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9ko7dkg4C4HkNBvCGEuA83OKpFKjO6UQ08tdmk43RNhVWo7LOM29hPMk-2KLLJTaN7n3YF4nSARWQ63o4qzGNQs8GfZQ4uJdEjJ08GsQdIXj76Rlo1DddGNPM-YJKA8QjMo9wrMNxDV5pvBVA4P6Z18czcSta4DokValXAUirzr2FB8L4g/s3220/20230214_121412.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3220" data-original-width="2567" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9ko7dkg4C4HkNBvCGEuA83OKpFKjO6UQ08tdmk43RNhVWo7LOM29hPMk-2KLLJTaN7n3YF4nSARWQ63o4qzGNQs8GfZQ4uJdEjJ08GsQdIXj76Rlo1DddGNPM-YJKA8QjMo9wrMNxDV5pvBVA4P6Z18czcSta4DokValXAUirzr2FB8L4g/w510-h640/20230214_121412.jpg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The South Colossus</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrGClj4nLZhIeOXnagSJuPqmjGaAK077V7UKUkYS4-qgLfyWrpD-seIppFEpx3l42HftuCRvF1V984ztPD8wV_Zuxu3pDWG5t6VxGdqFaI87AtKfh5YfkeGG-bBj2mtGc76uGMGkDWwslgqhzTDFhjYpXRgxDogdII6RnSScJcRVbnOlYKw/s3136/20230214_121405.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3136" data-original-width="2774" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrGClj4nLZhIeOXnagSJuPqmjGaAK077V7UKUkYS4-qgLfyWrpD-seIppFEpx3l42HftuCRvF1V984ztPD8wV_Zuxu3pDWG5t6VxGdqFaI87AtKfh5YfkeGG-bBj2mtGc76uGMGkDWwslgqhzTDFhjYpXRgxDogdII6RnSScJcRVbnOlYKw/w566-h640/20230214_121405.jpg" width="566" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The North Colossus.<br />The wind whistling through the cracks in the stone of this statue cause it to moan and "cry."</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_af4yeZtGDF_-UdfzCIXk0wkHnCjPcp9LcThYOeOqsSdo2NDqrCmN31iv8znPONyuDQoYhE1dOcn8ofIZFqi3ztO0-sCT1LUtXtOrtcftGwM6aQYzMqcn8dyRJUl9WyVrGPOAJDDxvWcrmi8oHL9FvxXyY9D8V3UuNrPyE91V8rCOzMmgAA/s3224/20230214_121440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3224" data-original-width="2439" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_af4yeZtGDF_-UdfzCIXk0wkHnCjPcp9LcThYOeOqsSdo2NDqrCmN31iv8znPONyuDQoYhE1dOcn8ofIZFqi3ztO0-sCT1LUtXtOrtcftGwM6aQYzMqcn8dyRJUl9WyVrGPOAJDDxvWcrmi8oHL9FvxXyY9D8V3UuNrPyE91V8rCOzMmgAA/w484-h640/20230214_121440.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Alabaster Artisans</span></h3></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our last stop was at a shop where artisans were creating items out of alabaster, a soft calcite or gypsum stone that has been used throughout history for carving beautiful objects.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The artisans were using traditional methods to grind out the centers of rocks of alabaster to create vases and other vessels. We got to try some of the tools ourselves, then went into the store to browse through the finished products. The shop owner demonstrated how a light inside of the vessel glows through the translucent stone and clearly shows the beautiful darker swirls in the alabaster. We purchased a lovely vase, a nice souvenir of our trip.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGYoMnjqQpI9UjOEVRRTQCGiD7i0uYehjGQ1AElyO36IoiSNFy_tOVFHKmGtuqqdKKdipvoUVhveIrfm0OXNxljzZ70aLPfaczjUUh_uruQbs5GNovpUzvpYv00byO_GgeQ_Wdm6V_r3z1YlNGWGePgsHIyZEzTUe3murYdjILEl7KR-4uA/s3701/20230214_120210.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3701" data-original-width="2776" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGYoMnjqQpI9UjOEVRRTQCGiD7i0uYehjGQ1AElyO36IoiSNFy_tOVFHKmGtuqqdKKdipvoUVhveIrfm0OXNxljzZ70aLPfaczjUUh_uruQbs5GNovpUzvpYv00byO_GgeQ_Wdm6V_r3z1YlNGWGePgsHIyZEzTUe3murYdjILEl7KR-4uA/w480-h640/20230214_120210.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeIzw5lMqo8aKuAUs90roT1bamzC6BP1aK5OkdRFSVLFfBhruP55C5_sNpxq_XmpS498yu9Cz9nwwpobed1HGeoR5vc1T0Hp0g_xRKt6DQlMqitBPSyHG7-UJSYtVx1wpEuzmnvW5PK1AA7jdyOCs1fPTFN3sAqU3oJU3imQWmx9zlowmTg/s3576/20230214_120216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3576" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeIzw5lMqo8aKuAUs90roT1bamzC6BP1aK5OkdRFSVLFfBhruP55C5_sNpxq_XmpS498yu9Cz9nwwpobed1HGeoR5vc1T0Hp0g_xRKt6DQlMqitBPSyHG7-UJSYtVx1wpEuzmnvW5PK1AA7jdyOCs1fPTFN3sAqU3oJU3imQWmx9zlowmTg/w536-h640/20230214_120216.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBW2HL-ePPEwi6l3Q2r9F8yOGw_yMCcRJUTr74PdkVpyWYNK3AUnGVvgorFLpPRj5Z2dUh1F-F2VBkApxp3mcLiZKaSgt1LpefqOqzY5sxcNdr2OEnUV-e7RdEM_a4pfVm0giHPhdw3xbj8hBkJvH9J4RqFGYgXXmecmajfydv-c6sQkL0Q/s3751/20230214_120248.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3751" data-original-width="2792" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBW2HL-ePPEwi6l3Q2r9F8yOGw_yMCcRJUTr74PdkVpyWYNK3AUnGVvgorFLpPRj5Z2dUh1F-F2VBkApxp3mcLiZKaSgt1LpefqOqzY5sxcNdr2OEnUV-e7RdEM_a4pfVm0giHPhdw3xbj8hBkJvH9J4RqFGYgXXmecmajfydv-c6sQkL0Q/w476-h640/20230214_120248.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Trying my hand at carving alabaster</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><h3 style="color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cruising the Nile River</h3><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When we returned to our ship to "set sail" from Luxor, we found that Mahmoud, our room steward, had left our new towels folded in the shape of a boat. Very appropriate for an afternoon of cruising! For the rest of the day, we joined many other cruise ships in watching the sights or rural Egypt along the Nile, the river that gives life to the country. Just over the low hills is nothing but desert sand all the way across northern Africa.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeTf1xt6lrDbXVV1wNvuYRk-2dXgcNplt8KzJb70tT6g2IDcu8enZ0BJ7MtZZXiZf8hKQLHN8fg5zlGoeuujOvjGDBw3tjwspfMQhWoTUfdpt52DbZEpYMidm3TKGeJKKmOkbq7ScQls0F1r8Cx3YIy9pqUNEQtXNtB5-OPfspSJLF4th0Q/s3691/20230214_124314.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3691" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeTf1xt6lrDbXVV1wNvuYRk-2dXgcNplt8KzJb70tT6g2IDcu8enZ0BJ7MtZZXiZf8hKQLHN8fg5zlGoeuujOvjGDBw3tjwspfMQhWoTUfdpt52DbZEpYMidm3TKGeJKKmOkbq7ScQls0F1r8Cx3YIy9pqUNEQtXNtB5-OPfspSJLF4th0Q/w520-h640/20230214_124314.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A boat on our bed</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLs2RYdTP58cYbgaAcl1E6-aRO_sDYvD9JvNqxSbxwQPVxkoufXxXillhPliIgpKwAWxhxBKvA1ICcgLcO4KvkCM05dv3AleBbrZ2veKI-9L0ZfuCjF2FsAPa9qrmWVjMeuAfW5_4XJES07972I1eFa1COQAPYxpLXtm2w9nC75f1u2oGJw/s3925/20230214_144200.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="3925" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLs2RYdTP58cYbgaAcl1E6-aRO_sDYvD9JvNqxSbxwQPVxkoufXxXillhPliIgpKwAWxhxBKvA1ICcgLcO4KvkCM05dv3AleBbrZ2veKI-9L0ZfuCjF2FsAPa9qrmWVjMeuAfW5_4XJES07972I1eFa1COQAPYxpLXtm2w9nC75f1u2oGJw/w640-h382/20230214_144200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Moon Goddess was just one of the many boats that cruise the Nile River</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz61HcQO1vzUygEtWuwzIx6fUL3Wn95pPsISP0UdkNzkPgb1JUSmuXGd2u51yqoaXHl7KYW6y_P6N-5TFn4J5r9SEBFzfTDBc00z9YrfK9J8S8bvZQHjUQfPxf3IRZZyySSQ4R5YCtXJyAo8f_9HE6dsJ8zoj_BLl8NWEYWrwBZWq3TK_lbA/s3872/20230214_140512.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3872" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz61HcQO1vzUygEtWuwzIx6fUL3Wn95pPsISP0UdkNzkPgb1JUSmuXGd2u51yqoaXHl7KYW6y_P6N-5TFn4J5r9SEBFzfTDBc00z9YrfK9J8S8bvZQHjUQfPxf3IRZZyySSQ4R5YCtXJyAo8f_9HE6dsJ8zoj_BLl8NWEYWrwBZWq3TK_lbA/w496-h640/20230214_140512.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A felucca</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2erqHZ_rx9VPSkeha2m0WzNGS1SoHuSAgRZWC08auqh5k6OHsJTMf7eDtU8F9gOnVgpPXAbYVJ0kuuaPhLoBNGWss1IySeCPjtZCkNGp7F7Gt7Y2T34Il2E7r8PM1hxfK9YGrE_Ydj-9JqCLNSIiq4LlWlZ2rkUUVWIUrtKC1tSwy9FSLw/s3000/20230214_143516.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2647" data-original-width="3000" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2erqHZ_rx9VPSkeha2m0WzNGS1SoHuSAgRZWC08auqh5k6OHsJTMf7eDtU8F9gOnVgpPXAbYVJ0kuuaPhLoBNGWss1IySeCPjtZCkNGp7F7Gt7Y2T34Il2E7r8PM1hxfK9YGrE_Ydj-9JqCLNSIiq4LlWlZ2rkUUVWIUrtKC1tSwy9FSLw/w640-h564/20230214_143516.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Cows graze on the grasses along the Nile...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6s08mVYDNHba2Oyv0Q9QIcWb76KKVkFnKYDaCnN79VSNSoJITDws7h5heryJvJVbAk74FUBJsfiRz3M0f0UF1vZSy1-VAwsx3t0jbDZTml-oWmb3_rw2MEnk2RiEQsRGPlUn5QY5OlBFdnZ0R3egVlADNpVRrHn5a-0OTFikiPxO-Teewg/s3000/20230214_143652a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="3000" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6s08mVYDNHba2Oyv0Q9QIcWb76KKVkFnKYDaCnN79VSNSoJITDws7h5heryJvJVbAk74FUBJsfiRz3M0f0UF1vZSy1-VAwsx3t0jbDZTml-oWmb3_rw2MEnk2RiEQsRGPlUn5QY5OlBFdnZ0R3egVlADNpVRrHn5a-0OTFikiPxO-Teewg/w640-h594/20230214_143652a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">...and so do the goats</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #050505; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdR31F1JWjzfQ9O3NQxWjviSGK5Vg59UcBSTW3uAcRW6Qb9k4E168cL8259T0XIhkr15O2umcEftHb_RA9a1Gk_D6SRjCZaxMclbLGoX8ewDmkBAPidi883rTfzz1eyEKDvO6MA9-xkAOKuM0yGJAb3OzrKpxjm8UXu0LQIGerAnHvEJu3Q/s3671/20230214_143737.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3671" data-original-width="2937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdR31F1JWjzfQ9O3NQxWjviSGK5Vg59UcBSTW3uAcRW6Qb9k4E168cL8259T0XIhkr15O2umcEftHb_RA9a1Gk_D6SRjCZaxMclbLGoX8ewDmkBAPidi883rTfzz1eyEKDvO6MA9-xkAOKuM0yGJAb3OzrKpxjm8UXu0LQIGerAnHvEJu3Q/w512-h640/20230214_143737.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The minaret of a village mosque</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In the middle of the night, we were awakened by loud voices on the shore working on the docks of the lock that would lift ship up to the higher level of the Nile as we cruised south to Upper Egypt and more adventures.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr6_7xBpjtbiKHL_cv-5H2qNMrNXhKprZpVgRN92Gx79lUOzg6ezW48rL_FC8x68decYC3zga2dcTy1Ezo6U4hUmo3-2mKy-OaieOsWJVNfAsBdtaKJuOnll4oTWoZpC7UkQ23ZpDj7CXg2WPG5aKrn_MVwR1XvuCZ2tK0o5y6W_GUp8G0A/s3467/20230214_214130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3467" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr6_7xBpjtbiKHL_cv-5H2qNMrNXhKprZpVgRN92Gx79lUOzg6ezW48rL_FC8x68decYC3zga2dcTy1Ezo6U4hUmo3-2mKy-OaieOsWJVNfAsBdtaKJuOnll4oTWoZpC7UkQ23ZpDj7CXg2WPG5aKrn_MVwR1XvuCZ2tK0o5y6W_GUp8G0A/s320/20230214_214130.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgtoqAtR21OFy5cZ63IApotE6L4qBsy3u_xbydndXUuCkZ5ZLtIRizPjD23zaq105fHh8qUcR3_bHvrTV_8-GZL9Kh0lasIP73RBZb9naY8S5Qs3h-oIh-8cccb9JNVuABZrwi3cgj8l8H-ZnUa8PSPp0G2D5EHgXwvZUUeAn8kJ3Yy49Lg/s3000/20230214_214515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="3000" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgtoqAtR21OFy5cZ63IApotE6L4qBsy3u_xbydndXUuCkZ5ZLtIRizPjD23zaq105fHh8qUcR3_bHvrTV_8-GZL9Kh0lasIP73RBZb9naY8S5Qs3h-oIh-8cccb9JNVuABZrwi3cgj8l8H-ZnUa8PSPp0G2D5EHgXwvZUUeAn8kJ3Yy49Lg/s320/20230214_214515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-69403836645411993682023-03-16T14:44:00.006-07:002023-03-22T15:35:07.866-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 4: The Great Temples of Karnak and Luxor<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">February 13, 2023</span></h2><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Great Temples of Karnak and Luxor</span></h1><div><span><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">What visit to Egypt is complete without a cruise down the Nile? Our day started early with a flight to the modern city of Luxor, where
we would board our cruise ship, the Moon Goddess, and spend five of the most
memorable days of our entire trip. Today
we explored the mighty temples of Karnak and Luxor.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnV-F-2JqSfKn-1OrIOJwoWkm5TvjIGy-2Jbqkyu43e-uMwim91BT7PeM_qSUeNsIUVktSrEHnxEw3NrCOhDE8pZhTDg3QXDC0IWUh83sxJ7MmkbJ2YQaIWxiwNc7JnHtD2p8VrSG8qCnadf-baHfU62ULXqZN3Mi_sWFeQSOQpvA-WdkDQ/s5184/IMG_9890aa.JPG" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.6667px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnV-F-2JqSfKn-1OrIOJwoWkm5TvjIGy-2Jbqkyu43e-uMwim91BT7PeM_qSUeNsIUVktSrEHnxEw3NrCOhDE8pZhTDg3QXDC0IWUh83sxJ7MmkbJ2YQaIWxiwNc7JnHtD2p8VrSG8qCnadf-baHfU62ULXqZN3Mi_sWFeQSOQpvA-WdkDQ/w640-h360/IMG_9890aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Looking down on the barren landscape of Egypt.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Luxor has gone through several reincarnations. In ancient
Egyptian times, it was called Wassat. Those of us who love Greek history
will recognize its Greek name of Thebes, the great capital city of the New
Kingdom of Egypt. The Arabic name is Al Luxor, the "City of the
Palaces." </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">To better understand the temples' historical place in history,
let's back up a little with a quick summary of the three major periods of
ancient</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> Egypt: The Old Kingdom, from 2,700 to 2,200 BC, the Middle
Kingdom, from 2,050 to 1,800 BC, and the New Kingdom, which started around
1,500 and lasted until about 1,100 BC.</span></span></div><h3 style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;">The Great Temple of Karnak</span></h3>
<p style="background: white;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Great Temple in Karnak was built near the beginning of the
New Kingdom, during the 18th Dynasty, around 1,500 B.C. It is dedicated
to Amun Ra, the Sun God, and the supreme god of ancient Egypt, and it is the
largest religious complex in history. Although not all the original
buildings still stand, what does remain left me open-jawed with
amazement. </span></span></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">We met our new guide, Deda, and made a brief stop in the Visitors Center where we learned a bit about the history of Karnak. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">(Quick side-story: Deda's actual</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> name is Ahmed.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Close to half of the wonderful people who helped us throughout our tour were named Ahmed: the owner of the tour company we used, </span><a href="https://www.highendjourneys.com/" target="_blank">High End Journeys</a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">, our greeters in the airport, two of our drivers, receptionists in some of our hotels – and the other 49% were named Mohammed!</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">We did have one driver named Said and one guide named Saif, but Ahmed and Mohammed held the name trophies!</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Deda introduced himself as “Ahmed but call me Deda.”</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">And our sweet and eager-to-please room steward at our Cairo hotel said, when we asked his name, “Well my name is Mohammed, but everybody’s name is Mohammed, so call me Gamel.”)</span></span></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEaYYm5jl_3qL716H-nP7TKbXKOKMwZNqHR8-62gqYgIsYvW4oPG1z8IJlIMrAF4ePEAR3v1r8kGtanYwNlDNaGf4ndBbPVP51HFMf2dTORXxDygDfkR9NGkX-dYWZ79r2TfmPO25PE9cXjGaNDEcQ6thT66TLqp3IxYUC2fN73X_XkiP8g/s5184/IMG_9899.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEaYYm5jl_3qL716H-nP7TKbXKOKMwZNqHR8-62gqYgIsYvW4oPG1z8IJlIMrAF4ePEAR3v1r8kGtanYwNlDNaGf4ndBbPVP51HFMf2dTORXxDygDfkR9NGkX-dYWZ79r2TfmPO25PE9cXjGaNDEcQ6thT66TLqp3IxYUC2fN73X_XkiP8g/w640-h360/IMG_9899.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A model of the Temple of Karnak as it would have looked when first built <br />stood in the Visitors Center</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGq3MG_PDebNcA3nNLd3-ZHoSX9f6sReeLVZrZHsYscnQTJEHFpfRBkAh-PJ4c_LQmNxNmu8UtfhICE3TvvVZEMOMMTVmAqCFiDBzMckVUBocpiNj_yHjS_6HiAUPbc8NkDnB50OPdI4TFXLTsPgeE4cIYZsm1i3zEJuYmhNMN2kcKf3qXg/s5184/IMG_9901a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGq3MG_PDebNcA3nNLd3-ZHoSX9f6sReeLVZrZHsYscnQTJEHFpfRBkAh-PJ4c_LQmNxNmu8UtfhICE3TvvVZEMOMMTVmAqCFiDBzMckVUBocpiNj_yHjS_6HiAUPbc8NkDnB50OPdI4TFXLTsPgeE4cIYZsm1i3zEJuYmhNMN2kcKf3qXg/w640-h360/IMG_9901a.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The back of the temple, including the Sacred Pool.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After the Visitors Center, Deda led us across the large field toward the
towering walls of the front of the complex where we entered the temple over a
bridge lined with ram-headed sphinxes, each protecting the image of a pharaoh. The bridge crossed a dry gully where a tributary of the nearby Nile River had once
flowed.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Ga9GzVQ3w_XAPKnnUCkDnRcZPX9FQv7aWjBwHnnToQ_v63jWZkedsq8dPwdxc5ymBt8o2ilPq6q5by_CVG7LzL_LmEnyy94kBxD9OwJ4dNDkCzgNDKTpGowsqNQ0dB4zgXkLifl4JtHNaApLSSco4KYd0-eABkMeeGlScFpQbX6xU2igw/s3630/IMG_9905aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2317" data-original-width="3630" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Ga9GzVQ3w_XAPKnnUCkDnRcZPX9FQv7aWjBwHnnToQ_v63jWZkedsq8dPwdxc5ymBt8o2ilPq6q5by_CVG7LzL_LmEnyy94kBxD9OwJ4dNDkCzgNDKTpGowsqNQ0dB4zgXkLifl4JtHNaApLSSco4KYd0-eABkMeeGlScFpQbX6xU2igw/w640-h408/IMG_9905aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Approaching the great outer walls of Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kvT8lf4yXnDOHK9xvsTgT5s-AVfF_XeA_i8cescakE4q8tlnfe9DU_heRzMgIlCrmarcFbeQCvZ1EZZ8swvx1JIVnguLWhWL4TvCR4aQmGq6wKzQ4pXfmOt6fHQLEcq9oklOWpR3U40sh14k1d0eSDSzzzzjvSDrD-AhP0hQrMi3J2IvXA/s4162/IMG_9909aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="4162" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kvT8lf4yXnDOHK9xvsTgT5s-AVfF_XeA_i8cescakE4q8tlnfe9DU_heRzMgIlCrmarcFbeQCvZ1EZZ8swvx1JIVnguLWhWL4TvCR4aQmGq6wKzQ4pXfmOt6fHQLEcq9oklOWpR3U40sh14k1d0eSDSzzzzjvSDrD-AhP0hQrMi3J2IvXA/w640-h392/IMG_9909aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A small mosque and more excavations in front of the temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG24Oq9mPQWbDG04o1hEEzVpZKi7o5IV-sK9cyUa4zUjXGzD8XIxUwwkD2HwLFowD-wMRzNNNv5DyIKmz8HHGgBFvHabVv34Rm4-IGWs664eJaG3gNwqbc5FZSmcGFt3j1VjX0rHW2LEjr0M8NV-3yobYvqCBwdQKbCJVUwUs6C3q00MldQ/s3829/IMG_9906aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2372" data-original-width="3829" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG24Oq9mPQWbDG04o1hEEzVpZKi7o5IV-sK9cyUa4zUjXGzD8XIxUwwkD2HwLFowD-wMRzNNNv5DyIKmz8HHGgBFvHabVv34Rm4-IGWs664eJaG3gNwqbc5FZSmcGFt3j1VjX0rHW2LEjr0M8NV-3yobYvqCBwdQKbCJVUwUs6C3q00MldQ/w640-h396/IMG_9906aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The bridge into the entrance of the Temple of Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcUrlpM0_PY7zo5qLHv7CNpRrY7ZdW-_g_3tB440p-MgywEIhdWQNDo7tKBxZIA9Czi7RQZzyY4_GRj52ryFmgOGV345q3pS6NP4GFTH5_vE1v6TN08AjpcXqugzeJFwiuxCC0XJ3S2lrtKXiivTCEw2XBMX1_0702KDdslSRaOLfqSOjlA/s5042/IMG_9914aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="5042" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcUrlpM0_PY7zo5qLHv7CNpRrY7ZdW-_g_3tB440p-MgywEIhdWQNDo7tKBxZIA9Czi7RQZzyY4_GRj52ryFmgOGV345q3pS6NP4GFTH5_vE1v6TN08AjpcXqugzeJFwiuxCC0XJ3S2lrtKXiivTCEw2XBMX1_0702KDdslSRaOLfqSOjlA/w640-h360/IMG_9914aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob and me in front of the bridge of Ram Sphinxes</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy0EJhlNYOnlMydWzekQBMI3lyGhui22hCbD7VhbQBhgNFs8vKfiYNLglu5ufYlYIpURXxqqmJCntgV-Hp8J9wLnpAnDHX8wsqZqlbwZZvh8-cz6YbQtp-AtBJ7DF4UOiwwtvdY8Wr9lP2BrOQHWjAv5HijfdPS0HlFWuzDsarPQaMK9aPQ/s4636/IMG_9915aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="4636" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy0EJhlNYOnlMydWzekQBMI3lyGhui22hCbD7VhbQBhgNFs8vKfiYNLglu5ufYlYIpURXxqqmJCntgV-Hp8J9wLnpAnDHX8wsqZqlbwZZvh8-cz6YbQtp-AtBJ7DF4UOiwwtvdY8Wr9lP2BrOQHWjAv5HijfdPS0HlFWuzDsarPQaMK9aPQ/w640-h386/IMG_9915aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ram Sphinxes guard the Great Temple of Karnak<br />Rams were the symbol of the great God Amun</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Through the enormous entry gates, we entered a large
courtyard. If you have ever wondered how the ancient people built such
immense walls, we found the answer inside. Mounds of small bricks, which
acted as "scaffolding," remain piled against one of these
walls. Once the great limestone walls were finished, the bricks would have
been removed. One side of this courtyard was also lined with Ram Sphinxes.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE5IgpW3EQKBO88A-fe0bbul4Gibcf7FajqYqPHTBFYpwoIl9MGaPbWr5D4kgHCyfVHzrw0yNEwLCvsVCOTEXN64P-dCs7SxcirwvBJqToNs-WKkKd5C5kU63_3OpEz1CNrNl-HGvxDcXxyWYiqkm2YNzhk_odvU--4Zvtd6EUl-wwIVdkw/s4611/IMG_9996aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2618" data-original-width="4611" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE5IgpW3EQKBO88A-fe0bbul4Gibcf7FajqYqPHTBFYpwoIl9MGaPbWr5D4kgHCyfVHzrw0yNEwLCvsVCOTEXN64P-dCs7SxcirwvBJqToNs-WKkKd5C5kU63_3OpEz1CNrNl-HGvxDcXxyWYiqkm2YNzhk_odvU--4Zvtd6EUl-wwIVdkw/w640-h364/IMG_9996aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The great courtyard inside the entrance to Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5q-M9gdUwrbvYF8YihgwU3Qo7D28CvAwp3vpDIjWFkcSGnzGA-hpOYoPOfbGdyJ8cB2kWZlzvD6svTe_WmkAw8JEdiCb3YPGf2nJEp-eFAIQ0UHJJ8DY8AIE6_IunVYt70OYDvG_REAcR0VUooFWtzkxIxD_9KfwgNbMT7xG4tvg0jgp7Q/s4463/IMG_9920aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4463" data-original-width="2815" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5q-M9gdUwrbvYF8YihgwU3Qo7D28CvAwp3vpDIjWFkcSGnzGA-hpOYoPOfbGdyJ8cB2kWZlzvD6svTe_WmkAw8JEdiCb3YPGf2nJEp-eFAIQ0UHJJ8DY8AIE6_IunVYt70OYDvG_REAcR0VUooFWtzkxIxD_9KfwgNbMT7xG4tvg0jgp7Q/w404-h640/IMG_9920aa.JPG" width="404" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The pile of smaller bricks was the "scaffolding" used to build the high walls.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK2en8h0YYS8FaqmwMskIvxye6Nr_TZCZ_8MbTJYiz19OuDzxJ3bSMjrEdOgOYa6tCJXGLOxo3E6a-9-ZnBG-yA_POWH8Z0VTMFZNA2AMTeip4egSCRHtZ2TNnCKYQpRLuZxwkdzcGf36B9pREFD7Uj9a4r2KkyW1hXtED3ED-uj5KyfdGg/s3592/IMG_9926aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2907" data-original-width="3592" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK2en8h0YYS8FaqmwMskIvxye6Nr_TZCZ_8MbTJYiz19OuDzxJ3bSMjrEdOgOYa6tCJXGLOxo3E6a-9-ZnBG-yA_POWH8Z0VTMFZNA2AMTeip4egSCRHtZ2TNnCKYQpRLuZxwkdzcGf36B9pREFD7Uj9a4r2KkyW1hXtED3ED-uj5KyfdGg/w640-h518/IMG_9926aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Deda points out features of the Temple of Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFOv2hOH6kHACFnFAVkvSET4ZkULBg3PvMIiOCWdRBTdRds_3s6GfsV2KvDodSqjAN7vIA9-rXutEI6wN8uPgwDKBDF9LHP9XGF8yrYLy-QIuYMAnK3FjDv0ABRw0t4RklPsFpMB2WbdOh_d8Tg8ecfClY2C8sDIFswOzR79-skoyQNuajg/s4501/IMG_9994aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2609" data-original-width="4501" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFOv2hOH6kHACFnFAVkvSET4ZkULBg3PvMIiOCWdRBTdRds_3s6GfsV2KvDodSqjAN7vIA9-rXutEI6wN8uPgwDKBDF9LHP9XGF8yrYLy-QIuYMAnK3FjDv0ABRw0t4RklPsFpMB2WbdOh_d8Tg8ecfClY2C8sDIFswOzR79-skoyQNuajg/w640-h370/IMG_9994aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The great courtyard</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XqNQ-SNvcHMTWxLoPms4jzD77s1LgbXcKnvn8F_XKVtsQTc5PPz0neb1xpvbt4a3rM1sQ3jRJuROQ-JSXnhXkRr8CnwPSIKrqjTc92PUOX9tRgHyhEc7Ps2ZYgG2NTYHnFMU_F_fWf1AS_BjsSk2HffDvw9xaZpIEpJFEDFU1skHTW2gaA/s4939/IMG_9998aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4939" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XqNQ-SNvcHMTWxLoPms4jzD77s1LgbXcKnvn8F_XKVtsQTc5PPz0neb1xpvbt4a3rM1sQ3jRJuROQ-JSXnhXkRr8CnwPSIKrqjTc92PUOX9tRgHyhEc7Ps2ZYgG2NTYHnFMU_F_fWf1AS_BjsSk2HffDvw9xaZpIEpJFEDFU1skHTW2gaA/w640-h378/IMG_9998aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed the many Ram Sphinxes</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDIy88XmAn1U8LA8ureGNxgJvQg4fZ6BkuGtNe9NWwfB-6PWQRNf-G2cKWN2_662h3gacdd94qXcWyxybx2keFVUhscJ87JlVDuHID8MGEbhDYbuHisMA91LOnOWg5VPGdADOGOTCsnK4qMMJndH8U5kwqoEZEXVG3WNfAxqLZaUGcKwM-Q/s4146/IMG_9999aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4146" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDIy88XmAn1U8LA8ureGNxgJvQg4fZ6BkuGtNe9NWwfB-6PWQRNf-G2cKWN2_662h3gacdd94qXcWyxybx2keFVUhscJ87JlVDuHID8MGEbhDYbuHisMA91LOnOWg5VPGdADOGOTCsnK4qMMJndH8U5kwqoEZEXVG3WNfAxqLZaUGcKwM-Q/w640-h450/IMG_9999aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I gasped as we entered the most wonderful part of Karnak,
the Great Hypostyle, built by Seti I and his son, Ramses II. It is a
courtyard filled with 134 huge thick columns reaching into the sky far above
our heads and still covered with hieroglyphs and images of the Pharaohs and gods.
I was once again reminded that our image of ancient ruins as bare white marble
or beige rock is inaccurate, as many of these columns still displayed the many
colors that had once decorated them. Remnants of the ceiling that had
once covered the room lay between some of the columns. I felt almost
overwhelmed by the enormity of the chamber - and a little frustrated that my
camera simply could not capture the beauty and grandeur of the room.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgpEaXVZx7LxYbOw24YgxeNumXCbqwZbyAxSv38F-pNtlJq9-dFqq2nKsY6R5CIWp9qPXKhJNiGwd23pRhtVWGQMXRR4msBb3pkF2G9JsMcjcAjOpBvV86uc8JRQxnmSVyTqWxbxRoYKsYK92imlYdARrgtD-1lq3xIcXD2jo6OWM8mYfSA/s2124/IMG_9992a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="1607" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgpEaXVZx7LxYbOw24YgxeNumXCbqwZbyAxSv38F-pNtlJq9-dFqq2nKsY6R5CIWp9qPXKhJNiGwd23pRhtVWGQMXRR4msBb3pkF2G9JsMcjcAjOpBvV86uc8JRQxnmSVyTqWxbxRoYKsYK92imlYdARrgtD-1lq3xIcXD2jo6OWM8mYfSA/w484-h640/IMG_9992a.JPG" width="484" /></b></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>For you art and history lovers, here is the plaque that describes <br />the design and purpose of the Hypostyle.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGW3h7Kqg20mRpG_Bgxzyhp6Ck3Vcq3Reizjp9ZiQHquIfZhG8yDnnY9JqsyhHLU-g4ucbzbrJnihpjKhooXYtwb2UKyE1_gyil_DrHvVnX6-_5uqql0e1Utd1gGy1Y2KJFVCYk1soIezpxq95BrTXe89XopG6xxew1o3dgGPNXx-xoAfsQ/s3914/IMG_9925aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3914" data-original-width="2729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGW3h7Kqg20mRpG_Bgxzyhp6Ck3Vcq3Reizjp9ZiQHquIfZhG8yDnnY9JqsyhHLU-g4ucbzbrJnihpjKhooXYtwb2UKyE1_gyil_DrHvVnX6-_5uqql0e1Utd1gGy1Y2KJFVCYk1soIezpxq95BrTXe89XopG6xxew1o3dgGPNXx-xoAfsQ/w446-h640/IMG_9925aa.JPG" width="446" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The crowds entering the main nave of the Hypostyle</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The enormous columns dwarfed the visitors below.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp9fwGmaTbKKWrt-0kUhHy_F8D06mWi4GmdttZH2aBlSU4JlroDWgZ7P9HdsrWqSeo44c1T39HEDXxI1fSiP86r4mPSfJ3RB_DIbrKKgR9urXsdSGVthDsNlKye2Oi4d7WJiA2BfO25inzej5FRglT_pe08fSU0cQgsvpGhstcUQFtmI9vA/s4795/IMG_9939aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="4795" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp9fwGmaTbKKWrt-0kUhHy_F8D06mWi4GmdttZH2aBlSU4JlroDWgZ7P9HdsrWqSeo44c1T39HEDXxI1fSiP86r4mPSfJ3RB_DIbrKKgR9urXsdSGVthDsNlKye2Oi4d7WJiA2BfO25inzej5FRglT_pe08fSU0cQgsvpGhstcUQFtmI9vA/w640-h382/IMG_9939aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzZsEiaBlgYQ1I_1jRRLLQAnW89S6mUoEo7mDpQS16qiwwh6p4KbOyjNGYDdt5gfV6B9PbeGwpUgQKXnWaMIcTJaPEiz8oNGcfS_3Q5Jxv_Zu56LdHBMxi47c4qST57dBm5g8V4XwNHAQ-k1U-z0rZXAsfvGwVoHCx52GofsQ9iwxKEpGMA/s4943/IMG_9930aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4943" data-original-width="2777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzZsEiaBlgYQ1I_1jRRLLQAnW89S6mUoEo7mDpQS16qiwwh6p4KbOyjNGYDdt5gfV6B9PbeGwpUgQKXnWaMIcTJaPEiz8oNGcfS_3Q5Jxv_Zu56LdHBMxi47c4qST57dBm5g8V4XwNHAQ-k1U-z0rZXAsfvGwVoHCx52GofsQ9iwxKEpGMA/w360-h640/IMG_9930aa.JPG" width="360" /></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTve-zk56mX8B_vwr90-aXvm9Q-Rf5xZL_K6UYll9EBw7hW_OsFmUgBwG9eHZAaZuPRbzYS_cTaQeAPNIRZsWx9bcMw_FTown0EdqR2QsAbaRWvw4x4rTbXxZZKkWCpodukvM_QFEI52-zsteMJ3pziR_bxVfOW8Q8khJnja_300cgHPF7A/s4733/IMG_9935aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4733" data-original-width="2659" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTve-zk56mX8B_vwr90-aXvm9Q-Rf5xZL_K6UYll9EBw7hW_OsFmUgBwG9eHZAaZuPRbzYS_cTaQeAPNIRZsWx9bcMw_FTown0EdqR2QsAbaRWvw4x4rTbXxZZKkWCpodukvM_QFEI52-zsteMJ3pziR_bxVfOW8Q8khJnja_300cgHPF7A/w360-h640/IMG_9935aa.JPG" width="360" /></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqNQ8hKByivaPtVJjk_6Iy_b17bW0UGZQ6dwfkYsNan5cYih4HyVsFsL5Z2hanyUuya8u5kmE7A6FeyBKF5fVwKzUA9tSwp7e4vGEh7cyIQXTS3abB2qtXsaPJ9gKcSaavMEIJxBJBrg09STTFBls4pNJz8EnQd_fsA9b4mcW53xgeqgTbg/s5184/IMG_9980aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqNQ8hKByivaPtVJjk_6Iy_b17bW0UGZQ6dwfkYsNan5cYih4HyVsFsL5Z2hanyUuya8u5kmE7A6FeyBKF5fVwKzUA9tSwp7e4vGEh7cyIQXTS3abB2qtXsaPJ9gKcSaavMEIJxBJBrg09STTFBls4pNJz8EnQd_fsA9b4mcW53xgeqgTbg/w360-h640/IMG_9980aa.JPG" width="360" /></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmauZNZG3Awb8-Y855gzDehX6CZ8KAIT6JhwEJMEAdkchBlbqNCS53Md_LWfYwllnmBq24JdOZu1_3KFaC36MPwsFclrbw6d1oTUITy-gUI_PZSZXnvs8wph_6JbPNtl0R0qvnO3-QmfRNczczRZjn2DzvmFUulMH-2dZOo7bB_CC-u7Wkg/s5140/IMG_9988aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5140" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmauZNZG3Awb8-Y855gzDehX6CZ8KAIT6JhwEJMEAdkchBlbqNCS53Md_LWfYwllnmBq24JdOZu1_3KFaC36MPwsFclrbw6d1oTUITy-gUI_PZSZXnvs8wph_6JbPNtl0R0qvnO3-QmfRNczczRZjn2DzvmFUulMH-2dZOo7bB_CC-u7Wkg/w362-h640/IMG_9988aa.JPG" width="362" /></span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Hypostyle was once a covered chamber. The beams of the roof were </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>still visible between some of the columns.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGCty_21-E7NgMrpN0VnAuxrgYtR3v4MOtrGBUKc2sBt5d95Mku-9vnfHlluyde5CiaImKxXH6_qvKD2jmjDuDsh8yz9lj3bnQy4FwuacDmpkLlSLWO0Fpd-1DEF8qME4hRX1hvTo6S9lus7PpEETLPZ66wZmuREgZrwYTDV7ZAqWDzovQg/s5184/IMG_9929aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGCty_21-E7NgMrpN0VnAuxrgYtR3v4MOtrGBUKc2sBt5d95Mku-9vnfHlluyde5CiaImKxXH6_qvKD2jmjDuDsh8yz9lj3bnQy4FwuacDmpkLlSLWO0Fpd-1DEF8qME4hRX1hvTo6S9lus7PpEETLPZ66wZmuREgZrwYTDV7ZAqWDzovQg/w640-h360/IMG_9929aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzO7lsiwjxshKiwO9gW5JgyBRBudptpfLTOS2MG4nSB2Dtz7QQxFR2Ek0EOZEzaJiAiuLeJvEG8jcevjZxy1p1SXoO_mdgihbVHPffZVMFb3eQeCWONY21DFGNAxA9oihojJwXSqRNmf37SgwMYAfkm8XLZo_LP8afN9Zw9o8NiNGT2nbDw/s5184/IMG_9933aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2750" data-original-width="5184" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzO7lsiwjxshKiwO9gW5JgyBRBudptpfLTOS2MG4nSB2Dtz7QQxFR2Ek0EOZEzaJiAiuLeJvEG8jcevjZxy1p1SXoO_mdgihbVHPffZVMFb3eQeCWONY21DFGNAxA9oihojJwXSqRNmf37SgwMYAfkm8XLZo_LP8afN9Zw9o8NiNGT2nbDw/w640-h340/IMG_9933aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E-xYujRSSc3S4aA80eWgEgJxqVW8cUAlZfdt3S-YgvlRB17BOpF4ZD4t9P2gec8xmR44pWWUk3iyjotGPh7jdDInd0KY0E-1oZXYZArrozSfkBVjr8zHuKgJDuQcAdlM5has5KWs0ueVaXhxTnjHxl-O-coXQjQfj59xMa0dMMu-dnSIwQ/s4925/IMG_9934aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4925" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E-xYujRSSc3S4aA80eWgEgJxqVW8cUAlZfdt3S-YgvlRB17BOpF4ZD4t9P2gec8xmR44pWWUk3iyjotGPh7jdDInd0KY0E-1oZXYZArrozSfkBVjr8zHuKgJDuQcAdlM5has5KWs0ueVaXhxTnjHxl-O-coXQjQfj59xMa0dMMu-dnSIwQ/w640-h378/IMG_9934aa.JPG" width="640" /></b></a></span></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqzCQ-Eo9GJ5QvDkiD8wsQOBtVzfrmD8zQrgTPPQEanmCy_vhcIpYcr3RRstNtScdZg6IL_gMc9G444Ah0e59yjuVGYdNyvXS0SCvmmKIrlPoWmkeJcpMeWxPkwMJfzHr2DC-UvC5bm6nW29uArmD-b58JOloo1fnA43gQWr4o-VW5enCkA/s4812/IMG_9987aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4812" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqzCQ-Eo9GJ5QvDkiD8wsQOBtVzfrmD8zQrgTPPQEanmCy_vhcIpYcr3RRstNtScdZg6IL_gMc9G444Ah0e59yjuVGYdNyvXS0SCvmmKIrlPoWmkeJcpMeWxPkwMJfzHr2DC-UvC5bm6nW29uArmD-b58JOloo1fnA43gQWr4o-VW5enCkA/w640-h388/IMG_9987aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I was awe-struck by the hieroglyphics and painting engravings that </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>still cover almost every inch of these massive columns.</b></span></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxQQp1tGl7Y3umYxZuQjV-6yXQXr6lIC8adbhGHYjYkZoEgW47r0wSfdgWBCF7AYn2Xwxl7cxlZixkI9kq_bqvO10UT271-KRISwnjoj5aCD1C0kxq5C5PFRRKPN__4u56X8ry7P9YDFFVNnnI7IJJiJrPmqonC8HRGgGLbLTfuV5TUks9Q/s2697/IMG_9931aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2697" data-original-width="2586" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxQQp1tGl7Y3umYxZuQjV-6yXQXr6lIC8adbhGHYjYkZoEgW47r0wSfdgWBCF7AYn2Xwxl7cxlZixkI9kq_bqvO10UT271-KRISwnjoj5aCD1C0kxq5C5PFRRKPN__4u56X8ry7P9YDFFVNnnI7IJJiJrPmqonC8HRGgGLbLTfuV5TUks9Q/w614-h640/IMG_9931aaa.JPG" width="614" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmwd9Sa09FkC7So1kgKfoa2gPbyEHC7JWLlw7Cb7Yow3vBgg7Iz1rnl6SVnojjCZSc06GurUPqeikp4tEE2KlTIjPs1LhWbhV7U8fH1ZPzYnDy788PQhDQOAP23SBuEyd8cgfh9TXs0nbzphvSNyKUJSp21nTrhlPZk_15y9BbvgWoM8t8w/s4949/IMG_9941aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4949" data-original-width="2685" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmwd9Sa09FkC7So1kgKfoa2gPbyEHC7JWLlw7Cb7Yow3vBgg7Iz1rnl6SVnojjCZSc06GurUPqeikp4tEE2KlTIjPs1LhWbhV7U8fH1ZPzYnDy788PQhDQOAP23SBuEyd8cgfh9TXs0nbzphvSNyKUJSp21nTrhlPZk_15y9BbvgWoM8t8w/w348-h640/IMG_9941aa.JPG" width="348" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuMLPae264CrqSgncrZEbblLMh3FgpAZ8iJd-3JEv_s8AnorJTs9T07HIM2wVpgRR6oIsxNbXVEf6J2402LRXzDxeNWqZUvC0ymxyekA5Mla0ob985-AkoGzR2wbT_EtkGaXbkiaMVDCz7_HUuGgk7_mgCxlroal7G8UoEZbgXPbOe5A5zQ/s4799/IMG_9978aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4799" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuMLPae264CrqSgncrZEbblLMh3FgpAZ8iJd-3JEv_s8AnorJTs9T07HIM2wVpgRR6oIsxNbXVEf6J2402LRXzDxeNWqZUvC0ymxyekA5Mla0ob985-AkoGzR2wbT_EtkGaXbkiaMVDCz7_HUuGgk7_mgCxlroal7G8UoEZbgXPbOe5A5zQ/w388-h640/IMG_9978aa.JPG" width="388" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3Eyt9FzBABby7g3x3X5Tfl2Jo1E_DyIlPSyp0zUktXdKvAHv9NMtXDm5fEZxcDNVlbqrPYIM77iZiF_0KWa2wsPiKA3GE1MGv9YT4jq8-oDSZcMKARidA9f3CiQnya-ihd61zkzBrG5diLIBjU9j_-dpsoj8GkW3MwbinH4tdgfbkF3nsQ/s3873/IMG_9979aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3873" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3Eyt9FzBABby7g3x3X5Tfl2Jo1E_DyIlPSyp0zUktXdKvAHv9NMtXDm5fEZxcDNVlbqrPYIM77iZiF_0KWa2wsPiKA3GE1MGv9YT4jq8-oDSZcMKARidA9f3CiQnya-ihd61zkzBrG5diLIBjU9j_-dpsoj8GkW3MwbinH4tdgfbkF3nsQ/w482-h640/IMG_9979aa.JPG" width="482" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSsmqfXPV_dsqrICRqsPUBmd1V54le45wdz1-j1e_11OVJZnoI22PXGj9PARN-iTimxG-rpXlLebfWro7FMOkVJXTx9uniQzbhyiJCMBI2wHLw06FQwKwGCbxFfDfnx_RGNfyI4mFIXXUzcmBnjBM727qVqW0K50ImABavAQwjPj3UndgbQ/s2223/IMG_9980aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="2223" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSsmqfXPV_dsqrICRqsPUBmd1V54le45wdz1-j1e_11OVJZnoI22PXGj9PARN-iTimxG-rpXlLebfWro7FMOkVJXTx9uniQzbhyiJCMBI2wHLw06FQwKwGCbxFfDfnx_RGNfyI4mFIXXUzcmBnjBM727qVqW0K50ImABavAQwjPj3UndgbQ/w640-h612/IMG_9980aaa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxsSGjRw_7dUIRHXPlNngCJBD7xyydrdggdAFN9bnl7levAs9vFh3mz7c0lXYFh6aq9kY7poOJkRsMToEEqvMT2Dc-rLajeg3-lOfSUCpDklGUqaOQ501CAdSvyzQJlaqwGt8_8RatKKdZOYJhGtG8GWDFNGOgamj2-0zeTDNGkFBp6U1Jg/s3126/IMG_9983aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3126" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxsSGjRw_7dUIRHXPlNngCJBD7xyydrdggdAFN9bnl7levAs9vFh3mz7c0lXYFh6aq9kY7poOJkRsMToEEqvMT2Dc-rLajeg3-lOfSUCpDklGUqaOQ501CAdSvyzQJlaqwGt8_8RatKKdZOYJhGtG8GWDFNGOgamj2-0zeTDNGkFBp6U1Jg/w640-h596/IMG_9983aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb4yQIP2zzj2dQGkfXNvxD5X9IvSGWbTZePNbfJU9WUkViWPa42rcjyQT9TohhW8pp12DaEYBXqfPCRB-kOcLPmDmdc6TCp3Zn3Ax7fAFUZ_ZW9eWI-t96Op2nWzWnRNv7iH6OAoka3bSn8NvOgTHgiAG56elxkRqWVv5VBYQNcQrtR-n5Q/s4162/IMG_9990aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4162" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb4yQIP2zzj2dQGkfXNvxD5X9IvSGWbTZePNbfJU9WUkViWPa42rcjyQT9TohhW8pp12DaEYBXqfPCRB-kOcLPmDmdc6TCp3Zn3Ax7fAFUZ_ZW9eWI-t96Op2nWzWnRNv7iH6OAoka3bSn8NvOgTHgiAG56elxkRqWVv5VBYQNcQrtR-n5Q/w640-h448/IMG_9990aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr9eRvDniu5OniDHUvlsSaSisuhWmMIPUNjdkz2uMrW8an3wuxBZBJxFgu9MkE1mekjYmITT8lp9g8lvikPrF1U-sm23lL4eLyCl44lU6Ee1K5SYh7LoE-p9gRNQRJ4bOTMMt8dQYo2khWBT8YHebefhZmTvC4VB6HaJvoo3dDwDoV2Qadg/s3656/IMG_9974aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3656" data-original-width="2641" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrr9eRvDniu5OniDHUvlsSaSisuhWmMIPUNjdkz2uMrW8an3wuxBZBJxFgu9MkE1mekjYmITT8lp9g8lvikPrF1U-sm23lL4eLyCl44lU6Ee1K5SYh7LoE-p9gRNQRJ4bOTMMt8dQYo2khWBT8YHebefhZmTvC4VB6HaJvoo3dDwDoV2Qadg/w462-h640/IMG_9974aa.JPG" width="462" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Exiting the Hypostyle</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Behind the Hypostyle is the most sacred room in the temple,</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> the inner sanctum containing a pedestal which once held a statue of Amun Ra made of 10 kilograms of pure gold.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB1kUHx8Vn9QXxsNEKiI-BbW7ydaR8Ymf50nm_3agPW4WZ-FHEuv-UHG3KWO37n6Y7vxf7l_9BT6YrBozc-8JwI2QE8N-3RWGN_99l1hfzOkpQzlVQ7gTHyfnj_eCzAg_WJ3CPBrDUT9mA10FD0PdlLykqv1rxk63zeNOYtEOsQvg5N4LPA/s3976/IMG_9949aa.JPG" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2240" data-original-width="3976" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeB1kUHx8Vn9QXxsNEKiI-BbW7ydaR8Ymf50nm_3agPW4WZ-FHEuv-UHG3KWO37n6Y7vxf7l_9BT6YrBozc-8JwI2QE8N-3RWGN_99l1hfzOkpQzlVQ7gTHyfnj_eCzAg_WJ3CPBrDUT9mA10FD0PdlLykqv1rxk63zeNOYtEOsQvg5N4LPA/w640-h360/IMG_9949aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The pharaohs worshipped Amun Ra in the inner sanctum.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROXUbcq0LKnAd4Ny9JrdroeFymgLI01TrKy2It2sb95RZnVvgDsmPlbD5NNWp0h33HGjsXL6gjUsWRVWoO6VMFpKTke-rtnmKMkbTJAggyYC34YiaC-yzIRmmhltJrs2oBgAKyawh2kAocdxWj4EHfw8GmWCLyBb7D7FdFVUBqkSlm2MQvA/s3019/IMG_9953a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="2684" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROXUbcq0LKnAd4Ny9JrdroeFymgLI01TrKy2It2sb95RZnVvgDsmPlbD5NNWp0h33HGjsXL6gjUsWRVWoO6VMFpKTke-rtnmKMkbTJAggyYC34YiaC-yzIRmmhltJrs2oBgAKyawh2kAocdxWj4EHfw8GmWCLyBb7D7FdFVUBqkSlm2MQvA/w568-h640/IMG_9953a.JPG" width="568" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A gold statue of Amun Ra once stood on this platform.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Beyond the Hypostyle and Sanctuary were two remaining obelisks, one dedicated
to Tuthmosis I and one to his daughter, Hatshepsut. These tall towers are
each carved from one solid piece of granite and weigh more than 50 tons.
The complex used to contain more obelisks, but the rest of them are now
scattered throughout the world, stolen, or bought, by other nations before the
Egyptians of the 1800s understood what a treasure they had. </span></span></div><p style="background: white;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA78YYfCWmEGNwiJANSZK9jPiNsa2RtiNf-E8gvtox1Y9orbjl6mnxL1IJ-uxFC16RyygGqPkJVau3DQYEeJ-ZEzHvjUpkPhhT8LMdPzkTkruVU_s1LfZhs_SaSSCqnbDGDFG4DXtQcntF0-DHECLz62jaT3ZE9Rrh4zsMwSsP3FBSj1UDA/s5184/IMG_9946aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA78YYfCWmEGNwiJANSZK9jPiNsa2RtiNf-E8gvtox1Y9orbjl6mnxL1IJ-uxFC16RyygGqPkJVau3DQYEeJ-ZEzHvjUpkPhhT8LMdPzkTkruVU_s1LfZhs_SaSSCqnbDGDFG4DXtQcntF0-DHECLz62jaT3ZE9Rrh4zsMwSsP3FBSj1UDA/w360-h640/IMG_9946aa.JPG" width="360" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8Ey_0gkpAgggI5cAknieCjG0IbVdD3vhW4tRlaIdH19th_Fd6yXIuGr68OBfdZorI0B6uOFxpA6nHfiDN5GnKgP6Q-3QbZeLtDW8GyJF73go2LEjYH7GuiEy56yGHSvrnkFL5CBju2rvb3w-w7AZJiiKjEMWC4lGcyTw-KIBPK-ngNeZqw/s5080/IMG_9947aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5080" data-original-width="2854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8Ey_0gkpAgggI5cAknieCjG0IbVdD3vhW4tRlaIdH19th_Fd6yXIuGr68OBfdZorI0B6uOFxpA6nHfiDN5GnKgP6Q-3QbZeLtDW8GyJF73go2LEjYH7GuiEy56yGHSvrnkFL5CBju2rvb3w-w7AZJiiKjEMWC4lGcyTw-KIBPK-ngNeZqw/w360-h640/IMG_9947aa.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-SDK7KpP0jR5sYlbPNfKm0_SjyR6CiUwgtN0YIxQJZ4zndUAXxrlQjE8hWAJtyO5Zkq_fb6SruF3vtAbt_tmux9BYlcVkY2Lh7rhx4i2TIWRMXYbABBzfzkbMOezNwOYIz7RIEFi9wmP3E1qVA5L_FYox8LWIZZZW2IVXm6y9Px4EduEeg/s4440/IMG_9965aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4440" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-SDK7KpP0jR5sYlbPNfKm0_SjyR6CiUwgtN0YIxQJZ4zndUAXxrlQjE8hWAJtyO5Zkq_fb6SruF3vtAbt_tmux9BYlcVkY2Lh7rhx4i2TIWRMXYbABBzfzkbMOezNwOYIz7RIEFi9wmP3E1qVA5L_FYox8LWIZZZW2IVXm6y9Px4EduEeg/w640-h420/IMG_9965aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The obelisks were visible from all the ruins at the back of the Temple of Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DghpV5mf-Xr-Y2TXfvgGrM6fLPEfG8s-QFXNvmc6CqLAGvaEh4wWrEozo5I9ZzLBjE--dgamhkrzAEBHWCCFtMKnSD4RnyusjndrO4AJzTI-x49iVt9Zq7DVTclqHy7ac5ZPczOs1nJrXL3HUrux6kN8XcLUO4K9J06gyNL-MoBw9Ohv1Q/s3885/IMG_9971aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2805" data-original-width="3885" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DghpV5mf-Xr-Y2TXfvgGrM6fLPEfG8s-QFXNvmc6CqLAGvaEh4wWrEozo5I9ZzLBjE--dgamhkrzAEBHWCCFtMKnSD4RnyusjndrO4AJzTI-x49iVt9Zq7DVTclqHy7ac5ZPczOs1nJrXL3HUrux6kN8XcLUO4K9J06gyNL-MoBw9Ohv1Q/w640-h462/IMG_9971aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></b></span><p></p>
<div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Near the obelisks were large statues of Ramses II, Ramses VI,
Tuthmosis III, and Amun Ra, and an avenue filled with statues of various pharaohs.</span></span></div><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_DsjSrkPjZdSm2ZglBkI7eMY7Es860TSbLEvCWsspssmOQoMN_-bTcM2awoSwsv5gtO2ckNeh6-WpAEpGhKbDUO9AwQNrRQqbzBkTRx2DaqlPGre0A8u-D7qvgKFmyHv4snaEU1Vaqotqka9vX2fSKSAXl1ZjqTONhGYCgY9HoIE8eR7Ew/s4324/IMG_9924aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4324" data-original-width="2451" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_DsjSrkPjZdSm2ZglBkI7eMY7Es860TSbLEvCWsspssmOQoMN_-bTcM2awoSwsv5gtO2ckNeh6-WpAEpGhKbDUO9AwQNrRQqbzBkTRx2DaqlPGre0A8u-D7qvgKFmyHv4snaEU1Vaqotqka9vX2fSKSAXl1ZjqTONhGYCgY9HoIE8eR7Ew/w362-h640/IMG_9924aa.JPG" width="362" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ramses II</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSBqplz5wxJMlwjQF0q3-tNRO7kmJPDcTzvMJFgrRXgvobMwBEORhVc937xBogHgo6USfu63OazVFHCsAQwKohPxovCf0Oolg6fpApFq3tpr9rIMB0kTNbRgJYhaKRyFLs8LHr6QshrQbVK7Z6aTGb7yDj97m1ooVRjHyHJMZg_kqEGjFyw/s3536/IMG_9937aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="3536" data-original-width="2479" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSBqplz5wxJMlwjQF0q3-tNRO7kmJPDcTzvMJFgrRXgvobMwBEORhVc937xBogHgo6USfu63OazVFHCsAQwKohPxovCf0Oolg6fpApFq3tpr9rIMB0kTNbRgJYhaKRyFLs8LHr6QshrQbVK7Z6aTGb7yDj97m1ooVRjHyHJMZg_kqEGjFyw/w448-h640/IMG_9937aa.JPG" width="448" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvhb34XQyuCqq_bcMlfQEedQ_cc0LucQs_q2r_COQQkT0-4kdeRUiUSs3f0EVlDJVJFakmXhfWLYabTHFkvjjqiHJf5oUlIKdzBnECeti3fO48ahnGLy0YR105MlRVqTCn_eCvMGr2VzZfR3Mdk9wZYXpDosxsYn2-DolanJTqxEs0Ntdrw/s3268/IMG_9968aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3268" data-original-width="2644" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvhb34XQyuCqq_bcMlfQEedQ_cc0LucQs_q2r_COQQkT0-4kdeRUiUSs3f0EVlDJVJFakmXhfWLYabTHFkvjjqiHJf5oUlIKdzBnECeti3fO48ahnGLy0YR105MlRVqTCn_eCvMGr2VzZfR3Mdk9wZYXpDosxsYn2-DolanJTqxEs0Ntdrw/w518-h640/IMG_9968aa.JPG" width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">These are also images of Ramses. They hold the ankh, the symbol of life.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2FJ9MW9CfIN0BzYujt4vXVW_3sTm-IaNDkWJzXYX0mJc7AbZSVQgVG_RMMMDv5cJO2LA6qjEFhrHukaCvGQa14bLUOHX5UVc8mR3HwlbxAKLmoIxaiqE9Lt_R2uHwEF9aMuWWi9KW_xnv_CfzmNLCDqyZQg7yecH95eU-69Eve8ThszA5w/s4574/IMG_9972a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4574" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2FJ9MW9CfIN0BzYujt4vXVW_3sTm-IaNDkWJzXYX0mJc7AbZSVQgVG_RMMMDv5cJO2LA6qjEFhrHukaCvGQa14bLUOHX5UVc8mR3HwlbxAKLmoIxaiqE9Lt_R2uHwEF9aMuWWi9KW_xnv_CfzmNLCDqyZQg7yecH95eU-69Eve8ThszA5w/w408-h640/IMG_9972a.JPG" width="408" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An avenue of Pharaohs</td></tr></tbody></table></b></span><p></p><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;">At the back of Karnak are many more ruins of administrative buildings, palaces, and other parts of the temple, as well as the </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;">Sacred Lake, used by the temple priests for cleansing and purification rituals. This lake has contained water for over 3,000 years!</span></span></div><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9TwhE7UlRfOPpemF9zNlwjlUJpshcxj-5E05htCGRGSbyqISha4zf5SrXTZer6LrFyNtenGLVeggjajSBkK01Bb3gHwrQGL-FpAFL-5kQ71dKVR48wl8VAAB40N40bS5uMLk3kw7v172B2H8UUikRfaQ1bT7WqHN0wZkLyTjl-TYTE0Hfg/s4128/IMG_9955aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="4128" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9TwhE7UlRfOPpemF9zNlwjlUJpshcxj-5E05htCGRGSbyqISha4zf5SrXTZer6LrFyNtenGLVeggjajSBkK01Bb3gHwrQGL-FpAFL-5kQ71dKVR48wl8VAAB40N40bS5uMLk3kw7v172B2H8UUikRfaQ1bT7WqHN0wZkLyTjl-TYTE0Hfg/w640-h432/IMG_9955aaa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Walls of the buildings at the rear of Karnak</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8f0EIQiCExttlX_WRydLj9aAKq4U5iPRCYbHOnlc0Qj5u8pcA6BlY-OqJdAaFb_tTMpF-zfeDXYjPLSdSXmfj7QS2Us2hgV77lUnlUkIXOWM5Abj5AimuErftBNDCiecZiqX51xlySPSYOMP5EvikVG1TMGvCtFXh5ZvBXLeAwS63UoFQw/s2320/IMG_9960aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="2021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8f0EIQiCExttlX_WRydLj9aAKq4U5iPRCYbHOnlc0Qj5u8pcA6BlY-OqJdAaFb_tTMpF-zfeDXYjPLSdSXmfj7QS2Us2hgV77lUnlUkIXOWM5Abj5AimuErftBNDCiecZiqX51xlySPSYOMP5EvikVG1TMGvCtFXh5ZvBXLeAwS63UoFQw/w558-h640/IMG_9960aaa.JPG" width="558" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a statue of the sacred Scarab Beetle, who was a symbol of renewal and rebirth.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK_HDBcwq9TRIUBXTvqfoAjMbrKhx5TeDaq_imx7wzipjjp76SVhkAhoyCR3BB2YnXifxbWAzki8Nk_riPqN3J7oCZRFIUq29UDFofAzJYvYA1T456V0SNEXg1YTQaHixxFAEiMwq2kYCcFenAq074lyIXtImOAIHRFUx0pG8H4lQg0LIrA/s4763/IMG_9961aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="4763" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK_HDBcwq9TRIUBXTvqfoAjMbrKhx5TeDaq_imx7wzipjjp76SVhkAhoyCR3BB2YnXifxbWAzki8Nk_riPqN3J7oCZRFIUq29UDFofAzJYvYA1T456V0SNEXg1YTQaHixxFAEiMwq2kYCcFenAq074lyIXtImOAIHRFUx0pG8H4lQg0LIrA/w640-h354/IMG_9961aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruins of temple buildings</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgMguKkaT47hhUJcAsJmeJCkfSg6QGL2TKx5Q8adOYGpUwN8JCiaUCuzYVGYIMTNypm93A9WVmiyZuxTdmyFBxloXLQbkGjK4Ch5E1SMuovM5ni0clpi3yBZgMwP7D5IoF1U-JbaW9ywnCApRiWo-ViQi6MZpifFiV-Xh54Q-haf33g4yhQ/s3262/IMG_9966aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1783" data-original-width="3262" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgMguKkaT47hhUJcAsJmeJCkfSg6QGL2TKx5Q8adOYGpUwN8JCiaUCuzYVGYIMTNypm93A9WVmiyZuxTdmyFBxloXLQbkGjK4Ch5E1SMuovM5ni0clpi3yBZgMwP7D5IoF1U-JbaW9ywnCApRiWo-ViQi6MZpifFiV-Xh54Q-haf33g4yhQ/w640-h350/IMG_9966aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Engravings of the Egyptian Gods</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMjZqsEpb8pfZGC47mXWJpR9gDOsA9s6LD3a1hQK9y1HkdhGPGgazAQtThiHWmN_Dw-cwOnhy7PpZ_wdWtq7jl-ZYRSK5dzSSNM_l5pQN0XiWQDd5EG3Oac28bSbdc5Ihz48FEhKqD89SSqHnFmBqWE6eON3ck9mQw4v_-ajBs_4HXBn5yQ/s4024/IMG_9967aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2658" data-original-width="4024" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMjZqsEpb8pfZGC47mXWJpR9gDOsA9s6LD3a1hQK9y1HkdhGPGgazAQtThiHWmN_Dw-cwOnhy7PpZ_wdWtq7jl-ZYRSK5dzSSNM_l5pQN0XiWQDd5EG3Oac28bSbdc5Ihz48FEhKqD89SSqHnFmBqWE6eON3ck9mQw4v_-ajBs_4HXBn5yQ/w640-h422/IMG_9967aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifX6-rgkTsNm7qZGoLkgTzLwnbB0aN9LxiT7dKp0b4bl8EWYeTaRTDn8qbEK5O38eoLm_pwWsJIZqJPZVAlvZ0iXVRPb0aSsxRc8kAhqvXtW2GOYxtvICuWq4IfUTg1x7wJ2pC4omKkhuyLluF3k2OLTjw_JjXDdI6kO9AaDY0HXWKD3qXwg/s4773/IMG_9959aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4773" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifX6-rgkTsNm7qZGoLkgTzLwnbB0aN9LxiT7dKp0b4bl8EWYeTaRTDn8qbEK5O38eoLm_pwWsJIZqJPZVAlvZ0iXVRPb0aSsxRc8kAhqvXtW2GOYxtvICuWq4IfUTg1x7wJ2pC4omKkhuyLluF3k2OLTjw_JjXDdI6kO9AaDY0HXWKD3qXwg/w640-h390/IMG_9959aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Sacred Lake</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><h3 style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Luxor</span></span></h3><div style="background: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I could have happily spent many more hours exploring Karnak, but it was time to move on to the "Southern House" of the
complex, the Temple of Luxor, dedicated to Amun Ra's wife, Mut, and their son,
Khonsu, the God of the Moon.</span></span></div><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9MWgVVySROpH8OuhzMJrmQjYZEb057XnEzolztTSegU86PhjaZHf9PgjrefWWijvMQLSFRROCtCv6kYCmQoMGdWxLt9cz5s0kg0H7v7U_upfiLFC-oml7bTxy1qh3f6GTgWx3PaJ4Wk_wazzq_-wVPylYrSuV7iarVDpP6PpVtlDuV0oGA/s4052/IMG_0012aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="4052" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9MWgVVySROpH8OuhzMJrmQjYZEb057XnEzolztTSegU86PhjaZHf9PgjrefWWijvMQLSFRROCtCv6kYCmQoMGdWxLt9cz5s0kg0H7v7U_upfiLFC-oml7bTxy1qh3f6GTgWx3PaJ4Wk_wazzq_-wVPylYrSuV7iarVDpP6PpVtlDuV0oGA/w640-h270/IMG_0012aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Luxor</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The three kilometers between the big temple and
this much smaller one on the banks of the Nile was once an avenue lined with
Sphinxes. During the annual Opet Festival, the priests would place the statue of
Amun Ra into a barge, which they carried down the Avenue of the Sphinxes from
the Great Temple to Luxor. </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc8FWGzvQoJgMGE_QIBxPm9Q6X8Rjsv4d-7shQWDcsQMToXO6HZXrOn6H51sEqcpLZnyfgS08YMlITgIbf8Yr33PNd8DTEexQBmNNqmBKIXycQFhQbZ6MU8RtAYYULa1FEdSUndF16avx0wLgaACvLgSDmYKUZtgn0q2hGMGV9qPsNJ009g/s4396/IMG_0053aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2251" data-original-width="4396" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc8FWGzvQoJgMGE_QIBxPm9Q6X8Rjsv4d-7shQWDcsQMToXO6HZXrOn6H51sEqcpLZnyfgS08YMlITgIbf8Yr33PNd8DTEexQBmNNqmBKIXycQFhQbZ6MU8RtAYYULa1FEdSUndF16avx0wLgaACvLgSDmYKUZtgn0q2hGMGV9qPsNJ009g/w640-h328/IMG_0053aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Part of the Avenue of the Sphinxes still exists.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKHs0nlO485J6Rck4-UZMLheybQs-LNg1iGvylC729d5x5CYPjsXw5EsFq9MLmXMOcWpVnlwM7pF31_oP18x2Dy1XPEK9pUGbgD3AyHAeuNraxiFsT95bOERt4cLDsgc_J1hFts8p704tAGjFehZFSYOZhUmLpUKfXbOfEVSbohWK6LzW3g/s3033/IMG_9897aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2295" data-original-width="3033" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKHs0nlO485J6Rck4-UZMLheybQs-LNg1iGvylC729d5x5CYPjsXw5EsFq9MLmXMOcWpVnlwM7pF31_oP18x2Dy1XPEK9pUGbgD3AyHAeuNraxiFsT95bOERt4cLDsgc_J1hFts8p704tAGjFehZFSYOZhUmLpUKfXbOfEVSbohWK6LzW3g/w640-h484/IMG_9897aa.JPG" width="640" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A replica of the ceremonial barge</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">The Luxor temple was also built during the 18th Dynasty by the
Pharoah Amenhotep III, who was the grandfather of King Tut
(Tutankhamen). </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Luxor presents a visual timeline of Egyptian history. High
on one of the outer walls is a mosque, which is built over a Christian church,
which is built on top of the ancient temple. At one time, the village of
Luxor sat atop the rubble and sand that covered this entire complex.
There are photos of residents standing next to the heads of the pharaohs'
statues, either not knowing or not caring that the rest of the statues waited
below the soil. Eventually, the government moved the residents of the
village into new homes while archaeologists began the task of uncovering the
temple.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerHekbD6ciJJymeN2WlPnK7GYegYV2gO7GzDS13Ei_3ztOz0rwSlHCzw4bHLb9BAS166w-Lm10zz7clFS6WrWwzM1pTv3IThe3V9EeG9c12K60_veWuuUxL58F4UFgnpo4yAPSQyAhCIiNY1hrATfmgcvt2OILAzqkltGumW_PKduTSiBGQ/s3543/IMG_0021aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3543" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerHekbD6ciJJymeN2WlPnK7GYegYV2gO7GzDS13Ei_3ztOz0rwSlHCzw4bHLb9BAS166w-Lm10zz7clFS6WrWwzM1pTv3IThe3V9EeG9c12K60_veWuuUxL58F4UFgnpo4yAPSQyAhCIiNY1hrATfmgcvt2OILAzqkltGumW_PKduTSiBGQ/w526-h640/IMG_0021aa.JPG" width="526" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A Muslim Mosque on top of a Christian Church on top of an Egyptian Temple</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl3CLpuJujbdsIICkz7gL-w27m8guw8VYrR5ze6ANK_5Q1C6nIRnqmU2vRQ_GhS__MqKZ7MVvVxLfEvlk8IesdFTKrZo522boNWS6SV8ks5Tql0bHjm2fB1wRfT09SiihtLI-118bsfq1LWWFYRvkTTdLyuzXYYuU9C80WdQl2DcxAaD3Cw/s1669/335743-1351701866aa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1669" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl3CLpuJujbdsIICkz7gL-w27m8guw8VYrR5ze6ANK_5Q1C6nIRnqmU2vRQ_GhS__MqKZ7MVvVxLfEvlk8IesdFTKrZo522boNWS6SV8ks5Tql0bHjm2fB1wRfT09SiihtLI-118bsfq1LWWFYRvkTTdLyuzXYYuU9C80WdQl2DcxAaD3Cw/w640-h520/335743-1351701866aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib81FpJrWstdG1mSzUCCW_-qoXtHQGw4gQaqYnPhI2usKMjfokd3JaS6znXRDPxVFafKOQEMSKNTIcrK29LLQ2eMT6oWq35wjLBK55YU5ZtB41YGT_8MOV1KtsK-EZR_29nqKodFgZ6PQdSbJB2jc9TWUBo0OD3S2zYoKM2r6JolsQSLgGZA/s1660/363144-1361202694aa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1660" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib81FpJrWstdG1mSzUCCW_-qoXtHQGw4gQaqYnPhI2usKMjfokd3JaS6znXRDPxVFafKOQEMSKNTIcrK29LLQ2eMT6oWq35wjLBK55YU5ZtB41YGT_8MOV1KtsK-EZR_29nqKodFgZ6PQdSbJB2jc9TWUBo0OD3S2zYoKM2r6JolsQSLgGZA/w640-h536/363144-1361202694aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Look at the residents of Luxor standing in front of the Temple of Luxor -<br />then look at the photo below of the very same statues today!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSvEKdORPSGujhV3DG4NwbA2cChviz-qAjnB1MFiqp-IlftNQTrMbZtCSUePQo0QkZUwydF_0vLvcGqQ7ZtdSZ1kOon18iq1Lmq3gfMjrIs9e2Nn1DUePQXQhEfwmBBjX1M9db-SkULnW8iD-tkERAwt5EnlIq4LV_WiEvd3SCzh6sbAHpQ/s3953/IMG_0015aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2602" data-original-width="3953" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSvEKdORPSGujhV3DG4NwbA2cChviz-qAjnB1MFiqp-IlftNQTrMbZtCSUePQo0QkZUwydF_0vLvcGqQ7ZtdSZ1kOon18iq1Lmq3gfMjrIs9e2Nn1DUePQXQhEfwmBBjX1M9db-SkULnW8iD-tkERAwt5EnlIq4LV_WiEvd3SCzh6sbAHpQ/w640-h422/IMG_0015aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Luxor today</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Behind the massive Pylon entrance are the courtyards and shrines of the temple. In the Sun Court of Amenhotep III, Deda pointed out the unique columns of the temple,
graceful, fluted towers representing bundles of papyrus. </span></span></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWNzm7JL_HpwRU29rwsCgGNpnKY088rM1QqJ_Wow9VtjYgGbdwg_U41eNgCKEczgEWlanNgeF2Yl6yRE_lpDhMNcbsiztGxxGzJ9frQZ9QJ3yI2xSVpZgevNOXUxEKmQW5nkGR-Wx1c1-ciZWkukheY4OfL5KydlGB6ICwzJnJwpVHuoySA/s5022/IMG_0018aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5022" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWNzm7JL_HpwRU29rwsCgGNpnKY088rM1QqJ_Wow9VtjYgGbdwg_U41eNgCKEczgEWlanNgeF2Yl6yRE_lpDhMNcbsiztGxxGzJ9frQZ9QJ3yI2xSVpZgevNOXUxEKmQW5nkGR-Wx1c1-ciZWkukheY4OfL5KydlGB6ICwzJnJwpVHuoySA/w640-h372/IMG_0018aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HAq0EswBuXNWREo8Tl6m4Tc9iLJ-fRibh-jXoc79AK9dTzcY6NzYuYfdNm_uSWb7y6rqr5g0NzaN-T8lJh7jfDrD8ZxY0RNr59aOZ5KgQbSNsSCTd5NVSdfX1BAToPo0DffKdQ5shvrV5MMPlVC8ieIJ53MxwPv-xVhuhsnnqhaJV9006Q/s3814/IMG_0022aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3814" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HAq0EswBuXNWREo8Tl6m4Tc9iLJ-fRibh-jXoc79AK9dTzcY6NzYuYfdNm_uSWb7y6rqr5g0NzaN-T8lJh7jfDrD8ZxY0RNr59aOZ5KgQbSNsSCTd5NVSdfX1BAToPo0DffKdQ5shvrV5MMPlVC8ieIJ53MxwPv-xVhuhsnnqhaJV9006Q/w640-h450/IMG_0022aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbFfoZCn1IcUEPxjeIXUyIl7Dzp8y6uX2RlKkqb8jM5X_JO9pIZH2AJR9q7xC1Iw0oBxC8BxUNMfQaMcZHTIx3z0tbWD4J_eFnIc01dYd_hm2dLiomfUbAfwjnLZwl6PoS_HGi7nRQUN3kwWk0pajcURYKFyJvMF_uCzoorc6MDSMCn3saA/s4926/IMG_0031aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2857" data-original-width="4926" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbFfoZCn1IcUEPxjeIXUyIl7Dzp8y6uX2RlKkqb8jM5X_JO9pIZH2AJR9q7xC1Iw0oBxC8BxUNMfQaMcZHTIx3z0tbWD4J_eFnIc01dYd_hm2dLiomfUbAfwjnLZwl6PoS_HGi7nRQUN3kwWk0pajcURYKFyJvMF_uCzoorc6MDSMCn3saA/w640-h372/IMG_0031aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCXpB8lIphaJmWfaY0VtEyUeeVO0CMoDn0A3_sGYDRRYB-_ycR4kZVlj9TDhgV9ODI03qNWUNHV3Mnp6bdKYkDB7kVFYd_kJzltBw1__CWli9NrV2fzPGeQsFjdNP7bjCbEOlCNR9ev3rZrvYdxUnuBUIm_Jvng8dxS02b5BhCGAvoUh2xw/s4519/IMG_0032aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="4519" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCXpB8lIphaJmWfaY0VtEyUeeVO0CMoDn0A3_sGYDRRYB-_ycR4kZVlj9TDhgV9ODI03qNWUNHV3Mnp6bdKYkDB7kVFYd_kJzltBw1__CWli9NrV2fzPGeQsFjdNP7bjCbEOlCNR9ev3rZrvYdxUnuBUIm_Jvng8dxS02b5BhCGAvoUh2xw/w640-h382/IMG_0032aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfc_OZdd0yt9mAVr6oSTGfE6fs59xKWksO55iAfg2CNotTs4-FrGdGICVsXP6d3w0srrkYmQU-VrrCCLQxTlIa5wRgIrOPmnuzLzJyTBPlWvCYDNrd_-RNP4HTZX7q-v1rUC6Ik34uTKLfyyYCi-FNY4XowHTYuaT6vvo4wCj_yt1a7t9GA/s3222/IMG_0033aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2412" data-original-width="3222" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfc_OZdd0yt9mAVr6oSTGfE6fs59xKWksO55iAfg2CNotTs4-FrGdGICVsXP6d3w0srrkYmQU-VrrCCLQxTlIa5wRgIrOPmnuzLzJyTBPlWvCYDNrd_-RNP4HTZX7q-v1rUC6Ik34uTKLfyyYCi-FNY4XowHTYuaT6vvo4wCj_yt1a7t9GA/w640-h480/IMG_0033aaa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dSPpDY1Z95_iKAWBx9A_WMRtl3iiYy3T-f44TGe_vRFY324bVUWsEQtHVnYvMaIBGjiSDttz5IzdIKP7IxjpadOC-mQf60GMV1w4XQc3ba-pAqwKDplN2ebZs9SoFVTPU7kUyI_yVRpIaeHgzp6_i66UP9lowlJwO52Q8JU2Y0kbyfatMA/s4393/IMG_0037aa.JPG" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="4393" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dSPpDY1Z95_iKAWBx9A_WMRtl3iiYy3T-f44TGe_vRFY324bVUWsEQtHVnYvMaIBGjiSDttz5IzdIKP7IxjpadOC-mQf60GMV1w4XQc3ba-pAqwKDplN2ebZs9SoFVTPU7kUyI_yVRpIaeHgzp6_i66UP9lowlJwO52Q8JU2Y0kbyfatMA/w640-h424/IMG_0037aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Throughout the grounds of Luxor are statues of pharaohs and engravings showing their exploits in war and in trade.</span></div></span><p></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNyx00mXiwQig9zg7cZOcsWGqH7QUmodUVqz6IPYZn7FMfLoE1e094iVNpEko81k_1nnlJfo91xlVtRx8HRRLKpDLJcYxaVJJfIW6LUPGcwFPOSxYYrXFBcl3CJQYmp5gNtXbIchCRm4uIoFpzn4vCFg_9T-H233sLmzbRO8Yu6LCyDeOrw/s4661/IMG_0019aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4661" data-original-width="2478" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNyx00mXiwQig9zg7cZOcsWGqH7QUmodUVqz6IPYZn7FMfLoE1e094iVNpEko81k_1nnlJfo91xlVtRx8HRRLKpDLJcYxaVJJfIW6LUPGcwFPOSxYYrXFBcl3CJQYmp5gNtXbIchCRm4uIoFpzn4vCFg_9T-H233sLmzbRO8Yu6LCyDeOrw/w340-h640/IMG_0019aa.JPG" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rob stands in front of Ramses II</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_Tq7Bp4kWTdXUbre6uwnkr7FB31qYIV58FDow5IolzLy3DkTfZBu4RhNRmerNen32nHCWp6ztFx_jeJ7f2a-nYpEGZxe6lZ2d7MeJkoaK6z5ARnsQoESagSf9lzbTPqqecE_AhF4fzcB8ztrXy_jc6UBSDYoeEpsIQ7qGX7_02gFqaX2vg/s3595/IMG_0023aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3595" data-original-width="2757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_Tq7Bp4kWTdXUbre6uwnkr7FB31qYIV58FDow5IolzLy3DkTfZBu4RhNRmerNen32nHCWp6ztFx_jeJ7f2a-nYpEGZxe6lZ2d7MeJkoaK6z5ARnsQoESagSf9lzbTPqqecE_AhF4fzcB8ztrXy_jc6UBSDYoeEpsIQ7qGX7_02gFqaX2vg/w490-h640/IMG_0023aa.JPG" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ramses II</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeJBfH4PoqdNZbaAtXfwR2XCyrHSI7T3h3ZFJ3s4LXA-_Eg2GULYaLMUZlyd3cO6t9xukS5UTkvL5BCwN3ivFtsSni4Nmk3RT92BmmlVvdMnLfjHx5WcBwCwOkY8nfr-0EUa8Z27zkFPRd0Mnggy3KfsSQ8wwOIyhUQfFtVD0382KPbER5Q/s4904/IMG_0024aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4904" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeJBfH4PoqdNZbaAtXfwR2XCyrHSI7T3h3ZFJ3s4LXA-_Eg2GULYaLMUZlyd3cO6t9xukS5UTkvL5BCwN3ivFtsSni4Nmk3RT92BmmlVvdMnLfjHx5WcBwCwOkY8nfr-0EUa8Z27zkFPRd0Mnggy3KfsSQ8wwOIyhUQfFtVD0382KPbER5Q/w372-h640/IMG_0024aa.JPG" width="372" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVqiEdMq1mbdoNp5m_atDc0LsogYNNePD3TXaEUBmUW2hkUQip-iEN-xnMn44DD6YWtXAYWxFzQtrJucM0X8NYeT9EeoeZwFY0toE5aFqWT7mM6vV5jSwtdsM_Z5d1ErlJP3xLLpzM2CD6LFNaNbtRj2v-uR_R6FAWLhHko0d1XoxAFMBrA/s4615/IMG_0025aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2358" data-original-width="4615" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVqiEdMq1mbdoNp5m_atDc0LsogYNNePD3TXaEUBmUW2hkUQip-iEN-xnMn44DD6YWtXAYWxFzQtrJucM0X8NYeT9EeoeZwFY0toE5aFqWT7mM6vV5jSwtdsM_Z5d1ErlJP3xLLpzM2CD6LFNaNbtRj2v-uR_R6FAWLhHko0d1XoxAFMBrA/w640-h328/IMG_0025aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This engraving may be depictions of warriors or slaves</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRVJEGXhlDjYT8aQixsEPlwktM_xj8WDPVYTZMa-QY3PaqctkKxYg2uqzCELvOcuDXyPDoJ5tgLI9zRoKSzQBzx2vEN46J3Ho6s3GyfGsOKnmThHCJz4rumlqAe7s6wIK4QR_ZMj7YLxuPiAoNqUYAvQF_2tJaIX534-vixRKeywGRdzB2A/s3633/IMG_0026aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2723" data-original-width="3633" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRVJEGXhlDjYT8aQixsEPlwktM_xj8WDPVYTZMa-QY3PaqctkKxYg2uqzCELvOcuDXyPDoJ5tgLI9zRoKSzQBzx2vEN46J3Ho6s3GyfGsOKnmThHCJz4rumlqAe7s6wIK4QR_ZMj7YLxuPiAoNqUYAvQF_2tJaIX534-vixRKeywGRdzB2A/w640-h480/IMG_0026aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This engraving shows that ancient Egypt was communicating with sub-Saharan Africa</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfKm_v6da2vqUt2I_3kCoA6_Fvg4dImPs8wyCG53pMeSQinkwLnn1XHHoUpGuesf6mU_OEnYcuYkUuhm2iUOWeM5s7y0G9_xtZeO1uQoorPz2jLacGoSbB0Txe0CaanyTSmYdWez_r-t_YToNIro8GyUE-zDhQQiTU3_Yelhw6zB-3GaiTA/s3892/IMG_0027aa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3892" data-original-width="2751" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfKm_v6da2vqUt2I_3kCoA6_Fvg4dImPs8wyCG53pMeSQinkwLnn1XHHoUpGuesf6mU_OEnYcuYkUuhm2iUOWeM5s7y0G9_xtZeO1uQoorPz2jLacGoSbB0Txe0CaanyTSmYdWez_r-t_YToNIro8GyUE-zDhQQiTU3_Yelhw6zB-3GaiTA/w452-h640/IMG_0027aa.JPG" width="452" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaPlY-zV65KrnIkcQ_PrG74EptqtawSfbKHBBMyH07RklNpZoHP8xJxyqQR1_4htnZfWiUfrCALXFLTrFNtr-gcoFUXzhEQfH1--K_O4g6xerEtKfVhOW2Ho7OE6EJxexDN_4BY_PcBinxm8w-ie0Jsqwv3KeTtWu1QhoGw3KZrWoCuZ69A/s3814/IMG_0022aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3814" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaPlY-zV65KrnIkcQ_PrG74EptqtawSfbKHBBMyH07RklNpZoHP8xJxyqQR1_4htnZfWiUfrCALXFLTrFNtr-gcoFUXzhEQfH1--K_O4g6xerEtKfVhOW2Ho7OE6EJxexDN_4BY_PcBinxm8w-ie0Jsqwv3KeTtWu1QhoGw3KZrWoCuZ69A/w640-h450/IMG_0022aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">More statues of Ramses II</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeUzu0Nc1hWHrpdOoCSJLf5pBEqCnuf0XfGQ4wO0Wr-kcTjewH_GpaWwqSVtYy0N8CEt3Nc1n6yXuq8f3POtcpSkQM-9OnrH7unZKwT2o4IibfDBjaEEAfId9T8W1v3icKmyZAR23dYqd-5ILU-kUSIy26cdqGuLDlEguCXmDh1sIWHfpow/s4325/IMG_0029aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4325" data-original-width="2791" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeUzu0Nc1hWHrpdOoCSJLf5pBEqCnuf0XfGQ4wO0Wr-kcTjewH_GpaWwqSVtYy0N8CEt3Nc1n6yXuq8f3POtcpSkQM-9OnrH7unZKwT2o4IibfDBjaEEAfId9T8W1v3icKmyZAR23dYqd-5ILU-kUSIy26cdqGuLDlEguCXmDh1sIWHfpow/w414-h640/IMG_0029aa.JPG" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My research did not discover the identity of this royal couple seated in Luxor.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">We walked to the
Sanctuary at the back of the temple, which was rebuilt by Alexander the Great,
as a tribute to his "father," Amun Ra! This was amusi</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">ng,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">
as we know that Alex's father was Philip of Macedonia. But Alexander was
nothing if not ambitious. He loved Greece and added it to his mighty
empire by declaring himself a god and becoming a pharaoh. It is
speculated that the priests allowed it because he promised to restore the
temples, and indeed, he did.</span></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">During the Roman Empire's occupation of Egypt, the Romans turned the Luxor Temple complex into a fort and the sanctuary into a
Roman chapel. The building now has a distinctive Roman facade. Because the room had remained enclosed, the paintings and engravings on the walls remained vivid.</span></span></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC8eqawDMMIUTE-Y-0rC4hEkA9Hup8GDmGliEyURgXis9FMYwzI9b1jAAx68Yj3UDyovIo3h4CwVRM_D65IE862UhDR6a2Dcz3iD9zdJjvn4zLwcyhbjoBcB8y-vG0mrFCMonsGINFOnrm_kb9eDzFEenzRj43ajuat7AoEBlQR8w04MPtw/s3285/IMG_0035aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3285" data-original-width="2420" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC8eqawDMMIUTE-Y-0rC4hEkA9Hup8GDmGliEyURgXis9FMYwzI9b1jAAx68Yj3UDyovIo3h4CwVRM_D65IE862UhDR6a2Dcz3iD9zdJjvn4zLwcyhbjoBcB8y-vG0mrFCMonsGINFOnrm_kb9eDzFEenzRj43ajuat7AoEBlQR8w04MPtw/w472-h640/IMG_0035aa.JPG" width="472" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A Roman arch covers the entrance to the sanctuary.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIBwjU7-O_k3_Slm0xmyiGcynJaZqY0u_RrefIhwiLWJ4tk3croCn1xiFIaBb4kdfsDPuTTP2VR28nxyxGwCfHNtzuJZC4tSZ3S7c103LtPLVvbWaOpG58KSFjGGz9sF82dAaW2X6epnXeqXFyiVmt83BwcZdJAjtvWLi1GfJtDaIP8xt5A/s4158/IMG_0043aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2646" data-original-width="4158" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIBwjU7-O_k3_Slm0xmyiGcynJaZqY0u_RrefIhwiLWJ4tk3croCn1xiFIaBb4kdfsDPuTTP2VR28nxyxGwCfHNtzuJZC4tSZ3S7c103LtPLVvbWaOpG58KSFjGGz9sF82dAaW2X6epnXeqXFyiVmt83BwcZdJAjtvWLi1GfJtDaIP8xt5A/w640-h408/IMG_0043aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">This temple was originally dedicated to the goddess Mut. <br />It later became a Roman temple and eventually a church.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj20hYqDpxJivdfDSkPNhqVGBWIxzcwRfWq_yNR4rLH6K6rbJ8B0W_p7Y9Qwc36TN3leM5_iFjIc08roRM5y4Gqr5C4INbGEcfjSS9o1FdDPbsnQeiuOxDaZWynvRS4hg5OXnXXruEqIF_jC3J3a-VVW8AD46KzGOhkYfOSRlDxnDuNehlg/s4129/IMG_0046aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="4129" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj20hYqDpxJivdfDSkPNhqVGBWIxzcwRfWq_yNR4rLH6K6rbJ8B0W_p7Y9Qwc36TN3leM5_iFjIc08roRM5y4Gqr5C4INbGEcfjSS9o1FdDPbsnQeiuOxDaZWynvRS4hg5OXnXXruEqIF_jC3J3a-VVW8AD46KzGOhkYfOSRlDxnDuNehlg/w640-h432/IMG_0046aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Engravings inside the sanctuary</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgos2wTgOpT6Bgg3Vz_J6vJf2hGMCWuiIDmw9QATOfUb7330kC0oJGoHBbWwKnx_oz-cb6psORyvZ2QhKxbvm_98IJ6CmlsPaBwYbSy3GIoXMrTWPlMDV16cvyQoL5vDAuIqadl7XTOIhfsQptWChoo4LnhWBb-hDzb6NIamVzYiuWbL0RQ/s2832/IMG_0047aaa.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="2766" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgos2wTgOpT6Bgg3Vz_J6vJf2hGMCWuiIDmw9QATOfUb7330kC0oJGoHBbWwKnx_oz-cb6psORyvZ2QhKxbvm_98IJ6CmlsPaBwYbSy3GIoXMrTWPlMDV16cvyQoL5vDAuIqadl7XTOIhfsQptWChoo4LnhWBb-hDzb6NIamVzYiuWbL0RQ/w626-h640/IMG_0047aaa.JPG" width="626" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We had spent the entire morning and early afternoon exploring
these incredible sights, but we got to spend the rest of the day settling into
our stateroom on board the Moon Goddess cruise ship, one of the many boats
floating down the Nile River. From our balcony, we could see the Temple
of Luxor, which sits on the banks of the Nile, glowing in the sunset. </span> </span></span></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGBwm0dvihxh9hcjahTjKBXQIgqO7n0JqJlfoZyoOR0dqNX8dMHnM1JrdadtByVaum2lSS4pUs5UxMqJnTKlHy8jPB86tzE9v9ZBV-vqa92Z3Nr8m3_SDPfM6ApBYqI_aq-v9XuDO4JA9vxLBpggKv5MqQNpasiyBTCz1MCFek5BaYE1cSQ/s5076/IMG_0059a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5076" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGBwm0dvihxh9hcjahTjKBXQIgqO7n0JqJlfoZyoOR0dqNX8dMHnM1JrdadtByVaum2lSS4pUs5UxMqJnTKlHy8jPB86tzE9v9ZBV-vqa92Z3Nr8m3_SDPfM6ApBYqI_aq-v9XuDO4JA9vxLBpggKv5MqQNpasiyBTCz1MCFek5BaYE1cSQ/w640-h368/IMG_0059a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Our Nile Cruise Ship, the Moon Goddess</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfN9LHh8Ldjo8Xb6r5NFh403_eCQuRTWcmOVvh_h2YBI6F17mhiShNkn-8ZAxS9PVoq1lBIlWsgKPJwN4X9TCncjl5myxvbutaS-M5RtCtId049ek7cU7rnfrIZmre-pLeBoRpxKQTPUPOXmYpZ1y4hmLKlg6qpVno8DfPzAlyOjdb0kmtQ/s4528/IMG_0066aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2408" data-original-width="4528" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfN9LHh8Ldjo8Xb6r5NFh403_eCQuRTWcmOVvh_h2YBI6F17mhiShNkn-8ZAxS9PVoq1lBIlWsgKPJwN4X9TCncjl5myxvbutaS-M5RtCtId049ek7cU7rnfrIZmre-pLeBoRpxKQTPUPOXmYpZ1y4hmLKlg6qpVno8DfPzAlyOjdb0kmtQ/w640-h340/IMG_0066aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tourists explore Luxor by horse buggy</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqutfvELwFI-ogNbGd5R1wgkJleCrFVxEqUXWmQUzy5FQADABOXIi-R0rl_qm5DbA-chEvVf9ep_MCWHkWwiaNimRXnYTPYJKE4n1bCa1bh5YE1KqLCal29iubEnWd93tLv5rrLaVBZEQCmpx09d9IPuMR-4IslPxDy_4pFQJwSSXwKk6bQ/s3733/IMG_0063aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2427" data-original-width="3733" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqutfvELwFI-ogNbGd5R1wgkJleCrFVxEqUXWmQUzy5FQADABOXIi-R0rl_qm5DbA-chEvVf9ep_MCWHkWwiaNimRXnYTPYJKE4n1bCa1bh5YE1KqLCal29iubEnWd93tLv5rrLaVBZEQCmpx09d9IPuMR-4IslPxDy_4pFQJwSSXwKk6bQ/w640-h416/IMG_0063aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Temple of Luxor seen from our balcony aboard the Moon Goddess</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio82_cNASSM0GQSQinmk6i0OuJiLFXP1xo6wr8HXnoj_JAlGlqw0oOm4Bly_AFdIKrEU58tPZJOPiE5OYfTDBlEgqa_g90Nys3BMC3T6B9gHR9b2qPAUbZpza0NRISnovdKU4Xvotz3442zQ5a3wj9gJntBDmQIrWZIA8K73KXgFPkkITbbQ/s5005/IMG_0062a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="5005" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio82_cNASSM0GQSQinmk6i0OuJiLFXP1xo6wr8HXnoj_JAlGlqw0oOm4Bly_AFdIKrEU58tPZJOPiE5OYfTDBlEgqa_g90Nys3BMC3T6B9gHR9b2qPAUbZpza0NRISnovdKU4Xvotz3442zQ5a3wj9gJntBDmQIrWZIA8K73KXgFPkkITbbQ/w640-h360/IMG_0062a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunset over the Nile</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTL3Y67SuM0VHornQ9_CrXtv8GU-T6g_rK0m9MLHZ-1al_kYYuY81OUlkWybaB5CoCbim90iytiveNfmqAblqdw6Dye4_GjEk6CvxRfE0lJyI0aGSNi9KjOVzQGM1VyDra77qUEaa8WvQiENOYII6bBxAQWuG551f1_FjUfEsM_2xC1MdAg/s4197/IMG_0067a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2854" data-original-width="4197" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTL3Y67SuM0VHornQ9_CrXtv8GU-T6g_rK0m9MLHZ-1al_kYYuY81OUlkWybaB5CoCbim90iytiveNfmqAblqdw6Dye4_GjEk6CvxRfE0lJyI0aGSNi9KjOVzQGM1VyDra77qUEaa8WvQiENOYII6bBxAQWuG551f1_FjUfEsM_2xC1MdAg/w640-h436/IMG_0067a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The end of one of my favorite days of the trip.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-41737504443046684272023-03-13T12:41:00.007-07:002023-03-22T15:29:28.612-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 3: Cairo's Mosques and Coptic Churches, and an Ancient Market<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: small;">February 12, 2023</span></span></h2><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cairo: Mosques, Coptic Churches, and an Ancient Market</span></h1><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rob was feeling the effects of jetlag and two days of tromping around pyramids, so he elected to take a day of rest while I went off with our guide Irene to visit some historic mosques, Coptic <span><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>churches, and an ancient marketplace. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As always in Cairo, the drive to our destinations was an adventure in itself! I know they must HAVE traffic laws in Egypt, but you would never know it from the crowded streets. If there are three designated lanes, which may or may not have lines to distinguish them, there were usually five cars abreast - and sometimes horse carts, too! There were very few stop lights, so drivers entered the streets, boldly merging with the use of horns rather than turn signals. The honking was constant and hilarious. And amid all this chaos, pedestrians walked right through the traffic, even on the freeways! I asked one of our guides how the pedestrians stayed safe. He responded, "Well, they don't want to get hit, and we don't want the hassle of dealing with the police if we hit them, so we all watch out for each other!"</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ7q18uLUjC2FKGJ2z1gWyMmfxKXjhgqwhHQe9f83GmoEb1faj858Ajtg5je228rqO1iNUCiiI4yJ_WAfhznPl18bGBQht7MOmpE_tm2liNw6CMQEt4lN7Cex3QDL0MIBeyjO6cxnVZyio5CBtfsMbW-7qkckluJWn_QRYvQukRnK0lADjA/s5011/IMG_9671a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2705" data-original-width="5011" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ7q18uLUjC2FKGJ2z1gWyMmfxKXjhgqwhHQe9f83GmoEb1faj858Ajtg5je228rqO1iNUCiiI4yJ_WAfhznPl18bGBQht7MOmpE_tm2liNw6CMQEt4lN7Cex3QDL0MIBeyjO6cxnVZyio5CBtfsMbW-7qkckluJWn_QRYvQukRnK0lADjA/w640-h346/IMG_9671a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Our wonderful driver, Said, navigated the crowded streets like a pro.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNk7ZI3_8A9XMXV7SCmVPA3-D8VCQU4GKJPZ8QvEjD8K9lbpULymmeCALYIGQGarKFjZ0LFv1llYSmo2YE8-R0VwzXZt-0WgVz6fF1vPlVXVw3vaLz-cZ3mdYuiL1htMsAio1Z3qen3on2iYEFYoFQjT-hw3IUyYSDw-irEeYGsajRBAziA/s4248/IMG_9821aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="4248" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNk7ZI3_8A9XMXV7SCmVPA3-D8VCQU4GKJPZ8QvEjD8K9lbpULymmeCALYIGQGarKFjZ0LFv1llYSmo2YE8-R0VwzXZt-0WgVz6fF1vPlVXVw3vaLz-cZ3mdYuiL1htMsAio1Z3qen3on2iYEFYoFQjT-hw3IUyYSDw-irEeYGsajRBAziA/w640-h406/IMG_9821aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Donkey carts in the heart of crowded Cairo.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Great Mosque of Mohammed Ali Pasha</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our first stop was the Great Mosque of Mohammad Ali Pasha, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, due to the gleaming alabaster facade. The mosque dominates a high hill within the walls of a great fortress erected in the 1100s by Salah al-Din (Saladin) as protection again Crusader invasions. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK81Q4R5leNxA2A5nXVpWbnaeBTXykrHjbc4b0T00zf5vXoqGXedZmuSsIjoBQKspPB7Otl30uWSJNU61lNjU83nXmRvoWath3RYw72NPDrBgsAFCXONlfKfx_ljyqbCL-lxQK-Xxuu7CxtDw_SyMzlCwcinEOyvoHCoIZrkwXU9nATdYtg/s3828/IMG_9673a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2790" data-original-width="3828" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK81Q4R5leNxA2A5nXVpWbnaeBTXykrHjbc4b0T00zf5vXoqGXedZmuSsIjoBQKspPB7Otl30uWSJNU61lNjU83nXmRvoWath3RYw72NPDrBgsAFCXONlfKfx_ljyqbCL-lxQK-Xxuu7CxtDw_SyMzlCwcinEOyvoHCoIZrkwXU9nATdYtg/w640-h466/IMG_9673a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Approaching the Mosque of Mohammed Ali</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NZfouJaOUPyRUwqxaxqRftZVUWgAl4KSexTPyt-OMkkBmFdDQJB8l07kqQhNwpdtRvYJH0NZIPL_Tip3TR3tZPZ52CAsVaGX1o5sqPJM-ESPj4VQw-8ZBmZwKeeQneNmpzFJuoSxXRbateGy4xyve0-jj6XVBtiWKrozAHAouK2h8Ap3uQ/s4504/IMG_9675a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="4504" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NZfouJaOUPyRUwqxaxqRftZVUWgAl4KSexTPyt-OMkkBmFdDQJB8l07kqQhNwpdtRvYJH0NZIPL_Tip3TR3tZPZ52CAsVaGX1o5sqPJM-ESPj4VQw-8ZBmZwKeeQneNmpzFJuoSxXRbateGy4xyve0-jj6XVBtiWKrozAHAouK2h8Ap3uQ/w640-h334/IMG_9675a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The fortress surrounding the mosque</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvOlLFLvwNfzzJNbPVxBcWUy_Ar3VJkTG4KSmNqxsZxZhN5DmN6G3fb50a9CDyPhQiG75epUIMMHDckxjY5V6Ov8V4gO5_3qqWy4DKlK0EJXmGoVkf69iXlTwRK-O4kp-T9XEjJXOT54BOk8KP4janF_WJrWPxzhNDs-S1QQlNp5Wi79LsA/s5043/IMG_9686a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2827" data-original-width="5043" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvOlLFLvwNfzzJNbPVxBcWUy_Ar3VJkTG4KSmNqxsZxZhN5DmN6G3fb50a9CDyPhQiG75epUIMMHDckxjY5V6Ov8V4gO5_3qqWy4DKlK0EJXmGoVkf69iXlTwRK-O4kp-T9XEjJXOT54BOk8KP4janF_WJrWPxzhNDs-S1QQlNp5Wi79LsA/w640-h358/IMG_9686a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The alabaster facade of the mosque.</span></b><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mohammad Ali is considered the founder of modern Egypt. He was Albanian but came to Egypt to help recover it from Napoleon's occupation. He ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1848. He is a well-loved figure here as he reformed the legal system, set up education for women, set up a functional bureaucracy, and instituted other reforms.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HhNSpQuU9JtQyNkZuU-GKRcsP-N-MEIZQyBeplwgEPAJL8Oiabz4IpRIEsfjKmJxjO6LU5ufikK9-SCNZ1xWi3P8jPSLdL4_4zn2vcmC6iWzrZPHGVbsDzvPSyekurT8Ysta9qHHnZhs5y3PKNFPFBnYHzVSlt3u8ecM1dXpUnwRptGJTg/s4583/IMG_9723a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4583" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HhNSpQuU9JtQyNkZuU-GKRcsP-N-MEIZQyBeplwgEPAJL8Oiabz4IpRIEsfjKmJxjO6LU5ufikK9-SCNZ1xWi3P8jPSLdL4_4zn2vcmC6iWzrZPHGVbsDzvPSyekurT8Ysta9qHHnZhs5y3PKNFPFBnYHzVSlt3u8ecM1dXpUnwRptGJTg/w406-h640/IMG_9723a.JPG" width="406" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Relief of Mohammed Ali Pasha</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The mosque, built in the mid-1800s, reminded me of those we had visited in Turkey. The Egyptians' version of Islam does not appear to be as strict, though, as I did not have to cover my hair or remove my shoes (although little plastic booties were provided to cover the shoes of visitors.) Although the vast interior was not as colorful as the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, it was beautifully decorated with Islamic art. The tomb of Mohammad Ali rests inside. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq85S0-STbkpDT-tDYaCVZ-jfzZbouiO4cK4VyOlFJ2mPm0XekdES21-vQHyhkNP7BkRowlNIwZmih26krHtetCzyN1WuJHid5Kaev2yhWrKhvtVehZsUv6UegZt9fI-S5w_TbEY-bvH7citNpScLoe8UVj_lLXgtSXSuXkuFZdxqSgr0Bg/s3646/IMG_9691a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="3646" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq85S0-STbkpDT-tDYaCVZ-jfzZbouiO4cK4VyOlFJ2mPm0XekdES21-vQHyhkNP7BkRowlNIwZmih26krHtetCzyN1WuJHid5Kaev2yhWrKhvtVehZsUv6UegZt9fI-S5w_TbEY-bvH7citNpScLoe8UVj_lLXgtSXSuXkuFZdxqSgr0Bg/w400-h305/IMG_9691a.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Plastic booties are provided to all visitors</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXMTTcLe5DTPRVVJ49kZjED0cE6LxA6uBGk4QinneqNiETCuHBWIzBdS-TfBvGwMZINlolxanQ_MYCbsB-jUiuRRoZwk3uJqroTDfwtmqxBLVvU5JTw3V_wIZrloaJcSDuOUpbaB1OGV0x2jR-uV4QD-5cH_vcEPLPKJlixyqcRckDlN6xA/s4975/IMG_9695a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4975" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXMTTcLe5DTPRVVJ49kZjED0cE6LxA6uBGk4QinneqNiETCuHBWIzBdS-TfBvGwMZINlolxanQ_MYCbsB-jUiuRRoZwk3uJqroTDfwtmqxBLVvU5JTw3V_wIZrloaJcSDuOUpbaB1OGV0x2jR-uV4QD-5cH_vcEPLPKJlixyqcRckDlN6xA/w640-h366/IMG_9695a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The interior of the mosque</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogCpRZe2fnyN6dS5Js2vrkgZkaHf4arup-sX4a3c2ZiVkhSrYVHcmNs7Y6Jim_P1q5IhQ4rc8nRxq136xiTaaOD9tRMgVbt-UocOrnSG6uKih7WTdQzYwNL3kSl3BTmgp_hNJovweEjLW_q2jueGrq3lZ4o4D-trIb9XZKowVhVAyHjLVAA/s4578/IMG_9696a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4578" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogCpRZe2fnyN6dS5Js2vrkgZkaHf4arup-sX4a3c2ZiVkhSrYVHcmNs7Y6Jim_P1q5IhQ4rc8nRxq136xiTaaOD9tRMgVbt-UocOrnSG6uKih7WTdQzYwNL3kSl3BTmgp_hNJovweEjLW_q2jueGrq3lZ4o4D-trIb9XZKowVhVAyHjLVAA/w640-h408/IMG_9696a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The tomb of Mohammed Ali rests inside this chamber</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CM2JZLG6u7OZwVW2Zn_NiYNWTQ9t9UCNo5JNSKQUsstCvF2yLGq5_RuJn8ywC14kogF8XgIDj6cbKAWKhtwAWBp623B3Dpa3lNk0VrZ5Xo4ez4jNjHuzqcVfYc_AvyQYcxkDsan-ZMUUv_Cm-nQXroS90VbdQhpG3h34fb1KIuyIn9i2hg/s4616/IMG_9702a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4616" data-original-width="2809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CM2JZLG6u7OZwVW2Zn_NiYNWTQ9t9UCNo5JNSKQUsstCvF2yLGq5_RuJn8ywC14kogF8XgIDj6cbKAWKhtwAWBp623B3Dpa3lNk0VrZ5Xo4ez4jNjHuzqcVfYc_AvyQYcxkDsan-ZMUUv_Cm-nQXroS90VbdQhpG3h34fb1KIuyIn9i2hg/w390-h640/IMG_9702a.JPG" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Detail from the burial chamber</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreksuNsaTL7WMzKYZ_V1dGPXmaIvWa3W_9zCEWTB-O3lnRfvd1K1BycMupNDuuBDdz6-jyUuMokBXapQftoC340JT0ORLupeNH6w5ycdtkxgJexw2v9yQbd7dsjt87eDd_Mwvaiwh9ukHKkXnEbfxp7cYCFKnwDyPw5LXo0Hre4SgDCbeEA/s4880/IMG_9705a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4880" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreksuNsaTL7WMzKYZ_V1dGPXmaIvWa3W_9zCEWTB-O3lnRfvd1K1BycMupNDuuBDdz6-jyUuMokBXapQftoC340JT0ORLupeNH6w5ycdtkxgJexw2v9yQbd7dsjt87eDd_Mwvaiwh9ukHKkXnEbfxp7cYCFKnwDyPw5LXo0Hre4SgDCbeEA/w640-h382/IMG_9705a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The ceiling of the mosque</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOREZfFH9NgIM8-n3W1Pxd9QsnsfELNklwXhLo9E-UAWyf9AZQfa222kPdM5xdehgJ31tBOSD9488V6rwb9wYTcPIHhYiAEwdVbZ98wPZ7QalyzY-w7VXRCIj9nxjyHad-wO5wtf74O-1Mf9Ktk5-Yh6eQc7CKhXrHBx_oHSV315OUs2kVA/s4853/IMG_9711a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4853" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOREZfFH9NgIM8-n3W1Pxd9QsnsfELNklwXhLo9E-UAWyf9AZQfa222kPdM5xdehgJ31tBOSD9488V6rwb9wYTcPIHhYiAEwdVbZ98wPZ7QalyzY-w7VXRCIj9nxjyHad-wO5wtf74O-1Mf9Ktk5-Yh6eQc7CKhXrHBx_oHSV315OUs2kVA/w384-h640/IMG_9711a.JPG" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Minbar (Muslim Pulpit)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The ornate clock tower over the courtyard of the mosque has an interesting story. It was given to Egypt by King Louis Philippe of France in exchange for the obelisk that now sits in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The French got the better end of that deal - the clock has never worked!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqlxUm8qzYPMZR6cV-NGa0Ssk3PKvMDwS2UBR03ofpuclAwYS5iaRnmBrs8Rd6nKULaUuXiSup-Ng7IELmuDQS9nroHI1kscKqM1uG70pM6YTdIk-Jdb4HY45w3h1qgwEGerboKoqITWsiPxmDRRYnLhiZVuU_j351DiPCHd2vwX2BmIN0A/s4277/IMG_9692a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="4277" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqlxUm8qzYPMZR6cV-NGa0Ssk3PKvMDwS2UBR03ofpuclAwYS5iaRnmBrs8Rd6nKULaUuXiSup-Ng7IELmuDQS9nroHI1kscKqM1uG70pM6YTdIk-Jdb4HY45w3h1qgwEGerboKoqITWsiPxmDRRYnLhiZVuU_j351DiPCHd2vwX2BmIN0A/w640-h416/IMG_9692a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiRP-1lWXK_c8WBpS_lhWRN2_1ZD_OS5DwofwyPhDpvMPtyOFS6II29IsItVjNIZGX2jkJ9K4mv8_wW0CDmvnMEPNsakd6Fbjc-31XP-NLeFs6g_utMLmDVAZRD7cgJxGqZJI0OfxFVsUa2QaHwvRbL2jaNnN2ElgaIua5kQTPhxXCxdVYQ/s4482/IMG_9694a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4482" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiRP-1lWXK_c8WBpS_lhWRN2_1ZD_OS5DwofwyPhDpvMPtyOFS6II29IsItVjNIZGX2jkJ9K4mv8_wW0CDmvnMEPNsakd6Fbjc-31XP-NLeFs6g_utMLmDVAZRD7cgJxGqZJI0OfxFVsUa2QaHwvRbL2jaNnN2ElgaIua5kQTPhxXCxdVYQ/w416-h640/IMG_9694a.JPG" width="416" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Clock Tower - a gift from France</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">From the clifftops, I had sweeping views of the city, although the pollution in crowded Cairo interfered with the sights a bit.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibngttj5L_FVsKnMynV6mu40xqkCZ0E_dXJdnB3kk6eVOQ6dtMiAaS7hvO_c1j5Ph6VqFQ22hdRGlf3xhS3-hE4XO9Twwrn8kALh5LuW9Q6soWKbgQ_r0E1m1FSixwik6FwYQu-2Kp01ld7YBP9LtSIxJWDzRdOmM90MxZj_jCM2d27ahKxQ/s5184/IMG_9716a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibngttj5L_FVsKnMynV6mu40xqkCZ0E_dXJdnB3kk6eVOQ6dtMiAaS7hvO_c1j5Ph6VqFQ22hdRGlf3xhS3-hE4XO9Twwrn8kALh5LuW9Q6soWKbgQ_r0E1m1FSixwik6FwYQu-2Kp01ld7YBP9LtSIxJWDzRdOmM90MxZj_jCM2d27ahKxQ/w640-h360/IMG_9716a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ8UF4pbYquuY37Lf5lczYsPTIvTAI-Ptjo9LRzR776I3RSpSSbpfuZo_9oXoruFqHkbK4GHKAcOSdYjgWXpu-OnAXVC8nRwh9nhgNh1Bis0JZKigB-ET3KRsnGmPbDLagQ3cUT8khwieiMOdC-4M_iy9dcnMssdsyl4JernXcfsPby-dNw/s5184/IMG_9717a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ8UF4pbYquuY37Lf5lczYsPTIvTAI-Ptjo9LRzR776I3RSpSSbpfuZo_9oXoruFqHkbK4GHKAcOSdYjgWXpu-OnAXVC8nRwh9nhgNh1Bis0JZKigB-ET3KRsnGmPbDLagQ3cUT8khwieiMOdC-4M_iy9dcnMssdsyl4JernXcfsPby-dNw/w640-h360/IMG_9717a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;">Coptic Churches of Cairo</span></span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>From the mosque, we moved on to Coptic Cairo, where several historic churches are built within the walls of another fortress dating back to Roman times. It is believed that St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt around 42 A.D., so the Coptic Christian church of Egypt is one of the earliest sects of Christianity. It split from the Roman and Byzantium branches of the church in the late 300s. (Coptic was the language spoken by Egyptians prior to the arrival of Islam and Arabic.) With the rise of some extremism in the Middle East, there was a lot of security at the gates to the region of churches. However, </span><span>Irene, who is a Coptic Christian, emphasized that the Muslims and Christians of Cairo now live side by side in harmony. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPsDRPYLGdMzklIEw6t8-CNKQTU3L4OILWSKJ_JP_nWniMG7SaUmqKE-7D0ghSOzE-89LtKFiyTJZXHIk3SXk8YEpyWYG27Bka4AfKguxSpCdfLSpjwCU9cHN14fxyRRqdBb5A4KI-uPfMA3fIFeXbYuo3KQncUAYBPAkpY63XNDGuJyaOA/s4330/IMG_9735a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="4330" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPsDRPYLGdMzklIEw6t8-CNKQTU3L4OILWSKJ_JP_nWniMG7SaUmqKE-7D0ghSOzE-89LtKFiyTJZXHIk3SXk8YEpyWYG27Bka4AfKguxSpCdfLSpjwCU9cHN14fxyRRqdBb5A4KI-uPfMA3fIFeXbYuo3KQncUAYBPAkpY63XNDGuJyaOA/w640-h308/IMG_9735a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUZOKDkbULbC3Ijy7dWN-lZ0FnyTq01Z0_-4pZQqOhMMWtlAC16jnw0OdVyiygEH6rIC-EMIMXy1WVE-J8gdtvhDy46oZdDjazI0n1kuXZkI5UVO-9Dxve23YyFm_YJaZKxKkISxTk5vqLi7sWiu3bI6zEJopAcX7sfyE_w_3Rb0hBgBv_g/s5184/IMG_9807a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUZOKDkbULbC3Ijy7dWN-lZ0FnyTq01Z0_-4pZQqOhMMWtlAC16jnw0OdVyiygEH6rIC-EMIMXy1WVE-J8gdtvhDy46oZdDjazI0n1kuXZkI5UVO-9Dxve23YyFm_YJaZKxKkISxTk5vqLi7sWiu3bI6zEJopAcX7sfyE_w_3Rb0hBgBv_g/w640-h360/IMG_9807a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are about six churches on the street, and we visited the two oldest and most historic. We first walked up the long staircase to St. Virgin Mary's Church, better known as "The Hanging Church," as it was built in the 3rd century above the gatehouse of an old Roman fort called the Babylon Fortress. Through a glass window in the floor, we could see how the nave was suspended over an open passage.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzws0l8mCDDnvWtJ8wSPEAgFLSN7BPtjFTs6PDpEplt1_dUXVweRqYCeqRLbXuRnyUIR_6LPZULxAyL8YZmFL7nHr0CfUCZp5EppfzhrPTfuqs1uRJqNxoQ-izKxMLuj9PBgS97W8WNE7q3GodyvLcHr8KMvW1zalwrttwKG-KxQYofHrIA/s3391/IMG_9738b.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3391" data-original-width="2764" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzws0l8mCDDnvWtJ8wSPEAgFLSN7BPtjFTs6PDpEplt1_dUXVweRqYCeqRLbXuRnyUIR_6LPZULxAyL8YZmFL7nHr0CfUCZp5EppfzhrPTfuqs1uRJqNxoQ-izKxMLuj9PBgS97W8WNE7q3GodyvLcHr8KMvW1zalwrttwKG-KxQYofHrIA/w522-h640/IMG_9738b.JPG" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Church of Virgin St. Mary</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBItxtF-SYfSS5ixqXtcUVYL_cTjRZfHcEanLMJLzwr5mUPN6u8PiFbPNG0AdJ44tytp-GsdKVq1At0ZbMxzBWrI8TO7qkLVY49ZM1PlF3NrymcgSWuFEDDo8Gf6TQrzEj_nq6eXp2oU4SeKM9LPByPTlux-oTs3dgb6o9gD3v6yCyj1-SSQ/s5184/IMG_9747a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBItxtF-SYfSS5ixqXtcUVYL_cTjRZfHcEanLMJLzwr5mUPN6u8PiFbPNG0AdJ44tytp-GsdKVq1At0ZbMxzBWrI8TO7qkLVY49ZM1PlF3NrymcgSWuFEDDo8Gf6TQrzEj_nq6eXp2oU4SeKM9LPByPTlux-oTs3dgb6o9gD3v6yCyj1-SSQ/w360-h640/IMG_9747a.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The open space beneath "The Hanging Chuch"</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxI_V94ytUZMLDwNo2_QIjCcFtm_4FI3BXtS_vldW8T59I5TE1UoSIL46_rN_Y3htQWNEZdeaXDt2iukhFjNlupmFgO7GMIt-mXeAzC5LufEX7mCBKoo1xTvGxm9rqqgCi3P1_MiltwaOaz43ouv6N0wcvEg5fop7-2B34VJ16uSsmyVnXQ/s4921/IMG_9753a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2764" data-original-width="4921" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxI_V94ytUZMLDwNo2_QIjCcFtm_4FI3BXtS_vldW8T59I5TE1UoSIL46_rN_Y3htQWNEZdeaXDt2iukhFjNlupmFgO7GMIt-mXeAzC5LufEX7mCBKoo1xTvGxm9rqqgCi3P1_MiltwaOaz43ouv6N0wcvEg5fop7-2B34VJ16uSsmyVnXQ/w640-h360/IMG_9753a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Remnants of the old Roman fort upon which the church is suspended.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Hanging Church is famous for several reported appearances of the Virgin Mary in this location, and there were many images of her around the church, including one called the "Coptic Mona Lisa." The church also contained many relics of saints and martyrs, including St. George (of dragon fame,) as well as many paintings of other saints.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_B5K79MacpbiyU9lkYlCMkCnK41xs3cTsAG8Oa5IdI6mIOTFsqFxxO7vxBnHmaEiAaSZeF3nKOdd-SKbkgk72zboN3JifoG81EcJxAjiQ-csUzwp-6zVG9f_k8D2PH9WH9P_3fJAZN5K79D458Ke5EdvwD_YikwDYje1NzfDCbMb9kHOPA/s4424/IMG_9743a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4424" data-original-width="2700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_B5K79MacpbiyU9lkYlCMkCnK41xs3cTsAG8Oa5IdI6mIOTFsqFxxO7vxBnHmaEiAaSZeF3nKOdd-SKbkgk72zboN3JifoG81EcJxAjiQ-csUzwp-6zVG9f_k8D2PH9WH9P_3fJAZN5K79D458Ke5EdvwD_YikwDYje1NzfDCbMb9kHOPA/w390-h640/IMG_9743a.JPG" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Coptic Mona Lisa</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjeItPBUU6GtzVo5hpjq-g06DCYxeFjJGX9J5k4lmaIr3t4WV4lpY6ym2CVBnV6LVg8ZTSEvXMyHLD_Rq2Iry5WWMLBJbHLF5cNiS2zk5YPQSgnYNdyFcq-OXtQQnO0fpFALj4KM6aCJupa4R-297lZ1xuww5TtjoPY4op10YrHaun9x9Kw/s4341/IMG_9762a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2837" data-original-width="4341" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjeItPBUU6GtzVo5hpjq-g06DCYxeFjJGX9J5k4lmaIr3t4WV4lpY6ym2CVBnV6LVg8ZTSEvXMyHLD_Rq2Iry5WWMLBJbHLF5cNiS2zk5YPQSgnYNdyFcq-OXtQQnO0fpFALj4KM6aCJupa4R-297lZ1xuww5TtjoPY4op10YrHaun9x9Kw/w640-h418/IMG_9762a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Iconography of Mary and the Saints</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96LZD2wXkqT2mT9GRoInV-ytGpE3oOWd9Mq-oAQHUI1yJYvwUdpz9esLuNsQLl42y-rvaRBFOUMFeo0Iy6K0ZLyWLnAo2AxdRRFmq8cd7KwYEiJYCTEJjmo1TSgBDWWAT1YOW6Rbr57LjS9sccpn9BJNjlp0WfR6ysV8jYZwvXmpHwpJ4Ew/s4055/IMG_9758a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4055" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96LZD2wXkqT2mT9GRoInV-ytGpE3oOWd9Mq-oAQHUI1yJYvwUdpz9esLuNsQLl42y-rvaRBFOUMFeo0Iy6K0ZLyWLnAo2AxdRRFmq8cd7KwYEiJYCTEJjmo1TSgBDWWAT1YOW6Rbr57LjS9sccpn9BJNjlp0WfR6ysV8jYZwvXmpHwpJ4Ew/w460-h640/IMG_9758a.JPG" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Decorative art filled the small church</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMaNFSCiNspGD_plIceJe9eSMmMdFGlhH4u2IsdvWwnuJjUFi4jQwLYpjn5fwYDS8rXjvRteBuZIfowvsrC02d6JDSIv_TVyu0EZiEGqnm3YH14s_R4OjHzMglhduvN60SmaoSOxmzkx9TLJQZ9PC-3Jc7PiJB4ZEEYNHJ9Ip3NCaej3qeA/s4628/IMG_9746a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2749" data-original-width="4628" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMaNFSCiNspGD_plIceJe9eSMmMdFGlhH4u2IsdvWwnuJjUFi4jQwLYpjn5fwYDS8rXjvRteBuZIfowvsrC02d6JDSIv_TVyu0EZiEGqnm3YH14s_R4OjHzMglhduvN60SmaoSOxmzkx9TLJQZ9PC-3Jc7PiJB4ZEEYNHJ9Ip3NCaej3qeA/w640-h380/IMG_9746a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43bB7mQbW2h-Ignu4c5IvlEh5bNLRfxGWBE9VkA5F2lHf-f_1t9k15KLtqZU1QoKmXPH8p7Pma-kFfGCn2mKkA8sl_UCxJK6qBLjjQOxlY1Y1Q_sDvtKkeK692X8ykgXh8JbJczLD0n646rCszoYmAPwYqUgx1LyD6r-iwbiLePgGcP2Hkg/s2426/IMG_9749a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="2426" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43bB7mQbW2h-Ignu4c5IvlEh5bNLRfxGWBE9VkA5F2lHf-f_1t9k15KLtqZU1QoKmXPH8p7Pma-kFfGCn2mKkA8sl_UCxJK6qBLjjQOxlY1Y1Q_sDvtKkeK692X8ykgXh8JbJczLD0n646rCszoYmAPwYqUgx1LyD6r-iwbiLePgGcP2Hkg/w200-h183/IMG_9749a.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWeXq1d_YLzQnGkXy_Z2DwrpKOPa956vnUyIxtBgxhUcDsQ10PUNBJXIyws69nHmBl_xPO-9nwcsv8ALcKHBpid-8SeSIfpQGTfzbjksVpyjaRJuEMYxSMojJ_Z6iYt4QI2_sreNRwo5wo30c2DIybZjKF1ED13N93jqCru0bCHEafXbFBA/s2339/IMG_9751a.JPG" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="2339" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWeXq1d_YLzQnGkXy_Z2DwrpKOPa956vnUyIxtBgxhUcDsQ10PUNBJXIyws69nHmBl_xPO-9nwcsv8ALcKHBpid-8SeSIfpQGTfzbjksVpyjaRJuEMYxSMojJ_Z6iYt4QI2_sreNRwo5wo30c2DIybZjKF1ED13N93jqCru0bCHEafXbFBA/w200-h198/IMG_9751a.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dCfE2fbrnMgHNNoM_8Ezj_OIKNXWzQMcjJePR6BSI585dBVqv6LrkNmFGT6YesjMIMmgoFxj8thLGLCYzChRIxDQlSCcwetkHnrWK5cbuDO-7z9ao1BycfKv1nip8N3TL18ugvfeWF_qTvUqJg9e2f23QnI-9fL-8LRsH5-pwZTnDOmd5w/s4731/IMG_9759a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4731" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dCfE2fbrnMgHNNoM_8Ezj_OIKNXWzQMcjJePR6BSI585dBVqv6LrkNmFGT6YesjMIMmgoFxj8thLGLCYzChRIxDQlSCcwetkHnrWK5cbuDO-7z9ao1BycfKv1nip8N3TL18ugvfeWF_qTvUqJg9e2f23QnI-9fL-8LRsH5-pwZTnDOmd5w/w394-h640/IMG_9759a.JPG" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The pulpit</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVQqmj8oGGNwFiBQSvThRBDd5tQ8xOFuGsGtpoz3RG_2EbJXyAW6GPYnJzyC87k-XJYvEgDz1b-jt66GeEkJs_w15VuNYlJUuqSPAaClw8PCqdrI0QYBoKdpJl-Woyo2-dQXLciKhk6T3cimiLLQE3R7ITJvOSs203E7qOAtx8NFsyvtUjg/s3484/IMG_9761a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3484" data-original-width="2859" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVQqmj8oGGNwFiBQSvThRBDd5tQ8xOFuGsGtpoz3RG_2EbJXyAW6GPYnJzyC87k-XJYvEgDz1b-jt66GeEkJs_w15VuNYlJUuqSPAaClw8PCqdrI0QYBoKdpJl-Woyo2-dQXLciKhk6T3cimiLLQE3R7ITJvOSs203E7qOAtx8NFsyvtUjg/w526-h640/IMG_9761a.JPG" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">St. George seemed to be very popular here.</span></b> </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-nHdCiQUFhx1dDsgmOxbieAgYZ-JBIogkR_VH40GQdIrZX4gpfgcbaij6MEZ1SJQDjqx4VbbxdrQCqFyQBLLyHigJah4DzzvU1mZ0sYyhdO0E2_cFv0I_4wRrmyyLQb6E1yKybYBHiDXohyWF5R-8F9Le3zhJEciVPHcj4pcJp37Fv1Uqw/s4766/IMG_9769a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2233" data-original-width="4766" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-nHdCiQUFhx1dDsgmOxbieAgYZ-JBIogkR_VH40GQdIrZX4gpfgcbaij6MEZ1SJQDjqx4VbbxdrQCqFyQBLLyHigJah4DzzvU1mZ0sYyhdO0E2_cFv0I_4wRrmyyLQb6E1yKybYBHiDXohyWF5R-8F9Le3zhJEciVPHcj4pcJp37Fv1Uqw/w640-h300/IMG_9769a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A reliquary holding relics of St. George</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp5bBvkSfT1HXP5tu3ccwcHTstrVXeNI6v6kOlPr_FybiGHnwY5VUlFydiiinxTVQ1_Wo3tauT-dXU0Elq5Hh9v8rXXFYGuH8J38oKwuFcVDxz3lmJxE34mri4iEAeFZZxKExOC9o53GDhH-ghyTtzZwPMWRfvK91KDzsoNaDgjltexPlwQ/s5067/IMG_9767a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="5067" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSp5bBvkSfT1HXP5tu3ccwcHTstrVXeNI6v6kOlPr_FybiGHnwY5VUlFydiiinxTVQ1_Wo3tauT-dXU0Elq5Hh9v8rXXFYGuH8J38oKwuFcVDxz3lmJxE34mri4iEAeFZZxKExOC9o53GDhH-ghyTtzZwPMWRfvK91KDzsoNaDgjltexPlwQ/w640-h360/IMG_9767a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">And another holding relics of St. Abaskhiron, a Coptic martyr</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the courtyard outside of the church were modern mosaics of St. Mary.</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMjBLDY5KQJ664y-lfQ0tty6ojB7hN7GD-1zEHpybbdKqASM27AUJ5Sp6Ham5YIiYPA2dLj7CNgWXrGbFmVgqqFe_hS4O9LOLMLyH2K7xF6vbgr_E1VCmCvumsONPQdrgYHoNzWaDGoXtDWevzC39Yi0e6jO-RXDoPC4hpr0PJZ_7muVTLg/s4484/IMG_9774a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4484" data-original-width="2764" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMjBLDY5KQJ664y-lfQ0tty6ojB7hN7GD-1zEHpybbdKqASM27AUJ5Sp6Ham5YIiYPA2dLj7CNgWXrGbFmVgqqFe_hS4O9LOLMLyH2K7xF6vbgr_E1VCmCvumsONPQdrgYHoNzWaDGoXtDWevzC39Yi0e6jO-RXDoPC4hpr0PJZ_7muVTLg/w394-h640/IMG_9774a.JPG" width="394" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZZhhA72FS3rrYxAd0CO2UBviucieMUYuxBR8dTPSHlphbKx5r_Q8XQcsVzUONwcknIYHFN8ZmZ3m-U8QZpBJD2VWNKMd0PjgDGRZ3vdiodAkDLH1v-4UAHpaN0shwBRDxWZVWSnVbWMFPsMkT5SSwCmWGoaLXEpyvh-4tpdDTpD_FJPl4A/s4519/IMG_9778a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="4519" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZZhhA72FS3rrYxAd0CO2UBviucieMUYuxBR8dTPSHlphbKx5r_Q8XQcsVzUONwcknIYHFN8ZmZ3m-U8QZpBJD2VWNKMd0PjgDGRZ3vdiodAkDLH1v-4UAHpaN0shwBRDxWZVWSnVbWMFPsMkT5SSwCmWGoaLXEpyvh-4tpdDTpD_FJPl4A/w640-h394/IMG_9778a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Mary appears to the people.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyZhi8dfHbs62FP6qrhkfDW238IXUqrJbjeoJhBLAj40MCaPrhTjZSAPkuP5PvMgAh_SX3A04M_KdlqL61FP5nTCdog9_noAICi5fQ5L6kX6LrMubs0ZnfTUECbrrkdYQezuHCMfebIXVaBXeG4VFj9U1aBsYctP_C6zUFJwAh9xk_SpaZQ/s3215/IMG_9779a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3215" data-original-width="2377" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyZhi8dfHbs62FP6qrhkfDW238IXUqrJbjeoJhBLAj40MCaPrhTjZSAPkuP5PvMgAh_SX3A04M_KdlqL61FP5nTCdog9_noAICi5fQ5L6kX6LrMubs0ZnfTUECbrrkdYQezuHCMfebIXVaBXeG4VFj9U1aBsYctP_C6zUFJwAh9xk_SpaZQ/w474-h640/IMG_9779a.JPG" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Another appearance of Mary.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgU5LMVykZ8K3P7KUZEaKtpMLRvJhZzI56gGAkAaqSGh2PkzZXiSscy5GoswUy6jVFJe56a61ZsDg60Qza_WhsYIOI3g6ffqoDPiUT_xdCfZQdQL4haa3DsO_qek3wQMYe1ks19lSeHZSakGB17I4ga7p7kG2CeY2dfSXniWeuS8Nk9dIyog/s4758/IMG_9780a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="4758" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgU5LMVykZ8K3P7KUZEaKtpMLRvJhZzI56gGAkAaqSGh2PkzZXiSscy5GoswUy6jVFJe56a61ZsDg60Qza_WhsYIOI3g6ffqoDPiUT_xdCfZQdQL4haa3DsO_qek3wQMYe1ks19lSeHZSakGB17I4ga7p7kG2CeY2dfSXniWeuS8Nk9dIyog/w640-h374/IMG_9780a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Holy Family flees Herod and takes refuge in Egypt</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked a bit further down the street past some of the grander churches.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_PaiXzjdpLwulXmUdkuZOB1huS2dnlwn5E8EYzJ2WJq3OZuRj9xvnMlhtzUNsbbWPD22b0FXul-ZOkgqCElOAl04Y1qXtpff8a9k6jVaq0RSOc1Ld2tjJn-bAELgDW8OJCbmuJQcOpXZ6-G8jf5w3Pq-p9xajSnYFd00jmMhYI7eiW0hzA/s4456/IMG_9781a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="4456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_PaiXzjdpLwulXmUdkuZOB1huS2dnlwn5E8EYzJ2WJq3OZuRj9xvnMlhtzUNsbbWPD22b0FXul-ZOkgqCElOAl04Y1qXtpff8a9k6jVaq0RSOc1Ld2tjJn-bAELgDW8OJCbmuJQcOpXZ6-G8jf5w3Pq-p9xajSnYFd00jmMhYI7eiW0hzA/w640-h400/IMG_9781a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYciMr5uqThXkisJ2gMTgneFlfHQxRh5ktOSUdC8Ks9duIaEtOHb809HyLdYZkH8Zs49EbyGXjbPhJ-2N5WVAqDePkSkal2a5zLEdY1jESlrpe9ra8UdVlmc55mdBNt0eT-iJt2BsEqXzbCceB2Li3V6fl1HLycgubzg-OHy4f75Q6p8OkA/s4165/IMG_9782a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="4165" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYciMr5uqThXkisJ2gMTgneFlfHQxRh5ktOSUdC8Ks9duIaEtOHb809HyLdYZkH8Zs49EbyGXjbPhJ-2N5WVAqDePkSkal2a5zLEdY1jESlrpe9ra8UdVlmc55mdBNt0eT-iJt2BsEqXzbCceB2Li3V6fl1HLycgubzg-OHy4f75Q6p8OkA/w640-h426/IMG_9782a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKj_Djv569CE7Ab8YTt7Pc3saR18A8mNjbeVbZq7HZRsdZ5TBmwxxQQc--iyAzcT6coCgizfWedJ_xFEAoBUBrPFY-GV_dnoT4xjdETAvQP0lEh25uMfaZpw0Ge9t52ACQeGZt75SRCru7vCyLQMgq3IFG_FCs2cBes48uOFE6fhVtVdk2w/s4855/IMG_9784a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4855" data-original-width="2798" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKj_Djv569CE7Ab8YTt7Pc3saR18A8mNjbeVbZq7HZRsdZ5TBmwxxQQc--iyAzcT6coCgizfWedJ_xFEAoBUBrPFY-GV_dnoT4xjdETAvQP0lEh25uMfaZpw0Ge9t52ACQeGZt75SRCru7vCyLQMgq3IFG_FCs2cBes48uOFE6fhVtVdk2w/w368-h640/IMG_9784a.JPG" width="368" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But our next stop was a small and simple church, Abu Serga, also known as “The Church of the Martyrs Saint Sergius and Bacchus in the Cave,” Sergius and Bacchus having been martyred by the Romans in the 4th century. This church is very sacred as it is built over a cavern which is believed to have been the resting place of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph when they fled to Egypt to escape Herod. I joined the large crowd waiting to enter the little chamber below the floor of the church, and we descended one-by-one into a columned chapel built in front of the little cave. This tiny church was more simply decorated than the Hanging Church, but the earth-colored brick, carved stone, and wood gave a lovely harmony to the sanctuary.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOPr-UobijzwCdUMQCNVbYnTKiu34EqrXtK6ZnX1UoHqh8E6fV4bP7UOlme3Lfq6cMedvT1jvdLuBU7bWC05PUiRh8XBFitVOpMLSLkmQk340glm7dhiDiS-EWCosQkGiBF2jkjsk2nhKoznig_Fz81QP8G66TG5IJmsk76sWftjCYmcO_g/s5093/IMG_9789a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="5093" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOPr-UobijzwCdUMQCNVbYnTKiu34EqrXtK6ZnX1UoHqh8E6fV4bP7UOlme3Lfq6cMedvT1jvdLuBU7bWC05PUiRh8XBFitVOpMLSLkmQk340glm7dhiDiS-EWCosQkGiBF2jkjsk2nhKoznig_Fz81QP8G66TG5IJmsk76sWftjCYmcO_g/w640-h360/IMG_9789a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>The Sanctuary</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkAIrPIzhvMcVqyDzirNHuy3QPz_Ndqifaki4KAPxLZZR7il0-q4SdFo4bbqnrKkPRi9QRlLuRQspeCs8i_5N0vf4HVlW9JMnrCj99KcMpyGSxdMyrYRLERuWoyNCNablGWUnWCo3xyME-0NbyqSHw2w3SylRDHnjGecjaTViaR2PX02vqA/s4699/IMG_9791a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4699" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkAIrPIzhvMcVqyDzirNHuy3QPz_Ndqifaki4KAPxLZZR7il0-q4SdFo4bbqnrKkPRi9QRlLuRQspeCs8i_5N0vf4HVlW9JMnrCj99KcMpyGSxdMyrYRLERuWoyNCNablGWUnWCo3xyME-0NbyqSHw2w3SylRDHnjGecjaTViaR2PX02vqA/w640-h396/IMG_9791a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The pulpit</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29_oC93R6MyD6SECleq_EK4sERkCfe4IMeTsQEuAdVePSmhEoqg4UHpGxVfW-agwIdVnh5W74Je88vIB0b3UASbZMvb0RetQbFBPTI8dTs88NBbo_oyINnTylRE5CMF4XfiqTwFktncv2V_axl0w-Q-bXbplFvoScq5uEnkLkryLwfUradg/s4020/IMG_9792a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2487" data-original-width="4020" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29_oC93R6MyD6SECleq_EK4sERkCfe4IMeTsQEuAdVePSmhEoqg4UHpGxVfW-agwIdVnh5W74Je88vIB0b3UASbZMvb0RetQbFBPTI8dTs88NBbo_oyINnTylRE5CMF4XfiqTwFktncv2V_axl0w-Q-bXbplFvoScq5uEnkLkryLwfUradg/w640-h396/IMG_9792a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The crowds waiting to enter the cavern below</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiy7bGI6jtFASJqrVl2Jxvm0p4arlkn3Y9YKu-4l1LE46gTvs2mFIUva0Ge36eWaoNAAZ-7dfLaHdf2Ac05Gm7JOu_KcgVX1JO6U1KTXLuDO4Rb6Da_O5v3GA1wTmKvTGj3E12awY3dIZMM_Nfzv-w51kyWofjsQCurykzvJiznmyey8Q9A/s3357/IMG_9797a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1914" data-original-width="3357" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiy7bGI6jtFASJqrVl2Jxvm0p4arlkn3Y9YKu-4l1LE46gTvs2mFIUva0Ge36eWaoNAAZ-7dfLaHdf2Ac05Gm7JOu_KcgVX1JO6U1KTXLuDO4Rb6Da_O5v3GA1wTmKvTGj3E12awY3dIZMM_Nfzv-w51kyWofjsQCurykzvJiznmyey8Q9A/w640-h364/IMG_9797a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltttbBHnTDmMb1JtaJMe6FdZxtLv8Te8HbFmSMiX7NZCYZpCILSLAjTubrWyEPECk48zwpEtLpaiG829yaoIpm-EL8ODcdVP93CCdTRgaIghEvyg2RoeTR7Da_0guzZh9qFS6B6DWbS8aBb7U9w7PqzE1dOnaYa6zf5RAPtjvMd6Psm_WmA/s4871/IMG_9799a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4871" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltttbBHnTDmMb1JtaJMe6FdZxtLv8Te8HbFmSMiX7NZCYZpCILSLAjTubrWyEPECk48zwpEtLpaiG829yaoIpm-EL8ODcdVP93CCdTRgaIghEvyg2RoeTR7Da_0guzZh9qFS6B6DWbS8aBb7U9w7PqzE1dOnaYa6zf5RAPtjvMd6Psm_WmA/w640-h382/IMG_9799a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A temple was built around the cavern where the <br />Holy Family stayed during their sojourn in Egypt.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdG0Od2qQ77rao4pPX7pI-9kZ1BtZUWIUGpHV2ZEgCMKswmUkUM-paRhNjxpXcIQX0_uZ7IMISFBCO-cIpmjIBg3DlXGFxzVlcYinoo757qSHNSFk2UJ-nRfcQbdpch5AuIED8vRsZIg6zTNssdnSe9cqx04X8V1ETtdxgFffhFzDOz5oTg/s5030/IMG_9800a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="5030" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdG0Od2qQ77rao4pPX7pI-9kZ1BtZUWIUGpHV2ZEgCMKswmUkUM-paRhNjxpXcIQX0_uZ7IMISFBCO-cIpmjIBg3DlXGFxzVlcYinoo757qSHNSFk2UJ-nRfcQbdpch5AuIED8vRsZIg6zTNssdnSe9cqx04X8V1ETtdxgFffhFzDOz5oTg/w640-h360/IMG_9800a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The small cave at the back of the temple.<br /><br /></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErHDPZ5wMqp6ufCpsg32gKDT__s1khrW9boRM34h_S8ZMop0fhuqcaA24hSpS-HF-zvaBEMO0EDXfFgn6iapXR3wi7fdTx6ZhS4s3zvEtBMVOjdr2o1n-iK_D2yEdmdhcSqs2F6ohTqeeTjwxG5Cjc9NSfZV9NeSFHDV5LeJbg5ieCwgWzw/s4203/IMG_9787a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="4203" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErHDPZ5wMqp6ufCpsg32gKDT__s1khrW9boRM34h_S8ZMop0fhuqcaA24hSpS-HF-zvaBEMO0EDXfFgn6iapXR3wi7fdTx6ZhS4s3zvEtBMVOjdr2o1n-iK_D2yEdmdhcSqs2F6ohTqeeTjwxG5Cjc9NSfZV9NeSFHDV5LeJbg5ieCwgWzw/w640-h442/IMG_9787a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">There were several depictions of the flight of the Holy Family.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTqMJ6faPRn7u_PkHHplZ7oZvV1SinD8WvtMF_iQzB_8tT7F9hHiNyKpUg31y6WvsuA7PUV9ZpeDf6AUYj5BNSV2hlyenGH1bh9JrhQWCfCR2YH0X15Bk7CQW8vsNLzGcQdlpi1goqPEVV4uyd_rPQ_kEHMMG3aC77Sb9VUJpGW3vDoWamA/s5144/IMG_9801a.JPG" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5144" data-original-width="2890" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTqMJ6faPRn7u_PkHHplZ7oZvV1SinD8WvtMF_iQzB_8tT7F9hHiNyKpUg31y6WvsuA7PUV9ZpeDf6AUYj5BNSV2hlyenGH1bh9JrhQWCfCR2YH0X15Bk7CQW8vsNLzGcQdlpi1goqPEVV4uyd_rPQ_kEHMMG3aC77Sb9VUJpGW3vDoWamA/w360-h640/IMG_9801a.JPG" width="360" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Creating a Cartouche</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We left the Coptic sector and made a stop at the <a href="https://mamluk-jewellery-and-bazaar.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral" target="_blank">Mamluk Jewellery and Bazaar</a> where I bought a special souvenir of Egypt - a cartouche, a golden pendant with my name in hieroglyphs. I added Rob's name to the reverse side, so I can always keep him close to my heart. I got to watch the craftsmen make the cartouche, placing the correct symbols on the disc, blasting it with a torch to attach the symbols, and then dipping into water and polishing it clean. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZK3WJKz1q4WN71njGT1CinBf0LzqDGnUf9Q6OFOB5Rp4ygM2hHwM-iWBvCLXCyYvP4biG_CTA4jAXQhX8oUf4ZtG70agwEhlm2OXVYxmHWPlsfn8x0P11NDjpenRjqDxjlullIH2korFJfAf76FPYNKivZadYnOQlPaKA9EzhmGYCVQvRw/s4396/IMG_9810a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4396" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZK3WJKz1q4WN71njGT1CinBf0LzqDGnUf9Q6OFOB5Rp4ygM2hHwM-iWBvCLXCyYvP4biG_CTA4jAXQhX8oUf4ZtG70agwEhlm2OXVYxmHWPlsfn8x0P11NDjpenRjqDxjlullIH2korFJfAf76FPYNKivZadYnOQlPaKA9EzhmGYCVQvRw/w640-h424/IMG_9810a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThw2W4XEg6oXmF4k4MV6c86t-2sKYxiiNhxXhzTbjYoU_AZ3zylTAaHu6sXmvo6kqe8sAjJaELqfLRiQv5aucJn6NbnUsyK8bnStNc2MYLTpckam4I67yn2QZOqYbDiSQG2qGaiULL8UzVJbZgooo2_3VHz5HVbDqrL9z7IEKIRUHS7P4wQ/s4807/IMG_9812a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4807" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThw2W4XEg6oXmF4k4MV6c86t-2sKYxiiNhxXhzTbjYoU_AZ3zylTAaHu6sXmvo6kqe8sAjJaELqfLRiQv5aucJn6NbnUsyK8bnStNc2MYLTpckam4I67yn2QZOqYbDiSQG2qGaiULL8UzVJbZgooo2_3VHz5HVbDqrL9z7IEKIRUHS7P4wQ/w640-h388/IMG_9812a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Bno2tENCX-yYA-V32W44Kdyu-FiOmfG7_-cwmeO5XYcZ_s0G2iTRuFpMIDJfN4YnK46ds0Odcp_YXKMt8NbpFENETB0x2omAIpK0dRzCiLIK3PQy3j8ig3bwF8KFTyk0K3ly_fih4kYcBazY3Z_5OLU2T46uzv4TBtly2kvawWKx_Hytlg/s4166/IMG_9813a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4166" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Bno2tENCX-yYA-V32W44Kdyu-FiOmfG7_-cwmeO5XYcZ_s0G2iTRuFpMIDJfN4YnK46ds0Odcp_YXKMt8NbpFENETB0x2omAIpK0dRzCiLIK3PQy3j8ig3bwF8KFTyk0K3ly_fih4kYcBazY3Z_5OLU2T46uzv4TBtly2kvawWKx_Hytlg/w640-h448/IMG_9813a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJeBEqophmQJLyaBz-0Y1Q5t1vaA0-IhfjQedk6cWZc-jVpQRn1Rgkb2wP7gG8i4EuiQI07QBGE3ZTH1922xQHTErUiULE1QablUf3MyCCZqUNm9ABNrKyMmd44QD8yV2VlmHKTeYMFwxvLYcNTazvofxPbSYonBrJd-CwCUXaY0l2vFZbw/s4597/IMG_9814a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4597" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJeBEqophmQJLyaBz-0Y1Q5t1vaA0-IhfjQedk6cWZc-jVpQRn1Rgkb2wP7gG8i4EuiQI07QBGE3ZTH1922xQHTErUiULE1QablUf3MyCCZqUNm9ABNrKyMmd44QD8yV2VlmHKTeYMFwxvLYcNTazvofxPbSYonBrJd-CwCUXaY0l2vFZbw/w640-h406/IMG_9814a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-ZaCvkrWnZakxjHSxLQ22JCwXIDxKyNGYprwNz3vMCHHkJYpAcRDSJzeAPD6E5IxEWaz4M1W0JU0pJvEBrHYNHbBmH4GqpZRDsMb0rLhOSV019Cq_pDOhdGxv1aDMFFynBs_-p9rWPSINxXWRw_Dh2IQXiOBf1HsI2gk_ySlh2lqLHagw/s4161/IMG_9817a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4161" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-ZaCvkrWnZakxjHSxLQ22JCwXIDxKyNGYprwNz3vMCHHkJYpAcRDSJzeAPD6E5IxEWaz4M1W0JU0pJvEBrHYNHbBmH4GqpZRDsMb0rLhOSV019Cq_pDOhdGxv1aDMFFynBs_-p9rWPSINxXWRw_Dh2IQXiOBf1HsI2gk_ySlh2lqLHagw/w640-h448/IMG_9817a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Markets and Mosques of Khan el-Khalili</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Following that stop, we drove to Khan el-Khalili, a busting marketplace that has existed for hundreds of years under the arches of an old caravanserai. It was a crowded and interesting mix of tourist souvenirs and T-shirts side-by-side with the shopping needs of the locals, everything from clothing to food to hardware. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxidxQWl0U1M08TaDUyenB7KWuADrovQcepSwcyA9AuZuf6QKOAx64z8hZgE1sWRkec2VqF10B5Ho0KZTe1iJZma_EG-s_F2lXDs74g9qpNDPrugToW81yw584VYHRlG0sWx1z43B629mmfsiJ3wE-jK61tmyNn7ssW2hi1UWhwplRimJqw/s5184/IMG_9809a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="5184" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxidxQWl0U1M08TaDUyenB7KWuADrovQcepSwcyA9AuZuf6QKOAx64z8hZgE1sWRkec2VqF10B5Ho0KZTe1iJZma_EG-s_F2lXDs74g9qpNDPrugToW81yw584VYHRlG0sWx1z43B629mmfsiJ3wE-jK61tmyNn7ssW2hi1UWhwplRimJqw/w640-h320/IMG_9809a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4qXq029vZxzNlouEafwHEya-0fbgg9X_oRRgDk_HmzcWUxM54Vjii3zzEiSv_ZbC3c4-xFdhIt6tuCN_u9IQVmVJCrT1xOkZwOtpv1oz1j5pJT75RCXRDLeDBKX1-_eFf70mItSwfts2INuROzipo91D0bNNdXVsnWWdkyE6qcvsLYmHLw/s5184/IMG_9827a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4qXq029vZxzNlouEafwHEya-0fbgg9X_oRRgDk_HmzcWUxM54Vjii3zzEiSv_ZbC3c4-xFdhIt6tuCN_u9IQVmVJCrT1xOkZwOtpv1oz1j5pJT75RCXRDLeDBKX1-_eFf70mItSwfts2INuROzipo91D0bNNdXVsnWWdkyE6qcvsLYmHLw/w640-h360/IMG_9827a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA0coBqJBE3prE_EnN-WYeJh147yYXTIQ2_9tzeOiYpy4j4EExyLTFb5Ck_haCUWtgpF0C_c8ZeZlIT-mR366Y89Q5YxPQji0ZfDYqrojV_HY053OZTkdYRv7fUMbL51mPqxRfmqPYrnFpybYFuvbio7DRX6wg3WvVCTS6AgaGyD8rbxK5w/s5018/IMG_9829a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5018" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA0coBqJBE3prE_EnN-WYeJh147yYXTIQ2_9tzeOiYpy4j4EExyLTFb5Ck_haCUWtgpF0C_c8ZeZlIT-mR366Y89Q5YxPQji0ZfDYqrojV_HY053OZTkdYRv7fUMbL51mPqxRfmqPYrnFpybYFuvbio7DRX6wg3WvVCTS6AgaGyD8rbxK5w/w372-h640/IMG_9829a.JPG" width="372" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stone walls of the ancient caravanserai</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F-Dy4rCakHuPT2SV632mdyAGoAC9GNf1cxwgEWq0PXMHPvhKXO4xBBWksqFDjcXvxtqW3nLarBRyOThlntMTozYmFneDFLli02gRqxCJRCSImyGdCF-3H1Q84oZFBQsur-o1VD38E02SKp9dUAu6t3koTve-A4WjFy7E5EnEsUus3AOe2w/s5030/IMG_9830a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5030" data-original-width="2825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3F-Dy4rCakHuPT2SV632mdyAGoAC9GNf1cxwgEWq0PXMHPvhKXO4xBBWksqFDjcXvxtqW3nLarBRyOThlntMTozYmFneDFLli02gRqxCJRCSImyGdCF-3H1Q84oZFBQsur-o1VD38E02SKp9dUAu6t3koTve-A4WjFy7E5EnEsUus3AOe2w/w360-h640/IMG_9830a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwzEwK5VSk5iI4HcBBuNl6DE_BGCNy88NMn4_CadLESr9g2Hm1zI86Lvn_ueC0JRJ5mCZ8igjVJ467LEwK3uLS69RSjTGnw5re5UNbexeySYXykMZ5Ei3jfWFEKI6Qi-z_7pxlHkkE4EWpCTn75c1NtPED69ZQkhWLMNceCfxN3mZxbmtKQ/s4622/IMG_9832a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4622" data-original-width="2839" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwzEwK5VSk5iI4HcBBuNl6DE_BGCNy88NMn4_CadLESr9g2Hm1zI86Lvn_ueC0JRJ5mCZ8igjVJ467LEwK3uLS69RSjTGnw5re5UNbexeySYXykMZ5Ei3jfWFEKI6Qi-z_7pxlHkkE4EWpCTn75c1NtPED69ZQkhWLMNceCfxN3mZxbmtKQ/w394-h640/IMG_9832a.JPG" width="394" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGPGdCPCq-HJkugnHkehmffKGCK7w7FScRXGmwiUzsOtrcVCQV9zKRLVFpy9vAD5Irr-hh8akNFLILWJl_rhiCk5VOXoVnf1FaKir5w0qfKppKPlalgKpOTeXc7cX4K_qpKD4pZqP6uO9vT7x6GKERK-zySEufZOtz2y7791x9I55n9svYg/s5184/IMG_9834a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGPGdCPCq-HJkugnHkehmffKGCK7w7FScRXGmwiUzsOtrcVCQV9zKRLVFpy9vAD5Irr-hh8akNFLILWJl_rhiCk5VOXoVnf1FaKir5w0qfKppKPlalgKpOTeXc7cX4K_qpKD4pZqP6uO9vT7x6GKERK-zySEufZOtz2y7791x9I55n9svYg/w640-h360/IMG_9834a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai6CI9bJQbwvBAGZOWk6giy_gdbLxwe1nX3uTgOgFwx1UkDEL12D2vedlCttbIhyr0lPtha4RZyD9l-n7xt-q0MQJC1bp50tBOYSb1M-tkrX_hxsun0uK7OS7xCfTWK-hYGU_rvd_kjAICqhG0SxqK-Lg-wfrsy8CkbBB_h-eVyKYjAXAyg/s3657/IMG_9835a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3657" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhai6CI9bJQbwvBAGZOWk6giy_gdbLxwe1nX3uTgOgFwx1UkDEL12D2vedlCttbIhyr0lPtha4RZyD9l-n7xt-q0MQJC1bp50tBOYSb1M-tkrX_hxsun0uK7OS7xCfTWK-hYGU_rvd_kjAICqhG0SxqK-Lg-wfrsy8CkbBB_h-eVyKYjAXAyg/w640-h510/IMG_9835a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Irene and I enjoyed a huge Mediterranean lunch in one of her favorite restaurants, then we finished the day with a visit to two much older mosques in the same neighborhood, both built by Mamluk Sultans in the late 1200s.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Complex of Sultan Malik al-Mansur Saif as-Din Qalawun was immense and included the large mosque, a mausoleum, a school, including dormitories for students from the countryside, and a large hospital. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKx4vps-p0v3i2Ig0O_nOvjlWQ4-R8_Yv6bdC1Jm1v3uHlXfnSsaB0uIohWgvOYzYCuX4CNO9eahMSHUYFHNruoTGyJ46DN69ECaO6D4Dwboen769JLj8x6TRpOyFj9fVApXxJpBF2zjOm37rs6PNTr3WeE8PmxqivncqbYYfevrwvm0uzJQ/s4357/IMG_9840a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4357" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKx4vps-p0v3i2Ig0O_nOvjlWQ4-R8_Yv6bdC1Jm1v3uHlXfnSsaB0uIohWgvOYzYCuX4CNO9eahMSHUYFHNruoTGyJ46DN69ECaO6D4Dwboen769JLj8x6TRpOyFj9fVApXxJpBF2zjOm37rs6PNTr3WeE8PmxqivncqbYYfevrwvm0uzJQ/w640-h428/IMG_9840a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sjjfYOFMXefpdyDf1SyxQTADKE69S2QC8rwLeskBqdvCT9SFZYCGIj302yubHiNkwT-B4j_zvLtwuzfuN7Vy3N4MAnvroNqTBdLRWiW6-ymzgPNzXRWmoz7nlCf6RqkPrup91Q0eWSAwZZ6eO_W2SvPkd9KVR6rZB_4hpEDpI6TETU9jkA/s5184/IMG_9842a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sjjfYOFMXefpdyDf1SyxQTADKE69S2QC8rwLeskBqdvCT9SFZYCGIj302yubHiNkwT-B4j_zvLtwuzfuN7Vy3N4MAnvroNqTBdLRWiW6-ymzgPNzXRWmoz7nlCf6RqkPrup91Q0eWSAwZZ6eO_W2SvPkd9KVR6rZB_4hpEDpI6TETU9jkA/w640-h360/IMG_9842a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJQpfon6VTh76PFg6eYYmvCcnHQJNMv_kZ65cPpfF0LdLYpc2UBo7Rqwx_5EyVjSQy18WrORht_s1hIbnjd9e0bhTJ0l6cmQhJZaTD5rzJ9JEksvHNV7Ol_MYpHQdbrMBl66tBp1G97TKujethfY8kcgQ9FiINPnNJkJOSzl5K8M5gTi1pw/s4874/IMG_9846a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4874" data-original-width="2738" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJQpfon6VTh76PFg6eYYmvCcnHQJNMv_kZ65cPpfF0LdLYpc2UBo7Rqwx_5EyVjSQy18WrORht_s1hIbnjd9e0bhTJ0l6cmQhJZaTD5rzJ9JEksvHNV7Ol_MYpHQdbrMBl66tBp1G97TKujethfY8kcgQ9FiINPnNJkJOSzl5K8M5gTi1pw/w360-h640/IMG_9846a.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarGsBZFFr_8jkR69JX2kLEYTlJozpC9BAEhmPTlKYNrsf23Pth8Ga_l_LGSIgYokeEcqRTifIHEFeHw4h1gRKUp_68BtbPVHDwYW61XNf0a7ouiJcExCLWWvHvE-6fYCmz_DankVre7BXQoWTLi8oDPsBaNSFnAm0ekkDPZQByrKhcxRUMg/s5042/IMG_9847a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="5042" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarGsBZFFr_8jkR69JX2kLEYTlJozpC9BAEhmPTlKYNrsf23Pth8Ga_l_LGSIgYokeEcqRTifIHEFeHw4h1gRKUp_68BtbPVHDwYW61XNf0a7ouiJcExCLWWvHvE-6fYCmz_DankVre7BXQoWTLi8oDPsBaNSFnAm0ekkDPZQByrKhcxRUMg/w640-h360/IMG_9847a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5jR7uL3a30zA4JT_xVP8y2YivgW83bNfU85OnvHz7OR7Z9lEmp85YvngVdjv6ePei0hYyWiEGBpmjF_NVM1u28V0xbBJxGSpA4kmJ0cpCRYLWGgBk14CarDxKub5Z3OwSZz_Ft1v4AaJjmmk_ZIyb8vXsgnkgCRHnl0luZWnwjX1DgH5YQ/s4409/IMG_9849a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4409" data-original-width="2506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5jR7uL3a30zA4JT_xVP8y2YivgW83bNfU85OnvHz7OR7Z9lEmp85YvngVdjv6ePei0hYyWiEGBpmjF_NVM1u28V0xbBJxGSpA4kmJ0cpCRYLWGgBk14CarDxKub5Z3OwSZz_Ft1v4AaJjmmk_ZIyb8vXsgnkgCRHnl0luZWnwjX1DgH5YQ/w364-h640/IMG_9849a.JPG" width="364" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMjK5mH9LhfGGwavxpT7LlwDyeZQEzjVokqYAaUbWOLPdIgzHog0iKaLCG_yxCs_G6B0fZxbUPAGl2zcfbWOz_So7oZv2vz5gcm_I95lgR41OmAvVia0GZkPO_iZT5z2UbitzF7cYZw_Nvlum4STcKfgbqNOmpQtgLYiu3xGHN6sZe2BDwQ/s4430/IMG_9850a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4430" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMjK5mH9LhfGGwavxpT7LlwDyeZQEzjVokqYAaUbWOLPdIgzHog0iKaLCG_yxCs_G6B0fZxbUPAGl2zcfbWOz_So7oZv2vz5gcm_I95lgR41OmAvVia0GZkPO_iZT5z2UbitzF7cYZw_Nvlum4STcKfgbqNOmpQtgLYiu3xGHN6sZe2BDwQ/w640-h420/IMG_9850a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX3BtAiMaG9RmkYP64nRP0IaB4mnykMR97QBXKabvUHrcPP28IUzYkuPy4aH1xO7KlnIxR5Mzp6b_jXlOj43I0jRIqmp4h8knOmU6tLEx83w_dR01LCJ3YknNSZIiewyRpoHFQVBsZ0gPPN4QG8-Oroo7QDax4lUSoc9T_ZPT7dgla2aJVg/s5184/IMG_9854a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX3BtAiMaG9RmkYP64nRP0IaB4mnykMR97QBXKabvUHrcPP28IUzYkuPy4aH1xO7KlnIxR5Mzp6b_jXlOj43I0jRIqmp4h8knOmU6tLEx83w_dR01LCJ3YknNSZIiewyRpoHFQVBsZ0gPPN4QG8-Oroo7QDax4lUSoc9T_ZPT7dgla2aJVg/w640-h360/IMG_9854a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvzorarWax8nMILBy720_f-qkzIgUS5TpqC1gcD9T-HdUoIpwSrJZ2lDj6IDErsN_tf2iw-DPdVs3DU6CjsDkI8m-7VC3YROhVvLVO6p1gdgjX7bobC6Cn8mc8urlMrr_wNeoL4ZY2hfAyDvE2E-YTqDrAGWrJDd5R-HiWrxFzJuxckSnDA/s5027/IMG_9856a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5027" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvzorarWax8nMILBy720_f-qkzIgUS5TpqC1gcD9T-HdUoIpwSrJZ2lDj6IDErsN_tf2iw-DPdVs3DU6CjsDkI8m-7VC3YROhVvLVO6p1gdgjX7bobC6Cn8mc8urlMrr_wNeoL4ZY2hfAyDvE2E-YTqDrAGWrJDd5R-HiWrxFzJuxckSnDA/w370-h640/IMG_9856a.JPG" width="370" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The second, the Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammed, was smaller, but had an interesting feature – bent hallways that prevented invaders from shooting directly through to the interior. Both mosques were gorgeously decorated with Islamic art and complex geometric designs. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXdOE7HW7KcTj4OTzt619wXyxMKZui8vJ9f7yBzto73QjMmyByk0chtXE_BrFht1Od6W2zyWI9oN0ljGbD-LRj5yTU12ZRb0jPRW4scL_iggSZi65YAp-8raMkH0cOxLZBgafomgOXGEOHHjvzp-mq-RdF7aXXAt02KfHgWX6eSWY-9exWw/s5184/IMG_9868a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXdOE7HW7KcTj4OTzt619wXyxMKZui8vJ9f7yBzto73QjMmyByk0chtXE_BrFht1Od6W2zyWI9oN0ljGbD-LRj5yTU12ZRb0jPRW4scL_iggSZi65YAp-8raMkH0cOxLZBgafomgOXGEOHHjvzp-mq-RdF7aXXAt02KfHgWX6eSWY-9exWw/w640-h360/IMG_9868a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLwDkQXIkXqJRiNk0g7DiU2Xg8RZO7I8Lz1vam-FInoSEMm_9i_uHjGfX1KmNMThKvUKMdCjYNsrPKz72SrPDOuTIuG9K07ZekMJWV4ZA7Dy82XzDrd8Jxu0uMGvV89Y6sokrkAEgoZb0D5M5U2SLWh9_Hs06z7jhsogqUKCBVRuNzFITNQ/s3988/IMG_9869a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3988" data-original-width="2725" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLwDkQXIkXqJRiNk0g7DiU2Xg8RZO7I8Lz1vam-FInoSEMm_9i_uHjGfX1KmNMThKvUKMdCjYNsrPKz72SrPDOuTIuG9K07ZekMJWV4ZA7Dy82XzDrd8Jxu0uMGvV89Y6sokrkAEgoZb0D5M5U2SLWh9_Hs06z7jhsogqUKCBVRuNzFITNQ/w438-h640/IMG_9869a.JPG" width="438" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NTNLpkK54GfCV5_3GeUFHipVrfV4UmrapNNUgbBfESVBJYPG7McXHU_FEH-B7Rdns2GYL7Y94nQ5OYjjYDzo8gde0lGzJiX0gITovOU_aOA9TVbvJ_yd-uahLVdtENajPd00wJWDTaMHyagpE2AcEBSjYJlWx4o8HbHfWQU194DBzHjlLw/s4191/IMG_9872a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4191" data-original-width="2757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NTNLpkK54GfCV5_3GeUFHipVrfV4UmrapNNUgbBfESVBJYPG7McXHU_FEH-B7Rdns2GYL7Y94nQ5OYjjYDzo8gde0lGzJiX0gITovOU_aOA9TVbvJ_yd-uahLVdtENajPd00wJWDTaMHyagpE2AcEBSjYJlWx4o8HbHfWQU194DBzHjlLw/w422-h640/IMG_9872a.JPG" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Bent Hallway hindered invaders</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPMq9f30zJILwJpLYCFTi_jMtRUD19PqjUxh8QOiKInqaZkMXOtM_KMVfxiY_w4duPs1KZVCMm2xr--vqBu2zbruig2C6Ggf9t2BsyDtd3HYwqPgS_v4jHA6oI_YWT9nymO3LtfWgi0FDPDLedFfr4nx77HVf_sWSz8TkjSyCJnueNs2jIA/s4914/IMG_9874a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4914" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPMq9f30zJILwJpLYCFTi_jMtRUD19PqjUxh8QOiKInqaZkMXOtM_KMVfxiY_w4duPs1KZVCMm2xr--vqBu2zbruig2C6Ggf9t2BsyDtd3HYwqPgS_v4jHA6oI_YWT9nymO3LtfWgi0FDPDLedFfr4nx77HVf_sWSz8TkjSyCJnueNs2jIA/w380-h640/IMG_9874a.JPG" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFlhvSqs2LCRRjGM-ZBDmHpgU8FMKpy3BOCNa6mfKgWVHnVKJmhJM_7tcTxBlilCW8RDUwqOaIEAcUuhi2FrrI1p_f-NaGksq0v1aOejH3-VxJMDzHL-Rn7BIE56ZJUdjt0xLFbWUOeYAOooWsNcI-p2J9Jw-wTyDUnZ8s-i2ChzrG9BtDQ/s3885/IMG_9876a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3885" data-original-width="2905" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFlhvSqs2LCRRjGM-ZBDmHpgU8FMKpy3BOCNa6mfKgWVHnVKJmhJM_7tcTxBlilCW8RDUwqOaIEAcUuhi2FrrI1p_f-NaGksq0v1aOejH3-VxJMDzHL-Rn7BIE56ZJUdjt0xLFbWUOeYAOooWsNcI-p2J9Jw-wTyDUnZ8s-i2ChzrG9BtDQ/w478-h640/IMG_9876a.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4-_N_1_xhvvtqWN488ytbInD4qyy741pX0-CAmvS4-TTVdjMeRXy5TuIrgKOW9hnTt_SFizRfoQUF04zVjNT1YuaARa_vxkl0-NgdXuIFyG_bXVlfW9ribFwvCSVtRcyXigaO5DaUUcZuiuK3zsWcbtXK541NVxqwQCjvHFroRHFdOyJ_A/s4308/IMG_9877a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="4308" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4-_N_1_xhvvtqWN488ytbInD4qyy741pX0-CAmvS4-TTVdjMeRXy5TuIrgKOW9hnTt_SFizRfoQUF04zVjNT1YuaARa_vxkl0-NgdXuIFyG_bXVlfW9ribFwvCSVtRcyXigaO5DaUUcZuiuK3zsWcbtXK541NVxqwQCjvHFroRHFdOyJ_A/w640-h422/IMG_9877a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapF7yIU_DwOHejzinT3TNHCvQrLZueN8JR3g_fE02aq-MjWFYRExybkkwsK669SxCW2XPtDT_Evum-hcWbN5fiIz2RRGDt5FGOqUe5zerfjLZdikRs6CiVi0IcrR_9KrFU-AUUPV1qNYHd8xZ6404YHVrJPZJ0voKOp7Ck0JHPhcani2uLA/s2912/IMG_9878a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="2736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapF7yIU_DwOHejzinT3TNHCvQrLZueN8JR3g_fE02aq-MjWFYRExybkkwsK669SxCW2XPtDT_Evum-hcWbN5fiIz2RRGDt5FGOqUe5zerfjLZdikRs6CiVi0IcrR_9KrFU-AUUPV1qNYHd8xZ6404YHVrJPZJ0voKOp7Ck0JHPhcani2uLA/w602-h640/IMG_9878a.JPG" width="602" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTKCVkZB13cZNRveh3SMwtsYjhh-ZlvE2cG8w9yZ8GWAVkW7wHGLrDACIqPFS-G7cgQVdjRWj2rb42qYasMCBFeyUbzmDc8x1aeIcBqXd_2-wRguoauGYQvgGF6yDWc5L8mmR-8X1R1LEg5s1gVAn1aYWXqOOW08hvtmbI9EO08B3ytecSA/s4172/IMG_9881a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4172" data-original-width="2584" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTKCVkZB13cZNRveh3SMwtsYjhh-ZlvE2cG8w9yZ8GWAVkW7wHGLrDACIqPFS-G7cgQVdjRWj2rb42qYasMCBFeyUbzmDc8x1aeIcBqXd_2-wRguoauGYQvgGF6yDWc5L8mmR-8X1R1LEg5s1gVAn1aYWXqOOW08hvtmbI9EO08B3ytecSA/w396-h640/IMG_9881a.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Finally, it was time to return to Rob and a nice rest in the hotel before packing up for the next day's adventure – a flight to Luxor and a cruise down the Nile.</span></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-61277253963721413782023-03-12T23:20:00.004-07:002023-03-21T11:43:09.232-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 2: Adventures into the Pyramids and Tombs of the Old Kingdom<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">February 11, 2023</span></h2><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Adventures into the Pyramids and Tombs of the Old Kingdom</span></h1><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today, we ventured off the primary tourist track to visit less well-known sights. The adventure was, for me, even more exciting than our first day. The Pyramids of Giza yesterday were so familiar to us that it was like meeting old friends. Today, we really got INTO the pyramids, in the literal sense!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Irene, our wonderful guide, and Said, our driver today, picked us up after breakfast and drove us far out of Cairo toward "upper Egypt." (This brought up memories of my early teaching days when the seventh grade curriculum still included the ancient world. My students sometimes had trouble grasping the idea that "lower Egypt" is at the top of the map, because the Nile flows from the south to the north into the Mediterranean Sea.)</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our first stop was the complex of buildings at Saqqara (Sakkara), which includes the "Step Pyramid." </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bOatRJs0CEBfeYyLIdGWKQNh0GdnPPYO97UxsbXjG--lCn3ZXEkumLcqkG6LPzRZkTfFkwVg6KTZY-XA8gnduz2_lq8u4-8IrdfWCBquVG99D1thOW2kyrX9b2O3HMD-Sg7x-pl0XkvZ7xk5VR2gUVS_wm5BgXZH1DJkN8M5E5KXqUS_Wg/s4007/IMG_9522a.JPG" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2585" data-original-width="4007" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bOatRJs0CEBfeYyLIdGWKQNh0GdnPPYO97UxsbXjG--lCn3ZXEkumLcqkG6LPzRZkTfFkwVg6KTZY-XA8gnduz2_lq8u4-8IrdfWCBquVG99D1thOW2kyrX9b2O3HMD-Sg7x-pl0XkvZ7xk5VR2gUVS_wm5BgXZH1DJkN8M5E5KXqUS_Wg/w640-h412/IMG_9522a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the helpful signs around the complex provided more information about the pyramid:</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>"Built by Djoser, the first king of the Third Dynasty (around 2700 B.C.)</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Step Pyramid is the first pyramid and the first large stone building in history. It was not built all at once, but in stages. A square mastaba of about 63 meters in side-length and about 8.5 meters in height was first built, then there was an addition of three meters on each side and another addition of nine meters on the east side, to link the building to eleven shafts belonging to the family of Djoser. The mastaba was later enlarged through the addition of four mastabas built atop one another, before reaching its current form of six mastabas measuring 60 meters in height. The base of the pyramid is about 121 m x 109 m.</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Burial Chamber lies at the bottom of a shaft in the center of the pyramid at a depth of 28 m. There are several levels underneath the pyramid at depths of up to 40 m, where over 30,000 jars made of solid stone were found, the most important of which are made of granite, alabaster, and schist. Inscriptions of King Djoser at the celebration of the Heb-Sed Festival can also be found at the bottom of the pyramid, as well as unique blue and green ceramic tiles.</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The work was led by the brilliant architect Imhotep, who held titles such as Advisory to the King of Lower Egypt, "the First After the King" of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary Prince and Grand Visionary of Heliopolis (a title related to sun worship and astronomy). Imhotep was deified in Ancient Egypt and was a patron of the scribes. The Greeks identified him with Asclepius, the god of medicine.</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Step Pyramid is considered to be a giant stairway, which King Djoser would climb after being resurrected to join the sun god Ra in the sky."</i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6Uw-QN6epYhavzhBgnwtnJjcRsC0l2RhVYWiKT_H3_qL1tHkJrYugEit0zUvjI-j7Co3qi1i3u5KNyVccFAFN1luW7RXdGrIDRqHkCrMD5jjdgw_EA9-4ZDTCGbzQW5M4A_u5SXtfLrVWj4jTqPyCEVTUgrly8DzjBIaJyuB5Z5GFV5uFA/s1981/1200px-Djoser_d1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="1030" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6Uw-QN6epYhavzhBgnwtnJjcRsC0l2RhVYWiKT_H3_qL1tHkJrYugEit0zUvjI-j7Co3qi1i3u5KNyVccFAFN1luW7RXdGrIDRqHkCrMD5jjdgw_EA9-4ZDTCGbzQW5M4A_u5SXtfLrVWj4jTqPyCEVTUgrly8DzjBIaJyuB5Z5GFV5uFA/w332-h640/1200px-Djoser_d1.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>We had "met" King Djoser in the Egyptian Museum the day before.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We entered the large square in front of the pyramid through a section of the great wall that used to surround this complex of pyramids, temples, mummification centers, and tombs of the nobles. The sandy square was bustling with tourists from all over the world. I heard guides leading tours in French, German, Italian, Japanese, and other languages. Around the perimeter of the huge square were the remnants of other temples and tombs.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQbMlSXk4IGdVMzDKu78mF_A630HHAM-XHcm5GHbLMnF25c_UF4-bsvobRlUsE5FcDeddyBGBHeUarF599N2QC7AXvgpgf5FicJAHduv9YE96vWOTw3Pr8u5lCeErWEtWZX-K8IN1ifQjPzKXKJApLlqqMnNsky7UsSSfjPhjDBpy1AEV_w/s3783/IMG_9523a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2094" data-original-width="3783" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQbMlSXk4IGdVMzDKu78mF_A630HHAM-XHcm5GHbLMnF25c_UF4-bsvobRlUsE5FcDeddyBGBHeUarF599N2QC7AXvgpgf5FicJAHduv9YE96vWOTw3Pr8u5lCeErWEtWZX-K8IN1ifQjPzKXKJApLlqqMnNsky7UsSSfjPhjDBpy1AEV_w/w640-h354/IMG_9523a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The ancient wall that once surrounded the complex.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjjH23Axc3PUYwwZL8PyqvIdF4TQhKrQM87jC6xTjgQz73TUcadh5hSHyapMCumR-4wpJ5dAr-BFLW98M2S3Ip5_K22dWhkG9VkoQ_m7JdrxS_bwEZK6uVPqAt2ifQSFnN-truS3L-hmIUyFhoDqIRmh39cUry3ZoQAm3wh82rkSJ8WKSSQ/s4478/IMG_9528a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4478" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjjH23Axc3PUYwwZL8PyqvIdF4TQhKrQM87jC6xTjgQz73TUcadh5hSHyapMCumR-4wpJ5dAr-BFLW98M2S3Ip5_K22dWhkG9VkoQ_m7JdrxS_bwEZK6uVPqAt2ifQSFnN-truS3L-hmIUyFhoDqIRmh39cUry3ZoQAm3wh82rkSJ8WKSSQ/w640-h412/IMG_9528a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Entering Saqqara</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM9mMXHZ1s0cGIvcfqVBVzx9KsAFgU4mQx6BihojFCI0ImV0vgBH91gJtlSYapzdlbG9Bng4PAAbi1s3IlJpefQcmxnycbOeWTncHPF-h-cmconqeAW2r0JzzigRrOl-mdG9MPtGXCOR3rEwQwiKGE8fiaILOcbVNyR95aaWmR9FWfOHRIA/s5105/IMG_9546a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2868" data-original-width="5105" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZM9mMXHZ1s0cGIvcfqVBVzx9KsAFgU4mQx6BihojFCI0ImV0vgBH91gJtlSYapzdlbG9Bng4PAAbi1s3IlJpefQcmxnycbOeWTncHPF-h-cmconqeAW2r0JzzigRrOl-mdG9MPtGXCOR3rEwQwiKGE8fiaILOcbVNyR95aaWmR9FWfOHRIA/w640-h360/IMG_9546a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The entrance to the great square </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G3ni7H6-toLLrx-UA-2h46lgnYrNrHfGlraMU_qCvvQzFCcRAfO-CihWzn7p_jxBiCunN6NmpRkLmy4Rf-VdKOI_UFRjB2DCgjvvYuzwXad3pDihJMIoml8iYKFCNnUtCUjh0sE8JAodT9t0ERPzxFDwEn-ZeJIf5KaTI5QVLE3Y5dLrwg/s5184/IMG_9538.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G3ni7H6-toLLrx-UA-2h46lgnYrNrHfGlraMU_qCvvQzFCcRAfO-CihWzn7p_jxBiCunN6NmpRkLmy4Rf-VdKOI_UFRjB2DCgjvvYuzwXad3pDihJMIoml8iYKFCNnUtCUjh0sE8JAodT9t0ERPzxFDwEn-ZeJIf5KaTI5QVLE3Y5dLrwg/w640-h360/IMG_9538.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Visitors from around the world</span></b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBmkocNrDEotzWDkdrVXnGKNdYQfa6PvuGTvP0B2OWjaueysH25Bjeiw2ImicJJycTA06CXBP0JGETg72QqFumt5ihD9BEql3msSKGRH2CtDlqz6k5MB_y_rwW6O9Z6Pb6i_PSWJGx74u3uypLO9mBM0ntZupbXFibzVvBRPe-jS4o4i4lQ/s4738/IMG_9543a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="4738" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBmkocNrDEotzWDkdrVXnGKNdYQfa6PvuGTvP0B2OWjaueysH25Bjeiw2ImicJJycTA06CXBP0JGETg72QqFumt5ihD9BEql3msSKGRH2CtDlqz6k5MB_y_rwW6O9Z6Pb6i_PSWJGx74u3uypLO9mBM0ntZupbXFibzVvBRPe-jS4o4i4lQ/w640-h360/IMG_9543a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Ruins of a temple of Saqqara</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rrPSK9nncRxVa61y4yqiSr1adp6Cgc9qECepFNfSIYXWmgq6H98oJ5YaB4rW9RIvERW6P5z8PaaE2MaLZaRtC8fDA5s8To58YWpMNpIo4aJciDvwA5qDqiU0JCcuVXyVkBu9GS4CNd5X_Mg0IWa6U8pTD-UYGD7KJM8byI4wR2XrSAkoCQ/s3892/IMG_9539a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2516" data-original-width="3892" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rrPSK9nncRxVa61y4yqiSr1adp6Cgc9qECepFNfSIYXWmgq6H98oJ5YaB4rW9RIvERW6P5z8PaaE2MaLZaRtC8fDA5s8To58YWpMNpIo4aJciDvwA5qDqiU0JCcuVXyVkBu9GS4CNd5X_Mg0IWa6U8pTD-UYGD7KJM8byI4wR2XrSAkoCQ/w640-h414/IMG_9539a.JPG" width="640" /></b></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Southern Tomb is located at the southwest corner of the square.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfW2TgwFZ1sViRQzU0074MTLrCbwxTFck1MjNmDKEHArLqiCXqatwcNnT-xm4vB0KqQUo2T6RL1XsDyi9NPDYoYpupgK_ua8fSXrcWitms6DZTriYdVZnQNB0-TZEKbaOR3BwENfjyYxG9bbywHUeJqqWRv_qHYbj7csKgrk5B56AMVH-Rg/s4597/IMG_9541a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="4597" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfW2TgwFZ1sViRQzU0074MTLrCbwxTFck1MjNmDKEHArLqiCXqatwcNnT-xm4vB0KqQUo2T6RL1XsDyi9NPDYoYpupgK_ua8fSXrcWitms6DZTriYdVZnQNB0-TZEKbaOR3BwENfjyYxG9bbywHUeJqqWRv_qHYbj7csKgrk5B56AMVH-Rg/w640-h396/IMG_9541a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The upper wall of the Southern Tomb is decorated with a frieze of cobra heads, while the lower level includes a ramp leading down to a burial chamber which includes a huge sarcophagus.<br />The inside corridors are covered with reliefs showing the Pharaoh taking part in the Heb-Sed Festival, which was a royal jubilee with the aim of rejuvenating the king and renewing his right to rule.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Visitors are allowed to enter the pyramid, so Rob and I descended the stairway into the south entrance to the tomb and walked down a passageway that was so low that Rob had to walk stooped over the entire way. A sign informed us that the columns in the corridor were added about 1,000 years after the original construction when the kings of the 26th Dynasty took care of the monuments of their illustrious ancestors. At the end of the passage, we peered down the deep shaft where the limestone blocks marked the burial spot of one of the pharaohs.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4CiaDT1dgdyG3H6bU9DtBJX7kYaL3m1gBqtvdXACEjLyGzqhFLaSRpwsVVM3CIOeKv7u9bARWd8LCofnQZdVlaRoqm9xZWr9CGniVJSEW0Ir_Mbg7VhQC9-he9EGq1Mjp1UrASvuj4mPL1K4YOL77X0e3QUEi_5YbZlLFl7XGCr28MD11g/s3766/IMG_9551a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3766" data-original-width="2548" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4CiaDT1dgdyG3H6bU9DtBJX7kYaL3m1gBqtvdXACEjLyGzqhFLaSRpwsVVM3CIOeKv7u9bARWd8LCofnQZdVlaRoqm9xZWr9CGniVJSEW0Ir_Mbg7VhQC9-he9EGq1Mjp1UrASvuj4mPL1K4YOL77X0e3QUEi_5YbZlLFl7XGCr28MD11g/w434-h640/IMG_9551a.JPG" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Visitors enter the south entrance of the Step Pyramid.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu833nXOT8_4-Ke8cgo455mwAAF4h8b-hYkwk3I46dd-ocDsA2ba82ygFqXKg8wweTKbBzciZ3E2_PC1OKdHBQjEf-4IBTnTvd78uyiq2OkkV6RDXmgx1JbiTeC8ml35OeUlv8z7rXR6zbuyfm9Pzlm-mnEJtQmTM91BjE6lAUlymVF3qjBQ/s4065/IMG_9554a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2754" data-original-width="4065" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu833nXOT8_4-Ke8cgo455mwAAF4h8b-hYkwk3I46dd-ocDsA2ba82ygFqXKg8wweTKbBzciZ3E2_PC1OKdHBQjEf-4IBTnTvd78uyiq2OkkV6RDXmgx1JbiTeC8ml35OeUlv8z7rXR6zbuyfm9Pzlm-mnEJtQmTM91BjE6lAUlymVF3qjBQ/w640-h434/IMG_9554a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Rob stoops through the low-roofed tunnel</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HJPkz8a53L5_d5hQ66pi3FgVSfhQhcYtJ_j0551Z9ZOHBq5O9jWdAXQ3EOl5OoBrnoCdNGYUxHK5gshaQsiZlykm9MFrZa0YJyCbB7g1yUUpEp6mRd0ciRnY5LKxDjFczmm4xgIFsl9M5ntve_GEY2Sa1aV9msf05hSOW2dv8MvR3lpm-A/s4518/IMG_9560a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="4518" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HJPkz8a53L5_d5hQ66pi3FgVSfhQhcYtJ_j0551Z9ZOHBq5O9jWdAXQ3EOl5OoBrnoCdNGYUxHK5gshaQsiZlykm9MFrZa0YJyCbB7g1yUUpEp6mRd0ciRnY5LKxDjFczmm4xgIFsl9M5ntve_GEY2Sa1aV9msf05hSOW2dv8MvR3lpm-A/w640-h390/IMG_9560a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The sarcophagus of a pharaoh lies below us in a deep shaft.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdFLvIaHnTOk3W5EMLVeoK1tb2eRV6SUoTioZHmt0t6qBAXKR1_ianjtyMoBwP9YaQaXmBtxoL-LlpojbFjjX5b83PfbBhRobJSSfKD-8h5PIc-7IWHAuwS_0sTDqd9OKM-YVyZ6TUeifYyjGoWAjW8-E-7B6ftKkN99DugigOAW0cBJ_Pw/s4522/IMG_9565a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="4522" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdFLvIaHnTOk3W5EMLVeoK1tb2eRV6SUoTioZHmt0t6qBAXKR1_ianjtyMoBwP9YaQaXmBtxoL-LlpojbFjjX5b83PfbBhRobJSSfKD-8h5PIc-7IWHAuwS_0sTDqd9OKM-YVyZ6TUeifYyjGoWAjW8-E-7B6ftKkN99DugigOAW0cBJ_Pw/w640-h412/IMG_9565a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Step Pyramid wasn't the only highlight of Saqqara! Irene led us though the other areas of the complex where we saw other less-well preserved pyramids, lots of excavation still ongoing here, and the best of all, the burial tombs of some of the nobles of Saqqara. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhPgQgvOikqwalLQqjg17W6wAF0YYG2SPTmKLlHohruKQ203Am-6QZoLvKpge18XQ2_aWtijWIyDCxMZG8qYQclQp7eE09xOcJRfaGeyFwCnaBHU3yl7kdEU3rq9EX_h4HKMbMqlM-H0v-YobJ2CbH8jNDUMlNxBu9THUd0nz6eHmGjzOEw/s4900/IMG_9573a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="4900" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhPgQgvOikqwalLQqjg17W6wAF0YYG2SPTmKLlHohruKQ203Am-6QZoLvKpge18XQ2_aWtijWIyDCxMZG8qYQclQp7eE09xOcJRfaGeyFwCnaBHU3yl7kdEU3rq9EX_h4HKMbMqlM-H0v-YobJ2CbH8jNDUMlNxBu9THUd0nz6eHmGjzOEw/w640-h372/IMG_9573a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gj9FGThXeOjcbyCuwMCWLAZV8Ke4oc_DEtD3irTva56EZaNayt-3dykvIGmwMvNnTlK4Mpv-seHQ_Zrs5Nt-oHBGe3YQKJI1l6q8ioFpHi0rdV3rISaVLXJD5UqHQRg4IqBJ3hjQn4HYOZRhkLWM48yBOqFeLZq07Oq6pmNzYoAC794WsA/s5184/IMG_9574a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gj9FGThXeOjcbyCuwMCWLAZV8Ke4oc_DEtD3irTva56EZaNayt-3dykvIGmwMvNnTlK4Mpv-seHQ_Zrs5Nt-oHBGe3YQKJI1l6q8ioFpHi0rdV3rISaVLXJD5UqHQRg4IqBJ3hjQn4HYOZRhkLWM48yBOqFeLZq07Oq6pmNzYoAC794WsA/w640-h360/IMG_9574a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Buildings of the Saqqara Complex in front of the ruins of a pyramid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We entered the Tomb of Mehu and were immediately immersed in the ancient world, beautifully preserved. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics, many still retaining their bright colors. Images of people from all levels of society, from soldiers to farmers to fishermen were displayed on the walls. While we had seen similar things on the artifacts in the museum, this was art "in situ," in its original location. I found myself incredibly grateful that the ancient Egyptians cared so much about carrying all their life experiences into the afterlife. They left us with such a treasure!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErtWR05f93bSAo9Lu9Hz1uEHB0iKFbze3G4-i059bJzwwoOT5PM5zxnVFXfTyndTvuzq8A1r8qV_sp6zr31I135iLbCH91N-syXXgHkEPajzGSTshtK2CQ2TCDDnAfaHKsSUten8iZ4ysbCgKgu4FaehKm6iI7NBhciTW33LK-LQmpTcpJg/s4866/IMG_9608a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4866" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErtWR05f93bSAo9Lu9Hz1uEHB0iKFbze3G4-i059bJzwwoOT5PM5zxnVFXfTyndTvuzq8A1r8qV_sp6zr31I135iLbCH91N-syXXgHkEPajzGSTshtK2CQ2TCDDnAfaHKsSUten8iZ4ysbCgKgu4FaehKm6iI7NBhciTW33LK-LQmpTcpJg/w640-h384/IMG_9608a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is the tomb of Mehu and his family. He was a high-ranking nobleman with more than sixty titles, including governor of the region, the palace secrets keeper, the head of the houses, the judge of the judiciary, and the supervisor of the treasury house! <br />He was also married to two women of the royal house </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaa38bC525uMJS4updgJ-1SGxRW9wL1h9iuJHIj0mtGmHq7R0ndaGHvbisW6C_TbEPtwLAJta1tVBUZGv-bApPhOK32MbnI58vG_O1udaJCbGpbRpRjgMyTsIel060GWN5d4qNCuKEWsvK9TTiFr09xpdk8_jGbfCrjTE_lVS0nl-mj1fiw/s4254/IMG_9601a.JPG" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4254" data-original-width="2818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaa38bC525uMJS4updgJ-1SGxRW9wL1h9iuJHIj0mtGmHq7R0ndaGHvbisW6C_TbEPtwLAJta1tVBUZGv-bApPhOK32MbnI58vG_O1udaJCbGpbRpRjgMyTsIel060GWN5d4qNCuKEWsvK9TTiFr09xpdk8_jGbfCrjTE_lVS0nl-mj1fiw/w424-h640/IMG_9601a.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxiv7CU6l9gF46bgy0sdMeG-XrMzYQZM5iTM4u_U2UKg6znAgDOPwa_RxPTw57OshMis1jUYIUm3SoADCb7y6WKLLp_ArYB4pKW1-lf744XNyCOfM95i6lLIr__OUG5CO9Ygc_3lNUDjLfU7Tec_SyE6NAyiyZ8J8orvhfum_Jp1oTRHeog/s5145/IMG_9594a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5145" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxiv7CU6l9gF46bgy0sdMeG-XrMzYQZM5iTM4u_U2UKg6znAgDOPwa_RxPTw57OshMis1jUYIUm3SoADCb7y6WKLLp_ArYB4pKW1-lf744XNyCOfM95i6lLIr__OUG5CO9Ygc_3lNUDjLfU7Tec_SyE6NAyiyZ8J8orvhfum_Jp1oTRHeog/w640-h362/IMG_9594a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Mehu's tomb is decorated with illustrations of scenes from daily life, including <br />harvesting, herding, fishing, boating, and cooking.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB7RxqJmH0DtH7HwUbxAwRhSdFgrChHC7inMuKGB09KQ_hQaGUj4zMvmDZkJUDQSNrMKh0AGP7qQWZtrO_iitsNyvMsj_JmAqx0EavgAF0yI71szkVMh5MEaDjhxM8o4BoGLvo-A77K_dDBH1colTYNFbgjqrwBd66hh4p8-8U_Q2vlpyUg/s4811/IMG_9595a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="4811" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB7RxqJmH0DtH7HwUbxAwRhSdFgrChHC7inMuKGB09KQ_hQaGUj4zMvmDZkJUDQSNrMKh0AGP7qQWZtrO_iitsNyvMsj_JmAqx0EavgAF0yI71szkVMh5MEaDjhxM8o4BoGLvo-A77K_dDBH1colTYNFbgjqrwBd66hh4p8-8U_Q2vlpyUg/w640-h382/IMG_9595a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cpDmr_42RVkuWgzuATBDDUU6JjluRuX6OsKSawhPqHY2OzoW3A8Qzv8M4bMTuFJL_NvpT33V5E25k2WVJCgsXrQ_3l64OfTddPx8BBo90hrWOlvUYNwKSN6OEIDMAfs_4HJAva66Qk342q2bPxCVy6e4fgmiyTiPVhKD_rrOWYA0MEAA_w/s5184/IMG_9596a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2631" data-original-width="5184" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cpDmr_42RVkuWgzuATBDDUU6JjluRuX6OsKSawhPqHY2OzoW3A8Qzv8M4bMTuFJL_NvpT33V5E25k2WVJCgsXrQ_3l64OfTddPx8BBo90hrWOlvUYNwKSN6OEIDMAfs_4HJAva66Qk342q2bPxCVy6e4fgmiyTiPVhKD_rrOWYA0MEAA_w/w640-h324/IMG_9596a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k3FUceM1zlL5BXGcfPRzyPKDYcoKFBpb9d4udTcCRPwXnkh48iErmXytXV1tW56oUa6HCZqpRscs35-l9wo0PQuYqTSDSnTfDG6sv8uSv3ct47D9efTdLUD45diG8oN4o1r3cTLGq0rXk3QLg8p-MCa4NhXQheucAdCZcW_62tbiDjYHNw/s4778/IMG_9597a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4778" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k3FUceM1zlL5BXGcfPRzyPKDYcoKFBpb9d4udTcCRPwXnkh48iErmXytXV1tW56oUa6HCZqpRscs35-l9wo0PQuYqTSDSnTfDG6sv8uSv3ct47D9efTdLUD45diG8oN4o1r3cTLGq0rXk3QLg8p-MCa4NhXQheucAdCZcW_62tbiDjYHNw/w640-h390/IMG_9597a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPaoWnKtrslxYaC3xK5P-V53xYEysG_Uhrbui3QXLAt2HZZSv1pZ0Buz3dpnaDxS1cg8peYGMgTtEiJIZy2HxqaYsYGi4AlVLkZJXJkt4Nto4bDz_U5lSGg0FuVeSRHGNr0n3VjkrK4FuSFyBsvXERRLnfO0l75VMmWLWnJ4h3OsJZn9Ckw/s4396/IMG_9598a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4396" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPaoWnKtrslxYaC3xK5P-V53xYEysG_Uhrbui3QXLAt2HZZSv1pZ0Buz3dpnaDxS1cg8peYGMgTtEiJIZy2HxqaYsYGi4AlVLkZJXJkt4Nto4bDz_U5lSGg0FuVeSRHGNr0n3VjkrK4FuSFyBsvXERRLnfO0l75VMmWLWnJ4h3OsJZn9Ckw/w640-h424/IMG_9598a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPcuhCC7eLGXbH05hAfHsWdF5O16U6_mlHYSdc6nh59K2HBHWHi1zvoDtIsKYl2WQpDUIhh23w31_Z8Mf-K0vz_UArbGJFXFDhjW_glFr4uvXPiyvGbo444Zzu0qDKNRIqEKPsZnfZkk8UJGJVvpckY-mehqm_mVuD-45Rsywuz0cL7JsZA/s4656/IMG_9599a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="4656" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPcuhCC7eLGXbH05hAfHsWdF5O16U6_mlHYSdc6nh59K2HBHWHi1zvoDtIsKYl2WQpDUIhh23w31_Z8Mf-K0vz_UArbGJFXFDhjW_glFr4uvXPiyvGbo444Zzu0qDKNRIqEKPsZnfZkk8UJGJVvpckY-mehqm_mVuD-45Rsywuz0cL7JsZA/w640-h386/IMG_9599a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzUiBDgrmoieVzEavdxK4hvA9zY1ksPfRT6wwqkscoszfhHd6dGJEAVDgrIkLmz-63rRhmiqj-Wk6L1DKNdT40af0nXFqXmDbgpHLsNMUiAZb80uXm88RXK02mk0eceKV_Tfh_YpSxK0K9S5Wn40tjSGPqSagpdrRz4JfF2xdLhv2t36eeA/s5067/IMG_9604a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="5067" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzUiBDgrmoieVzEavdxK4hvA9zY1ksPfRT6wwqkscoszfhHd6dGJEAVDgrIkLmz-63rRhmiqj-Wk6L1DKNdT40af0nXFqXmDbgpHLsNMUiAZb80uXm88RXK02mk0eceKV_Tfh_YpSxK0K9S5Wn40tjSGPqSagpdrRz4JfF2xdLhv2t36eeA/w640-h360/IMG_9604a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutp02aeU4D43E0jTogzxSlV8qNNb7GwZkY5THSMJvT4gGJDxLKyBBFk7g1TK_2g5QosYtWBn7jfbK7lj2rnr22_4beXtg-OhqIW4Dyivsh4OPAPSbY2mBYZ-QRroR0Wd7Tenp7t7xi_G3KatPJWB-pcovC0ZSHPUg3ciLpLGziUVvkBDTug/s4944/IMG_9605a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="4944" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutp02aeU4D43E0jTogzxSlV8qNNb7GwZkY5THSMJvT4gGJDxLKyBBFk7g1TK_2g5QosYtWBn7jfbK7lj2rnr22_4beXtg-OhqIW4Dyivsh4OPAPSbY2mBYZ-QRroR0Wd7Tenp7t7xi_G3KatPJWB-pcovC0ZSHPUg3ciLpLGziUVvkBDTug/w640-h360/IMG_9605a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We explored three other interesting tombs: the Tomb of Irukapta (the Butchers), the Tomb of Neferherenptah (the Birds), and the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, who were the hairdressers to the Pharaoh and oversaw the manicurists. (Who knew that pharaohs had manicures?!) All three of these tombs were highly decorated, and thanks to the Rosetta Stone, archaeologists can decipher the thousands of hieroglyphics that have told us so much about the ancient Egyptian people and history.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dvpXyRcgOPk3k44HsccYXOiHC-tDxxlD_c9pAW1if-vbyQUN5xm63SqRnyT4zM0X2hQxeA2jRVzJbojJPLSCUuKd-kZHq73oyFclTfXbIbcMHezne_QQE0-G5y4_p1NsAfmO8wd6a8HEKBbAvILvBHgI0diJUoNfqlZg6zl_bK3b4vGq0A/s3661/IMG_9615a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="3661" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dvpXyRcgOPk3k44HsccYXOiHC-tDxxlD_c9pAW1if-vbyQUN5xm63SqRnyT4zM0X2hQxeA2jRVzJbojJPLSCUuKd-kZHq73oyFclTfXbIbcMHezne_QQE0-G5y4_p1NsAfmO8wd6a8HEKBbAvILvBHgI0diJUoNfqlZg6zl_bK3b4vGq0A/w640-h488/IMG_9615a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The tomb of Irukaptah includes nine of his family members.<br />He was the head of the butchers at the Royal Palace.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbiT8g2Uss3qZugHranVndxv3n3TSHopoNhi8jnN-1b8WPZjKKfXd8tY8H11P_tVJsZ8Qfn5n8ipTt6Epyc7E_D0CAjNf1FAEVXoXn9TLtRgb_4-qNGcQAYfjJ0IC66mBGehXJnJ9X7421tOxQfB6YlDPW346PTfl-unVoOO4u7LQfcL0hw/s4368/IMG_9622a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4368" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbiT8g2Uss3qZugHranVndxv3n3TSHopoNhi8jnN-1b8WPZjKKfXd8tY8H11P_tVJsZ8Qfn5n8ipTt6Epyc7E_D0CAjNf1FAEVXoXn9TLtRgb_4-qNGcQAYfjJ0IC66mBGehXJnJ9X7421tOxQfB6YlDPW346PTfl-unVoOO4u7LQfcL0hw/w640-h426/IMG_9622a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The long rectangular hall contains rows of statues</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhvSwhQmqnX7sdbsu3qgom_OJJsQa5Nhb6Vsm9V6P_VHCQQwqTqhusR-4sJUk9juMUH9h1KXaydMGQK-4lsdiz5t2qG0Jrmq0YrAY09l7ED11qaNpNqItCdLMmdalbhAjdVoedKe-GcKhYigN3rkZHPUvM-FCt_ZPt4FBXouxIuplxC19ew/s4412/IMG_9617a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4412" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhvSwhQmqnX7sdbsu3qgom_OJJsQa5Nhb6Vsm9V6P_VHCQQwqTqhusR-4sJUk9juMUH9h1KXaydMGQK-4lsdiz5t2qG0Jrmq0YrAY09l7ED11qaNpNqItCdLMmdalbhAjdVoedKe-GcKhYigN3rkZHPUvM-FCt_ZPt4FBXouxIuplxC19ew/w422-h640/IMG_9617a.JPG" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Above the statues are scenes of animal slaughter</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfunzb5CUC-vAcyfp_TbsLGwX91PH0DAT93RCycPdSXH3kWZgMI_XfGCBVv0k8L9HdJQbUnQ-7gNB7wB-lKyFrrUSy5o2H-dl1yarH2-51oRjKm6Tr645nOvL9rfaEOixWMzHKoLyNTUapJ-09vEHmMc2pxJaF-EFA00BXWb9fyJjod2CgJg/s3627/IMG_9619a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3627" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfunzb5CUC-vAcyfp_TbsLGwX91PH0DAT93RCycPdSXH3kWZgMI_XfGCBVv0k8L9HdJQbUnQ-7gNB7wB-lKyFrrUSy5o2H-dl1yarH2-51oRjKm6Tr645nOvL9rfaEOixWMzHKoLyNTUapJ-09vEHmMc2pxJaF-EFA00BXWb9fyJjod2CgJg/w640-h514/IMG_9619a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Statues of Irukaptah and his family</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Tomb of Neferherenptah (the Tomb of the Birds) was notable for its scenes of everyday life. The most famous are the scenes of bird hunting, fig picking, and wine making.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXFuGCTFK-TQLFXjRUlFsw1Fev8PDb5NW6mLhRugRfbozNZnpbQAosnqbqbKjdW1mG7zbX5CR0AMLnfdiyGgEiTILfUC-zJRHymSkADdrBum8wRCWRKNLtPPIkaXNM11YvmlGU8S7ao6s8lk8Bta5cFu2alxtEGhqHsnSTWOJsVKEPgo1WA/s3849/IMG_9620a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3849" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXFuGCTFK-TQLFXjRUlFsw1Fev8PDb5NW6mLhRugRfbozNZnpbQAosnqbqbKjdW1mG7zbX5CR0AMLnfdiyGgEiTILfUC-zJRHymSkADdrBum8wRCWRKNLtPPIkaXNM11YvmlGU8S7ao6s8lk8Bta5cFu2alxtEGhqHsnSTWOJsVKEPgo1WA/w484-h640/IMG_9620a.JPG" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Scenes of royal barges and food preparation</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvrDlmkKqwYDnlHLoHQOFHvQ3e35hKGmCupwfOczYyD8yyN3hLOUIjOFKLDVWnfxw29CGEhZ-xKlivKY9wUSdUIebtjv_JNbDJ6ingmIOXQXCNslCd0PvYGYAMFOJDGxzohmHzeMIAkDYmup3W-wZuYS4SLsAO0ZYwk08xxqQ9Vk7EstH3g/s5184/IMG_9621a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvrDlmkKqwYDnlHLoHQOFHvQ3e35hKGmCupwfOczYyD8yyN3hLOUIjOFKLDVWnfxw29CGEhZ-xKlivKY9wUSdUIebtjv_JNbDJ6ingmIOXQXCNslCd0PvYGYAMFOJDGxzohmHzeMIAkDYmup3W-wZuYS4SLsAO0ZYwk08xxqQ9Vk7EstH3g/w640-h360/IMG_9621a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagEdrs5dazSRS5vm1AbBuQVSb0ayfKu_v8-wKqplu0unCXxH5aRMsy3RUmxy6LASQ38VRJGQCjD1_8cfgQoTlNRya0mkH0LwNUAcvaTFbN1uScharBTg4jAaBYkFhP5SfhnMgftsKXRXjkQRu1eHyTI_tHcyjceL0x-GrZtymjnRnAR44sQ/s4772/IMG_9623a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4772" data-original-width="2854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagEdrs5dazSRS5vm1AbBuQVSb0ayfKu_v8-wKqplu0unCXxH5aRMsy3RUmxy6LASQ38VRJGQCjD1_8cfgQoTlNRya0mkH0LwNUAcvaTFbN1uScharBTg4jAaBYkFhP5SfhnMgftsKXRXjkQRu1eHyTI_tHcyjceL0x-GrZtymjnRnAR44sQ/w382-h640/IMG_9623a.JPG" width="382" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last Saqqara tomb we visited was the Tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, which is also known as "Tomb of Two Brothers." Th ey were two priests in the Sun Temple of Niuser, and they were also the Pharaoh's hairdresser. Despite referring to them as brothers, they were more likely to have been close friends who decided to build a common tomb for themselves and their families. Within the tomb, there are two paintings of the men embracing, a scene that is found nowhere else in Saqqara. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6QBN2vZElA-WxS4TjO7_NwpsI-EyHzAWk_Hb7MZQckOZr10rI359zyRB7rf2AVqgHYLwOVl7x0xGjlrqrbyjdiWU-xcwD6t6wwYBMXJlZ1kLy6AfjpZ-SIrOsi8VqDsV4YqjoFkvaIE9BZmK1qPP4j4EnprwzzxI0-tCiIk14xqktQHnrQ/s3866/IMG_9627a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3866" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6QBN2vZElA-WxS4TjO7_NwpsI-EyHzAWk_Hb7MZQckOZr10rI359zyRB7rf2AVqgHYLwOVl7x0xGjlrqrbyjdiWU-xcwD6t6wwYBMXJlZ1kLy6AfjpZ-SIrOsi8VqDsV4YqjoFkvaIE9BZmK1qPP4j4EnprwzzxI0-tCiIk14xqktQHnrQ/w482-h640/IMG_9627a.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHRY5UmGcf44Xecya3KnS6X1dlp_Wska_OcQfzpOi3jtwSKPJwmMt9p57ofTPFvncQcf5yM4czIh5K3gH2miLCG5XmSo4TdH7Ga-f_Wndvdkp4zR6QkdmgxrP_YLjVH4lYiCgJ9oUI4NwVWzAudDcZeJU5zZoUvtGKHZa-cDjrfMTUCu1IA/s4199/IMG_9630a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4199" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHRY5UmGcf44Xecya3KnS6X1dlp_Wska_OcQfzpOi3jtwSKPJwmMt9p57ofTPFvncQcf5yM4czIh5K3gH2miLCG5XmSo4TdH7Ga-f_Wndvdkp4zR6QkdmgxrP_YLjVH4lYiCgJ9oUI4NwVWzAudDcZeJU5zZoUvtGKHZa-cDjrfMTUCu1IA/w444-h640/IMG_9630a.JPG" width="444" /></a></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We said farewell to Saqqara and drove another half-hour to two unusual pyramids we had seen in the distance from a high point in the complex. These were the "Bent Pyramid" and the "Red Pyramid" of Dashour. All of these sites are near the Nile, and we enjoyed the glimpses of rural life and agriculture in this area.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsybcqUsMZKayt9ciVEZ36QOUvU3XY5U3XXfuwAFZbVTZvgnoQZ6-SBE35F7rpfHrL6PfMeoSri3BAiWB4h83EphiZLbz0tQB6eWafnfmZ5Eozpl6UGx2MQvlWc2Xtiw_4QtpH05UUZtwBNnVGq7UrL6QxSLHM5QaayQWWhLcavGbjrDNQA/s3784/IMG_9576a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2412" data-original-width="3784" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsybcqUsMZKayt9ciVEZ36QOUvU3XY5U3XXfuwAFZbVTZvgnoQZ6-SBE35F7rpfHrL6PfMeoSri3BAiWB4h83EphiZLbz0tQB6eWafnfmZ5Eozpl6UGx2MQvlWc2Xtiw_4QtpH05UUZtwBNnVGq7UrL6QxSLHM5QaayQWWhLcavGbjrDNQA/w640-h408/IMG_9576a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The "Bent Pyramid" and the "Red Pyramid" far in the distance.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK78EXlkfL-YBH6sy-Fo8jsAhwFdOT0C9jTgGEB_TAY_X9SX_F9lrZ2fWtw_JShwbPBb5YsSfVUWwtiGG3lJ_885_WM9bvmQaXgDtv9hJfSHRiTSqK0kG4Qt0bNsQSqRngG2vHi20TbW0TpuT88-5_wpfoNF6SO4okj0MT1njOWw_LrtkHMw/s4266/IMG_9632a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="4266" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK78EXlkfL-YBH6sy-Fo8jsAhwFdOT0C9jTgGEB_TAY_X9SX_F9lrZ2fWtw_JShwbPBb5YsSfVUWwtiGG3lJ_885_WM9bvmQaXgDtv9hJfSHRiTSqK0kG4Qt0bNsQSqRngG2vHi20TbW0TpuT88-5_wpfoNF6SO4okj0MT1njOWw_LrtkHMw/w640-h408/IMG_9632a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfD4oZ29Ok8AV_nAdYSYARFe4egIfZ7WtM5TuNhGtApfzpqPWv9f3uR5Iwc8ZakbEZz61lPn22y7edSgaAG130NtdWlV8-69pm5bZ1-G47NDiFgVvmlqeJdvxG-Sc8_j3wX8nqjC35ALjFtVa6Okls938xoGp54QsEZ_GT_jyt5HBJdfi-Bw/s3245/IMG_9634a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1972" data-original-width="3245" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfD4oZ29Ok8AV_nAdYSYARFe4egIfZ7WtM5TuNhGtApfzpqPWv9f3uR5Iwc8ZakbEZz61lPn22y7edSgaAG130NtdWlV8-69pm5bZ1-G47NDiFgVvmlqeJdvxG-Sc8_j3wX8nqjC35ALjFtVa6Okls938xoGp54QsEZ_GT_jyt5HBJdfi-Bw/w640-h388/IMG_9634a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We saw many horse and donkey carts during this trip - even in Cairo!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It is clear how the Bent Pyramid got its name. It was an early pyramid, and somehow the architect misjudged the angle needed to achieve the classic shape, so part-way through its construction, the angle was changed, leaving it with a unique shape. It is also important for retaining the most complete smooth limestone casing of all the pyramids. I walked up the modern wooden staircase to the entrance of the hall leading to the burial chamber for some fantastic views of the barren landscape and the Saqqara complex far in the distance, but I did not enter the pyramid.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97svvhH6ReZiBoOVbnkk9lX-GkIsHn5fN-3EIpR-dOC64tUalrFnKO0K3GxbokF_QLAipCnBJDFWuo2kHzMH39hido9ZHbe0zqTIF7J6sbQVYOVx60tKoWS5OaHlvyctO2RKOYDDlLKivs9kEa_56bhit_-ilIgb8RWeJlZkEWMF3HD8xWA/s4345/IMG_9637a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="4345" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97svvhH6ReZiBoOVbnkk9lX-GkIsHn5fN-3EIpR-dOC64tUalrFnKO0K3GxbokF_QLAipCnBJDFWuo2kHzMH39hido9ZHbe0zqTIF7J6sbQVYOVx60tKoWS5OaHlvyctO2RKOYDDlLKivs9kEa_56bhit_-ilIgb8RWeJlZkEWMF3HD8xWA/w640-h374/IMG_9637a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Bent Pyramid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEeo0QBAT-ck8c9VH85s3cuC4NPdvw2hCAr-yKv65KmGCCFw9phXxY_W3zTESRNByPmLYv1twKd56yk4sv9cDiKF6M2bJu9-NW-gTVYGKC0V_BTAwi48Oyzz7mYeMyz8yzGWwKQGTiHmoDBo4OpCSlGrPlfSLAU6MYV_9vwrELC89iIWcOw/s4039/IMG_9649a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4039" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEeo0QBAT-ck8c9VH85s3cuC4NPdvw2hCAr-yKv65KmGCCFw9phXxY_W3zTESRNByPmLYv1twKd56yk4sv9cDiKF6M2bJu9-NW-gTVYGKC0V_BTAwi48Oyzz7mYeMyz8yzGWwKQGTiHmoDBo4OpCSlGrPlfSLAU6MYV_9vwrELC89iIWcOw/w640-h462/IMG_9649a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Irene, our lovely and knowledgeable guide, with Joan</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMubROluK3fFAMLxt9xYLk4jYS8nrzcRm0efNUPX6n4RR85XNhQU7P7uzu3T1VrBTh7T7pm9WBO16g29cUC9GhAV38bLQ4Rz2totLLybxQJnrhFFAgrLuXvcKu56COxJacM3fHtQpgnaMMgxIfdDUqBbd92dDxFZqhJ26skogZLOfakVxPDg/s4455/IMG_9650a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4455" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMubROluK3fFAMLxt9xYLk4jYS8nrzcRm0efNUPX6n4RR85XNhQU7P7uzu3T1VrBTh7T7pm9WBO16g29cUC9GhAV38bLQ4Rz2totLLybxQJnrhFFAgrLuXvcKu56COxJacM3fHtQpgnaMMgxIfdDUqBbd92dDxFZqhJ26skogZLOfakVxPDg/w640-h418/IMG_9650a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Waving from the entrance into the Bent Pyramid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I DID enter the Red Pyramid, and that was the biggest - or at least the most vigorous - moment of the day. The Red Pyramid gets its reddish color from iron oxide in the rocks used in its construction. I climbed the long wooden staircase leading to the entrance high on the side of the pyramid, then inched my way slowly down the steep ramp in a VERY low-roofed and dark tunnel to the chamber at the bottom of the inside of the pyramid. It was frightening. The only way to descend was to creep backwards in the dark (with a few lights placed here and there), feeling with my foot for the iron bars that crossed the rock and acted as brakes. For a long time, I couldn't see the end of the ramp when I looked over my shoulder, and I was just starting to feel that I'd never get there, when at last, I felt flat rock beneath my foot. Then I stooped through one more low tunnel and finally stood up in the great burial chamber. There was no decoration, just a big stone room, so the thrill of this pyramid was just the GETTING here! The ascent went much more quickly, as I didn't have to be so cautious about feeling my way, but I was relieved to finally reach the top. I was sure that this would be the most vigorous experience of this entire trip!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79Fk0rUppwjPxJ_82ef9YXukawb70orytrf5coFToI86lBzcWJjFrHCiKEA94kGJV4_VJaGndn2enTnDxR82LgTFd3vgzh6zGuAheZCQHXfo2u8UDOoxVk6PTyCj9A0i37jO8_Q5ppOFprM2dYYng8UCttkhPIUNY7d-ZPeNj9JcYgXZdfg/s5184/IMG_9652a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79Fk0rUppwjPxJ_82ef9YXukawb70orytrf5coFToI86lBzcWJjFrHCiKEA94kGJV4_VJaGndn2enTnDxR82LgTFd3vgzh6zGuAheZCQHXfo2u8UDOoxVk6PTyCj9A0i37jO8_Q5ppOFprM2dYYng8UCttkhPIUNY7d-ZPeNj9JcYgXZdfg/w640-h360/IMG_9652a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Red Pyramid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DprNIW0jOcbTjUPqsDS6AmFZ75IOxC-bEnakIJtmPgFsF1y-zZqVjpeIkF4mJ56y7VFpNjdPJpDO9v2AU84LV_nzWKDtJEODqD90EBdvFe4UhjDKC94edzBG_dmlia0NQeegdsxitgNkMQfCrWvaK1EQx2OBcKNN2GC1nI-yRputTPPsYw/s3507/IMG_9653a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3507" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DprNIW0jOcbTjUPqsDS6AmFZ75IOxC-bEnakIJtmPgFsF1y-zZqVjpeIkF4mJ56y7VFpNjdPJpDO9v2AU84LV_nzWKDtJEODqD90EBdvFe4UhjDKC94edzBG_dmlia0NQeegdsxitgNkMQfCrWvaK1EQx2OBcKNN2GC1nI-yRputTPPsYw/w640-h518/IMG_9653a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The trail and stairs leading to the entrance to the Red Pyramid</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGzuK2hdEx5RuX3M6SfBbbO9bUT9E5b_kaBFYnTIalVMbhvxrr5tgFo_-9u0SXq6OTzn3ts43BuulhIzpmwDgzhI64Gi9KaytP0IWmk8wJEnM0or3nG7SEqPoYH8bTCVTL2VV0iZrnfT8mwVcK3EC-6YTP-kvlNcRNI3EWA4LyCG67IY9DA/s4451/IMG_9655a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4451" data-original-width="2865" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGzuK2hdEx5RuX3M6SfBbbO9bUT9E5b_kaBFYnTIalVMbhvxrr5tgFo_-9u0SXq6OTzn3ts43BuulhIzpmwDgzhI64Gi9KaytP0IWmk8wJEnM0or3nG7SEqPoYH8bTCVTL2VV0iZrnfT8mwVcK3EC-6YTP-kvlNcRNI3EWA4LyCG67IY9DA/w412-h640/IMG_9655a.JPG" width="412" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The entrance into the burial chamber deep inside the pyramid.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bncZJBi9AFofbDnhuh9YYD11vj8hGPiD5wSaV8ShUuT_EZx-qFugl8UkHAPiKQ4rhcTCV6wdIc16FyhjcYzwLMio_5aDUDcm3O3_eW2yrAGvoPQ9MvIMEncSVhR0d7s9emPTVFWAeuQ8Lzmhc5cl_K0dj3vR2z3nro3Qn3Wsd7MG8c-MhA/s4455/IMG_9659a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4455" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bncZJBi9AFofbDnhuh9YYD11vj8hGPiD5wSaV8ShUuT_EZx-qFugl8UkHAPiKQ4rhcTCV6wdIc16FyhjcYzwLMio_5aDUDcm3O3_eW2yrAGvoPQ9MvIMEncSVhR0d7s9emPTVFWAeuQ8Lzmhc5cl_K0dj3vR2z3nro3Qn3Wsd7MG8c-MhA/w640-h418/IMG_9659a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Joan, happily emerging from the long, steep climb</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_d9I2MINebkEOYVCGu2xuaZrdXfuBUZAwyCaCA1Jfu6X_UdN2BbJJjIJ3ouXhwBYCJufLWXp7703RYwfk5hX1EFaVFdQz0fFrk8jrB0BtaofhRZIPFcnPFdHDte6IuRzThqPiXMSQ3QkPlk4F1fe8hqmsADjZJcgCPJQ-APOaTPOi_Ul0ow/s4189/IMG_9662a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2868" data-original-width="4189" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_d9I2MINebkEOYVCGu2xuaZrdXfuBUZAwyCaCA1Jfu6X_UdN2BbJJjIJ3ouXhwBYCJufLWXp7703RYwfk5hX1EFaVFdQz0fFrk8jrB0BtaofhRZIPFcnPFdHDte6IuRzThqPiXMSQ3QkPlk4F1fe8hqmsADjZJcgCPJQ-APOaTPOi_Ul0ow/w640-h438/IMG_9662a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A view from the Red Pyramid back toward the Saqqara Complex</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We ended our tour with a late lunch at a lively restaurant offering traditional Egyptian food to locals, as well as tourists. Two women were outside baking pita bread in traditional ovens, and it came to our table still piping hot. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTrGNM4L22gBYytjEw5zmxqC4e6H46_QCw72-osBQ64DzCPS1ANeQk9cVnIdgFNTnT47vCPxK-GYcfbWBVfVECzqpPaXpE1PL9k7rWlQk3cgOjvXFmEq0qfYWv8jP8oZL3k86vG0J6KCMDrxuR7XOkSGi22dueI9LA22zQ_biXG9Hk2iEvw/s4998/IMG_9664a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4998" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTrGNM4L22gBYytjEw5zmxqC4e6H46_QCw72-osBQ64DzCPS1ANeQk9cVnIdgFNTnT47vCPxK-GYcfbWBVfVECzqpPaXpE1PL9k7rWlQk3cgOjvXFmEq0qfYWv8jP8oZL3k86vG0J6KCMDrxuR7XOkSGi22dueI9LA22zQ_biXG9Hk2iEvw/w640-h372/IMG_9664a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Our lunch restaurant</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCplyOgw1uygkNuzWEfp4Fczrv-iWj79dmeuX-tT8dPaqH_I50P9khORku1pNen2Jn5D3Y-exBrEqiaeift_-AOAq8j2WZVWgChAdAfrHuoCDilsBcpIl0_i1o-M_cYcUwEQEoItP75lxJiAngoLVs3W5y-AE4T52RAYFA9cHrafFLcklEw/s5184/IMG_9665a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCplyOgw1uygkNuzWEfp4Fczrv-iWj79dmeuX-tT8dPaqH_I50P9khORku1pNen2Jn5D3Y-exBrEqiaeift_-AOAq8j2WZVWgChAdAfrHuoCDilsBcpIl0_i1o-M_cYcUwEQEoItP75lxJiAngoLVs3W5y-AE4T52RAYFA9cHrafFLcklEw/w640-h360/IMG_9665a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A traditional Egyptian meal</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj399uzwJdMB0egMH8XsV4HEEP5vTqy7AFuTctcA48G_AlTElATCFGQzpABkgsJl1qG5DdNS2XYwDAmcVRBnmEt95Bmjy2EPikDaSFQ6KiHRZn-iLA3kMISGmmSQcQiLX6uq3vdRlY62QrWtX2cKO-X1Xfs_ELkzAiOuy35ke_OXgaYZQGGJQ/s3475/IMG_9666a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3475" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj399uzwJdMB0egMH8XsV4HEEP5vTqy7AFuTctcA48G_AlTElATCFGQzpABkgsJl1qG5DdNS2XYwDAmcVRBnmEt95Bmjy2EPikDaSFQ6KiHRZn-iLA3kMISGmmSQcQiLX6uq3vdRlY62QrWtX2cKO-X1Xfs_ELkzAiOuy35ke_OXgaYZQGGJQ/w640-h536/IMG_9666a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Making pita bread in traditional ovens.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rob and I were both thrilled with the sights of the day, but also very happy to return to the hotel soon enough to collapse for a much-needed nap. We didn't do much else the rest of the day until a light dinner in the hotel. Whew!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-1512531109497615952023-03-11T21:08:00.004-08:002023-03-22T15:31:25.326-07:00The Wonders of Egypt and Jordan - Day 1: Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Egyptian Museum<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">February 10, 2023</span></h2><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Egyptian Museum</span></h1><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Egypt! It had called to me with its ancient voice for years, and at last, our long-awaited trip (postponed from 2020 due to the Covid shut-down) had arrived. And, wow, what a first day! Rob and I woke up early for a great breakfast in the beautiful <a href="https://www.fourseasons.com/caironp/" target="_blank">Cairo Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel</a> where our room looked down on downtown Cairo and the Nile River.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-uLrhZFpTYs_8-qU4g2RTbvus622l8SJ1FWYLjert9K0Xo5UWO7ZV7DOU1yAPCOAdg4FRzsXsnRPlfaC18staImxbnR8UmdUWBmpIsrtXkLkk9curjIaFbHUfQ4Ntvp3Ci6Fl2Ie1m8j5knvUtB29WoxfWBx62EcTm6XL6MkQlsPu3LlnA/s4483/IMG_9266a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="4483" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-uLrhZFpTYs_8-qU4g2RTbvus622l8SJ1FWYLjert9K0Xo5UWO7ZV7DOU1yAPCOAdg4FRzsXsnRPlfaC18staImxbnR8UmdUWBmpIsrtXkLkk9curjIaFbHUfQ4Ntvp3Ci6Fl2Ie1m8j5knvUtB29WoxfWBx62EcTm6XL6MkQlsPu3LlnA/w640-h388/IMG_9266a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>First view of the city upon our arrival at 1 a.m.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM0saI4bHxoNwM_FGJwjFm2A2lunkxkHA9N2jRL8eElUjC2ZgzzifwA7rWbS62HSzgfL_TW7DeChFQm0DUi_sZkAHZ8Ln06u4PdoQUzmPrdrYH8oyL79fwN0JwKOjkJdvBhHxZUHg11gF72HScOOvldUQoinc80mUmyOwAt3J_i0rbCmTjw/s4165/IMG_9509a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2725" data-original-width="4165" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM0saI4bHxoNwM_FGJwjFm2A2lunkxkHA9N2jRL8eElUjC2ZgzzifwA7rWbS62HSzgfL_TW7DeChFQm0DUi_sZkAHZ8Ln06u4PdoQUzmPrdrYH8oyL79fwN0JwKOjkJdvBhHxZUHg11gF72HScOOvldUQoinc80mUmyOwAt3J_i0rbCmTjw/w640-h418/IMG_9509a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Views from our balcony</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1rDgpyiGS8_hGQ1i5jhQOsqdtdk_Q6kahp6ZwC-tReGmgGe850g6MmL0T92vVM7K4m8izSonoyDymgteDSQbn25K_o8b-P-p3E-Hs9J55eLX28M4GJwQHZPpm2Lx82980i4bCmaSqkTyPRpq6VAij11elVqZdWEQkjYrLJzkvV4-MW7m-w/s4937/IMG_9512a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4937" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1rDgpyiGS8_hGQ1i5jhQOsqdtdk_Q6kahp6ZwC-tReGmgGe850g6MmL0T92vVM7K4m8izSonoyDymgteDSQbn25K_o8b-P-p3E-Hs9J55eLX28M4GJwQHZPpm2Lx82980i4bCmaSqkTyPRpq6VAij11elVqZdWEQkjYrLJzkvV4-MW7m-w/w640-h378/IMG_9512a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIdfrCG7h4sKZVGiRkUxaTxcUkcSpi8O9-hKAfbwFYiZFUFBpt7HLA6StUs5W3E9b80hZrh4UOVZkWLiJ_CWB-NE_cZf5M_HYcU9-jvLjXT24KFzOYvLthzFnD7CspqyuIr7VIGycxCmJEENaCDpLrKZ1rsx-V227hBOWTRHFirv0Jc9vIw/s5184/IMG_9513a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIdfrCG7h4sKZVGiRkUxaTxcUkcSpi8O9-hKAfbwFYiZFUFBpt7HLA6StUs5W3E9b80hZrh4UOVZkWLiJ_CWB-NE_cZf5M_HYcU9-jvLjXT24KFzOYvLthzFnD7CspqyuIr7VIGycxCmJEENaCDpLrKZ1rsx-V227hBOWTRHFirv0Jc9vIw/w640-h360/IMG_9513a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><h3 style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Pyramids of Giza</span></h3><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At 8 a.m. sharp, we met our guide Irene and driver Ahmed and headed across this city of 25 million people to our first stop, the Giza Necropolis, site of the three major Pyramids of Giza. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvKCVYgs7arWO_CDq2CDLbvLFX29HWTDwTfMQDUuIbLkhYNSUzjdgd1W8FlEDtEK5nxje-whVBQtYNzAp7ilOFf1pJgR1CsbNcftmfFXo3tSlvdMrRaQlbP9qe56l-TJxfNi-1xRiFJjTQ0ebwOsMB9DLcZDWBxm8uD4lt84l9mQhEY4JMw/s4344/IMG_9307a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="4344" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvKCVYgs7arWO_CDq2CDLbvLFX29HWTDwTfMQDUuIbLkhYNSUzjdgd1W8FlEDtEK5nxje-whVBQtYNzAp7ilOFf1pJgR1CsbNcftmfFXo3tSlvdMrRaQlbP9qe56l-TJxfNi-1xRiFJjTQ0ebwOsMB9DLcZDWBxm8uD4lt84l9mQhEY4JMw/w640-h344/IMG_9307a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I had always imagined these as standing alone in the middle of a vast desert, but they are just outside of the city. Irene regretted the fact that former presidents of Egypt had allowed the city expansion to reach so close to these monuments, but any further building is now prohibited. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV1MFsSCwNSb-gVhew-u4PtMdllRByGnHgcEUr8kBA1JZwkBPZ2FLYKebOvpeTQpc3Y5aPwVG7ovq-tJrtf9hEAa1Rkf0YXK07_5amxrhApcG6uguk9OIlBr7uCsKCea9jiBInVqUAWccvQn1udNay7GUU7jphjOs8zKi-HK1I5iiBqU0rA/s5067/IMG_9340a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="5067" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV1MFsSCwNSb-gVhew-u4PtMdllRByGnHgcEUr8kBA1JZwkBPZ2FLYKebOvpeTQpc3Y5aPwVG7ovq-tJrtf9hEAa1Rkf0YXK07_5amxrhApcG6uguk9OIlBr7uCsKCea9jiBInVqUAWccvQn1udNay7GUU7jphjOs8zKi-HK1I5iiBqU0rA/w640-h360/IMG_9340a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The outskirts of Cairo reach right to the gates of the Pyramids.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn2o7giznndp_WEhA15FpbGKkhmn6sAky08PgTnPjgnP8oMJ2bc4o3J_8QumTT-a1iH3V-5EaLiTDOi47khq6fJejLsWoKpigLdJQQySMmU_7JG5RJc95GT7r_qhJVgrha9RTOyhBTQ5EeDv2Ubj3KpAbWmFfB-oK-NP9iiWMJ7GR0cl0XQ/s5184/IMG_9356a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn2o7giznndp_WEhA15FpbGKkhmn6sAky08PgTnPjgnP8oMJ2bc4o3J_8QumTT-a1iH3V-5EaLiTDOi47khq6fJejLsWoKpigLdJQQySMmU_7JG5RJc95GT7r_qhJVgrha9RTOyhBTQ5EeDv2Ubj3KpAbWmFfB-oK-NP9iiWMJ7GR0cl0XQ/w640-h360/IMG_9356a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Beyond the pyramids, there IS a vast desert - one of the most barren landscapes I have ever seen with not a single blade of grass as far as we could see. The three main pyramids are the burial sites of three pharaohs of the "Old Kingdom," which lasted from about 2,7000 to 2,200 B.C. There are other buildings around the pyramids, as this was once the site of Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWvD7I1-3LtpElhmCKHyBaIJ7sFMOM8-aKWgmwWQfbUn4eMgHyaSk72JF9FdEMPxuBVoMN4gcYvymUWQrcSr9MPNUgRfnU0F0WfMBbv5vEYgX_3febObOdAyHiMgOZBXMKNXSK9r67TcYrWGQqgkYK7nYzEQpo1GrBNvHH39LYVhRZFh-CQ/s4313/IMG_9273a.JPG" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4313" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWvD7I1-3LtpElhmCKHyBaIJ7sFMOM8-aKWgmwWQfbUn4eMgHyaSk72JF9FdEMPxuBVoMN4gcYvymUWQrcSr9MPNUgRfnU0F0WfMBbv5vEYgX_3febObOdAyHiMgOZBXMKNXSK9r67TcYrWGQqgkYK7nYzEQpo1GrBNvHH39LYVhRZFh-CQ/w640-h432/IMG_9273a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Ancient buildings of Memphis</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Irene provided information about the size of the stones used to build the pyramids, how long it took, the methods used to build them...but I was so awestruck gazing at the massive structures that most of the information has gone out of my head. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We could see two openings in the face of the Great Pyramid of Khufu (aka Cheops), completed in 2600 BCE, which lead to the interior chambers where the king's mummified body once lay, along with all the treasures intended to accompany him to the afterlife. We were able to walk along a stairway leading up to the entrance of the lower chamber, but we did not pay the extra cost to go into the chamber where Khufu's sarcophagus still sits. The sarcophagus was wider than the entrance to the room, so the pyramid must have been built around this chamber!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6ekZ6aHlCReB5mcCVJPhunCE1qwdjfOwXJnsT3bdu6EueO4uM4iOuQJmHOHflQNAGK5zyn6aFTilACMp37CL3F1dpasO5qxLtdY2-sb9gBooxubh7aOmxyLDcnGx4PowdMmqUkJ0B1ndtuKh1Pvz7bmg9RixVtOZoulROlOrpEqLd5jIDw/s4375/IMG_9269a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4375" data-original-width="2862" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6ekZ6aHlCReB5mcCVJPhunCE1qwdjfOwXJnsT3bdu6EueO4uM4iOuQJmHOHflQNAGK5zyn6aFTilACMp37CL3F1dpasO5qxLtdY2-sb9gBooxubh7aOmxyLDcnGx4PowdMmqUkJ0B1ndtuKh1Pvz7bmg9RixVtOZoulROlOrpEqLd5jIDw/w418-h640/IMG_9269a.JPG" width="418" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8KUuBNhm1S979Nx_B-FkUhllXJLVS3dX0FrGrFpZrdFj5EX_l0-DhwJ8D6LwRU10WUrVYez0G-eQ1Yk2W6TP6sUKEREi3VOWd7BTJwzdzmokOd8z4n7fdx2vFLGNli0WyqFk-sobLHtgsuOP-BYIiICv6_wCjEbNXuE-JhYQ_MN0eETLqQ/s4713/IMG_9271a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4713" data-original-width="2238" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8KUuBNhm1S979Nx_B-FkUhllXJLVS3dX0FrGrFpZrdFj5EX_l0-DhwJ8D6LwRU10WUrVYez0G-eQ1Yk2W6TP6sUKEREi3VOWd7BTJwzdzmokOd8z4n7fdx2vFLGNli0WyqFk-sobLHtgsuOP-BYIiICv6_wCjEbNXuE-JhYQ_MN0eETLqQ/w304-h640/IMG_9271a.JPG" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The entrance to the tomb of Khufu</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Behind the Great Pyramid stands the Pyramid of Khafre, completed in 2570 BCE. It is almost as large and is still topped with part of the smooth limestone cap that once covered all of the pyramids. Khafre's face lives on, as his is the face of the Sphinx who guards the complex. And in front of the Sphinx is a ruin that marks the spot where a dock once stood on the banks of the Nile. It was quite recently discovered that this channel of the river once flowed here, and many of the stones that built the pyramids were brought here from many miles away on barges.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9dkc0yh2WnoSnc6Xeaio-2ugDQa2V1iYr0GhB4UocHSsTUNiEQIAXsi9srqBKtFfIe8D1eDtirzfrObEDfWUC_IzHxF9SV1_sScQ4-5y7_xpumhypMTh_7woT0hF1z40sG0lVUwXmUQt5kypSDWyRvlmZRb5YqWoefH4mEHYKRsM-PZ91A/s4875/IMG_9287a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="4875" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9dkc0yh2WnoSnc6Xeaio-2ugDQa2V1iYr0GhB4UocHSsTUNiEQIAXsi9srqBKtFfIe8D1eDtirzfrObEDfWUC_IzHxF9SV1_sScQ4-5y7_xpumhypMTh_7woT0hF1z40sG0lVUwXmUQt5kypSDWyRvlmZRb5YqWoefH4mEHYKRsM-PZ91A/w640-h372/IMG_9287a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Pyramid of Khafre, with its limestone facade still capping the monument.</b></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhjA02J4nGgFX2DjJFZ-_7lIBAWZoJLwIPzI7kf8rjgo_1CwE2N9NRcZ5fKtGj4Ldhc682hqpwmAY0CTZOVBu06jdUzhRgu-CscTHgIIoN3FBgGL8nFvUOiYqPr1bT7sgYE0dmnYgFRxjrcj6oNzGIqLYYIcgmPakREh_MPH6p0F-c_m5eA/s3933/IMG_9342a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2653" data-original-width="3933" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhjA02J4nGgFX2DjJFZ-_7lIBAWZoJLwIPzI7kf8rjgo_1CwE2N9NRcZ5fKtGj4Ldhc682hqpwmAY0CTZOVBu06jdUzhRgu-CscTHgIIoN3FBgGL8nFvUOiYqPr1bT7sgYE0dmnYgFRxjrcj6oNzGIqLYYIcgmPakREh_MPH6p0F-c_m5eA/w640-h432/IMG_9342a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Sphinx bears the face of Pharaoh Khafre</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsi1PjXg7XoC-l4T231x6iNfgwFTjDZVC_IJRFtDxLSDJQKQTDIgEqps_IJv9fgaAwMA0w4JdEajycnWxwE_cbQOIAWvHgSZujAeJ9nDbn9rqF858M6eOXbkdzhdhkjri8bk83wLBhVHtF_SK5W3upuRVxUubDnU456hpeGUTyz5vo3xwOA/s3703/IMG_9336a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2393" data-original-width="3703" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsi1PjXg7XoC-l4T231x6iNfgwFTjDZVC_IJRFtDxLSDJQKQTDIgEqps_IJv9fgaAwMA0w4JdEajycnWxwE_cbQOIAWvHgSZujAeJ9nDbn9rqF858M6eOXbkdzhdhkjri8bk83wLBhVHtF_SK5W3upuRVxUubDnU456hpeGUTyz5vo3xwOA/w640-h414/IMG_9336a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Nile River once flowed through the bridge below the pyramids.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquHw_M6NGqOzXk01ppQdI_3ywBFvnwHHjmZ-q3svoXM5SXEYmuXu_FJrzqIuPhg1fJJ7Q3tSbx1NSBG3IOiKGSYrHBoD2Wq3qTlwjkLt6-j82EwIBj1IQAF2d3mA2I9F4Rm03R1UkOsidYYHg9J-nlAKR8ozZqao0NG7q3oYjJR0UfLFPwA/s3227/IMG_9804aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2189" data-original-width="3227" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquHw_M6NGqOzXk01ppQdI_3ywBFvnwHHjmZ-q3svoXM5SXEYmuXu_FJrzqIuPhg1fJJ7Q3tSbx1NSBG3IOiKGSYrHBoD2Wq3qTlwjkLt6-j82EwIBj1IQAF2d3mA2I9F4Rm03R1UkOsidYYHg9J-nlAKR8ozZqao0NG7q3oYjJR0UfLFPwA/w640-h434/IMG_9804aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This old photograph shows the Nile when it still flowed here.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The last great pyramid is that of Menkaure, finished in 2510 BCE. It is smaller than the other two, but beside it stand the best preserved of the smaller pyramids, the burial chambers of (probably) the wives and daughters of the pharaohs. There was a large gash on the side of the pyramid, the result of a lengthy search for the door into the burial chamber.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIBTC9TQZFiHIB3DoTq7TOxOGToYpGp33rG_wsFItiNwWB4upIe1Z0xuPdSuHW3J2XvPQ0kv9r5OXvrQx2DJQeQPOQS80y6L84EcDW-0Xtl2OLRYsK4ruX655isQWq6gbmcs_GErrK11ZOjsl94nrOSv51n7Fz5wpBjgv8Clo8OMwyDb24w/s3560/IMG_9288a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="3560" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIBTC9TQZFiHIB3DoTq7TOxOGToYpGp33rG_wsFItiNwWB4upIe1Z0xuPdSuHW3J2XvPQ0kv9r5OXvrQx2DJQeQPOQS80y6L84EcDW-0Xtl2OLRYsK4ruX655isQWq6gbmcs_GErrK11ZOjsl94nrOSv51n7Fz5wpBjgv8Clo8OMwyDb24w/w640-h434/IMG_9288a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Pyramid of Pharaoh Menkaure shows a scar from attempts to find the entrance.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcDuDUrqhW0gok25P_z_zmlcaeLRArmq0LhyMlTZuQ91BeMrOetIsFzc7f-IslsTUYmTQBpeOS2Q1d9liBt0gpgdSwzJFBX_aRMeJHQrL1Bfg2YsRh9VdLfVjryfodHDXOsWqeSt7cXfyqnKpi0q8veZfa-PgnINW6m2jePKbQaDCbB83IA/s2346/IMG_9306aa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="2346" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcDuDUrqhW0gok25P_z_zmlcaeLRArmq0LhyMlTZuQ91BeMrOetIsFzc7f-IslsTUYmTQBpeOS2Q1d9liBt0gpgdSwzJFBX_aRMeJHQrL1Bfg2YsRh9VdLfVjryfodHDXOsWqeSt7cXfyqnKpi0q8veZfa-PgnINW6m2jePKbQaDCbB83IA/w640-h454/IMG_9306aa.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The Pyramid of Menkaure with the smaller tombs of his wives and daughters</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Irene told us that there are about one hundred pyramids in Egypt, but they were so vulnerable to grave-robbers that the pharaohs of the later kingdoms chose to be buried in hidden gravesites in what is now known as "The Valley of the Kings," which we will visit later in this trip.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After exploring the grounds of the Necropolis, Rob and I enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride across the desert for better views of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. We chose not to ride a camel but enjoyed visiting a few of the ungainly creatures who were resting or munching on piles of fresh grass. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIkBb-r5CwRH1DVJGlij54SBIvH3mX9IrJEEyVstZx8MNTSuIXur5Xle-TZRQ_Th8boOmHsrzcovb1hsgWAarjcU7kBtgWRXYJ3cAF_DiXEu7FQ5Mn16bnPKHVCIjYfKtpZdt0WVr1B-iGYo5MdaZwSYSxMW_8oLAff1GuSBOsbGqFhlecg/s2819/IMG_9283a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1973" data-original-width="2819" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIkBb-r5CwRH1DVJGlij54SBIvH3mX9IrJEEyVstZx8MNTSuIXur5Xle-TZRQ_Th8boOmHsrzcovb1hsgWAarjcU7kBtgWRXYJ3cAF_DiXEu7FQ5Mn16bnPKHVCIjYfKtpZdt0WVr1B-iGYo5MdaZwSYSxMW_8oLAff1GuSBOsbGqFhlecg/w640-h448/IMG_9283a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Exploring the world hand-in-hand with Rob is one of my favorite things.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcY1ELSBCAhtotdopZI4CBkS7Pgq_RQB2CQHwwf3VT4MkeWA4MhR5c5VYxmL0ZkaHK80TytwLioKHs7j2Q2ajXbnDyJiJJXqIlhbP8g1CRSKROWuFB3BcbJHh6F-fHYt389y4lGYJVPqbdSjylgmrayrru_MsMw15WApSp5kW48dKFq9dYw/s5184/IMG_9294a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcY1ELSBCAhtotdopZI4CBkS7Pgq_RQB2CQHwwf3VT4MkeWA4MhR5c5VYxmL0ZkaHK80TytwLioKHs7j2Q2ajXbnDyJiJJXqIlhbP8g1CRSKROWuFB3BcbJHh6F-fHYt389y4lGYJVPqbdSjylgmrayrru_MsMw15WApSp5kW48dKFq9dYw/w640-h360/IMG_9294a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllo3jZYfgXyQDbkyYCHD0tvHbs0YUxjuEtFw6VEzxJfZXMvZqJn33_vr3bu4MmRWwgZjXBwI6lJqhxoNT6Yqh0syCFJ1vaPX2FmfGf-krYvOF7-pMIaGqxH-S6NRLq_Rsq66vAd1eqDtqXIdRpVfj6uMJVkhXE_STmyxMcqIb0CR3FbBMww/s3539/IMG_9305a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2831" data-original-width="3539" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllo3jZYfgXyQDbkyYCHD0tvHbs0YUxjuEtFw6VEzxJfZXMvZqJn33_vr3bu4MmRWwgZjXBwI6lJqhxoNT6Yqh0syCFJ1vaPX2FmfGf-krYvOF7-pMIaGqxH-S6NRLq_Rsq66vAd1eqDtqXIdRpVfj6uMJVkhXE_STmyxMcqIb0CR3FbBMww/w640-h512/IMG_9305a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkYJNkRb40pfOzeQ2EgOUKjSCdMNdxN67O8yVOiKp3F8pS9se41y_fe3hYT976lgyHTci7WY8HwPwn7P9wSE8cwoh4HKkNColLp6XsJh1Qyk1ddDd6Kxl6CF2OV3MvAZUxRR_7PHCL4-MAsnY76Pj--NOfeCZiMR9ljH89QCGa07NBztIkg/s4344/IMG_9307a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2332" data-original-width="4344" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkYJNkRb40pfOzeQ2EgOUKjSCdMNdxN67O8yVOiKp3F8pS9se41y_fe3hYT976lgyHTci7WY8HwPwn7P9wSE8cwoh4HKkNColLp6XsJh1Qyk1ddDd6Kxl6CF2OV3MvAZUxRR_7PHCL4-MAsnY76Pj--NOfeCZiMR9ljH89QCGa07NBztIkg/w640-h344/IMG_9307a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj4JmdOVtFQI2d-CMYTSWXR7LK_JFBW5kj8ipXSFB3UT84UC6sYA6MeJBIMoLYxtVeUohCkw-4zajAIQWzqnbNMx9Bd1ylL4B3K9-KgCtc_LF7xS7h6QEhVSRoMspiWxlAgbCMe8OBF31-jNUHmVATsWH58v8QcNSQObZMV3OmFwocpabqg/s5184/IMG_9311a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj4JmdOVtFQI2d-CMYTSWXR7LK_JFBW5kj8ipXSFB3UT84UC6sYA6MeJBIMoLYxtVeUohCkw-4zajAIQWzqnbNMx9Bd1ylL4B3K9-KgCtc_LF7xS7h6QEhVSRoMspiWxlAgbCMe8OBF31-jNUHmVATsWH58v8QcNSQObZMV3OmFwocpabqg/w640-h360/IMG_9311a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Apparently these silly photos are part of the experience!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbXMHe31o12X_rw2c_Ejmrc8q3yU96V0QdJ8P5rMXcPmILcNLspQESZ9bpdGrgwXid3B7GQ3GwhKKu1H6OJ1GCBQINhbnS3tiWGRajaQ-OIV02OfpZa-9G-SBGzDILB7moC4_w3wm6w5PMkcBik7bm-XZKk32ZGU5_81sRJyRDvy6jUo8Gg/s4313/IMG_9312a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2746" data-original-width="4313" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbXMHe31o12X_rw2c_Ejmrc8q3yU96V0QdJ8P5rMXcPmILcNLspQESZ9bpdGrgwXid3B7GQ3GwhKKu1H6OJ1GCBQINhbnS3tiWGRajaQ-OIV02OfpZa-9G-SBGzDILB7moC4_w3wm6w5PMkcBik7bm-XZKk32ZGU5_81sRJyRDvy6jUo8Gg/w640-h408/IMG_9312a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ5VpXeM2PRBXCPHpuSZ_-n_zlj1qgGKx_vsI-VDWhnc3my44b1DR6XG-_lTFXBc7LqRg0kcOpWWe0vMoGYG3pdEwZ89QpG6LwLvDUM2tygnB80n_eXibzgBdNDb2S2vO63qqTB6RGt7vxPWtwl3tsf7OD_wvkGvsrWeVkQt8yV00R2pGkA/s4396/IMG_9300a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4396" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJ5VpXeM2PRBXCPHpuSZ_-n_zlj1qgGKx_vsI-VDWhnc3my44b1DR6XG-_lTFXBc7LqRg0kcOpWWe0vMoGYG3pdEwZ89QpG6LwLvDUM2tygnB80n_eXibzgBdNDb2S2vO63qqTB6RGt7vxPWtwl3tsf7OD_wvkGvsrWeVkQt8yV00R2pGkA/w640-h424/IMG_9300a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Our guide, Irene, with some of the many camels around the site.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRxH-PebBWTqKnQFHP2-V2CLx_f1W8BIDrGGbUEmHuxzJ13n1HnwUULKKKh7PpCOdspamPOtEwO3ZgyGqLtpYW6ZoUFkvFbSXqRbJOGgANi_QYpo0xwoBAPIONUrs0Po0xqEAKBbCrI7yJRxIN4xZIc9Eo0mODqOHVQ4MhiYeqPTftUUoaw/s4788/IMG_9319a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4788" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRxH-PebBWTqKnQFHP2-V2CLx_f1W8BIDrGGbUEmHuxzJ13n1HnwUULKKKh7PpCOdspamPOtEwO3ZgyGqLtpYW6ZoUFkvFbSXqRbJOGgANi_QYpo0xwoBAPIONUrs0Po0xqEAKBbCrI7yJRxIN4xZIc9Eo0mODqOHVQ4MhiYeqPTftUUoaw/w640-h390/IMG_9319a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Rob is never happier than when he can pet an animal!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vRsA20Immy6eBPSnHfTXO3l9IEzPdIcqWFFzh1W4LqxO8NAkqSo3iLcPjZ0RcANQ7xyX-ZFrEYXxfGBMJ2fDZEqv1zynVGikO_Agy30QPBGCioe2Mg7U7n4xiKZT4HK5eMwp6ehRe9TOZqMtNcV1oDZiTke4G26LSF2sRzovH_HQHNZ-xQ/s5184/IMG_9322a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vRsA20Immy6eBPSnHfTXO3l9IEzPdIcqWFFzh1W4LqxO8NAkqSo3iLcPjZ0RcANQ7xyX-ZFrEYXxfGBMJ2fDZEqv1zynVGikO_Agy30QPBGCioe2Mg7U7n4xiKZT4HK5eMwp6ehRe9TOZqMtNcV1oDZiTke4G26LSF2sRzovH_HQHNZ-xQ/w640-h360/IMG_9322a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08Xo6CSdAxhMMVAP9vsBo8kPJfMoglgu6ffs6C2LeoFN1WBPP8YtIgR3cera3aggOJjdiDTCNwdZyMdEoAoTgKbkst_BwhTsWHh8LVK6cIysjloYgZv3p7juokzYevO012gYpDbizn4TxNZIGBNBsgsSvjhKYaC6nn2AU4JFdSvnggCLKgA/s5184/IMG_9324a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08Xo6CSdAxhMMVAP9vsBo8kPJfMoglgu6ffs6C2LeoFN1WBPP8YtIgR3cera3aggOJjdiDTCNwdZyMdEoAoTgKbkst_BwhTsWHh8LVK6cIysjloYgZv3p7juokzYevO012gYpDbizn4TxNZIGBNBsgsSvjhKYaC6nn2AU4JFdSvnggCLKgA/w640-h360/IMG_9324a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B5s9Suk5tf74ZN3vi3m7-xI9qR93CHl60Koqml3B1i9EYBGshC5VyLB0xJqNflJTF7Aonq25mOSxxuCKLfwb1FZ2uOhLzcJ0phEE-FDz3gton0UQr0Gq_vt8WdcFPN9XfcjWb9jREgP4F0__RDYfvy4ig0XMEKLb_DcyaFzvbvGPvYaqHA/s2702/IMG_9332a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2183" data-original-width="2702" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B5s9Suk5tf74ZN3vi3m7-xI9qR93CHl60Koqml3B1i9EYBGshC5VyLB0xJqNflJTF7Aonq25mOSxxuCKLfwb1FZ2uOhLzcJ0phEE-FDz3gton0UQr0Gq_vt8WdcFPN9XfcjWb9jREgP4F0__RDYfvy4ig0XMEKLb_DcyaFzvbvGPvYaqHA/w640-h518/IMG_9332a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Now, after all my gushing, I'm adding a "reality check." The site WAS impressive, but it was also crowded with thousands of visitors, which does diminish the thrill a bit. But, as we ourselves were part of the problem, I can hardly complain. We also had our first experience with what I came to call "Walking the Gauntlet." The entrance to every tourist site is filled with vendors selling every Egyptian souvenir imaginable. Statues of the gods, scarves, enameled jewelry, plates, paintings. The vendors are assertive and relentless. My sweet husband loves to talk to people on our travels, and he is also tall and easy to pick out of a crowd, and that made him a target. The scenario usually went like this throughout our entire trip. A man would greet us heartily, "Come look at this! I have the best items!" Rob would say hello, and in attempting to be pleasant, say something like, "Maybe. I'll think about it. See you later!" So on our way back, the vendor would invariably recognize him and say, "Hello! You said you'd think! What do you want to buy!" It was all good fun, and I felt sympathy for the people just trying to make a living. but by the end of our trip, it got a little wearing.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCULmJIuvj_Z3OS2V-ssJPf2tFIolzRA425R1ttyuA2Dmpc1Bt4YzV20Z40e9QZs1u26WHwkyox9O7G1p5DxeZqziYHR3dGLoGxNpN5xNMFwMbKEt9pt6dYYoURBgEHO9-U1Ha71r5AKNI1hNAvUtGXT8NtuvvoJ5L-FN9r3t1by5KWFrSQ/s3947/IMG_9334a.JPG" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="3947" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCULmJIuvj_Z3OS2V-ssJPf2tFIolzRA425R1ttyuA2Dmpc1Bt4YzV20Z40e9QZs1u26WHwkyox9O7G1p5DxeZqziYHR3dGLoGxNpN5xNMFwMbKEt9pt6dYYoURBgEHO9-U1Ha71r5AKNI1hNAvUtGXT8NtuvvoJ5L-FN9r3t1by5KWFrSQ/w640-h458/IMG_9334a.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcYEhn-W1qaJrLU-i8MId7s2gwyyYE1vMJ5B5zTiYV6WeWD6PKn05eJbaTw-5URYdddRy6v-105Kgx-0-Yk3ObNF9Q4wG--DEZsLclpNfIajYoqVSy7VLzkx-kEZRWWiOo68A1MBv6RG9VvVnWEksEpNyUN_yKVwOLDW2W0I2HUcfg9krSw/s3481/IMG_9327a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2667" data-original-width="3481" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcYEhn-W1qaJrLU-i8MId7s2gwyyYE1vMJ5B5zTiYV6WeWD6PKn05eJbaTw-5URYdddRy6v-105Kgx-0-Yk3ObNF9Q4wG--DEZsLclpNfIajYoqVSy7VLzkx-kEZRWWiOo68A1MBv6RG9VvVnWEksEpNyUN_yKVwOLDW2W0I2HUcfg9krSw/w640-h490/IMG_9327a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Rob gets targeted.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Ancient Art of Making Papyrus</span></h3><div style="color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">After a fabulous Egyptian lunch at a restaurant on the banks of the Nile, we headed back into the city for more adventures. We stopped in the papyrus </span><span style="font-size: medium;">gallery of the <a href="https://www.meritbazar.com/Index.php" target="_blank">Merit Center Bazar</a> which makes its own papyrus paper using ancient traditional methods and then paints the parchment. Many of the paintings were copies of actual designs found on the walls and other artifacts from the tombs of the pharaohs, with lots of reference to the Egyptian gods and mythology. Other paintings were more "touristy," with images of King Tut, the buildings, etc. They were <span><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span>beautifully done, so Rob and I purchased two of them, shown in the photos below, to bring home.</span></span></span></div><div style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxTrIWcVWERwodB4mbdp4Icv9KjVa0LrS6pz9tp6x92SHkr2n6NBjrJRGPrnrR6lVzzeWkMZ4nlOAm1zwhmVsJ3pBRtW1g-XXtWs8UrEl4FI44tL5A-JFDr7sTUhj33KQyY_KvSqDq_Xu8JvLicu4lCUMVNi2yYaq_XhU0H-noV59PLIuA/s4473/IMG_9360a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4473" data-original-width="2784" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOxTrIWcVWERwodB4mbdp4Icv9KjVa0LrS6pz9tp6x92SHkr2n6NBjrJRGPrnrR6lVzzeWkMZ4nlOAm1zwhmVsJ3pBRtW1g-XXtWs8UrEl4FI44tL5A-JFDr7sTUhj33KQyY_KvSqDq_Xu8JvLicu4lCUMVNi2yYaq_XhU0H-noV59PLIuA/w398-h640/IMG_9360a.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Papyrus no longer grows wild in Egypt, but it is still farmed.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3qxyhnY2n7YzvxNjtemtevfyL4_yd1m7jk-oTtQDopzUcBrZz43YmZG-7_LHI6KaqAsP4nMX5PuWRJ0y3irEeWkzwcal50IR2WSXFuVl3ROai3pa3gTjitWHCGaNQiWQgB1rf_iHmZk5tGk5abT8d0s5Y_7QeJnBv2-FGkv3V3Hgb5nl3A/s4729/IMG_9361a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4729" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3qxyhnY2n7YzvxNjtemtevfyL4_yd1m7jk-oTtQDopzUcBrZz43YmZG-7_LHI6KaqAsP4nMX5PuWRJ0y3irEeWkzwcal50IR2WSXFuVl3ROai3pa3gTjitWHCGaNQiWQgB1rf_iHmZk5tGk5abT8d0s5Y_7QeJnBv2-FGkv3V3Hgb5nl3A/w640-h394/IMG_9361a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The stalks are thinly sliced.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5O6jJVYLAijO2xjqbGSXSDzsUtATVjNG9NIkMT-U33iG6Tqu5vlBGAobaFICFqLzpFsPjWXMGiLvMIjbSgWUGBbcCmGPimL39Bf74U2UOsaxzqJVN5okmqjnBEGKIxhuZ1u9fnSBsIxzr-mRvDz_LAYHXe9dsRHVMlKW1z8fyNUW7bRSXg/s4263/IMG_9362a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="4263" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5O6jJVYLAijO2xjqbGSXSDzsUtATVjNG9NIkMT-U33iG6Tqu5vlBGAobaFICFqLzpFsPjWXMGiLvMIjbSgWUGBbcCmGPimL39Bf74U2UOsaxzqJVN5okmqjnBEGKIxhuZ1u9fnSBsIxzr-mRvDz_LAYHXe9dsRHVMlKW1z8fyNUW7bRSXg/w640-h380/IMG_9362a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The slices are rolled flat.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5YP5AupB_JUaek8aKTLnOWiolAJ_B8TPdODcjEcXqfp1U9MTMBpN6jrn7ZnDU0w42kp_N5zKd39GAcuc0BLePrxJjP5hCz1kqPNBoJIUYf2w5PrDRWFqIeFRpzf6LAmJIWN8iTvPQ6k_he4CFFjpsj5gNMEO52AFcQ3a_LGacgllUtNBXw/s4740/IMG_9363a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2663" data-original-width="4740" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5YP5AupB_JUaek8aKTLnOWiolAJ_B8TPdODcjEcXqfp1U9MTMBpN6jrn7ZnDU0w42kp_N5zKd39GAcuc0BLePrxJjP5hCz1kqPNBoJIUYf2w5PrDRWFqIeFRpzf6LAmJIWN8iTvPQ6k_he4CFFjpsj5gNMEO52AFcQ3a_LGacgllUtNBXw/w640-h360/IMG_9363a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">They are soaked in water to become more flexible.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5110A2zBos91qAJ7HtwrkHW9UuRzHW5EY8F5zlfBfG2QuqxN2IJ9NuWHFdJNTMhghXK3Q57l4Df5wiop4A8evdbChDLk6UuQb4JptB0dxsTiesn4HrOxHJBo4g-DwUg10OKEx8mcKNp9BnPFiesoOLfl80NweXDTTi2uvcR5kEPMsRA6glg/s4933/IMG_9364a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2771" data-original-width="4933" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5110A2zBos91qAJ7HtwrkHW9UuRzHW5EY8F5zlfBfG2QuqxN2IJ9NuWHFdJNTMhghXK3Q57l4Df5wiop4A8evdbChDLk6UuQb4JptB0dxsTiesn4HrOxHJBo4g-DwUg10OKEx8mcKNp9BnPFiesoOLfl80NweXDTTi2uvcR5kEPMsRA6glg/w640-h360/IMG_9364a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Then they are woven into a mat...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU9uSIXtkrii8ksiJyDRREP7wmQuSLuTQSRX7BcG-4fi62-mrW_0Pf56bb5nK7VEPrIz913t3rCO8wbbf51c-HYhPnwF4ORYbxZILbQ7kMN2J3U0LA_nEr2N43DEabvlCkGA-gz2BTnvEyvf_1EQp9Yl7paoryW2AQ-9X46_O5v0zPEVqnA/s4794/IMG_9365a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="4794" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU9uSIXtkrii8ksiJyDRREP7wmQuSLuTQSRX7BcG-4fi62-mrW_0Pf56bb5nK7VEPrIz913t3rCO8wbbf51c-HYhPnwF4ORYbxZILbQ7kMN2J3U0LA_nEr2N43DEabvlCkGA-gz2BTnvEyvf_1EQp9Yl7paoryW2AQ-9X46_O5v0zPEVqnA/w640-h380/IMG_9365a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">...which is pressed between mats to soak up any moisture and flatten the papyrus sheet. (This was done between heavy rocks in ancient times.)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoxokyJBHwk88YNa1ITswawmUoiY5P8xbNnJoj1fJC2t0MGmgS9fyeg-u8len5Y7ntfYLvl7o92BPhwKwOJ3fn1VGp0fp-FbPGASH7929uw2HWRb5-4B42Dl9tpdfj_JYjRAEFgm-OTMUth3T9XWPJHzBvroE7zs__yRdjKFVHjQRNfIsNQ/s3807/20230311_150320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="3807" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoxokyJBHwk88YNa1ITswawmUoiY5P8xbNnJoj1fJC2t0MGmgS9fyeg-u8len5Y7ntfYLvl7o92BPhwKwOJ3fn1VGp0fp-FbPGASH7929uw2HWRb5-4B42Dl9tpdfj_JYjRAEFgm-OTMUth3T9XWPJHzBvroE7zs__yRdjKFVHjQRNfIsNQ/w640-h262/20230311_150320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A more colorful copy of a 4,600 year old tomb painting - one of the earliest paintings in Egypt</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4hFpcuJsXIYTszlIOX9x6CFx6lmE2izdg193dDyRNQA-NOCx7vdrJa3Y7GZki87Y-DiuaEUoD6XDPrkgZ4-zAoD9a6gnBtJf2a-SQAkLjz0XHM24t-z4rXZYIS1A05Sf4HBtk7WqmAZJjqnbMJjvUzHcP92HCDugkzCo-NS_5Dg7uSckNA/s2685/20230311_150407.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="2347" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4hFpcuJsXIYTszlIOX9x6CFx6lmE2izdg193dDyRNQA-NOCx7vdrJa3Y7GZki87Y-DiuaEUoD6XDPrkgZ4-zAoD9a6gnBtJf2a-SQAkLjz0XHM24t-z4rXZYIS1A05Sf4HBtk7WqmAZJjqnbMJjvUzHcP92HCDugkzCo-NS_5Dg7uSckNA/w560-h640/20230311_150407.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A copy of the design on the golden throne of King Tut</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><h3 style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Egyptian Museum</span></h3></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>The rest of the afternoon was spent in <a href="https://www.egyptianmuseumcairo.com/egyptian-museum-cairo/" target="_blank">The Egyptian Museum</a>. This museum in the heart of Cairo is soon being replaced by a huge new and modern museum that will stand near the great pyramids. </span><span>But this original museum is fabulous. I found myself incredibly grateful that the early Egyptians believed that "you CAN take it with you." Their tomb chambers were filled with everything you could imagine taking with you for your eternal life - jewelry, furniture, dried food, boats, animals, images of servants and the gods. Because these dry desert chambers were embedded deep into the pyramids or in hidden caves in the Valley of the Kings, many of the artifacts are perfectly preserved, and the artwork retains its vivid color.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUIpepa5n-Opf2JxhRlcvKsa8fVKA7cmLGySuKwnhiw-cM7Ankzeur6przZ4TYEiwfZKSdkTLNZO3JvFfnmI_DiWVwKIQmZeXlKQDXtNAz6KCJlx41vJl4B5RNMdrah0xgsM4rMRZ-3a076wcKxKqkrQBAwEkFc29Ihzxv5enuQ0ZBfNFrA/s4968/IMG_9379a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="4968" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUIpepa5n-Opf2JxhRlcvKsa8fVKA7cmLGySuKwnhiw-cM7Ankzeur6przZ4TYEiwfZKSdkTLNZO3JvFfnmI_DiWVwKIQmZeXlKQDXtNAz6KCJlx41vJl4B5RNMdrah0xgsM4rMRZ-3a076wcKxKqkrQBAwEkFc29Ihzxv5enuQ0ZBfNFrA/w640-h360/IMG_9379a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7ihnWVRNxlB67jBcIk9E-ROT0ag6FcPnhmqrDxvqZbdDw8H82hHRAmWhzPo1oS6UXHrdwoNC62CnBjpvJMM3rPr84sCc5sHTlZu0Ru89tGsc5lPA4edcuqcv91OP36G-vzBPZMhscV1-fpJ0YywvBdxKpVF0nvJh1WTQT71jIe8la2SVTw/s3695/IMG_9381a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="3695" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7ihnWVRNxlB67jBcIk9E-ROT0ag6FcPnhmqrDxvqZbdDw8H82hHRAmWhzPo1oS6UXHrdwoNC62CnBjpvJMM3rPr84sCc5sHTlZu0Ru89tGsc5lPA4edcuqcv91OP36G-vzBPZMhscV1-fpJ0YywvBdxKpVF0nvJh1WTQT71jIe8la2SVTw/w640-h492/IMG_9381a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Irene led us through the museum, which is laid out based on the three Kingdoms of ancient Egypt, the Old, Middle, and New. Many of the statues of the pharaohs, other important people, and the gods were immense, towering high over us. Here are some of the most notable treasures of the museum.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1Nfu6euup3w6Y5I2JkV3_jPYL1u8zBFpEZuLe8_KAZaKfW70EmcPtSA4wIcsoHp1Cw40Hsz1KiSQOHc0D3FdNukIl1zV7dAKS8qcEEEBjY6jLS0vbs6Qi6VfNdK7oLBiRJjwy_Dh3Ng5SlrlgfIiCAcmhlT6vcuYngxjXlBqKqkgICQVRg/s1981/1200px-Djoser_d1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="1030" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1Nfu6euup3w6Y5I2JkV3_jPYL1u8zBFpEZuLe8_KAZaKfW70EmcPtSA4wIcsoHp1Cw40Hsz1KiSQOHc0D3FdNukIl1zV7dAKS8qcEEEBjY6jLS0vbs6Qi6VfNdK7oLBiRJjwy_Dh3Ng5SlrlgfIiCAcmhlT6vcuYngxjXlBqKqkgICQVRg/w332-h640/1200px-Djoser_d1.jpg" width="332" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This statue of Djoser, a pharaoh from the Old Kingdom,</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> is the oldest known life-size statue in Egypt.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Djoser built the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, the first pyramid.</span></b><br /><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5SzdMLssZOO6tUikLw75zEnZiLnpu_zmlPbGBFi7nZZ-6eYhy_TzYW8W3Smp0yOrzioIP9MWQJZeWfdPtFAt5m7WBtrKsjxVK9AC-P_gmrgBM0q42h90bZ1R6q4E54aqB4GFyx207lGJUfg4BEayxcQFt09Tqr2V-2MQT-70SF_WTade9Q/s1774/Statuette%20of%20Khufu.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1774" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5SzdMLssZOO6tUikLw75zEnZiLnpu_zmlPbGBFi7nZZ-6eYhy_TzYW8W3Smp0yOrzioIP9MWQJZeWfdPtFAt5m7WBtrKsjxVK9AC-P_gmrgBM0q42h90bZ1R6q4E54aqB4GFyx207lGJUfg4BEayxcQFt09Tqr2V-2MQT-70SF_WTade9Q/w640-h582/Statuette%20of%20Khufu.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Statuette of Khufu (aka Cheops), the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. <br />Ironically, the builder of the largest pyramid has only this tiny statue.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFQYdZ_kCU15VLegc8nDDeNcb1zx7y9JBe2NWmy77l-YCzJgX3eq-OYysDWK_nLv8obE8GejjV214etf0bxD7owvWhePzIj5yTEplo_Z3NtOcxwauJjUM2U-Fe2WnzrKx53Rf1NOF_nxmMgcs5EhcFYf73BjHRWqhbUyCV0SzdRnDwQ9BFg/s4430/Khafre.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4430" data-original-width="2753" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFQYdZ_kCU15VLegc8nDDeNcb1zx7y9JBe2NWmy77l-YCzJgX3eq-OYysDWK_nLv8obE8GejjV214etf0bxD7owvWhePzIj5yTEplo_Z3NtOcxwauJjUM2U-Fe2WnzrKx53Rf1NOF_nxmMgcs5EhcFYf73BjHRWqhbUyCV0SzdRnDwQ9BFg/w280-h450/Khafre.JPG" width="280" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpAIjbupmlMP_krYvW9oYdZZ-fI1bzThiUNNeWws30LNA5W9utK5FNP2lsqDgpZhCzqMkaHe7TF7obMb_BBdMR_1OL5sHWBzEnCvFv31YfVe_1FXI-HO6VbgzuaLWdXMerhufg1ACFdmTTWrnNpN5Mvlzqg9BHyILKTYbC8VkKaiIhw5yCA/s4657/Statue%20of%20Khafre%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4657" data-original-width="2315" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpAIjbupmlMP_krYvW9oYdZZ-fI1bzThiUNNeWws30LNA5W9utK5FNP2lsqDgpZhCzqMkaHe7TF7obMb_BBdMR_1OL5sHWBzEnCvFv31YfVe_1FXI-HO6VbgzuaLWdXMerhufg1ACFdmTTWrnNpN5Mvlzqg9BHyILKTYbC8VkKaiIhw5yCA/w224-h450/Statue%20of%20Khafre%20a.JPG" width="224" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> The two images above are of Khafre, builder of the middle pyramid in the </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Giza Necropolis. The falcon behind his head is Horus, indicating that Khafre is also a god.</span></b></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ArEUhVABnrXqNyrxk1z6dHiPt7DFMEEnTQG6sbMhgWqiZZN5xr2FLRoEjyYlX6k_fD2MnbrwlR9fyO7rHjz-xuazEdaS7OhBdT3ngFj7OEzJz4XJLm_aKsgfzJx__nzHX8HskYBiNCH1tfUMlqwBk1OtL-Eq3Yz027H9k9ohe-9uaNmLWQ/s3660/Menkaure%20Triad.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3660" data-original-width="2064" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ArEUhVABnrXqNyrxk1z6dHiPt7DFMEEnTQG6sbMhgWqiZZN5xr2FLRoEjyYlX6k_fD2MnbrwlR9fyO7rHjz-xuazEdaS7OhBdT3ngFj7OEzJz4XJLm_aKsgfzJx__nzHX8HskYBiNCH1tfUMlqwBk1OtL-Eq3Yz027H9k9ohe-9uaNmLWQ/w360-h640/Menkaure%20Triad.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Here is Pharaoh Menkaure, builder of the third pyramid of Giza.<br />He wears the tall white crown of upper Egypt, and he is flanked by<br />Hathor, the great Sky Goddess on the left and the Cow Goddess Bat on the right.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-denOZ3Z6NGAnrd5oIZizEIzLiweBRfY-ZHggQM7GVvYVmNfhMKmoIL7RBtJdn_TuIVqVh19BlUe0nREd8xdQqsTD6PJvxQauh9bUgeg5FenZkCvvHJKsDJETsaegnuMf8QqGP4oOcPbB0nW6lv0RzNI88YSmGMqbe9YdTniF9V2hv0egg/s3723/Statue%20Face%20of%20Ka-Aper.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="3723" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-denOZ3Z6NGAnrd5oIZizEIzLiweBRfY-ZHggQM7GVvYVmNfhMKmoIL7RBtJdn_TuIVqVh19BlUe0nREd8xdQqsTD6PJvxQauh9bUgeg5FenZkCvvHJKsDJETsaegnuMf8QqGP4oOcPbB0nW6lv0RzNI88YSmGMqbe9YdTniF9V2hv0egg/w640-h468/Statue%20Face%20of%20Ka-Aper.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This sycamore statue of Ka-aper Sheik el Balad of the Old Kingdom gave the archaeologists who discovered it quite a fright. Look at the realistic glass eyes.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIfqAS4U9YuBIbRnNSn-Z4gP-fB3USAu5rdJMP_45yaQ7Fm2qCU9ckStivb0yeRQ7g5n8808wLZTCMRh8zDBkuB4LS2os43o6hC9MQByQTnUGAKmtGzYPYb0HNN27PrlwqMGypMXgO01YYIgLn-GM1asd0Xuu7A6SK61rx9q509OXjnnpww/s4744/Statue%20of%20Ka-aper.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4744" data-original-width="2515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIfqAS4U9YuBIbRnNSn-Z4gP-fB3USAu5rdJMP_45yaQ7Fm2qCU9ckStivb0yeRQ7g5n8808wLZTCMRh8zDBkuB4LS2os43o6hC9MQByQTnUGAKmtGzYPYb0HNN27PrlwqMGypMXgO01YYIgLn-GM1asd0Xuu7A6SK61rx9q509OXjnnpww/w340-h640/Statue%20of%20Ka-aper.JPG" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Ka-aper was a scribe and priest.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFXykm7hnplgv1EITl0aNwAJRKakcuZaTHssMFUIE48LlcO81M7YW1XHwY2Lsf7PNNVmI0XAvLO9ijWYnL-zxWSAYFsM7GZd1DMxOmmYjpNhCoztp3NgZNwDeBDyHtiSzld0i6_2ySn06thAPJj1b2TSX6OXRi1wCd4flZeGZ0gucVP034Q/s3569/Statue%20of%20Seated%20Scribe.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3569" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFXykm7hnplgv1EITl0aNwAJRKakcuZaTHssMFUIE48LlcO81M7YW1XHwY2Lsf7PNNVmI0XAvLO9ijWYnL-zxWSAYFsM7GZd1DMxOmmYjpNhCoztp3NgZNwDeBDyHtiSzld0i6_2ySn06thAPJj1b2TSX6OXRi1wCd4flZeGZ0gucVP034Q/w640-h522/Statue%20of%20Seated%20Scribe.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is another scribe of the Old Kingdom. Scribes were near the top of the social pyramid. <br />This unidentified scribe is in a traditional position in Egyptian art - <br />sitting cross-legged with a papyrus scroll on his knees.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiMRgl9hp2jOEXdqLjHMYZgT_xZih3lgAz_EGduxQ2ymhMJjjFEVXfHkAcuI2-jylnlsGRI0RqVrqmhBs6P8H4mt0LRnAiaS83NAY9lDRq4ljD9QQpqqi50nn-IxGVTNmciSNto4NcEdYZ37luRj8EWBSMDTRJy39Ky5PW9ABKU3OglQhbQ/s4171/Seneb%20and%20Family.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4171" data-original-width="2744" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiMRgl9hp2jOEXdqLjHMYZgT_xZih3lgAz_EGduxQ2ymhMJjjFEVXfHkAcuI2-jylnlsGRI0RqVrqmhBs6P8H4mt0LRnAiaS83NAY9lDRq4ljD9QQpqqi50nn-IxGVTNmciSNto4NcEdYZ37luRj8EWBSMDTRJy39Ky5PW9ABKU3OglQhbQ/w422-h640/Seneb%20and%20Family.JPG" width="422" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Seneb and his family. Seneb was a dwarf, but highly respected<br />as the Funerary Priest of Khufu</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtVViDHbonkav1POxZruU2VFeZh90apgsebRorE2xrG-YiMUi1QnOZFxtSWKtz8VzLhdbxNb9s2auvZokWoqGkxGw0ei4pOpKGEJz70DTJGSk2wB8hHMRpOUIepNZcDRfsodXOcexz7hBM9edN0IBJVTojkLl48To4UVWDNIdBQwOLjy-bA/s4163/Statue%20of%20Rahotep%20and%20Nofret.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4163" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtVViDHbonkav1POxZruU2VFeZh90apgsebRorE2xrG-YiMUi1QnOZFxtSWKtz8VzLhdbxNb9s2auvZokWoqGkxGw0ei4pOpKGEJz70DTJGSk2wB8hHMRpOUIepNZcDRfsodXOcexz7hBM9edN0IBJVTojkLl48To4UVWDNIdBQwOLjy-bA/w448-h640/Statue%20of%20Rahotep%20and%20Nofret.JPG" width="448" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Statues of Rahotep and his wife Nofret. <br />Prince Rahotep was a High Priest of Ra and is believed to be the brother of Khufu.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL3w-Z1fo_ZH8FkDtq56tOynI2avSe-dYmnx6J8RbAyskEefMv9FUjKboO5odwFqaKisymwl2OFetdTGQd1PhYKiMpSeKEZrHMZYVDVENaZfFRAvX55Wzmn7fSkJeQ0_j91UfxcD_U6elzHGTtouoxNLDHjptsX4FfZu0nqHviDRl019WWg/s4458/Statue%20of%20Mentuhotep%20II.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4458" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL3w-Z1fo_ZH8FkDtq56tOynI2avSe-dYmnx6J8RbAyskEefMv9FUjKboO5odwFqaKisymwl2OFetdTGQd1PhYKiMpSeKEZrHMZYVDVENaZfFRAvX55Wzmn7fSkJeQ0_j91UfxcD_U6elzHGTtouoxNLDHjptsX4FfZu0nqHviDRl019WWg/w412-h640/Statue%20of%20Mentuhotep%20II.JPG" width="412" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is Menhotep II.<br />He reunited Upper and Lower Egypt which began the Middle Kingdom.<br /></span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhH9NFpuNi6cvT5fnNdawdxSkhqYXcYsrrxljjTQ2NrQyb92-aS_cIBPEaU0OyAfXPTG3yaXVF5gu7vvrNZ0U3Rk3FfGKlw7ozSc3U8B7xqAFXFXN3f9_T4gGgXEjvsSSY7-fz9N8DZUqCNNXKKbm8DNMtA_KjJ-ps7jgs9wGglxejNq60g/s3753/Statue%20Hatshepsut.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3753" data-original-width="2728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhH9NFpuNi6cvT5fnNdawdxSkhqYXcYsrrxljjTQ2NrQyb92-aS_cIBPEaU0OyAfXPTG3yaXVF5gu7vvrNZ0U3Rk3FfGKlw7ozSc3U8B7xqAFXFXN3f9_T4gGgXEjvsSSY7-fz9N8DZUqCNNXKKbm8DNMtA_KjJ-ps7jgs9wGglxejNq60g/w466-h640/Statue%20Hatshepsut.JPG" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The head of Hatshepsut, a powerful female pharaoh.<br />We will meet her again on this journey.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaRX328s2os5c_B9riKy04fEcJKpqEj_ORPD1uypafBlWWUuhI8AXFeOS7I2aRUcXCmEzQvpqlXwC3LHDa-27dgrmK4vU2ERzpHxNcRqQLPEyN_i7-CDia1-ShiZ3mZpgWD7yyjvaK7TKgZ0IOhTL8dn2DSAeB7VRVkmsL7sC1itH54N3PQ/s2641/Statue%20Amenhotep%20III%20and%20Tiye.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2641" data-original-width="2264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaRX328s2os5c_B9riKy04fEcJKpqEj_ORPD1uypafBlWWUuhI8AXFeOS7I2aRUcXCmEzQvpqlXwC3LHDa-27dgrmK4vU2ERzpHxNcRqQLPEyN_i7-CDia1-ShiZ3mZpgWD7yyjvaK7TKgZ0IOhTL8dn2DSAeB7VRVkmsL7sC1itH54N3PQ/w548-h640/Statue%20Amenhotep%20III%20and%20Tiye.JPG" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is the colossal statue of Amenhotep III, his wife Tiye, and their daughters<br />Dating from the New Kingdom, it is the largest dyad ever carved.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fuFHFZA8KAbeVIr-mt7u3P9jB3CctTJEzivrMmSVLaXyotwi1aGFBH--gvWgyGS1dDS_GUt5Bc2FfDSjmdYc75sgQh1l3fjC49SsEqiFnd-1c45AXQ7kcKhqpxTSO5uJPURZXJ6fQ9WS1_nTJiTFWk7xqrOKIaVAwZmNVaCaqblTOoawmw/s4774/Statue%20Amenhotep.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4774" data-original-width="2054" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fuFHFZA8KAbeVIr-mt7u3P9jB3CctTJEzivrMmSVLaXyotwi1aGFBH--gvWgyGS1dDS_GUt5Bc2FfDSjmdYc75sgQh1l3fjC49SsEqiFnd-1c45AXQ7kcKhqpxTSO5uJPURZXJ6fQ9WS1_nTJiTFWk7xqrOKIaVAwZmNVaCaqblTOoawmw/w276-h640/Statue%20Amenhotep.JPG" width="276" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T4gwnNZCV82g0kyzfagghNXjr4nH5iVTE6r_hrUqFgA8PIWJ5CTCRubmPVqu6_mdGED5zNn8VoTu1WLfY0O6gaOr-drUpsMUsVk5qeK7naFC8Jft5d3SHohTIcRmTgtTheY7rnUJBCLMtRJUaCLW8AV1DIOmAi1xVntCQRaKVOZMM48jdA/s3517/Statue%20Amenhotep%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3517" data-original-width="2891" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T4gwnNZCV82g0kyzfagghNXjr4nH5iVTE6r_hrUqFgA8PIWJ5CTCRubmPVqu6_mdGED5zNn8VoTu1WLfY0O6gaOr-drUpsMUsVk5qeK7naFC8Jft5d3SHohTIcRmTgtTheY7rnUJBCLMtRJUaCLW8AV1DIOmAi1xVntCQRaKVOZMM48jdA/w526-h640/Statue%20Amenhotep%20a.JPG" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The two photos above are of Amenhotep IV, who took the name Akhenaten.<br />He was the first pharaoh to promote the worship of one god.<br />His strange shape is due to a genetic disorder called Marfan's syndrome, <br />but he insisted on realistic images of himself.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Akhenatun is also the father of King Tutankhamen, and on the second floor of the museum we found its best-known treasure, items from the burial chamber of young King Tut. I was disappointed to learn that no photos were allowed in the room that held his coffin and death mask, but most of you have seen photos of this well-known face. Happily, many of the treasures from the chamber are displayed in the gallery, including his solid gold throne. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpVYlVNIgzIAqIfYl9KPryoDZUom8WofvmnI3n9ABbKkgsJyikptxiln42h7BG3NPqlqLfZEFUWQKNt_5y0qUA2rMlMeEITJwkqHnXwUfp-ToqIsF_mPWx9KN1EuqIvvEfJgARnasVSAaAcaMSicMhONOwcmdILeC2wc5uFu5xlntFYaRrw/s2825/Tut%20Throne.JPG" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="2421" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpVYlVNIgzIAqIfYl9KPryoDZUom8WofvmnI3n9ABbKkgsJyikptxiln42h7BG3NPqlqLfZEFUWQKNt_5y0qUA2rMlMeEITJwkqHnXwUfp-ToqIsF_mPWx9KN1EuqIvvEfJgARnasVSAaAcaMSicMhONOwcmdILeC2wc5uFu5xlntFYaRrw/w548-h640/Tut%20Throne.JPG" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">King Tut's solid gold throne</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3359-i-daAOhVAhhEJTKKqizRhqEpYgIzA2Q8c80qXH7LiEYMZ29a8-4XkwYEFoAYjZMzYBEMTZMNiGnfFF6pcoE4Tl2ZOYP94kr4X82L1DuQaMEeUgGAst_MMqdU04WBEj3VuuAmAgzW-lMSpsRdmQGPbYAc9_mEz0mW5TJz_tnI7j9hrw/s4030/Tut%20Anubis.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2781" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3359-i-daAOhVAhhEJTKKqizRhqEpYgIzA2Q8c80qXH7LiEYMZ29a8-4XkwYEFoAYjZMzYBEMTZMNiGnfFF6pcoE4Tl2ZOYP94kr4X82L1DuQaMEeUgGAst_MMqdU04WBEj3VuuAmAgzW-lMSpsRdmQGPbYAc9_mEz0mW5TJz_tnI7j9hrw/w442-h640/Tut%20Anubis.JPG" width="442" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The jackal god, Anubis, guards the tomb against grave robbers.<br />In Tut's case, it worked!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp91xDM5WESCi9Iqo4eBK4dLRG8QXggEwdWd1pJtsuM9hheUnf_Vv-5xiXiGdvcsMRgiDKQ4ygruLkD7HxqsrV5XDV9BW9W0uw_EoA7Y8M9KlWHYOpL9Ldtwc4frS-WC422Iwkyd7_7mP0mNcJzNNGEELCZzFGkes_CbQN2UzCKNtmVzIMQ/s2350/Tut%20Canopic%20Casket.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2350" data-original-width="1670" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp91xDM5WESCi9Iqo4eBK4dLRG8QXggEwdWd1pJtsuM9hheUnf_Vv-5xiXiGdvcsMRgiDKQ4ygruLkD7HxqsrV5XDV9BW9W0uw_EoA7Y8M9KlWHYOpL9Ldtwc4frS-WC422Iwkyd7_7mP0mNcJzNNGEELCZzFGkes_CbQN2UzCKNtmVzIMQ/w454-h640/Tut%20Canopic%20Casket.JPG" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This golden casket held the canopic jars shown below.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MckHEr7Od1F3x6gR_z_L1AZv-BFb03sYcSbZ6v8XoYm_8qGihXRXVXxsqMtKp0fcMCh4lf9wEczGBhuxLWEbG975Sjr_hh5-2NIoeD0oWbd6bPHJUHDClwuieBD2jsd2E8Mx7cx0GLaDD55dj26WV1rWIUYlrLKDOOAsMrtW-gqQf-uj6w/s3306/Tut%20Canopic%20Jars.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="3306" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MckHEr7Od1F3x6gR_z_L1AZv-BFb03sYcSbZ6v8XoYm_8qGihXRXVXxsqMtKp0fcMCh4lf9wEczGBhuxLWEbG975Sjr_hh5-2NIoeD0oWbd6bPHJUHDClwuieBD2jsd2E8Mx7cx0GLaDD55dj26WV1rWIUYlrLKDOOAsMrtW-gqQf-uj6w/w640-h538/Tut%20Canopic%20Jars.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Each of these alabaster canopic jars held the organs of King Tut,<br />removed during the process of mummification. All organs were removed except the heart.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0ZLgLbyZaJcwufCOnXIDGsbPHTnfNRu8SUsd2cNxc2K5hN6Kskn4DP1fsET_DYSjE32qVolrts4h91hm9MuogE43ZB-kPvO-D5CIgzOBp5ndcpHrT37I1JM4opXWWktPjZ4OTWDSbulrCxtB7Z7HGOmHB3Iu91BbGjYCHCMRjvN341DUsA/s3823/Tut%20Folding%20Chair.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3823" data-original-width="2771" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0ZLgLbyZaJcwufCOnXIDGsbPHTnfNRu8SUsd2cNxc2K5hN6Kskn4DP1fsET_DYSjE32qVolrts4h91hm9MuogE43ZB-kPvO-D5CIgzOBp5ndcpHrT37I1JM4opXWWktPjZ4OTWDSbulrCxtB7Z7HGOmHB3Iu91BbGjYCHCMRjvN341DUsA/w464-h640/Tut%20Folding%20Chair.JPG" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Another chair from King Tut's tomb. </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNugNSOX4R596Zlwy4GYuU4FvOksANVMt69URUkMgcHs-ASh52iEcahwYzBmEkHXD3sX-wBk25sZ7HUN1CHBDl1qvL1UJHqRptRDiFXExtCwCbvsz_Ox7I9CvIRBMFy-rSJe_YWzAYb1Y-6nZLt0lYUY0aOnpx-EUrZ3VX4k6niEC3cuxCA/s3093/Tut%20Folding%20Chair%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2770" data-original-width="3093" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNugNSOX4R596Zlwy4GYuU4FvOksANVMt69URUkMgcHs-ASh52iEcahwYzBmEkHXD3sX-wBk25sZ7HUN1CHBDl1qvL1UJHqRptRDiFXExtCwCbvsz_Ox7I9CvIRBMFy-rSJe_YWzAYb1Y-6nZLt0lYUY0aOnpx-EUrZ3VX4k6niEC3cuxCA/w640-h574/Tut%20Folding%20Chair%20a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This chair was the first known folding chair.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVwzo0R0PKO2iKdu5vBRPW0lW7O4Vw1s00ATTeRawNG6mpjOyDB6ZYZIkmZB1RbxnfMmOlLolHc4A1ZZwlyaA7xhWJzgqPgdJc_8ISaZNC_Cuyhmrt5dLQDahXBArpeFDeqrFUACCP0xLFzyKAVLJtJwtQQR79vTB5jGXSTdAsEGH7v5N9w/s4856/Tut%20Statue.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4856" data-original-width="1696" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVwzo0R0PKO2iKdu5vBRPW0lW7O4Vw1s00ATTeRawNG6mpjOyDB6ZYZIkmZB1RbxnfMmOlLolHc4A1ZZwlyaA7xhWJzgqPgdJc_8ISaZNC_Cuyhmrt5dLQDahXBArpeFDeqrFUACCP0xLFzyKAVLJtJwtQQR79vTB5jGXSTdAsEGH7v5N9w/w224-h640/Tut%20Statue.JPG" width="224" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A statue of the young king</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivg5Xxwzv_damxl9Zzx8aOBn4usQnEB-SJ-Jx4-V1nu6R5DgJ7hA07SqzTGWcy7qDtkzDvUfW7Tnkjze0UhjF9edoGo6QjUqjtrX6-R3uOK4ITEqkOnMhqKob6Xi4gjZ01TSbzANWuwXO6QpgEIqd-SJDBT3-3mvqak0JbwCIPWVQ2RB1bcA/s3314/IMG_9449a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2222" data-original-width="3314" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivg5Xxwzv_damxl9Zzx8aOBn4usQnEB-SJ-Jx4-V1nu6R5DgJ7hA07SqzTGWcy7qDtkzDvUfW7Tnkjze0UhjF9edoGo6QjUqjtrX6-R3uOK4ITEqkOnMhqKob6Xi4gjZ01TSbzANWuwXO6QpgEIqd-SJDBT3-3mvqak0JbwCIPWVQ2RB1bcA/w640-h430/IMG_9449a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">And another image of Tut with some of his possessions.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A special exhibit included the actual mummies of a royal couple, Yuya and his wife, Thuya, who were found in the Valley of the Kings in 1904 and were buried in the same chamber, which was unusual. Yuya was a powerful nobleman during the New Kingdom, and his wife was "the royal mother of the great wife of the king." As was true with King Tut and other pharaohs, each of them was buried in the smallest of three nested coffins, all of which were enclosed in a large stone sarcophagus. These were laid out along the hall of the museum, along with the mummies of the couple.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlK12tmBRr3UxOPZl0VkAGhyritSFDTbQSx4O7E6W9R6AYo8ssiaxfiY-aIR65TRUTef-UCcBQjaqUNg52ArvEA7K6yqzXY_acQqtYKnYlSvjkQSVugyKyt9kT3J8kuySHafXzLPZKPLlqPoMgJqIUrJjHyN4fXti9-WfZ9pbCATDYz8yOA/s4036/Yuya%20and%20Thura%20a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2807" data-original-width="4036" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlK12tmBRr3UxOPZl0VkAGhyritSFDTbQSx4O7E6W9R6AYo8ssiaxfiY-aIR65TRUTef-UCcBQjaqUNg52ArvEA7K6yqzXY_acQqtYKnYlSvjkQSVugyKyt9kT3J8kuySHafXzLPZKPLlqPoMgJqIUrJjHyN4fXti9-WfZ9pbCATDYz8yOA/w640-h446/Yuya%20and%20Thura%20a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XxW6N-IzpkR7sv8x22XzyJDrlZ30UXVPF5artxalUzQR-7pBUVS0WXMGyYjuIqJvoXNJX3CaKAo3cfjU1lXluW_anrVZL1up0tczW4FIlgWzusvfwkXzgUCwmfAhmLrzoj_y4_VKz7QDr5pUHqX8S0BHN_X2gYM-7zZveVSO0bPiYyi9Ow/s3805/IMG_9464a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="3805" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XxW6N-IzpkR7sv8x22XzyJDrlZ30UXVPF5artxalUzQR-7pBUVS0WXMGyYjuIqJvoXNJX3CaKAo3cfjU1lXluW_anrVZL1up0tczW4FIlgWzusvfwkXzgUCwmfAhmLrzoj_y4_VKz7QDr5pUHqX8S0BHN_X2gYM-7zZveVSO0bPiYyi9Ow/w640-h490/IMG_9464a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25HH8E-zCau1znISAWtf-HBxBfhPhafVG-BaIO6H8Q7WVm7-cZwp_Tjuo5Ou9w6hnURUrhilG0-bG04-lupnrcE9DEbzDVMMNPv-sL4iHnzUcokwti2LjwCfbb8P7E5XWcvQSF04Ftq-VaS2Sn6QY1EfvYNe4YTEULYbvk6ObuiL_DVS5Fw/s4589/IMG_9467a.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="4589" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25HH8E-zCau1znISAWtf-HBxBfhPhafVG-BaIO6H8Q7WVm7-cZwp_Tjuo5Ou9w6hnURUrhilG0-bG04-lupnrcE9DEbzDVMMNPv-sL4iHnzUcokwti2LjwCfbb8P7E5XWcvQSF04Ftq-VaS2Sn6QY1EfvYNe4YTEULYbvk6ObuiL_DVS5Fw/w640-h406/IMG_9467a.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWF1JQX9-Q5tgi-We57udsWEhYkgpksgWuZxCY_N7aShaYmcGkKcs6MpIFtFMcb7hgwkgpSpCVsAehn01pAl2P4uUJbbfrutUt6nleK5Xx4G0yO9SemlG5lEGwUN0N4azPG8Ejx_3jNxbbmawOCvgCRJ8B_NVgiUzpmZ-ZvuxpY94uIFvxA/s5184/IMG_9468a.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="5184" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWF1JQX9-Q5tgi-We57udsWEhYkgpksgWuZxCY_N7aShaYmcGkKcs6MpIFtFMcb7hgwkgpSpCVsAehn01pAl2P4uUJbbfrutUt6nleK5Xx4G0yO9SemlG5lEGwUN0N4azPG8Ejx_3jNxbbmawOCvgCRJ8B_NVgiUzpmZ-ZvuxpY94uIFvxA/w640-h360/IMG_9468a.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The final rooms included dozens of coffins and mummies of a variety of animals, from domestic animals like cows and dogs to the "sacred" animals like crocodiles, huge fish, and turtles. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2SjnpfPeluWzVqbp5jiS_My5DBVYPZuOlh_iCMyK7I-yBzZaty41cNLe1UsD-ou0aa_ACiq0cM3n-cLphGosqHRLuFyiI7aGbNHgNCmxJM227kJrLT1iBsDMIhD4Ra05ZN1a4h0if_KxRL43ShJmNGifIon5Mjn4_QSzzBQbJdsA7XZN5g/s3943/Z%20Coffins.JPG" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="3943" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2SjnpfPeluWzVqbp5jiS_My5DBVYPZuOlh_iCMyK7I-yBzZaty41cNLe1UsD-ou0aa_ACiq0cM3n-cLphGosqHRLuFyiI7aGbNHgNCmxJM227kJrLT1iBsDMIhD4Ra05ZN1a4h0if_KxRL43ShJmNGifIon5Mjn4_QSzzBQbJdsA7XZN5g/w640-h452/Z%20Coffins.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D1MUtxUccYh-7_9_QDyhsWT_nG4aLaOKqM0Hkx9WTEQ4QrxDfYhM54xUH9130cymxdbPVKVrtI5iAPRCBS0g0uv2DJ3NIIjDRrcRm-C2oskrEWqJuGwosWA3QoRP4sSKpJqANHZyynwF22do7Bj0a5GXA3akMCi3kIP41D_Gjal86MCc8w/s3504/Mummified%20Animals.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2706" data-original-width="3504" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D1MUtxUccYh-7_9_QDyhsWT_nG4aLaOKqM0Hkx9WTEQ4QrxDfYhM54xUH9130cymxdbPVKVrtI5iAPRCBS0g0uv2DJ3NIIjDRrcRm-C2oskrEWqJuGwosWA3QoRP4sSKpJqANHZyynwF22do7Bj0a5GXA3akMCi3kIP41D_Gjal86MCc8w/w640-h494/Mummified%20Animals.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The museum was filled with other treasures and I could have wandered there for hours. But it had been a very full day, and we were happy to return to our hotel for a much-needed nap, a light dinner, and a good night of sleep!</span></div></div></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-66488350499222506762023-03-10T16:10:00.003-08:002023-03-10T16:10:25.245-08:00More African Adventures, Part 10 - Back to Arusha - and On to Home<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61h0yFvyR9xj4IQ9IwXRwmhNgPAoEWQMp4gY6RL-_7HXlkIeO7YEHL7pRVRJFaGzEnA23epqN5XQtwNohIDOaLh-2hl3K5pQj1lpjsJXK1wuk2kJw946huqi2wwRLZGyKD-rU2DDj6s9nqwXv2nqLHgpXkzwMTgT27TbQMPWoLsxUHa40Sg/s4411/IMG_6104%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="4411" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61h0yFvyR9xj4IQ9IwXRwmhNgPAoEWQMp4gY6RL-_7HXlkIeO7YEHL7pRVRJFaGzEnA23epqN5XQtwNohIDOaLh-2hl3K5pQj1lpjsJXK1wuk2kJw946huqi2wwRLZGyKD-rU2DDj6s9nqwXv2nqLHgpXkzwMTgT27TbQMPWoLsxUHa40Sg/s320/IMG_6104%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">January 20, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Back to Arusha - and on to Home</h2><div><br /></div><div>We said goodbye to our wonderful guide Albert at the tiny Serengeti Airport and boarded our flight back to Arusha for one final night at the beautiful <a href="https://www.legendaryexpeditions.co.tz/plan-legendary-lodge/" target="_blank">Legendary Lodge</a>. We spent our last night in Tanzania in the lap of luxury...fabulous room, delicious food, and gorgeous surroundings.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAqOHXyvg7XgCRO3X6cJZ2b-S7q_zJAQkgYJtUONsUi9iTHaNbYJFIG4tiOIjvHZMbqGi6-B4sT91YEKTeTLDEOg4Y2_G86HDbAi3uAg8J8WXtHidGdEfbCJm_TgLAAakjyP7LjwnsCJOVgiGGtzcstk9KGlKM9lPOcRRQN-gykr0wcq1fA/s4193/IMG_6086%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3119" data-original-width="4193" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAqOHXyvg7XgCRO3X6cJZ2b-S7q_zJAQkgYJtUONsUi9iTHaNbYJFIG4tiOIjvHZMbqGi6-B4sT91YEKTeTLDEOg4Y2_G86HDbAi3uAg8J8WXtHidGdEfbCJm_TgLAAakjyP7LjwnsCJOVgiGGtzcstk9KGlKM9lPOcRRQN-gykr0wcq1fA/w640-h476/IMG_6086%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our plane to Arusha</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa7PlesGm2TpW6JnW0Nskr_NDRl6ycied_qLZ07fOFvhaYULinS9yBlhUUEBQCXpkzwQsWaXgYJQrXiNik5J87MscHKKUCvV4uPoqNAp6zv3SuCT72vrd4z7hviZ5rt0KixoHiM6G7264eBQYDA81OBX0jTzDvwdDwoUYJMNAh4Rzy4O9mw/s4128/IMG_6087%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="4128" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa7PlesGm2TpW6JnW0Nskr_NDRl6ycied_qLZ07fOFvhaYULinS9yBlhUUEBQCXpkzwQsWaXgYJQrXiNik5J87MscHKKUCvV4uPoqNAp6zv3SuCT72vrd4z7hviZ5rt0KixoHiM6G7264eBQYDA81OBX0jTzDvwdDwoUYJMNAh4Rzy4O9mw/w640-h434/IMG_6087%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob and the attendant at one of the many Serengeti airstrips</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61h0yFvyR9xj4IQ9IwXRwmhNgPAoEWQMp4gY6RL-_7HXlkIeO7YEHL7pRVRJFaGzEnA23epqN5XQtwNohIDOaLh-2hl3K5pQj1lpjsJXK1wuk2kJw946huqi2wwRLZGyKD-rU2DDj6s9nqwXv2nqLHgpXkzwMTgT27TbQMPWoLsxUHa40Sg/s4411/IMG_6104%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="4411" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61h0yFvyR9xj4IQ9IwXRwmhNgPAoEWQMp4gY6RL-_7HXlkIeO7YEHL7pRVRJFaGzEnA23epqN5XQtwNohIDOaLh-2hl3K5pQj1lpjsJXK1wuk2kJw946huqi2wwRLZGyKD-rU2DDj6s9nqwXv2nqLHgpXkzwMTgT27TbQMPWoLsxUHa40Sg/w640-h480/IMG_6104%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legendary Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOdHEDOIHCKv-NlVg8yVs7S49WnGznK0maoKW7JrYxKnidcS6Pm4vZOuUI5Lk5iaRL-HwyrP4LG8mBEzKQyf9Ar1Qe4-8pYnDYrcMjAvKEEpQIk7aGxN99fRcft6QwKR6ABly5paEXfzMY1xrWCrX0bB8xHYXYus_FwuVTRCh63XIN4dywQ/s4148/IMG_6099%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2801" data-original-width="4148" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOdHEDOIHCKv-NlVg8yVs7S49WnGznK0maoKW7JrYxKnidcS6Pm4vZOuUI5Lk5iaRL-HwyrP4LG8mBEzKQyf9Ar1Qe4-8pYnDYrcMjAvKEEpQIk7aGxN99fRcft6QwKR6ABly5paEXfzMY1xrWCrX0bB8xHYXYus_FwuVTRCh63XIN4dywQ/w640-h432/IMG_6099%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens of Legendary Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PfTBLItgJG_8rrw16j77NHWKq7l-5gespCBVmEMeW1Je8Q87EsjreRVNde2o1gHlCMS1g5Ou2in8Gy4MSXiE3mHKsac7LO7jLu8Vz-W5lzc_fw3KGDmuddOzhnYlF53M69nUS9YJIGfkj96ypoQ_G1YPmrbsLZhTZx8YV66C9A8iSPW2kA/s4608/IMG_6103%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PfTBLItgJG_8rrw16j77NHWKq7l-5gespCBVmEMeW1Je8Q87EsjreRVNde2o1gHlCMS1g5Ou2in8Gy4MSXiE3mHKsac7LO7jLu8Vz-W5lzc_fw3KGDmuddOzhnYlF53M69nUS9YJIGfkj96ypoQ_G1YPmrbsLZhTZx8YV66C9A8iSPW2kA/w640-h480/IMG_6103%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lodge Pool</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTdxide3RiMbdVlbhWzbCaxLl4g3_tMX-p0hvjb_ZT3WNBgKYYi9xeoRDAxwvPHVl9o09A38mb4lsWU_zLiclmzda3XLq-2RbmWnvBjn_S-fRxR2fDX22Ao5ljeRCCfLji8ueUIpTjy4Jo0XJ4nKYwqrhr6X3KgtHaJjJBj_fL6U5GIsavw/s4608/IMG_6105%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTdxide3RiMbdVlbhWzbCaxLl4g3_tMX-p0hvjb_ZT3WNBgKYYi9xeoRDAxwvPHVl9o09A38mb4lsWU_zLiclmzda3XLq-2RbmWnvBjn_S-fRxR2fDX22Ao5ljeRCCfLji8ueUIpTjy4Jo0XJ4nKYwqrhr6X3KgtHaJjJBj_fL6U5GIsavw/w640-h480/IMG_6105%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room was in this building</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNRty72gxaytZYh-5Y4wmyHvYcxs4FjvqEMc5PFhqzpi13Bjc00PHYuiGH5v0cXaRHWHwKPmDHOITUdCFDngTIqGp2O6uCVRab-7aqXSLGlzWpmTEi2d3c8YBD_YNvIuR96QAJQU1MMcpwAE1vNsEpQRcXIDSF5aR7RHmJrhiJeRR4NPlBA/s4608/IMG_6088%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNRty72gxaytZYh-5Y4wmyHvYcxs4FjvqEMc5PFhqzpi13Bjc00PHYuiGH5v0cXaRHWHwKPmDHOITUdCFDngTIqGp2O6uCVRab-7aqXSLGlzWpmTEi2d3c8YBD_YNvIuR96QAJQU1MMcpwAE1vNsEpQRcXIDSF5aR7RHmJrhiJeRR4NPlBA/w640-h480/IMG_6088%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our living room</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ_73HRs0ImsrHMXPFHteI9sA1CCCDuPYkDPJUC1VG7JXBmcLxYjUETb34YbPQN49NamZE0tgeXLomzr_c7Kxss3IkzQV1l6rnVbK04rU7UafHXcCTPBADRgZcd3erRZ9EZQylMI4Kjxx9IFRnH7G1L9XhT9J8NyNgYJ0pljwRB5EuiS6nw/s4495/IMG_6092%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="4495" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ_73HRs0ImsrHMXPFHteI9sA1CCCDuPYkDPJUC1VG7JXBmcLxYjUETb34YbPQN49NamZE0tgeXLomzr_c7Kxss3IkzQV1l6rnVbK04rU7UafHXcCTPBADRgZcd3erRZ9EZQylMI4Kjxx9IFRnH7G1L9XhT9J8NyNgYJ0pljwRB5EuiS6nw/w640-h442/IMG_6092%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our suite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4TUrDW86CZ9RxFCrWZsi3S8_M8gKniaqIrvDRED7G_41-poLD9cVqmr20-zpgcscCuEBaPFyleAi1Wbj_hinV3faar8Z9QPF80AuF7CaPWPZTiTpO8hES9CZRBUqFQBTy4QaE1XoTfphGB8Z_05BFYlzHJm2Ni5ckPAgeoo8NaXu6bjrrw/s4065/IMG_6094%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3339" data-original-width="4065" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4TUrDW86CZ9RxFCrWZsi3S8_M8gKniaqIrvDRED7G_41-poLD9cVqmr20-zpgcscCuEBaPFyleAi1Wbj_hinV3faar8Z9QPF80AuF7CaPWPZTiTpO8hES9CZRBUqFQBTy4QaE1XoTfphGB8Z_05BFYlzHJm2Ni5ckPAgeoo8NaXu6bjrrw/w640-h526/IMG_6094%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open air dining</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7xg3YDbq8zXtUPF8IPY_61PTPuqkP78LmRsMGjNltVUm8tPAUqT7oHGwHtdSmRbhXzrGKTrb4P1FeGFEOQvx5ZZQ6UZ5r34B9rq0ENbqpxZ6bk4KfyaCLO2YfY5N5khv7cYMr-MorfDgp5DO_2N55F1pHZtvNyg3FKp7Qqdto__vxmqxCg/s4293/IMG_6095%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3446" data-original-width="4293" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7xg3YDbq8zXtUPF8IPY_61PTPuqkP78LmRsMGjNltVUm8tPAUqT7oHGwHtdSmRbhXzrGKTrb4P1FeGFEOQvx5ZZQ6UZ5r34B9rq0ENbqpxZ6bk4KfyaCLO2YfY5N5khv7cYMr-MorfDgp5DO_2N55F1pHZtvNyg3FKp7Qqdto__vxmqxCg/w640-h514/IMG_6095%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And fabulous food.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfv1PLVsl41HOXQR_ScUZH1Gz20VmpDEEmUBWQsO2lFv9tkugccScppJ7STb9aYr8kvp-FSa0_XqHdMCyc_iT7roCs9d3-a86lH8y0u3G9jwWC7ErA2m3hlU1bC0I_IouMbA8sTqcKHBlPWEn590tefWeSi-aPyOjs38UsDPX6AWm1J8yrg/s4460/IMG_6096%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2709" data-original-width="4460" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfv1PLVsl41HOXQR_ScUZH1Gz20VmpDEEmUBWQsO2lFv9tkugccScppJ7STb9aYr8kvp-FSa0_XqHdMCyc_iT7roCs9d3-a86lH8y0u3G9jwWC7ErA2m3hlU1bC0I_IouMbA8sTqcKHBlPWEn590tefWeSi-aPyOjs38UsDPX6AWm1J8yrg/w640-h388/IMG_6096%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwP3vHq8zalXcBxfi7Es0UWRRNYju1RR1CYMIKKN4atpk3HF180AwtcQtHHRQEXAnxttbh3G3V8Py3vJ8emB_KgYDcTNUpj2Bz1itPNDfEHU5hzpKePGgrB7gORLibDrnmsw8oxs7BMu6jDhA1wkzRrhHjgGOHfGPIjviI7u8QrCtwkgAQug/s4184/IMG_6097%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3317" data-original-width="4184" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwP3vHq8zalXcBxfi7Es0UWRRNYju1RR1CYMIKKN4atpk3HF180AwtcQtHHRQEXAnxttbh3G3V8Py3vJ8emB_KgYDcTNUpj2Bz1itPNDfEHU5hzpKePGgrB7gORLibDrnmsw8oxs7BMu6jDhA1wkzRrhHjgGOHfGPIjviI7u8QrCtwkgAQug/w640-h508/IMG_6097%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The next morning, we boarded our flight home, full of wonderful memories of another amazing trip. Africa touches my heart more than any other place we have traveled. I look forward to returning again someday.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrrhjmLFbw9tA343sP9CtSYZWTsXpveKBX9Ikq3rPSchGoSNrbvomuby2kGnmTrNNCWctJL4zSIFWQcqzZGZbOolUKnqcHIdd_nzuXyOTp9gtNedKhBDF3lzf_iT8VFcOITdT1qo-xq20jKZf40dUTi6olNOnObrIxV5TPo_uPke6MmLORQ/s4608/IMG_6101%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrrhjmLFbw9tA343sP9CtSYZWTsXpveKBX9Ikq3rPSchGoSNrbvomuby2kGnmTrNNCWctJL4zSIFWQcqzZGZbOolUKnqcHIdd_nzuXyOTp9gtNedKhBDF3lzf_iT8VFcOITdT1qo-xq20jKZf40dUTi6olNOnObrIxV5TPo_uPke6MmLORQ/s320/IMG_6101%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-69437847894466471102023-03-10T15:44:00.004-08:002023-03-10T16:29:11.764-08:00More African Adventures, Part 9 - Four Days in the Serengeti<h3 style="text-align: left;">January 16- 20, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Four Days in the Serengeti</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">January 16 - Muddy Adventures on the Road to Serengeti National Park</h3><div>After another wonderful Gibbs Farm breakfast, we left the Karatu Region under sunny skies for our long drive to the Serengeti National Park. Our first stop was just down the road from the farm, a workshop where men were creating fantastic masks and sculptures out of wood. Some of the faces were created entirely out of animal shapes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGLEG_PfbyirQqgDbPvSCaYgFyHXXaIJDICoAqyglpZurDSQwqaWoP9RVsWYA_OtqGvqzGHu378ES4zzx-Aivqv5VX67GiwcTY8mzGbegSxqvJeeE8zL3BvSayi9FIDFbPBY0aRHHeBDPCkPaXMtCewwZ7ytedgQiribPTK86crinihBagQ/s4608/IMG_5513%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGLEG_PfbyirQqgDbPvSCaYgFyHXXaIJDICoAqyglpZurDSQwqaWoP9RVsWYA_OtqGvqzGHu378ES4zzx-Aivqv5VX67GiwcTY8mzGbegSxqvJeeE8zL3BvSayi9FIDFbPBY0aRHHeBDPCkPaXMtCewwZ7ytedgQiribPTK86crinihBagQ/w640-h480/IMG_5513%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq8elQ7AHrB-31qmr_pyJ_rLECcRLygB2SqgtmrK1MQmNLG5tAXmmuvCZuznnWQa2bptDo5JzOYTLYlSjh9uVMyozNcOyKOL5zZVrqXU2OvnwBjjWIN4ocHKW_Jb0D39LmCIsST28z7FGwCgo7Qo7x00NgAZO0sR-LsWAaII-rE8g1YwRtA/s4608/IMG_5514%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq8elQ7AHrB-31qmr_pyJ_rLECcRLygB2SqgtmrK1MQmNLG5tAXmmuvCZuznnWQa2bptDo5JzOYTLYlSjh9uVMyozNcOyKOL5zZVrqXU2OvnwBjjWIN4ocHKW_Jb0D39LmCIsST28z7FGwCgo7Qo7x00NgAZO0sR-LsWAaII-rE8g1YwRtA/w640-h480/IMG_5514%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr0j9Mky3r_XGcclYDFVKCG_ij1AH_QFfESUxov7M-Ir9K6UgQ7j1HiJLbu-hLl1M2Tf36JmC-nc3spJEr-om17sVJdS_B8p66CqGC6rlIJhUspfNdFGgLOK7FI6d6L7zXxhqAYNq0fj9qyUhFWK6P7R5NvFPOdpzjCxWdi8CqGcpdqMNNw/s4113/IMG_5516%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4113" data-original-width="3261" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr0j9Mky3r_XGcclYDFVKCG_ij1AH_QFfESUxov7M-Ir9K6UgQ7j1HiJLbu-hLl1M2Tf36JmC-nc3spJEr-om17sVJdS_B8p66CqGC6rlIJhUspfNdFGgLOK7FI6d6L7zXxhqAYNq0fj9qyUhFWK6P7R5NvFPOdpzjCxWdi8CqGcpdqMNNw/w508-h640/IMG_5516%20(2).JPG" width="508" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We retraced our route past Ngorongoro Crater, but this time we zipped past the road that leads down into the crater and continued on through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which spreads out on the outer slopes of the crater and beyond on a great plain that extends all the way to the Serengeti. This is Masai land, and we could see many bonas, the extended family villages comprised of small round mud-daubed huts with conical thatched roofs, scattered over the landscape. The Masai count their wealth in cattle, and there were many herds of cattle, sheep, and goats all along the route. Masai children, some of them looking as young as five or six, and some teens, tend these herds. We saw the adults working in the villages, tending garden plots or meeting together in what appeared to be council meetings. Others were walking along the road, easy to spot in their bright red and blue robes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghodNnulDQkQ7zbLDT4XaEsItEmDV7FM0UrvOWH7BKGtMOg83OxR4CZXd2k3GW-w7PX8uT7Fn71r1_CkDamK9YQLuS0EqOngHaow40MO7ozV8-TnHZN8FXFQF7jz8-x5CN76IUKmU02n7wUI1IVgIDFuMyTYzIYnzd1SxDJqmciRmjYX6bFQ/s3559/IMG_5521%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2218" data-original-width="3559" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghodNnulDQkQ7zbLDT4XaEsItEmDV7FM0UrvOWH7BKGtMOg83OxR4CZXd2k3GW-w7PX8uT7Fn71r1_CkDamK9YQLuS0EqOngHaow40MO7ozV8-TnHZN8FXFQF7jz8-x5CN76IUKmU02n7wUI1IVgIDFuMyTYzIYnzd1SxDJqmciRmjYX6bFQ/w640-h398/IMG_5521%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9XAvlAlskYJOgLIdkCsGz98_Uf0TMiA-AYj0NSrDpZ9hmREvZcZiGutHUEriYI_dGYggnCKpF_oTmJHKC8TqGZmyHe569UIW01ooC7z1rUkKm5H0TjpNR_6-Kf7ix3H3dERlTMhkExLQTC36dAjnpQFi7y9HKU1MUyvE4zrkEL6KMYWykg/s3669/IMG_5522%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3108" data-original-width="3669" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9XAvlAlskYJOgLIdkCsGz98_Uf0TMiA-AYj0NSrDpZ9hmREvZcZiGutHUEriYI_dGYggnCKpF_oTmJHKC8TqGZmyHe569UIW01ooC7z1rUkKm5H0TjpNR_6-Kf7ix3H3dERlTMhkExLQTC36dAjnpQFi7y9HKU1MUyvE4zrkEL6KMYWykg/w640-h542/IMG_5522%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM2LO3TVvZqNDBDbB4u6OsTwVgUSAirCY17tfYsFsBgMI8RFlR1IKrau9jmB2I1bTWUz8L67uA-QhgwZDqfqPEitVUUK-yDmEVZdY8XDoOQqRWMiEdN2yrPtzG1bZz3LbA9sBOCdI-mKpK7yNDqPROvLgwE261rb_Zo0rShDyKF7f5M8m9g/s3882/IMG_5524%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3882" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM2LO3TVvZqNDBDbB4u6OsTwVgUSAirCY17tfYsFsBgMI8RFlR1IKrau9jmB2I1bTWUz8L67uA-QhgwZDqfqPEitVUUK-yDmEVZdY8XDoOQqRWMiEdN2yrPtzG1bZz3LbA9sBOCdI-mKpK7yNDqPROvLgwE261rb_Zo0rShDyKF7f5M8m9g/w640-h476/IMG_5524%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4_6zTsibYedWi0WRN4ub6YO-1kf1KtUsVP0T8md7ay-PWc0rT19U5M00gu99UwiXu9ySYQLyKde0S92zYbO_M1dp8neAoQoCwCCsQwGRm9gvD0kOfzKqLwQuUFnYc46d-RuG93ZA0KoFw9sui33dkMvLdGdQjJak1NgkMbQZ0iMGcwX3lw/s4299/IMG_5526%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2714" data-original-width="4299" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4_6zTsibYedWi0WRN4ub6YO-1kf1KtUsVP0T8md7ay-PWc0rT19U5M00gu99UwiXu9ySYQLyKde0S92zYbO_M1dp8neAoQoCwCCsQwGRm9gvD0kOfzKqLwQuUFnYc46d-RuG93ZA0KoFw9sui33dkMvLdGdQjJak1NgkMbQZ0iMGcwX3lw/w640-h404/IMG_5526%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Masai village in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After a couple of hours of slow driving along the dirt road, we passed the turnoff to Oldupai Gorge, made famous by the Leaky family who identified the bones of some of the earliest known hominids. We had visited Oldupai Gorge on our last trip to Tanzania, so we had not included it on our itinerary. I was a little disappointed about this, as we had seen the beginning of a new large <a href="https://mainlymuseums.com/post/480/the-oldupai-gorge-site-museum-and-visitor-center/" target="_blank">Oldupai Gorge Museum and Visitors Center</a> on our previous trip. Albert told us that the new center is now finished and is quite spectacular.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2Zqlal1VtbVrlBZYcjFAJSxIWcmTXaQV20fPRdTcDobWEcd86IlYg2iDOEzKcy5LNc-2K9QzbMPbca4oO-tan4Sl3vnKLWy0wHrDNR_KfMH-r90A5_Rux7HHnyMbnjrZBMVwLHfpmbFcfe26zCnOCWnu89vTzgKsjJRZ6QRWxl3vyBgsWw/s4486/IMG_5529%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2920" data-original-width="4486" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2Zqlal1VtbVrlBZYcjFAJSxIWcmTXaQV20fPRdTcDobWEcd86IlYg2iDOEzKcy5LNc-2K9QzbMPbca4oO-tan4Sl3vnKLWy0wHrDNR_KfMH-r90A5_Rux7HHnyMbnjrZBMVwLHfpmbFcfe26zCnOCWnu89vTzgKsjJRZ6QRWxl3vyBgsWw/w640-h416/IMG_5529%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Oldupai Gorge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodMkd772GjkjLqz0BegmH_SuvnRqGZ9nJcvQReOSBz2d_S6gqbx2pic0SoWRjb5As0ptr83G4nZLP8-fY-eRHF2j6BbFsRxL8yYUs8CpNSRgsayz66LcrsRUjkovwVdyKRNfMiQEIDAThjEeQHZNOPeKJAN6s0bE7wrqsdPEqlmKEONg-mg/s3049/IMG_5535%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="3049" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodMkd772GjkjLqz0BegmH_SuvnRqGZ9nJcvQReOSBz2d_S6gqbx2pic0SoWRjb5As0ptr83G4nZLP8-fY-eRHF2j6BbFsRxL8yYUs8CpNSRgsayz66LcrsRUjkovwVdyKRNfMiQEIDAThjEeQHZNOPeKJAN6s0bE7wrqsdPEqlmKEONg-mg/w640-h376/IMG_5535%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Masai herd of cattle</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Soon after passing Oldupai Gorge, we began seeing large herds of wildebeests. At this time of year, the Great Migration is here in the southern region of the Serengeti. Following the rainy season, the grasses in the area are lush and green and provide abundant food for the huge herds of wildebeests and zebras who migrate together. Albert showed us a map of the migration throughout the year. On our first trip, we had visited in July and had found these herds at the far northern end of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara in Kenya. On this trip, we would explore the mountainous southern end of the Serengeti.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdShYgAMxHsutyI_4zKhp1qEGQOJA9vnrA_IG3TJmLQjnbG_sTkjLRCXwgokHUKUdClDGDqg8z7isuwwBPPjDmfY126alsaZBiZmdf-OtmyUwnTlthxKRDaEE-_FYP4x6mtswneOThTgrOFVoR488w0e0Jcs8iIIBnvcCYhYkflBJytFCZA/s2689/IMG_5537%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2381" data-original-width="2689" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdShYgAMxHsutyI_4zKhp1qEGQOJA9vnrA_IG3TJmLQjnbG_sTkjLRCXwgokHUKUdClDGDqg8z7isuwwBPPjDmfY126alsaZBiZmdf-OtmyUwnTlthxKRDaEE-_FYP4x6mtswneOThTgrOFVoR488w0e0Jcs8iIIBnvcCYhYkflBJytFCZA/w640-h566/IMG_5537%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First sighting of wildebeests</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkluajMokJr6T7S9KSlGT0MIoksUewWE9Hdy2dihgIYEqRPX57uHQneRLqwIaRQYZ5aPxoHjZhyxpN37ogU8fOEIvma3tW43BoGdY09dXqZDfvhxHUrn689OINtxXYGx3TWS4IxBDOS-4Q1dSgjdSyhoDOEVRXzmEncZFolQnqj-its-Uagg/s4193/IMG_5539%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="4193" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkluajMokJr6T7S9KSlGT0MIoksUewWE9Hdy2dihgIYEqRPX57uHQneRLqwIaRQYZ5aPxoHjZhyxpN37ogU8fOEIvma3tW43BoGdY09dXqZDfvhxHUrn689OINtxXYGx3TWS4IxBDOS-4Q1dSgjdSyhoDOEVRXzmEncZFolQnqj-its-Uagg/w640-h444/IMG_5539%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVSfe0Xc_3k2GgGpN0osxA5MQwS19BFxfnnk6lEkGtqJzd0bZJYLqQMkh-wxuRByqsnwmj0yv3ckU6rubYdvG1t8SBxeblkidfvRJbZ09nSHQnjFpRWCeAcCUrR30VbvfkweGiFF-4a8bPxAlDFQY2inKG5VEqoV1fsZHN0eUjnzmElR1YA/s4288/IMG_5541%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3217" data-original-width="4288" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVSfe0Xc_3k2GgGpN0osxA5MQwS19BFxfnnk6lEkGtqJzd0bZJYLqQMkh-wxuRByqsnwmj0yv3ckU6rubYdvG1t8SBxeblkidfvRJbZ09nSHQnjFpRWCeAcCUrR30VbvfkweGiFF-4a8bPxAlDFQY2inKG5VEqoV1fsZHN0eUjnzmElR1YA/w640-h480/IMG_5541%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCTNiFmI_tAO1j0q25Qp1binfOG9ZyZ4g7hamBDNwAse4_6pziWx35XrTUdh5_VYxQFSyUsjk8dJ3Xrcgio4XVYX0UvdJ-9q6YKuG18bFENXPN4-p8dAu1YX5XS9LRhLnmSeU3ctZuWjtlorRvOBw5RKXx__5Aj_pbxFaXF6TbNKaZ7zcAw/s4075/IMG_5543%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2823" data-original-width="4075" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCTNiFmI_tAO1j0q25Qp1binfOG9ZyZ4g7hamBDNwAse4_6pziWx35XrTUdh5_VYxQFSyUsjk8dJ3Xrcgio4XVYX0UvdJ-9q6YKuG18bFENXPN4-p8dAu1YX5XS9LRhLnmSeU3ctZuWjtlorRvOBw5RKXx__5Aj_pbxFaXF6TbNKaZ7zcAw/w640-h444/IMG_5543%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IxyaEtUXrsyraudCmIN2zw9VrH0q59e3Xd0cWX2PhHWvBU3bwokY4adGO1MRokqOsII2_VjKbmQKO8MFgwOWeRpexLpde0FhoXwKan5aJhOKd-ZlLA2mzooKNcaCw6Fg45knkChkzPJaPhB0AAd-Q9w1GGbUja_cs9JRqapPP-nOa09n8Q/s4081/IMG_5559%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3013" data-original-width="4081" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IxyaEtUXrsyraudCmIN2zw9VrH0q59e3Xd0cWX2PhHWvBU3bwokY4adGO1MRokqOsII2_VjKbmQKO8MFgwOWeRpexLpde0FhoXwKan5aJhOKd-ZlLA2mzooKNcaCw6Fg45knkChkzPJaPhB0AAd-Q9w1GGbUja_cs9JRqapPP-nOa09n8Q/w640-h472/IMG_5559%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0ujImwQCDazwDnntkRldXEl2dnCLsNDwhqCEhhRBzoyGyVIRqQXReH8i9dyBVchTcItOZevHjbBn7M_p6ZeRZIuTcYuhU4ortqJIFUPhUCY1q_zPEwIM2X0H7CPvd893gLfSvWyR6WKNNKgvTwLXJlNbpVq9vI5sAoxXOEJQNmlEfmqOiw/s4222/IMG_5565%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2315" data-original-width="4222" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0ujImwQCDazwDnntkRldXEl2dnCLsNDwhqCEhhRBzoyGyVIRqQXReH8i9dyBVchTcItOZevHjbBn7M_p6ZeRZIuTcYuhU4ortqJIFUPhUCY1q_zPEwIM2X0H7CPvd893gLfSvWyR6WKNNKgvTwLXJlNbpVq9vI5sAoxXOEJQNmlEfmqOiw/w640-h350/IMG_5565%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped several times to see the other wildlife that roams around this "Endless Plain."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZN89GV72RYQpPtrkN2qHFx4d54HAROo34-ixnN1TRhsQNrDR9VrJ5MpGbG4mko7psO-CfS--E33Et9jLDqCf8vr_RLuLQ4D-V3fI5Ng_Q3A2wXcDZhSAeTvK0pEuBAexQcH_4XfAd1IxDbxK9SXxgSiIeiMpPgJaY4E5vtJL8MAvtkZrAg/s3619/IMG_5546%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3619" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZN89GV72RYQpPtrkN2qHFx4d54HAROo34-ixnN1TRhsQNrDR9VrJ5MpGbG4mko7psO-CfS--E33Et9jLDqCf8vr_RLuLQ4D-V3fI5Ng_Q3A2wXcDZhSAeTvK0pEuBAexQcH_4XfAd1IxDbxK9SXxgSiIeiMpPgJaY4E5vtJL8MAvtkZrAg/w640-h544/IMG_5546%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9QOxfmMsX5sc3AtRHJMMIVFcW333NtfmrX6BrgTQRsih27FJFLatcPzcsvouPZmdHvEyLkSYKDUW8nqEhyatlsYOvVjQbvi3WzKS1vUOSTi6XwA8kpLTnwXcTmqB70yzO2nKAPTyvr_sHrIFKmy0W_ASmrzQ66Jr05jvGNwzUj3iqN4AcQ/s3422/IMG_5573%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2327" data-original-width="3422" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9QOxfmMsX5sc3AtRHJMMIVFcW333NtfmrX6BrgTQRsih27FJFLatcPzcsvouPZmdHvEyLkSYKDUW8nqEhyatlsYOvVjQbvi3WzKS1vUOSTi6XwA8kpLTnwXcTmqB70yzO2nKAPTyvr_sHrIFKmy0W_ASmrzQ66Jr05jvGNwzUj3iqN4AcQ/w640-h436/IMG_5573%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyenas crossing the muddy road</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>In the late afternoon, we finally reached the southern border of the Serengeti, and our weather luck changed. Black clouds of rain squalls darkened the horizon in front of us. Albert was anxious to reach our camp before the rains hit us, and it soon became clear why. The rain had obviously passed over the plains earlier in the day, and the dirt roads were slick tracks of mud, and some of the time, we were not even on roads. I was amazed that Albert could find his way over this vast plain! It was very slow going for the next two hours, slipping in mud and swerving around huge pools of water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wNCbU1TTW22emzmCv-fPibLB3FMeUXYX8wQYFT9zyl9ajjbgA8YMDgXhdtZXvlMqpBCvG5MLuHkLGTXfZbJd7E8CIMxQIELDRKPb7YXWp-WRfjeBWhPUxMm9MsVae6CmB9hyEyZh0JTI_qroR3E7qRBqcn922OFjTGLc-71-mXAoYOk5VQ/s4365/IMG_5567%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="4365" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wNCbU1TTW22emzmCv-fPibLB3FMeUXYX8wQYFT9zyl9ajjbgA8YMDgXhdtZXvlMqpBCvG5MLuHkLGTXfZbJd7E8CIMxQIELDRKPb7YXWp-WRfjeBWhPUxMm9MsVae6CmB9hyEyZh0JTI_qroR3E7qRBqcn922OFjTGLc-71-mXAoYOk5VQ/w640-h410/IMG_5567%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5XvM92ohmD-0UALakvIlNFoDVEr3djpire_ptrm4Da323XwNXszR9NVZ-_2U26J8TneApX0Na4WVpHPjTJGS_hNt3VuOXvza2lf0ZdQDUGt9sxj5rzVfJoyCofOUvi_G2hm4eKwIGV7hiyxdrD6WCT88HY1Iw6_9oAi0P71oC1NoMQpHnQ/s4511/IMG_5574%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2635" data-original-width="4511" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5XvM92ohmD-0UALakvIlNFoDVEr3djpire_ptrm4Da323XwNXszR9NVZ-_2U26J8TneApX0Na4WVpHPjTJGS_hNt3VuOXvza2lf0ZdQDUGt9sxj5rzVfJoyCofOUvi_G2hm4eKwIGV7hiyxdrD6WCT88HY1Iw6_9oAi0P71oC1NoMQpHnQ/w640-h374/IMG_5574%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div>We were so happy to arrive at <a href="https://www.sanctuaryretreats.com/tanzania-camps-kichakani-serengeti-camp" target="_blank">Sanctuary Kichikani Camp</a> at 4:00, six hours after leaving Gibbs Farm. We were greeted warmly by the staff with hot towels and cold juice. After a brief orientation, we collapsed into our roomy tent. The camp is in a beautiful setting, atop a rocky platform looking down on a forest of acacia trees below. Our tent was the best location in the entire group, as our "front door" opened up to the fabulous view. As we unpacked and settled in, a huge Marabou stork strode right across our doorstep.</div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKOvroDqAFWN31hnjfMOnizPah6gtvK_4v5Cgx5krTu4Q_X5s-62JGqM5V-DEY7Soi9vHCLEhPM0O9pdrr-8_pP9Z8zD84gShI_ozw32peb7_YXpg-xH2dH20ZDTkLxH8zhUEIHbgTDkixbr8RNHudCxKzzNm-7AjXf4q_K1hMb840IJMGw/s4608/IMG_5591%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3351" data-original-width="4608" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKOvroDqAFWN31hnjfMOnizPah6gtvK_4v5Cgx5krTu4Q_X5s-62JGqM5V-DEY7Soi9vHCLEhPM0O9pdrr-8_pP9Z8zD84gShI_ozw32peb7_YXpg-xH2dH20ZDTkLxH8zhUEIHbgTDkixbr8RNHudCxKzzNm-7AjXf4q_K1hMb840IJMGw/w640-h466/IMG_5591%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining tent at Sanctuary Kichikana Camp</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1_roQOSKNbZ0gMxPkP1tDgm9FJwcEKNAuLfbEIhaDoLShpmtAAzTPOzx2ejFWqAhxR1Hl6XjqDB7mcjtnJY-G9qK90MmmTcoAyuCqWTgp-IXSclFMt2GCOMHMhaHy8fJ6VefsDvFEGF2nRGYbXeJnfJEfAmxxoPwrAUb5cxz5LfVeW7C_Q/s4608/IMG_5579%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1_roQOSKNbZ0gMxPkP1tDgm9FJwcEKNAuLfbEIhaDoLShpmtAAzTPOzx2ejFWqAhxR1Hl6XjqDB7mcjtnJY-G9qK90MmmTcoAyuCqWTgp-IXSclFMt2GCOMHMhaHy8fJ6VefsDvFEGF2nRGYbXeJnfJEfAmxxoPwrAUb5cxz5LfVeW7C_Q/w640-h480/IMG_5579%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our front door</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCbDcaHuY8KEvnIi2kWG1JNx2xfnje6rb_VfG3vjOx2GStFj5YJArHFVgNYkIeDYucqEM_8pZXwJnNtVcoiiS61UuD6SKbnmNoLnuLf38Qs6KA8uT-KhGqz2Ej_VPAdO7t47xoZME0K4Wr9zqJuwLX02f5MPl7YW723BJDjNeQdnmFQYt0w/s4608/IMG_5581%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCbDcaHuY8KEvnIi2kWG1JNx2xfnje6rb_VfG3vjOx2GStFj5YJArHFVgNYkIeDYucqEM_8pZXwJnNtVcoiiS61UuD6SKbnmNoLnuLf38Qs6KA8uT-KhGqz2Ej_VPAdO7t47xoZME0K4Wr9zqJuwLX02f5MPl7YW723BJDjNeQdnmFQYt0w/w640-h480/IMG_5581%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw-eWhRsy_CX5Yv2g8IaXPNFWrtxdEUFlREm7Mdw82wBY-HrDCKVHO7lStWNVJngNrF_ZD5O1-DLR7tc5rIFRUHyu8ZhE4--lEz_Il-Lb9PmZTA-kE4RSnio5kdxh70-yHO5gwTaRthzTr_ztWQxCRN_MzpJb3sf6mAzR6nJke50Viqwirw/s4184/IMG_5583%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3079" data-original-width="4184" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw-eWhRsy_CX5Yv2g8IaXPNFWrtxdEUFlREm7Mdw82wBY-HrDCKVHO7lStWNVJngNrF_ZD5O1-DLR7tc5rIFRUHyu8ZhE4--lEz_Il-Lb9PmZTA-kE4RSnio5kdxh70-yHO5gwTaRthzTr_ztWQxCRN_MzpJb3sf6mAzR6nJke50Viqwirw/w640-h470/IMG_5583%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPcKlG8do1u8VNyQnJ-utOI7TYUGh-TgCH760heMKgsvoVbcLK6AWc507Cyd6KRwV2A5QCZwehy0UtnT6z0aL5da5qRhIwnwF7A-TdAn3vd9gNrpVwjhFcDk2Q0U_hVzlsZHivf1tVvnNclrr5_qmTkp1GKOFcKRp-q1QtlqajLsaZi1EFQ/s1915/IMG_5594%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="1607" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPcKlG8do1u8VNyQnJ-utOI7TYUGh-TgCH760heMKgsvoVbcLK6AWc507Cyd6KRwV2A5QCZwehy0UtnT6z0aL5da5qRhIwnwF7A-TdAn3vd9gNrpVwjhFcDk2Q0U_hVzlsZHivf1tVvnNclrr5_qmTkp1GKOFcKRp-q1QtlqajLsaZi1EFQ/w538-h640/IMG_5594%20(3).JPG" width="538" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutGosT0jJMfaf10DHQHlQavTOsLKX5NIANbw3BMA9Y9choIjxVnawrAsfaqsaK2oeZflAWaAGe9U3mpF1hDhx6mYZFDSUWdJLNOZAQxfp0_Y4ZpsgEyekHiB9DFVko_LtzGZfBUmg-4hzqNJhI4xYsZsqr-PFxNWg5xlpKP_gEMyn6dj_ag/s4170/IMG_5585%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="4170" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutGosT0jJMfaf10DHQHlQavTOsLKX5NIANbw3BMA9Y9choIjxVnawrAsfaqsaK2oeZflAWaAGe9U3mpF1hDhx6mYZFDSUWdJLNOZAQxfp0_Y4ZpsgEyekHiB9DFVko_LtzGZfBUmg-4hzqNJhI4xYsZsqr-PFxNWg5xlpKP_gEMyn6dj_ag/w640-h450/IMG_5585%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEHO-KFKHLUpGHwmvcL1H_ayRJ6J2b2ystao5XaSDf0lz8-zSmudNw0TUuso8Dj97CmjV8nK0M11F5HSgI64kjIY_m9vLh6VK4hsCbRUj20iJ_bO-C_5VNKkDo7VSX4QHa5O1J_D594PHf7JwUeqLj2mhZe0ZA6nnLuQqQjadK95IdsDaEQ/s4608/IMG_5599.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEHO-KFKHLUpGHwmvcL1H_ayRJ6J2b2ystao5XaSDf0lz8-zSmudNw0TUuso8Dj97CmjV8nK0M11F5HSgI64kjIY_m9vLh6VK4hsCbRUj20iJ_bO-C_5VNKkDo7VSX4QHa5O1J_D594PHf7JwUeqLj2mhZe0ZA6nnLuQqQjadK95IdsDaEQ/w640-h480/IMG_5599.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We were once again completely worn out by the long and difficult drive, so after dinner we fell into our comfortable king-size bed and fell asleep to the sounds of booming thunder and the rain tapping on our thick canvas roof.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdMPH6x0fnVcZDtQete6OtW_pdbCT86YO-6PZ_WRzgZfx0Lug1NvFiFHYre_NXLg_xdr-4ZPhNYCoGZLAlcYSuQ854MZmavmHueWGy2aaP2Lu6uR6jNakiqQPbGZ_VFzuTc9g0cnebMi8PzX9gHGYpY6ovzCRGRb_sBopgsWfUfJePMgWoQ/s4375/IMG_5575%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="4375" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdMPH6x0fnVcZDtQete6OtW_pdbCT86YO-6PZ_WRzgZfx0Lug1NvFiFHYre_NXLg_xdr-4ZPhNYCoGZLAlcYSuQ854MZmavmHueWGy2aaP2Lu6uR6jNakiqQPbGZ_VFzuTc9g0cnebMi8PzX9gHGYpY6ovzCRGRb_sBopgsWfUfJePMgWoQ/w640-h480/IMG_5575%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome" was spelled out in beans on our bed.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReQ2OotrQRN8nYjsh_C1rgzeMiOEAGiO3bx9UHyGIiOjTaZVeqtNfxuylaV-VMDk4bxSoESaqSfCZVvu3uzE6S-xVPd0LWdEZCSmib91Fet_GM8Q9FD90XmtpKvZz4dN_X8e9bQmsbXhtJKNgX8Om3evJYY9LwrcXtr3snWHkSJoBnv8uqg/s4411/IMG_5578%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3307" data-original-width="4411" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReQ2OotrQRN8nYjsh_C1rgzeMiOEAGiO3bx9UHyGIiOjTaZVeqtNfxuylaV-VMDk4bxSoESaqSfCZVvu3uzE6S-xVPd0LWdEZCSmib91Fet_GM8Q9FD90XmtpKvZz4dN_X8e9bQmsbXhtJKNgX8Om3evJYY9LwrcXtr3snWHkSJoBnv8uqg/w640-h480/IMG_5578%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ZGqP3NBVbZ-HoCVEdTS2s0tk6isfz50ZMRfl8s5uIR-sXIzPv5oCMdyEFPIjfAZwB_BdycV0mw6pygqa2mil1Zp-GfoKqVzu89QFkIRhj7sgMZwhaWDFDI3FnJFRQlBv2pr9vQ4RFwjgwkhUZGuLKDkvXkrTuzSQl9pBUxmw5Gpm1JO5Q/s4424/IMG_5592%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2822" data-original-width="4424" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ZGqP3NBVbZ-HoCVEdTS2s0tk6isfz50ZMRfl8s5uIR-sXIzPv5oCMdyEFPIjfAZwB_BdycV0mw6pygqa2mil1Zp-GfoKqVzu89QFkIRhj7sgMZwhaWDFDI3FnJFRQlBv2pr9vQ4RFwjgwkhUZGuLKDkvXkrTuzSQl9pBUxmw5Gpm1JO5Q/w640-h408/IMG_5592%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain squalls in the distance.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">January 17 - A Muddy Day on the Hills of the Serengeti</h3><div>We woke to sunshine, and our stork sentinel was there to greet us as we went to breakfast in the communal dining tent. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R-gFuMvi9DefdtB4VG95ZQQzjYOTSwNii7YRNpu64kbpuojPIr9ZSE0ZWW46sSlko5etLACadGKaI6foQTtnbamnMo4SaXiLT1xDjf4wmK8QVkooVTBC94v42ZUm5MwEGysgYVwIO9gq54xkkMVwIsFOtvgMS95G3KB307Bc3Qvv07hXkw/s4346/IMG_5598%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3194" data-original-width="4346" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5R-gFuMvi9DefdtB4VG95ZQQzjYOTSwNii7YRNpu64kbpuojPIr9ZSE0ZWW46sSlko5etLACadGKaI6foQTtnbamnMo4SaXiLT1xDjf4wmK8QVkooVTBC94v42ZUm5MwEGysgYVwIO9gq54xkkMVwIsFOtvgMS95G3KB307Bc3Qvv07hXkw/w640-h470/IMG_5598%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79rW5FX035TcTlnYoXlKUNSTLQNyYgzM1vzsSeJINU7oIVpTJ_469WxPFDEGmZWy5Fg4WVeu2GT_odrD-RpVZCAykyvM0rfl36L9IxAUrOpHHCLGZSpMh9sIc8YJf3JIFKo12700ExVqNfo_sNckLz3uczxVT8d6Wfzow-ZQLNqDjMtdf5w/s4327/IMG_5614%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3114" data-original-width="4327" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79rW5FX035TcTlnYoXlKUNSTLQNyYgzM1vzsSeJINU7oIVpTJ_469WxPFDEGmZWy5Fg4WVeu2GT_odrD-RpVZCAykyvM0rfl36L9IxAUrOpHHCLGZSpMh9sIc8YJf3JIFKo12700ExVqNfo_sNckLz3uczxVT8d6Wfzow-ZQLNqDjMtdf5w/w640-h460/IMG_5614%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXjAKdyJrQQmhjj1Hg8GlBI_E6B8Migaq1-7q7H966bPTTqj6VhkwaARlUL3l8UhVjCb5Mzs73uDe70I97gVVpPrLlk6-iAN-tJJrwNCOt3McgKEOw4FeAxC1LmDCDJOrBtEwQSDuuXaRWGDeQpN4kS6WfPw7svRXm-CgymwwZms39qkPIA/s4326/IMG_5608%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3171" data-original-width="4326" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXjAKdyJrQQmhjj1Hg8GlBI_E6B8Migaq1-7q7H966bPTTqj6VhkwaARlUL3l8UhVjCb5Mzs73uDe70I97gVVpPrLlk6-iAN-tJJrwNCOt3McgKEOw4FeAxC1LmDCDJOrBtEwQSDuuXaRWGDeQpN4kS6WfPw7svRXm-CgymwwZms39qkPIA/w640-h470/IMG_5608%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbVEFHqYfS5ygCBH3d6sk5E4Mpg8zrktmW_rSyhYzBZGRy8Coe5F8CBipUQVDiybWoiXIfJppaXoWvTwHzIPZGtCJGMdAQ1DccO0w_vk3dwhOtFzcXsJ4QzEgtdYgc8kSQosOMhULTDkPhuweOAw37IBRXCWz-lTROGYDrnAMJu4eOn_0GQ/s4417/IMG_5613%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3186" data-original-width="4417" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbVEFHqYfS5ygCBH3d6sk5E4Mpg8zrktmW_rSyhYzBZGRy8Coe5F8CBipUQVDiybWoiXIfJppaXoWvTwHzIPZGtCJGMdAQ1DccO0w_vk3dwhOtFzcXsJ4QzEgtdYgc8kSQosOMhULTDkPhuweOAw37IBRXCWz-lTROGYDrnAMJu4eOn_0GQ/w640-h462/IMG_5613%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After the difficult drive over mostly muddy roads yesterday, we wondered if a game drive might be impossible. But at 8 a.m., Albert appeared with our Land Cruiser and we set off to give it a try. The wet weather made our game drive this time quite a different feel than our first visit to the Serengeti four years ago. <a href="https://www.travelswithrobby.com/2017/02/african-adventure-part-10-exploring.html" target="_blank">First Visit to the Serengeti</a> In that dry summer, our drivers were able to roam the plain for miles, and we visited many different areas of the park. This time, the very muddy roads made for slow going so we were confined to a more limited area. The animals, too, were making themselves scarce, taking shelter in the forests where they were much harder to spot. But the landscape was beautiful, lush and green, and I reminded myself that this is not a zoo. This is the real Africa, and the animals are doing exactly what they are supposed to do.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwSXKUgr41JLys7FxDuDrbQ9UdmvN95ydMf-9aLtXYliDIiwi07LTZ4cfx-iTzm6eodNiaRUhQYuG4itOwToowvcJFjFDhmxOxntynAbfFRW4wVjhjP-xMOjifoNyiEZY-U-5ExlzD7xPJ67YXeBBy-ogGTw1-_6KkNgpd3IcXWD51p567w/s4215/IMG_5615%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3039" data-original-width="4215" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwSXKUgr41JLys7FxDuDrbQ9UdmvN95ydMf-9aLtXYliDIiwi07LTZ4cfx-iTzm6eodNiaRUhQYuG4itOwToowvcJFjFDhmxOxntynAbfFRW4wVjhjP-xMOjifoNyiEZY-U-5ExlzD7xPJ67YXeBBy-ogGTw1-_6KkNgpd3IcXWD51p567w/w640-h462/IMG_5615%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtklVFGUDDsXpSJWZYAV64kaMofYlgKSvSnIW9Y_eVt9JeD2T4ID8ptVSHjfBbdsnFjt41GE-EyzTfkWlQMECW_MFWvp_6dRA501KkdcDFaPfk1Mse8wJi-l_LRCJJsNlSkyFlecuaKWD5x9LpFSjbd6ft1M_7FrSvkA8zaPDwYDzSQkHWwg/s3925/IMG_5618%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2673" data-original-width="3925" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtklVFGUDDsXpSJWZYAV64kaMofYlgKSvSnIW9Y_eVt9JeD2T4ID8ptVSHjfBbdsnFjt41GE-EyzTfkWlQMECW_MFWvp_6dRA501KkdcDFaPfk1Mse8wJi-l_LRCJJsNlSkyFlecuaKWD5x9LpFSjbd6ft1M_7FrSvkA8zaPDwYDzSQkHWwg/w640-h436/IMG_5618%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmPAUch7S8JPyEIBBRJ3Yd-AoX0M-HGqchmwmvwZGON8xTm7H4nwolY2AfNFDkD2ALc6ZPw2oGUT54wKqLTku-FJpODOVqlaiFrEN6xPDzCqf9PLlr5Im8sgxCdweDNdaPGcYKgh2UJWFT637QbgTHjsBu-6C8QgPOAG5ehb1-xirfPJQmQ/s4183/IMG_5619%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="4183" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmPAUch7S8JPyEIBBRJ3Yd-AoX0M-HGqchmwmvwZGON8xTm7H4nwolY2AfNFDkD2ALc6ZPw2oGUT54wKqLTku-FJpODOVqlaiFrEN6xPDzCqf9PLlr5Im8sgxCdweDNdaPGcYKgh2UJWFT637QbgTHjsBu-6C8QgPOAG5ehb1-xirfPJQmQ/w640-h460/IMG_5619%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI2QN5aAOGHW29I3zavdqJf29sZl2lY_kN2qWiotflJX2hrC-AjXjU25pP1DX3CjhlkePGbtuh5_Mjs7HKm8oljOuwtLpkcxJQEG7cRnwOspZCw0-gAvRK_Oe84pIP0kDvzwoxs-p32BYoBvotyAMgLkWXBnU4ksOMhDBRJEGns4CQFtM4Q/s3946/IMG_5621%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="3946" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI2QN5aAOGHW29I3zavdqJf29sZl2lY_kN2qWiotflJX2hrC-AjXjU25pP1DX3CjhlkePGbtuh5_Mjs7HKm8oljOuwtLpkcxJQEG7cRnwOspZCw0-gAvRK_Oe84pIP0kDvzwoxs-p32BYoBvotyAMgLkWXBnU4ksOMhDBRJEGns4CQFtM4Q/w640-h460/IMG_5621%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVtYODoe9dm2sf0BgXe25Cw7AECAx8GtedePx6hBkUcS3KOSwrEgu95nJWeJojZL6XWendkaHnr0rc6XHg5GgUGtM5S3mU6GGjE98EDD0DOmx_14dDdoov2Bj7skC9Ui35JALj7VA7sChBz6xHVV_tLBF5AshVSZLbziXowrB4w2Vy_QaRQ/s4304/IMG_5626%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3021" data-original-width="4304" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVtYODoe9dm2sf0BgXe25Cw7AECAx8GtedePx6hBkUcS3KOSwrEgu95nJWeJojZL6XWendkaHnr0rc6XHg5GgUGtM5S3mU6GGjE98EDD0DOmx_14dDdoov2Bj7skC9Ui35JALj7VA7sChBz6xHVV_tLBF5AshVSZLbziXowrB4w2Vy_QaRQ/w640-h450/IMG_5626%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhkUqxmwk2d7OaQEEIgNBvnHpmlsXTF91FrY9QBcxix8MEEITWdca51dRXwbcfJgr_dt_K4L1XRWUXBpT2dNjyc-4k80f1vAQPNozSySCSnvivPwaWakqjyj7_-mzw06iIoDdpNTUkCDlAcbN5qDwTw6yOSyGVDqmALCjMIKHec8-KmxtBQ/s3351/IMG_5630%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2094" data-original-width="3351" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhkUqxmwk2d7OaQEEIgNBvnHpmlsXTF91FrY9QBcxix8MEEITWdca51dRXwbcfJgr_dt_K4L1XRWUXBpT2dNjyc-4k80f1vAQPNozSySCSnvivPwaWakqjyj7_-mzw06iIoDdpNTUkCDlAcbN5qDwTw6yOSyGVDqmALCjMIKHec8-KmxtBQ/w640-h400/IMG_5630%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Even with these conditions, we had some special sightings. A pair of bet-eared foxes, a rare sighting because they are nocturnal, had probably been pushed out of their den by the rain and were lying in the grass. We saw several impalas and baboons through the forest trees, and a leopard tortoise crossed the road right in front of us. (It is one of the "Little Five," five animals sharing names with the "Big Five.")</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ej7zbaOzrN0oVxR0J61D8L0lDE7q7MVXs2gJM0MxRYzza3k9_0WPE2ENJUVlR4kJcm3PG8pvnYgzzvybiK_7EmqehroDFOdxqChKoGOrQcbqa_m0ABjou4g9cQYToeW8dIhtpfqdM_97w_DktwZqOtExHzNDeCB9EFPD9nQeZuj-1-d8NA/s2661/IMG_5639%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2077" data-original-width="2661" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ej7zbaOzrN0oVxR0J61D8L0lDE7q7MVXs2gJM0MxRYzza3k9_0WPE2ENJUVlR4kJcm3PG8pvnYgzzvybiK_7EmqehroDFOdxqChKoGOrQcbqa_m0ABjou4g9cQYToeW8dIhtpfqdM_97w_DktwZqOtExHzNDeCB9EFPD9nQeZuj-1-d8NA/w640-h500/IMG_5639%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuGvekiePeXqzeisEkDEc5kjup__3Lr8ZPSRckkmwRZKDz9n8hSYq_OdEfJUGs86hqSI74tvixydzCm7bi8cPzz5PiIpgmYfGHr3gJ8UvWg-fP2bzJTuTZA8NGmKxMT9iHaJ_9D9lFv13vIHH3c-PimsmjP7unkHFv3DDDh18oIYQNg5a8A/s2740/IMG_5641%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2740" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuGvekiePeXqzeisEkDEc5kjup__3Lr8ZPSRckkmwRZKDz9n8hSYq_OdEfJUGs86hqSI74tvixydzCm7bi8cPzz5PiIpgmYfGHr3gJ8UvWg-fP2bzJTuTZA8NGmKxMT9iHaJ_9D9lFv13vIHH3c-PimsmjP7unkHFv3DDDh18oIYQNg5a8A/w640-h454/IMG_5641%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3YhePykOfKfqcbAP3C0PdlfMpLdmhrXSf7cynoUiHWhqMnWqvjcTA8MMoEEj14EV-5vdwCtyAtZfbm0Rh1olNFF7QDWnKImVnnIWb-U6y7ATvsGYFWisYI2RE74nKDeLjgGT36QsPB1GfeW7G3HkF7wMs5SKXB2MK5h9j0-Y2gV8LohusA/s4303/IMG_5720%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="4303" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3YhePykOfKfqcbAP3C0PdlfMpLdmhrXSf7cynoUiHWhqMnWqvjcTA8MMoEEj14EV-5vdwCtyAtZfbm0Rh1olNFF7QDWnKImVnnIWb-U6y7ATvsGYFWisYI2RE74nKDeLjgGT36QsPB1GfeW7G3HkF7wMs5SKXB2MK5h9j0-Y2gV8LohusA/w640-h500/IMG_5720%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnZQCWprBecPxf-hBh-qkC6kBjilxvGt6FfvaRfXtl6ZydcLNgoVetyQsBt4NIMPiONuW9zHRDhd2W8dso9ShnsXWaU4I-3w1he61N96JcyZVcmG6gV8Ko1NvxVz56U1PtUeYS_KeNJ7qljE334Y-EKzLubmLuPaTnGMpc4tlIJybqbbTcQ/s3334/IMG_5703%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2352" data-original-width="3334" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnZQCWprBecPxf-hBh-qkC6kBjilxvGt6FfvaRfXtl6ZydcLNgoVetyQsBt4NIMPiONuW9zHRDhd2W8dso9ShnsXWaU4I-3w1he61N96JcyZVcmG6gV8Ko1NvxVz56U1PtUeYS_KeNJ7qljE334Y-EKzLubmLuPaTnGMpc4tlIJybqbbTcQ/w640-h452/IMG_5703%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6juzRdN1RVaj3oRhtB7FnU8kTHlgOGpPlz3TrSKVkY2bmyq8CrfTZB4KHAYVi_tL5xlSXop3ZV3UyKIUgIUPqiqXCKjoY-ybqVGlNjkifp7bd7ZMcYSsGCvbNNhJqlpFYGu__JeIFepH-PH_ENXY9iyZ2HVNoF-ejGz0gYnTxyirRIp-5g/s4460/IMG_5705%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3115" data-original-width="4460" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6juzRdN1RVaj3oRhtB7FnU8kTHlgOGpPlz3TrSKVkY2bmyq8CrfTZB4KHAYVi_tL5xlSXop3ZV3UyKIUgIUPqiqXCKjoY-ybqVGlNjkifp7bd7ZMcYSsGCvbNNhJqlpFYGu__JeIFepH-PH_ENXY9iyZ2HVNoF-ejGz0gYnTxyirRIp-5g/w640-h446/IMG_5705%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2hkwbxC1omAdfKkPZuqIbZtQQHbA_kyO-tsk4oh1t-nMB1oSmBerlQZos2ViEG93wRDQBHhHjHSm1dza5Ez8tnaJhmF-yLQSneYs6CAqP0lXDKrOPGXqYttNQ1GdAJSvPIexzV_av5srIS3dj1sq-ufyQdaM5Po6wrbIENVMLHWNaFUZmA/s4171/IMG_5711%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3283" data-original-width="4171" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2hkwbxC1omAdfKkPZuqIbZtQQHbA_kyO-tsk4oh1t-nMB1oSmBerlQZos2ViEG93wRDQBHhHjHSm1dza5Ez8tnaJhmF-yLQSneYs6CAqP0lXDKrOPGXqYttNQ1GdAJSvPIexzV_av5srIS3dj1sq-ufyQdaM5Po6wrbIENVMLHWNaFUZmA/w640-h504/IMG_5711%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4wyuDuFKkxScJucyuS55C9frS4cCUk-6TWsw6Ldl8aV_bCam8K8N92Cef1h07aHWUgKBQA-SbFNpHNXBrOU5wbjYTGK_pA3NvLnwwRB-N9Vdj_MfOna8bRD9D1lW_8XU2DcCE8fvMwVI5Cgnd1FlLb118gdjEl_s1oPb1GchcbzTqSp2HA/s4060/IMG_5715%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3233" data-original-width="4060" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4wyuDuFKkxScJucyuS55C9frS4cCUk-6TWsw6Ldl8aV_bCam8K8N92Cef1h07aHWUgKBQA-SbFNpHNXBrOU5wbjYTGK_pA3NvLnwwRB-N9Vdj_MfOna8bRD9D1lW_8XU2DcCE8fvMwVI5Cgnd1FlLb118gdjEl_s1oPb1GchcbzTqSp2HA/w640-h510/IMG_5715%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkDcnevczoAIevjg4NxAuLoj6q8tj7wwGCoAX96TcOeZEF91ssye2Mt4E7rzGIa8fFHcg91ls1NtuQuVG-ZhtiaJTGeLC3gPvzlGDGMWTFSdlFUsMBfVVn8kQ3IA1v8ZSPwD3A9MEwRvPplqLAl8AZ8Zuis4zvcBgQAu8Ms_nwaAnaeOPWQ/s4608/IMG_5717%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkDcnevczoAIevjg4NxAuLoj6q8tj7wwGCoAX96TcOeZEF91ssye2Mt4E7rzGIa8fFHcg91ls1NtuQuVG-ZhtiaJTGeLC3gPvzlGDGMWTFSdlFUsMBfVVn8kQ3IA1v8ZSPwD3A9MEwRvPplqLAl8AZ8Zuis4zvcBgQAu8Ms_nwaAnaeOPWQ/w640-h480/IMG_5717%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4wmacig3YSEzBfaxLL4b4CCX89oqvmnkfltxoGWsAf-OFVqeo42o9b7vaHahKwpbgpBCPWNXRL4wQZNTPol8xOjSSAom7i_YJD7bTeLbQHhmhvRYCnGtCEIXq2jgj1pHQaYHdLwGpxqpt_xzTpShzeqwwhQAMoVjkIDUWVwusiP8ygHCeg/s3888/IMG_5723%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3888" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4wmacig3YSEzBfaxLL4b4CCX89oqvmnkfltxoGWsAf-OFVqeo42o9b7vaHahKwpbgpBCPWNXRL4wQZNTPol8xOjSSAom7i_YJD7bTeLbQHhmhvRYCnGtCEIXq2jgj1pHQaYHdLwGpxqpt_xzTpShzeqwwhQAMoVjkIDUWVwusiP8ygHCeg/w640-h486/IMG_5723%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4A5jOQtuNBAwmLdUihApQ17oXrhfJT_kh5D6fe8-Urc4NGas7siEnef0EaedDAzKkRu30s9_2H6nHnUi31uw8lzGTJw5Vtdr_yYtO2ouLPuVQEhuD0y8pRreXRiAoU-mVZ-BXyRwXz83EU2-EoXJaHduVRVuT0j9wB_2jPInWLS9sEkFVQ/s2384/IMG_5725%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="2384" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4A5jOQtuNBAwmLdUihApQ17oXrhfJT_kh5D6fe8-Urc4NGas7siEnef0EaedDAzKkRu30s9_2H6nHnUi31uw8lzGTJw5Vtdr_yYtO2ouLPuVQEhuD0y8pRreXRiAoU-mVZ-BXyRwXz83EU2-EoXJaHduVRVuT0j9wB_2jPInWLS9sEkFVQ/w640-h590/IMG_5725%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue and black fabric, which was hung throughout the forest, attracts and traps the tsetse flies.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One of my favorite features of the Serengeti are the kopjes, the beautiful granite outcroppings that dot these plains. On one of them this morning, we saw a lion prowling on the rocks. As word got out over the drivers' radios, more and more vehicles arrived and the lion disappeared into the bushes atop the rock. We ended up spending an hour there, as Albert jumped out to help others work to rescue a vehicle that was solidly stuck in the deep mud. Rob took advantage of the break to get a little exercise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1XWDG10ONvepheam5sFrI1zx-ekazaWZwl4nUwh2el7-ppi4O7auBQYXz5V2VptbvL5n6AFBMyGzKpVDbDDMJTGsxJAjXB1mueacpuWwOe1tECkKBQIBAZv6_UNDR_fzxVhwhDDUT97JFMicma9DEhM76EI1Mozi_NGmzqvvUb3vsrLvtw/s3859/IMG_5647%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2126" data-original-width="3859" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1XWDG10ONvepheam5sFrI1zx-ekazaWZwl4nUwh2el7-ppi4O7auBQYXz5V2VptbvL5n6AFBMyGzKpVDbDDMJTGsxJAjXB1mueacpuWwOe1tECkKBQIBAZv6_UNDR_fzxVhwhDDUT97JFMicma9DEhM76EI1Mozi_NGmzqvvUb3vsrLvtw/w640-h352/IMG_5647%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkOPwY10lDc219WRo-NQgqtk_vMH3CYl-fuFqAr5kn3A5UL_aVPOYIyigIUYuoAPqQXFPyDZbtZ-qcgh44ELjp8pSggGRAMTSp1CFGCozU3oDm22nsgddioMWnmySd59nm5-3uQNPZ0F1_tVnsOZPYngOrkMT-8gEiylhLSRbSaam4wioDA/s3892/IMG_5648%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3030" data-original-width="3892" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkOPwY10lDc219WRo-NQgqtk_vMH3CYl-fuFqAr5kn3A5UL_aVPOYIyigIUYuoAPqQXFPyDZbtZ-qcgh44ELjp8pSggGRAMTSp1CFGCozU3oDm22nsgddioMWnmySd59nm5-3uQNPZ0F1_tVnsOZPYngOrkMT-8gEiylhLSRbSaam4wioDA/w640-h498/IMG_5648%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2MLJxCQNFlj1ZbduxZL9vdipmjhxY4resuefV9-Rdhu_S06GFlfo2Y9JditJ-f5MdehrFF7JBgrPdGPZTJ6N4JEo3UDi-9oyXfhzHIHXLSnh9yNs3T2aYjNWVu0zKpXkHiSIvvw3ADxMkFWm1wG1rpA-Z2vaAzqJVm1NXE4pxDEW0VxNQ/s4455/IMG_5650%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="4455" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2MLJxCQNFlj1ZbduxZL9vdipmjhxY4resuefV9-Rdhu_S06GFlfo2Y9JditJ-f5MdehrFF7JBgrPdGPZTJ6N4JEo3UDi-9oyXfhzHIHXLSnh9yNs3T2aYjNWVu0zKpXkHiSIvvw3ADxMkFWm1wG1rpA-Z2vaAzqJVm1NXE4pxDEW0VxNQ/w640-h368/IMG_5650%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI8QFho1zf2htOlh99i5ZH07GEiZTuqxW5bvuJ0xcyRk_IePOSQ-nfxEibfvo_RKnFBnKu2yGya1_dBptt_-OHc-Ntghr2RtslkuUia5Cn7etrrZhLaNirV550tN4jsnJcJhAi4y8fjsnMHyYzKqRAbfbklkOvFjWDJg8ZC_6v0I6EMcGFw/s2969/IMG_5727%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2019" data-original-width="2969" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpI8QFho1zf2htOlh99i5ZH07GEiZTuqxW5bvuJ0xcyRk_IePOSQ-nfxEibfvo_RKnFBnKu2yGya1_dBptt_-OHc-Ntghr2RtslkuUia5Cn7etrrZhLaNirV550tN4jsnJcJhAi4y8fjsnMHyYzKqRAbfbklkOvFjWDJg8ZC_6v0I6EMcGFw/w640-h435/IMG_5727%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animals use the tops of the kopjes as lookout posts.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3awuZnsLkVxh5pK0dkJHqeILWK4hwyzyPaBQM4cWRfHwfjSc254091XLHWUC0Ir-hggWtWwxQw_KygFL027KlAFsuIJVOM3LL52uxorL_2Ar_lB4nC0qdiE5vWZctkCBOZGKnGVQWo8F-JG_CTYuhaAno_lOxubeKeVE-uvA7hYBbKTu9nA/s4041/IMG_5657%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3190" data-original-width="4041" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3awuZnsLkVxh5pK0dkJHqeILWK4hwyzyPaBQM4cWRfHwfjSc254091XLHWUC0Ir-hggWtWwxQw_KygFL027KlAFsuIJVOM3LL52uxorL_2Ar_lB4nC0qdiE5vWZctkCBOZGKnGVQWo8F-JG_CTYuhaAno_lOxubeKeVE-uvA7hYBbKTu9nA/w640-h506/IMG_5657%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNY-bhH9SHGvLrdfQtUTA87rM436v1XN5XRpQyrL3JAb2DMRRHN4Qc3zbRwwgJ2Mj_OPpn4pcq4ItP4D57tTBTaH8jSkgoSH-kVDITqxVpBkVoYs_UQta4l1aIZsTAP4uzxDemICvChUqtUTHvf5sO42VtWHA1Mi9rrXweAOMJv4YUHy4VA/s3985/IMG_5667%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="3985" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNY-bhH9SHGvLrdfQtUTA87rM436v1XN5XRpQyrL3JAb2DMRRHN4Qc3zbRwwgJ2Mj_OPpn4pcq4ItP4D57tTBTaH8jSkgoSH-kVDITqxVpBkVoYs_UQta4l1aIZsTAP4uzxDemICvChUqtUTHvf5sO42VtWHA1Mi9rrXweAOMJv4YUHy4VA/w640-h446/IMG_5667%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping a safari vehicle stuck in the mud.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyxA_BR_2VS244AFfoYArtbY5SFlZj-5Zj-KPz4gloNvQoaznEs9ZMxYKZGubM5tbM_4_7uEEODDZV7TeTe7ByjbzDLg9PLjsjdAY-4v06Ya9T5mMvwDVrKGnhLIIJF7pcuaU9rbw3tm36ywL_1PHivE_Q9XPAqisUWrFLu1ZuB5GkjcNng/s4374/IMG_5673%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="4374" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyxA_BR_2VS244AFfoYArtbY5SFlZj-5Zj-KPz4gloNvQoaznEs9ZMxYKZGubM5tbM_4_7uEEODDZV7TeTe7ByjbzDLg9PLjsjdAY-4v06Ya9T5mMvwDVrKGnhLIIJF7pcuaU9rbw3tm36ywL_1PHivE_Q9XPAqisUWrFLu1ZuB5GkjcNng/w640-h480/IMG_5673%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And, of course, we saw wildebeests - Thousands of them! A huge herd thundered across the road right in front of us, and we sat there for almost fifteen minutes as they kept coming and coming and coming. We kept saying, "Oh, that must be the last of them," and then a few more would appear on the horizon, trotting to keep up with the herd.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew0iEUXCEZiAz-aoa1ABpQVubW8856kwJVVnjXlt62CmklvU0jN1Ab9LXM8BsLex3W-bh-HP0-Ot7AVCh1FWgymuxd6xjHsnECy3DXznI7ingox7VI7jy7GKd1vXlnRVx5HUeCRPxElw9GbBtjk7AHRVSrMbSOsq9V_XJc7AtjAVD0Sd24Q/s2923/IMG_5680%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1779" data-original-width="2923" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew0iEUXCEZiAz-aoa1ABpQVubW8856kwJVVnjXlt62CmklvU0jN1Ab9LXM8BsLex3W-bh-HP0-Ot7AVCh1FWgymuxd6xjHsnECy3DXznI7ingox7VI7jy7GKd1vXlnRVx5HUeCRPxElw9GbBtjk7AHRVSrMbSOsq9V_XJc7AtjAVD0Sd24Q/w640-h390/IMG_5680%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEXUZIBMO0jTaMXRcYQsjMhxQYAt9sngsHwXEf5my9ne6HgSoWlvSZ1joJcMSbWiJJwjD0YJK8ZFVzmdHce65zGNaATzzUKvsh2zc0PcXGusilQN2CJ2V_nokHflPZ9lN0gQ4Lwgg8yTH9S0Ur4QbWQDcOWvzZv5ExuLLqX8R0aMcjUJ_BA/s2424/IMG_5683%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2424" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEXUZIBMO0jTaMXRcYQsjMhxQYAt9sngsHwXEf5my9ne6HgSoWlvSZ1joJcMSbWiJJwjD0YJK8ZFVzmdHce65zGNaATzzUKvsh2zc0PcXGusilQN2CJ2V_nokHflPZ9lN0gQ4Lwgg8yTH9S0Ur4QbWQDcOWvzZv5ExuLLqX8R0aMcjUJ_BA/w640-h514/IMG_5683%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZeVL88tFq-_DjDgo-p7yl6SAQm1yFbHiYzjaCiFUm9CTuxiZOB7_Xy-sFGVOXi3GOATixTpGG4Q7ypyXyApRk9ALkFRyPRhu8wt8CAyPiC-zOc63eXVFgVMFh4dsUf7zFd_lvtQ4QNxKWlAiieFv1GpxmOhldJuyOS_QYk8i2Dpdkx_WzQ/s4087/IMG_5686%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="4087" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZeVL88tFq-_DjDgo-p7yl6SAQm1yFbHiYzjaCiFUm9CTuxiZOB7_Xy-sFGVOXi3GOATixTpGG4Q7ypyXyApRk9ALkFRyPRhu8wt8CAyPiC-zOc63eXVFgVMFh4dsUf7zFd_lvtQ4QNxKWlAiieFv1GpxmOhldJuyOS_QYk8i2Dpdkx_WzQ/w640-h392/IMG_5686%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73gULJyr_oJ7HSkkeosagpuaYLnsqJNJaxiRguKLoTLDkmAevfvUyPl5a00XqbCtYSp25WUCcX93sV4MkpnrcPsMfIAbiOa_u-Ck97ZIZVOJqZHSip-1BkVDG8Cj3gpeL0cO2Ltp3hOBdqw9QhwcuJLa0lwEEV4QunQ5Et3D8Oq-w_oUsVw/s3892/IMG_5690%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2411" data-original-width="3892" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73gULJyr_oJ7HSkkeosagpuaYLnsqJNJaxiRguKLoTLDkmAevfvUyPl5a00XqbCtYSp25WUCcX93sV4MkpnrcPsMfIAbiOa_u-Ck97ZIZVOJqZHSip-1BkVDG8Cj3gpeL0cO2Ltp3hOBdqw9QhwcuJLa0lwEEV4QunQ5Et3D8Oq-w_oUsVw/w640-h396/IMG_5690%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This thunderous herd looked like it was coming straight at us!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyyOlDZzImm2VaFjjuZuMSLpayXHDJUlFQjM6gpNvG6tslu7lljC1jlbnRn9MsS2gWUAsnhhbklUScS4TLWZVFum8Eo7Ph8I0cMN_0lzaiRlphfwxj9xmc2DrFbjf29oNVBhu4Reft3Lg_0nQnB8PEShb2T2jRkLWgNfivmDPR9puQXp5oA/s3931/IMG_5698%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="3931" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyyOlDZzImm2VaFjjuZuMSLpayXHDJUlFQjM6gpNvG6tslu7lljC1jlbnRn9MsS2gWUAsnhhbklUScS4TLWZVFum8Eo7Ph8I0cMN_0lzaiRlphfwxj9xmc2DrFbjf29oNVBhu4Reft3Lg_0nQnB8PEShb2T2jRkLWgNfivmDPR9puQXp5oA/w640-h462/IMG_5698%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We returned to camp for lunch, and George, our tent attendant, prepared hot "bucket showers" for us. That afternoon brought more thunder and rain, and we were quite content to hang out in our tent reading and napping. Later we went to the group lounge to visit with other travelers and enjoy a delicious dinner. Sundown is early here, and hanging on for dear life in a bouncy safari vehicle is actually pretty tiring, so we were happy to go to bed early.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">January 18 - Day Two on the Serengeti</h3><div>Albert picked us up after breakfast and we set out in the same direction as yesterday. Once again, we did not spot many animals, but the ones we did see were great. There were more of the adorable bat-eared foxes, scampering around poking their noses into the bushes searching for beetles and other insects, their main diet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KoizrsSvOANJZbX5EXh2_j1iD5rn35OHwXe6rZLPn6vsOdwRTAPX_2aydhwp-bJ0ZswVgCDrwkzKiN4t81-0iGqSAUzecniivydcI7WGT2qFmE1ZaCYc9MamOWYhHWDLFYKbbYsf59P3dfrYWArpiZ1S-rU6H2AAMLk59TdhlWK7V5PVdQ/s3363/IMG_5744%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2310" data-original-width="3363" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KoizrsSvOANJZbX5EXh2_j1iD5rn35OHwXe6rZLPn6vsOdwRTAPX_2aydhwp-bJ0ZswVgCDrwkzKiN4t81-0iGqSAUzecniivydcI7WGT2qFmE1ZaCYc9MamOWYhHWDLFYKbbYsf59P3dfrYWArpiZ1S-rU6H2AAMLk59TdhlWK7V5PVdQ/w640-h440/IMG_5744%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBUdYVY5dyVymwz1dAdCBjiOmnpNWhlbE2CjVPAebDMDATUI5JZpjWCvV9SlIUpsLHhUV22P4XttPjk1I3J8WA3Qo9d97y3b5_wqFh9I0E_NJfT3cSm5qZ2M79puWGhZuzvRSF2FrYOFkoJK8uAZeZli0j-nlVO0T7GbBnRdBRN0E_ucElg/s3153/IMG_5753%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2285" data-original-width="3153" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBUdYVY5dyVymwz1dAdCBjiOmnpNWhlbE2CjVPAebDMDATUI5JZpjWCvV9SlIUpsLHhUV22P4XttPjk1I3J8WA3Qo9d97y3b5_wqFh9I0E_NJfT3cSm5qZ2M79puWGhZuzvRSF2FrYOFkoJK8uAZeZli0j-nlVO0T7GbBnRdBRN0E_ucElg/w640-h464/IMG_5753%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA99CYornLU0Mj1hsXkEzLxiEr2FIcE84AbG2K6ipwUIk9vOziO_ptr1iMTJPrBl0B7pYtlwx43Z05ZeGbiulwo0TF1fR7-WU4iubauB8yqOPMrExHzv-QFLFDgxWia9MOMEJ7ZtD0uuq5sDzZaDOWxnhqBPyYfNWztNfyMZEk1fb27UwR7g/s2829/IMG_5768%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2437" data-original-width="2829" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA99CYornLU0Mj1hsXkEzLxiEr2FIcE84AbG2K6ipwUIk9vOziO_ptr1iMTJPrBl0B7pYtlwx43Z05ZeGbiulwo0TF1fR7-WU4iubauB8yqOPMrExHzv-QFLFDgxWia9MOMEJ7ZtD0uuq5sDzZaDOWxnhqBPyYfNWztNfyMZEk1fb27UwR7g/w640-h552/IMG_5768%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We saw a tiny dik-dik and a steenbok, the two smallest of the antelopes, nearly hidden in the underbrush. I am always amazed by our guides' ability to spot the forest creatures!)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF1nc_Vrxatbv5YZ7XmG2RilPys2IzuUfeW4ewb-HgUcKOlYEgQ_ZdEWz4GYthRISwdnGKmM3WaY-u7nrv6ba-iRFMYioK7WQBbA6r21PyUG26UNOSmNE9bk-kfmiQTLcH03UUsIxiq9Vsi1L48-fmjFuYwbPnp-cxCiZpV3aDdxVb61W9A/s4608/IMG_5733%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF1nc_Vrxatbv5YZ7XmG2RilPys2IzuUfeW4ewb-HgUcKOlYEgQ_ZdEWz4GYthRISwdnGKmM3WaY-u7nrv6ba-iRFMYioK7WQBbA6r21PyUG26UNOSmNE9bk-kfmiQTLcH03UUsIxiq9Vsi1L48-fmjFuYwbPnp-cxCiZpV3aDdxVb61W9A/w640-h480/IMG_5733%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dik-dik</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3rIONMxs3Gx4pl0ovl9ywUVLTTgqPPiAsUswOzTMUqB244sEjIfLp4rdWgbpwpgf_4pR6HK06QqXEzlGOZlxcw1dE7JQU_Ey55j-j4zKOb2jWhSMS3fPC_pab5qPJM23SKDuonTyshUz6vu90xKjdlqsR-Uykqf6bgTNECsNQFnAaZSKnA/s2184/IMG_5798%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="2184" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3rIONMxs3Gx4pl0ovl9ywUVLTTgqPPiAsUswOzTMUqB244sEjIfLp4rdWgbpwpgf_4pR6HK06QqXEzlGOZlxcw1dE7JQU_Ey55j-j4zKOb2jWhSMS3fPC_pab5qPJM23SKDuonTyshUz6vu90xKjdlqsR-Uykqf6bgTNECsNQFnAaZSKnA/w640-h574/IMG_5798%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steenbok</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After wresting with wet roads, Albert decided to try another path, and off we went across the grassy plain where we found a large tower of giraffes and a herd of zebras. I love the graceful giraffes. They always seem so serene, striding slowly and majestically across the landscape. Best of all, this group had several babies, one of them obviously just born - still very pale in color and with an umbilical cord still attached. Best sighting of the day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B9rFu4EC3G25kcroknl8Jh5GRJnl_3gFVmpYZb31SF_Dc6sCfUImDG8HSFSI8ylRA49FLkzqmeh8y3520OSRxMCTGwWgjkVaghBT_k15_g-SIXRbxfgFkG2JfQysuLZSH1-ElAdO167rMyt_dRraq7koPkaUFXCP6c1AJ4e1X3O9zChktw/s4608/IMG_5734%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6B9rFu4EC3G25kcroknl8Jh5GRJnl_3gFVmpYZb31SF_Dc6sCfUImDG8HSFSI8ylRA49FLkzqmeh8y3520OSRxMCTGwWgjkVaghBT_k15_g-SIXRbxfgFkG2JfQysuLZSH1-ElAdO167rMyt_dRraq7koPkaUFXCP6c1AJ4e1X3O9zChktw/w640-h480/IMG_5734%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS8OHh6PQNxpOj271SMYSo7-FBUGUhXk4z2NqJwalJe5zYEg-BUcBRttunSIlN42tIJFQa9-UXVgAslSPCUHEigixOWE67Y6f5c3WGATpWU5VTgWnMS_1F8PMRc6KSRz5BYnGwsHOfTKBdKgxyaA3DIUM1I2_XIrD0D-VRhOTutR7FNOsBA/s4608/IMG_5785%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS8OHh6PQNxpOj271SMYSo7-FBUGUhXk4z2NqJwalJe5zYEg-BUcBRttunSIlN42tIJFQa9-UXVgAslSPCUHEigixOWE67Y6f5c3WGATpWU5VTgWnMS_1F8PMRc6KSRz5BYnGwsHOfTKBdKgxyaA3DIUM1I2_XIrD0D-VRhOTutR7FNOsBA/w640-h480/IMG_5785%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evidence of our bouncy, muddy drive!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTSxD16eeXhuoosrrzbohpHSF5V_UpmdzH_bMrXvuT_jVc0XCnn0UCNVjC4lrtNAy4zaSdSiXrF3Mt5inQyRXWG7Oab1rbojsb9PTyUWscCGImzgsM7n5EvJWiQXoNyJsa3UXtMtfh5EN6D3zKlYiUdRqnx7Eozy09gm8ncK3VSa8ivEoLw/s4594/IMG_5789%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2926" data-original-width="4594" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTSxD16eeXhuoosrrzbohpHSF5V_UpmdzH_bMrXvuT_jVc0XCnn0UCNVjC4lrtNAy4zaSdSiXrF3Mt5inQyRXWG7Oab1rbojsb9PTyUWscCGImzgsM7n5EvJWiQXoNyJsa3UXtMtfh5EN6D3zKlYiUdRqnx7Eozy09gm8ncK3VSa8ivEoLw/w640-h408/IMG_5789%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby giraffe with mother</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaZxhHbV4FL0z0VbCE65c8IArzDcd9Et6wj9IEBgidhGgsv64jWzjoSXYAVZI-WRnNnDzUfaZvf7k9DVPqT3oojuH0v9hUpVzxO08k_jx036MBIABckvV2hAZkTNoOZnlypO9IkZ1eTQvGo0NZS5BjMA9tjPgdqulzz0XJlL4vvH_JbEHxA/s3364/IMG_5791%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2007" data-original-width="3364" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaZxhHbV4FL0z0VbCE65c8IArzDcd9Et6wj9IEBgidhGgsv64jWzjoSXYAVZI-WRnNnDzUfaZvf7k9DVPqT3oojuH0v9hUpVzxO08k_jx036MBIABckvV2hAZkTNoOZnlypO9IkZ1eTQvGo0NZS5BjMA9tjPgdqulzz0XJlL4vvH_JbEHxA/w640-h382/IMG_5791%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5ATItTVZHTFMtBQPqISAu5Tv5_oBFkRlLylk5sFTfEQd2OBOyECcaCojUgkaTz3smx6EZZLL-up8JeWzSgkmTP-sxd1XFJTXo_7kpFhRTBXsXEkBFxSl8999WT6MTYTdmmZrOHqXJJsr7Zu8I7BBjOoZT9tEOQnLCa3NCQuho6yExOJgMA/s4206/IMG_5795%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3166" data-original-width="4206" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5ATItTVZHTFMtBQPqISAu5Tv5_oBFkRlLylk5sFTfEQd2OBOyECcaCojUgkaTz3smx6EZZLL-up8JeWzSgkmTP-sxd1XFJTXo_7kpFhRTBXsXEkBFxSl8999WT6MTYTdmmZrOHqXJJsr7Zu8I7BBjOoZT9tEOQnLCa3NCQuho6yExOJgMA/w640-h482/IMG_5795%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclZfQ_zVL2CXCxJgOlgrZ0LDtqoOz4sbd6N0hge75veHTJvpMiBpfzTrP4APORRUPT6brO649z2-pjeHJP8iZ3GzciVy_p4bAlfX9IwhgXqJVgYe2UBq6Zd4Ie30NHHLU4S8AEDIPINA9ovgagcG0X90UN41YXubejMv6DDygj4EM9pzmFw/s3631/IMG_5801%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2518" data-original-width="3631" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclZfQ_zVL2CXCxJgOlgrZ0LDtqoOz4sbd6N0hge75veHTJvpMiBpfzTrP4APORRUPT6brO649z2-pjeHJP8iZ3GzciVy_p4bAlfX9IwhgXqJVgYe2UBq6Zd4Ie30NHHLU4S8AEDIPINA9ovgagcG0X90UN41YXubejMv6DDygj4EM9pzmFw/w640-h444/IMG_5801%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvoLV31PlZ-f8CUjGAr8PvjkV6N0yzmGppJLxbm5oTqbZfCEnCs4_qdWTw5Jv-krl9UgabP9PchTYf6gPlO0GVDNgIuw3DiYWtlYpujKPHX_lv6YubvpkmXFugx6FBTdfvX4cuu0UbeS8fJuDiDBj1OWLRWDu9bcPigS8dURKA2R93eozJA/s4029/IMG_5803%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2521" data-original-width="4029" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvoLV31PlZ-f8CUjGAr8PvjkV6N0yzmGppJLxbm5oTqbZfCEnCs4_qdWTw5Jv-krl9UgabP9PchTYf6gPlO0GVDNgIuw3DiYWtlYpujKPHX_lv6YubvpkmXFugx6FBTdfvX4cuu0UbeS8fJuDiDBj1OWLRWDu9bcPigS8dURKA2R93eozJA/w640-h400/IMG_5803%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lNG_FEXJA1PadSpuF83T1oriTzyCvb21ZmcOWIt4_4OGH-XIyTGCgxCEyFSc09zdv1wqzXMlLplg4O_V_28EjcA_T8Y-g_4FZClcpMhsDWHMjX1LExNffPZmRSAMZIAAeKbv9s6SGb7FYiC6Lr_OlGyDwciBRosXSDOqn9lientQ-CAOpQ/s3427/IMG_5809%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2842" data-original-width="3427" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lNG_FEXJA1PadSpuF83T1oriTzyCvb21ZmcOWIt4_4OGH-XIyTGCgxCEyFSc09zdv1wqzXMlLplg4O_V_28EjcA_T8Y-g_4FZClcpMhsDWHMjX1LExNffPZmRSAMZIAAeKbv9s6SGb7FYiC6Lr_OlGyDwciBRosXSDOqn9lientQ-CAOpQ/w640-h530/IMG_5809%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ktOF6gG0OStiX5h2th3cRXnyg5yF44efzfwasQarrzeVYUrwX9zJnCsRu6Oz7Nz1R9Ed2qiAsQP7pvAr85QOZojXuarE8a2vcgEEjLvyGj1kVNkyUZVMtbIY6VzBmEskM_4vxHMw_Q9kerXpH7UwqBiKdcRjjQEMRzjdKw01d3eR7lq2FA/s3584/IMG_5819%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="3584" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ktOF6gG0OStiX5h2th3cRXnyg5yF44efzfwasQarrzeVYUrwX9zJnCsRu6Oz7Nz1R9Ed2qiAsQP7pvAr85QOZojXuarE8a2vcgEEjLvyGj1kVNkyUZVMtbIY6VzBmEskM_4vxHMw_Q9kerXpH7UwqBiKdcRjjQEMRzjdKw01d3eR7lq2FA/w640-h382/IMG_5819%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IC8fSEB4FhUCSbk1zSEWIw5rH8P1RXuAUd1fd1nAwVfF1n7Xs5rYTEJbWg25w55Is0jmnNZK32_dZF1Vmm24xZ_ubDxO-zxuZCPop9WPOmFq4kaO6ZMer1J3zQh55ON6izJPY5d8UsVSGQBm6VR9IHeFKdnu4QtSpr3-moZY_HSUd8yt8A/s2760/IMG_5846%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1883" data-original-width="2760" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IC8fSEB4FhUCSbk1zSEWIw5rH8P1RXuAUd1fd1nAwVfF1n7Xs5rYTEJbWg25w55Is0jmnNZK32_dZF1Vmm24xZ_ubDxO-zxuZCPop9WPOmFq4kaO6ZMer1J3zQh55ON6izJPY5d8UsVSGQBm6VR9IHeFKdnu4QtSpr3-moZY_HSUd8yt8A/w640-h436/IMG_5846%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male and female impalas</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Albert was also knowledgeable about the plants here. He pointed out different kinds of acacia trees: the umbrella acacia (which always symbolizes the African savannah to us), the yellow-bark acacia, the lehai acacia, whole park provided the original red dye for the Masai clothing, and the ant-gall acacia. I had noticed a lot of trees with little black balls stuck all over them. Albert shook the tree, and hundreds of little ants came swarming out of the balls. It is a symbiotic relationship between the trees and the ants. The tree provides the ants with food, and the ants provide protection against overeating by the giraffes. When giraffes feed on this tree, the ants will rush out, causing the giraffe to move on to another tree.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz--FYwVEqTtOo_gAVTKocKoDiuh0941h2nF-7gG4RxA7D7ZUUb21TpQashvmBiZZoOulFdVY70z-xQQO0gSR4grI9PO--MQmy_dULN_mMArJZHavmW9bro_Cwk3LOWLjrVuNnq6xb-E5goozzgMXYJ0M3Q2ypunxVK3G1TIKmWexwNG9oA/s4608/IMG_5730%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz--FYwVEqTtOo_gAVTKocKoDiuh0941h2nF-7gG4RxA7D7ZUUb21TpQashvmBiZZoOulFdVY70z-xQQO0gSR4grI9PO--MQmy_dULN_mMArJZHavmW9bro_Cwk3LOWLjrVuNnq6xb-E5goozzgMXYJ0M3Q2ypunxVK3G1TIKmWexwNG9oA/w640-h480/IMG_5730%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Another of the acacias uses a chemical reaction for protection. As the giraffe feeds, the leaves secrete a chemical that causes the leaves to become bitter, encouraging the giraffe to pick another tree. (I recently learned from David Attenborough's wonderful <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/green-planet/" target="_blank">The Green Planet</a> series that there are a number of plants with this chemical response to being eaten!)</div><div><br /></div><div>We had been up since before dawn, so we were glad of the chance to shower and rest awhile before lunch.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLTtPQvpzHGswOBSUm3vThIyufUbSfvACUcgrY4Oeh2WkXkaduZkHGF4hwryxRmza6Y_WD0MkVZJhUB7gSXbsCtt7NCOFgpwuIZzs8ug9j4fzkNft-DP2wK0y8vzn3x6IPRdM2R6vaobM951URoGl19BhQF1dJ01p29L5ZMIGZaPyDgwXmQ/s4353/IMG_5875%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4353" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLTtPQvpzHGswOBSUm3vThIyufUbSfvACUcgrY4Oeh2WkXkaduZkHGF4hwryxRmza6Y_WD0MkVZJhUB7gSXbsCtt7NCOFgpwuIZzs8ug9j4fzkNft-DP2wK0y8vzn3x6IPRdM2R6vaobM951URoGl19BhQF1dJ01p29L5ZMIGZaPyDgwXmQ/w640-h480/IMG_5875%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjGpims4a1hIWtoxEQOo5lvr897FsNsJ6pm2_bTBQfIsxWoxZpDpZ1ecicjZTForS5AEBDSXVVHTRXJ7BCgHpR00zAWsYWn8retmFjYPbOpACSSl2HMr7b9CzJPnz_t80Ksm-fmMpRptKzLtXBxZhDhMI4Lm_5cHL7Y2qTkv_OC4RProLWQ/s4608/IMG_5877%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjGpims4a1hIWtoxEQOo5lvr897FsNsJ6pm2_bTBQfIsxWoxZpDpZ1ecicjZTForS5AEBDSXVVHTRXJ7BCgHpR00zAWsYWn8retmFjYPbOpACSSl2HMr7b9CzJPnz_t80Ksm-fmMpRptKzLtXBxZhDhMI4Lm_5cHL7Y2qTkv_OC4RProLWQ/w480-h640/IMG_5877%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our shower - the hot water flows down from a bucket atop the tent.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-WNh9W39nJn0-WQ44RtIgXJgQHCq3tX6VFYjHSp2LVBKEahg6Imbcf2sQs8cskAhxdD1lNs5RUyDA2RZ8EmrVOVpQ7p4gp6YKCVv-36c4INKC_M_IpvfD7mxoe-LLuHhm29z_6_qr7ifB1j6ml_EIc1btv_qgWDs4IDk2i8WlRcZ3fqV-w/s4092/IMG_5879%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="4092" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-WNh9W39nJn0-WQ44RtIgXJgQHCq3tX6VFYjHSp2LVBKEahg6Imbcf2sQs8cskAhxdD1lNs5RUyDA2RZ8EmrVOVpQ7p4gp6YKCVv-36c4INKC_M_IpvfD7mxoe-LLuHhm29z_6_qr7ifB1j6ml_EIc1btv_qgWDs4IDk2i8WlRcZ3fqV-w/w640-h454/IMG_5879%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A weary traveler</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch, our tent steward, George, took us on a short hike up the kopje right next to our camp. It was a steep and slippery climb, but the views from the top were breath-taking - 360 degree views of the plains and forests far below, made even more beautiful by the golden granite kopjes poking up all around us. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zCVNwTTJkNhwDi71wcvyQeYG8J3sfSamR7_6qL-uNMtybUZp0_B8bcKBQ5af3Hj_ObTnZtKlzkLkjR9lqUOHDAPisAsDIo_RnaY_nW6maUlae9t85EM24du6PDRpBI2NfcvLIIAXxpsATC3k3T6FLG1NjodK-_5uGEO2NdwPWPV3BTrDRg/s4429/IMG_5881%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3021" data-original-width="4429" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zCVNwTTJkNhwDi71wcvyQeYG8J3sfSamR7_6qL-uNMtybUZp0_B8bcKBQ5af3Hj_ObTnZtKlzkLkjR9lqUOHDAPisAsDIo_RnaY_nW6maUlae9t85EM24du6PDRpBI2NfcvLIIAXxpsATC3k3T6FLG1NjodK-_5uGEO2NdwPWPV3BTrDRg/w640-h436/IMG_5881%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE82rYEv2oORMgW4ND7-bfRr0NbHYmePxdO7s_QwESQWp_j2xZn9NyGKWQq_GaiOS-o8vMPDYHSG0sR1F3heMNIhzvvKOka5OOGYUrCSugQkH8FBTaQrqjNE1PYUVz4L5_spuXbLLHSFJec4DoKhcpKFVLvDhADpK4U8MSDj1AxaWHbZhrQ/s4008/IMG_5883%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="4008" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE82rYEv2oORMgW4ND7-bfRr0NbHYmePxdO7s_QwESQWp_j2xZn9NyGKWQq_GaiOS-o8vMPDYHSG0sR1F3heMNIhzvvKOka5OOGYUrCSugQkH8FBTaQrqjNE1PYUVz4L5_spuXbLLHSFJec4DoKhcpKFVLvDhADpK4U8MSDj1AxaWHbZhrQ/w640-h456/IMG_5883%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShQ9TkswtqbgH7zn1Zr9xj6yjCLLkU9X-dAdFP8ZGGUpmrCAFKr379mEezpI1z5Y0Odj3YwtKfIOnLHAvL4yAEVdeNV44BssCrYMnwnWXC0oHYhv1vbLT7mKBPqzqQ_w9eH8Ox6vvWe5SohmyT1IcvyfuqVsVuLeI5OtLrfxMDmMIrMjd7A/s4002/IMG_5885%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3174" data-original-width="4002" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShQ9TkswtqbgH7zn1Zr9xj6yjCLLkU9X-dAdFP8ZGGUpmrCAFKr379mEezpI1z5Y0Odj3YwtKfIOnLHAvL4yAEVdeNV44BssCrYMnwnWXC0oHYhv1vbLT7mKBPqzqQ_w9eH8Ox6vvWe5SohmyT1IcvyfuqVsVuLeI5OtLrfxMDmMIrMjd7A/w640-h508/IMG_5885%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LuRs0Q3sUeNYLfmtHXPhHFlYw4qjKT8sb2cYRdJQV7ST3d9xGNz1Jvlob24P43YRdbLiYEpy-j_0a56oShW_QqaByRH4b-g__WmKEZZMaI8YPgWZfFz5_Y9cXuQZLCMLGc_G1gQFJkIOgDWwu9Sa8XLEwo8QngZahTBsS_t1XY-pvOvAIQ/s4160/IMG_5893%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3059" data-original-width="4160" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LuRs0Q3sUeNYLfmtHXPhHFlYw4qjKT8sb2cYRdJQV7ST3d9xGNz1Jvlob24P43YRdbLiYEpy-j_0a56oShW_QqaByRH4b-g__WmKEZZMaI8YPgWZfFz5_Y9cXuQZLCMLGc_G1gQFJkIOgDWwu9Sa8XLEwo8QngZahTBsS_t1XY-pvOvAIQ/w640-h470/IMG_5893%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite picture of us from this trip.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoMzrdUjqDzmQJTC2wyVZp9Ar8v-UDxeK-A0KnEsq4rFx2JFmA2VGGzhVkLnPMsB-xRZ6jNOBenoo9GPyPXp5evknDWnLQKFQr7AOuLEP0tPAP4IjvFM_GXdUNPd0dwWZh5PxJk8axQyaKnUAvEmM6UnVGxz-urin5tdeLu9D2cGxkY-1cw/s4608/IMG_5903%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoMzrdUjqDzmQJTC2wyVZp9Ar8v-UDxeK-A0KnEsq4rFx2JFmA2VGGzhVkLnPMsB-xRZ6jNOBenoo9GPyPXp5evknDWnLQKFQr7AOuLEP0tPAP4IjvFM_GXdUNPd0dwWZh5PxJk8axQyaKnUAvEmM6UnVGxz-urin5tdeLu9D2cGxkY-1cw/w640-h480/IMG_5903%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob and George explore the landscape</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wdIiKt_mGgIoedYd4tt5eAM6swOukUWk5pfZdwi-FuPe8nCDg8KPcGmUBDLpYIMpETK6Wb9DU2kQjsEDCYiKM3VbMjQK1fHscaL-SrgL5u7up_2KHA-utBDSis-WulekFJ8ftjyXRB1z3YDrghRZTOx7helerOew57NvuspBEsR6DKNyeA/s4021/IMG_5897%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="4021" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wdIiKt_mGgIoedYd4tt5eAM6swOukUWk5pfZdwi-FuPe8nCDg8KPcGmUBDLpYIMpETK6Wb9DU2kQjsEDCYiKM3VbMjQK1fHscaL-SrgL5u7up_2KHA-utBDSis-WulekFJ8ftjyXRB1z3YDrghRZTOx7helerOew57NvuspBEsR6DKNyeA/w640-h444/IMG_5897%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N6tC8VUAqoQ-tde65Xo91-VzriV8VJzJWv-twmF_qe8R3aPJk4AVHWScwmZvERGqG378ajzVn2zvxJtDjGitcAD7_SlR1NNhrFO1nEXG0WMXuzdp6Sxf1kNPDJG_L2810JFFezqBjA8CJP4Ov2ttMvIBrqHobdBgdpRx7Vdbm9_Cg1CgXg/s3393/IMG_5900%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2231" data-original-width="3393" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N6tC8VUAqoQ-tde65Xo91-VzriV8VJzJWv-twmF_qe8R3aPJk4AVHWScwmZvERGqG378ajzVn2zvxJtDjGitcAD7_SlR1NNhrFO1nEXG0WMXuzdp6Sxf1kNPDJG_L2810JFFezqBjA8CJP4Ov2ttMvIBrqHobdBgdpRx7Vdbm9_Cg1CgXg/w640-h420/IMG_5900%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agama Lizard</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKzmlUMmi9_nFFP-i3XDdQzewWRHiBZuIEZfjDceSyM-oI4Dae7nO1fErSRodfB1N-0qeyHFMJs413IahiYT0-PWIQ8yakovDtNzFq-Hfeq6cV95DGTdMfzRxqzAPQgQ8OKnT0Q6l2TYpvzO30KpKZe-m1SzoanEZBJlOv0SYHT9vP0mfrg/s4033/IMG_5855%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="4033" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKzmlUMmi9_nFFP-i3XDdQzewWRHiBZuIEZfjDceSyM-oI4Dae7nO1fErSRodfB1N-0qeyHFMJs413IahiYT0-PWIQ8yakovDtNzFq-Hfeq6cV95DGTdMfzRxqzAPQgQ8OKnT0Q6l2TYpvzO30KpKZe-m1SzoanEZBJlOv0SYHT9vP0mfrg/w640-h478/IMG_5855%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rock hyrax is closely related to the elephant!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>After dinner, we could once more hear the lovely sound of thunder booming in the distance. It was a lovely lullaby to help us fall asleep.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">January 19 - A Sunny Day on the Serengeti</h3><div>We were happy to wake up to sunnier skies today, the sunniest we had had here on the rainy Serengeti. The muddy roads were much drier as we began our very last game drive of the trip. In the sunlight, the bushes and trees were vivid shakes of green. Albert took us first into a thick forest with lots of great birds. We didn't see many animals in the forest, but we did spot a few impalas, a tiny dik-dik hiding behind a bush, and a few cute dwarf mongooses. The best part of the forest was a drive up to a large granite mound where we had more spectacular view of the Serengeti forests and plains spread out at our feet.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWb8wWki90vb9dEc1eFaCItrz40K2kXnVjW4T082cKBPXKQFdZWKk8NfCaF9hmocj7rHXlSn5DXCZrrbE7dIDErWU8GOfNUMfIXmZQ5LtXu9gBYjxtk7blrzeDH5XyHgtM3wEJlUSSV4kAgO7vfD2zAawFUngWNfSc9eokz0Zkd7pySf5Uw/s4608/IMG_5950%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWb8wWki90vb9dEc1eFaCItrz40K2kXnVjW4T082cKBPXKQFdZWKk8NfCaF9hmocj7rHXlSn5DXCZrrbE7dIDErWU8GOfNUMfIXmZQ5LtXu9gBYjxtk7blrzeDH5XyHgtM3wEJlUSSV4kAgO7vfD2zAawFUngWNfSc9eokz0Zkd7pySf5Uw/w640-h480/IMG_5950%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1LXegzPOwagiOOZRQJz5u3RaG0IN-r6MIp57rTfh_J4qEA5raeLLMJkZ26YOUk3padwCHJ2HHoNtFTncUCkXv8U8X8my-5h1sb-doyy3hou3VPWWxWxF4wEvWpSmLycXAGIpVM360t6lzBl7KLNUYSSUQqF_2V97CQUuNsHXU_da45zf9w/s4549/IMG_5943%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3225" data-original-width="4549" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1LXegzPOwagiOOZRQJz5u3RaG0IN-r6MIp57rTfh_J4qEA5raeLLMJkZ26YOUk3padwCHJ2HHoNtFTncUCkXv8U8X8my-5h1sb-doyy3hou3VPWWxWxF4wEvWpSmLycXAGIpVM360t6lzBl7KLNUYSSUQqF_2V97CQUuNsHXU_da45zf9w/w640-h454/IMG_5943%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtiLo9H4YTf0fsUTZxhoFpO3cV9g5IL5XyI_WOs0xa34wh6jKESvqkuo6Men319RLvDXn33tnv9Qt5Mr64vYYSjXDwZZhkEz0QRmolvc8CBAo2ZY9KB55ZvQ0eQzIFm856SN1TWaqNkuzW9-xoh2jQKbau1CkOCc4KGn1vrdo-BQ4PSoruA/s4295/IMG_5942%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="4295" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtiLo9H4YTf0fsUTZxhoFpO3cV9g5IL5XyI_WOs0xa34wh6jKESvqkuo6Men319RLvDXn33tnv9Qt5Mr64vYYSjXDwZZhkEz0QRmolvc8CBAo2ZY9KB55ZvQ0eQzIFm856SN1TWaqNkuzW9-xoh2jQKbau1CkOCc4KGn1vrdo-BQ4PSoruA/w640-h420/IMG_5942%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR2nAbN_DXNacq75NKc0ApCr7bGoYFC4jV30i05swNMRdUqE2LlDHUQFaS2p7kfGSz7VcxYegOlCCWXqZDnesXveci9J-lQp3PV0V5SqBeQoKB3Ic27mQSXBmiTdp3Lp1knYjETZ-DiF5SX1-Pe00Peg1PNQuRPEe5eEWVbnn62ZEimizYQ/s4140/IMG_5928%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3119" data-original-width="4140" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOR2nAbN_DXNacq75NKc0ApCr7bGoYFC4jV30i05swNMRdUqE2LlDHUQFaS2p7kfGSz7VcxYegOlCCWXqZDnesXveci9J-lQp3PV0V5SqBeQoKB3Ic27mQSXBmiTdp3Lp1knYjETZ-DiF5SX1-Pe00Peg1PNQuRPEe5eEWVbnn62ZEimizYQ/w640-h482/IMG_5928%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evidence of a lion's meal?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mnvQto0L7ZYPk964H_L9H-eFc7xtkBB9e-sbb62PE9LKh2eQINKPzuc58aq6wiXr3yuzIioCKvumaVPJxqbaZdX-BEfWekpx__LL827Jdt-gFhMFiHwpQpwu65Z_Z4Cze9GMi-M6lZ6NgbiDwDHVeJ9vstkyVn6c_NnJGE9lwLrbCm_QrA/s2953/IMG_5930%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1896" data-original-width="2953" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mnvQto0L7ZYPk964H_L9H-eFc7xtkBB9e-sbb62PE9LKh2eQINKPzuc58aq6wiXr3yuzIioCKvumaVPJxqbaZdX-BEfWekpx__LL827Jdt-gFhMFiHwpQpwu65Z_Z4Cze9GMi-M6lZ6NgbiDwDHVeJ9vstkyVn6c_NnJGE9lwLrbCm_QrA/w640-h410/IMG_5930%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Hyraxes</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbrZGn4e5fE7JCQemj9dusGzeHXv07fxz_YD4_OxTLq08viNRqH-UOrY51qpRQ491B1MFTDA2WEHAlJEJXA8-fFnIUP-Fkc0L_KhgRAZIt6KB_WpjyMXBWchbj3EK5vqjJ0EkXs3aqGZclw5JQ69t1lCiAIyfgF5XNftwtBXMDBBMM1a_vA/s4128/IMG_5952%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="4128" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbrZGn4e5fE7JCQemj9dusGzeHXv07fxz_YD4_OxTLq08viNRqH-UOrY51qpRQ491B1MFTDA2WEHAlJEJXA8-fFnIUP-Fkc0L_KhgRAZIt6KB_WpjyMXBWchbj3EK5vqjJ0EkXs3aqGZclw5JQ69t1lCiAIyfgF5XNftwtBXMDBBMM1a_vA/w640-h438/IMG_5952%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLRH9LERf4DSr_5y_P-3_JFOf4nZ_QOLIdqIaCV2W1crhLKlbf5N6onL62cers9kqSQtH-9GSk-9wJYwW57VvxOEOx8vGir6alBiAQnT24MKWvouWXgi50kCg-U0mQzQCk_NXqSDwEMVKhOk4l2dl2NPFEqo0Zmus3oAT3Z8RN6pdmriMRw/s3673/IMG_5953%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3261" data-original-width="3673" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLRH9LERf4DSr_5y_P-3_JFOf4nZ_QOLIdqIaCV2W1crhLKlbf5N6onL62cers9kqSQtH-9GSk-9wJYwW57VvxOEOx8vGir6alBiAQnT24MKWvouWXgi50kCg-U0mQzQCk_NXqSDwEMVKhOk4l2dl2NPFEqo0Zmus3oAT3Z8RN6pdmriMRw/w640-h568/IMG_5953%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs-kUbwHfFAdrjm4GTwjB4zw_rxI5xG7AGcIiteRPTKHk-EDsiGYZwTpbKak9qIFAdcL7gZgEveUm2vv1dW5oe4wpnTGGTob1qZbzCG-X9CGufPofOW2SBD4LDFCotVszWb3Gvp6N12PCcTuRMNhJnqVtja2o4nRCTQ8FIikBFJtWod3m_Q/s2748/IMG_5966%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2147" data-original-width="2748" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs-kUbwHfFAdrjm4GTwjB4zw_rxI5xG7AGcIiteRPTKHk-EDsiGYZwTpbKak9qIFAdcL7gZgEveUm2vv1dW5oe4wpnTGGTob1qZbzCG-X9CGufPofOW2SBD4LDFCotVszWb3Gvp6N12PCcTuRMNhJnqVtja2o4nRCTQ8FIikBFJtWod3m_Q/w640-h500/IMG_5966%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwarf Mongoose</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFwPXavClhJOlmMfBPImuekgI7d3KXQUIhTgnz85psACPBKfrPqwaE2K9o0pHdYYZNBHyGkxpfHPo9TTU34MCsXlXSlkMZP4YhFMxpGMyyKaOWie7N_SKtP85zFghzPJ1wIa_Aas4OCO9KwYfZzBj3r2WDLLtKU1qkiuVmvdPMPI66AjRnw/s4608/IMG_5982%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3154" data-original-width="4608" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFwPXavClhJOlmMfBPImuekgI7d3KXQUIhTgnz85psACPBKfrPqwaE2K9o0pHdYYZNBHyGkxpfHPo9TTU34MCsXlXSlkMZP4YhFMxpGMyyKaOWie7N_SKtP85zFghzPJ1wIa_Aas4OCO9KwYfZzBj3r2WDLLtKU1qkiuVmvdPMPI66AjRnw/w640-h438/IMG_5982%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This herd of impalas seems to be very focused on something in the woods.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We continued to the open grasslands. Here we spotted several zebra herds, which were so common that I didn't ever bother to stop and take pictures. There were also lots of giraffes. Most were just grazing on the tops of the acacia trees, but two of them were "necking," winding their long necks around each other and giving each other gentle whacks. I understand that this behavior can become quite violent during mating season, but today, these two just appeared to be having a minor disagreement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFTp5KSXmWwPSbwCrz8Qk2JUL2quLz1iGJWhicrYvvsR8kGcf-4bQO-XZhDOs-jB9vd3ghuTHqalEgZQ-oMg31HqeQMEt_nvi1CvHrnY7veKe5UwCDSnQl6wvZ0QSeGaQP4uvYNa0WqVcsNnfSJdLSNvqd0Ft2mZfB2GzOeGxcPMiXUeOYw/s3834/IMG_5992%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="3834" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFTp5KSXmWwPSbwCrz8Qk2JUL2quLz1iGJWhicrYvvsR8kGcf-4bQO-XZhDOs-jB9vd3ghuTHqalEgZQ-oMg31HqeQMEt_nvi1CvHrnY7veKe5UwCDSnQl6wvZ0QSeGaQP4uvYNa0WqVcsNnfSJdLSNvqd0Ft2mZfB2GzOeGxcPMiXUeOYw/w640-h480/IMG_5992%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbKQhKZX55359JhnuLYzZrhax7zcqaiRuY3esH_A000Mpwv0ECQp0R8RV11MZStCgfrDWSIx4nmIXSFLt1FOOR0TAqNqEbLvjwlClRjHm5jxqgEWJFIYxCnFi_ClJ9y0yIFP-GY6QjAC8osc6Blh4vj_CQcKda8Ij7T4tx_egMbEFMe6jsg/s3015/IMG_5998%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2673" data-original-width="3015" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbKQhKZX55359JhnuLYzZrhax7zcqaiRuY3esH_A000Mpwv0ECQp0R8RV11MZStCgfrDWSIx4nmIXSFLt1FOOR0TAqNqEbLvjwlClRjHm5jxqgEWJFIYxCnFi_ClJ9y0yIFP-GY6QjAC8osc6Blh4vj_CQcKda8Ij7T4tx_egMbEFMe6jsg/w640-h568/IMG_5998%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdk92AJuzKjH5g442sUUQONTkRBD9VEYwPwdjDx0Osx9SdZV1uy_48HpdxYgqoffHfPr2dq3m_LobxY1IPQW28FkCASGVCls7dG3VB6D_64gfunNgj-W6UXCUu6qZtQ0H1Iky4OtP7B8HMX-N1-5xY8vP2GrVxtsRXSyvIDMxfwQ_QP8glow/s2439/IMG_6077%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="2439" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdk92AJuzKjH5g442sUUQONTkRBD9VEYwPwdjDx0Osx9SdZV1uy_48HpdxYgqoffHfPr2dq3m_LobxY1IPQW28FkCASGVCls7dG3VB6D_64gfunNgj-W6UXCUu6qZtQ0H1Iky4OtP7B8HMX-N1-5xY8vP2GrVxtsRXSyvIDMxfwQ_QP8glow/w640-h608/IMG_6077%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWzzWGjK9r4Ug2YpgQiTG2zcaPpAnmHnbGJNFr8QA3BFUx5zI7tFHJuqcpmf9sMVj6ePrYXR63H0zHX_iSExBQID7nHsU4zHeAY6s7OX-tJhxc7GUGvTkBIK_gVgg6xGv5G7mQykJWzaNZEsNDrMFe92RsDBxFCs33tL0cnmH2Rv2ClFPAA/s3692/IMG_6078%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2467" data-original-width="3692" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWzzWGjK9r4Ug2YpgQiTG2zcaPpAnmHnbGJNFr8QA3BFUx5zI7tFHJuqcpmf9sMVj6ePrYXR63H0zHX_iSExBQID7nHsU4zHeAY6s7OX-tJhxc7GUGvTkBIK_gVgg6xGv5G7mQykJWzaNZEsNDrMFe92RsDBxFCs33tL0cnmH2Rv2ClFPAA/w640-h428/IMG_6078%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3RhDpqECB3pzuLh6tAnkkd2w7xGQX6IzqvhtwNTFikhTQG-Uv-YxSZ-cMrgHQqXCY_Zv1MsoGgQ-gtCni0z5ca0l-jQe_3lZa1QHYkNnlftCdFq9S1_WgidR5AdNVzPh1EhMcqrYW46H7Waa1UhbNQmAEOKWvm0DRbBtBy6J78bHxf-eRQ/s4593/IMG_6075%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="4593" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3RhDpqECB3pzuLh6tAnkkd2w7xGQX6IzqvhtwNTFikhTQG-Uv-YxSZ-cMrgHQqXCY_Zv1MsoGgQ-gtCni0z5ca0l-jQe_3lZa1QHYkNnlftCdFq9S1_WgidR5AdNVzPh1EhMcqrYW46H7Waa1UhbNQmAEOKWvm0DRbBtBy6J78bHxf-eRQ/w640-h428/IMG_6075%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As we were watching the giraffes, Albert's radio crackled and we took off at high speed across the fields. Lions had been spotted! There they were - two male lions with gorgeous full manes, and one female. As we watched, a flock of egrets took flight right in front of them, and the female leaped up and, with one lucky swipe, knocked an egret to the ground. All three of the lions had full round bellies, so it was obvious that they had just finished a much more substantial meal of wildebeest or zebra earlier in the morning. The female plucked half-heartedly at the feathers of the unfortunate egret, but the bird was all feathers and a very tiny amount of meat, so the lioness finally gave up and joined the males in an afternoon nap in the shade of a tree. The lions looked so calm and serene that I wanted to jump out of the vehicle and cuddle them. (I very much suspect that they would not have remained calm if I had done so - but a girl can dream!)</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAegFP337lViMdJGLqqO8TtTENiaLt4QWSB_ciFiqzpu0yBXHOwdrWcF3nQaf2dySHlSjKhdp_DgP0zWq9mCQJaixOAN7ul_d8Rit31roEiG917YRu8rWztbt7B7vkFwGaA80YXvwMr_8s78M2T-0j-peiiQxe3Z92BYAwgXYErY_1JPqnKA/s3665/IMG_6027%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="3665" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAegFP337lViMdJGLqqO8TtTENiaLt4QWSB_ciFiqzpu0yBXHOwdrWcF3nQaf2dySHlSjKhdp_DgP0zWq9mCQJaixOAN7ul_d8Rit31roEiG917YRu8rWztbt7B7vkFwGaA80YXvwMr_8s78M2T-0j-peiiQxe3Z92BYAwgXYErY_1JPqnKA/w640-h504/IMG_6027%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flock of egrets</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsANqfHqVJ2AHepgTZnbleOFWFQNSRS0SQyDp9Ib8iQu6vFBC02KJWu5bR1nUpk5LIzTJ0tuzc0yJCyDvhXTav-KBcsMYzXrBdZ6QkWGvUsQyewvWnZKF7sCwc5ZtVVYoN_ktV8ePJW2EGCCGdo1p54mM2ezuHsjoBKSd8fpmsPqOlX7AQ/s4608/IMG_6030%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsANqfHqVJ2AHepgTZnbleOFWFQNSRS0SQyDp9Ib8iQu6vFBC02KJWu5bR1nUpk5LIzTJ0tuzc0yJCyDvhXTav-KBcsMYzXrBdZ6QkWGvUsQyewvWnZKF7sCwc5ZtVVYoN_ktV8ePJW2EGCCGdo1p54mM2ezuHsjoBKSd8fpmsPqOlX7AQ/w640-h480/IMG_6030%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS_VEbTbhlh24KZJmxRBsj9CSlgfdUmQOf39hSu4EKRskQVOJiTnedlFCq9Zax8q2NsL5DaYZt2AJw94WRX5ne00n8qW74p2ihrvH9B4usc8eiTYI_AANWnybTNM2hribDB25b2zHYxO8Wr-mVugMc5zmajHkjQ9eOpS_SpZqUoVctWxbIg/s3846/IMG_6018%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3307" data-original-width="3846" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS_VEbTbhlh24KZJmxRBsj9CSlgfdUmQOf39hSu4EKRskQVOJiTnedlFCq9Zax8q2NsL5DaYZt2AJw94WRX5ne00n8qW74p2ihrvH9B4usc8eiTYI_AANWnybTNM2hribDB25b2zHYxO8Wr-mVugMc5zmajHkjQ9eOpS_SpZqUoVctWxbIg/w640-h550/IMG_6018%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmgszWFE-E1-ryAtyVuqwWrFju4MKkkq37lvJhygfmNj0HxEeyh7aCfynS3eF6UoArUcEJdQlNwylBlBKqh0TzOYKzBuhj1_SiZfY3CMDO3LgBgdJ1d0ymHgsDf3IrYpaAJVrdcF3RRlWbrSVG90HNKlvEbJFoB_p4RLtIe8k9G2Se_JNwQ/s4091/IMG_6005%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3283" data-original-width="4091" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmgszWFE-E1-ryAtyVuqwWrFju4MKkkq37lvJhygfmNj0HxEeyh7aCfynS3eF6UoArUcEJdQlNwylBlBKqh0TzOYKzBuhj1_SiZfY3CMDO3LgBgdJ1d0ymHgsDf3IrYpaAJVrdcF3RRlWbrSVG90HNKlvEbJFoB_p4RLtIe8k9G2Se_JNwQ/w640-h514/IMG_6005%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRCZwe7tiCTfRckKwtXtg6uSc5l6G9gGEEzdDnogAZOKdzAgpV-V5wJ9P98vQmTIlRL5A1nPCdhZWEbG-f5u9TocEiIzLlqnerX5e1rsW5yfauiC-Fk23LLD9MceshMU7ETnbVoWCtPTdBjgXauJmPR9zKA8LeiPlYxWMmdqxv-ZIHVdCsA/s4165/IMG_6035%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="4165" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRCZwe7tiCTfRckKwtXtg6uSc5l6G9gGEEzdDnogAZOKdzAgpV-V5wJ9P98vQmTIlRL5A1nPCdhZWEbG-f5u9TocEiIzLlqnerX5e1rsW5yfauiC-Fk23LLD9MceshMU7ETnbVoWCtPTdBjgXauJmPR9zKA8LeiPlYxWMmdqxv-ZIHVdCsA/w640-h454/IMG_6035%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRyRO4trZSsN0hn_jd6vDfgI17O8EV9FwtQAg7r8q4jClWDvFlPk_mjhxUIyD5iJQY6bWnr627uD6b8tgZLtSZMJHUwb50zH9ByOr_vaZS44ENMHlh-n-EzowNOe5EFrU9du3-HGNyhj5K9P_4tVdQArP9jBxELsRcRIaCsV_wVu9hGfPoA/s3913/IMG_6047%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="3913" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRyRO4trZSsN0hn_jd6vDfgI17O8EV9FwtQAg7r8q4jClWDvFlPk_mjhxUIyD5iJQY6bWnr627uD6b8tgZLtSZMJHUwb50zH9ByOr_vaZS44ENMHlh-n-EzowNOe5EFrU9du3-HGNyhj5K9P_4tVdQArP9jBxELsRcRIaCsV_wVu9hGfPoA/w640-h472/IMG_6047%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxXtKwSC_4kphcahEnEtkoN7YTCgcb2LCffX4xkRZ2wleW-v7ZB7ErUAZL2yMArJaoUegxJ2QDSe8QVCJCRhZp8W8EXen8vHdREgmM9ouw9q7ApcjVm7V6uFzxmGA_wUdF-VR9nwdTXu0RqrgvaFmAMV__dkac054UirffGpKLTxeXRbv3g/s4409/IMG_6051%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="4409" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxXtKwSC_4kphcahEnEtkoN7YTCgcb2LCffX4xkRZ2wleW-v7ZB7ErUAZL2yMArJaoUegxJ2QDSe8QVCJCRhZp8W8EXen8vHdREgmM9ouw9q7ApcjVm7V6uFzxmGA_wUdF-VR9nwdTXu0RqrgvaFmAMV__dkac054UirffGpKLTxeXRbv3g/w640-h420/IMG_6051%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>What a fantastic way to end our safari! Back at camp, we relaxed in the Big Tent, then packed up for our trip home. Our marabou stork was still standing guard over the camp. We would miss him!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnYgRLCCJ4iiNOlWENvX-YbXqt02Tiju8uYfGnv9d_R2ze7Gzqx1oWcdZKN50677klbCrshGbFRBMUpbjhTLeZgKZkJKb380lvcOI3b6_leKg6BCaqucoB6SRghMIf1zfaQhFI-mRfq0V1KI38RemIBDKS65KMKelP9CyuZhkjF4Kz_JwfQ/s3362/IMG_6080%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2847" data-original-width="3362" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnYgRLCCJ4iiNOlWENvX-YbXqt02Tiju8uYfGnv9d_R2ze7Gzqx1oWcdZKN50677klbCrshGbFRBMUpbjhTLeZgKZkJKb380lvcOI3b6_leKg6BCaqucoB6SRghMIf1zfaQhFI-mRfq0V1KI38RemIBDKS65KMKelP9CyuZhkjF4Kz_JwfQ/w640-h542/IMG_6080%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSCPofzbQRuwM2YPWDr7hiWokK4gzxlUPGe1BguB0BHYSNanMmg12yxa4S1rIWHd1MxHOKIbrpBYNvvC2ayh47M5lqkpBbNYhDM426azaaExOxKzPUkASAMrnYKGHrKUkwy4ahYvQCWxgGii4pieJMQCUnkV4xrZATbxrtgfjkZStkxDoGA/s3915/IMG_6082%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3304" data-original-width="3915" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSCPofzbQRuwM2YPWDr7hiWokK4gzxlUPGe1BguB0BHYSNanMmg12yxa4S1rIWHd1MxHOKIbrpBYNvvC2ayh47M5lqkpBbNYhDM426azaaExOxKzPUkASAMrnYKGHrKUkwy4ahYvQCWxgGii4pieJMQCUnkV4xrZATbxrtgfjkZStkxDoGA/w640-h540/IMG_6082%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Fabulous Birds of the Serengeti</h3><div>The many wonderful birds of Africa always thrill me. We saw them every day of our three days in the Serengeti, but I saved them all for their own special section.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V9JGAb07B0Yg5CcslbSejn9ZXJXp3u4M-rQb3oCeiAUirWtnlCQZtIwUA7nnnCdKlFzRU-IXx1gtTIF5BiyjUNxcpsthkHM72QKc8TN2QY5D9Mo6XDFFWKy1Qn0TATwu3bz_FQeCT6JZtI5QtkwqEel-tDktfK4u17AJrvXz-cc5zvrdbw/s1717/IMG_5622%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1639" data-original-width="1717" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V9JGAb07B0Yg5CcslbSejn9ZXJXp3u4M-rQb3oCeiAUirWtnlCQZtIwUA7nnnCdKlFzRU-IXx1gtTIF5BiyjUNxcpsthkHM72QKc8TN2QY5D9Mo6XDFFWKy1Qn0TATwu3bz_FQeCT6JZtI5QtkwqEel-tDktfK4u17AJrvXz-cc5zvrdbw/w640-h610/IMG_5622%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augur Buzzard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnx7rbFgG1r8dGDtR1Eg6GCIfJcrjMeR96GObM5h6pZiCB-GYmIQtUVGU64YCYFzbdTlqoS6lkCgecLzmZt4lR17rHWrPB-cVnn-GJNDA-b28pmEHY9ATIizaNdW9lFi9GUEdJ6Wc_4zMiTddZlwYEmpXKAE6B8lTMuVcem6LRMGBhSD6dQ/s3154/IMG_5627%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="3154" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnx7rbFgG1r8dGDtR1Eg6GCIfJcrjMeR96GObM5h6pZiCB-GYmIQtUVGU64YCYFzbdTlqoS6lkCgecLzmZt4lR17rHWrPB-cVnn-GJNDA-b28pmEHY9ATIizaNdW9lFi9GUEdJ6Wc_4zMiTddZlwYEmpXKAE6B8lTMuVcem6LRMGBhSD6dQ/w640-h498/IMG_5627%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secretary Bird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhg9RO1d_YeKcmkqSGQEMYO1R_6SIoNIkprAvwMHEEXZSt4B0hQs_O5bGR8gc7SaAaA5dOWZIH0zKVJvyU1BY-oOXpswR3nqPHr616v2cWGm7fjNtJaU3Sot1QyIn4rupMjx8d3Nb4rVpA6tUNflZQwAxQajXRJt45wxauWL4lsaHSnwLFQ/s1452/IMG_5634%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1452" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhg9RO1d_YeKcmkqSGQEMYO1R_6SIoNIkprAvwMHEEXZSt4B0hQs_O5bGR8gc7SaAaA5dOWZIH0zKVJvyU1BY-oOXpswR3nqPHr616v2cWGm7fjNtJaU3Sot1QyIn4rupMjx8d3Nb4rVpA6tUNflZQwAxQajXRJt45wxauWL4lsaHSnwLFQ/w640-h584/IMG_5634%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">European Stork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wMuulVieRNwW2EYNnk64zrblSAfjRFRRO1LsOLMDbHvUquOjlqPRt2w6joyNuPSObQM23nfrlvLiXVZVa2DVYfAOuGMQCBFbcpirApoLC1DdipE7PPO9YvMAVc52_wCCsCFoVOTDRYv3HKtrHgY4oujwwgVjti7S6CAmhN1AnRPXREfr4Q/s2305/IMG_5645%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2282" data-original-width="2305" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wMuulVieRNwW2EYNnk64zrblSAfjRFRRO1LsOLMDbHvUquOjlqPRt2w6joyNuPSObQM23nfrlvLiXVZVa2DVYfAOuGMQCBFbcpirApoLC1DdipE7PPO9YvMAVc52_wCCsCFoVOTDRYv3HKtrHgY4oujwwgVjti7S6CAmhN1AnRPXREfr4Q/w640-h634/IMG_5645%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowned Lapwing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-okGdWFmKK87LfOTyQ65_RZufo4narQbBF1-6940hCAMRXiYRUZjzpCvb-cC6mHFsyh-wqnjPBT3NAmpRbtfE7f5jGRhIyJ33wnxkAliTqImzgT82rOPZbek7nBS_eNpks0i5wqO-cmvE_1-R5R4Y9vxzX-Cnf5lmeNIaUZbNJrVW78DrOA/s2423/IMG_5653%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2084" data-original-width="2423" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-okGdWFmKK87LfOTyQ65_RZufo4narQbBF1-6940hCAMRXiYRUZjzpCvb-cC6mHFsyh-wqnjPBT3NAmpRbtfE7f5jGRhIyJ33wnxkAliTqImzgT82rOPZbek7nBS_eNpks0i5wqO-cmvE_1-R5R4Y9vxzX-Cnf5lmeNIaUZbNJrVW78DrOA/w640-h550/IMG_5653%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-breasted Spur Fowl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXoqRWOBevG6nRrsLL5SrSZnQPw3e2StunzEHY0FNXVUKcLSJVLYSirSm0YptsEcb7wNPySQNPFykoCLLDO0RVnEqy6dbDLZG1d7zwlFX8FS34Zeksjd9qMQCBWMygdV8JXWGurNh9wW7woa7Rsq66G8oHoauecgc9QVA6j6OiNCzXjMQ1A/s1370/IMG_5665%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1370" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXoqRWOBevG6nRrsLL5SrSZnQPw3e2StunzEHY0FNXVUKcLSJVLYSirSm0YptsEcb7wNPySQNPFykoCLLDO0RVnEqy6dbDLZG1d7zwlFX8FS34Zeksjd9qMQCBWMygdV8JXWGurNh9wW7woa7Rsq66G8oHoauecgc9QVA6j6OiNCzXjMQ1A/w640-h548/IMG_5665%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-shouldered Kite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-bDyliLeRusXP5kmX0ZV0K7JCq6-r04PpEYudiTHKh3coPjxNzB-A0KyQZtysOCWle5qzTiRNZAl8PAUZZxwBxTDO0ty_-WNEEXKC0f2ZQflU4vhxlU5pznxtL9Ii8-aX3lGlwDq0NkrgXb6H07YLwhqEtaRlU72rrGiZjcs8r9Mv8S6Lw/s3090/IMG_5814%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2239" data-original-width="3090" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-bDyliLeRusXP5kmX0ZV0K7JCq6-r04PpEYudiTHKh3coPjxNzB-A0KyQZtysOCWle5qzTiRNZAl8PAUZZxwBxTDO0ty_-WNEEXKC0f2ZQflU4vhxlU5pznxtL9Ii8-aX3lGlwDq0NkrgXb6H07YLwhqEtaRlU72rrGiZjcs8r9Mv8S6Lw/w640-h464/IMG_5814%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ring-necked Dove</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfORhZ0EAyralVGJmOvzVfvObLJaj_lJ11gKMLRwAae4om1D3pYFQoIa6Tr-ieYLikP7dDd9R0ExSbUKOfJrH2hix8nkf6YIk3me8kB4BwD8vCBh6gYe6zynkntoyCPb-m3lX7jdxRmWYnd2H9h72PGQA0oWrB11g6G9L-fOmO9SW-8F_Jw/s1124/IMG_5820%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1124" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfORhZ0EAyralVGJmOvzVfvObLJaj_lJ11gKMLRwAae4om1D3pYFQoIa6Tr-ieYLikP7dDd9R0ExSbUKOfJrH2hix8nkf6YIk3me8kB4BwD8vCBh6gYe6zynkntoyCPb-m3lX7jdxRmWYnd2H9h72PGQA0oWrB11g6G9L-fOmO9SW-8F_Jw/w640-h620/IMG_5820%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Hoopoe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtUtn_9HQSKqhK-Y_DA6jYSVd5hRNH-oV20713qttmwh2O586gEokCN_Lt1iM086vwa9ePNa-ajsgMJ2WGPjobsaXy0fWLJ640QFAO1CzUIs5UvVLk-Z7DuQ7jy_9SXu6VMZGfAZBXtskzb2wx_ZffWCQIo6-bS4lHbMnBiTBHOBPt4v_vQ/s3668/IMG_5838%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3148" data-original-width="3668" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtUtn_9HQSKqhK-Y_DA6jYSVd5hRNH-oV20713qttmwh2O586gEokCN_Lt1iM086vwa9ePNa-ajsgMJ2WGPjobsaXy0fWLJ640QFAO1CzUIs5UvVLk-Z7DuQ7jy_9SXu6VMZGfAZBXtskzb2wx_ZffWCQIo6-bS4lHbMnBiTBHOBPt4v_vQ/w640-h550/IMG_5838%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Von der Decken's Hornbill</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmj5WHCK7HYN_5nqL0hBFd5fsHCHKOISyxp_h_H_st-HEN1RfQyLW26JVEzV66vOWQewFj9iyn2tXhIRVBCL2_iM3hRrQMePfAtaNeHca5SvH0lrHQNnHktpDzzf0mKoQcMCWcFcsKzQHfWeH8SGJPffv1hy6rkYFff4FrLi9ziJFr0zx3CA/s2665/IMG_5840%20(3)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2441" data-original-width="2665" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmj5WHCK7HYN_5nqL0hBFd5fsHCHKOISyxp_h_H_st-HEN1RfQyLW26JVEzV66vOWQewFj9iyn2tXhIRVBCL2_iM3hRrQMePfAtaNeHca5SvH0lrHQNnHktpDzzf0mKoQcMCWcFcsKzQHfWeH8SGJPffv1hy6rkYFff4FrLi9ziJFr0zx3CA/w640-h586/IMG_5840%20(3)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Von der Decken's Hornbill</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlHfHitZAzuaXztN6H1C6m6hb9BW7mqpB9uZnC1rT7HzA1AYQRqZOrrjm0_ZQT4VPdCSt_N30Wvg1QFt9S824O-u8OzV4CWWOEWk5YbvIobdHeiMQLUjmxqex5Sy6mqdhHnt1ZbDK6DStVAr1iHPGo7htIMK330xYbxgWkai4FiGJ5XqLlw/s1444/IMG_5867%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1399" data-original-width="1444" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlHfHitZAzuaXztN6H1C6m6hb9BW7mqpB9uZnC1rT7HzA1AYQRqZOrrjm0_ZQT4VPdCSt_N30Wvg1QFt9S824O-u8OzV4CWWOEWk5YbvIobdHeiMQLUjmxqex5Sy6mqdhHnt1ZbDK6DStVAr1iHPGo7htIMK330xYbxgWkai4FiGJ5XqLlw/w640-h620/IMG_5867%20(2)%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Starling - look at all the blues in that plumage!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo2qYy_E5PuZk_2H9eNNwd-HQanJfNw09cPZrnFzTx8k8oQbc8nAx-Ltux7qmOx5cfSqXEKuA71tLxaKB83PbP4yCJn-ZnAWG8cCzisE1YXoVdtSp2ztqTLZIiTKXYqasXUSSkoM_KD_AFo7grwdilWWo03w6__Hqr9Gz_85DXkI3rVROnw/s2733/IMG_5926%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2244" data-original-width="2733" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo2qYy_E5PuZk_2H9eNNwd-HQanJfNw09cPZrnFzTx8k8oQbc8nAx-Ltux7qmOx5cfSqXEKuA71tLxaKB83PbP4yCJn-ZnAWG8cCzisE1YXoVdtSp2ztqTLZIiTKXYqasXUSSkoM_KD_AFo7grwdilWWo03w6__Hqr9Gz_85DXkI3rVROnw/w640-h526/IMG_5926%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-headed Social Weavers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhp0oXkMNJwqgoNjJ3PoVvgfQSW0k35kVLR10iMdlWxYv92oSH8ENr3FbPvh9xeAua3scfbg-PotdHC2AyL_-frpoTVS_r9EOpHSi3P6TSD8jpsX9okqeaESxNw7dvZds2zdknrfZgebVtaJQrgp2cHiheMrVzYghe806jeBnn6s0mZxQXZw/s3310/IMG_5938%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2396" data-original-width="3310" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhp0oXkMNJwqgoNjJ3PoVvgfQSW0k35kVLR10iMdlWxYv92oSH8ENr3FbPvh9xeAua3scfbg-PotdHC2AyL_-frpoTVS_r9EOpHSi3P6TSD8jpsX9okqeaESxNw7dvZds2zdknrfZgebVtaJQrgp2cHiheMrVzYghe806jeBnn6s0mZxQXZw/w640-h464/IMG_5938%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern White-crowned Shrikes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQNZm5U6nqPVDeubk6zErTiu_M2iVz6nMJdV0AbHK88zIfXYCS3SJmZ3qNOMpUHUs_aXPulWT8sW58SxH5ajFGV7FqTsOvsR_MlOHQBBJUWsnSszBPUreh2RC8yBXUCblpmI_IOpP6jUQKKX4s2HOW_b3l4Bw-VZGypifkZiztJQYB1Ga6w/s2286/IMG_5958%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1771" data-original-width="2286" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQNZm5U6nqPVDeubk6zErTiu_M2iVz6nMJdV0AbHK88zIfXYCS3SJmZ3qNOMpUHUs_aXPulWT8sW58SxH5ajFGV7FqTsOvsR_MlOHQBBJUWsnSszBPUreh2RC8yBXUCblpmI_IOpP6jUQKKX4s2HOW_b3l4Bw-VZGypifkZiztJQYB1Ga6w/w640-h496/IMG_5958%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-headed Buffalo Weaver</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1RXUIgy1fFEDQeWQMuqcGjFc4njAVG4VZh4BpFfk7_NALujx4brsJyu1t5f7IK43OUrM4eS-EEHx9GIUkvlhJV3wuOp-dAM7GxsirDbOJuV5vdlGkUlBR4WhRKL-XEnEBcYutkVcALHnPWknsneIPwmwklUavL45lHYJaebOAMa5sdN9UA/s3850/IMG_5961%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3413" data-original-width="3850" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1RXUIgy1fFEDQeWQMuqcGjFc4njAVG4VZh4BpFfk7_NALujx4brsJyu1t5f7IK43OUrM4eS-EEHx9GIUkvlhJV3wuOp-dAM7GxsirDbOJuV5vdlGkUlBR4WhRKL-XEnEBcYutkVcALHnPWknsneIPwmwklUavL45lHYJaebOAMa5sdN9UA/w640-h568/IMG_5961%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackbird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEdASflMjH1VWVKdgsEN9hX_C7nkdHLzfPPtK0C--7oe6w3eJ5X7YzQxxFgFaaMFoqEw5CiXnFcH-nBQRDXiJdNMl6bRJeS1bNFdqarDWsx2UGWgSL-PKjMUvH-IgK420Ksa4npyTJpLR_illm1zDofX8-fnDFQP7R8zJPpmSKbX_Q3wqCA/s3583/IMG_5963%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3190" data-original-width="3583" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEdASflMjH1VWVKdgsEN9hX_C7nkdHLzfPPtK0C--7oe6w3eJ5X7YzQxxFgFaaMFoqEw5CiXnFcH-nBQRDXiJdNMl6bRJeS1bNFdqarDWsx2UGWgSL-PKjMUvH-IgK420Ksa4npyTJpLR_illm1zDofX8-fnDFQP7R8zJPpmSKbX_Q3wqCA/w640-h570/IMG_5963%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bare-faced Go Away Bird</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdPzYjDbIhLODf0csOPuYKdqcJwX6zpORq8GLBKrHMRo4nCKkPSRX0LhVehYjslQVuVuPWoday-gDwfboCKFFexRtigIUnbw_0GRDauKeT-7lVJumf9zyjcqMRxSxgqqA2_Tt0cJzMMnoo2mWqNvsn16DRRQFF1vFWztH00h_bL5tzAsJyg/s2925/IMG_5971%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="2813" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdPzYjDbIhLODf0csOPuYKdqcJwX6zpORq8GLBKrHMRo4nCKkPSRX0LhVehYjslQVuVuPWoday-gDwfboCKFFexRtigIUnbw_0GRDauKeT-7lVJumf9zyjcqMRxSxgqqA2_Tt0cJzMMnoo2mWqNvsn16DRRQFF1vFWztH00h_bL5tzAsJyg/w616-h640/IMG_5971%20(2).JPG" width="616" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Eagle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuSRqjypG76Fl2lMPX7Ey5ocI74A6NhF7ot8bJCjrwF33nm62QM1JagmLnG1-BfKXAcmeVaC8HHI4_5NgL6fFQVay_K2LOIr241Wz5ct-5r6HigKeCTp81piU19B3-9d3meWffCYp8PfjokdTv4qjqrc4v9iqx6gGoa3Y-uHRhV8txe4K2Q/s2576/IMG_6002%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2540" data-original-width="2576" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuSRqjypG76Fl2lMPX7Ey5ocI74A6NhF7ot8bJCjrwF33nm62QM1JagmLnG1-BfKXAcmeVaC8HHI4_5NgL6fFQVay_K2LOIr241Wz5ct-5r6HigKeCTp81piU19B3-9d3meWffCYp8PfjokdTv4qjqrc4v9iqx6gGoa3Y-uHRhV8txe4K2Q/w640-h632/IMG_6002%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilac-breasted Roller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-uQ5Kg7iL_8IyYachZ7iIrzDejoPJUrwPiuSg3iOryhZxQtmLSysCXDVr8rdFc36FBeyzXmwjh8X3NGofFG6El6j8qiEXAR5Q8BqPjWjKR5t8IXtAW5IGHClE8YBDTS-mFUsnJsYAYRMSEOVmxrpVe8HOfGm6URaYbNIdhBMpznL3U17RA/s3653/IMG_6069%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="3653" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-uQ5Kg7iL_8IyYachZ7iIrzDejoPJUrwPiuSg3iOryhZxQtmLSysCXDVr8rdFc36FBeyzXmwjh8X3NGofFG6El6j8qiEXAR5Q8BqPjWjKR5t8IXtAW5IGHClE8YBDTS-mFUsnJsYAYRMSEOVmxrpVe8HOfGm6URaYbNIdhBMpznL3U17RA/w640-h494/IMG_6069%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey-breasted Spur Fowls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWx9o3znqLiPUZPCbmxIBE3BQxXaiQIX79L4bqnf2i4AytMV7CIGqOD1miNUIVmSQRSEgRlq-I8xOAm2q3fk1YIN8Gn87WSEZGsr4v1s00g5Iksj4v7r_YhijC1qoE968XAuUULMDZiINmN3EJPvu7ASLV8uSCgbimWdX9WRpeqYdjRi83A/s3239/IMG_6073%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="3239" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWx9o3znqLiPUZPCbmxIBE3BQxXaiQIX79L4bqnf2i4AytMV7CIGqOD1miNUIVmSQRSEgRlq-I8xOAm2q3fk1YIN8Gn87WSEZGsr4v1s00g5Iksj4v7r_YhijC1qoE968XAuUULMDZiINmN3EJPvu7ASLV8uSCgbimWdX9WRpeqYdjRi83A/w640-h634/IMG_6073%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swahili Sparrow</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EzJXxJbcbPP7vCspLtKxWeANxf-iFdaAgtt_h7qSzlPnFZuJ1TYRc5SpLVLslCpCWFinCoElvLPNgY0APxz99goVk8Iiph1h5_ib0wI3K6dX3yu5sn4dck-MytFHTpzr7ZgQ1a7xGUv3mkYXNDP_win1ZSmrKw1uj46frR-UjrZt2JpIPg/s3169/IMG_5549%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3169" data-original-width="2860" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EzJXxJbcbPP7vCspLtKxWeANxf-iFdaAgtt_h7qSzlPnFZuJ1TYRc5SpLVLslCpCWFinCoElvLPNgY0APxz99goVk8Iiph1h5_ib0wI3K6dX3yu5sn4dck-MytFHTpzr7ZgQ1a7xGUv3mkYXNDP_win1ZSmrKw1uj46frR-UjrZt2JpIPg/w578-h640/IMG_5549%20(2).JPG" width="578" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marabou Stork</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf11LsnPx_UecrY2KhGrbM0MizgMFLzSrtg-3rM0WfR6653n5AOSFQTbPAi-a4iKLXWFmoeK0dERXLBQphrX8WMm9t85eq1sl_zzkxSn3FZ_AQK_33y0FzN4C_5xAMRCdJYsTSs7LKwFc-GKCoRBQkgNfzUn2_Fg5mTIk9TV5nQM3v8ABkhA/s4608/IMG_5553%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf11LsnPx_UecrY2KhGrbM0MizgMFLzSrtg-3rM0WfR6653n5AOSFQTbPAi-a4iKLXWFmoeK0dERXLBQphrX8WMm9t85eq1sl_zzkxSn3FZ_AQK_33y0FzN4C_5xAMRCdJYsTSs7LKwFc-GKCoRBQkgNfzUn2_Fg5mTIk9TV5nQM3v8ABkhA/w640-h480/IMG_5553%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Grey Woodpeckers</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31jcYG84hOe4ChnVWHrJiWc410yKqiHuUbs2Qi5QftoSgBRzW91Gye_nn0PLbE3QuI4xvZHiAWtsjBCNIY9Ia83p8QHOJCr06fvtZRQXZvqjQ9HHw5y0GX4zoPnABtExZ2eFojU7CG1e5IF-31lR66la8o8hyb0flYsnrkhZkNp4F2nSgzw/s3633/IMG_5556%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2995" data-original-width="3633" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31jcYG84hOe4ChnVWHrJiWc410yKqiHuUbs2Qi5QftoSgBRzW91Gye_nn0PLbE3QuI4xvZHiAWtsjBCNIY9Ia83p8QHOJCr06fvtZRQXZvqjQ9HHw5y0GX4zoPnABtExZ2eFojU7CG1e5IF-31lR66la8o8hyb0flYsnrkhZkNp4F2nSgzw/w640-h528/IMG_5556%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fischer's Lovebird</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The next day we would say farewell to the Serengeti and begin our journey home.</div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> </h3></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-18079923789644988692023-03-10T10:05:00.002-08:002023-03-10T15:48:26.179-08:00More African Adventures, Part 8: A Relaxing Day at Gibbs Farm<h3 style="text-align: left;">January 15, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">A Relaxing Day at Gibbs Farm</h2><div><br /></div><div>Today was our "vacation from our vacation day," a day to enjoy a peaceful time with no itinerary. The torrential rains that had started last night lasted into the early afternoon, so after a great breakfast buffet, we had a lazy morning reading and relaxing in our cozy cabin and in the lodge rooms where a nice fire was lit in the fireplace and the resident cats were happy to provide a cuddle.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z4LcaTQcA7bsFP-1yDKSGbRExJgdetdtGK88PdVy67TeoQ5yeqwqZPGex3YWRd8gsVdTVaVmu2wPS2Z0ClP6YlppPz5tvWc2au-sU7-hv6MMaGyZvv5wwOLPLI_EJNhaktqnY-_ONOJhmaRNV7vZnT1yCQwpWbFBVs-l-vtJHzbDvP2cLg/s4608/IMG_5416%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z4LcaTQcA7bsFP-1yDKSGbRExJgdetdtGK88PdVy67TeoQ5yeqwqZPGex3YWRd8gsVdTVaVmu2wPS2Z0ClP6YlppPz5tvWc2au-sU7-hv6MMaGyZvv5wwOLPLI_EJNhaktqnY-_ONOJhmaRNV7vZnT1yCQwpWbFBVs-l-vtJHzbDvP2cLg/w640-h480/IMG_5416%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfhffIk6bT7VXrbMh9VB1OXcY3Tt6O5bJHIslJDd0nHVdox4cyfHYfn1sG-AUMwIEA1GRljP9mtyG_E5miKtHguPQUVQnZrj5Fv-ef6vn5SpojHs6GgOjluJf6qCUlJbLym_xXr_cuO5jePDF_K04RRWBFHqTNoArQzAFvDaZVdOxHxWbYA/s4608/IMG_4821.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfhffIk6bT7VXrbMh9VB1OXcY3Tt6O5bJHIslJDd0nHVdox4cyfHYfn1sG-AUMwIEA1GRljP9mtyG_E5miKtHguPQUVQnZrj5Fv-ef6vn5SpojHs6GgOjluJf6qCUlJbLym_xXr_cuO5jePDF_K04RRWBFHqTNoArQzAFvDaZVdOxHxWbYA/w640-h480/IMG_4821.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kzyXduS-yXiQV8Ue7ogMjdys9iMpm8e6QkbcO1QFDB-_vGz_oAtE46r2_l53s6nuSNAc9M_iomlWmSWXAJWhaqEIuZqakBfQhhvWITilCqksPk4JSAAL8zTgTB3_Snxamm6bT2r_gr5LaVOFNIznwx7e_HVTlBR1wqPtjArBTRaPSHN97g/s4038/IMG_5441%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3377" data-original-width="4038" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kzyXduS-yXiQV8Ue7ogMjdys9iMpm8e6QkbcO1QFDB-_vGz_oAtE46r2_l53s6nuSNAc9M_iomlWmSWXAJWhaqEIuZqakBfQhhvWITilCqksPk4JSAAL8zTgTB3_Snxamm6bT2r_gr5LaVOFNIznwx7e_HVTlBR1wqPtjArBTRaPSHN97g/w640-h536/IMG_5441%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzz6bxAaUmFeumhXtX8sVRWE8xdF9jtbv6ktAXdoCrXLYHFDjVrxzHcvGtmfVL7PY6_oMIYSD9QGdZin1WhIbcw_GA-hEhWB19LMQ38rDKwWOtn6j7hX2yYglWXmpc4L325V-LpdtcKZImw_laBBeP7JpWv5DGuP_bD6E_f3co9_h5F91_Q/s4449/IMG_5444%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3337" data-original-width="4449" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzz6bxAaUmFeumhXtX8sVRWE8xdF9jtbv6ktAXdoCrXLYHFDjVrxzHcvGtmfVL7PY6_oMIYSD9QGdZin1WhIbcw_GA-hEhWB19LMQ38rDKwWOtn6j7hX2yYglWXmpc4L325V-LpdtcKZImw_laBBeP7JpWv5DGuP_bD6E_f3co9_h5F91_Q/w640-h480/IMG_5444%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57fIb_U1LUZhvfaR9IF7jVhmNDnT_w3WZ77dGRKuTjT3EKj6U08o7x43dZwlIhJxil_Nzwnd9UcX5sWQ4NLQIty0VqDEpyZ1nFia_bFYs0xQO0h-p7UEhi0YcTpaBx60nUQh0ZdRqUkiKg0kI8uWD7Y3vHw03-yCGnOOWb6scGccHocEiPA/s5015/IMG_6058%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3877" data-original-width="5015" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57fIb_U1LUZhvfaR9IF7jVhmNDnT_w3WZ77dGRKuTjT3EKj6U08o7x43dZwlIhJxil_Nzwnd9UcX5sWQ4NLQIty0VqDEpyZ1nFia_bFYs0xQO0h-p7UEhi0YcTpaBx60nUQh0ZdRqUkiKg0kI8uWD7Y3vHw03-yCGnOOWb6scGccHocEiPA/w640-h494/IMG_6058%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon, we took a guided tour of the ten-acre organic fruit, herb, and vegetable gardens that provide all of the produce used in the fabulous meals here at Gibbs Farm. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITlUgmumlyDdAGBD_OOd40XBp3xOw8BhGvN8W6X8yokaYqE2MI5AaoucPwDmTIyAhZYpp8ChpPsiT5EiJBXJP0l-bSuMy2fkxy-CRTTLGpW8rJEMGIKdOBkttU2yvc_hyNxM3xoYJ4BAHe1u-5qG8H7gpMuc5YIA0w8CazEXdmIb45rrYRQ/s4487/IMG_5446%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3365" data-original-width="4487" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITlUgmumlyDdAGBD_OOd40XBp3xOw8BhGvN8W6X8yokaYqE2MI5AaoucPwDmTIyAhZYpp8ChpPsiT5EiJBXJP0l-bSuMy2fkxy-CRTTLGpW8rJEMGIKdOBkttU2yvc_hyNxM3xoYJ4BAHe1u-5qG8H7gpMuc5YIA0w8CazEXdmIb45rrYRQ/w640-h480/IMG_5446%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjuyd1cGHplfkm28pwsSM2adTaxmu0GOqx0eTJApJBZkXBpj8fJ_Xy7rDh9WqLkeAQmcG59DapZ7szJrZZ2sngwNANWVbBqTc2E1UY9jFDNRVg3R7qriRBY8UY283w3Gyc7CjqxwteK2iVEh37O90Qaz-8_6YVvFv3qfUyjyySjn4IZQyHg/s2593/IMG_5451%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2319" data-original-width="2593" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjuyd1cGHplfkm28pwsSM2adTaxmu0GOqx0eTJApJBZkXBpj8fJ_Xy7rDh9WqLkeAQmcG59DapZ7szJrZZ2sngwNANWVbBqTc2E1UY9jFDNRVg3R7qriRBY8UY283w3Gyc7CjqxwteK2iVEh37O90Qaz-8_6YVvFv3qfUyjyySjn4IZQyHg/w640-h572/IMG_5451%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZy6AEDjUi6sEUrx8cDvb6dTCtEI3XEHNnrLbUmuiOU34MNcv4pVFP5vfzyVAaq95f5PsoR7twwKOqBjBl6k8UPgru9IzQWXMIAaBe2x-t_jstQTqH2u4btszf-0xOSFgCd_AlGwOoYqIYpq6uXvjW-kQbYjhuwhq3dXCgZKqPlPSWuC6nw/s4608/IMG_5456%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZy6AEDjUi6sEUrx8cDvb6dTCtEI3XEHNnrLbUmuiOU34MNcv4pVFP5vfzyVAaq95f5PsoR7twwKOqBjBl6k8UPgru9IzQWXMIAaBe2x-t_jstQTqH2u4btszf-0xOSFgCd_AlGwOoYqIYpq6uXvjW-kQbYjhuwhq3dXCgZKqPlPSWuC6nw/w640-h480/IMG_5456%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RWp-2jIh42T5FiWxPeW32qt2GIEm2nEYYto3Oe45_ymW3-HccWSVKxZ0yp63hzf-ZnaxjD_79ylmZrmlG9tCAlQY4SZyKw-Pi3TERgCbDxlTxWKy1luN0smFABRncCT2JnVgp1I8iFQMpg1BmOKFz4MJz9nLz-7jJuZVSIOgDcROSR5C-Q/s3977/IMG_5458%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3446" data-original-width="3977" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RWp-2jIh42T5FiWxPeW32qt2GIEm2nEYYto3Oe45_ymW3-HccWSVKxZ0yp63hzf-ZnaxjD_79ylmZrmlG9tCAlQY4SZyKw-Pi3TERgCbDxlTxWKy1luN0smFABRncCT2JnVgp1I8iFQMpg1BmOKFz4MJz9nLz-7jJuZVSIOgDcROSR5C-Q/w640-h554/IMG_5458%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBvQYLtseoNdiqMb5I6XN42UHE9DjK1d1cu9bQvBCVub-bbD0TKnpWryvmq7_1KYFRYvD7zInaaMOmM8_g4CVCL950lglyghkb9Rzk06-TJ54ZVYScdhARjRzyZn4czkHPvwN98a_2YF5QPQtre-HqA0g-TvBYjngCFrSqP-AaA8NAsgNkw/s4036/IMG_5459%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3446" data-original-width="4036" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBvQYLtseoNdiqMb5I6XN42UHE9DjK1d1cu9bQvBCVub-bbD0TKnpWryvmq7_1KYFRYvD7zInaaMOmM8_g4CVCL950lglyghkb9Rzk06-TJ54ZVYScdhARjRzyZn4czkHPvwN98a_2YF5QPQtre-HqA0g-TvBYjngCFrSqP-AaA8NAsgNkw/w640-h546/IMG_5459%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hfyWeL_ifybOgyw4InN8BRnqUQHiTzlr1dtVha4jgQ6bHhw4YGMg8CJH_EVvk_v7rfHwRjVWxWLp8PyKKe_tU08zEBFByBRbflDD53Oq80txvuX6NHMm3JuX91cMIkIoMfIURAnoyqpItQJTVGS8Wn6iNWuUbhAPmpxuN90ty3O7jT4kVA/s4608/IMG_5461%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hfyWeL_ifybOgyw4InN8BRnqUQHiTzlr1dtVha4jgQ6bHhw4YGMg8CJH_EVvk_v7rfHwRjVWxWLp8PyKKe_tU08zEBFByBRbflDD53Oq80txvuX6NHMm3JuX91cMIkIoMfIURAnoyqpItQJTVGS8Wn6iNWuUbhAPmpxuN90ty3O7jT4kVA/w640-h480/IMG_5461%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghpucuKXuebEqNk5dJMKTHaPRTfKKa1rEBqImsJN7kMChERcvhBWYnALMfRHHxYyr3CQfV2FWsPoY4HM2Iss_gCxueaHCXMdyqdmFkRar8Onek_VNfjG_OnxsJ8xG6EHDf_cM-lmkIzE3LUfGjKhI8sTKp_fBT9x5TA4fTQDwguMjpb6kyw/s4362/IMG_5465%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3390" data-original-width="4362" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghpucuKXuebEqNk5dJMKTHaPRTfKKa1rEBqImsJN7kMChERcvhBWYnALMfRHHxYyr3CQfV2FWsPoY4HM2Iss_gCxueaHCXMdyqdmFkRar8Onek_VNfjG_OnxsJ8xG6EHDf_cM-lmkIzE3LUfGjKhI8sTKp_fBT9x5TA4fTQDwguMjpb6kyw/w640-h498/IMG_5465%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhPJQw4ewrGf9SVmsMQ1WZ12LoEBAAUj_ZNNsHsM67ITeqzosHkRvivrIieJ1i6uemAMjYCZeSkwQ3SIeZVuO4TBCHRYg1pbhAwz4xOix5WuDlqyjpqv2raYuQSpfKVIAdWW83peK5P2ufNagJirtHT_84hnnBmXmDtR_ONon1trUmzKAVQ/s4448/IMG_5506%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3453" data-original-width="4448" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhPJQw4ewrGf9SVmsMQ1WZ12LoEBAAUj_ZNNsHsM67ITeqzosHkRvivrIieJ1i6uemAMjYCZeSkwQ3SIeZVuO4TBCHRYg1pbhAwz4xOix5WuDlqyjpqv2raYuQSpfKVIAdWW83peK5P2ufNagJirtHT_84hnnBmXmDtR_ONon1trUmzKAVQ/w640-h496/IMG_5506%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ4z3Jt56vT3C-olMuNm4t33Wc20ffJn_ByAS7-udjrMEZ3LSbo7Z9FxgAxHpGyKY9yqTIBvmrtRKRk_zjAGsat-fGQ6BkYz-X9CAZau_4I6x_NzShMKCDxZX6XgpzRtfYDxIfpzECnkG0iy54kMdqAbvAWEGZdbuRU_nIY4lcCpaSgr1yg/s4608/IMG_5509%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ4z3Jt56vT3C-olMuNm4t33Wc20ffJn_ByAS7-udjrMEZ3LSbo7Z9FxgAxHpGyKY9yqTIBvmrtRKRk_zjAGsat-fGQ6BkYz-X9CAZau_4I6x_NzShMKCDxZX6XgpzRtfYDxIfpzECnkG0iy54kMdqAbvAWEGZdbuRU_nIY4lcCpaSgr1yg/w640-h480/IMG_5509%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The farm's animals also contributed to the feasts, and Rob especially enjoyed meeting them all. There were dozens of hens who supply the lodge with about 200 eggs per day. Cows supply the milk. And I'm guessing that the pigs supply the bacon, but I tried not to think about that because the piglets were so cute. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrl3okA_QLLxCWEfaiDK5SbkA7t8BfYDw841vBpfEdSwJDohqa0Tcd54EozHAHcISaa0txWPjl9b_-oQfsd_viBBZ_1iui1opCVzmyXbrH_9tp4n58UJTgsav2Cfs8Kn7YGSz7_Y34QRkvu35HA_xb4ABQfG6AxrgKzaYOTZ-HnWlBLx-QQ/s4368/IMG_5496%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4368" data-original-width="3148" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrl3okA_QLLxCWEfaiDK5SbkA7t8BfYDw841vBpfEdSwJDohqa0Tcd54EozHAHcISaa0txWPjl9b_-oQfsd_viBBZ_1iui1opCVzmyXbrH_9tp4n58UJTgsav2Cfs8Kn7YGSz7_Y34QRkvu35HA_xb4ABQfG6AxrgKzaYOTZ-HnWlBLx-QQ/w462-h640/IMG_5496%20(2).JPG" width="462" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdEcvxp9LTLeAVBzmQ9NrYN3hEPGu1ufBvEr4OnLhbMPqAx6tOlfA-e0GOzYbs_R6uaty2aiV77a-a1R7bwnzCrPfoipIAzkplqtDiGODVT5yjzAXrrgnnpqCOkzZ5dOVr8xig-nNnG-gl5D-8woPlZbkxWmWQ9dsnJ3agCdjdRpnPlJjwg/s4229/IMG_5471%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3311" data-original-width="4229" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdEcvxp9LTLeAVBzmQ9NrYN3hEPGu1ufBvEr4OnLhbMPqAx6tOlfA-e0GOzYbs_R6uaty2aiV77a-a1R7bwnzCrPfoipIAzkplqtDiGODVT5yjzAXrrgnnpqCOkzZ5dOVr8xig-nNnG-gl5D-8woPlZbkxWmWQ9dsnJ3agCdjdRpnPlJjwg/w640-h502/IMG_5471%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ot5_2nEifH6C9CDofW1ypqCn9Het_tUZmPgbR1BW5Q2OHi8g680FqggWYxqoYvbW-1dLp5UNIdlODQX4cTcHFQcPf4Rfce4RiqzVsrYqtKsBGV1gPPgJqIVs211ZtwbwFMLMKIux79hUIU0HU7OreYX8SeG3gXFvyhhboazkD_d7Z5zoZg/s3962/IMG_5478%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="3962" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ot5_2nEifH6C9CDofW1ypqCn9Het_tUZmPgbR1BW5Q2OHi8g680FqggWYxqoYvbW-1dLp5UNIdlODQX4cTcHFQcPf4Rfce4RiqzVsrYqtKsBGV1gPPgJqIVs211ZtwbwFMLMKIux79hUIU0HU7OreYX8SeG3gXFvyhhboazkD_d7Z5zoZg/w640-h520/IMG_5478%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxkSZvdZyldYgO1Bk81XDcjgj80U-DzZR8W2mc55kXRP5YDu6nxFjOHmqF0hSaid2KPQk8f4oEPK-aE2xxdtHw2MjegOpsKEnohdScSSfvWDEwtkpstCR1DIfVehif0IKM6_zhKFGRdgc1FtPDSApTTVFJkpURUQbeWgOEEShZ2-KBEl-3A/s4045/IMG_5484%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="4045" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxkSZvdZyldYgO1Bk81XDcjgj80U-DzZR8W2mc55kXRP5YDu6nxFjOHmqF0hSaid2KPQk8f4oEPK-aE2xxdtHw2MjegOpsKEnohdScSSfvWDEwtkpstCR1DIfVehif0IKM6_zhKFGRdgc1FtPDSApTTVFJkpURUQbeWgOEEShZ2-KBEl-3A/w640-h454/IMG_5484%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfSWoRZ_w4eMYq4bF1Pyokp5vYrBM9SXG_DGRqIScPnC_aiOy9u-b9phqa79W5RRWMikncxtgpx98dTnwOmkEIS_9j_2hGKVphOwNHVqJpEsC5KC1zJKwsk9Knz1xUOHZ0Ke6ocRS7domPch2dirwpZDr4TROlkiAtvwaBYp9KsESdKZfFw/s3423/IMG_5486%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="3423" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfSWoRZ_w4eMYq4bF1Pyokp5vYrBM9SXG_DGRqIScPnC_aiOy9u-b9phqa79W5RRWMikncxtgpx98dTnwOmkEIS_9j_2hGKVphOwNHVqJpEsC5KC1zJKwsk9Knz1xUOHZ0Ke6ocRS7domPch2dirwpZDr4TROlkiAtvwaBYp9KsESdKZfFw/w640-h594/IMG_5486%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93piM5z7aPOHhk7zFnYxOQB68V7pY9vnlie-jOt0oAeL8r_n9GbLCGeGFscTM5ilekzq21XcjmtO5ccLxhv3uD74mHsVqbVsddrvXp_sQN4IDk7QaGxdNaPON0FLtLlFmGaHi2HI8P3wLVngF1R2Quj4wyXttHw6hYO1YD0pBCMEjScdi5A/s4061/IMG_5498%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="4061" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93piM5z7aPOHhk7zFnYxOQB68V7pY9vnlie-jOt0oAeL8r_n9GbLCGeGFscTM5ilekzq21XcjmtO5ccLxhv3uD74mHsVqbVsddrvXp_sQN4IDk7QaGxdNaPON0FLtLlFmGaHi2HI8P3wLVngF1R2Quj4wyXttHw6hYO1YD0pBCMEjScdi5A/w640-h514/IMG_5498%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbji0kYU19KsH3fHou8kdnRReCE_HIGwqaypfJ508oTKXxsSFzey47aoypooeUNLu6RIUyvlsDDn2-cdXKNx8NTA5Pz0q2kf7GlUUXOBP7f8u6ZN9KDf3RIdiuZ4ZGYvWviIDx7n9t1Eue3xPya8tlv9ZywmFoEBiZNa3MNmfC-Wy8HTZ58w/s4608/IMG_5490%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbji0kYU19KsH3fHou8kdnRReCE_HIGwqaypfJ508oTKXxsSFzey47aoypooeUNLu6RIUyvlsDDn2-cdXKNx8NTA5Pz0q2kf7GlUUXOBP7f8u6ZN9KDf3RIdiuZ4ZGYvWviIDx7n9t1Eue3xPya8tlv9ZywmFoEBiZNa3MNmfC-Wy8HTZ58w/w640-h480/IMG_5490%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied637SzDdko9xKTmq-4dpJGju0D-TGY4-HxzJJUaGZVCXCBPamrst-a8ToOVV1ud0jshvmPjUgcf_vqI3Ee2WDOeynNm4x8BBNBYCNKiCK-acJw5NdIWT1Ateook0m1nN6MWPCv1gepO9Znq49gqWtOexbefl_sh7NKugJ2H4OpVvPOGY8A/s4433/IMG_5491%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3135" data-original-width="4433" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied637SzDdko9xKTmq-4dpJGju0D-TGY4-HxzJJUaGZVCXCBPamrst-a8ToOVV1ud0jshvmPjUgcf_vqI3Ee2WDOeynNm4x8BBNBYCNKiCK-acJw5NdIWT1Ateook0m1nN6MWPCv1gepO9Znq49gqWtOexbefl_sh7NKugJ2H4OpVvPOGY8A/w640-h452/IMG_5491%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was even a "goat tower," a tall, round tower with a wooden ramp spiraling around it for the goats to climb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTzsMO3pHj2gunK8S6sv3Xpdrs1Pc_fcRaETUBQCvfA8Yt0V09Szp1yAIEb0_eAa2rZYyZ2EPHyOf-ynseQnGfVMs961Jgj5G7kKTjVhZx30Fn8x1ZqWr2yto6zEuDYI9vdAkK0z78q0B7g4gJx0o2HRc4prvfsKblj0CSBIicQPAoXbQiw/s4608/IMG_5470%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTzsMO3pHj2gunK8S6sv3Xpdrs1Pc_fcRaETUBQCvfA8Yt0V09Szp1yAIEb0_eAa2rZYyZ2EPHyOf-ynseQnGfVMs961Jgj5G7kKTjVhZx30Fn8x1ZqWr2yto6zEuDYI9vdAkK0z78q0B7g4gJx0o2HRc4prvfsKblj0CSBIicQPAoXbQiw/w640-h480/IMG_5470%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2U-mz5JPMHkxKZ4SseKtZE_3zovZySRH1qEcNM4qS-r8vIaF6jtvFSB6FXC2RygWleRqaXZUvifJMeHWJUUbFJAeFdtM8lyyk3g2yTKz0LAqZLpAoCyY7qXzzo4Wi_oCI3dLgUi_oA-EEMY0-j3u6han8Hv072LrNSzJtvZZQET-5MaLFQ/s4608/IMG_5483%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2U-mz5JPMHkxKZ4SseKtZE_3zovZySRH1qEcNM4qS-r8vIaF6jtvFSB6FXC2RygWleRqaXZUvifJMeHWJUUbFJAeFdtM8lyyk3g2yTKz0LAqZLpAoCyY7qXzzo4Wi_oCI3dLgUi_oA-EEMY0-j3u6han8Hv072LrNSzJtvZZQET-5MaLFQ/w640-h480/IMG_5483%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipafE1yOk_ClpVWq9e3Iy8KcLreAsf8ms4fAEe5mmDc4FKnFuK14GtfKsRnP-e7gJhKeDlvXx0NPdRstrAvfZB6dl8csWuvehtSCidCkclghaYbP9KP0N3N-ih_fh9CFcVfD-_tE9FBctZQY8pZF_J12E5iNoeJiCoW3FIWHKp2_keZLSkvQ/s3868/IMG_5499%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3301" data-original-width="3868" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipafE1yOk_ClpVWq9e3Iy8KcLreAsf8ms4fAEe5mmDc4FKnFuK14GtfKsRnP-e7gJhKeDlvXx0NPdRstrAvfZB6dl8csWuvehtSCidCkclghaYbP9KP0N3N-ih_fh9CFcVfD-_tE9FBctZQY8pZF_J12E5iNoeJiCoW3FIWHKp2_keZLSkvQ/w640-h546/IMG_5499%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fPrx193bDu6v4D-i9eAV2WxCEyxBbkqJHcqhb7_WVryBDPyh0-72Vx6mDmq73uCoFeiFg93HzOc-FpEYZK-hE1DZ50pTtIiYpupVgPg6wTxqozoVcUPdO3W4xbphLGSk579xt5SaCJ3Ue_C9--cDnzzcl-hwLEvArBiLGNmLzdtM8QsVQQ/s3140/IMG_5501%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3140" data-original-width="2972" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fPrx193bDu6v4D-i9eAV2WxCEyxBbkqJHcqhb7_WVryBDPyh0-72Vx6mDmq73uCoFeiFg93HzOc-FpEYZK-hE1DZ50pTtIiYpupVgPg6wTxqozoVcUPdO3W4xbphLGSk579xt5SaCJ3Ue_C9--cDnzzcl-hwLEvArBiLGNmLzdtM8QsVQQ/w606-h640/IMG_5501%20(2).JPG" width="606" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Rob's favorite moments were spent petting the two donkeys, Sophie and her son Sebastian, a frisky youngster who bounced happily up and down the path.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBXBukAic-CJLzAHDtrRMWGay1ZgSN67_-dpaBppLcd6VTRonoenjYo1rRUuHORsc9CYryjh0uZrRoGqjmXyNTzIuLLAqVKuUfkH9ySMG_sAHuc9nSgJn-eFHM-OAkUUrg_izbBDBmp6cT89m9OgrpqZzfakGNTeLENN8mUsAYzWojuTsSQ/s4109/IMG_5474%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="4109" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBXBukAic-CJLzAHDtrRMWGay1ZgSN67_-dpaBppLcd6VTRonoenjYo1rRUuHORsc9CYryjh0uZrRoGqjmXyNTzIuLLAqVKuUfkH9ySMG_sAHuc9nSgJn-eFHM-OAkUUrg_izbBDBmp6cT89m9OgrpqZzfakGNTeLENN8mUsAYzWojuTsSQ/w640-h436/IMG_5474%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Plq-U9NKTzImav0K0ouYOxeBYCzBWsYAU3fUQBD-19XMu_gyRvRfISVmeP9H1JMcLcOnWPnWeCeFTgJDH0Xr9t2bZVTNRMSdKTAq4c3F7giBKgIqMRiEYPV3n8YZV3mg_fY34nRDZNCABM4nka-z-JzL1_HCyvhQXAlUM5Mgcjrw9JLU5w/s3413/IMG_5476%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2593" data-original-width="3413" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Plq-U9NKTzImav0K0ouYOxeBYCzBWsYAU3fUQBD-19XMu_gyRvRfISVmeP9H1JMcLcOnWPnWeCeFTgJDH0Xr9t2bZVTNRMSdKTAq4c3F7giBKgIqMRiEYPV3n8YZV3mg_fY34nRDZNCABM4nka-z-JzL1_HCyvhQXAlUM5Mgcjrw9JLU5w/w640-h486/IMG_5476%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHsZliqVDo8VBhR9PGIVgCjCIf3aPBD7Tko4Q21cjNxXxBGL-AAVh9E8bSJnugG47p_D_pqTmWTvMEbSE7FEMuUsKRJBcFZbtENtYW5ko_g1GwX5yzzq812UfM9Lf3AbjXHPfKsIoOcCw9DX7QjwvhwnAypwPmgFK1B53bJU3k3-rwLhIng/s3810/IMG_5477%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3122" data-original-width="3810" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHsZliqVDo8VBhR9PGIVgCjCIf3aPBD7Tko4Q21cjNxXxBGL-AAVh9E8bSJnugG47p_D_pqTmWTvMEbSE7FEMuUsKRJBcFZbtENtYW5ko_g1GwX5yzzq812UfM9Lf3AbjXHPfKsIoOcCw9DX7QjwvhwnAypwPmgFK1B53bJU3k3-rwLhIng/w640-h524/IMG_5477%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oU2YGYgrqwbwmZtQTuSoXehkR9Kb3LHlEnRrM7vGJtCS4bzFDYviRDTfe-KdaPCMpiDGYAoTXY7knZ3hHnjGStIfJb1BemQhEctohdUSjiasMatNN4y7-nb4zP86tTbmo_r4blleO-u_raxihENN7TFWeDmvTxj9fIzd9FMbsRvLMFZFow/s3000/IMG_5494%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2627" data-original-width="3000" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oU2YGYgrqwbwmZtQTuSoXehkR9Kb3LHlEnRrM7vGJtCS4bzFDYviRDTfe-KdaPCMpiDGYAoTXY7knZ3hHnjGStIfJb1BemQhEctohdUSjiasMatNN4y7-nb4zP86tTbmo_r4blleO-u_raxihENN7TFWeDmvTxj9fIzd9FMbsRvLMFZFow/w640-h560/IMG_5494%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It was a welcome day of quiet pleasures. We highly recommend <a href="https://www.gibbsfarm.com/" target="_blank">Gibbs Farm</a> to anyone visiting this part of the world!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejEPJ1673jkE2NW3OPpyK7ytKHdBKLoQI0q0Fe1djNm1qxHEFkS91ikV-43aiWs9z5aqUcsLpLi2Y-X1G6u2N0aPzp64MNAOghzHkoXxZN1M8q6CMW5SAQyiDVHZ4dWR6RC9kz3Bs8PwyoD2CNWA9QuhHRjdsd6yXUsdhNsH9EJ4lGD6eUg/s4557/IMG_4815%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="4557" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejEPJ1673jkE2NW3OPpyK7ytKHdBKLoQI0q0Fe1djNm1qxHEFkS91ikV-43aiWs9z5aqUcsLpLi2Y-X1G6u2N0aPzp64MNAOghzHkoXxZN1M8q6CMW5SAQyiDVHZ4dWR6RC9kz3Bs8PwyoD2CNWA9QuhHRjdsd6yXUsdhNsH9EJ4lGD6eUg/w640-h400/IMG_4815%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-68053371204697727682023-03-05T20:58:00.008-08:002023-03-10T15:49:40.274-08:00More African Adventures, Part 7 - Africa's Garden of Eden - Ngorongoro Crater<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: small; text-indent: 0in;">January 13 and 14, 2019</span></h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Ngorongoro Crater - Africa's Garden of Eden</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Enclosed within the one hundred square miles of the crater floor and protected by
2,000-foot-high steep jungle-covered mountains of this ancient volcano, lies an enchanted landscape, Ngorongoro Crater – an entire ecosystem cut off from the rest of the
continent, but thriving all on its own.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5SByzyJXKdS58aUWc9mqaZaYCnQotgd56Lg9TrNOD21BwveKK5G_AzsSrpBH9zJJS_54jpiTAtEfR5qICoKAqUWbNHKiEnCu-QJ_QN_eOHzeA_912JWLdyy77UeiGzqnLc_zjC_iXAZs7X_3-JI5hVF0Hy_S-aeBfE3dHcX4Zx8V06zR0w/s4608/IMG_4848.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5SByzyJXKdS58aUWc9mqaZaYCnQotgd56Lg9TrNOD21BwveKK5G_AzsSrpBH9zJJS_54jpiTAtEfR5qICoKAqUWbNHKiEnCu-QJ_QN_eOHzeA_912JWLdyy77UeiGzqnLc_zjC_iXAZs7X_3-JI5hVF0Hy_S-aeBfE3dHcX4Zx8V06zR0w/w640-h480/IMG_4848.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entry gate into Ngorongoro Conservation Area included an interesting little museum <br />about the geography, animals, and people of the region.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAD7IceNKx57CWYnSOAJjmaT8BNLB-rWiYJJy4_2630UhQpxCTCEBo3yFxn7nYkgK9cLgSXzjiHoM73fK12HnAGODgpnehcQyhpXK-NAUk8yrRjoipJfZq8GDspvuCAZ0Ws-LclPbpJbNERNcPOdvPSoHnlGgu261Sg4qK8WIcDeNxRDhLw/s4608/IMG_4852%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAD7IceNKx57CWYnSOAJjmaT8BNLB-rWiYJJy4_2630UhQpxCTCEBo3yFxn7nYkgK9cLgSXzjiHoM73fK12HnAGODgpnehcQyhpXK-NAUk8yrRjoipJfZq8GDspvuCAZ0Ws-LclPbpJbNERNcPOdvPSoHnlGgu261Sg4qK8WIcDeNxRDhLw/w640-h480/IMG_4852%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgRjmy3wp--rit-RcREQaFtPteMX2mM3qsPag3YFJJYAczuK6B2b_IFVY9n5y3TUMa8Ph24MAvBQthKDp-1jTYGollJ7oLhP9-SvEtBtOgda8DBcLNmr9N6Jp8aqHnITRKy9SyHsOhwdVxMWmXuP14YNstzyTgfMLT6--EQP3ZG-4jQ6xfg/s4608/IMG_4862.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgRjmy3wp--rit-RcREQaFtPteMX2mM3qsPag3YFJJYAczuK6B2b_IFVY9n5y3TUMa8Ph24MAvBQthKDp-1jTYGollJ7oLhP9-SvEtBtOgda8DBcLNmr9N6Jp8aqHnITRKy9SyHsOhwdVxMWmXuP14YNstzyTgfMLT6--EQP3ZG-4jQ6xfg/w640-h480/IMG_4862.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down into the caldera</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">I had had some doubts about
including Ngorongoro on our itinerary as we had already come here about 4 years
ago, but I ended up SO glad we went ahead with the plan. We had visited in July the last
time, and the landscape was barren and brown. At that time, the Masai were
still allowed to share the crater for grazing their cattle, who ate side by
side with the wildebeests, but that has now been banned. This time, we arrived
at the end of one of the two rainy seasons in Tanzania, and the flat plains on
the crater floor were covered with thick green grasses. The lakes and marsh
areas were flowing with water. Best of all, there were animals everywhere
we looked. Huge herds of wildebeests, zebras, and Cape buffalo, smaller groups
of Thompson gazelles, Grants gazelles, elands, hartebeests, and even a couple
of rhinos were all peacefully grazing on the grasses. Elephants walked
majestically across the plains and fed on the tall plants in the marshes. </span><span style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">These thriving populations are kept in balance by the several prides of lions, the jackals, and the hyenas sharing the crater with them, and on our second morning, we saw them at their work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Day 1 in the Crater:</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Albert, our guide, led us on two descents into the crater. The first day, we arrived late in the morning when the animals were quietly grazing or just resting on the grass. Albert helped us identify the birds and animals, and we spent several happy hours driving around the park, ending with a picnic lunch by the shores of a lake.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OaAbbHxOFs-Uma4jonTg37ZlLwHCobFTGb33XAgxPdWhhKtVVsu3ipmcgjP0aGTKIIA1dAT_U7I9R9W-O2L8mAxcZWdzPvxu0005LEN-1-2lpPAHZKHvypb97VGLG894aQEUe34WZQeSWR40g_fGQbCea7zi0Sp08j_gYn78mDB6beIhxw/s4709/IMG_6022%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3153" data-original-width="4709" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OaAbbHxOFs-Uma4jonTg37ZlLwHCobFTGb33XAgxPdWhhKtVVsu3ipmcgjP0aGTKIIA1dAT_U7I9R9W-O2L8mAxcZWdzPvxu0005LEN-1-2lpPAHZKHvypb97VGLG894aQEUe34WZQeSWR40g_fGQbCea7zi0Sp08j_gYn78mDB6beIhxw/w640-h429/IMG_6022%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the two entry gates into Ngorongoro Crater</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiPmsHJ_Sf6_hY4KxMr9foilizazxMNz6hyLRe09TlCzmi49DTHi3-ijLUxs2lLdegosvkADSoiwUTV1f7ag9vabeUxGq8dJNs0DzdSLmtGej2mtCNqz4BPJ-m0lbZE8HZjmXcmJM8GpeosYee-CmAn7DmxBp40LKyEX8o-0pysXYTUtibg/s3633/IMG_4866%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2689" data-original-width="3633" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiPmsHJ_Sf6_hY4KxMr9foilizazxMNz6hyLRe09TlCzmi49DTHi3-ijLUxs2lLdegosvkADSoiwUTV1f7ag9vabeUxGq8dJNs0DzdSLmtGej2mtCNqz4BPJ-m0lbZE8HZjmXcmJM8GpeosYee-CmAn7DmxBp40LKyEX8o-0pysXYTUtibg/w640-h474/IMG_4866%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the herds of antelope and Cape Buffalo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ISg0nE5twfJis0fdOGsXITV7E2NU9GJyMzhhHh6AJ0xjM78FBLR_-_frVLp0yO6_At7G4uWrLGK3pcFZYcwphRNkAZJ2EB_WtjfN9P3WqbpUrwbh7faulcridDvucZ32Dgnv9W9xQcGYyLAKqwLtqubawouD66G8fk8SX3az618s2tUyVQ/s4608/IMG_4872%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ISg0nE5twfJis0fdOGsXITV7E2NU9GJyMzhhHh6AJ0xjM78FBLR_-_frVLp0yO6_At7G4uWrLGK3pcFZYcwphRNkAZJ2EB_WtjfN9P3WqbpUrwbh7faulcridDvucZ32Dgnv9W9xQcGYyLAKqwLtqubawouD66G8fk8SX3az618s2tUyVQ/w640-h480/IMG_4872%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Buffalo</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOoNBSLZoPW-PaxIgjb4OKo6XfNHl06maTdc0HO8UDcDP2nR-U29IKAnpZ64Tcbv_CACX2l-oCCzF0g1QEPeBlSfTqn8mRg7ybpnGquSuRabxReE710Be7pBrWJdI3ck5pY9OStCgNAfS0VjPhlUlDxs6KwMU-yyTnN2tWkxJxQbtvYkZKg/s3849/IMG_4969%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3849" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOoNBSLZoPW-PaxIgjb4OKo6XfNHl06maTdc0HO8UDcDP2nR-U29IKAnpZ64Tcbv_CACX2l-oCCzF0g1QEPeBlSfTqn8mRg7ybpnGquSuRabxReE710Be7pBrWJdI3ck5pY9OStCgNAfS0VjPhlUlDxs6KwMU-yyTnN2tWkxJxQbtvYkZKg/w640-h510/IMG_4969%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaggy Cape Buffalo </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPbb93JC3rgRSOvUILMvzBqL_Vv3UDba5valRFdoEbgoZoAMKlaLMmTN4czI1usaJu09czOqKYd8OoXPg9aCf37pvwuyrshNeQBafuNvndANG6n3GrfNKX-tS2yS6A7rdP1wGYe4YWoBlInbS7yjy_z_pbwUb17ia9yyn5Qd7AYN05NGi0w/s4460/IMG_4901%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3137" data-original-width="4460" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPbb93JC3rgRSOvUILMvzBqL_Vv3UDba5valRFdoEbgoZoAMKlaLMmTN4czI1usaJu09czOqKYd8OoXPg9aCf37pvwuyrshNeQBafuNvndANG6n3GrfNKX-tS2yS6A7rdP1wGYe4YWoBlInbS7yjy_z_pbwUb17ia9yyn5Qd7AYN05NGi0w/w640-h450/IMG_4901%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildebeest roamed all throughout the crater</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi04Sy-ExN7rlQEc0l7YnVZzlnff7E9yvcdcHhF1_qVXW1GKpS_T5eZ-YThYQGGKSaPO_kBTzHPUnm9QWxQYgwBuS0OSnLf8ailFa-saQh56leWotyg8ibbHF8PKc0vDDkdP9W6PZwYriD3uV9S2hVre9npnGJV_y5blSsYRf8cpudq6KJQ/s3965/IMG_4910%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="3965" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi04Sy-ExN7rlQEc0l7YnVZzlnff7E9yvcdcHhF1_qVXW1GKpS_T5eZ-YThYQGGKSaPO_kBTzHPUnm9QWxQYgwBuS0OSnLf8ailFa-saQh56leWotyg8ibbHF8PKc0vDDkdP9W6PZwYriD3uV9S2hVre9npnGJV_y5blSsYRf8cpudq6KJQ/w640-h472/IMG_4910%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildebeests</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBvIafUZvDIoS1yjJHDvmyfCG3wmJn35HLT_f5S1oP-u7jj3kuiXkGgcgUSdFv8bIwYp3Uv1Y0CL-x-HC1L6NBK67OOSOpd70s9_8m2JvOXRl5jzDd8cQn1rw9kDfqF8i7juAOU0Zyqp6bhdGbz_8lMtxo1Ls60rkx_QDkm7PVbdECAjeHA/s3924/IMG_4975%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3084" data-original-width="3924" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBvIafUZvDIoS1yjJHDvmyfCG3wmJn35HLT_f5S1oP-u7jj3kuiXkGgcgUSdFv8bIwYp3Uv1Y0CL-x-HC1L6NBK67OOSOpd70s9_8m2JvOXRl5jzDd8cQn1rw9kDfqF8i7juAOU0Zyqp6bhdGbz_8lMtxo1Ls60rkx_QDkm7PVbdECAjeHA/w640-h502/IMG_4975%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildebeests are such odd looking creatures.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6qm6_Ltrv7Ctswl034FhQ78UxN9CRuEHT4VpmiaQ-9zmpNQsPEctHNR4k--dqchUKIaLvoNi-SAW7-LUJiNTobeRYRengzS6qvACDl_fjfhE96UpOcw6Y6sYP4dwWFf_uCZi1Acrg5T5jpkTzhCI7ELjzpj6KqDMalqDd2Ux3r06XyirbQ/s4264/IMG_4894%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="4264" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6qm6_Ltrv7Ctswl034FhQ78UxN9CRuEHT4VpmiaQ-9zmpNQsPEctHNR4k--dqchUKIaLvoNi-SAW7-LUJiNTobeRYRengzS6qvACDl_fjfhE96UpOcw6Y6sYP4dwWFf_uCZi1Acrg5T5jpkTzhCI7ELjzpj6KqDMalqDd2Ux3r06XyirbQ/w640-h460/IMG_4894%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thompson's Gazelles with Superb Starlings (a very common bird in this area)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaHkqQObFbzLsZq_Y1rHe9DrXd9jNgrtN0dMhYMqvlAYNQdeuEMcB6iFYrhztuNqOt0HyltdRc7mXu-jr-zKGxgSQwX6IRV5w7eENN6eOOz3seHopxpV7b0UbcUq3G_rw9CAP-nYUrvHbFw7eQYhOMMnH9HzrF4xMOCbs3lWigjL0cIr4GA/s3417/IMG_4907%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2679" data-original-width="3417" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaHkqQObFbzLsZq_Y1rHe9DrXd9jNgrtN0dMhYMqvlAYNQdeuEMcB6iFYrhztuNqOt0HyltdRc7mXu-jr-zKGxgSQwX6IRV5w7eENN6eOOz3seHopxpV7b0UbcUq3G_rw9CAP-nYUrvHbFw7eQYhOMMnH9HzrF4xMOCbs3lWigjL0cIr4GA/w640-h502/IMG_4907%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Thompson's Gazelle</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETLVRy38My3mNzDjO_6THe2ng_FrE6zckN3MK5_2fA9zlFn4nyRZq4nJeNs0Cl0A8v9RX6ZsIkmjIE-1jMRpGgRKb3xeyInmRTp9-S2Y5KGAOHOeza-qDnLK97SkHa8K6w63Yjz2pFuPV1aTcZ-nLjH1uenvzI7oY3qyFQk1pOP1ZgUkc0w/s3986/IMG_4973%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3045" data-original-width="3986" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETLVRy38My3mNzDjO_6THe2ng_FrE6zckN3MK5_2fA9zlFn4nyRZq4nJeNs0Cl0A8v9RX6ZsIkmjIE-1jMRpGgRKb3xeyInmRTp9-S2Y5KGAOHOeza-qDnLK97SkHa8K6w63Yjz2pFuPV1aTcZ-nLjH1uenvzI7oY3qyFQk1pOP1ZgUkc0w/w640-h488/IMG_4973%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thompson's Gazelles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA98SV02fYHiWsddZZjN8nDgk9fgUESnExcByUwrMcx3DMUHgF5OmNWXZWXOifLi4Z37qxi1M-eNhGOrBljUOKfJJV8VTb8nofBfvFGvQMsppboU20MljbMYoKibb4lqgM65nmyjmyNz2YaONEAQN-JSodRtM2S3xdwd9WrPHAqY98bC4izg/s3944/IMG_4900%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="3944" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA98SV02fYHiWsddZZjN8nDgk9fgUESnExcByUwrMcx3DMUHgF5OmNWXZWXOifLi4Z37qxi1M-eNhGOrBljUOKfJJV8VTb8nofBfvFGvQMsppboU20MljbMYoKibb4lqgM65nmyjmyNz2YaONEAQN-JSodRtM2S3xdwd9WrPHAqY98bC4izg/w640-h442/IMG_4900%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebras and Wildebeests often grazed together.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooVv1JkLqnJSBk4ru1DFqn3t-2E2f7OttesAtXSmg8uB_gq8XqEoYPi8FelZtvPhdw0TGPTp72AuIlnKLio1-ZvOmUFzrq-4czyt0Y3zPNhnfL84204gMD4QvjuQ0eFiBqbNZRdFarVBOzajyS_0EDrone3xXHTtXgcyRKBsSwhkcKaWZQQ/s2746/IMG_4911%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2265" data-original-width="2746" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooVv1JkLqnJSBk4ru1DFqn3t-2E2f7OttesAtXSmg8uB_gq8XqEoYPi8FelZtvPhdw0TGPTp72AuIlnKLio1-ZvOmUFzrq-4czyt0Y3zPNhnfL84204gMD4QvjuQ0eFiBqbNZRdFarVBOzajyS_0EDrone3xXHTtXgcyRKBsSwhkcKaWZQQ/w640-h528/IMG_4911%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebras </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwunJ1F76I0-dRs-MsdfiKRk4zXojC2SwQa60NhOtVKVaMHIQUVYWxnfPbvFXZjH69zGVKVlkApl3OTmkKteJ7zD8Mc6vSwGHoUXNcWcuPOqHBWyTtXw-C7gNndZgqxKyD3WhYno0UU6nE-naEhKSgMHw6UZ2wvgg7kMPdREmM5th63MJcQw/s3475/IMG_4941%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3102" data-original-width="3475" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwunJ1F76I0-dRs-MsdfiKRk4zXojC2SwQa60NhOtVKVaMHIQUVYWxnfPbvFXZjH69zGVKVlkApl3OTmkKteJ7zD8Mc6vSwGHoUXNcWcuPOqHBWyTtXw-C7gNndZgqxKyD3WhYno0UU6nE-naEhKSgMHw6UZ2wvgg7kMPdREmM5th63MJcQw/w640-h572/IMG_4941%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Zebras have brown stripes</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cidJa3Qgq7YUuFbaiwJ70McHE0l_dAOky-XvHwDIZU9W_UXfwY-J4hZqjDGaEeSJq1Ex5bOTypSwgOiIr7zpnEkQFLugrJzrqmxMLcocyV5xsahAi9rNpcI4QBNo0GgLa56uYORNF4lTKeKqYtKB5qcwL6t6Q-F3ZV9-mH24yxHqALv-ug/s4151/IMG_4930%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="4151" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cidJa3Qgq7YUuFbaiwJ70McHE0l_dAOky-XvHwDIZU9W_UXfwY-J4hZqjDGaEeSJq1Ex5bOTypSwgOiIr7zpnEkQFLugrJzrqmxMLcocyV5xsahAi9rNpcI4QBNo0GgLa56uYORNF4lTKeKqYtKB5qcwL6t6Q-F3ZV9-mH24yxHqALv-ug/w640-h422/IMG_4930%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREiDin8WisqOn44pM4UMml2_I06-WnrXbF7jyjU7JMk3beAqeGausrnO3t7JFXLCrGd3DOctppYYOluUFRamzPB1ZFC-NwlNULxKlxl4TCqkn3M9QzjJ0gCx8JY9TFidLDpZKkKpcAbpTxp4N4bAl5SbYn4wi1Vg2o9Gbf57dFgV_JvBimw/s3249/IMG_4945%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2338" data-original-width="3249" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREiDin8WisqOn44pM4UMml2_I06-WnrXbF7jyjU7JMk3beAqeGausrnO3t7JFXLCrGd3DOctppYYOluUFRamzPB1ZFC-NwlNULxKlxl4TCqkn3M9QzjJ0gCx8JY9TFidLDpZKkKpcAbpTxp4N4bAl5SbYn4wi1Vg2o9Gbf57dFgV_JvBimw/w640-h460/IMG_4945%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was so excited to spot these two rhinos far in the distance, It is a rare sighting!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXNINSbyT5yUusDi5n7ZSOj1YbvzWMxzT0yjsNxtCppgqYwFKNCjWiL6xkB5Ymbe_8ZjgFifH0kXBxaALhOrPVk47b4jAMgZFbRLGlsDgZ_EIfGl5kOiK0ddPB6EM5m27Trqdck6EQCDc7zOxPItXKyB23usuprL8BlES6Xb5XJK3BCkmsQ/s3310/IMG_4961%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1977" data-original-width="3310" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXNINSbyT5yUusDi5n7ZSOj1YbvzWMxzT0yjsNxtCppgqYwFKNCjWiL6xkB5Ymbe_8ZjgFifH0kXBxaALhOrPVk47b4jAMgZFbRLGlsDgZ_EIfGl5kOiK0ddPB6EM5m27Trqdck6EQCDc7zOxPItXKyB23usuprL8BlES6Xb5XJK3BCkmsQ/w640-h382/IMG_4961%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blurry telephoto lens shot of the rhinos - but good enough to see the ox peckers on its back.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpA9gCbUOnBkL_zXRwLhF1VWyMwcpa4eiPqmV9SGTwiagFOHV18sORmpMKR2kI3j4cyAWiQpwor6msvPQkYJCoRRMPRTqBmzue2oJa8E1qwho-wnvdnchbJHFRGjG0jfbIG8-UCY6yRvXtK2k5QCaCahVkxwZB67BpG6N3tC7bmtt0-58m-w/s3455/IMG_4998%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3455" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpA9gCbUOnBkL_zXRwLhF1VWyMwcpa4eiPqmV9SGTwiagFOHV18sORmpMKR2kI3j4cyAWiQpwor6msvPQkYJCoRRMPRTqBmzue2oJa8E1qwho-wnvdnchbJHFRGjG0jfbIG8-UCY6yRvXtK2k5QCaCahVkxwZB67BpG6N3tC7bmtt0-58m-w/w640-h538/IMG_4998%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I watched with fascination an encounter between this spotted hyena and the golden jackal below - both approaching a stream at the same time. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLy0paoLozaFgY30LvF4ZR0280wKZKkDeimlk7cV9er-pCqJxMCg4tLDnTBk3KkxOkCguw97-3wZ9e9Vbh5Gjg_END2Nsk5q15zTUFC-AYS6e2yAvkZBxJtZZKlU2HUzj9Ha-HcUTqAzcVeqjzeCY66bn2nceQ7hHLrpsxtUNi-GuNpF-iw/s3356/IMG_5000%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="3356" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLy0paoLozaFgY30LvF4ZR0280wKZKkDeimlk7cV9er-pCqJxMCg4tLDnTBk3KkxOkCguw97-3wZ9e9Vbh5Gjg_END2Nsk5q15zTUFC-AYS6e2yAvkZBxJtZZKlU2HUzj9Ha-HcUTqAzcVeqjzeCY66bn2nceQ7hHLrpsxtUNi-GuNpF-iw/w640-h534/IMG_5000%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping a close watch on the hyena</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJN2DKnkJYMHGI52fIQrT_4ccwmoMBs0Duacc1SLnZZBtoWyI28DSZ7EwhYx9wey6S-tBtxQIAKf7aQusyIyuexpUTwSeafobuP5g-8X3NMadSd3wS9eZ9zFv4CkFppyLhUDeF93-WbTuJNoaDh5s3L4at9o5bYDIbaftCaG5Rf6t8kZVaw/s4576/IMG_5002%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="4576" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJN2DKnkJYMHGI52fIQrT_4ccwmoMBs0Duacc1SLnZZBtoWyI28DSZ7EwhYx9wey6S-tBtxQIAKf7aQusyIyuexpUTwSeafobuP5g-8X3NMadSd3wS9eZ9zFv4CkFppyLhUDeF93-WbTuJNoaDh5s3L4at9o5bYDIbaftCaG5Rf6t8kZVaw/w640-h396/IMG_5002%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They decided it was best to drink in peace.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">The huge herds of wildebeests, Cape buffalo, and antelopes grazed peacefull, but I suspect they were always keeping a watchful eye out. Hiding in the tall grasses were several small prides of lions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjig_iY5cB6-bMNWP1Q9dyi2iNGBkyzUSXakw2x67F9tpSJppLez93r9Jqgwm_QrtgMFto_9Kz7fk-Lraf-oSTPhe7YZRXG0_GQUHZC7kKmhUoXzBIbzWYRIivtoQzbCSVkBQ19ybx2reRKHVUFN0O-mGZymlP9ifhcdai9F3e7ZVBI97T2Ag/s4514/IMG_4987%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3061" data-original-width="4514" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjig_iY5cB6-bMNWP1Q9dyi2iNGBkyzUSXakw2x67F9tpSJppLez93r9Jqgwm_QrtgMFto_9Kz7fk-Lraf-oSTPhe7YZRXG0_GQUHZC7kKmhUoXzBIbzWYRIivtoQzbCSVkBQ19ybx2reRKHVUFN0O-mGZymlP9ifhcdai9F3e7ZVBI97T2Ag/w640-h434/IMG_4987%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lion's paw and tail peeking out from the grass.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsaK2kbECb6xrGQQsUP7VSJxnM0zS1LgiCleZDoeFOSVAE2Vlg-i9cHo8JcP0NaPv8csW93QYmi3t2SjooMogMmS393ZhYTjwP9B6Bo66QT-HizqYY_WZoaNUDtXmEQSNe6xkf2K2Dk8rau2BzYeEVytjoDFsJDKf5Cx9IWnP0vR5VzlUJw/s2832/IMG_4991%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2074" data-original-width="2832" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsaK2kbECb6xrGQQsUP7VSJxnM0zS1LgiCleZDoeFOSVAE2Vlg-i9cHo8JcP0NaPv8csW93QYmi3t2SjooMogMmS393ZhYTjwP9B6Bo66QT-HizqYY_WZoaNUDtXmEQSNe6xkf2K2Dk8rau2BzYeEVytjoDFsJDKf5Cx9IWnP0vR5VzlUJw/w640-h468/IMG_4991%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female lion</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGdDwt03PH0b-T47MO_-psnlbz03I5dg_vpH1oT8B-ai0wclNGRhxvIu-Mzcu3eVTFzX-Fzqp2JOrAymnASl5w3K_UZzMqc8xxonW5UKSVgG3coZBUub3uJLCA08Y6EQN4zlV9Hz1BMhsChGYUlji8wRYNLedUDTkzpUIYp6q6gaIM7ESQA/s4185/IMG_5015%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2324" data-original-width="4185" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGdDwt03PH0b-T47MO_-psnlbz03I5dg_vpH1oT8B-ai0wclNGRhxvIu-Mzcu3eVTFzX-Fzqp2JOrAymnASl5w3K_UZzMqc8xxonW5UKSVgG3coZBUub3uJLCA08Y6EQN4zlV9Hz1BMhsChGYUlji8wRYNLedUDTkzpUIYp6q6gaIM7ESQA/w640-h356/IMG_5015%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lions lounging</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVabLGvAu1TB7Zc-4QvWc6Z2j1JRN4NAVk_2RvsyqEvUtxLJGyJsCYh5CKJEW4OaZsqnDCsydhdGoYa-G8oXv9MJ9cpSvKRZvXPaf4kezvbkab3x07_j6CzQdXOwqo-Kuc1jh6Secnq5sPj5yYxG88v3y_F_7P03rssN9r_c_vX4ksaS1nw/s4206/IMG_5017%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4206" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVabLGvAu1TB7Zc-4QvWc6Z2j1JRN4NAVk_2RvsyqEvUtxLJGyJsCYh5CKJEW4OaZsqnDCsydhdGoYa-G8oXv9MJ9cpSvKRZvXPaf4kezvbkab3x07_j6CzQdXOwqo-Kuc1jh6Secnq5sPj5yYxG88v3y_F_7P03rssN9r_c_vX4ksaS1nw/w640-h468/IMG_5017%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No grazing animals in this meadow!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">As always, I loved seeing the fabulous birds of Africa, and the crater was full of them!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVwMu29T-OdjSE43gkpzxW4wBVqZGvPghzCNgfUFAxIldY7MJ3SORo5Kfi1IJXRcUHqf5N5L7HgUV1Bjkw8DWbi1T0-qzNs02KynsVyWBol3zwZnXK7XLtv38bP6UVHBi6Xsj-zykD2u6e53RbAHGDLOD8iVMVT5eWxo8VXn5mGTgaQC2SQ/s3059/IMG_4875%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2479" data-original-width="3059" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVwMu29T-OdjSE43gkpzxW4wBVqZGvPghzCNgfUFAxIldY7MJ3SORo5Kfi1IJXRcUHqf5N5L7HgUV1Bjkw8DWbi1T0-qzNs02KynsVyWBol3zwZnXK7XLtv38bP6UVHBi6Xsj-zykD2u6e53RbAHGDLOD8iVMVT5eWxo8VXn5mGTgaQC2SQ/w640-h518/IMG_4875%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Bee Easter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU46ddFExTGryHjD-NIrztcYAMsofxGDICpsPGkW_4VNilfWsHnH1sXBtbitNxUOjZbYljcPVKzCRCAKREKS9IOSa1jRz-kmcgkrSziBzm85ca8EyYcGrgVS_rGyhfBvnqInng4mnhKJU2Xu5mtFzD_s97RDWkD5nQuklmoz_1-fICiHxU-A/s3873/IMG_4883%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3095" data-original-width="3873" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU46ddFExTGryHjD-NIrztcYAMsofxGDICpsPGkW_4VNilfWsHnH1sXBtbitNxUOjZbYljcPVKzCRCAKREKS9IOSa1jRz-kmcgkrSziBzm85ca8EyYcGrgVS_rGyhfBvnqInng4mnhKJU2Xu5mtFzD_s97RDWkD5nQuklmoz_1-fICiHxU-A/w640-h512/IMG_4883%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helmeted Guinea Fowl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOhk4ecO3qUboJclSErenyfKIYaQ45mtwASNvwUIaduOG__9L7bqHJN8_TFwaJHumkiHhWAOrfY0bEniC98XpvATBdYuUoF7eDSHiCgwxgTiHh5f_DdYhxciPzzqTkrisu7N7OmPbsYNCgocPdiCjZDTIt-GroOPaK6ls1HfRNEuJAcfZ4w/s3858/IMG_4886%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3858" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOhk4ecO3qUboJclSErenyfKIYaQ45mtwASNvwUIaduOG__9L7bqHJN8_TFwaJHumkiHhWAOrfY0bEniC98XpvATBdYuUoF7eDSHiCgwxgTiHh5f_DdYhxciPzzqTkrisu7N7OmPbsYNCgocPdiCjZDTIt-GroOPaK6ls1HfRNEuJAcfZ4w/w640-h502/IMG_4886%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augur Buzzard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtheERo7HnfZJgOFAcxa3OyXfOmt7tb5qquHku0Gqyrx5bpKYYRAnxeGTCUf4uGJqIPxpygGEDXAyiPfHSPfaGn2jJzMAibxhsOme5xbv5WNtOGLkgW31nUg6Jx4u7WAyzH1ke6c6v1NiHEPH-XGOz2Y004ZnMH6Re5GGzj2psuzccpvgXzw/s2348/IMG_4888%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1927" data-original-width="2348" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtheERo7HnfZJgOFAcxa3OyXfOmt7tb5qquHku0Gqyrx5bpKYYRAnxeGTCUf4uGJqIPxpygGEDXAyiPfHSPfaGn2jJzMAibxhsOme5xbv5WNtOGLkgW31nUg6Jx4u7WAyzH1ke6c6v1NiHEPH-XGOz2Y004ZnMH6Re5GGzj2psuzccpvgXzw/w640-h526/IMG_4888%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Hoopoe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0n-TgFEFUq67cd18rXQbfHX6qKHwbfpt2pePcJy7L9PMccgUnuMJpZ2BBFbqvkCpr88oAeWsunDyt474dLhV2w8L_BlSEt8IQusmudNyO53C5uVFDLkRjcuWXRQJw5nUKLxFy7r6iAg6PpgIA2pS8lOtZOADMd57imVwyWs1JM0KNdhVmw/s3451/IMG_4895%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="3451" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0n-TgFEFUq67cd18rXQbfHX6qKHwbfpt2pePcJy7L9PMccgUnuMJpZ2BBFbqvkCpr88oAeWsunDyt474dLhV2w8L_BlSEt8IQusmudNyO53C5uVFDLkRjcuWXRQJw5nUKLxFy7r6iAg6PpgIA2pS8lOtZOADMd57imVwyWs1JM0KNdhVmw/w640-h556/IMG_4895%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Superb Starlings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljGjHx1c6gwyYJ6NhSpNc91b5_FD0SZTBdH-LNuBmNyAVxikLw3Kw6D5_kca_YzrpkiNl2Mfy8b_mq6ryKM9XsufnlW1cEWrOp5YAhFYhRk2IRNtpRtZmZr4gfkyagaY-C99zPLRICJK3SVtkbPdWZEvb_i42x5FnpaHAHSrj2BeWtYceLw/s4608/IMG_4914%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljGjHx1c6gwyYJ6NhSpNc91b5_FD0SZTBdH-LNuBmNyAVxikLw3Kw6D5_kca_YzrpkiNl2Mfy8b_mq6ryKM9XsufnlW1cEWrOp5YAhFYhRk2IRNtpRtZmZr4gfkyagaY-C99zPLRICJK3SVtkbPdWZEvb_i42x5FnpaHAHSrj2BeWtYceLw/w640-h480/IMG_4914%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abdim's Stork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGcvwozcWsGsF9djplW4aM8te5nmxBu0m4Dsn1C8xAtabRvcRAguDsIKWBv3B3zfRtC2oZwqP_k8aDAic_UBcA79Eak60o07EffjED1fbJCMhlVz6fgwj67C_4_sHOrFtExM3v7H7_wttvpqWGxSty8bm_mG90aHfdnELmxvwL8FXegfGcw/s2942/IMG_4917%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="2518" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGcvwozcWsGsF9djplW4aM8te5nmxBu0m4Dsn1C8xAtabRvcRAguDsIKWBv3B3zfRtC2oZwqP_k8aDAic_UBcA79Eak60o07EffjED1fbJCMhlVz6fgwj67C_4_sHOrFtExM3v7H7_wttvpqWGxSty8bm_mG90aHfdnELmxvwL8FXegfGcw/w548-h640/IMG_4917%20(2).JPG" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marsh Sandpipr</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPddhCb-E8WsHBzQsMLvxbbvRskvvL93y1v4mOwbtJlLllpL8Sd_NQVW6tc4xytn0IXQ-KQrfJKtMe7txeCwHm1IMQy3WphKvHee8u3LnxKbjqko4WEBPPq_SsFD5G9AG73kHTMc38tXGGZG60KGK86QYm8QJkewimb64h4O6qqjg-eF2kg/s2183/IMG_4919%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="2183" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPddhCb-E8WsHBzQsMLvxbbvRskvvL93y1v4mOwbtJlLllpL8Sd_NQVW6tc4xytn0IXQ-KQrfJKtMe7txeCwHm1IMQy3WphKvHee8u3LnxKbjqko4WEBPPq_SsFD5G9AG73kHTMc38tXGGZG60KGK86QYm8QJkewimb64h4O6qqjg-eF2kg/w640-h586/IMG_4919%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Winged Stilt</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD2WdXPB_WDv_3zxD6vQMFJPS2ypP4SP520DoDeCq6aUGUrS4jK4IxI4vwBfWf6dNoOAOgEIfPNMIlahDHUjYhEC-kvFfdGyFNmkKhXelwoRA8mZWak9poRylgD4SjN4f4JCGWmZsSFLL1i-JR-EXEWUBvMrGSE2Hq-ZNsBFwpvg7lEtyEQ/s3837/IMG_4920%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="3837" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD2WdXPB_WDv_3zxD6vQMFJPS2ypP4SP520DoDeCq6aUGUrS4jK4IxI4vwBfWf6dNoOAOgEIfPNMIlahDHUjYhEC-kvFfdGyFNmkKhXelwoRA8mZWak9poRylgD4SjN4f4JCGWmZsSFLL1i-JR-EXEWUBvMrGSE2Hq-ZNsBFwpvg7lEtyEQ/w640-h504/IMG_4920%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Billed Teal Ducks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wy_4ZS1bfZcm_1gFk-DIf8L-RSuAjTLSNv83q28VOqKb_TmSA0O5nzJrcB_PssaR74Z_l_1OEztgOhN7p3HKrrh3JcVx3ibw8cJ0LNZAnf1fFLd4i2YVpkHHLKpydZTa5ZrDn1mdajy8_G5XAgWL0gvJnox6izrcK1Z2J8qWGp5Z8B4Zrw/s4018/IMG_4935%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3410" data-original-width="4018" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wy_4ZS1bfZcm_1gFk-DIf8L-RSuAjTLSNv83q28VOqKb_TmSA0O5nzJrcB_PssaR74Z_l_1OEztgOhN7p3HKrrh3JcVx3ibw8cJ0LNZAnf1fFLd4i2YVpkHHLKpydZTa5ZrDn1mdajy8_G5XAgWL0gvJnox6izrcK1Z2J8qWGp5Z8B4Zrw/w640-h544/IMG_4935%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammerkop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzv_jId2Xy6EM4ISwNrI6RgplF2tJGZ5FploJ1kz2-TWCXMW0lfAiWkm_DTw1A5lr7Xbb_a-aGKbUHllbwic2jiXFkqfb06saBZMu4vSDLCpXrpcX2k06T-1cP_OCvuIjVtYpYEjVRFtjFmD-wxVgcLSIpWWkaCeFJNGiJ0xzJYfNDWFBpw/s1971/IMG_4937%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1971" data-original-width="1754" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzv_jId2Xy6EM4ISwNrI6RgplF2tJGZ5FploJ1kz2-TWCXMW0lfAiWkm_DTw1A5lr7Xbb_a-aGKbUHllbwic2jiXFkqfb06saBZMu4vSDLCpXrpcX2k06T-1cP_OCvuIjVtYpYEjVRFtjFmD-wxVgcLSIpWWkaCeFJNGiJ0xzJYfNDWFBpw/w570-h640/IMG_4937%20(2).JPG" width="570" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Ibis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFX0faWOUBLVgko5iOsmdom3NPIvVxktZe-n2vpsmAutS4YE8PpV7TqL96dReX8ia4tezthRO_caGCV1JCsyryg6ejFEW63H97drxFkzJ562-KgifcoKwTtavw53u5psBN34puI_GARDZKlgHFjICyI3J6SCvuLSN6S4UbiELKpFFQQiEfVw/s3559/IMG_4938%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2781" data-original-width="3559" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFX0faWOUBLVgko5iOsmdom3NPIvVxktZe-n2vpsmAutS4YE8PpV7TqL96dReX8ia4tezthRO_caGCV1JCsyryg6ejFEW63H97drxFkzJ562-KgifcoKwTtavw53u5psBN34puI_GARDZKlgHFjICyI3J6SCvuLSN6S4UbiELKpFFQQiEfVw/w640-h500/IMG_4938%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian Goose with Ibis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdRZJRjYq6-AWexIhVdUaYEXZs4Ncu686SKeEP11g7i6Nv49Ool0aDbc46q-04hIL0RQuZ0fYwWqb1PdkipNn6cQeu6Na1mlK7mcPsGzfJwdFS4ecWFTfL3QH4pq2KfoGnwWOgVml9hGkNJFA8O98bXBo7cH45auLmOp4hTa_5IRV5zk1nQ/s3936/IMG_4982%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3453" data-original-width="3936" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdRZJRjYq6-AWexIhVdUaYEXZs4Ncu686SKeEP11g7i6Nv49Ool0aDbc46q-04hIL0RQuZ0fYwWqb1PdkipNn6cQeu6Na1mlK7mcPsGzfJwdFS4ecWFTfL3QH4pq2KfoGnwWOgVml9hGkNJFA8O98bXBo7cH45auLmOp4hTa_5IRV5zk1nQ/w640-h562/IMG_4982%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ostrich</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">In the late afternoon, we headed through the Ngorongoro forest and drove up the mountain, stopping for some magnificent views of the entire caldera. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF8BuAOGl5Lm-HmopZPS3cobQzp6FVWVzNCe4b5tuT0dTs2wON0sGCBu5W4P_kXustQ6Gj01IxPHm2pf4OEF02NQGzKgzgRxbkb2J_Fnk0Sj1DW2__1b_vpo02SmW0d5cnQoo_y4NMDelFF46pUSFHi5h1347SaFCGbXfEkPuQjMMbVDXVg/s4608/IMG_5025%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF8BuAOGl5Lm-HmopZPS3cobQzp6FVWVzNCe4b5tuT0dTs2wON0sGCBu5W4P_kXustQ6Gj01IxPHm2pf4OEF02NQGzKgzgRxbkb2J_Fnk0Sj1DW2__1b_vpo02SmW0d5cnQoo_y4NMDelFF46pUSFHi5h1347SaFCGbXfEkPuQjMMbVDXVg/w640-h480/IMG_5025%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-TfRJesXVX1EWsZoDpEUGKhFMeXRGYOMAHqm-1fxDMCRuK_lRA4JVrdJY7CR5a21-e3XRDplQOzW4QjdNZlIBV46wua5SZtHKHYAQpJVw-SVTfRZoCLXVSZx5-nZVxcb4R2Cc8qAg0GKtgz8u8x5nGM2su6aqivJXYqPlObrhg2zkllmiA/s4305/IMG_5026%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3148" data-original-width="4305" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-TfRJesXVX1EWsZoDpEUGKhFMeXRGYOMAHqm-1fxDMCRuK_lRA4JVrdJY7CR5a21-e3XRDplQOzW4QjdNZlIBV46wua5SZtHKHYAQpJVw-SVTfRZoCLXVSZx5-nZVxcb4R2Cc8qAg0GKtgz8u8x5nGM2su6aqivJXYqPlObrhg2zkllmiA/w640-h468/IMG_5026%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTSspTP9DG7ufGFWt8zzVZqwIZtJeDYbSfKIYgzE0ewIPImO9_Llu2wjRM9vLdqno19J71_Y4rS_OLILqk2qYgzpkmsTeV9S3cpWIMvk9eHH0bpFF4kyzqevwupObjmmSkFV71Df_JyeB71Bztpd0nkBjNBmbAOQOq-WQKvkbLiVwn2xmJA/s4375/IMG_5027%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="4375" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTSspTP9DG7ufGFWt8zzVZqwIZtJeDYbSfKIYgzE0ewIPImO9_Llu2wjRM9vLdqno19J71_Y4rS_OLILqk2qYgzpkmsTeV9S3cpWIMvk9eHH0bpFF4kyzqevwupObjmmSkFV71Df_JyeB71Bztpd0nkBjNBmbAOQOq-WQKvkbLiVwn2xmJA/w640-h480/IMG_5027%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEbO_COW-lPC8DHUF6KuT9H5t296f_nErxYkIobwwszEWj3COb34SRynaKCy9CjSbVI959OPUtEOaVDDBtV-M5almXHiuSFLd0sk4PEMwZySkdYk7N3LPgwQBs2ewK0ZqAuGKsK2cCXKERM5GaOmwzjxFgj6tjAxvvgxMjMgIEC0uUvYQMA/s4608/IMG_5029%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEbO_COW-lPC8DHUF6KuT9H5t296f_nErxYkIobwwszEWj3COb34SRynaKCy9CjSbVI959OPUtEOaVDDBtV-M5almXHiuSFLd0sk4PEMwZySkdYk7N3LPgwQBs2ewK0ZqAuGKsK2cCXKERM5GaOmwzjxFgj6tjAxvvgxMjMgIEC0uUvYQMA/w640-h480/IMG_5029%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Travelers</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8L8-A_dt863uBCMmRFMYR-gC_Cx48aeQaVJIGImRpvhRifkNcJmK2SCvz5miavqnSiqAddCvfGGpmwxXJLjWA9hsd6mYXQtT_CTkikRX6jjAoHuoCXmFN1LM9_xViYB6yFZ-A-7gKn94g6D0y_Zbg4U6DtX1vnbB7sytBU9QpV8JId59vxg/s1673/Joan%20and%20Rob.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1673" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8L8-A_dt863uBCMmRFMYR-gC_Cx48aeQaVJIGImRpvhRifkNcJmK2SCvz5miavqnSiqAddCvfGGpmwxXJLjWA9hsd6mYXQtT_CTkikRX6jjAoHuoCXmFN1LM9_xViYB6yFZ-A-7gKn94g6D0y_Zbg4U6DtX1vnbB7sytBU9QpV8JId59vxg/w640-h518/Joan%20and%20Rob.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBHaSBiCzQyxngQ7GDb2bDTLXkWhOJZw6HqdhjWAykd8khQcVTDVcHSsUvY8rkBWZB0nD9Z-I0hE0mOzSyM6tpcuc_XpXL8SQWqE2W24uv7YMdEmplwQQ-8NBwoaxnDUVLiDQiYyXvcHke0cOQLswfZvn4tgHURzlYkEW_uPZyiNlVp7aEg/s4608/IMG_5045.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBHaSBiCzQyxngQ7GDb2bDTLXkWhOJZw6HqdhjWAykd8khQcVTDVcHSsUvY8rkBWZB0nD9Z-I0hE0mOzSyM6tpcuc_XpXL8SQWqE2W24uv7YMdEmplwQQ-8NBwoaxnDUVLiDQiYyXvcHke0cOQLswfZvn4tgHURzlYkEW_uPZyiNlVp7aEg/w640-h480/IMG_5045.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob with our guide, Albert</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVzvM22HtzXF-PiMLRM_KB7cuwGPG6EpFOUeVDfQt-wxlo9SsaZ8CxznOsUUPIvTkBafXUK7vCk-pb9kbbE84BkflzLVFaBffmtcGBoXnCUg8NujBoR0_3erezoTjpK2MUwZDLmMMoFPsLoskq8WJFTajDL-SWM_d-DpP-nEgApm6bgxorg/s4608/IMG_5046%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVzvM22HtzXF-PiMLRM_KB7cuwGPG6EpFOUeVDfQt-wxlo9SsaZ8CxznOsUUPIvTkBafXUK7vCk-pb9kbbE84BkflzLVFaBffmtcGBoXnCUg8NujBoR0_3erezoTjpK2MUwZDLmMMoFPsLoskq8WJFTajDL-SWM_d-DpP-nEgApm6bgxorg/w640-h480/IMG_5046%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A memorial to the brave park rangers killed by poachers and bandits</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Back at Gibbs Farm, we lounged on the deck with our afternoon tea. Several bold little Baglafecht Weavers joined us at our table. Naturally, Rob was happy to provide them with some crumbs. The staff told us about a civet that lived on the grounds, and we managed to spot him hiding in a bush.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDNWx_EJGLOkqxtHNyoUR9mLYi-p_kOlrQsFCN5YTDVV1nX_OY53vStpkn4weK6LLLnkCe16SS4Uom9ZPACOoTkAmuQCAS_2RvgN3JgW8K6Q2ZGRTIMKf3TnfxUqe9neT-EnHXeCcEO3BIClbQytJPr8jkgTDttSqjw8HFjp1W2P_QJ8Lbw/s4963/IMG_6061%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3723" data-original-width="4963" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDNWx_EJGLOkqxtHNyoUR9mLYi-p_kOlrQsFCN5YTDVV1nX_OY53vStpkn4weK6LLLnkCe16SS4Uom9ZPACOoTkAmuQCAS_2RvgN3JgW8K6Q2ZGRTIMKf3TnfxUqe9neT-EnHXeCcEO3BIClbQytJPr8jkgTDttSqjw8HFjp1W2P_QJ8Lbw/w640-h480/IMG_6061%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the deck at Gibbs Farm</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc9spmPNxBAAJPam19WUG1T2DcaY8R-hUoapezmdWWtvYPGpl7qc6LRDV4KYMLsk5lVioaxTXdp9y3acD4avppkkaAb63WBdPdA6TgXNWbT49Y8otYujByslsYmuBEWuqetW2CFYKrILRTzscZIk_H-qls1lgcCZDQY8rSOYC3Sqx1NrvlA/s2989/IMG_4831%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2747" data-original-width="2989" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRc9spmPNxBAAJPam19WUG1T2DcaY8R-hUoapezmdWWtvYPGpl7qc6LRDV4KYMLsk5lVioaxTXdp9y3acD4avppkkaAb63WBdPdA6TgXNWbT49Y8otYujByslsYmuBEWuqetW2CFYKrILRTzscZIk_H-qls1lgcCZDQY8rSOYC3Sqx1NrvlA/w640-h588/IMG_4831%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baglafecht Weaver</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFfmbytnAiFuW2RwYiZLZMNJAS-6h5YcRRuIFKnGH8wT5mlJxYeF9WQKw8WN34TEm8Q0zogoBIeFYlrHLUrxTgLGOSrv4AL9uuvoFpf003DBm-WqsqdueMwO7pzxkUZtOfwPhvpUKg_MIPZbVAHbp2leNR6qkNSFYLeM8heY3HF_1CcVlQQ/s3685/IMG_4835%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2654" data-original-width="3685" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFfmbytnAiFuW2RwYiZLZMNJAS-6h5YcRRuIFKnGH8wT5mlJxYeF9WQKw8WN34TEm8Q0zogoBIeFYlrHLUrxTgLGOSrv4AL9uuvoFpf003DBm-WqsqdueMwO7pzxkUZtOfwPhvpUKg_MIPZbVAHbp2leNR6qkNSFYLeM8heY3HF_1CcVlQQ/w640-h460/IMG_4835%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8LUEPafCJlTY7yTlECaHHKAuCcEReQLSMx9vJbBccG7nwCblq-NJgVbplIvrT7pjK343O9McDDbPMyongBM1EeUrbs7C0q_0wE5eAi1qQ-6CbVC3g4TT6GQTTgN6AVsJFgdTODJr6ozNysPrNDIorGXPpHvLcb5qAjZE1mwQ_ySUYLS6Ng/s3357/IMG_4837%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2735" data-original-width="3357" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8LUEPafCJlTY7yTlECaHHKAuCcEReQLSMx9vJbBccG7nwCblq-NJgVbplIvrT7pjK343O9McDDbPMyongBM1EeUrbs7C0q_0wE5eAi1qQ-6CbVC3g4TT6GQTTgN6AVsJFgdTODJr6ozNysPrNDIorGXPpHvLcb5qAjZE1mwQ_ySUYLS6Ng/w640-h522/IMG_4837%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJMoLT0NwtyYrct8LKpIH0RD3N07JLy93LyKDgvW79WJplYxue5QN7hVCgK1oYdHtph4BGJwpBYRtjMYjHdYL6qwAAkoBlcBAxOvfExuJgenredWqjf-4cV4ikjVbxNGURIk3pBI6b8U905Lc4UsiOB_BFIuUglRZ5xwwzTpVRfAENRyGiw/s3928/IMG_4838%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="3928" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJMoLT0NwtyYrct8LKpIH0RD3N07JLy93LyKDgvW79WJplYxue5QN7hVCgK1oYdHtph4BGJwpBYRtjMYjHdYL6qwAAkoBlcBAxOvfExuJgenredWqjf-4cV4ikjVbxNGURIk3pBI6b8U905Lc4UsiOB_BFIuUglRZ5xwwzTpVRfAENRyGiw/w640-h444/IMG_4838%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Civet Cat hiding in the brush</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2129;">Fabulous Day 2 in the Crater:</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">Our first day was lovely, but the second day was like living in a National Geographic documentary! We woke up at 5
a.m. and met Albert at the car under pitch black skies. He drove us along the
still empty highway to the western gates of the park, where we were the very first vehicle
to arrive, then continued along the ridge that surrounds the deep crater. The
sun slowly illuminated the morning sky, and by the time we reached the road
that descends into the crater, it was light. The views of the acacia covered
slopes and the plains below were stunning. The day was filled with many special
animal encounters, with the first coming almost immediately – a herd of elands,
the largest of the antelopes, and not as commonly seen as some of the others. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGwwR8-f62houm2ImbCSA1QkPRs8RUDJEe10ScRHK-ZIwlLxfewx8NfjtYIKSAs7XKhoe_EytOECe31rMWPS2mUKG7UP52G7umSFQP0-6EkdD2ItphEhOJU8FED9x9y2alfVbb2N-GTIH72wip7c36I3FbrS-dZREsNZ0DfwmlD-UhvS-Tg/s4608/IMG_5048%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGwwR8-f62houm2ImbCSA1QkPRs8RUDJEe10ScRHK-ZIwlLxfewx8NfjtYIKSAs7XKhoe_EytOECe31rMWPS2mUKG7UP52G7umSFQP0-6EkdD2ItphEhOJU8FED9x9y2alfVbb2N-GTIH72wip7c36I3FbrS-dZREsNZ0DfwmlD-UhvS-Tg/w640-h480/IMG_5048%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acacia trees on the slopes leading to the crater</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_5W2Q8hKldJCOdVzF_x1zRnbOjxjBb6nVwhk0iU2wNpNuWiIEkCVWWub9JMcbjCSJ65ofnnn3-__xg2cxC-ukICY1H1r3RFwdtwYXg5cMT9KjhxsWeY60RQoekZjWAEvVQcCVy1xeUfAvs4NTbT2X0zg90W7iq-ugxhQBYXvkmFHr6vpyA/s3989/IMG_5050%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2464" data-original-width="3989" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_5W2Q8hKldJCOdVzF_x1zRnbOjxjBb6nVwhk0iU2wNpNuWiIEkCVWWub9JMcbjCSJ65ofnnn3-__xg2cxC-ukICY1H1r3RFwdtwYXg5cMT9KjhxsWeY60RQoekZjWAEvVQcCVy1xeUfAvs4NTbT2X0zg90W7iq-ugxhQBYXvkmFHr6vpyA/w640-h396/IMG_5050%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second entry gate into Ngorongoro Crater.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBCqEOyL0dHwkFQ5JtH-nYdiFbACpLUWOQtlsF6ev6aVPDZgBTf6bzKM6ilI8JfRnth3AwQ72FN4c8ZvAIxQtxHfFmPdVgi8zkdd14gRgSUfhid68kfSOk_ER-6O1aptSjcGGwy9cw_LsjHzYbOa2MZoRiUg4R56DUeNMH_AThuXCZNCk9g/s3613/IMG_5054%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2517" data-original-width="3613" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBCqEOyL0dHwkFQ5JtH-nYdiFbACpLUWOQtlsF6ev6aVPDZgBTf6bzKM6ilI8JfRnth3AwQ72FN4c8ZvAIxQtxHfFmPdVgi8zkdd14gRgSUfhid68kfSOk_ER-6O1aptSjcGGwy9cw_LsjHzYbOa2MZoRiUg4R56DUeNMH_AThuXCZNCk9g/w640-h446/IMG_5054%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Buffalo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9Tx5orDnePAQf28nIBH6Gv4fV7VvnjY3nfDNRQAHYosTuxUqV59LC3t_0_y8X7jdH20nKXve0SUuUtQ-GNyblqAciZzmW9mwyW5UHOzD7x7xuK6B1JCrPxZzihECMKV223MlE1fQlw4lzIKEkEDHDiHQNcBhyEt-6Y6A2fQ_l5wpuCdhrg/s3692/IMG_5059%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="3692" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9Tx5orDnePAQf28nIBH6Gv4fV7VvnjY3nfDNRQAHYosTuxUqV59LC3t_0_y8X7jdH20nKXve0SUuUtQ-GNyblqAciZzmW9mwyW5UHOzD7x7xuK6B1JCrPxZzihECMKV223MlE1fQlw4lzIKEkEDHDiHQNcBhyEt-6Y6A2fQ_l5wpuCdhrg/w640-h416/IMG_5059%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebras</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0eG_thaeukzHXZ6a72Rph4YHgnndeyUGdoCDWAQYebDCYzixZBsIjnAXc9Ype_wwz1s80BP0eoQAXqijIjC6NhEB84X_QKcsylhC7MDVyz9_ZbcmnopTNfuVGNVWTsU3If1wq_B_tEbTiTNEivxhG-dPm2wE4dBke8OdaPRaTTGm6U966g/s4608/IMG_5063%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0eG_thaeukzHXZ6a72Rph4YHgnndeyUGdoCDWAQYebDCYzixZBsIjnAXc9Ype_wwz1s80BP0eoQAXqijIjC6NhEB84X_QKcsylhC7MDVyz9_ZbcmnopTNfuVGNVWTsU3If1wq_B_tEbTiTNEivxhG-dPm2wE4dBke8OdaPRaTTGm6U966g/w640-h480/IMG_5063%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elands, the largest of the African antelopes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HdGJb8nB-Fqazqd0YfDwCxtfjpPEZkVwS42ARket6Aa1riyuIR5SgguNMrZBg5lnUFC_wATqGZDnkS6wKSfJO3P6gOQ-ZBtOQhlrH3CvDKeMBM1_bpFt8dBRHRrvgVh-4UmElJVsZOHodHCLxvTfCtDk5GBD0CR-RMx9gntAxLtVOdJMYQ/s3971/IMG_5064%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="3971" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HdGJb8nB-Fqazqd0YfDwCxtfjpPEZkVwS42ARket6Aa1riyuIR5SgguNMrZBg5lnUFC_wATqGZDnkS6wKSfJO3P6gOQ-ZBtOQhlrH3CvDKeMBM1_bpFt8dBRHRrvgVh-4UmElJVsZOHodHCLxvTfCtDk5GBD0CR-RMx9gntAxLtVOdJMYQ/w640-h398/IMG_5064%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elands grazing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvgzV4hIbYmXP8vx3SS1cSpJWIbE8iNnsYcr_QSphDqWE7JLja9UgzAfNS1yLUEe_ZDYPFhh9tztl5hNkpKSo5hdyf1Ql8nNVRST-xi6d5S8yE-wq6n-OKkfxGyR0YBkZzYqc9KQQYX8V-enlI39nkw9C1tjnsH0x27rVF1s-CpBbjNHXxA/s4104/IMG_5071%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3284" data-original-width="4104" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvgzV4hIbYmXP8vx3SS1cSpJWIbE8iNnsYcr_QSphDqWE7JLja9UgzAfNS1yLUEe_ZDYPFhh9tztl5hNkpKSo5hdyf1Ql8nNVRST-xi6d5S8yE-wq6n-OKkfxGyR0YBkZzYqc9KQQYX8V-enlI39nkw9C1tjnsH0x27rVF1s-CpBbjNHXxA/w640-h512/IMG_5071%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant's Gazelle</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">As we watched them, Albert scanned the valley floor and suddenly got extremely excited. </span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">“There are lions and there’s been a kill!” </span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">We held on tight as our Land Cruiser tore down the hill.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">A pride
of lions was lying right in the road, their round bellies displaying the good
wildebeest meal they had just enjoyed. One lion was proudly carrying the poor wildebeest’s head, while a large pack of jackals
squabbled and picked at the rib cage of the creature, nibbling off every last
scrap of meat they could get.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrdShB6zGwIL4KQ-1KnFjQx-NT023pd3SwZFLIz9_c6Xd0KJEAqU2e0kORRHA1IslQhs9NxWgX6uIqBvK4j9q1zhQyp2dMhJueFNXfGRXaRk--WtTIx4FUl9wVEulBSBs07chxHE2CSmcwc1cXdCcmzjO5O5Yzlpx0xkQM0HbqS2nQbsQw/s4521/IMG_5098%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="4521" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkrdShB6zGwIL4KQ-1KnFjQx-NT023pd3SwZFLIz9_c6Xd0KJEAqU2e0kORRHA1IslQhs9NxWgX6uIqBvK4j9q1zhQyp2dMhJueFNXfGRXaRk--WtTIx4FUl9wVEulBSBs07chxHE2CSmcwc1cXdCcmzjO5O5Yzlpx0xkQM0HbqS2nQbsQw/w640-h410/IMG_5098%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pride of lions after their early morning feast</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk8GYS6sLflibD0StDglvYxv1zIWyegTFNAxiTkQDllgL8hY0QlTHa6f5cJsa-Vn3p_aWsOcTERHvLoZGuzF5SRGWOENYHQa47L9kkglugU70vYVqiC9kH2dxHmUy0WseRwc4taRov6Oeatd-qp2pR8FrD87Zqf4enzbg-AeC1cWZExg4Jg/s4232/IMG_5101%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3323" data-original-width="4232" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk8GYS6sLflibD0StDglvYxv1zIWyegTFNAxiTkQDllgL8hY0QlTHa6f5cJsa-Vn3p_aWsOcTERHvLoZGuzF5SRGWOENYHQa47L9kkglugU70vYVqiC9kH2dxHmUy0WseRwc4taRov6Oeatd-qp2pR8FrD87Zqf4enzbg-AeC1cWZExg4Jg/w640-h502/IMG_5101%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full tummies </td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS4fH2fpf-Jqg89TRUnlqd31Kl5QnPrDaONQrJvy3k2s3j8Wt-zJh84djjfdJgrUvNmWX3gvXpoSg3tlfa9n1BYu7Fz0r6iKvJKI340_nbvTTvGnl6ymykb2mJc-OHP9o3aWnFsfYsXgwnvBnj9nNHQa__EIZ2Vl9gXvef2YP2Pzl1qJf8Q/s3931/IMG_5080%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="3931" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS4fH2fpf-Jqg89TRUnlqd31Kl5QnPrDaONQrJvy3k2s3j8Wt-zJh84djjfdJgrUvNmWX3gvXpoSg3tlfa9n1BYu7Fz0r6iKvJKI340_nbvTTvGnl6ymykb2mJc-OHP9o3aWnFsfYsXgwnvBnj9nNHQa__EIZ2Vl9gXvef2YP2Pzl1qJf8Q/w640-h478/IMG_5080%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lion carried the head of the wildebeest the entire time we watched.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJwSuqW3cm3Np2ODCi0NcdJTlqTLrL3BqM1ixlikO1XwWK04A4GWQrvbGhvDu0cj1NOBax5uHRsn6WoLYaM2YRYcSY35ZHIuO_aF9IXywEQHlod0gzcse0OPetcQw_g2ngPneO4p__7DfAJ5jptgiNDCp-z-xvg2w0f83nTqe0ded2llalQ/s2095/IMG_5084%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="2055" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJwSuqW3cm3Np2ODCi0NcdJTlqTLrL3BqM1ixlikO1XwWK04A4GWQrvbGhvDu0cj1NOBax5uHRsn6WoLYaM2YRYcSY35ZHIuO_aF9IXywEQHlod0gzcse0OPetcQw_g2ngPneO4p__7DfAJ5jptgiNDCp-z-xvg2w0f83nTqe0ded2llalQ/w628-h640/IMG_5084%20(3).JPG" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gruesome side of nature</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQgTYhLE9KBqOKC3kfeChXYIcn-7jLY060o7I-uun8RrwEDpYYiwBC4j9fSrWJzxBfUfzztvZwWtFK_qMCu2wVP3kOJh-TSFCuxQVUeX3Kf4h24ujW9iGU9Xxkr67nl384JKlJi3zHA52c3CEFRTctWS4hmfJ_OZAbpNfOVyVCEru_-pwuQ/s4608/IMG_5120%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQgTYhLE9KBqOKC3kfeChXYIcn-7jLY060o7I-uun8RrwEDpYYiwBC4j9fSrWJzxBfUfzztvZwWtFK_qMCu2wVP3kOJh-TSFCuxQVUeX3Kf4h24ujW9iGU9Xxkr67nl384JKlJi3zHA52c3CEFRTctWS4hmfJ_OZAbpNfOVyVCEru_-pwuQ/w640-h480/IMG_5120%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-backed Jackals strip the meat from the bones of the wildebeest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTWcnGpypyt2SbGUHUdMOOAkd8p0sCJTjcC_KAXj4KjlYoWTrZ-LnWRgItY6JMgUs4xxoHqjkieVIDt_Bb-UrRKBwE_TqCuEfhdSPT5lnsGmpPxCSgXsBQVq9bTub01qMPVU2bWRxZqknXHEcL72Eh1V46wxtEbtirYpHG_BPjQHk8WHbOA/s4127/IMG_5126%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3296" data-original-width="4127" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTWcnGpypyt2SbGUHUdMOOAkd8p0sCJTjcC_KAXj4KjlYoWTrZ-LnWRgItY6JMgUs4xxoHqjkieVIDt_Bb-UrRKBwE_TqCuEfhdSPT5lnsGmpPxCSgXsBQVq9bTub01qMPVU2bWRxZqknXHEcL72Eh1V46wxtEbtirYpHG_BPjQHk8WHbOA/w640-h512/IMG_5126%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Across the road, a few hyenas waited patiently, ready to move in to crunch the bones once the lions had moved on. It was
sad to contemplate the painful death of the wildebeest, but without the
predators, the prey animals would quickly overpopulate this enclosed area. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRo_cORwT46PTFK341yNtcIds1AI4ZhYhVB8GR2wKMCNGs4P6D9e3YAmHKmWdYF4MdwQM2fDbF29_BkH-peZQYsMvGg7WPJhDlWweU9ZBvGz5QOW4vtLRVTp_I4Bhiv07rxMD8MUBNB0MyHuWG9xpgRWwt21RB9Ov4mLfkVHtuw7p_XrqGA/s3695/IMG_5123%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="3695" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRo_cORwT46PTFK341yNtcIds1AI4ZhYhVB8GR2wKMCNGs4P6D9e3YAmHKmWdYF4MdwQM2fDbF29_BkH-peZQYsMvGg7WPJhDlWweU9ZBvGz5QOW4vtLRVTp_I4Bhiv07rxMD8MUBNB0MyHuWG9xpgRWwt21RB9Ov4mLfkVHtuw7p_XrqGA/w640-h506/IMG_5123%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hyena waits for the jackals to finish so he can eat the bones. One of Mother Nature's waste disposers.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ihIRnRtMWg53ZVoHkGL2syA5UmnKJPEDvOJe0mIN9AbQxSzRFPKrdgKWEkDrpGUfwuO2Br_msD0OQMyWgUBwsagpLDneyerDq7a65BNKiXgoPcBUeYmm-kJagOcssDZaW-az7Wz4nUpGTTG116-2drPkLzMV56d21sL6CJuEqjzEagh8zw/s4608/IMG_5141%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ihIRnRtMWg53ZVoHkGL2syA5UmnKJPEDvOJe0mIN9AbQxSzRFPKrdgKWEkDrpGUfwuO2Br_msD0OQMyWgUBwsagpLDneyerDq7a65BNKiXgoPcBUeYmm-kJagOcssDZaW-az7Wz4nUpGTTG116-2drPkLzMV56d21sL6CJuEqjzEagh8zw/w640-h480/IMG_5141%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mama spotted hyena</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBcyN06_8ZI8uzav9M8i_NHMlOLWKjqRsa3OCQkyjqFrhCY5XdJuHOSXwpxM4pPGSibcWtDpAEvvqxrzwJAkBo7H5Tp2fjA7jxHv07N-O6qR2FlTu-tTXDqZMvvaJK_wI13LJnDkrv_7RhLutIeJvqeAH0qDAdKUT2xG1ZnNHXHABWzM4Q/s4608/IMG_5143%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceBcyN06_8ZI8uzav9M8i_NHMlOLWKjqRsa3OCQkyjqFrhCY5XdJuHOSXwpxM4pPGSibcWtDpAEvvqxrzwJAkBo7H5Tp2fjA7jxHv07N-O6qR2FlTu-tTXDqZMvvaJK_wI13LJnDkrv_7RhLutIeJvqeAH0qDAdKUT2xG1ZnNHXHABWzM4Q/w640-h480/IMG_5143%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">We continued our drive across the grassy plains. In spite of the carnage behind us, the other animals were grazing peacefully together.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAcPE9ZZEOadCWDlIxOO1zAwBG5CpC68MwdSQP_V_GOAo0p1K4dbQSC4PBZS8qX4v-2zRZg9m1nQQ8pqDJWf38GrUbXEaKBbAO-3u9h8GKNlaJDXxbWZIcwPJCOn_mbp29Xe9P_jCLHKVIw-rhCaFBIBynEfei_rOY4I9vJnwsXpBaX5zpQ/s3158/IMG_5150%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="3158" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAcPE9ZZEOadCWDlIxOO1zAwBG5CpC68MwdSQP_V_GOAo0p1K4dbQSC4PBZS8qX4v-2zRZg9m1nQQ8pqDJWf38GrUbXEaKBbAO-3u9h8GKNlaJDXxbWZIcwPJCOn_mbp29Xe9P_jCLHKVIw-rhCaFBIBynEfei_rOY4I9vJnwsXpBaX5zpQ/w640-h456/IMG_5150%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDA9ontPyrskjCw305ADpHjEb08QKz17B5AYSgyWnwhkETYxGcA7alC-NY2-I4eFBkPaZj_UQg0i1u8rXjynVAH2KJrVon7S-v1KU9yqEwv-x3msigT8ewxPeZI7h5rb-f9SNOmRx9LkYFVXBD-gazIrvgcF8jNxhAmIedwUVKBTSIDMGSQ/s3925/IMG_5158%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="3925" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDA9ontPyrskjCw305ADpHjEb08QKz17B5AYSgyWnwhkETYxGcA7alC-NY2-I4eFBkPaZj_UQg0i1u8rXjynVAH2KJrVon7S-v1KU9yqEwv-x3msigT8ewxPeZI7h5rb-f9SNOmRx9LkYFVXBD-gazIrvgcF8jNxhAmIedwUVKBTSIDMGSQ/w640-h492/IMG_5158%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hartebeest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovda4XC95y18uaAmyHYsl085G823Atue96K1icJXQr8d9im-BuWeJsJwge0grOtbkuRdsaJgZnfRlYm_RghKkjdt6nqOvjPLvMsG7FA7tHVCRTXR9yXnKkHvhGuEKcE1MAjCUiUBZiPh0nMguVOLHUJ3Kw1JzqJ524N55y3KPiofOJZ6jXQ/s3857/IMG_5159%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2580" data-original-width="3857" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovda4XC95y18uaAmyHYsl085G823Atue96K1icJXQr8d9im-BuWeJsJwge0grOtbkuRdsaJgZnfRlYm_RghKkjdt6nqOvjPLvMsG7FA7tHVCRTXR9yXnKkHvhGuEKcE1MAjCUiUBZiPh0nMguVOLHUJ3Kw1JzqJ524N55y3KPiofOJZ6jXQ/w640-h428/IMG_5159%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grazers coexist peacefully</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPRhOmWfxhgxBaLifTQWftj4pS1gcv2Z69R9l8blCty0Ew-E7pDQImiM7SrRJwItdMtWrfaXuw_6Uhrz2nCJOBCouKBWq1faaMvaCAQeAQWBHj8VSP8GKODx3HOEAttanq7qJrOt7dYoesgXs6MmraDYZn-JyIdKYaMK8QCl3qGiWMnfhVw/s3901/IMG_5160%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2742" data-original-width="3901" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPRhOmWfxhgxBaLifTQWftj4pS1gcv2Z69R9l8blCty0Ew-E7pDQImiM7SrRJwItdMtWrfaXuw_6Uhrz2nCJOBCouKBWq1faaMvaCAQeAQWBHj8VSP8GKODx3HOEAttanq7qJrOt7dYoesgXs6MmraDYZn-JyIdKYaMK8QCl3qGiWMnfhVw/w640-h450/IMG_5160%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family of hartebeests</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">There was more lion excitement when we spotted a gorgeous black-maned king of the jungle ensuring his lineage. He quickly finished his work and walked away under the watchful eye of the animals grazing nearby. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT1NPdXYIBtf3v2EcXP0eb1pvGH72hEVYcCzqSQKassOB6ZY4rWqix3mwGKPKwSQz9T6QxvJIMjM0daJ7uv9fF48ndSmIuFxYKYymoxL0qa5aAaHTxW9PZ9SoPJaZx1nzL0aF4x1MhBiv4LfiexcYFhgLo0eJxVU8SQ174t3CAOnHO5yTFw/s3797/IMG_5176%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2638" data-original-width="3797" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWT1NPdXYIBtf3v2EcXP0eb1pvGH72hEVYcCzqSQKassOB6ZY4rWqix3mwGKPKwSQz9T6QxvJIMjM0daJ7uv9fF48ndSmIuFxYKYymoxL0qa5aAaHTxW9PZ9SoPJaZx1nzL0aF4x1MhBiv4LfiexcYFhgLo0eJxVU8SQ174t3CAOnHO5yTFw/w640-h444/IMG_5176%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensuring the survival of the species</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pXkB_wkQGvaO8dT5qdUKcoJQPIbMxBLYHpChGq4XrDEX4IumVtMhO4EtkifjPDqVXMIPp9KCUYkK409xZhlDLPLFr22LmCeBCyjNWb6A2C1318i7hPwi68fOj7Dapl4JQS5wS5dz45McRf7Ewaa4ugm9ogpH_gqtY2R3k2UNrjzC1tYy1g/s3512/IMG_5179%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2373" data-original-width="3512" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pXkB_wkQGvaO8dT5qdUKcoJQPIbMxBLYHpChGq4XrDEX4IumVtMhO4EtkifjPDqVXMIPp9KCUYkK409xZhlDLPLFr22LmCeBCyjNWb6A2C1318i7hPwi68fOj7Dapl4JQS5wS5dz45McRf7Ewaa4ugm9ogpH_gqtY2R3k2UNrjzC1tYy1g/w640-h432/IMG_5179%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other animals keep a close eye on the lions</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaesHVsiK9x9LGOXTO3nl54C3kLGp01FPrleY4NltvpktdZj7DRyeBhRz_KZz_TKLPlgL-IFFQSDCtdm9xJE3l6EF_QkqArn2b8RZ7Q4tkmB9yrc-vDn4ZE35EKp9n9A4YPDzQlFhhHUtDEs4ZiAykQaAiHcBSbdw6wgyuR03Hl1PNo1U6A/s2541/IMG_5188%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1851" data-original-width="2541" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaesHVsiK9x9LGOXTO3nl54C3kLGp01FPrleY4NltvpktdZj7DRyeBhRz_KZz_TKLPlgL-IFFQSDCtdm9xJE3l6EF_QkqArn2b8RZ7Q4tkmB9yrc-vDn4ZE35EKp9n9A4YPDzQlFhhHUtDEs4ZiAykQaAiHcBSbdw6wgyuR03Hl1PNo1U6A/w640-h466/IMG_5188%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's earned a rest</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">We encountered several elephant families roaming the plains, as well as a few of the "so ugly that they are cute" warthogs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh-s4kE6zjRYkxRfivKXk5551va_XwQf-PRce9mxuoBrkmGt0Lc6DRFqDaec7NkWxMusNe5j3UbgCpa3EbhKXUtxB4-ONN_f4Qq1JdE9maksKdv_SxTlNGhUVvtTlr_HLnrcT0v5STbkToDyXHZtU_451QbUr2jXPeGbIId3Cjjr25-nISg/s4306/IMG_5183%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2869" data-original-width="4306" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmh-s4kE6zjRYkxRfivKXk5551va_XwQf-PRce9mxuoBrkmGt0Lc6DRFqDaec7NkWxMusNe5j3UbgCpa3EbhKXUtxB4-ONN_f4Qq1JdE9maksKdv_SxTlNGhUVvtTlr_HLnrcT0v5STbkToDyXHZtU_451QbUr2jXPeGbIId3Cjjr25-nISg/w640-h426/IMG_5183%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxT5ODYu9hpBXc7Wh1Zcjy4bshwpurvZUX8N_ckrb7JffS0LAfWTcbTyGoTBzhRMMsQf5Hg1OmQur90Ugzee6yKKz2oNZDXcyqDlAIj5T3Q0Iu7633ozk_0bo034TYxfdAcNcYgxm_ihfab-rRtD-wHPhLLuPxqOmnOuU6M3ZjBnq7N9bVw/s4218/IMG_5301%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4218" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxT5ODYu9hpBXc7Wh1Zcjy4bshwpurvZUX8N_ckrb7JffS0LAfWTcbTyGoTBzhRMMsQf5Hg1OmQur90Ugzee6yKKz2oNZDXcyqDlAIj5T3Q0Iu7633ozk_0bo034TYxfdAcNcYgxm_ihfab-rRtD-wHPhLLuPxqOmnOuU6M3ZjBnq7N9bVw/w640-h496/IMG_5301%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSnqJpDpgA4c-3xNXllk0ryu_PM3QRVzDXjyB1L1-xFI98fuNQ43TNcYvR4ZJ6NB3DicpXzcf7SIi2KHSiCwaKWNVkcT0iQh3WboBsS8NwLcg5Lv0pVBDdtQRjMMFvuxTGrWcJAOg1tkBUIs4DSi8duyT64B8fZMkQ_Elvi7p6Odk5zi1sA/s4420/IMG_5306%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="4420" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSnqJpDpgA4c-3xNXllk0ryu_PM3QRVzDXjyB1L1-xFI98fuNQ43TNcYvR4ZJ6NB3DicpXzcf7SIi2KHSiCwaKWNVkcT0iQh3WboBsS8NwLcg5Lv0pVBDdtQRjMMFvuxTGrWcJAOg1tkBUIs4DSi8duyT64B8fZMkQ_Elvi7p6Odk5zi1sA/w640-h442/IMG_5306%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpeNFrSENL-MQxXvZJ9bI3X5M5uTWQS42jiC3z79LON4ZZhQtDSpoWMb8h7QVXstP_CoZtHoAndgqROGk0Qwc9tAoRPsm_Y3vxJuaca8hakXiltVL09t_ZWd2q7gDbZxvWuP65Pq9LrlTfbOLUEAl8mtVtecdHdkTsVHBy1068bsxU7cuIg/s4015/IMG_5340%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2209" data-original-width="4015" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpeNFrSENL-MQxXvZJ9bI3X5M5uTWQS42jiC3z79LON4ZZhQtDSpoWMb8h7QVXstP_CoZtHoAndgqROGk0Qwc9tAoRPsm_Y3vxJuaca8hakXiltVL09t_ZWd2q7gDbZxvWuP65Pq9LrlTfbOLUEAl8mtVtecdHdkTsVHBy1068bsxU7cuIg/w640-h352/IMG_5340%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lG5zvKXvw80_tdA4Ti9W_fb9pWppIngF4NJEMC_fSFmF1y_Lcjpsz23jqRwkHpy4TJPEzH4zh1Re9bb1wGE75zY4Cj8LxlC5ssZ06vHDcUar42mJi6vKgm9t9uJ2DeqG3KlWNEB9WUhMrj4VGXke72gvn-KO76GtG310ITomXTSbCv0hng/s4608/IMG_5343%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lG5zvKXvw80_tdA4Ti9W_fb9pWppIngF4NJEMC_fSFmF1y_Lcjpsz23jqRwkHpy4TJPEzH4zh1Re9bb1wGE75zY4Cj8LxlC5ssZ06vHDcUar42mJi6vKgm9t9uJ2DeqG3KlWNEB9WUhMrj4VGXke72gvn-KO76GtG310ITomXTSbCv0hng/w640-h480/IMG_5343%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDbKEGRlXVoZdZ2WQuM66hCXeVHiHoV0fXqI4QxVU16J1LpDL9wSzQvILmI96Nvv1tS5TJXXGqP48hhKhFWKXtuOljyVuN54052N_9R9a2G8vrCGohyoFaDAuD5koNSyxNUabJxZxZuYqyzOAfrUlZzpLV2bM1IDmREWO9tP4PfX790XAIA/s2949/IMG_5361%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2367" data-original-width="2949" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDbKEGRlXVoZdZ2WQuM66hCXeVHiHoV0fXqI4QxVU16J1LpDL9wSzQvILmI96Nvv1tS5TJXXGqP48hhKhFWKXtuOljyVuN54052N_9R9a2G8vrCGohyoFaDAuD5koNSyxNUabJxZxZuYqyzOAfrUlZzpLV2bM1IDmREWO9tP4PfX790XAIA/w640-h514/IMG_5361%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the way warthog's tails go straight in the air when they run.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">We finally moved on to
our picnic breakfast at the Ngoitokitok Picnic Area on the shore of one of the lakes in the crater. A large group of
hippos was lounging in the middle of the lake. Albert explained that they often get out of the
water at night to graze and had just recently returned to the water. We could
see the still wet path they had trampled through the mud. </span><span style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">They
were a noisy group, spouting water like little whales, and occasionally
bellowing at each other. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm0zdppnrvIEJR6Dc4_j-0cbSKpNw9AMPhhHHhEY45DBvgyO7hj7-zSC1dFsosZcggqas8MceD6LkSchSqWqhoT0WWzIaW7PDTs0h-p3zdt9UGd_05CW43L4IqvbnOqxro_jiJ0ylK5wLKSMQKZetdwA5CAOM5eKwDtrTMhqsmGdmavkEyA/s4055/IMG_5200%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3209" data-original-width="4055" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm0zdppnrvIEJR6Dc4_j-0cbSKpNw9AMPhhHHhEY45DBvgyO7hj7-zSC1dFsosZcggqas8MceD6LkSchSqWqhoT0WWzIaW7PDTs0h-p3zdt9UGd_05CW43L4IqvbnOqxro_jiJ0ylK5wLKSMQKZetdwA5CAOM5eKwDtrTMhqsmGdmavkEyA/w640-h506/IMG_5200%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippo Pool</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFzSwXB9U798lDsJz0ajML3AprfrXEQhDBjabsJBJtBPziICkLLe70BXuPcE3JjuCqA8bCyL8c5cOUfrvCPRDWf1mCIrUrBMobR9ZAmRJHrl-gFdxTSy-21vDC5lqpzRvjVe2Z1dS-Dm0BjAAnnmnsOcFWmJukb8KFtKeYyG3KmBQ527EBA/s4588/IMG_5202%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="4588" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFzSwXB9U798lDsJz0ajML3AprfrXEQhDBjabsJBJtBPziICkLLe70BXuPcE3JjuCqA8bCyL8c5cOUfrvCPRDWf1mCIrUrBMobR9ZAmRJHrl-gFdxTSy-21vDC5lqpzRvjVe2Z1dS-Dm0BjAAnnmnsOcFWmJukb8KFtKeYyG3KmBQ527EBA/w640-h398/IMG_5202%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminds me of the Disneyland Jungle Boat Ride</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzRBUFK5ctFJd12VsUiz29lrxcKevAUkpy8nMzj9hu42oqF1Gp8JQZYBG8yVOuZEXsFOYDveo2whlVvXlX3iuM5I0QRqeQl3L50T9JJ5_EK8KqAodnfSoTvzBqCmDGoLZ6trr0oUD61s6ZXkd10zDsV2L6jsWtYm2x2EnGd31gT7umexe1Q/s3058/IMG_5203%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2310" data-original-width="3058" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzRBUFK5ctFJd12VsUiz29lrxcKevAUkpy8nMzj9hu42oqF1Gp8JQZYBG8yVOuZEXsFOYDveo2whlVvXlX3iuM5I0QRqeQl3L50T9JJ5_EK8KqAodnfSoTvzBqCmDGoLZ6trr0oUD61s6ZXkd10zDsV2L6jsWtYm2x2EnGd31gT7umexe1Q/w640-h484/IMG_5203%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second most dangerous animal in Africa. (Mosquitoes are first.)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXtJdjCwrVz2RD8oBMOx_IIrIcqOnk0fgE__nGvQz8kxgWb6Bb-GIQmJcaLAWjSLycXiS9u4PnIJUFW36VBOwFqrPzQIdmNa2JrF4bD2fC40z68uEe9QAfzEs_kdtr0PsoCbrR2FC40HDsTsLZm0txtScGalX7tPS7NEs5UVkpVYYxSU2mg/s2974/IMG_6051%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="2974" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXtJdjCwrVz2RD8oBMOx_IIrIcqOnk0fgE__nGvQz8kxgWb6Bb-GIQmJcaLAWjSLycXiS9u4PnIJUFW36VBOwFqrPzQIdmNa2JrF4bD2fC40z68uEe9QAfzEs_kdtr0PsoCbrR2FC40HDsTsLZm0txtScGalX7tPS7NEs5UVkpVYYxSU2mg/w640-h440/IMG_6051%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My usual pose when we travel - taking photos!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaohx_h-tMR3W0tD-xba-Y0Cy0oSf-m5Q5WQQ2ePiYqDtpXzV3gbsQ1vaxl7RIO6R6WGTDqqidjKcft1HrcoSNI-cpGv5S6pJRcvXpFEfh3oDnLzv3KR45pn7zvxUYk1cSlNUDSE4wSI4zV_pyMIT7IyojMfDnJ_bQzhAfcf54lv_4_JFbA/s4318/IMG_5209%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3299" data-original-width="4318" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaohx_h-tMR3W0tD-xba-Y0Cy0oSf-m5Q5WQQ2ePiYqDtpXzV3gbsQ1vaxl7RIO6R6WGTDqqidjKcft1HrcoSNI-cpGv5S6pJRcvXpFEfh3oDnLzv3KR45pn7zvxUYk1cSlNUDSE4wSI4zV_pyMIT7IyojMfDnJ_bQzhAfcf54lv_4_JFbA/w640-h488/IMG_5209%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2129; text-indent: 0in;">We were joined at our picnic by several beautiful
little birds, bright yellow Speke's weavers, speckled rufous-tailed weavers, and the iridescent blue superb
starlings, who flew down the minute we arrived and hopped fearlessly around our
feet in anticipation of any dropped food crumbs. An African Ibis looked for its own food in the tall grasses by the lake, while we enjoyed our own feast.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_zZKbzaZcrou0jii8ZBu72cTZOp-RoTQ9XmNmiWdVOwhuws693qnOb7UgM9NS1RUkhBz4WSHfm8PpkbmH1uT0aktpJMHsaVyAgfVc9-1w35YBvmT1ZIv2EtGyegHZids8He-aAr70vX642Na4Xzcq54FD2EBHJDa-2C6oCQK8E1rElhGmQ/s1304/IMG_5214%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1227" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_zZKbzaZcrou0jii8ZBu72cTZOp-RoTQ9XmNmiWdVOwhuws693qnOb7UgM9NS1RUkhBz4WSHfm8PpkbmH1uT0aktpJMHsaVyAgfVc9-1w35YBvmT1ZIv2EtGyegHZids8He-aAr70vX642Na4Xzcq54FD2EBHJDa-2C6oCQK8E1rElhGmQ/w602-h640/IMG_5214%20(3).JPG" width="602" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speke's Weaver</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KVL-0uhUg5TCA5iKIE34PzQ4IAeW-ZofYZwLoSFRiHdYRZorAdRbA1YUwYR9Q8oh-U_nahDHr-QNsiixGM6Xol-X0yPS4eKal91PzxmjBGOhyXx71JX8c4TbI9EASvPDy2U3EA7Oid9b3FS4RHukh4Xz3K6UreHcB3vlo_D2SXrrdrpbAA/s4158/IMG_5224%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3091" data-original-width="4158" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KVL-0uhUg5TCA5iKIE34PzQ4IAeW-ZofYZwLoSFRiHdYRZorAdRbA1YUwYR9Q8oh-U_nahDHr-QNsiixGM6Xol-X0yPS4eKal91PzxmjBGOhyXx71JX8c4TbI9EASvPDy2U3EA7Oid9b3FS4RHukh4Xz3K6UreHcB3vlo_D2SXrrdrpbAA/w640-h476/IMG_5224%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEi4O_c7a9jtlBoElWrMUHp2BOF3-rUR2KNQaKV-IevPmdFbv7uoijWutIQYmXcEDqV40jq8d_wcRyohYQm8cKPDj7djAesPhhBR4E3OGRHLFI11SK9gyp6NxzXFk0E7_MCm7K5ajPtjU8zQT9KHGPwEYL6uxFtBoi7tCG_a9ynTXdeT83w/s3067/IMG_5228%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="3067" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEi4O_c7a9jtlBoElWrMUHp2BOF3-rUR2KNQaKV-IevPmdFbv7uoijWutIQYmXcEDqV40jq8d_wcRyohYQm8cKPDj7djAesPhhBR4E3OGRHLFI11SK9gyp6NxzXFk0E7_MCm7K5ajPtjU8zQT9KHGPwEYL6uxFtBoi7tCG_a9ynTXdeT83w/w640-h580/IMG_5228%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1B8bzq1lW_OJDjAUdmVblx5TJ2Dh7JG4A4ptM_apdoRwQA8JG0YhYk5QvArTsf_5Ff4ly-v16uBc1Mape7FFPK1h51vcPnNGTfHYY8-WSBJ9368cHpdrrDH9hXp6wTx07RN1lfJXJG2YLo814U89IvMv5KZ0S81pWK2uRHxWzn8Cyd4bNsQ/s2347/IMG_5235%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2207" data-original-width="2347" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1B8bzq1lW_OJDjAUdmVblx5TJ2Dh7JG4A4ptM_apdoRwQA8JG0YhYk5QvArTsf_5Ff4ly-v16uBc1Mape7FFPK1h51vcPnNGTfHYY8-WSBJ9368cHpdrrDH9hXp6wTx07RN1lfJXJG2YLo814U89IvMv5KZ0S81pWK2uRHxWzn8Cyd4bNsQ/w640-h602/IMG_5235%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous-tailed Weaver</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx7W7UuDMFXYiNjZcNJiGendXgFxlNj0BE2ZxAMFeRMihmHHmN9KcFs7HQLN46N4ui4KMrV3hhwYXwTcRNEST6bmPmK3qcU5buKTsXGUkmba78nVaAneDDWptmqqQf0V0oez9bi89u9Z0P-kw4C3wymD6_x27W1vQPSJT_-H0dJM5z9FZoA/s3494/IMG_5239%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3002" data-original-width="3494" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx7W7UuDMFXYiNjZcNJiGendXgFxlNj0BE2ZxAMFeRMihmHHmN9KcFs7HQLN46N4ui4KMrV3hhwYXwTcRNEST6bmPmK3qcU5buKTsXGUkmba78nVaAneDDWptmqqQf0V0oez9bi89u9Z0P-kw4C3wymD6_x27W1vQPSJT_-H0dJM5z9FZoA/w640-h550/IMG_5239%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Ibis </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJx7xbqF2FycsTxi9hjXlodGsplqTZVpE4LN--ALy9x2fyDlfT1wJ8FTVfMmwu7JwdAPL-vEv7XR5vHSDGj8YIF976PJq6-88x925huKRvYG8rGQkbXk7OA9AyxhImPkrnTX96ZJcPMRYRAxYLkAeMM_2yUcENO1b_Bmzl80lJ2R6kIXBZg/s4147/IMG_5240%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="4147" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJx7xbqF2FycsTxi9hjXlodGsplqTZVpE4LN--ALy9x2fyDlfT1wJ8FTVfMmwu7JwdAPL-vEv7XR5vHSDGj8YIF976PJq6-88x925huKRvYG8rGQkbXk7OA9AyxhImPkrnTX96ZJcPMRYRAxYLkAeMM_2yUcENO1b_Bmzl80lJ2R6kIXBZg/w640-h514/IMG_5240%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Ibis looking for a meal in the tall grasses by the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KP4yIWi4tUbgRowun9UwQPCpItLnz4lOFUB0uyrm2e6oHeMTAJfLrmVhwAz3pvJhPazfnpqfYaEdeFY96Tvn39DIzgIMapx4ZvsxDbfRplpSflv2oFreNrP_0P_Xjv8omBoL5m_p83rKS0DrkwUAINOOfXKXzmO65Ok3Q7q0hKla74y7rw/s4264/IMG_6047%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="4264" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KP4yIWi4tUbgRowun9UwQPCpItLnz4lOFUB0uyrm2e6oHeMTAJfLrmVhwAz3pvJhPazfnpqfYaEdeFY96Tvn39DIzgIMapx4ZvsxDbfRplpSflv2oFreNrP_0P_Xjv8omBoL5m_p83rKS0DrkwUAINOOfXKXzmO65Ok3Q7q0hKla74y7rw/w640-h460/IMG_6047%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albert and Joan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iCu4rz2nnD2q0p92-6JCtGRz1jSL4yxjNOHSwAznrXpq_wXVZIiWVQUDIdzN-DyHTwdql75pfRE08Kxs-dpETNUYukzIK44TD2edsP439pfGu8MxnD43F6rzvzrP1cSX_whE3K-lXOv-dGgeckDcX16s01aP1C6GQ6HLtOyZdQZZuU2vXQ/s4061/IMG_5221%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3354" data-original-width="4061" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iCu4rz2nnD2q0p92-6JCtGRz1jSL4yxjNOHSwAznrXpq_wXVZIiWVQUDIdzN-DyHTwdql75pfRE08Kxs-dpETNUYukzIK44TD2edsP439pfGu8MxnD43F6rzvzrP1cSX_whE3K-lXOv-dGgeckDcX16s01aP1C6GQ6HLtOyZdQZZuU2vXQ/w640-h528/IMG_5221%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYEdY8pWd7ndwv96tKe29qny5N6adXSIqfsL7jVyAawg46CSujI6vyVRTPrXQNQactRPsYoviNGwERwwHVmAzxrZjo7HfHRG9Ur5NyN7C_spM3GFb92vEwAwnlp0qqydILhaG0DDuzrDICAAw_IsPTETPQ4mWOnJscs6KWy-0Jyqtd7ScFA/s3923/IMG_5222%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="3923" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYEdY8pWd7ndwv96tKe29qny5N6adXSIqfsL7jVyAawg46CSujI6vyVRTPrXQNQactRPsYoviNGwERwwHVmAzxrZjo7HfHRG9Ur5NyN7C_spM3GFb92vEwAwnlp0qqydILhaG0DDuzrDICAAw_IsPTETPQ4mWOnJscs6KWy-0Jyqtd7ScFA/w640-h452/IMG_5222%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albert preparing our breakfast picnic</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0_epjxyiF23lCdRfRw-Jdx2J041uftuR6ZVZ10EqIon1c4YtqC8C5IPfQwsYwvicZv2n3Ipax0le6rfcKgnNOcUirPDWupeQHsJzz0iNl4namlbbhIVEgZlDvPRQDZWxRdyl_YxXR2eC0mNv1aij0iXXJcF7gd7wgUBbmrLhj8PW0l3iPg/s4524/IMG_6056%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3484" data-original-width="4524" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0_epjxyiF23lCdRfRw-Jdx2J041uftuR6ZVZ10EqIon1c4YtqC8C5IPfQwsYwvicZv2n3Ipax0le6rfcKgnNOcUirPDWupeQHsJzz0iNl4namlbbhIVEgZlDvPRQDZWxRdyl_YxXR2eC0mNv1aij0iXXJcF7gd7wgUBbmrLhj8PW0l3iPg/w640-h492/IMG_6056%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdfC-B0Wjl-SfHx-pmOjqUJPMjQSzgFvikhkv4oykpXDGfWvBqIvK0t6Gd8UJQvP6GJIe19oPvlDPtD_JGIl-lA-Lb8Gw0WmR2-_V6I6VXw3pKAWr5KYAQYbw7fn7ap8rxOL476sO6nzxaCJAtKmiHogXim-a-GJszl7tcJLqidc9nXcdBQ/s4177/IMG_5223%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3374" data-original-width="4177" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdfC-B0Wjl-SfHx-pmOjqUJPMjQSzgFvikhkv4oykpXDGfWvBqIvK0t6Gd8UJQvP6GJIe19oPvlDPtD_JGIl-lA-Lb8Gw0WmR2-_V6I6VXw3pKAWr5KYAQYbw7fn7ap8rxOL476sO6nzxaCJAtKmiHogXim-a-GJszl7tcJLqidc9nXcdBQ/w640-h516/IMG_5223%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">The wonders of the day
were not over, although one of them revealed the hard side of nature.. Albert was surprised to see two brand new, just born baby
wildebeests. They were SO new that the placentas could still be seen hanging
from the mothers’ behinds, yet they were already running alongside their
mothers. Usually, the babies are all born about the same time, at the very end
of January or the first couple of weeks of February, so these two were a couple
of weeks early. This was bad news for these two little ones, as they were
missing the safety of numbers and were easy prey for the hyenas and lions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">Baby One was already walking when we spotted it. But Baby Two was still lying in the grass. We watched in wonder as it took its first steps. Knowing that it was in danger was heart-breaking.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-zcHNFpcLlYnTsFiGdGV3NSjhqwa0w62Brb79qqF7Z1wJofKlzwXe88PcIUjvehQmOjeu7uadgHbGD5lQMhz6iUD4KOLoUu7Ts_NkoV_pWmE-KgrNUKSxdicIUuIMHmyRt-s7nTq7W6Kkt9P7yKg9j17h5LZPnv3DstYl3Foy5x4Ym-KTw/s2888/IMG_5275%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="2888" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-zcHNFpcLlYnTsFiGdGV3NSjhqwa0w62Brb79qqF7Z1wJofKlzwXe88PcIUjvehQmOjeu7uadgHbGD5lQMhz6iUD4KOLoUu7Ts_NkoV_pWmE-KgrNUKSxdicIUuIMHmyRt-s7nTq7W6Kkt9P7yKg9j17h5LZPnv3DstYl3Foy5x4Ym-KTw/w640-h500/IMG_5275%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby #1 was already running by the time we spotted it.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wdJx9I9c4DgYnM4ZyMzQDO7_RGPH1gd0i58AzL2TE8PVRC2ipYUSZ7pigwTCppJ4wkRIz2Nj-bNfTK67R1jLRWLYKaTH63vm0qUYsWiZmzZ6siVnpNLiuElWEAz24hZl7ZLHOlS1hoopIO99v_G8hnw71gjqLHe0eyrg-fJTtjsIXJgzuA/s4196/IMG_5277%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="4196" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wdJx9I9c4DgYnM4ZyMzQDO7_RGPH1gd0i58AzL2TE8PVRC2ipYUSZ7pigwTCppJ4wkRIz2Nj-bNfTK67R1jLRWLYKaTH63vm0qUYsWiZmzZ6siVnpNLiuElWEAz24hZl7ZLHOlS1hoopIO99v_G8hnw71gjqLHe0eyrg-fJTtjsIXJgzuA/w640-h350/IMG_5277%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwwi0-EtrFbwkuhtNE6dBft5tRrVyLt12D7Oxsv0-4GoWtZ7PRZt6lIUGkBOdqhf2CewqY6hz2KSfz0HsiGOWP1l5FFLKdXHrKRbOzjab_81qfO2AeeR6zim4ivo5sdCNqOVVA3tNmk3rKcJ-jLRDyQjibyFr4SNhC4NHzF5uqtKhAkdXNw/s2991/IMG_5318%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2493" data-original-width="2991" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwwi0-EtrFbwkuhtNE6dBft5tRrVyLt12D7Oxsv0-4GoWtZ7PRZt6lIUGkBOdqhf2CewqY6hz2KSfz0HsiGOWP1l5FFLKdXHrKRbOzjab_81qfO2AeeR6zim4ivo5sdCNqOVVA3tNmk3rKcJ-jLRDyQjibyFr4SNhC4NHzF5uqtKhAkdXNw/w640-h534/IMG_5318%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby #2 was just born.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucg0H_bDu7WSr0XGRngxlhRmsN9kXaL0z2XLg_ztfc9AOWlGFiCdKtdCVjY9QpIfxJUqdnD2-4QxHQLtD_Yxv2flne7KgtPSEhnFLCVcPrJJs0YikcMxW2rfccYAyTOpXnXXY_ZldB9SFamJ9yIpEuh83XW-DQSsZd8FwVGtz3k7zIMIAUQ/s3017/IMG_5321%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="3017" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucg0H_bDu7WSr0XGRngxlhRmsN9kXaL0z2XLg_ztfc9AOWlGFiCdKtdCVjY9QpIfxJUqdnD2-4QxHQLtD_Yxv2flne7KgtPSEhnFLCVcPrJJs0YikcMxW2rfccYAyTOpXnXXY_ZldB9SFamJ9yIpEuh83XW-DQSsZd8FwVGtz3k7zIMIAUQ/w640-h602/IMG_5321%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We watched it take its first steps</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53atYluFrEW_TddM7qm4dgaYiRHGVFCvaoOmcmjAAtTGM4rgBzfuUaOFX5IHU7QUbr3Ow-KRWrhEGCjNUvdP_oF5cmY4AQsLWAKVNwAxxCisjbhNa_laC8u3p5Fesow5418-0wLwVv3LaqogQ1DZZk6DWH73ITYuDrweQe_tIa77MGmT_eQ/s3978/IMG_5336%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3285" data-original-width="3978" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53atYluFrEW_TddM7qm4dgaYiRHGVFCvaoOmcmjAAtTGM4rgBzfuUaOFX5IHU7QUbr3Ow-KRWrhEGCjNUvdP_oF5cmY4AQsLWAKVNwAxxCisjbhNa_laC8u3p5Fesow5418-0wLwVv3LaqogQ1DZZk6DWH73ITYuDrweQe_tIa77MGmT_eQ/w640-h528/IMG_5336%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">We saw more evidence
of the harshness of nature when we spotted two zebras with huge gashes on their
bodies. One of them had long slashes from claw marks on its hind quarters and
had obviously narrowly escaped a lion. The other had a big gash on its front
shoulder, and Albert said it was likely the result of a kick from a rival
zebra.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpw7QuGhvMyrxtbpAdCFd9ek6PDWa7JoUXgf67ca86FJOr_VQgBBtJBPCzvQuD9dZF1brJrFMiDaJc5mteQ2LDKMhhwRpLiO-icCZVMzq_9lnAb9cB5tUYvC0_bOJYtUyNVir1whv4n3wl3QAyZ6Uzuxwjn3QzQReAzif2DI5o1HGk0ZaAA/s4549/IMG_5269%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="4549" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpw7QuGhvMyrxtbpAdCFd9ek6PDWa7JoUXgf67ca86FJOr_VQgBBtJBPCzvQuD9dZF1brJrFMiDaJc5mteQ2LDKMhhwRpLiO-icCZVMzq_9lnAb9cB5tUYvC0_bOJYtUyNVir1whv4n3wl3QAyZ6Uzuxwjn3QzQReAzif2DI5o1HGk0ZaAA/w640-h400/IMG_5269%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEx2py-63vixt7JIsjC_mSCAx1sjEBbJ-xgOe5C6e6qJz2ZthE-BV734hkpDzC5tTspxMhKE3D0jWJll0KShOliM5_2I7xvDMxjvJ_L-4gcBKIvkGxiziNFlvFexKrHcZjw2szpxJGPodu9vqhdEetxBfh5hYEFizzg12mc1b0YipE_5tM_w/s4193/IMG_5272%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="4193" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEx2py-63vixt7JIsjC_mSCAx1sjEBbJ-xgOe5C6e6qJz2ZthE-BV734hkpDzC5tTspxMhKE3D0jWJll0KShOliM5_2I7xvDMxjvJ_L-4gcBKIvkGxiziNFlvFexKrHcZjw2szpxJGPodu9vqhdEetxBfh5hYEFizzg12mc1b0YipE_5tM_w/w640-h464/IMG_5272%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Injured zebra</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuoVy18wtfmtdrw0_h2CRy9gwXdnoNBSxSKs5JTzbVZ0PXoIy7rYrdzqOsFjPf_8hSgPzNaToR05We4eFBUPmASWlCOfbV0SQydVb3hwFc7E-NC8NSqw-MsnxXYRUTUcoMSisn00dVZRm-qyZRuH3HFfHL35RDGl0H9pUxU5y7jYHKqPcQg/s4607/IMG_5280%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3100" data-original-width="4607" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuoVy18wtfmtdrw0_h2CRy9gwXdnoNBSxSKs5JTzbVZ0PXoIy7rYrdzqOsFjPf_8hSgPzNaToR05We4eFBUPmASWlCOfbV0SQydVb3hwFc7E-NC8NSqw-MsnxXYRUTUcoMSisn00dVZRm-qyZRuH3HFfHL35RDGl0H9pUxU5y7jYHKqPcQg/w640-h430/IMG_5280%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIec3XAQ8FGjn6OCnzBbpkcZam7vy9iGJfqmeRsRPuLmBFt2ClcCAAYSPxmIJWQhzIUms70vWmoqz2EydAVCl8LRE7EMycJJCK2BhAaCANyzMj5uwOC3JlAZOgqjS1p4xzUubEQ8gwYKAsotQjvB3WzTT1nvK9M05pIEJ-GKrlREAwQDjIIg/s4263/IMG_5297%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3025" data-original-width="4263" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIec3XAQ8FGjn6OCnzBbpkcZam7vy9iGJfqmeRsRPuLmBFt2ClcCAAYSPxmIJWQhzIUms70vWmoqz2EydAVCl8LRE7EMycJJCK2BhAaCANyzMj5uwOC3JlAZOgqjS1p4xzUubEQ8gwYKAsotQjvB3WzTT1nvK9M05pIEJ-GKrlREAwQDjIIg/w640-h454/IMG_5297%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This elephant is displaying a bit of his wild side, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">Our second day gifted us with many more bird sightings.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxApOjzpkIL0lCIBg0LNbJKdFJ44Wy9f5QbhWtoGri6l59qmLozo9_ZKHTPn9hCaKJ_zBBGRbeNyWdjmLJvd0Eu00HRPiJUsT-VXM_4XFD0eBc7OsffLLqZcrfFbGtuzvSNmv4mWDfnhY37OlkODLoXmRwpDM4WE8pqsHJi41TTEo3Agu1A/s1778/IMG_5057%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1778" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxApOjzpkIL0lCIBg0LNbJKdFJ44Wy9f5QbhWtoGri6l59qmLozo9_ZKHTPn9hCaKJ_zBBGRbeNyWdjmLJvd0Eu00HRPiJUsT-VXM_4XFD0eBc7OsffLLqZcrfFbGtuzvSNmv4mWDfnhY37OlkODLoXmRwpDM4WE8pqsHJi41TTEo3Agu1A/w640-h512/IMG_5057%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Stork is one of the many migratory birds that visits Ngorongoro Crater.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1jS9ha6FrfREkO5ZNHgR24QZzhixKNaStTU1krSnbY7unYuqQk7pe5rtVOjT183DRSHt4LY1Aj5-SwFKcaE7pwMMUoHUtOWai4g8DzbjVjIuEKBJFM1tNY9H5CI1hvC6W2DPPXuXSQ53RpG2RXIQNWCXOptM6nphW2jibleleATlsRhL6w/s2806/IMG_5192%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2806" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1jS9ha6FrfREkO5ZNHgR24QZzhixKNaStTU1krSnbY7unYuqQk7pe5rtVOjT183DRSHt4LY1Aj5-SwFKcaE7pwMMUoHUtOWai4g8DzbjVjIuEKBJFM1tNY9H5CI1hvC6W2DPPXuXSQ53RpG2RXIQNWCXOptM6nphW2jibleleATlsRhL6w/w640-h504/IMG_5192%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kori Bustards </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkpxUUPgsMP7gNULlsU9ExGBUyPEBRoQNnAIh0xhMAOW_biqaVgcIf4x4ZznwmKhPaY_u6WduXSdAkNN5H20zRrs_5-LH1ghLOV5nNiYe1xAZEU_hI2lD69scOxk66HGETGLl487PCXnsZN0ds834yELSrztZ7aeje-phqsl2KIWOJozUZA/s4198/IMG_5311%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3334" data-original-width="4198" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkpxUUPgsMP7gNULlsU9ExGBUyPEBRoQNnAIh0xhMAOW_biqaVgcIf4x4ZznwmKhPaY_u6WduXSdAkNN5H20zRrs_5-LH1ghLOV5nNiYe1xAZEU_hI2lD69scOxk66HGETGLl487PCXnsZN0ds834yELSrztZ7aeje-phqsl2KIWOJozUZA/w640-h508/IMG_5311%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kori Bustard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDKT3bt2cy5GwB8NbgXxNe-kbYSBp8M8GsT7Pws_JrGAJB6BM76GPIKE3WFNmPjwG3PGgusC-UWjrD3bpi0ru7-xjfQTxQHBg9b6-BDvO_wqbHaErm-aB2ARK7m19FjVOMGdoHK4QWmcZD6QrRYo9o1uhzcTE-C6bVH_qCB5SXD9HTBZkSg/s3346/IMG_5348%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2897" data-original-width="3346" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDKT3bt2cy5GwB8NbgXxNe-kbYSBp8M8GsT7Pws_JrGAJB6BM76GPIKE3WFNmPjwG3PGgusC-UWjrD3bpi0ru7-xjfQTxQHBg9b6-BDvO_wqbHaErm-aB2ARK7m19FjVOMGdoHK4QWmcZD6QrRYo9o1uhzcTE-C6bVH_qCB5SXD9HTBZkSg/w640-h554/IMG_5348%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ostrich</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqqn50X1DWXSwjX4la2VvDsQRgKZTdIgrBia16ZHjGf5nkUHrBL69ysPP75VRtm5VSc6OoinIRqmIWiIr1x_HkDcqzpT9yT4aCZbh9RVMTrxwo8i3w_203tDfPEw-PKrkGF4LjkmcU_2xaTUqjB4LMoL4F0NU4Oe41sv-YXHRdxKfAz6z2w/s3554/IMG_5245%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3128" data-original-width="3554" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqqn50X1DWXSwjX4la2VvDsQRgKZTdIgrBia16ZHjGf5nkUHrBL69ysPP75VRtm5VSc6OoinIRqmIWiIr1x_HkDcqzpT9yT4aCZbh9RVMTrxwo8i3w_203tDfPEw-PKrkGF4LjkmcU_2xaTUqjB4LMoL4F0NU4Oe41sv-YXHRdxKfAz6z2w/w640-h564/IMG_5245%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helmeted Guinea Fowl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMulM4PT0Q6e_a1Lf3PUKBqqqyWcYqeYp3rmVlJg4fSWnIVmPQ5Iv-dtDO-Fi60SmZ5IO_XjAzNhM_toVh4zFX454IWNPmHVFNH2JOh_zvSTMRb_nW0i2cgxSKbmQT1HUqo57YvgxP_zGAQk9bRqu_NrMfru7Ugun57ldj-QQ3MZzdFCeUg/s3379/IMG_5254%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="3379" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMulM4PT0Q6e_a1Lf3PUKBqqqyWcYqeYp3rmVlJg4fSWnIVmPQ5Iv-dtDO-Fi60SmZ5IO_XjAzNhM_toVh4zFX454IWNPmHVFNH2JOh_zvSTMRb_nW0i2cgxSKbmQT1HUqo57YvgxP_zGAQk9bRqu_NrMfru7Ugun57ldj-QQ3MZzdFCeUg/w640-h570/IMG_5254%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grey Crowned Crane is one of my favorite African birds.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPbA4FtzSgSEoCWH9elt7ByUC02UmPnYtcfYbQ6G6AG_l_KvQeWuK99-m3Zp97FVwBdTNtWlbdldRt8UeikpmwmZGyumFJ9Dy3OpYxcY_7LEh4EB0KzXXShKqnGpu-ThGOq1ZBjz22PUhvtl_v1om2EDX-j3StVdrdgitV9kNWj1TVFJ4xQ/s2981/IMG_5256%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2614" data-original-width="2981" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPbA4FtzSgSEoCWH9elt7ByUC02UmPnYtcfYbQ6G6AG_l_KvQeWuK99-m3Zp97FVwBdTNtWlbdldRt8UeikpmwmZGyumFJ9Dy3OpYxcY_7LEh4EB0KzXXShKqnGpu-ThGOq1ZBjz22PUhvtl_v1om2EDX-j3StVdrdgitV9kNWj1TVFJ4xQ/w640-h562/IMG_5256%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Crowned Crane in flight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUtTD548OuXOeRcasaHfxqIH9SPdDRzZnXdHHjhj8hxAhuKS1q088pRxxH22iSbcH7nU7XBdQrrEpv0GBw-5Q0b0hHysuOuG-hyZ0p2g0QrebJX-jPkdw-5T39DrvbPJ84vkrg1Rp8D6LVyb-vSOZyg2Agr41k2S0fN79jDQ5OAziJZ3-Dg/s4226/IMG_5261%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2617" data-original-width="4226" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUtTD548OuXOeRcasaHfxqIH9SPdDRzZnXdHHjhj8hxAhuKS1q088pRxxH22iSbcH7nU7XBdQrrEpv0GBw-5Q0b0hHysuOuG-hyZ0p2g0QrebJX-jPkdw-5T39DrvbPJ84vkrg1Rp8D6LVyb-vSOZyg2Agr41k2S0fN79jDQ5OAziJZ3-Dg/w640-h396/IMG_5261%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattle egrets</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4iO2vksFPRpWkBG1rGJVHPvaTm8WHbRZZVc4lj64_0CKuKYqF5dHbU5X6dgg_3wCXZJQr1duBE1CDJTYWsGsayFXSW89BOFlZQeBqgEf_wE0lFlZRE-bS4F5X-x2ZdF5i2pI5pBPYsjycOQPGVRuej00Lg0oZFvOVm41RfQFhpwPUUaJEw/s3169/IMG_5354%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2814" data-original-width="3169" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4iO2vksFPRpWkBG1rGJVHPvaTm8WHbRZZVc4lj64_0CKuKYqF5dHbU5X6dgg_3wCXZJQr1duBE1CDJTYWsGsayFXSW89BOFlZQeBqgEf_wE0lFlZRE-bS4F5X-x2ZdF5i2pI5pBPYsjycOQPGVRuej00Lg0oZFvOVm41RfQFhpwPUUaJEw/w640-h568/IMG_5354%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Heron</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;">We were reluctant to leave
this wonderful place, but we had one more treat on the way out...a little
family of vervet monkeys in the small forest near the exit road. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0gcpORgZV8dzYbvMrMXGE0eV3IsPWA0EH8mY6Ev_BFsDD3RsL9RQkyt6Zcn6CiN7wGBeALyYQqVFVKnk3uJem5QyKruOgf-tRReWTibYY2rfPKkFvA0FznfPSCwj_g03OhKmnYZlMpUzVsbiycO1OckYaOBjNTnzK5WATBj4OO4I1PgbYQ/s4005/IMG_5358%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="4005" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0gcpORgZV8dzYbvMrMXGE0eV3IsPWA0EH8mY6Ev_BFsDD3RsL9RQkyt6Zcn6CiN7wGBeALyYQqVFVKnk3uJem5QyKruOgf-tRReWTibYY2rfPKkFvA0FznfPSCwj_g03OhKmnYZlMpUzVsbiycO1OckYaOBjNTnzK5WATBj4OO4I1PgbYQ/w640-h460/IMG_5358%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1qnLfmNZqLgma-12yp3QXtdNgaJ0VxcTMS8IGnpW9yKOQlrwZ6fTl8t7XPooBRKtshCwRvs7nVrbe_J6OKahgPzv9atelY-FYpxXNLCtCIZUTU2cirxxaqOptocUJ2eqX5asATVJ_pWZ8hFYnIHJ7c1XuC3bBkVTRkTw9I0EGkXsLFqIA/s4276/IMG_5363%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="4276" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1qnLfmNZqLgma-12yp3QXtdNgaJ0VxcTMS8IGnpW9yKOQlrwZ6fTl8t7XPooBRKtshCwRvs7nVrbe_J6OKahgPzv9atelY-FYpxXNLCtCIZUTU2cirxxaqOptocUJ2eqX5asATVJ_pWZ8hFYnIHJ7c1XuC3bBkVTRkTw9I0EGkXsLFqIA/w640-h430/IMG_5363%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road through the forest to the exit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GYmJ9LYFdqq-SIvVTfOxM5N1oeZep15PxJmE3qYdl1dGeR5EYNbvFkhcRCRULeznMhhblowdRqjHnDRpjR7pmKm2nLziCBiKOyXgME3QVNYQq8e6-yiHfkELLCgb5toymtfI37Ie0Ltbinm7_lK-VC1ELYYxnYdZezoQqNn1gS2TlgoAdg/s4267/IMG_5364%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4267" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GYmJ9LYFdqq-SIvVTfOxM5N1oeZep15PxJmE3qYdl1dGeR5EYNbvFkhcRCRULeznMhhblowdRqjHnDRpjR7pmKm2nLziCBiKOyXgME3QVNYQq8e6-yiHfkELLCgb5toymtfI37Ie0Ltbinm7_lK-VC1ELYYxnYdZezoQqNn1gS2TlgoAdg/w640-h460/IMG_5364%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sausage Tree</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs_-OvvAT4ron_xNbJDYdW-R-e9EyEE0uCOuggizVP0ArvHsZlPMJUiTemiVKIlG6UVz_YsOt9zDr_JmqYdKOyFYfp2CoHBdaHFUu0LhRNOs-b-_8jlAF53v1XVUlkyApQFHDzQrOJlDAA-HOsFZLUKuIreZ8MkZZw-jduwV-tMKrD7lJjw/s4046/IMG_5368%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3230" data-original-width="4046" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs_-OvvAT4ron_xNbJDYdW-R-e9EyEE0uCOuggizVP0ArvHsZlPMJUiTemiVKIlG6UVz_YsOt9zDr_JmqYdKOyFYfp2CoHBdaHFUu0LhRNOs-b-_8jlAF53v1XVUlkyApQFHDzQrOJlDAA-HOsFZLUKuIreZ8MkZZw-jduwV-tMKrD7lJjw/w640-h510/IMG_5368%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vervet Monkey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN5nFi0oBuR2v2wmU781iunIz9aEnlwI25L1otqxyHkOHDE6LlqTN4JSt838Y_S2LhdMa7MRIjduFyLbBMWnXrdfhzRRV6EKuqu3OhJmn68Pqcja_Xjt7T1Axx3CQIJFlELTojSZI9J9XfS2zspSCrAlu_1QZoXDgz-h-tIomncJ3HqhdMQ/s4159/IMG_5374%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="4159" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN5nFi0oBuR2v2wmU781iunIz9aEnlwI25L1otqxyHkOHDE6LlqTN4JSt838Y_S2LhdMa7MRIjduFyLbBMWnXrdfhzRRV6EKuqu3OhJmn68Pqcja_Xjt7T1Axx3CQIJFlELTojSZI9J9XfS2zspSCrAlu_1QZoXDgz-h-tIomncJ3HqhdMQ/w640-h494/IMG_5374%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Vervet Monkey</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZkOhCkY47l9h1pplpf35EKGEMrSaBIPIx1Dizmf6Vmx3AG7HmA3rKxcUT0mQle0P2QHsW26AH7hKmAMF16zk6s04irHuayB3qhFtScu2r6nDp4YRH4JKZ4id7BpBsrdCpm8F8uunqWUSPBjpjvzbGgHm5pMlOPQv9qP8x1x5EJT8aRdBlA/s2928/IMG_5376%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="2928" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZkOhCkY47l9h1pplpf35EKGEMrSaBIPIx1Dizmf6Vmx3AG7HmA3rKxcUT0mQle0P2QHsW26AH7hKmAMF16zk6s04irHuayB3qhFtScu2r6nDp4YRH4JKZ4id7BpBsrdCpm8F8uunqWUSPBjpjvzbGgHm5pMlOPQv9qP8x1x5EJT8aRdBlA/w640-h446/IMG_5376%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby and Mom</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Y8wmblVyFqIrv7SC2tT2rFqU8EE90sYNWb2kgMooRLLUW8FQddJXDeEqrgSbxXYmfClwuZ4fI7duwfIMYSR0vaujIXquTjvj2YMvBLRu6XBtNzAnoa062SCgKpK82JVV2qwol0BSTaP6abiYrxipevMXE7pmvU9P35ABmctUlGTRsf4lQ/s4608/IMG_5385%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Y8wmblVyFqIrv7SC2tT2rFqU8EE90sYNWb2kgMooRLLUW8FQddJXDeEqrgSbxXYmfClwuZ4fI7duwfIMYSR0vaujIXquTjvj2YMvBLRu6XBtNzAnoa062SCgKpK82JVV2qwol0BSTaP6abiYrxipevMXE7pmvU9P35ABmctUlGTRsf4lQ/w640-h480/IMG_5385%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a face!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfa25wUy_A_CZGLyPknOLTAOiMOEgMRfDRrBwRQ84rlck3NELzwbUpL-BT2lMfugiUP4CqVBivt04qUjhmZjHDbueelBy4pe9-VMbeEa4chmEgRhr9WTFOi0nvCfVtXTjzhp5N6v5aA-hcMjqUIeSo1LlaWw69TMIx_9vRFtZqCVqS25x1A/s4385/IMG_5401%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="4385" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfa25wUy_A_CZGLyPknOLTAOiMOEgMRfDRrBwRQ84rlck3NELzwbUpL-BT2lMfugiUP4CqVBivt04qUjhmZjHDbueelBy4pe9-VMbeEa4chmEgRhr9WTFOi0nvCfVtXTjzhp5N6v5aA-hcMjqUIeSo1LlaWw69TMIx_9vRFtZqCVqS25x1A/w640-h464/IMG_5401%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p>We enjoyed our ride back past the villages between Ngorongoro and Gibbs Farm.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYGdcDFuIC8ReXwIi4GBfD0c3Q6UU8N1aC5w4Ug7q5KYPX4oGyzAWgJrGH-r8m_Y1bLqVnO3LI2WMp8FVgZc7bVvNjpjZznXFC5RGG3YzjdwGIj739ax6HgvQR0FnzH1pr5-3yvaYflmjYB0gmAPyBM64olYko9E1b82IF5q3D79O9lm6Bg/s2445/IMG_5406%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2273" data-original-width="2445" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYGdcDFuIC8ReXwIi4GBfD0c3Q6UU8N1aC5w4Ug7q5KYPX4oGyzAWgJrGH-r8m_Y1bLqVnO3LI2WMp8FVgZc7bVvNjpjZznXFC5RGG3YzjdwGIj739ax6HgvQR0FnzH1pr5-3yvaYflmjYB0gmAPyBM64olYko9E1b82IF5q3D79O9lm6Bg/w640-h594/IMG_5406%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGsLBbtVAE-d30WCKazzxgPP9A8D08bgp9LPKWFdGowqPsXdXRXiZ1CoU2gx-0xdGfnRNid5c_zI_sp_pNTCr8QmDTfz7L2S75DDONT0I5CeFJu16TCr1yOoUbFQ27Vuyn-okfG7f_6EHuxO0BWIcDgbSXOsmgcroQi5_mah9vAEo7EJlyQ/s4455/IMG_5407%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="4455" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGsLBbtVAE-d30WCKazzxgPP9A8D08bgp9LPKWFdGowqPsXdXRXiZ1CoU2gx-0xdGfnRNid5c_zI_sp_pNTCr8QmDTfz7L2S75DDONT0I5CeFJu16TCr1yOoUbFQ27Vuyn-okfG7f_6EHuxO0BWIcDgbSXOsmgcroQi5_mah9vAEo7EJlyQ/w640-h376/IMG_5407%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhuF-pTN6deWzrUEYuqnR8hhmYEU7GQ92qUR0UU6-lMX9mTa3CZS1bnDxbX6uH1ZJX6FLNKkKbv-DcKoFpdtqoUqfk0jbz9Bz7RojpYGk6lqyZCgtZq3vvHz7kwZXrjpEU0ujMMS8aebcSJ5ZQC2JOCKVmQigBdCxG-70EMCvtUMlPB9QUA/s3578/IMG_5413%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2810" data-original-width="3578" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhuF-pTN6deWzrUEYuqnR8hhmYEU7GQ92qUR0UU6-lMX9mTa3CZS1bnDxbX6uH1ZJX6FLNKkKbv-DcKoFpdtqoUqfk0jbz9Bz7RojpYGk6lqyZCgtZq3vvHz7kwZXrjpEU0ujMMS8aebcSJ5ZQC2JOCKVmQigBdCxG-70EMCvtUMlPB9QUA/w640-h502/IMG_5413%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8Q82bThDBGh8dLNt6CkmZQ6pXaXXHL76tGpzLls85cSQ5VYNuy0KlW-BEFgJLz7wgyuqOY04nvgWg5uMeoTa0kMpUBpUdW0BNU0q2HlWhmEFXBu1aFRgBMh4raM8PhpK4uH7KrPC3pq5DtFcXWSCaw53LeXKCf5DXx2KEeNqdUhmlsPoag/s4608/IMG_5414%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8Q82bThDBGh8dLNt6CkmZQ6pXaXXHL76tGpzLls85cSQ5VYNuy0KlW-BEFgJLz7wgyuqOY04nvgWg5uMeoTa0kMpUBpUdW0BNU0q2HlWhmEFXBu1aFRgBMh4raM8PhpK4uH7KrPC3pq5DtFcXWSCaw53LeXKCf5DXx2KEeNqdUhmlsPoag/w640-h480/IMG_5414%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; text-align: left;"> We had one final treat waiting back at Gibbs Farm. As we ate our lunch on an outdoor veranda, a tropical storm suddenly swept over us, and we spent the rest of this afternoon listening to pouring rain and thunder. The rain eased up in the evening, and the many birds in the Gibbs Farm gardens twittered happily. These were a fabulous couple of days!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltyavx-K6iymJuL9GCAv-gnWCA1gRc2WsXZ7-ig19Qc17w36sFPycAWBYH_ol9HMiOhcRCrwFz6WYx4Qmn8g---_HipA8HPLk9kOmG7ds5dhF0_ObwK6V18KAHMjRvSh-buHh4NWpXkYKXPReHR8P70pwuNyFxN0OAjucqUMEFUcY93c5xg/s4608/IMG_5419%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltyavx-K6iymJuL9GCAv-gnWCA1gRc2WsXZ7-ig19Qc17w36sFPycAWBYH_ol9HMiOhcRCrwFz6WYx4Qmn8g---_HipA8HPLk9kOmG7ds5dhF0_ObwK6V18KAHMjRvSh-buHh4NWpXkYKXPReHR8P70pwuNyFxN0OAjucqUMEFUcY93c5xg/w640-h480/IMG_5419%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp7RN42ua7M7K1lJLMBTIgaocyHiCIlSZW5__rTCY8lbyqMF277u2e8Q0TtEVIGMGMoLHT5S7efOb-z3kcy8UQbVgTD0JQQc37HenNQ1XmT7tQ9_9RmqOY1TisibyvYwpRzQdtv74sAnUbgmhxsr8T84RkCH1QqlUFRlLkMtqxe-4g-Ilng/s4473/IMG_5433%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3115" data-original-width="4473" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp7RN42ua7M7K1lJLMBTIgaocyHiCIlSZW5__rTCY8lbyqMF277u2e8Q0TtEVIGMGMoLHT5S7efOb-z3kcy8UQbVgTD0JQQc37HenNQ1XmT7tQ9_9RmqOY1TisibyvYwpRzQdtv74sAnUbgmhxsr8T84RkCH1QqlUFRlLkMtqxe-4g-Ilng/w640-h446/IMG_5433%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZGNmdOwZcj39ArY201Uks93Vdnt4gXnydF3frUpYGlx1ncwsrgrJAn9bHW_CZRK6YCJXsno32okLT7r5HSBPKJdijj8yb8Fe9NhjADa4IiRqG-y7jlDlgH9wR7X2V34kkRpWPOgpuv9JP5bidfPAEqs6wZ-fqgK4eYJsICfU_KHJ1m4aAQ/s4503/IMG_5435%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3377" data-original-width="4503" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZGNmdOwZcj39ArY201Uks93Vdnt4gXnydF3frUpYGlx1ncwsrgrJAn9bHW_CZRK6YCJXsno32okLT7r5HSBPKJdijj8yb8Fe9NhjADa4IiRqG-y7jlDlgH9wR7X2V34kkRpWPOgpuv9JP5bidfPAEqs6wZ-fqgK4eYJsICfU_KHJ1m4aAQ/w640-h480/IMG_5435%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllSXe0NX5cuz84GjevP2dnr0ZC-4ya1Nc6tu0aKpR9KXTF31DFm03c1YCVdjDBNKn9FcuhWjaeqm9hSzyg3NmPrnNaC0o-jQUmjQ5V4MwgRmukfPC8QhvFZGsxznNLqF4Zu6dduA38Dr2BxabRleQTMxADmnqVOsZ_PVKzEO2mWAIGvpwjw/s4608/IMG_5438%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllSXe0NX5cuz84GjevP2dnr0ZC-4ya1Nc6tu0aKpR9KXTF31DFm03c1YCVdjDBNKn9FcuhWjaeqm9hSzyg3NmPrnNaC0o-jQUmjQ5V4MwgRmukfPC8QhvFZGsxznNLqF4Zu6dduA38Dr2BxabRleQTMxADmnqVOsZ_PVKzEO2mWAIGvpwjw/w640-h480/IMG_5438%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 4.5pt 0in 0in; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-27350305167965230902022-09-28T18:26:00.004-07:002023-03-10T15:46:23.448-08:00More African Adventures, Part 6 - Lake Manyara National Park<h3 style="text-align: left;"> January 12, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania - The Game Drives Begin!</h2><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We started the day with coffee on the patio of our room, then had a lovely breakfast on the veranda of the Legendary Lodge looking out
over the green lawn and tropical flowers – and catching a glimpse of one of the
dik diks, tiny antelopes that share the grounds. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy72-ekXXd-ELidweeTYXHsjzBjJIxkj7bbvpCBZJoRoLudeGk53LXJa2gWo71TqgEGAq1tH-qSCE3qHVDy-hc0Nxx3bMbTqFLPscsFJwWI3oM5rJM4pEI2pcAJnTXLYeZ56mvX8J6HO7bDRUfOt6TV0OxNF4UIumpWuNF-gjcesIhGBBiiA/s4588/IMG_4677%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3119" data-original-width="4588" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy72-ekXXd-ELidweeTYXHsjzBjJIxkj7bbvpCBZJoRoLudeGk53LXJa2gWo71TqgEGAq1tH-qSCE3qHVDy-hc0Nxx3bMbTqFLPscsFJwWI3oM5rJM4pEI2pcAJnTXLYeZ56mvX8J6HO7bDRUfOt6TV0OxNF4UIumpWuNF-gjcesIhGBBiiA/w640-h436/IMG_4677%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T9emtrM4QU0Bzx1jyiG51wxAcrSd9MbO9gqzEQLYh5ZHbl27965atx7SmApfQ2ZelU2BjQJtrNtGbD9JqX6cGoYDJF4Ugn8W_MQfOpEnoJjMMU0UcXhLJH5-7HQnMcFFKJtB5XNCx6UHnpHY11s75UY1a5cW3xJk4gtn_OsEUl5F1PvT3A/s4608/IMG_4676%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T9emtrM4QU0Bzx1jyiG51wxAcrSd9MbO9gqzEQLYh5ZHbl27965atx7SmApfQ2ZelU2BjQJtrNtGbD9JqX6cGoYDJF4Ugn8W_MQfOpEnoJjMMU0UcXhLJH5-7HQnMcFFKJtB5XNCx6UHnpHY11s75UY1a5cW3xJk4gtn_OsEUl5F1PvT3A/w640-h480/IMG_4676%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzz6kZ2DjJmTriD35TmIYZDyjB_86IYW_-8Uy-5pYZk0aqdKTLhKuGLD5AhgHR1dV-Y6yfRXRttnVt18knKw_ugBux5-P-v_VWpezEpPh2uVW04e2iaQWC4TxAtP1701rq7QNR_SwXe-iNf2upRS1Pu0uKHf_KaUO8s-8OG8n4IfMFmxb9g/s4385/IMG_4672%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3358" data-original-width="4385" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzz6kZ2DjJmTriD35TmIYZDyjB_86IYW_-8Uy-5pYZk0aqdKTLhKuGLD5AhgHR1dV-Y6yfRXRttnVt18knKw_ugBux5-P-v_VWpezEpPh2uVW04e2iaQWC4TxAtP1701rq7QNR_SwXe-iNf2upRS1Pu0uKHf_KaUO8s-8OG8n4IfMFmxb9g/w640-h490/IMG_4672%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLr8vStl5BSx8GJPaPIN89uwhD9bF4hOPUTOtGFUq_qSA_1WPQoBWVgJjQDO3qqsYx-GgPQXokS2hvuXmbWDVblm0e2y9q-sNnCFtDd54y2HKmLG_6_ank4c7t6wNmxFxUZavCz5Z5wwYdaB_89FBa38z0_dx5gBx_Av-qCXfF_Q6rCnJfg/s4594/IMG_4674%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="4594" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLr8vStl5BSx8GJPaPIN89uwhD9bF4hOPUTOtGFUq_qSA_1WPQoBWVgJjQDO3qqsYx-GgPQXokS2hvuXmbWDVblm0e2y9q-sNnCFtDd54y2HKmLG_6_ank4c7t6wNmxFxUZavCz5Z5wwYdaB_89FBa38z0_dx5gBx_Av-qCXfF_Q6rCnJfg/w640-h422/IMG_4674%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhig5DH-CyOrlXrTYlzDwV9qmS5xcG_xaHifuSsms9W4fPcfczGMTogovf0WEio08iK9PupkCNNjWau_XiE5MNQ8GNHrB8Xc7vRtTiS9x-UA1_GxSY07mgJD441xghCKeFToxOqgBaiq-th4iqQ8h8KbdRIci3P0kmB4DmIMkZVEEYFI_0QhQ/s4608/IMG_4680%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhig5DH-CyOrlXrTYlzDwV9qmS5xcG_xaHifuSsms9W4fPcfczGMTogovf0WEio08iK9PupkCNNjWau_XiE5MNQ8GNHrB8Xc7vRtTiS9x-UA1_GxSY07mgJD441xghCKeFToxOqgBaiq-th4iqQ8h8KbdRIci3P0kmB4DmIMkZVEEYFI_0QhQ/w640-h480/IMG_4680%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Albert, our guide and driver
for the rest of our journey, was waiting for us, and we were all packed and
ready to go, so by 8:30, we were on our way to the Great Rift Valley. Albert was a terrific guide…very knowledgeable, not only about the animals we would see, but the
history and cultures of eastern Africa. He is a member of the Meru tribe, but he explained that the over 100 tribes of this region are not so focused on tribal
identity as in the past. For most of them, their first language is their tribal
language, but Swahili is the national language, and this common language allows
them all to communicate easily.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">We drove for about two
and a half hours past small Masai villages and spotted several small boys watching over their herds of cattle and goats. When we reached the gates of Lake Manyara National Park, I recognized the gates. We had passed by
this park on our visit to Tanzania in 2015, but our tour had not included it on
the itinerary, so I was happy for this chance to visit. Compared to some of
the other national parks, it is quite small, and the greatest area of the park
is taken up by Lake Manyara itself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOlzC34Vo_X0FTm5e7j2dsM8B1A0ZT7r6cVO6BErDph0BIQ_3fsPHXs75R80AqcxYSMQajsgrqlazgLDATdHUmg1QJQIWES_78b9bZk8c0QTdzbaHQVGHV3O0krUCgYpX1BsLbsffHCrclBntzjKLSGXrlOrdOd3AdCgMP7soN-Ct-YRMpg/s3326/IMG_4698%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3242" data-original-width="3326" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOlzC34Vo_X0FTm5e7j2dsM8B1A0ZT7r6cVO6BErDph0BIQ_3fsPHXs75R80AqcxYSMQajsgrqlazgLDATdHUmg1QJQIWES_78b9bZk8c0QTdzbaHQVGHV3O0krUCgYpX1BsLbsffHCrclBntzjKLSGXrlOrdOd3AdCgMP7soN-Ct-YRMpg/w640-h624/IMG_4698%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-smNhABWU1pFtQi84UKOL8wMTHotGA2N3HTn7OwEf45t8IcZz5S6n6TQOomzTi6B8JXZk3JVdcbP3rNv6v4bgKTexi0jMu_BS0JgP_lcvdgD288TbFADp9ngpxien1MfaQEUVXMSyefBc2Q4kRTL2h9ov7o0piE1GxlXI1BegWXUEhh1psQ/s3579/IMG_4700%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2853" data-original-width="3579" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-smNhABWU1pFtQi84UKOL8wMTHotGA2N3HTn7OwEf45t8IcZz5S6n6TQOomzTi6B8JXZk3JVdcbP3rNv6v4bgKTexi0jMu_BS0JgP_lcvdgD288TbFADp9ngpxien1MfaQEUVXMSyefBc2Q4kRTL2h9ov7o0piE1GxlXI1BegWXUEhh1psQ/w640-h510/IMG_4700%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiic1E3O2VMhZ4ZqchSlWqYAHfUCzd8iexa4jvujE-hskQJBqEfUQTQ0lywO1cxRYZirMec3lQywK7Us99rkVQnWcMJCftnEfCfjIEcjiTS2hpDIGjqo12LwtnP4V4ny4kZ7sDe4JfevwpbENV1-f4Y7P3kTkid-jqDE2XE8hUsepW-ie1xKw/s3346/IMG_4702%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="3346" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiic1E3O2VMhZ4ZqchSlWqYAHfUCzd8iexa4jvujE-hskQJBqEfUQTQ0lywO1cxRYZirMec3lQywK7Us99rkVQnWcMJCftnEfCfjIEcjiTS2hpDIGjqo12LwtnP4V4ny4kZ7sDe4JfevwpbENV1-f4Y7P3kTkid-jqDE2XE8hUsepW-ie1xKw/w640-h440/IMG_4702%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2wlznC7S1F-8jUDDacxYOVbgSU92B0lj8O1ICF8hpz0AK6hqUF8sTV42OFKdUMUeqjRJnthpJlufoAfGwrYftWWZH6QZ3LYB4M23enKBIQDxI5HhajQq_qM_mtqXSyycRTTgj5dEiIsmBbuQOR8pAiu-bXNY6ver4owsMXEomZ7geA3nqw/s4038/IMG_4706%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="4038" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2wlznC7S1F-8jUDDacxYOVbgSU92B0lj8O1ICF8hpz0AK6hqUF8sTV42OFKdUMUeqjRJnthpJlufoAfGwrYftWWZH6QZ3LYB4M23enKBIQDxI5HhajQq_qM_mtqXSyycRTTgj5dEiIsmBbuQOR8pAiu-bXNY6ver4owsMXEomZ7geA3nqw/w640-h444/IMG_4706%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nk8NfNiE2RhW-aqHME4-tNT9vkO8JSfUAU_kZxd0xdbDbKr5Asj0DrV4DwXTIzc5m2JYrS-xEGnIQobJqjxjI9wu1ALE_BMulNysaVlmwXLhNQ1SsBY06di-V0wzVcJvahA_n6QNi3JlMILSHz-46gjiTASsofsVWS8TvKjCV1Ly5zD5xg/s3500/IMG_4711%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2388" data-original-width="3500" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nk8NfNiE2RhW-aqHME4-tNT9vkO8JSfUAU_kZxd0xdbDbKr5Asj0DrV4DwXTIzc5m2JYrS-xEGnIQobJqjxjI9wu1ALE_BMulNysaVlmwXLhNQ1SsBY06di-V0wzVcJvahA_n6QNi3JlMILSHz-46gjiTASsofsVWS8TvKjCV1Ly5zD5xg/w640-h436/IMG_4711%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDwCNVB6IXQMDKmOueOJN9CruFnlkOI52aL2vtectbdXxIyf-rxOYLCvlaJcVfzZXOF2EnTWy1YcZkvQmaBVoy4nrP7PTCsB9d4SovMPK-6napS-4tzLkFPZhRfSWmZbjhJ6rSxkmLrkIJ1K1SlFvS0CczVDatMyDzpkpvXdseNW0FDg01g/s4142/IMG_4715%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="4142" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDwCNVB6IXQMDKmOueOJN9CruFnlkOI52aL2vtectbdXxIyf-rxOYLCvlaJcVfzZXOF2EnTWy1YcZkvQmaBVoy4nrP7PTCsB9d4SovMPK-6napS-4tzLkFPZhRfSWmZbjhJ6rSxkmLrkIJ1K1SlFvS0CczVDatMyDzpkpvXdseNW0FDg01g/w640-h492/IMG_4715%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">We had our first
animal encounter within minutes of entering the park…several Blue Monkeys
sitting in the trees right next to us. I always love finding monkeys! They are
such cute and fascinating little creatures with their almost human faces. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SZyLpTPGGxglz1gSqs3YpKp0YWs-emdLf29cD1Y1o67VN10veIF06ZUX_F_CEcK1xRviaSjYBPivcxZNcMuNkfTkSPBXZ3sPMMvu6tOrmAddC9krZCXsaLoTgMWaT8LC7m_C1KFZarPoHw6H7GXcFshSTwRkRAV2AVPZr5g976STQKqhJA/s4608/IMG_4720%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SZyLpTPGGxglz1gSqs3YpKp0YWs-emdLf29cD1Y1o67VN10veIF06ZUX_F_CEcK1xRviaSjYBPivcxZNcMuNkfTkSPBXZ3sPMMvu6tOrmAddC9krZCXsaLoTgMWaT8LC7m_C1KFZarPoHw6H7GXcFshSTwRkRAV2AVPZr5g976STQKqhJA/w640-h480/IMG_4720%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXP1727CgIkv-f_qFjoZzJijrU7w3qKezpMKrwRecWnvzF91mOITRVSalIcoZ3YnA18qq7gtF1JivdgA2tJWBZqpx7Fj224mi0zeJNNhCkVf1OIWzvtc7i0ujo92cCEpXUfcmC44_QuQKUB1vlvkb3LJxjjkVojoxfvRwiEmrEJWOKRmdqA/s4234/IMG_4721%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3125" data-original-width="4234" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXP1727CgIkv-f_qFjoZzJijrU7w3qKezpMKrwRecWnvzF91mOITRVSalIcoZ3YnA18qq7gtF1JivdgA2tJWBZqpx7Fj224mi0zeJNNhCkVf1OIWzvtc7i0ujo92cCEpXUfcmC44_QuQKUB1vlvkb3LJxjjkVojoxfvRwiEmrEJWOKRmdqA/w640-h472/IMG_4721%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtS6_C-Nt46kzrWMuhZSjkC_D0t41nx36zgoDgXgzVgRhhK9rXTSXrZmORwhXmv8KH-A2QBpHxiDA1ybZ-G-N-KGl0riR4T2Rccgqx30OCWLTkMEBQQJmGJj7ZkDBFJnC6-ioUI5BnXAtczr-aPOpgrcTDFMWR0BS2-7V4Joq0yZiq1WD_A/s3602/IMG_4723%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3237" data-original-width="3602" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtS6_C-Nt46kzrWMuhZSjkC_D0t41nx36zgoDgXgzVgRhhK9rXTSXrZmORwhXmv8KH-A2QBpHxiDA1ybZ-G-N-KGl0riR4T2Rccgqx30OCWLTkMEBQQJmGJj7ZkDBFJnC6-ioUI5BnXAtczr-aPOpgrcTDFMWR0BS2-7V4Joq0yZiq1WD_A/w640-h576/IMG_4723%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TI-3MUpKkRR3KYZuKSbSIHmTK78uMRmOqh9InNKhGSQ3dBqpq6E5HOoivZmw3ioR24MTfflTAGAdlYhsmLPKd456ufUecvMVILU9htMdL3nPsSXGAAgeJ3Mb4SvjzQlHajKL-UrVp3W4sf4CRYA85JNhq0z_OnNLNOmCiNOGXUfB2dTH5Q/s3850/IMG_4726%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3291" data-original-width="3850" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TI-3MUpKkRR3KYZuKSbSIHmTK78uMRmOqh9InNKhGSQ3dBqpq6E5HOoivZmw3ioR24MTfflTAGAdlYhsmLPKd456ufUecvMVILU9htMdL3nPsSXGAAgeJ3Mb4SvjzQlHajKL-UrVp3W4sf4CRYA85JNhq0z_OnNLNOmCiNOGXUfB2dTH5Q/w640-h548/IMG_4726%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">Just
a bit further up the road, a huge troop of baboons bounded across the road
right in front of us – big scary looking males, lots of females, many with
babies clinging to their backs or stomachs. It turns out that the park was
FILLED with baboons. We saw more large groups almost everywhere we drove. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiQCcd6-Pxc8HWRhHUKg6HWip4J0H-yYw5UhcG2GBVzkvnY3PiBnGiIzFIiRLHcqD_FsaW4ZSdQ6shfFGOikDsPQw990gGzqj4i9Kqv61VUfMaUbef4faAvkAuNiRTkLD_78bz7h17MFey6u4BA0vIDwgZhEwKHDg3yzENRGIURNB1d4U3w/s3574/IMG_4730%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3112" data-original-width="3574" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiQCcd6-Pxc8HWRhHUKg6HWip4J0H-yYw5UhcG2GBVzkvnY3PiBnGiIzFIiRLHcqD_FsaW4ZSdQ6shfFGOikDsPQw990gGzqj4i9Kqv61VUfMaUbef4faAvkAuNiRTkLD_78bz7h17MFey6u4BA0vIDwgZhEwKHDg3yzENRGIURNB1d4U3w/w640-h558/IMG_4730%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb6p0o3Gev9pMZyQiU2QiBEdtqNLgdCEJhsPcxeO9AjzpQsrEjqNj4gViQtulRITI_SXociTXvHSQxO5-UkF3PPjtSOaA4jpSfCXpwUJ7XuC4nl0QUX7CKRxwi9JfSEDJFLBlsXFSjd8uZKoVB-RNf35PRB_oH-U4MySbPpKDLKmVrcnTsg/s3597/IMG_4731%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2534" data-original-width="3597" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYb6p0o3Gev9pMZyQiU2QiBEdtqNLgdCEJhsPcxeO9AjzpQsrEjqNj4gViQtulRITI_SXociTXvHSQxO5-UkF3PPjtSOaA4jpSfCXpwUJ7XuC4nl0QUX7CKRxwi9JfSEDJFLBlsXFSjd8uZKoVB-RNf35PRB_oH-U4MySbPpKDLKmVrcnTsg/w640-h450/IMG_4731%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtnOxuTOIT36CVFyQv12WkZQKv1sLKtxCQ2aJ8QvATfIsULvScNZtTk-r8xWK1hSYPR9usSQ-eQ3FrO5ip9XI2zFGpRSYmGRBzI4ceOHaIScCBW8zYssxbCHYjJ0IyxHsrasP8a3DcyTO3OPwUeUGnUysfqfUWlRe4WfEnoy3i6xSM_Sw9Q/s3393/IMG_4735%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2570" data-original-width="3393" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtnOxuTOIT36CVFyQv12WkZQKv1sLKtxCQ2aJ8QvATfIsULvScNZtTk-r8xWK1hSYPR9usSQ-eQ3FrO5ip9XI2zFGpRSYmGRBzI4ceOHaIScCBW8zYssxbCHYjJ0IyxHsrasP8a3DcyTO3OPwUeUGnUysfqfUWlRe4WfEnoy3i6xSM_Sw9Q/w640-h484/IMG_4735%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuMZTYosr3VMP_VI2wqRuQ1SqHyu-K2tfu8GbnF89XNuaXdPFKwIRugzpOidK0c22nzpz008R56umYVVH_R5HwyCAN9NLHUMBn1iNmvV40OmjTnJ7qaaZnxZE05YbJAV4uIWQ5v_RASFIFdVKq4dOtJsZhPmDMd0jXVfuDJwqvCpDyIUxMA/s3344/IMG_4737%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="3344" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuMZTYosr3VMP_VI2wqRuQ1SqHyu-K2tfu8GbnF89XNuaXdPFKwIRugzpOidK0c22nzpz008R56umYVVH_R5HwyCAN9NLHUMBn1iNmvV40OmjTnJ7qaaZnxZE05YbJAV4uIWQ5v_RASFIFdVKq4dOtJsZhPmDMd0jXVfuDJwqvCpDyIUxMA/w640-h624/IMG_4737%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFJ1zbG_kVXvBESjFpOQrqeTU48_pevVa3ZNeb1CU4OzHniR5iButesvsNh0X-kawC0PgzIrNT56J5EgszkacoAsUVM2i6OTTHYV3dJKRsKdJqHQnNLDXo0NqkxLRo2z9-9LRnvOv5UgMkVPyTPzWs8ekovThbE-xD6o5XeC31HyrBac8kQ/s4608/IMG_4739.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFJ1zbG_kVXvBESjFpOQrqeTU48_pevVa3ZNeb1CU4OzHniR5iButesvsNh0X-kawC0PgzIrNT56J5EgszkacoAsUVM2i6OTTHYV3dJKRsKdJqHQnNLDXo0NqkxLRo2z9-9LRnvOv5UgMkVPyTPzWs8ekovThbE-xD6o5XeC31HyrBac8kQ/w640-h480/IMG_4739.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudptVJ4e8S7u4FlODThGTUeezD4KCTGF8YuWWn1iPtMNyW6aX5ewQLkrg5U7kop4kCVd1UVf_whE8miQ_7fV5_vtJaPRYMhpxFkk4k5II_c5Vb4Wx5aaVx7DbxQRoBolChX4MsDDRgNYHiN057v4FK_4Pk_MOCfXSXcrN7m8lbLsnId7nbQ/s4114/IMG_4744%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4114" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudptVJ4e8S7u4FlODThGTUeezD4KCTGF8YuWWn1iPtMNyW6aX5ewQLkrg5U7kop4kCVd1UVf_whE8miQ_7fV5_vtJaPRYMhpxFkk4k5II_c5Vb4Wx5aaVx7DbxQRoBolChX4MsDDRgNYHiN057v4FK_4Pk_MOCfXSXcrN7m8lbLsnId7nbQ/w640-h444/IMG_4744%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like someone called a meeting!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">Compared to the multitudes on the Serengeti, there were fewer animals here in Manyara, but for a small national park, it has a wide variety of landscapes. Ringed by hills, the park contains forests, grasslands, marshes, and the large lake. </span></p><h3 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">Animals and Birds of the Grasslands</span></h3><div><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_v3pUOwDfEvKHgOJgWMf381eAhSghlwfYseWGADMSv467GlSPJk5Ob-Rxop-C1hfYfWyDFqbbDZbfyO4tzPSbiEyahX6kXYsomC-gbUBcENT_y4LDqbQDoJmYfNMLUtzJQ-F24diPtrCGl1Jxvi_0n-Fpc-kqmN1LJ7thgnGAOgKokqxvg/s2643/IMG_4796%20(2).JPG" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="2643" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_v3pUOwDfEvKHgOJgWMf381eAhSghlwfYseWGADMSv467GlSPJk5Ob-Rxop-C1hfYfWyDFqbbDZbfyO4tzPSbiEyahX6kXYsomC-gbUBcENT_y4LDqbQDoJmYfNMLUtzJQ-F24diPtrCGl1Jxvi_0n-Fpc-kqmN1LJ7thgnGAOgKokqxvg/w640-h556/IMG_4796%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Ground Hornbill<br /><br />Baboons Everywhere!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseSCtlZujII7TdFvibj3NMB7v_PHk4qKxS32JMYSQg6Nnz-v5zjKgQw5uFWQxWoILFUogx2CLhWbfvC_O8E0KPrbwKpHlnG5w0i4p6gONLmtZme0ORNL7FcsK8ow3BVhO0zk1BNgurQQsZsRBJPLkaRCQQ-rGPbLQGIGD714uRNWMrP2uhQ/s2629/IMG_4793%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2629" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgseSCtlZujII7TdFvibj3NMB7v_PHk4qKxS32JMYSQg6Nnz-v5zjKgQw5uFWQxWoILFUogx2CLhWbfvC_O8E0KPrbwKpHlnG5w0i4p6gONLmtZme0ORNL7FcsK8ow3BVhO0zk1BNgurQQsZsRBJPLkaRCQQ-rGPbLQGIGD714uRNWMrP2uhQ/w584-h640/IMG_4793%20(2).JPG" width="584" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVbK5kKzesIgWOART_s-xmzGIklHL9WyN_GcmgRtZINglmIQWi__jNzLvkNkEYa1T0WVrFCuBjUooNLwPO-SKcUrwgz3u1KxOvgpdxVGqdaydsTK2V-aTmZ1EKLbKrd18K19NguvfmWoy_JZ0RAdwjvODlmcW1n1y-AXONLUPMpOpiqUBg/s3998/IMG_4797%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2674" data-original-width="3998" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRVbK5kKzesIgWOART_s-xmzGIklHL9WyN_GcmgRtZINglmIQWi__jNzLvkNkEYa1T0WVrFCuBjUooNLwPO-SKcUrwgz3u1KxOvgpdxVGqdaydsTK2V-aTmZ1EKLbKrd18K19NguvfmWoy_JZ0RAdwjvODlmcW1n1y-AXONLUPMpOpiqUBg/w640-h428/IMG_4797%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildnsAv9MeOtRW3GT_gQmt6ygXpp0OXRmTI7klAmk0Du45skMFGxT3WnqWO5XNMp3YPS9QmWNMId4YipHveVcRvJ4HlY8yJH83eRn-DJMfdJfwANI-6-GcSnJ7CQ3Y7KpLa_lgOIDhlnST3b5Q1YU7yBL3jgyFANSlbNqP047S6bfiwVLnUQ/s2280/IMG_4800%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="2280" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildnsAv9MeOtRW3GT_gQmt6ygXpp0OXRmTI7klAmk0Du45skMFGxT3WnqWO5XNMp3YPS9QmWNMId4YipHveVcRvJ4HlY8yJH83eRn-DJMfdJfwANI-6-GcSnJ7CQ3Y7KpLa_lgOIDhlnST3b5Q1YU7yBL3jgyFANSlbNqP047S6bfiwVLnUQ/w640-h564/IMG_4800%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JwhlL6pX43NqExIb-ZU3Owom6SNdiL7MwN9WP5vIHUo1ik84ua3Bi3OMuXqfXPylYf7l3igg2U9BrFxW5LsJI-CJ_KKlJpO-eEzRQt-lRCwgV5LObwenakON-1QQbTlvkL0woNS66KaZqqoVjg1hSbEpaIb9rDE_9LXsP3VTh7vX_dNm3w/s2380/IMG_4801%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2380" data-original-width="2354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JwhlL6pX43NqExIb-ZU3Owom6SNdiL7MwN9WP5vIHUo1ik84ua3Bi3OMuXqfXPylYf7l3igg2U9BrFxW5LsJI-CJ_KKlJpO-eEzRQt-lRCwgV5LObwenakON-1QQbTlvkL0woNS66KaZqqoVjg1hSbEpaIb9rDE_9LXsP3VTh7vX_dNm3w/w634-h640/IMG_4801%20(2).JPG" width="634" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9o3ZmNpCIa7WJ1b-Uhnf8v2tqP_jHmB-TfczYdy1tQfMh3EY1GZX1BHjMbnuonV1Z3G-B9CUpQsSZSoAhS9ZIclM6M5Ng18nnM06F1bNa3LaEaPnGFoCx6gGhKnI1wnTOG2FQLf2i8E4ucbfyRQLLAhlwGkdspT8_7rI_A7yYlrDprFA0g/s3828/IMG_4802%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3005" data-original-width="3828" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9o3ZmNpCIa7WJ1b-Uhnf8v2tqP_jHmB-TfczYdy1tQfMh3EY1GZX1BHjMbnuonV1Z3G-B9CUpQsSZSoAhS9ZIclM6M5Ng18nnM06F1bNa3LaEaPnGFoCx6gGhKnI1wnTOG2FQLf2i8E4ucbfyRQLLAhlwGkdspT8_7rI_A7yYlrDprFA0g/w640-h502/IMG_4802%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2x4BLG-lDdiqCV_NcYdQtF7bI4-yjRyCAoQWN2XHJ0bJogb6ezdV1UZLPXHL7Z3a9FNtUs5PjO9QoGyUfK4LmGLtuwBFpqO9MHEWcwGM_T-r7Fa15kwl_AhL0TmxPJm_ODR6ODWaBsiPIXlFUrY-rr6s_QcKH7Q4HMhRnmYpw6SV3qDbxQ/s3853/IMG_4803%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="3853" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2x4BLG-lDdiqCV_NcYdQtF7bI4-yjRyCAoQWN2XHJ0bJogb6ezdV1UZLPXHL7Z3a9FNtUs5PjO9QoGyUfK4LmGLtuwBFpqO9MHEWcwGM_T-r7Fa15kwl_AhL0TmxPJm_ODR6ODWaBsiPIXlFUrY-rr6s_QcKH7Q4HMhRnmYpw6SV3qDbxQ/w640-h546/IMG_4803%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBUbkZgx18Qxlg89AgupIUwaDYNgrJvEZ65KtpaS8HdAFFlPSpejUhLvMf8PITlNDig1rgX_2zy_5nk_X_Lr5dtkVAC40YM5_nOTid8y02rB3Nl8TrzzM6w54j3mEmKqdqEsQPKhnj3GJ6lswAFV06ucQmKdvoqmJrDoaCOaruLfGVEGQqg/s2565/IMG_4792%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2374" data-original-width="2565" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBUbkZgx18Qxlg89AgupIUwaDYNgrJvEZ65KtpaS8HdAFFlPSpejUhLvMf8PITlNDig1rgX_2zy_5nk_X_Lr5dtkVAC40YM5_nOTid8y02rB3Nl8TrzzM6w54j3mEmKqdqEsQPKhnj3GJ6lswAFV06ucQmKdvoqmJrDoaCOaruLfGVEGQqg/w640-h592/IMG_4792%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildebeest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp9BR9vXa0nS71Q_d8TM2Vc2LSJvyK7Bzr_X6UOY7zrCNEUtSWNkw3hX3hgq_fz1fySb2RNqJ9ak_h5AISd-cUyTtrTMlEZdMlOz-g_1B-mdnIiKY3H_3kLBIwuBZ5nwk5VKvSZ8jHhiQHl4ln_OwX6JL_-uRpERgMuwOEy937aHJRvSxww/s3209/IMG_4742%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2235" data-original-width="3209" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp9BR9vXa0nS71Q_d8TM2Vc2LSJvyK7Bzr_X6UOY7zrCNEUtSWNkw3hX3hgq_fz1fySb2RNqJ9ak_h5AISd-cUyTtrTMlEZdMlOz-g_1B-mdnIiKY3H_3kLBIwuBZ5nwk5VKvSZ8jHhiQHl4ln_OwX6JL_-uRpERgMuwOEy937aHJRvSxww/w640-h446/IMG_4742%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antelopes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylEC7voK8JAZzd5o8a_fjAyFEx94IZfYY6BQGuCTQZxUCgf29ekIHGRJFJc8dE3tHAC_zHnEhmXj1qWEL1uP0PO67ZbmW_5K-hlr8SpgtMjPM_YtzGUPJbZ8om9hpHsGNZRyer3kgp-sfeM6fNryd5MCAvL0ZGRN2ZnBpfUOZTtRXAlWYEQ/s2489/IMG_4748%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="2489" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylEC7voK8JAZzd5o8a_fjAyFEx94IZfYY6BQGuCTQZxUCgf29ekIHGRJFJc8dE3tHAC_zHnEhmXj1qWEL1uP0PO67ZbmW_5K-hlr8SpgtMjPM_YtzGUPJbZ8om9hpHsGNZRyer3kgp-sfeM6fNryd5MCAvL0ZGRN2ZnBpfUOZTtRXAlWYEQ/w640-h436/IMG_4748%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebra Family</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhh28wSbtbSMetB-_U6EdKEuHQzKaPQAOtNPitF5XWrHBHSSCQ9P4lV5n1HqhoGbd-U0oLyrzTwAe9EZloH0nZES08JNk9ui2mwdGtOkYqoBF4nKexBrTDVtO_bPWG_78eDdMNJsP2QyWmq8eEz1oGDEgf85JfrSwJavHsldSJnUkuL1lOQ/s3281/IMG_4749%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1699" data-original-width="3281" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhh28wSbtbSMetB-_U6EdKEuHQzKaPQAOtNPitF5XWrHBHSSCQ9P4lV5n1HqhoGbd-U0oLyrzTwAe9EZloH0nZES08JNk9ui2mwdGtOkYqoBF4nKexBrTDVtO_bPWG_78eDdMNJsP2QyWmq8eEz1oGDEgf85JfrSwJavHsldSJnUkuL1lOQ/w640-h332/IMG_4749%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warthog Family</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Birds and Animals of the Marshes</h3><div>As always, I was enchanted by the gorgeous birds, and the marshes of Manyara were filled with them!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSexT8tpJMR_sJminSWYkxV26FrKzD0IrOc-uWhijMF-XA4Nqevc2jq4CXoKabIbuNsIQVjwbuA4638560AqtMIK_YzD33lCp_DlGB5BAKqAuJUgwsFzV3uVv4OjfnnALCnfpfabk0eCDWPvloMMPcTh_A6DT1u1rbMtz9YwkOhrTpZ3EXjA/s2577/IMG_4776%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="2577" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSexT8tpJMR_sJminSWYkxV26FrKzD0IrOc-uWhijMF-XA4Nqevc2jq4CXoKabIbuNsIQVjwbuA4638560AqtMIK_YzD33lCp_DlGB5BAKqAuJUgwsFzV3uVv4OjfnnALCnfpfabk0eCDWPvloMMPcTh_A6DT1u1rbMtz9YwkOhrTpZ3EXjA/w640-h474/IMG_4776%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small herd of wildebeest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZerS6AOD69DG_qZX1tRaj_8Qz0WJhQ6HENMdn81VidFDzld2J12TIhulbxGCE4HaoRjCR8otxWLunfbJTES5ysY1RlFSWJH4kZKn0q9wvmPhXuqhpHcNTu2Dsh17y_wfqL85YQ77C-c5RrvM5IllIWspphDO_B8xNlKKIkRpkPlBpEC25w/s4608/IMG_4768%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZerS6AOD69DG_qZX1tRaj_8Qz0WJhQ6HENMdn81VidFDzld2J12TIhulbxGCE4HaoRjCR8otxWLunfbJTES5ysY1RlFSWJH4kZKn0q9wvmPhXuqhpHcNTu2Dsh17y_wfqL85YQ77C-c5RrvM5IllIWspphDO_B8xNlKKIkRpkPlBpEC25w/w640-h480/IMG_4768%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot the hippo?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlxpWc_xLkg-x-t2gCkKglTaFFG8caNPEWzJNMCl_N_ELq_gGz-CkcRpNAx2hWW1sIkv65gwsYpd9T1_SH-wNVTSNwNdx-jXpPLmdg2FSm9HFSpwVI4E6kcEoiQz49g8CMOiWZq32aq8ekMQJNPJHrJ1cFg_9elCLLK0MpqfTITJMbdZ2Lg/s4472/IMG_4769%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3162" data-original-width="4472" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlxpWc_xLkg-x-t2gCkKglTaFFG8caNPEWzJNMCl_N_ELq_gGz-CkcRpNAx2hWW1sIkv65gwsYpd9T1_SH-wNVTSNwNdx-jXpPLmdg2FSm9HFSpwVI4E6kcEoiQz49g8CMOiWZq32aq8ekMQJNPJHrJ1cFg_9elCLLK0MpqfTITJMbdZ2Lg/w640-h452/IMG_4769%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyTI8jRKm2IxratOmhSzVQUBAcoaSva5XJdXOR5rLBMj0qojZBjOXtlOXeDMt2RL7EWiQnv82GTPE36BrTN7qa0vYai1d5OHr7Rq_xQJ74YJK0_nvG5qBBEszsIK4pAVFkbQ8xeXNguV0VvgzBc9aj7sBmY63lqu9eRxoX2dxY_BHUb4gcA/s3932/IMG_4771%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2874" data-original-width="3932" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyTI8jRKm2IxratOmhSzVQUBAcoaSva5XJdXOR5rLBMj0qojZBjOXtlOXeDMt2RL7EWiQnv82GTPE36BrTN7qa0vYai1d5OHr7Rq_xQJ74YJK0_nvG5qBBEszsIK4pAVFkbQ8xeXNguV0VvgzBc9aj7sBmY63lqu9eRxoX2dxY_BHUb4gcA/w640-h468/IMG_4771%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Billed Ducks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucOA24DFKjE8gfKJq_3A0WQC13XBr3HoQFSqbZhiXuzq1VSlZj0CrmHtDk3CLJnfdwjG-WLt2tYlAr1f6cTcbkXfyZbEXXJjP8tELZVKkyOvz6cxCfcuU-e2Vyhsp2_RU4sHUfnXL16ENeIORmRb4bkh8jm3IHw4sDH20AQSqmEwo1Tcplw/s3638/IMG_4777%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3097" data-original-width="3638" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucOA24DFKjE8gfKJq_3A0WQC13XBr3HoQFSqbZhiXuzq1VSlZj0CrmHtDk3CLJnfdwjG-WLt2tYlAr1f6cTcbkXfyZbEXXJjP8tELZVKkyOvz6cxCfcuU-e2Vyhsp2_RU4sHUfnXL16ENeIORmRb4bkh8jm3IHw4sDH20AQSqmEwo1Tcplw/w640-h544/IMG_4777%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Crowned Crane with Wildebeests</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmnueWz_e2JdLmr3i0KcyzpusQ1aEClv8LYl6lctVVJdAAZdqZdX5zTpvPOJ8o1phQn6rPXLt3wMPYQHW9Bv7gInoBBYFeeEJ0V2UJ5SuCduzHgVyp7QI2_H9s7oqG85wEU4ca9rYr9EBQ5Fu67O5lOcQjx6yCJQccnuQBJgEhKPnK0FjZg/s3010/IMG_4781%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2370" data-original-width="3010" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmnueWz_e2JdLmr3i0KcyzpusQ1aEClv8LYl6lctVVJdAAZdqZdX5zTpvPOJ8o1phQn6rPXLt3wMPYQHW9Bv7gInoBBYFeeEJ0V2UJ5SuCduzHgVyp7QI2_H9s7oqG85wEU4ca9rYr9EBQ5Fu67O5lOcQjx6yCJQccnuQBJgEhKPnK0FjZg/w640-h504/IMG_4781%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Hornbill with Black Heron</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs33i_tFRqqroWglmCUoJ1MEv8AMDjy4yKJ_gpUl3ZExVHTk_p3HZEpjNm99ERQDhDOGwOKvFbeRJwjxpdMIl7xWxXnfjUFEZwovUdnMwTodQfqxwxkYVPDIe_gh0FSFLSX6sRFYPTWyr2cpz7I0JkzBhg2bJcDTaMT36H1PlU-cQewagl1A/s2829/IMG_4784%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="2829" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs33i_tFRqqroWglmCUoJ1MEv8AMDjy4yKJ_gpUl3ZExVHTk_p3HZEpjNm99ERQDhDOGwOKvFbeRJwjxpdMIl7xWxXnfjUFEZwovUdnMwTodQfqxwxkYVPDIe_gh0FSFLSX6sRFYPTWyr2cpz7I0JkzBhg2bJcDTaMT36H1PlU-cQewagl1A/w640-h478/IMG_4784%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blacksmith Plover</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmWlXDzwxKWgbgwSlmbdW3ZeTKu6BpXLEf1VobcakwAJf2L1_93fpDN8zXHinaZJ7Kch6eo88mQdr2_mz8hC-IFXXgpyBFcdaGS-G-gl7Rbt7GetAt5gnIqDO7QPTDvnv0m_PrHIlmBW98vHcxLMw3bvG09L9ncc635uHztXvu3JG_ae2bg/s3248/IMG_4785%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2631" data-original-width="3248" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmWlXDzwxKWgbgwSlmbdW3ZeTKu6BpXLEf1VobcakwAJf2L1_93fpDN8zXHinaZJ7Kch6eo88mQdr2_mz8hC-IFXXgpyBFcdaGS-G-gl7Rbt7GetAt5gnIqDO7QPTDvnv0m_PrHIlmBW98vHcxLMw3bvG09L9ncc635uHztXvu3JG_ae2bg/w640-h518/IMG_4785%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian Geese<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB1LdhoVzjWUaEQZQY3F3NxOatRE3jkDzndykevteDJgQm4rjGXJmxyHpqGGAmzq45j7SS7gEhE4Rxac6PWwt75rthCTFI5Em-iqGo4UFh9-XgI9qzT5jbktHEH8hVrrAp324DJ2rrbvkAR-3npAcayoC_KBKuA2UYDavZZWFfAKIOVT4TA/s3297/IMG_4761%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="3297" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB1LdhoVzjWUaEQZQY3F3NxOatRE3jkDzndykevteDJgQm4rjGXJmxyHpqGGAmzq45j7SS7gEhE4Rxac6PWwt75rthCTFI5Em-iqGo4UFh9-XgI9qzT5jbktHEH8hVrrAp324DJ2rrbvkAR-3npAcayoC_KBKuA2UYDavZZWFfAKIOVT4TA/w640-h500/IMG_4761%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African Jacana</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBvkRE_haVm-cMNoB1XpfLMxm0lt-sOp5owwGSsJ4PsRihNvi1X9HFfv4bj0nlb9YzyAyV8We4K0WrNcSnf01p_F5FwZ_Fc8VSS0csk_MQPd_pyhRft_3vnlFuV7F-nKaHt0pMATMiE3Vqpp9UWZUrQm9yUMaCu2uHZUv0kPOfxMn8xtNuw/s3232/IMG_4787%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3232" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBvkRE_haVm-cMNoB1XpfLMxm0lt-sOp5owwGSsJ4PsRihNvi1X9HFfv4bj0nlb9YzyAyV8We4K0WrNcSnf01p_F5FwZ_Fc8VSS0csk_MQPd_pyhRft_3vnlFuV7F-nKaHt0pMATMiE3Vqpp9UWZUrQm9yUMaCu2uHZUv0kPOfxMn8xtNuw/w640-h584/IMG_4787%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egret<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatk1YTSukUdAkuVN9FyJBIkKYvEsnKQmVjbkL2JyjvGD7qecOBw_F9Cj4M4v7JQCiOYSyvRypX-tOxaKnhT34Xc8VehvmDS9hRgvPPBxIr8oKTpYgUAs1m0YKAV5embbOFGw73Jrt0_cESb38hz6NYSnPQwf7IsmC0GyhkDVw8xCFzwTnuQ/s3711/IMG_4758%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3222" data-original-width="3711" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatk1YTSukUdAkuVN9FyJBIkKYvEsnKQmVjbkL2JyjvGD7qecOBw_F9Cj4M4v7JQCiOYSyvRypX-tOxaKnhT34Xc8VehvmDS9hRgvPPBxIr8oKTpYgUAs1m0YKAV5embbOFGw73Jrt0_cESb38hz6NYSnPQwf7IsmC0GyhkDVw8xCFzwTnuQ/w640-h556/IMG_4758%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weird and wonderful Saddle-Billed Stork</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhzgvs7rPRWnabctdNhEv8jtfjk4HvSXK53GzcPOnBYEubhGpaI53WW6moSWCSWqSasGLagCIilPtfV9qPj1nIRL7P8yCx7OeKM01mIxIjliBA0Hc3ANmyUpvZ1wY9fAAicT2_H0dLTEhW5mJ9rWqoDbfARP7SRuEkXKRXlPsfqtrJw5isg/s2147/IMG_4751%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="2147" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhzgvs7rPRWnabctdNhEv8jtfjk4HvSXK53GzcPOnBYEubhGpaI53WW6moSWCSWqSasGLagCIilPtfV9qPj1nIRL7P8yCx7OeKM01mIxIjliBA0Hc3ANmyUpvZ1wY9fAAicT2_H0dLTEhW5mJ9rWqoDbfARP7SRuEkXKRXlPsfqtrJw5isg/w640-h402/IMG_4751%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEExdA-lvrMBN1nN9cCohF61xrQM9-46znTLb_wcHICfasGX2KOsRtyr2wo5TzJOYdoGJP28R2t4M-NDj0h92sIrsnIbcsRpeOumdFL_L1tCCrucaPsVjkKKC8s3VPLXEY8a5tc5u7SFkfHXz5OYE2KgU3n2bQDGk_AhOXg_TlOJHWlLVA0A/s4608/IMG_4756%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEExdA-lvrMBN1nN9cCohF61xrQM9-46znTLb_wcHICfasGX2KOsRtyr2wo5TzJOYdoGJP28R2t4M-NDj0h92sIrsnIbcsRpeOumdFL_L1tCCrucaPsVjkKKC8s3VPLXEY8a5tc5u7SFkfHXz5OYE2KgU3n2bQDGk_AhOXg_TlOJHWlLVA0A/w640-h480/IMG_4756%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Faced Whistling Duck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">At the end of our safari drive around the park, Albert set up our picnic lunch on a hill above the lake. We were joined by several Superb Starlings begging for a handout.</span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghR11ju8UGfWX45Uwe27fd0IUjqkFg7ongRMhw1oBt_3azIFs7bDYbLAE3B7ir8x_RntOvbjjad7ZRbXz2f052Bc-cOAa1twYifhluCK_ZA6DXavWOi05t3dCNcZWPC6Cfu6-SBhgso2AP2JEXnzH6VdOkVe5rj9cDTAh3kenMANBLJ2nX7A/s4312/IMG_4805%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3331" data-original-width="4312" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghR11ju8UGfWX45Uwe27fd0IUjqkFg7ongRMhw1oBt_3azIFs7bDYbLAE3B7ir8x_RntOvbjjad7ZRbXz2f052Bc-cOAa1twYifhluCK_ZA6DXavWOi05t3dCNcZWPC6Cfu6-SBhgso2AP2JEXnzH6VdOkVe5rj9cDTAh3kenMANBLJ2nX7A/w640-h494/IMG_4805%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Manyara in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyCH7W8Y4XKl3UTJ2vsZUR75ytI4dW3iEADvkLy0Bw5lRooCa3nF350qSW-edhSs_aALufSPWJGq6lsMyZc-Pr1mMJT7wwhtJ0LojRUpZEeKFTABMsO2ZZIE-SomSCcPj1bziTH_h-WPV1cKIVCWnbJtrpQM5oIY4kSowYG6mfrawj3UIwg/s4607/IMG_4806%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="4607" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyCH7W8Y4XKl3UTJ2vsZUR75ytI4dW3iEADvkLy0Bw5lRooCa3nF350qSW-edhSs_aALufSPWJGq6lsMyZc-Pr1mMJT7wwhtJ0LojRUpZEeKFTABMsO2ZZIE-SomSCcPj1bziTH_h-WPV1cKIVCWnbJtrpQM5oIY4kSowYG6mfrawj3UIwg/w640-h480/IMG_4806%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAECm2oF6lc-CLH7zQudg7a4SdW0T5oBeHClTAbq4bI5V_WPl6YY1KY8MSnd7IUoxSu3d2bqtjf3UN6TrChyzV_ht0985OpMtvpoWCMB3HzEkmujcX66UuVx4Oa3rVnaXu3si0ibU-jZX0zXE1aR1lhp8UejA18WDQTBAfSwLe9FMjm99ZSQ/s3605/IMG_4807%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3242" data-original-width="3605" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAECm2oF6lc-CLH7zQudg7a4SdW0T5oBeHClTAbq4bI5V_WPl6YY1KY8MSnd7IUoxSu3d2bqtjf3UN6TrChyzV_ht0985OpMtvpoWCMB3HzEkmujcX66UuVx4Oa3rVnaXu3si0ibU-jZX0zXE1aR1lhp8UejA18WDQTBAfSwLe9FMjm99ZSQ/w640-h576/IMG_4807%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albert and Rob unpack our lunch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gG4OSFXrox8B83MY5sVFtu0jAS8KC4d3TrcuY4ROFm2t5zEUZUsfP1UxrPPoKqDRuutlom8dqegUajBiqBLTgRnVFl6gvImBBqUIHI-naHB2p7l4vFLsYj17noyqttBJOaLAoOv95mJmYBlu92qwBB7ovyKzG4_7hKyotEoBkxAnxn72-w/s3190/IMG_4808%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3190" data-original-width="2859" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gG4OSFXrox8B83MY5sVFtu0jAS8KC4d3TrcuY4ROFm2t5zEUZUsfP1UxrPPoKqDRuutlom8dqegUajBiqBLTgRnVFl6gvImBBqUIHI-naHB2p7l4vFLsYj17noyqttBJOaLAoOv95mJmYBlu92qwBB7ovyKzG4_7hKyotEoBkxAnxn72-w/w574-h640/IMG_4808%20(2).JPG" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Superb Starlings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ70MCPgnUQQf86cmiDHcA_302Y-Ws26vDYP18iJ5HFBY8pm6garBUFtQu8_bBHJYAXbJ4UHQdGBjrVcZPQu6yX0f1BFZxYE7DwQTxWBIRoCw5tPETYUT_Ye15HXHpa2AdW2CxOUJBCVGjA2aunb7fYHhhdw5IHEtGCTblAwvYH9cBuJsesg/s3349/IMG_4810%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2845" data-original-width="3349" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ70MCPgnUQQf86cmiDHcA_302Y-Ws26vDYP18iJ5HFBY8pm6garBUFtQu8_bBHJYAXbJ4UHQdGBjrVcZPQu6yX0f1BFZxYE7DwQTxWBIRoCw5tPETYUT_Ye15HXHpa2AdW2CxOUJBCVGjA2aunb7fYHhhdw5IHEtGCTblAwvYH9cBuJsesg/w640-h544/IMG_4810%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">After lunch, we enjoyed the sights as we continued on to the high green hills surrounding the
Ngorongoro Crater. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uVuBH4peXG1ui8Ko9hETrm_aoiuKF_WWGS05SdbgVqUOFfW-7e3IPvA2FX-qaMzLieat7Gtf-6kTXZZJVWOwwR6Vxvzt577oqcjPlNvx74vbOEcY9fZRHZR2U7AnlxxTIbBWVS3YTY5NYvuN1_fbGEYkqLyy-rSv3cByy-qPUNwL29aWZA/s3578/IMG_4812%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3039" data-original-width="3578" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uVuBH4peXG1ui8Ko9hETrm_aoiuKF_WWGS05SdbgVqUOFfW-7e3IPvA2FX-qaMzLieat7Gtf-6kTXZZJVWOwwR6Vxvzt577oqcjPlNvx74vbOEcY9fZRHZR2U7AnlxxTIbBWVS3YTY5NYvuN1_fbGEYkqLyy-rSv3cByy-qPUNwL29aWZA/w640-h544/IMG_4812%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4l14N2RkPAJbkdMJQyK29u9UxawNgSUU2haLwf7ll4TVwkVUvoBHPBvaqliKGCCUNmSEgtLO8gw6a-T8rgcDYv0aFWtRe4c9ZHg2eaidYVDMBWd4C21fqgIFFiewHY98-QU1URUSlOgr-baCZDQsoyrUBriyhhwth3RkR_RYzGWkZpHqqRQ/s4135/IMG_4814%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3017" data-original-width="4135" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4l14N2RkPAJbkdMJQyK29u9UxawNgSUU2haLwf7ll4TVwkVUvoBHPBvaqliKGCCUNmSEgtLO8gw6a-T8rgcDYv0aFWtRe4c9ZHg2eaidYVDMBWd4C21fqgIFFiewHY98-QU1URUSlOgr-baCZDQsoyrUBriyhhwth3RkR_RYzGWkZpHqqRQ/w640-h466/IMG_4814%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00i1653DOGDLB3C7f38HqXWQBCoZFD_QNw7L6c-4apqsN0ffLgDExlklF3W557C6MIkgfyJj96JyRUhlh4t2_rWtglswwHZkedJrv6O62kX2i8tvrhLaqE4Mh3XQnWOx_8nFBfPJWL7AynnUT61e7x4yEuQ6Lo4oj-kY7Yi-2hItuk9nSAQ/s5159/IMG_6012%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3485" data-original-width="5159" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00i1653DOGDLB3C7f38HqXWQBCoZFD_QNw7L6c-4apqsN0ffLgDExlklF3W557C6MIkgfyJj96JyRUhlh4t2_rWtglswwHZkedJrv6O62kX2i8tvrhLaqE4Mh3XQnWOx_8nFBfPJWL7AynnUT61e7x4yEuQ6Lo4oj-kY7Yi-2hItuk9nSAQ/w640-h432/IMG_6012%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">It was late afternoon when Albert turned off of the main road onto a
narrow red dirt road toward our final destination of the day, the wonderful Gibbs Farm. It has been ranked the number one lodge in all of Africa.
It started life as a coffee plantation in the early 1900’s. After WWII, James
and Margaret Gibb bought the plantation and started Gibbs Farm, the oldest
guest house in northern Tanzania. It has a lovely old plantation house as the
headquarters, with several cottages scattered around the extensive grounds.
Each cottage is surrounded by thick tropical foliage, affording privacy and a cozy feeling. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpoUzMHrMw5qKL0b-PNGFyaoc4zaG5LpewdJcKabzuH-Mv-1ZmXZ-t32bYoDrTIUBlI0oxqsF4qTv4wRtE2AAoIok-yTeWCUJaxgFE6SJnFRQ_qiCVbpNEYd7q55JbWj0bJAFy32GL2LEZMo4vDoHR7cJM8AbESseK6E9vLBuOmAr56pSXQ/s4557/IMG_4815%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="4557" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpoUzMHrMw5qKL0b-PNGFyaoc4zaG5LpewdJcKabzuH-Mv-1ZmXZ-t32bYoDrTIUBlI0oxqsF4qTv4wRtE2AAoIok-yTeWCUJaxgFE6SJnFRQ_qiCVbpNEYd7q55JbWj0bJAFy32GL2LEZMo4vDoHR7cJM8AbESseK6E9vLBuOmAr56pSXQ/w640-h400/IMG_4815%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG0nUcjYPpitwHK1lLyfbDey--TNkyGVmvjwnYN-lUCLTyxmUT5Rg3RT0BJ9braqhhVl-ycSoZUXZeCN9NCzbwQBHqFOO_gTxcNXFpVpo8_PwKU6GFrn-QyaRAyH20ugBVIdohpe3u1zPR7RmXqFQ1jAbMxHmoCTWmVXUlGFFB5BGoAY0Cw/s4513/IMG_4816%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="4513" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG0nUcjYPpitwHK1lLyfbDey--TNkyGVmvjwnYN-lUCLTyxmUT5Rg3RT0BJ9braqhhVl-ycSoZUXZeCN9NCzbwQBHqFOO_gTxcNXFpVpo8_PwKU6GFrn-QyaRAyH20ugBVIdohpe3u1zPR7RmXqFQ1jAbMxHmoCTWmVXUlGFFB5BGoAY0Cw/w640-h358/IMG_4816%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFxrQzo6H8imLR6qP8AB9hcsfwlJQj9YxB_Iq7CWPqWhOsS2NkCudJQGCrrkSwZxvUd3pfd0SmtkRtgssbBnQsSzZuJaIParzh6UvSXppIm3AylSMDZ-wz0bP5xK6huUn4I8iu6SgvFUsy1B6ZrRT76-5XGMpBg3fMZQ90tN8k0NngwRUCQ/s4469/IMG_4832%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3204" data-original-width="4469" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFxrQzo6H8imLR6qP8AB9hcsfwlJQj9YxB_Iq7CWPqWhOsS2NkCudJQGCrrkSwZxvUd3pfd0SmtkRtgssbBnQsSzZuJaIParzh6UvSXppIm3AylSMDZ-wz0bP5xK6huUn4I8iu6SgvFUsy1B6ZrRT76-5XGMpBg3fMZQ90tN8k0NngwRUCQ/w640-h458/IMG_4832%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJsXEiHEiqeD3k6OTk6FDy66OJgTHZKodCdhUfvLBV7zkgNoo-y7svr423l1xHSoAqerjbVGwUbacM5VrbA5p4qcpME1QyOkUMGZlc66ig9cPDUIR8ZVxLmsFkHCSeKA97bc4ngJOyKwouZWRVPYeL_Qf6RL5zFv3d5yIwpe0T8GzlI3tZA/s3904/IMG_4841%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3301" data-original-width="3904" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJsXEiHEiqeD3k6OTk6FDy66OJgTHZKodCdhUfvLBV7zkgNoo-y7svr423l1xHSoAqerjbVGwUbacM5VrbA5p4qcpME1QyOkUMGZlc66ig9cPDUIR8ZVxLmsFkHCSeKA97bc4ngJOyKwouZWRVPYeL_Qf6RL5zFv3d5yIwpe0T8GzlI3tZA/w640-h542/IMG_4841%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYqPBtN_Ify3SB6kmBiMVt3p_rwvJhP5_xzVHdXuVqAL4iRCx0woWTfFmcNdwhejzruIHHzA8HQs60E-rOn2tGJqjVmiIAzHl3NDZ9z-3QggrjTnEe7mbPt9uVqISoWLNDCfFdhzrU_NwrhoN9j-4XbQnrb_No3WbsQ1yNM6w6ihtZ0W-Qg/s4323/IMG_4842%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3243" data-original-width="4323" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYqPBtN_Ify3SB6kmBiMVt3p_rwvJhP5_xzVHdXuVqAL4iRCx0woWTfFmcNdwhejzruIHHzA8HQs60E-rOn2tGJqjVmiIAzHl3NDZ9z-3QggrjTnEe7mbPt9uVqISoWLNDCfFdhzrU_NwrhoN9j-4XbQnrb_No3WbsQ1yNM6w6ihtZ0W-Qg/w640-h480/IMG_4842%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdgM5Q7gX-v65lm1nPA4ZJ6Tt2vuZffjBLCBU-2NqwHGuo0UHeoNzKi7GlNFIDdDbH-EroVoQt3T3rK89Y2Q7vXqLjDvo3OK38MfT_3vtQCTLabZdrHytE5U-C0D0sW0j6FQIvAbGfdc0LHMArhHptw43Tnjj1wgRBtc1FGpP6La5mOuslw/s4306/IMG_4845%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="4306" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdgM5Q7gX-v65lm1nPA4ZJ6Tt2vuZffjBLCBU-2NqwHGuo0UHeoNzKi7GlNFIDdDbH-EroVoQt3T3rK89Y2Q7vXqLjDvo3OK38MfT_3vtQCTLabZdrHytE5U-C0D0sW0j6FQIvAbGfdc0LHMArhHptw43Tnjj1wgRBtc1FGpP6La5mOuslw/w640-h458/IMG_4845%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi_lN3K0dOo2ais_1G1znMVT1OsrRvo56TodLzjuuuEmFnb4W7pgT1pmYPkadrW1UOhr2o-pkkY9smUlbvHpwMd6bMU0aHPj2b_l3YFfoXO7WytJJFmuj2IEqC5f89_-nOiTwOVr8yRMbilbwV6dls-eLVAQpx2effXFxAkm8L-JDY9izIQ/s4792/IMG_6006%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3609" data-original-width="4792" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi_lN3K0dOo2ais_1G1znMVT1OsrRvo56TodLzjuuuEmFnb4W7pgT1pmYPkadrW1UOhr2o-pkkY9smUlbvHpwMd6bMU0aHPj2b_l3YFfoXO7WytJJFmuj2IEqC5f89_-nOiTwOVr8yRMbilbwV6dls-eLVAQpx2effXFxAkm8L-JDY9izIQ/w640-h482/IMG_6006%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">Our cottage was beautiful, with a large bedroom/sitting area that
included a fireplace, large bathroom (again with tub), and an indoor AND outdoor shower. </span><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">But Gibbs Farm is actually a
working farm. Our cottage looked down on the large vegetable garden and stables.
(In fact, I could hear the roosters and the cows as I typed the notes for this post!) The chef here
creates menus based on the produce grown organically right here. Many of the
lovely staff have worked on this farm for many years, and their love for the
place is clear. I really could hardly believe we were getting to have this
wonderful experience!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uMfmSelgN2-_rXXsPrCCi9aGg9DOfKVeWhgg0CD_TkYG-c4sVKcZZkxDbLLtP-IIPVGd4YXDnDJsqdDwQOFQw0J8MlGAocJjcFGkTY6aBqWPKvPNH-Ta-bwfpOCC6i8AfYJY_Jhbt-0ahUxjzJVdK9cCpKWBeTm1HtM56Xwi1EghPu5P0Q/s4608/IMG_5416.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uMfmSelgN2-_rXXsPrCCi9aGg9DOfKVeWhgg0CD_TkYG-c4sVKcZZkxDbLLtP-IIPVGd4YXDnDJsqdDwQOFQw0J8MlGAocJjcFGkTY6aBqWPKvPNH-Ta-bwfpOCC6i8AfYJY_Jhbt-0ahUxjzJVdK9cCpKWBeTm1HtM56Xwi1EghPu5P0Q/w640-h480/IMG_5416.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cottage at Gibbs Farm</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXuT3jcQZf4i0kIeL1QWVOc97TWyE2arv590GzXCcOXoTpPG6A0HmSYf9uYqPcVyJz5jwDZ-T7g5bhaS--X20Teg_5rtwuY5RvLP9ycEGJJ-pq3myyw-GSaSS2_ZJOtcG1Q8wCBcczjm8cnx_Oxy0IO8L-cLFDiWUXgzYfaxlltYchqr7vA/s4163/IMG_6002%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4163" data-original-width="3887" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXuT3jcQZf4i0kIeL1QWVOc97TWyE2arv590GzXCcOXoTpPG6A0HmSYf9uYqPcVyJz5jwDZ-T7g5bhaS--X20Teg_5rtwuY5RvLP9ycEGJJ-pq3myyw-GSaSS2_ZJOtcG1Q8wCBcczjm8cnx_Oxy0IO8L-cLFDiWUXgzYfaxlltYchqr7vA/w598-h640/IMG_6002%20(2).JPG" width="598" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were in the Star Cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0in;"><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #1d2129; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDGqohUR-f85DiMEGnPqJOrWxQZy_cKpUAbrujoOecsTtUYgS8Qv3oQE7RnPjOQzKwOsc0Nta38pRsNjvBItyr55uKM0z_pSNO4C_c4KS8U8olO5rNo0O6YgrDKdE2cfAHGzL9WeutjA5-If3dADE_FXmU5VadHXeIfMHyVWRu7ykU6ycng/s4801/IMG_5990%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3601" data-original-width="4801" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDGqohUR-f85DiMEGnPqJOrWxQZy_cKpUAbrujoOecsTtUYgS8Qv3oQE7RnPjOQzKwOsc0Nta38pRsNjvBItyr55uKM0z_pSNO4C_c4KS8U8olO5rNo0O6YgrDKdE2cfAHGzL9WeutjA5-If3dADE_FXmU5VadHXeIfMHyVWRu7ykU6ycng/w640-h480/IMG_5990%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTsloR2lqxRJnp9aF1eHVOkZeyitFGMLjItGawLGz4hLaxgMchMEs4QPlpKnszSeNrMDKEQ_Vep670sbWMzWYfjR7RLiSue1fNuj8rKDJxUaMbBtwtJonVFuTiGueC47tS4a-85AH83JwVPjTYqSGJY8I16xaHK5cBr0dNav-PNBS_HCxNA/s4810/IMG_5991%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3546" data-original-width="4810" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTsloR2lqxRJnp9aF1eHVOkZeyitFGMLjItGawLGz4hLaxgMchMEs4QPlpKnszSeNrMDKEQ_Vep670sbWMzWYfjR7RLiSue1fNuj8rKDJxUaMbBtwtJonVFuTiGueC47tS4a-85AH83JwVPjTYqSGJY8I16xaHK5cBr0dNav-PNBS_HCxNA/w640-h472/IMG_5991%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8sEeUTZwvA3-5HAcnJD75eiwq-ZMCYFTQlJPJ_RHMUlKQQO_Nl39c2-6sNiGjjgd77G1zYXEJmO9CRmi-UB2Nj1gqIywSxzSkKBDR17OvSsW24ej0cZ4cuoA0ytQyfLhMz0ivYWrpb3CQd5dn9Gdak1blwBx3DmGtbwhBxOlhOaiqwm5-Q/s5125/IMG_5996%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5125" data-original-width="3547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8sEeUTZwvA3-5HAcnJD75eiwq-ZMCYFTQlJPJ_RHMUlKQQO_Nl39c2-6sNiGjjgd77G1zYXEJmO9CRmi-UB2Nj1gqIywSxzSkKBDR17OvSsW24ej0cZ4cuoA0ytQyfLhMz0ivYWrpb3CQd5dn9Gdak1blwBx3DmGtbwhBxOlhOaiqwm5-Q/w442-h640/IMG_5996%20(2).JPG" width="442" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10VrU8twpCKaRpN2HBu3ME4wg6vrKVRUgF4KmXn7g9Ldeb4iaFQRxoTCWNK-TTHlUtA3M9jYJpIAtIzN5cx0lnTjE6uzDy6IZkBLazij9g0zC3tJjtH8MaTPEtMVSLiIX8NqQKXRU5KZ1-_5F_ifF80UrBvzZh__LAmmJqOMctCLzry9Ycg/s5184/IMG_5999%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10VrU8twpCKaRpN2HBu3ME4wg6vrKVRUgF4KmXn7g9Ldeb4iaFQRxoTCWNK-TTHlUtA3M9jYJpIAtIzN5cx0lnTjE6uzDy6IZkBLazij9g0zC3tJjtH8MaTPEtMVSLiIX8NqQKXRU5KZ1-_5F_ifF80UrBvzZh__LAmmJqOMctCLzry9Ycg/w640-h480/IMG_5999%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOc3EpdRat3iw5zsfj-9C_6XNYjDKcC-8ptuGdWWlTI-FzHNdYp0FR1_jfKd-B2edwn8PVe5Qc6H-mq47vcS98CyMm8rqN_MP3LPutFqNRi7h13eiM7Xb3oAupe_v2NFk7mz_WoTeBkxSkTpKlux7akDTYiqrk99k8Wl44s9-9UOe-0FnAg/s4684/IMG_6000%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3451" data-original-width="4684" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOc3EpdRat3iw5zsfj-9C_6XNYjDKcC-8ptuGdWWlTI-FzHNdYp0FR1_jfKd-B2edwn8PVe5Qc6H-mq47vcS98CyMm8rqN_MP3LPutFqNRi7h13eiM7Xb3oAupe_v2NFk7mz_WoTeBkxSkTpKlux7akDTYiqrk99k8Wl44s9-9UOe-0FnAg/w640-h472/IMG_6000%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_00xm53XTeYm5akZPyRiAqdzYY7E-WN2Rr32keQko-fqhV-WH3pqOSpvPE8WEb7SIe5ZCAh9LfP0b7l6lVLjc86-7R0smM438Uw0xz8WI5hsoMSrmm4rGo_wWdVdX62s0-JZuvdOtzoAUiKjKgIkcOzp8d39ShEhwHG77ajhUpYIV3GcjOw/s4817/IMG_5993%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3787" data-original-width="4817" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_00xm53XTeYm5akZPyRiAqdzYY7E-WN2Rr32keQko-fqhV-WH3pqOSpvPE8WEb7SIe5ZCAh9LfP0b7l6lVLjc86-7R0smM438Uw0xz8WI5hsoMSrmm4rGo_wWdVdX62s0-JZuvdOtzoAUiKjKgIkcOzp8d39ShEhwHG77ajhUpYIV3GcjOw/w640-h504/IMG_5993%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens of Gibbs Farm below our deck.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-89372701557102334682022-09-28T14:47:00.006-07:002023-03-10T15:47:16.625-08:00More African Adventures, Part 5 - A Flight over Kilimanjaro<h3 style="text-align: left;"> January 11, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">A Flight Over Kilimanjaro - Moving from Uganda to Tanzania</h2><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />Let's just put it out there. Travel isn't always fun. <i>Being</i> in new places is wonderful, but the <i>getting there</i> is sometimes a long slog. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rob and I were up and packed before dawn for our drive down the mountain from Bwindi back to the
Kihihi Airstrip for our flight in a small plane back to Entebbe. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2rChHwVp9ZAFKTbZVlK_rb1sr9dpuRFiOXQdm5fEw5ptIdfYcrKWXZ3a8-oNvJwVRrF-g6mtSsJpzARegi62OswIqkTTpHHsmHlg8fDDV1W5BYl0QcjUqb7jYKFxpKJWZ4LMa016bmmWJ8HE4dS1Z_ca7O70IJdJeoU7x_5LxE_IpK0oHA/s4608/IMG_4643%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2rChHwVp9ZAFKTbZVlK_rb1sr9dpuRFiOXQdm5fEw5ptIdfYcrKWXZ3a8-oNvJwVRrF-g6mtSsJpzARegi62OswIqkTTpHHsmHlg8fDDV1W5BYl0QcjUqb7jYKFxpKJWZ4LMa016bmmWJ8HE4dS1Z_ca7O70IJdJeoU7x_5LxE_IpK0oHA/w640-h480/IMG_4643%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We passed this early morning village market on our drive to Entebbe.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8VNvMgjJTzniDcyifed2lb6Rnog6ZeYIy6-CFLM0ca8aWgfozEz6XkCqcr4KcDYx3_QrpZuoS-zAIwYGkZD5CI9jGp9dyjo4J1LyJGYyM2tu6kIy1FwrC_NIHcqNHooAFlvAvtYc8P4Vxvgm9otrW9cTC0Crwozqvd6snYhaRmwuU8V2Qg/s4542/IMG_4646%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2670" data-original-width="4542" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8VNvMgjJTzniDcyifed2lb6Rnog6ZeYIy6-CFLM0ca8aWgfozEz6XkCqcr4KcDYx3_QrpZuoS-zAIwYGkZD5CI9jGp9dyjo4J1LyJGYyM2tu6kIy1FwrC_NIHcqNHooAFlvAvtYc8P4Vxvgm9otrW9cTC0Crwozqvd6snYhaRmwuU8V2Qg/w640-h376/IMG_4646%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kihihi Airstrip and our plane to Entebbe</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsSSoLzCHoTM6_sWF6bng1S8GSkpCWetZ0gTGuJsADV06qeelFiqpMRIViwR3RuZ2HYc8Ytz0qzO1zqgqYWQzbMuw-L0h0KNHD_ehSyFVrjcP6l0hQGeHV5CbHgW2CWAdIGQwylEDa-S_CxqTLZ_rk-kWcHFChuS-s7a2vQiiuDAfN-AqNw/s4608/IMG_4651%20(2).JPG" style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsSSoLzCHoTM6_sWF6bng1S8GSkpCWetZ0gTGuJsADV06qeelFiqpMRIViwR3RuZ2HYc8Ytz0qzO1zqgqYWQzbMuw-L0h0KNHD_ehSyFVrjcP6l0hQGeHV5CbHgW2CWAdIGQwylEDa-S_CxqTLZ_rk-kWcHFChuS-s7a2vQiiuDAfN-AqNw/w640-h480/IMG_4651%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green landscape of Uganda</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Entebbe, we transferred to a
second flight to Nairobi, Kenya where we had a couple of hours layover until
our third and final flight of the day from Nairobi to JRO, the Kilimanjaro
International Airport, Tanzania. By the time we landed, we were exhausted
again. We went through security checks - taking off shoes, unpacking tablets,
removing vests – at least 4 times! Each airport required us to go through security
upon entering the airport and again when entering the gate area.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">While waiting
for our final flight, we did have a nice chat with a young man who was teaching
at the Lutheran Seminary in Moshi, Tanzania. He told us to be sure to look out
our window as we approached JRO for views of Mount Kilimanjaro…and sure enough,
there it was, its glacier capped peak thrusting high above the surrounding plains. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eiHbfKI1on-sosAWTL4dy8vuaF4byAE2vJG85T5aduVjQOUEJftTfcXRev0_VlY9UUHYWus7rmc0k7-brV84RH6uWEVDzLDvGfkIOOpTFlJzRKpHoooFKR_XT2drYvvG9mMq1QV5ys-SkZgHJRuI_CWgLNDwSTtB5xZmKyoa8AvQM-cfMw/s4022/IMG_4663%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2936" data-original-width="4022" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eiHbfKI1on-sosAWTL4dy8vuaF4byAE2vJG85T5aduVjQOUEJftTfcXRev0_VlY9UUHYWus7rmc0k7-brV84RH6uWEVDzLDvGfkIOOpTFlJzRKpHoooFKR_XT2drYvvG9mMq1QV5ys-SkZgHJRuI_CWgLNDwSTtB5xZmKyoa8AvQM-cfMw/w640-h468/IMG_4663%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Kilimanjaro</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">We landed in Tanzania at about 5:00 p.m. and
our driver, Richard, was there to greet us and take us for the drive to Arusha,
where we would spend the night before leaving again on our first safari drive.
The drive was supposed to take about an hour and a half, but it was Saturday
night and the traffic through Arusha was crazy. The evening was packed with
people out at the nightclubs and shops that line the main highway. Cars and
vans were merging off the side of the road with very little regard for the
traffic, and lots of motorcycles zipped in and out through the cars. We didn’t
arrive at our lodge until 7:30 after over 12 hours of traveling – and we were once again
exhausted.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But wow, what a great place was
waiting for us at the end of the trip. The Legendary Lodge lies outside of Arusha
on a lovely green estate surrounded by coffee plantations and tropical
vegetation. By the time we arrived, it was dark and we couldn’t really see the full
beauty of the place until morning. But the staff welcomed us warmly and showed
us to our cottage, named Tohe. It was, simply put, the most spectacular room
we have ever stayed in! A large sitting area filled with plush armchairs, a
raised bedroom with a four-poster bed above the sitting area. Behind the wall in back of the bed was a large dressing area opening into a huge blue tiled
bathroom, including a tub (our second of the trip.)</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYvNnmOvSHQ0IQqfG_ZPcWQnTNI3JVQVgdgThCo3pH6P8y8i-u1nudu03-ngt2yinBM0w5vVieMV0pLPo1HNsqAImdFrl2CrhLw8hEXi8OcYIipr4PbGnFp4cg497ZCKq_VX_wRsD7i5uquEZsdq_qkn1u2Yl_LzrCsFZ8DEKSBb8sXEyVg/s4174/IMG_4664%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3285" data-original-width="4174" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYvNnmOvSHQ0IQqfG_ZPcWQnTNI3JVQVgdgThCo3pH6P8y8i-u1nudu03-ngt2yinBM0w5vVieMV0pLPo1HNsqAImdFrl2CrhLw8hEXi8OcYIipr4PbGnFp4cg497ZCKq_VX_wRsD7i5uquEZsdq_qkn1u2Yl_LzrCsFZ8DEKSBb8sXEyVg/w640-h504/IMG_4664%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lovely room at the Legendary Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8zkqTeoxptw2OT-2QjFIdhiWFJeHrRDdmW8Pbb1WgzBaoRNZwa-d1wC16rQp2RyPeolSiQ1s82xJoDhZ8lt2Bt1C_y1RXO8s4xIkk2ggkhBbx6k6FfwkFZ6mxlU53crzs4bcY9krMLrvJ1-X9ZOkWDpaRgcy-92zqBLmO_SkFGl-2Vpe6A/s4346/IMG_4666%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3237" data-original-width="4346" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8zkqTeoxptw2OT-2QjFIdhiWFJeHrRDdmW8Pbb1WgzBaoRNZwa-d1wC16rQp2RyPeolSiQ1s82xJoDhZ8lt2Bt1C_y1RXO8s4xIkk2ggkhBbx6k6FfwkFZ6mxlU53crzs4bcY9krMLrvJ1-X9ZOkWDpaRgcy-92zqBLmO_SkFGl-2Vpe6A/w640-h476/IMG_4666%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDCzSoHxdqcv7nmY9eMtwsIctT9_8i4eir2qb-sPNfunV0BHuT4WfPJ6l5QOeaWtKqrYHX4TAqZnYMtGz_-33Tkhk3Fsf9j3ItDo5cTLMtmznftvZLcGQsLwcuJLRsjuoMxpwdAqtEupmgAjaDmbFPGMzbNkp4WicDnmN2P9Z_CkN6OwZRA/s4608/IMG_4671%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDCzSoHxdqcv7nmY9eMtwsIctT9_8i4eir2qb-sPNfunV0BHuT4WfPJ6l5QOeaWtKqrYHX4TAqZnYMtGz_-33Tkhk3Fsf9j3ItDo5cTLMtmznftvZLcGQsLwcuJLRsjuoMxpwdAqtEupmgAjaDmbFPGMzbNkp4WicDnmN2P9Z_CkN6OwZRA/w640-h480/IMG_4671%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG08ylHpiDak3goVAKPLfkxrctHsoNloKDjAc-yCmQUjpkBCnztQcXJtzCiftMpUVkzTL0XygCK1EbUbQHV9yVkMP3OfYiWbrZmW8PVDladxPGJW6eDKTfNu0D8-9YWEMhMG7ZLSYTHvNpD6yE5uTn8QqAOGIY58_plX8wbwin78KUAjrxPw/s4608/IMG_4668%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG08ylHpiDak3goVAKPLfkxrctHsoNloKDjAc-yCmQUjpkBCnztQcXJtzCiftMpUVkzTL0XygCK1EbUbQHV9yVkMP3OfYiWbrZmW8PVDladxPGJW6eDKTfNu0D8-9YWEMhMG7ZLSYTHvNpD6yE5uTn8QqAOGIY58_plX8wbwin78KUAjrxPw/w640-h480/IMG_4668%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">We were only here for one brief night before departing for our safari adventure in the morning, but for tonight we were living – or at least sleeping - in the lap of luxury! </span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-83276595967000803382022-09-26T13:52:00.009-07:002023-03-10T16:18:58.270-08:00More African Adventures, Part 4 - Second Gorilla Trek<h3 style="text-align: left;"> January 10, 2019</h3><h2 style="text-align: left;">Back to the Jungle </h2><div>We were quite sure, even before we left for Africa, that one visit to the gorillas wouldn't be enough for us, so we booked two treks into the jungle. We were so glad we did!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2T4RbeDtCzUNLDxC4vh0faC_GBbt65fDsDtwOlMOffg0voIO8C28aKd9x487bZdDzpALyom5Yib5OwnBE8hOOMwDRUzBuTd4f7Rhv-SP_ktbzGLQxcb61pTxc_GBbDG4ZOLCRJbvBf8HoS7i3gu2Im42Hr_DBTexZGNnPmG5jXUYt9iDwQ/s3478/IMG_4542%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="3478" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2T4RbeDtCzUNLDxC4vh0faC_GBbt65fDsDtwOlMOffg0voIO8C28aKd9x487bZdDzpALyom5Yib5OwnBE8hOOMwDRUzBuTd4f7Rhv-SP_ktbzGLQxcb61pTxc_GBbDG4ZOLCRJbvBf8HoS7i3gu2Im42Hr_DBTexZGNnPmG5jXUYt9iDwQ/w640-h508/IMG_4542%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, we were up early, (sore muscles from the first gorilla trek much improved), and rarin' to go on our second hike. The morning was much the same as the first day, with a walk to the Bwindi Visitors Center, another performance by the Bike4Women group, and the orientation by the Park Ranger.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydZ_qZve7clDAMxL6iQJ3bYmItXEqO1yGMYIUYVRmU-6M-2gTS9-5lHgQYv5JCSEMB3uaKgZICZUz41gAkvjeo3cFLOTi5FfVc69WkC01unLxtRHez_u7WCBnx35hLAvVpAoel6NlSkSH0Y9livzkwmoJNkm8_i4pF233SyEunrcaiE0COQ/s4608/IMG_4497.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydZ_qZve7clDAMxL6iQJ3bYmItXEqO1yGMYIUYVRmU-6M-2gTS9-5lHgQYv5JCSEMB3uaKgZICZUz41gAkvjeo3cFLOTi5FfVc69WkC01unLxtRHez_u7WCBnx35hLAvVpAoel6NlSkSH0Y9livzkwmoJNkm8_i4pF233SyEunrcaiE0COQ/w640-h480/IMG_4497.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL1hQ6wZ9-W3gXSccCWJDKB8-qtJ8V5nxuhVPJw-Xi3D7KJ1cfghIFz9cjWcowUmKrszLUyQJVnxYtMyIt0Yv1ZfiqMA1h_GxEquG9biNlaNXJ_Ysq9LgSOmnchluTFQkjUZWfImGWr4o5oG2gx1S8xc_tL6wiB97WlEkLSUrQX2sccV2RQ/s4608/IMG_4526.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL1hQ6wZ9-W3gXSccCWJDKB8-qtJ8V5nxuhVPJw-Xi3D7KJ1cfghIFz9cjWcowUmKrszLUyQJVnxYtMyIt0Yv1ZfiqMA1h_GxEquG9biNlaNXJ_Ysq9LgSOmnchluTFQkjUZWfImGWr4o5oG2gx1S8xc_tL6wiB97WlEkLSUrQX2sccV2RQ/w640-h480/IMG_4526.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our guide today was Cosmas, who explained that today, we would be tracking the Katwe Family. We were delighted to learn that Jim Moore, the author of the Bill Clinton biography, would be part of our little band of eight. </div><div><br /></div><div>So far, the morning had been a repeat of our first trek, but today Cosmas led us into a different part of the park, and the jungle walk was quite different. Our path was more tropical, with narrow trails leading through the thick underbrush, moss-covered vines hanging from the tall trees, and giant ferns waving over the many streams that flowed through the forest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21LXyq9_2xGBhVcoOm32pEhA6cpErW7vuxGeY8jtYGDatgMBfws1I1EzaLm99TT_EFTgGeuu8FF_JO9-yi8oVVkUDGeNX-IrNKisJPMiwdiehJDnH6uklALxYt4wkfdwinabemeD603qtmuVSkUBSAuYkMBA6uWOfe4osMI8oiP_kbi7n-g/s4608/IMG_4533%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21LXyq9_2xGBhVcoOm32pEhA6cpErW7vuxGeY8jtYGDatgMBfws1I1EzaLm99TT_EFTgGeuu8FF_JO9-yi8oVVkUDGeNX-IrNKisJPMiwdiehJDnH6uklALxYt4wkfdwinabemeD603qtmuVSkUBSAuYkMBA6uWOfe4osMI8oiP_kbi7n-g/w640-h480/IMG_4533%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC4EvL-L5dpmuKoWJ2szxBUnlTf1fDSXN5ZVFFHixRkSDVTBaXxwhojEm6b4nyuSSKhFAs2RdVAXU9A3na8i-L7ZpLx23GD_3DMWF6htSlfgwZhXnUCmy4tDf6TpRk8r3eDqm6sH8YoPJ-67I1eEmXIvpNRDZjydd96Of_AEy6UYRkZZk-w/s4608/IMG_4536%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC4EvL-L5dpmuKoWJ2szxBUnlTf1fDSXN5ZVFFHixRkSDVTBaXxwhojEm6b4nyuSSKhFAs2RdVAXU9A3na8i-L7ZpLx23GD_3DMWF6htSlfgwZhXnUCmy4tDf6TpRk8r3eDqm6sH8YoPJ-67I1eEmXIvpNRDZjydd96Of_AEy6UYRkZZk-w/w640-h480/IMG_4536%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>At one point, we came across a small camp in the forest. Cosmas explained that these tents were used by the rangers who acclimatize the gorillas to human presence. The rangers find a gorilla family and spend their days for several weeks just sitting in the jungle nearby. In the evening, they mimic the gorillas and pretend to make a bed of leaves. Once the gorillas have bedded down for the night, the rangers return to their camp to sleep. Cosmas said, "They come to think of us as benign forest creatures." The work of these dedicated rangers allows us to have the magical experience of being within a few feet of these wonderful creatures.</div><div><br /></div><div>The jungle around us was stunningly beautiful, the damp air filled with a rich green earthy smell. The temperature was moderately cool under the shade of the trees, but the foliage blocked any breeze, and in the high humidity, we were soon drenched with perspiration. The hike had been described as "moderate," and some of the trails were easily navigated, but of course, the gorillas don't care about the trails. They just wander through the thick forest looking for food. So once Cosmas got word on his walkie-talkie that the Katwa family had been spotted, we once again plunged into the forest ourselves, stumbling up and down the slippery, muddy slopes - sometimes being literally hauled up the hills by our helpful porters. Some of the stream crossings were treacherous, with slick stones wobbling under our feet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivj6GsyVWLZd3uq5Wx17P64-1qeTtbGLaDFWSW3i25j-OaMRP6lxUlztZ6nFpTGa4TKFGobwxEDgQj9CyRR1pWlV5iKbTKzFVBasr8h8UaHQ54DNfHzunsKVZkCuAdvn7Imt2ObP_QS0HPlqmdwWBlRfXT87oIbsYgXrl3hANYnZL7mBiKXA/s4608/IMG_4534%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivj6GsyVWLZd3uq5Wx17P64-1qeTtbGLaDFWSW3i25j-OaMRP6lxUlztZ6nFpTGa4TKFGobwxEDgQj9CyRR1pWlV5iKbTKzFVBasr8h8UaHQ54DNfHzunsKVZkCuAdvn7Imt2ObP_QS0HPlqmdwWBlRfXT87oIbsYgXrl3hANYnZL7mBiKXA/w640-h480/IMG_4534%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Our hike today took almost three hours, but suddenly, almost hidden behind the foliage, there they were! At first, I thought this experience might not be as satisfying as the first trek where our gorilla family was in an open glade, lounging and playing right in front of us. The Katwes were less acclimatized to humans. They didn't seem concerned by our presence, but they were deep in the foliage and often turned their backs to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our guide and porters walked around the group and found a better spot, using their machetes to hack down some of the tall bushes to allow us a better view. The adults were content, just sleeping, grooming one another, or lazily reaching up to grab a handful of leaves to munch, but as before, the youngsters were adorable - play-fighting, thumping their little chests in a macho display, climbing high into the trees. They were hilarious...and enchanting!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObYf2FZ1v6tdvPwwNwA8za57_ga7XT7YZx7ugVi05Au4zyHfhTsiHANQFVsXbBL6JIRUH4_IQi8ml4Hyz5dTMrK-NbcN9qi09Lfq-7arMY7FKATa0hsOzpUSc5t6w0lRVO43VMvfsiQNenqcNm7XSCauoo95zfI0PMby6GPY-XGPad19qVA/s4608/IMG_4545%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObYf2FZ1v6tdvPwwNwA8za57_ga7XT7YZx7ugVi05Au4zyHfhTsiHANQFVsXbBL6JIRUH4_IQi8ml4Hyz5dTMrK-NbcN9qi09Lfq-7arMY7FKATa0hsOzpUSc5t6w0lRVO43VMvfsiQNenqcNm7XSCauoo95zfI0PMby6GPY-XGPad19qVA/s4608/IMG_4545%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn3NmjSPkggwKSMkaoND9tOSj63iWZMd6Wjsuqi7z6sE0ItuHtW2PDnt5PC6JLF8y1ng8MrJ8evrFAu2mXw9t0bXQQPM-uGFre7JpMD0PzGE4FkN41keZbe8TXytVFwCmBVuC5u8KuOWQNosIEUxTy2sM3o0Y_KQ7Bfw4fTgbtgK_cAi4og/s4608/IMG_4558%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn3NmjSPkggwKSMkaoND9tOSj63iWZMd6Wjsuqi7z6sE0ItuHtW2PDnt5PC6JLF8y1ng8MrJ8evrFAu2mXw9t0bXQQPM-uGFre7JpMD0PzGE4FkN41keZbe8TXytVFwCmBVuC5u8KuOWQNosIEUxTy2sM3o0Y_KQ7Bfw4fTgbtgK_cAi4og/w640-h480/IMG_4558%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObYf2FZ1v6tdvPwwNwA8za57_ga7XT7YZx7ugVi05Au4zyHfhTsiHANQFVsXbBL6JIRUH4_IQi8ml4Hyz5dTMrK-NbcN9qi09Lfq-7arMY7FKATa0hsOzpUSc5t6w0lRVO43VMvfsiQNenqcNm7XSCauoo95zfI0PMby6GPY-XGPad19qVA/w640-h480/IMG_4545%20(2).JPG" width="640" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vCQUdUy5iH0g2sm3EfwChruxPBMLIAU0fCFm3xayYKqcMaXGJ3NZsktjXGcmHIBGOlrIzGbi80vaZLIdR3On6B5D4G-OJ6t5wjqkFkBZyoGrC97MSy_8LwLFhB7wThd7N5ROAM3_uqmBTNC63yTergMAl4FdBL1WfeSlTNAQsRcnGeiK1g/s3903/IMG_4564%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3422" data-original-width="3903" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vCQUdUy5iH0g2sm3EfwChruxPBMLIAU0fCFm3xayYKqcMaXGJ3NZsktjXGcmHIBGOlrIzGbi80vaZLIdR3On6B5D4G-OJ6t5wjqkFkBZyoGrC97MSy_8LwLFhB7wThd7N5ROAM3_uqmBTNC63yTergMAl4FdBL1WfeSlTNAQsRcnGeiK1g/w640-h562/IMG_4564%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39u3xZ9qdpMf4Rq1Wg0vn-xutzekNxy9L5GBXoBg8pxJCgKDcUkZqwglg0vis8Qfii8f8FHlPFYOt5LFsgyIEneXuPWN-UhDohu7OJMfW3lR-MlW3tOh0P78bQK9jROqTkLFKu712NCpB2f2Y5cqGYdADXZa8bLYgtd8zrMGmvrwtwduGHg/s4236/IMG_4574%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3425" data-original-width="4236" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39u3xZ9qdpMf4Rq1Wg0vn-xutzekNxy9L5GBXoBg8pxJCgKDcUkZqwglg0vis8Qfii8f8FHlPFYOt5LFsgyIEneXuPWN-UhDohu7OJMfW3lR-MlW3tOh0P78bQK9jROqTkLFKu712NCpB2f2Y5cqGYdADXZa8bLYgtd8zrMGmvrwtwduGHg/w640-h518/IMG_4574%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpg3a-lBVpaMKyR68jCdIhoezd_HhfxDJO2N-WklZqjX6uQD6Vf4flqKxKYOoAnyOKl7Dn5ICiciqnYu5BQh8Vi7fD8NExXzJbaPGUAbQ6aV88dySqAXaudMM3fSX5Md1z0Qa5NXwkIonmwZzsg8FJLbT2YvOBPQzrZLOWlSSrwwMUpO3Eg/s3889/IMG_4589%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3889" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpg3a-lBVpaMKyR68jCdIhoezd_HhfxDJO2N-WklZqjX6uQD6Vf4flqKxKYOoAnyOKl7Dn5ICiciqnYu5BQh8Vi7fD8NExXzJbaPGUAbQ6aV88dySqAXaudMM3fSX5Md1z0Qa5NXwkIonmwZzsg8FJLbT2YvOBPQzrZLOWlSSrwwMUpO3Eg/w640-h438/IMG_4589%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HF1V8kQVyF2EtcivLhKF_d8ZjH2zKeMC_lZEN9qtM7gypmE9WyuwGc9NWXKPwkXI_oyrKL1oaUSZOxyN9ZZtX6CVCcP7_0UWXNDxwAroMEnJHpPjIj-2lD27k2qQV6tPxxQ9JlzP-Da58bAhaN8sG7NtSJHVQPoht9cLyy3Ax_4-ZjMrzg/s2564/IMG_4598%20(3).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2327" data-original-width="2564" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HF1V8kQVyF2EtcivLhKF_d8ZjH2zKeMC_lZEN9qtM7gypmE9WyuwGc9NWXKPwkXI_oyrKL1oaUSZOxyN9ZZtX6CVCcP7_0UWXNDxwAroMEnJHpPjIj-2lD27k2qQV6tPxxQ9JlzP-Da58bAhaN8sG7NtSJHVQPoht9cLyy3Ax_4-ZjMrzg/w640-h580/IMG_4598%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynH4tX39XEvo3POedYzkU-U7WwYuQik215SnJKF3LP9guGSR9Ob3vonmg5T0cgNoVeq_iE_Ohya4gsyuT7cS4Q--4X0SksWbV2mP8RlWNTYoNho_gB0tvp49t2CJnJTYcQJ-028xSqIY8l5lAmVtkazhxJthYsXo-JJt9W0uH0Xf3VwGqEw/s4190/IMG_4601%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="4190" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynH4tX39XEvo3POedYzkU-U7WwYuQik215SnJKF3LP9guGSR9Ob3vonmg5T0cgNoVeq_iE_Ohya4gsyuT7cS4Q--4X0SksWbV2mP8RlWNTYoNho_gB0tvp49t2CJnJTYcQJ-028xSqIY8l5lAmVtkazhxJthYsXo-JJt9W0uH0Xf3VwGqEw/w640-h468/IMG_4601%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMSImltwt5sIwdf8AgyN95_558jv0LvVIdlUKhWIGEbyaovVQBWjBkxM-MIR8NwPQBkdO8nbxcNo33m6YmBieam1Lfx0b72gKBwR7roErWaBC41IbD6N_ASIAr8oFThAvHYvCRaNoCuevMIVnlHDfWo1GAqNYMfUDvNwq7ARKjnsDrM8rZg/s4589/IMG_4604%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="4589" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMSImltwt5sIwdf8AgyN95_558jv0LvVIdlUKhWIGEbyaovVQBWjBkxM-MIR8NwPQBkdO8nbxcNo33m6YmBieam1Lfx0b72gKBwR7roErWaBC41IbD6N_ASIAr8oFThAvHYvCRaNoCuevMIVnlHDfWo1GAqNYMfUDvNwq7ARKjnsDrM8rZg/w640-h444/IMG_4604%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr832we1INesQevbdeQfbvmObJMwMaHRS_bdv1CaWZDHEFFWorceSHp-TXwFDY4Iwr5KwyKgbAs8WwdruSMbOeANLgpnaka8W8Fl814myrCp4UdNKRPaTu0UrDrXpsfpIYDKaB_Kmn-TRLKTIh2zMd3hN6656PfyeJTfeHZfWUH0K17GZI7Q/s4104/IMG_4617%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3183" data-original-width="4104" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr832we1INesQevbdeQfbvmObJMwMaHRS_bdv1CaWZDHEFFWorceSHp-TXwFDY4Iwr5KwyKgbAs8WwdruSMbOeANLgpnaka8W8Fl814myrCp4UdNKRPaTu0UrDrXpsfpIYDKaB_Kmn-TRLKTIh2zMd3hN6656PfyeJTfeHZfWUH0K17GZI7Q/w640-h496/IMG_4617%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYVrzh4FLg2O0D1pU695qbY3JGhc2GEKySUlr8eLqY0brYUsFdx6Q9qXBwkYIEgbV2WOg8SypGaYGCHq5l_CEavPzaYIBwfg_SdXgvGEFbEKqypG9jHQwBmNGttDYOs-EoxnVpJUUi0AzFSTDNjKZH5l4i6Tc1azz8O9g4CIqE_BvkGnqlA/s4608/IMG_4620%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYVrzh4FLg2O0D1pU695qbY3JGhc2GEKySUlr8eLqY0brYUsFdx6Q9qXBwkYIEgbV2WOg8SypGaYGCHq5l_CEavPzaYIBwfg_SdXgvGEFbEKqypG9jHQwBmNGttDYOs-EoxnVpJUUi0AzFSTDNjKZH5l4i6Tc1azz8O9g4CIqE_BvkGnqlA/w640-h480/IMG_4620%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju38ItO-1OjtpLo0EntKrWdBMSMSBFWsY3QuTSzNlIlV6vARJzK4WewdElhhGPym3QQ58RvOyG4b78mhK-nHUCE_rbpAncfGjiDMRZew6gZOC7xKwYsg9iaLjmRXEyAGIaat5f7Clc_SN8nhrqYSpO8nGyhYJ_3xxOml_zYZuAXzsZfX4KcA/s4330/IMG_4628%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3001" data-original-width="4330" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju38ItO-1OjtpLo0EntKrWdBMSMSBFWsY3QuTSzNlIlV6vARJzK4WewdElhhGPym3QQ58RvOyG4b78mhK-nHUCE_rbpAncfGjiDMRZew6gZOC7xKwYsg9iaLjmRXEyAGIaat5f7Clc_SN8nhrqYSpO8nGyhYJ_3xxOml_zYZuAXzsZfX4KcA/w640-h444/IMG_4628%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSGrsBtH8fmZy7sTQO0IheP1SifywAXiriZwArmFgoB1HCbfYzLMDP-Gf-1AIrGPtwubtJ2G9ywYPnGHaEmy_gXQo83pRA2kz-44WvebbjZ9YiV_QWJ3RqXWUI7NLWeNjOobqpJKglbrJ6dDbyp1KTRfn02mpjv7A2uOmALQqVXV-AUTH8A/s4520/IMG_4629%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="4520" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSGrsBtH8fmZy7sTQO0IheP1SifywAXiriZwArmFgoB1HCbfYzLMDP-Gf-1AIrGPtwubtJ2G9ywYPnGHaEmy_gXQo83pRA2kz-44WvebbjZ9YiV_QWJ3RqXWUI7NLWeNjOobqpJKglbrJ6dDbyp1KTRfn02mpjv7A2uOmALQqVXV-AUTH8A/w640-h462/IMG_4629%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej1YxY2gcpvs-JZ0aYV2Q7B2qoQ5Ujiem22c-L-A-2cfzqK_4i8i1DWipBXMTNQWf3B7lKUi-P1-oDt1go9ZNApYcwAi1JuQ-uj67lxXgpZ6jFkBTqX1dkbswP290j0U5vv13-BgZF-A5Wuc8b2-t-khFCt9fhF2PAFyXq5RGxIrekZRMAA/s4608/IMG_4636%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej1YxY2gcpvs-JZ0aYV2Q7B2qoQ5Ujiem22c-L-A-2cfzqK_4i8i1DWipBXMTNQWf3B7lKUi-P1-oDt1go9ZNApYcwAi1JuQ-uj67lxXgpZ6jFkBTqX1dkbswP290j0U5vv13-BgZF-A5Wuc8b2-t-khFCt9fhF2PAFyXq5RGxIrekZRMAA/w640-h480/IMG_4636%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuDnphY0Nd85rspc8Ey8fzBjVMyKjGybhMlF75yCVA7idfsEnS8qC0sGqKCBRTL3ZixAavTCxM8FABede9qGh55WJVqqTYOnJhKWhi0AHjNKkU6m2MYpb3DytGSLvxjGHcXyojT74-_DPE67NE4Z3CAgaVY8MOWiouxKaiB_xNZ5dckpMpw/s5184/IMG_5952%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuDnphY0Nd85rspc8Ey8fzBjVMyKjGybhMlF75yCVA7idfsEnS8qC0sGqKCBRTL3ZixAavTCxM8FABede9qGh55WJVqqTYOnJhKWhi0AHjNKkU6m2MYpb3DytGSLvxjGHcXyojT74-_DPE67NE4Z3CAgaVY8MOWiouxKaiB_xNZ5dckpMpw/w480-h640/IMG_5952%20(2).JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WFHaXrmLLFF-2Qg5t9eZxWRmdgrPuCPQjAMH5PneVhZBkTzNB8TjZNTqs0rNF5ydumGgf7i13EmarKtnMfEnmJ_VWTkuZixKXcs6Gxd0r9dwTYIKS2ECxFkVCxMZlSo3jmD3rsYSCf1hu4y7pw6tkdaSqopclJ2XQydnE7W4Thau9cLbhQ/s3911/IMG_5987%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3911" data-original-width="3887" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WFHaXrmLLFF-2Qg5t9eZxWRmdgrPuCPQjAMH5PneVhZBkTzNB8TjZNTqs0rNF5ydumGgf7i13EmarKtnMfEnmJ_VWTkuZixKXcs6Gxd0r9dwTYIKS2ECxFkVCxMZlSo3jmD3rsYSCf1hu4y7pw6tkdaSqopclJ2XQydnE7W4Thau9cLbhQ/w636-h640/IMG_5987%20(2).JPG" width="636" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After exactly one hour with the gorillas, Cosmas told us it was time to move on. The trip home was amusingly easy. After tracking the gorillas through dense jungle for almost three hours, we finally had found them about a fifteen-minute walk past a tea plantation to the main road back to our lodge in Bwindi! (I have to admit, I couldn't help wondering if they had led us the long-way-round on purpose, just to make sure we felt that we got our money's worth!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Seeing these gentle giants in their own environment was one of the greatest thrills in all our travels. The photos don't do justice to the experience, so here is a short video of the Rushegura and Katwa families at home. <a href="https://youtu.be/OxSKjPFhd_c" target="_blank">The Gorillas of Bwindi</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-82658657762975543632022-09-24T16:05:00.004-07:002023-03-10T09:25:50.186-08:00More African Adventures, Part 3 - A Day in the Buhoma Community<h4 style="text-align: left;"> January 9, 2019</h4><h2 style="text-align: left;">A Day in the Buhoma Community</h2><div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I woke up with very sore leg muscles from the hike yesterday. Trust me, a hike up steep hills on muddy paths through the jungle is NOT a walk in the park! I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be ready for our next gorilla trek coming up the next day, but a gentle walk through the local village just outside the park helped me return to normal by the end of the day.</span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rx2hdA2Rquxdi2R2cukpO-AnbspbhjLRmofzEhu9cU9LWvyYL7mYPQeBWpqTEiv1iLi2zFxZTCryGlYRkzq-TRsDI6TyoBC-K4xaPyKkdh9uBUmEEvjGM7gVZ5JNjT7qlQNpT9YEoZCqpotNU3x51isrn4fTX8UG4JXA4pjji35Jj95ArQ/s4608/IMG_4512%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rx2hdA2Rquxdi2R2cukpO-AnbspbhjLRmofzEhu9cU9LWvyYL7mYPQeBWpqTEiv1iLi2zFxZTCryGlYRkzq-TRsDI6TyoBC-K4xaPyKkdh9uBUmEEvjGM7gVZ5JNjT7qlQNpT9YEoZCqpotNU3x51isrn4fTX8UG4JXA4pjji35Jj95ArQ/w640-h480/IMG_4512%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road from Bwindi to the village<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rob and I browsed through the village looking through the shops filled with homemade crafts and wooden carvings. Naturally, we had to buy a family of carved gorillas to add to our collection of African animals from previous trips, and I also purchased some trivets made from recycled, felt-covered bottle caps. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDd3oybj0ccNB938Mn7ed7SvneXL95NJ1ERTzgJB_jrCG0rBef7ikIEQwetQYnoHrKsNJg4pia_5rBPqmnDa94mAk2Rq-zg40CotX2VITWkMXnI99hqnm0RE4QPEUXMgGLXTHKwntXt3boSePJvroVtQCzIoZ7S42H5yWfr6zqMxqSJL6tCA/s4502/IMG_4513%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3192" data-original-width="4502" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDd3oybj0ccNB938Mn7ed7SvneXL95NJ1ERTzgJB_jrCG0rBef7ikIEQwetQYnoHrKsNJg4pia_5rBPqmnDa94mAk2Rq-zg40CotX2VITWkMXnI99hqnm0RE4QPEUXMgGLXTHKwntXt3boSePJvroVtQCzIoZ7S42H5yWfr6zqMxqSJL6tCA/w640-h454/IMG_4513%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buhoma craft shops</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoJ4dek7p6f3D90F8OH6MpSOa_h46YVbjcA9hMtf6_9xmXnIz4EKYlYFxocx6rcYJim8I2WbOSv35CfASK8tZ-4zuWRtX6ObSIxRgkB40HNRHjTekOSNLBwfywu_sqcDTTkrfOyHPa5sWmgfRoPWJsoJw8e0n3LdsR3oKHYPp_VvcZsspcA/s3475/IMG_4514%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="3475" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoJ4dek7p6f3D90F8OH6MpSOa_h46YVbjcA9hMtf6_9xmXnIz4EKYlYFxocx6rcYJim8I2WbOSv35CfASK8tZ-4zuWRtX6ObSIxRgkB40HNRHjTekOSNLBwfywu_sqcDTTkrfOyHPa5sWmgfRoPWJsoJw8e0n3LdsR3oKHYPp_VvcZsspcA/w640-h348/IMG_4514%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buhoma community</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the shopkeepers told us about various programs, such as Bike4Women, that provided instruction to the local people in traditional crafts. This is the traditional tribal land of the Batwa, known to us as Pygmies, which is now considered a disparaging term. These people were driven from their lands in the mountains, sadly in part because of the efforts to save the mountain gorillas whose numbers by the early 1900s had dwindled to less than 300. The gorilla conservation program has been a success, but the Batwa people, an ancient tribe that had lived side by side with the gorillas for centuries, were marginalized. As forest dwellers who clung to traditional ways, they were looked down upon by their own countrymen and discriminated against by some government policies. Some of the local programs were developed to offer skills and aid to the Batwa people, who often live in extreme poverty.</span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzEhfi13OXJvO2OcVQlMse07axVnfBD1ZWIYubS3ZfZuqAO1lxONvuuTMwMCyiJ5zizAJhGAiPiNJrXXflEaA2t8J1GIUbLSt18siPxa3xpCkKEU5Hfu0LHmmQEq1xQh3lZ4L2ZfROx0c2s8tB60nFiJ7Le8Doro5uSFlCtDX0zfJPbDHYQ/s1080/Batwa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzEhfi13OXJvO2OcVQlMse07axVnfBD1ZWIYubS3ZfZuqAO1lxONvuuTMwMCyiJ5zizAJhGAiPiNJrXXflEaA2t8J1GIUbLSt18siPxa3xpCkKEU5Hfu0LHmmQEq1xQh3lZ4L2ZfROx0c2s8tB60nFiJ7Le8Doro5uSFlCtDX0zfJPbDHYQ/w640-h480/Batwa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batwa people</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rescue Africa Uganda and the Rescue Grand Orphanage Program</span></h2></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A highlight of our day was our visit to the local orphanage. The school leader, Pastor Nixon, introduced us to a group of the children who performed a song and dance for us and shared some of their artwork. He also showed us the current, and woefully inadequate, housing for the children and described their on-going efforts to build better schools and dormitories. Rob and I pledged to send some help to them, and we have since learned that our contributions have been used to make the adobe bricks to build more school rooms. Through our ongoing correspondence with </span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;">Manase Twinamatsiko, the Director of Rescue Africa Uganda, which oversees the orphanage, as well as the elementary school, the high school, and a program to support women,</span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;"> we have been able to follow their progress. </span></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDbGrdHBVX-6lxguFj7-Mb7XILPp5cIcul0MrpLJepPYpWuvFU0t_Nhj0O9rugi48VfxO-GBDZqcO2kwHdbDzhy9lrwDxU1bTJaFYSaeO2SKXuB1kNI-y23WIRshRxEQGz9rpKcwo-ah0E1dlYnzx1qFSdB5B8_3-g-2G3j_7dCJjZpztaQ/s3931/IMG_4515%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3409" data-original-width="3931" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDbGrdHBVX-6lxguFj7-Mb7XILPp5cIcul0MrpLJepPYpWuvFU0t_Nhj0O9rugi48VfxO-GBDZqcO2kwHdbDzhy9lrwDxU1bTJaFYSaeO2SKXuB1kNI-y23WIRshRxEQGz9rpKcwo-ah0E1dlYnzx1qFSdB5B8_3-g-2G3j_7dCJjZpztaQ/w640-h556/IMG_4515%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A performance by some of the orphans</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBAGZCWFE40IxoVYFCjkTtMb06RNU4em7MqzxCkMLxjK0s8cB5pTAvjfC4D0_YfT2N5OOiibIbo32Hq7CvALgjnfCgd7ycFHxQH8DbTEfmxm_lxIAxWs0sDSBwZvc690GtyayPLi1qlWrftpdZropThw-XKfLblzfxC19v8ZVvAaOCHld_Q/s4608/IMG_4517%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3091" data-original-width="4608" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBAGZCWFE40IxoVYFCjkTtMb06RNU4em7MqzxCkMLxjK0s8cB5pTAvjfC4D0_YfT2N5OOiibIbo32Hq7CvALgjnfCgd7ycFHxQH8DbTEfmxm_lxIAxWs0sDSBwZvc690GtyayPLi1qlWrftpdZropThw-XKfLblzfxC19v8ZVvAaOCHld_Q/w640-h430/IMG_4517%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob with the orphans</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo3RJPSPfvXkg9F24FZaN4w1zllSpPrxCarBZOFVVHFVyrp1iwvHyyyhHMHqM5AuCDoz4mHZrv-h_YmQAKPYFk4KcE9EWX-ASJIsftyfeLGgmw7ON0ni_kcBtZUpe_Gct94iNGQNKvH7CjKdRqRhU7S1tBzv1BNZ1rO4PodAPcdQFgUwgqw/s879/IMG-20191229-WA0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="520" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo3RJPSPfvXkg9F24FZaN4w1zllSpPrxCarBZOFVVHFVyrp1iwvHyyyhHMHqM5AuCDoz4mHZrv-h_YmQAKPYFk4KcE9EWX-ASJIsftyfeLGgmw7ON0ni_kcBtZUpe_Gct94iNGQNKvH7CjKdRqRhU7S1tBzv1BNZ1rO4PodAPcdQFgUwgqw/w378-h640/IMG-20191229-WA0045.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building new school rooms</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXmgpnyxeguMWobExLmxePQ2BZ6-ZJqV0lkQhK2xpuWO-7mAFIpbSK2COu0ZDwAHPLt4MtGAkLFtrsZyx7qRMuhT2Obb9BoHo0I3uSL_0r4nSqcK-r1rdBG7IMZxKJ7aNWJnmkfaLh0JORDs8YI8QYg7n6wonHdrOzMUorAvG31ZkWhA-Dg/s4000/Manase%20with%20the%20Community.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="4000" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXmgpnyxeguMWobExLmxePQ2BZ6-ZJqV0lkQhK2xpuWO-7mAFIpbSK2COu0ZDwAHPLt4MtGAkLFtrsZyx7qRMuhT2Obb9BoHo0I3uSL_0r4nSqcK-r1rdBG7IMZxKJ7aNWJnmkfaLh0JORDs8YI8QYg7n6wonHdrOzMUorAvG31ZkWhA-Dg/w640-h422/Manase%20with%20the%20Community.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manase with his community</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPpOoXvczSf48KaElJ9pYIzB9x-GP8GtDncp_Vt3tMGN37eKfH-FOhUYs_HYcUlm7HpJLwq3is_ALQM4OQI440q4mkDJZaTHLWp_f0D5uuZNkRptTVWbbf8lA2KhZ7XIcEc39Ham7U-JziqtDdIXpMz-sv95MXshIZyR9qnUC0GTGwd9vWg/s3960/Manase%20with%20Children2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3960" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPpOoXvczSf48KaElJ9pYIzB9x-GP8GtDncp_Vt3tMGN37eKfH-FOhUYs_HYcUlm7HpJLwq3is_ALQM4OQI440q4mkDJZaTHLWp_f0D5uuZNkRptTVWbbf8lA2KhZ7XIcEc39Ham7U-JziqtDdIXpMz-sv95MXshIZyR9qnUC0GTGwd9vWg/w484-h640/Manase%20with%20Children2.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manase with two of the children</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Below are more of the programs supported by Rescue Africa Uganda.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70ww4knev92G-7UczcAEe5qUJcMaLeazqnyCYTcoIwy307eGCzymt3Fjo_0yGUaHJxP0psZjFm9mnyEYvH6JvADRIfQR1JUxSQmuE8VXLPMpbe11qDKMqhDcr5IOhhYEwAN7kOkmPxWfM5YH-HU6CoKCm2X4vXItYJaqE_l-4hgAnOecktA/s4608/IMG_4518%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70ww4knev92G-7UczcAEe5qUJcMaLeazqnyCYTcoIwy307eGCzymt3Fjo_0yGUaHJxP0psZjFm9mnyEYvH6JvADRIfQR1JUxSQmuE8VXLPMpbe11qDKMqhDcr5IOhhYEwAN7kOkmPxWfM5YH-HU6CoKCm2X4vXItYJaqE_l-4hgAnOecktA/w640-h480/IMG_4518%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOWKEOhukY-LCd5eDudmWb54SLxRO-2F-UN4RKXV2mA5Ev1I-FFVNXqdS-JHmNxS3r53M9Hys14mqnJI6Zyd9QwGoSDU8CKtIhx4et20EDxT2Gc4wH6K8EMP_45AQ6nZ-cw4vEHy2EPSYKunXlYqZt6i8RhgRnVjena4dDlk2qCuaRSeKeQ/s3814/Orphanage%20Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2862" data-original-width="3814" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOWKEOhukY-LCd5eDudmWb54SLxRO-2F-UN4RKXV2mA5Ev1I-FFVNXqdS-JHmNxS3r53M9Hys14mqnJI6Zyd9QwGoSDU8CKtIhx4et20EDxT2Gc4wH6K8EMP_45AQ6nZ-cw4vEHy2EPSYKunXlYqZt6i8RhgRnVjena4dDlk2qCuaRSeKeQ/w640-h480/Orphanage%20Center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXV84uGCqSEE__iTeIPZercvPDBzkNduAN4hc_975R-dCRuqup6U_bk5LBZspHOSH5HcgRzoo0Tq2yqo1RFU5lmeGl6IIw12CP7VP4t8WO0QwYtFHI3F4G5YJB7mgDatPGp3yv3yuLMIsZ5LcPRep5IQeNQvHIFomaEy7jc0GEtD_Tmpg-w/s4000/Home%20Development%20Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2931" data-original-width="4000" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXV84uGCqSEE__iTeIPZercvPDBzkNduAN4hc_975R-dCRuqup6U_bk5LBZspHOSH5HcgRzoo0Tq2yqo1RFU5lmeGl6IIw12CP7VP4t8WO0QwYtFHI3F4G5YJB7mgDatPGp3yv3yuLMIsZ5LcPRep5IQeNQvHIFomaEy7jc0GEtD_Tmpg-w/w640-h468/Home%20Development%20Center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdS0PEDFPz1PQWmF7x-7d0yhgMFt4FnHoBi0qUBlnR8i1zpcLfvwIIgD8pyRxZjW5vITA4eN-2IEa3vUHWyAYRteaxVoCCjKCrczJYATY_TWCCqrRhHyp3-BLrCUGM700CmGzYfgzXTAIZFSOHBtWZF9Hc6_xkoGsTnQeBlUsYaLq36m2bg/s4000/Grand%20Haven%20Orphanage%20School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdS0PEDFPz1PQWmF7x-7d0yhgMFt4FnHoBi0qUBlnR8i1zpcLfvwIIgD8pyRxZjW5vITA4eN-2IEa3vUHWyAYRteaxVoCCjKCrczJYATY_TWCCqrRhHyp3-BLrCUGM700CmGzYfgzXTAIZFSOHBtWZF9Hc6_xkoGsTnQeBlUsYaLq36m2bg/w640-h480/Grand%20Haven%20Orphanage%20School.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhignwkg8pYtovBYtUr3ZSmKDKwoKI8l1yLWf8XhAhC4w2lNw3VJgABQdDlE7Dfoo54eV-WQvpi3AdJXHDBoo-vbStFFadMgKrw0n1ha454EC41pxeHYePgdHmHgGi1V6gqHesv0vJgfa8DlRVfQ4UAz36tjoDMRxYEridTiFcPTVn6AwCfPQ/s3904/Grand%20Haven%20kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3904" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhignwkg8pYtovBYtUr3ZSmKDKwoKI8l1yLWf8XhAhC4w2lNw3VJgABQdDlE7Dfoo54eV-WQvpi3AdJXHDBoo-vbStFFadMgKrw0n1ha454EC41pxeHYePgdHmHgGi1V6gqHesv0vJgfa8DlRVfQ4UAz36tjoDMRxYEridTiFcPTVn6AwCfPQ/w640-h484/Grand%20Haven%20kids.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvg3b8WiZcaYRz1ERAiIlLD1wxxUz8LRyayYrdwUQRS-VubOat6_7q-dDIIoqc6xqkzCgQoox9KrVeqQ2frsUUGgOcOA8Lb6m2imiYWQKUBaci55xRh1_Y8Zqlr880nuB7UeOOcrzjz-OKNOBkz7-AUmPjjAZDXJwJzzthkAqCggfoiDNRw/s1080/Heritage%20High%20school%20students%20with%20Bwindi%20sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvg3b8WiZcaYRz1ERAiIlLD1wxxUz8LRyayYrdwUQRS-VubOat6_7q-dDIIoqc6xqkzCgQoox9KrVeqQ2frsUUGgOcOA8Lb6m2imiYWQKUBaci55xRh1_Y8Zqlr880nuB7UeOOcrzjz-OKNOBkz7-AUmPjjAZDXJwJzzthkAqCggfoiDNRw/w640-h480/Heritage%20High%20school%20students%20with%20Bwindi%20sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvHfnxvrneVe4rZt-pxFMxh8mw0wxuUaoBJy17CV0HBG8oA3EzsjLOAoxxbe9H16MNtxexjEzGsWO3or_PJdTEoUP2POyMjD8M9O1Rszz6aM0fvXn1yAx-8US7sUHZUIVCELEZhoMTUI0uIBwqfV_WUHlmW3eTC0jDmz5qF2D7PRi8jpYXA/s1080/IMG-20170907-WA0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvHfnxvrneVe4rZt-pxFMxh8mw0wxuUaoBJy17CV0HBG8oA3EzsjLOAoxxbe9H16MNtxexjEzGsWO3or_PJdTEoUP2POyMjD8M9O1Rszz6aM0fvXn1yAx-8US7sUHZUIVCELEZhoMTUI0uIBwqfV_WUHlmW3eTC0jDmz5qF2D7PRi8jpYXA/w640-h480/IMG-20170907-WA0037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhjIDfgoaZqZ4Vnw_C2o4TTiLw7r-c6pktPpszvUnKtp7eUBiwEMSVugUCjZvvga6zx0YcxyDQADoRe3xKM5L_mfwu1PzlYe2ol9iFbG_hBn8aCZXvCjBsIMbo5AByAuQ7ENIZdW6qy19zjG84ps_1H3nWJojt6dkJJIqk5wx69QYCHkF1w/s3954/Women's%20Skills%20Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2966" data-original-width="3954" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhjIDfgoaZqZ4Vnw_C2o4TTiLw7r-c6pktPpszvUnKtp7eUBiwEMSVugUCjZvvga6zx0YcxyDQADoRe3xKM5L_mfwu1PzlYe2ol9iFbG_hBn8aCZXvCjBsIMbo5AByAuQ7ENIZdW6qy19zjG84ps_1H3nWJojt6dkJJIqk5wx69QYCHkF1w/w640-h480/Women's%20Skills%20Center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmDABrB218fEYHs59bq8e6dfqT6gU5lfciu39cuarWeRkddILgFELWX-nqWhCROnoJV3DIEsuSV4eFOu6tSuq3ORM-m6NLMTKujyZ-S2pb7NzPwNaz-7TXdp9mNIM1peaA0PbKfZ_4p9lbL0Bskj7bkljD25QqKIo5hmgVt799QLfYDcUTw/s1032/Bwindi%20Women's%20Skills%20Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1032" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmDABrB218fEYHs59bq8e6dfqT6gU5lfciu39cuarWeRkddILgFELWX-nqWhCROnoJV3DIEsuSV4eFOu6tSuq3ORM-m6NLMTKujyZ-S2pb7NzPwNaz-7TXdp9mNIM1peaA0PbKfZ_4p9lbL0Bskj7bkljD25QqKIo5hmgVt799QLfYDcUTw/w640-h360/Bwindi%20Women's%20Skills%20Center.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvaA5iJ-D8ZRGyNntIMuRhRA7HMdsGBwFsS32iZlR_EJjVyFR_qgMfeB4mKNcrfcHyEEzaXY9ReYRX6RbTMYSeUEmu1XpMznPrOXGvx9bBF-gKAlxBnVSFHIkVGpu2gfYzzjPvgtPCdh2kWowqUPuCAdflSQDfPFBD1yHLbaNmNx4Yw0WBQ/s4000/Community%20with%20Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2439" data-original-width="4000" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvaA5iJ-D8ZRGyNntIMuRhRA7HMdsGBwFsS32iZlR_EJjVyFR_qgMfeB4mKNcrfcHyEEzaXY9ReYRX6RbTMYSeUEmu1XpMznPrOXGvx9bBF-gKAlxBnVSFHIkVGpu2gfYzzjPvgtPCdh2kWowqUPuCAdflSQDfPFBD1yHLbaNmNx4Yw0WBQ/w640-h390/Community%20with%20Food.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVzafwNr6AS_U2Ehcxc6UpYghTkKGb4QRxdLMY0R9ekcv4E7QEtTUIUHY2e6BXfmmkFbYjd_uje43H5FHGGL5K287s7-9G8YocLSeMogaQaPm_aBToOQ06lqXsyzjH-uvbw2rHn173SI-k3djwhWt1b-Nedc9BJjmh_LukUDYd4LU5TzDmA/s4000/Children%20with%20Treat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2953" data-original-width="4000" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVzafwNr6AS_U2Ehcxc6UpYghTkKGb4QRxdLMY0R9ekcv4E7QEtTUIUHY2e6BXfmmkFbYjd_uje43H5FHGGL5K287s7-9G8YocLSeMogaQaPm_aBToOQ06lqXsyzjH-uvbw2rHn173SI-k3djwhWt1b-Nedc9BJjmh_LukUDYd4LU5TzDmA/w640-h472/Children%20with%20Treat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></span><div><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The covid pandemic struck a year after our visit, and it was devastating to learn how badly this already poor community was affected. The loss of tourism meant the loss of jobs for the young porters on the gorilla treks, the loss of sales opportunities for the craftspeople, and the loss of the usual government contributions to the community. In normal times, the government of Uganda shares some of the income from the tourist visits to Bwindi National Park with the people of the area.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;">I was very affected by the news from my friend Manase how badly the community has been affected. This led me to create a GoFundMe page to support the children of this community. If my readers are interested in helping this effort, you can donate any a</span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">mount, large or small, at this link: <a href="https://gofund.me/96bc2f79" target="_blank">Support an Orphanage and Schools in Uganda!</a> </span></span></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-68000526428508304592022-09-24T11:47:00.005-07:002023-03-10T09:25:13.839-08:00More African Adventures, Part 2 - First Gorilla Trek<h3 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">January 8, 2019</span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Gorillas of Bwindi - First Gorilla Trek</h3><div>The long-awaited day was finally here! Rob and I were up and dressed at 5:00 a.m. After a quick breakfast in the lodge dining room, we walked the short distance to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Visitors Center where we joined about 46 other visitors from around the world. As we approached, we could hear the drums and songs of the young women from the "Bike4Women" neighborhood project. The women, dressed in green with colorful raffia skirts, danced energetically, with wild gyrations and leaps into the air. A line of singers accompanied them with wonderful African harmonies. One of the dances had one of the women dressed as a young man about to go through the circumcision ceremony, which is done when boys are about 10 to 12 years old...OUCH!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge36GfLYFqL9CmDfZIAvvXH6xNkjUFtA7JOo22B2nPgktFWcOOu6FKGIR844am8IVzHfOZV9y7CB08DkIw979Zfy8m4MUssVbT_y7WHAKi_T5zWodaW8eAzQbqesnvWC3nporSA5emzBPQxPZDNPxCAJS7IlCS4r_UCor0vxKskDFUr87Zg/s3520/IMG_4270%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2813" data-original-width="3520" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhge36GfLYFqL9CmDfZIAvvXH6xNkjUFtA7JOo22B2nPgktFWcOOu6FKGIR844am8IVzHfOZV9y7CB08DkIw979Zfy8m4MUssVbT_y7WHAKi_T5zWodaW8eAzQbqesnvWC3nporSA5emzBPQxPZDNPxCAJS7IlCS4r_UCor0vxKskDFUr87Zg/w640-h512/IMG_4270%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee at dawn</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1I_kDnK091kvtEzp0px2fY50oKh8tuP5kmC47MltUCqyKUJQU-AEJQpPinp8qc_DIzIhs_jictG0ZmLFW60TTdFO91GcoOC6Pa1XBfjjNeeVMgTekbu_UpS9Ny-bZdLmprMVN577ZdtcNfA6lz2VmaLNjWMaH_qOyytggn5Rat1zzFgWggQ/s2236/IMG_4273%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="2236" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1I_kDnK091kvtEzp0px2fY50oKh8tuP5kmC47MltUCqyKUJQU-AEJQpPinp8qc_DIzIhs_jictG0ZmLFW60TTdFO91GcoOC6Pa1XBfjjNeeVMgTekbu_UpS9Ny-bZdLmprMVN577ZdtcNfA6lz2VmaLNjWMaH_qOyytggn5Rat1zzFgWggQ/w640-h384/IMG_4273%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike4Women dancers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk4PMdQ-_PqRLi6PdDuE1YJztT6tGJ8Vz1AXX0eIYPVUZfug1FmW3_OcD1SaKnLrwvWhMsw2DMwAZ7SwVXBFq5iHk353Wkp9p2L4p3e28IMjSt7bJVELWY_pw5s0kJ0-IQsrijbNeTzp3EJtxH7GrIAp_gzJaDf0iYv8QAJaL-GZkXLax5Q/s4608/IMG_4521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk4PMdQ-_PqRLi6PdDuE1YJztT6tGJ8Vz1AXX0eIYPVUZfug1FmW3_OcD1SaKnLrwvWhMsw2DMwAZ7SwVXBFq5iHk353Wkp9p2L4p3e28IMjSt7bJVELWY_pw5s0kJ0-IQsrijbNeTzp3EJtxH7GrIAp_gzJaDf0iYv8QAJaL-GZkXLax5Q/w640-h480/IMG_4521.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Representing a circumcision ceremony</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the dancing, a park ranger talked about the local projects that benefit the local communities, the history of the Batwa people of this region, and information about the gorillas themselves. There are now about 1,000 mountain gorillas, all living in the volcanic mountains at the juncture of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. About 400 of these gorillas live here in the Bwindi Forest. These live in several family groups. The large group of visitors was divided into groups of eight - the largest number of visitors allowed to visit each gorilla family per day. Our little group would be tracking the Rushegura family. Our guide, Solomon, gave us a lesson on gorilla etiquette and some rules for our behavior, and we set off on the narrow jungle trails up the mountain.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheORWK1jBA0Le4RwCoaSBwsGXGDpnwLog0I6vTum0EKUJI0EyijojMlpwhGOETMJiAGiqb05bEzKdM7jhsuqm_Unv6mlQZqDISnhgT_aPpnJBb6qz3DM45JuviAo5fghV0QiTqLTxSTEk7pDFDGEqf8G677trcPbw05JUb7pfxOrz6wYe9pA/s4241/IMG_4489%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2582" data-original-width="4241" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheORWK1jBA0Le4RwCoaSBwsGXGDpnwLog0I6vTum0EKUJI0EyijojMlpwhGOETMJiAGiqb05bEzKdM7jhsuqm_Unv6mlQZqDISnhgT_aPpnJBb6qz3DM45JuviAo5fghV0QiTqLTxSTEk7pDFDGEqf8G677trcPbw05JUb7pfxOrz6wYe9pA/w640-h390/IMG_4489%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rushegura Family - by the time we saw them in 2019, it had grown.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Young men and women from the local villages work as porters for the visitors, and they were invaluable, doing everything from carrying our water to helping us across streams and up the muddy slopes of the damp forest. We hiked for about two hours, enjoying the sights of the jungle - a pair of giant snails mating, the lattice of a strangler fig tree, and vines strong enough to swing on! Our new acquaintances, Marc and Gillie, were part of our group. They would use this trip to learn more about gorillas for use on a future sculpture project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DxknjnWR2IHwbyp39vb2crBBJf353TgbcNqQ7pQS7Jsn6OxKeP3sOzz6BISeHzBfBe0y310mu3E-2nuLfPt3Sn2rZrnVtLgDLGOKz0c-6v3urgJaMVmhtoEdsQiM7LEUePdkebWaKvZUwOEkYm_zA2vCX1AxtZ1Q-9HrR5FWcCGrr2b2Cg/s3680/IMG_4282%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3137" data-original-width="3680" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DxknjnWR2IHwbyp39vb2crBBJf353TgbcNqQ7pQS7Jsn6OxKeP3sOzz6BISeHzBfBe0y310mu3E-2nuLfPt3Sn2rZrnVtLgDLGOKz0c-6v3urgJaMVmhtoEdsQiM7LEUePdkebWaKvZUwOEkYm_zA2vCX1AxtZ1Q-9HrR5FWcCGrr2b2Cg/w640-h546/IMG_4282%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob with our wonderful porters</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TdJZxIOvNH6s4HsmXcpl7c17ZOZwIYHTG7TThtH8Ym7Dkz3FnYRABd0cPMxGCOFXlV3KpRMxVDJUhnUO8NsBEmmYq-9dovhYSe_zQUyjQK5-E8aDIoQ8AZCYF-u6QWxryiI4Ktlrj8MW59I5gt-SSVO-Z4j9W8UgeXtSG4UhKNFt1Qou3w/s4204/IMG_4280%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="4204" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TdJZxIOvNH6s4HsmXcpl7c17ZOZwIYHTG7TThtH8Ym7Dkz3FnYRABd0cPMxGCOFXlV3KpRMxVDJUhnUO8NsBEmmYq-9dovhYSe_zQUyjQK5-E8aDIoQ8AZCYF-u6QWxryiI4Ktlrj8MW59I5gt-SSVO-Z4j9W8UgeXtSG4UhKNFt1Qou3w/w640-h450/IMG_4280%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing a jungle stream</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyGgLrfzJ4eYEuNT4P7ZKaWAl-5ov3VSoS9-GT_0uVH4zs_eZwysReSwbwrc_byYifF9Dt08cW0ndSJF_SlnbQWGaLU5jcm8swWyL7mlcR9JEIA5osRzP0vUlHspN-x30wGyxgL2glnflMJHLil4qJlO34GaOIL8eAU4PdtJ0G74lLCFCKw/s3847/IMG_4283%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3128" data-original-width="3847" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyGgLrfzJ4eYEuNT4P7ZKaWAl-5ov3VSoS9-GT_0uVH4zs_eZwysReSwbwrc_byYifF9Dt08cW0ndSJF_SlnbQWGaLU5jcm8swWyL7mlcR9JEIA5osRzP0vUlHspN-x30wGyxgL2glnflMJHLil4qJlO34GaOIL8eAU4PdtJ0G74lLCFCKw/w640-h520/IMG_4283%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant snails mating</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O9s2Cx2PCH8cy1TE6kzp2rXaVSJwkD9jUlwK6rm9reTLYSe0zz05AxvHIrWTB45WUtLbCCAyfcLGvYJwJauNXz5M6J-N99PJ8sTgP2aB9Eks6wMXqVZNYolgP_xILdaYURHdXs4VEROihr7Yo2PECKadH6CiQpodxmMa-hOQadNJS_-8zQ/s3874/IMG_4286%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3051" data-original-width="3874" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O9s2Cx2PCH8cy1TE6kzp2rXaVSJwkD9jUlwK6rm9reTLYSe0zz05AxvHIrWTB45WUtLbCCAyfcLGvYJwJauNXz5M6J-N99PJ8sTgP2aB9Eks6wMXqVZNYolgP_xILdaYURHdXs4VEROihr7Yo2PECKadH6CiQpodxmMa-hOQadNJS_-8zQ/w640-h504/IMG_4286%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting growth on a jungle tree - a fungus?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ef3AOEoWAE_9I8nR3ZMhimudXHoD_Wyynwm2ixINAnRYwTLfm2gVC477r6aSEsi3zeSj3puoHotKCsmQ-qB8vEOddCzsZtGz2ozKGzEgFd5Gc8ey64-XFR5loqtyXVPMUTI1PBwKOEX_Gggk1tn6kTLoDGujZXHxmbAfi9pvOcfl0Q8oVw/s3298/IMG_4292%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3298" data-original-width="3146" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ef3AOEoWAE_9I8nR3ZMhimudXHoD_Wyynwm2ixINAnRYwTLfm2gVC477r6aSEsi3zeSj3puoHotKCsmQ-qB8vEOddCzsZtGz2ozKGzEgFd5Gc8ey64-XFR5loqtyXVPMUTI1PBwKOEX_Gggk1tn6kTLoDGujZXHxmbAfi9pvOcfl0Q8oVw/w610-h640/IMG_4292%20(3).JPG" width="610" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strangler figs send their vines up a tree, eventually killing it and leaving<br />an open lattice of thick vines</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT9JdfYNfFLwPbgrshDaf-52uPfpuB-o4tIBWrPqb0OAsIPY7de4D5TPRuc9zQfJ8B5MFG2bztVpiv-FlWgMUCZOETcNTDL3uSVPypulyYT5oWL-B3VW2sEo0sv4eBGM9h0itZL6yA9o08EfwU4LR8zk6m9JhDlSISoCCck5gva1JeCOAqQ/s3193/IMG_4297%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="3193" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT9JdfYNfFLwPbgrshDaf-52uPfpuB-o4tIBWrPqb0OAsIPY7de4D5TPRuc9zQfJ8B5MFG2bztVpiv-FlWgMUCZOETcNTDL3uSVPypulyYT5oWL-B3VW2sEo0sv4eBGM9h0itZL6yA9o08EfwU4LR8zk6m9JhDlSISoCCck5gva1JeCOAqQ/w640-h550/IMG_4297%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jungle of my Tarzan dreams - vines strong enough to swing on!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORiPdfDUfc08lu-J7jgWy-jqAvrOZqH1ac0-NSZujS_BoC102Qhe1JSH3hEtMbdUNjFd-tDbMGVIceXtw3A2oruVo0qr610wwpFYPhKsubL9bzpkZXMACXIeZ2n4N2Sf87eipktYlGr6fNhuNoePPOabEJvZasfBtzEiLudpEi-K6OCW6Vg/s3680/IMG_4299%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="3680" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORiPdfDUfc08lu-J7jgWy-jqAvrOZqH1ac0-NSZujS_BoC102Qhe1JSH3hEtMbdUNjFd-tDbMGVIceXtw3A2oruVo0qr610wwpFYPhKsubL9bzpkZXMACXIeZ2n4N2Sf87eipktYlGr6fNhuNoePPOabEJvZasfBtzEiLudpEi-K6OCW6Vg/w640-h516/IMG_4299%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob talks with one of the park rangers during a rest stop.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Eureka! </b> Our chances of finding the Rushegura Family was good, but not 100%, so I was very excited when Solomon suddenly got a call on his walkie-talkie from the trackers who had gone out early to scout the locations of the gorilla groups. We turned off the trail and plunged right into the brush, with our guide and porters hacking away at the thick vegetation with machetes. And suddenly, there they were - a family of 16 beautiful gorillas. The huge silverback, Kabukojo, kept watch over his family of several females, juveniles, and babies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kRuY7eBElnOj_sDNOoK-mMEtL3BxjGRmVG0FvPVZqhzLhpkyOIhRyxNwwtwu5ZoA2VUYEpC-VoOH2jauqHT23R0R3zbaLbXHHeqLD_-kexur7Q5Smr6aUbhKEhJC83T6-X90GZ7PTZWOeKAT35WqZ8WUmc4vz9PJ9_iXyGCPYrHbbS-psQ/s4306/IMG_4304%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3258" data-original-width="4306" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kRuY7eBElnOj_sDNOoK-mMEtL3BxjGRmVG0FvPVZqhzLhpkyOIhRyxNwwtwu5ZoA2VUYEpC-VoOH2jauqHT23R0R3zbaLbXHHeqLD_-kexur7Q5Smr6aUbhKEhJC83T6-X90GZ7PTZWOeKAT35WqZ8WUmc4vz9PJ9_iXyGCPYrHbbS-psQ/w640-h484/IMG_4304%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first glimpse of a gorilla</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgFi18C2aukJFTw_fj22ZdZVL2-m46_3NRSBlizsqPW5ndQomDdzq6oy3gORaMf6Ai4IMcC5cXBBeLJEbeudD547o4ARjljo6mgLBSk7EtEsVUK2PEsnFZNu0-bSgZV1zkN1V0QV2qVUfsd0id2LPkK-BHuVJWLYuFNz9pmbNGfRc6-l75Q/s4608/IMG_4314%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgFi18C2aukJFTw_fj22ZdZVL2-m46_3NRSBlizsqPW5ndQomDdzq6oy3gORaMf6Ai4IMcC5cXBBeLJEbeudD547o4ARjljo6mgLBSk7EtEsVUK2PEsnFZNu0-bSgZV1zkN1V0QV2qVUfsd0id2LPkK-BHuVJWLYuFNz9pmbNGfRc6-l75Q/w640-h480/IMG_4314%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaKKBdkXzzRoaO6B_JefMw51UW06zREV4bAUNCkKI3GcrPQZwuSWGivoG3MqHKuyDoXOVH3UsXlVmRMAIiKnmCvnxfQrvjsyj1yX_RWl9GFoOQ9T9Qvs6uxv2tUx_Qyz7jzN38wqj0HaGBGlvp-k6QFfx3pFlS55MQpXmnzqvxahJDGyR0A/s4175/IMG_4327%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3116" data-original-width="4175" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaKKBdkXzzRoaO6B_JefMw51UW06zREV4bAUNCkKI3GcrPQZwuSWGivoG3MqHKuyDoXOVH3UsXlVmRMAIiKnmCvnxfQrvjsyj1yX_RWl9GFoOQ9T9Qvs6uxv2tUx_Qyz7jzN38wqj0HaGBGlvp-k6QFfx3pFlS55MQpXmnzqvxahJDGyR0A/w640-h478/IMG_4327%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAATz_JpsGJ61Bglyi5r5jRAl87o5CSuDuN30ipw2smMRitlF3iiFLGcSP6NN_-4Aj1lKPrOwAcsf-V3NLWhwj_xkTmkfowQR7WPlw5j7Cixg0G-JJH8pdV_YgsBNbdVmyMVLz3WOqAe7qpjm06bvuXlxiOo7Y99bUctJoIWMes8871SYig/s4608/IMG_4331%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAATz_JpsGJ61Bglyi5r5jRAl87o5CSuDuN30ipw2smMRitlF3iiFLGcSP6NN_-4Aj1lKPrOwAcsf-V3NLWhwj_xkTmkfowQR7WPlw5j7Cixg0G-JJH8pdV_YgsBNbdVmyMVLz3WOqAe7qpjm06bvuXlxiOo7Y99bUctJoIWMes8871SYig/w640-h480/IMG_4331%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our porters withdrew into the woods while we visitors lined the edge of the clearing where the gorillas were resting, eating, and playing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kabukojo, the Silverback</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kabukojo spent most of our visit lying on his belly quietly watching over the activities of his family. Toward the end of our one hour with the family, he rose and gave a grunt, and the family followed him into the jungle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFi3kLQ58cxt8jJ9beqwWRSKOIJfcTyeuFR1SaHLOfUl1b0bvpWS5j4aQXlCbCGIShvbAQLyfG8exOtVIFKuF-5byqz31cTGXFw3fNAn-WJMAtXqzBOm7VCVEyC32nnM4pSfG22mETCRhomP_TVc3dXGBKqBgqolPnjJ6dihrQA4A5SNHxiw/s4608/IMG_4418%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFi3kLQ58cxt8jJ9beqwWRSKOIJfcTyeuFR1SaHLOfUl1b0bvpWS5j4aQXlCbCGIShvbAQLyfG8exOtVIFKuF-5byqz31cTGXFw3fNAn-WJMAtXqzBOm7VCVEyC32nnM4pSfG22mETCRhomP_TVc3dXGBKqBgqolPnjJ6dihrQA4A5SNHxiw/w640-h480/IMG_4418%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85NrWThBCCyifQR_hrWmX26mErIQKIBQqRTiE3-2gUEmXLRky85ysEsommz6t1N88OcKECxr9iMjpW3GjAuj4-bILzATl2Am_tl7DyKPYZ0mf7GbVsXfBGQEiPrshcLcJE78b00YhjrxBzRiVc2EuDaondV8t5I8V0psgRt9PPzy_IFALhw/s4246/IMG_4417%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3141" data-original-width="4246" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85NrWThBCCyifQR_hrWmX26mErIQKIBQqRTiE3-2gUEmXLRky85ysEsommz6t1N88OcKECxr9iMjpW3GjAuj4-bILzATl2Am_tl7DyKPYZ0mf7GbVsXfBGQEiPrshcLcJE78b00YhjrxBzRiVc2EuDaondV8t5I8V0psgRt9PPzy_IFALhw/w640-h474/IMG_4417%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizsu_tqek9w_e5f-72VBVdXi0xW4QiVNozXKZeqr4vVtqGFoSQEEvZycVIW6-hF5sLH0Vgwyf2gYiAlBjmyFDA4NLS3fmep0dE3IggDSrh5Ea50gsDSq-Uu6y1t_Z6OoVkO_Wjxy3Oueyn6SfpS9tSNWNam9ZGRyylvWblTVf5524fEC0Xg/s4608/IMG_4452%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizsu_tqek9w_e5f-72VBVdXi0xW4QiVNozXKZeqr4vVtqGFoSQEEvZycVIW6-hF5sLH0Vgwyf2gYiAlBjmyFDA4NLS3fmep0dE3IggDSrh5Ea50gsDSq-Uu6y1t_Z6OoVkO_Wjxy3Oueyn6SfpS9tSNWNam9ZGRyylvWblTVf5524fEC0Xg/w640-h480/IMG_4452%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi2Jwp69g7i6xw0s9kHVTTGAXGYo4SsDGjMfPzYzib_Nm9IWWlOnn9uBXgbnGpXTkrqpQwWuFkvUHf4GDF5WcsXbHB_-1EqrE3RjFsc7VzgKWsGNcAdGSn7AksSBGRFMaeIZZk7t1uvOFnHQjp9rNfOhI8pOT7QVr51yi0rPerddoX7YAJg/s4069/IMG_4373%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2504" data-original-width="4069" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi2Jwp69g7i6xw0s9kHVTTGAXGYo4SsDGjMfPzYzib_Nm9IWWlOnn9uBXgbnGpXTkrqpQwWuFkvUHf4GDF5WcsXbHB_-1EqrE3RjFsc7VzgKWsGNcAdGSn7AksSBGRFMaeIZZk7t1uvOFnHQjp9rNfOhI8pOT7QVr51yi0rPerddoX7YAJg/w640-h394/IMG_4373%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;">The Mothers</h4>The mothers in the group spent most of their time sitting and eating the abundant vegetation all around them. A white flower on the bushes seemed to be a favorite treat. They ignored us completely but kept a watchful eye on their lively children who climbed all over them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ATu6-hwnVpBwFxgdQjwiglonCqbxgQ99SlRPrBvqeyORa1Itw-nHeOHk6MJozUkE8jrVTo547toneZo3ukZVZLmh2C6GNLAKe2IpKKnr_ZgeNs51zJyDzvNzVNtFhHfrSINP8Qwi3tHK4tdFZuDdyrplj49Z8QXE8KUOZgOIqYb55r0j5g/s4608/IMG_4438%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ATu6-hwnVpBwFxgdQjwiglonCqbxgQ99SlRPrBvqeyORa1Itw-nHeOHk6MJozUkE8jrVTo547toneZo3ukZVZLmh2C6GNLAKe2IpKKnr_ZgeNs51zJyDzvNzVNtFhHfrSINP8Qwi3tHK4tdFZuDdyrplj49Z8QXE8KUOZgOIqYb55r0j5g/w640-h480/IMG_4438%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7clNMruvKPkk6O7VUH9CE4RhFU8UyW7WkyQZHYqSyiDmk53MOMLHWQntmRoKRSwxWfBPkCtM3NxNx4QL1h9-_PxMbM9IGNamhclI0HCpbZ0L6MRc56BJZ9H0NbdE2ftVQle8_vPfRzOOc99Y62RP_tYzXJxw79EXuP6EvVPecMEpw_iZIw/s4193/IMG_4332%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="4193" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7clNMruvKPkk6O7VUH9CE4RhFU8UyW7WkyQZHYqSyiDmk53MOMLHWQntmRoKRSwxWfBPkCtM3NxNx4QL1h9-_PxMbM9IGNamhclI0HCpbZ0L6MRc56BJZ9H0NbdE2ftVQle8_vPfRzOOc99Y62RP_tYzXJxw79EXuP6EvVPecMEpw_iZIw/w640-h486/IMG_4332%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEtdHg9txu0aSnFVs-tKZrpXnHO5UcQiL15_uP1GWKSsrnOA67PWT13YqP24cL6eOsev4_Th7gDo1sybCp1sWWl6sQ-74ZtLvaW_rxdcXo-mMAByNIual-l-zbEYespGD3wH_e5HLMyfZE_livtQlBjhaE5uYyCG7tfTi1-n20n633tGaQA/s3942/IMG_4333%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3152" data-original-width="3942" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEtdHg9txu0aSnFVs-tKZrpXnHO5UcQiL15_uP1GWKSsrnOA67PWT13YqP24cL6eOsev4_Th7gDo1sybCp1sWWl6sQ-74ZtLvaW_rxdcXo-mMAByNIual-l-zbEYespGD3wH_e5HLMyfZE_livtQlBjhaE5uYyCG7tfTi1-n20n633tGaQA/w640-h512/IMG_4333%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k1GXTi8t1VOtnIiACmnXPFhcSoJTo_OhCPN3jJ4S_kMvtrP8rv6pudooMYEaYk4aDrYv6kpJGlQ320E_EFn_hY1JagrYb340l2preSpdkHLy-eijv5z_EBSVA4ck10HJSJV6dekYCeONtT-mWl_4QNfVewCy_PNccCWX5xXW_jIr0L8pbg/s4608/IMG_4365%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3k1GXTi8t1VOtnIiACmnXPFhcSoJTo_OhCPN3jJ4S_kMvtrP8rv6pudooMYEaYk4aDrYv6kpJGlQ320E_EFn_hY1JagrYb340l2preSpdkHLy-eijv5z_EBSVA4ck10HJSJV6dekYCeONtT-mWl_4QNfVewCy_PNccCWX5xXW_jIr0L8pbg/w640-h480/IMG_4365%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVpDhTilMdKBWgz1uzmJLeyKtwcHmSeqx5s9-JydI2TVQTT-X-9QPlflXvQ6xrN-dj5DyJw-s7XbGo9ZbefoDTgAKQIXAE4VKuai5cepaPg-3Tbxd6J6ebV-7VW0wvXu-2bP8XYObEryvwp1Bc6d432fCp3gCiXFIkH8l2nBV00z45OeLlw/s3663/IMG_4412%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3070" data-original-width="3663" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVpDhTilMdKBWgz1uzmJLeyKtwcHmSeqx5s9-JydI2TVQTT-X-9QPlflXvQ6xrN-dj5DyJw-s7XbGo9ZbefoDTgAKQIXAE4VKuai5cepaPg-3Tbxd6J6ebV-7VW0wvXu-2bP8XYObEryvwp1Bc6d432fCp3gCiXFIkH8l2nBV00z45OeLlw/w640-h536/IMG_4412%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8I_FtQryefxMVgqZmSdRDs-9oSR4_HjfVc_DYMTgdsS8Rkbm4efwzFqR7By7sa00aDWS5e7STwmq9jkLYxxNcfv8_97Icnvdwv2ZtkSgUMQUZTBvOPmqgUaHTeh7X05kVnVW469oVheeKMQOJE7RtSSoQV1M4sqtxnbwMqdak9uVz8qrSg/s3069/IMG_4422%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="3069" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8I_FtQryefxMVgqZmSdRDs-9oSR4_HjfVc_DYMTgdsS8Rkbm4efwzFqR7By7sa00aDWS5e7STwmq9jkLYxxNcfv8_97Icnvdwv2ZtkSgUMQUZTBvOPmqgUaHTeh7X05kVnVW469oVheeKMQOJE7RtSSoQV1M4sqtxnbwMqdak9uVz8qrSg/w640-h486/IMG_4422%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM_E8reqcSrO5YJFKmemUPHme-iFt8ke1zdbc-A2x8IgxVjdeKjBYmVeQ7wmWYAZo7DlDT3ffLk73XpatCPfv1bgCAcEyVeE9KqTPh1gN8LW0iardnOpuBgsDpTkXpR205moGPYu9mLYZo8a2yj55P8w6aHneQERRpcq7m2SEcCaNu9O9lA/s2227/IMG_4427%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="2227" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM_E8reqcSrO5YJFKmemUPHme-iFt8ke1zdbc-A2x8IgxVjdeKjBYmVeQ7wmWYAZo7DlDT3ffLk73XpatCPfv1bgCAcEyVeE9KqTPh1gN8LW0iardnOpuBgsDpTkXpR205moGPYu9mLYZo8a2yj55P8w6aHneQERRpcq7m2SEcCaNu9O9lA/w640-h626/IMG_4427%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMkfhMu4K-8y2TdSFEz7R-kDWzFXQQIaGxpvkL-fBScH0qhCDtsp09SaCsl8TktA9XdFpv37MDRwXF5M_Fwgq9yBo3EcqNnU2CD-uCu-BA4HyGi9NTvJcqb2OH2b-tqS5fh2-55b-XOp7CdEfVBGML_gs8ssdalOA1HfUZvFv9QIQcWu70g/s3270/IMG_4433%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="3270" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMkfhMu4K-8y2TdSFEz7R-kDWzFXQQIaGxpvkL-fBScH0qhCDtsp09SaCsl8TktA9XdFpv37MDRwXF5M_Fwgq9yBo3EcqNnU2CD-uCu-BA4HyGi9NTvJcqb2OH2b-tqS5fh2-55b-XOp7CdEfVBGML_gs8ssdalOA1HfUZvFv9QIQcWu70g/w640-h418/IMG_4433%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;">The Youngsters</h4><div>The youngsters were the most fun. Unlike their passive parents, they were on the move constantly, wrestling together, leaping into the trees, jumping all over their patient mothers, thumping their little chests with rapid drumbeats. We had been instructed not to approach them, but there was nothing to stop them from approaching us, and some of the curious youngsters ran right through out group - one of the ambushing us from behind and attempting to snatch one woman's camera bag right off of her shoulder! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbuu4HxmmOlJpIn7-NLVIJZwdK2ett-rAM3H-YZyO_kJX-wusz5poUVdNTbtKMWBfN6zLEqIisz2RfFTAYtajxJP_fADmdQ4mR94IW6OQavEHL9D1zoiqhoGUV_6gcOW7bF1NBdNteEmP_jHZtw9BB7hleYGX4HxuVupGF5RC5gKg8YOU3Q/s4314/IMG_4343%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2379" data-original-width="4314" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbuu4HxmmOlJpIn7-NLVIJZwdK2ett-rAM3H-YZyO_kJX-wusz5poUVdNTbtKMWBfN6zLEqIisz2RfFTAYtajxJP_fADmdQ4mR94IW6OQavEHL9D1zoiqhoGUV_6gcOW7bF1NBdNteEmP_jHZtw9BB7hleYGX4HxuVupGF5RC5gKg8YOU3Q/w640-h352/IMG_4343%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob visits with a curious young friend.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_Qixd6Gwzt5SOMkvfgcx4IsJnmzVnTNnV0-OFjGr-bAgx3B5WSPf1DHzN-AybbNeUZ6vJVq5RI6EFN4tXvDT73ArGyR5vDdqoJBYWs5PrUS4wwq44I_LtSqAfojc_egQEgVeIhu7-L7GhccYfxqT9PpsdnwqcWTn3x23UQOLlYwbuegSrA/s3260/IMG_4376%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="3260" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_Qixd6Gwzt5SOMkvfgcx4IsJnmzVnTNnV0-OFjGr-bAgx3B5WSPf1DHzN-AybbNeUZ6vJVq5RI6EFN4tXvDT73ArGyR5vDdqoJBYWs5PrUS4wwq44I_LtSqAfojc_egQEgVeIhu7-L7GhccYfxqT9PpsdnwqcWTn3x23UQOLlYwbuegSrA/w640-h542/IMG_4376%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzEgAdIeRoCiaATk4E3mQzZRkHU6vA9y5LPkEaSl0i-RWFKwtHnhuiPewMw3YrktoRBGzebYVWf6g3T-OuhROOg_dKbvqP72IhumVRmLtIn9XddW2rq8frtYVoZhF7RNj2MW-cpWi_dBPAMynnmPufvAwt4Um6hcHBx6CutIeGviJ6gJZFw/s4203/IMG_4383%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="4203" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzEgAdIeRoCiaATk4E3mQzZRkHU6vA9y5LPkEaSl0i-RWFKwtHnhuiPewMw3YrktoRBGzebYVWf6g3T-OuhROOg_dKbvqP72IhumVRmLtIn9XddW2rq8frtYVoZhF7RNj2MW-cpWi_dBPAMynnmPufvAwt4Um6hcHBx6CutIeGviJ6gJZFw/w640-h452/IMG_4383%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlyTgzWUGZROZPDnaYyxAmaGZZstY5wkrh2JEi0YJx6agzqMAPIxCJLZfheKe7KV18txHCpw8Pcyp2VvNExeOiNwdRNaw7SVPIGGX70JH9r2eXdpsvDQ_FmKPnLzp3yefecHEqV1srU8Vj8XZ9GJWZbJVroN36mVxx_up2Is1pKIwXE9u3g/s3767/IMG_4384%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2551" data-original-width="3767" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlyTgzWUGZROZPDnaYyxAmaGZZstY5wkrh2JEi0YJx6agzqMAPIxCJLZfheKe7KV18txHCpw8Pcyp2VvNExeOiNwdRNaw7SVPIGGX70JH9r2eXdpsvDQ_FmKPnLzp3yefecHEqV1srU8Vj8XZ9GJWZbJVroN36mVxx_up2Is1pKIwXE9u3g/w640-h434/IMG_4384%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbAJ4Sxl_v0hUKygwpEx0Adj72gHhK_GN-vwTLtCSy-iDOnLwr0XCf8g7Fy5bTAbsDUKGPOnxqH9GpdpjO9ai7Lqq9NOMGNOtP3Czc_CFn69p9PNgsgo0SmA4XyiCdDg-ALCfioXqwocBTv4jj4anz_mlVN72DXkEcc89FEkuY23ezoJuKA/s3705/IMG_4391%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3289" data-original-width="3705" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbAJ4Sxl_v0hUKygwpEx0Adj72gHhK_GN-vwTLtCSy-iDOnLwr0XCf8g7Fy5bTAbsDUKGPOnxqH9GpdpjO9ai7Lqq9NOMGNOtP3Czc_CFn69p9PNgsgo0SmA4XyiCdDg-ALCfioXqwocBTv4jj4anz_mlVN72DXkEcc89FEkuY23ezoJuKA/w640-h568/IMG_4391%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oTd1TsjQsooAkvuNgU092_YvMaq01VcnoN3VzqVd3qpj3rzBhLsBW8L6_HnshAqhYpNQIPbMC0fElreh4okt37R0SEiqRTdfij9FJDeIXZyOpWSdePhDzZ-tIOCbahYLDEHZXkA506semUR2IoS7Prd_Y7SNDHNDQzZNPXLu0UI4knUBTA/s3445/IMG_4398%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2280" data-original-width="3445" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oTd1TsjQsooAkvuNgU092_YvMaq01VcnoN3VzqVd3qpj3rzBhLsBW8L6_HnshAqhYpNQIPbMC0fElreh4okt37R0SEiqRTdfij9FJDeIXZyOpWSdePhDzZ-tIOCbahYLDEHZXkA506semUR2IoS7Prd_Y7SNDHNDQzZNPXLu0UI4knUBTA/w640-h424/IMG_4398%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90g17rWwCoNz9q19sjjst2gwCZ7Hk5MIC1GuqM3Qd_m1sl0GwHXGCjwsyDOR4tblc42nVl6vLjN6KomTPiVTTUwdj4ZOwqj1p0Ooh-rUp76cgePyGU4lA6HndXgVV5KxBvjhU-emgoz7HGQJmRRwXa6YqrGSYiPdZLxnCa-J5t9NWv9vBUw/s2904/IMG_4400%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2405" data-original-width="2904" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90g17rWwCoNz9q19sjjst2gwCZ7Hk5MIC1GuqM3Qd_m1sl0GwHXGCjwsyDOR4tblc42nVl6vLjN6KomTPiVTTUwdj4ZOwqj1p0Ooh-rUp76cgePyGU4lA6HndXgVV5KxBvjhU-emgoz7HGQJmRRwXa6YqrGSYiPdZLxnCa-J5t9NWv9vBUw/w640-h530/IMG_4400%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8SyEBnvXRQSl7I-LmJ1ggSgwdcd7ovDPwMsOvv0vRoquRYZvAanOrXa6-XlMvzRH49Ae622XGbatIvOwXA5cLIGNYgRnylqJcYrOkG2oQFbv1dxzj5gjv9KgtXuyAbr9IR8SpGFfvNhiOgXcYqbGTdjIG-neYi1dUrJ91EQOx6PEogD-Qw/s2227/IMG_4427%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="2227" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8SyEBnvXRQSl7I-LmJ1ggSgwdcd7ovDPwMsOvv0vRoquRYZvAanOrXa6-XlMvzRH49Ae622XGbatIvOwXA5cLIGNYgRnylqJcYrOkG2oQFbv1dxzj5gjv9KgtXuyAbr9IR8SpGFfvNhiOgXcYqbGTdjIG-neYi1dUrJ91EQOx6PEogD-Qw/w640-h626/IMG_4427%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJoxuiUHnwzmdLOGVgapxAUNOqNZk-okaG7dDEKk4Nz1mVpOn8CwMO82Z8AMTqI0XSFWbkfEtdmgZJdW4tEeqX5Ts5ok3odTqqxv8kJgOWG4_nrqzt1XJy1_N1f-1H2eV6MbBZIHiK-d_IqeNEH0e0YSB698iXJmOIE94xSugq5R3ILUPag/s3838/IMG_4445%20(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3145" data-original-width="3838" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJoxuiUHnwzmdLOGVgapxAUNOqNZk-okaG7dDEKk4Nz1mVpOn8CwMO82Z8AMTqI0XSFWbkfEtdmgZJdW4tEeqX5Ts5ok3odTqqxv8kJgOWG4_nrqzt1XJy1_N1f-1H2eV6MbBZIHiK-d_IqeNEH0e0YSB698iXJmOIE94xSugq5R3ILUPag/w640-h524/IMG_4445%20(3).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1dgFC29Nf0t-KlJAzgziYB7nRbdFVxFZgh4wvbrtjITLwcAj_womO82C7VasJ0wlrRxyLHPh7pUxwJLal6sBi9bzlsAymRAaJBjkZTwah8sunGELnPy0h65ZPhYW_jJgRDJBQRcHOLsyn3n4AzOz2QtagEBqr3j6Gkd9O5yovZfjyCDwzg/s4608/IMG_4472%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1dgFC29Nf0t-KlJAzgziYB7nRbdFVxFZgh4wvbrtjITLwcAj_womO82C7VasJ0wlrRxyLHPh7pUxwJLal6sBi9bzlsAymRAaJBjkZTwah8sunGELnPy0h65ZPhYW_jJgRDJBQRcHOLsyn3n4AzOz2QtagEBqr3j6Gkd9O5yovZfjyCDwzg/w640-h480/IMG_4472%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttu1JH_kQVbZniOum6huNSzqohKAKLAnWXkglFsDJVSq4EJuYP00h2XgI_1z0b2pW3Au5zhEGsnZCRTX7CuVli5gIvj1zxiuezk2E5cyytDIWR7asuHBWx7elcvxODVHGFV8qI-HYlT_PexfruTnXN8yFIuYt8FtRVwjh31AISTW1VFhOPA/s4608/IMG_4403%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttu1JH_kQVbZniOum6huNSzqohKAKLAnWXkglFsDJVSq4EJuYP00h2XgI_1z0b2pW3Au5zhEGsnZCRTX7CuVli5gIvj1zxiuezk2E5cyytDIWR7asuHBWx7elcvxODVHGFV8qI-HYlT_PexfruTnXN8yFIuYt8FtRVwjh31AISTW1VFhOPA/w640-h480/IMG_4403%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3J3WJsVIu7f9dfW4LIK6gipY7KqTq_JUWNn-1HYWIVunh2XWwCCU1ENm2LJe32Ebr1qjrv6chGf57n3-YfLjCEz-wDlzKbs_yj_g8ci8l1fuVYWjJQjrmfUkPMAjo0jtz389BuufkzGY6ylbGQVph_CBG9lmpwQQnljBPfx6htG7hYrPng/s4666/IMG_5936%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4666" data-original-width="3888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3J3WJsVIu7f9dfW4LIK6gipY7KqTq_JUWNn-1HYWIVunh2XWwCCU1ENm2LJe32Ebr1qjrv6chGf57n3-YfLjCEz-wDlzKbs_yj_g8ci8l1fuVYWjJQjrmfUkPMAjo0jtz389BuufkzGY6ylbGQVph_CBG9lmpwQQnljBPfx6htG7hYrPng/w534-h640/IMG_5936%20(1).JPG" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was hard to get photos of the active youngsters! They were always on the go!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">All too soon, Solomon gave us a two-minute warning, and after exactly one hour with the gorillas, we trekked back to our lodge...muddy, hot, exhausted, but completely exhilarated by our fantastic adventure! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-83627539640464366502022-09-23T21:40:00.016-07:002023-03-10T09:24:33.669-08:00More African Adventures, Part 1 - Entebbe to Bwindi, Uganda<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: #616770; font-size: small;">January 6 - 7, 2019</span></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Arrival in Entebbe, Uganda</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is something magical about Africa that keeps calling us back. This was our third trip to the continent and this trip offered a brand-new adventure, a visit to the Mountain Gorillas of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, as well as repeat visits to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rqUSmzMfQkq3ymi656KEXdwHwTvsoCkks3WaAbCGEMHWEt2IQfhvv6W8gQGzLxqBih-f-ptj6Rjjl6Xzhr-ZGcn-4uTCXKKSlwvZo8Wb5w94qgDYre9m8M3YFiL2h82Mb_6rRJCvQIJaPmEJ_lQ6NEDw8SqXy39rnSJHocLqKSKHQpU_MA/s4246/IMG_4417%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3141" data-original-width="4246" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rqUSmzMfQkq3ymi656KEXdwHwTvsoCkks3WaAbCGEMHWEt2IQfhvv6W8gQGzLxqBih-f-ptj6Rjjl6Xzhr-ZGcn-4uTCXKKSlwvZo8Wb5w94qgDYre9m8M3YFiL2h82Mb_6rRJCvQIJaPmEJ_lQ6NEDw8SqXy39rnSJHocLqKSKHQpU_MA/w640-h474/IMG_4417%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I wrote the notes for this post while sitting in the airport in Dubai, Rob and I were exactly halfway around the world from our home in California. My watch said 10:34 and my clock at home said the same...but California was 12 hours in the past. </span></span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;">Being so
completely opposite in time zones is confusing to one's body clock! Since we slept on
the plane during our normal nighttime, it was difficult to sleep again during our long layover in Dubai, and we still had one more full day of travel ahead of
us! The huge Emirates Business Lounge was spectacular - filled from end to end with a variety of restaurants and food stations offering everything from sushi to fresh fruit smoothies. We each enjoyed a great shower and the sleeping nook where we stretched out on comfy, curved lounge chairs to rest.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRUPd-J8qURMCCFoDDhP8_SI_bFgIWznPqpBA3d_Jq23V-pwsXTuWooMnqVoJvxYQmwPB3fW18jgwVz2uFsCElcikLxUUFk-1ieDfclwJbMTpoizIqRqfqZqQA8sVfPN-gXDwiWBlNAWvIk03MsdzA3s0QWF4tch0TZ8p1ilI20bAW7BzVA/s5184/A%20IMG_5858%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRUPd-J8qURMCCFoDDhP8_SI_bFgIWznPqpBA3d_Jq23V-pwsXTuWooMnqVoJvxYQmwPB3fW18jgwVz2uFsCElcikLxUUFk-1ieDfclwJbMTpoizIqRqfqZqQA8sVfPN-gXDwiWBlNAWvIk03MsdzA3s0QWF4tch0TZ8p1ilI20bAW7BzVA/w400-h300/A%20IMG_5858%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><br /></span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMyqDbwYAKugrcWt7gyI9QN_yzPtJxIiK3yEJUDfgUSe5y4BgRpx9pNQqEtA6-AqwjvJ4uv9Di0s3xkhdTIpDofhejdjhnVPtR3SBOwPJxi6UH-hsxJ2jtn63rQ5B_Ch_cDLfT-Ap6GwM0yJgN7ZLIFJ9CaDDnjOEB_NOVC2AuNzI7EaDUQ/s750/Dubai%20Business%20Lounge%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="717" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMyqDbwYAKugrcWt7gyI9QN_yzPtJxIiK3yEJUDfgUSe5y4BgRpx9pNQqEtA6-AqwjvJ4uv9Di0s3xkhdTIpDofhejdjhnVPtR3SBOwPJxi6UH-hsxJ2jtn63rQ5B_Ch_cDLfT-Ap6GwM0yJgN7ZLIFJ9CaDDnjOEB_NOVC2AuNzI7EaDUQ/w383-h400/Dubai%20Business%20Lounge%20(2).jpg" width="383" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sleeping Hall in the Emirates Airline Business Lounge, Dubai</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The morning flight arrived in Entebbe in the late afternoon. We settled into our room at the <a href="https://www.boma.co.ug/" target="_blank">Boma Hotel</a> and completely collapsed. I love to visit far-off places, but I must admit that I don't always love the process of getting to them!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4YL9KfzrEccQEoOoHTuUXFG3BYbLeB2j9w9_PwN3uVADwwpMgfe0GjfZ3LTYeUOUxUPZrQuQQjbxtrcN7JVGMwzxWAEVJrdCnOq2mdqx6XqIXpNCB1wtVr3N8sbG_LEG97KTUj78nWMoC-tbgM26zdJ9LUanIVJfAc3N_2i_w9UH5KLckA/s4396/IMG_4193.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3297" data-original-width="4396" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4YL9KfzrEccQEoOoHTuUXFG3BYbLeB2j9w9_PwN3uVADwwpMgfe0GjfZ3LTYeUOUxUPZrQuQQjbxtrcN7JVGMwzxWAEVJrdCnOq2mdqx6XqIXpNCB1wtVr3N8sbG_LEG97KTUj78nWMoC-tbgM26zdJ9LUanIVJfAc3N_2i_w9UH5KLckA/w640-h480/IMG_4193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here at last!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p><h3><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="color: #616770; font-size: small;">January 8, 2019</span></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Entebbe to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We were awake at 5 a.m. and used the morning to explore the tropical grounds of the Boma Hotel and have a dip in the pool before our afternoon flight to Bwindi. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2I8_iyKBdxUPZ1i9MND13a8JL1u26TDepKJn6sR5b6pw6dsONL4CbcMc6W6NICaOtpwlRDpDw5eCKZfsIsRP4oCyXVdnY95V21buH-MAF-h1WRM3sLvRiBxiRiLpWqybEI9pipB_kQysJZoMFBJUT7840JecfMU62xJulFbgvLfPa0UsPEw/s4353/IMG_4190%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3076" data-original-width="4353" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2I8_iyKBdxUPZ1i9MND13a8JL1u26TDepKJn6sR5b6pw6dsONL4CbcMc6W6NICaOtpwlRDpDw5eCKZfsIsRP4oCyXVdnY95V21buH-MAF-h1WRM3sLvRiBxiRiLpWqybEI9pipB_kQysJZoMFBJUT7840JecfMU62xJulFbgvLfPa0UsPEw/w640-h453/IMG_4190%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens of the Boma Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p7s1Uk3xpDGz_5yMTNfO4ClerTW2_rpBNck2AybKIS-72pN23ydVMhWOv17dnko2_9AOA7Kq9soA-1Emjxgjtm47l1k3e4Pm_kH8CmaA7iDK6d6X-IGvMe6k3bz2CGL1dSCLuZ6cwI136bVXeL0aGHrUjB46ouuOG8YRE3TIj0KFEm_3sw/s4198/IMG_4195%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2623" data-original-width="4198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p7s1Uk3xpDGz_5yMTNfO4ClerTW2_rpBNck2AybKIS-72pN23ydVMhWOv17dnko2_9AOA7Kq9soA-1Emjxgjtm47l1k3e4Pm_kH8CmaA7iDK6d6X-IGvMe6k3bz2CGL1dSCLuZ6cwI136bVXeL0aGHrUjB46ouuOG8YRE3TIj0KFEm_3sw/w640-h400/IMG_4195%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool at the Boma Hotel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our charter flight took us over Lake Victoria. The lake is enormous, stretching as far as the eye could see - almost an inland sea. We landed at the Kihihi Airstrip where our driver met us and drove us past farms and tea plantations to the highlands of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. (I kept asking myself, "If it's impenetrable, how are we going to penetrate it?")</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduobdDc1qNzipfsJNiTv2R3VhopORFjjKXw4FY_HSsfgrCzDkzaAQziEhLGvecvASjD24-9aUmfbUqEn-SftUPfm-0LXrZePNPUXrCY4P6-OA3R1qe-S9b32uz_WIULSP-tPIJiAzyDHFCVUG8hQ4Z3VV5-ZsXW2IwPG4IXskCA3tMi_4lA/s3932/IMG_4200%20(2).JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3371" data-original-width="3932" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduobdDc1qNzipfsJNiTv2R3VhopORFjjKXw4FY_HSsfgrCzDkzaAQziEhLGvecvASjD24-9aUmfbUqEn-SftUPfm-0LXrZePNPUXrCY4P6-OA3R1qe-S9b32uz_WIULSP-tPIJiAzyDHFCVUG8hQ4Z3VV5-ZsXW2IwPG4IXskCA3tMi_4lA/s320/IMG_4200%20(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMj6fbu1MggfEHd-XbdIT-HYn2j5zP3DEcGl806OwzJC_gBPJ27ogE1ZckNdrJKWF5ydioyM4Prxv79NBh0TLy6gthxkKdSIqoHT1gcyxDnCyUtx4bX8uDDjtbHmR6LdtIx09UW1E4YXMQ3vKUmSf6gT4jpfg8e2PS8j-EMlvFkcg9ZCBKg/s4608/IMG_4205.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMj6fbu1MggfEHd-XbdIT-HYn2j5zP3DEcGl806OwzJC_gBPJ27ogE1ZckNdrJKWF5ydioyM4Prxv79NBh0TLy6gthxkKdSIqoHT1gcyxDnCyUtx4bX8uDDjtbHmR6LdtIx09UW1E4YXMQ3vKUmSf6gT4jpfg8e2PS8j-EMlvFkcg9ZCBKg/s320/IMG_4205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2VszLPK252MUVLglROLUxz_I242mQhndKj2i1nbJDfO8tZCdyi-PO3Xi2olotb25bGf_v_i9PwchWwf2CTpa-8VSP18Pkv8MUsb2CxGrUg6Wp7NbhhTDp--_Xx4O0918vmcWep38TFk85KdNlbmitp-LXwEx5yWtANW_NPUg_OXd8IZGEg/s4608/IMG_4206%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2VszLPK252MUVLglROLUxz_I242mQhndKj2i1nbJDfO8tZCdyi-PO3Xi2olotb25bGf_v_i9PwchWwf2CTpa-8VSP18Pkv8MUsb2CxGrUg6Wp7NbhhTDp--_Xx4O0918vmcWep38TFk85KdNlbmitp-LXwEx5yWtANW_NPUg_OXd8IZGEg/w400-h300/IMG_4206%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our pilots on our small plane to Kihihi</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBtmEQJiNKGGkdtRNHcWz0abWFnyAVNKL_mMJY9WJ4neoVwRizTTub0lmxzJL4iJtrXllmB4QOlX9p2EXun0E3CLt3g_IGctDAdXWIYdKvJNufRtut8J3254U5VCUo2YGUreD5qRiKvA77BoV0blHUW3nDC00LjLvqToRb5XVr8N73hlihQ/s4608/IMG_4214%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBtmEQJiNKGGkdtRNHcWz0abWFnyAVNKL_mMJY9WJ4neoVwRizTTub0lmxzJL4iJtrXllmB4QOlX9p2EXun0E3CLt3g_IGctDAdXWIYdKvJNufRtut8J3254U5VCUo2YGUreD5qRiKvA77BoV0blHUW3nDC00LjLvqToRb5XVr8N73hlihQ/w640-h480/IMG_4214%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A town on the shores of Lake Victoria</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHQpxWzIF6XDErF-aWmIKHc37an9oVqp0GkUKX4KLyjZpTldrE2N7tKm-lQMgDv9-3kQIv_KAqFHMyT79rQRqZFI5a_BiYJwLNSjAy6fZA26iUG8l0g6JyFpXUYfPqi-XSbjVoz2Am2tun-SLy2qXdFWXdNnl4vuxT4c1pBTYTbC7zRa-EA/s4267/IMG_4241%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3071" data-original-width="4267" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHQpxWzIF6XDErF-aWmIKHc37an9oVqp0GkUKX4KLyjZpTldrE2N7tKm-lQMgDv9-3kQIv_KAqFHMyT79rQRqZFI5a_BiYJwLNSjAy6fZA26iUG8l0g6JyFpXUYfPqi-XSbjVoz2Am2tun-SLy2qXdFWXdNnl4vuxT4c1pBTYTbC7zRa-EA/w640-h460/IMG_4241%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entry to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://www.sanctuaryretreats.com/uganda-camps-gorilla-forest" target="_blank">Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp</a> would be our lodging for the next four nights. Our "tent" was really a cabin with canvas walls, but a sturdy thatched roof and a large stone bathroom - with tub! It was located at the highest spot in the resort with views from the deck of the jungle-covered mountains where we would soon meet our gorilla cousins. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4btnl7dmbLDt89ZqsUceOz9fhmsss2BwZ1fvMJP49SWQWRhcFZKztxkL6QGtfWsj0jDERd39jnQ9oHm0NW3ZHNIy71bb5zgw1A8EXB6kPnj32v_SYeXxKWkb6BDkcs9qvNxSg19Z-9lid-kfzOYSumnPpYloWZr936tg3cZHSDG17gzCV1w/s4608/IMG_4245%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4btnl7dmbLDt89ZqsUceOz9fhmsss2BwZ1fvMJP49SWQWRhcFZKztxkL6QGtfWsj0jDERd39jnQ9oHm0NW3ZHNIy71bb5zgw1A8EXB6kPnj32v_SYeXxKWkb6BDkcs9qvNxSg19Z-9lid-kfzOYSumnPpYloWZr936tg3cZHSDG17gzCV1w/w640-h480/IMG_4245%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main lodge and reception office at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4V8tSKYrtOLloA5jCoLVSGzmdgwUkgmhW6Cs5zKHDL5qPIJErKWCUMXRzf2P3vQSksU51E_hIFcvaYmGzARvGFbAQTL5V4IM7MzZ0F_b0YhVODG5WfhY0zvqqQo6URodNlhXG0x3Y93pK2De0DWo70aI4biMNy7vRhFVszopSQT70TPYig/s4449/IMG_4259%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3337" data-original-width="4449" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4V8tSKYrtOLloA5jCoLVSGzmdgwUkgmhW6Cs5zKHDL5qPIJErKWCUMXRzf2P3vQSksU51E_hIFcvaYmGzARvGFbAQTL5V4IM7MzZ0F_b0YhVODG5WfhY0zvqqQo6URodNlhXG0x3Y93pK2De0DWo70aI4biMNy7vRhFVszopSQT70TPYig/w640-h480/IMG_4259%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our mountaintop tent cabin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LZgVpyR2Jkh7vGIyUiXq9Gu_wuBY_c-NlaJRj6Nn7tWcPs3Ni--Qu68Z4rPx1yTLu4w_dus-Ov7kODlNKJMfjDNXuUwZb5i6u3swLFkmBCTCwfcSZvH2Wm43kj2dDe3uvlv6nZ0lDbqYlKjkwFRzI46sFpHTSXizteCxVKUGOQNQZ9HkxQ/s4608/IMG_4247%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LZgVpyR2Jkh7vGIyUiXq9Gu_wuBY_c-NlaJRj6Nn7tWcPs3Ni--Qu68Z4rPx1yTLu4w_dus-Ov7kODlNKJMfjDNXuUwZb5i6u3swLFkmBCTCwfcSZvH2Wm43kj2dDe3uvlv6nZ0lDbqYlKjkwFRzI46sFpHTSXizteCxVKUGOQNQZ9HkxQ/w400-h300/IMG_4247%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most accommodations in Africa come with mosquito netting - <br />but we have rarely encountered a mosquito!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghROB-dJKqWT8zcZojZhztLSwLQ84SP5BndxzHqAzj0mAmiow-GEJe-Y-TYZ3XUXC-bih8D5u8Xm21VXihzFGztcUlVEr1UfhPJIZCZ0qlFSPKsR23gQNx-MOxNkzXenZaBSjVThwIqyBbxRMS_K9FzhNSLJUUguXrtVIydx03Okg-5lXK5Q/s4193/IMG_4251%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="4193" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghROB-dJKqWT8zcZojZhztLSwLQ84SP5BndxzHqAzj0mAmiow-GEJe-Y-TYZ3XUXC-bih8D5u8Xm21VXihzFGztcUlVEr1UfhPJIZCZ0qlFSPKsR23gQNx-MOxNkzXenZaBSjVThwIqyBbxRMS_K9FzhNSLJUUguXrtVIydx03Okg-5lXK5Q/w400-h320/IMG_4251%20(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stone lined shower - and in the adjoining room was a bathtub.<br />This was the first time our accommodations in Africa included a tub, <br />but it wouldn't be the last on this trip!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dIPzcGydhRtZZlYLDsUjnCmX4tw68SB-4M6i5ucOnfA_upi0hO-8mD_PMksnDv9dIFBSC8lqhvgk0fQu-cSEx90xikmxcYQN-sglXsfkOSb-BAbnVB9uFmscQOWOkhgy1C6xvvtv2ZxpJL0UMVDraT62nBUvSserQma4qgxW5dM44GRpyg/s4608/IMG_4256%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dIPzcGydhRtZZlYLDsUjnCmX4tw68SB-4M6i5ucOnfA_upi0hO-8mD_PMksnDv9dIFBSC8lqhvgk0fQu-cSEx90xikmxcYQN-sglXsfkOSb-BAbnVB9uFmscQOWOkhgy1C6xvvtv2ZxpJL0UMVDraT62nBUvSserQma4qgxW5dM44GRpyg/w640-h480/IMG_4256%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A deck with a view. </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the pleasures of travel is meeting fellow vagabonds from around the world. At dinner, we chatted with some remarkably interesting people. Gillie and Marc are an Australian couple who are renowned world-wide for their bronze statues of animals which are displayed in several countries. You can read about their work in both art and conservation at <a href="https://gillieandmarc.art/" target="_blank">Gillie and Marc</a>. We also enjoyed speaking with Jim Moore, the author of "Clinton: Young Man in a Hurry," a biography of Bill Clinton's early years in politics. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfAo20vFqXyzfRBtm9YwHy0a4UWG4ImVVvqRq6XlrtI8XX75c4wRUItXcfaBQ_OOCIVOcqDXLnHghMIcX0JfzuwIjsA9yU5T24EJGvCt3mBA4MIgkLvj6OOPHRw7gf2caU4ugf_vYzmeXIsijoNQ5zUIg1mLu6S4EgEJBAUnuJAP7dsW4JQ/s4270/IMG_4264%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3446" data-original-width="4270" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfAo20vFqXyzfRBtm9YwHy0a4UWG4ImVVvqRq6XlrtI8XX75c4wRUItXcfaBQ_OOCIVOcqDXLnHghMIcX0JfzuwIjsA9yU5T24EJGvCt3mBA4MIgkLvj6OOPHRw7gf2caU4ugf_vYzmeXIsijoNQ5zUIg1mLu6S4EgEJBAUnuJAP7dsW4JQ/w640-h516/IMG_4264%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining room in our lodge.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Rob and I headed for our cabin immediately after dinner as we would wake up very early for the next day's amazing adventure!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><p></p>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11217873.post-14455677686852557532021-07-21T19:57:00.001-07:002021-07-25T12:45:51.647-07:00New England's Autumn Leaves - An Iconic Road Trip<h2 style="height: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">October, 2016</span></h2><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo64vJax5IcOE-cLp4MMDQXIR5rN0jCQAYv8oVOWbMQwGfUWj6EON7ISt2GuGfuQZMGhVniUupcHqD-6Yn0df4SVQ4PAPT_emWDDj92d5FTx05_guzP2FggUzKLHLUgmh2PhD/s941/14485166_10209477013575608_828091843709697871_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="941" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo64vJax5IcOE-cLp4MMDQXIR5rN0jCQAYv8oVOWbMQwGfUWj6EON7ISt2GuGfuQZMGhVniUupcHqD-6Yn0df4SVQ4PAPT_emWDDj92d5FTx05_guzP2FggUzKLHLUgmh2PhD/w640-h444/14485166_10209477013575608_828091843709697871_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSnwMoQEU64Y_UN44DH-NDKNAu9jVTruAOQAm67AdZVG1GRd4SplXYz8q553_xrAuAk41edAj7zieIFJhX4kp1ig4vvKRs0ead9y9N0AZiPg4FxAanQdn71vvN41vKfPFESxL/s591/0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="486" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSnwMoQEU64Y_UN44DH-NDKNAu9jVTruAOQAm67AdZVG1GRd4SplXYz8q553_xrAuAk41edAj7zieIFJhX4kp1ig4vvKRs0ead9y9N0AZiPg4FxAanQdn71vvN41vKfPFESxL/w329-h400/0.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Who hasn't put a drive through New England in the fall on their bucket list? We certainly had, and in October of 2016, we fulfilled that long-time dream. Our trip took us from Freeport, Maine to the spectacular state parks of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, then on through some of the charming little villages of Vermont, and ending in Cambridge, Massachusetts.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWR_5tbSXstN1T3GRyWiAy5jocp_iRFDp_H1TzSMXkTkvoiBZsmwmskbZRI72Evs2Zb6rFnvZJzaksZs41iImf3iWG5WJDmsuaJnSBnjpB6sJ1siIT6iacfTSLWP21plJKAIg/s769/Screenshot+%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="769" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWR_5tbSXstN1T3GRyWiAy5jocp_iRFDp_H1TzSMXkTkvoiBZsmwmskbZRI72Evs2Zb6rFnvZJzaksZs41iImf3iWG5WJDmsuaJnSBnjpB6sJ1siIT6iacfTSLWP21plJKAIg/w640-h560/Screenshot+%25286%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Three Nights in Freeport, Maine</span></h2><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The state of Maine, with its thick forests, many lakes, and rugged coastline, has been a favorite destination of ours for years. Rob's daughter, Michelle, her fiancé Matt, and our grandchildren, Mikey, Ellie, and Aria Rose, live there, so of course, our first stop of the trip was in Freeport to visit with them for a couple of days. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyIcBe4SyIEUrDNWKhsXuHX4lSFMUPUfgcM-Wjd1VjKWDebBvBYAasSa5c1fVwgsy_qZRM539RprWLh-NSQswJAVQ7IsunPNjNQi2-9wONZTQeQ3j2gZPW70bEl10P2wR2eZz/s846/14606337_10209446521493325_4976172747385337245_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="846" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyIcBe4SyIEUrDNWKhsXuHX4lSFMUPUfgcM-Wjd1VjKWDebBvBYAasSa5c1fVwgsy_qZRM539RprWLh-NSQswJAVQ7IsunPNjNQi2-9wONZTQeQ3j2gZPW70bEl10P2wR2eZz/w400-h340/14606337_10209446521493325_4976172747385337245_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLYhrMXnCfV2n-wjMyNPQJrgFmu9wtLD0EKBsYaeTKJdnAlRCwn663Q30tW0bC_qkPKijx4Z8OTMkZrrMzTwuhw-0RXdzaK6Ju8nB_HcQN-IKNooJrAXEXH4dut3j4BEX6M0/s960/14606297_10209446522173342_5978048959169971658_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdLYhrMXnCfV2n-wjMyNPQJrgFmu9wtLD0EKBsYaeTKJdnAlRCwn663Q30tW0bC_qkPKijx4Z8OTMkZrrMzTwuhw-0RXdzaK6Ju8nB_HcQN-IKNooJrAXEXH4dut3j4BEX6M0/w400-h300/14606297_10209446522173342_5978048959169971658_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Freeport, Maine, a town of about 8,000 people 20 miles up the coast from Portland, was incorporated in 1789. It was known for timber and shipbuilding between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Now it's more famous as the headquarters of L.L. Bean, the internationally known outdoor store. The Freeport store is huge, filling an entire city block, with three floors of equipment and clothing for camping, hunting, fishing, hiking. Every visit to Freeport has to include a visit to L.L. Bean!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We spent three nights in Freeport one of our favorite hotels in the world, the beautifully restored old Harraseeket Inn. Each of the guestrooms is individually decorated, and we loved the charming 17th century feel of our large room on the top floor. There are two restaurants in the hotel: a light and lovely room that provides breakfast each morning and the The Broad Arrow Tavern that offers a huge buffet lunch and dinner. The large living room of the hotel includes an afternoon tea. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAunJFwrV7jLYJnq3844d912B2YY8HGDUWHpTz3WtY2wVxNzNmEhRxVG6gvLZjzZp39AH2nyfyTximCs4h7u_KVTkbxNhlycXEe8D7UdHWK5IXMq-i29rJRvYmf6paJaoi9IJ/s1240/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1240" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAunJFwrV7jLYJnq3844d912B2YY8HGDUWHpTz3WtY2wVxNzNmEhRxVG6gvLZjzZp39AH2nyfyTximCs4h7u_KVTkbxNhlycXEe8D7UdHWK5IXMq-i29rJRvYmf6paJaoi9IJ/w640-h426/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v8ty_D-abqOnokd7FoqVQBgVur5pXrGvWyiTJlrmOsjKmHk09FZQZyP3FNc9LtZHHXhv1NEGGEWr-0_GyIXkCx4QRBZeJs2ZROu08L8Q-HZSYJfgxOJmGWs-GT1UY0asIj84/s1295/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1295" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_v8ty_D-abqOnokd7FoqVQBgVur5pXrGvWyiTJlrmOsjKmHk09FZQZyP3FNc9LtZHHXhv1NEGGEWr-0_GyIXkCx4QRBZeJs2ZROu08L8Q-HZSYJfgxOJmGWs-GT1UY0asIj84/w640-h429/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8-0ZL92oi3L1SHmhelIL3q4NQFZTvUoKzQVwVhjffMzDa6OBDmfpr4RTCPPP2CcWATomQ3NmRuqaTtXXOlQxuEf35RzzHDV9Z1rU9uWMY61LhSBj6kbFF4ce10ff3g3tmEt8/s1295/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1295" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8-0ZL92oi3L1SHmhelIL3q4NQFZTvUoKzQVwVhjffMzDa6OBDmfpr4RTCPPP2CcWATomQ3NmRuqaTtXXOlQxuEf35RzzHDV9Z1rU9uWMY61LhSBj6kbFF4ce10ff3g3tmEt8/w640-h402/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdaTMXBsm1RtGKbTlATxE7irZWExYx2EJe5rPvmL7U8aPwBiCViKuvaGDpWJgaNPiT3IUP45S-ogKnfyhPGk8G8iMFQRlMn_32tXPaqtuPXBWbWfrSelHb9jOudVtZORdiIOT/s1232/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1232" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdaTMXBsm1RtGKbTlATxE7irZWExYx2EJe5rPvmL7U8aPwBiCViKuvaGDpWJgaNPiT3IUP45S-ogKnfyhPGk8G8iMFQRlMn_32tXPaqtuPXBWbWfrSelHb9jOudVtZORdiIOT/w640-h432/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>As soon as we got checked into our lovely room, we headed to the nearby Harraseeket Lobster Pound, our favorite local spot for fried clams and lobsters!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwogvjr6KmjRriQjjV_GnLrtSxEnJ4KPA1HwJVUQ0rRgUjAwHCSkARtQy4-bR1vcxBfYBYTK9w7XqF1UZU_buqqbFmsyo1fcYdrjyTsZTNdMCSJVla1zzlGFvuoNVCKE-FaTPh/s1296/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1296" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwogvjr6KmjRriQjjV_GnLrtSxEnJ4KPA1HwJVUQ0rRgUjAwHCSkARtQy4-bR1vcxBfYBYTK9w7XqF1UZU_buqqbFmsyo1fcYdrjyTsZTNdMCSJVla1zzlGFvuoNVCKE-FaTPh/w400-h300/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIxUBhT3nHxwvud6wd7DzRJSpIJiy4aR3wl5_AbgX13vy-O6cvELKU28xmKIBYiplgw5fkGCv8XzbgJutZS0CgwyZ5dor8UlSnNZoHiwzTmAKQIDTeWEDkXVhx1X0_7y7igZI/s1062/13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1062" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIxUBhT3nHxwvud6wd7DzRJSpIJiy4aR3wl5_AbgX13vy-O6cvELKU28xmKIBYiplgw5fkGCv8XzbgJutZS0CgwyZ5dor8UlSnNZoHiwzTmAKQIDTeWEDkXVhx1X0_7y7igZI/w400-h349/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-vtbb6oLd6syeLPUYGjn6og-dbyxuOW25QQ1OpCTwR2LohZISCY7cHq9v6FaJ2j9tdGzoHoQPVv2VVhn1sn27yAW3BTZXlH-24VF541Y0_mJdj-ls5Ta7maygPNA6KpFGpe-/s1243/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1243" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-vtbb6oLd6syeLPUYGjn6og-dbyxuOW25QQ1OpCTwR2LohZISCY7cHq9v6FaJ2j9tdGzoHoQPVv2VVhn1sn27yAW3BTZXlH-24VF541Y0_mJdj-ls5Ta7maygPNA6KpFGpe-/w640-h410/15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Our young grandchildren kept us busy for two days. The warm sunny weather was perfect for a drive up the coast to "Land's End" on the tip of Bailey Island to play on the beach. This built up our appetite for a huge lunch at Cook's Lobster and Ale House where we marveled at the huge piles of lobster traps. (And Rob marveled at the price of lobster rolls. He remembered buying them for about $5, and now finding one for under $25 was nearly impossible!)</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Lunch was followed by the obligatory visit to L.L. Bean where the children enjoyed the trout pond inside the store and climbing on the giant boot outside.</b></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghPhlkmhQBSbNaLGsWfsAG9K_flsgG18dZQ7yMjD04coop-7XBqWE5DlEKcyBb2KrSH1Vbi0_i_Wk_Jpm2g14p9AsyMnV9Ps_0VgM6K-ku_sNjst4Xic-bOSaE_ymG6Bc5WIJ/s814/14523141_10209446527333471_4304881951875166902_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="814" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghPhlkmhQBSbNaLGsWfsAG9K_flsgG18dZQ7yMjD04coop-7XBqWE5DlEKcyBb2KrSH1Vbi0_i_Wk_Jpm2g14p9AsyMnV9Ps_0VgM6K-ku_sNjst4Xic-bOSaE_ymG6Bc5WIJ/w640-h532/14523141_10209446527333471_4304881951875166902_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcSrstzWzF31_XnE4lJTHyplMY71BO_I7a4-qyJKuZwo2CqRrkX_VrMBV0dBjflSDwZTo1t8e_5E4SJWce6qjJORRhp-WLD6AyYNfiiUy6I9aVE9-e3AEnKK5eTB7DktCg3W5/s960/14642151_10209446525293420_1834562630311345435_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcSrstzWzF31_XnE4lJTHyplMY71BO_I7a4-qyJKuZwo2CqRrkX_VrMBV0dBjflSDwZTo1t8e_5E4SJWce6qjJORRhp-WLD6AyYNfiiUy6I9aVE9-e3AEnKK5eTB7DktCg3W5/w640-h480/14642151_10209446525293420_1834562630311345435_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVHx4x6Alf9YFOUTdj_z-f10l9VToYR5m4IfszRR7pq8KI7uw7ZOd2D-V0mKis31HSgGYNZdEENkgODcYFwpfUZmNYfljczv-WHuIJ0a9-EqRuZtG36H2zqnNS7SNFZYIWrWa/s684/14572255_10209446527093465_2571756781409626432_n+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="684" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVHx4x6Alf9YFOUTdj_z-f10l9VToYR5m4IfszRR7pq8KI7uw7ZOd2D-V0mKis31HSgGYNZdEENkgODcYFwpfUZmNYfljczv-WHuIJ0a9-EqRuZtG36H2zqnNS7SNFZYIWrWa/w640-h518/14572255_10209446527093465_2571756781409626432_n+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aHnlJkmeCn66DmgFDbDRxoQthUNzV5Zv_9huh53dih2kwRJJW3pUhUvGC7NwvPm5eHGg8GteOB_G11CL0q_Aqi956HibWIM87uDQ4u8xJsDRtocR4eXtsWjhdJbPzh9GciXA/s915/14572263_10209446527893485_6207888193105846590_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="915" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aHnlJkmeCn66DmgFDbDRxoQthUNzV5Zv_9huh53dih2kwRJJW3pUhUvGC7NwvPm5eHGg8GteOB_G11CL0q_Aqi956HibWIM87uDQ4u8xJsDRtocR4eXtsWjhdJbPzh9GciXA/w640-h444/14572263_10209446527893485_6207888193105846590_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywOQD46tuQ97-tOkdKYlYx6BLgrH7GVppTXXmfWGyTFW6ciX9GBatAjlHrC7urLeq0Y08Va7V-j0jA_lyE8Y_A9Tm3hvYwbaLd8WFXyGE4xtgnxIfgWCjiWj4ub2GLEGxH4Dd/s1295/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1295" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywOQD46tuQ97-tOkdKYlYx6BLgrH7GVppTXXmfWGyTFW6ciX9GBatAjlHrC7urLeq0Y08Va7V-j0jA_lyE8Y_A9Tm3hvYwbaLd8WFXyGE4xtgnxIfgWCjiWj4ub2GLEGxH4Dd/w640-h438/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The next morning, we all met up again at the Maine Wildlife Park, which serves as a sanctuary for local animals that are not able to survive in the wild. The huge park retains its natural woodland setting and the animals have large enclosures that allow them to roam. The children had a great time running full-tilt from one exhibit to the next. They especially liked the thousands of brook trout swimming in a huge tank at the fish hatchery, which provides 1.2 million trout to the lakes and rivers of Maine each year.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_7l9V8yPxtxi1oGsUgVt4AnWCynZcqugVoB8FraM13-esL6qb0owdOQl06zHLjW9Z-zAAwXshM6yhQQvWvQ74Sg7JF6aBP01Iyg24vhUm2CLnuzuXwE5JKbcPYsxPeRsyCQ9/s960/14485041_10209455499797777_3012593007228481683_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="960" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_7l9V8yPxtxi1oGsUgVt4AnWCynZcqugVoB8FraM13-esL6qb0owdOQl06zHLjW9Z-zAAwXshM6yhQQvWvQ74Sg7JF6aBP01Iyg24vhUm2CLnuzuXwE5JKbcPYsxPeRsyCQ9/w640-h596/14485041_10209455499797777_3012593007228481683_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJPipaqvnFViB4nzCXYfLyIdC-6aqA4P8EPfn_lyFBFicTnxTPezNmK1OPlbL9wNc8ZEwdLxkttpNvKXDw6CvtRxpjrVJbvbx7U-DOcc2hI8os0n4sCpIAyNuSAMeA-ftoFI2/s808/14572213_10209455495597672_1408290020681282863_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="808" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJPipaqvnFViB4nzCXYfLyIdC-6aqA4P8EPfn_lyFBFicTnxTPezNmK1OPlbL9wNc8ZEwdLxkttpNvKXDw6CvtRxpjrVJbvbx7U-DOcc2hI8os0n4sCpIAyNuSAMeA-ftoFI2/w400-h356/14572213_10209455495597672_1408290020681282863_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrfB2peiYLlOjV6GNv7w3K_0sCugNweChcnMjxiGBhfCQVVCRKYQPz9sM2Nmy50-aLOIfLcbW1pyX0SHW4Bl6XO0K1YhE-VRjl-9IbHFLrtyc4n0HZzOJEnZJvEyfPDFFcfmY/s900/14581524_10209455491357566_4870994833514353657_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrfB2peiYLlOjV6GNv7w3K_0sCugNweChcnMjxiGBhfCQVVCRKYQPz9sM2Nmy50-aLOIfLcbW1pyX0SHW4Bl6XO0K1YhE-VRjl-9IbHFLrtyc4n0HZzOJEnZJvEyfPDFFcfmY/w400-h320/14581524_10209455491357566_4870994833514353657_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNxr_ayf5Ss4kiPn-n_WqY8IALuBOHE4_YqQcCn2-pJHUmE3LUu1rB7nXvpR25AfqgClfEixjyGx7HGmPljDRAIJkfFwh0UhkLlzh3zLQvKHUuHgK5sZQAGvQt-IhDDdYAj7T/s770/14591671_10209455493957631_4505635709237339237_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="684" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNxr_ayf5Ss4kiPn-n_WqY8IALuBOHE4_YqQcCn2-pJHUmE3LUu1rB7nXvpR25AfqgClfEixjyGx7HGmPljDRAIJkfFwh0UhkLlzh3zLQvKHUuHgK5sZQAGvQt-IhDDdYAj7T/w355-h400/14591671_10209455493957631_4505635709237339237_n.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaTMUDGG2p6BfrLeBY4PI5R1QETN9racfW4jCt4u-PKxlBeJtY68eenOcqWPCJlVqsV8C-U31X8qFiVGqyrVkyUDkkgqqlcTLB6RIID14LMIi1JDkwYs73ORDs9xLUfkmNJzN/s883/14591816_10209455492517595_4719579223820514789_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="883" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaTMUDGG2p6BfrLeBY4PI5R1QETN9racfW4jCt4u-PKxlBeJtY68eenOcqWPCJlVqsV8C-U31X8qFiVGqyrVkyUDkkgqqlcTLB6RIID14LMIi1JDkwYs73ORDs9xLUfkmNJzN/w640-h494/14591816_10209455492517595_4719579223820514789_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFtHQYHY2RT0ZG7Z_J49PnnJu_-KgrCvnoqnhPrAGZ3suKCHWpzDnEM2goPDzXGQcrEUSRsdBfUVJh36lteXOK-jAQT8XXq5YWdCHpjOln5yw4m6OUEEz3uP2Vr8qlhyphenhyphen69sFD/s756/14606435_10209455485917430_7223515914515813158_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="756" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFtHQYHY2RT0ZG7Z_J49PnnJu_-KgrCvnoqnhPrAGZ3suKCHWpzDnEM2goPDzXGQcrEUSRsdBfUVJh36lteXOK-jAQT8XXq5YWdCHpjOln5yw4m6OUEEz3uP2Vr8qlhyphenhyphen69sFD/w400-h363/14606435_10209455485917430_7223515914515813158_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEwGzwc_X2kb6OPRKwQPs5BZ9-MczK6UlPF3nR5SIxO0m9aGJDcMhcKv7ETb4RDzzMzsno93_YORW-XZMHTTm73FaTTudlFwN35yV5ZkXco8f-LFZsu2CKuXn24II963njNy4/s843/14606545_10209455490437543_5593736766077233758_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="843" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEwGzwc_X2kb6OPRKwQPs5BZ9-MczK6UlPF3nR5SIxO0m9aGJDcMhcKv7ETb4RDzzMzsno93_YORW-XZMHTTm73FaTTudlFwN35yV5ZkXco8f-LFZsu2CKuXn24II963njNy4/w400-h309/14606545_10209455490437543_5593736766077233758_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINygXCHv3sGTh7_rxj3Ub7Nu2edTHiwAUguCSyqFGK_apGPZZmL0arXkpW_GlVU3HHH6akt3nTAxF1rrlsKCQMLSuKysFSAhqo_evL4Oar8fn3bnd2GaZnjrRRiOmSS7phvWF/s693/14642397_10209455493357616_5251853498186859203_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="693" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINygXCHv3sGTh7_rxj3Ub7Nu2edTHiwAUguCSyqFGK_apGPZZmL0arXkpW_GlVU3HHH6akt3nTAxF1rrlsKCQMLSuKysFSAhqo_evL4Oar8fn3bnd2GaZnjrRRiOmSS7phvWF/w400-h371/14642397_10209455493357616_5251853498186859203_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We ended the day at Michelle's family cottage by Range Pond, one of the thousands of little lakes that dot the New England landscape. Rob and I drove back to our hotel along little country roads lined with trees blazing with red and gold. The fall foliage here was not at its height yet, but there were explosions of color scattered through the thick green woods. It almost looked as if someone had spray-painted randomly through the forest. Just a taste of what was still to come!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLZmVt0BhEEA_oWS8Nu64ch1Z6CRdQmloqJfzugyynLEezMXIJonlY_tI-ep1-QIB-KpQSx7gjb68xeFFrM8YFzaaHwyukmqyX08Ij3givrwsgGwl-SttaZm4Lkngf62eNFuy/s960/14502739_10209455497277714_3899529057596854465_n.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLZmVt0BhEEA_oWS8Nu64ch1Z6CRdQmloqJfzugyynLEezMXIJonlY_tI-ep1-QIB-KpQSx7gjb68xeFFrM8YFzaaHwyukmqyX08Ij3givrwsgGwl-SttaZm4Lkngf62eNFuy/w640-h480/14502739_10209455497277714_3899529057596854465_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYH7tqVk9VkatEYAcqXBN-yI2yH5qDn4mzGaHdFfn7DXYL2ddqXOu5ajFFFpmkCJ2kK5sfthvU5LUtvi4mGLX5g3PThVDNomlaKld5PXkz4DAfUnFr4sVkJUT2RZ_qMGd2yZV/s960/14572366_10209455484237388_5082593650979128620_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYH7tqVk9VkatEYAcqXBN-yI2yH5qDn4mzGaHdFfn7DXYL2ddqXOu5ajFFFpmkCJ2kK5sfthvU5LUtvi4mGLX5g3PThVDNomlaKld5PXkz4DAfUnFr4sVkJUT2RZ_qMGd2yZV/w640-h480/14572366_10209455484237388_5082593650979128620_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Two Nights in the White Mountains of New Hampshire</span></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We woke to rain, but it didn't dampen our spirits as we drove to our next destination, the White Mountain Hotel in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Our GPS took us along two-lane country roads through quaint little New England towns of church spires and salt-box houses. All along the way, Mother Nature was showing off her splendid Autumn robes of pinks, reds, yellows, oranges and browns.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS87Skj0A34mcH8vvYN0ubW8rMbux9p4Hg0Z4pt_igq66RXqoj492oZCHnTZ74jz-Wn1NLb17Io8C_V8taRo57MJuwPohPY6GabYWwv4e1O5a_Yo9F9qqh_21-4N7O9EjTKAt/s842/14520463_10209464215655668_4334198066787535122_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="842" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS87Skj0A34mcH8vvYN0ubW8rMbux9p4Hg0Z4pt_igq66RXqoj492oZCHnTZ74jz-Wn1NLb17Io8C_V8taRo57MJuwPohPY6GabYWwv4e1O5a_Yo9F9qqh_21-4N7O9EjTKAt/w640-h490/14520463_10209464215655668_4334198066787535122_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxiq2EGDLg9b9AKxdne5Pu29YIAes7ysZGMeyGWqc1e0t9HookH4bJUNK3AQxhT9Ok49f9lLiXLs135aAv_jjZv89oipKNN640vv8ogL7J9laI5vnhS8qQ4HrB4M5YQmR_wQq/s960/14522736_10209464213935625_121614357025875931_n+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxiq2EGDLg9b9AKxdne5Pu29YIAes7ysZGMeyGWqc1e0t9HookH4bJUNK3AQxhT9Ok49f9lLiXLs135aAv_jjZv89oipKNN640vv8ogL7J9laI5vnhS8qQ4HrB4M5YQmR_wQq/w640-h480/14522736_10209464213935625_121614357025875931_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2Ilu2Gq4CUsG2fzuzIdMBeWb05F4L0JLiob3AOmWj-pOjnasDVRRCmHK8mJGat2bgRisj04ln5GVjXCI4PWXidO6RiCK95-DA9xfEK6J1qiLRiAlLuVTYCUVRXg3SjV-vnkf/s945/14522962_10209464216575691_2415285532880602888_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="945" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2Ilu2Gq4CUsG2fzuzIdMBeWb05F4L0JLiob3AOmWj-pOjnasDVRRCmHK8mJGat2bgRisj04ln5GVjXCI4PWXidO6RiCK95-DA9xfEK6J1qiLRiAlLuVTYCUVRXg3SjV-vnkf/w640-h430/14522962_10209464216575691_2415285532880602888_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Lunch was homemade mushroom soup at the hotel. The rain had ceased, so we used the cool, cloudy afternoon to take a long hike through the woods and around Echo Lake, enjoying the views of the fall foliage and the huge granite hills looming over us. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEChpYxrbDkVcsjFdgzI2FDvTAo8tZct1aDhbszR_IrYL1x6xjHeIkrIawriPkGfcPuBIPePbXi_V9qyarSb3UqQq4oWblGMA1-G8kJbUcaPfW6gTlUVOl5wGLVtSxu2hU26FT/s960/14494649_10209464217095704_6029563521547578787_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEChpYxrbDkVcsjFdgzI2FDvTAo8tZct1aDhbszR_IrYL1x6xjHeIkrIawriPkGfcPuBIPePbXi_V9qyarSb3UqQq4oWblGMA1-G8kJbUcaPfW6gTlUVOl5wGLVtSxu2hU26FT/w640-h480/14494649_10209464217095704_6029563521547578787_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXRFhhgemcnSAP2AazOiPuYfjUQnzI6tpI1AASapgb4BlZU2P3GIFrT5VYzaZIanP1KL_zubzn3DKt3X86-aRIbbe_nsOVJxdyZncQzHf8-VXN_-poARu4p0nqskd3jnItGg8/s909/14517440_10209464222055828_2212618484297314760_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="909" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXRFhhgemcnSAP2AazOiPuYfjUQnzI6tpI1AASapgb4BlZU2P3GIFrT5VYzaZIanP1KL_zubzn3DKt3X86-aRIbbe_nsOVJxdyZncQzHf8-VXN_-poARu4p0nqskd3jnItGg8/w640-h478/14517440_10209464222055828_2212618484297314760_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2g3gx0vuevWoY0cqegchJfzoV7VP8_SwIe0idN965uwmR45PVqFMic0ZV6ojRG2HrhG2REG4QyADLNJyLrXrm9mMVRZKL_2LjxwZthib89UCPyE7C6IqsFbVLOI1Mv4nA_On/s851/14520511_10209464223975876_2388561222593043649_n+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="851" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2g3gx0vuevWoY0cqegchJfzoV7VP8_SwIe0idN965uwmR45PVqFMic0ZV6ojRG2HrhG2REG4QyADLNJyLrXrm9mMVRZKL_2LjxwZthib89UCPyE7C6IqsFbVLOI1Mv4nA_On/w640-h540/14520511_10209464223975876_2388561222593043649_n+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsWMwR0nJOn5ba18I9aTVJ24pkJH8VUF2LsDb_OB2m-gnrQqVoOZOX2Oj2iCWHO23SRGRRVpSGOwBd3lgNHSrvbhlwFmqnEl1J1oFvTffvIj9ZXzh98SJf4YVRq-P_oWp-e4P/s947/14563427_10209464220215782_7006328864724927272_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="947" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsWMwR0nJOn5ba18I9aTVJ24pkJH8VUF2LsDb_OB2m-gnrQqVoOZOX2Oj2iCWHO23SRGRRVpSGOwBd3lgNHSrvbhlwFmqnEl1J1oFvTffvIj9ZXzh98SJf4YVRq-P_oWp-e4P/w640-h412/14563427_10209464220215782_7006328864724927272_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The next day was a festival of fall foliage! We woke to very cold temperatures but no rain, and set off to explore the "White Mountain Loop," which took us to all of the highlights of New Hampshire's White Mountains, which are the northern part of the Appalachian Mountains, and the most rugged mountains of New England. At this time of year, the huge white granite mounds were an abstract painting of color. The round peaks of the trees in the distance looked as if brightly multi-colored cotton balls had been glued to the mountain sides.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEDkKpcPr1LO28ALlDVzVkN4-pB9gXJYV-y6mesaHCdrdxU7XBH956jBp-lFmSlOLw9cH_EzcuRENU1c9zLCcAJNMqP6wcN07B9HaSHZiFc91UZP4f1XlB0GU8NOAloFt9dU-/s960/14516369_10209477006975443_607451738515787286_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="960" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEDkKpcPr1LO28ALlDVzVkN4-pB9gXJYV-y6mesaHCdrdxU7XBH956jBp-lFmSlOLw9cH_EzcuRENU1c9zLCcAJNMqP6wcN07B9HaSHZiFc91UZP4f1XlB0GU8NOAloFt9dU-/w640-h412/14516369_10209477006975443_607451738515787286_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMiEWAC-K0mMVr0NakPk1161Ymy03hlc-2YF8ZLBuhkrrrtrLwjTpWJci0j90rhVDMdpmAUY78wfJkGEI4_Kk6SuJfxbNvOhAPIrtArkELGOpCEl6CkWlI9wV73U-I7wa2Eh9/s957/14670834_10209477007855465_8484746012507251200_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="957" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMiEWAC-K0mMVr0NakPk1161Ymy03hlc-2YF8ZLBuhkrrrtrLwjTpWJci0j90rhVDMdpmAUY78wfJkGEI4_Kk6SuJfxbNvOhAPIrtArkELGOpCEl6CkWlI9wV73U-I7wa2Eh9/w640-h348/14670834_10209477007855465_8484746012507251200_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3j3ZS22OFAtdNqXfSvYflwcnYbbd-EwNbKrCdiXEJkeNg5iniXOANwGhxeK3n6W25HqTWHQg5_vfF1UA1yIzVdQDbHz1ZzsrhtumEhtaGFuwudeXczUKNVab__u2LqYpDKNK/s960/14702362_10209477013295601_5096910053752083718_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3j3ZS22OFAtdNqXfSvYflwcnYbbd-EwNbKrCdiXEJkeNg5iniXOANwGhxeK3n6W25HqTWHQg5_vfF1UA1yIzVdQDbHz1ZzsrhtumEhtaGFuwudeXczUKNVab__u2LqYpDKNK/w640-h480/14702362_10209477013295601_5096910053752083718_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rbjKEHste_HYQ7gDZwpQ4qz1DAkeHhdcIwrCChi8v4dgsWmX1_qPclQZe8IaPqrrmdXxxXAZN5Qenha53Ash1lNWAIuER-o2aKZt7l1dlfccyiDUA5nR9AW5gHoTGzFriNeI/s960/14708232_10209477007215449_3003942278889812720_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="960" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rbjKEHste_HYQ7gDZwpQ4qz1DAkeHhdcIwrCChi8v4dgsWmX1_qPclQZe8IaPqrrmdXxxXAZN5Qenha53Ash1lNWAIuER-o2aKZt7l1dlfccyiDUA5nR9AW5gHoTGzFriNeI/w640-h428/14708232_10209477007215449_3003942278889812720_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Our first stop was Crawford Notch State Park where we took a vigorous hike up to Ripley Falls. As usual, my very fit husband zipped on up, while I huffed and puffed my way to the top - but the views of the colorful world below were worth the climb! We were excited to discover that this trail was part of the famous Appalachian Trail, so we now have bragging rights that we have hiked at least a teensy part of it!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHM-Rm6iQ8pYPe4zhP1WbCDvwdx-ukP_11JxA814vH74QZLfzdiPorYN7CoBT19OJGqXFX56AwWISJ_rY6CMG3nqPo3ecp8jiNWQy0O71DuXUYGjFa9V3z_qndjRTyiV_k6KyD/s825/14606402_10209477006495431_298431874655376380_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="825" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHM-Rm6iQ8pYPe4zhP1WbCDvwdx-ukP_11JxA814vH74QZLfzdiPorYN7CoBT19OJGqXFX56AwWISJ_rY6CMG3nqPo3ecp8jiNWQy0O71DuXUYGjFa9V3z_qndjRTyiV_k6KyD/w640-h526/14606402_10209477006495431_298431874655376380_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjIG_8Sl-HAR4WiaahCCligeaV2_0OqxSONI5P7yJP0U3sWcZik9pfX0F7ikoG0Im3kLTZozGwpEM8qZ5_epW7MPxwdu73b_7l4xmTit_4596KghQbCi7lZozNvOcPwUtuuer/s958/14610941_10209477004975393_5624709511729744923_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="958" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjIG_8Sl-HAR4WiaahCCligeaV2_0OqxSONI5P7yJP0U3sWcZik9pfX0F7ikoG0Im3kLTZozGwpEM8qZ5_epW7MPxwdu73b_7l4xmTit_4596KghQbCi7lZozNvOcPwUtuuer/w640-h416/14610941_10209477004975393_5624709511729744923_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8EA0ygs41No9Melxgg_sMxS0vTu51KNj9IRWl956nry_G_MGIi6L68yDwLBjkGzLS5vHjQu6H3kNr7RrklDq13ZitE9oe7srKFP3iBkOqJC0vIZWwKbrWld8eXQRbEn60YkM/s960/14639850_10209477005295401_3380844158299626547_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8EA0ygs41No9Melxgg_sMxS0vTu51KNj9IRWl956nry_G_MGIi6L68yDwLBjkGzLS5vHjQu6H3kNr7RrklDq13ZitE9oe7srKFP3iBkOqJC0vIZWwKbrWld8eXQRbEn60YkM/w640-h480/14639850_10209477005295401_3380844158299626547_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TIeNwpc0JiHRzNdzc6YmMiTfxMdcpqCd70Rqv71jBBSq8bM5ABRHZ66TMONnw4i_d-RQgD24mTbVcvA8Yfq2cND6_ZVuYjPfQazKdZpfDgsyFD02Nq0ccwEcmgCgSeCMx16h/s960/14650210_10209477005655410_1309433262731997289_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TIeNwpc0JiHRzNdzc6YmMiTfxMdcpqCd70Rqv71jBBSq8bM5ABRHZ66TMONnw4i_d-RQgD24mTbVcvA8Yfq2cND6_ZVuYjPfQazKdZpfDgsyFD02Nq0ccwEcmgCgSeCMx16h/w640-h480/14650210_10209477005655410_1309433262731997289_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The next stop was a step back in history - the grand old Mount Washington Hotel, which was the site of the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference of 1944, where the Allied powers met to hammer out agreements to stabilize the world economy following WWII. The Bretton Woods System remained in force until 1971 when the U.S. terminated the convertibility of the dollar to gold. The hotel, which opened in 1902, is enormous and filled with photos of its history. Behind the hotel stands Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The mountain is notorious for severe weather and holds the record (231 miles per hour) for the highest measured wind speed not associated with a hurricane or tornado!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN2IqfoMFnqyLvXOp4kgVD9sj7m0Pfm-hsu3Djbc6rnhD_pXwRn2GSq-nVtMWUEVEwFec9jO5mR2KNKxwNbbhmyGGRuUgIphgWRuXQ2gWGKLayClwTLs6s64T68Zd2PAZgWO3/s916/14641965_10209477007535457_3212769228285552921_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="916" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguN2IqfoMFnqyLvXOp4kgVD9sj7m0Pfm-hsu3Djbc6rnhD_pXwRn2GSq-nVtMWUEVEwFec9jO5mR2KNKxwNbbhmyGGRuUgIphgWRuXQ2gWGKLayClwTLs6s64T68Zd2PAZgWO3/w640-h386/14641965_10209477007535457_3212769228285552921_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ0dj3lalfctPFvvF02G2sc6XbzByHA4-PG4lCBAz7Nt8JtPx1O-S8Z1939xrkJZZq1D6T-hKP6hjjcS0aVExPFwWRH297lysZZ1Msv-tIQnB2CqailmTz1V9jHaUDNQpBiRG/s960/14650540_10209477014375628_3302632259776787940_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZ0dj3lalfctPFvvF02G2sc6XbzByHA4-PG4lCBAz7Nt8JtPx1O-S8Z1939xrkJZZq1D6T-hKP6hjjcS0aVExPFwWRH297lysZZ1Msv-tIQnB2CqailmTz1V9jHaUDNQpBiRG/w640-h480/14650540_10209477014375628_3302632259776787940_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The early afternoon was spent at Franconia Notch State Park. We took a stroll to The Basin, a large pool carved out millennia ago by the ice age glaciers that scoured this area. We followed that easy walk with our second long hike of the day on the loop trail up to The Flume, a narrow passage carved through the granite cliffs. Along the way were a multitude of streams and waterfalls, chipmunks and squirrels, and of course, bright flashes of red and gold on the trees.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8EULDp4BKlcSnL6uUA0zjsRcyCXEr43tD2zFDmT-vUfcUOvwtXAdT4j-DMsZMI4CGzlG9f7VdKYcDgQq4S-vqV81WGISutV7jPPU9_7hI_KOHtZ5CT1f-DMreSIxx4AhU1Zj/s861/14708114_10209477009495506_8231796633379747498_n.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="861" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8EULDp4BKlcSnL6uUA0zjsRcyCXEr43tD2zFDmT-vUfcUOvwtXAdT4j-DMsZMI4CGzlG9f7VdKYcDgQq4S-vqV81WGISutV7jPPU9_7hI_KOHtZ5CT1f-DMreSIxx4AhU1Zj/w640-h444/14708114_10209477009495506_8231796633379747498_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR2XOx7MERoHNJ7dH3VoeIYD61F5qlVnn7RNlDJIAZStHU7msiiDL_w9qpled7MDLs4tibS5ERQS5SRzEu6qgkXJKZfhndg3RNDb3apjoB04m5TbufE2pHoqucRrUYbpBKJtq/s960/14502819_10209477008775488_5907844735119272063_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZR2XOx7MERoHNJ7dH3VoeIYD61F5qlVnn7RNlDJIAZStHU7msiiDL_w9qpled7MDLs4tibS5ERQS5SRzEu6qgkXJKZfhndg3RNDb3apjoB04m5TbufE2pHoqucRrUYbpBKJtq/w640-h480/14502819_10209477008775488_5907844735119272063_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdY0KZZk5XZALkoE3R3TjVavJpf2ueZItaY87DGScfAj5b-Mevn6t3p8-qMLIvzh-suGPQ75rYx_6Y6YzhccHCDqYH1N9GZBybb6nH8YvdaWyeyOVX8V-IxaZAa_mDD9UudzL/s960/14600866_10209477011335552_5092528106004793339_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdY0KZZk5XZALkoE3R3TjVavJpf2ueZItaY87DGScfAj5b-Mevn6t3p8-qMLIvzh-suGPQ75rYx_6Y6YzhccHCDqYH1N9GZBybb6nH8YvdaWyeyOVX8V-IxaZAa_mDD9UudzL/w480-h640/14600866_10209477011335552_5092528106004793339_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRKFHexgY9-k1wWpNhhLB_zLYxqBtIvMu7bXRpHxx1iSKidMQsGHMIW72e5FYTLZLbM9LJFzubTgDwZuW8dxUJ2QoUM5KQ62ACjoABxfL_SFzt5jdXOrusuPYDjiCs1EGUWyM/s752/14717164_10209477012935592_6436908199810612887_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="752" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRKFHexgY9-k1wWpNhhLB_zLYxqBtIvMu7bXRpHxx1iSKidMQsGHMIW72e5FYTLZLbM9LJFzubTgDwZuW8dxUJ2QoUM5KQ62ACjoABxfL_SFzt5jdXOrusuPYDjiCs1EGUWyM/w640-h462/14717164_10209477012935592_6436908199810612887_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We ended this beautiful day with a drive back to the White Mountain Hotel along the famous Kancamagus Highway - 34 miles of colorful vistas and thick woods.</b></span></p><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Three Nights in Stowe, Vermont</span></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>After our very full day yesterday, it was nice to have a slower paced day. We said goodbye to beautiful New Hampshire and drove under bright sunny skies to Vermont. The scenery changed from the looming granite hills and forested landscape of the White Mountains to a more pastoral scene of small farms and meadows in the low hills of the Green Mountains of northern Vermont.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUp5yM5qQGxDur4H3oNgKivgsEr9P0_lgCtG17RrG3DRcgX33JQOFb_uU8ei0i8yJlBBoRT4PUMznnJB9eZRVHZTGzl-GEHvKtjZKYx0GlmrDB2ziQW4SMpf5-Nv7Wh-0HkXU/s960/14595715_10209484959654255_5290117475809433239_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUp5yM5qQGxDur4H3oNgKivgsEr9P0_lgCtG17RrG3DRcgX33JQOFb_uU8ei0i8yJlBBoRT4PUMznnJB9eZRVHZTGzl-GEHvKtjZKYx0GlmrDB2ziQW4SMpf5-Nv7Wh-0HkXU/w640-h480/14595715_10209484959654255_5290117475809433239_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR0zX0N87-2075K4Jhj7nOqClfDuWJuei47q1luqhyphenhyphen8hiY-ZWznqOZwexbTRID_Og9veLlkFDs1cvSaj9uuz4850927zpuupjxjDp9-7QykkS9TkfKZRWDQFrl_NOW22ailYv/s844/14680763_10209484961894311_8693703826039424851_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="844" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR0zX0N87-2075K4Jhj7nOqClfDuWJuei47q1luqhyphenhyphen8hiY-ZWznqOZwexbTRID_Og9veLlkFDs1cvSaj9uuz4850927zpuupjxjDp9-7QykkS9TkfKZRWDQFrl_NOW22ailYv/w640-h496/14680763_10209484961894311_8693703826039424851_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>By lunchtime, we arrived in the bustling little village of Stowe. Although the 2010 census put the population of the town at only 4, 314 people, this is a very popular tourist center, and it had a much busier feel than Freeport. Main Street was lined with cars creeping slowly down the thoroughfare and people crowded the sidewalks.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFatHsPxbcpkR6afWzK5j2wEnxS0ItMcQiMwVeIXp4OAi8-_Cgqpvq5K1MxhMYw08waiCtL2X4b7XcICl00-jUnkfMuMmiyhyBQonNnuJzOtOj0Yg_VZEJBTWbrj9QDdr39L/s771/14731235_10209484956974188_2358314235089572333_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="771" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFatHsPxbcpkR6afWzK5j2wEnxS0ItMcQiMwVeIXp4OAi8-_Cgqpvq5K1MxhMYw08waiCtL2X4b7XcICl00-jUnkfMuMmiyhyBQonNnuJzOtOj0Yg_VZEJBTWbrj9QDdr39L/w640-h454/14731235_10209484956974188_2358314235089572333_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Stowe is renowned for a variety of activities. It is known as the "Ski Capital of the East," and the Stowe Mountain Resort boasts 40 miles of ski trails on nearby Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Stowe celebrates this claim to fame in the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum. Of more interest to this musical loving girl, Stowe is also the home of The Von Trapp Family Lodge, still managed by members of the Von Trapp family of "Sound of Music" fame. The Lodge has become a full-fledged resort, with miles of hiking, mountain biking, and skiing trails, and an annual Oktoberfest Celebration (held in September!) We didn't visit the Lodge, but I bought Maria Von Trapp's autobiography while we were in Stowe. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Our hotel, The Green Mountain Inn, was right in the heart of town. It is a delightful place. The Inn, first built in 1833, started as a building of stables. As it grew, several wings were added and cobbled together helter-skelter on several levels. We had to walk up to the second floor, walk down a hall, then descend down a half-flight of stairs to reach our room...but, oh, what a great room! Tucked at the back of the hotel, so it was nice and quiet, with a big comfy four-poster bed, a huge jacuzzi tub, two armchairs, and a gas-powered fireplace. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz67EmOe5K3-PsTPcvi1eP5I0pqX4AecEGIpk5moE5physNdT_-Y8yQj4zsoV9xjGysnnIChMuKoXnJfTuyydlWS-HuCvW9OAZ6pIfklN3T8zPHOU7Ntu4eaqVuzLottrTJxqx/s935/14563383_10209484955534152_1397354737504211651_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="935" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz67EmOe5K3-PsTPcvi1eP5I0pqX4AecEGIpk5moE5physNdT_-Y8yQj4zsoV9xjGysnnIChMuKoXnJfTuyydlWS-HuCvW9OAZ6pIfklN3T8zPHOU7Ntu4eaqVuzLottrTJxqx/w640-h480/14563383_10209484955534152_1397354737504211651_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VebGkexThh_qlw5S4KAYFD6HGId32HgZS9-en09snPQX8UANgtOaMkPg_PCtdWz8TxIOYvCERnjrhuNL0PiDjd8CrCFmMGQjmInsFtNdzJrekeIokLRQEFnvF6nTGiTp_BQh/s841/14650363_10209484955334147_6184505601051717829_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="616" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VebGkexThh_qlw5S4KAYFD6HGId32HgZS9-en09snPQX8UANgtOaMkPg_PCtdWz8TxIOYvCERnjrhuNL0PiDjd8CrCFmMGQjmInsFtNdzJrekeIokLRQEFnvF6nTGiTp_BQh/w468-h640/14650363_10209484955334147_6184505601051717829_n.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZoKoahOSkVQURBabd7gNScEHSHh1NN0BhTdEgURmBOZDqeyWnPvCl_Jvws3OI-p3SMPCqUK-fZmuH8rZsJfxTstHZwG_T-wdgvWaDO8Av-Sa8TDW36eY8kBT406w9_7E8N0q/s919/14670778_10209484956294171_1037973959571559482_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="919" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZoKoahOSkVQURBabd7gNScEHSHh1NN0BhTdEgURmBOZDqeyWnPvCl_Jvws3OI-p3SMPCqUK-fZmuH8rZsJfxTstHZwG_T-wdgvWaDO8Av-Sa8TDW36eY8kBT406w9_7E8N0q/w640-h480/14670778_10209484956294171_1037973959571559482_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRG9ryhybJTx0X4UMtlTLho3M9MKeHYyeqGFaa-1VHcSP8yMWAPD8j8TqS_8QPtWAzz48Hh0sDl8PjnNCgLRFkrvqVnV72VLtEqlrW_X0-cUMO3sDVk5uKjrOLzbU6HgQzgj6/s960/14702446_10209484956654180_3915584846673436839_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRG9ryhybJTx0X4UMtlTLho3M9MKeHYyeqGFaa-1VHcSP8yMWAPD8j8TqS_8QPtWAzz48Hh0sDl8PjnNCgLRFkrvqVnV72VLtEqlrW_X0-cUMO3sDVk5uKjrOLzbU6HgQzgj6/w640-h480/14702446_10209484956654180_3915584846673436839_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>After lunch in the Inn's old tavern, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town and, by chance, discovered the town's wonderful recreation trail. We strolled along the river for about a mile enjoying a delightful leisurely afternoon</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The next morning found us back on the Stowe Recreation Trail, this time for a much longer hike. We criss-crossed Little River over several rustic wooden bridges, spotting evidence of beavers along the way - trees that had been gnawed down to little stumps and a few beaver dams and lodges in the river. Our seven-mile hike took us through woodlands, past farmland and meadow, with views of the Green Mountains, bright with the fall foliage in the distance.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MPa8dhLA-lVT2zDrn30XwHIT0vkDG06xixRuSbxdn-sDv3zs0Y3Bfgef0bbTmb2KeIJHtFDcfMbL432tjbLlNWOQFL4eaFl-q-gFuY5BwtZO01MIpElFkJXnmcIW6X-PVexC/s960/14724486_10209494319648249_2736889884663709133_n.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MPa8dhLA-lVT2zDrn30XwHIT0vkDG06xixRuSbxdn-sDv3zs0Y3Bfgef0bbTmb2KeIJHtFDcfMbL432tjbLlNWOQFL4eaFl-q-gFuY5BwtZO01MIpElFkJXnmcIW6X-PVexC/w640-h480/14724486_10209494319648249_2736889884663709133_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKMqb7Ot_EpY1GNtCJhXwiFfZl9xAUALgDkD3jsXWYmBdNonYrFGlv5Sdxt4YWOQWxw5miqwj3I1Nz6v8hGTUjDb4tcHFYf3QvOmvYgrIpvk19xihY3P3H0gkYXNSjkfeVLhZ/s960/14705879_10209494315208138_1758256292079951526_n.jpg" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKMqb7Ot_EpY1GNtCJhXwiFfZl9xAUALgDkD3jsXWYmBdNonYrFGlv5Sdxt4YWOQWxw5miqwj3I1Nz6v8hGTUjDb4tcHFYf3QvOmvYgrIpvk19xihY3P3H0gkYXNSjkfeVLhZ/w640-h480/14705879_10209494315208138_1758256292079951526_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3L-pSQzIEvWhtGHbqGaAf7qQWu5u4v_9PJQluevsTdcqdJ6sCXGTYZoyJHHrK4DsP2BIhToMWaxSWNxGFk-bMP9xOGa74En81lErVEypPD7YTeaH_MtW6H1-7S6xM06_N9Vu/s960/14641975_10209494348368967_1959275715434673282_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3L-pSQzIEvWhtGHbqGaAf7qQWu5u4v_9PJQluevsTdcqdJ6sCXGTYZoyJHHrK4DsP2BIhToMWaxSWNxGFk-bMP9xOGa74En81lErVEypPD7YTeaH_MtW6H1-7S6xM06_N9Vu/w640-h480/14641975_10209494348368967_1959275715434673282_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KDB6AK-2QkHZfh9twVtEJb6bZ2EGwDvKgNwzWn4CgH_zlPkY2N2W8fHDurDqWQHKSspVg4w8OpeqHn5oVDdWkzD6uKr_IQXcq2TIR5Qf57oM8-v26dNgwTOblwdVE9Z2IMeN/s946/14600874_10209484958694231_5709097873517170352_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="946" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KDB6AK-2QkHZfh9twVtEJb6bZ2EGwDvKgNwzWn4CgH_zlPkY2N2W8fHDurDqWQHKSspVg4w8OpeqHn5oVDdWkzD6uKr_IQXcq2TIR5Qf57oM8-v26dNgwTOblwdVE9Z2IMeN/w640-h466/14600874_10209484958694231_5709097873517170352_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fOPrN3bTgaqFFz0BW6MOTdJa74GgJGiCNiY12qnoHKlCmeip9-SD3YpMw9XwmPlVgoFXIbl_QTDGgWXSBvJSwPU3e9CGdXtgaHu4n_6_dRxT9T_hb37uN_EtQmI6iRvRVcC2/s960/14595715_10209484959654255_5290117475809433239_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fOPrN3bTgaqFFz0BW6MOTdJa74GgJGiCNiY12qnoHKlCmeip9-SD3YpMw9XwmPlVgoFXIbl_QTDGgWXSBvJSwPU3e9CGdXtgaHu4n_6_dRxT9T_hb37uN_EtQmI6iRvRVcC2/w640-h480/14595715_10209484959654255_5290117475809433239_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ6l9qFmzQeEQ29c4IaLrJ8VY16LhxhqBmlWCSfLN45a7DaavwjJdkTQ3Gx2U88YW8PG0KM1EdqNWynlpF3OZIgOKMe1FrFhPMRJD62QKQrvLmxYAdxluOF-tMZ2YjyzOMXnl/s960/14650514_10209494318968232_1137830397094168967_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ6l9qFmzQeEQ29c4IaLrJ8VY16LhxhqBmlWCSfLN45a7DaavwjJdkTQ3Gx2U88YW8PG0KM1EdqNWynlpF3OZIgOKMe1FrFhPMRJD62QKQrvLmxYAdxluOF-tMZ2YjyzOMXnl/w640-h480/14650514_10209494318968232_1137830397094168967_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtOCAX7ATBctcwYA-RXea4tc7-U2swb-z8BT7m6M6CI0qwIRM7F3u8txFHchSrqVTSelxEwIK6mQ8bOeACzlckCeW-uXEEIXSxZUjwlAU8_zn8Ho67PtivU4OYa8OwqfhI8a1/s960/14705903_10209484963574353_6219404272736192244_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtOCAX7ATBctcwYA-RXea4tc7-U2swb-z8BT7m6M6CI0qwIRM7F3u8txFHchSrqVTSelxEwIK6mQ8bOeACzlckCeW-uXEEIXSxZUjwlAU8_zn8Ho67PtivU4OYa8OwqfhI8a1/w640-h480/14705903_10209484963574353_6219404272736192244_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW5gOyrblR0AZuEsG6TBvdSaXTFz3mp8XD8ewJMdA2JQ30C0NBDRHTjXM0-gCaM5S3WLMyQYc59tWI9PrAbYsFztU8Q8nBdY6s1_FQ142Bx7yLcxgErM0fDmvkmLWUiEfXD1v/s960/14708227_10209484961214294_4839669592035257523_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW5gOyrblR0AZuEsG6TBvdSaXTFz3mp8XD8ewJMdA2JQ30C0NBDRHTjXM0-gCaM5S3WLMyQYc59tWI9PrAbYsFztU8Q8nBdY6s1_FQ142Bx7yLcxgErM0fDmvkmLWUiEfXD1v/w640-h480/14708227_10209484961214294_4839669592035257523_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwvogkgnBcpUID2HEdewSDynYp4xNupJSq1u0iMYWNsOhmAUsaeZUnjcP25gnX6niEmRcmnIbxtp80Eufc298IWWrAmXfehx631rBStcBrw6tnzBpr9TEFHw6YDC9-lSUgfiU/s960/14718843_10209484962494326_9037836576672412039_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwvogkgnBcpUID2HEdewSDynYp4xNupJSq1u0iMYWNsOhmAUsaeZUnjcP25gnX6niEmRcmnIbxtp80Eufc298IWWrAmXfehx631rBStcBrw6tnzBpr9TEFHw6YDC9-lSUgfiU/w640-h480/14718843_10209484962494326_9037836576672412039_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6NoqMHpBOj0sB_IS-xQMOoLOkosbDoKfWBbpI4NOR_KiW-ab2jChul69hZlfPhqQqAl8mNxOofQvbopas6x05jeHx1v9NsTcttI1u_5G6WQYtqz95L9IU7qmXyW0M2DMhlLf/s955/14724419_10209484961574303_6491553628562076869_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="955" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6NoqMHpBOj0sB_IS-xQMOoLOkosbDoKfWBbpI4NOR_KiW-ab2jChul69hZlfPhqQqAl8mNxOofQvbopas6x05jeHx1v9NsTcttI1u_5G6WQYtqz95L9IU7qmXyW0M2DMhlLf/w640-h440/14724419_10209484961574303_6491553628562076869_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1O1c86p4d7Rz1nAReL_0NZriHUM3gjJaPSnroJMgHH-Op0TkLMa6NIqTN3qdA3MT5DvLwqt4dMCxlzqHit7ZDZPyjmSyTbXiiv9v0yg8CMBaUKGTfBPEcpKccAKoLwV0HBBk/s892/14731242_10209484963934362_2901701723003261625_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="892" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1O1c86p4d7Rz1nAReL_0NZriHUM3gjJaPSnroJMgHH-Op0TkLMa6NIqTN3qdA3MT5DvLwqt4dMCxlzqHit7ZDZPyjmSyTbXiiv9v0yg8CMBaUKGTfBPEcpKccAKoLwV0HBBk/w640-h400/14731242_10209484963934362_2901701723003261625_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_IJOjAIX7Cd1aWDzefU8lpxnqPUxlcCN38yy4M8MN9n5wQ_vLr8FdCJYRFWsLvjEcvRbBGKcMheZUrOyrgg1FEV6iRPOEkygzGcQ9yeJFLVyZh_uwQ2jgWbYIaPaCv9UKQWz/s960/14666053_10209494317408193_7317171539456221592_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_IJOjAIX7Cd1aWDzefU8lpxnqPUxlcCN38yy4M8MN9n5wQ_vLr8FdCJYRFWsLvjEcvRbBGKcMheZUrOyrgg1FEV6iRPOEkygzGcQ9yeJFLVyZh_uwQ2jgWbYIaPaCv9UKQWz/w640-h480/14666053_10209494317408193_7317171539456221592_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFmhHilCZG1u1YFuBBb5B6ilJ9uPBNcx0GqlgsIFClZp2ySmf8wmaZhkS2i1ALfWJFAmzPS5QT-nk-IbkJuopJzvoI48FOwFdIOoUEdR25wlbx2Y6Qxj8ZWew3t8IQlJKCNOE/s811/14705897_10209494329368492_4787943703936151802_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFmhHilCZG1u1YFuBBb5B6ilJ9uPBNcx0GqlgsIFClZp2ySmf8wmaZhkS2i1ALfWJFAmzPS5QT-nk-IbkJuopJzvoI48FOwFdIOoUEdR25wlbx2Y6Qxj8ZWew3t8IQlJKCNOE/w562-h640/14705897_10209494329368492_4787943703936151802_n.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We took a lunch break at Pie-casso Pizza restaurant for an excellent pizza, then returned to the hotel where I soaked my poor tired feet in the great jacuzzi tub in our room.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The rest of the day was spent browsing around the tiny town, which was</span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> decked out in a celebration of fall - every building decorated with corn stalks, pumpkins, and flowers of yellow and orange. I must admit, it made this California girl a little envious of those parts of our country that experience four distinct seasons!</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TBrMhB1dNZTMlySgbQiaMEWpIosQIMh_K0Yu5u-AUkoPPG51r0BOjkkGQFCZIgZ5raoHKG9SXZqq-9HVThyfq55M6V0YVXH-lRacv1aI-V8PjojYkVsTrbWsfLMT3GqAj0rH/s960/14650745_10209484957734207_7537791554273071384_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TBrMhB1dNZTMlySgbQiaMEWpIosQIMh_K0Yu5u-AUkoPPG51r0BOjkkGQFCZIgZ5raoHKG9SXZqq-9HVThyfq55M6V0YVXH-lRacv1aI-V8PjojYkVsTrbWsfLMT3GqAj0rH/w300-h400/14650745_10209484957734207_7537791554273071384_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqfuB1gXSSQGaU4G420vmEqipyWPiJldkriWPggWnnwPSmcNQ3_WeTARhIK0r1te7Qk5LTIZrWG0ZCYzz7TXvPoL4wgtuAyyTNVBEekBaC7Aa8sJnHtYrx9AHPgHAN2HPmEx5/s960/14717261_10209484957374198_7002838271985955846_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="960" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqfuB1gXSSQGaU4G420vmEqipyWPiJldkriWPggWnnwPSmcNQ3_WeTARhIK0r1te7Qk5LTIZrWG0ZCYzz7TXvPoL4wgtuAyyTNVBEekBaC7Aa8sJnHtYrx9AHPgHAN2HPmEx5/w400-h279/14717261_10209484957374198_7002838271985955846_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8esJLVPYkhbi-2RBe2ET63z_CFBFhywdaSgu5GiSRlXrPu7jPM8sm8gIThxpFWlmv2r6c8ltNNJGzpneIDYwM06U3cDdMpVoKRJfdJV-CCEhDJ5pQxQJqTi0ZGQVmQYsfuLZ/s911/14572212_10209498146023906_4541095005085104993_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="911" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8esJLVPYkhbi-2RBe2ET63z_CFBFhywdaSgu5GiSRlXrPu7jPM8sm8gIThxpFWlmv2r6c8ltNNJGzpneIDYwM06U3cDdMpVoKRJfdJV-CCEhDJ5pQxQJqTi0ZGQVmQYsfuLZ/w640-h480/14572212_10209498146023906_4541095005085104993_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3SJimsrK3kZJl9UlFFlMxjqKImzQ3K5vzu1942NxrVbD_6IlXz3RCE5U8AlGhKf9MpdtABxd5Sv7oTNNaKkkkmGT72Mf7YxCDBQCTRW1kCAc2hxP1lED83jPwmHhfIwPMF0b/s833/14641911_10209498147383940_5821196013922581336_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="833" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3SJimsrK3kZJl9UlFFlMxjqKImzQ3K5vzu1942NxrVbD_6IlXz3RCE5U8AlGhKf9MpdtABxd5Sv7oTNNaKkkkmGT72Mf7YxCDBQCTRW1kCAc2hxP1lED83jPwmHhfIwPMF0b/w400-h333/14641911_10209498147383940_5821196013922581336_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mj1msc_uUT2jGGrADm0WL8l3YhjtBskaUec4m76L1owrp71mFuPQHRuaCi81nOkKdYRTrR11w1cfFm_rvq1KvuH05_Uk_eeNfLSaikESc0thM4xFbj9YNnozhT6FgzYxH3eJ/s881/14724377_10209498146263912_7307758970819416174_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="881" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mj1msc_uUT2jGGrADm0WL8l3YhjtBskaUec4m76L1owrp71mFuPQHRuaCi81nOkKdYRTrR11w1cfFm_rvq1KvuH05_Uk_eeNfLSaikESc0thM4xFbj9YNnozhT6FgzYxH3eJ/w400-h315/14724377_10209498146263912_7307758970819416174_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlHmjMQL18FlZuJE3wkwWNCfUxwl2tKPKs3rCymSTzidE8IZsr5OsRUJUqMvlN_nSr3xper6HZNbNb5p2Zjgfnfmzuq0yiUlNLruJtvhBhJ8OELZuI0O9EK0ZwXtSoVbmcucQ/s900/14642143_10209498148543969_8603650568090984411_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="900" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlHmjMQL18FlZuJE3wkwWNCfUxwl2tKPKs3rCymSTzidE8IZsr5OsRUJUqMvlN_nSr3xper6HZNbNb5p2Zjgfnfmzuq0yiUlNLruJtvhBhJ8OELZuI0O9EK0ZwXtSoVbmcucQ/w400-h290/14642143_10209498148543969_8603650568090984411_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Our last day in Stowe was under grey, gloomy skies. Rob took himself on another hike, while I explored more of the town, including the old cemetery. There were gravestones dating back to the 1700s. The saddest sight I saw on our entire trip was a small headstone topped by a lamb with the names of four children in one family who all died in infancy or childhood. How grateful I am to live in the age of modern medicine.</b></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfwtLBQuJgGrgKPOZvb4fF4CxwAWdM4QdyQR0hVEGnCexd6pUarwbXyQeQ_7WzDm6JMWWppObjlrMxBMCtxTTGNwxv_6krpO1cqJPj8FEWQ26FwK2Fa0JDCZsI3VI5FslSwt0/s960/14713776_10209498153304088_8887559686831415439_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfwtLBQuJgGrgKPOZvb4fF4CxwAWdM4QdyQR0hVEGnCexd6pUarwbXyQeQ_7WzDm6JMWWppObjlrMxBMCtxTTGNwxv_6krpO1cqJPj8FEWQ26FwK2Fa0JDCZsI3VI5FslSwt0/w640-h480/14713776_10209498153304088_8887559686831415439_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RpXBNkgcOh6Qf9RxToVmdEvZnFUCTDDtU0rQ7vLzaWL9O2EqfOwut3ommPJrBKkOMBOoibfHSjqOe8AGsjjn4NYfL3TSczZYytQMIKRgkaAEOGAZGyWc6y_CEBXvc4YC5F8q/s960/14681609_10209498159144234_2070648037518523877_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RpXBNkgcOh6Qf9RxToVmdEvZnFUCTDDtU0rQ7vLzaWL9O2EqfOwut3ommPJrBKkOMBOoibfHSjqOe8AGsjjn4NYfL3TSczZYytQMIKRgkaAEOGAZGyWc6y_CEBXvc4YC5F8q/w480-h640/14681609_10209498159144234_2070648037518523877_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The rain blew in with a vengeance in the early afternoon, so we spent the rest of the quiet afternoon reading and napping, then ended the day with a final walk in the cool evening.</b></span></p><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Along Highway 100, the "Spine of Vermont"</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>The next day was a travelin' day, with several fun stops along the way. We left Stowe in the morning and spent the day exploring the little towns along Highway 100, called the "Spine of Vermont" as it runs north to south through the center of the state.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Just south of Stowe is the Waterbury Village Historical Village, and here you will find the original factory of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. Well, naturally, this was a "must-stop-here" site for me. We took the tour of the factory, including an ice cream tasting. (Give me the choice between a wine-tasting and an ice cream-tasting, and I'll pick the latter every time!) Following the tour, we visited the hilarious Flavor Graveyard where retired (or disappointing) flavors were laid to rest. I was impressed by the social consciousness of this organization, which uses sustainable and fair-trade ingredients, renewable energy sources, and recycled water. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS52oDpD5dh88hjYhwwndcph0nw0N2SBATCdBG0e8ESLzuTE-f-3Byp7yC0fUmKvQsaaFKFdRHq4RJ7VB9uPXURxByNe5MWD_YKcckCaY3d4gkZHIKc6ODu3bAUB4Hp5NOxB5z/s960/14725503_10209519555639133_9185424290596986511_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS52oDpD5dh88hjYhwwndcph0nw0N2SBATCdBG0e8ESLzuTE-f-3Byp7yC0fUmKvQsaaFKFdRHq4RJ7VB9uPXURxByNe5MWD_YKcckCaY3d4gkZHIKc6ODu3bAUB4Hp5NOxB5z/w640-h480/14725503_10209519555639133_9185424290596986511_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASsPCSM5JcMcCnOpXsFalaf1S5FHpt0lR3O2yAwoDKjz7EZBvnO-NTsZOIuH-f6EP2YoSSXh5NgvmHTSeUc5OZVrvWYJX1l_onzDth-hCqPUWKKCLqpXidp5X0ofT41FFTuS1/s835/14657280_10209519555999142_8252641738676124198_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="835" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASsPCSM5JcMcCnOpXsFalaf1S5FHpt0lR3O2yAwoDKjz7EZBvnO-NTsZOIuH-f6EP2YoSSXh5NgvmHTSeUc5OZVrvWYJX1l_onzDth-hCqPUWKKCLqpXidp5X0ofT41FFTuS1/w640-h542/14657280_10209519555999142_8252641738676124198_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwvxvEksmlBhtoUxQ3y6OkfQ9WhAL9JyKtLQ_2zLhXPOTgY3z6WlwydjOtmdNDYi9kuyEYnpSgEkxnCstOrjtJsNVWiBF4QPZYiMwYyryeyFOARjX5KQBD59hQwQYB8h-QXn7/s884/14641943_10209519556599157_1184125938348963631_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwvxvEksmlBhtoUxQ3y6OkfQ9WhAL9JyKtLQ_2zLhXPOTgY3z6WlwydjOtmdNDYi9kuyEYnpSgEkxnCstOrjtJsNVWiBF4QPZYiMwYyryeyFOARjX5KQBD59hQwQYB8h-QXn7/w522-h640/14641943_10209519556599157_1184125938348963631_n.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtabO4xX-u480MiwJmPLret3NQQtt8c4MLX0pO8-wjZGtq2zl11SYxZEt9jpO3JFVvV-Q9EjxJp5M0e-BIclcI4LQ6KpOfSwT-ZmkKE9qsKIkpqZLV076_tIjp1kzdQoLMpGmP/s619/14702383_10209519556239148_3439587517744275116_n+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="619" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtabO4xX-u480MiwJmPLret3NQQtt8c4MLX0pO8-wjZGtq2zl11SYxZEt9jpO3JFVvV-Q9EjxJp5M0e-BIclcI4LQ6KpOfSwT-ZmkKE9qsKIkpqZLV076_tIjp1kzdQoLMpGmP/w640-h358/14702383_10209519556239148_3439587517744275116_n+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We stopped for lunch at a deli/bakery in the ski resort town of Killington where Rob used to ski during his college years at Rutgers University. The Wobbly Barn Bar where he and his buddies used to hang out after skiing was still there after 45 years.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpAYptxxUUUwdwQfBJJQV4Dh188KpY3sp8-Wnu4-tXvbnUaoMm2veSpBde5rjiERHgSJFj66CzBIc3cFSnIM28dgySLwr4dErGOD3i230gYXUEtlniMNdh45R-R-jyrsKkVGf/s955/14718868_10209519556799162_5174339773868940694_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="955" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpAYptxxUUUwdwQfBJJQV4Dh188KpY3sp8-Wnu4-tXvbnUaoMm2veSpBde5rjiERHgSJFj66CzBIc3cFSnIM28dgySLwr4dErGOD3i230gYXUEtlniMNdh45R-R-jyrsKkVGf/w640-h440/14718868_10209519556799162_5174339773868940694_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The next stop was the cute and tiny town of Weston - really just one main street, but renowned for the famous Vermont Country Store, packed with wooden rafted room after room of cheeses, wines, snacks, soaps and body lotions, toys, clothing, tools. Basically, it was your down-home country general store gone wild. My best discovery there was Darn Tough socks. I had never heard of them, and I don't usually tout products in this blog, but they have now become a staple in my wardrobe.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy20SY2FToT5t5oDfRrDcQwTi3C5SWJyegmuUXJmNrpYlKr7t1oLGRbY8r9qi7RbbLE7YieaH-ZlpJyzxobNTeV74TNBYlNLLrCnBmduQSOjBIddFsnNrwNRTmSTqAk7DdGevB/s931/14705697_10209519557039168_1017210968208878444_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="931" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy20SY2FToT5t5oDfRrDcQwTi3C5SWJyegmuUXJmNrpYlKr7t1oLGRbY8r9qi7RbbLE7YieaH-ZlpJyzxobNTeV74TNBYlNLLrCnBmduQSOjBIddFsnNrwNRTmSTqAk7DdGevB/w640-h420/14705697_10209519557039168_1017210968208878444_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFu7kLI7MuJB563r2pHsMTuPD8pwboIN-BZWTRq1uhlD0_N1GLS8HPxDqKdYXB63BV1snKLSh8ONAFWfy5CdN4-XmdKKUN1h9qmI3UOYpX61PPs36WovuvRUj2AoIWMT0VewG/s960/14650718_10209519557759186_212361288319452808_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFu7kLI7MuJB563r2pHsMTuPD8pwboIN-BZWTRq1uhlD0_N1GLS8HPxDqKdYXB63BV1snKLSh8ONAFWfy5CdN4-XmdKKUN1h9qmI3UOYpX61PPs36WovuvRUj2AoIWMT0VewG/w400-h300/14650718_10209519557759186_212361288319452808_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnKJ5FpV5Yt4W8tZiIGyhzK3oJ7W5uFt9yG44wZQanR4bIANiZDYhGmqaJ525M5jL0bllha_2U71-C7DM87H5vyHD3eYqyaFQbFyz_ulRyiogzX1PX2NvZYYIdg7IeL-CI870/s960/14721690_10209519557399177_279618861861649983_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnKJ5FpV5Yt4W8tZiIGyhzK3oJ7W5uFt9yG44wZQanR4bIANiZDYhGmqaJ525M5jL0bllha_2U71-C7DM87H5vyHD3eYqyaFQbFyz_ulRyiogzX1PX2NvZYYIdg7IeL-CI870/w400-h300/14721690_10209519557399177_279618861861649983_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>As we drove south, we continued to ooh and aah at the gorgeous fall foliage that lined the highway and covered the hills.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjIDHjFKoirRojv0BesUDugdaYL0yHnOcGsMdYSHqxKe6lATnbFjLY5tb4XL8eQjgsNfBn5zT38mfgAjicpxQRga8USuUHswn2ax90z5E5DF9pTj7Zy9iy2WJQOWbX6nTcCyt/s960/14642044_10209519561119270_4092814563941239960_n+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjIDHjFKoirRojv0BesUDugdaYL0yHnOcGsMdYSHqxKe6lATnbFjLY5tb4XL8eQjgsNfBn5zT38mfgAjicpxQRga8USuUHswn2ax90z5E5DF9pTj7Zy9iy2WJQOWbX6nTcCyt/w640-h480/14642044_10209519561119270_4092814563941239960_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIAd-cYybTpkbGqw52wWK4_u5cLCy13iIZ853CV2NHm29SsSt5rTLACy5oJyHl3zeH_CQzTttMVSHS6gxQwUXiMRf7bnCDpgAXp7TLcW3hcHiQk-La7co7QVupblV2ZDHzBgA/s960/14650675_10209519559879239_3646109381948320755_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIAd-cYybTpkbGqw52wWK4_u5cLCy13iIZ853CV2NHm29SsSt5rTLACy5oJyHl3zeH_CQzTttMVSHS6gxQwUXiMRf7bnCDpgAXp7TLcW3hcHiQk-La7co7QVupblV2ZDHzBgA/w640-h480/14650675_10209519559879239_3646109381948320755_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Two Nights in Massachusetts</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was a long drive all the way to our final destination, so we stopped in Pittsfield, MA to sleep before continuing the rest of the way to </span><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Cambridge, the home of Harvard University. We turned in our rental car and checked into a lovely boutique hotel, the Hotel Veritas, then spent the afternoon walking around the gorgeous Harvard campus, which was crowded with both students and tourists. After a week of small villages and wooded countryside, the crowds and traffic felt a little overwhelming, but the city and campus were lovely. </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY8fK1nlIybmCjvVqy9bW2lREVIXZq7PfV6T2nsX7ipF0yZCMDsULphLLO3Hdrs-qu39t524_pIior5fG3Ae-b4LFRfCY8PQAftgSLqVjdhHy99Lo5zPdC5ubtzJlke0fDeNu/s959/14639656_10209519561839288_5230005706196305013_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="719" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY8fK1nlIybmCjvVqy9bW2lREVIXZq7PfV6T2nsX7ipF0yZCMDsULphLLO3Hdrs-qu39t524_pIior5fG3Ae-b4LFRfCY8PQAftgSLqVjdhHy99Lo5zPdC5ubtzJlke0fDeNu/w480-h640/14639656_10209519561839288_5230005706196305013_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwlqajq3IY50Ad5z8Dcf9Tnt8tQH7NnwKyj2-eU8wqiwTRFJiiXzqYq_Y2yqi3YqJbqYpIteZhjOnfH_X_Ynnm5qtFATIo5pT-O4TZC0anv5_OWISuylBxMJy8u0kK4Wm_fgE/s959/14671149_10209519563239323_2902011086671637617_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="959" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwlqajq3IY50Ad5z8Dcf9Tnt8tQH7NnwKyj2-eU8wqiwTRFJiiXzqYq_Y2yqi3YqJbqYpIteZhjOnfH_X_Ynnm5qtFATIo5pT-O4TZC0anv5_OWISuylBxMJy8u0kK4Wm_fgE/w640-h480/14671149_10209519563239323_2902011086671637617_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCf8ZNshS-J1hJnxGVtQV39ZpjCYuYjlk8rBwOr8HUyvQ6XXOc4_vyI0e0uGBL_YUXdbci6hS9EIdhscfSTldWhEgalbJPFBINOm_mRF8DR4ZF6-PhlCYeUoXkkZygOPm451w/s939/14713607_10209519562919315_4426406127147466599_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="939" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCf8ZNshS-J1hJnxGVtQV39ZpjCYuYjlk8rBwOr8HUyvQ6XXOc4_vyI0e0uGBL_YUXdbci6hS9EIdhscfSTldWhEgalbJPFBINOm_mRF8DR4ZF6-PhlCYeUoXkkZygOPm451w/w640-h470/14713607_10209519562919315_4426406127147466599_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0abp8ohH1_N-BwzFh88HgLNbNCbGn9qkrdTBJYP46v8dfO-zM7WkIBtgvS7iOhII8Bsiqs1HQZ6Zkzbycp01ZV9YvpQq1sva6e7wPfHyFPORSYv3iCd4D9OH-EhVaP7SRRJ9L/s960/14721635_10209519562639308_3465166955323764880_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0abp8ohH1_N-BwzFh88HgLNbNCbGn9qkrdTBJYP46v8dfO-zM7WkIBtgvS7iOhII8Bsiqs1HQZ6Zkzbycp01ZV9YvpQq1sva6e7wPfHyFPORSYv3iCd4D9OH-EhVaP7SRRJ9L/w480-h640/14721635_10209519562639308_3465166955323764880_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_9ekuJi0FLc9CzljJ1FOwCWQlLFvpI__QrLbNR3H0BtqNQ9SP-gfDLvrhsY16G711r2NgDfyi7cG9U2HCr-5jvaNqP5OLIWHdL189oYtcNsFlAljYlqizifYbHgdWxUsaThM/s914/14724583_10209519562159296_4318326266509339300_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="914" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_9ekuJi0FLc9CzljJ1FOwCWQlLFvpI__QrLbNR3H0BtqNQ9SP-gfDLvrhsY16G711r2NgDfyi7cG9U2HCr-5jvaNqP5OLIWHdL189oYtcNsFlAljYlqizifYbHgdWxUsaThM/w640-h470/14724583_10209519562159296_4318326266509339300_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>There is a good reason that a New England Fall Foliage Driving Trip gets put onto so many bucket lists. This was one of the most beautiful weeks in all of our travels!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesor3BZPwfeEdCrevGfaPEzyuLxubEsDlUTuZ2TlPWCNMO7B4XRfTHGLD3XXG14Od_8YqQR28IGCUpwrpQe0DSzu-oYAEQAXoS4dk6_0rshmd2mHwOXX4AFrNCeKuUejiFlhc/s877/14601133_10209455498357741_1087403607810863808_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="716" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesor3BZPwfeEdCrevGfaPEzyuLxubEsDlUTuZ2TlPWCNMO7B4XRfTHGLD3XXG14Od_8YqQR28IGCUpwrpQe0DSzu-oYAEQAXoS4dk6_0rshmd2mHwOXX4AFrNCeKuUejiFlhc/w522-h640/14601133_10209455498357741_1087403607810863808_n.jpg" width="522" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div>Joan Lindsay Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123884528324929656noreply@blogger.com7