Monday, July 2, 2012

Day One

I think that we have packed more into one day than we ever have before. After a long, I mean LONG, day of traveling from Chicago to Ammon, Jordan to Cairo, Egypt we did not get to our hotel until 11PM. Up at six and to Giza Pyramids by eight. There are three main pyramids here built by a father, his son and grandson. These pyramids stand for power and strength, but also teach the egyptian creation story. The very top of the pyramids were at one time covered with gold and depicted order coming out of chaos. The Nile used to flood right up to the pyramids, in fact the flooding allowed the Egyptians to float the stones down to the Giza Plateau to build these amazing structures. The Egyptians believed that the gods brought life out of the muddy silt brought down the river during the seasonal floods. This is what the top of the pyramid directed.

I find it so interesting that in the Genesis account of creation the earth was formless and empty and God brought order, or better still, SHALOM out of the chaos. We are learning that by studying the ancient Egyptians we can understand the context of the first five books of Moses so much better. We are learning so much!



After the pyramids and the Sphinx we went to the National Museum which is right on Tarhir Square in downtown Cairo. Learned a lot about dead people! Then it was time for lunch which was eaten on the edge do the Nile.



Off to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Luxor in upper Egypt. We rushed into our hotel, which was right on the Nile River, and into sailing boats for a sunset trip up the river. We beached the boats in a shallow a section of the river and went for a swim, after a brief lecture on the importance of water to Egypt. Then a quick sail back to our hotel, a late supper and off to bed. What an amazing day. I have never done so much exploring in one day in my life. And this was just day one!

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