Around the World with Marsha & Joel

No. There is no modern art, of course. And. It is very far from a “modern” museum as well.

Compared to the magnificent Luxor Museum the Egyptian Museum is an antique unto itself. The exterior is both prominent and promising. And, once inside, one can see what a grand place it once was, still displaying the treasures of the great pharaohs alongside beautiful grave goods, mummies, jewelry, furniture, even toys. Walking around is still an adventure through time.

But, there aren’t any modern interactive displays or touch-screens or easy-to-read signs. Some of the display cases look as old as the treasure they are holding.

Look carefully and you’ll see how many of the statues are covered in plastic sheeting while promised renovations are (or will sometime be) happening. Many of the tons of antiquities are being stored in a basement with a soft floor; actually sinking into that floor and requiring a new excavation to get them ready for future display. Another issue is that much of the collection is earmarked for the new Grand Egyptian Museum (that we showed you in our initial post) now under construction in Giza, not far from Cairo. That will be amazing.

Though in its current state, the museum is difficult to navigate, our outstanding guide, Soha made it easy and interesting. She took us to and through the most important parts and then let us loose to find the mummy room (extra charge), and the King Tut room (still holding most of the actual discoveries from his tomb – no photography allowed).

These figurines we came across in a display case in a poorly-lighted side room are totally symbolic of the state of the museum now; askew, in disarray, dark and dusty, but chock full of amazing things.

A plethora of statues and figurines spanning centuries, depicting pharaohs, gods, and every-day working people.

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Amazingly life-like (almost medieval) portraits painted on sarcophagi. We really thought these, and quite a few others, were misplaced.

Alabaster carvings, twin tinted sculptures, and dummy stone vases – really solid carvings used as decoration in the tombs of Yuya and Thuya, great grandparents of King Tut.

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Outside the King Tut artifacts room were four enormous, gilded boxes (two above). When Carter excavated the tomb he found the giant one on the right. Inside it was a second box. Then a third and a fourth, containing the sarcophagus of Tut. Hard to imagine the amazement as he opened each.

One of the last exhibits we saw sort of weirded us out. Those eyes were piercing.

Kahn El Khalili Bazaar District

After a long and enlightening afternoon at the museum, the bus took us to the middle of Cairo and its sprawling, bustling bazaar filled with shops selling every imaginable item for both tourists and locals. We found, and bargained for little gifts and things that you will soon see reflected in Marsha’s new ceramic art.

It was time to head back to the hotel for cocktails and a farewell dinner since we’d be leaving early for the flight home the next day.

We exchanged contact information with everyone, and we must say that this was probably the best smarTours group we’ve ever traveled with. It was sad to say goodby, but we’re sure it won’t be the last we see of these merry travelers.

After we arrived home and spent a couple of days dealing with jet-lag, we made a beeline to our always favorite “comfort place” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Temple of Dendur. It now has a special new meaning for us since we’ve looked upon its original birthplace.

Another wonderful adventure. We were so glad you could be with us, and hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Oh, don’t make plans for early June. We’ll be heading off for a few days in Paris and then cruising from Lyon to Avignon through Provence. We’ll be following van Gogh, tasting some Beaujolais, and hunting truffles, among lots of other things. Don’t forget your sketchbook and beret.

When the Third World Aims a Bit too High…

Before we make tracks to the Luxor Museum, we’ve just got to share this special Egyptian anecdote:

Our tour company, smarTours, does an excellent job in finding and providing outstanding accommodations for its travelers. The Sonesta St. George in Luxor looked to be no exception. In fact, at first glance when entering our room, downright ultra-modern and luxurious. Take the bathroom. Yes. Take. The. Bathroom. (And keep it). When we saw the toilet, more like a Pharaoh’s gilded throne, with its huge array of electronics; buttons, switches, nozzles, and information placards…there was no way we would try to use it (even though we needed it) before a long study. It was an electronically controlled toilet/bidet combination with buttons for types of flushes, douche controls, dryer fan settings, and a call button for help if you got sucked in (kidding). I tried it first and found neither of the two “flush” buttons would do anything more than create a bubble and a gurgle.

We called the front desk and they sent up two maintenance people who pushed buttons, rubbed their chins, and cursed in Arabic for ten minutes. Finally, they pointed around the side and back of the monstrosity where two manual push buttons were hidden and told us to use them from now on. They didn’t work well, but they worked.

What you see in the photo above is not a time machine, nor a space capsule, nor an amusement park photo booth. Yes, it’s a “state-of-the-art” shower/tub/spa combo to suit all your personal hygiene needs. It, too, was chock full of electronics, buttons, knobs, handles, nozzles, and ports. I just wanted to turn a knob, adjust the temperature and stand under a shower. But no. For almost five minutes I stood in the machine and never once got a stream of water to come from the shower head above. Instead, I got hit from every other angle by angry jets of cold, then scalding water while I kept stepping on the drain plug that seemed to operate the spa jets as well. I cursed in Arabic, I think, wrapped myself in a towel and went to the hotel info book on the desk. There was a full page in nine point type, with crude diagrams of how to operate the shower/spa. It showed the knob (that I had been trying to turn to operate the overhead shower). To turn it, though, you had to push in the “white” button on the side. Ours was gone. I stuck a pen point into the hole where the white button should have been, turned the knob and had a nice shower. Sometimes utility trumps luxury.

The Luxor Museum

The small, beautifully established Luxor Museum is considered by many as the finest museum in all of Egypt. It’s situated about half way between the Luxor and Karnak Temples and houses a well chosen collection of relics from the theban temples and necropolis. The contents were actually arranged by our own Brooklyn Museum in New York.

This seated, legendary scribe, Amenhotep (No. 4), son of Hapu is somewhat unusual in showing an older, not beautiful subject doing important work. He was also responsible for many of Thebes’ greatest buildings. Gives us all hope.

Remnants of the Wall of Akhenaten. A series of sandstone blocks called, talatat (threes), probably because most were about three hand-lengths. The rare depictions show Akhenaten, his wife, Nefertiti, and temple life.

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The collection also contains many artifacts found around Thebes dating from the Old Kingdom through the Mamluk period. Examples of functional pottery on the right and canopic jars, designed to house mumified innards.

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On the left a small hall with 16 of the 22 statues uncovered in Luxor Temple in 1989, houses magnificent examples of ancient Egyptian sculpture. Marsha contemplating the pride of the lot; a pristine, quartzite statue of a strong Amenhotep in a pleated kilt.

We ended our extraordinary visit at the bust of Amenhotep IV with crossed arms holding the symbol for Justice. May it be served now too.

From the Museum back to the Sonesta. Some food. Another fight with modern technology. And some sleep before our flight back to Cairo for our last full day in Egypt. Make ready for the important, extensive collection of ancient artefacts at the Egyptian Museum. And, a final plunge into the Khan El Khalili Bazaar district for a final chance to shop.

It’s our last day in Luxor, and we’re on our own until an afternoon tour of the Luxor Museum. We’d been told repeatedly not to talk to any of the “entrepreneurs” who would offer to take us around.

It was a beautiful morning, so we decided to take a leisurely walk on our own along the Nile to see what we could see. We’ve learned by now how to ward off the many, many “salespeople” constantly accosting you. I use a finger-wag at my waist with no eye contact and say the word, “Imshi” (go away) after a salesman pushes once too many times. It actually works (except once when I said it too soon, and the reply in English was, “this is my city…you should be more polite. I did feel a wee bit guilty). After we walked further, however, the sidewalks just disappeared. We were forced to walk in the street, both with and against traffic – like the locals were doing. Except the locals were perfectly relaxed.

As soon as we found pavement again, a good looking young man, walking in our direction, made eye contact and said, “Hi. I remember you from the boat. I work in the kitchen.” Suspicious, I was about to ask which boat, when so-trusting Marsha says, “Oh, the Royal Lily, right”? “Of course”, he says, “Of course”.

“I have to go to the spice store in the market to get saffron for the boat. Why don’t you come with me if you’d like to really see the local market. You certainly don’t have to pay me and it will give me a chance to practice my english”, he said.

I surreptitiously shake my head at Marsha…and off we go.

I relaxed a little as I realized we probably never would have navigated the convoluted, traffic-congested streets to find the market. He got us there comfortably.

Our first stop was his buddy’s shop with every imaginable piece of tourist cra…stuff. We refused to buy, saying we were only interested in spices. We left leaving an obviously disappointed merchant and a frown-faced guide with no commission.

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We walked on through colorful clothing stalls, fishmongers, falafel makers, people selling mountain of steel wool, and goods of all kinds.

Then he, and we, hit the jackpot. His buddy, the spice seller was just what we were looking for. We had some tea and talk, and exchanged a pile of money for a pile of spice. We all left happy.

Marsha, of course, asked if he knew anyone in the market selling pots (she thought she had seen a stall just before the spice shop, but he was taking us the other way). It didn’t take long to realize he thought Marsha said, “pot”, not pots. We were on the way to his hashish dealer when we realized he had misunderstood.

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We convinced him to walk back to find the potter who had to be 90 years old with piles of his hand-thrown, very crude, utilitarian bowls and cookware. He was thrilled to sell a bowl, and to shake hands with a fellow potter from America. It was getting late, so we started walking back toward the Nile and to our hotel.

On the way, after dancing with and around cars, horse carriages, and pedestrians, we passed this view of the “Avenue of Sphinxes” being unearth and reconstructed as a walkway all the way between Luxor Temple and Karnak. A distance of over one and a half miles. The original causeway was built around 1400 BC and used once a year during the Opet festival when the Egyptians paraded along it carrying the statues of Amun and Mut in a symbolic re-enactment of their marriage. The current reconstruction by the government may take another 1400 years because of modern hurdles to be jumped, e.g. two churches were constructed directly over the “Avenue” many years ago. Think there might be a bit of a clamor over moving or razing the churches??? Also, lots of roads and bridges in the way, plus funding has pretty much run out…lots more tourists needed.

Then Marsha spots what our “guide” tells us is the oldest mosque in Luxor. Actually a pretty impressive place. He tells us he can take us in, so we follow up the entrance steps, remove our shoes, Marsha ties her sweater over he head, voila.

It is a marvelous, welcoming place, described in detail by a local congregant as he escorts us through. He introduces us to the Imam, who tells us more and asks for a donation “for the kids” that of course we gladly provide.

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The balcony of the Mosque also provides amazing views of the adjacent Temple of Luxor as a bonus.

It’s been a terrific morning, full of special treats, but we have to get back to the hotel to get ready for our Luxor Museum tour, so our “guide” escorts us back to the walkway by the Nile.

I pulled Marsha aside, handed her some cash, and asked her to say to the “kitchen worker”, “I know you didn’t want any money, but take this anyway, for your kids”. As we made ready to part ways, Marsha handed him the money. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a jaw drop so far in disappointment (part of their negotiating skill set)! So I said, “I know you said you didn’t want anything, but since we had such a good morning, here’s some more. Thank you so much.” As we walked away, his mouth closed a bit, not into a smile though, and he kept his had stretched out, but I think we all really had a good morning.

On our way back to the hotel, we had passed the “Winter Palace” Hotel. A regular guest from 1907 was Lord Carnarvon, the patron of Egyptologist Howard Carter, who in 1922 discovered the intact tomb of Tutankhamun. After the discovery was announced the Winter Palace played host to the international press corps and foreign visitors there to follow the story. We decided to walk into the still luxurious hotel and take a peek at the marvelous collection of Victorian furnishings and Chinese art.

Take a break now, and we’ll meet you later at the Luxor Museum.