Spring Break: Roadschooling around Egypt

It has been a crazy semester here in Luanda between school, work, and various travels. In late January, Jonah went to Nairobi for a week-long workshop. A month after that, Kristen went to Nairobi for a different week-long workshop. The day after she returned, Jonah left for a training in Dubai. Two weeks after he got back, we all set off for spring break in Egypt (we'll get to more on that in just a bit). Within a week of our return to Luanda, Kristen was off to Bangkok for a comprehensive medical check up (all is well). And tomorrow kicks off back-to-back weeks (as in we will be passing through the airport on the same day but won't see each other) of school trip chaperone duty. First up, Kristen will accompany grade 9 and then Jonah will be away with grade 8; both groups are headed to South Africa for camping and hiking.

In the midst of all this, we have escaped to the beach twice, once for an overnight, saw Black Panther, went bowling, checked out a water park not too far from campus, discovered a Lebanese restaurant and a new grocery store option in the city, received our very first piece of snail mail from the USA, visited the pleasantly efficient international clinic for mysterious fevers and malaise (nothing serious), finally got our gas grill up and running, and played lots and lots of Fortnite. It has been so busy that we often forget what month we're in, and then cannot believe that it is so close to the end of the school year, that in just 7 weeks, we'll be flying home for summer. Fastest. School year. Ever.

So before tomorrow's 4:15am alarm, taking a luxuriously lazy day to write about spring break. We chose Egypt because of it's relative proximity, Jonah's lifelong dream to see the pyramids, and a commitment made a few years ago for the family to get scuba certified together, once Liam was old enough. For the first time, we had two weeks off which allowed an ideal amount of time to see the sights and take a PADI Open Water Diver course.

Our travels in Egypt started in Giza, which is just south of Cairo and where the most famous pyramids are found. We stayed at a very modest guest house that had a million dollar view. The rooftop terrace was where we ate breakfast while listening to the call to prayer and had sundowners with a view of the sound and light show.

The neighborhood was full of stables, housing horses and camels that carry people and goods to and from the pyramids. Looking off the other side of the terrace (opposite the pyramids), busy side street where animals spent their off hours.

Since we had arrived Egypt on an overnight flight, we were at the guest house by 7:00am. So the first order of business was breakfast; freshly made falafel and the very best pita bread:

Once all bellies were full, our guide arrived and the tour was quickly underway. Now, let's understand that this post will not attempt to be a lesson in Egyptology - just a few snapshots and basic information that we either recall (less likely) or looked up on Wikipedia (more likely). The amount of information we took in over five days is astounding and to be sure, only a fraction of it retained. 

We started out at Memphis, and explored the outdoor sculpture garden and giant statues of Ramses II - one standing up, one lying down. Always the left foot forward, "leading with one's heart". 

Moving from one location to another, we saw many trucks like this one. It was clearly harvest time for garlic!

After Memphis, we headed back to Giza to see THE Great Pyramids. 

Someone in our group was keen to ride camels, another was indifferent, and two were reluctant. 

But when in Egypt......

We could not figure out why the man with our camera was so insistent that we raise up our arms - really raise them up - high! We obliged, having no clue why this was the pose he was looking for.

Until we looked at the pictures and found the ones like this. We had noticed that he picked up a rock but thought he was using it to shield the sun? Anyway, it's a keeper, no?

After the photo extravaganza, Asa was done with the animal riding activity (and to be fair, his camel was quite grumpy and picking fights with the others) and so he walked the rest of the way (which was not far at all) with the camel man.

After all that excitement and a very full day of learning after not much sleep the night before, it was time to retreat to the guest house and watch the sunset with a local brew in hand.

Day two we ventured into Cairo. It's the biggest city on the continent which is probably why it reminded us of Delhi; crowded with people and cars, polluted, and simply put - intense. We visited the Egyptian Museum, the old neighborhoods of the city, and Coptic Hanging Church.

A stroll through the Khan el-Khalili market before lunch of pita and "ful", stewed fava beans seasoned with salt, chili, cumin, and linseed oil, washed it down with minty lemon juice.

Day three! A short drive south to Dahshur and Saqqara where we visited the Step, Bent, and Red Pyramids:

After three days in the vicinity Cairo, it was time to bid the big city farewell, and catch an afternoon flight to Luxor. Upon arriving at the airport, we found out that there was a three hour delay due to a sandstorm in the region. Well, that slowly evolved into a twenty-two hour stay in the domestic terminal and suffice it to say, there was nothing going on there. On the positive side, we banded together with some delightful fellow travelers (our favorites were two archeologists from Cortez, Colorado), commandeered the "elite" lounge area, pushed chairs together to create makeshift beds, then chatted and dozed off and on through the night. 

The following afternoon we finally made it to Luxor and again, were off and running straightaway. Over two days, we saw: Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Tombs of the Nobles, Luxor Temple, Avenue of Sphinxes, and Karnak Temple. No place was too crowded and we enjoyed hiking around the massive burial grounds, climbing into tombs, taking in the artwork carved and painted on the walls. The history and the stories inscribed within these chambers is overwhelming in both scope and complexity of detail. The photos for sure do not do justice.

Our guide's favorite place in Luxor (his hometown) is the less touristed Ramesseum - the memorial temple built for Ramses II, whose statues we saw in Memphis. This might be our favorite place in Luxor too:

Our guide was a true Egyptologist and on the last stop with him - Karnak Temple Complex - when we were just about out of brain space to absorb anything else he had to say, Jonah captured this tutorial on hieroglyphics:

After Cairo, Luxor was a welcome reprieve with its breezy Nile views, quiet roads, and open spaces. This was sundown at our hotel:

And the view the following morning, before heading to the airport:

On Easter Sunday, after a full week of ancient Egypt, we flew from Luxor to Cairo to Sharm el-Sheikh, then drove an hour up the coast of the Sinai Peninsula to the small town of Dahab. The top of this building was our accommodation for the week, a comfortable two bedroom apartment:

View of the Red Sea from the roof:

The next morning, "Team Rosenfield" reported to SCUBA school for what would be the first of four exhausting days. We slept like babies the entire week. 

The best part about doing this course in Dahab was that all water skills were done in the Red Sea. We just walked across the street from the dive center and straight into the ocean. Fish and coral were everywhere - talk about instant gratification! Asa and Liam took to diving like a fish to water. No fear. No complaints. They looked so natural 12 meters under the surface. It was really an amazing sight and wonderful to watch them thrive with this challenge.

During lunch break each day, the boys ordered cheeseburgers from across the street and gobbled them up like candy. And then, they rested:

The center brilliantly assigned the boys to their own instructor. Trish is from the USA, has a heap of extended family in Argentina (she even lived in Palermo for a while), and is a former music teacher. Could she have been a more perfect match?

Each afternoon, Asa and Liam asked to taxi home and we insisted that we walk. It was a nice opportunity to process the day and see the non-touristy areas of Dahab.

On Thursday, we passed the final exam and made the Wall of Fame!

With one more day in town, we opted to do two more dives - our first as fully certified divers and not students. For this, we took a short drive south to an area known as Moray Garden.

Post dive lunch on the beach, complete with camels passing through:

Saying goodbye to the sweet pup at the dive center (his bandana says "Security"):

In summary, Egypt was fantastic - the people we met, the scenery, the food, the history, the clean waters of the Red Sea. It was not a lazy vacation but one that required a bit of "push through the burn" on mostly long days. There was so much to learn and we really did try to take it all in and at the very least, come away with a deeper appreciation of history, the innovation of ancient people, and for those whose passion it is to tell their stories.