SUEZ CANAL APRIL 9, 2008

SUEZ CANAL, EGYPT APRIL 9, 2008

The Suez Canal is a large artificial canal in Egypt, west of the Sinai Peninsula. It is 163km (101 miles) long and 300 meters (984 feet) wide at its narrowest point. It runs between Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea.

The canal allows two-way water transportation between Europe and Asia with out circumnavigation of Africa. Before its opening in 1869, goods were sometimes off loaded from ships and carried over land between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

The canal allows the passage of ships of up to 150,000 tons displacement. It permits ships of up to 16 meters (53 feet) draft to pass and improvements are planned to increase this to 22 meters (72 feet) by 2010.

Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported that in 2005 18,193 ships passed through the canal producing around $3.5 billion income.

It took us about 13 hours to traverse the canal at a speed of about 8 knots. We formed up s convoy of about a dozen ships at about 3am. We began through at about 6am. I was impressed by the number of military on both sides of the canal. See one of the towers that dotted the banks and a small encampment. One small boat of 3 Arabs in a row boat were rowing parallel to the bank and an army speed boat swooped down on them with sirens blaring. A couple of minutes later a truck on the shore road arrived full of soldiers that piles out to confront these hapless guys in the boat. They really reacted quickly to what I didn’t even recognize was a potential threat.

There were numerous ferrys across the canal for both trucks and cars. There was even a couple of tunnels carrying fresh water from the Nile to the Sinai side under the canal. We have a picture of the only bridge spanning the canal called the Peace Bridge. Since it was built by Japan, it is also know as the Egypt / Japan Peace Bridge. Seems like a few bridges like this built by the USA would go a long way to repair the American image. Maybe we would have a little money for a bridge if not spending on a war.

At dinner that night we also met a couple more Arabs.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS, KARNAK, LUXOR, EGYPT APRIL 7, 2008

VALLEY OF THE KINGS, KARNAK, LUXOR, EGYPT, APRIL 7, 2008

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Luxor, which was ancient Thebes.

Luxor, has frequently been characterized as the “world’s greatest open air museum.” The ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city. Thousands of international tourists arrive each year to visit these temples and their presence represents a large part of the economic basis for the modern city. Indeed tourism represents billions of dollars of for the country in total.

At 7am we boarded the 27 buses for Luxor on the Nile and our police security lead convoy began the 220km (137 mile) journey. Since the terrorist incident 13 years ago the government is very careful and protective of its tourists.

After 4 hours of travel through mountains, deserts and finally the small towns bordering the irrigation channels from the Nile, we arrived at The Valley of the Kings.

The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the 18th century, and its tombs and burial continue to stimulate research and interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. We arrived and were taken to 3 of the 63 tombs: Ramses I, Ramses IV, and King Tut. The best part of the tombs was the fabulous ancient art. The colors after all these years were still bright and vibrant.

We stopped briefly and Queen Hatchepsut to see the amazing structure not too far from the Valley of the Kings.

The Sheraton hotel where we had lunch was right on the Nile and docked was one of the numerous river cruise ships that plied the river from Cairo to the Anwar dam.

In the afternoon we visited the magnificent temple of Karnak and the adjacent temple of Luxor. It is said that about 15% of the treasures of Egypt have been discovered. The ancient 3 km avenue between Luxor and Karnak is currently built over by the modern city. Egypt is trying to buy up the city properties and begin an extensive excavation to discover more of the ancient treasures.

The Karnak Temple was built over two millennia by generations of Pharaohs dedicated to their god Amun. With its Ramses statues, obelisks, and the great Hypostyle Hall including a veritable forest of 164 columns (used in the James Bond film) it could take days to explore.

The Luxor Temple has an avenue of human head sphinx’s leading to the Karnak Temple. Its extensive columns appear in this novice’s eye to be precursors of the famous Greek columns. By the way Athens is our next stop after the Suez Canal.

SALALAH, OMAN APRIL 3, 2008

SALALAH, OMAN APRIL 3, 2008

The sultanate of Oman is the second largest country in the Arabian Gulf. With the accession of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said to power in July 1970 after overthrowing his father and exiling him to England, new era was born, and in the past three decades, Oman’s economy has grown dramatically under the wise and able leadership of His Majesty. It is unfortunate that the Sultan never married and there are no heirs. We heard rumors of the Sultan’s sexual preferences.

Salalah is known as the “perfume capital of Arabia.” The city is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the Qara Mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees lining mountain wadi courses.

We visited the Frankincense Museum and the pictured tree with Judy and I is a rather scrawny affair. We then traveled to Job’s mosque and his mausoleum. Job is an Old Testament prophet and has been made key in the Masonic Orders “Job’s Daughters.” Here are some azaleas with Judy in front of the mosque and a shot of the tomb itself.

We passed a group (herd?) of camels hiding from the sun in the shade of a tree and eating the trade at the same time. After a short bus ride we passed Mirbat's beautiful beaches and arrived at Mughsail, famed for its blowholes and nearby groves of wild frankincense.

The final picture is of what this country actually is…a desert.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MARCH 31 2008

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MARCH 31, 2008

Evidence of human encampments along the shores near the Strait of Hormuz date back more than 5,000 years, yet details about the ancient nomadic cultures remain sketchy. Each time there is new construction in Dubai, more is found beneath the sands.

A little more than 600 years after Christ lived, Muhammad was born in Mecca, and Islam swept across the Arabian Peninsula.

Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A king rules the country. The king is selected by the 7 sheiks to rule. With the council of 7 sheiks the king rules over the region. The council has not allowed foreigners to own property in the country in spite of the sheik of Dubai’s efforts. Dubai therefore decided to build new land in this emirate in the ocean over which the UAE would not have control. Hence the Palm Islands and the World Islands were created which are for sale to foreigners. Even the spectacular Burj al Arab hotel is built on a reclaimed island. This hotel, which has a cheapest room rate of $1500 per night, will not be profitable for the next 100 years of full hotel occupancy. It was built as a symbol of the new and tourist oriented city of Dubai.

The city and Emaar Properties is currently constructing what will become the world’s tallest structure, the Burj Dubai. The final height of the skyscraper is a closely guarded secret; an indication of the developer’s resolve to attain the title of the world’s tallest building and its intention to hold on to it for as long as possible. Estimates point to a heights upwards of 810 meters. By 17 January 2007 it had reached 100 floors.

Thankfully tradition has not been discarded. A group of old wind tower homes in the Bastakiya district near Dubai creel showcase the inventive Arabian style.

We have pictures of the port of Dubai, the downtown skyline showing the Burj Dubai, Burj al Arab outside, Burj al Arab inside and some unnamed sheik that happened by.

TAJ MAHAL MARCH 29, 2008

TAJ MAHAL - AGRA, INDIA MARCH 29, 2008

We landed in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and were met at the dock for transport immediately to the airport to fly to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi we were again met and began our 4-1/2 hour drive to Agra. The drive was on a four lane divided highway and the 120 miles should have taken about 2 hours if it weren’t for the camels, water buffalo, elephants, three wheeled taxis (tuk-tuks), pedestrians, and heavy traffic. The drivers use the steering wheel and the horn equally in navigating the vehicles.

We arrived at the most elegant hotel, The Oberoi, and were met by the front entrance staff and after a refreshing drink in the lobby swept away by the front desk staff to our room where we registered. The Taj Mahal was immediately visible from our balcony as it was only 600 meters away.

In the morning we boarded the hotel’s courtesy golf cart to go to the Shah Jehan’s masterpiece the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum in 1653 for Jehan’s wife of 19 years Mumtaz. Their marriage produced 14 children of which only 7 survived. Jehan lived the last 8 years of his life as a prisoner of one of his sons. Aurangzeb, and was confined in the adjacent Fort Agra overlooking his wife’s burial place. He joined her after his death and is buried in a sarcophagus beside her.

After passing through the entrance embattlement the beautiful marble covered dome comes into view surrounded by four smaller domes. The interior boasts marble walls with inlays of precious and semi precious stones and inscriptions from the Koran. While strolling the gardens there are wonderful views of the Taj and that adjacent mosque.

You will see Judy seated on the same bench that Princess Diana appeared in her pensive moments while also visiting the Taj Mahal.

In the afternoon we visited the Fort Agra that held the Shah Jehan. The red sandstone fortress was built by Jehan’s grandfather some 80 years prior to the Taj Mahal. The interior features marble throne rooms, audience halls and a central courtyard with magnificent vaulted colonnades. The same exquisite inlays and carvings are evident in this ancient building as in the Taj Mahal itself