When you think of ancient Egypt, mummies do come to mind, and the ancient Egyptians certainly advanced the preservation of bodies to an art form. However, we saw only a few mummies during our time in Egypt, which did include some mummified crocodiles and cats. There was so much to see and do while we were traveling and sometimes we had to make hard choices. At the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, due to time constraints and wanting to see the King Tut exhibit, we opted not to visit the mummy section.

So even though we didn’t have a lot to offer on mummies and mummification, I did want to share a great website you can visit, if you would like to know more. Check it out. It does show pictures of real mummies, so it is a little gross.

Here it is. http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/home.html

Once we entered the school the atmosphere changed dramatically. We were immediately struck by the open and airy feel to the school. Everywhere we looked there were displays of wonderful art and carefully done projects.

The walls were covered exhibits of student work. Children were busy doing school work. It was evident there was a focus on art and music as we walked through the open courtyards. Stepping in to the El Alsson school was very much like being at SJEDS. Happy students busy learning and creating.

We were taken on a tour by the headteacher of the Primary School, Ms. Smith. Ms. Smith is British and has worked at the El Alsson school for 13 years. Ms. Smith informed us that the Al Alsson school has National, British, and International tracts. We were already impressed with the physical aspects of the school and the atmosphere of learning, but the best was yet to come.

During our tour, we were able to interact with the students. The student’s English skills were impressive! All students learn English as an additional language. They even learn a third language, French. The students were inquisitive, polite, and wonderful. Their manners were amazing. Everyone was so gracious, and when we entered a classroom we were welcomed, even though we were interrupting their studies.

When we visited the Technology Lab, we were thrilled to see that the students were working on a project about Ancient Greece. SJEDS’ 6th graders could have worked right along with them. Although we were half a world away on a different continent, students are learning similar things and almost at the same time. Isn’t that amazing?

It just happened they were having their book fair. We visited the library and students were busy picking out their books. During our conversation with the students they asked if we had read the latest Harry Potter book and whether or not we had seen the Simpson’s movie. Yes, we had read Harry Potter, but not seen the Simpsons.

Visiting a fifth grade class we were in for a treat. There we met Zeinab, the cousin of our own SJEDS student, Summer. Zeinab flashed a huge smile when we told her we were worked at the school where her cousin attended. We talked with the students about what came to mind when we told them we were from Florida. The first response was Disney World. Then we asked them what it meant to be Egyptian and these are some of the responses we received:

• Egypt is the bridge between Africa and Asia
• Egypt is the center of the world
• Egypt has been around for thousands of years
• Egypt is home to world famous mummies and pyramids

We asked the students if they had any questions. They did. There was one we could not answer and we need help with. They wanted to know the favorite actor and actress of our students. We told them we would find out and let them know.

We left a twin brother of Jose, our own travel bear, with a classroom teacher of El Alsson School, with the hope that we can stay in contact and hear all about the adventures of this bear in the future.

The first school, we visited was Futures International School.

Dr. Maged Zaki was very gracious to receive us on such short notice and show us around the school. The school has several different tracks and campuses: American, German, French, International and Technology Track.

We were on the Technology Campus and very impressed when we saw SmartBoards with projectors installed in every classroom. The teachers and students seemed very comfortable integrating technology into the curriculum and teaching/learning in English.

The 5 year old Kindergarten class we visited was working on their ABCs, using the SmartBoards as well as their writing journals to practice. Students were eager to show us all their English vocabulary that they already knew.

“J” stands for Jelly

“B” stands for Boy

They eagerly raised their hands to come to the board to write letters in capital or lower case.

Our tour continued to the upper levels of the elementary school, where we were allowed to join an English class. Students were curious, friendly and proud of how much English they knew. Each student stood up, when called upon to answer a question.

We saw a special Early Learning Section of the school, where great pride was taken to incorporate the special needs of the younger students into the design of the rooms and furniture.

A dedicated gymnasium and music room for the younger children was very inviting. The tables these youngsters were sitting at and having their snack time were especially chosen for the rounded corners.

While walking around campus, we saw many students eating their snacks during recess, that they brought from home. Others were playing tag or soccer.

Mrs. Tolisano was excited to see so much technology on campus. All students have their own laptops in addition to mobile laptop carts and computer labs with specially designed tables, where the monitors and keyboards can be “hidden” to make them functional as table tops.

We left a twin brother of our Jose, the travel bear, at the school as a thank-you. We hope he finds a home in a special classroom, that would be interested in collaborative projects with us in the future.

After a vibrant Jewish community in Egypt for thousands of years, there are only a few hundred Jews left in modern day Egypt. The last members of this community are mostly elderly.

Since Egypt and many of its sites have significant meaning to the three major religions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, it was understandable that we wanted to visit a Jewish temple, as well as a mosque and a church while in Egypt.

Unfortunately we were told that the only functioning Synagogue in Cairo was closed due to security and not open for visits. Luckily, in the Coptic Christian area of Cairo, Egypt’s oldest synagogue, Ben Ezra, was open for visitors though.

It is said, that it was this area, where the prophet Jeremiah gathered the Hebrews after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. The adjacent spring was supposed to be where Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in a basket and where Mary drew water to wash Jesus.

We did not hear this from our guide, but learned of these tidbits from our guidebook. Of course, these are only speculations regarding the exact area.

We were not allowed to take photographs or video inside the synagogue, in order to preserve the art work and colors. It was remarkable to observe all three religions represented in one form or another inside the temple.

We found out that the building was originally a Christian basilica, which was later transformed into a synagogue. Islamic influence is also evident by seeing Arabic writing as part of the engravings.

The first mosque we visited was Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, which was built around 1356 A.D. The mosque has a bent entrance, which helps keep out the desert sand that is ever present in Cairo.

Before entering we had to take off our shoes, since they are not allowed inside. Modest dress is required and no shorts or tank tops are allowed; robes are available to cover legs and arms. Our guide informed us that many Muslim homes also have bent entrances to allow the women privacy, so no one can see directly in to the house. With this protection they can comfortably stay in their home without having their head covered.

Some of the stones used in building the mosque were taken from pyramids. This was long before there were laws to protect ancient buildings. Meshka or lanterns are used for lighting and perfumed oils are added to provide a sweet scent.

The entrance opens on to a huge open courtyard with a marble floor covered in rugs. In the middle of the open courtyard is the Dome of Purification where men may wash before praying. The face, hands, and feet must be washed. Women wash in a separate area or at home before coming to the mosque.

Muslims pray five times each day. The exact times vary each day, but are close to 4:30 A.M., noon, 3:30 P.M., 5:30 P.M., and 7:30 P.M.

The prayer area appears very open because there are no chairs and the dome is the highest dome of any other mosque. Prayer is done standing and on knees with head touching the ground, in the direction of Mecca. Men and women do not pray together. Women pray in a separate area. There is a sequence when to stand and bow when praying. Our guide did a demonstration for us and you can see it in this video clip.

During prayer time the imam, sort of like a priest, delivers a khotap which is advice or sermon on Islam. At one time the mosque had four minarets on top. Tragically, one fell and killed 300 onlookers. After that a limit of no more than two minarets per mosque are allowed.

The mosque has a school for children to learn the Qur’an and also has a hospital. When leaving we had to make a small donation to get our shoes back. This money goes to help the poor and needy. One of the main tenets of Islam is that richer people should help the poor and needy. There is no guideline on how much should be given.

The next stop was the Mosque of Al-Rifai, built in 1869 A.D. and Al-Rifai’s tomb is present in the mosque. The tomb of King Farouk is also there. King Farouk was the last successor of Muhammed Ali to die. The last Shah of Iran is also buried at this mosque. Mosques have different styles of minarets and each style is a key to the time period in which the mosque was built, as minarets have changed through the years.

When we entered the Coptic Christian area of Cairo, the sights were very different. Few women wore scarves on their heads or the long dresses more present in other parts of Egypt. There were no men wearing galabiyas and the most obvious difference in the local landscape was that there were crosses in abundance. There were crosses on the buildings, on the books at stands, on the grave sites, and in the churches. Before the arrival of Islam, the official religion of Egypt was Christianity. Christianity came around 40 A.D., when St. Mark came to preach the good news of Christ. Many people were converted and by the 4^th century, Christianity was the official religion.

Eventually the church in Egypt broke away from the Orthodox Church of Byzantine and the Coptic Church was established. Christians in Egypt are known as Copts or Coptic Christians. The first Christian monks, St. Anthony and St. Pachomius, were Copts, and Egypt was home to the first monasteries. A monastery is a place where monks live after taking vows to live a religious life. Monks often live in partial or complete seclusion from other people. Coptic Christians have their own language and is spoken in some church services. A Coptic Christian in Egypt is fairly easy to spot. As infants, Coptic Christians receive a tattoo of a cross on the inside of their arm, forever making them as Christians. The Coptics are the largest Christians denomination in Egypt, but other denominations are also present including Catholics, Episcopalians, and Greek Orthodox.

The Coptic Christian area is home to many famous churches and our first stop was at the Hanging Church, sometimes known as the Suspended Church. The name comes from the fact that the church is built on top of, or hangs over, a water gate of from ancient Roman times. The water tank can be seen and the Roman architecture clearly seen. The church is still in use today and many people had traveled to the church to say special prayers and drink from the waters of its fountains, which some consider to be holy.

Only a short walk away was St. Sergius Church, which dates from the 9^th century. This church is said to be built over a cave where Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus stayed after fleeing the persecution of Herod. The cave is now a crypt and you can see the stairs that descend to the cave, but you can’t actually go down in to the cave. In recent years the crypt has been flooded so it is not accessible.

Leaving the church we walked through an old Greek Orthodox Cemetery, which was crowded with graves and mausoleums. Our guide told us that one difference between Muslims and Christians is in their burial practices. In Egypt, Christians place the bodies in a mausoleum, while Muslims bury their bodies in the ground. The grave markers were very elaborate and each had a photograph of the person on it.

We then continued to the church and convent of St. George. Everywhere we looked were paintings, pictures, and statues of St. George slaying a dragon. St. George is one of the most popular saints in Egypt and it was evident by the crowds of visitors in this area. Even though St. George appears to be a warrior saint, always depicted on top of a rearing stallion slaying a dragon, this church is mostly used for weddings. The pictures in the entrance hall depict the pictures of many who have been married in this church. There is also an area where people drink the water and wash their face and hands as they consider it to be holy water. Our guide did not know the story of St. George and the slaying of the dragon and neither did I. If you want to read more about it check out this site.

I wish Omar could visit the United States of America, so he could also see that our country is not the way that he sees it on TV or in the movies. I wanted to show him Jacksonville, so he can see for himself our school and how we live, play and work. I am sure that he would also understand that we are not that different and have many things in common.
Just like Egypt, the USA is made up of many different people, cultures and traditions. Florida is not only about Disney World, but about you and me…just normal kids..going to school…hanging out with friends… reading a book…playing sports…and so much more…

I have been forever changed as a travel bear, because of all the new impressions, sites, sounds, but most of all the friends I made.

Shukran Omar,

You friend

Jose, the bear

In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian built a fortress around the original chapel and also built a monastery. It is one of the oldest continually functioning monasteries in the world. It is named after Catherine, a legendary martyr from Alexandria.

The photo you see below is a picture of a descendant of the original Burning Bush. We were sad to see that so many people were ripping off leaves and pulling on the roots, in order to take a “souvenir” home with them.

We started on the trail and when we looked up, the only thing we could see was a slowly moving, blinking, snakelike body of people ascending the mountain. At this point, it did not look to be that far up, but the longer we walked, climbed, slid, and tripped along, we realized that the lights were never ending and winding more and more around the mountain. After about 45 minutes of stumbling behind cigarette smoking people and breathing in a fine, constant dust, Mrs. Tolisano convinced Mrs. Menger to finally consent to the many Bedouins who were lining the trail with their camels and inviting us to hire them with persistent “Hello, want a camel?”

We continued on the camels for about one hour longer. It was amazing to us, that these camels were so calm and knew exactly were to step as to not fall off the edge of the trail, which plummeted down pretty steep into complete darkness. The camels also had to make their way through all the hundreds of people, who were trekking ahead of us up the mountain. The Bedouin guide was yelling constantly “Camels” or “Camellos” or the same in other languages to warn the people. So many of them were almost trampled or frightened by the sudden appearance of a camel breathing down their neck. Through all this screaming of the guide and the people, the camels remained completely calm and steady. Listen to a short sound file of our camel ride by clicking on the audio at the end of this post.

The camels came to a stop and knelt down for us to get off. We thought that we were at the end of the trail and at the summit, only to discover that the human flashlight trail was continuing up higher. We lined up and started climbing the stairs, that lay ahead. Mrs. Menger remembered reading in her guide book that there were a total of 750 rocky and uneven steps that led towards the top. Mrs. Tolisano immediately had memories of climbing the Great Wall of China. We started to feel panicky and hurried, because of the hundreds of people pushing behind us, as well as the imminent sunrise. Some people started to grow weary and hired Bedouins, who offered to assist the climbers with a friendly “Need help?” Once hired, they slung the backpack over their shoulders and grabbed the person’s hand to pull them up the stairs. By that time the entire situation looked and felt chaotic and unreal to us. We continued to be surrounded by cigarette smoke and we were amazed how much trash we were finding along the sides of the stairway path. With many pauses to rest and catch our breath, we made it up to the summit. Mrs. Menger climbed to the furthest top she could go, while Mrs. Tolisano found a small/tiny square inch of rock on which to sit at a lower level. We each wrapped ourselves in a blanket, which we had brought along, anticipating the cold temperatures on top of the mountain. The sun was rising…
 

Mrs. Menger was surprised to find out that the woman standing next to her at the crowded top was actually from Jacksonville, Florida. What a coincidence. The sun came up and tuned the dark, black sky into beautiful colors. The lighter it became, the more we could make out the outline of the mountain that we had climbed. It was a breathtaking view.

We had imagined this moment to be a special spiritual time for us, instead the crowds were screaming, laughing, playing music, smoking, making fire, waving flags, and eating breakfast. There was no time nor a place for quiet reflection, which we had envisioned for such a sacred place. Mount Sinai is a holy place for all three major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It was incomprehensible to us, that so many people would not respect the holy ground.
The more that the sun rose, it not only revealed the colors and texture of the mountain, but also the impact humans have had by leaving behind trash and cigarette butts. Mrs. Menger and I were very sad.

It was time to begin our descend before we would be trapped again by the masses of people. it would take us another 2 1/2 hours to climb the stairs and follow the windy round back to St. Catherine’s Monastery.

Towards the end, we were not sure if we could move one more step. We were tired, since we had not slept since the day before and had been climbing up and down a 5000 meter trail since 2 a.m. By the time we arrived at the monastery to meet up with our original tour guide, it was 8:30 a.m.