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Middle East (Dec 2007)
Egypt
Israel
Jordan
Cairo. This city makes Bangkok look like a rustique mountain village.
It hosts 22 million people and the best chaos I have ever seen, it definitely has a unique vibe.
The egyptians have a lot of charactar and humor and are very welcoming.
Cairo, Egyptian museum. With an enormous load of statues, coffins and mumies a.o. the fabulous golden coffins and death mask of Tuthankamun.
Outside Cairo. Most of Egypt is desert, but almost everyone lives on the very green Nile banks and delta.
Saqqara pyramids. The stepped pyramid is not only the oldest piramid (2650 BC) but also the oldest stone monument on earth.
Inside the pyramids. Egypt has almost a 100 pyramids, but from the inside most pyramids are the same: a very narrow corridor steep down, a antechamber and then the chamber where the tomb once was, but now completely empty (and very smelly).
Dashur pyramids. The first picture shows 2nd oldest piramid, the bent pyramid. Halfway down the work they were afraid it might collapse and decided to continue the construction less steep.
The right picture shows the newer red pyramid.
Giza pyramids. Right beside the outskirts of Cairo are the famous Giza pyramids with the Sphinx. The middle one of the big threesome is the largest, the piramid of Cheops.
More Cairo.
Drugs. As a rule, I don't drink alcohol and I don't smoke tobacco, but rules need exceptions...
Luxor. Halfway down the Nile in Egypt.
Luxor temple.
Karnak temples.
Valley of the kings. Over 60 tombs of kings have been discovered here, but probably there are a lot more, so they are still discovering more tombs. Unfortunately no pictures inside the tombs, showing spectacular hieroglyphes.
Hatseput temple. where 10 years ago some islam fundamentalist shot down about 60 tourists. Since then every touristy place in Egypt is packed with police.
Dahab, Sinai. The other place where a few tourists got bombed a few years ago. Touristy but very relaxed (for Egyptian standards), nice snorkeling.
Nov 27-30: Cairo.
Dec 1,2: Luxor; 3,4: Dahab.
Jeruzalem. The holiest place on earth for all Christians and Jews, and the 3rd holiest place for the Muslims (after Mecca and Medina). In Hebrew Jerushalahim, in Arabic Al Quds. The old city is just 1 square km, but it is an amazing city with an amazing history.
Western (wailing) wall, Jerusalem. This is an outer wall of where the Romans in 70 AD destroyed the 2nd temple of the Jews, the temple in which Jesus overthrew the commerce stalls. The last picture shows the Golden Menorah, the jewish 7-branched candle.
Dome of the rock, Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock (koepelmoskee) on Temple Square on Mount Moriah. Imagine what happened here:
- Inside the Dome of the Rock is the foundation rock where (supposedly) god created the earth and Adam.
- On this mountain (supposedly) Abraham showed his willingness to sacrify his son Isaac.
- Mohammed went to heaven here (supposedly).
- the Grandfather of the late King Hussein was murdered at the neigbouring Al Aqsa mosque (not supposedly) .
The first picture shows that the Jewish wailing wall is right next to the Muslim Dome of Rock, both places are no-go-zones for the other religion.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. (heilige grafkerk) This church was built on Golgotha where Jesus was nailed to the cross and died (the 2nd picture shows the altar with the Golgotha rock beneath), and also the place where Jesus was burried in his tomb (the last pictures show his new tomb, the old one was destroyed long ago).
Via dolorosa, Jerusalem. The way Jesus walked with his cross from his prison to his crucefiction on Golgotha.
Mount of olives, Jerusalem. (olijfberg) Where Jesus was betrayed by Judas with a kiss. On the foot of the mounatni is a church with the tomb of Jesus mother Maria (last picture).
Bethlehem, West Bank. The Israeli have almost finished the wall all around the West bank, and we had to cross a checkpoint to go to Bethlehem.
Church of Nativity, Bethlehem. Underneath this church, you can go into the cave where Jesus was born.
Dead Sea and Massada fort. The Massada fort was built on top of a high rock by king Herod and was the last stronghold of the Jews in their revolt against the Romans. The last picture shows the ramp the Romans built to enter the fort, but when they rammed the entrance and entered, all the jews had committed suicide. Until today this is still considered as one of the most heroic acts of the Jews. Strange, what happened to "fighting until you die?"
Dec 5-8: Jeruzalem (,Bethlehem, Massada).
Petra. The capital of the empire of the Habbateans, about 2000 years ago, and one of the most beautiful site sI have ever seen of my life.
Very sad therefor that I lost my camera the day before, but I will snatch some pictures later.
First you walk through a long and very narrow gorge of red rocks, very spectacular, and then you enter the city, which is built in red rocky canyons with beautiful colors and shapes.
In the rocks and caves have been excavated to make a city for 30.000 people with lots of palaces, tombs, temples and theaters, an amazing site !
Wadi Rum. A beautiful desert in the south of Jordan with all kind of different rock shapes. At night we slept at the bedouines tent.
Dec 9, 10: Petra; 11: Wadi Rum; 12: Tel Aviv.
Paris. Back in Europe, good old Europe, where (to my humble personal opinion) there is more culture and worth sightseeing than in the rest of the world together.
If I would have had more time and money, I would have loved to travel home overland via Syria, Iran, Turkey, Greece, and former Yougoslavia, but christmas is near and my bank account is showing only 3 digits, so it is time to go home.
From Paris, I planned to walk home, but I picked the wrong shoes so after one day of walking my toes were bledding and my heels were blisters all over, so I hitchhiked home, what an anti-climax, haha.
Dec 13-16: Paris.
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