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Egypt

Saqqara Archaeological Site and Imhopted Museum

Our guide Aladino took us on a bus excursion out into the Sahara Desert near the city of Memphis Egypt. We went there to see the UNESCO world heritage site called the Saqqara Archaeological site and Imhopted Museum. One of the amazing items we saw was the Step Pyramid of Djoser.

Aview of the step pyramid in the Sahara Desert

The height of the pyramid was amazing and larger than you would expect for the first large stone structure in the world. It is 62.5 metres high (205 ft).  It was constructed in (2667—2448 BC), Amazing to think that this Djoser step Pyramid is the first all-stone complex ever built on earth.

The step Pyramid of Djoser

These were not the normal Giza pyramids that everyone goes to see in Cairo. For us, Saqqara was a site that was more interesting than the Giza Pyramids.

View of the Step Pyramid and several others.

Scattered around the area of Djoser’s Step Pyramid are more than ten other pyramids and a large number of tombs and burial temples.

View of some of the Pyramids

We were able to enter into several of the Pyramids at Saqqara.  We had to climb to the entrance on the outside of the pyramid which was a fair distance from the base.

View of the pyramid with the entrance almost halfway to the top.

We climbed the outside of the pyramid until we reached the entrance.

View of the stairs leading to the entrance of the pyramid
Walking up the incline towards the entrance of the pyramid

Once we reached the entrance, we began our descent into the centre of the pyramid. The incline into the pyramid was around 45 degrees and went for around 30 meters or more into the centre of the pyramid.

The  centre of the pyramid contained one or more chambers with small crawl spaces that went between the chambers.

Shelley at the base inside the pyramid.

The camber was large and there was a set of wooden stairs that led to the inside top of the pyramid.

Stairs leading the to top of the inside of the pyramid.

We walked up the stairs and eventually reached the top. The  white stones were piled with each row inset slightly above the row below.

A view of the inside of the pyramid and how the stones are placed on each row.

We decided to take a selfie at the very top of the inside of the pyramid.

Shelley and Ray at the top inside the pyramid.

What wasn’t noticeable at first was the local residents. As we took a closer look we found that there were literally hundreds of bats in the pyramid hanging just above out heads.

Bats inside the pyramid

We explored the pyramid for a while before heading back up the steep incline to the exit. We then took a well deserved rest before going to see and explored more of the Saqqara Archaeological site.

One of the impressive structures in the site.

There are a large amount of  burial sites that date before the beginning of the Old Kingdom up through the Greek Period of Egyptian history.

ruins, tombs and other historical sites located at the Saqqara Archaeological site.
Shelley sitting on ruins at the Saqqara Archaeological site.

One tomb in particular was the  tomb of Mereruka.

Entranceinto the tomb of Mereruku in Saqqara Archological site.

We went to explore this amazing tomb which was built around 2330BC. This tomb contains more that 30 chambers with some of the chambers decorated with scenes and inscriptions.

Ray inside the tomb with Hieroglyphic writing on the walls of the tomb

Below are just a few of the detailed and beautiful carvings in the Tomb of Mereruka.

Stone carving inside the tomb of Mereruka.
Detailed stone carvings in the tomb of Mereruka.

There was a large tomb encasement that remained in one of the chambers.

Ray standing beside the tomb encasement

We looked inside the tomb encasement and could see hieroglyphic writing.

View inside the tomb encasement with hieroglyphic writing.

The entire site of the Saqqara Necropolis is one of the largest burial sites in all of Egypt, We enjoyed our time at the Saqqara Archaeological site.. There were so many things to see and explore. What an amazing visit to the somewhat remote and overlooked historical site.

الحياة لعبه، العبها؛ الحياة هي التحدي، مواجهته؛ الحياة فرصة ، التقطها – غير معروف

Egypt

Kom Ombo Temple

We went to see the Kom Ombo Temple  which is located 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Aswan near the Nile River.

Temple of Kom Ombo

This temple was built in the 2nd century BC and is unique because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods.  We explored the temple admiring the features including some interesting hieroglyphs  and carvings.

Carvings on the wall in the Temple of Kom Ombo

Ray touching some of the hieroglyphs inside the Temple.

After walking through the temple and exploring the different rooms and areas, we decided to visit the Crocodile Museum section of the Temple. Inside the museum we saw some mummified crocodiles.

Mummified crocodiles inside the museum at the Temple of Kom Ombo

It was common to have mummified crocodiles as well as other animals during that time period. The ancient Egyptians  thought that crocodiles were mighty and depicted God Sobek. Cats were respected in ancient Egypt: They were characterized as nimble, maternal and poise.  The ancient Egyptians frequently donated mummified animals to temples because of their sacred qualities. The animals were thought to be gifts to the gods.

A large mummified crocodile at the Kom Ombo Museum

Mummified Crocodiles in the Museum

The history is quite interesting, basically the Egyptians believed that crocodiles depicted the God Sobek. The crocodiles were seen as both strong and mighty, to be feared and respected. The crocodile was known for being powerful. They would depict this in their statues, carvings and hieroglyphs.

Image of a man with a crocodile head.

We explored the museum and found it very informative. The Egyptian culture and history has many interesting components. We enjoyed the visit to this Temple and Museum.

“الإحساس بالفكاهة هو القطب الذي يضيف التوازن إلى خطواتنا ونحن نسير على حبل مشدود للحياة.”

Camino de Santiago, Spain

On the Camino de Sanitago

We began walking early every day at around 8 am or earlier.

Mark and Ray on the Camino de Santiago

Heading out early to beat the heat and enjoy the peaceful walk on the camino. The trails are well marked and easy to follow.

Typical marker along the camino trail.

We began our camino journey by walking along the streets of the camino leading through the town of Sarria and then along country paths.

Walking through the streets of Sarria on the Camino
Church in Sarria

We soon reached the countryside and began walking into some fields and walking upwards on some hills. The vistas were beautiful all along our way.

View of the roaming hills on the trail of the camino.
One of the many trails along the camino.

During the eight days we walked the camino, we came across some unique and interesting people and buildings. We walked through old Spanish hamlets and towns admiring some of the buildings and churches.

Old buildings along the camino de Santiago
One of the many churches along the camino

Old ruins of a building on the camino

There were religious crosses and other symbols along with some interesting animals.

One of the crosses along the camino.
Ray with a donkey along the camino

We would walk along with other pilgrims on the trail and chat with them about different aspects of the camino. Finally saying good  bye with the common phrase of “Buen Camino”.

Some of the many people we encountered on the Camino.

All along the camino we came across areas which had makeshift shrines. These shrines small stones, images of people and notes written to loved ones who had passed away.

One of the many shrines along the camino de Santiago.

We stopped to look at the shrines and read some of the notes left there by loved ones. It was a very moving experience to see so many along the camino trail.  Below are just a few of the camino memorials or shrines along the way.

One of the ad hoc shrines along the camino

One of the many signs along the camino.

We walked a total of 115 kilometres on the Camino from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. Over that distance we saw many beautiful vistas and towns. Here are just some of the interesting things and vistas along our 8 day trek on the camino.

We arrived at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela around noon on the eight day.

Ray and Mark at the Cathedral of Santiago

It was a very rewarding and emotional adventure. The Camino de Santiago is an emotional, spiritual and physical adventure. You have to experience the camino to truly understand and appreciate the adventure.

Buen Camino!

“La vida es una aventura, vive tu aventura”

Spain

The Liverpool Band

We went to the Santa Barbara Castle for a meal and some live entertainment. We settled into our reserved table to enjoy an outdoor full course meal. The tribute band for “The Beatles” called The Liverpool Band was slated to do a concert after our meal.

The view of the stage from our reserved seats

The atmosphere was fantastic sitting in the heart of the castle which was built in the 12th century. People were gathered at the tables enjoying the meal before the start of the concert.

People enjoying the outdoor meal in the 12th century castle of Santa Barbara

It was a beautiful evening with a full moon slowly moving over the castle walls.

View of the moon perched over the castle walls

The concert setting was small and allowed for a great view of the stage. Our seats were quite close to the stage and gave us a perfect view of the concert.

Our view of the stage from our seats.

What was really interesting about the Liverpool Band was that they were formed in Alicante in 1997 and all of the band members are Spanish.  They played for over two hours non-stop focussing on some of the top Beatle songs .

Juan Antonio Juárez: Guitarra solista y voz,
Iván Martínez Ferrández: Batería y percusión.

We have put together just a small sample of some of the music they played  at the Castle.

The Band Members are:

  • Jose Manuel Lledó Adsuar: Guitarra rítmica y voz,
  • Juan Antonio Juárez: Guitarra solista y voz,
  • Jorge Aniorte: Bajo y voz,
  • Iván Martínez Ferrández: Batería y percusión.

We enjoyed the evening and had a great time at one of the many events held in Alicante and at the Castle of Santa Barbara.

“Hasta la próxima, vive el momento y disfruta del regalo de la música.”

Spain

A week of Fireworks

Each year Alicante has firework displays for 7 nights after the “Fougeres of Sant Joan.” We try to take part and watch the fireworks from different locations in the city.

The first night we watched the fireworks offshore on a sailboat.

Shelley on the sailboat waiting for the start of the fireworks

The views from the Mediterranean Sea were excellent. We had unobstructed views of the entire fireworks.

View of the fireworks from aboard the sailboat on the Mediterranean Sea

The second fireworks we watched was from our terrance which provided a good view with the Castillo de Santa Barbara as a backdrop.

View of fireworks with the Castillo of Santa Barbara in the foreground

The final time we watched the fireworks this year was from a 21 storey high rooftop terrance near the beach.  Thousands of people head to the beach area to watch the fireworks. It is truly an amazing place to see them. The lights reflect off the water and make a spectacular show.

Thousands of people along the beach waiting for the fireworks show to begin.

The fire works are launched from a small point of beach. From the terrace we could see the launch area.

View of the launch area for the fireworks on the beach.

We enjoyed watching the fireworks which last approximately 20 minutes.  The twenty-one storey high terrace provided us with a spectacular location to watch the fireworks.

The view of the fireworks from the rooftop terrance

The pictures do not convey just how spectacular the fireworks were. Some of the fireworks were very creative with designs including happy faces, peace signs and other different patterns.

One of the unique fireworks

We put a short video below of just some of the fireworks.

“Vive la vida y haz tus propios fuegos artificiales.”