Egypt (1978) and (1984)

Egypt (1978) and (1984)

by Rich Juro

1978

     We took two different trips to Egypt years ago. In 1978 we took a “regular” tour of Cairo, Aswan, and the Valley of the Kings. There were 12 on the MaupinTour, including a 20 year old girl, Molly, a college student with her parents. First, we went to the Cairo Egyptian Museum. We were amazed by the mummies and the animal mummies (cats, crocodiles, etc.) that were buried with the owners. 

     Then we went north of Cairo to Giza, the home of the famous Pyramids. We were told that a bribe to the guard in the morning, the pyramid would be climbable. The stones are each about three feet tall, so Fran’s too short, so she watched me as I struggled with every step. But I was young then, and in an hour or two reached the top. I remembered that the Passover story recounted that Ramses II used slave Jewish labor to build them. Moses freed the Jews after the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

     Afterwards, we traveled by airplane to the high Aswan Dam. It was several years ago after the dam was completed and it was still controversial. It produced the vast electricity, and several other positive factors, but several negative results including the movement of dead bodies and tombs. The dam remained in place.

     We flew down to the Valley of the Kings, where many Pharaohs from the 16th century BCE to 11th century BCE are buried in great tombs. Some of the royal nobles are buried there too. Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, is on the West Bank of the Nile, and Thebes, the ancient capital, is on the Right Bank. Most of the tombs have been looted but King Tutankhamun and his belongings are intact. Pictured below is the building of Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

        Molly, the college student, and I, were fond of making puns. It was a hot summer day about 115 degrees, when Molly said: “The favorite god of the Egyptians was Isis” (pronounced ‘Ices’).

(It was funny at the time.) 

1984

        The second time we went to Egypt: 1984.  It was just after our younger  daughter, Keri, was Bat Mitzvahed in the Conservative Synagogue in Jerusalem. We had taken a tour of Israel after the older kids, Kim and Kevin, had their B’nai Mitzvah, so we decided to visit Egypt with the children. The first mistake in the Egyptian customs was that our son, Kevin, went missing. At the time of the passport photo he was 13; now he was 17 with a full beard. He looked like a terrorist. After 5 minutes he came out of the locked room and he said that he “passed”.

        Fran was trying to find our son and besides had a walking sub-clavian anti-bacterial machine. When the male Egyptian immigration officers questioned it, Fran offered to show it to them, and put it off the shoulder for them. Mistake! The Egyptian officials showed no concern or interest in the female top of the torso, and let her into the country without delay.

     We toured the Egyptian Museum and the kids loved the same mummies and animal mummies as us in the previous visit. Now our guide drove around Cairo. We saw a man selling watermelon slices; unfortunately, he picked his toenails with the same knife as he was cutting the melon. Our kids had the same reaction: “Gross!”

     Next we had excursions to the pyramids. While the kids were duly impressed, Kevin and Kim wanted to know why they couldn’t go climb them. At the end of the tour, the Egyptian Tourism official called us. He wanted to know why we had returned to Egypt since so many Americans do not. Fran explained: “There are many spectacular sites in Egypt, but it’s so dirty.” 

     The official retorted: “The Middle East is really dirty, and Egypt is no dirtier than other countries.”

     Fran’s reply: “Israel.”