My First International Trip - Part 6 - Egypt

Cairo, Egypt 

Crossing the Suez Canal

We traveled to the border of Israel and Egypt and crossed over the Suez Canal on a ferry.  I remember it being quite the ordeal and adventure.  The ferry we over crowded and our luggage was thrown on top of the boat (it's funny the things you remember).  I also remember having to go through an extensive search of our luggage before being able to cross.  

Nile River

After crossing, we made our way to Cairo.  One of our first stops was eating at a restaurant on the Nile.  Here is a picture I took outside the restaurant. 

Egyptian Museum

One of the main attractions in Cairo is the Egyptian Museum.  It contains many of the items found in the Pharoah tombs in the country.  The most famous being, the artifacts from King Tutankhamun (King Tut)  Here is a picture from the outside.  I do remember the museum being dusty and not well lit or guarded.  

Recently the brand new and spectacular Grand Egyptian Museum has opened.  It makes we want to go back and see the museum that now matches the items inside.  :)

Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Of course, the most spectacular site in Cairo are the three Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.  When I visited in 1981, it seemed to be right outside the city  You had several options to travel the road to the entrance of the pyramids and one of them was to ride a camel.  Here I am arriving at the Pyramids on my camel.  The camel guide asked for a $1 to take my picture.  Everything was $1.  :)

Once at the pyramids, you had the opportunity to go inside one of them to the burial chamber.  I am so glad I was thin enough and mobile enough to go in.  Obviously, a once in a lifetime opportunity and unforgettable memory.  You can see in the pictures, Tuck and Joan also going inside.  You had to crawl through a narrow passage to access the burial chamber.  The last picture is me sitting on the platform inside the burial chamber.  This would be where the body was placed and most of the treasures would have been in this room.  

After leaving Cairo, we had one more stop before going home.  Being in Vienna, Austria for New Year's Eve.  

My First International Trip - Part 5 - Jerusalem

 Jerusalem

Being in Jerusalem was magical.  Although I don't remember many details, these pictures help me remember episodes from the stay.  Below is a picture outside our hotel where there was a camel available for tourists to get on.  Here is a picture of Francis Thompson going up.  The way it works is that the camel lifts up the back legs first - moving you forward - and the lifts the front legs.  Once you know what to expect it's not too bad.  

Wailing Wall (Western Wall)

We stayed close to the old town so I was able to go back one night to visit the Wailing Wall.  

The Wailing Wall, known to Jews as the Western Wall (or Kotel), is the last remnant of the Second Temple's retaining wall in Jerusalem's Old City, a profoundly sacred site for Jewish prayer, pilgrimage, and mourning, where people place written prayers in its crevices, symbolizing deep spiritual connection and hope for the Temple's restoration, though its proximity to Muslim holy sites often causes political tension. (Google AI)

I remember clearly hearing the wailing.  They would rock back and forth and cry out.  There was a section that went inside an area that only priests were able to go in.  It is my understanding that they are wailing over the destruction of the temple and the atrocities of the holocaust.  They are also praying for the Messiah to come.  I did write a prayer request on a piece of paper and put it in the crevice of the wall and said a prayer.  I just realized, that although the prayer was not answered how I intended it to be answered, it has been answered in another way.  It is a reminder to me that many times God does not answer our prayer according to our will, but was he decides.  In those cases, we sometimes feel that he has not answered.  The benefit of looking back over time, gives you the perspective to know that he did answer the prayer.  

Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. 

Another special stop was the spot from where it is believed that Jesus ascended into Heaven.  There is a small chapel over the spot.  The picture is believed to be an imprint of the right foot of Jesus.  

Golden Gate

The final picture from Jerusalem is a picture of the Golden Gate.  Significance of the Eastern Gate - Golden Gate - Gate of Mercy.   (The shadow of an arm is me taking a picture of the framed photo) :)

My First International Trip - Part 4 - Christmas Eve In Bethlehem

Christmas Eve in the Bethlehem

One of the purposes of this group of Christians traveling to the Holy Land was to sing in Manger Square on Christmas Eve.  Each year the city of Bethlehem hosts a celebration with choirs from around the world.  We were representing the United States.  As mentioned earlier we had several very talented singers and musicians in our group.  I was excited to be a part of the choir for this performance.  I do not have any photos of our performance, below are a couple from the internet.  Ours would have been in 1981.  

I do have some notes from my journal for that night:

5:00 pm - Checkpoint on the way to Manger Square - metal detectors.  Security is tight. Soldiers with machine guns on the roof and ground.  One of the guards apologized for the delay and wishes us a "Merry Christmas."  He let me take a picture of him. 

I remember eating dinner at a restaurant on the square.  

At 7:00 pm we go to a reception with the mayor.  He welcomes the groups and makes presentations.  Then we wait in the cold for our turn to go on.

  

Once on the stage we performed the following numbers:

Victory in Jesus - Choir

Jesus Loves Me - Becky N. 

Ring the Bells - Kim Wicks

I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked - Myrna Loy Hedgepath

Becky N. and Mike Collins soloed and then we all sang "The King is Coming!"

We went back the Church for singing and refreshments.  Left church at midnight.  Sang Christmas carols on the ride back to the hotel.  

Certainly a Christmas Eve to remember.