Mohammed Ali's Family Mausoleum and Another Set of Mosques (David)

Getting out of Maadi is great.  Being among the movement of downtown Cairo is great.  At times traffic and noise becomes frustrating, but yesterday it is joyful and full of life.  Multiple times we ended up in the middle of traffic jams where cars were pointed directly at each other and people motioning/yelling how to move cars to make the traffic flow.  It is an incredible experience.  How multiple cars can manage to pass by each other without a scratch is a miracle every time.  Someday, I'll get a video or photos.

For now, here are sights from inside the Mausoleum.  After is another set of mosques.  One is the Blue Mosque in Cairo.  Special because of a wall of blue tiles.

Three Days in Aswan (David)

Last weekend we had the very good fortune of heading down to Aswan.  Well, maybe up, since it is Upper Egypt.  Elliot, Amy and I went (Anna was at swimming tournament in The Hague.)

We stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel of Agatha Christy fame.  Incredible.  The views were wonderful.  The Nile is so different there.  Islands, dunes, flow of boats, and clean.  We enjoyed the hotel and took two short trips.

The first trip to the Tombs of the Nobles.  Not as spectacular as the Valley of Kings, but cool anyway.  The ride up and down the Nile was a highlight.

The second trip was to the Temple of Philae.  It was great.  An intersection of Egyptian, Roman, and Greek with some Christian.  The fascinating part is that with the building of the high dam, UNESCO moved the entire temple from the original island to a new island so it wouldn't flood.  Well worth it too.