Traveling Circus

Pre-Inca temple uncovered in Peru - CNN.com

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:23:51 -0400

Pre-Inca temple uncovered in Peru - CNN.com

Report: Anti-Semitism on the rise globally - CNN.com

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:03:42 -0400

Report: Anti-Semitism on the rise globally - CNN.com

VALLEY JOURNAL

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:27:23 -0400

Hi all,

Here’s the link to my Valley Journal (one of the assignments for a class I’m taking here). I’m required to post every day, so it’s a lot of detailed material.

The title is Dear Ellen, in reference to my professor, Ellen Morris.

Cheers!

Paterson’s Reflections on Projecting Strength, Despite the Obstacles - New York Times

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:01:15 -0400

Paterson’s Reflections on Projecting Strength, Despite the Obstacles - New York Times

RECENTLY...

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It’s been a few weeks, eh?

I’ve been so busy. I finished my run as the official Computer Nerd Extraordinaire (digitizing plans until I passed out each night), and left the house with the group on the 26th. It was sort of upsetting to leave, which is funny because I remember thinking that it would be difficult to get attached to the team in such a short amount of time. It’s strange being out of the Oasis, because there are Europeans and Americans everywhere. Reverse culture shock!

When we left, we took the dirty bus (I’m being nice here; technically it’s the bus from hell) to Aswan, where we spent three nights. There we saw Abu Simbel (40km from the Sudan), Philae, Kalabsha, St. Simeon Monastery, the Nubia Museum (they don’t know how to label their pieces), and others. Aswan was very pretty because it was right on the water, and there were lovely boats and old hotels (read: too expensive for us to stay in), but it was overrun by seedy shop owners and annoying horse-and-carriage drivers. Our hotel… well, let’s not talk about that.

We then went to Luxor for another three nights, which is my favorite place in Egypt thus far. Beautiful, lots of temples in the middle of the city, and this fabulous restaurant called Tutankhamun where the chef serves you a meal of his choosing. It was delicious! One of the top three meals of my life. The Luxor Museum was labeled well and very well-organized, and our hotel had a beautiful view of the Nile and a pool on the roof (with Internet)! We saw Luxor and Karnak Temples, the Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.

Unfortunately, we’re now in Middle Egypt, which means we require private security and aren’t getting into any sites with our expired Antiquities Passes (they were issued for the wrong dates by accident, not our fault). We have to lie and say we’re Canadian, and we aren’t allowed to leave our hotel (not too bad, because it’s the nicest we’ve stayed in so far, and it has WiFi, hence my ability to blog in comfort)! We saw Dendera and Abydos today, and we’re going to explore the monasteries of Sohag (where we’re staying just for tonight) tomorrow.

What a rush. So much traveling. I also have to keep a travel blog for a grade, which I haven’t actually organized or written for yet. Methinks I will actually attempt to do some work tonight.

End note: I got a great deal on a GORGEOUS shisha pipe. :D

Cairo: Metropolis of miracles - Africa & Mideast- msnbc.com

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:24:32 -0500

Cairo: Metropolis of miracles - Africa & Mideast- msnbc.com

36 Hours in Cairo - New York Times

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:44:37 -0500

36 Hours in Cairo - New York Times

NEWS

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:08:09 -0500

Yesterday we climbed the desert scarp (~300m). It was a ridiculous physical test, and I pulled a muscle in my right thigh (ow). Page and I didn’t even make it to the very top because one of the grad students told the group to leave us behind so she wouldn’t have to sit and wait for the group by herself! Grrr…

This morning I made a bone tower while weighing the organic material from Amheida. Currently having a Cadbury bar. Lovely morning!

Third undersea Internet cable cut in Mideast - CNN.com

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:59:39 -0500

Third undersea Internet cable cut in Mideast - CNN.com:

No wonder why our Internet has been stinky…

Just When You Thought it Was Safe... They Attack Brian Boyd!

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:49 -0500

Just When You Thought it Was Safe... They Attack Brian Boyd!:

Man, I can’t believe this. Poor Brian…

WORKIE WORKIE WORKIE

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:41:53 -0500

We officially started the excavation on the 26th. For the first two weeks, I’ll be in the Small Finds room restoring coins and interpreting objects. For the last two, I’ll use our computer-aided design program to digitize the site plans for the excavation.

This means I get to wake up two hours later than everyone else, have tea whenever I want, stay reasonably clean, and (I forgot to mention) PLAY WITH SWEET ANCIENT OBJECTS!

Yesterday I cleaned two Roman coins, one of which became completely readable and bore the face of Constantine!

The only downside is that I’ll spend a few hours a day inhaling the cleaning acid. One of the directors told me I’m going to have “psychadellic dreams”!

The pottery cache we found!

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:07:05 -0500

The pottery cache we found!

OUR HOUSE IS MUSH!

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:54:27 -0500

Today was the most ridiculous day in the history of archaeological field trips.

We went to a Roman fortress site, Qasr Hamed Tulib, in Dakhleh’s neighboring oasis, Kharga, as part of a weekend field trip to give site presentations. One of my friends climbed up a sand hill and stumbled across two enormous (small-child size), COMPLETELY INTACT 3rd-century amphorae and a large ceremonial bowl. We all started rummaging through the sand and found SIX in all, every single one of them completely intact. THESE ARE 1700-YEAR-OLD VESSELS!

So we took some photos and started walking away to cart them off to the antiquities office in Kharga (because Qasr Hamed Tulib isn’t even the site where we’re excavating; we were just walking by when we found this cache), and one of my friends said that she was upset that she didn’t find a vessel herself. She then walked over to a sand hill a few feet away from the first and found A BIGGER FULLY INTACT AMPHORA, just sitting on top of the mound! It wasn’t even buried!

As we walked back to the bus we found two more. NINE VESSELS IN TOTAL.

On the bus Adam said, “I wonder if there’s anything in this one” (referring to an amphora he was holding on his lap as we smuggled them past the police at a roadside checkpoint on our way to the office). Lo and behold, inside was an adorable little lizard, probably a chameleon. We now have a house pet!

And…
What does it NOT do in the desert?

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RAIN.

That’s right, it doesn’t rain.

Well today and yesterday it rained for the first time IN 100 YEARS in the Sahara!

Unfortunately, this is not good, because our house is made of MUDBRICK! Yes, our house is now a mushy mess of mud. I have to wear sneakers to go to the bathroom. We also have no water as of this morning (ironic, isn’t it?).

Wow.

All I can say is WOW.

The octopus who loves his Mr Potato Head | Metro.co.uk

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:53:03 -0500

The octopus who loves his Mr Potato Head | Metro.co.uk

Turn up the sound to hear the Call to Prayer!

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:44:52 -0500

Turn up the sound to hear the Call to Prayer!

AHLAN BIIKU

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:01:07 -0500

Ahlan biiku—be welcome.

I am in the Oasis, finally, after spending two wonderful days in Cairo. Cairo was a city of dichotomies: old and vibrant, filthy and beautiful. It reminds me of the Old City in Jerusalem.

In Cairo we met many friendly people, including a few tween boys who helped us on our quest for a flatiron (I really want one with a European plug; I’ve yet to purchase it).

We made it to Ahmeida last night after a 12-hour bus ride, broken up by stops at coffee shops and rest stops along the way. Our house is so beautiful! It’s huge, really. Like a little village in and of itself.

We had our first Arabic class about a half hour ago, which was exciting and daunting at the same time. I have a knack for languages, so I think I’ll be okay.

Pictures and video to come!

ITINERARY

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:40:00 -0500

Jan 1 - Mar 26: Dakhleh & Cairo
Mar 26 - Apr 1: London
Apr 1 - Apr 4: Rome
Apr 4 - Apr 7: Jerusalem
Apr 7 - Jun 7: Kibbutz Bar’am
Jun 7 - Jun 15: Jerusalem
Jun 15 - Jul 3: Megiddo
Jul 3 - Jul 14: Visiting family & friends in Israel, hopping around, jetting to Cyprus (perhaps)
Jul 14: Cairo to fly home
Jul 15 - Jul 18: New York
Jul 18 - Jul 31: Cruise from Copenhagen to Northern Europe & Russia
Jul 31 - Aug 22: Travel? Brooklyn?
Aug 22: Back to the ‘nard