October 2, 2007

Ryan Taylor
Professor Ludlow
Oct. 2, 2007

Class Journal Entry for September 25, 2007
Today was an especially memorable day because it was our first full day in Egypt. We had arrived at our hotel during the night, and had only caught a glimpse of the pyramids, and couldn’t wait to explore them. It was a surreal experience to be sure, and more than once the sentiment of “I can’t believe we are really here” was voiced. The immensity of the pyramids is difficult to take in, even when you are standing right next to them. We had a chance to enter the 2nd largest pyramid and see the chamber of the pharaoh, which wasn’t too exciting in itself, only the idea that you were in the pyramid and had thousands of tons of rock on top of you. After tons of pictures, including the ridiculous but traditional human “pyramid in front of a pyramid” photo, we headed over for a real treat: a camel ride. This was quite different from any experience most of us have had before. The ride is fairly smooth and exhilarating; it is only when the camel gets up from his knees or goes back down again that causes some anxiety, as you feel that you are going to fall off either the front or the back. This experience was followed by a visit to the temple complexes of the pyramids, including the great sphinx. We had seen this figure all our lives and it was amazing to stand within feet of it, this marvel carved of only one gigantic piece of stone.
That same day we did some serious shopping(this does not include the persistent and surprisingly aggressive souvenir sellers at every main tourist draw), with stops at a papyrus factory and at a jewelry store as well. The papyrus people have long dealt with BYU students, and have produced a papyrus of the facsimiles seen in the Book of Abraham. These seemed to be the biggest hit, although a scene of love between the pharaoh and his wife was a close second. The main draw at the jeweler was the cartouge pendants and rings. Basically they translate the letters of a name into the corresponding Egyptian hieroglyphics. They offered them gold, silver, and a mix of the two, as well as a variety of sizes and styles.
Even after a draining day of incredible sights and experiences, the night brought little respite. Having packed for a two day mini-trip the night before, the buses dropped us of at the train station for our overnight train ride to Luxor. It was quite a trip. The tiny two-man cabins consisted of 2 chairs that turned into bunk beds and a sink. However, the experience varies greatly among the students, as some enjoyed every minute of it and sleep incredibly well, while others were waiting for our arrival the minute the train started to move. And thus ended our first full day in Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs.