September 28, 5, 2007

Allie Braby

Friday, September 28, 2007

It was our last full day in Egypt. We started out the day by attending the Egyptian Museum. The museum was scorching hot and it was a wonder that anything could be preserved under that kind of condition. A couple of things of interest stuck out to me in the museum. First of all, it contained a statue of a pharaoh that was realistic: including his long face and pot-belly. I was impressed that he was willing to share his imperfections with the people of his time as well as generations to come. Also, the museum was home to all of King Tut's treasures. I am glad that we saw his tomb and his body earlier in the week, but seeing the rest of the stuff that was in his tomb was impressive as well. He had so much gold and possessions, especially for a pharaoh that died at such a young age. The gold plated phlange coverings were just ridiculous, though. Still more impressive was the size of his clothing: it was tiny. It reminded me that although I felt really old and mature when I was eighteen, I was (and still am) just a regular, immature kid. And this one ran a country. The last thing that intrigued me was the heliocephs, or those second facsimile looking things. I forgot that Abraham's design probably wasn't unique but common to the culture in which he was reared.
Our next stop was the Hard Rock Café—Cairo style. It was the closest to an American meal that we've had since we arrived here, though it was still difficult to eat a meal without having anything to drink. Lunch was a blast as many of the waiters and students got up and started dancing in the middle of the meal. Many were good, but none were better than Brother Draper. We also cannot forget the signs posted on each of the bathroom stalls: "No drugs or nuclear weapons allowed." Was that really necessary?
After lunch, we tried our luck at the Cairo Bazaar. It was crowded and the merchants were persistent (is child labor permitted in Egypt?). However, the only encounter with our group was when a storeowner almost convinced Archie to take off his shirt. Luckily, we convinced him otherwise. The security guards assigned to us while in Egypt were also watching our backs. Our group turned down a wrong alley and they called us back, showing their machinery to us, to convince us to go to the more populated part of town. In the end, Archie struck the best deal, lowering the merchant's wages by 300 pounds.
The last event of the day was the Light and Sounds show at the Pyramids of Giza. We heard it was a good show and with the direction of breaking rules to link arms with boys, our hopes were raised for an excellent evening. However, the voices and animation that attended the lighting of the pyramids was too much and the lines were far too cheesy: "Handsome as a barbarian" and the oft-quoted, "Man feared time. Time feared the pyramids." It was an unforgettable event, but one I'm sure we wouldn't have minded paying $3 for instead of $20. It did assure quite the re-enactment at a future JC event, though.


Allie Braby
5 September 2007

We left for Jerusalem on Tuesday, departing from the Salt Lake International Airport at 1:42 pm and with a three hour layover in Atlanta before continuing our journey to Tel Aviv. After a relatively quiet flight and many BYU heads popping out amongst the seats, we made it for a three hour layover in Atlanta, which must be one of the longest airports known to man. We were able to entertain ourselves, with some of us playing Phase 10 or listening to the guy playing the guitar at our gate. We also made a magnificent discovery of a giant flying cornstalk and a giant carrot with a spinning lima bean on top. After a final security check and our first chat with native Jerusalem dwellers, we boarded the plane for a twelve hour flight. Although it was long, not many of us slept for more than a few hours, if we were able to sleep at all. Besides the occassional chat next to the lavatory, the ride was relatively quiet.
After what seemed like months, the plane finally descended to the Tel Aviv airport. As the plane lowered, I noticed how the buildings were all grouped together, all made from the same kind of stone. What was more peculiar was that all of these little towns were all on the tops of hills. It brought to life the scripture that says a city set on a hill cannot be hid. We, as BYU students studying in the Holy Land will not be hid either. We unloaded the plane and headed off through the airport, getting our passports stamped and reloading onto buses set for Jerusalem. Most of us set off across the different regions of Isreal while a small group waited at the airport, searching for their missing luggage. The wait was fruitful as one exploded bag was found and only one suitcase was lost for the night.
The ride to Jerusalem seemed long as jet-lag was finally starting to kick in. But as we started up Mount Scopus and arrived at the front gate of the Jerusalem Center, it was all worth it. As I walked into the gates and looked at the arches and trees lining the pathway, I started to get more and more excited. We were finally here. We've been working and waiting for months to be able to get here, and we finally were it. The place itself, and the feeling when we walked inside the grounds, was one of awe. I couldn't stop smiling as we were greeted and let to the Oasis for the first time.
For the first time in many hours, we had a real meal, with its kick of spices, but a real meal that wasn't plane food. The group that was stuck at the airport joined us and we met in the Upper Assembly room for our first orienation. The view overlooked the whole city, with the Dome of the Rock glowing against the dark sky. It was amazing to be able to see the walls of the Old City, to actually be here, in the Holy Land. Our meeting began with an opening hymn and again, I was amazed at the power and strength of our voices as our small number sang together.
We were introduced to quite a few people, then were led on tours throughout the building. Fortunately, the guys carried our bags downstairs for us and we were all off to bed after that.