Luxor, Luxor, and More Luxor

I everyone. I hope all is well with you.

Kristin wasn't kidding on Thursday night when she said I was going to have to get up early on Friday. We had to be downstairs and ready for the bus at 6:00AM (that's REALLY early!).

I wasn't so sure I wanted to get up so early but Kristin did tell me that if I was good I might get to see King Tut's tomb. So, I decided to get up early. Now I am REALLY glad I did.

First, I had to make sure to wear my hat and put on lots of sunscreen. I thought this was strange because it was still dark outside. But, Kristin told me that I would need the sunscreen once the sun came up so I put it on. She also told me to bring plenty of water because it was going to be VERY hot outside later in the day.

We left the hotel just after 6:00AM and walked to a boat dock for a ride on something called a "ferry boat." Kristin says a "ferry boat" is one that moves people from one side of the river to the other side. I had no idea! On Friday we crossed the Nile River. Here you can see me on the ferry boat with Kristin.

Kristin told me that the two sides of the river are very important in Egyptian history. Luxor was once called "Thebes" and the people who lived here thought the sun was VERY important. Did you know that the sun rises each day in the eastern sky and sets each day in the western sky? I had no idea! But this was important when the area around Luxor was first built thousands of years ago. Most the the homes, buildings, and temples were built on the east side of the river because that's the side the sun rises on. Here you can see the sun rising on the east side of the river (or East Bank).


The tombs for ancient Kings and Queens (like King Tut) were built on the west side of the river. Kristin says the rising sun was viewed by the ancient Egyptians as a celebration of life and the setting sun was viewed as a sign of death.


It sure doesn't look gloomy over there does it? There were hot air balloons in the sky over the hills across the river. So, I'm not sure I really understand this "East - West" thing but Kristin did point out that our hotel (as is most of Luxor) was on the east side of the river. Very strange!

Once we reached the "west" side (or West Bank) of the river, we walked to a bus that was going to take us on a tour. Along the way I walked right past some camels. I have decided I really like camels. Here you can see me sitting in the bus watching the camels.


Our first stop of the day was a place called the Colossi of Memnon. These are two TALL statues. Our guide for the day, Mr. Wazery, works for Mr. Hawass and knows all about the temples and tombs in Luxor. He told us that these giant statues and the surrounding area were damaged in a big earthquake over 2000 years ago. WOW! You can see the large cracks in the statue Kristin and I are standing in front of.


It's hard to see me in this photo, isn't it? Kristin is holding me but we look very small next to the statue.

Our next stop of the day was a place called "The Valley of the Kings." This is where tombs of many ancient Egyptian Kings have been found hidden under ground. Guess what? Kristin says this is where King Tut's tomb is located!

I thought the tombs here would look like the pyramids I saw in Cairo. But I didn't see any pyramids. Instead I was surrounded by hills. I wasn't so sure this was where King Tut's tomb was located because it just looked like a bunch of rocks to me. But as we got closer to the main gate, I could see several arrows pointing toward large openings in the side of the hill.


Mr. Wazery says a total of 63 separate tombs have been found in this area. The most recent discovery was only a few months ago and Mr. Wazery told us that workers are still digging out the area of the new discovery. Here you can see the place where workers are digging at the new discovery site.


I wasn't as excited as Mr. Wazery was about the new discovery. All I cared about was tomb number 62. Can you guess which one that is? If you haven't already figured it out, here's a hint!


I was SO excited to finally be standing at the door of the tomb. Then Mr. Wazery surprised me by taking the entire group INSIDE the tomb! Can you believe it? It was SO cool. We had to walk down a very narrow and steep passage way. Soon we were underground in a small room (or chamber as Mr. Wazery called it). This is where King Tut is located. The room is dark and the ceiling is low but there are just enough lights that you can see colorful paintings on the walls surrounding King Tut. Here you can see some of the paintings on the wall (note...Kristin could not use her flash inside the tomb so the pictures may look a bit dark).



King Tut himself was in one of those mummy shaped coffins I saw in the Cairo Museum. And that box was located in a large rectangular box Mr Wazery called a "sarcophagus." Inside that was King Tut's coffin (and inside that is his mummy!). Here you can see me with King Tut's sarcophagus and coffin behind me!


How AWESOME is that photo?!

While we were inside I noticed that Kristin's group was the only group in the tomb. Kristin later told me that Mr. Hawass gave Kristin's group very special permission. The tomb was closed to other people while our group was inside. It turns out Mr. Hawass allowed this so our group could take photos. Kristin says cameras are usually NOT allowed inside King Tut's tomb.

WOW! That means my photo in the tomb is really special! Kristin says I should thank Mr. Hawass for giving her group special permission. THANKS MR HAWASS!!!

Well I had seen everything I wanted to see but Kristin said we were going to visit even more interesting sites. I'm not sure anything could be better than seeing King Tut's tomb but I was still interested to see what Mr. Wazery was going to show us next.

So we got on the bus and and drove a few minutes to a place called "The Temple of Hatshepsut." It is a really large temple that was carved out of the side of a hill.


I was too busy looking at the temple when Mr. Wazery explained why the temple was built. All I know is that it is really, really neat. I guess Kristin was right, there are other cool things in Luxor besides King Tut's tomb (but don't tell her I said that!). Here you can see part of the temple behind me and Kristin.


I'm not sure if you noticed but the temple has three different levels. Kristin and her group wanted to go all the way to the top. So we had to walk up ALL of the stairs you can see in the photo. Whew! It was hard to walk up all of those stairs. Now I know why Kristin said I needed a hat and a bottle of water. I was hot, tired and thirsty after walking up the stairs! But it was worth it. Very large statues are located at the top of the stairs. Man...the ancient Egyptians sure liked big statues, didn't they?


Kristin took a few more photos and then walked all the way DOWN the stairs and back to the bus. I think Kristin knew I was tired because she put me in her purse so I didn't have to walk down the stairs.

I am SO glad our bus had air conditioning. The cold air felt very good. Kristin later told me it was more than 100-degrees outside the day we visited Luxor. WOW...that is SUPER HOT!

After we left the Temple of Hatshepsut, our bus drove us back to the place where we got off the ferry boat early in the morning. Our next stop was on the OTHER side of the Nile River....so we had to take another ferry boat ride so we could get on a bus waiting for Kristin's group on the other side.

The next stop was a place known today as "Karnak Temple." It is another HUGE temple complex near our hotel.


Wow...I didn't think I could see so many cool things in one day! Karnak is even LARGER than the Temple of Hatsheput. There are more than 154 columns in one section of the temple. And, can you believe part of the temple had a roof in ancient times?! It must have taken a very long time to build all of these great monuments.

While walking around with Kristin and her group, I noticed two of the many columns. They have a pointed top. I think they look very similar to the Washington Monument I saw in Washington, DC. Kristin agreed they look similar to the Washington Monument but Mr. Wazery told us these columns are known as "obelisks."


Throughout the day I noticed a number of drawings and symbols have been painted and/or carved on the walls of the tombs and temples. Kristin says these symbols are called "hieroglyphics." Mr. Wazery told us hieroglyphic images are like our modern day alphabet. Each symbol represents a letter or word. When put together, the symbols told a story. I think this is similar to the way pictures and drawings in my books at home tell me about a story even when there are no words on the paper.

Here is an example of some of the hieroglyphics at Karnak (although I don't know what it says).


Mr. Wazery also said some of the symbols are actually ancient Egyptian numbers. Here is an example from Karnak.


I think math is pretty tough already....I can't imagine having to try and figure out these numbers since I don't know what they really are!

By the time we saw the "numbers" on the wall, I was getting very tired. It was VERY hot in the sun. Kristin and I kept applying sunscreen so we wouldn't get sunburn and Kristin made sure we had plenty of water. I don't know how workers could have built these giant temples in this heat!

Here I am with Kristin standing outside the entrance to Karnak.


As we walked out of Karnak, I thought the little shops nearby looked familiar. Kristin agreed and then told me she is pretty sure that a photo of the little shops near Karnak was part of the collection of photos I saw with her and Amy in New York and Detroit. Kristin wanted me to post the photo so Amy could see it. Here it is.


We returned to the hotel after visiting Karnak to get a cold drink and rest for a bit. Later in the afternoon (when it was slightly cooler), Kristin and many of her journalist friends went on another boat ride. But this wasn't like the ferry rides I took earlier in the day. Instead, the boat we were riding in was called a "felucca." It looks like a sail boat. Here is one sitting along the river bank (without it's sail up).


A very nice man used a pole to help push us up one side of the river and when we turned around the wind pushed the boat back down the river.

This boat ride was much longer and slower than the ferry ride. But I REALLY liked it because I could almost TOUCH the Nile River from my seat. I could also see young men fishing in the river with nets very close to our boat.

Here you can see me and Kristin on the felucca boat. See how close I am to the water?!! Don't worry...Kristin held me on tight so I wouldn't blow away.

After the felucca ride, Kristin had dinner with some of her friends and then we boarded the bus (with ALL of our luggage) and headed to the Luxor Museum. This museum is much smaller and newer than the Cairo Museum. It reminds me of the Stanley Gallery at the Muscatine Art Center.

There are many neat things from the area temples and tombs in the Luxor Museum including a few mummies. But, I must admit that I feel asleep half way through the tour.

Whew! I was REALLY tired from our adventures in Luxor during the day!

I didn't wake up until our plane landed back in Cairo (which was VERY late Friday night).

I don't care if I don't get to see anything else while I am in Egypt. I have already learned SO much. Until next time......

Cairo Museum

Hi everyone! I have been SO busy seeing and learning new things here in Egypt that I haven't had time to send you an update.

On Thursday (May 4), Kristin and her journalist friend Tina took me to the Cairo Museum. Tina is from Dallas and she is very nice.

We took a taxi from the hotel to the museum. It was a very small car and we had to share the car with another man from the hotel because he was going somewhere near the museum. I thought this was very strange but Kristin says she has been to many places in the world where complete strangers share cabs to help save money.

It didn't take us long to get to the museum despite the traffic. The building is HUGE and it includes a big front yard filled with stone statues. Kristin calls this a "sculpture garden." Here you can see the entrance to the museum.


It is OK to take photos in the "sculpture garden" but it is NOT OK to even bring a camera into the museum. Many people give their cameras to a person at the front gate. Kristin put hers in her purse.

I had to go through another x-ray machine before we Kristin could enter the inside of the museum. I think the guards were looking for cameras. I kept hoping they wouldn't find Kristin's OR take me out of her purse (because Kristin didn't buy a separate ticket for me!). I should not have worried. Everything was fine and we were allowed in.

The museum itself is SO large that I cannot even begin to tell you in words what it looked like. It isn't like the Metropolitan Museum in New York or the Muscatine Art Center. It looks much older and looks very dirty and dusty in places. Kristin later told me the museum is over 100 years old. I had no idea!

There are SO many rooms filled with statues and items behind glass cases that I was worried we would get lost. Kristin told me we didn't have much time to spend at the museum and she told me we would not get to see everything. But, Kristin was really smart! She brought along her guide book. It turns out her book has a map of the museum in it. And, it tells you which parts of the museums are the best.

So, we headed to a place called "The Royal Mummy Room" on the second floor. This is the place where they tell people how Egyptians thousands of years ago made mummies. This was very interesting. If I understood the pictures on the walls leading up to the main room, workers would put salt and oils and other special items on the body. I asked Kristin why. She says the salt and oils helped to protect or "preserve" the body. Then workers would wrap the body with many, many layers of cloth. If someone was really important, they would also place a special mask over the head of the mummy. I had no idea!

Next we entered a room that had several clear boxes with different mummies inside. Some were wrapped entirely and others did not. I could see the head, hands and feet on some of the mummies that were not completely wrapped. I thought it was really cool but I bet it would scare some of the girls in my class! I could tell some people in the room thought the mummies were scary.

I thought the mummies were some that were used in movies I have seen on TV. But, Kristin told me of the mummies in this room were Kings of Egypt thousands of years ago (Kings are men who ran the country. I think this is similar to a President). So this means the mummies I saw used to be REAL PEOPLE! Wow....that is REALLY cool!

Next we headed down a very long hall that was filled with display cases that included everything from small jars to large wooden chairs painted and decorated with gold. We briefly stopped so Kristin and her friend Tina could look at some old jewelry. I think Kristin knew I thought the jewelry was boring but she told me to be patient because the next stop on our visit would be a very special room. So, I decided to be patient and let them see the jewelry.

Kristin kept her promise. The next room we stopped at was the exhibit room for someone called "King Tutankhamun." I didn't recognize the name but Kristin said he is also called "King Tut" since his name is hard to pronounce. King Tut? I know that name! I've seen shows about someone called King Tut on TV so I asked Kristin if it was the same person. She said yes. How cool is that!?

This room includes items found in his tomb which is in a place called the Valley of the Kings many miles away from Cairo. All of the items were pretty neat but my favorite was the gold mask in a glass case in the center of the room. Kristin says this gold mask is very famous. It is the mask that was on the head of King Tut's mummy. It is really bright and shiny. But it is also small. Kristin says that's because King Tut died before he was 20 years old. I had no idea someone so young could run an entire country!

I also liked the two large boxes decorated in gold and other colors at one end of the room. They look like large coffins that are in the shape of a mummy. One box was smaller that the other and Kristin says that's because the smaller one was placed inside the larger one. Kristin says there were actually two smaller boxes placed inside the largest one at the museum. The third, and smallest, is where King Tut's mummy is located. This third box is NOT at the museum. Kristin says the box and King Tut's mummy are still at his tomb. I'm not sure I will get to see his tomb but if not I am going to come back to Egypt someday just to see it!

We left the museum after seeing the King Tut area because we had to get back to the hotel to catch the bus. But, Kristin did buy me some postcards of the King Tut mask and boxes so I could remember them (since she could not take pictures). Her friend Tina also took a few photos of us outside before we left. Thanks Tina!



After we left the museum we had to cross a VERY busy street to catch a cab back to the hotel. Kristin tucked me into her purse so I wouldn't get hit by a car. But the street was SO busy and full of honking cars that I was worried that Kristin and Tina would become flat like me! Somehow Kristin was able to get us safely across the street. Whew! It would be bad if Kristin became Flat Kristin because then she couldn't take any more pictures of me.

When we got back to the hotel, Kristin told me to quickly pack a small bag because we were going to the airport. It turns out we were taking a plane trip to a town called Luxor. See if you can find it on the map. Kristin says King Tut's tomb is located near Luxor and she told me that if I was really good she might take me to see King Tut's tomb.

So I packed really fast and didn't make a sound as the bus drove us through heavy traffic to reach the airport!


The plane ride took about an hour and then another bus took us to a hotel called the "New Winter Palace." It is located along the Nile River. Did you know the Nile River runs all the way through Egypt? I had no idea!

I was very tired so Kristin let me sleep while she went to eat. She told me I would have to get up very early in the morning so I needed to rest. I was so tired that I didn't even ask Kristin to take my photo.

More about Luxor tomorrow. Until next time....

The Industrial Village and More

Hi everyone.

I have had another very interesting day. This morning, Kristin told me we were going to a village outside of Cairo to learn more about the air pollution and other environmental issues. I wasn't so sure I wanted to spend the day learning about the yellow stuff in the air I see from Kristin's hotel room. But Kristin told me it was very important so I decided to go along.

Now I am really glad I did go with Kristin. Kristin and her group took a bus to a village called Kafr el-Elew. I have NO idea how to say that name so I will just call it the "village." The village is located near a number of factories including one that makes cement. A very nice American man who teaches here in Cairo took us on a tour to show us how the village is working to overcome air and garbage problems. Here you can see the cement factory behind the buildings under construction. See how dusty the air looks?


I was shocked at what I saw. The buildings in the village looked very old and rundown. People were selling food out of baskets in the street and there were flies EVERYWHERE! Plus, I saw many, many donkeys pulling carts. I asked Kristin what they were for and she told me that many people do not have cars so they use the donkey carts to get around the village. I had no idea! I thought every family owned at least one car.


Here you can see me standing along one of the main streets in the village. Can you see the donkey carts behind me?


Many of the streets were very narrow and filled with garbage. Our guide told us that the people living in the village have been trying to get help to clean up the garbage but there is no money to clean up the village.


I could tell this made Kristin sad. I asked Kristin if she has ever visited a village like this before. She told me she and Keith have seen many that are much worse in other parts of the world. Can you believe that? I can't imagine that there are other places worse than this village.


Our group attracted a lot of attention. Many children followed us as we walked through the village. They all seemed very happy but they were wearing old clothes. Many had backpacks just like I do for school but they told the group they couldn't go to school because they don't have a teacher.

I also noticed the children were not playing with toys. Then I remembered that Kristin told me the children in the pictures in her office also didn't have toys. I just can't imagine not having any toys to play with! Kristin didn't take many photos because she says the people in the village don't like having their photo taken.

As we left the village, I asked Kristin if I should give my new stuffed camel to one of the children. Kristin said that was a very nice idea but it would be hard to give just one toy when there are SO many children. She is right. I would need LOTS of camels to give to the children in the village and I don't have enough money to buy that many camels.

Kristin knew I was sad so she told me the best thing I could do is appreciate everything that I have. I think Kristin is right. I now know I am very lucky that I have toys, a nice home, and a school to go to. I don't always like school but I know it is important to learn how to read and write. Kristin told me that that's why she wanted me to come with her today. She wanted me to understand that I am very lucky. I promised her I would do my best to appreciate my life in Iowa from now on!

This afternoon Kristin's group met another very important person. They seem to meet a lot of important people don't they? Anyway, today we went to the United States Embassy in Cairo.

The Embassy is the building where the person who represents America in Egypt works. Did you know that person is called an "ambassador." I had no idea! The American Ambassador to Egypt is Francis Ricciardone. He must be VERY important. I had to go through an x-ray machine before I could go into the building and there were many security officers watching the embassy building. Kristin also couldn't take photos in the Embassy. Kristin says it is a security issue and that it is important to keep the Ambassador and the others who work at the Embassy safe. This makes sense.

I was too scared to shake his hand so I stayed in Kristin's purse but he seemed very nice. He talked to Kristin's group for a long time. I didn't understand what the Ambassador was talking about. Kristin told me that was OK. The group was talking about big political issues that can be very confusing. Whew! I was worried she might give me a quiz after the meeting.

I got very sleepy during the meeting and feel asleep on the way to Kristin's next meeting.

And, I have decided to go to bed early tonight. That's because Kristin says we are taking another trip tomorrow to a place called Luxor. See if you can find it on the map. I don't know why we are going but Kristin says it will be exciting. She also says we won't be able to use her computer there. So, it may be a few days before I can send you an update.

Until next time....

Dancing, Veil, and Bazaar

Hi everyone. I hope all is well with you. I am still having a GREAT time in Cairo!

Last night after I sent you my message about my visit to the Great Pyramid, Kristin and her group had a private dinner at the home of a local journalist. Many people were there. Kristin told me many important people including the Ambassador of Israel to Egypt and CNN's Cairo reporter were at the dinner. I don't know who they are but they sure looked important!

The dinner included a live band playing traditional music and a woman who performed traditional dance. The music was cool and the dancer can dance better than anyone I've ever seen dance before. Kristin says she is a belly dancer and she had to train for many years to dance the way she does. I really wanted to dance with her for just a few seconds. I didn't think Kristin would let me but she told me she talked to Aunt Lynn and Aunt Lynn said it was OK. So, here I am with the belly dancer.

I was so tired from dancing I fell asleep on the way back to the hotel and didn't wake up until just before Kristin's group had to leave the hotel this morning for their first meeting. Today they also met with a very important person. His name is Ali Gomaa. He is the Grand Mufti of the local al-Azar University.


I had NO idea what the Grand Mufti does but he sure looked and sounded very smart. Kristin says his job is to help determine and decide the rules of the Islamic religion. Most of the people who live in Egypt are Islamic.

Kristin and all of the women in the group had to wear a scarf before they could go into the building where the Grand Mufti works. I've never seen Kristin cover her head and I thought she looked really funny. But, Kristin told me that wearing the scarf, or veil, is very serious here in Egypt. So she and the others were wearing their scarves as a sign of respect. I think this is similar to the reason why I have to take off my cap when people sing "God Bless America" at a football game. So, I took off my cap today for a little bit to also show respect. Here I am with Kristin on the bus with her head covered (I still think she looks a little funny....but don't tell her I said that!).

Kristin says she won't have to wear her scarf most of the time we are here but she is keeping it in purse next to me just in case she must wear it when visiting with special people like the Grand Mufti.

Late this afternoon Kristin's group visited the shopping district of the old part of Cairo. This place is Old Cairo and the shopping district is known as a bazaar. There I had coffee at a very famous local coffee shop called Fishwali's. It was very good!


Kristin and Loren also walked around the bazaar for a little bit. Guess what? It was just like the souk I visited with Kristin and Keith in Doha. People were even selling spices on the street just like in Doha. Very cool!


Kristin says her group is going to have several business meetings tomorrow and she was worried I might get bored. So, she kindly bought me a new stuffed camel made of leather and a wooden camel puzzle. They are SO cool. I love camels. I am going to name my new stuffed camel Cairo. Here I am getting ready for bed with Cairo and my puzzle.


That's all for now. Until next time.....

Pyramids, Camels, Celebrities, and More!

Greetings again from Cairo.

I have just had the most exciting field trip of my entire life! This morning, Kristin and her group visited a place called Giza on the outskirts of Cairo. Guess what? That's where the famous pyramids I see on TV are!

I learned SO many things this morning on our field trip that I could write all day about it. But, since your attention span is probably short like mine is most of the time, I will just tell you about the best parts.

Our visit to Giza started with a briefing from a man named Zahi Hawass. He is the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. That sounds really important, doesn't it? It turns out he is a very important person. It his his job to do something called "preserve" Egypt's history including the pyramids. I think this means he makes sure the pyramids and other important monuments and statues are kept safe so people many years from now can also see what I saw today.

Mr. Hawass is full of energy. Kristin calls him "colorful." He looked normal to me so I'm not sure what she means when she says he is "colorful." I can tell from the way he talked that he really likes his job. He was so excited when he talked that Kristin couldn't get a clear photo of him.


While Kristin and her group were asking Mr. Hawass questions, I realized that I have seen him before. He has been on the Discovery Channel talking about the pyramids. How cool is that! I must tell Aunt Lynn because I know she has seen his TV shows.

After Mr. Hawass finished his presentation, he asked one of his best guides to give us a tour of Giza. We started with The Great Pyramid. Here you can see me standing in front of the Great Pyramid.


Did you know the Great Pyramid was built more than 4500 years ago (that's a REALLY, REALLY long time ago). I had no idea! In fact, Mr. Hawass says the pyramids I saw today are one of what's known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. That's pretty cool!

Do you know why the pyramids were built? Kings who once ruled Egypt were buried inside of them. Who knew? Our guide told us there are more than 2 million stones in the Great Pyramid. Each stone weighs more than 2 TONS (that's REALLY heavy). Kristin says this is why the pyramids are "wonders." People like Mr. Hawass are trying to figure out how workers 4500 years ago built the pyramids. That's because those workers didn't have big trucks or cranes or modern tools to build the pyramids. WOW! That must have been a really tough job!

Our guide told us that the number of people allowed inside is limited because too many people inside can hurt the stones. So I was really surprised when I got to go INSIDE for a brief time. The inside of the pyramid is a series of very small, steep tunnels and rooms. It is like walking into a small cave. It was kind of scary. I think Kristin saw that I was a bit afraid so we didn't stay inside for very long.

Something called the Sphinx was next on our tour. It is a very large structure that looks kind of like a lion with a big face on it. Here you can see me and Kristin standing near the Sphinx.


Our guide told us that the Sphinx was carved out of a single piece of stone. Can you imagine! It's HUGE.

Our next stop was something called the "Mortuary Temple." This is where the Kings and other people buried in the pyramids were turned into mummies or "mummified." It is nothing but a bunch of open stone rooms now but our guide says there used to be a canal or small body of water that connected the Nile River to the front of the Mortuary Temple. And no....I did NOT see any mummies today. The mummies found here and in other parts of Egypt are now in museums all over the world including the ones I saw in New York. Now I am double glad that Kristin took me to see the mummies in New York.

Our final stop of the morning was to a building at the base of one side of the Great Pyramid. This building covers something called "The Solar Boat."


Our guide told us that this boat was found buried in the sand in near the Great Pyramid in 1954. I thought it was strange that someone would bury a boat. But, our guide told us that ancient Egyptians believed they would live in a different world after they died. So, when someone died, their family and friends would bury food and other things (like boats) along with the mummy so the person had the items he/she needed after death. I'm still not sure I understand why the boat was buried so I am just telling you what the guide said.

This boat is believed to be one of the oldest boats in the world. And, it was originally built with rope. There were no nails holding it together. Can you believe that?! Here's a close-up of some of the rope used to build the boat.



And here I am with Kristin standing at one end of the boat.



There were many, many people at the pyramids today. Kristin says that's because today (May 1) is a national holiday in Egypt. Who knew? Anyway, Kristin says families like to visit important places on national holidays.

I really wish we were able to spend more time exploring the pyramids. I could have been there all day! If we had stayed longer, we could have taken a horse, donkey or camel ride around the pyramids. That would have been SO cool. Oh well, it was fun to watch the animals. Of course, the camels are my favorite. The security guards use camels to patrol the pyramids. I think that would be an awesome job! Here you can see one of the camel guards.


Oh...I forgot to mention that our bus drove right past the Cairo Zoo this morning. I was able to see camels, ostridge and even zebras through the window! I asked Kristin if we were going to visit the zoo but she says we don't have time. Oh well, at least I got to see the zebras from the bus.

I could go on and on and on but I think I should let Kristin use her computer now. So, I will say goodbye for now with small versions of my favorite photos Kristin took today.




After my visit today I realized that I am VERY lucky that I was able to see the pyramids. Thanks Kristin for taking me with you today! Until next time....

Greetings from Egypt!

Greetings everyone! I am writing to you from Cairo, Egypt!

I arrived with Kristin, Loren and the rest of their journalist group early this afternoon (although it was the middle of the night in Iowa!).



I am SO excited to be here. And unlike some of my previous trips with Kristin and Keith, I didn't have any unusual adventures to get here.

We left Washington, DC on time and flew nearly 7 hours to Frankfurt, Germany. We had what Kristin calls a "tight connection" so we had to rush from our plane to catch out flight to Cairo. Changing planes was interesting. We had to walk outside and get into a LONG bus. It was SO long that it had an accordion-like center so it could turn corners. It looked cool but I'm not so sure how safe it was to ride. The bus took us to the terminal where our next plane was located. We only had to wait about 15 minutes before boarding the flight. Here you can see me watching the crew get our plane for Cairo ready.



Kristin told me before we left Washington that I needed to try and get as much sleep as possible on the plane rides because I was going to have "jet lag" again. Kristin tells me that Cairo is 8 hours ahead of Iowa time. That means when it is noon in Iowa, it is 8pm here in Cairo.

I slept pretty well on the first flight but I was so excited to be going to Egypt that it was hard for me to take a nap. I keep forgetting that I need to be patient when traveling. The flight attendant knew I was with Kristin so he gave me a coloring book to pass the time while Kristin took her nap on the flight to Cairo.

We arrived at Cairo on time and I immediately realized Kristin wasn't kidding when she said I would need to pack sunscreen and sunglasses for this trip. It is really HOT and SUNNY here in Cairo. I think it was close to 90 degrees when we stepped off the plane.

Once we got off the plane Kristin had to wait for Customs to stamp her passport. That's when I realized I don't have my own passport yet! Kristin told me not to panic. She and the other members of her group got their visa stamps before they left Washington. So she said I could travel with her as part of her "group." Whew! But I need to remember to get my own passport when I get back to Iowa.

All of Kristin's luggage arrived with no problems and once everyone had their bags, we took a big (and air-conditioned!) bus to the hotel. It took longer to get to the hotel that I thought. But then I realized that traffic here is VERY bad. I think it is even worse than the traffic in New York and Dubai.

But we arrived at the hotel in less than an hour and soon we were check into our rooms. But all of Kristin's bags had to be checked AND we had to walk through a metal detector before we could enter the hotel. Kristin says this is to make sure no one brings anything bad into the hotel that might hurt someone. This is similar to what we had to do in Doha except they don't have an x-ray machine here. Darn! I like the x-ray machine!

We are staying at the Cairo Marriott. It is located on an island in the middle of the city. The center of the hotel is part of the famous Gezira Palace that was built in 1869. WOW! That means parts of this hotel are REALLY OLD.

The lobby is very beautiful but Kristin's room is just OK if you ask me. Her room in Dubai was MUCH nicer. Kristin says our room on this trip is much more like the hotels she is used to staying in when traveling overseas. Well, I am not impressed! Kristin says that's because we were "spoiled" on our last trip to the Middle East.

The Nile River runs past the hotel. The Nile is a very famous river in Africa. From the way Kristin talks about the Nile, I think it is similar in importance to the Mississippi River that runs through Muscatine. You can see the Nile from Kristin's balcony.



Here's another view from Kristin's balcony.



Cairo looks very different than Dubai. It looks like a yellow haze clouds the sky. Kristin says this is pollution. After walking outside for awhile, I realized it is harder to breath here. I'm glad I have strong lungs!

The buildings here are much older and many of the buildings also look alike. And ALL of them are loaded with satellite dishes. There are satellite dishes everywhere. I've never seen so many in my life! They hang from balconies and crowd the roofs of every building I see. I asked Kristin why there were so many satellite dishes. She just smiled and then told me that TV is very popular here and that's one of the reasons why she and Keith went to Doha and Dubai to study Middle East TV news broadcasters. Here what the roof of a building across from Kristin's balcony looks like.



I like the balcony but it is also VERY noisy. Cars trying to make their way through traffic are always honking their horns. I've heard more horns today than I heard during both of my trips to New York City (and cabs like to honk their horns in New York)! Kristin says this is why she has earplugs just in case she has a hard time sleeping. I think I am going to borrow a pair from her so I can sleep too!

Well I am getting sleepy so I think I am going to sign off for the night.

Until next time!

Greetings from Washington!

Hi everyone. Guess what? I am writing to you from Washington, DC!

Kristin has been so busy this week that she hasn't had time to tell me HOW we were getting to Egypt. It turns out that our first stop of the trip is Washington, DC. We are in Washington to meet up with Kristin's friend Loren. He works at the foundation with Kristin.

Kristin and Loren are then supposed to meet up with an entire group of journalists in Washington tomorrow. Then the entire group is leaving for Egypt. Kristin says she hasn't met most of the people who are going on this trip. She also calls it a "fact finding" trip. Kristin says this is like a school field trip for adults. That's pretty cool. I didn't know adults went on their own field trips. I just thought they only came on mine to make sure I behave.

We left Kristin's house at 7AM. Kristin arranged for a car service to bring us to the airport. This is so Kristin doesn't have to leave her car at the airport for a long time. I think it was a good idea for someone else to drive us this morning because Kristin is so tired.

Today we flew from Moline to Chicago. And then we got on another plane and flew to Washington, DC. Here you can see me waiting to board the plane in Moline. I'm keeping a close watch on her plane tickets.

I've been to Chicago's O'Hare airport so many times now with Kristin that even I knew where we were headed as soon as we landed. And we didn't have time to stop and look at anything. We got to the gate for our Washington flight about 10 minutes before people started boarding. Kristin and I both decided to take a nap on the plane ride to Washington.

But, I was very surprised when I woke up and didn't recognize the airport! Kristin says that's because we landed at the OTHER airport in Washington, Dulles International Airport. I remember she told me there were two airports here but I didn't think I would get to actually visit both!

Dulles International is different than most airports I have visited with Kristin, Keith or Amy on our trips. In order to get from the gate where we landed to the area where Kristin could pick up her bags, we had to get onto a big thing Kristin called a "people mover." It's like a large rectangular box with windows on REALLY TALL tires (think super large farm tractor-size tires). This "people mover" also has large fins on top of it. They kind of look like super size shark fins. Kristin thinks the "people mover" looks like something out of the movie Star Wars. I think it is COOL! And, it was fun to ride in too!

All of Kristin's bags arrived with no problem. This time she has both her clothing and equipment bags with her. She must have really strong arms to pull both of those bags because they sure look heavy!

I thought we would head to the hotel once Kristin got her bags but first she said we had to stop at the office of Customs and Border Protection. Kristin says this is the office that is in charge of making sure people who arrive in the United States have all of the correct paperwork. They also make sure people don't bring bad things in their luggage that could hurt people. I think this is similar to a police department.

Anyway, Kristin says she needed the office to sign some forms that list all of her equipment. She says this will help her prove to that the equipment is hers when we arrive back from Egypt otherwise she says she might get charged a fee or tax for bringing expensive equipment into the United States. I had no idea! Kristin tells me she had similar documents for our last overseas trip. I guess I just didn't notice.

Once we were done at the Customs and Border Protection office, we boarded a bus like the ones we have in Muscatine and took a short ride to our hotel. We are staying at the Marriott near the airport. Kristin says this is because the entire group will meet here tomorrow.

Kristin also says this means we are not going to get to visit any other places in Washington this time. I think this is OK. She is very tired and needs to rest. So I spent the evening watching TV and resting.

I know from our last trip to the Middle East that we will be very tired when we arrive so it is good to get extra rest. Tomorrow we will leave from here and fly to London. We will switch planes in Frankfurt and then fly directly to Cairo, Egypt. See if you can find those cities on the map.

Well that's about all for today. The really big adventure begins tomorrow!

Until next time...

My Next Adventure - EGYPT!

Hi everyone. As many of you already know, my friend Kristin is going to Egypt soon and she is taking me with her!

I am SO excited (and my Aunt Lynn is VERY jealous). Kristin told me about the trip a few weeks ago but I guess she's known about it for a LONG time. Now I know why she wanted me to pay attention to the Egypt section of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. It was awesome but I never thought I would get to travel to Egypt. Boy, Kristin is just full of surprises!

Anyway, Kristin says we leave on Friday. She has been very busy at work trying to get ready so she promises to tell me more about the trip when we get on the plane. Kristin has also been busy packing for the trip. I am trying to help her when I can. Here you can see me helping her pack the bag she calls her "purse."

I REALLY like this bag. I'm sitting in the pocket where Kristin has made room just for me so I can see what she sees on the trip. How cool is that?!

Well I had better get back to packing. I will keep you updated as often as I can.

Until next time....

The Answers to My Classroom's Questions

Hi everyone!

A few weeks ago, my friends Keith and Kristin visited my classroom so they could talk about their adventures with me and show the equipment they use when making their radio programs. Everyone had a great time and worked on thank you notes for Keith and Kristin. Last week, Aunt Lynn gave Keith and Kristin the stack of thank you notes from the class. Keith and Kristin really like the notes and they tell me that some of my classmates had some questions in their notes. So I asked them if they could write down the answers for me to pass along. Below is what they gave me (along with some of my own comments).

Question: How old are you?
Keith was born in 1965 and Kristin was born in 1972
(Can you do the math to figure out their ages?)

Question: Have you been to Australia?
Keith and Kristin have NOT been to Australia

Question: Have you been to China?
Yes. Keith and Kristin have visited Hong Kong
(See if you can find it on the map)

Question: Do you interview a lot of people?
Yes. Journalists interview many people when they are working on stories. They interviewed more than 20 people while they were in Doha and Dubai.

Question: Do you dress like the people in the places you go?
Keith and Kristin haven’t dressed in the “traditional” clothing in the places they have visited. They wear the same kind of clothes they would wear to work. Sometimes they wear jeans and work boots if they are working in a place with mud or sand. And, Kristin says she and Keith do make sure they respect local customs (I guess in some places you can’t wear shoes inside. I had no idea!). But, Keith and Kristin have purchased “traditional” clothing from some of the places they visit. Remember the headscarf that Keith brought to class? That was from Qatar.

Question: Have you ever interviewed any sports players?
Yes. Kristin has interviewed Bill Bradley. He used to play basketball for the Boston Celtics. Keith has met (but not interviewed) Muhammed Ali, the former heavyweight boxing world champion.

Question: How do you get a passport?
You must apply to get a passport. There is a form you have to fill out and you have to get special-sized photos. You can get your photos at Wal Mart and Walgreens. You can get the passport form at the Muscatine County Courthouse. You can also find the paperwork on the Web at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Question: Have you ever seen any different kind of animals?
Yes. Keith and Kristin see many different animals on their trips. The animals are different depending on where they are at. But they see lots of chickens and roosters, cows, donkeys, goats, and of course, they saw camels in the desert in Qatar. Kristin says a small monkey once tried to take a microphone right out of Keith’s hand in Cambodia. Both also saw many baboons in Uganda. Both Keith and Kristin have seen armadillos in Texas. Keith and Kristin have also seen a few large snakes and lots and lots of lizards. Kristin doesn’t like snakes and Keith REALLY doesn’t like lizards!

Question: Have you been to the White House?
Yes. Kristin has been inside the White House and Keith took my picture with Kristin outside of the White House when I went to Washington with them.

Question: Have you ever been to a continent?
Yes. Keith and Kristin have been to many continents. Do you know how many continents there are? (Hint…there are seven). Kristin says we actually live on one of the continents. Did you know North America (which includes the United States) is a continent? I had no idea! Keith and Kristin have also visited European, Asian, and African continents.

Question: Do you have fun doing what you do?
YES!

Question: What was the favorite place you went to?
Kristin says her favorite place is Paris, France.
Keith says his favorite place is Cape Town, South Africa
(See if you can find these places on the map.)

Finally, there were several questions about Kristin’s trip to Egypt. Kristin doesn’t leave until April 28 and I am going with her! So, check back in a few weeks and hopefully I will have some updates for you about Egypt.

I hope this helps answer your questions.

Until next time…

Home Again

Hi everyone. I am home again from my whirlwind Easter weekend!

Kristin and I got back to Muscatine this afternoon. But, I was able to have some fun in Denver with Eugene and his Dad before we left.

Eugene's dad, Keith, has a HUGE shed behind his house. The shed has space to store cars, lawn tractors and there is a large room called the "wood shop." This morning Eugene and his Dad took me for a tour of the shed.

Here I am pretending to drive Keith's John Deere lawn tractor.


Eugene's dad likes old cars. He has restored one called an MG. I've never heard of this brand but the car is really COOL! It is a convertible and Eugene says the car was in very bad shape and missing parts when Keith bought it. Eugene says it took his dad a long time to make it look like it does today. Eugene's dad must be really smart because I'm not sure I could rebuild a car.

The car is yellow...but Eugene calls it "John Deere" yellow. I was beginning to sense a theme at this point. It seems many things at Eugene's parent's house are John Deere. Here I am with Eugene's Dad and the MG.


And here I am pretending to drive the MG.


After showing me his car, Eugene's dad showed me his "wood shop." This is where he makes lots of different things from wooden blocks. Here you can see me with some of the wood blocks that Eugene's dad is going to turn into pens, bowls, and wooden eggs.


Eugene's dad has LOTS of tools in his shop. My favorite is the saw that cuts the large wood blocks. It is REALLY loud. It also has a very sharp blade and Eugene says I would have to wear what he calls "protective" glasses if I was using the saw. Keith didn't have any special glasses for me but he did let me get a close look at the saw. But, Keith made sure the machine was OFF and he made sure I didn't get too close to the blade. Here you can see me on checking out the saw.

I want to thank Kristin and Eugene for showing me Madison and Denver this weekend. I also want to thank Kristin and Eugene's parents for being very nice and allowing me to spend time with them this Easter.

I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.

Until next time....

Greetings from Denver!

Hi everyone!

This morning Kristin told me we were leaving Madison to meet her husband Eugene in Denver. I was wondering how we were going to get to Denver, Colorado in Kristin’s car but it turns out that we were going to Denver, Iowa. Did you know there is a town in Iowa called Denver? I had no idea!

See if you can find Denver, Iowa on the map.

We are here because Eugene’s parents, Keith and Bonnie, live just outside of Denver. They are very nice.

I had fun at Kristin’s parent’s house but Keith and Bonnie’s house is fun too. Keith used to help build John Deere tractors in Waterloo, Iowa. So, he has LOTS of toy tractors. And since I have been really good on this trip, Eugene’s Dad let me play with a few of his tractors.




Tomorrow Kristin says we are headed back to Muscatine.

Until next time….

Happy Easter from Madison!

Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a good day.

Guess what? The Easter Bunny found me here in Madison. He left me a small basket with plastic eggs filled with small candies and a few chocolate lollipops. The candy is yummy but the best part is the basket. It is yellow and green….the colors of the Green Bay Packers! I can’t wait to show Aunt Lynn.

I’m not sure how the Easter Bunny found me. I didn’t even know I was coming to Madison until a few days ago! Kristin says I should thank her Mom. Her Mom knew I was coming to Madison and made sure the Easter Bunny knew the way to her house in Madison. Thanks Kristin’s Mom!

We are leaving Madison soon and heading back to Iowa. Bye for now.

Until next time…..