Nile River Cruise, Temples of Karnak, Edfu, and Luxor

What a day! Started with a wonderful communion service in the ship's lounge (read: bar). Instead of a sermon, we shared our thoughts on the pilgrimage so far. I was overwhelmed with people's thoughts and innermost feelings. One couple I have grown to love shared what they felt and learned in the Holy Land. The father said he just wanted to "meet my son's best friend, Jesus." He continued, "Lindy and I lost our son, Beau, in 1985 to a rare form of cancer. He was 12 years old. He's been with Jesus since and we just wanted to see where his best friend, Jesus, had lived." I won't speak for others but my eyes weren't dry. That's the kind of impact this pilgrimage to the Holy Land has had on us.

I preached the sermon at yesterday's (Saturday) communion service held topside on the top deck  (outside but under cover) of the ship. We held it as we cruised down the beautiful Nile. Incredible. Tomorrow I Celebrate the service, also to be held topside.

One of the interesting events today was going through a lock which required careful maneuvering on the part of the ship's captain and got a lot of scrutiny from our pilgrims as well as a group of professional photographers who are on the ship with us holding classes. They all have lenses longer than most baseball bats. Odd group.

Back to today. We went to the Temple of Karnak, built in the 8th century B.C. It included a lot of Egyptian fertility symbols, appropriate since the King, Ramses II, had 70 wives and 200 children. Reigning over a country must have provided a lot more down time than it does today. The 90-foot tall obelisk that is so distinctive at the site is made of one, single slab of red granite.

We also visited the Temple of Edfu, a huge temple found buried under the sand. It's dedicated to Horus, the Falcon god. We drove through the streets of Edfu at 6:30 (in order to avoid the heat and the crowds) and I was stunned to see many people just sitting on street corners and in front of shops drinking tea and smoking hookahs (the funny-looking pots with a long flexible hose coming out of it). This temple was started in 237 B.C. and was discovered buried under a village built over the top of it as well as a whole lot of sand.

In all these Egyptian temples, many of the faces have been chiseled away (literally "defaced.") One tour guide blamed the Crusaders (as in "Christians.") Another said it was the Moslems. Another said it was most likely other Egyptians who worshiped different gods and didn't want another tribes god to be remembered. I believe this last theory is most likely.

But the best was last. We arrived in the relatively modern and clean city of Luxor around 4:30 p.m. I say "clean" in a relative way. While cleaner than cities in Jordan and Egypt so far, Luxor is a resort city. We saw a lot of luxury hotels built along the Nile with waterpark features. We arrived at the Luxor temple after dark - a good time considering the hordes of Italians, Russians, and Spaniards we had been jostling with all day at the other sites. What an incredible sight and site! Bathed in gold-orange lights, the huge columns and magnificent statues were breathtaking. Truly. In the courtyard alone there are 74 huge and imposing columns. The temple is 3,500 years old.

Now stop and think about that for a moment. We in the U.S. think we're an old country populated by men and women who wore funny looking clothes. But that's just 300-plus years ago.  Think about 3,500 years.

Tomorrow we leave early for another temple here in Luxor - the famous temple/tomb of Queen Hatshepsut. Then, it's on to Cairo where we arrive around 10 p.m. on a flight from Luxor.

I have to confess. Jacque and I never much cared about or desired to go to Santa Fe...that is, until we actually went and became big fans. Likewise, Egyptian history never much interested me...until this trip. I have to tell you, what the Egyptians built 2,000 and 3,500 years ago is truly magnificent and, in some cases, mind-boggling. Not just the pyramids and the Sphinx - which we visit Wednesday, but any of these temples. For example, the Luxor temple. The builders put huge (and heavy) slabs of granite on top of the 90-foot-tall columns. For those of us who aren't architects and builders, it's hard to imagine how they put those tons of slabs where they did. Amazing.

Tonight, we also visited a perfumery, a place where they blow glass and make perfumes. It was interesting.

The innermost part of the temples, called the "holy of holies" where only the highest priest and the King were allowed.

 A view outside the dining room window looking at another River Nile

Once again, we heard the Moslem call to prayer (five times a day). The mosques are everywhere. In one small town we could count five minarets topped with green lights which are common as identifying marks of a mosque. Made some of us wonder if a Moslem gets mad at their Imam, can they just go down the street to another mosque like we do in the U.S.?