Tellin' it like it is
Lately, the frequency dreams of me visiting Egypt have been a not too uncommon occurrence. About a week ago, I have yet another dream where I get there, but don't have time to see anything because I am trying to fight my way through the traffic of Cairo. For those of you not in the know, Cairene traffic is probably among the world's worst, if not the worst. Realistically speaking, I know that the traffic in Cairo will never keep me from getting where I need to go since the hotels I would be staying in are literally across the street from the sites I would want to visit. Moreover, I would never be behind the wheel.
At any rate, I have recently had more pleasant dreams where I have been able to access sites. I think it has a lot to do with this travel journal I have read over the past few days between claims at work. I am always looking at who to use to plan my trip to Egypt (when I can afford it), and I always come back to Museum Tours (linked at right). An Egyptologist contact of mine reccommended them to me a couple years back, but it seemed a little pricey. However, I have decided on this company as the arrangers for my trip in large part to the aforementioned journal I read. While this will be a guided tour, there is a lot of freedom in choosing what one does and does not want to do - or more specifically, how one chooses or does not choose to do something. For example, on the day the Valley of the Kings is visited, guests have an option: either 1. wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning, visit the workmen's village, and hike the ancient trail up the escarpment and into the VOK, or 2. wake up at a reasonable time and take the van into the VOK to meet with the group. The obvious answer is number one, but for the folks who are too old for a hike, the second option works out. In either case, the price of the trip remains constant. As far as I can tell, Museum Tours is the only American tour company to give options like that. For those of you not in the know, opportunities like the one I just presented (and this company offers more like it) are important to those of us who follow the subject on a scholarly level.
Anyway, this journal was inspiring. This guy took maticulous notes while on his trip and presented few spelling and factual mistakes. He did dive into the minutia of the trip (including getting ready for it and his one night stay in NYC before his flight to Cairo took off) giving me the impression that he wrote this almost exclusively for his own retrospective. When he sent the journal to Bill and Nancy Petty (the owners) for whatever reason he sent it to them, they put it up on their website. I imagine they have no better trophies than this 88 page epic full of nothing but praise for the company and the people of Egypt. I have actually known a few Egyptians during sall those years living in our nation's capital, and like I said in a previous post, I have never met an Egyptian I didn't like. Before anyone says anything, the Muslim Brotherhood and Ayman Al-Zawahiri doesn't count because I never met them (and I don't need to because I don't like them and believe they should die in fire...another post for another time). At any rate, I am positive my trip will be everything it can be if I go with these folks.
I am sure the question(s) on everyone's minds is "You're going to Egypt? When?"
I have no idea. It is expensive, and I need to plan it well. I am not going to be a casual visitor to Egypt with little or no background on the subject. That said, I do want to maximize the amount of sites and the amount of time in each one. I also don't want to be fielding questions, but rather engaging in deep discussions on the subject I have endeavored for over 20 years to understand. My endeavors are not over by a long shot since there seems to be a new tidbit of information on an almost daily basis (see the Egyptology blog linked at right). Since I don't want to be fielding questions all day every day, I will likely go this one alone. Read the first couple pages of the travel journal I have linked earlier in this post. This gentleman's reasons for not taking his wife (and especially kid) are the same as my own. The same reasons I have considered for the better part of five years. While my wife is amazing fun to take a vacation with, this one would be too important to me to spend my time not enjoying it the way I want. Of course I wouldn't take my kids. Not so much because I would worry about them - Egypt is statistically safer than downtown Phoenix - but because children are a known ruiner of vacations. Those of you with kids know what I mean.
Anyway, I need to save several thousand dollard for this trip, so it will be no time soon. I suppose the only reason I am posting this information is for the same reason Paul Jacobi wrote his travelogue - for retrospect. I would love to come back to this post and review these thoughts after I take my trip.
Mike Seppy went home today. His 10 day business trip has come to a close, and on Thursday, he is going back to Myrtle Beach for seven weeks on yet another business trip. If I were single, I would be envious of the jobs he has taken. His last job sent him all over the country and this current job - just this summer alone - has sent him to Puerto Rico, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, and Myrtle Beach again. His is the perfect bachelor job. Once that boy has a family, he won't be so quick to bounce out of town for several months (basically) at a time. It sucked to drop him off at the airport today, but he plans to come back to check out the west coast group of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He has already seen the east coasters, and he is itching to see the version we get. He has also requested that Flapperwax play a show during his visit. I think that can be arranged.
In keeping with the title of this post, the song I am posting today leaves no room for error as to what type of song it is. I give you Testament's "The Ballad"
At any rate, I have recently had more pleasant dreams where I have been able to access sites. I think it has a lot to do with this travel journal I have read over the past few days between claims at work. I am always looking at who to use to plan my trip to Egypt (when I can afford it), and I always come back to Museum Tours (linked at right). An Egyptologist contact of mine reccommended them to me a couple years back, but it seemed a little pricey. However, I have decided on this company as the arrangers for my trip in large part to the aforementioned journal I read. While this will be a guided tour, there is a lot of freedom in choosing what one does and does not want to do - or more specifically, how one chooses or does not choose to do something. For example, on the day the Valley of the Kings is visited, guests have an option: either 1. wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning, visit the workmen's village, and hike the ancient trail up the escarpment and into the VOK, or 2. wake up at a reasonable time and take the van into the VOK to meet with the group. The obvious answer is number one, but for the folks who are too old for a hike, the second option works out. In either case, the price of the trip remains constant. As far as I can tell, Museum Tours is the only American tour company to give options like that. For those of you not in the know, opportunities like the one I just presented (and this company offers more like it) are important to those of us who follow the subject on a scholarly level.
Anyway, this journal was inspiring. This guy took maticulous notes while on his trip and presented few spelling and factual mistakes. He did dive into the minutia of the trip (including getting ready for it and his one night stay in NYC before his flight to Cairo took off) giving me the impression that he wrote this almost exclusively for his own retrospective. When he sent the journal to Bill and Nancy Petty (the owners) for whatever reason he sent it to them, they put it up on their website. I imagine they have no better trophies than this 88 page epic full of nothing but praise for the company and the people of Egypt. I have actually known a few Egyptians during sall those years living in our nation's capital, and like I said in a previous post, I have never met an Egyptian I didn't like. Before anyone says anything, the Muslim Brotherhood and Ayman Al-Zawahiri doesn't count because I never met them (and I don't need to because I don't like them and believe they should die in fire...another post for another time). At any rate, I am positive my trip will be everything it can be if I go with these folks.
I am sure the question(s) on everyone's minds is "You're going to Egypt? When?"
I have no idea. It is expensive, and I need to plan it well. I am not going to be a casual visitor to Egypt with little or no background on the subject. That said, I do want to maximize the amount of sites and the amount of time in each one. I also don't want to be fielding questions, but rather engaging in deep discussions on the subject I have endeavored for over 20 years to understand. My endeavors are not over by a long shot since there seems to be a new tidbit of information on an almost daily basis (see the Egyptology blog linked at right). Since I don't want to be fielding questions all day every day, I will likely go this one alone. Read the first couple pages of the travel journal I have linked earlier in this post. This gentleman's reasons for not taking his wife (and especially kid) are the same as my own. The same reasons I have considered for the better part of five years. While my wife is amazing fun to take a vacation with, this one would be too important to me to spend my time not enjoying it the way I want. Of course I wouldn't take my kids. Not so much because I would worry about them - Egypt is statistically safer than downtown Phoenix - but because children are a known ruiner of vacations. Those of you with kids know what I mean.
Anyway, I need to save several thousand dollard for this trip, so it will be no time soon. I suppose the only reason I am posting this information is for the same reason Paul Jacobi wrote his travelogue - for retrospect. I would love to come back to this post and review these thoughts after I take my trip.
Mike Seppy went home today. His 10 day business trip has come to a close, and on Thursday, he is going back to Myrtle Beach for seven weeks on yet another business trip. If I were single, I would be envious of the jobs he has taken. His last job sent him all over the country and this current job - just this summer alone - has sent him to Puerto Rico, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, and Myrtle Beach again. His is the perfect bachelor job. Once that boy has a family, he won't be so quick to bounce out of town for several months (basically) at a time. It sucked to drop him off at the airport today, but he plans to come back to check out the west coast group of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He has already seen the east coasters, and he is itching to see the version we get. He has also requested that Flapperwax play a show during his visit. I think that can be arranged.
In keeping with the title of this post, the song I am posting today leaves no room for error as to what type of song it is. I give you Testament's "The Ballad"
posted by Aaron \m/ at 7:07 PM
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