Cairo, Egypt 11-28-10

Our boat docked in Alexandria and we drove through the city in route to Cairo. 

 Some countryside on the way to Cairo.

These structures with holes are used to trap pigeons, which are then killed and eaten. 

 There are mosques everywhere in Egypt and you pass them constantly on the road.

Farms outside Cairo. 

We are crossing the Nile River upon entering the city. 

 Our first stop was to the Museum of Antiquities.  We got to see the King Tut exhibit, but weren't allowed to take any pictures inside.

 This is the entrance to the museum, which houses the majority of relics taken from Egyptian tombs.

 This is the hotel we stayed in overnight.

 It is truly a five star hotel.

 A view of the Nile River from our hotel window.

A view of Cairo from our hotel window. 

 Lynda waiting for an evening show at the pyramids to start.

 They light up the pyramids while you listen to music and a narration of Egyptian history.

 The Sphinx looks really imposing when bathed in different colors of light.

 The show was pretty amazing.

The size and grandeur of the pyramids are distinguished when they are silhouetted against the night sky. 

 Part of the program included a laser light show.

After the show at the pyramids, we visited a papyrus institute where we learned how the paper is made. 

 Next, we took a dinner cruise on the Nile River.

 This is an obelisk on the dock of where our river boat was moored.

 During dinner, we were entertained by a belly dancer,

 and also, by a male dancer in traditional Egyptian garb.

The Cairo skyline at night during our cruise. 

One of the bridges in downtown Cairo that span the Nile. 

Another shot of downtown at the end of our river cruise.

Izmir, Turkey 11-26-10

Lynda is checking out the harbor as we are pulling into Izmir, Turkey.

There are old parts of town in the harbor.

And there are the newer modern areas, also.

A look at the pool area of our ship.

Getting ready to leave the ship for our tour.

A view of the countryside on our way to Ephesus.

A stop on the way to the ruins.

Genuine Fake Watches.  Hmmm.  At least they are honest!

 This was our first look at ruins that were over 4,000 years old.

 It's amazing that some of these still remain after so much time has passed.

 You can see some of the Roman influence in the sculptures.

 At one time, this was the second largest city in the world.

The sidewalks are all marble! 

 Some ancient Roman carvings.

 The details in the architecture are amazing.

 This inlaid tile constitutes a walkway.

 Lynda was busy taking photographs, as was I.

 More architectural details.

 This is what a communal bathroom looked like in 2,000 BC.  Not much privacy!

 Standing next to a sepulchre.

 This was one of the oldest and largest libraries in the ancient world.

 An inscription inside one of the walls of the library.

This is the courtyard of the library. 

 You can easily see the Roman influence in the columns.

 Another walkway through the city.

 Another look at the library from afar.

 The start of a reenactment of a Roman festival.

Caesar takes his place. 

 Cleopatra joins him.

 Some interpretative dancing.

Followed by a fire breather. 

 Then, two gladiators dual.

 Is it 'off with his head' to the loser?

 Not today, as Caesar and Cleopatra make their exit.

 This is an amphitheater that is still used to this day, having hosted an Elton John concert a couple of weeks prior to our visit.

 The prison at top of this hill is where the Apostle Paul was held for trying to preach Christianity at the above amphitheater.

We got to visit a carpet weaving factory. 

 This is a machine for processing silk.

 These are some of the finished results, which can take a carpet maker up to one year to finish.

 We got to visit the Virgin Mary's house and this is a statute at the entrance.

This is the house that the Virgin Mary and Apostle Paul occupied when Paul was preaching in Ephesus. 

 Outside the house, which is now a church, you can take some holy water.

This is a baptismal font near the house. 

 A statute of the Virgin Mary on the way to the house.

We ate lunch at a resort. 

 We were able to dine on some native Turkish food.

 Lynda sits chatting with our lunch companions.

 After a long day, we return to our ship.

 Sunset over the bay.

Izmir as we are leaving the harbor.