Admirable Amish

Source : Google photo of the Amish people

Synopsis : The Amish people who live in the United States live in their own world of their making and by their own simple rules that determine every aspect of their life from birth to death. The outside world does not understand them and the reason why they shun the materialism that plagues the rest but it is not difficult to understand them if you know that their core beliefs have to do with Faith, Family and Farm and nothing else.

I have always been curious about the Amish people living in the United States and about the reason they live the way they do but did not have the opportunity to know something about them until I went to the Lancaster county in the State of Pennsylvania recently.

It is about one hour away from the city of Philadelphia but you will feel that you are in a very different world than the rest of the country when you take the back roads into the Amish country where they live , farm and send their children to school. You will begin to see their houses that are simple with green shades drawn across their windows and clothes drying on lines  stretched near their homes. Then you will notice the absence of power lines and telephone lines. You will also notice the clothes drying on the lines that are of solid colors because the Amish only wear clothes of solid and simple colors because to them any printed cloth is a sign of vanity that they disapprove of.



Source : Google photo of Amish children playing at school

You will see the schools where children play but they too wear simple clothes of solid color and the girls wear a bonnet. I was told that they go to school only up to the 8th grade after which they go back to their farms to help their parents in certain chores and the girls learn about cooking, sewing and home management. Their teachers are young women who teach after they finish their schooling up to the 8th grade. The Amish think that they do not need more education than the 8th grade because by then they learn all they need to learn that suits to their way of living which is basically a simple farm life with strong religious convictions and love for their family
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Vanity is a sin to Amish: 

The Amish do not like to be photographed because posing for a photo is considered vain so they forbid it. They do not approve of graven images and do not keep any photo in their house as wall decor. Amish men and women are taught that all form of vanity is a sin so should be avoided. You will not see them wearing fancy, colorful clothes and fancy shoes, jewelries, belts, buttons, fancy hats and head gear, carrying fancy bags, wearing watches, printed and silky clothes, carrying colorful umbrellas and any such thing they consider sinful .


Amish horse buggy that comes in various configuration depending on its use.
You will see beautiful one horse carriage that has a polished cabin with glass front and battery powered lamps in front and some reflectorized  signs that glow in the dark to avoid accidents. You will see people pushing their scooters that have no seat and no chain and pedals because they do not approve of anything faster than a horse driven carriage that suits their rural lifestyle perfectly.



Source : Google photo of an Amish scooter as a simple mode of transportation

You will see neatly planted fields of corn, alfalfa and other crops in a picture perfect countryside where everything looks like a perfectly tended garden that it really is. There you will not find any field of green  not mowed or any lawn in front of any house not neatly maintained. We saw an old lady pushing her lawn mower so you can now imagine thousands of people doing the same to keep their homes and fields in perfect trim.



Source : Google photo of Amish farm and picturesque countryside

The Amish people are of Anabaptist faith that split away from their original group of Mennonites because they felt that the Mennonites were not adhering to the true spirit of the Bible so they formed their own group that lives by every word of the Bible . They were persecuted by others in their native land of Germany so they emigrated to the United States some 300 years ago where they settled in the Lancaster county of Pennsylvania at the invitation of the founder of the State . But the Amish people are spread in many other states like Ohio and number in some 400000 people.

The three F that the Amish hold dear are Faith, Family and Farm so their whole life revolves around the faith, family and farm therefore all they do reflects their faith, family and farm in a way that suits their lifestyle perfectly.



Source : Google photo of the Amish family prayers before meals

Faith : 

Amish do not believe  in ostentatious churches so you will not find any church anywhere because the Amish pray at home and a bishop does the service by turn. They are strict adherents of the teachings of the Bible and follow each and every rule and commandments literally.



Source : Google photo of Amish Rumshpringa of liberty for a while

Family :  

The Amish young people are given  one year of liberty called Rumshpringa to do whatever they wish and then decide if want to return to their community to continue the way Amish have always lived so some go to learn ways of the outer world but almost 95% return to their Amish ways and get Baptized as Amish. After that they can get married and raise children because among the Amish the Biblical advice to go and multiply is taken seriously so they tend to have large families meaning 7 to 8 children or more. They do not marry outside their Amish community. Anyone who marries outside their faith and community is asked to leave and not taken back.

Meaningful prayers :



Source : Google photo of Amish women in prayers.

The Amish people believe that if they dedicate their entire selves to prayer and the word of God, they will get into Heaven. That’s why they don’t attach any sort of materialistic ideals to prayer; no fancy cathedrals, not complex rituals, and certainly no money making schemes. Often times, the Amish will simply do prayer at their own home, or the homes of other families who happen to be hosting that day. For them, it’s the actual prayer that matters.



Source : Google photo of Amish young people going on date



Source : Google photo of Amish wedding

An Amish young man who gets married stops shaving and grows his beard as long as he lives but the women never cut their hair and tie it in a bun that they cover with a white lacy cap they wear all the time. All females of all ages wear the white cap to keep their hair under cover. Braiding, wearing ornaments and printed clothes are considered vanity that they avoid at all cost. They also shun any form of self adornment like make ups and pin their clothes with straight pins and not buttons. Wedding does not mean honeymoon and ostentation so they go visiting friends and relatives.

The social punishment : 



Source : Social shunning of deviants in Amish communities

The Amish do have strict rules that everyone must abide but those who disobey and do something non Amish, they are shunned by their community until the person repents and asks for forgiveness. Amish are known for their forgiveness as they had shown forgiveness to the shooter of the school room children a few years ago.

Farm : 

The Amish are farmers so they grow many crops and raise animals they feed on corn or barley .They sell the rest to the non Amish people they call English. The Amish do not eat anything they do not grow so they do not buy anything from the outside world. You will hardly find any people more self reliant than the Amish people. They only use the horse drawn plows and seeders to cultivate their fields that are among the most productive fields anywhere. They do not use herbicides and pesticides, GMO  seeds or chemical fertilizers because their farms are totally organic so they recycle their farm wastes into organic compost that they spread over their farms. All their animal wastes are also turned into organic manure for the benefit of their farms.

The youngest son gets the farm when the parents are too old to farm and takes care of them in their old age. The rest of the brothers then move on to other parts of the United States where they hope to buy their own land and settle down. This system keeps their farms intact and not subdivided generation after generation.

Amish grow all kinds of fruits, vegetables and other crops organically in their vegetable garden that they set up near their homes and sell the extra produce in the weekly farmer's markets at low costs directly to the buyers thus avoiding the middlemen. The women make jam, jelly and pickles at home from the fruits and vegetable they grow. There is a great demand for their organically grown farm produce so they earn some money this way.

The Community spirit :



Source : Google photo of Amish helping building a house for someone.

What I find very admirable among the Amish is their concept of community where they are always ready to help their neighbors in anyway possible at absolutely no cost so if someone needs a new roof, they all get together and rebuild the roof. If some one needs a new barn, they all pitch in to build a new barn . They bring wood, nails and all the tools needed to complete the job while women prepare communal meals for everyone. I only found this concept of community in rural African communities but nowhere else.



Source : Google photo of Amish eating together

The Amish are non violent and do not believe in joining the armed services to fight wars but some may join as medics or cooks or orderlies in the armed services so that they can maintain their non combatant roles.

I was told that they do not use buttons in their clothes because it reminds them of the soldiers who persecuted them in Germany but have developed some sort of fasteners they use. I still do not understand why Amish women do not use safety pins instead of straight pins that can be harmful. Perhaps they have a reason but I do not know what that reason may be.

Faceless dolls :

As with most things, the toys Amish children play with differ from the rest of the world. Young children are given handmade dolls both male and female) complete with clothes, hats, and bonnets. However, no dolls has a face, just a blank area where a face should be. This is to teach that vanity and looks do not show the true worth of a person, rather its whats inside that counts the most. They are just the slightest bit creepy to look at.



Source : Google photo of faceless dolls kids play with to teach them that vanity is not good so their dolls have no face, no decorations and no printed clothes.

No instruments and singing outside prayer sessions

While singing is not only allowed, but it is required, any other form of music is strictly prohibited in the Amish community. Singing is reserved for worship only, in Church and during hymn singing practice, but playing a musical instrument is never allowed. Why? Going with the Amish theme of humility, they believe that having the ability to play a musical instrument gives one a sense of superiority to his or her peers. None of that kind of thinking is allowed.

Source : Google photo of Amish singing during prayers

The Amish house :


Source :Google photo of an Amish home where simplicity reigns

We had an opportunity to see an actual Amish home they keep in the Amish Village for the tourists like us to see. There is no electricity so there are no appliances that use electricity although they may have a refrigerator that runs of propane and a wood burning pot bellied stove in their kitchen. The pedal operated singer sewing machines and hand cranked clothes driers are also noticed.

Their beds are simple cots and the bed rooms have a minimalist look that is quite admirable. There are no adornments on their walls and the women may not look at a mirror because it is considered a sign of vanity although men may do so 
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Women are expected to be the home makers, raise children, learn to cook and clean and learn how to make jams, jelly and pickles and grow their own vegetables and fruits near their homes that they learn to tend from their childhood. They can marry anyone they wish but the engagement period is often for two years during which they can decide to marry or look for other suitable partners but once married, they never divorce so the elders give the young people a chance to decide who they wish to marry and give them ample time to do so.

Death :



Source : Google of Amish hand dug graves with simple small headstones

Amish do not believe in embalming  so dead are buried in a simple casket they make with their own hands and cover the dead with simple white cloth. There are no funeral parlors and expensive coffins. All the dead are given a simple and small headstone and all the head stones face West from where they believe the Second Christ the redeemer will come some day so they should be ready for Him to rise.

Amish handicrafts : 



Source : Google photo of a hand made quilt

The Amish women are known for their exquisitely made quilts they make communally. They are remarkable for their quality and colors that are painstakingly put together by nimble hands because it is entirely hand stitched. They also make numerous other products that earn them an income because the Amish do not have a lot of cash so they try to earn some by selling their farm products and hand made things they sell in their shops . They are good craftsmen and good businessmen.

The Amish food : 

The Amish are known for their excellent culinary skills. They are not fancy, and do not have many ingredients, but the finished product is always extremely tasty. Most likely because they grow all of their ingredients, and do not use anything processed or chemical. They are best known for their roast beef sandwiches, chicken and waffles, apple dumplings, pretzels, and homemade gravy.

Pork : Unlike some religions around the world, the Amish are a religious group that does eat pork. In fact, pork makes up a huge part of their diet, from bacon to pork chops to ham and sausage, it’d be pretty tough to find an Amish vegetarian. Often times, Amish families will raise a pig or two to be butchered in the fall, and then preserved or processed to be eaten in the winter.

Source : Google photo of pork preparations by the Amish

The Pennsylvania Dutch are absolute experts at making delicious desserts, especially when it comes to pies. Their most famous ones are shoofly pie, a molasses crumble which is completely addictive, and whoopie pie, which is more like a small cake, with two chocolate pieces sandwiching vanilla creme. For using such simple ingredients, the Amish sure have dessert figured out better than their “English” counterparts.

Source : Google photo of Amish desserts

The Amish are especially known for their simple, homegrown, yet hearty cuisine. But they are also famous for their special soda called “Birch Beer.” This drink actually originates from central Pennsylvania, or “Amish Country”, as it’s so fittingly named. The drink is made using herbal extract from the bark of the Birch tree. It is similar to root beer, but has a deeper, sweeter taste. ( Source : 35 amazing facts about the Amish)

I did not not know what the authentic Amish food was but we were very pleasantly surprised at the variety and the rich flavor of their food we had an opportunity to taste that changed my mind entirely about the German origin of their dishes. Their food is organic, very healthy and tasteful.

What I find so admirable about the Amish people is their effort to ward off the outside influences that may change their way of living so they shun anything that they consider will have a negative impact on them. They do not want to change their lifestyle and hope to continue the way their ancestors have for centuries that have given them a sense of community that helps each other in their time of need. It also gives them a sense of belonging to a community that believes in the same values that makes them comfortable and safe.

To ward off the relentless pressure of the English people who push needless consumerism that makes people want things they do not need and learn to waste takes courage, concerted effort and total determination  the Amish people show so that is quite admirable. Not to want cell phones, cars, Television and live without electricity and internet is not easy in the United States but they show that their way of living can't be compromised.

The Amish do not ask for food aid and social security,. They do not ask for unemployment benefits from the government. They do not have pension funds and do not bank their money somewhere but now that is a changing because I saw one Amish bank near the road. They do not have debt and are great savers. They are totally self reliant and proud people who believe in themselves to solve all their problems. They do not suffer from alcoholism, substance abuse, domestic violence and teen age delinquencies and they do not have autism. In general they live long and healthy life. In case someone gets seriously ill and needs expensive hospitalization, they all pitch in as a community and pay all the bills. If that is not admirable then I do not know what is.

They do not vaccinate their children and shun all modern medicine unless it is absolutely necessary to save someone's life. I may not agree with this but I am not Amish.
Some say that they live a life of deprivation without all the modern gadgets, cars and the amenities others enjoy but the Amish say that they are happy the way they are so who is complaining? It is their choice to shun the modern world and live in a world of their own where everyone lives in harmony with the nature and each other, where people care for each other and pitch in at the time of need, where greed, vanity and avarice are avoided at all times, where people marry for life and raise wonderful children with very good values , where being helpful to each other is taught since childhood, where meanness and selfishness is considered a sin, where violence and quarrel is a mortal sin, where simple but fulfilled life is their goal and not need less accumulation of things they have no use for.  This is an ideal world they strive for and from what I have seen is what they have achieved.
Can we the outsiders claim as much ?


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Please save the peacocks

Source : Google photo of a peacock and peahen in India

During my recent visit to Lucknow in India I came to know about the struggle of peacocks  to survive in the vicinity of the Rama Krishna Mission hospital  where feral dogs and cats were attacking and killing the beautiful birds when they are young and most vulnerable.
It made me sad to think that such a beautiful bird that is the national bird of India and protected by law should face such dire situation and no protection is given them so I brought the matter to the attention of Swamijee who is the hospital administrator and a very kind man who could perhaps do something to protect the birds.

I suggested that perhaps the city government could be alerted so  that they could eliminate the feral animals that pose such a grave threat to the peacocks and transfer some large birds and hens to the Rama Krishna Mission compound where they will be safe from the animals and roam happily in the large garden and breed. Some wooden boxes could be put up at the back of the garden where the peahens could lay their eggs and raise the chicks. They are very intelligent birds who would stay in the garden if they knew that they could get some food there like insects or kitchen scraps.

The peacocks are the most graceful and beautiful birds and can be found throughout India in urban and non urban areas but taking them for granted would be a big mistake unless they are protected in a meaningful way.

When I was a child, I saw dolphins playing in the river Yamuna in my hometown in large numbers and did not realize how precious they were and how rare but the fishermen did not think so and killed them for the oil they extracted from the animals so slowly they all disappeared from Yamuna. There was no law to protect them in those days as a newly independent India had other problems to grapple with.

So I was very happy to see a few dolphins swimming in the Ganga river near the ghats of Benares years later and thought that such marvelous animals could be re introduced in other rivers like Yamuna but some one has to take the initiative to do so before they become extinct. Due to our negligence and apathy we do lose many species this way and realize it only when it is too late.

The awareness that all animals and birds are precious and should be protected from harm has to be taught to children in schools so that they can grow up as responsible adults and become active in protecting the wildlife of India because it is a part of the national heritage and must not be allowed to disappear.

Recently I was told that the number of tigers in India has risen due to strict laws protecting them and punishing the poachers but they are a long way from total protection because the poachers are still active in certain parts. But when poachers are turned into conservationists, they see the benefits and protect the animals like what has been done in some African countries.

When you hear the call of peacocks in India, you right away know that you are in their home country where they roam freely and grace the parks and the forests but we all should be aware that they face dangers from feral animals and should be protected.
I am only a writer and have no persuasive power to make people do anything but if some people are inspired to take some positive actions to protect the peacocks, this blog will serve its purpose. The nation will be grateful for every peacock and peahen someone has saved from harm because the laws are meant to protect them from unscrupulous people but not the feral animals.

What we leave behind for the future generation to enjoy must count.


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography:

Mes blogs en français.
Mis blogs en espagnol
Blogs von Anil in Deutschn
Blogs in Japanese
My blogs at Wix site
tumblr posts    
Blogger.com
Medium.com
Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
La biografía de anil en español.
Anil's Biografie auf Deutsch
Anil’s biography in Japanese
Биография Анила по-русскиu

A memorable journey to Egypt

Photo of the pyramids of Giza

Synopsis : Everyone should visit Egypt because there is so much history written in stones. The civilization the Nile supported flourished here for thousands of years and left its imprint on the land and its people. There is so much to see and learn that it is definitely worth a visit. People are warm and friendly who will welcome you.

Today my blog is about a wonderful country called Egypt that I always wanted to visit so one day I decided to do just that , packed up my camera and got an Egyptian visa that surprisingly took over two months to get but it was the month of Ramadan when the Muslims go on a month long fast and do little else so it was not a surprise that our visa took so long in coming. Finally one day we started our epic journey through India , Egypt and finally the United States.

One friend had warned us that perhaps we were biting off more than we could chew at our age when travelling long distances was no longer fun but a never ending ordeal to be tolerated and seldom liked. The tightly packed cabins, poor quality airline food and cramped small seats with hardly any legroom made such journeys a very unpleasant affair unless you were travelling first class which we could not afford.
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So we gritted our teeth and pretended to tolerate the ever crying kids who competed with each other to see who could cry the loudest and longest so it became unbearable because these crying kids were very determined to make the passengers as uncomfortable as possible with their high decibel shrieks. You could hear the groans and curses all round and made us all wish to land quickly somewhere but the long distance flights were not called long distance for nothing.

Finally after severe turbulence over the Bay of Bengal when our very large plane packed like sardines  approached the coast line of India, it was with a sigh of relief that could be heard in the cabin but I wondered if it was the turbulence or the promise of landing in Delhi when the crying kids would stop was the relief we all waited for.

I will write about India in another blog later because today I just want to write about Egypt and what a wonderful experience me and my wonderful travel companion that is my wife  were about to get first hand. I always wanted to visit Egypt because it held a special fascination for me as the cradle of civilization in that part of the world where a great nation rose during their Pharaonic rules that lasted for thousands of years and left its impact that can still be seen today.

Our journey in Egypt started in Cairo as the map here will show you here.



Source: Google map of Egypt showing Luxor south of Cairo

Cairo airport is a sprawling and massive structure that is modern and literally glitters in polished marble stones of many hues and color and the immigration and others were so polite and gentle that was quite unexpected so we got out to the outside where a nice gentleman helped us find the Mohamed who had come to pick us up. It seemed that everyone in Egypt was called Mohamed but this Mohamed spoke some English and took us to our hostel which was very close to the Giza Pyramids and quite a distance from the airport.

At first glance we saw a Cairo with wide and clean highways that had no potholes so the ride was very smooth even at a great speed. Mohamed pointed out major landmarks along the way and explained that the massive citadel on top of a promontory was called Saladin's Citadel  had served as the seat of power for over 7 centuries. Its walls and ramparts looked formidable from a distance so we made a mental note to visit it soon.

Finally our hotel called Oasis turned out not to be an oasis of peace and quiet but in a busy neighborhood where the mullahs woke you up at odd hours with the loud calls of Ajaan and making you realize that you were in a Muslim country where praying five times a day was taken rather seriously by the population. But the rooms were clean, beds very comfortable and the manager called Mohamed was super nice.

The first shock came when we went out to get some bottled water and asked for some direction to stores when we found that practically no one spoke a word of English. All the signboards were in Arabic that I could not read . The neighborhood was very unlike the spic and span airport where we had landed. Now it was the crowded and cramped Egypt that we saw where garbage was scattered in some places and strong and foul smelling stores assailed your sensitive nostrils selling what else ? live chickens.

We could now see the top of the pyramids from the streets and the very next day took the tuk tuk (a three wheeler) to the gates where we were asked to pay hefty fees to enter the grounds. I will not mention the fees because in Egypt like in many countries there are hefty fees you have to pay to visit any place worth visiting. Then there are touts and guides and trinket sellers who will surround you with their offer of services so the Pyramids are tourist traps so that you know and what to expect there.



Source : Pyramid of Giza, Cairo



Source : The pyramid of Giza close ups

But the pyramids did not disappoint us. They are massive to say the least that have withstood the ravages of time for thousands of years and earned their popularity. The Arabs said that " everyone fears time but time fears the pyramids " which is quite true when you stand at the base and look up to see the top. They say the millions of tons of rocks cut elsewhere in Egypt were brought to the sites and piled neatly to make the greatest man made structure in the world that can even be seen from the space.

What will surprise you is the size of each block of stone that probably weighs several tons each and there are pieces that weigh over 80 tons that were brought in from distant quarries and raised to the top using only muscle power and perhaps ropes and pulleys. How they did it so long ago when there were no cranes and mechanical devises will astound you. The pyramids are much higher than the ones we saw in Teotihuacan in Mexico and are facing the true north in a very precise manner. The Aztecs built neat stairs to reach the top but here there were no stairs although I heard that there are narrow tunnels on the sides from where one can crawl up somehow to reach the deep interior of the pyramid to reach the heart of it but there are no sarcophagi or mummies so what was the purpose of such massive undertaking after all ? No one still knows.

At the base of the massive pyramids, there is a temporary shelter built to keep a huge boat they had found in bits and pieces that has been painstakingly reassembled to show you the majesty and detailed workmanship of the boats the Pharaohs used to travel on the Nile . We will see such boats in the National museum later on.

No one can get away from the the souvenir sellers near the Pyramids so we bought a few wood carvings at a tourist price but they are very well made and polished so we bought some. The horse carriage drivers are relentless also so we hired one for a short ride at a steep price because they are after your money and will not leave you in peace.



Source : Narrow stairs going down to the crypt



Photo of massive sarcophagus but how was it brought down through narrow stairs?

Then we came to an underground crypt of someone probably not so important judging by the crude crypt but I decided to crouch and scrape my skin to descend the steep stairs with very low ceiling to get to the bottom of the pit where I saw a huge sarcophagus of immense proportions that was empty and with only a few markings on the stone and the walls. I still do not know how such a huge piece was quarried somewhere and brought down those steep and narrow stairs to its final resting place because it was too big to be brought down the stairs so how was it done? No one knows
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This seems to be the recurring question in Egypt. How did they do it so long ago and with what technology? No one knows although there are many arm chair specialists who make all kinds of wild suggestions, none worth taking seriously.



Photo of sphinx in Giza near the pyramids

Then it was our turn to see the great Sphinx that sits a distance from the Pyramids that is huge by any standard and very damaged. There is a light and sound show in the evenings in front of the Sphinx that is offered to the tourists.

Then we decided to visit the most famous site in Egypt that is in Luxor , some 504 kms from Cairo so one day we took the public transport to the train station in Giza where we were told that no seats on any train that day was available so we promptly decided to go to the bus station to find out what was available which turned out to be a good decision.

The buses to the south leave from the Helmi street so we were told that a bus will leave for Luxor in two hours that came as a great relief. The Golden Horse bus line is a modern bus with comfortable seats and air conditioned so we got on our bus to Luxor with a sigh of relief and settled down to watch the scenery from the windows. We soon realized that the 9 hour long journey had to pass through the most bizarre landscape I had ever seen in any country. It was a bone dry desert of pastel light brown in color with nothing but the hills, stones, gulleys and plateaus of never ending sameness with not even any shrubs and cacti or a blade of grass so it was utterly desolate.



Source : Google photo of Western desert going south to Luxor

Egypt is mostly a desert with the mighty Nile dividing it into Eastern and the Western part. The Nile irrigates a narrow strip of land along both sides where some farmers live and cultivate to grow their food so you will see many villages close to the river and nothing else. Beyond the strip of green patch, there is nothing but the desert where some oasis can be found. We saw nothing but the bone dry desert for 9 hours on our way to Luxor and wondered why people fought over this land in the past and what for? No answers.

Then toward the evening we suddenly saw blinking lights everywhere so thought that we had finally arrived in Luxor but a beautiful girl in good English explained it was the town of Quenna but Luxor was not far away where she too was getting off. Finally we arrived at Luxor and a taxi brought us to our hotel driving some 30 kms but our long and tedious journey ended when we were shown our beautiful room.
The very next day we saw that the hotel was right by the river as everything in Egypt usually is but the view was spectacular, serene and captivating. Water means life in Egypt because without the Nile I believe no one would have come to live in this part of the world and build their mighty pyramids.

The valley of the Kings:



Paintings on the walls leading to the crypt of Ramses II  in the valley of the kings

The valley of the kings is not too far from our hotel so we headed that way in a very old rickety car that was the oldest jalopy I had ever seen but now we had no choice but to go to the valley.  So finally we arrived at the valley that was the most desolate desert with sheer cliffs and the valley in between them where the Pharaohs had chosen to be buried to gain their immortal status. It was bone dry, dusty and of the same pastel hued rocks and sheer cliffs but here the temperature was very high that started to dehydrate us quickly.

The fatigue you feel when you feel very thirsty, are dehydrated and anxious to get into shade somewhere quickly made the valley very unappealing but we were here to see the crypts of the most famous kings of Egypt so we bought our expensive tickets and descended the steep ramps and stairs to go deep down into the burial chambers of Ramses 2, 3 and the tomb of Tutankhamen, the boy king.



Crypt of Ramses where the sarcophagus used to be but now moved to Cairo



Source : Google photo of dazzling paintings on walls going down to crypt

As soon as you start descending down the ramps, you are bedazzled with the hieroglyphs on both walls and the ceiling that look as if they were newly painted but they were painted thousands of years ago and were completely hidden in the belly of the rocky hills. The Pharaohs  had carefully chosen the place where they wanted to be buried in secret chambers cut deep into the rocks where their mummified bodies could be kept forever out of sight so all traces of a tunnel descending into their crypts were very carefully hidden from the public or that's what the Pharaohs thought.

But in Egypt there are people just as determined as the Kings and queens who spend their lifetime searching and finding the crypts who are called the grave looters and thieves. They made it their life's mission to find and loot the treasures buried deep in these desolate hills and valleys called the Valley of the kings. Many of the crypts were found and looted by these rascals who still manage to find treasures and sell them illegally to anyone for a price.

Once you descend down the steep ramps into the crypt itself, you will be disappointed because there you will find an empty but huge sarcophagus painted in dazzling colors of hieroglyphs and all the surrounding walls equally decorated but no mummy. Because the mummies and the treasures have long been removed to the care of the national museum or in the care of the thieves whoever was the first to arrive at the scene.

Not to be outdone by the local thieves,  bigger and more powerful looters arrived called the colonial masters of the time who looted the treasures of Egypt with total impunity and carted off their loot to their capitals and museums all over Europe and elsewhere in the world. The colonial masters were the looters and thieves par excellence that the poor local thieves were no match for because they had all the resources at their disposal to move massive statues and artifacts by ship to their capitals where they can still be seen.



Source : Google photo of King Tutankhamen as he may have looked.



Source : Google photo of king Tutankhamen crypt in the valley of the kings

Then we descended down the ramp to see the most famous of the crypt of Tutankhamen for which we had to buy a special and pricey ticket but we were disappointed to see a  massive sarcophagus with pictures of baboons on one wall and hieroglyphs on others . One one side in a niche we saw the mummy of King Tut himself that was covered with a white sheet showing only the head and the feet of the king. This is the only mummy we saw in the valley. The rest are moved to the national museum in Cairo.

On one side of the chamber that was small, there is a labeled door to the treasury where Howard Carter had found the immense treasures of now very famous find that took him several years to photograph and catalog but all the treasures from the chamber have been removed to other safe locations. I am told that a new modern museum of massive proportions is under construction where such treasures among other things will be on display perhaps next year. So we only saw the padlocked door to the treasury inside the chamber and no treasures of Tutankhamen even in the National Museum in Cairo. I was curious. If the treasures were moved elsewhere then why was the door to the treasury locked? Perhaps some treasures remained but under lock and keys because the thieves still lurk and waiting for a chance to finish the job.

By this time we were exhausted and nearly as mummified as the Pharaohs in the valley so we made a retreat to cooler shades of the tourist traps set up here as well where you will be assailed by the touts and trinket sellers from all sides but you just have to ignore them and move on. You just can't walk away from these people anywhere where there is a tourist spot because this is how they make their living. What will amaze you is the high quality of the handicrafts they sell. They are very well made and absolutely superb in workmanship worth paying the price they ask and then some.

The temple of Hatshepshut: 



Source : The temple of only female pharaoh Queen Hatshepshut

However, tired or not we still had to see one more majestic temple that was of the queen Hatshepshut built against the backdrop of sheer cliffs of pastel grey colored hills that was truly impressive. The trolley trains are provided to the exhausted tourists but you still have to walk a great distance and walk up the massive ramp leading up to the temple so we drank more water in the scorching heat and walked on but the temple seemed like a mirage in the distance so we lost courage and stopped just to look at the massive structure. The queen's mummy has long been transferred to the National Museum in Cairo where we saw it later.

The taxi driver was a con man who now wanted his full payment and disappear although our agreement was for the full day to show us the other sites like the valley of the queens but he was a professional con man who took his money and we saw him no more. I thought I knew how to deal with con men anywhere but the Egyptians had been at this game far longer than one can imagine so we were putty in their hands.

On the way to the valley of kings we did see a number of massive statues and ruins of temples and took photos like other tourists because in Egypt you really want to photograph all you see knowing that you may never come back here again. But the idea of building massive temples and adorn them with 40 feet high statues of kings and queens at a place so desolate and dry made no sense to me but the ancient pharaohs perhaps saw beauty in the desolation and rocky hills bare of any vegetation.

The next day was the highlight of our visit to Luxor when we crossed the Nile in the government run ferry boat and saw the Temple of Luxor just nearby that was huge but but like everything we saw, in ruins with a few columns standing here and there  reminding you of its past glory.

Karnak temple :



Photo of massive columns of the Karnak temple



Photo of the avenue of sphinx in Karnak temple



Photo of Karnak temple ruins and the obelisque



Photo of the water tank in Karnak temple that an unknown source feeds



Photo of Luxor temple



Photo of Luxor temple columns

But the main attraction of  Luxor is the Karnak temple that is only a short distance from the temple of Luxor but we took a horse carriage that brought us to Karnak and waited for us to visit the site. Here stands one of the most majestic temples of Egypt that people from all over the world come to see and admire even if in ruin and scattered and destroyed massive columns. The roof had fallen off a long time ago but you can still see the faded paintings and carvings on the columns and the walls that still stand.

It will give you shivers to realize that once mighty pharaohs and their beautiful queens walked here in the newly built temple that glittered in paintings and silk, ebony and ivory objects decorating the interior and heavily armed guards were everywhere maintaining security and keeping out the rabble. Now the rabble can walk around freely taking frantic photos and no one to stop them.

Then you come to the part where you will be astounded to see a huge tank full of green water and be amazed at the sheer size of the tank that is always full of water. No one knows how the tank is filled because you don't see any channel leading to the Nile but there must be a source for the water that no one knows about.

The tourists were circum- ambulating a huge stone scarab beetle on a pedestal that is supposed to bring you good luck. Tourists will do anything to bring them some luck so why not a stone scarab beetle?
Then we took the bus again and endured the 9 long hours of travel through the absolute desert of light brown and dun color rocks and hills and nothing else, no habitation and no structure of any kind. Who could live here without water and in such desolation?

Cairo national Museum : 



Source : Google photo of the National museum in Cairo

We were now determined to see the grand museum that is world renowned for its collection of antiquities but we did not know the Arabic word for the museum so my wife showed the taxi driver a photo of the Museum she got from Google and we got there in Tahrir square in no time at all where so much history was recently created by the people of Egypt who wanted freedom and democracy.

The National museum of Egypt in light red sandstone is massive and requires many hours to see it completely so we entered the grand hall that had many sarcophagi and huge statues everywhere but the mummies of the most important pharaohs like Ramses 2, 3 and 4 ,queen Hatshepshut among many others are kept in the air conditioned sections of the museum where no photography is allowed.We had already seen the mummy of the boy king Tutankhamen in the Valley of the kings.



Source : Photo of Ramses II as he may have looked



Source : Google photo of the mummy of king Ramses II



Source : Google image of the queen and only pharaoh Hatshepshut



Source : Google photo of the mummy of queen Hatshepshut in Cairo museum



Source : Google photo of inside of the national museum in Cairo as you enter.

The second floor of the museum has many sections showing jewelries, pots and carvings, clothes and coins. There are thousands of articles to see and admire but I doubt if anyone can absorb all of it in just one visit so we just took some photos and called it quits after spending so many hours there. We saw an old royal boat or what remained of it as well and appreciated its construction and style. The royals did everything in style and large scale that has made Egypt so special.

The citadel of Saladin:



Source: google photo of the citadel of Saladin in Cairo

We took a taxi to the citadel that is so massive and spread out over acres of land on top of a promontory that discouraged us to visit its walls that were over 50 feet high and encircled a very large area because we were not prepared to walk so much in the Cairo heat. The dungeons and torture cells did not interest us to say the least so we decided to visit another attraction in Cairo that was not too far away.

The Cairo zoo:

The Cairo zoo is also very big and has a good collection of animals, birds. reptiles that one should see so we too got to the zoo and found it teeming with thousands of Egyptians with whole families that had spread out their sheets in the shade of all the trees and were enjoying the picnic because Friday happens to be the holiday in Egypt that is a Muslim country and not Sundays like in other countries.

The zoo was great and had a smaller museum inside that was air conditioned and where one can see the stuffed animals, birds, Nile crocodiles and numerous large carnivores and their bones, stuffed trophies of birds and large deers , antelopes and other animals. We were the only foreigners in the zoo and at the museum but it was worth it.

So in our two weeks in Egypt we covered the essentials as best as we could under the sweltering heat  and enjoyed it because the Egyptians are so nice and helpful. Egypt is different from other countries and you notice it the moment you land. Women do not wear veil in general and just cover their heads with colorful scarfs. Some wear blue jeans and shirt and cover their heads. Others wear colorful gowns so black is not the predominant color of their dress. Men wear traditional as well as western clothes.

The Coptic Christians are dressed just as anyone would do in the west. The Arabic is their language so very few speak any other language so we learned from google certain useful words and got along fine. We found Egypt a delightful country definitely worth a visit. I should add here that their food is delicious.


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