In July 1995 I traveled through Egypt. I owned a 110 camera but my wife lent me her 35 mm camera for the trip. I always grab postcards when I go to a new place because they are interesting and I genuinely intend to send them to friends and family (but seldom do). In this case I am glad I had some. While driving to Abu Simbel the drivers insisted on putting my pack on the roof of the bus. Over half of my film was destroyed in the heat. My postcards survived unharmed. If I took the same trip today I would have a digital Canon Rebel, a laptop, mini-hard drive, a video camera, internet connection to back stuff up on my website and my flickr and youtube accounts...its a different world.
0 Comments
On my trip in 1995 about half of my film melted on the top of a bus in the Egyptian desert. Thankfully I bought a few post cards. I always intend to send at least some of my post cards but then almost never do. This is from the world famous pudding shop in Istanbul (Sultanahmet) pictured alongside the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
August 4, 1995 (Friday)
There had been a recent earthquake in Istanbul and workers were busy everywhere repairing roads and buildings. We visited the Islamic Decorative museum. Also visited the Hagia Sophia which I found out had a Empress Zoe, (same name as my wife). We also visited the Blue Mosque. August 5, 1995 (Saturday) Went to Suleiman the Magnificent Tomb, Suleiman Mosque. Islamic Museum, Istanbul Archaeological Museum (Alexander Bust and Alexander Sarcophagus...here is a rare picture of me with the muses) and the Cistern under the city. August 6. 1995 (Sunday) Airplane to Egypt. July 31, 1995 (Monday)
Today is my mother's birthday. I am in Ephesus visiting the ruins. Of particular note is the Library of Celcus and the brothel advertisement. The public toilets were also amusing. We also visited the Museum at Ephesus where I noted a bust of Marcus Aurelius, a Priapus statue, Socrates, Lydia, and Artemis statues. We visited the Temple of Artemis one of the 7 wonders of the world. It had one surviving column and was partially underwater and cows were pastured on the edge of the site. We also visited St. John's Basilica. There were four sarcophagi-one medieval lion, the others were Hellenistic. Some Hellenistic ruins were used in the construction of the walls. August 1, 1995 (Tuesday) Went to Pergamum (orange ticket) and Bursa. August 2, 1995 (Wednesday) Bursa August 3, 1995 (Thursday) Visited Mosques July 29, 1995 (Saturday)
Visited Marmaris Turkey. --City under a tent--labyrinth. July 30, 1995 (Sunday) Stayed in Selcuk. There was a procession with a small kid dressed like a sultan. There was music and a band, but all music stopped at the band passed a mosque. Did homework. A saw a runaway mule pulling a cart. This is the first place I heard call to prayer at a mosque. Note: This ticket is from a textile museum in Turkey. While I remember going, my notes are not clear where this was located. I would have visited it somewhere between here and Istanbul. July 28, 1995 (Friday)
We are touring the Ionic Greek colonies in Turkey. We visited Didyma which has a very nice temple of Apollo. The interior of the temple was amazing. I was surprised to see people touching and climbing the monuments. Saw inscriptions, theater faces and a lion statue. At Miletus, we saw the Faustina Baths. Some of our group was goofing around on the ruins at Miletus. There was a theater, a bouletarian, a gymnasium--partially underwater--saw horn, bone. Went to Priene--big climb, grid style construction, Temple of Athena, theater with big stone chairs, temple of Zeus. We took a bus to rural Turkey, Mountainous, pines, low areas like a desert--dry heat. July 26, 1995
Took the boat trip from Crete to Rhodes. The ship sucked! It was very dirty and I'm chaffed so bad that it smells of death. I can hardly walk. Phil (history prof) gave me some ointment and I bought some baby powder at a shop. I slept for eight hours at the Hotel Anastasia. July 27, 1995 I'm feeling a little better. The ointment works. I was worried I was going to get sent home. I hobbled to the old city in Rhodes after being lost for an hour. I asked directions at Dora's Pizza. Dora was a wonderful woman. I love Rhodes. The people are so nice. I want to stay here forever. The food at Dora's Pizza was really good. I told Dora about Ypsilanti. She wanted to visit the U.S. I went to the Knights Hospilitar in the Medieval part of the city. It had an archaeological museum with a first century Aphrodite. I also visited a Byzantine temple and a decorative art museum. July 24, 1995
I am skipping back a couple of days to Athens, Greece. I really wanted to see the Greek dancers perform their traditional dance. I got this brochure and was ready to go but was so tired I just couldn't make it. I had walked so much I had started to rub my legs raw. Someday things will improve in Greece and I will go back to see them dance. July 25, 1995
The boat ride was too long with too little chance for sleep. I'm tired...too tired to enjoy Knossos. This was supposed to be a big highlight for me and I can barely focus. Visited the Knossos Palace and the Knossos Museum. My pictures from Crete were destroyed in the Egyptian heat. I was particularly impressed with the gold objects and the snake goddess figures which were even more incredible up close. I am extremely chaffed and sore...not very happy. I had Pizza Hut. You can get American fast food anywhere...so sad! July 24, 1995
Mycenae was certainly one of the highlights of the trip for me. We visited the famous Lion Gate and its Cyclopean walls. I felt envious of Heinrich Schliemann for his discovery but annoyance that he got so much wrong in his desire to be famous rather than accurate. The Tomb of Atreus was cool Stand in the center of this bee-hive tomb and speak in the quietest of voices and your voice is projected loudly around the chamber. Stand anywhere else and it doesn't work. After Mycenae we spent ten minutes at Corinth. Our ship was waiting for us in Piraeus to take us to Crete. It will be a long trip. |
Dean StevensI am responsible for all that appears before you. Categories
All
Archives
January 2022
|