Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Cairo
Last month, 18-23 February, we decided to make the most of a long weekend and pop over to Cairo, and it didn't hurt that I had enough frequent flier miles for a pair of tickets! We left here LATE Saturday night and came back early Thursday Morning, which gave us 4 full days in Cairo. It was great!
Sunday we did Giza, saw the pyramids (took a camel ride), the sphinx, the boat museum and had dinner on the Maxim Nile Cruise. It was all pretty amazing and fun. We've been to some pretty old and pretty cool places, but the pyramids were simply aweeeeesome. Huge, beyond what the pictures can capture, and OLD way, way older than I think anything else I've seen. Think about it, they were around for 1000 years when Jesus was on the earth, making them 3000 years old now, they outstrip Rome, Greece, just about anything I can think of. The cruise was pretty funny, Ralph hat of choice really shouldn't be a fez.... and that Belly Dancer... that is a whole other conversation, she was amply qualified for the position. Just leave it at an appreciation that this sector of the world appreciates curves and doesn't think that you have to be shaped like Kate Moss to be beautiful.
Monday we went to Saqqarah, the Citadel (Mohammad Ali Mosque - designed by the same architect as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and equally beautiful and Spirit-filled), and the Giza light show. Saqqarah has the "previous generation" of pyramids from the Great Giza Plateau. Can see how the Bent pyramid and the Step pyramid all contributed to the engineering and experience required to build the big guys. Also got to go into one to see the hieroglyphics and the colorings are (3000 years later) amazing, really still bright and tell a story of the Pharohs.
Tuesday we took a VERY long ride to Alexandria, it was very beautiful. We was what was to be seen (Pompei's Pillar, Bibliotheka Alexandria and a few other places) not a whole lot, but had an excellent Fish Meze (Ralph was very happy!) and to make up for it, he bought me a 1/2 kilo of excellent Arab sweets.
Wednesday to Coptic Cairo, where some of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches and communities exist. There is a church where the Holy Family (The Church of St. Sergius) was rumored to hide during a search for Jesus. It's quite amazing to go into a church and see BIBICAL scripture in Arabic script decorated with coptic crosses. Almost kind of hard to integrate in the beginning. We had a great tour guide for all 4 days and he really helped tie it all together. Which took place a lot at Coptic Cairo and then more so at the National archeology Museum.
It was a fantastic trip, so glad we went. And there are at least 2 more trips to take in Egypt: Sharm for diving and Lower Egypt. But next weekend is Prague and over Orthodox Easter is Jordan... so a return trip may have to hold until the babies come.
Reminder: picture info here.
Sunday we did Giza, saw the pyramids (took a camel ride), the sphinx, the boat museum and had dinner on the Maxim Nile Cruise. It was all pretty amazing and fun. We've been to some pretty old and pretty cool places, but the pyramids were simply aweeeeesome. Huge, beyond what the pictures can capture, and OLD way, way older than I think anything else I've seen. Think about it, they were around for 1000 years when Jesus was on the earth, making them 3000 years old now, they outstrip Rome, Greece, just about anything I can think of. The cruise was pretty funny, Ralph hat of choice really shouldn't be a fez.... and that Belly Dancer... that is a whole other conversation, she was amply qualified for the position. Just leave it at an appreciation that this sector of the world appreciates curves and doesn't think that you have to be shaped like Kate Moss to be beautiful.
Monday we went to Saqqarah, the Citadel (Mohammad Ali Mosque - designed by the same architect as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and equally beautiful and Spirit-filled), and the Giza light show. Saqqarah has the "previous generation" of pyramids from the Great Giza Plateau. Can see how the Bent pyramid and the Step pyramid all contributed to the engineering and experience required to build the big guys. Also got to go into one to see the hieroglyphics and the colorings are (3000 years later) amazing, really still bright and tell a story of the Pharohs.
Tuesday we took a VERY long ride to Alexandria, it was very beautiful. We was what was to be seen (Pompei's Pillar, Bibliotheka Alexandria and a few other places) not a whole lot, but had an excellent Fish Meze (Ralph was very happy!) and to make up for it, he bought me a 1/2 kilo of excellent Arab sweets.
Wednesday to Coptic Cairo, where some of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches and communities exist. There is a church where the Holy Family (The Church of St. Sergius) was rumored to hide during a search for Jesus. It's quite amazing to go into a church and see BIBICAL scripture in Arabic script decorated with coptic crosses. Almost kind of hard to integrate in the beginning. We had a great tour guide for all 4 days and he really helped tie it all together. Which took place a lot at Coptic Cairo and then more so at the National archeology Museum.
It was a fantastic trip, so glad we went. And there are at least 2 more trips to take in Egypt: Sharm for diving and Lower Egypt. But next weekend is Prague and over Orthodox Easter is Jordan... so a return trip may have to hold until the babies come.
Reminder: picture info here.
Monday, March 20, 2006
A few readers out there want to know...
Well, it's nice to know there are a couple readers out there (other than Mom - she's obligated to check on this!). And a few wanted to know about the tease in the Vienna posting. It's called the Cyprus Curse, or the Nicosia Inevitable. We've already doubled the family (with Athena and Achilles). It seems as if in the 2ish years we will be here we will triple our family, yes that's right. I drank the local water and we're going to be parents. Twice, twins...
So the next question I always get is: are they in your family? No, actually not. Faternal twins are impacted by age ( the older the mom the more likely ), fertility medicine and family history. That is because Fraternal twins are formed when two eggs are released by the mother, and each egg is fertilized by a different sperm. Fraternal twins can be of the same or opposite sex. They share up to 50% of their genes, and are no more alike or different than any two siblings would be. It is also possible for fraternals to be of different races or parentage, or to be conceived at different times, resulting in a large weight difference at birth. I've read that these kinds of twins are on the rise and about 1 in 50 pregnancies in the US.
I'm having Identical twins which are caused by one egg being fertilized by one sperm. Sometime after fertilization, the egg splits into two genetically identical halves. Identical twins are always of the same sex (although there has been very rare, as in only about 4 cases, of opposite sex identical because of genetic abnormality). They share 100% of their genes, and are in reality, natural clones. Due to the natural factor of these twins, the statistical chance of having them has not changed, about 0.4%. Regular due date is 29 August, but because of twins they will come at least 4 weeks early, as is typical. I will go back to California for the delivery. Right now it looks like sometime in late May and will stay as long as is reasonable. I do expect to continue to work full time after maternity leave, looking for hired help here in Cyprus.
Next post will be about Cairo, we went 18-23 February and it was great. Still am uploading photos, took TOO many. I will try to get that done before next Friday when we leave for Prauge for this year's 1/2 Marathon.
So the next question I always get is: are they in your family? No, actually not. Faternal twins are impacted by age ( the older the mom the more likely ), fertility medicine and family history. That is because Fraternal twins are formed when two eggs are released by the mother, and each egg is fertilized by a different sperm. Fraternal twins can be of the same or opposite sex. They share up to 50% of their genes, and are no more alike or different than any two siblings would be. It is also possible for fraternals to be of different races or parentage, or to be conceived at different times, resulting in a large weight difference at birth. I've read that these kinds of twins are on the rise and about 1 in 50 pregnancies in the US.
I'm having Identical twins which are caused by one egg being fertilized by one sperm. Sometime after fertilization, the egg splits into two genetically identical halves. Identical twins are always of the same sex (although there has been very rare, as in only about 4 cases, of opposite sex identical because of genetic abnormality). They share 100% of their genes, and are in reality, natural clones. Due to the natural factor of these twins, the statistical chance of having them has not changed, about 0.4%. Regular due date is 29 August, but because of twins they will come at least 4 weeks early, as is typical. I will go back to California for the delivery. Right now it looks like sometime in late May and will stay as long as is reasonable. I do expect to continue to work full time after maternity leave, looking for hired help here in Cyprus.
Next post will be about Cairo, we went 18-23 February and it was great. Still am uploading photos, took TOO many. I will try to get that done before next Friday when we leave for Prauge for this year's 1/2 Marathon.
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