Big Bad-Ass Egyptian Adventure: Egypt Day 3

What day is it? What time is it??? I am not sure I even know what my own name is.
Today there was so much time spent commuting from one place to another. That's the down side to being on a 8 (or is it 9?) day tour- a lot to see in a short time.
Last night, we flew into Aswan. Our flight from Cairo to Aswan was made longer by all of the waiting before we were able to board. We arrived at our hotel just before midnight. I absolutely had to shower upon arrival to my room because my feet were filthy. I wore my Crocs to the pyramids and the Sphinx, leaving my feet dirty from the sand. Not too mention I had also straddled a camel for a short spell. I was down for some shower time. Crawled between the sheets, just after 1am. I had to be packed and ready to go, because we were leaving early and not coming back.
We got started at 5:15am this morning with a wake-up call. I slept like a baby for 3 hours. It was tough to pull myself out of that deep, dreamless sleep. But I did. (What happened to sleeping in on vacation?)
Breakfast was served at 6am. I was up, showered(a quick one to wake up) dressed, and out the door by 6:15am. I wish I could say I enjoyed breakfast- but the truth I have observed thus far, I feel that Egyptians do a great injustice to American breakfast foods. I didn't know it was possible to mess up scrambled eggs...until this morning. The eggs tasted like fat-free cottage cheese mixed with sawdust and then stuffed into old pantyhose, run through a blender.
BAD. Very BAD.

7am and we were boarding the shuttle back to Aswan airport. We were scheduled to fly out to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is located on Lake Nasser, on the Nile River, just near the Sudanese border. From Aswan it's a 40 minute flight. On arrival at the small airport, we learned that our flight was being delayed, and we had an hour and half to kill before boarding.
I took the opportunity to shop at the kiosks. I haggled a guy down to $5. for a pair of black socks with hieroglyphics on them. He was kind of a pushover, and I got it down from $10. I probably could have got them for less then that if I really tried, but this was my first purchase. A few minutes later I did let myself get ripped off when I purchased a lapis lazuli scarab fro $5. I didn't care. I will note that I did care about the fact that bottled water, a small bottled water at that, was $3.00. I drew the line there. Well, actually, no I don't think I did. I think my thirst forced me to give in.

The domestic flights to and from the various major cities in Egypt are treated the way we treat a commuter flight say from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. It's quick and dirty. They serve you a beverage, and as quick as you got on, you are getting off after a very rough landing. Actually there were about 30 seconds there, were the person sitting next to me (I think it was Nancy or Martha...writing this present day and I cannot recall now. So many plane rides!) - we looked at each other thinking " Oh shit, are we gonna die?" The pilots brought the plane down way too fast and we felt the plane start to tip to the right. That was some scary shit- the freakiest thing that happened to me on the trip.

Ramses Temple at Abu Simbel

There are a lot of tourists at the Temple of Abu Simbel, though not many of them look to be American. It seems to be mostly Italian & Chinese groups everywhere. The Italians are the ones wearing tight revealing clothes (the Russians are known for this too) and talking constantly. The constant conversing is also kind of annoying. The Chinese seem to be an easy going lot- big shoppers and suckers for the touristy souvenirs being peddled by the street vendors.
The Temple site itself is located right near the edge of the lake. The temple is not actually located on the original site- the temple had to be moved up, to save it from the flooding by the dam. It's warm here- must be in the 80's. Sunny, quiet, peaceful. This so far, is my favorite thing I have seen. It is more awe-inspiring then the pyramids and the Sphinx because of the above factors. You can hear yourself think here and it's a refreshing change of pace form the bustle of the big city in the north.

Ramses Temple exterior- these hieroglyphics depict Ramses enemies



Ramses Temple, on the right of the entrance

The 2 temples there were built by Ramses II to impress his majesty and power upon the Nubians and enemies to the south of Egypt. One his built in his honor and the other his wife, Nefertati (not to be confused with Nefertiti) and the goddess Hathor (pronounced HAT-HOR, as told to me by Mohammed.) The temples are just breathtaking. The sheer magnitude of walking down the main corridor of the Ramses temple, with all of the giant statues flanking it, is absolutely amazing.

this photo was found using a Google search. Some dude had it on his Flikr account. Tourists are not authorized to take phots inside, which leads me to think he may be French. Apparently the French have a reputation for taking pics where they are not supposed to. But from this picture you get an idea of what it looks like inside.

coming out of Ramses' Temple, view of Lake Nasser on the Nile


Nefertati's Temple is located to the right of Ramses'


The Goddess Hathor, depicted on the exterior of Nefertati's Temple. Hathor is the sister of Isis. She is the Goddess associated with love, fertitlity, sexuality,music and dance, to name a few.


I am really here!!

Imagination is all we have to envision how beautiful and magnificent these temples were when first constructed. It makes me sad and frusterated that we will never really know just how they were really meant to look...
We spent an 1 1/2 hours here. Mohammed was not alloweed inside with us (tour guides are prohibited from entering the temples when they are working- imagine all of the tour guides gathered with their gruops. No one would be able to really appreciate the temples on their own.) and prepped us before going in about some of the depictions on the walls inside. As always, I am impressed and amazed by the constant wealth and knowledge that lives inside that man. It is apparent to me with every passing second, that Mohammed has been living in this land as long as the temples have been standing. He is an old soul with his spirit closely interetwined with Egypt's history, land and heartbeat.
"Yalla!Yalla,Friendly Planet!" This is Mohammed's round-up call. He is feeling poorly as he has come down with a head cold. What a trooper though- he never complains and is always pleasant. But it is obvious that he does not feel well and would benefit from some time spent resting. We left Abu Simbel, flying back to Aswan. We met up with our Aswan tour director Mohammed (the most common name in Egypt... how do they tell each other apart, I often wonder?) and board our cruise ship, the MS Tulip.


the bathroom.The shower is to the right, behind the door. That hose was attached to a "hair dryer". My hair suffered on this trip, as the water was heavily chlorinated and hard. It was limp and gross feeling. The "hair dryer" didn't work(it wouldn't be until my last nigth in Cairo, back at the Ramses where I would have a real, hand-held hair dryer.)... so I went curly for most days.


bed in cabin 206. The one on the right was my sleeping bed, and other was my napping bed.



Cabin 206. The bathroom is right off the front door behind the camera


view from my cabin window

Views of the Nile from my window. The boats are called "felluccas".








Shortly after arrival in my room, maybe 15 minutes or so after, I went into the bathroom and switched on the light. And there to greet me was a small little cockroach crawling across the floor. Awesome. I did not freak out.( And I definitely did not tell any of my tour mates until our last day in Cairo- no sense in freaking any of them out.) I managed to scoop him up in a glass and send him on a long watery trip to visit the Porcelain God. So long, Roachie!
Lunch was served at 1pm and it was crappy. The food on this ship is seriously lacking in the love department. It has to be difficult to cook for so many nationalities, make it affordable, and please the guests. I wonder if they were serving Authentic Egyptian cuisine, if I would be able to taste the love in the food.
After lunch, I was eager to return to Cabin 206, and decided to nap the afternoon away.

Big Bad-Ass Adventure: Egypt Day 2

Bridge over the Nile in Cairo

What day is it? All sense of time of timing has left me. Perfect! Because I am on vacation!
After breakfast in the Terrace Cafe, I met my group downstairs. Mostafa guided us onto our bus. It was there that we met our other guide, Mohammed. Mohammed is an Egyptologist. He looks to be in his 40's. He is just as warm and welcoming as Mostafa, with a really pleasant sense of humor. It feels like he enjoys working with Americans. Mohammed was to take us to our first excursion of the day- to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Pictures are not permitted inside, and so I left my camera on the bus. There were lots of tourists filling the museum. We followed Mohammed to various places in the museum and listen to him tell us about the history of Ancient Egypt. It is absolutely impossible to see everything in the museum in one visit. In fact, Mohammed explained that in order to see every single item there, it would take 8 hours a day for 4 years. And there is more stuff in the basement in storage. They will be building a new, ginormous Museum in the next couple of years, just house and exhibit all of the stored items. I wonder if I will ever make it back to see the new museum...It was very overwhelming here, because there were a lot of things I was seeing up close and in person outside of a book. I stood in front of the famed gold funeral mask of Tutankhamun in wonder and awe. It is beautiful and unbelievable to behold. To being seeing there was one of the profound experiences for me. All of us declined to see the mummies in a separate room. It was an extra $18.00 and as Mohammed reminded us," they are just dead." That I could personally do without. My psychic senses had yet to pick up anything tangible, but I did not want to provoke them with viewing the mummies.
After the museum, Mostafa took us to a hotel across the street, "The Nile Hotel" for lunch in the outdoor cafe. I sat with Sam and Martha and we exchanged pleasantries and introductory information over chicken shwarma sandwiches. The whole time I could feel Mostafa's energy and sometimes his eyes, directed partly in my direction. I was trying to be oblivious and cool. Mostly because I was still unsure about the attraction I was feeling and didn't want to be obvious to my tour mates or him. Crap! Wasn't I on vacation? This was a completely unexpected development.
It was a short lunch and then we were back on the bus on the way to Giza to see the pyramids and the sphinx. My camera battery was showing signs of slow down. Actually it was dying a quick death. I had failed to charge it up the night before. This would prove to be a trend over the week. So the few pictures below are the only ones shot by me. A few of my tour mates have very generously offered me use of some of their pics or took pics of me to send me later.
While I am on the subject of tour mates, let me tell you about our group. There are 14 of us total. Mostly from the East Coast, with the exceptions of me and Alan from Wisconsin. I was the only left coaster, and the only one to be making my maiden voyage outside the US. There is Sam and Martha from Texas, a retired couple with a very lovely life story about their marriage and a large family they often see and scuba dive with. Carol and Shauna from Connecticut. Carol is a dietitian and is very well traveled. She was accompanied by her daughter Shauna, who is a few years younger than me. Joan (Florida) and Nancy (South Carolina), retired southern ladies who are old collage friends, leaving their S.O.'s behind to see Egypt. Mark and GG, doctors from Virgina who came with their neighbors, Mark and Betsy. And finally Kevin and Kami, the fun 20 somethings I would connect better with later on. It felt like a good group, small and pleasant. Mostafa commented that our group is half the size it usually is. We would all be thankful for this fact as our sightseeing trips went on.


Entrance to the pyramid site


Standing in front of the second pyramid, and looking up. I went inside this pyramid. It's hot, narrow and tight and not terribly inpressive. No pics allowed inside either. The climb into and out, allowed me to discover muscles in my thighs I never new existed.




I was really frustrated with my camera battery. I was upset I was not going to be able to capture this experience photographically the way I wanted.
Shortly after this picture was taken, I headed back to the bus with Alan and Mostafa. We didn't board right away, instead the three of us stood in front of the bus, chatting as we waited for the others to join us. I took the opportunity to try and get a read on Mostafa and it was fascinating and puzzling. I learned abot places he has been outside of Egypt, a bit about his political views, and his take on America and Americans. The more I hung aorund him, the more I liked him. Damn it- I could feel the attraction growing. It wasn't a mindblowing attraction like I have felt with others in my life- it was mild and mellow, but definately present. And it made me think about the different tones of personal chemistry. Hmmmm....
Slowly the tour memebers began to trickle back to the bus. We were headed over to a place up the way for our camel ride. Initially, I was not going to do this. But then I decieded, what the hell? I may never get this chance again- might as well live it to the fullest that I want to. So a little nervously, I mounted the camel ( Ooohh that's a great title for something - mounting the camel...Book title? Poem? Kama sutra position? All of the above? Hmmm..)








Camels are cantankerous. I was picking up on the vibes of the camels and they were not happy. I could here them thinking " Fuck. This is my life- parading tourists around on my back, back and forth between the pyramids with my keepers, little boys under the age of 12, hitting me with sticks telling me to go faster. Fuck you. I don't want to. I'll go as fucking fast as I want to!"
I focused on not falling off, and sending a lot of love and appreciation to my camel. The ride itself was very cool. Riding in the desert on a camel to a pyramid. The scenery was beautiful, pleasant temperature and blue sky. It was a great bonding expereince for those of us who did it.

me and Martha and our camel friends
Back on the bus again, this time our destination was the Sphinx. We had maybe a 30 minutes here, because the site was closing at 5pm. Truthfully, the sphinx is so much smaller than you think it's going to be. I was only able to take one picture on my phone. My camera was dead by now, and my phone died immediately after I took this picture. (It was nice not having to charge my phone, because I wasn't using it. No phone calls or texts was such a nice thing for me!)

I tried to be impressed, but between my dipping energy, the crowd of tourists, the street vendors hassling, and my camera being dead, I was done. I wanted to go back to my room and re-group. Instead we left the Sphinx, and headed to a jewlery store where they made quality gold and silver heiroglyphic necklaces. A lot of the guides have established realtionships with reputable dealers, that allows them to recieve a commishion for bringing in their groups, if they buy the product. I think only one person bought something. The rest of us were not interested. There was slightly more interest in the Papyrus shop we went to next. Mostly, everyone was ready for dinner. It was probably close to 7 by the time we got to the restaurant. Dinner was ok, kind of bland. But it was a good opportunity for some of us talk and get to know one another. Once dinner was finished, we were headed to the airport for our short flight to Aswan.
Mostafa was staying in Cairo, and Mohammed would be taking us onward to Aswan and our cruise through to Luxor. I was a little disappointed to learn this, as I was still wanting a chance to nonchalantly get to know him better. Just as well, I suppose.
Our flight to Aswan was indeed short, the landing a bit rough, and the ride to the hotel a bit longer than I am sure we all would have liked. It was just before midnight when we arrived at the Basma Hotel. It has been a very long day - put a fork in me I am very well done.

Big Bad-Ass Egyptian Adventure: Egypt Day 1

Egypt


Cairo International Airport

Our plane touched down at Cairo International Airport around 12pm. I am anxious. I can't see much out of the window across the aisle, but I what I do see is brown.
Stepping off the plane and down the silver steps, I make my way towards the shuttle that sits waiting. Is the one I am supposed to get on? No one has given me instruction and my very tired brain is still on meltdown. I get on, and hold on. Destination unknown.
The air is warm, and the sounds of the plane are lingering in the air. The shuttle snakes around the the airport gate. I head inside knowing only that I need to look for the words "Friendly Planet". Almost as soon as I remember what words I am looking for, I see them. Our tour director stands holding his clipboard high. There is frantic activity as many of the other passengers who arrived are locating their own tour company's, with the natives just trying to get through the sea of tourists through customs and home to their families.
Our tour director, I first guess to be at least 5 years older than me- not because he looks it, but because he is so to tall. Maybe he is 6 feet tall? I am not sure, being 5' 1'' everyone is taller than me. Still I am grateful for his strong stature because immediately I am comforted and made to feel safe. This guy is taking care of me, I think. He stands tall with broad shoulders, warm, smart, easy brown eyes behind trendy frames, and a quick welcoming smile quickly work their magic on my nerves. Our eyes meet and I say something about how I belong in this group and what my name is. I don't really remember because I am so tired and my sensations are on overload. I feel stupid, clumsy, and awkward. Not too mention I know I look disheveled and very unsexy. He smiles and puts his arm on my back to guide me to the other members of the group assembling. "My name is Mostafa. Welcome to Egypt." Welcome indeed, I thought to myself. I was feeling a spark; an attraction. Whoa, whoa, whoa hold up Paula!!!! You did not come on this vacation, halfway around the world, to be distracted by the opposite sex. You came here for you. To sort things out in your head and be independent of emotional connections. Besides, you are probably imagining things that are not there. Still, I could not escape the feeling that perhaps my tour director might possibly also be feeling the spark. His professionalism was keeping it hidden, and whatever was there was being sensed on my part without evidence.



First stamp! I am officially in Egypt, Baby!

Mostafa gathers us all in group and explains the visa and customs process. I always get a little paranoid when I have to do anything official. Though I have absolutely no reason to be worried- it's not like I am smuggling pot into the country. I am just in another country for the first time, as a curious American tourist. Plus, given my history, I have incredible luck at being the one to get in trouble for doing something that began from innocent intentions (remember my arrest in 2000? Yeah... case in point...).
Once out of customs, smoothly I might add, our group is gathering at the baggage claim. Sam and Martha from Texas have introduced themselves at this point, and I like them both immensely instantly. Southern hospitality in Egypt.
As we wait for the bags, I am eager to set my eyes on my own bag. I won't be able to relax until I know it's here with me. Please, please, please, Dear Sweet Luggage be here! I silently pray, beg and plead. I waited for about 5 minutes, and then there it was- my little red suitcase with it's pink and white polka dot ribbon. Big sigh of relief. "Ok", I thought, " I am ready to see Egypt!"
Mostafa leads us through the airport to our bus. I am absolutely giddy inside because I know I am minutes away from a bed. Sleep. I want it bad.
Exiting the airport, we drive onwards towards Cairo. Mostafa begins speaking on the microphone to the small group of fourteen of us.


The back of Mostafa's head and our driver. I want to say his name was Mohammed...we had so many drivers.

Admittedly, I don't hear much of what he is saying, or paying much attention to the faces in my group due to my sleep-deprived state. I do hear Mostafa's very heartfelt "Thank you" as he explains how grateful he is for himself and behalf of his countrymen, that we are here and ready to experience Egypt. Tourism in Egypt has felt the sting of the global economic crisis. I am so glad I came, I think. In times like these, it feels good to know that my hard-earned money goes to people who truly appreciate it. This is how we help each other.


This is a cropped section of a mural that is tiled on the highway from the airport.

Taking out my camera, I begin to snap pictures as we drive along. I am overwhelmed and not quite sure what to capture. How do I scoop up every single thing my eyes are seeing so that later, when I am home and in a more well-rested state than I am at present, remember? I snap away the 45 minutes to the hotel. Or maybe it was an hour? Who knows. Time became inceasingly unimportant to me. That trend would continue throughout my journey.


Street in one of the poorer parts of Cairo


beautiful, smoggy Cairo


Street Store on the corner across the street from the Ramses Hilton



this is the street the hilton entrance is on. The driveway is to the left.


The Ramses Hilton. I got this photo online, because for some reason I didn't take a picture of it myself.

Arriving at the Rames Hilton, I am overjoyed inside. "GIVE ME THE KEY" is what is going through my mind as Mostafa gives instruction for checking in, meeting up for breakfast tomorrow, and the impending agenda. I was the last one to get my key from Mostafa, and I stood there, trying not to feel awkward, desperately wanting the key, and finding myself wanting to flirt all at the same time. Words were tumbling out of my mouth and I could not tell you even now, what I was saying. I know that I was laughing at what I was saying. Making jokes to deflect from the attraction I was feeling. He was laughing too, and made some offer of meeting up for coffee together sometime. Holy crap I thought. There it is. Yep. Ok. Got to go. I am scared of feeling attracted to him and it's only my first day. I wanted to say yes and agree on a time, but more than that- I wanted to sleep and get my bearings together.
I said goodbye and hurried up to my room and into the safety of the room that awaited me on the 8th floor.
Once in my room, I literally dropped everything. Looked around and began peeling off my clothes. Ugh. I stunk. My deodorant didn't survive the trip. Into the shower to wash off the smell of travel. I would like to take a moment here to comment on just how important showers are for me. No matter how bad I am feeling in life, I always come out a better Paula after a shower. They are sacred to me. And even in relationships, I still prefer to waste water and shower solo.
Anyhoo, after the shower, I flung myself on the bed, still wrapped in a towel. My hair was snuggly wrapped up in a towel as well. And as I drifted off into the first of many naps on this journey, I was overcome with a feeling of deep relaxation.


Egyptian money. Pretty, dirty money

Several hours later, I dress and head off in search of food. I pick the Terrace cafe because it's the only name I can remember. I want to eat cheap and light this evening. It's about 7pm by this time, and I am still in a fog. Jet lag is harsh. It's buffet in the restaurant and after sitting for a few minutes with a bottle of water, gathering my thoughts and mapping my steps in my fog, I head towards the food.
Nothing struck me as fabulous. I took a a picture of my food. It was alright. Salad, falafel, veggies, potatoes... Maybe some chicken. All of it was really forgettable. I ate slowly. Halfway through my meal, I was ready to be done. I remembered that I wanted to find a computer to write home. There was one thing that was truly unforgettable about my first meal in Cairo- the bill.


Here is the view from the restaurant window. I will never forget sitting there eating dinner, and feeling strangely comforted by the smooth vocal stylings of Lionel Richie, crooning away about how he was "Stuck on You". Never.


$40.00 dinner. This is what happens when you are jet-lagged, hungry, and alone.


$40.00 later, I was on my way to the Business Center where Ahmed helped me get set up to connect with my peeps. Most of you all know, from the email I sent that night, much of what I have detailed in this entry. And Athena was right- emailing home is a great souvenir for myself. It takes me back to where I was and what I was feeling writing home for the first time away.
I headed back to my room, once the allotted and expensive 30 minutes were up. It was around 9pm. And I was ready for bed again. Had to be up early for breakfast and our first day of sightseeing in Cairo.


Oh yeah baby. I have been waiting all day for this. Sweet Dreams.

Paula's Big Bad-Ass Adventure: NYC Day 3

January 20, 2009 8:00am

NYC, Portland Square Hotel, room # 622
Today is Obama's inauguration day. I have finally figured out how to work the remote to my tv and have it on.
Now before I get into the details of my international departure, let me take a few minutes to reflect on this historic day...
Many of us, in the years to come, will remember where we were when President Barack Obama was sworn in. I found myself sandwiched in yet another shuttle, en route to JFK. I was seated in the middle, directly behind our Russian driver. So lucky for me, the radio was closest to me. Unlucky, was the fact that I was surrounded by Spanish & English speaking people, with a driver who took the keys out of the ignition every time we stopped to pick up passengers. True to mercury retrograde's challenges with communication, the broadcast of the swearing in and his inaugural speech was continually interrupted. (Don't worry I you-tubed it when I got home). I feel annoyed at having missed seeing it the way I would have liked. But what I did hear of President Obama's moved me. It invoked a sense of pride, hope, and amplified optimism for the future of my homeland. I feel proud to be heading overseas, to represent my country as an American, with great respect for where I come from and where I am headed. Onwards and upwards!
Currently I am sitting at a table in the Terminal 4 food court. It's 1pm and my flight doesn[t begin check-in for another 90 minutes. This terminal is recently built or remodeled. Shiny and new. Lots of international passengers and airline crew walking around and eating. This terminal houses not just Egyptair, but flights connecting to India, Jamaica, Ireland, Qatar, and Brazil- just to name a few. I am acutely aware that I am at a crosdsroads in life.
At 6:00pm-ish we begin to board our airbus to Egypt. The panic is beginning to set in. OH.MY.GOD.WHAT. THE.FUCK.AM. I. DOING????!!! My inner monologue is peppered with phrases like that, repeated over and over. Is my luggage going to be on the plane? Are we going to crash into a body of water? I am going to the African continent??!!! Oh crap. Here we go..
The plane is large and feels almost like a skinny theatre. All around me, the passengers are a mix of Egyptians and foreigners destined for Cairo. I find myself seated in the middle of the plane on an aisle, on the right side of the plane.To my left, was an Egyptian man who looked to be around my age. We had two empty seats between us. Sweet! Extra room!
As the plane is filling up and passengers are getting settled, I am having what is surely only my 3rd panic attack ever. I discreetly started freaking out about the fact that I was really doing it- I was finally daring to leave all that is known and familiar to me to go and experience a land I had only ever read about. All by myself. I didn't know a soul. I knew that on the plane, my tour mates were seated as well- but none of us had met yet. I felt isolated and small- a little girl in a big world. Shauna and I had been text messaging up to this point and I was really grateful for her encouraging words as she reminded me that I was going to be OK, have fun and be glad to be doing this long-dreamed of thing. I was holding back the tears at this point. I didn't want people around me to see how scared I really was. So I sat, trying to be calm. Around this time, the radio on the plane played the only Avril Lavigne song I like, "Keep Holding On". It was as if Shauna was right there holding my hand telling me it was all OK and that I wasn't alone. OK, I thought- I am going to be OK. I am going to be a big girl now and go and see the world.The plane began to taxi down the run way and as we were taking off the snow covered ground at JFK, I said a little prayer of thanks and asked to brought back home safe.
Soon after, we were gaining altitude and on our way up to 40,000 feet above the earth. The friendly and designer- scented flight attendants began to serve dinner. I had requested the Gluten Free meal and for my first in-flight meal, it was delicious. I was grateful for the distraction of discovering all of the little offerings. It reminded my a lot of my beloved Laptop Lunch box. On my little tray was a grilled chicken breast with roasted veggies, a rice cake, salad, and cheesecake with passion fruit glaze that was absolute heaven!
Thirty minutes later, the dishes were cleared and I was forced to become more aware of the obnoxious lady across the aisle over to my right. Her husband had taken the free seats behind me, so she had 2 all to herself. She looked to be in the agerange of a retired lady and looked to enjoy her life. If not for her demeanor and my feelings of anxiousness, I might have found her amusing. Instead, I was annoyed by her over excitement and curiosity. She was like a child, or rather a 16 year old girl who knew she was voted the most popular girl in school. She had already seemed to have established close friendships with members of her touring company. They would stop by just to say "Hi" throughout the duration of our 9 hour flight. Her voice was annoying- high pitched, giggly, with questions rolling easily off her tongue by the second. It was not helping me to be calm. In fact, I found myself fantasizing about violent scenarios that involved the flotation device under my seat. I silently forgave her perceived obnoxiousness when she later offered me a blanket, not realizing I already had one. I thanked her and smiled. Deep down I was thankful for the motherly kindness she showed me on that flight of incredible vulnerability.
As the hours passed, my nerves calmed but the questions about what would happen once I got off the plane, stayed. Thank god for in-flight movies!!! They played 3 back to back- " Baby Mama", " Get Smart", and "Mama Mia". I did not sleep a wink during the flight. I watched all 3 movies. I tried to doze, but planes are not made for sleeping.
About an hour before we landed, I got up to wash my face, brush my teeth and put on some mascara. I felt a little better, but oh I was looking forward to a hot shower and a nap in real bed.

Paula's Big Bad-Ass Adventure: Day 2Hello from NYC

Hello from New York! Day 2

There is an excited buzz here, as we inch closer to inauguration. Unfortunately, I will be stuck in a shuttle en route to JFK while Obama is sworn in. I am hoping I will at least be able to hear it...I only have a few minutes before my ride shows up, so I will highlight briefly.

My accomodations were severely lacking. The Portland Square Hotel is an old, quaint building. It's just ok. The staff isn't very friendly- but then that could just be New York. The age of the building means that it has radiant heat- which you can never turn off. My tiny room is like a fuckin oven! But whatev. I figure it's gearing me up for Egypt's climate a bit. You get what you pay for. $85. a night to be 2 blocks down from Times Square and a little farther from Grand Central Station= pretty damn good.

NYC feels very comfortable. Love it. Feel perfectly at home. Met up and spent the day with Diane yesterday and had such a great, great time.

We walked all around the city, took the Stanton Island Ferry for pizza (very fun and authentic, Di! The bus ride and the pizza!) It was snowing here in the city yesterday. So seeing the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty was kinda hard. Later that night, we went to Chickalicious. OMG. It was such a fun & perfect experience.


Individual french presses of coffee for each of us. Warmed us right up.


Chickalicious is a place where it is all about dessert. You are served 3 dessert courses. This is Di tasting the first course, "The Amuse". It was a pecan ice cream in a chocolate jele'. Sweet and simple.



This was my main course. the first thing was a shredded wheat-type base with a banana salad on top. Then it is accompanied by a scoop of chocolate pudding and milk froth. It was just lovely. Lots of perfect, rich little bites.

What made it even better is going to the other Chickalicious location we discovered after, across the street. They had CUPCAKES!!! YOU KNOW I WAS ALL OVER THAT!

Di had a carmel filled delight. (UNBELIEVABLE!) I enjoyed a red velvet with vanilla cream cheese frosting (YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!)



Shhhhhh..quiet. Red and I are having an intimate moment....

I took it as a huge compliment last night, as I was walking back to my hotel after Di left me for her commute back to Connecticut, that both an Irish couple and a car full of what I think were Italians, stopped me to ask if I " knew were any pubs were" or how to get to Rockefeller Center". Both times I answered, "Sorry I am not from here". They both wished me well, with the Italians exclaiming " Welcome to the club!" as they drove off." Nice. Thanks New York, for making me feel at home and a part of you :)

Paula's Big Bad-Ass Adventure:PDX-NYC Day 1

Somewhere over Colorado

Long Beach Airport, California 10am PST

The day has finally arrived. I am leaving on a jet plane. Destination: Egypt.

My dear friend Julie was promptly at my door for transport to PDX just after 5am. ( Thank you Luscious!!!!) We chatted through sleepiness and excitment about my big girl adventure. We got to departures and I got out and rounded up my luggage. Julie hugged me tightly good-bye and I was off to check-in at the Jet Blue counter.

Once I got my bag checked, I purposefully headed over to Coffee People. If I had known then it would be my last decent cup of joe for 2 weeks, I would have had at least 3 cups or maybe gallons... I meandered further in a sleepy, hungry daze over to Rose's for breakfast. Eggs,hashbrowns, and bacon rounded out the morning meal. I was feeling better, though still exhausted.

There are a lot of firsts for me during this adventure. One of which was the fact that I have never flown with Jet Blue before. Boarding the plane, I was instantly impressed by the friendliness of the crew, the leather seats, and the long list of complimentary snacks and beverages. The captain came out and introduced himself before take-off. Captain James was 6 ft tall, blonde haired and blue eyed with a smile and deamnor of an Orbit gum spokesman. He was charming and smooth as he welcomed us aboard and shared the details of our flight itinerary. I felt very safe and relaxed and ready to jet!

At take off ( my favorite part of flying), I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of intense love. As we headed up, the jets roaring, I could feel every single person who loves me and supports me on this trip, literally pushing the plane forward and up, behind me. My eyes welled up and I felt warm and fuzzy. A little dizzy even. I felt them all hugging me and wishing me well- happy travels and a safe return home. What an amazing send-off to have. ( I would continue to feel the magic of it with me during the remainder of my trip.)

As I said before, there are a lot of firsts for me on this trip. It was my first time using the bathroom on the airplane. Normally, I make a point to not drink many beverages on the flight, so I can avoid using the bathroom. Why would I avoid using the bathroom ?, you must surely be asking yourself. I don't really have a clear answer for you, honestly. I think it's because I usually have a window seat and don't want to walk over people to go. I just hold it. But I decided this time, since there was just one person sitting next to me, that my bladder would dictate otherwise. So I made my past him, and down the aisle. The bathroom was occupied of course, so I stood and waited about 30 seconds. The door opened and a little girl probably 9 or 10 years old, stepped out. She was dressed in a chocolate brown velour track suit. That should have been my clue right there to turn and head the other way. I walked into the tiny bathroom and was immediately met with a pungent smell. I locked the door and turned around to stare at the toilet bowl. Great. Just great. My first time in an airplane bathroom, and I am greeted by the 'Tween's own beef baby surprise. How hard is it to flush the fucking toilet?!!! Thank god I know how. I was in and out in record time.

Captain James' landing was smooth and uneventful. Quite possible the smoothest I have experienced. Nice to be on the ground again. This is not my first time to California or the LA area, but it is my first visit to Long Beach and it's airport. It's gorgeous outside. 70 and sunny. It was warm stepping off the plan and onto the tarmac. So here I am. Sitting around for a few hours, waiting to board my connecting Jet Blue flight to NYC. I am tired, and it's no surprise since I slept so little last night. I was a mildly amped up and there was a wind storm whipping the trees around fiercly, making it hard to fall into a deep restful sleep. " It's ok", I reasoned to myself, " I will just sleep on the plane." Right. That never happens. Planes were not made for sleeping. This has got to be the dinkiest airport ever. Worst music ever. But I admit I find the paging style refreshing " Attention- there is a belt that was left at security. So if anybody forgot to get their belt. It's over here at security. You can come and get it."
Niiicce.

Mercury retrograde note: They are not always bad things that happen, per se. For example, the in-flight direct tv wasn't working. That's ok. They are emailing me a $15. voucher good towards my next flight. Right on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11:30am
After an attempt at a nap on some semi-cushy and comfortable connected chairs, I "awake" in a panicked flash to realize that " Oh shit! I left all of my travel documents and details in Julie's car! Fuuuuuuuuuccckkkk!"
Immediately I reach for my phone and call Julie.
Ring.
Ring.
*Giggle* " Hello Precious! What's going on ?"
" I have just realized I don't have any of my travel papers with me. I have my passport, but I don't have any of the reservation numbers or addresses. Can you check your car and see if they are there?"
*laughing* "Of course Presh, hold on..."
Pause
*more laughing* " Yep here they are!"

So much for being organized. My panic was soon stifled as JUlie informed me she had a fax machine, and all of my info would be waiting for me at the hotel when I arrived. JULIE IS AMAZING!!!My own fairy godmother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11:40am
Getting ready to board for JFK. Yay! Another plane ride!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11:45am
Todd our Jet Blue GAtekeeper, has just informed the mass of people anticipating boarding the airplane, that our flight is being delayed by 20-25 minutes. The plane was late out of Boston. AWESOME. Merc. retro? Quite possible.
12:00am
Or is it? It's EST. It's late. It's dark outside. The flight seemed long and neverending. JFK is huge- an enitiy unto itself. While waiting for my shuttle ride to come and pick me up, I decieded it would be a good idea to get something to eat. Unfortunately I realized this after I claimed my baggage and my only option was a kiosk next to the Dunkin Donuts counter. There were'nt prices on most of the itmes so I went for things that seemed healthy and cheap. Bottled water+clif bar+organic peach yogurt=$8.00. $8.00!!!!!!??
*sigh* damn it. Welcome to NYC!

It's snowing here. It's cold. But it's drivable. Just a few inches. The shuttle driver loads in 5 other people besides me. We are all tired. I am the 2nd to be dropped off. I make it to the hotel and finally up to my room.

Time for sleep. Yes- must sleep now....

Exodus to Egypt

EXODUS - TO BREAK THROUGH TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS TO TRUTH AND THE WORD OF LIFE

In November of 2007, I made a decision to go to Egypt. After months of planning for my ultimate adventure, finally Monday, January 20, 2009 - I leave for Cairo, Egypt.

This trip symbolizes so many things. It brings to fruition the dream of a six year old girl, who used to get lost in the pages of books almost as big as she was, about the people, places, and things of ancient times. It ads a sense of authenticity to the stories and drawings she created then.
It is the kick-off of my thirtieth year, in this life. It stands for my independence and vision to be brave enough to go after that which I seek.
And what is it exactly, that I seek? Knowledge. Feeling. Physical and spiritual connection to this place that has been calling me home for as long as I can remember. Adventure. A sense of spirit. The proof that I really can accomplish anything I set out to. There is a lot of gratitude as well. The Universe has helped me pay for this trip through it's gifts. And I will not forget that for one second that I am there.

So here I go kids. I am headed for NYC tomorrow for the first time. I will be meeting up with my friend Diane, who will show me a bit of her hometown. I fly out of JFK for Cairo on Monday evening, arriving there on Tuesday at 12:30pm EET (there is a 10 hour time difference, which will make it 2:30am here). I will write when I can. I will be keeping a journal and posting the entries here as I am able to. When I arrive home, I will be putting together a little slideshow/movie for your viewing pleasure. I will be in touch to let you know when I and it are ready to be shared. :)

My friend Mike Settle identifies himself as " a connoisseur of life's amazing moments" and always says " Don't die wondering". And as I ready myself for this grand adventure, I hear and feel the message in his words more strongly than before. Here I am - really doing it. Life is about being brave and courageous. It is about asking for what we want 100% of the time and having the faith to know it's on it's way. And that when what you want shows up at your door, you are brave enough to say " Yes!"
I encourage you all to create a vision for your own grand adventure. And then - go get'em , Tiger!