Egypt

Nile riverboat, Cairo

Sunlight over the Pyramids
At the Pyramids

Journal entry 06.10.07

Cairo today, the Pyramids.

Spent a dusty morning on the Giza Plateau, roaming around the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre. Very few English speaking tourists around - lots of Italians and Spanish. Paid the extra to make the stifling trek down a ramp into the centre of Khafre's pyramid. For a few seconds on entering the tunnel, my chest tightened in a kind of panic and I thought of turning back, but decided the humiliation of defeat would be too much. Focused on breathing and continued down, dripping sweat. After the first descent there was a small atrium where we could stand upright and heard the sound of exhaust fans - imagine the heat if they weren't there. After another descent, braver now, we came into the burial chamber, a large, plain, high-ceilinged hall, with a stone sarcophagus at the end. And that was it - the awe inspiring simplicity made me forget the anxiety. I was there in the centre of a pyramid, deep underground. The ascent was nothing.

After seeing inside the pyramid, we roamed around the Great Pyramid for 45 mins or so, approached by hawkers and camel drivers every 50 paces, or so it seemed - we bought a Bedouin headdress each after some haggling. Even after we had them on our heads, several hawkers came up to us and took them off to re-adjust them, of course expecting, but receiving none. Clambered a few levels up onto the Great Pyramid, up steps that led to an entry, not the original, to take photos. A lot of people around, but probably not nearly as many as at the height of the season (over the next few months when it's cooler). And buses everywhere, of all sizes, in the carpark driving the road to the plateau to the west where a full view of all three pyramids is possible. In that area are many vendors, of beautiful, tacky and just plain ugly pieces, and a caravan of camel drivers and their beasts. A shame that this site must be sullied in these ways for our enjoyment - can it still be a sacred place?

At the Sphinx the crowds were more dense, herded through the funerary temple and up to a viewing area to the left of the beast. It was hot and dusty, again, so it was just get the photo and go. Difficult to be truly awe-inspired when it's snap and go. Which is not to say I wasn't inspired - who wouldn't be by thousands of years of stone staring out across the sand. We had a brief visit to the local Papyrus Institute, where they demonstrated how to make the stuff - thinly slicing the stalks, soaking in water for 6 or 12 weeks (for yellow or brown), then laying strips at right angles to each other to create very strong 'paper'. Later we went to a nearby felafal bar for lunch - felafal and shewerma (basically a kebab).

The Egyptian Museum - Built in 1904 and possibly not cleaned since 1905, the cabinets are probably some of the originals; mummies' coffins are piled 3 high, bunk bed style; small stone figurines line walls; and huge colossi stand in the hall gazing on the visitors. Three separate rooms house Tutankhamun's relics, including the gold bejewelled headpiece. I stood there amidst the many visitors, trying to block them out and take in its thousands of years of hiding in the Valley of the Kings. No photos allowed inside, so had to rely on the pieces in the courtyard - stellae, statues and sphinxes sitting amongst cobbled gardens. We had agreed to meet everyone at 4.30 to head 'downtown' for a little shopping. You can only take in so many museum pieces without description cards before becoming too confused, so we left a little early for the 'cafeteria' - basic, un-air conditioned, smoke-filled. Lovely!

We made our way downtown and found a shopping mall with 7 levels of menswear stores. Damian bought a pair of black leather sandals that may be a bit too big. Dinner included before our departure for the train station for the night train to Luxor (sounds romantic, but not). Our tour leader, Hamdy, sat with us but didn't eat, as he'd had a fast-breaking meal with other staff at the hotel at sunset as part of Ramadan.

Love to all! More later

Bry&Damo

Finally!

We're off tonight! Huzzah!

A few pix above to give you a taste of what we're about to experience. May blog while we're away, but will upload heaps of pix and stories too when we get back.

Love to all
Bry&Damo

And on a serious note...

Unnecessarily, the Australian government is set to rubber-stamp a pulp mill in an environmentally sensitive area of Tasmania. The letter below is part of a GetUp! campaign. Visit www.getup.org.au for more information.

"Dear Mr Turnbull,

I am extremely concerned over the proposed development of Gunns Ltd’s pulp mill in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley.

I do not believe the pulp mill should be given Federal approval, and the measures contained in the proposed decision and conditions are grossly inadequate. The pulp mill will have a disastrous effect on the environment, contributing tonnes of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere and poisonous effluent to the waterways that come under federal jurisdiction.

The fragile local wildlife are not adequately protected under the proposed conditions, and most worrying of all, there are no provisions for fines or shutdown of the mill if the conditions are breached.

I implore you to reinstate an independent assessment process for the mill, and make a decision that appropriately protects Tasmania’s people and environment. I do not believe that granting approval to the pulp mill can achieve that end."

Scissor Sisters

39 and all laid up - but not in a good way

Well, last week saw me edge that little bit closer to 40, but I spent the bulk of the week a little poorly. Shivers, sweats, joints throbbing, head aching etc. Fun.

A positive though was the opportunity to spend two sick days familiarising myself with Egypt (we fly out on 1 Oct): watched the four hours of Mankiewicz's Cleopatra (spectacular and ordinary at the same time), and the much more wonderful six hour BBC documentary Egypt. What extraordinary people were the likes of Jean-Francois Champollion, Giovanni Belzoni and Howard Carter - passionate, driven, quirky and not suffering fools. And then there's Cleopatra - character actors playing characters, stars playing themselves, and Liz' costumes getting a billing all their own. Was there any higher light than Richard O'Sullivan (Robin from Robin's Nest, Man About the House etc) and his star turn as the spoilt brat Pharaoh Ptolemny XIII - whining and pouting to give Liz a run for her money.

Two stars from me. And four stars for BBC's Egypt.

Sci Fi alert...

You'll just have to get used to this...

I LOVE MY SCI FI

It's true, that's exactly whats written on the front of my T-shirt. And you don't get much more Sci Fi than Dr Who. Season three is well under way here in OZ, and about time too, as I've finished watching all my Stargate seasons again, (we'll talk more about this later), and I've been reading everyone else's blogs re the show, getting me all hot and bothered. Now I know what you're gonna say, "it's not as good at the original". So don't. It'll just make you sound old and mean. The visual effects are way better - I just loved the scene with the TARDIS flying down the motorway, in the "Runaway Bride" episode. It gave me chills . Also, if any of you leave any comments here regarding the vicious rumours about the series not returning in 2008, I will hunt you down and give you a stern talking to. And, no comments re me having no life, quoting episode names and all.

D

WOW

TRANSFORMERS....The name's been around for years and I may not have collected the toys themselves (or not that I'd admit to). I will however admit to being just a little bit "nerdy eager" to see it anyway. So how did the 2007 make-over stack up?

IT WAS GREAT!!!

I am not going to movie review it, that's Bryan's bit. I will say this though...GO SEE IT.

D

It's easier this way

Here are a few pix that might let you in on the void between my ears. Chris Isaak is a fave (more later).

This is us

Here's a pic of Damo and me taken in Cairns in June 06, a year ago now. We left the Sunshine Coast for the north for a little bit of warmth and sun. Did the usual - reef trip and snorkelling, Kuranda sky-rail, white water rafting, two nights at Turtle Cove Resort, too much eating etc.

Summer holidays

Yes, yes. I know the title's out of place at this time of the year (southern hemisphere people), but we wanted to get through a bit of a backlog of pix and blurbs from the recent past. December 06 saw us head to Lake Cootharaba, just north of the Sunshine Coast, for a couple of days of camping.

The weather was just right for some time outdoors, including a bit of kayaking up to a place called Harry's Hut in the Noosa Everglades. I took my kayak and Damo hired one, so with a supply of snacks and water, we headed up-river for a few hours in the sun. All up we spent about six hours on the water, there and back; came back with burnt forearms and struggled against the afternoon wind. Got some good exercise and spent some quality time together, before wine, cheese and reheating some chicken chausseur from a few nights before - roughing it? I don't think so!

The pix are sunrise on the lake and kayaking in the Noosa Everglades. Look for more of our backlog to come.

Ignorant Australia

Recently our local small-town, small-minded newspaper, The Sunshine Coast Daily, featured a 'word on the street' topic as part of its 'letters to the editor' section. The topic: same-sex couples adopting. Will try to locate the original comments, but in the meantime my response, below (which the paper chose not to print), should speak volumes.


10 June 2007

Imagine my disgust and anger at Saturday’s ‘Word on the street’ topic of same sex couples and adoption. Disgust and anger at the perpetuation of ignorance, discrimination and irrationality reflected in the respondents’ comments.

Given the divorce rate and levels of various kinds of abuse within ‘regular’ families, might I suggest the heterosexual world get its own house in order first before railing about tradition, history and society falling apart. With the struggle that a same-sex couple has to go through just to exist, the desire to raise a child in a stable, loving environment, rich with an acceptance of diversity, speaks volumes about commitment and how well that child will grow up to become a valuable member of society.

And what a skewed sample – two straight married couples, given far too many column inches than their ignorance deserves.

Another pic

Here is a composite of a couple of photos taken in Cambridge a few years ago - it was then a few more years till I started to experiment with Photoshop.

Hello again

Hasn't it been a while. Have recently submitted a short story for the 2007 Forbidden Fruits 03 anthology, which should come out very soon. Read it below...


A Hot Tin Roof

The air is light, and carries the sound of cicadas. The just-turned-out fluorescent light in the bathroom glows surreally. Outside, through the dust on the flyscreen, light is diffused indoors.

The heat of your body is disturbing as I lay down beside you. From behind, my hand moves to your chest, my palm aware of your beating heart. Over the next few minutes, our body temperatures equalise as the tin roof creaks and groans. Lying with my lips resting on your back, our breath falls in sync and I drift into your slumber.

We occasionally in sleep, an impression of you in the impulses of my mind and soul. Maybe that’s not you though. Maybe you are the oddly dressed schoolgirl, or the growling lion, or the colour blue that recurs within a scene of an abandoned house my soul explores. The house is my security. The abandonment is my giving up to you. The blue, a colour that’s with me constantly in my waking life – the clothes I wear, the sea, the sky.

A possum’s steps outside cause you to stir. ‘Roll over.’ And your hand clasps at my heart, fingertips burrowing into the hair of my chest. One last complaint from the roof as sleep envelopes you again, and the tiniest vocalisation escapes you, punctuated by the squeeze of your hand.