Dorothy Stroup Papers, Ms 0401, Box 1, 2000 Diary
Transcribed by Arez Khidr, 2022-2023.

[Front Cover]
Egypt – 2/16/00 – 3/5/00
Israel – 3/5/00 – 3/12/00
Various dreams, comments
Please return to address inside cover

[Inside Front Cover]
Name: D. Stroup
Address: 10 Claremont Crescent
School: Berkeley, CA 94705 510-841-9758
Class: Please return if you find this - reward involved

2/16/00 – Wed.
Started out from Alan’s apt. Cab didn’t come by 8:00. Alan called another company, but by the time we got downstairs, the first one had come and was honking loudly, didn’t know the “26” code number because nobody had asked Alan his code or name or apt. No.
Cab driver talked non-stop about NY [New York], which he considered more civilized than SF [San Francisco]. Was married to a “Cleopatra” Iranian princess, is bringing up an 8-year old son who goes to a French-American school w/a [With a] $10,000 tuition – thinks public school teachers are incompetent. I tried to straighten him with stories about Mariel.
Delta airlines was not crowded, but seats didn’t give much space and my arthritic knee began to act up. I’d sorted out some of my papers while waiting at the airport – we [Stroup and Alan] had coffee and split a croissant.
Then JKF and unexpectedly warm weather. Found a cab easily. With two people it’s the same price as taking a shuttle.
Selma’s beautiful apartment, pristine clean and super-organized, overlooking all of New York w/a view of Washington Square and all important buildings in the distance.
Had drinks – Scotch for me, Vodka & juice for Selma, that red stuff [space here left to fill with the name of Alan’s drink, but left blank]? for Alan.
We went to Selma’s favorite restaurant Gene’s we’d been there before, during our last trip – high ambiance, old paintings on the wall kind of imitating Rembrandt and with faint hits of Impressionist among others. Alan and I had lobster it was really […] and delicious.

Bed by […] 1:30.

4/17/00 – Thurs.
Up around 7:30, closer to 8:00. My knee in terrible condition. Wore a bandage around it, used some of Selma’s Bengay. Couldn’t find the glucosamine pills, so I bought some at Chain Pharmacy across the street after breakfast.
Gave Selma my Turkish scarf, which I rather doubt she will wear, a bar of lavender-mint soap, and a Tiffany Tea towel. Don’t think she was impressed with any of it.
Alan and I got tokens and took subway to […] Museum of Natural History at 81st – Central Park west.
Beautiful dioramas painted by Perry Wilson – has stuffed animals bend the kinds of shrubbery environments they lived in – lots of gazelle species plus antelopes with all kinds of horns, twisted, curved, convoluted. I’d never even heard the words, although I tried see a gnu- [Incomplete or unknown word]
Fast lunch at 3;00 p.m. in the Cafeteria almost impossible to find. Then brief look at the detailed dinosaur display which really chronicles the dinosaur (sp?) conversion to birdom.
We ate at Vittoria (?) which is a long distance, walking, crossing streets, looking at all the NYU students.
We had eggplant parmesan appetizers and different kinds of pasta. Mine was fettuccini with pesto, beans & potatoes – they didn’t like the idea of potatoes with pasta. It was good but what Alan ordered was best, shrimp with mushrooms & other good stuff.
Walk back […] but refreshing.

Fri. – 2/18/00 – writing this on airplane traveling to Zurich
Last whole day before departure to Egypt. Cloudy during breakfast. Snow began to fall, melting on the porch, then it got heavier, piled up on the porch.
We started off about 12:00 for the Metropolitan in heavy snow. Alan didn’t bring the umbrella, but turned out we didn’t really need it.
We took a #1 local bus that started at 9th street near Selma’s house – went along Park Avenue and then Madison – extremely [swang?] stores and eventually residential.
After arriving at the Museum it took a while to find the section where the mummie masks were being displayed. We wandered, first, in among the Egyptian Permanent collection, but finally realized they weren’t showing the painted masks we saw in the NY Times. Asked around and were told it was on the 2nd floor.
Quite dazzling – the young pouty man and numerous beautiful girls with Roman hairstyles. Some made of ceramic, others just cloth, some covering the whole mummy – others just the face – all the paintings seemed so immediate as if they were ready to speak to us and quite temporary – as if they were still alive. Wanted to linger longer.
We had another late lunch in a room with high glass windows – from floor to ceiling – overlooking Central Park. The ground covered with snow and branches also white with soft cotton-like material. We both didn’t bring our cameras.
Next exhibit was by Page Walters? Photographer who did pre-depression and then the depression itself – so many photos of workers, and the Stake-croppers when he elaborated with [Jannel?] Agee to do “now let us all Praise Famous Men” I want to read that. Anyway, the guy was marvelous photographer – caught people unaware they were being photographed, pretended he was looking at someone else.
Back to Selma’s on the Subway. Guy at the ticket counter disgusted with us for not knowing which express to take. Wet & cold when we arrived. Selma made tuna fish salad, pickled herring, artichokes. Watched Washington week, then I sat up writing post cards til 1:00.
Tomorrow we leave for Egypt.
Selma’s depiction of the family [show’s sketch with a rough family tree, was explained over the tuna fish dinner]
2. The hairy guy told us to go to Broadway where all six floors are full of galleries – most of it abstract art that didn’t seem too original.
But we happened on a photograph’s gallery that was featuring Ansel Adam. The moonlight over Herrera (?) was to be sold for $39,000 – the price at which I bought my house – back to Selma’s – ride to airport with Pakistani now we’re on the plane.

Saturday 2/19/00 – Day of Departure – Got almost packed before we went out to look at the Soho. We found the Cyber Cafe and I was able to get into my email through MAILSTART.com – lost one important message from the Author’s Guild, but heard from Tony, Mertis, Jackie, Michael W., – and answered Mertis & Michael, and Tony. Had already sent Jackie a snailmail. After CyberCafe (we only had coffee – and it cost us $6.40 for a half-hour on the web and one huge coffee – we had soup in small Italian restaurant – also split an eggplant parmesan sandwich. Then Soho, most of the area has turned into boutiques. But we gound one gallery with with a black guy – hair sprouting on all sides of his head – beautiful painting of a crowd of [Timbuquetoo Muslims?] on hourse back – all slammed up against each other, tall & thin, their horses too [note that this image was worth $10,00]

2/19/00 Sat + Sunday merged
Went walking around Soho after packing and breakfast. First we went to the Cyber Café and actually worked to get email although I accidentally erased a maybe important email from the Author’s Guild and may not be able to retrieve it. It cost almost $9.00 with the coffee. Worth it.
We wandered off through ChinaTown or what seemed to be like that because everyone was Asian. Had lunch – soup apiece and a split sandwich – and then started looking for galleries in earnest.
Woops!! Already recorded early part, but didn’t include where the black gallery sent us: a building on Broadway 560 Alan has the guy’s card). One guy like Rachel, centered all of his attention on 5 different autos which he colored in different ways in different environments.
We then stumbled into an exhibit of Ansel Adams – his moonrise over some Mexican tower is $15,000. Alan met the proprietor & may send him some slides.
Back to Selma’s to pack up. Limousine to airport for $40.00 – about 6 or 7 hours on plane – Zurich airport for 2 hours – onto Swiss air for 2 hours.
Big mix-up at airport. A guy met us, then Joan & Dan after – had to wait another couple of hours for the Wongs and [Owterezes?].
Flopped into bed after being delivered to the Shepheard Hotel. Had dinner with our group but we ate alone because we got downstairs too late.

Mon. 2/21/00 – a bit late for breakfast – had a short orientation with Khalib [tour guide], who told Alan he had better wear his badge. I couldn’t find mine.
[In the cab?] for first ride to the American University at Cairo where we had the first lecture with Jocelyn Gohary, and archaeologist who is married to an Egyptian. Extensive notes in the green notebook [Location and reference number to be provided]. 95% of Egypt is a desert. History of Early Period.
Jocelyn took us through Ancient Egyptian history from 5000 B.C. to Greek and Roman Period in 332 BC til 323 AD.
Some beautiful stuff – Karima was our guide. A huge statue from the Middle Kingdom [1400 B.C.] wide, stiff feet. – a crouching lion – a queen who reigned for 20 years but got destroyed. Twin statues in black granite – wigs, and those strange beards – hanging down from their jaws looking like a Greek column.
Dinner was buffet – pretty good. Think we ate with Joan and Don Aker.
Exhausted but didn’t go to bed until about 1:00 AM.

Tues. 12/22/00 – Big Pyramid Day
Another lecture by Jocelyn who really knows her stuff: Pyramids during the 3rd to 6th great Dynasty – how they first made step pyramids, then developed them into the Grand Pyramids at Giza – later ones on the Luxor and Abu Simbei. Also showed numbered slides which I need to interpret later.
The bus wound slowly up the hill – a sign said “You welcome” – Karima was telling us about the size of the Giza Pyramids – the biggest one being Cheops. Fourth dynasty. Pharok Khufu – or Cheops – 2589 – 2566 B.C. – details on page 176 of Libba’s EGYPT – The Rough Guide. We circled it in the bus, stopped between Cheops and Chephreu. Our guide Karima says some people think that Chepreu is bigger because it is higher on the hill. But it’s not. There’s also a little crushed one called Mycerinus – or the Red Pyramid – but I didn’t get close – started following Alan but lost him. Stood gazing at the desert at the other side of the pyramid. It was endless. Karima says that there’s no point of going inside the Pyramid because there’s nothing there and we would waste our time. Camels and people selling postcards were everywhere but it worked to say “La ah Shikram.” They melted away when I did. Wind blowing and trash flying up. Alan was no where. I risked going down to see the boat itself. IT was handing from the ceiling and had been reconstructed. Discovered in 1954 and took years to re-build. It’s hanging from ceiling, very delicate. Used for carrying Pharaoh through the underworld. Or maybe accompanying the sun-god on his daily routine journey across the heavens.
Pretty short time for the sphinx. We went first through the preparation room where the organs are taken out – brain is drained, heart left in, because Egyptians believed that the thought process came from there. East side of the temple is always the burial side. Clouds cast shadows repeatedly then disappeared. Parked the bus among 9 buses and innumerable cars – after descending from Pyramids to the sphinx.
Then Karime took us to the preparation room, no roof now – incision for taking out organs always on the neck, left side – after draining, body soaked 40 days in salt – maybe celebration after that because Egyptians still celebrate today – 40 days after death?? – ceremony of opening the mouth – the dead pharaoh (and everyone) must prepare for 99 negative confessions (sample of the papers handed out by Jocelyn),
Then we went outside to stand above the Sphinx and stare at it. Huge. But wasn’t as impressed as I thought I could be. Karime said sphinx cult developed sometime around 1600 B.C.
Still, today, nobody knows much about the sphinx.
Back to hotel – dinner downstairs – had dinner with Phyllis from Sunnyvale and Margaret from Venice? Lots of salads and different main courses. We had dinner alone – just Alan and me.
[image of the boat mentioned earlier shown at the bottom of the page]

Wed. 2/23/00 – Day when we saw Omar’s family for dinner. Day of Mosques.
The first mosque was the Sultan Hassein. But before that we went ot the Islamic Museum which has all sorts of exotic things: arabesque decorated flowers, an Islamic Calendar printed on Tin, wall panels in the wood section – wall panels carved with similar flowers, garlands, etc. – windows high up with carving where Harem mambas once sat and watched people in the street.
Rooms dedicated to certain crafts and tools or art: Armaments: A heavy metal armor to wear over the chest, arrows, quivers, and ancient long-handled guns; tfatimas: small human figures from the 9th and 10th centuries; pottery, from all over, including Spain – can’t remember any particular pieces though, except a huge Spanish platter – a whole room of glasswork from everywhere, prayer rugs grouped according to the mosque they came from, a [Nidi?] which gives direction of Mecca – cups of terror – magic bowls filled with anils in rusty water, exposed to night air so patient could drink it each morning until s/he was cured.
Collection of water jug filters – like the ones Dorrya sent us.
Next was the mosque – huge – built in – begun in 1356 and compelted in 1391. Two years before the mosque was completed Sultain Hassein was assassinated – huge area: lots of children outside. They all came in later and filled the whole room – all looking at us and saying “hello”.
Mostly the Mosque was a school with 4 doors opening to 4 theologies – over school taught Arabic and Islamic Relgion – 1. Believe in your heart 2. Atend Friday prayers 3. Give to charity from your savings not income 4. Fast from dawn to sunset for a whole month 5. If you have health and/or wealth take a pilgrimmage to Mecca once in your life.
Lanterns hanging from the chandeliers, great masses of them hanging everywwhere – enormous circle of a room invaded by children.
Last stop of the day was the Citadel of Saladan. But no, the above statement goes with the Ditadel where there was a vast barrage of light when we entered. Lanters hanging from the ceiling, of wood and brass (?) children swarmed everyhwere.
Don’t know if this is still an active mosque. Check later. We heard from Dorriyo – saying that Dahela would come & pick us up. We waited in the downstairs lobby. Turns out Dahlia was Omar’s aunt. Her husband is Dorrya’s brother. They’re both architects and he’s a bit full of himself, passed out postcards with pictures of some of his buildings. Dahlia works in the [Plee Soime?] firm, has a 17-year old son – his name is Gamal Bakry – we also met Omar’s sister, D [line left after this meaning name was incomplete] her husband [another unfilled blank space where the name was intended to be] oldest is almost 14 [no name provided] and oungests is 10. Nadime beautiful apartment, she’s lived there for about 20 years – since her husband died.
Menu: Chicken with secret rice, beef patties mixed with bulgar, beef with broccoli & green peas, a caesar salad, dolmas, spanish pastry, squash soup, potatoes, beets & carrots, desert a great platter of sweets.

Thurs. 24th – Back to the Egyptian Museum to see the glorious king Tut exhibit. Dazzling lecture on funerary practices by Jocelyn Gohary (wonder if she has kept her maiden name?) – not just funerary, but also beliefs, treatment of Gods, daily rituals performed in the temple by priests – the ritual of opening the mouth when people died – about ANKIT – Life – and the eye of Horus – good health and protective symbol for good luck. That part has turned into a prescription symbol: [sketch of symbol] and the two parts of the body when it dies: KA – The spirtual double of the person who died – BA – the sporit itself – AKH – the transifugred spirit. The declration of Negative things: “I have not done.” Stayed downstairs briefly then to see the Hkhenateu (1379 -1362 B.C.) and Queen Nefertiti – declared the supremacy of a single god, the Aten – built a new capital at Amnora – provacative works of art – because of his strange apperance some thought he was gay.
Boy King Tut – whole floor dedicated to stuff buried with King Tutaukhamun – 1700 items, reigned 1361 – 1352 – his funerary masks, the tombs set inside eachother until they found the right one – most impressive was the mask – of gold. The jewelry, the exquisite artistry.
In evening, went to show at “Falafel Teat” at the Ramses Hilton Hotel – sat with Don & Joan Aker, Drs, Donald and Sarah Kay – thought they were a rather pitiful couple before by now I see they’re both doctors and & both quite sharp. A guy working at his computer at the next table – whole performance a bit too noisy, too corny & too loud – some parts funny when they pulled people out of the audience, especially the Japanese.

Fri – 2/25/00 – Lecture on art, mostly, slide showing, but Jocelyn explained dimensions and told us about warnings from [parents?] to children-maxims, stories, poetry – have refernces to check books that contain them, one published by UCB, another at Yale – the shorter one.
Miriam Lichtheim – Ancient Egyptian Lit. – 3 volumes – UCB, CAL.
William K. Simpson – The Lit. of Ancient Egypt – Anthology of [Slones?], Instruction of Poetry – New Haven, Londom – Yale U. Press, 1972 – But new addition coming out.
Jocelyn admired KMT very much.
Went first to Coptic Mueseum. Traffic very light because it’s Friday, the holiday for Muslims, Christians (Coptics) have adopted to that holiday too. We went past the resevoir again, the poorest part of Egypt probably – Alan disappointed at not being able to take any photos because the bus moved too quickly. Name of Coptics came from “Cypt” Icqpto. First Church, founded in Alexandra by St. Mark – Museum, lovely [haviun?] – like lattia work, sign of cross descretely depicted inside the Ankh sign of life: [sketch shown] – slanted so it wouldn’t be detected.
A stole created in 14 BC, but may 18th century. Beautiful manuscripts – gold with color – Next was the oldest Church-Captio. It was next door to the museum

2/26/00 – On the bus. Late because I forgot my hat and jacket – it’s the 3rd or 4th time I have been late. Bus to Sakkara full of wonderous free countryside – ditch along the side – mud-brick shelters and later on ostenatious houses – huge with gardens and cars – typical scenery “green fields” topped with date palms.
Suddenly green landscape turned into a desert. Huge parking lot. Before that, the step pyramid came into view – Karime said Saggara (or sakkara) was built in two parts – underground and over. We went to the Mastaba of 7: with reliefs on the wall. The columns of Papyrus, then climbed through the ruined buildings and views of the far district.
Most impressive so far. Long, seemingly endess columns with papyrus motif, staring down that passageway. Ride there described in green notebook.
We went first into the Mastaba – detail as above. Achitect Imhotep was a genius. 2700 B.C. Reliefs on the wall very graffic and detailed. Lots of color left. Walking toward the groves regards – It’s hard to imagine anybody orchestrate a job like that.
Outside we stood in front of the oldest wall in the world. Most of it now gone. It’s from the time of Memphis, which superseded Thebes. King Tut’s treasures were found here. Not near the wall, but whole area was fitted with unexcatavated stuff.
Step Pyramid belonging to Zaser was originally enclosed in a limestone wall built by Zaser’s architect Imbotep – “the beginning of architecture” – It looks suprisingly modern because it’s been imitated everywhere. Didn’t go into stack pyramids.
Had dinner at hotel – last night in Cairo. Sat upstairs with the Bartletts from Scotts Valley get our certificates. Aleen complained about the food to Khalib. Embarrassed me.

2/27/00 – Got on the bus in time, thus [warding?] being a pariah. But the damage from my other late appearances has already been true.
Pride through moderate farm areas, lush and green, the past summer houses along the Nile where people are gradually eliminating the previous farmland, But that was earlier.
Today we went to the airport and rode on a plane. Stuffed with tourists, mostly French, I think.
Bus ride into Luxor very exciting. We passed by the Luxor temple. Enormous columns standing, lying-bordered by the wall. Karima took people off shopping. Alan and I photographed the Luxor Temple, walked along the Nile where all the cruise ships are.
We couldn’t get our rooms until after lunch. So Alan and I found ourselves in the huge, endless garden with pathways, enclaves for sitting, huge trees one called the Bombix tree which was encircled by a Neon Sign, which I noticed, didn’t turn on at night – swimming pools – funny girl, Carol Murphy and I went over to see the pool – all sorts of French lying spread out on the chairs getting tanned – nobody in the pool. Alan asleep in another nook with chairs. An enormous plethora of birds. People began coming back from the shopping trip – Mostly they bought T-Shirts.
Lovely lunch, huge, wide dining room and enormous variety of salads, foods. Then the rooms, in New Winter Palalce. We have room 3001. I could stay here forever.
Lecture in the room near our digs. Then the sound and light show at Kamak.
We waited a long time, after we got off the bus, standing in the dark, staring up at the immesnse columns, higher than redwood trees, people chattering away in different languages. Finally, there was music, a bit Charleton Heston-like. The voices came out of loudspeakers in every direction, explaining history. Talking asif they were the pharoes.
But the mood was absolutely overpowering. We move stealthily forward among the columns, listening, staring at the ceiling, thinking about power and religion. Once I flashed by flashlight and Alan said, “Don’t do that you’ll spoil the modd”
Finally, when the speeches ended the “at least” a 1,000 of us were completely silent. I thought we were leaving, but no, as our silent sinewy lives moved towards the exit, we learned that we would be going up to the bleachers for the rest of the show. The first hald was fine, but I barely survived the 2nd part. Too much music coming from another sources down the river (or up) That was a kind of belly dance style. IT sometimes obscured the voices we were trying to listen to the voice. Coming from the stages, I fell asleep several times which is what I’m doing now.
I won’t forget those huge Columns towering all the way to the sky. Off on the bus and to bed.

2/28/0 Field trip to Deudara Temple.
Country-side on the way full of green fields and square houses that look like Santa Fe,. Every where roofing unfinished just like someone told us at the very beginning. Was it Karime or one of Omar’s relatives? You build the first floor, move in, and when you have enough money, build the 2nd floor. Some towns seemed poverty-stricken, and what David’s wife, Kay, called “squaler.” We passed towns named “Rose, Captos, Peuna” – famous because early archaelogists lived there, our lecturer Nabil Swalim said.
We passed Egrets. Swalim said the eggs grow to a size that exceeds their parents who kick them out of the nest finally.
Lost of lushness when we approached Dendara – evidence of rich harvest, regrets, flowers, lushness – part of the Nile which is closest to the Red Sea.
At Dandara Prof-S. reminded us of the 3 components, House of Birth, Sacred Lake, and primeval earth or land or hill.
We saw the earliest building of the 26 dynasty which is 664-576 BC. It emphasized what we was teaching us wih porticos, torus, abicus, column, base – where does “Cornice” fit in? Columns were in lotus style or papyrus – rounded for [lotuses?], papyrus with sharp edges – sticking out from all sides – westoof in front on the side, looking at old painting not without color – Hypo-style wall own impressions – Near the entrance taken down from the temple was a block of Bes – fat, rolly happy got who seems somehow connected with Hathor and Aphrodite.
Next stop at a but that first temple was 664 on. Temple of Hathor is the Greco-Roman one built in 125 BC to 60 AD. – so it’s like the classic Pharoh halls. Before we went to it, we walked through a birth house, but I’ve forgotten what was on the wall – had 4 abikuse, because it’s a birth house which is Polemic – interesting carvings on the wall, but I can’t remember what. Also a Coptic Chapel with the faces odefaced by early [ehmilious?]
Then we went inside the main temple erected by the Romans to make the Greeks feel they were in charge. We walked through numerous rooms, climbed stairs always trying to keep up with Professor Nabil Swalim, but never quite managing it. Ended up on the roof overlooking fields of green, farm houses made of what seemed like adobe, ubiquitous, beautiful date palm lovingly hanging over everything.
Ada Marie and I, both still photographing, started down the stair we had come up, when a guy, in his Calibasa, came and told us the way to go down – This we discovered, was the wrong way. We were in a dark corridor and could barely see. Our escorter who flashed his light only when necessary – we finally made it down without be the last on the bus, but it was close.
Back to the New Palace Hotel. Out last night there. Really wanted to stay longer had a lecture on the Meaning of Pyramids coming to the ringing finale with the knowledge that all this time, Egyptoligists really know nothing about how such huge numbers of people were preserved into mummies and put into pyramids or rooms – tombs – built into mountains.
We went to Dendara by way of a convoy with dozens of other buses – since that was the place that terrorists attacked.
Had dinner with Phyllis Clementon from Sunnyvale, very pleasant, and the withdrawn, quiet, Patricia Bamgarden from Cortolis Crater, strange but friendlt that night – has other people can’t remember – Alan sat at another table – our last night – at Winter Palace.

2/29/00 – Day we transfer for Nile Cruise
UP early, packing already done for the most part. Suitcases out in the hall before breakfast. Our day to see THREE things: Luxor Museum, Karnak Temple (in the daytime), Luxor Temple, which turned out to be at dusk – we went directly from breakfast to the bus where we loaded on our luggage. Then to the Museum Prof. Nabil Swalim explained a statue of Akeuatan which was outisde. It’s hard to get near him, hard to hear him when you’re just a few feet away. He told about the pillars that supports statues made of stone. Nemis is the horizontal band on the forehead which has another band attached to it that goes under the chin – to which the false beard is attached. Other notes in 2nd notebook.
Other memorable things: The Flacon God: Horus – very huge. Lovingly portrayed Cow Goddess created in wood, covered w/gold, small tombs, Cobra Statue, and more.
To ship to get our luggage, get room assignments, Alan somewhat disappointed. Saw Luxor during the day time – Luxor means “the palace” – was originally Thebes – In 18th-20th Dynasty, when two sides of Egypt were united. Thebes at its height then – Population, maybe a million – In Iliad described as City with a thousand gates.
Temple is dedicated to Amun-men Hut, the Child Khonsu – (p.310) Ramses II. 19th Dynasty added a python flanked by Sphinxes – didn’t finish because of Christianity. Saw the white Sections along the wall indicating warning that water is rising leaving white sediment that eats at the granite and gradually destroys it. Two huge, ancient obelisks behind [seers?] of rocks.
Next was Karnak and we were exhausted – remember Alan trying to get a photo through a door way of Temple and city with mask beyond. Followed Prof. S. but never heard what he said – just overwhelmed with its immensity – Kanak the work of many dynasties but Luxor was built by two rulers.
First dinner on board – very small room. Alan disappointed – sat with Gene (the sour-looking guy) and the people from N.Caroline with daughter in Berkeley. Turned out to be nice.
To bed quite early, at dinner sat with the Akers and the Eugene and Carol Noris who, I thought, was the grumpy one. But he’s deep into raising Shiitake Mushrooms, and they both turned out to be quite pleasant.

3/11/00 –
Early wake-up for a visit to the valley Kings, Queens & Nobles. Temple of the Queen Hatchepsut (Hat check suit)- had a bus that had some broken seats.

Visited 4 tombs:
1. Tomb of Amenophis II son of Tutnus – grave unfinished-.
2. Set: II
3. Queen Tausert(queen of seti?)
4. The huge temple with Hatshepsut.

First one most impressive – color completely preserved, long, arduous steps down, down, down. The tomb at the bottom but its unfinished because he died and they had to obey the schedule. Seti II was rather sparse. Don’t remember Queen of Tausert. Last one before Hatchepsut was the tomb of the noble. Heru F was his name –
On the way back, we stopped just a moment to see the Conasus of Mennon. Not sure whose tomb, besides many nobles is at R.Mose. It’s Hatchepsut’s tomb – we didn’t really look at it. Lunch back at the ship. Sat with Diana Scheeler whose mother is with and requires a lot of care – but quite active too. Spent afternoon trying to catch up on journal, sitting for spells on the top deck but it was windy.
Crept into the lounge and had coffee, almost nobody there. Gradually got noisy with music – which I asked waiter to turn off. Decided to go back on deck – then time for tea. Joan asked me if I was going to wear dress-up. Said no, but in the end when Tom and Blair Brandt appeared all dressed even with a tie, we had to get dressed up. Sat during cocktails with Guiterez and Brandts. Gustavo and Wendolyn, Tom and Claire.
Got introduced to the crew while sitting in the lounge with our red wine, then went upstairs to dinner. Sat with the woman who never talks, Adalheidur Moskios, and Lilia and maybe the Seitzers – Jim and B.J. – or was it Guiterrez? Or maybe nobody else.
Only reason I care is that memories come back with conversation and faces.
This was the night that I was the most tired. Collapsed into bed.

3/2/00
What I liked and will remember the most is the warm sun in the afternoon up on the deck. Quietly sailing smoothly along with great dignity, passing shorelines of sugar cane, islands – very small ones, rising up from the water – white cows and donkeys, various birds Alan could identify from the book I bought him - power houses on the short that looked like ancient temples.
Maybe not a peaked roof. Maybe they’re flat. [in reference to sketch on page of a peaked roof temple with pillars].
The one-mast sail boats – masts almost bending into the water.
Slow, soft pace, stopping finally at Edfu temple – built during Plotemi times – I was corrected at lunch by Heir Professor who said there was no Roman influence whatsoever. It was just before Alexandra’s time – and all entirely Egyptian. Joan & Don were sitting with us when Joan asked what one book to read would be the best. He quoted his whole bibliography, said travel books were done by journalists so of course no good.
Back to Edfu:
Impressions – very new inscriptions on enormously high wall inside the girdle wall. Must have been a ceremony within itself to open the door.
4:00 PM lecture pulled me back downstairs but I would rather be back on the deck watching scenery, people, small towns, animals, boats, and ships like ours.
Had tea & then back to the deck – stayed til dusk – when we embarked on our trip to Kom Ombo Temple – dark when we got there - elaborate tying up on the shore – looked as if we’d never be able to get off the ramp. Finally they moved the ramp and got it to touch the ground. One guy raced up the shore and pounded in a very heavy steel spike to put the rope on.
Walking to the Temple with kids swarming around us. They wanted Patricia’s pens. She only had four. Referred them to me!
To reach temple walked past a long line of shops offering everything – Karime said we could get it all in Aswan. (Where we’ve just now, at 12:30, landed with much noise).
Walking up the Temple in darkness. But temple was lit with dusty blue and a kind of mauve. I expected the lights themselves to be that color but Phyllis Clemetson said it was the color of the stone.
Huge, beautifully decorated with figures of kings and gods, but with lots of hieroglyphs explaining – highlights – whole collection of walls jutting into the sky.
Deep well dug by a scientist who knew the world was round and proved it by digging a huge well so the sun would shine at same time every year. I forgot the guy’s name.
Crocodile mummies sleeping peacefully in caskets. Instruments, medieval – on the wall – They knew about sterilization - and how to keep the flies away, burning incense?
Alan took final photos, Karime waited and walked back to ship with us.
Dinner with Guitterezes and the Chapel Hill, North Carolina couple – Tom & Claire?
Earlier, whole team of guys helping me get down the hill.
This page for after thoughts, tickets
Edfu ticket seems to have been lost. Edfu: looked up at the ceiling where our prof. Nabil Swelim, was pointing and was delighted to see the goddess of the sky, hanging over just like the papyrus I’m going to give to Rachel.

3/3/00
Soon after breakfast we left the ship, boarded a bus & went to Edfu. In the city, climbed onto buggies led by horses and rode through a labyrinth stopping district to the temple Edfu. But that was on the 2nd already did Edfu and Kom Ombo.
[Side node to the above section]: Did Edfu yesterday horse and buggies to temple place where I bought cardboard camera that didn’t work (3/24/00)
This is day for the Dams Philae Temple, the leisurely ride on the water - Our Professor left us when we got near the ship.
Rode across the old high Dam – the Aswan. They high [down the one called?] Nasser Dam stopped near the monument erected in friendship between Egypt and the Soviet Union.
Lake Nasser, behind the dam unbelievably huge, seemed to stretch forever.
Philae and the temple of Iris was on an island which got submerged by the Nasser dam, so moved to aglika Island with funds by UNESCO.
Small motor boat to the island!
Front door huge – reaching at least 36 foot up, took a ceremony to open it – wandered through many rooms looking at amazing carvings, lots of them [Cuneo?]
Followed our professor through each room, couldn’t keep up – Karime led us through the supporting sustaining wall translated the stories about Iris, Hathor and Osiris – more interesting to me than the architecture.
Wonderful ride on the nile, with those special boots – two guys, maybe Nubian, were very handsome – Mohammad Ali’s grave was here, high on the mountain.
Back to ship – people went shopping – I went, tried to keep up but lost the group while they were buying a newspaper. Alan & I had wandered through market area earlier, bought a camera for 100 lhs, then some spices. I exchanged money, then came back to convince Alan to come with me. Farime would have come otherwise. He came. Bought more spices. Back for farewell drinks with Joan and Don Aker. Dinner. Packed til midnight. THIS PLACE FOR FURTHER COMMENTS [area below is blank].

3/4/00 – Our Day for Abu Simbel
Up really early – last breakfast on the ship, bus to the airport, got on plane with group in the Lake Country, had been in Egypt some 30-35 years ago. There were 44 of them. We aw the temple with the huge Ramses statues peering up at our plane. Took a bus there. Some lovely young Egyptian girls accounted us (I was afraid they were trying to sell us something, but they just wanted to say hello, ask where we were from. “We are very glad to speak with you.” Tom S. came over and joined us. He was much kinder than I had been.
Into the temple after a short lecture by Karime – When the Nile Dam was built, they had to submerge the temple, so UNESCO as also in the case of the Philae temple, got the money together to move the whole structure to another location – they cut the temple into a thousand pieces – had to move a mountain of each way of each block of concrete(?) – 67 meteres and 200 foot deep.
Impressions. Statues outside so huge and dominating you know he was a self-centered guy. Comparing himself, and depicting himself as a god.
Inside: battles w/Hittites all sorts of cover filled with hieroglyphs of paintings – each room needed explanations which were in the Lonely Planet. Back on the Plane way too soon – and off to bus to Sheraton hotel – beautiful place, nice rooms, good dinner, but Alan and I had to sit by ourselves. Most tables had room for only three.
More comments? And what was the unfinished obelisk? More about Abu Simbei?

3/5/00 –
Crack – of – dawn wake up call. Last breakfast with the North Carolina couple, Eugene & Caroline (?). Who I felt quite distant from because he was always scowling when I got ont eh bus late.
Airport was a mad house with all of us moving back & forth. Five of us: the Don & Joan Akers, Leslie of Czechoslovakia now an American who lived a long time in Israel – Alan & Me.
Couldn’t find our Guide Toba inside the airport, although the akers were met by theirs. Finally ventured outside where she was waiting. Very handsome young lady – with a denim skirt and a long jacket.
Pulled our luggage to the car. She began telling us about all the plans she had laid out, hadn’t I thought waited to take any of ours into consideration.
I sat in back seat, couldn’t [even?] hear what either Alan or Tova (her name) were talking about. I described we had to get things back under our control. I didn’t want to be the tag-along the whole trip.
Drove up the coast to Caesarea, an old Roman town. It’s a national park.
Was a village during Persian rule – Herod got it in 37 BC and built a castle, a port, churches, synagogues (earlier?) Probably not.
Lasted through Byzantine, Arabs, Mameluks, Kibbuts in 1940 just south (from brochure).
Next English concentration camp – detention camp re-enactment – everyone finally got out or died.
Drove to Haifa – met Itai at his office – huge Chinese restaurant. He wanted us to order singly.
House of Itai’s in great disorder.
3/6/00
Breakfast at Itai’s They went out and bought multiple things: yogurt, a beautiful melon, oranges, goat cheese, tomatoes, green peppers.
Took off north for the sea of Galilee and Galau heights. Tova full of biblical stories and I wasn’t sure we could endure listening to endless tales of abuse reigned upon the Jews – went first towards Tiberia on the edge of the see of Galilee, stopped at Qasiru or Qatzrin, a Talmadic Village Golou Heights – proving that jews had been there since Byzantine & Early Islamic times – 4th to 8th century CE (or AD). Climbed through houses, saw a replica of house w/parents sleeping upstairs and kids down – Olive press – Tova explaining that it takes three days to pass oil out of the olives, so if sabbath existed during that period when they couldn’t work they would lose the olive oil. So someone solved it by checking the clock early (not sure I understand).
Went to Golau Archaeological Museum – Eagles carved in basalt? Don’t remember that. But stone age period had carved wonderful mini-busts of men with very stark, straight noses. Saw a movie of the battle of [Gamla?] up a steep cliff that resembles a camel. Drove along a road looking at – Dolmen – the Israeli (but not then) version of the Stone henge with peculiar round rocks topping the graves – also arranged it, as did Ramses II, to have the solstice sun shine directly on it.
Had lunch in the Museum Area where I wanted falafel, Alan wanted another restaurant, we moved back and forth from one restaurant to the other. Tova a bit irritated with our heavy attention toward food. Tova found a friend there, who had come to study the Torah & Islamic History.
Gamola was quite dramatic – a high hill where archaeologists had found the Ancient City described by Josephus Flavius in Book IV – a Roman Army besieged them, but in the end they lost. All jumped to death off the top of the camel.
Very dramatic location. A TV guy working for the local dish network was doing a story on the history of the place.
Wide views across the whole countryside – at the top where an Israeli couple asked Tova to take their picture. Then they took one of the three of us.
Jews lost battle because overpowered by Romans using an arrow-thrusting contraption – Also the front of the wall jetting up had no foundation, so it fell. Whole countryside lush and green.
Walk down past destroyed mosque with one column standing. Sign said it was one of the most beautiful.
Drove past an Israeli winery called [Tardeu?] Tova said it was good, probably best in Israel.
Stopped at nature reserve for birds – hawks – white & grey – are especially beautiful.
Next stop at Kohav: Hayarden, an old Crusader fortress there. Highlight was stopping at Deganya – didn’t recognize any buildings, but I saw the girl with the two braids – her photo – among the ones who had died in the 1948 war. Lots of photo including me on an old tractor trying to drive it. Alan impatient. [Side note that this occurred on the seventh]
Got to Jerusalem, after passing Jerico – went to the town of Zafat, Zufal, Shpotz – which is Tova’s favorite. Long tables, very kosher, big touring group – Israelis. Had wine which I though was a bit mediocre – Then all sorts of tidbits with hummus, baba ganush, tomatoes, etc., but a very long time between who got served and didn’t have much appetite.
[This paragraph is also described as being on the seventh] Had delicious minestrone soup. Like the charming waitress – Tova went off to see about her cats. Then she took us briefly along the walls of the city through ? gate, was it Jafa? To our hotel near the Sheraton which was huge. Alan & I went walking – Tova had to go to her apartment and check on the cats, then came & got us and took to the hotel. Rooms cheap ad okay. Had Campari in a bar down the street and I wasn’t hungry so Alan ate Chicken skewers at a bar.
Any fill-in comments for the 6th. They assigned us to a hotel room which was already occupied with somebodies clothes and both robes, that was on the sixth.
We ended up in the town of the Zafet-shoptz. Where we were checked in at a hotel – but later wandered around town, went into an old synagogue (there were very many and everywhere were kids just being let out of school, running out to bus of recess)
In this one a little girl came and sat down with the Rabbis or temple attendant while we were there. During War of Independence of 1947, a piece of shrapnel shot through the church but just at the moment all the heads were bowed in prayer so it didn’t hurt anyone, just slammed through the opposite wall.
A tour guide once announce the name of the Prayer they were saying at the time. Man in the group said “No! It wasn’t that prayer, it was this one. I was in the synagogue at this time!”

3/7/00
I felt bad and opted to stay at the hotel to write in my journal and catch up – got 1 and a half days recorded but not the others.
Left Safet pronounced Shpotz – and started down opposite side of the sea of Gallilee – Galilee.
Stopped at Degana – Crusader Castle – Sermon on the Mountain happened here – nearby?
Arrived in Jerusalem where we parked in a place Tova knew about. Lovely lunch with woman who took the time to talk to the customers. Considered going to Petra – finally gave it up considering it would have been too hectic. Toba off to check on her cats went into old Palestine through old wall & up to a place we could see all 4 quarters: Armenian. Christian, Islamic Judaism – [Armenians] very much to themselves, persecuted by Turks, story about Tova pursuing her cat there stood on roof above a house of her friend’s.
But first, she took us through the market, said when you go in, you may not be a vegetarian, but when you come out you are. There were goat heads, their eyes and bones still intact. All kinds of innards: brains, kidneys, other unrecognizable stuff. Definitely not kosher, I bought two small candlesticks of Arabic color & design when we went the following AM.
Tova showed us the old columns from Roman times – which were excavated and now part of old city. It is a labyrinth – a lot like the Turkish Market but more crowded. Journey getting down to Jerusalem described on previous page where I merged the 6th and 7th into one day.

3/8/00
This is when Tova took us through the market place on top of the buildings to see the 4 places occupied in the old city – and in existence still today.
Went into marketplace with tova who came with her car – to the hotel where we were comfortably installed.
We drove into Jerusalem, couldn’t find a parking place but parked in a metered placed. In marketplace, bought 2 candlesticks holders, arab colors & designed. Then past the we went into the Christian Quarter area – walked through the area behind groups of Christians all singing and carrying the cross. We moved across the ancient Ethiopian quarters where monks have lived an eternity. All behind doors Coptic monks – each door was green. Ended up at Church of Holy Sepulchar – where people were in a long line waiting to enter the place where Jesus’s tomb is supposedly placed. We didn’t wait to go in because she said they sometimes cry and take a long time.
Went to area where Synagogue was destroyed during the 1947-48 war. When in ’48 200 Jewish soldiers were holding out against 2000 Arabs – had to sign over the Jewish temple (in the place where earlier temples had been?) – soldiers & civilians in area told to gather possessions and were taken to a new part of Jerusalem.
Before that, we climbed to the top of her friends roof and got a view of all the 4 quarters – Arab, (with some Jewish residences requiring a watch tower to protect them and barbed wire all around the houses) Then the dome of the rock, gleaming with new gold leaf financed by King Hussein for $8mil. 4 yrs ago (had to be higher than any other temple – in the arab quarter – The Lutheran Church of the Pudeemer marking the Christian quarter, the Armenian quarter – very quiet people who come during the time of the Ottoman empire? Or after WWII when Turks were slaughtering, we could see through the vent all the marketplace offerings.
Them? It was during that evacuation time. “Remember the starving Armenians!”
Lunch in the same area as we’d eating yesterday, but we went to friend’s roof-top and looked over at the waiting wall where black-hatted jews were already collected. Later, when Alan & I saw it at the beginning of the Sabbath, with hoards of people there, black hats dominated. They reached the wall first and managed to stay there.
Tova also showed us a big plaza with an inscription that said, “Some day soon this place will be renewed and busy with Jewish business and scholarship and sounds of children laughing and playing” Seems there was something else I forgot.
Alan & I went to a Lovely Italian restaurant where we had 2 different kinds of pasta and a huge bowl of salad which I didn’t think I could eat, but I devoured it all quite quickly in spite of queasiness and general diarrhea which I maybe picked up from drinking only minuscule bits of tap water.

3/9/00
This was our day to Travel to Masada then to the dead sea with vast expansive atmosphere in the desert, occasional Kibbutz – dead sea deep blue against mauve background of cliffs of Jordan.
On the way stopped at Nabi Musa, an old masque inhabited by Manluks? Picked up a soldier on the way out of Jerusalem – stopped at a Bedoin settlement where we were offered fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then I bought two necklaces and an Arabic head piece.
Soldier met up with companions on a road down the way. On to Masada and Ein Gedi.
Masada was much more than I expected. It’s on a high hill. The site of a palace built by Herod. Even death valley didn’t match these views. Pristine, stark, same color as the Jerusalam sandstone that towers, as apartment buildings; all over the city.
[Side Note: woops! Did it again! That’s tomorrow the 6th] At a restaurant at the Haas Promenade where the cashier complained we should get out of the way because occupants of a huge tour bus was coming, we sat drinking coffee and a few deserts while Tova made me a map containing all the places we’d been.
Long drive to Masada past stretches of uninhabited desert all on the edge of an almost blue-green color (what do we call that? Marine?) and behind it the mauve, sometimes light blue, hills of Lebanon – Tova pointed out Kibbutzim where people are raising date plams, lots of other industries. Israeli’s Nature Conservancy – LOOK UP THE NAME!!)
Was very much in evidence, and later when we stepped at a conservation center where they rain kids – also where gazelles have their social time. But I’m getting off the track. Masada first, It’s a national park and we could have used our tickets we bought the first day. We got on a contraption like a bus going up the side of the mountain – like a airport shuttle. There’s also a way to walk. Lots of money spent on this, but it’s one of the Israeli’s proudest moment – revolting against the Romans in the year 67 CE (common era) Views all around spectacular – even in Summer views all around spectacular heat way below sea level, it would be cooler on top that hill.
His main palace is at the very top, although we didn’t enter it to see the tile that still exists on the hill. Went first to the edge of the cliff where the view was best, where Herod entertained guests? Tova said he was paranoid & killed two of his wives one of them a jew. Then he wept afterwards.
The bath house, too was unique – with a fire blazing under the floor so that people wore shoes with stilts. This is described by Josephus Flavius? Guy who kept records of everything – other places she showed us?
Sermon the leader of the revolters said to his people – how many? Zealots – said – “we are not slaves. We will die as free men.” Tova showed us the stone house containing every kind of grain, some when we came down. The revolters lived there for 4 years & plenty of grain was left. i.e the Judean Desert which on to the spas in Death Valley at least looked a lot like that – there’s a huge complex with cafeteria – indoor soaking pools for therapeutic purposes – huge rooms for dressing, showering, put on a bathing suit. We had lunch first in a pristine, lovely cafeteria. Put on our bathing suits and went down to the Dead Sea. I hadn’t my shoes and the ground was filled with sharp cutting rocks. Found Tova down there, fully clothed – said she didn’t wear a bathing suit because she didn’t want to expose herself to men – but she convinced Alan to slather himself with mud. He poured water on me & slathered me. I was screaming with pain! Didn’t think I wanted to do it.
After washing off all the mud – Tova took pictures first. At least that water was warm – we put on our shoes & Tova went back to get the shoes and the towel then took photos of us swathing each other in black mud. Then Dead Sea. It was impossible to keep one’s body anywhere in or to get it on the bottom. English woman trying to persuade her little boy to go in – “he said its too cold.” Old Danish guy accompanied by his son was doing well. Back in bath area we only had one towel because I forgot it, but found it in the dressing room. Took me forever to get the shower sit in the saltwater tub, then shower again.

3/10/00
Two guys with big black hats – getting out of car – “”Lets hit that wall!” (That was when we arrived at the wall around 5:00 a.m. with Tova – or 5:30)
Chagall Windows, at hospital. View of model of city – Haas Promenade – had coffee & looked out over city – Garden of Gethsemane after terrible traffic Jam near dome of Rock – Muslims coming out of prayers –
Saw E in – Karau – where John the Baptist and Mary lived – now an upscale neighborhood – artists or rich types.
What we did at restaurant – paying Tova $380, but in sheckles – That’s on Previous Page

3/11/00 – Last Day –
Alan off walking on wall. Me catching up on journal.

[Paragraph above the dreams, which are located in the back of the journal]
The girl and the artist were very attracted to each other. She saw his art and he saw her, an apparently admired her from afar for some time.
But there was danger. He had enemies, an I, in the end, was persuaded to hold some kind of exhibit. The artist was impressed, and we seemed to be proceeding in some kind of wary state, we were optocollic but wary.

Dream – 6/25/00 – We had a huge international class assembling and I was the one who had to tell them that we were cancelling the classes. Am not sure that there was ever a reason. A special student from Argentina was apparently dangerous for some reason and others were suspect of I don’t know what. It was my job to tell them all in an assembled class that there would be no lessons. I think we were watching the two Argentinians and intended to send them home immediately or put them in jail.

Dream – 6/28/00 – In Denver
Mollies was there and Jane. I was in some exotic place visiting some place that had performances and made pottery. The performances director was king of a weird wizard and we (maybe Sarah and I) took him to a place where they were dancing – Jane Strong was teaching – and he saw a plethora of artistic pieces that he didn’t know about – shining pink bathing suits? People modeling them – this guy, the teacher, was dazzled by them, by all the artists, and by Jane.
The artist (he might have been an acrobat too) was someone who taught at this strange enclave.
There was some kind of festival and I took part in leading it. Someone of the younger girls was trying to get artistic notice. The whole dream was vibrant with colors and strange – cooking people hastening about.
The artist – leader of the group came with me to see all the hidden treasures. He was impressed. He came out of a house behind were we were living and was amazed that such art work was being produced – he wanted to buy several pieces for his gallery.
But there was some tension between his side and the other Jane S. didin’t trust him. But I envisioned a flourishing artistic community. The artist wanted Sarah and me to perform and we went back to his studio where another rather strange friend I’d just me was trying on some of the clothes – pink lavender, ivory, all shining in your eyes – then some pivotal scene where things began to unravel and more secrets were revealed.

3/13/00
Home from Israel and Egypt dreaming about Israel awake in my own, warm, comfortable bed. I was with a group of women in some kind of compound, maybe akibbutz I felt comfortable, needed, part of the group – but cracks appeared. I felt forces against me. Our head leader, a man, was no longer accessible for questions and help with the work.
I felt no longer useful as I had been was Tova in the group? Don’t remember specifically but in seemed she had drifted away and was also no longer accessible.
I was late to a meeting seems to me we wore long dresses with quaker-looking patterns, very modest appearances.
Gradually I realized that they didn’t want me there anymore.
It had to do with a theory about how to keep things in order. (I’m not an expert in that field)
We were all standing in a room waiting to go to a meeting with our leader who was, I think, a man.
I had been on a trip and was back, not adjusted yet to my environment I made a suggestion and could understand without anybody saying it, that, the idea had been rejected.

Notes for Article
Surgical instruments sterilization – and flies
For those who no longer experience the explosion of sensations – calling from the mosque faces and comportment of people on the street.

To buy – 2/17/00
Bengay
Glucosamate pills
Extra comb?
Make-up kit
Post cards