(no subject)
And now for Alexandria picspam. As usual in a bid to conserve space, there's not a load of pictures, but just the ones I liked the most. (Be warned: there's no underwater pics because the seal on my camera broke on the first dive. Meaning I had 70 pounds worth of ruined camera.)
Our journey begins in Cairo this time - one of my favourite places in Egypt. I had to fly there because, quite frankly, it's nigh on impossible to get external flights to Alexandria. Since I was already there, I figured it was probably worth taking advantage of the two days rest before the travel to Alexandria to go sightseeing again.
And you can't go to Cairo (or to be more accurate, Giza) without seeing...
The guys on camels are the police. They have guns. Big guns. As a Brit I get nervous around policemen with guns but they're all really friendly so fear not.
Then it was off to the Sphinx. Again. (Don't get me wrong, I love the pyramids, but the Sphinx is just crowded. Personally, if I was going to go back again, I'd do what I did the first time and go to the oldest pyramid in the world, which wasn't open to the public and which I had to climb down into on a rope, with a torch between my teeth. Terrifying, but great fun.)
Then to the Cairo Museum, which has changed its rules. You are not allowed to take pictures in there anymore. I have no idea why, although I harbour deep suspicions it's to force you to buy postcards from the gift shop. But the postcards are rubbish. Anyway, was wandering around in the Ptolemaic section, when I came across two statues facing one another. One was clearly Ptolemy III (although he'd just been labelled as 'Ptolemaic king') and the one facing him was, well. You can probably guess. The label had 'unknown Pharaoh of the late fourth century, possibly Ptolemy I'. So I had a look. And then screeched. The statue was clearly European, right down to the body build and facial features; it had the stereotypical Pharaonic costume but curly hair (which the Ptolemies apparently didn't possess), and the double crown had rams horns. So I, uh, took a very wobbly sneaky picture.
The moral of the story is: don't trust the Cairo Museum people. Because that's a statue of Alexander or I'll eat all my textbooks. Bascially they can't label for toffee and keep half their items under bits of plastic sheeting, just tossed around the rooms. Ngk. Oh, then I got caught taking above picture and decided to depart hastily. Off to the largest mosque in Cairo, called the 'Citadel'. It's beautiful. Here be the interior.
After all that excitement, we move swiftly on to... ALEXANDRIA.
Whilst the dives were in shifts (you can't stay down too long, although it depends on your qualification and what gas you're using) they still didn't take up the whole day. So I got free time. The Graeco-Roman Museum is closed for five years (good excuse to go back), so I occupied myself by visiting the Serapeum.
This is the outside, also known (although no one knows why) as Pompey's pillar.
Underneath pompey's pillar is the Serapeum - namely, the smaller part of the Library of Alexandria. After I finished crying in my corner with joy (oh shut up, I wrote my damn thesis on that place!), I went and took some photos. It's surpisingly dark. Watch for wall niches, because that's where the scrolls were stored.
Another day dawned, and here be a picture of some of the bay, from the boat we were using.
Then I went to the modern library fo Alexandria. Now this place is seriously amazing. I would kill for somewhere like this in London, because frankly they're collecting everything that was ever written. Plus I loved the interior. This isn't even a fifth of it.
And who was outside the library? Surely it wasn't anyone we know?
Nah, I've never heard of that guy either. XD
Moving on and I stopped off in an enclosed market on another day. Here be a picture of the awning covering part of the courtyard. Because it's pretty.
And so life continued with much diving and sightseeing, and omg I managed to get a picture of an Alexander head but through the EPIC FAIL of my camera (the one that became waterlogged) I have since lost the Alexander head. Happily someone else in the team has offered to send it to me. Huzzah.
Anyway, here's a picture from my room's balcony. The place we were all staying in was right on the seafront, so you literally rolled out of bed, straight into a wetsuit and down onto the boat. Handy. Unfortunately, I didn't look out over the sea, much to my annoyance.
And then at long last I went home. The dig itself was a success - they were halfway through unconvering a 2nd century AD wreck, and it was great fun picking through some of the amphorai. That said, it all had to be left en situ, because the season ends at the start of September, thanks to the storms Alexandria is subjected to. They didn't have time to bring up all the pieces found, so they've been recorded, catalogued and will hopefully get pulled up next year.
The flight back nearly killed me, as usual. I have no idea why they like having flights back late in the evening from Cairo. Hm. But at least I have a lasting souvenir. Yes, that's right, it's the one, the only, the...
ALEXANDER HEAD.
In other news, Hephaistion was eaten by a sea monster. (And you think I'm joking...)
'King Alexander greets Aristotle. I must describe to you the remarkable thing that happened to us in India...I asked some barbarians about the region and they pointed out an island, that was visible to all of us, in the middle of the sea; they said it was the grave of an ancient king, and that much gold had been dedicated there. I was very keen to cross over to the island, but my closest friend Hephaistion and the rest of my friends did not want me to go over there. "Let me go instead of you," said Hephaistion, "if there is any danger I will run it for you; but if not, I will send the boat over to you afterwards..." I was persuaded and allowed him to cross over with a troop. They disembarked, but after an hour the island dived into the depths, for it was a creature and not an island. We shouted out when the beast vanished and all the men perished, along with my best friend. I was very angry.'
- The Iskandarnamah, Trans. E. Watts
Oh Hephaistion. *ROFL*
P.S. Oh, fuck no.
The Adventures of Young Alexander the Great
Worldwide Release 2007
Alexander is at school, where he lives and studies with other boys, the sons of Macedonian noblemen. Their tutor is the legendary philosopher, Aristotle. The atmosphere is friendly but competitive, however, Alexander experiences all the problems a modern teenager has today, be it bullies and cheats at school, or winning the affections of beautiful girls.
Again, I say: Fuck. No.
Our journey begins in Cairo this time - one of my favourite places in Egypt. I had to fly there because, quite frankly, it's nigh on impossible to get external flights to Alexandria. Since I was already there, I figured it was probably worth taking advantage of the two days rest before the travel to Alexandria to go sightseeing again.
And you can't go to Cairo (or to be more accurate, Giza) without seeing...
The guys on camels are the police. They have guns. Big guns. As a Brit I get nervous around policemen with guns but they're all really friendly so fear not.
Then it was off to the Sphinx. Again. (Don't get me wrong, I love the pyramids, but the Sphinx is just crowded. Personally, if I was going to go back again, I'd do what I did the first time and go to the oldest pyramid in the world, which wasn't open to the public and which I had to climb down into on a rope, with a torch between my teeth. Terrifying, but great fun.)
Then to the Cairo Museum, which has changed its rules. You are not allowed to take pictures in there anymore. I have no idea why, although I harbour deep suspicions it's to force you to buy postcards from the gift shop. But the postcards are rubbish. Anyway, was wandering around in the Ptolemaic section, when I came across two statues facing one another. One was clearly Ptolemy III (although he'd just been labelled as 'Ptolemaic king') and the one facing him was, well. You can probably guess. The label had 'unknown Pharaoh of the late fourth century, possibly Ptolemy I'. So I had a look. And then screeched. The statue was clearly European, right down to the body build and facial features; it had the stereotypical Pharaonic costume but curly hair (which the Ptolemies apparently didn't possess), and the double crown had rams horns. So I, uh, took a very wobbly sneaky picture.
The moral of the story is: don't trust the Cairo Museum people. Because that's a statue of Alexander or I'll eat all my textbooks. Bascially they can't label for toffee and keep half their items under bits of plastic sheeting, just tossed around the rooms. Ngk. Oh, then I got caught taking above picture and decided to depart hastily. Off to the largest mosque in Cairo, called the 'Citadel'. It's beautiful. Here be the interior.
After all that excitement, we move swiftly on to... ALEXANDRIA.
Whilst the dives were in shifts (you can't stay down too long, although it depends on your qualification and what gas you're using) they still didn't take up the whole day. So I got free time. The Graeco-Roman Museum is closed for five years (good excuse to go back), so I occupied myself by visiting the Serapeum.
This is the outside, also known (although no one knows why) as Pompey's pillar.
Underneath pompey's pillar is the Serapeum - namely, the smaller part of the Library of Alexandria. After I finished crying in my corner with joy (oh shut up, I wrote my damn thesis on that place!), I went and took some photos. It's surpisingly dark. Watch for wall niches, because that's where the scrolls were stored.
Another day dawned, and here be a picture of some of the bay, from the boat we were using.
Then I went to the modern library fo Alexandria. Now this place is seriously amazing. I would kill for somewhere like this in London, because frankly they're collecting everything that was ever written. Plus I loved the interior. This isn't even a fifth of it.
And who was outside the library? Surely it wasn't anyone we know?
Nah, I've never heard of that guy either. XD
Moving on and I stopped off in an enclosed market on another day. Here be a picture of the awning covering part of the courtyard. Because it's pretty.
And so life continued with much diving and sightseeing, and omg I managed to get a picture of an Alexander head but through the EPIC FAIL of my camera (the one that became waterlogged) I have since lost the Alexander head. Happily someone else in the team has offered to send it to me. Huzzah.
Anyway, here's a picture from my room's balcony. The place we were all staying in was right on the seafront, so you literally rolled out of bed, straight into a wetsuit and down onto the boat. Handy. Unfortunately, I didn't look out over the sea, much to my annoyance.
And then at long last I went home. The dig itself was a success - they were halfway through unconvering a 2nd century AD wreck, and it was great fun picking through some of the amphorai. That said, it all had to be left en situ, because the season ends at the start of September, thanks to the storms Alexandria is subjected to. They didn't have time to bring up all the pieces found, so they've been recorded, catalogued and will hopefully get pulled up next year.
The flight back nearly killed me, as usual. I have no idea why they like having flights back late in the evening from Cairo. Hm. But at least I have a lasting souvenir. Yes, that's right, it's the one, the only, the...
ALEXANDER HEAD.
In other news, Hephaistion was eaten by a sea monster. (And you think I'm joking...)
'King Alexander greets Aristotle. I must describe to you the remarkable thing that happened to us in India...I asked some barbarians about the region and they pointed out an island, that was visible to all of us, in the middle of the sea; they said it was the grave of an ancient king, and that much gold had been dedicated there. I was very keen to cross over to the island, but my closest friend Hephaistion and the rest of my friends did not want me to go over there. "Let me go instead of you," said Hephaistion, "if there is any danger I will run it for you; but if not, I will send the boat over to you afterwards..." I was persuaded and allowed him to cross over with a troop. They disembarked, but after an hour the island dived into the depths, for it was a creature and not an island. We shouted out when the beast vanished and all the men perished, along with my best friend. I was very angry.'
- The Iskandarnamah, Trans. E. Watts
Oh Hephaistion. *ROFL*
P.S. Oh, fuck no.
The Adventures of Young Alexander the Great
Worldwide Release 2007
Alexander is at school, where he lives and studies with other boys, the sons of Macedonian noblemen. Their tutor is the legendary philosopher, Aristotle. The atmosphere is friendly but competitive, however, Alexander experiences all the problems a modern teenager has today, be it bullies and cheats at school, or winning the affections of beautiful girls.
Again, I say: Fuck. No.