Eternal Egypt and the Nile

Welcome to a short tour of Egypt! Please consider clicking on pictures to enlarge; then simply
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My friend, Ruth Ann, with whom I've done such things as spend 39 days on an Italian freighter and I spent three weeks in February in Egypt and Jordan. Hope you'll enjoy this account!

One of the most popular things for tourists to do in Egypt is to ride on a felucca (boat) on the Nile. These delightful craft have not changed in thousands of years. They have one sail and travel by tacking back and forth on the river. It looks like so many lovely white gulls floating across the water. Here is Penny, Queen of the Nile for a day, enjoying a trip to the
First Cataract! This is a felucca, sailing near the hillside which has many tombs of ancient nobles. Note how absolutely barren the desert hillside appears---there is NOTHING growing on the desert.

One highlight for me was a hot air balloon trip, at dawn, over the Valley of the Kings. Here you see the mountains that hold the valley, where the ancient tombs were constructed, including that of King Tut and Ramses II. It was a spectacular trip---we went up to 25oo feet! (Please click to enlarge this photo---it is one of my favorites! Thanks!)

Riding camels turned out to be a great way to cross the desert from one ancient temple to another. The great lurching effort the poor beast has to exert in order to stand up nearly unseated us, but then I was able to wrap my leg around the horn and rock along over the sand in true Lawrence of Arabia style. I'm thinking a camel expedition might be fun!

This was one of the temples built by Ramses II to honor himself. It was truly out in the middle of nowhere. This was the reason for the camel ride---over the 100+ degree desert from one

ancient temple to another! Best $5 I ever spent! (Note all the resting camels in a row.)

Welcome to the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramid and the mysterious Sphinx have drawn visitors since they were built---four thousand years ago! It was very hot and windy on the plateau, somewhere close to 100 degrees, which was unusual for February.
You can tell the real estate was rapidly changing hands on the desert around the pyramids.

I am still pondering our visit to the area and my reaction to size of the pyramids and Sphinx. At first they didn't seem as large as I had anticipated---but when I walked along their sides and

climbed up some of the blocks of the Great Pyramid I changed my mind---Khufu's pyramid (the largest) covers 13 acres of ground and utilized six million tons of stone in its construction

Traveling through the Nile Valley was a feast for the eyes, as there were farming efforts everywhere. Egypt has 80 million people, most of whom live in the Nile Valley. Can you imagine the amount of food it takes for that many people? In this picture the water buffalo were going home from the fields at the end of the day and the poor little donkey was carrying fresh-cut alfalfa to feed the buffalo overnight.
Cairo is proud of the Mosque of Mohammed Ali---a copy of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The number of mosques and minarets in Cairo was astonishing. There was a minaret just outside our hotel window so we could easily hear the call to prayer five times a day!!
Cairo insists it doesn't have pollution but has moisture vapor mingled with desert dust. I'd vote for pollution myself as the number of vehicles to transport 20 million people is significant! Here Ruth Ann and I are, above the city where the air was a bit better.

You must come to visit me to see other pictures. We traveled to Alexandria where we relished the magnificent new library which has reading space for 2000 people, we spent a week on old-fashined river boats on Lake Nassar and the Nile seeing temples galore, we went to Jordan to see the ancient Rose Red City of Petra (shades of Indiana Jones!), we toured old Luxor by horse and carriage and saw city streets that haven't changed in hundreds of years, we climbed up Mt. Nebo in Jordan where it is believed Moses stood to look into the Promised Land (the Dead Sea and the River Jordan were just below us), we shopped in the suqs with their narrow streets and agressive merchants (when one bargains in Egypt you start at 10% of the asking price so it takes a long time to buy anything!), we always had a plain-clothes armed guard with us and often a police escort with lights and sirens going---nothing like announcing one's presence,right?

It was a priviledge to be able to go to Egypt and Jordan. We learned a great deal about the cultural differences between their countries and ours. We learned why Egypt has such a concern about how to slow their growing population---they simply will not be able to feed their people.

Learning---learning---learning. That is what travel is about; this trip had almost too much

to absorb but it was a marvelous experience. PS--Ruth Ann is great as a travel-mate!!!

What Do You Do in Silverton in the Winter?

This is the question that has been asked of me over and over for the forty years I have lived here. The answer is: There are many interesting people in Silverton who do surprising and amazing things with their time. One of them is my friend, George Chapman, the former editor of the local newspaper. He is retired so has time to enjoy the print shop in his garage, where he prints a variety of types of documents. Today I had the pleasure of spending part of the afternoon with him, watching him print a page for an annual publication created by a printing association to which he belongs.

The press he used today is a Chandler & Price, an 8 X 12 platen press (sometimes known as a clamshell press) which was manufactured in 1911. George has electrified it with a small motor. Along with this press (and a number of others) his print shop is crowded with all manner of drawers of type and other printing gizmos and tools---most surfaces are covered with little bits of metal that are mirror images of some word or logo---it is the kind of place where you realize you'd best not move even one thing or the next time the printer started a job, he wouldn't be able to proceed because of the missing object!
This is George, in his printing uniform. Note all the nifty posters on the walls and part of the press on the left.

Here he is actually printing, hand-placing each small piece of paper with precision just before the flywheel of the press brings the type to the paper.

This is the flywheel and above George's hand you can also see the ink rollers which place the ink on the type. The round, flat metal piece in the background is the ink plate (George---I hope that's right!) where the rollers get a fresh supply for each page.

This is the counter (about 4" X 3" high) which has a nifty little spring mechanism on it, which is tripped each time the frame of type prints a new page. You can see the counter on the previous

picture. It is to the left of the ink rollers and above the flywheel.

This is the leather belt which wraps around the flywheel and runs the press. George recently had to replace the stitching that splices it together---it is a healthy inch wide and will soon need more repair. The current system of having the belt run the flywheel is a modern innovation done by George. The belt originally ran a drive wheel on the opposite side of the press.

Here is the final product---the page for the Amalgamated Printer's Association! (Hobo is actually a type style.) It was a fascinating afternoon. If George and Karen weren't about to move to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, I would be tempted to see if George would let me learn to set type! Thanks, George!

(Now, faithful readers, you know what kinds of things people in Silverton do in the winter!)

Silverton-Winter Wonderland #2

Note: Be sure to click on the photos so you can see snow detail; then click on the back arrow at
upper left to continue with the blog. Thanks!


It continues to snow and snow and snow...yesterday it only snowed lightly so the plows were able to get busy and do their much-needed jobs. The results? Here we go... Town Hall on Silverton's Main Street with a large snow berm in the middle of the street.
School, Public Library (Right), and playground equipment---don't you love the snow "hats"
on the playground equipment?
My friend Cynthia's house---see why we paint our houses with color? So we can find them in the winter snow!!
See what I mean? I need more color...this is the south side of my house!
Street scene with my Durango...
Our church---don't you love the snow on the steeple?
Colorful street scene with Kendal Mountain as a backdrop.
The snow-shoveling champ of San Juan County!
Former student, Kenneth Wilson (11th grade now) shoveling snow off the roof of his parent's house on Reese Street. Right after he posed the snow gave way and he, the shovel and snow all landed in a heap in the yard! (He came up laughing!)
The current view from my front door---narrow path to street, huge berm in the middle of the street---real winter is fun but a lot of shoveling! Bye for now---I'm going to go soak my snow-shoveling muscles!

Silverton's a Winter Wonderland!

Welcome to Colorado's Winter Wonderland! We've been having snowfall for several days and expect more through tomorrow. The routine in a series of close-together storms like this is to go out each day and shovel everything out, which makes it possible to continue to do things like getting the mail and go out for coffee rather than to be totally snowed into your house. What you are about to see is the accumulation from last night, when it snowed absolutely straight down and as abundantly as I believe I have ever seen! Absolutely gorgeous! So, after crawling over the three to four feet of snow in front of my door this morning to get to the street, which the city had plowed, this was the view of my house. (Notice the snow half-way up the second story window in the front! Always makes a good story if you forget to mention the snow is piled on the porch roof!)

First order of business? Shovel the path to the plowed street! Done!

Next---stick two bottles of wine in the snowbank along the edge of the front porch to chill (if one is having a dinner party!) Chardonnay is never as crisp and lovely as when removed from a snowbank just before opening!

Now, for the real challenge. Dig the car out of the night's accumulation! Here is my Durango, with the back end dug out, ready to be backed out of its parking spot (four-wheel drive engaged, of course!). I was shoveling away (a berm the city left me which you cannot really see but which was about twelve feet wide and four feet deep, right behind the vehicle) when a nice young man came along and offered to help. He is from Houston/Holland and was waiting for the road to Silverton Mountain (the local extreme ski area) to open. He shoveled away about 2/3 of the berm when he let me convince him I could finish.

You need to know that a few grey curls sticking out from under a ski hat accomplish amazing things! For all of my young friends who read this, do stop and help those grey-haired ladies. We really, really appreciate it!

Here is the car after removing it from its parking spot. The city crew will come along and sort of "tidy up" the entrance to my parking spot or maybe even scoop the entire thing out now that I have moved the car to the plowed side of the street. This may not make sense to anyone but Travis and Suzanne......

And finally, the view out the sunroom windows. Note the snow piled up past the sills. Yes, it really is that deep. As I said, it snowed straight down and just piled up---no wind with this storm. The woodshed door is completely covered and the backyard is level deep that high!

The rhubarb should be happy with all the moisture when spring comes!

So, regretting that you are not here to enjoy all this beauty with me (and help shovel!), I shall

close. It is snowing again so I must go see if the car can move back into its snowy "garage."

See you in the spring if not before!!! I should have also explained that periodically while I was shoveling a large army howizter would go off as the highway department "shot" avalanches along the state highway immediately outside of town. Something about the clouds today made the explosions sound as if they were next door or just across the street. Boom! Crack! Bang! The report is that our avalanche danger is very high. All the state highways in the area are closed until further notice.

P.S. One has to love small towns---not only do visiting skiers help strangers shovel, but the city snowplow crew came along and bull-dozed me a huge parking space! It can snow and snow and I'll still have space to put snow as I shovel.
Cinnamon rolls are in order for the street crew---I'll deliver them to their shop on Monday morning!

My World of Blessings

Each year, at Christmas-time, I am filled with awe when I contemplate all the blessings that are mine in the world in which we live. This year I had the great pleasure of visiting Maggie, Travis, and Finn(2.5) in their new home in Denver (they've moved back to Colorado from Australia--hurrah!) and sharing Christmas and New Years with Suzie, James and Audrey(1.16)in York, Pennsylvania.

Observing these young families in action brings great joy to my heart! They are such wise, loving, consistent parents and, naturally, above-average children (grandmother speaking here!)
Odd, I never thought I'd be one of those grandmothers who is totally nutty about her grandchildren, but sure enough, I am!

Some of my holiday blessings were:

Finn and Travis enjoying the Christmas train that went round and round...

Touring the National Watch and Clock Museum in Pennsylvania with Suzie and Audrey. Suz and I have a penchant for strange museums...we've been to the National Dental Museum, the International Weight-lifting Museum, and have scheduled a visit to the Museum of Sharp-Edged Metal Weaponry in May!

Seeing Audrey in the hat I brought her from Peru---don't you love her mom's lovely smile?

Taking Finn to see Santa, along with his other grandmother, Granny Annie Moore. Santa was OK but what he really liked was playing on the egg at the "breakfast" play area at the Mall!
Being in Pennsylvania for a real eastern snowstorm---16" of heavy, wet snow. Here is the Heskin family on their street with Audrey who must have been trying to figure out what the white stuff could be! James bundled her up and sat her in the snow for a bit; she seemed puzzled by all the white.
Finn continuing to enjoy the train...
Suzie, James and Audrey with Mica (dear, patient dog) on Christmas day.
Maggie, Travis, and Finn, happy to once again be in Colorado for Christmas and to stay!

More blessings descended as I drove home from Denver: a beautiful sunny day to drive through the mountains, tea and a visit with good friend Karen en route, arriving in Silverton with the sense of truly being home, having friends wave and yell "Welcome home!" and call with an invitation to dinner...

2010 is off to a joyous start! Come see me---call first, as my family would tell you I'm not home much! Seek out the joys in each day and make someone smile---give lots of hugs!

I shall close with my name from Finn...Love, Grammie Pen Pen

P.S. Maggie---my New Year's Resolution is to post more often!

Treasures of Peru: Part Three-The Amazon

Flying to the Amazon Basin from Lima took us over the Andes and then, suddenly, I could see the river and the endless-seeming jungle from my plane window. It looked just like a photo in the Time-Life book I read during a snowstorm last winter in Silverton! The trees and the river with all its tributaries stretched on and on and on and on...............
We flew to Iquitos, a Peruvian city of 600,000 on the Amazon. One can get there only by air or water. It was the heart of the South American rubber industry at one time until some enterprising Englishman smuggled a few thousand rubber seeds out of the country and the British began their rubber colonies in India. That finished the rubber business in SA.

A popular mode of travel is this motorcycle-powered sort of rickshaw. Our guide told us Iquitos has 22,000 of them! (We actually rode in them later in the week on a trip through the jungle from the Amazon to another river---a sort of short cut to save us several hours by boat.)

Street scene in Iquitos---lots of rickshaws, a few busses, but virtually no normal cars.

Arriving by river boat at the pier for our resort. Yes, the Amazon is very muddy. It is constantly erroding the banks so there are always trees floating downriver which is a constant hazard for the river boats.

One of the lodging bungalows at our resort. We were happy to have air conditioning which kept most of the critters out of our room (most---not all!). There was a beautiful screened in lodge where we found the bar and dining room. The bar had great local beer and we also had learned to enjoy Pisco Sours, the national cocktail of Peru, made with grape brandy and eggwhites. Come to Silverton and I'll make you one; there was room in my luggage for a bottle of Pisco!

Meanwhile, we were busy doing things like this picture: here I am playing Jane, looking for Tarzan while I swing on the philodendron vines in the jungle. I am sorry you cannot see the depths I was swinging across! (I was so busy hanging on I forgot to emit the jungle cry!)

We were priviledged to visit a village of Yagua indians down the river from our lodge. They live in thatched huts, such as you can see in the picture below. This lady is using her machete to peel a manioc root, one of their staple foods. She put on her grass bib just for us. Normally she would not wear it, as the heat is too intense. Part way through our visit she gave up, took it off, and hung it on a floor joist of the house. (Believe me, I would have loved to shed my clothes, too!)

The villagers did a demonstration dance for us in their ceremonial house, out in the jungle. They did a portion of the dances they do twice a year---what an amazing experience it was for us. Our guide had grown up on the river and was able to arrange the visit for us.

The chief is demonstrating a blowgun which launches poison-tipped darts we had previously seen. The poison comes from plants and tiny little frogs which emit a poisonous secretion. It is nasty stuff---we were very careful when looking at the darts and the poison jug as it will kill a person (or animal) in fifteen minutes or less. They were very accurate with their shooting and could hit a target dead on at about twenty-five feet.

The next adventure was pirhana fishing! You will need to enlarge this photo to see my catch, which I caught on a one-inch cube of raw beef. Now, I ask you, how many people do you know who have been pirhana fishing? We learned that it is perfectly safe to swim in the same water with them. They only attack when blood is involved---the movies are wrong

Sunrise on the Amazon River...this river is amazing. The river system carries 2/3 of all the fresh water on Earth.

A view of the village of Mazon, deep in the jungle, where we were taken in the rickshaws to

board a boat on the Napo River. Note the concrete electrical pole on the extreme left of the picture. A local lady was sharpening her machete (the kitchen knife of choice in the jungle) on this pole. There are no rocks in the river basin so having a concrete pole within walking distance of her "kitchen" is a big help to her.

Traveling down the Napo, after the rather wild rickshaw ride through the jungle, we arrived at another lodge where we had breakfast and then hiked through the jungle to a canopy walk. At the lodge their pets are two of the world's largest rodents, the capybara. This one was named Charlie and he was especially friendly; it seemed someone was always tripping over him!

The canopy walk took us up to 120 feet above the ground, through all the different levels of the rain forest. You may need to enlarge this picture to verify that is actually me coming along the swinging walkway. The various flowering epiphytes (ahem...plants that just grow on a tree up in the canopy...many are bromiliads) were beautiful.

From this platform high above the Amazon rainforest, beside a lovely pink flower, I shall bid you farewell from Peru! (Come to Colorado for Pisco Sour!) Cheers.........Penny