30 June 2008
Yikes!
The ice at the geographic North Pole could entirely melt this summer. Could melt. Not will melt. But if it does, it'd be pretty darn weird. The National Snow and Ice Data Center has some interesting maps.
Mount Sinai: A religious experience
"The" Burning Bush. Funny story about the burning bush--no one knows where the original one was. This picture is of a bush of a related genus or species of the supposed actual burning bush. So, like the sheep we tourists are, we all took pictures of this bush inside Saint Katherine's monastery. So, I give you The Burning Bush!
Chapel at the summit of Sinai ("Mount Moses"). Sadly, it was boarded up. I hoped for some religious experience at the top of the holy mountain, but the monks of St. Katherine's didn't provide it (although I'm sure they could've. They missed an opportunity here). Instead, a Muslim classmate of mine sang the morning prayer (I'm glad he did it--he gave a beautiful call), and about a half hour later a group of Colombian Christians sang some prayers in Spanish. Listening to people pubicly express their different faiths amidst groups of complete strangers, who were of different faiths, was actually kind of inspiring.
Sunrise at Sinai. I waited almost 2 hours at the top for this picture, but those 2 hours were actually better than sunrise. You're at the top of your own world, the stars and the moon bright and clear in the pitch black sky. There is no light at the top of Sinai, and nothing around but other mountains, but you still have plenty of light. There is no sound at the top. No wind, no noise from planes, no birds chirping. No sound at all. You can hear yourself think, and there's enough space at the top (if you're the first of the night to summit, as we were) to go off on your own and think. I definitely said a quick prayer of thanks for the opportunity to have this experience. The best part of the hike was the contrast between the sparklingly bright stars and the moon and the clarity of the night sky, and the emptiness (and darkness) of the rest of the nightscape as we hiked (and waited at the summit).
Chapel at the summit of Sinai ("Mount Moses"). Sadly, it was boarded up. I hoped for some religious experience at the top of the holy mountain, but the monks of St. Katherine's didn't provide it (although I'm sure they could've. They missed an opportunity here). Instead, a Muslim classmate of mine sang the morning prayer (I'm glad he did it--he gave a beautiful call), and about a half hour later a group of Colombian Christians sang some prayers in Spanish. Listening to people pubicly express their different faiths amidst groups of complete strangers, who were of different faiths, was actually kind of inspiring.
Sunrise at Sinai. I waited almost 2 hours at the top for this picture, but those 2 hours were actually better than sunrise. You're at the top of your own world, the stars and the moon bright and clear in the pitch black sky. There is no light at the top of Sinai, and nothing around but other mountains, but you still have plenty of light. There is no sound at the top. No wind, no noise from planes, no birds chirping. No sound at all. You can hear yourself think, and there's enough space at the top (if you're the first of the night to summit, as we were) to go off on your own and think. I definitely said a quick prayer of thanks for the opportunity to have this experience. The best part of the hike was the contrast between the sparklingly bright stars and the moon and the clarity of the night sky, and the emptiness (and darkness) of the rest of the nightscape as we hiked (and waited at the summit).
(Increased global demand) + (oil production at full capacity) + (slumping stock markets) + (saber-rattling) = Skyrocketing gas prices
Prices rise in response to Libyan threat to cut production (Libya is responsible for 2% of world production) in response to US law.
$143 per barrel of oil.
Israel's dry run against Iran drove prices higher.
Way to help push the Middle East towards to the brink of war, Greece.
This graph kind of puts today's prices in perspective. The graph is denominated in 2006 US Dollars. On 9/11, the median world price was $26.90. Today, oil is trading at $143 per barrel. Simply amazing.
$143 per barrel of oil.
Israel's dry run against Iran drove prices higher.
Way to help push the Middle East towards to the brink of war, Greece.
This graph kind of puts today's prices in perspective. The graph is denominated in 2006 US Dollars. On 9/11, the median world price was $26.90. Today, oil is trading at $143 per barrel. Simply amazing.
29 June 2008
An AMAZING weekend!
Just got back from an incredible weekend. This post won't be long, but I'll blog more tomorrow. Just wanted to quickly say that hiking Mount Sinai at 2AM was incredible. 5 of us summited in 1 hour 45 minutes, then spent the next hour and a half waiting for sunrise. Sunrise was gorgeous! Sharm El Sheik was wonderful--right now any description I could give would do it justice. i snorkeled, rode ATVs in the desert, gorged myself at the breakfast buffet, and generally just relaxed. 48 hours in sharm recharged my batteries. now i'm ready to push on through finals, which start for me next wednesday (july 9).
more to come tomorrow
more to come tomorrow
25 June 2008
Funny phrases I heard today at Khan El Khalili
Today, Nabil, Nazia & I skipped classes and went to Khan El Khalili, the famous bazaar in Cairo. Relax Dad, I'm allowed to skip 4 sessions of each class this summer and these were the first (and probably the only, especially since next week is the final week of classes) classes I've skipped. This was my first trip to the bazaar, but I'd been told to go in small groups if you want to survive the constant pressure from vendors. So our group was perfect--small, fun and efficient.
The vendors will say anything to lure you into their stores. This is a collection of the funniest & most clever phrases I heard today:
"Hey, lucky guy, come here and take a look!" (said because I was walking with Nazia)
"Hey, Arafat!" (said because I was wearing a keffieya like Yassir Arafat's)
"What can I do to get you to spend your money?"
"I don't know what you're looking for, but I have it!"
"Everything's free!"
"You make me very happy if you take a look!"
"Hey, Rambo, come take a look!"
The vendors will say anything to lure you into their stores. This is a collection of the funniest & most clever phrases I heard today:
"Hey, lucky guy, come here and take a look!" (said because I was walking with Nazia)
"Hey, Arafat!" (said because I was wearing a keffieya like Yassir Arafat's)
"What can I do to get you to spend your money?"
"I don't know what you're looking for, but I have it!"
"Everything's free!"
"You make me very happy if you take a look!"
"Hey, Rambo, come take a look!"
24 June 2008
Pictures...
...of Alexandria and Luxor are now up. I still need to develop 4 rolls from Luxor, which I'll try to do before we leave Thursday at 2AM, but I make no promises. Otherwise, I'm caught up!
Sharm El Sheikh (a.k.a. Paradise)
The majority of our group leaves Cairo Thursday morning at 2AM for St. Catherine's Monastery, Mt. Sinai, and Sharm El Sheikh until Sunday afternoon. This weekend will likely be the highlight of the trip for me.
We're getting to St. Catherine's Monastery by a 7 hour bus ride. We'll arrive around 9am, tour the monastery and maybe some of the town, and then rest up during the afternoon/evening. At 2AM, we leave our hotel to hike Mount Sinai (elevation 7,500 feet), which we'll summit at sunrise. We're apparently doing a Bedouin tent experience afterwards. The combination of the hike and tent experience is supposed to make for a spiritually-moving experience. Which is good, because who can't use more of the Holy Spirit?
Friday afternoon it's off to the luxury resort of Sharm El Sheikh (where Dubya Bush was recently for a world economic (I think) summit). Check out the Photo Gallery on our hotel's website (click "Photo Gallery on the left side, in the middle of the page). The Sofitel hotel chain is apparently uber-luxurious. On tap for me in Sharm are a desert ATV tour and scuba diving off a boat into a coral reef (they'll certify me before I dive, so don't worry Elena). Apparently Sharm has the world's #1 dive site (which I obviously won't dive because it's for advanced divers).
Oddly enough, all the prices are denominated in Euros. Egyptian law was recently changed to require foreign travellers to pay for all hotel and some other travel expenses in foreign currency. The fact that all the prices are listed in Euros may show the prevalence of European travellers (there is talk that Sharm has topless beaches), or it may show how weak the Dollar is. Or maybe it's just a weird quirk.
Anyway, I'm pumped about this weekend, even though I could easily spend $500!
We're getting to St. Catherine's Monastery by a 7 hour bus ride. We'll arrive around 9am, tour the monastery and maybe some of the town, and then rest up during the afternoon/evening. At 2AM, we leave our hotel to hike Mount Sinai (elevation 7,500 feet), which we'll summit at sunrise. We're apparently doing a Bedouin tent experience afterwards. The combination of the hike and tent experience is supposed to make for a spiritually-moving experience. Which is good, because who can't use more of the Holy Spirit?
Friday afternoon it's off to the luxury resort of Sharm El Sheikh (where Dubya Bush was recently for a world economic (I think) summit). Check out the Photo Gallery on our hotel's website (click "Photo Gallery on the left side, in the middle of the page). The Sofitel hotel chain is apparently uber-luxurious. On tap for me in Sharm are a desert ATV tour and scuba diving off a boat into a coral reef (they'll certify me before I dive, so don't worry Elena). Apparently Sharm has the world's #1 dive site (which I obviously won't dive because it's for advanced divers).
Oddly enough, all the prices are denominated in Euros. Egyptian law was recently changed to require foreign travellers to pay for all hotel and some other travel expenses in foreign currency. The fact that all the prices are listed in Euros may show the prevalence of European travellers (there is talk that Sharm has topless beaches), or it may show how weak the Dollar is. Or maybe it's just a weird quirk.
Anyway, I'm pumped about this weekend, even though I could easily spend $500!
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