Hi everyone. I made it back safe and secure from Istanbul! Will post more about my trip soon. Moving to Dammam on Monday...more to
Come. :-)
What have y'all been up to? Shoot me some love jayliffejessup@wsgc.com
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Istanbul day 1
Good morning friends. What a day I had yesterday! Let's catch you up...after my relaxing morning of lounging in bed until 10am (that's really late for me) I ventured out to
Starbucks as it had a great outdoor seating area. I sat and people watched and read for about two hours. It was so enjoyable to just sit back, relax and unwind and not be sweating my ass off! Yesterday's weather was so phenomenal, a high of about 75...compared to my normal 108, it felt chilly but I wore shorts anyway...mainly because I could! Lol. Silly I know.
Anyway, after a light lunch, oh yes dear reader it definitely included two bottles of champagne.
We went to find the Hagia Sofia. You'd think that three grown men would be able to find a HUGE building...well apparently not. Of course we went the wrong way, and just kept walking towards a big mosque that we assumed just had to be it. Sadly, on our first attempt was not successful. However, it wasn't a waste of time. We did get to see the inside of a mosque that happened to be part of the Great Bazaar (also started to walk through that-but decided to turn around).
After asking a few street vendors (who all seemed confused as to why we couldn't find the building). We found it, the Ayasofya. The ginormous church/mosque/museum was only meters from our lunch spot...and of course part of a large complex that also houses Sultanahmet mosque (aka the Blue Mosque). If only we had paid more attention to our surroundings we would have seen this glorious area.
As has been the case on my adventure, I am once again in awe of ancient sacred sites. The mass complexities and specific architectural details that were specific to empires long since extinct definitely take your breath away. To imagine these buildings outside of their current context. Huge massive buildings that are the backbone of religion in this area dating back to 360 A.D.
Okay, so it's time for a history lesson. I think it's extremely important to talk about it do that you can understand just what makes the Ayasofya so special.
First, the building you've just looked at is not the original structure. That one was originally built in 360and was destroyed twice by riots. The structure you see is the result of three different religions adding (and removing) specific icons. The current building's last religious role was that of an Imperial Mosque.
Think back to History class in high school. You definitely studied this guy named Constantinople. Well the original two buildings were named after him. The Cathedral of Constantinople was destroyed and the Emperor (Justinian) ordered that a new one be built. the building was constructed from 532 -537 and was designed by the Greek. It was dedicated to Lagos. And for those that don't know, Lagos is the second person in the trinity. The dome of the building is considered to be the epitome of the Byzantine empire.
The church itself has a very important place in history. Not does it play a part in three different religions (Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim) it had some great events that happened here. The most important was the excommunication of Michael I Cerularius in 1054. For those that must have been sleeping in history class, that was the start of the Great Schism between the East and West and probably where the Eastern Orthodox church got its start.
So fast forward, in 1453 the Ottoman empire conquers the Byzantine empire and the building is ordered to be made into a mosque. All of Christian relics are removed, walls covered in plaster and carpets laid down. Mehmed II has the mihrab ( which points towards Mecca), minibar (what a Christian would consider the pulpit) and minarets (prayer is called from here) added, (they are depicted below in the same order).
I wont bore you with too many facts. Enjoy my photos of this place.
Next on our agenda was the Sultanhamet Mosque. You might know this as the Blue Mosque. It was built from 1609-1616 and was commissioned by the Sultan who wanted it to rival the Ayasofya.
This structure contains key elements of the Aya and Islam. It has 6 minarets instead of the normal 4. This caused issues as Mecca was the only mosque with 6. It wasn't until they added one more in Mecca that it became okay.
So okay, the blue mosque doesn't look blue. Well, the inside of the domes/walls are either painted blue or adorned with blue tiles. You will also see traditional calligraphy depicting verses of the Qur'an.
I don't have many photos from inside as its a current place of worship for Muslims and I wanted to respect that.
After our tour through the mosque, we walked down to the Bosperhous
And took in the beautiful water. Of course now it was 4pm... HAPPY HOUR!!!!! We had drinks at roof top terrace overlooking both the Aya and blue mosque.
After a quick shower and costume change we had a traditional Turkish dinner and them off to bed.
Hopefully my dear reader you learned something! More to come after today's adventure.
Starbucks as it had a great outdoor seating area. I sat and people watched and read for about two hours. It was so enjoyable to just sit back, relax and unwind and not be sweating my ass off! Yesterday's weather was so phenomenal, a high of about 75...compared to my normal 108, it felt chilly but I wore shorts anyway...mainly because I could! Lol. Silly I know.
Anyway, after a light lunch, oh yes dear reader it definitely included two bottles of champagne.
We went to find the Hagia Sofia. You'd think that three grown men would be able to find a HUGE building...well apparently not. Of course we went the wrong way, and just kept walking towards a big mosque that we assumed just had to be it. Sadly, on our first attempt was not successful. However, it wasn't a waste of time. We did get to see the inside of a mosque that happened to be part of the Great Bazaar (also started to walk through that-but decided to turn around).
After asking a few street vendors (who all seemed confused as to why we couldn't find the building). We found it, the Ayasofya. The ginormous church/mosque/museum was only meters from our lunch spot...and of course part of a large complex that also houses Sultanahmet mosque (aka the Blue Mosque). If only we had paid more attention to our surroundings we would have seen this glorious area.
As has been the case on my adventure, I am once again in awe of ancient sacred sites. The mass complexities and specific architectural details that were specific to empires long since extinct definitely take your breath away. To imagine these buildings outside of their current context. Huge massive buildings that are the backbone of religion in this area dating back to 360 A.D.
Okay, so it's time for a history lesson. I think it's extremely important to talk about it do that you can understand just what makes the Ayasofya so special.
First, the building you've just looked at is not the original structure. That one was originally built in 360and was destroyed twice by riots. The structure you see is the result of three different religions adding (and removing) specific icons. The current building's last religious role was that of an Imperial Mosque.
Think back to History class in high school. You definitely studied this guy named Constantinople. Well the original two buildings were named after him. The Cathedral of Constantinople was destroyed and the Emperor (Justinian) ordered that a new one be built. the building was constructed from 532 -537 and was designed by the Greek. It was dedicated to Lagos. And for those that don't know, Lagos is the second person in the trinity. The dome of the building is considered to be the epitome of the Byzantine empire.
The church itself has a very important place in history. Not does it play a part in three different religions (Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim) it had some great events that happened here. The most important was the excommunication of Michael I Cerularius in 1054. For those that must have been sleeping in history class, that was the start of the Great Schism between the East and West and probably where the Eastern Orthodox church got its start.
So fast forward, in 1453 the Ottoman empire conquers the Byzantine empire and the building is ordered to be made into a mosque. All of Christian relics are removed, walls covered in plaster and carpets laid down. Mehmed II has the mihrab ( which points towards Mecca), minibar (what a Christian would consider the pulpit) and minarets (prayer is called from here) added, (they are depicted below in the same order).
I wont bore you with too many facts. Enjoy my photos of this place.
Next on our agenda was the Sultanhamet Mosque. You might know this as the Blue Mosque. It was built from 1609-1616 and was commissioned by the Sultan who wanted it to rival the Ayasofya.
This structure contains key elements of the Aya and Islam. It has 6 minarets instead of the normal 4. This caused issues as Mecca was the only mosque with 6. It wasn't until they added one more in Mecca that it became okay.
So okay, the blue mosque doesn't look blue. Well, the inside of the domes/walls are either painted blue or adorned with blue tiles. You will also see traditional calligraphy depicting verses of the Qur'an.
I don't have many photos from inside as its a current place of worship for Muslims and I wanted to respect that.
After our tour through the mosque, we walked down to the Bosperhous
And took in the beautiful water. Of course now it was 4pm... HAPPY HOUR!!!!! We had drinks at roof top terrace overlooking both the Aya and blue mosque.
After a quick shower and costume change we had a traditional Turkish dinner and them off to bed.
Hopefully my dear reader you learned something! More to come after today's adventure.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Headed to Istanbul
Good Morning my lovelies!!! Jason and I made it to our latest destination so I'm sending Greetings from Istanbul, Turkey.
I Only have time for a quick message today.
Our trip was pretty much uneventful. A short 3.5 hour flight here.
Turkish Airlines puts out a great spread...menus and everything.
After we made it through the cluster-F that was passport control & customs, we headed to the metro. I had a serious flashback to my former life in Boston. Riding the subway made me feel like I was in the bean. The streetcar that took us just meters away from hostel travelled through an area that reminded me of taking the B line out past Boston University.
So now I've said that the trolley dropped us only meters from our hostel...shoot. What I meant to say was, should've dropped us. We definitely got off at the wrong stop...got all sorts of mixed up and turned around. And then, dear reader, we got caught in a summer thunder storm.
OMG the thunderstorm was absolutely amazing---remember we've not been in a climate that was cooler than 106 for 2 months. The streets were bustling as I saw a huge bolt of
Lighting in the sky to west. One at a time, Huge drops of rain slowly started to drop...and then the sky opened up. Everyone (including us) was running for cover. As we all squeezed together, up close to buildings, I could feel the energy of the city. Unlike at home, the rain seemed to energize the city.
After flattening myself for what felt like an eternity, the rain let up. Street venders returned to their fruit stands and pretzels. Local artisans unrolled their tarps and reSet their displays of homemade jewelry. Jason and I finally figured out where our hostel was located.
A little frustrated after being lost and definitely a little wet from the rain, we arrived at the Cordial House. After and confusion transaction (still not sure how much I got charged) we dropped our belongings off in our rooms and headed out.
To say that I was excited about having something to do at night, is definitely an understatement! We found a cute little restaurant and shared a cheese plate and several cocktails.
Today is Wednesday...Jason's boyfriend is landing shortly. After he gets to us, I think we will head out and explore!
I'll try to blog again before I leave.
Much love to you...
.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I Only have time for a quick message today.
Our trip was pretty much uneventful. A short 3.5 hour flight here.
Turkish Airlines puts out a great spread...menus and everything.
After we made it through the cluster-F that was passport control & customs, we headed to the metro. I had a serious flashback to my former life in Boston. Riding the subway made me feel like I was in the bean. The streetcar that took us just meters away from hostel travelled through an area that reminded me of taking the B line out past Boston University.
So now I've said that the trolley dropped us only meters from our hostel...shoot. What I meant to say was, should've dropped us. We definitely got off at the wrong stop...got all sorts of mixed up and turned around. And then, dear reader, we got caught in a summer thunder storm.
OMG the thunderstorm was absolutely amazing---remember we've not been in a climate that was cooler than 106 for 2 months. The streets were bustling as I saw a huge bolt of
Lighting in the sky to west. One at a time, Huge drops of rain slowly started to drop...and then the sky opened up. Everyone (including us) was running for cover. As we all squeezed together, up close to buildings, I could feel the energy of the city. Unlike at home, the rain seemed to energize the city.
After flattening myself for what felt like an eternity, the rain let up. Street venders returned to their fruit stands and pretzels. Local artisans unrolled their tarps and reSet their displays of homemade jewelry. Jason and I finally figured out where our hostel was located.
A little frustrated after being lost and definitely a little wet from the rain, we arrived at the Cordial House. After and confusion transaction (still not sure how much I got charged) we dropped our belongings off in our rooms and headed out.
To say that I was excited about having something to do at night, is definitely an understatement! We found a cute little restaurant and shared a cheese plate and several cocktails.
Today is Wednesday...Jason's boyfriend is landing shortly. After he gets to us, I think we will head out and explore!
I'll try to blog again before I leave.
Much love to you...
.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Peykhane Cd,Fatih,Turkey
Friday, June 1, 2012
Training Success, Princesses and Visitors
Happy Friday my friends. Another week in the KSA has passed. That brings my total time here just over 6 weeks- just about half way through my three month commitment. How was your week? Anyone do anything super exciting?
Last time we talked I was getting ready to teach a class called "Coachable Moments" to all of the managers. I was surprised at how responsive all the managers were. In fact I go the best response from the Assistant Sales Managers and Sales Managers. It was so much fun to watch them practice coaching (and their English). I'm going to be showing you some photos from my classes because I'm really proud of my students!We spent a lot of time talking about what qualities a great coach possesses. It was very interesting to hear that all these managers have the same idea about this as we have in the USA. Sadly most of them agreed that they were not being good coaching. I think what was most alarming was that a few of them thought they were already a great coaches....
One of the things that we spent time on was talking about recognizing people through encouraging their performance on a daily basis. Simple, right? Not so much here. I am not sure if it is a cultural difference, or if its a Jeddah thing...but not much praise for a job well done (or even for an attempt to do a good job) is given.
I'm really excited by the take-aways that each manager had. In two stores I've seen great starts at creating some recognition boards.... Look how creative this one store was..using just Microsoft word and extra pieces of gift wrap that they were going to throw out.
The most hilarious part of that week had to have been when Jason and I took the GMs to lunch. Hopefully I am able to paint a clear picture for you of just how laugh out loud funny it truly was. Okay, so we go to TGI Fridays in one of the malls. You would have thought that these guys had never been there before in their lives. Besides the fact that we were the loudest table in the Single's Section, I swear the guys ordered everything on the menu. Normally, people have a sandwich or burger for lunch on a work day. Not the case...we had appetizers, full on meals (like steak, and fajitas) plus everyone had a "mocktail". Who could forget that before lunch was even ordered, one GM put an order in for to-go desserts...lol It was like watching little kids in a toy store, not sure of which toy to play with first. I wish I thought to take photos during lunch, but I literally was laughing so hard. here's a photo of my GM group, who had to take a dessert break during our training.
Let's see, what else major happened? I almost forgot, Jason and I got to work with a Princess! She was a riot. She wanted to buy all of our store fixtures. At first, she was being really demanding of the sales associates and almost rude to me. She asked why we wouldn't sell her a fixture. (Mind you this fixture is attached to a wall and is literaly like 20-25 feet in width and almost 8 feet tall). She laughed at my response that in the US we wouldnt be able to sell it as it was too big. Her reply was that she had the perfect spot in her linen room. Of course, my sarcastic side came out..."Linen room, I replied...look at you.." Instantly she was my new best friend. She gave me both her email and phone number and wants Jason and I to come to her home for a tour....crazy!!!!!!!
So this week, we had to swap training plans....In the KSA we had what we in the retail world, call a Jet Trip. It is so called as a group of executive fly in (usually on a jet...) and tour stores in the market and fly out to the next market. In the US, jet trips are quick visits, but that is mainly because of the sheer number of stores and markets that we have locations in, in the Middle East we only have a few so each store had a visit that lasted 1-3 hours. Needless to say it was a long day (we didn't start until 1:30pm and also had to travel between stores and do a potential site visit).
As we are nearing the first day of trading in our newest locations in Dammam, the DM here was unable to be at the visit, or to work on prep in this market...so Jason and I got to spend time not only leading the market in its prep work, but traveling with the "entourage" to all the stores in Jeddah.
Jason and I got to meet three more Alshaya folks on this visit. Once again we had the Vice President and Director of the Home Furnishings Division, but we added in the Regional Visual Manager and Brand Merchandise Manager for PB and PBK, and lastly the new Business Director for West Elm. All I can say is, what a fun group of people.
The group had two women in it. So it was amusing to be able to sit in the "Family Section" at all the places we went to. The ladies were so amused by having to wear the Abaya. In fact they both had to buy them specifically to travel here. (The KSA is the only country where you must wear it, no exceptions).
Besides a visit, this week has been pretty tame. I started working out again on Sunday. I've gone five out of the last six days... its been challenging, but I am going t loose weight if it kills me. I'm reaching my stride faster each day, which is nice. Its really true about releasing endorphins...I work out in the morning and it really sets me up to have a productive day.
OH!...I got a care package from my mom last weekend (THANKS MOM!) Crystal Light, cold brew tea bags and a Tide stain pen....EXCITING, I know....I'm just so sick of drinking just water or really need to lay off the soda. (And not just because its diet Pepsi, which I am not a fan of ...). Its interesting how getting something so silly or functional really made my day! I mean, I took photos of it...lol
Hmmm.... what else? I was also very excited to hear from Ann and Tonja. (Two of my West Elm favs)...So excited that Ann had herself a great jet visit in the US and that Tonja is really settling in to her new home in Brooklyn. Speaking of New York...I am still trying to decide if I am going there after Boston/RI. I did book my hotel in Boston ~ Marriott Copley (might as well use my life time status as a Platinum rewards members) in August...train to RI is also done. Just unsure how long I should go for? One week, 10 days or 2 weeks?. After all, I gave up both my annual Aruba vacation on April AND my 30th Birthday trip to New Orleans in May. So, I think I deserve to take two weeks off in August....
I think thats it for now. I'm missing you all. Really want to hear what is new in your world, shoot me an email jayliffejessup@wsgc.com and fill me in! I promise to write more often...but only if you do too! xoxoxox
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Last time we talked I was getting ready to teach a class called "Coachable Moments" to all of the managers. I was surprised at how responsive all the managers were. In fact I go the best response from the Assistant Sales Managers and Sales Managers. It was so much fun to watch them practice coaching (and their English). I'm going to be showing you some photos from my classes because I'm really proud of my students!We spent a lot of time talking about what qualities a great coach possesses. It was very interesting to hear that all these managers have the same idea about this as we have in the USA. Sadly most of them agreed that they were not being good coaching. I think what was most alarming was that a few of them thought they were already a great coaches....
One of the things that we spent time on was talking about recognizing people through encouraging their performance on a daily basis. Simple, right? Not so much here. I am not sure if it is a cultural difference, or if its a Jeddah thing...but not much praise for a job well done (or even for an attempt to do a good job) is given.
I'm really excited by the take-aways that each manager had. In two stores I've seen great starts at creating some recognition boards.... Look how creative this one store was..using just Microsoft word and extra pieces of gift wrap that they were going to throw out.
The most hilarious part of that week had to have been when Jason and I took the GMs to lunch. Hopefully I am able to paint a clear picture for you of just how laugh out loud funny it truly was. Okay, so we go to TGI Fridays in one of the malls. You would have thought that these guys had never been there before in their lives. Besides the fact that we were the loudest table in the Single's Section, I swear the guys ordered everything on the menu. Normally, people have a sandwich or burger for lunch on a work day. Not the case...we had appetizers, full on meals (like steak, and fajitas) plus everyone had a "mocktail". Who could forget that before lunch was even ordered, one GM put an order in for to-go desserts...lol It was like watching little kids in a toy store, not sure of which toy to play with first. I wish I thought to take photos during lunch, but I literally was laughing so hard. here's a photo of my GM group, who had to take a dessert break during our training.
Let's see, what else major happened? I almost forgot, Jason and I got to work with a Princess! She was a riot. She wanted to buy all of our store fixtures. At first, she was being really demanding of the sales associates and almost rude to me. She asked why we wouldn't sell her a fixture. (Mind you this fixture is attached to a wall and is literaly like 20-25 feet in width and almost 8 feet tall). She laughed at my response that in the US we wouldnt be able to sell it as it was too big. Her reply was that she had the perfect spot in her linen room. Of course, my sarcastic side came out..."Linen room, I replied...look at you.." Instantly she was my new best friend. She gave me both her email and phone number and wants Jason and I to come to her home for a tour....crazy!!!!!!!
So this week, we had to swap training plans....In the KSA we had what we in the retail world, call a Jet Trip. It is so called as a group of executive fly in (usually on a jet...) and tour stores in the market and fly out to the next market. In the US, jet trips are quick visits, but that is mainly because of the sheer number of stores and markets that we have locations in, in the Middle East we only have a few so each store had a visit that lasted 1-3 hours. Needless to say it was a long day (we didn't start until 1:30pm and also had to travel between stores and do a potential site visit).
As we are nearing the first day of trading in our newest locations in Dammam, the DM here was unable to be at the visit, or to work on prep in this market...so Jason and I got to spend time not only leading the market in its prep work, but traveling with the "entourage" to all the stores in Jeddah.
Jason and I got to meet three more Alshaya folks on this visit. Once again we had the Vice President and Director of the Home Furnishings Division, but we added in the Regional Visual Manager and Brand Merchandise Manager for PB and PBK, and lastly the new Business Director for West Elm. All I can say is, what a fun group of people.
The group had two women in it. So it was amusing to be able to sit in the "Family Section" at all the places we went to. The ladies were so amused by having to wear the Abaya. In fact they both had to buy them specifically to travel here. (The KSA is the only country where you must wear it, no exceptions).
Besides a visit, this week has been pretty tame. I started working out again on Sunday. I've gone five out of the last six days... its been challenging, but I am going t loose weight if it kills me. I'm reaching my stride faster each day, which is nice. Its really true about releasing endorphins...I work out in the morning and it really sets me up to have a productive day.
OH!...I got a care package from my mom last weekend (THANKS MOM!) Crystal Light, cold brew tea bags and a Tide stain pen....EXCITING, I know....I'm just so sick of drinking just water or really need to lay off the soda. (And not just because its diet Pepsi, which I am not a fan of ...). Its interesting how getting something so silly or functional really made my day! I mean, I took photos of it...lol
Hmmm.... what else? I was also very excited to hear from Ann and Tonja. (Two of my West Elm favs)...So excited that Ann had herself a great jet visit in the US and that Tonja is really settling in to her new home in Brooklyn. Speaking of New York...I am still trying to decide if I am going there after Boston/RI. I did book my hotel in Boston ~ Marriott Copley (might as well use my life time status as a Platinum rewards members) in August...train to RI is also done. Just unsure how long I should go for? One week, 10 days or 2 weeks?. After all, I gave up both my annual Aruba vacation on April AND my 30th Birthday trip to New Orleans in May. So, I think I deserve to take two weeks off in August....
I think thats it for now. I'm missing you all. Really want to hear what is new in your world, shoot me an email jayliffejessup@wsgc.com and fill me in! I promise to write more often...but only if you do too! xoxoxox
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Exploring Cairo & The Great Pyramids of Giza
WOW! So it has a been a while since I last wrote. Jason and I decided that since our Bahrain trip was cancelled last week, that it was time for us to get away for a day or two and do some exploring. Jason did some research and we found some great deals in Egypt. I know what everyone is thinking, Egypt~ there is so much political unrest in that country due to the upcoming elections. We weighed our options and decided that it would be stupid for us to pass up the chance to see the Pyramids, the Nile River and the Sphinx.
We decided that travel in and out of the KSA must be somewhat easy as the DM here lives in Kuwait and is in and out of the country weekly.We booked a last minute flight leaving Friday morning and returning Saturday evening. Like any seasoned international traveler that was exiting a country for the first time, we gave ourselves two hours to check in, clear immigration, and security. Let me tell you...it was way easier than in than in the US. We waited in a semi-chatioc line to check in for our EgyptAir flight. The desk clerk looked breifly at our VISA paperwork to make sure that we were allowed to leave the country and gave us our tickets. We filled out a brief form and were waived through. Security was so easy....I didn't even take off my belt...
So here we are, with 90 minutes until our flight leaves. What does one do? In most countries this would be the time when you would grab a snack (and a cocktail). Sadly, this was not an option for us. Instead, we treated ourselves to a bottled water and listened to the sounds of a screaming toddler. (Fun, right??? NOT!) Oh well, we chatted and people watched and talked about our upcoming plans for our overnight adventure. I won't bore you with the details about our flight to Egypt... I will tell you this...thankfully it was only a two hour flight....I might not have made it....remember that screaming toddler...she sat behind me. I know, the travel Gods were punishing me for something...
After a quick flight across the Red Sea, we arrived in Cairo. Customs & Immigration was SO easy, a quick stamp in our passports and off to the Hotel Concorde el Salam. What a gorgeous (and inexpensive) hotel. It had 10 restaurants, a beautiful pool and an equestrian area. The hotel itself reminded me of a cheatu in France with beautiful balconies. Look at this gorgeous crystal chandelier that hung down 7 floors! It was a very busy hotel, people every where! After a brief costume change, we headed down to the bar (YES, I SAID BAR) and had a much deserved cocktail. Okay, I must admit it, we actually had a few cocktails. After all we had both gone 31 days without anything. Let me tell you something dear reader - it was quite fantastic. Instantly, I was relaxed. Relaxed and ready to go shopping. After all, shopping after a few cocktails is much more fun. Jason had done tons of research before we left and off we headed to the local Bazzar or Souk, Kan Kenhili.
One thing that I insisted that we do was to hire a car/driver that would take us to the market, wait for us and drive us back. While I knew that we would be safe in Egypt, I wanted to ensure that we didn't end up in the wrong type of place. As we drove from the part of the city called Helipolis into downtown I noticed tons of mosques.
Not small local mosques like I was used to in the KSA, but beautiful and grand mosques. Ahmed, our driver, gave us some narration as we drove down the main drag of Cairo.
Once we arrived at our destionation, Ahmed insisted on escorting us through the oldest part of Cairo and the market itself. At first, it seemed like he would get in our way, but the older gentleman knew everyone and some great hidden gems.
To start off, you pass through a large gate that allows you to enter into the walled section of the city. Inside the gates you were greeted by local factories. Men were working on various projects, banging metal, blowing glass and baking bread were some of the things that we saw. The streets were muddy and uneven. As we got closer and closer to the center of the walled city, we began to encounter all sorts of shops. Vendors were set up selling various goods, from flat baked bread and cane sugar smoothies to brass kettles. There were many store fronts that had men engaged in card games or sitting down chatting while smoking ciggarettes. I even saw a man building a brass bed! One thing that I noticed immediately was how much everyone was smiling as people passed. While people in the KSA are nice, they do not smile or laugh too much. It was such a great change to be somewhere were people were just happy to be alive.
As we passed through the city we passed many mosques. Some had been converted to schools some were still in use. We got the chance to walk into one that had been around for over a thousand years. It was a massive stone structure. It had many interior rooms that are now exposed to the elements. It was Friday and people were inside praying so in order to be respectful of the Muslim faith, I did not take photos of this beautiful building.
Finally we reached the back alleys of Old Cairo. They were filled with narrow and dark passages where more vendors were. It was exactly what you would expect. Old, dirty (sometimes dilapidated) buildings. Laundry hanging to dry from some of the top windows. Buildings made of stone and Ecualptus shutters covering the window openings. Jason did some excellent haggling and left with some great treasures. I bought a gorgeous hand-shaped brass bowl that had some expertly crafted etching in it. Somehow, I eneded up with a genie lamp...and of course I rubbed it, Sadly, I was not granted any wishes....maybe you have to be outside the middle east...I will try again when I get back to the USA.
After some much needed sleep, it was time to go on one of the best excursions that I have ever been on in my entire life. We were going to see the Pyramid complex at Giza. I can not tell you how excited I was. As we planned our tour, all I could think about was being in Mrs Jacobs' sixth grade Socail Studies class when we studied ancient Egypt. I vividly remembering haveing to make a supercube sculpture of the Sphinx.
It was pretty funny, we were driving and chatting with our tour guide and all of a sudden I looked out the window and literally a few hundered meters away was a massive pyramid. Here is our entry ticket to see the pyramids
. I will spare you a huge history lesson...but I wanted to share a few really interesting facts. There are 123 pyramids in Egypt. Nine of them are in the Giza Necroplis (these are the most famous and listed as one of the seven wonders of the world). The Giza Necroplis was comissioned by King Khufu and his pyramid took over 20 years to be built. In this complex you will find his pyramid, as well as those of his son, Khafe and grandson, Menkaure. In additon, the queens also had their own pyramids (however smaller). The Sphinx also is in the complex. As our guide put it, the Sphinx was commissed to be the protector of the pyramids. He faces due east and awaits the morning sunrise.
Words can not explain how amazing it was to see the pyramids. Here are some photos. To explain to you just how massive each block of sandstone is, look at this picture....I'm actually sitting in the pyramid!
In this photo you see the pyrmaids of Khufu (left) and Khafe (right).
In this photo, Jason and I are in front on Khufu's final resting place.
Here is Khafe's tomb. Notice how the top is a shiney golden color. This is closer to what the pyramids looked like when the were built.....smooth
This one shows you a lot of the complex from a plateau behind them...
As I think I told you, one of my goals while in the middle east was to ride a camel....let me tell you...it was pretty scary! I thought I was going to fall off!!!!
In front on Menkaure's pyramid was his mummification house. We got to go in the shell of it. As you leave it you walk past the Sphinx.
These are just more photos!
Okay folks, enough about the pyramids...I will have to tell you more in person.
After we left this ancient cemetery, we toured a museum where they taught us how papyrus is made and another where they manufacture essence. I purchased some great essence oils and several handmade artwork pieces that were made on papyrus. Then it was back to the hotel and we had only minutes to shower and get to the airport for our flight back to the KSA. I'm not going to go into all the stressful details, lets just saw that it was harder to get out of Egypt than it was to get into Egypt. My other travel comment is that I'm not sure what US based airlines do.... on EgyptianAir for our short 2 hour flight we were served a free hot meal.... ponder that....
Okay my lovlies. Ive got some big days the next three days. I'm teaching coachable moments to the teams here...wish me luck! What about you? What have you been up to? I've not heard from lots of you (insert sad face). I would really love to get caught up with you.... shoot me an email jayliffejessup@wsgc.com and fill me in on your life!!!! Miss you. Love you all! xoxox
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We decided that travel in and out of the KSA must be somewhat easy as the DM here lives in Kuwait and is in and out of the country weekly.We booked a last minute flight leaving Friday morning and returning Saturday evening. Like any seasoned international traveler that was exiting a country for the first time, we gave ourselves two hours to check in, clear immigration, and security. Let me tell you...it was way easier than in than in the US. We waited in a semi-chatioc line to check in for our EgyptAir flight. The desk clerk looked breifly at our VISA paperwork to make sure that we were allowed to leave the country and gave us our tickets. We filled out a brief form and were waived through. Security was so easy....I didn't even take off my belt...
So here we are, with 90 minutes until our flight leaves. What does one do? In most countries this would be the time when you would grab a snack (and a cocktail). Sadly, this was not an option for us. Instead, we treated ourselves to a bottled water and listened to the sounds of a screaming toddler. (Fun, right??? NOT!) Oh well, we chatted and people watched and talked about our upcoming plans for our overnight adventure. I won't bore you with the details about our flight to Egypt... I will tell you this...thankfully it was only a two hour flight....I might not have made it....remember that screaming toddler...she sat behind me. I know, the travel Gods were punishing me for something...
After a quick flight across the Red Sea, we arrived in Cairo. Customs & Immigration was SO easy, a quick stamp in our passports and off to the Hotel Concorde el Salam. What a gorgeous (and inexpensive) hotel. It had 10 restaurants, a beautiful pool and an equestrian area. The hotel itself reminded me of a cheatu in France with beautiful balconies. Look at this gorgeous crystal chandelier that hung down 7 floors! It was a very busy hotel, people every where! After a brief costume change, we headed down to the bar (YES, I SAID BAR) and had a much deserved cocktail. Okay, I must admit it, we actually had a few cocktails. After all we had both gone 31 days without anything. Let me tell you something dear reader - it was quite fantastic. Instantly, I was relaxed. Relaxed and ready to go shopping. After all, shopping after a few cocktails is much more fun. Jason had done tons of research before we left and off we headed to the local Bazzar or Souk, Kan Kenhili.
One thing that I insisted that we do was to hire a car/driver that would take us to the market, wait for us and drive us back. While I knew that we would be safe in Egypt, I wanted to ensure that we didn't end up in the wrong type of place. As we drove from the part of the city called Helipolis into downtown I noticed tons of mosques.
Not small local mosques like I was used to in the KSA, but beautiful and grand mosques. Ahmed, our driver, gave us some narration as we drove down the main drag of Cairo.
Once we arrived at our destionation, Ahmed insisted on escorting us through the oldest part of Cairo and the market itself. At first, it seemed like he would get in our way, but the older gentleman knew everyone and some great hidden gems.
To start off, you pass through a large gate that allows you to enter into the walled section of the city. Inside the gates you were greeted by local factories. Men were working on various projects, banging metal, blowing glass and baking bread were some of the things that we saw. The streets were muddy and uneven. As we got closer and closer to the center of the walled city, we began to encounter all sorts of shops. Vendors were set up selling various goods, from flat baked bread and cane sugar smoothies to brass kettles. There were many store fronts that had men engaged in card games or sitting down chatting while smoking ciggarettes. I even saw a man building a brass bed! One thing that I noticed immediately was how much everyone was smiling as people passed. While people in the KSA are nice, they do not smile or laugh too much. It was such a great change to be somewhere were people were just happy to be alive.
As we passed through the city we passed many mosques. Some had been converted to schools some were still in use. We got the chance to walk into one that had been around for over a thousand years. It was a massive stone structure. It had many interior rooms that are now exposed to the elements. It was Friday and people were inside praying so in order to be respectful of the Muslim faith, I did not take photos of this beautiful building.
Finally we reached the back alleys of Old Cairo. They were filled with narrow and dark passages where more vendors were. It was exactly what you would expect. Old, dirty (sometimes dilapidated) buildings. Laundry hanging to dry from some of the top windows. Buildings made of stone and Ecualptus shutters covering the window openings. Jason did some excellent haggling and left with some great treasures. I bought a gorgeous hand-shaped brass bowl that had some expertly crafted etching in it. Somehow, I eneded up with a genie lamp...and of course I rubbed it, Sadly, I was not granted any wishes....maybe you have to be outside the middle east...I will try again when I get back to the USA.
After some much needed sleep, it was time to go on one of the best excursions that I have ever been on in my entire life. We were going to see the Pyramid complex at Giza. I can not tell you how excited I was. As we planned our tour, all I could think about was being in Mrs Jacobs' sixth grade Socail Studies class when we studied ancient Egypt. I vividly remembering haveing to make a supercube sculpture of the Sphinx.
It was pretty funny, we were driving and chatting with our tour guide and all of a sudden I looked out the window and literally a few hundered meters away was a massive pyramid. Here is our entry ticket to see the pyramids
. I will spare you a huge history lesson...but I wanted to share a few really interesting facts. There are 123 pyramids in Egypt. Nine of them are in the Giza Necroplis (these are the most famous and listed as one of the seven wonders of the world). The Giza Necroplis was comissioned by King Khufu and his pyramid took over 20 years to be built. In this complex you will find his pyramid, as well as those of his son, Khafe and grandson, Menkaure. In additon, the queens also had their own pyramids (however smaller). The Sphinx also is in the complex. As our guide put it, the Sphinx was commissed to be the protector of the pyramids. He faces due east and awaits the morning sunrise.
Words can not explain how amazing it was to see the pyramids. Here are some photos. To explain to you just how massive each block of sandstone is, look at this picture....I'm actually sitting in the pyramid!
In this photo you see the pyrmaids of Khufu (left) and Khafe (right).
In this photo, Jason and I are in front on Khufu's final resting place.
Here is Khafe's tomb. Notice how the top is a shiney golden color. This is closer to what the pyramids looked like when the were built.....smooth
This one shows you a lot of the complex from a plateau behind them...
As I think I told you, one of my goals while in the middle east was to ride a camel....let me tell you...it was pretty scary! I thought I was going to fall off!!!!
In front on Menkaure's pyramid was his mummification house. We got to go in the shell of it. As you leave it you walk past the Sphinx.
These are just more photos!
Okay folks, enough about the pyramids...I will have to tell you more in person.
After we left this ancient cemetery, we toured a museum where they taught us how papyrus is made and another where they manufacture essence. I purchased some great essence oils and several handmade artwork pieces that were made on papyrus. Then it was back to the hotel and we had only minutes to shower and get to the airport for our flight back to the KSA. I'm not going to go into all the stressful details, lets just saw that it was harder to get out of Egypt than it was to get into Egypt. My other travel comment is that I'm not sure what US based airlines do.... on EgyptianAir for our short 2 hour flight we were served a free hot meal.... ponder that....
Okay my lovlies. Ive got some big days the next three days. I'm teaching coachable moments to the teams here...wish me luck! What about you? What have you been up to? I've not heard from lots of you (insert sad face). I would really love to get caught up with you.... shoot me an email jayliffejessup@wsgc.com and fill me in on your life!!!! Miss you. Love you all! xoxox
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Cairo, Egypt
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