I've now been to The Temple of Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Philae and dozens of other monuments.

In each place I keep expecting to feel something of the gods that were worshipped in these places for so many millennia. Each place I've been is magnificent in its own way but also leaves me oddly cold. Whatever energy was put into these monuments feels as dead as the stones they're made of. I can't help but feel disappointed. Yet at the same time, the monuments are magnificent, beautiful, humbling, and tend to make me feel as though I have no ability to express myself in words.

Karnak is especially 'monstrous'....I've seen that word used for the great pyramids and thought it appropriate for them, but it also seems to be one of the best descriptors of Karnak. I can scarcely imagine how such things can exist. it's scale and immensity is urm....monumental (hehee)

I wonder if part of the coldness I feel is due to inappropriate restoration work done by the Egyptians. I want to touch the ground that so many Pharaonic feet trod upon, yet they are paving the ground over in many of these places. But maybe it's just simply due to being overwhelmed.

As cliche as it might sound, the only place that I felt intensely spiritually connected, is when I walked through the great pyramid of Khufu (Cheops.) Though I did have a less intense, but wonderful meditation in the middle of a phallic altar,

So now what? I'm either off to the sea (Dahab) or heading back to Cairo and then home in just a few days. i will see my last monument tomorrow when i go to the Ramesseum. About two months before i planned this trip, a friend of mine dreamed that we were there together. It doesn't sound like the most interesting monument, but given his dream maybe i will find something other than coldness there.

ma-salaam
Kayla (the tired donkey)