I am an egoist

What is the difference between self-respect and ego? I have been wondering this ever since I found that I am an egotist. I never had a liking for my voice being cut, even if I was wrong. Worse, if someone corrected me in a brazen way, I would put up a sullen face and act as if he committed a mistake. It was the most-adhered way of keeping my sanctity intact and also smarting the so-deemed offender. In a way, I destroyed myself and also hurt the other.

I don’t say, I still don’t do it. But I at least try not to do it, and in the instances, I have been successful, I find the world so radically different. The problems then cease to exist and what comes out is happy co-existence for one and all. Ego isolates one by keeping an exalted view of oneself, and thus can never reach the solution. Self-respect on the other hand keeps one exalted in the midst of all by solving the problem. I fail to understand it, or more importantly, adhere to it when the situation demands. It happens in the heat of the moment, and it takes a gigantic effort then to put aside my self-righteous views. But it definitely gets better when I get it right. I need to puncture my ego at the start only, and hopefully one day I can make make my life even more beautiful.

My Egypt Trip - V

Having reached Cairo, we had another easily-attained sleep. Next morning, we were ready for the final leg of our journey. Neevin was her usual beautiful-self in a spic green dress.

The day seemed like the hottest of all the days we had spent in Egypt. The traffic was huge too. Since we had only half a day at our disposal, we had to drop the Citadel from our itinerary. As known now, it was another important location of history which we had to miss. Incidentally, the location has its relations to one of my favourite historical characters, Saladin.

Old Cairo:-

We went to the old Cairo first, famous for its ancient churches, synagogues and monuments. We had to walk through a relatively narrow street into the area. After about a 5-minute walk, we reached the famous Old Roman Fortress, now lying below the ground level. Built on top of it is the Hanging Church. I had not been to any church till then, so was quite expectant about the opportunity.

Hanging Church is the most famous church in Egypt, supposedly built around 4^th century AD. It was very beautiful from outside and quaintly eye-catching inside. I had the first view of altar, pews and the frescoes inside a church. It seemed they had intentionally kept many things in an old and worn state, probably to retain their archaic look.

Coming out, we found another church lying adjacent to it. As told by Neevin, it was the Greek Orthodox Church which she didn’t visit as she was a Coptic. The Christians in Egypt are called Coptics and are the most populous ones there. Interestingly, I had a chance to visit Greek Orthodox Church here in Cyprus recently, and found it to be a bit different with people kissing the pictures of Jesus as a ritual.

Anyway, we then went to a synagogue, Ben Ezra, the oldest in Egypt. It was another first for me to visit a Jewish worship place. The central part there was more expanded, and actually elevated, finally rising in a pulpit. I don’t know whether it was a particular feature of that synagogue, or common to all. The Jews in Egypt have become very few in number recently.

It didn’t take us much time to visit these places, but still we were left with only a few hours to visit the Cairo Museum, our last destination. Swerving through the Cairo traffic, we reached the site, the place which was the home to the mummies of the great pharaohs of the past.

Cairo Museum:-

It was indeed crowded there, the reason of which really doesn’t need any telling. While going through the security check, one guard incidentally told us we had got the best guide in Egypt to escort us. No further words on his indulging remarks:). Cameras were not allowed inside the museum, so we had to leave them at the counter. But before that, we took a good number of snaps in the lush green and cool fountain-seeped environs outside.

Egyptian Museum is a two-levelled building (ground floor and first floor) containing antiquities of great interest. Entering the museum, we could find so many things-statues, paintings, rocks etc in front of us. It was a sea of ancient world wonders before us. But the most important things were on the first floor.

Yes, the mummies’ room! The cost of entry into the rooms was the highest of those of all the other places; but many people go to see those reclining centuries-old corpses only, so it was justified. The first room was a medium-sized one, surprisingly (I had visualized it to be a big hall containing the royal mummies in different chambers, he he :) ) Great lesson: Everything is a downer if you expect too much of it. Nevertheless, the mummies are there to see right from the door. Lay in a series, the mummified bodies are kept in glass chambers with detailed labels on them. The first or may be, second of those (if I remember correctly) was that of Queen Hatshepsut, the Great Royal Queen. She had one of her teeth protruding out. The reason I looked at her quite attentively was that our guide, Youssef, at Luxor, had said she was very beautiful. 3000 years later, I couldn’t make it out from her face, but her hair was indeed free-flowing. That was the case with most of the other mummies: nails were spotless, hair very much grown, some even luxuriant, cheeks and heads prominent. No doubt, some of them were the products of the recent chemical works done on them. I just laughed and wondered inside me about the sheer belief and science of those Egyptians. The world would have been a better and more developed place if they would have been still surviving! Ramses-II’s mummy too was there. He looked very thin, but age does take its toll! The second room was very much similar to the first one and contained mummies of other royal persons. I could not spend much time on the lesser known ones’, because we had to head off to another marvel of modern world-the treasures of Tutankhamen.

The treasures occupied a large area along almost two sides of the first floor. Practically all the materials related to his life-chariots, gloves, jewellery, gameboard, the famous throne and mask were on display. He was buried within a series of caskets, all made of pure gold. Such ostentatious wealth! It simply spellbound me. Tutankhamen, despite being a famous pharaoh, was no match in clout to the bigger kings, such as Ramses-II, Akhenaten, Hatshepsut etc. Imagine Ramses-II’s treasure that would have been buried with him. In my stupefaction, I did ask Neevin a stupid question about the treasure ever being targeted at by the gutsy thieves, ala those in Hollywood Movies. I wouldn’t mind even a minuscule share of the booty!

Last, we saw a replica of the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone is the antiquity which helped decipher the ancient Egyptian languages. It contained three sections with a text written in three different languages-Classical Greek, Hieroglyphics and Demotics. The original piece now rests in Museum of London. It was the only item there which was not authentic.

Seeing only the above things took us about 2 hours and that was what we could afford. Neevin did show us the other things but I don’t remember even an iota about them. But may be, those are for next trip, if it at all happens. We bid adieu to Neevin, wishing Good Luck and exchanging our FaceBook account details. But before that, I asked her whether she understood whatever we talked in Hindi. She nonchalantly replied, ‘thoda thoda’, ala Sue in RDB :) Hope we didn’t say any of those usual commonly-uttered flattering words in her presence.

Mr. Michael escorted us to the airport and we seemed to have befriended him even more by the time we reached there. Thankfully there wasn’t much rush at the airport that time around, and we easily passed through the Security and Other Checks. The Egypt Air flight was on time, and the return journey started in the same way of me falling into ponderous thoughts as in the incoming one. This time though, the thoughts were more educated and refined.

I had never thought Egypt would be such a great place. My preconceived notions, most of them forced and based on fatuous opinions, were torn asunder. A few days are hardly a measure of time to build an opinion, but sufficient enough to quash the ludicrous ones. I saw disporting smile on a beautiful face, dreams in the eyes of a young Muslim girl, optimism of a boy, affability of a senior genial guy and the ever-moving promising buzz of life that was Egypt. Muslims were not all bearded, belligerent and inhuman; Egypt was not another world; and above all, life was not at all different. And do you know, that is true of all the places and people in the world.

My heart was more cheerful; mind learned and ideas emboldened; and all slowly nestled on the perch of my eyes which gradually closed themselves to acknowledge the sleep of a more lettered kind.

My Egypt Trip -IV

We slept for a long time after many days (phew, it was only two days of exertion but you feel the effect if you are a habitual long-sleeper :) ) Saurabh overslept, probably to make the tour-representative, Mr Malak, who was waiting in the lobby, suffer. Anyway, we were ready for the tour not very late, after having another heavy breakfast.

This time our tour guide was Youssef Ibrahim, surprisingly a male this time. We had thought that the company would be providing female guides only to us; to recompense for the poor accommodation provided till then. But it was better actually, because apart from being more knowledgeable, he was more homely. Needless to say about his ebullition about Indian movies (apparent now as a gesture to become friendlier), his talks were more detailed and honest. He was a forty-something guy with a distinct aura around him. He quickly endeared us by his knowledge and glibness. I realized then it might be the best day as far as sight seeing was concerned. We went to the ‘Valley of the Kings’ first.

The Valley of the Kings:-

I had heard only a little about the Valley of the Kings, save it being a historical place related to the kings. When Youssef explained the significance of the place while on our way to the Valley, I was simply marveled by it. It is good sometimes not to have read the history before.

“As told before, the pharaohs of the Earlier Dynasties were buried in tombs inside the Pyramids. But as happens with wealth, it was never safe from its looters. Over a period of time, the buried treasure was stolen away by thieves. From the Thirteenth Dynasty onwards, the kings decided to build their tombs in these hills to keep them safer from the ever-prowling robbers. So, these hills became a burial and resting place for the great pharaohs. Hence, the name ‘Valley of the Kings’.”

It is so obvious, isn’t it? But at that point of time, it was quite conjuring for me.

As soon as we entered the big lobby, we saw a mini structure depicting the location of the tombs inside the Valley. There was a TV show going on in one corner, detailing the excavation of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922.

We strolled out to a big open area following the lobby. There were small trams to carry the visitors to the site. Ah! a nice arrangement, one can say. Having reached there, our guide bought us the ticket but we were allowed to visit only three tombs. Visiting any other tomb would have incurred an extra cost. But as people had said, three tombs usually proved to be enough to give an idea about the creepy dungeons.

While walking to the various tombs, one can’t help but notice the tomb of Tutankhamen, the most famous king of Egypt, lying on the right side of the pathway. There was a sizable crowd outside it. Youssef then told, much to my dejection, that visit to that tomb would cost even greater additional amount which according to him was not worth it. Alas! I had to leave King Tut for my next trip. Later on I came to know that the tomb also housed his mummy. I had missed a great thing of historical significance :(

We went to Tuthmoshis III‘s tomb first. There was a big queue in an ascent up wooden steps. As told by our guide, this tomb was the most unusual one, with a pit after the entrance, and then a steep descent down into the tomb. The pit was probably dug as a deterrent to tomb robbers. Two small chambers, decorated with stars and a larger vestibule are in front of the sarcophagus chamber, which is uniquely rounded and decorated with only red and black.

We went to the tombs of Ramses-I and Ramses-IV then. I don’t remember much about them, except that they were shorter than the earlier one but contained similar paintings and engravings on the walls. I call them just paintings, unfortunately owing to my ignorance about them, but just consider their significance for the students who could study them in real. As usual with the other places visited till then, I was just excited to be there.

The Hatshepsut Temple:-

After coming from the Valley of the Kings, we went to the Hatshepsut Temple. It looked really magnificent from a distance. It was very hot, but we decided to take a walk than a tram this time to behold its beauty from a perspective as we sauntered closer to it.

“Hatshepsut was the daughter of Tuthmoshis I. She married Tuthmoshis II- her half-brother and assumed the title of Great Royal Wife. After Tuthmoshis II died, she became the Queen. But Tuthmoshis II had a son, Tuthmoshis –III (whose tomb we visited earlier) from another wife, but he was only a child at the time of his death and wasn’t accorded the throne. But he came back later to take the reign from his step-mother and in revenge, practically destroyed every single remnant of her. The Queen Hatshepsut remains though the longest-serving and one of the most powerful female pharaohs of the Egyptian history.”

History like this often tells the world hasn’t changed much since its inception. Deceit, treachery, lust for power etc was as widespread in the earlier world too. Yeah, the concept of marriage within a family, to say incest in a cruder form, is gone now.

The Temple is a three-tiered one with the first tier almost destroyed. There are sphinxes, statues, vestibules etc still remaining, despite the vandalism wrought upon the temples by his step-son.

The Valley of the Queens:-

The Valley of the Queens lies very adjacent to the Temple. There were not many tourists outside its entrance, which summed up the importance of the place. In fact, one of Saurabh’s colleagues had termed it ‘Useless’ in a very bland manner. But nothing is useless, if there is history attached to it.

As the name suggests, this necropolis was used to bury the Queens. But some of the royal children who had died young too have been engraved here. We went to the tombs of Queen Titi, and Amenhikhopeshef and Prince Kha Em Wast, sons of Ramses –III.

The Colossi of Memnon:-

Amenhotep III , a king of 18^th Dynasty, built a mortuary temple in Thebes (now Luxor) that was guarded by two gigantic statues on the outer gates. All that remains now are those two statues which themselves have been destroyed by earthquakes and natural elements over the years. The statues are still impressive, and we took some snaps against the backdrop of their base.

It was unusually hot that day-even though it was only mid-March. I wonder what life is like in Egypt during the sultry months of the summer. Anyway, it only acted as an aggrandizer for the big hunger that had set in.

Youssef took us to a very good restaurant, probably the best till then. We also had the best lunch. It is another matter that every another lunch seemed the best for us J But this also cost the least. The reason: we paid ourselves. Youssef certainly didn’t want to profit himself there.

A tour-representative was waiting for us outside the restaurant. He wanted us to buy the ticket for Light and Sound Show at Karnak Temple in the evening. We did buy in the end, but before that, we let out every word of bad experience we had had with them. We appreciated the praiseworthy things too. He seemed to be convinced, at least apparently, but we were finally relieved to have done the talking.

The Karnak Temple:-

Our first post-lunch destination was Karnak Temple. It lies very much at the top in the pecking order of significance in Egyptian history.

“In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun gradually increased over a period of time, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten (the only monotheist pharaoh known till date), it rose to its apex. The temple is actually dedicated to three Gods, Amun, Mut and Montu. Each subsequent king added something (pylon, obelisk etc) of his own and the temple then sprawled out to become the largest temple complex ever built by man.”

There is so much about Karnak Temple that it is impossible and in fact, unjustified to write a summary on it. Every aspect of it has a history of details attached to it; none more so than that about the pharaoh, Ramses-II:-

"Ramses-II’s statues are very much prominent in the main open courtyard of the temple. He was the king of 19^th dynasty and a very powerful and certainly, a long-lasting one. He lived for 99 years and had about 110 children in total. In fact, he married some of his own daughters. Going by his family count, he probably didn’t have time for anything else. But actually he was an equally capable warrior, and extended his kingdom as far as the southern region of Nubia. The temples of Abu Simbel bear a testimony to his grandeur."

Ramses II had an obvious impact on the development of the Temple. But the most impressive part of the Temple is the Hypostyle Hall which contains the gigantic Colonnades-big rounded columns rising magnificently in the sky. They are placed very close to each other and hence, present a great overseeing look-up to the whole area.

There is also a very interesting thing nearby. A pedestal containing a scorpion statue lies in front of the sacred pond. At first, we were surprised to see people gathered around it. Then, we realized they were actually moving around it. Scorpion being the symbol of good-luck, is propitiated like this to bring good omen to the people. Saurabh and I too encircled around it but I forgot to wish anything. Huh!

The Luxor Temple:-

The Luxor Temple is not very far away from the Karnak temple. In fact, in earlier times, both were connected by a 3-km long avenue of sphinxes. The remarkable similarity between them is also not unnoticeable. It too contains big colonnades, courtyards, statues and vestibules.

The biggest attraction is the entrance though, where two big obelisks raised by Ramses-II present a grand view of the facade. The western obelisk is missing now; it was given to the French government in the 1830s by the then Egyptian ruler, Md. Ali (probably) as some sort of indemnity for loan-waiver.

Post Luxor temple visit, our tour for the day had come to an end. As anticipated earlier, it was the best sight-seeing day for me. Youssef had lived up to its impression of being a very articulate and affable guy. Good for him that as soon as he left us, he had another set of tourists, French probably, to guide.

In the evening, as per the plan, we had to go to the Light and Sound Show at 8 pm. We went to the hotel to take our luggage, and also bought the Khartoosh pendants from a nearby shop.

The Light and Sound Show:-

The show brought us back to the Karnak Temple. In the illuminated night in dark, it did look a bit different and I dare say, spooky. We were made to stand outside the entrance, and as the show started, were guided inside it with a commentary aided with light-effects explaining the history. We again revisited the different parts, and that time, understood their significance better. Finally, we were led to a big seating area across the sacred pond. The whole Egyptian history related to Thebes and Karnak was then narrated before us.That was the most riveting part for me.

Ramses, Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen, Akhenaten, just to name a few, were mere persons like us. But how different? In thinking, behaviour, achievements …. ? Probably everything, but again humans playing their part in this world. Suddenly the fleeting nature of life and earth started appearing in more certain terms than ever. ‘But this is life’, I had to answer myself at the end of the magnificent show.

We then headed off to the Luxor Airport to catch the flight back to Cairo. The next day was going to be our last day of the journey. We had definitely got exhausted in three days only, but somewhere there was an intrinsic feeling of this amazing trip to never get over. I did feel saddened a bit, but ‘this is life’, I again had to say.