Day 1

We had our first day on site today and it’s pretty much exactly as I remember it. The block yard is going to be a bigger project than I had imagined, but I think Jonathan and I will slowly start to figure it out. All of the blocks are currently sitting where we want the mastabas to go, so we need to move them all out of the way. As long as they’re being moved, we want to start separating them into piles, so we have colored flags that we’re going to tag each one so our workers know what pile they should move them to.

Jon and me, discussing the block yard.

It was a short day today since no real digging or anything was going on. We got all the boxes with equipment out of our storage area and Tasha, Lindsey, and Aaron started pulling boxes of pottery out of the temple pylon. It’s pretty hot here (90*F/32*C in the house currently), so we didn’t want to over-do it on the first day. Normally, we’ll work until 2pm, with some of us staying to finish up drawings and epigraphy until 4. Now that we’re back at the house, we’ll eat lunch and Jonathan and I will probably start figuring out some more logistics. I know I promised that I would tell you more about the house, but I want to get some pictures first. Just know that I took a hot shower today and could stand the whole time AND I had my choice of bathrooms, since there are 2! I know! Living the life of luxury all up in here. The mosque is literally right out our bedroom window, so that hour of prayer in the morning is a bit, um, difficult to sleep through.

The offending mosque.

I’m sure some of you are wondering about my favorite part of the excavation: the kitties. Patches (the calico momma cat who loved food and didn’t mind being picked up) found us almost as soon as we arrived and demanded chin scratches and food. She’s about ½ the size that she was last year, mainly because there are no tourists any more feeding her throughout the day. As for Afrit and Kiri, we saw no sign of them today. We’re hopeful that they will show up later in the week. We had a late morning, so they might have gone in search of shade by the time we showed up. If not, I’m sure the litter of puppies that decided to make their home in our work area will make up for it... Or the ducks, goats, donkey, chickens, and horse that live next door (and bray all night)... Or the dove that has her nest in the bathroom window and watches you while you shower... sigh I’m way too into animals for how many little guys exist around here. Dan, you might be getting that puppy you want!

By the way, there were 2 posts yesterday- I know they posted at about the same time. I should add one person to yesterday’s team list: Aaron! Aaron is joining us from Australia where he’s a grad student who just finished up his MA. He’s come to help Tasha with the pottery drawing since I’ll be working on block yard things most days. He’s super nice and brought us an entire cooler full of Australian chocolate and Pims liquor. I think he can stay :)

Internet is still via USB stick, but I think I should be able to post daily, so stay tuned.

We're heeeeerrrrreee

We are officially in Edfu! We don't have internet all figured out yet, but I CANNOT wait to tell you all about the house we are staying in this year. No more nasty house with broken doors- this place even has shower curtains! No living out of suitcases- we have dressers. Seriously, we have no idea how to even act in this place. The kitchen is better than mine back in Chicago. I'm not saying it's the Ritz, but it's nothing like last year and we're trying to settle in to the opulence. The downside is that we're right next to a mosque, but we'll get used to the incredibly loud call to prayer at 4am, I'm sure.

Tomorrow is the first day on site, so I'll try to update with how that goes, but give me a few days to get back to posting daily. For now, have the teaser from the above and the knowledge that the Arabic lessons my in-laws got me last Christmas has already been put to good use (I am now an expert in saying, "No, I do not want [a carriage/taxi/cheap tourist crap], thank you."). Also, I so far have not yet gotten sick (though Dan, I'm in the same boat I was on our honeymoon, if you remember, so that's fun. Wish I had you to hug me).

Oh... the owner just turned on the kitchy water feature in our apartment. I'll write when I can!

Team Edfu

Today's the day we drive 2 hours out to Edfu and find our home for the next few months! So I thought I should introduce you to some of the people I'm with (hopefully none of them kill me for the photos I chose)!

Lindsey:

This is Lindsey (my fellow cat lady). I've known her since our first quarter of hieroglyphs together, way back in 2005. We immediately formed a study group and friendship. She's an archaeology student, so she gets to do all the dirty digging and find cool things. You'll remember her from last year, and if you're my facebook friend, you'll see I was a bridesmaid for her wedding this summer!

Jonathan:

Jonathan is my partner in crime in everything. We've co-taught a class together already and now we get to do the block yard together. I just love working with him (and I hope the feeling is mutual). He's super smart (smarter than me when it comes to language, so I'm glad he's here to help with translations) and lots of fun. He's only with us for half of the season (insert frowning face here), so we'll hustle to get as much done as we can.

Tasha:

My fornana (Arabic for "boss"). She's been the ceramicist for Edfu for several years now and is doing her dissertation on the NK pottery there. I like working for/with her because she lets me be a goofball and taught me everything I know about pottery. She's also usually my roommate, so we are pretty much inseparable (whether we want to be or not) while in Egypt. Plus, she's the one that gave me my dissertation idea last year... wait, maybe I shouldn't be happy about that?

Kat:

Kat's joining us later in the season this year, but she's in charge of what we call "small finds". Basically, that's anything that isn't pottery. So seal impressions, figures, scarabs, grinders, etc, she catalogs them all and stores them in our magazine at El Kab. Her dissertation is on the ostraca of Edfu, and she also got married this summer.



These are the only UofC students coming this year, but we'll also be joined by another ceramicist from Australia, a student (or two) coming to study the ancient bugs, Valerie (who was here last year) to study the OK pottery, and a few others. It should be a good team, but it might be a bit hectic with tons of people coming and going all the time. Let's see who I can drive nuts first!

Luxor Plans

(Note: this post was set up to post automatically in case I wasn't able to check in yet.)

Provided everything went according to plan (I promise I'll check in ASAP if I haven't already), I should be in Luxor today after getting in very late (landing at midnight Egypt-time, then getting bags and getting to the hotel). So needless to say, we're probably sleeping in after 27 hrs of travel.

Once we're up and about, we'll probably hit some shopping and errands in Luxor. Lindsey, Tasha, Jonathan and I left for Egypt early b/c we'll need to do some things in the "big city" before heading out to Edfu, like:

•  Get visa extensions (the visas we got upon entering the country are only good for stays of less than 6 weeks)
• Get cell phone credits. There are no cell phone plans here; you buy a phone and then pre-paid credits.
• Show Jonathan around Luxor. He's been to Egypt before, but hasn't seen our favorite haunts.
• Snack Time. Look at that post and tell me if I need to say more.
• Stock up on last-minute food supplies from the hole-in-the-wall British imports shop.
• Eat at the British cafe, the Italian place, or McDonald's (or, more likely, all 3!). Yes, I know we're in Egypt, but YOU eat Egyptian food and then come talk to me. And honestly, these places aren't really authentic; there's plenty of Egyptian influence (gamoosa burgers, anyone?).
• If we didn't do this earlier, visit duty free and grab some alcohol. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that archaeologists like their booze and when you're in a Muslim country, you stock up when, where, and how you can.

Whatever of that doesn't get done today will get done tomorrow. We then leave for Edfu on the 8th and start the season on the 9th! Don't worry if you don't hear from me for a few days: internet can be tricky at first.

Speaking of Packed Bags...

My dear friend Kate is amazingly brilliant and got a Fulbright to study in Taiwan for a year. She's also doing a blog and one of her early posts made me realize that I never really told you about that dreaded thing known as packing! I mean, I gave you a glimpse about how hard it was going to be last year, but didn't tell you how I rectified it. I'm sure you've wondered about it, since we've all taken vacations where we agonized over what we'd need, how much room the suitcase had, and whether or not we had room for just one more shirt (just in case!). But those vacations are typically only for a week or so.

Imagine trying to pack for 2 months. In one checked suitcase. For a 3rd world country. Where you will be wearing at least 2 totally different outfits a day. And you have to bring along work gear. Now sure, I've changed my list a bit from last year, but that doesn't mean I've pared down; I'm not bringing as many work shirts, but I'm also packing more food to make life there bearable. It's a trade-off. I also like bringing a lot of my own toiletries and medicines, even though you can get stuff in Egypt (an easy way to save on luggage is to buy these things in country as you need them, but for two months, I want MY shampoo and medicines I know and trust). Needless to say, the packing list ends up being... long. How long? This long (with helpful notes):

For Site

- tents, printer, ink and epigraphy pens (this is the group work gear I'm in charge of bringing)

- work shirts x4

- work pants x3

- underwear (old/cheap stuff- it never really gets clean since we wash by hand and can be thrown away at the end of the season or your vacation)

- site backpack

- long sleeve shirt/sweater

- good sunglasses

- contacts

- socks

- head coverings (not required, but it's nice to have something that will keep the dirt and sun away from the hair- wait til you see the fun ones I have for this year!)

- sunscreen
- knee pads (I'll be kneeling a lot to do epigraphy, so between the Alieve and knee pads, I'm hoping to save my body a *little* discomfort)

- chapstick

- tennis shoes

- belt

- water flavor (seriously, drinking 1/2 gallon of water daily gets... old)

- watch
- notebook
- fake wedding ring (both for security reasons, and because I don't want to get my ring all gross)

For the House

- sleeping bag (it gets cold at night!)

- travel pillow

- ear plugs (4am call to prayer: enough said)
- blow-up camping mat (Best. Thing. Ever. Folds up fairly small, then inflates to form a nice mat that is a million times more comfortable than the sackful of rags that literally is our mattress)

- sleeping mask
- travel alarm clock (with batteries removed so buttons don't get pressed in the bag)
- extra earrings

- peanut butter x2 (breakfast of champions and they don't really have that over there)

- nutella

- flip flops
- Keens

- glasses

- glasses cleaning cloth

- PJs

- shampoo and conditioner

- soap

- deodorant (lots, since we put it on at least twice a day)

- toothpaste and brush

- hairbrush

- hair ties/clips

- qtips

- razor and blades

- vitamins (lifesavers! seriously, always take them when traveling)
- clothes for after work

- some nice clothes for while we’re at Chicago House

- Halloween costume (this is a must!)
- swim suit (the Luxor hotels many times have pools and it's nice to lay out during days off)

- kindle

- ipod

- good lotion

- pain killers/medicines of choice (I come prepared: Alieve for my back, melatonin to help me sleep, laxatives and antidiarrheal [seriously, bring both], Tums, and my personal favorite: chewable pepto tablets [I end up taking these almost daily to just keep everything happy])

- camera

- computer

- laptop cooler

- passport

- money
- flash drives for backups

I told you it was a lot of stuff! And this doesn't count the drawing supplies that I left there last year, nor the alcohol I'm required to pick up at duty-free.

To pack all of this into 1 checked bag and 2 carry-ons, I am glad that my father is a packing savant and some of that rubbed off on me (along with a massive amount of Tetris-playing as a child). Basically, I start very early and re-pack several times. Ask Dan: I had the suitcase out in early September this year, which is actually later than last year. The worst part is the crushing feeling when everything finally fits... and it's 4 pounds over the weight limit (this is why you always leave a bit of room in your carry-on, just in case). With a little luck and a lot of careful planning, you really can get all of this (plus computer):

Into this:

The clothes there are what I'm wearing on the plane.

All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go

And the 30 hr travel day begins! I'll be leaving Hyde Park and heading to O'Hare this afternoon. I miss my husband, kitties, and cozy bed already. Here's my flight schedule (all times are local):

10/4 Lufthansa 435: Chicago to Munich, leave 8:50pm and arrive 12:30pm (on 10/5)
10/5 Lufthansa 7176: Munich to Cairo, leave 3:55pm and arrive 7:35pm
10/5 EgyptAir 62: Cairo to Luxor, leave 10:50pm and arrive 11:50pm


I probably won't have internet access for a few days, but I have some pre-planned posts scheduled for the next few days. Once we get settled into Edfu on the 8th and start the season on the 9th, I hope to quickly be able to start back up on my daily schedule!

Tomorrow I'll tell you all about the things I have to bring to bring with me, but can I tell you what I'm not bringing with me this year? 30 pounds of me! That's right, you might notice that I'm looking a little different in photos. Thanks to Weight Watchers and a new-found love of running, I've slimmed down from this:

(Granted, the shirt is a men's large, so I look a little bigger than I was, but still, thighs, face, and double-digit pants don't lie)

to this:

I'm hoping I can keep it off, but since I won't be able to run and most meals are high carb and cooked in oil, it could be tough.

Let me know if there are any topics you want me to write about this year. I know I went through a lot last year, so I'll try to find new things to talk about, but anything you want to ask will be helpful! See you on the other side of the world!

Permits: Achieved; Tickets: Acquired

Permits are (unofficially) in and I just purchased tickets! I'll be leaving on Oct 4 (the countdown has been updated) and going straight to Luxor (so no dealing with the craziness in Cairo at the moment), where we'll stay a few days to get acclimated, get our visa extensions, and stock up on cell phone credit.

Are you excited for the season? Cause I am! My suitcase is already half packed and we've just got some organizational stuff left (like buying epigraphic supplies and doing a last-minute review of the blocks). Oh, yeah, and my pesky proposal defense... Here's the timeline:

Oct 1: proposal defense
Oct 4: leave for Egypt
Oct 5: after a 27 hour day, arrive in Luxor super late (like, almost Oct 6th)
Oct 8: drive to Edfu (about a 2 hour drive)
Oct 9: start excavations!
Nov 27: last day of excavations, leave for Luxor
Nov 28: leave for Cairo
Dec 4: after staying a few days in Cairo, leave for home

Can't wait to share this season with you all again!