BEFORE I FORGET ….CHECK OUT THE LIVE CHAT ROOM TO YOUR RIGHT!!

Please help me test it.  I will be here LIVE from 9:00 AM till 9:30 AM PST today to say hello.  This chat is accessible from the Jewelry website as well where we will use it during the bead show coming up.  Thanks for your help!!!

ABOVE IS A VIDEO OF MULTIPLE CLIPS I TOOK FROM OUR BALCONY IN CAIRO AND SOME STILL PHOTOS AS WELL..ENJOY

MUCH MORE VIDEO TO COME FROM THE PYRAMIDS ETC.  I NEED TO DO THEM IN SMALLER 5 MINUTE SEGEMENTS TO REDUCE LOADING TIME

Hello my dear friends!! I’m digging like an archeologist up to my elbows in studio treasures  getting ready for my BEAD BAZAAR and hope you all will be able to attend.  The dates are  still to be determined.  The most frequent email comment I’ve gotten is “What if I’m not able to be there early to get my favorites?”  For this reason I’m going to be making up mulitple groupings of most selections to make sure everyone gets a chance at the beads they love the most.

And in case you havent seen this in the Facebook sidebar on the blog….VONNIE is the first  winner from our Travelblogue Comments drawing.  CONGRATS VONNIE on winning this gorgeous 3/4″ scarab created in African Amazonite.  Remember my getting these in Cairo when we were with our guide Rasha???  I picked out a primo one and put a sterling bail on it so it is ready to wear or design with.

These look excactly like the ones in the Cairo museum …all hand carved and beautifully detailed!! The next drawing will be for a vial of pure lavender oil from Provence France where all the lavender fields are.  At night put a teeny drop on your temples and you will sleep like a baby…guaranteed!!!! Winner to be announced tomorrow

And I’ll give my blog readers a first peek at the new handbags on the site!!! Many are quickly selling out just from shoppers discovering them by accident,  so I wanted to give you a “heads up” in case you find one you don’t want to miss. Each style is a LIMITED EDITION OF SIX ONLY unless otherwise stated

You will find 3 categories of bags in the TOP LEFT column of the website. SLING BAGS, BUCKET BAGS AND WALLETS

CLICK HERE

to access the homepage of GRAFFITIJEWELRY.COM

Just a few examples are pictured here…see more at the website

Let me tell ya…I had serious reservations about going to the Giza zoo because of mixed reviews.  This zoo was built during the heyday of Victorian zooilogical parks and has the typical ornate cages and small enclosures of the time.

The good news…………………the only animals left in the zoo are under the watchful eye of international zoo associations because of serious violations by the employees.  This is a very  large zoo with  only about a dozen species left from the hundreds it used to harbor at the turn of the century.  As you can see the cats and gar bage have taken over this beautiful facility.  I just made us sick!!  Again, the few animals left are in very good health surprisingly.

CLICK HERE to read about the issues that temporarily closed down the Giza Zoo not long ago.

It wasn’t all bad though…I was just so disappointed to see the deterioration of such an artistic  facility with elaboratly decorated buildings and enclosures and the hand laid stone mosaic walkways falling to pieces!!

I have a feeling this breeding center has not been in use for some time

Bling was pretty depressed!!! Steve bought her a present (below) to help her forget how her friends were treated at the zoo.

A remnant of the Victorian Grandeur which once graced the animal park

Another stunning pergola just falling to pieces

We tried out best to see the “up” side…….the architecture and details were amazing reminders of a zoo with a glorious past.  Maybe not the kind of park we prefer to see today with huge spaces for the animals, but int it’s day, the Giza Zoo was a premier showcase of thousands of species

More handlaid mosaic sidewalks.  This one was at the front of the zoo and restored somewhat

Garbage was EVERYWHERE….this photo was nothing compared to most of the areas

Ok…enuf of that depressing place!! After the zoo we hailed a taxi to take us to the Gayer Anderson Museum which was a real treat .  Click Museum name to find out much more.  We were escorted through the 22 rooms of the first house privately and told about all the antiques in the private collections in each room.

Everything from Mummies to pressed flower/butterfly paintings from the Victorian Era.  What a place!!!!  The rooftop where you see Steve and I standing is the backdrop for a scene in James Bond’s “The Spy Who Loved Me”

A view off that rooftop

Bling was getting antsy to go shopping so first stop was at the Bazaar Oasis to buy Bling a friend…A little stuffed camel with crooked eyes and legs who Bling named “Humphrey”  Here they are sitting in the executive lounge just chillin and getting to know one another.  This promises to be a fantastic friendship and Mini B loves Humphrey too!!

We bought spices galore

We have been seeing tons of bikes on teh roads like this transporting all sorts of things from bread to newspapers

Shoes shoes shoes!!!

I found tons of bead vendors today…most of them are bellydance costumers

This shop specializes in Belly Dance costumes and unusual beads.  We were so darned hot by 11;00 we had to leave unfortunately.   I was getting dehydrated and not a drop of liquid to purchase for miles!!  I don’t understand how the women all in black with slits for their eyes do it!!! I swear they are wearing portable air conditioners under their clothing.   I am in awe of their heat tolerance!!

WE HEAD FOR TURKEY TOMORROW!! DONT’ FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE NEW AUDIOBOO TOO!!

Thank you all tons for the comments !! I read eac and every one and wish I had the computer time to answer each comment directly right now.  We are heading out for supper so I’ll try to work on comments later tonite!!

Are we having fun yet??? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh if any moment in this trip could be defined as an AH HAH moment for me it would be the instant Steve took this photo.  We were at the CITADEL today..one of the largest and most impressive Mosques in the world when we decided to go look over the top of the railings to take in the spectactular view of the city of Cairo.

ABOVE: AS I SNAPPED THIS SHOT OF STEVE AND LOOKED IN THE SCREEN TO SEE IF THE EXPOSURE WAS RIGHT, GUESS WHAT I  SAW……….YEP…THOSE PYRAMIDS MAGICALLY APPEARED IN MY PHOTO WHEN MY BAD EYES COULDN’T SEE THEM IN “THE FLESH”…………AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE MAGIC OF PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

As we were both taking photos of one another and the people and scenery, a group of teenage Egyptian school girls gathered around me.  They kept eyeballing me with timid smiles on their faces so I said a cheerful “Hallo.  Thats all it took for these beautiful and inquisitve girls to open up instantly and want to use their English skills they are required to learn in school.  “

ABOVE: THE VIEW FROM THE CITADEL OVER LOOKING CAIRO..THE OLD AND THE NEW

THESE YOUNG LADIES WERE SO CUTE AND FUNNY

THE CITADEL IN BEAUTIFUL LIGHTING

WE HAD MANY GROUPS OF CHILDREN WANT TO HAVE THEIR PHOTOS TAKEN WITH US

THIS HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IS AN ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHER AND I GAVE HIM MY CARD.  HE IS GOING TO SEND ME SOME OF THE PHOTOS HE TOOK TODAY.  A WONDERFUL GUY WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE i’M CERTAIN!

THIS GIRL WAS SO SWEET .  A BIT SHY BUT SHE FINALLY APPROACHED US.  IM SURE GLAD SHE DID!!!

THE COPTIC MUSEUM WAS ACTUALLY FIRST IN THE MORNING AND A STUNNING DISPLAY OF THE HISTORY AND ARTIFACTS OF THIS INCREDIBLE CHURCH EXCAVATION.  BOTH STEVE AND i WISHED THE CAIRO MUSEUM HAD THE MONEY AND CURATOR THIS ONE DID.  OMG WHAT A STELLAR JOB OF KEEPING ALL THE TEXTILES AND PAPER ITEMS IN CLIMATE CONTROLLED DISPLAYS.

THE OTHER IMPRESSIVE PART OF THE MUSEUM IS THAT WALKING THOUGH THE HALLS OF THE  CHURCH YOU TRULY FELT TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME AND COULD ALMOST  HEAR THE VOICES AND FEEL THE BREATH OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED, LOVED AND WORKED DURING THAT TIME IN OUR WORLD HISTORY. IT SEND CHILLS UP MY SPINE .  hIGHLY RECOMMENDED ITO ANYONE TRAVELING TO EGYPT.

i LOVE THIS ONE.  ….IT’ WAS A SNAP AS I WALKED BY SHOT AND IT REALLY TURNED OUT PRETTY

FUNNY GOATS WERE EATING GARBAGE BEHIND THE MUSEUM.

STEVE WAS ACCOSTED BY SOME BOYS WHO WANTED HIM TO PLAY SOCCER.  I HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF PIX OF THEM GOING FROM PLAY TO “WORK” AS THEY DEMANDED MONEY FOR THEIR PHOTOS AND PLAYTIME.  iT’S SO SAD TO SEE THE KIDS BROUGHT UP HAVING TO DO THIS SORT OF MANIPULATION TO MAKE ENDS MEET.  wE SEE IT EVERYWHERE WE TRAVEL.

STRAY DOGS GROWLED AT US AS WE WALKED BY.  MOST CERTAINLY DESCENDANTS OF THE PHAROAH HOUNDS AND BASENJI

THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO COLORFUL!!  I’VE BEEN TAKING A BUNCH OF CLOTHING PHOTOS.  RASHA TOLD US NO ONE HERE HAS CLOTHES DRYERS. …THERE IS NO NEED .  I HUNG OUT A SHIRT I WASHED THIS MORNING AND IT WAS BONE DRY IN ONE HOUR!!!   I WONDER WHAT MY SKIN WILL LOOK LIKE  BY THE TIME WE COME HOME.  EEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!

IN OUR TAXI ENTROUTE TO THE COPTIC MUSEUM

WE DECIDED TO HIKE THE ALLEY BEHIND THE MUSEUM.  IT WAS FILLED WITH GARBAGE.  WE WERE TOLD WHEN THE THREAT OF SWINE FLU HIT THE MEDIA FRENZY DROVE THE CITY TO KILL ALL THE ROGUE PIGS THAT ATE THE GARBAGE. NOW WITH NO PIGS LEFT THE FEW GOATS CAN’T KEEP UP IN COMPARISON AND THE GARBAGE IS STARTING TO PILE UP.  WHAT A TERRIBLE SHAME THERE WAS SUCH AN OVER REACTION.

THE LOCALS ARE SO SCARED OF LOSING THEIR TOURISM INDUSTRY.  i FEEL SO BAD FOR THEM.  BETWEEN THE ECONOMY AND THE SWINE FLU SCARE THEY REALLY ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME AT THE MOMENT.

And a little girl talk to end  today’s update!! More tomorrow as we go shopping for goodies and a trip to the botanical garden.  Luv ya’ll …Thank you so much for your comments and emails you guys!!!

Luv Sandra