Critical Thinking

Never realizing that my life was nothing but a metaphor until now this paper will attempt to communicate some of my experiences in those terms. While this is a new concept for me and I find it difficult to find the words and metaphoric examples which will describe parts of my life and experience I will make the attempt and hope you enjoy them.

Traveling to Egypt in 1994 was a great experience for me and I took in all of the wonders that country could offer. The pyramids were mountains that one could stand next to. They stood higher then anyone would image and I was completely surprised by their size and workmanship.

The pyramids sit just outside of Cairo watching the city through a layer of smog that rises daily from the cars and trains that traverse the city carrying the Egyptian people to their appointments and jobs. Some would feel that this was not a healthy place to be and they may be right but it is what it is, a city where the rich and poor live their lives side by side trying to survive and make a better life for themselves and their families.

The Egyptian capitol is home to many cultural showcases where anyone can see how the Egyptians won the 7 day war with Israel in a 360 degree diorama sponsored by the Egyptian government. Another place that will catch someone eye is the pharonic Village. This is a living example of how the Egyptian people lives and worked for thousand of years. Even today the women can still be seen washing their families clothes in the Nile while other richer families will have a washing machine.

While visiting the city of Luxor which is a ten hour train trip from Cairo I was lucky to have use of a small pool located on the roof of our hotel. From that vantage point I was able to see how the city lived. An old woman was tending to her chickens which were all sharing a room with no roof on the top floor of a building that would be condemned here the United States. She was happy and enjoying the eggs her chickens gave her which she sold to others to bring in a small paycheck. Since I was high up on top of the hotel se was unaware of my presence. I watched her for a while just to be sure she was fine. As the sun began to set she corralled her chickens, gave them some feed and then got comfortable on her bed to listen to the portable radio she had placed on a small table. This all seemed surreal and detached to me because I never realized how happy one could be living such a simple life. Some would consider her lifestyle worse then living in the Midwest during the dustbowl days. I could see the peaceful smile on her face through my camera lens.

Traveling further south to Aswan was traveling further back in time where people lived on the Nile and traveled to the different river islands by sail boat. We rented on for the day and traveled all around the Aswan Nile basin enjoying the sights and sounds. It was a heavenly day in which we were blessed by a light rain shower that cooled the air. Life was good and we all were happy just letting the day pass us by.

I you have a chance to travel to Egypt go it is a great country and the people welcomed me with open arms and hugs. Make sure you are fit and able to handle the typical pharaohs curse that most travelers experience from eating the food. The three most important things that you must keep with you while traveling in Egypt