July 5, 2003
Cairo

I really like Egyptian money. It's beautifully designed. On one side is a mosque and some Islamic geometric designs and on the other side is an ancient Egyptian statue or monument and hieroglyphs. The color scheme is gorgeous. Here's a pic of some of it.

Yesterday I went to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum with a Canadian I met named David. I didn't get to see all of the museum so I am going to go back in the next few days. Another reason I want to go back is the mummies. They had a mummy room that you couldn't take cameras in and I want to go back and see if I can convince them to let me draw in there. One of the mummies was soooo creepy, I have to get a drawing of it. It would make a really good cd cover for a death metal band ! One of the mummies was the famous Ramses II. It was really really strange to look at him after seeing his likeness on countless statues and monuments around the country. He's portrayed so muscular and then his mummy was literally skin and bones. I don't know what happened to the muscle, if it just disintegrated or if he was just that skinny when he died. He looked like a half dead anorexic person. It was really creepy. It seems like a rather undignified ending for such a powerful pharoah.

Finished a couple of paintings but I'm reluctant to photograph them because they don't look as good that way. Gonna see if I can get them scanned somewhere.

David and I are planning a trip to Jordan next week. I am so excited to go to Petra again. The last time I was there I didn't take very good pictures but I am armed with a better camera and more knowledge about photography now so I should get some good shots.