Visitors to Egypt—even rascal cats—come to Egypt to see at least two major sights: the pyramids at Giza and the Temple of Luxor.
We didn't even have to emphasize to Chucky that a trip to Luxor Temple will be like nothing he has ever seen before because he wanted to come.
“Remember the pyramids at Giza,” Dan asks. "On all that sand?"
Chucky nods.
“Imagine a complex, filled with gigantic statues.”
“Luxor" Dan explains, “was the capital of ancient Egypt back in the day.”
“1300 BC,” I chime in. “That’s even before ancient Greece had its Golden Age."
But Chuck isn’t here to see the temple. He has only one thing on his little cat mind: Ramesses II.
Ramesses II was the pharaoh who ruled for 66 years. A real mover and shaker. He built the entire temple complex.
Chucky knows all of this.
Actually, the people built the complex, but not for the Egyptian people. This place was built for the pharaoh and the priests, a place where they could come and meet with the gods in private.
Which means they actually believed the gods were there, in the inner recesses of the temple.
Dan tells Chucky that this temple complex was dedicated to the gods. BUT everything—the statues and the drawings (called reliefs on the walls) celebrate the Pharoah Ramesses II.
But, again, Chucky knows everything about this pharaoh, and he can’t wait to see Ramsesses.
I am in awe of my first view of the temple complex. Humans look like insects in comparison. At the entrance we spot the infamous obelisk on the right and know there is a companion obelisk to this one in Paris.
As we continue to walk, we spot some of the columns of the temple that have survived.
This place is bigger than I expected. I turn to Dan. "I think Chuck needs to be in the backpack, or he'll be trampled because everyone is looking up."
Dan agrees. Chuck is not happy. He prefers to be on his own. He wants to scamper off and sniff. But the temple is very crowded. Finally, we compromise. He climbs into the backpack, but positions himself so he can look out and see the sights, on the lookout, of course, for the Pharaoh.
We walk around toward the entrance. Now we can see the obelisk more clearly and also some of the statues that are positioned in front of the temple.
Finally, we are smack in front of the entrance and facing Ramsesses II.
Well, the truth is I'm facing Ramsesses. Dan is kind of walking backwards, so Chuck can see what I'm seeing—his hero.
Dan is an expert on Ramsesses. He read his entire biography in French and begins to share with Chuck even more tidbits of his life:
He is fourteen years old when he becomes pharaoh.
He is married to the famed Nefertari, his first wife and favorite queen. Even after she died, Ramsesses continued to have statues dedicated to her, reliefs done of her. Scholars say he was obsessed with her.
Supposedly he is the pharaoh associated with Moses in that wonderful Hollywood movie The Ten Commandments. Ramsesses is the pharaoh who rejects a Moses who demands over and over again--Let my people go--but there is no concrete evidence to support that connection.
Ramsesses lives to be 96 years old, has over 200 wives and concubines, 96 sons and 60 daughters. He lives so long that his subjects believe that when he dies the world will come to an end.
There is no ancient site in Egypt that does not make mention of Ramsesses the Great.
Chuck becomes more interested in Ramsesses. When Chuck gets excited, he wants to be walking around and sniffing. That is what is happening now. He begins to meow. The crowds around us moves on to tour the temple.
"All right. All right. Just for a minute or two."
Now that Chucky's paws are on the ground, he darts over to Ramsesses, sniffing at the base of the magnificent statue.
Dan and I are gazing around. We walk around the temple proper and begin to examine some of the walls. The reliefs tell a story of the pharaohs interacting with the gods.
Don't worry, though, I have my eye on Chuck. There is no way he is getting lost here. I'm soaking up all the Egyptian history and lore and watching Chuck at the same time.
In fact, I notice him move away from Ramsesses. I notice him move away from where we are. It is a big complex and he seems to be on some kind of mission. Moving faster now.
"Dan, it's Chuck."
Chuck can scadaddle rather quickly when he wants to. He is racing now as if being drawn somewhere toward the temple. Suddenly, he seems to disappear around a corner.
"Oh, no." My greatest fear is that he'll go inside, and we'll never find him. Because we've been warned to go in the temple as a group. Don't wander in there alone. An errant thought enters my mind. Chucky in there alone. This temple was built for the gods. Maybe there are still some spirits there . . . some forces . . .
Dan breaks into a run, headed in Chuck's direction. In a minute Dan disappears.
I hold my breath. Now both of them could be headed toward disaster. I try to wait patiently. Everything is going to be okay. There has got to be some reasonable explanation why Chuck ran into the temple. Dan will find Chuck, and they will be back. I know they will.
Chuck has not been abducted by the gods.
Sure enough, I see Dan emerging, unscathed from the temple. He's waving. Chuck is following close behind.
"What was that all about?"
Dan lowers his voice. "The kid wanted some privacy."
"What?"
"Let's just say that all that water he drank earlier, well, he suddenly realized he needed to use the restroom facilities."
What???? "Chucky, I hope you didn't . . . take a whizz . . . in the . . . temple."
Chuck has his lips pressed together. He looks up at me. He's not saying anything, but I can guess what he's thinking. "Mom, a boy has to do what a boy has to do."
