Chuck, Ramsesses the Great, and the gods

             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."

    

           

                  

        

         

        

        

Rascal Chuck and the Heliopolis House Adventure

             The gig is up, as they say. We have no option but to tell Noah the truth. Especially after Chuck lets out another BIG MEOW.

 

         “Yes. He’s our cat. Chuck.”

 

         Noah opens his mouth to say something. Probably, the usual. Cats aren’t allowed in . . . but he doesn’t. We’re long gone from the seminary and finally heading toward Dan’s house in Heliopolis. We all know that getting into the house, at this point, will be a long shot. There are always complications in Egypt. So, Chuck being there, amazingly, is less of a threat.

 

         Which is super good news because finally Chuck is interested in what’s going on. He wants to see the house. We have no idea why except that maybe we’ve been talking about it for the last year or so . . . Chuck maybe imagines it to be some grandiose structure, surrounded by catnip gardens.

 

         Anyway, all Noah does is nod and then the focus is on finding the house. Dan still remembers his address after many years. He’s said it out loud every so often. It always sounds totally incomprehensible to me. Luckily, he can spell it—in Arabic—and Noah has put it into his GPS so we find this illusive house without too much trouble. We park the car and hit our first obstacle.

         The gate keeper. Now, in America, you encounter a gate with a guard (and clipboard) only when you want to meet a very wealthy or very important person, and you usually have an appointment. Here, in Egypt, we have no appointment. The gate keeper only speaks Arabic, and Dan’s house now belongs to a church. 

 

         Dan’s Arabic has slowly been coming back since we arrived in Egypt, but it’s not nearly good enough to explain why we want to get inside the gate and see the house. Noah tries to explain in his faltering Arabic. For some odd reason, the gate keeper gets it and lets us through. Miracle #1

 

         He doesn’t even blink when he sees Chucky. Miracle #2

 

         But the house is locked. A phone call has to be made. To the head church guy. Who has to agree. He does. And then he has to find the grounds keeper who has the key. As we’re waiting, we’re offered a soda. It seems the idea that Dan grew up in this house enthralls everyone. In fact, a guy shows up out of nowhere insisting he used to play baseball with Dan. The guy with the key shows up and unlocks the house. Miracle #3

         

            We’re in. Chucky’s in. It’s only polite to wait for a tour. Dan is looking around trying to remember which room is which. The house is now a kind of meeting place for church officials, fund raising projects, etc. There is no sign of anything from when he lived there—only the  rooms are the same and yet different—the kitchen, dining room, the bedrooms and the porch out back. 

 

         Chucky, however, has taken a different view. He’s going to sniff out the entire place. Leave not a corner unsniffed. He is determined to get his fill as if he’s been comissioned with writing a report on this house once we’re back in America. He's also being very secretive about it. 

          We begin walking room to room. Dan is enjoying this trip down memory lane, gleefully recounting stories of how they belonged to the local swim club during the summer. Of how he used to take the local tram across town to take piano lessons when he was ten. 

 

         “Where is Chucky, by the way?” Dan suddenly asks.

 

         “Somewhere sniffing.”  

         Dan doesn't look surprised. 

         "What's going on?"

      

         "Well, I might have implied that there's a small garden of . . . " 

         Sure enough, Chucky has somehow found his way outside and is sniffing the perimeter of the house, in search of the supposed garden. Outside a bunch of boys are playing ball.

          "Is there any catnip back there, really?"

          "I had to find someway to keep him happy."

           "You're right. He was moping around. But you know, you gave him mission impossible." 

            "He should be thanking us."

           Now, of course, we feel incredibly guilty. 

           But all is well. The boys spot Chucky and run over to pet him. He is the center of attention. Which he loves. They decide to make him the mascot for their team.

            Chucky never finds the garden or the catnip. But the rascal cat is purring away and that makes all the difference. 

 

 

Rascal Chuck--a Missionary Cat

 

 

         We feel so bad for him. Chuck has had enough of Egypt. Enough of mummies. Enough of churches and mosques. He wants to go back to the hotel and veg out. 

        The problem is—we haven’t yet seen what we came to see. When we say to Chuck, we still have to see Dan’s house, we don’t mean the one in the states. We mean the one in Egypt. The one he grew up in. In Heliopolis. 

         When you have missionaries for parents, you can live just about anywhere. Dan, his two sisters, and one brother lived in a rather large house. They had a cook, a gardener/gatekeeper, and a governess. That house still exists and now belongs to the Egyptian Evangelical Church. We want to see it, and we want to go inside.

Unfortunately, Chuck has to come with us. We try to explain all this to Chuck, but somehow he gets the wrong idea.

         I think it starts when we meet up with two missionaries who have agreed to help—Noah Park and his wife. They live in Egypt, and they have a car, which is a big bonus. We’re eager to find the house. But they have their own agenda.

         “Don’t worry,” Noah says, “we’ll find the house. But first, we have to go to the seminary.”

         That’s where Dan’s father worked while Dan’s family lived in Egypt.

         “You want to see the seminary, right?” Noah asks.

         The real answer is no. Dan doesn’t really want to see it, but he’s caught. If he says no, it won’t look good. Truth is—he wants to see the house. And Chuck wants to go back to the hotel. So he's immediately suspicious. His eyes get big and his ears are twitching back and forth. Seminary?? Why are they taking me to the seminary?

         How exciting can a seminary be, you ask? I have no expectations. I want to see the house. BUT we’re in for a big surprise. 

         It’s a nice brick building, all right, and still to this day, the center of the missionary efforts that are going on in Cairo. Noah leads us inside. You must traverse a long hallway. There are photos posted on the wall to your right.

         Dan spots his father in one of the group photos immediately. He's in the front row, last man on the right side, wearing glasses. The photo is dated 1964. That’s cool. He’s part of history.

       Politely, we look at the other photos. At this point, I’m in charge of Chucky. He is not being a cooperative cat. He doesn’t want to be here, and he doesn’t want to be carried around as if he’s an invalid. 

At least I think that's what the problem is.

         His position is clear—if I have to be here, let me at least walk around and sniff the place out. I can’t smell anything up here. And I can’t really see anything.

         But, it’s tricky. I know for a fact Noah wouldn’t approve. Cats in a seminary?

         “Wow.” Now Dan is pointing to an older photo on the wall. Dated 1863. His great grandfather, J.R. Alexander. He was a missionary in Egypt, too. There he is, long beard and all, posing with a group of all missionaries.

         Noah gets excited. Now, we’re more than two Americans looking for a house in Egypt. We’ve been promoted to royalty. He wants to pull us into meet the head guy who is in charge here at the seminary.

         Dan follows him. I make a rash decision. I put Chucky down. “Stay here. Sniff all you want. But do not leave this room. And try to make yourself inconspicuous.”

        But Chucky looks like that's exactly what he wants to do--leave the room. Leave the seminary.

        "What's the matter?" 

        He looks around as if he's going to be abducted at any moment.

        "Chuck, you don't think . . . no, that's not why you're here. We're not signing you up to be a missionary cat. No. No."

        Chucky heaves a big sigh of relief. 

         "You poor deluded boy."

         Then I run after Dan and Noah.

         “Do you know who this is?” Noah is already introducing Dan to his boss.

         Now everyone wants to shake our hands. Get to know us. Give us the ten cent tour. Unfortunately, they have a museum upstairs—all of one room. Dan goes up to see it. I beg off, thinking this is crazy. All we want to do is see the house. Plus, I’m worried that Chucky left to his own devices too long is bound to get into some kind of trouble.

         We are on our way out of the seminary. Chucky is waiting by the door.

         I hurry ahead and scoop him up. “You're supposed to be inconspicuous,” I whisper as I slide him into the backpack. The poor rascal cat looks exhausted or rather traumatized.

         We pile into the car. Dan gives Noah the address. Finally, we are on our way to the house.

         For some unexplainable reason, Chuck lets out a skin curdling MEOW.

         “Is that a cat?” Noah asks.

 

         TO BE CONTINUED . . .

Rascal Chuck and the Holy Family?

        This is my idea and not Chuck's. Seeing the place where the Holy Family stayed centuries ago is not his idea. In all honesty, I'm not even sure if he knows who the Holy Family is. Chuck has never been to church and never meowed a prayer. He probably doesn't have a religious bone in his cat body.

        Still it's hard to pass up opportunities when they fall in your lap. Dan and I are in Cairo, Egypt, visiting the Hanging Church and very, very nearby is the Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church. Which means nothing to most people but if you know your history, you know that you are about to walk into a place where Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus most likely, most probably stayed when they needed to find refuge from King Herod's decree--called the Massacre or Slaughter of the Innocents. Herod ordered the massacre/slaughter of all male children who were two years or younger and lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem. (He'd heard the prophesy that Jesus was coming.) Bingo. That's all Joseph needed to hear. He left Israel and came to Egypt.

        "Should we even bring Chucky into this Church?" I ask. 

        "I'll keep him in my backpack." 

        It sounds like a good plan. Of course, we have to explain where we're going so we give the rascal cat the shortened version of the story that brings us here. Important people. You don't know them. They stayed here. Many years ago. In fact, Joseph is believed to have worked at the Babylon fortress, an Ancient Roman fortress built around 30 BC. while they were here. 

        Babylon, at that time, was a town of some importance, we tell Chucky, as we are entering the Church. But he's already midway to a catnap.  Frankly, I'm relieved. The last thing I want is for him to do something crazy. Not in this church. Please.

        We learn that Babylon was the headquarters of three legions of soldiers who insured that Egypt stay under Rome's control.

       We learn that the Church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria. 

        Inside the Church is the crypt where the Holy Family rested, which I'm most anxious to see. We put the backpack with Chuck in a pew in the corner. Chucky is still napping. His eyes are closed. So far so good. 

    

  

    

    The crypt is ten meters deep. I stare at it for a long time.

        There is only one more thing to see. The well that the Holy Family drank from.

        

       I can hardly believe I'm here. I look around and frankly don't know what I expect to see. Perhaps, a vision? I know that's a bit ridiculous, but just the idea that Joseph and Mary and Jesus, who I've heard about all my life, were actually here in this very spot is unnerving. 

        I'm amazed that other people around me are walking around like they're in Burger King or something. Some are laughing. Pointing. Missing the significance? Is my faith deeper than I suspected?

        Rascal Chuck, for the first time, behaves like a very normal cat. He could have jumped into the well, for example. Or he could have made a scene in the crypt. But he causes no trouble. Outside the Church, when we're in the van, going back to the hotel, we give him a handful of his favorite treats--those chicken flavored Temptations. As a reward.

        Then we're worried. Is he sick? It's not like Chuck to be so well behaved. But he's munching away and purring so our fears are laid to rest. Maybe, he does know after all, that we were in a very special place. 

        No sense getting on His bad side! 

Rascal Chuck Visits the Hanging Church

       From the very beginning, the rascal cat doesn't want to go. We're still in Cairo, have just finished a delicious lunch at a fabulous restaurant, have puffed on or sniffed our hookah pipe, and seen the mosque. Full day, right? But there's one more thing I have to see.

        The Hanging Church. 

        Of course, this is no ordinary church. Nothing in Egypt is bland or ordinary. The church has a rich, complicated and disputed history. Dan tries his best to capture Chuck's interest by sharing what he feels are the most interesting details.

        "Chuck," Dan says, after we climb up the steps and walk under the archway, which used to be part of a Roman fortress, "this is one of the oldest churches in Egypt. It dates back to the 3rd century and belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church of America."

       I fear Dan is crawling into the weeds. Coptic Orthodox Church? He wants Chuck to understand there is a Christian tradition in this predominantly Muslim country, but I imagine as Dan is speaking, he sounds like the way adults sound to Charlie Brown: whah, whah, whah, whah, whah. 

        "Tell Chuck the most interesting part," I plead.

        Dan plods on. "The Church was most likely renovated by Pope Abraham."

        I interrupt. "Because he had a dream. Or was it a dream? Some people believe--"

         "Some people believe it was an apparition. In 970. An apparition of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. What he saw is now accepted as a Marion Apparition."

         "This is the good part," I add loudly.

         "People can claim to see Mary. Or hear her. Or see a statue of Mary crying. But you need to visually see her and she needs to be located in your environment in order for it to be considered real and an intervention of divine power."

         "That's why, Chucky, this church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She's appeared many times here, Chucky. You need to keep your eyes open. You never know."

        I look down at Chuck and he's staring at us as if all of this is a bit too much. 

        "Over the years this church has been used to consecrate holy oil, select and bury patriarchs, and, unfortunately, judge heresy trials."   

        

        

        "Maybe we shouldn't tell him that part," I say to Dan.

        We both look down at the same time to see how Chuck is reacting or, frankly, if he's even listening to this last part about the heresy trials.

        He's gone. 

        Now the Hanging Church is a popular destination for tourists, believe it or not. There are people milling around us. Coming and going. Admiring the icons on the walls. Probably imagining the fact that the Virgin Mary was actually here. 

        Where is he? 

          We only took our eyes off of him for a second. 

      "He can't have gone far."

       "He must be right around here somewhere."

       We're in the main body of the church now, walking down the aisles, looking right and left. I spot him first and point.

        "Unbelievable." 

        The Rascal Cat is lying down in one of the pews, head resting on one of his paws, next to an elderly lady who is also taking a moment to catch her breath. She's resting and Chuck is cat napping.

        "Chuck, you might have missed an apparition," I say.

        "I think the poor kid is worn out," Dan says. 

        "You missed your chance to make history, Chuck."

        But, obviously, Chuck doesn't care. Dan lifts him up. If the Virgin Mary is appearing today, it won't be to Chuck. That's a fact.