Paddleboat Palace

Spending a week in Egypt with Mal and David was incredibly refreshing! The resort we stayed at in Sharm El Sheikh had two beaches we could travel to - one with snorkeling in the Red Sea and the other was a more 'chill' beach, where we could enjoy huge floating beds in the water, rent paddle boats with slides, or just relax with watermelon and a beer :). One of the excursions we went on was a night camel ride. Here's a lovely picture of Mal with her camel (whom she named Sophia).




Mal's camel was extremely independent and wanted to do 'her own thing' - so usually Sophia was walking sideways or trying to take over the leader position. Sophia was a wild card!

In the background of this picture, you can see one of the desert shelters that people live in. Granted, these shelters were created to host tourists on camel rides, but it still gave us a good idea about living conditions for some people in the desert.

The sunset was breathtaking throughout our evening ride!

We also took a day trip to Mt. Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery, which is the oldest working monastery in the world! This site is most known as the supposed place where Moses saw the burning bush and, on Mt. Sinai, is where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

One of my favorite references during the trip was to the idea that a mosque and chapel are both represented in the monastery... proving that the Muslim and Christian faiths can be practiced together peacefully.

One of our favorite spots at the resort: the bar located in the pool ;)

Our last excursion was a day-trip to Cairo. We left at 1am and didn't return home until midnight - so it was a long day of traveling for us! Here is a picture of Mallory and David at the Egyptian Museum. It was fascinating to see artifacts from King Tut's royal tomb!

Then, we went on a cruise in the Nile River through Cairo. Great way to check out Cairo!

After lunch, we headed to the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. When you are standing in front of these enormous wonders, it is difficult to imagine how the pyramids were constructed so many years ago (believed to have been constructed in 23rd century BC)! This picture is from inside one of the pyramids:

With the average high temperature in Egypt at 105 degrees Fahrenheit while we were there, we were exhausted at the end of each day - exhausted from the heat! One of my favorite days, we rented a paddle-boat with a huge slide on it and paddled out to sea... It was so beautiful to look off the boat and see the bottom of the sea floor - simply amazing! Egypt truly is a beautiful country with friendly people... and we enjoyed our time there!

Thanks for reading and hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!

Love Nat

Wrapping Up the School Year...

There are many exciting plans to look forward to this summer, but wrapping up the school year and celebrating with senior students makes me realize that my service committment in Ukraine is almost finished. I really can't believe it has almost been two years since I missed my airplane from Portland to the Peace Corps Orientation (in Philadelphia). I have appreciated being adopted into my site community. Their support has been endless. I'm not quite sure how I'll be able to thank them when it's time for me to go...

Summer plans are in full swing: First, Mallory and David came for a visit! Here are some pictures from the end of the school year:

Our "EuroClub" presented the traditions, dance, and food of Italy at a local festival of European countries. We posed for a quick pic after the event!

Inna and me (soon to be a 9th grade student)

David and Mallory attended our "School Leavers" Celebration at the end of May - it was quite a cultural event for them... I'm so thankful that Mal and David were able to spend an entire week at my site. They had the chance to meet many students, families, and teachers that have had a huge impact on my service in Ukraine.

While celebrating the "Last Bell" (last day of school), many of the teachers are recognized for their contributions to school. After I was called on stage, the director of the school also called Mallory and David up - and we were flooded with flowers from students! Mal and David were so surprised, but this is just another example of how welcoming my community has been. It was awesome to have Mal and David lead some of my lessons, host meetings with students, attend dinners, and play at the stadium. I tried to book their schedule as best as I could!

Sasha and me are pictured below. Sasha's family hosted Mal, David, and me for dinner - the food and company was perfect!

After a busy week in Novoukrainka, Mal, David, and I caught a plane to Egypt! We stayed in Egypt for a little less than a week and had an amazing time (pictures are coming soon, so stay tuned)!