It took five airplanes and two days (23 hours of which was in the air) to get there and I finally made it!
I was a trip I didn’t think I would ever be able to make but yet, here I was!
If I were a poet, I would have the words to describe the warmth of the yellows and ochres, the dusty softness of the greens, and the crispness of the air. I could recount the overwhelming awe I felt in the presence of such monumental architecture with such precision that you might feel the same breath catch in your chest as it did in mine.
I was honored to be with the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network (WISN), an AMAZING group of 19 extraordinary people. Our group included scientists, Indigenous cultural practitioners, mystics, and artists. We shared a common purpose: to explore the path of the initiates along the Nile with an Indigenous worldview, paired with the scientific method, in order to uncover insights that might be overlooked through a purely Western lens.
If I were to recount the entire experience here, this would be a very long entry (which it might be anyway).
So, here are a few highlights:
My first morning in Cairo, I heard the call to prayer over the Nile at 5:20 a.m. It was still dark. I remembered the first time I heard it years ago, also over the water, but in Istanbul and it moved me in the same way. There is something profoundly spiritual and beautiful about that sound.
We first visited the Giza Plateau. The pyramids… need I say more? It was almost an out-of-body experience.
We had lunch at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and spent the rest of the day there. Honestly, I could spend an entire day in each wing.
Then we flew to Luxor and boarded our boat, the Gardenia. Is “boat” even the right word? Cruise ship? It felt more like a large yacht, something Cleopatra herself might have traveled on. It was stunning, and it became our home as we journeyed up the Nile.
The Temple of Hathor at Dendera was next. One of my boatmates shared a beautiful write-up about Hathor who is far more than the goddess of love. One line stayed with me: “Joy is medicine.” I love that!
The Luxor Temple at night was breathtaking. Then came Karnak and the room of Sekhmet. For me, Karnak will always be remembered as “the day of the five snakes”—a reminder that even magical journeys carry challenges. Still, my experience in the presence of Sekhmet felt deeply powerful and more than made up for it in my heart.
Next were the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s Temple, followed by Edfu, and finally Kom Ombo, where we were granted access between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. before the general public arrived. There, we conducted our archeoacoustic study, our EEG research, and magnetometer readings.
Throughout the journey, we had “dream work” sessions and explored those insights.
I kept reminding myself: “I’m here. . . on the Nile.” Amazement continually washed over me. Watching the shoreline peacefully pass by as our boat moved upriver felt surreal. I don’t fully have the words for how it made me feel. Lucky. Blessed. Changed.
Children, I’ve realized, are the same all over the world. They shout and wave from the shore, and it’s pure joy to wave back.
It was a gift to listen to the stories of my fellow travelers . . people who have traveled far more extensively than I have . . . their wit, their humility, and authenticity were truly inspiring.
I am now back in Mexico, deeply grateful for these experiences, still integrating the feelings, the insights, and the quiet transformation they brought with them.
One of my fellow travelers, Jeff Dunne put it perfectly, “From the spiritual to the nerdy to the silly- and every moment infused with love and welcoming-I cannot imagine a better way to time travel, or a better group to do it with. You are all amazing and I am deeply honored to have connected with you!”
My sentiments exactly!!!
