Pam in the Sand: Day 10 and Indiana Jones

Dr. P or Indiana Jones…Seriously…do they
all look like this?

So Day 10 started out like any other Whole30 day. Hmmmm…shall I put my carrots on the left side of the plate instead of the right just to mix things up?

I pondered my nutrient design when I received a text that a guest archeologist would be giving tours of a recent "dig" on an island nearby and wondered if I wanted to go. DO I WANT TO GO?! I admit that while our part of the world does have a few drawbacks, i.e. burn-your-brain temperatures, occasional uprisings, endless sand, etc. what it does have in spades is history…amazing history.

When I was a kid, I had one favorite volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, the edition that contained Egyptology. I poured over every bit of it as least a hundred times. It simply fascinated me. Now someone was asking me if I would be interested in a REAL LIVE DIG?!

I told John to clear the calendar because we had an adventure. He was thrilled as well so we put on our Chacos (What else would one wear?), grabbed a bottle of water, ate our pop art vegetable design and headed out.

The island where Dr. P (not Pepper) worked had been several cities for a variety of civilizations over time. As he toured our group around we noticed strata of bricks and sediment. He said that streets build up over time and that cities actually "raise". Wow. He said the further you dig down the more cities you may find along with tools and information that would give insight into people's lives.

Temples and graves in Egypt have been discovered for the last 100 years or so. This place held secrets of an Egyptian city. The street layout, the housing, the water supply, vendors and places of worship.

When one pharaoh lost power, a new one would demolish the city and build something on top of it. The ruins reflected pieces from one dynasty used by the latter one as construction pieces. Large chunks of granite lay about where the final kingdom had been.

Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt and the Roman influence began. Since that city would be considered the most "recent" very little of it remained because present day dwellers made room for more advanced infrastructure.

Dr. P reminded me of Indiana Jones. Seriously. He had the whole look going on. He had been working in Egypt for 35 years through the winter months. His knowledge of "this dynasty" and "that dynasty" was mind-boggling. I lost track at the third Ramses.

We were just rounding the precipice of the city where a garrison had been when a security guard looking purposeful and impatient announced that the island was closing. Dr. P ignored him and continued up to the top. I waited for a giant ball to come rolling down on us but alas nothing exciting like that happened.

His goal is to archive the various civilizations that had once lived on this island and also gather enough details to understand how everyday people lived. In fact, he said that when he needs to connect the dots from what he's found he takes a walk through the nearby Nubian village which helps him immensely. He said in many ways their lives remain the same as their ancestors…with the exception of the ever-present cellphone.

We made our way back to the beginning of the site and thanked Dr. P for giving his time to educate us. He lit a cigarette and struck a pose while saying, "My pleasure." I waited for him to pull out a whip and lasso a boat to shore…but he did not.

John and I returned to our apartment full of new information and desperately needing a big drink of water. I was truly grateful for this opportunity and also thankful that I'm fit enough to traverse over such terrain. It inspired me even further for preparing dinner. I would create a plate full of vegetables that recreated the ancient subterranean town of Ramses! Maybe even a small Sphynx of broccoli.