Cairo's heavy flush of air forced itself on my face as I descended the steps from the plane after an eleven-hour flight. I know I will not find much relief for the next two weeks. A layer of powdery motes seemed to cover everything as I traveled through the city. Between chaotic traffic and crumbling buildings I spied a narrow strip of sparse, thirsty grass in the center of the street. At night the neighbors congregate there, seeking a cooler place than their bare rooms.

We passed a handful of freshly painted homes of early nineteenth century architecture that are in good repair. Brick walls protect the greenery of tall shrubs and trees inside. This contrasts the accommodations of most Egyptians, who live in apartment buildings and hovels in need of extensive maintenance. Their rubble adds to this dry, dusty atmosphere. Egyptian men wearing blue dresses and women mostly wearing black scurried in front of the pleasant homes. Away from the homes market vendors sold smelly fish, freshly slaughtered lamb protected by wet sheets, or unwashed fruit, because there were no grocery stores.

The Mena House, our five star hotel for most of the trip, is a welcome relief after the hours on a plane. It's beautiful green grounds and large pool are refreshing. This elegant palace like structure built for the engineers and builders of the Suez Canal, gazed the Great Pyramid and Sphinx.

The next morning the camel ride to the Giza Plateau was fun. I am not an equestrian, but this slow, plodding ride suited me fine. Our special arrangement allowed my A.R. E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) group to enter the immediate area of the Sphinx with current construction. Standing by the paw on the "Hall of Records," also known as the Akashic Records, identified by Edgar Cayce enraptured me. My sensations were dynamic. Intense heavy energy became common at the pyramids and temples.

Opportunities to spend Egyptian pounds-three for one American dollar were everywhere-including a casino at the hotel. Purchases of paintings on papyrus, plaques of hieroglyphics, scarabs, silk or camel hair rugs, perfume, alabaster, and Egyptian dresses were a few of the mementoes, I carried home. Bartering for post cards, jewelry, tote bags, and wallets at colorful markets or with wondering entrepreneurs came naturally for me. Also, I bought several sculptures to continue my memories in my living room.

The best things in life are free according to a song's lyrics. This deprived country was rich in spirituality. I found its ethereal vibrations higher than at home. During this remarkable trip the delightful atmosphere heightened my consciousness. Three evenings of private meditations and initiation in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid were potent. I climbed the steep ladders and walked bent in corridors, to symbolize humility. It felt like I had previously been there for ceremonies. It seemed familiar and comfortable remembering wearing long robes in past rites.

Practicing my neck and breathing exercises, I prepared for meditation. Immediately, my soul left my body and went into the universe. This time I was free and not afraid to travel in the cosmos, viewing planets and stars as I traveled. It was an exciting adventure. I looked back to my empty vessel, polished and cleaned from more than twelve years of cleansing. Time seemed to stand still. My total being, overwhelmed and stunned from this experience, needed to adjust before leaving. This profound experience brought tears of relief from past traumas in my life.

Mohammed, our Egyptian guide informed us that the next location was the Temple of Ra. Generally, tourists did not see this excursion. We trucked through private property onto the sands of the desert. I found incomparable energy for me at the temple. This holy place seemed like home. Vibrations around the altar changed from light and breezy to heavy, almost gluing me to remain. It felt like a magnetic field I remembered in my past.

We flew to Luxor where the ship, Ms. Philar, waited for us. This four-night deluxe cruise on the Nile was not cool. While boating on the river, the temperature rose like a furnace stoked for winter. Inside it was as pleasant as the hotel. My gall bladder attack kept me from several days' excursions. Along the river to Lake Nasser I observed from my bed the same contrast of well-kept homes next to deteriorating block structures. Happily, my angels came to comfort me and herald spiritual victories.

Horse drawn carriages took us to the Temple of Horus in Edfu. When I meditated in the "Holies of Holy" I felt a centering of the axes of my body, north , south, and east, west. They connected in the center of my body. This represented the masculine and feminine merging horizontally; the spiritual and earthly centering vertically. The extremes in my life became rational.

Before entering the locks at the dam on the Nile River, enterprising sellers barter from their boats to the passengers on deck. They pitched table cloths or dresses to the top level and the passenger tossed down the amount in a bag. The peddlers' aim was accurate and they don't take :No" for an answer. As I took pictures, a dress flew through the open sliding door of my lanai which I quickly threw back.

On Elephantine Island I viewed the place where the Holy Family hid from Herod. I felt their fear and desperation clouding the atmosphere over the same area that once concealed the Ark of the Covenant. The Philae Temple dedicated to Isis brought joy and childlike fun to this trip. I was spiritually lead behind the temple where I felt like a small boy catching white butterflies with a net, while happy relatives visited. Again, time stood still and seemed so real.

To reach the back of the temple, I descended stairs, walked on stones above the water level and ascended. This was significant in several ways. First, the stairs represented the decent into a hellish state of mind and the accent into a heavenly life style. I laughed when I realized walking on the stones symbolized a joke I use to tell about being able to walk on water like Jesus, because I knew where the rocks were.

My last day I spoke to the Cairo's Writers' Group at a luncheon. Then my friend from the American Embassy returned me for the Sound and Light Show atop of Ahmed's, our other guide's home and perfume shop, . This was the last event before leaving for the airport. I left Cairo that evening with spiritual memories to last forever. In deed, the best things in life are free.