Our Trip to Egypt (Via the Library)

We took a virtual trip to Egypt last weekend. A two hour slideshow and lecture that introduced us to ancient gods and goddesses as well as recent discoveries. The South Yarmouth library was the portal for our short but exiting trip.

Katrina Valenzuela was our tour guide through the pyramids and temples of Cairo and along the Nile.

Katrina has spent many years in Egypt and returns there each year, and moved to Cape Cod in 1980. She has established herself as an in-demand spiritual teacher, counselor and healer. She also designs and leads sacred site tours worldwide; Egypt of course being a popular trip as her special area of focus is the mythology and mystery teachings of Ancient Egypt. Katrina is a Middle Eastern dance teacher (commonly referred to as belly dance) and hosts the popular local television show “Transformations”, where she demonstrates dance technique and interviews guests. She will also be teaching 3-credit courses at Cape Cod Community College entitled “Middle Eastern Dance and Culture”. (Please visit her website for detailed information on all of the above at:http://www.transformationscenter.com/, and at Katrina's blog: http://www.transformationstojoy.com.) A wealth of knowledge and a subtle sense of humor held a large (50+) crowd captivated for the entire two hours.

Beyond the many different gods and goddesses the ancient Egyptians worshiped, one of the most interesting and enticing facts to me is the ability to enter the pyramids. I just assumed they were off limits as sacred tombs or simply just too fragile for people to walk in and out of every day. Not only are you allowed to enter the king’s chamber of certain pyramids, but Katrina informed us that they weren’t really tombs at all since they have never found human remains in any pyramid. Katrina will often meditate with her groups inside the pyramid and/or temple where she says the energy is very strong, positive, and transformative.

Another interesting fact Katrina mentioned is that it’s been proven that slaves did not build the Pyramids as has been believed for thousands of years. In fact it was well compensated workers, who lived very well - back breaking work not withstanding - who built the pyramids. Loyal to their pharaohs, these workers were buried with beer and food, provisions for the afterlife, a kind of burial never afforded to a slave.

Lauren has always been interested in going to Egypt – me not so much. But after the lecture with Katrina, my interest is piqued. The energy and intrigue of the ancient country is what makes me consider a tip to the arid, hot place. I must confess the lure of Mediterranean food is also strong. Sure, Ardeos’ is down the street, but you don’t get much more authentic than falafel and hummus on the streets of Cairo. Egypt is officially on our list of “gotta-go”.


The library is one of our favorite places to be, although we don’t get there as often as we like. Church-like in its serenity, the library is always warm, cozy and quiet. However, activities abound! Lectures like the one we attended happen on a regular basis, and there is always something going on for kids; story hour, play groups and learning activities are just a few. Our Cape libraries are getting hip with the times, offering computer language courses online, available internet access at the library, movies and DVD, and CD-ROM games for various ages. Oh yeah, they have books, too! If you’re looking for something interesting to do we would encourage you to visit your local library wherever you live. It just may take you somewhere you never dreamed you’d go.

Photos courtesty of Katrina Valenzuela