Athens, Greece

Mission to Egypt

April 2000 - September 2001

Week of August 20, 2000

Geology Warning:
This page may contain graphic images of geology.

Desert on the way to Wadi El Rayan, near where the ancient Israelites began their trek out of Egypt.

"There are some trails in the
sand but the wind blows enough to erase them. Recently they have gone in and put stakes about 20" high on both sides of a trail but not the entire trail. We needed a GPS once we left the paved road."

Fossilized Reefs in Wadi El Rayan

"We had been told that these strangely shaped mounds were wind sculptures, and in a sense the wind has shaped them. But it is because they are fossilized coral
reefs that they have withstood the winds of time. It was beautiful scenery, but until we got there Paul had no idea of what a treasure chest of fossils it was."

Fossilized Reef: Top of Unconformity

"Paul was more excited than a kid at Christmas. There were fossils everywhere! He was busy
examining them or teaching everyone about what they were looking at."

Fossilized Whale Bones

"Paul says it appears that this was once part of a sea. Suddenly there was an influx of mud that trapped the whales and other creatures. The mud has preserved all these fossils."

Brother and Sister Taylor at the base of reef structure.

"Paul has no idea of how old this is since he is not a marine Geologist. But he thinks every marine Geologist would be trekking out there if they knew about it."

	Desert on the way to Wadi El Rayan, near where the ancient Israelites began their trek out of Egypt. "There are some trails in the sand but the wind blows enough to erase them. Recently they have gone in and put stakes about 20" high on both sides of a trail but not the entire trail. We needed a GPS once we left the paved road."
	Fossilized Reefs in Wadi El Rayan "We had been told that these strangely shaped mounds were wind sculptures, and in a sense the wind has shaped them. But it is because they are fossilized coral reefs that they have withstood the winds of time. It was beautiful scenery, but until we got there Paul had no idea of what a treasure chest of fossils it was."
	Fossilized Reef: Top of Unconformity "Paul was more excited than a kid at Christmas. There were fossils everywhere! He was busy examining them or teaching everyone about what they were looking at."
	Fossilized Whale Bones "Paul says it appears that this was once part of a sea. Suddenly there was an influx of mud that trapped the whales and other creatures. The mud has preserved all these fossils."
	Brother and Sister Taylor at the base of reef structure. "Paul has no idea of how old this is since he is not a marine Geologist. But he thinks every marine Geologist would be trekking out there if they knew about it."