Yuri's Journal - Egyptian Vacation

(Some of the pictures were taken with walls down to show the most of the area Yuri is in at any given moment, so the full effect of the tomb is somewhat lost. Also, this solves the puzzles of the tomb behind the base camp, so if you're not interested in the spoiler, you might want to skip it. :) Frankly, the simplicity of the area is such that I'm sure even my pictures can't spoil it. -Lachesis)

Yuri's Vacation Journal

I had a wish to take the family on vacation. As lead guitarist I get quite a few days off, so off we went to Egypt.

After landing at the base camp, we took off directly for the market place to see what we could see and buy supplies in case we needed them.

For whatever reason, Aiden spent the entire time in the pool. I had no idea he was that fond of swimming, I guess we need to put the pool in the backyard I'd been thinking of when we had the house built. Leta bought a cookbook and then proceeded to stick her nose in every book she could find at the market.

Me, I decided to look around.

I stumbled on a stone shaped like a key and then found this stone in the wall the key-shaped stone would fit. When I hefted the thing up to the stone on the wall and pushed it in, I was covered by a blue light pulsating from it.

The chain on the door next to me disappeared, and in I went only to find a really cool treasure.

Once I took the treasure and found my way back up, it was getting late, so off we went back to the base camp where Leta and I shared a tent and Aiden had his own.

The next day I was dying to explore the tomb behind the base camp, so the three of us went in, but when I reached the bottom of the steps the door above me closed and locked me down there by myself. The skeleton in the pile of sand in the corner did nothing to make me feel better, mind you.

There was nothing to do but press forward in hopes of finding a way out. I moved through the only opening in sight only to find another locked door, a chest and another of those stones in the wall, this time shaped like a crescent moon. I found the keystone in the chest and put it in the stone on the wall; the door opened.

There was nowhere to go it was just a room, but I stepped on the square with the footprints and discovered it was a floor switch which opened a stairway.

Oh good, another skeleton; but also another floor switch. You know, now that I think of it, I should have taken a better look at that skeleton, maybe he had something cool on him. Dang, well, if we ever go back...

This time it opened the door in front of me and onward I went. Another floor switch, but this one didn't stay down when I stepped on it, so I needed something else. Oh good, the statue moves, so by pulling and pushing I was able to get it in place.

Through the door I found another room. This time another no step on switch and three statues. I had to find the one that moved. Once I shoved it in place, a step on switch appeared in the floor behind me.

This led me to an empty room except for another chest. I opened it and stairs appeared behind me. Finally, I'm hoping for a way out; but first, is that a secret panel in the wall? Just out of curiosity, I push on it.

It is, and other chest. This one was filled with an ancient relic.

I took the stairs, stepped on the pressure plate and out I went, the door back to my family had finally opened back up. Hours had passed, and they were starved, tired and worried.

Hey, look who I saw in the men's john.

So that was my great adventure. We did other things during our three days, but for the most part, they were just wandering around getting a feel for the place. Someday, we may go back and stay longer, but really, I think Leta and Aiden were bored since they spent most of their time reading.

Oh, and be sure to dress appropriately for where you're going before you leave home, because we couldn't find anywhere to change out of our hot clothes. Leta seemed to be the only one who came close to having the proper clothing.