King Tut in Philly!

It's finally here! The climax of our trip together: the King Tut Exhibit in Philadelphia. We had heard about this exhibit's coming to the US for a couple of years. Then we found it was in LA while we were visiting Sabrina there. We tried to go, only to learn that the day before had been the last day, but that it would be in Philadelphia for most of the following year. So, when we began planning to attend the International School of Scottish Country Dancing in Halifax this summer, it seemed a fitting conclusion.
It is housed in a wonderful museum: the Franklin Institute, a place created in honor of the scientist Ben Franklin.
We visted the exhibit proper, with its multitude of artifacts from the tomb of Tut. Wow! Once in a lifetime opportunity to see these firsthand! The Institute also has an IMAX theater showing "The Mummies", a fascinating and intriguing look at the process of mummification and the discovery of the largest cache of mummies ever found. The planetarium has a marvelous demonstration of the stars as they would have appeared in Tut's time on earth, narrated by John Rhys-Davies.

This was my favorite mummy of all!!

I went into this restaurant in Chinatown in Philly and requested white rice instead of fried rice, but they don't serve it; as they explained it:"Two Wongs no makee white!"

Sorry but I couldn't resist that one. It's my blog; I'll do what I want!

After two and a half months of traveling together, a trip of a lifetime, a celebration of retirement and friendship, the Bruces and the Simms hugged and cried and prayed together for the last time for awhile and went our separate ways. Jon and Geri have a date with family in Virginia, as well as more history at Jamestown and Yorktown. Roger and Meg have family in Nebraska and Kansas, whom they desire to see very strongly.

We spent a night in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Hagerstown, Maryland, and the next night in the Wal-Mart at Zanesville, Ohio. Both relatively small towns with nice WM's and managers who welcomed us for the night. (We always shop inside!)

The next night was spent in Anderson, Indiana, where we visited in the home of Bill and Bea Anderson, our friends of some 38 years. They were the physicians in charge of the Mwihila Mission Hospital whom Meg and I replaced in 1969. Bill was my mentor and taught me most of what I know of missionary medicine and surgery. We have remained close over the years and it was a joy to be able to share the evening together (sharing as well some great steaks!) Thanks, Bea and Bill.

The next night was spent just north of St. Louis at a nice cordial campground where we really rested up and finished the last leg of our journey the next day. On Saturday 25 August we arrived at our daughter's home in Olathe, Kansas. We plan to relax, see a few Nebraska football games, play with granddaughters Reagan and Ryan, geocache the area and generally recuperate from a most wonderful experience.

For the near future we'll be "just living" and not traveling so much. We plan to be in Texas for Thanksgiving, California for Christmas and spend much of the spring in Texas and Florida. Our blogs will decrease down to about one a month. So, thanks for being with us on our journey and please check back often to see where the Wandering Bruces are in this beautiful world God has given us.

And remember: all who wander are not lost!

Roger and Meg