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Sunday, October 10, 2010
What a City!
This place is CRAZY! Cairo Population 22 MILLION and NO stop lights! Everyone just charges ahead until they're locked in, and then everyone just starts beeping their horns and pushing forward in every little available space. You take your life in your hands when you cross the street--our bus driver slammed on his brakes and almost hit a person on a scooter. Stores are open 24/7 and people are out walking around and shopping at 4:00 a.m. I don't think these people ever sleep.
What a hotel! I could (already AM) used to this style of hotel. Four Season's Nile Plaza is a-maz-ing!! I'm typing on our 19th floor balcony overlooking the Nile watching the boats and listening to a lot of car beeps below. Luckily, our sleeping area is two rooms away from our balcony, so we're able to sleep at night.
This a.m. We went to the oldest mosque in Cairo. It was built within the old Roman walled city. The city itself was conquered by the Muslims around 900 A.D. The mosque is made of all alabaster and has several domes and minarets--it's very beautiful. The floors are covered with big rugs so everyone can pray on the ground, and everyone has to either remove their shoes before entering, or put on shoe covers over their shoes. There were several school groups there, as well as lots of other tour groups. Our group sat on the floor in a corner while Ahmed (our Egyptologist) gave us a primer on the Islamic faith. While we were listening to Ahmed and asking questions, one of the school groups surrounded us and all these 5th graders started taking pictures of us with their cell phones. Probably just because we were their first American encounter in their young lives.
We left the mosque and drove to "Islamic Cairo," and walked along the streets of the Khan El-Khalili, the old walled city of Cairo. The streets are one big sensory overload bazaar for SHOPPING! As you walk along, each vendor tries to get you to buy his wares . . . "Make my Day. Spend your money here.". "I have what you looking for.". "Lady, how much scarf you want? I had Ahmed show me where I could buy REAL papyrus, so I bought a couple papyrus paintings. Most vendors sell papyrus made from banana leaves and it's poor quality, but the real papyrus has a fabric-like texture and won't tear like the knock-off papyrus.
Now for the real challenge . . . We'll be trying to fit everything we bought in our tiny suitcases! My fabulous dream trip has come to an end, and we'll be back home on Tues, Oct.12. We're hoping to get back into the swing of things this week because my mother is coming over and we have tickets to see Bill Cosby at the Merrill Auditorium this weekend! I would love to come back to Cairo in 20 yrs. to see the changes, but if I don't make it back, I'll be totally content with all the wonderful memories of our trip to both Kenya and Egypt. I think our next big trip will be David's dream trip--Australia--in the unknown future.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
What a hotel! I could (already AM) used to this style of hotel. Four Season's Nile Plaza is a-maz-ing!! I'm typing on our 19th floor balcony overlooking the Nile watching the boats and listening to a lot of car beeps below. Luckily, our sleeping area is two rooms away from our balcony, so we're able to sleep at night.
This a.m. We went to the oldest mosque in Cairo. It was built within the old Roman walled city. The city itself was conquered by the Muslims around 900 A.D. The mosque is made of all alabaster and has several domes and minarets--it's very beautiful. The floors are covered with big rugs so everyone can pray on the ground, and everyone has to either remove their shoes before entering, or put on shoe covers over their shoes. There were several school groups there, as well as lots of other tour groups. Our group sat on the floor in a corner while Ahmed (our Egyptologist) gave us a primer on the Islamic faith. While we were listening to Ahmed and asking questions, one of the school groups surrounded us and all these 5th graders started taking pictures of us with their cell phones. Probably just because we were their first American encounter in their young lives.
We left the mosque and drove to "Islamic Cairo," and walked along the streets of the Khan El-Khalili, the old walled city of Cairo. The streets are one big sensory overload bazaar for SHOPPING! As you walk along, each vendor tries to get you to buy his wares . . . "Make my Day. Spend your money here.". "I have what you looking for.". "Lady, how much scarf you want? I had Ahmed show me where I could buy REAL papyrus, so I bought a couple papyrus paintings. Most vendors sell papyrus made from banana leaves and it's poor quality, but the real papyrus has a fabric-like texture and won't tear like the knock-off papyrus.
Now for the real challenge . . . We'll be trying to fit everything we bought in our tiny suitcases! My fabulous dream trip has come to an end, and we'll be back home on Tues, Oct.12. We're hoping to get back into the swing of things this week because my mother is coming over and we have tickets to see Bill Cosby at the Merrill Auditorium this weekend! I would love to come back to Cairo in 20 yrs. to see the changes, but if I don't make it back, I'll be totally content with all the wonderful memories of our trip to both Kenya and Egypt. I think our next big trip will be David's dream trip--Australia--in the unknown future.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Cairo
Sat., Oct.9, 2010
We flew on EgyptAir from Luxor to Cairo early this a.m. Once in downtown Cairo, we immediately started a walking tour of "Coptic Cairo," the ancient part of the city that was Christian, but now historical areas and museums. We went underground to an old fortress that was used by the Romans--complete with thick fortress doors and reinforced with metal sheeting. We saw the "hanging church" which was built so part of it hangs over the old Roman fortress. We also went to the Coptic Museum which was very Byzantine and held collections from the beginning of A.D.--paintings, old Coptic tombstones which blended Egyptian gods with the shell-shaped tombstones, Coptic Pope's clothing over the centuries, etc.
Switching religions, we visited the oldest synagogue in Egypt. The "Ben Ezra,". There are only 200 Jews in the entire Country of Egypt. Around 600 A.D., Egypt was Christian until it was conquered by the Muslims. Everyone who converted was free from taxes, so most everyone converted.
The people here are very nice and friendly, although it's a male-dominated society. They say that men and women are equal, but Men can dress however they'd like, but most women keep their head "veiled." Married women usually wear black "veils" and single girls can wear colored veils. Boys play all day, and girls help their mothers with cooking, washing, etc. This is also a cash-driven society. If you ask for directions, you have to pay "baksheesh," a tip. If you use a public bathroom, you have to pay the attendant. All of our bus drivers were tipped, and even the security guy on the bus is tipped daily. Egyptian men will jump into your picture and then demand to be paid--luckily, we didn't fall for that one. Police at each historical site will try to show you "secret places" in exchange for baksheesh. If you ask anyone to take your photo, they"d expect payment--but we knew about that one before we came here, so everyone just asks their tour mates to take their photos.
On Sat. Night we went to dinner at a family's home in Giza. We were greeted by a retired couple, their adult daughter, and her two young daughters. (The adult daughter lives in her own home with her husband and two daughters.) We got to ask them questions about Egyptian life and their Muslim faith. According to the adult daughter, Amyra, girls will usually start veiling themselves at the age of 14-15. After they go to college, it's an individual choice on whether or not to be veiled. Amyra's oldest daughter is 9 yrs old, and Amyra (the girls' mom) decided to veil herself just 6 yrs.ago. Amyra's wedding photo looked just like ours--white dress with no veil. The kids have the same 12 yrs of school before going to university. One major difference is the school/work week. Muslims' holy day is on Friday, so their weekend is Friday and Sat. At 9:00 p.m. Amyra and her two young daughters left to go to their own home in order to get the girls ready for school on Sun. A.M.
On Sunday we'll visit the oldest mosque in Egypt--The Mohammad Ali .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We flew on EgyptAir from Luxor to Cairo early this a.m. Once in downtown Cairo, we immediately started a walking tour of "Coptic Cairo," the ancient part of the city that was Christian, but now historical areas and museums. We went underground to an old fortress that was used by the Romans--complete with thick fortress doors and reinforced with metal sheeting. We saw the "hanging church" which was built so part of it hangs over the old Roman fortress. We also went to the Coptic Museum which was very Byzantine and held collections from the beginning of A.D.--paintings, old Coptic tombstones which blended Egyptian gods with the shell-shaped tombstones, Coptic Pope's clothing over the centuries, etc.
Switching religions, we visited the oldest synagogue in Egypt. The "Ben Ezra,". There are only 200 Jews in the entire Country of Egypt. Around 600 A.D., Egypt was Christian until it was conquered by the Muslims. Everyone who converted was free from taxes, so most everyone converted.
The people here are very nice and friendly, although it's a male-dominated society. They say that men and women are equal, but Men can dress however they'd like, but most women keep their head "veiled." Married women usually wear black "veils" and single girls can wear colored veils. Boys play all day, and girls help their mothers with cooking, washing, etc. This is also a cash-driven society. If you ask for directions, you have to pay "baksheesh," a tip. If you use a public bathroom, you have to pay the attendant. All of our bus drivers were tipped, and even the security guy on the bus is tipped daily. Egyptian men will jump into your picture and then demand to be paid--luckily, we didn't fall for that one. Police at each historical site will try to show you "secret places" in exchange for baksheesh. If you ask anyone to take your photo, they"d expect payment--but we knew about that one before we came here, so everyone just asks their tour mates to take their photos.
On Sat. Night we went to dinner at a family's home in Giza. We were greeted by a retired couple, their adult daughter, and her two young daughters. (The adult daughter lives in her own home with her husband and two daughters.) We got to ask them questions about Egyptian life and their Muslim faith. According to the adult daughter, Amyra, girls will usually start veiling themselves at the age of 14-15. After they go to college, it's an individual choice on whether or not to be veiled. Amyra's oldest daughter is 9 yrs old, and Amyra (the girls' mom) decided to veil herself just 6 yrs.ago. Amyra's wedding photo looked just like ours--white dress with no veil. The kids have the same 12 yrs of school before going to university. One major difference is the school/work week. Muslims' holy day is on Friday, so their weekend is Friday and Sat. At 9:00 p.m. Amyra and her two young daughters left to go to their own home in order to get the girls ready for school on Sun. A.M.
On Sunday we'll visit the oldest mosque in Egypt--The Mohammad Ali .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Cairo
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