Heading Home: A Few Parting Thoughts and Observations

How could  two weeks have gone by so quickly? With over 1000 photographs behind us, we have sampled much of what Egypt has to offer while still leaving many new adventures for our next visit. It only seems fitting that our last Egyptian blog share with you some general and specific impresssions that we have come away with.

1.  We're really glad that the pyramids were on our bucket list. There is no doubt why, even in ancient times, they were one of the 7 Wonders of the World. If any structure was built to last another thousand years or two, it is the great pyramids of Giza.

The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Cheops

2.  Egypt is a land of such great history and antiquity that we didn't even scratch the surface in our short time here. Overall, we have been awed by what people created as long ago as 4500 years. It's preservation can only be thought of as a gift to all of human kind and many generations yet to come. In many respects, it's hard to imagine a greater civilization than ancient Egypt at its zenith.

Pharaonic stature at Luxor

3.  We still know very little about Islam. However, we have enjoyed the beauty brought to this area through the architecture found in mosques and minarets in every city and town we visited. Some of the most peaceful places we visited were the Islamic places of worship. As outsiders we felt most welcomed by people with very different beliefs than our own.

The Mosques of Sultan Hassan and Rifai seen from the Citadel

4.  The best way to see any city or country is to get away from the tourist areas and walk the streets where at times you might be the only foreigner. Cairo is a very safe city, annoying at times, but safe. In the tourist areas, as in the bizarre of Khan al-Khalili, there is a non-stop attempt at trying to sell you something. Our favorite expression from one of the sellers was, "If you have any money left, I'll help you spend it here." Away from where the tour buses stop, the real Egypt can be found around nearly every corner. The Hotel Windsor was located perfectly to experience the real Cairo.

Food cart on a street in Islamic Cairo

5.  Cairo is a city of contrasts: old versus new, wealthy versus poor, modern versus ancient, and Western versus Islamic. Sorry not to have a photo of this, but one of our favorite images came as we were riding the train from Luxor to Cairo. Picture this, atop a donkey is an Egyptian in a traditional galabya. In his right hand, a whipping stick for the donkey; in his left hand, a cell phone. A real study of contrasts.

An Egyptian pharmacy: a mix of modern medicine and ancient alchemy

6.  More than anything else, we were most surprised by the wonderful foods we tasted over the past two weeks. Egyptian cuisine is excellent! From tasty shawarma sandwiches to tahina dip and felafel to stuffed pigeon, we ate very well. Some of the best food we ate came from tiny, inconspicious spots far off the beaten path. One has to be selective about street food, but, in general, one can eat like a king for very little if you eat where the Egyptians eat.

Our daily bread! Low in calories? I think not!

7.  It's always difficult to come to a country where you don't speak the language. However, after just a short couple of weeks, we've mastered a few of the important basics in Arabic: please and thank you; hello and good-bye; coffee, tea, and water; restaurant ordering; giving directions to cab drivers, numbers (including reading them). Of course, understanding what they say back is a whole different story. As we have found elsewhere, a few words of the local language, puts smiles on people's faces and breaks down certain barriers. Outside the tourist areas, we found very little English spoken. All in all, we managed pretty darn well!

Inlaid ivory and exotic hardwood design (Rifai Mosque)

8.  Cairo is one of the most populated cities in the world. As of 2008, its census was 18 million people, similar to Paris, but confined in one-ninth the area. Streets are crowded most hours of the day.Traffic is horrendous. Traffic lights and cross-walks (real Western luxuries we now see) are almost non-existent. With such overcrowding (25,000 people per square kilometer in the city) streets are as dirty as we have found anywhere. Finding a place for all the trash is more than a challenge. Outside the tourist areas, sanitation doesn't always meet to our standards or preferences. Nonetheless, a good attitude about these challenges will create great stories to share later. It's not everyones cup of tea, but if you add a bit of mint, it becomes fairly tasty.

Restroom facilities at a restaurant in Old Cairo. You can imagine how badly Nancy had to go to use this!

9.  Overall, this has been a very good trip. Navigating around the Middle East is not as easy as travel in Mexico or Central America (or maybe we are just more accustomed to the ways of our neighbors south of the border). Nonetheless, Nancy did very well putting up with my excursions down narrow alleys, eating street food just because it looked good, and talking to strangers (usually to get directions) to find out interesting pieces of information. Thanks for joining us these past two weeks as we explored Egypt and the Nile. Join us next year to follow our adventures in _____? (You didn't think we were going to tell you quite yet, did you?)

Still going strong at the Red Pyramid in Dashur

Maca sa leh ma!