Here, as promised, is the
real post about the trip to Cairo yesterday!
So, in the morning my host mother and I woke up early, and, as we were running a bit late, rushed to the meeting point, which was a train station in the Sidy Gaber neighborhood, and then boarded the microbus that we had again rented for our little day trip.
Those present with us were: Regina, her host sister Reem, an aunt of theirs and her four children, Fatma, her mother Nagwa, and Melanie.
We then had a very fun and surprisingly short ride over to Cairo. We were notified of our arrival by someone calling out "look outside!"
We were greeted by the Great Pyramid of Khufu staring down at us.
Afterwards, we payed our tickets and such, and entered the main complex of the pyramids.
It consists of the three main, largest ones, and then several smaller ones that were used to house the wives of the pharaoh.
It was honestly...breathtaking.
It's one thing to read about these things in history books and see their pictures in Google, and then to go and
see them towering above you. It's incredible.
It was something that I had dreamed of doing since I was a very small child, seeing the pyramids. And it was so worth it to go see them.
I stared up at them in awe, imagining how on earth people had built these things FIVE THOUSAND YEARS AGO, with only the technology available to them at that time. It made me feel so small and humble.
We then did something that is pretty obligatory for someone visiting Egypt:
We rode camels. :D
It was a little nerve-racking at times, to be honest.
I mean, camels look a little intimidating. I realized yesterday that they remind me a bit of dinosaurs. XD They have very sharp teeth, and can at times be pretty temperamental.
Getting on and off of them were the worst parts, because it feels like you're going to fall off!
But once we had been moving for a while, it was ok. :) We then rode them around the pyramids to a point where we could admire them from afar, then went back to admire them from close up. Then we finished and left.
One thing that I will say, is that there are a lot of people there who try to rip off unsuspecting tourists. The pyramids are stunningly beautiful and amazing monuments nonetheless, you just need to learn how to deal with those people. :)
After that, we entered Cairo, and met up with Hady! We proceeded to the Nile, to ride a felucca there. And before we got on, who should join us, but Ahmed, the boy from Cairo who was in Ann Arbor last year!!!! :D And two other nice returnees.
I was very exited to see him again at last, as I had not been able to see him since he left Ann Arbor back in June.
Then the felucca ride was very fun also - very slow and leisurely, as the felucca had only sails, no motors. And, mercifully, no shaabi music was blasted at full volume!
Afterwards, the whole group proceeded to the Saladin Citadel of Cairo, a medieval Islamic fortification on the Mokattam Hill near the center of the city.
It was absolutely beautiful, from the inside and outside.
On the inside in particular, the designs on the floor and ceilings were mesmerizing.
And there was a moment when the muzzein, the main who makes the call to prayer, did his job, and hearing the sound of the call to prayer echo though the mosque gave me the chills.
It was an honestly mesmerizing experience.
And we were very lucky to have Hady there with us, because he used to give tours in there and was therefore very knowledgeable about it, able to tell us things that we otherwise wouldn't have known.
After that, we wandered around Khan al-Khalili, one of the most famous souqs (markets) in Cairo, and that was very interesting, because it was a fun place that looked like a very stereotypical Middle Eastern marketplace.
After that, we made a quick stop in Islamic Old Cairo, then we got into the car, said goodbye to the Cairenes, and then stopped in a mall on the outskirts of the city to eat - ironically - the only thing available in the mall: fastfood. -_-
We then headed back to Alexandria, and once again, the way back wasn't as fun as the way there, because everyone was so tired.
But I was in the very back of the bus with two unoccupied seats next to me, so I put a quiet song on replay on my iPod, lied down, and did my best to get a little rest. :)
Then, once we arrived, I had just enough energy to get cleaned up, say hi to my host brothers (as they had just gotten back from a week in Hurghada a resort on the Red Sea, so I hadn't seen them in a while), and collapse into bed.
Now, today will consist of three S's: Sleeping (finished that already xD), studying (for my quarter exams this week), and Skyping! :D
Not to mention uploading a load of pictures into this post, which will likely take a while.
Well,
BYE for now :)
-Nico
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| The Great Pyramid of Khufu in all its glory. |
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| From small tomb alongside the pyramid, that we were allowed into! |
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| My German friend Regina and I, on camel-back :D |
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| Fatma's picture of me and Regina on the camel :) |
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| Tani (another one) |
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| 'Alatool fil gamal - wa 'alatool btaat Fatma (Again on the camel, and again the picture's Fatma's XD) - this is one of my personal favorites :) |
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| Fatma and Melanie on theirs |
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| Just us bein' weird :D -courtesy of Regina's host sister Reem |
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| HSM style XD again by Reem |
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| Just to give you an idea of how big it is! |
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| Amal and I :) |
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| A fountain in the middle of the Nile |
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| From the felucca ride |
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| The lovely Ann Arborite-Egyptians: from left to right - Fatma, Hady, Ahmed, me :) |
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| I like this a lot. I'm not sure why I like this picture a lot in particular, I just do. :3 |
