To tell you the truth I was a little nervous about going as was a lot of people in the house. I didn't tell my ma this but recently 10 Christians got killed there. Sorry mom, I didn't want you to go into panic mode while I was there. But, after our house briefing of how to prepare I was as ready as I would ever be.
We had to get up at 5:00AM Sunday morning to head out. 41 College Sophomores at 6 in the morning is not a pretty sight. Regardless we all headed out to the coach at 6:15AM, fed and ready to travel all day. The flight was 5 hours long and I knew I wouldn't sleep. I tried watching a movie or two on the plane, but the system was not working so instead I read the WHOLE time!
As we were landing I looked outside and all I could see was the Saharan desert... When we landed we got our things and separated into two buses. We have so many people that we all needed to be divided into 4 groups. Unfortunately, I didn't get the group with the people I normally hung out with, which I found odd. But, I get along with pretty much everyone so it wasn't to big of a problem. We drove for about 1 hour and a half to get to our hotel (It was only supposed to be a 30 minute ride). Let me just say that, if you thought L.A. driving was awful, come to Cairo. If you can drive there I am sure you can drive ANYWHERE! There are no lines, no rules, and no stop lights or stop signs for that matter. Everyone cuts in and out and make their own lanes. It is CRAZY! By the time we got there everyone was hungry and ready to sleep.
DAY 1
Our day began at 8:00AM, we ate breakfast. Throughout the week, we had pieces of information or advice that we should follow. One being to be careful of what you eat or drink. Like Mexico, we couldn't drink the water (unless it was bottled) or have ice in our drinks. Also, it isn't recommended to have fresh juices and other various foods because of the differences in water used and other reasons. My breakfast however consisted of bread, croissants, and potatoes... mmmm carbs! I also ate a yoghurt specifically because eating yoghurt from a different country right away introduces you to the bacteria and other things in a positive way. This helps you from getting sick from the food and water.
After breakfast we headed out to the Great Pyramids at Giza. The pyramids The pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the only one still intact. We had the option for going inside the middle pyramid and of course I took that offer. We didn't have enough time to go in the greater one, which is filled with several passages and tunnels that lead to the tomb, but we made due with the smaller one. You can't take pictures inside, so I will have to describe it: Basically, you go under it via a 4 and a half to 5 foot tunnel. Then you hit a small cavity and begin to climb up again until you reach the tomb. There were other passageways, but they were all blocked off. For me going into the pyramids was mildly uncomfortable because I had to crouch down, however for my friend A.J who is 6 foot 6 inches it was a challenge. He literally had to crouch down to half of his height just to make it through. After that we were free to explore the area around.
Next, we ventured up to ride our camels in between the pyramids. Our director told us it would be a short ride, but it was like 20 minutes long! We got to either ride by ourself or ride with someone else, but me being the independent I am rode alone. My camels name was Yankee doodle dandy a typical American name go figure. I was attached with two other girls from the house, but our camels didn't get along. Then about halfway through our guide got in a fight with someone and ended up throwing a rock and yelling. All I was thinking at this point was leave it to me to get the dysfunctional camel and angry guide who doesn't speak English. The ride itself was amazing though, we had the BEST view of the pyramids ever! The camels let us off at the Sphinx where we took pictures and then headed off to lunch.
Lunch was at a place called the carvery and it was basically barbecue lamb, chicken, and beef w/ hummus (as usual) and bread. I realized thorough out my time here that I really like lamb a lot actually, it is probably my favorite type of meat now. We hopped back on the bus and headed to Memphis ( The first capital in ancient Egypt). All that was there was a statue of Ramses the 2 and another sphinx. After a 40 minute bus ride for nothing we headed back to the hotel.
We all wanted to go swimming so bad especially since the weather was so nice. However our plans were ruined because the pool guy had not turned on the heater. :( poor us... We are in Egypt at a five star hotel without a pool... life is hard... Just Kidding. Instead of the pool we all just kind of hung around until dinner. Me, Becca, and Tessa decided to play a prank on one of the boys rooms. First of all we didnt break in, one of the boys was stupid enough to give us a key in exchange for amnesty. But that amnesty got thrown out the window when we realized that we couldn't get into the other boys rooms because they locked their balconies which they never usually do. So we hid all their stuff and spread remaining things all over the room. It was a lame excuse for a prank, but we didnt want to get in trouble.
After we returned a group of us decided to play sardines. Sardines is a game where one person hides and everyone tries to find them and then hide with them. The last one to find them is it. What started out as a small group of 6 turned into a group of 23 all searching throughout the hotel. I am pretty sure we all looked odd searching and running around the hotel. But, what else were we going to do? I was definitely not about to leave the safety of our hotel and venture out into Cairo.
Day 2
We left the hotel at the same time to go to the Al Rifai Mosque. We were told before leaving the hotel that we had to be covered up a certain extent and it is preferable if you have something to cover your hair. What they did not tell us is that we needed to be barefoot in the mosque which was surprising for some reason. The mosque was massive and we learned a lot about how they pray. For instance, They have to face a certain way to pray (they must face Mecca) and they have to be in perfect lines. Also, the women are kept separate from the men (as it is in their society already). This specific mosque is where the tomb of King Farouk and the last shah of Iran are.
After that we headed for Sakkara. It is home to the Step Pyramid if King Zoser. We couldn't go in this one, but we walked around it and then went into a smaller one that looked like a pile of rubble. Very promising... We also went into a tomb and saw a typical burial area in ancient Egypt. The hieroglyphics and stories that they had imprinted on the wall were very interesting. It tells various stories of how they hunted, danced, and other things they did through their lives. The Egyptians were very religious people and everything they did was for their religion.
We ate lunch at a chicken barbecue restaurant with a side dish of (you guessed it... Hummus). There was a playground there so once again we showed our age and played alongside some 5 year olds. After lunch we went to a papyrus shop. We learned how to make papyrus and got to buy a kartushe with our name written in hieroglyphics. I got one with my name and three Egyptian musicians.
We were all excited to go back to the hotel, because the pool man promised us he would turn on the heater for us. He lied. The pool was FREEZING when we got back. A few of us however (myself included) could not resist the temptation to go for a swim. Even though the water was like 50 degrees and we didn't have anything to play with. We threw around a water bottle like it was a football as we tried to ignore the fact that we were slowly getting hypothermia. Once we were done being foolish, we played cards until dinnertime.
A few people decided they thought it was fine to leave the hotel so they went to the market to pick up snacks. The first thing they said was not to leave the fortress. What had happened was a few of the girls foolishly went out wearing shorts. In a country where a majority of the women are all covered up, this is a bad idea. From then on, we decided it was best we not leave the hotel. We even continued after dinner by playing a game where you have to guess who you are based on what someone wrote on your card.
DAY 3
Day three was all about the mosques, synagogues, and churches. We woke up at our normal time and headed to old Cairo. First stop was the Hanging Church of Saint Mary. I soon found out that this church is not in fact "hanging". I was very saddened by this detail. It is called the hanging church because it has been suspended by a beam underneath. It was an interesting church and we learned how all churches had a sort of "theme" to them back then.
Then we went to the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Right next door to that was the church of saints Sergius and Bacchus. This church was the site where the Holy family hid in Egypt in order to escape King Herrod. That was the most interesting fact to me. I finally connected that I had been in the same place Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were so many years ago. It brings me chills just thinking about it. After that we went to a perfume shop and got a demonstration of how they make oils and perfumes. Then we had a police escort to our lunch location.
Much to my dismay and many others disapproval, we headed for a traditional American meal... McDonald's. Except for the time in Paris (in which I had something small). This was the first time I had McDonald's in 5 years! I was not to pleased with the food location to say the least. When we got there the police stopped traffic just so we all could get off our buses and walk across the street to McDonald's. How embarrassing and ironic was it that the Police literally STOPPED traffic just so 41 American's can go to McDonald's. Like our reputation isn't bad enough. I have noticed several interesting things about McDonald's in Europe/ Africa:
1) They are much cleaner
2) They are a LOT nicer
3)They each have a different menu depending on the location
For Example, In London they have scones and mince pies and in Egypt they have lamb pita things
After that interesting meal, We went to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The main purpose for this was to look at the treasures, jewels, and burial things of King Tutankhamen. I assumed king tut would be there, however he resides at the Valley of the Kings. I am not all for looking at mummies anyway. Half the group wanted to go back to the other hotel and half wanted to shop at a store. I didn't really want to go back to the hotel because there is nothing to do, so I went to a shop. The shop was cool I didn't buy anything though. I had spent 3 days in Cairo and I just noticed at this point that there isn't a Starbucks to be seen. Take that Globalization!
Once we went back to the hotel we didn't even try to swim, but a few of us watched a very potter musical in mine, Jenn's, and Lauren's room until dinner. I however did not watch too much of it because I noticed my stomach begin to feel not so good. I don't know what it was, but I am going to blame the McDonald's.
I started to feel a little better. A few of us were hanging out by the pool when one of the other students came running up to us telling us that the lounge singer was going to let us hook up our Ipod and play music and Dance. So, there we were 20 or so American's dancing in the middle of the hotel to our music. We must have looked hilarious cause many people gathered to watch, however it was our last night and we didn't care.
Day 4
We woke up a little earlier because it was our last day. So we all packed and got ready to leave. In the midst of packing. I realized that my flip flops that someone borrow were missing! :( we searched but couldn't find them. I guess you could say that a little piece of me was left in Cairo.
We headed off to the citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque. This Mosque is MASSIVE! Once again we had to take off our shoes and girls who weren't properly dressed had to adorn a green robe. This is the mosque with the tomb of Mohammed Ali. The outside was more interesting than the inside. We got a perfect view of the city (well except for the smog).
After that we headed to the Khan El Khalili Souk. A souk is a marketplace, but a little different kind of like shopping in Mexico, but not in stores. It was recommended that we go in groups and have a guy with us. Having a guy with us was really good advice. The way the men were yelling at us you would think that they had never seen girls before. They called us Mrs. Obama, Shakira, and Ms. America... Could it be that those are the only Americans they know of? We have a great impression on them. Also, in the Muslim culture, men are allotted multiple wives, but they have to get the permission form the previous wives before they marry again. So to them it looked like the guy we were with was a very lucky man with 6 wives. Neil got so many complements its not even funny. The market guys didn't even acknowledge that we could hear them except when they called us sugar or say we melt their heart.
We headed to the Al Azhar Park for lunch before we left. The park is Gorgeous! we ate a nice dinner (chicken, pita, and hummus) and we were free to explore the park. We were stared at as we walked around and people took pictures of us. I really felt like I was some sort of animal in a cage.
Egypt was fun, but I was so ready to get back to LONDON!!!!
As we were landing I looked outside and all I could see was the Saharan desert... When we landed we got our things and separated into two buses. We have so many people that we all needed to be divided into 4 groups. Unfortunately, I didn't get the group with the people I normally hung out with, which I found odd. But, I get along with pretty much everyone so it wasn't to big of a problem. We drove for about 1 hour and a half to get to our hotel (It was only supposed to be a 30 minute ride). Let me just say that, if you thought L.A. driving was awful, come to Cairo. If you can drive there I am sure you can drive ANYWHERE! There are no lines, no rules, and no stop lights or stop signs for that matter. Everyone cuts in and out and make their own lanes. It is CRAZY! By the time we got there everyone was hungry and ready to sleep.
DAY 1
Our day began at 8:00AM, we ate breakfast. Throughout the week, we had pieces of information or advice that we should follow. One being to be careful of what you eat or drink. Like Mexico, we couldn't drink the water (unless it was bottled) or have ice in our drinks. Also, it isn't recommended to have fresh juices and other various foods because of the differences in water used and other reasons. My breakfast however consisted of bread, croissants, and potatoes... mmmm carbs! I also ate a yoghurt specifically because eating yoghurt from a different country right away introduces you to the bacteria and other things in a positive way. This helps you from getting sick from the food and water.
Next, we ventured up to ride our camels in between the pyramids. Our director told us it would be a short ride, but it was like 20 minutes long! We got to either ride by ourself or ride with someone else, but me being the independent I am rode alone. My camels name was Yankee doodle dandy a typical American name go figure. I was attached with two other girls from the house, but our camels didn't get along. Then about halfway through our guide got in a fight with someone and ended up throwing a rock and yelling. All I was thinking at this point was leave it to me to get the dysfunctional camel and angry guide who doesn't speak English. The ride itself was amazing though, we had the BEST view of the pyramids ever! The camels let us off at the Sphinx where we took pictures and then headed off to lunch.
We all wanted to go swimming so bad especially since the weather was so nice. However our plans were ruined because the pool guy had not turned on the heater. :( poor us... We are in Egypt at a five star hotel without a pool... life is hard... Just Kidding. Instead of the pool we all just kind of hung around until dinner. Me, Becca, and Tessa decided to play a prank on one of the boys rooms. First of all we didnt break in, one of the boys was stupid enough to give us a key in exchange for amnesty. But that amnesty got thrown out the window when we realized that we couldn't get into the other boys rooms because they locked their balconies which they never usually do. So we hid all their stuff and spread remaining things all over the room. It was a lame excuse for a prank, but we didnt want to get in trouble.
Day 2
We ate lunch at a chicken barbecue restaurant with a side dish of (you guessed it... Hummus). There was a playground there so once again we showed our age and played alongside some 5 year olds. After lunch we went to a papyrus shop. We learned how to make papyrus and got to buy a kartushe with our name written in hieroglyphics. I got one with my name and three Egyptian musicians.
We were all excited to go back to the hotel, because the pool man promised us he would turn on the heater for us. He lied. The pool was FREEZING when we got back. A few of us however (myself included) could not resist the temptation to go for a swim. Even though the water was like 50 degrees and we didn't have anything to play with. We threw around a water bottle like it was a football as we tried to ignore the fact that we were slowly getting hypothermia. Once we were done being foolish, we played cards until dinnertime.
A few people decided they thought it was fine to leave the hotel so they went to the market to pick up snacks. The first thing they said was not to leave the fortress. What had happened was a few of the girls foolishly went out wearing shorts. In a country where a majority of the women are all covered up, this is a bad idea. From then on, we decided it was best we not leave the hotel. We even continued after dinner by playing a game where you have to guess who you are based on what someone wrote on your card.
DAY 3
Day three was all about the mosques, synagogues, and churches. We woke up at our normal time and headed to old Cairo. First stop was the Hanging Church of Saint Mary. I soon found out that this church is not in fact "hanging". I was very saddened by this detail. It is called the hanging church because it has been suspended by a beam underneath. It was an interesting church and we learned how all churches had a sort of "theme" to them back then.
Then we went to the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Right next door to that was the church of saints Sergius and Bacchus. This church was the site where the Holy family hid in Egypt in order to escape King Herrod. That was the most interesting fact to me. I finally connected that I had been in the same place Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were so many years ago. It brings me chills just thinking about it. After that we went to a perfume shop and got a demonstration of how they make oils and perfumes. Then we had a police escort to our lunch location.
Much to my dismay and many others disapproval, we headed for a traditional American meal... McDonald's. Except for the time in Paris (in which I had something small). This was the first time I had McDonald's in 5 years! I was not to pleased with the food location to say the least. When we got there the police stopped traffic just so we all could get off our buses and walk across the street to McDonald's. How embarrassing and ironic was it that the Police literally STOPPED traffic just so 41 American's can go to McDonald's. Like our reputation isn't bad enough. I have noticed several interesting things about McDonald's in Europe/ Africa:
1) They are much cleaner
2) They are a LOT nicer
3)They each have a different menu depending on the location
For Example, In London they have scones and mince pies and in Egypt they have lamb pita things
After that interesting meal, We went to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The main purpose for this was to look at the treasures, jewels, and burial things of King Tutankhamen. I assumed king tut would be there, however he resides at the Valley of the Kings. I am not all for looking at mummies anyway. Half the group wanted to go back to the other hotel and half wanted to shop at a store. I didn't really want to go back to the hotel because there is nothing to do, so I went to a shop. The shop was cool I didn't buy anything though. I had spent 3 days in Cairo and I just noticed at this point that there isn't a Starbucks to be seen. Take that Globalization!
Once we went back to the hotel we didn't even try to swim, but a few of us watched a very potter musical in mine, Jenn's, and Lauren's room until dinner. I however did not watch too much of it because I noticed my stomach begin to feel not so good. I don't know what it was, but I am going to blame the McDonald's.
I started to feel a little better. A few of us were hanging out by the pool when one of the other students came running up to us telling us that the lounge singer was going to let us hook up our Ipod and play music and Dance. So, there we were 20 or so American's dancing in the middle of the hotel to our music. We must have looked hilarious cause many people gathered to watch, however it was our last night and we didn't care.
Day 4
We woke up a little earlier because it was our last day. So we all packed and got ready to leave. In the midst of packing. I realized that my flip flops that someone borrow were missing! :( we searched but couldn't find them. I guess you could say that a little piece of me was left in Cairo.
After that we headed to the Khan El Khalili Souk. A souk is a marketplace, but a little different kind of like shopping in Mexico, but not in stores. It was recommended that we go in groups and have a guy with us. Having a guy with us was really good advice. The way the men were yelling at us you would think that they had never seen girls before. They called us Mrs. Obama, Shakira, and Ms. America... Could it be that those are the only Americans they know of? We have a great impression on them. Also, in the Muslim culture, men are allotted multiple wives, but they have to get the permission form the previous wives before they marry again. So to them it looked like the guy we were with was a very lucky man with 6 wives. Neil got so many complements its not even funny. The market guys didn't even acknowledge that we could hear them except when they called us sugar or say we melt their heart.
We headed to the Al Azhar Park for lunch before we left. The park is Gorgeous! we ate a nice dinner (chicken, pita, and hummus) and we were free to explore the park. We were stared at as we walked around and people took pictures of us. I really felt like I was some sort of animal in a cage.
Egypt was fun, but I was so ready to get back to LONDON!!!!
1 week til I leave for Normandy, France! :)
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