Egypt!

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Egypt!
July 30, 2009

I can’t believe I’m in Egypt and have officially hit my third continent of the summer. When I looked at the itinerary for the voyage and saw that we would be going to Egypt, I knew that I had to go.

Today our ship pulled into the Port of Alexandria. I had signed up for a trip to Cairo and Luxor so when I got off the ship I hopped onto bus # 7 to head to Cairo. We had a tour guide named Abir who has a PHD in Egyptology. Abir introduced us to our driver and security guard, both with a very popular Egyptian name, Mohamed. The ride to Cairo was about three hours long and I slept the whole way. When I woke up we were at Memphis, the first capital of Egypt. There was sphinx and a bunch of other ancient statues. It was a nice little first taste of all the amazing things we are going to see over the next four days.

Next we went to the Mit Rahina Museum and the Step Pyramid. The museum was really cool. It was an ancient tomb covered in carvings and paintings. Abir walked us through all of the carvings and the stories that they told. They were all scenes from the life of King Zoser - some of him with his wife, big feasts with the slaughtering of animals, fishing, his son, and offerings to his grave.

After Memphis we went to our hotel to check-in. We’re staying at the Marriott in Cairo. There was a gate with guards and guard dogs and the guards had huge guns…a little different than your typical Marriott check-in in the States. I was able to get a room with my friend Mercedes. We were in room 367…the very last room at the end of a very long hallway that felt like half a mile long. Our room was so nice though and had the most comfortable beds ever.

After a little nap we headed of to the Khan El Khalil Bazaar. Driving through the streets of Cairo was unlike any drive I’ve ever been on. There are basically no traffic laws. Everyone drives as if they’re in a huge rush and has their hands permanently attached to the horn. There are no crosswalks so there are just people everywhere, standing in the middle of the road, in between lanes, trying to cross. You’re risking your life every time you choose to cross the street. Once we got to the bazaar it was like stepping into a different world. The bazaar dates back to the 14th century and is jam-packed with massive amounts of people, trash, and shopkeepers beckoning for you to buy something. They say things like, “Hello! Ms. Obama! How can I rip you off today?” It was borderline exhausting just to walk through the bazaar because we we’re constantly dodging carts, ignoring shopkeepers, avoiding mud and puddles, and trying not to breathe in the massive amounts of pollution and sometimes awful stenches. Despite it all, it was a great adventure and different from any other shopping experience I’ve ever had.

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