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Published: October 16th 2008
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Our hotel in the Garden District of Cairo is the Shepheard - very centrally located and on the Nile.
On our first venture out we discover just how close we are to the Egyptian Museum and the bus depot (about 15 minutes walking) where we will meet some of our tour friends for one last afternoon together at the Museum.
Crossing roads in Cairo is something akin to Russian roulette and not for the faint hearted. Holly and I soon learn the "rhythm" of movement required but still happily accept the help of the tourist police when crossing some of the main roads (these would be 6 or 7 lanes if we were anywhere but Egypt!).
On Friday (10th Oct) feeling emboldened by our trip out the day before, we head out on foot again for Old Cairo and hopefully the 700 year old Khan al-Khalili market.
En route we discover a local supermarket, internet cafe and laundromat where we can make our various purchases for 1/3 to a 1/5 of the price at the hotel.
We are in downtown Cairo by now and the souvenir shops are appearing less and less. Not a bad thing
really because there is always a shop owner's relative waiting to give you directions to wherever you want to go - via their own interests of course!
Holly may argue this next point with me but there is so much for all of my senses to absorb (excepting my sense of time passing) that our walk lasted for hours. We ended up in Islamic Cairo and were noisily and willingly swallowed by a world completely alien to our own.
The call to prayer can be heard above us - the p.a. system heralding from the local mosque sounding eerily and contradictively old worldly.
Holly nearly gags as we walk past cheese stalls and meat markets. Even the spices do not entice her.
I completely lost my sense of direction (not that I ever had one) after a few twists and turns up some alleys and by then it ocurred to me we were the only non-muslims within "cooee".
Our passage through the market, it' people and the traffic is relatively unhindered though and despite plenty of stares we emerge unscathed into a slightly less cluttered part of Cairo.
Always one to learn by my
Tourist Police...
I didn't want to take this photo front on. mistakes - the next day we hailed a cab ..."to Khan al-Khalili please!" I had a great afternoon haggling with the locals and really soaking up this amazing place of colour and character.
Alexandria and Egypt's gateway to the Mediterranean was our next stop and we spent a VERY long day travelling and visiting some of the more significant Greco-Roman sights. Pompey's Pillar and the Catacombs amongst others. Unfortunately we only got to drive past Alexandria's international library which holds every book ever published. Amazing.
Our last night in Cairo - almost caught up now, Monday 13th Oct - saw us visit the pyramids again for a sound and light show that has been playing 3 shows a night for 50 years! Not suprising really - Egyptians have been playing host to tourists for millenium. Will the wonders of Egypt ever cease?
It's Wednesday 15th Oct as I write this and we have just had our first full day in Sharm El Sheikh.
"Sharm" means extended land surrounded by water (a local's definition) and "Sheikh" of course are the leaders of the 8 local Bedouin tribes. The Bedouin are the original inhabitants of the Sinai.
We are flanked by the Red Sea on one side and the amazing Sinai mountains on the other. But enough said for now... I hope to regale you with a few more stories and descriptions before our last week is spent.
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Grandy~Mum
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Give me a ticket....
I wanna go there too....boohoo. It all looks and sounds fabulous Jo and Holly. I can't wait till you get to show off your photos and spin your tales of wonder and discovery. So looking forward to it. Love you both lots.