January 27th: A-traveling we will go

Today was just one of those days. It happens on every trip and there is no avoiding it. We gave over the day to the drive back from Siwa to Cairo. BA and LC did the morning climb up the mountain again and we had a short breakfast before packing and hitting the road at 10a.

It suffices to say that we didn’t hit our in-airport hotel (!! - accommodations due to a miscommunication with our guide...grrrr) until nearly 8p. We were making great time until we hit the city limits in the last hour. Cairo rush hour traffic is remarkably like L.A. traffic. Unreasonably and stupefyingly painful. Nearly as painful as finding ourselves booked into a crappy Novotel that apparently hasn’t heard that the 20^th century has long gone by – it’s bright white marble and brass lobby is followed up by shabby carpets and such – to be expected I suppose. Oddly they have wi-fi but it’s broken in the lobby and you need to buy a card with username and password to use it elsewhere but they have run out of cards? Don’t ask. And so much for my Macbook Air that has no Ethernet port. Argh.

We made the best of it. The boys repaired to their room for room service and CNN and we had a mildly pleasant make-do dinner of Chinese food in the restaurant downstairs. They have a Swiss restaurant and Chinese restaurant – both occupy the same room, it just depends what menu you ask for. Odd. But just the parallel universe of this kind of travel.

Oh and it’s also such a throwback to the days of smoking in restaurants. Everyone smokes everywhere here, and in the restaurant the non-smoking section is smack dab next to the smoking section. Go figure. I don’t miss those old days.

After a few days of a twinge-ing finger…I took a closer look and guess what? Found a stitch the doc missed when taking them out! Now I know why it’s been bugging me. Gonna yank it out tomorrow after snipping it with LC’s nail scissors. That should help that pulling, tugging thing I have been feeling.

G still has that annoying cough and as much as I hate to be me having to listen to it, I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for her. I hope she gets better because I am starting to worry! But that’s me, the worrier. She has tried everything from eating honey on lemon slices to downing teaspoons of Siwan olive oil and still, hack hack, hack. Oy.

Ok off to grab a few hours sleep before the next chapter. I won’t miss this hotel, that’s for sure.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011: Siwa Day 3

 

A morning to rest.

Before heading to bed, we agreed it was about time for a lazy morning to rest and read. Finally, I have settled down enough to want to read for pleasure. How nice.

We had breakfast overlooking the Great Salt Lake and then I retired to my chaise by the pool, kindle in hand. At some point, about the time my kindle battery was dying, I had the sudden thought to check email. Not sure if I was wondering about GML’s mom or the dog or just feeling generally out of touch, so I turned on the phone (secretly as they are banned outside of the rooms) and quickly learned from you all that the riots had begun in Cairo and other cities.

There began our attempt to try to avoid downtown Cairo, where our overnight stay tomorrow is scheduled. Gratefully the manager of our hotel communicated for us and we were able to switch to a hotel closer to the airport, which is fine since we have a 7a flight Friday morning anyway. (ugh, btw)

We had planned to hit the desert again but a small sandstorm, which had started in the early afternoon, took on some speed and was an all-out blindfest in the desert so we had to apologize to the kind desert fox, Abdellah, and remain in our relaxed mode. I can’t say any of us really minded!

We had a delicious dinner that started with a terrine of sorts of various roasted vegetables in a fantastic simple sauce, zucchini and eggplant and carrots, delish. Then they served a cinnamon couscous with roasted pumpkin, chick peas and I don’t know what else but it was fantastic. Along came a shish kabob of beef with sliced figs of all things. The meal ended with a date soufflé, crazy but original and a super sweet finish.

A few thoughts:

Contrary to the pollution, filth and lack of care of the environent in Cairo, people in Siwa farm their own food, recycle, and compost. 

The men have farms or homes of their own, but don't move in until their wedding nights.

Salt & olive oil are made in Siwa.

Most homes have running water, indoor plumbing and electricity, however the old city lacks most of this and once a year all the "septic" holes have to be dug out, yick!

The kids are happy here.

Donkey taxi's, bicycles, and motor cars share the roads. 

Olive wood makes an amazing fire and smells divine. 

White hibiscus dried from the garden is my new favorite tea.

Color pops here against the sandy landscape.

Here are a few photos I like. 

Desert meditation.

Walking to school.

Donkey taxi's.

Tea brewing in the desert at sunset.

Driving home from the day.

Walking from our room to dinner.

Sorry to be brief, but my battery is about dead and no electricity here to charge her up. I now have 15% laptop, zero kindle, zero Flip, 22% phone and ½ camera battery left of the 5 batteries that cover 3 cameras. Realizing now how much we rely on electricity and technology! 

 

Tuesday January 25, 2011: Siwa Day 2

A karst's reflection in the salt sea.

The Sahara is AMAZING!!

I knew before I left NY that I was excited for this part of the trip. We would be done with the hustle and bustle of Cairo and our energy would start to settle after being on vacation for 5 days and it would be the only time we were completely out of touch and in total technology deprivation, but I did not expect the beauty of the desert that I experienced today. It is awe-inspiring.

View at breakfast, peaceful way to start each day.

We started the day with a multi course breakfast, which seems to be the way here with all the meals. The foods of course were delicious; their version of jam is really stewed fruit even so the dates, figs and plums were fantastic.

Old City of Siwa.

Oracle's Temple

Then it was off to see the historic sites of the town, the old city, the Oracle’s temple and Cleopatra’s spring. The last one was essentially a swimming hole in the middle of a couple of tourist café’s, however the waters come from a natural hot spring. The Oracle’s temple and the history lessons were very cool! And the old city is a mixture of Egyptian and Grecian decaying architecture that some Italians are funding the restoration of. I loved them both.

Traditional Siwan wedding garb.

The butcher shop, love the hooks.

Lunch anyone?

After some shopping around the square it was back to the hotel for lunch and a little R&R before heading into the desert in a 4x4 with our newest friend Abdullah. 

Abdullah driving, he is a GREAT driver!

First, Abdullah has been to the US a few times, the last invited by the UN for his contribution to raising the income and quality of life for all of Siwa. Here unlike Cairo, the Siwan people all recycle, compost and teach about the environment.  He started many of these programs and was chosen to represent Egypt at the UN.

He is a character. An amazing man. Someone you can learn a thing or two from about how to live a fulfilling life. Not only does he start programs to better his town and peoples lives, but he is passionate about gardening and the desert. He drives people around in the desert like us, giving a memorable once in a lifetime experience. He did tell us that Prince Charles stayed here at the Adrere and wouldn’t go for a ride with him, what an idiot!!

He took us 4-wheeling up and down the dunes, which are nothing like the dunes of East Hampton. They are huge mountain like structures that change day to day with the wind. Some parts are soft sand that your feel sink into, others hard like cement. Some as tall as 6 story buildings, other parts flat.

See the misplaced sand on the left? We just drove down there!!!

We stopped at an area that used to be the ocean floor, now it is completely fossilized. We say fossilized oyster shells, clam shells, fish, an animal rib cage and GML took home a piece of fossilized coral. It was stunning. Everywhere I looked the sheer beauty of the desert shocked me.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Fossilized fishy.

One of the highlights was snowboarding, or I should say sandboarding down the dunes.

Gab on her belly.

Give that girl a push.

It was amazing. Think of a mountain as steep as you could possibly imagine going down and then tilt another 15 degrees. Steep as you can possibly imagine and flying down, we opted for lying on our bellies since standing was just freaky, although GML vows to try standing tomorrow. See Facebook for a video.

We also found a hot spring in the middle of the desert, well, Abdullah took us there and we all took a dip. It was so delightful, just hot enough although we all smelled like sulfur for the ride home after a gorgeous sunset accompanied by freshly brewed hot cups of sweetened white hibiscus tea from dried leaves grown in Abdulla’s garden. Divine!

Showers, dinner and after dinner tea and drinks in front of the fire. Now in bed with my warmed sheets and a little fire of olive wood embers in what looks like a gigantic mortar.

Sweet dreams.

January 24, 2011: Siwa Day 1

We arrived in Siwa today and are staying at the Adrere Amellal, which is an eco-lodge in the Western Sahara Desert. It has no electricity and while it is warm during the day, even now in their winter, nights are chilly to cold. OMG, we are in the Sahara desert! I keep hearing Sting in my head….teaaaa in the saharaaaaa with meeeeee….

The 8 hour drive from Cairo here was way less painful than anticipated until we arrived in the little town and no one could tell our driver where the place was. 

It was desert every which way you looked.

Unlike the average American male he stopped several times to ask directions. Once he asked a man with three young boys who tried to help but in the end the kids were happier getting candy from us through the van windows. We said to share and sure enough two little girls came out from behind a short wall to get theirs. SO cute to see them chomping. We finally finally made it through to the place by what felt like sheer luck. No signage, nothing to say that there is a freaking paradise around the corner.

As usual, everyone was annoyed because I could sleep.

I was able to read on the ride and meditate and of course sleep a little. At one point I looked out the window and there were a bunch of camels on the median. We have deer in the Hampton’s, here they have camel. Was so strange to see.

We've just come back from the second delicious meal, most of which is grown here on the property, this one candlelit up on the hillside. We started with cocktails in a cozy room with a fireplace and a small plate of hors d’oeuvres. They asked us what time we’d like dinner and at the appointed hour escorted us just next door to a table for four in a room with an open ceiling – stars galore to accompany our amazing meal: stuffed zucchini flowers in a melted tomato sauce for appetizer, chicken cooked in some amazing onion, tomato and raisin stew sauce with rice and the best damned arugula salad I think I’ve ever had. Dessert was a leftover pita bread pudding with cinnamon and a meringue topping. YUM.

After dinner, as we were hurrying to get the candles lit in our room and snuggle up close to stay warm (it’s about 45 out) I sat down and…the bed is warm! Gotta love that hot water bottle touch!!

To say it is beautiful here is an understatement. It is breathtaking. The karsts are made of sand and salt and look like they have been here since the beginning of time.

I went out to explore after a lunch of fresh hibiscus iced tea,  sautéed greens over spaghetti (I skipped the pasta) and tomatoes stuffed with peas and herbs. So fresh and tasty. I missed veggies in Cairo apparently. 

My guide up the mountain for a sunset hike.

Dusk near the summit.

I was escorted on a hike up the mountainside so I could take photos of the sunset. There are steps carved into the rock and it winds up and up to nearly the top.  I can hardly believe I made it all the way, in flip fops no less (not something I’d recommend, or do myself again for that matter).

The silence is golden here and so appreciated after all the ruckus in Cairo. There’s a stillness and peacefulness that just settles into your bones here. No buzzing of electric lights, no cell phones ringing, no cars honking and just nothing but the sound of an occasional sandal hitting the sand. Or a donkey squealing actually…but that’s another story.

And it’s only been a few hours. Can’t wait to see how we feel in a few days.

(oh, and yes, the PT on my lame finger continues – it still doesn’t really want to bend on it’s own)

(oh, and yes, Gabriella is still coughing)

...and the jews flew out of Egypt, to London no less. Oy vey!

Let's start with we are home in our bed safe and sound.

It's been a week and a half since we last posted, at first this was due to the fact that we went to Siwa in the Western Desert and were at an amazing eco-resort without electricity or connectivity, but then turned into what you all already know, no Internet and very limited phone access in all of Egypt.

View of our hotel in Siwa

A Dune in the Western Desert (doesn't do it justice)

We have posts for many of the individual days with the requisite photos as well, but first we will tell you all about the last 4 days. To say these were the scariest, most anxiety ridden days of our lives I think is accurate.

On Wednesday Jan 26th I think it was, I had a weird feeling that we ought to check in with the outside world. I turned on my cell phone in a hidden corner of the resort and downloaded my email, cell phones are banned here unless in your room and roaming of course is spotty and costs a small fortune. I quickly saw two emails of concern, one from JW and the other a facebook link to a NY Times article from TC. I quickly read and got concerned. We all gathered round my little screen, god bless smart phones, and read the NY Times coverage. We worried.

About an hour later the manager of the resort, the one one there that speaks fluent English returned from town and made some calls to Cairo for us to check on the situation. His father said things seemed to be calm that day and getting back to normal. We were due to leave the following day and spend one night in Cairo, only a few blocks from the square where we had walked just 2 days prior, before heading to Aswan to meet our cruise. We had Yousery call our tour operator and change our hotel to something outside of downtown, which turned out to be a dumpy airport hotel that we were in the moment very upset by. In hindsight, we are incredibly thankful to have been there and not anywhere else in the city.

At 5:30a we went to the airport to fly to Aswan not really knowing anything more than that original NY Times article. Once we arrived in Aswan we had other issues. Our guide and car didn't show up and our luggage, not our friends luggage, just mine and GML's didn't arrive. We were told it would show up at 1p. Very strange that 3 of 5 pieces all checked in together came. But...whatever.

We finally transferred to our cruise to find out a bit more about the unrest. While docked we got CNN and BBC news and saw for ourselves a little bit of what was happening. This was Friday Jan 28th. After discussing amongst ourselves, we felt we were safe on the boat and in Aswan. Nothing was happening in this part of the country at all. And after the cruise and a few days in Luxor we were going to Sharm, on the red sea, where nothing at all would likely happen. We agreed to continue as planned, although our flight to Abu Simbel was no longer an option.

We toured Aswan Friday after lunch, eventually our luggage did arrive, not without it's own journey and I'm sure stories if it could talk and then our friends wanted to go back to the boat for some R&R. GML and I wanted to explore the market and it was getting toward dusk, I wanted to make some photographs with the light, you know it is my time of day. So after dropping the guys at the boat the driver dropped us a couple of blocks from the train station.

GML care free in the spice shop buying pumice

I shot a little here and there and GML went into a spice shop. In the 4 minutes she was in there the protest was upon us. I turned around and heard before I saw the hundreds of people chanting, screaming and marching towards where we were standing. I freaked. Screamed "WE GOTTA GO!"
All I could think of was LM's FB post, saying get away from the action. Even if you want to see it and experience it, go the other way, THANKS LYS!!!!

Demonstration in Aswan

The local men, were great. They shielded us from the crowds, told us we were safe, and as soon as a little more than half the pack was in front of us, we high tailed it in the direction they came from, made our way to the Corniche Nile and walked as fast as we could back to the boat, of course stopping for some photos along the way.

We got back, readied for dinner, shared our story, met some other passengers and as is our way, didn't turn on the TV since we were on vacation. Saturday morning we docked in Komombo and left the boat to tour returning for lunch and a couple of hours sail to Edfu. Before we knew it we passed the dock in Edfu and were told due to demonstrations it was not safe to disembark and site see. A couple hours went by and we were headed to the Esna lock. The captain announced we would dock somewhere in between Edfu and Esna until the military could secure the lock for safe passage.

While docked, just before dinner Saturday late afternoon early evening, LC went on deck to have a cigarette. While he was gone I heard a ton of screaming of the staff. I kept asking why is everyone screaming? why is it so noisy? Having no idea what was happening. LC came down in a panic. The locals were screaming to get the boat away from the shore, he heard gunshots and then the staff was taking down all the lights and poles on the deck, the captain was barking orders and everyone was screaming. We watched from the balcony of our suite as the boat pulled away from shore in a hurry. 

Through dinner the boat turned in a circle. Not circled, or made a circle of any significant diameter, just turned on a dime in a circle in the middle of the Nile. All the relaxation and awe of being on a cruise on the Nile we had enjoyed just hours earlier while lounging and lingering on deck while sailing was now gone in an instant. Away from shore, no TV, Internet, phone or radio. Very scary and isolated with the guides talking only amongst themselves and the staff trying to stay calm. They all wore the fear and sadness of what was happening to their country on their faces.

These were regular people, frightened for their families safety, knowing that their country needed this change, ashamed at the violence their neighbors had started, worried how long it would be before things would change, disgusted that the police and military are corrupt and letting people out of jail to scare and steal in hopes that citizens would be scared enough to get out of the streets. The the media showing them in the streets with pipes and sticks, all they were doing was protecting their homes. The vigilanties were three to a motorcycle going through neighborhoods looting. The people with the pipes and wood were organized in every area to what we call neighborhood watches here.

Everyone we encountered from then on (taxi drivers, tour guides, boat staff, airport staff, airline crews) was exhausted from staying up to protect their homes and those of their neighbors, exhausted from worry and fear. They were also hopeful for a better future, but questioned if it would come and if so how long would it take and at what cost. Tourism is a HUGE part of the economy and many believe they will have no work now for months. I for one will not go back to that part of the world, for a very long time if ever. So I can only imagine how long it will be for it all to bounce back.

At this point, late Saturday afternoon, we decided we must leave as soon as the boat docked in Luxor. With no Internet, there was no way within the country to change plane tickets. For three hours I made calls through the US to eventually get us new tickets for Monday morning Luxor to Cairo and then change our Lufthansa tix to Monday to get out of the country. At some point my texting began to work and info from my mom and JR started coming in.

It was the constant barrage of texts from our dearly loved JR that finally had us understand how bad things were. She was adamant as it turned midnight and my birthday that we bypass Cairo. Get out any other way, get to Sharm and ferry to Jordan, get anywhere but not Cairo. Finally at the edge of a breakdown and ready to say PLEASE STOP, it sunk in. I called again to Amex Plat Travel and they booked three of us on the flight Luxor to London. Our fourth decided it wasn't financially feasible for him and felt calm about his decision to go back to Cairo and get out. So at 1:30am Sunday morning we were set. $4500 later new tickets, we now had to find some patience and trust and hope until Monday morning at 8:55a when we were supposed to depart.

At 2am we went thru the Esna Lock, very cool I must say. A 21 meter drop on the Nile.
At 10am Sunday we were allowed to leave the boat and see Karnak & Luxor temples before going back to being sequestered. The West Bank was now not deemed safe, so no Valley of the Kings or Queens for us.

Monday at 5:15am off we went to the airport. We arrived by 5:45a after 6 security checkpoints on the way to the airport. We walked right through the first security check in the airport and got on line with about 100 Brits to secure a boarding pass. At this point the flight was already showing 2 hours and 15 minutes delayed. But we were assured it would still take off at some point. Apparently the plane was in Cairo, but the crew could not get to the airport.  Meanwhile all domestic flights out of Luxor were canceled.

We made ourselves comfy by a coffee bar on some sofas with a nice Taiwanese couple in the same boat as us not wanting to pass through Cairo. I went to see where the gate and customs were and what was happening domestically, and by the time I returned the entrance security check point was packed with hundreds of people trying to get into the airport. I turned to GML & LC and said lets go up to the gate. Too many people means too much stress and potential for problems.

We went up to the gate and sat there in a much calmer environment. We met a director of the ACLU who knows one of our client and her sister. The five of us managed to keep each other calm and any one started to panic. We even had a laugh or two. The stress increased at 10:45a when the monitors showing our flight at the gate went black. No longer delayed, just black. I walked to look at the big board with all the days flights and ours had disappeared. I panicked. I tried to go down back thru customs to find out what was happening but they wanted to take my passport. I didn't think this was a good idea.

I called Amex again to see if they could get us on the flight to Rome, Paris or Zurich no luck. We were stuck. We all went out and got extra water and food, not knowing how long it would last or how long we would be there.

At about noon time, 6 hours into the airport portion of the ordeal, a small group went down thru customs and out, 1 person stayed with the man who took the passports while the others went out to try for information. It was confirmed that the plane would still go as soon as their was a crew, but the curfew in Cairo was now drawing near again. The tension was rising.

24 Americans from Abercrombie and Kent were up in arms screaming at their tour operator to charter a plane and get them out and find out what was going on. 29 Americans from another tour were gathered passing the phone to one another connected to the state department trying to register us all and get an evacuation plane to Luxor. We called and got through to the state department at 2p as well and began registering as many Americans as we could as well, hoping at some point we would hit a critical mass an a plane would come for us.

Not long after this, maybe 2:15p, an announcement was made that the London flight would depart at 4:30p. It sounded like a touchdown at the Superbowl in our little glass room holding all the passengers with boarding cards for the flight. People screamed and cheered, tears streamed down our faces. A little more hope that we would soon be out of this troubled country.

An hour or two later when 2 Egyptians that did not speak English took hold of two passengers in wheel chairs and pushed them to the front of the room near the door, movement erupted. Everyone seemingly silently got their belongings and piled into some semblance of lines.

Within 20 minutes the plane was boarded in a very orderly fashion.
We were set with not one empty seat. And then, just before they closed the doors, it happened. A curtain went up, chaos ensued as all the staff circled the first row bulk head seat just four rows in front of us. Someone with a stethoscope emerged from the circle three minutes later shaking her head, a passenger died. It was surreal.

He hadn't had a ticket for the flight. 60+ years old British man on 6 week holiday from England had just finished the first week and want out. He was seen flashing his gold card downstairs at the check in trying to buy a ticket, but since the Internet was down, they didn't know if they had one. He was visibly upset and agitated. At some point he appeared at the gate upstairs, he go the last seat. After ten hours of waiting, he boarded the plane with the rest of us. He got a prime seat, right next to the door and then he had a massive heart attack before the doors even closed. Surreal!
Someone said they thought he was diabetic so it could have been that, but regardless, it was the saddest even we witnessed.

In our secret minds, we were grateful for the speed at which they removed the body from the plane, grateful we had not taken off yet and been forced to come back or land elsewhere, grateful for the closing of the doors and the lift off more than anything else.

The tension began to dissolve about hour 3 of the flight. We had the names of two wonderful hotels and a 2 drivers in London for when we landed. I didn't quite believe we would be out of Egypt until we began the descent into Heathrow.

When I walked off the plane there was a woman there with my name and a piece of paper for a free hotel that had been booked, a confirmation and three tickets for the first flight to NYC the following morning, meal vouchers for dinner and breakfast and transportation to and from the hotel. I was thrilled to be where someone spoke English and had taken care to understand where we were coming from and what we had been through.

I was never so happy to be on the ground in my life.
With virtually no sleep we arrived back at Heathrow just before 6am. After a bit of confusion, we had boarding passes on what turned out to be the only flight that would come to NY the entire day. The weather had already canceled all the other flights.

At 11:55am on Feb 1, 2011 we landed in JFK International Airport, crying, clapping and cheering to be back on American soil. The rest of the passengers look at us as if we were nuts. But it didn't matter, we were finally home.

I haven't been able to sleep really yet, just now I can allow myself to feel, my stomach is in knots and the reality of the situation we were in has hit. GML is exhausted, still sick and has the first sign of tummy trouble. Hopefully with a few days sequestered at home we will both emerge feeling as back to normal as one can after the trip of a lifetime.


Tune in later for post about Siwa, Aswan, Komombo, Karnak and Luxor.


And, thank you all for your love, support, worry, concern and faith. It all helped us get home safely.
xxo

I not talking to you, I talking to him!

...said the little girl hawking postcards at the Sphinx to me as she patted BA's belly. Nuff said about that!

Let me start with Cairo is a street photographer's dream. All I want to do, even though I am not a street photographer, is stand still and shoot. There are tons of people, talking, smoking, moving from place to place all at dizzying speed and full of expression and emotion. It's incredibly inspiring.

It was a crazy day today. A lot of hurry up and getting nowhere, at least that is what it felt like. We walked over to the Egyptian Museum late morning and joined the throngs puttering about the artifacts. BA opted for a self tour experience while the rest of us hired a guide for an hour or so. We learned a bunch and saw some extraordinary pieces of history. It is unbelievable how much is there and the guidebooks are correct when they describe how poorly labeled things are and how remarkable pieces are simply lumped together in a cabinet with no description whatsoever. That said...amazing statues of pharoahs and scribes, hieroglyphics I so wish I could read and decipher the content of! That isn't even to mention the King Tut exhibit.

It was a lot to see and at some point it all began to look the same. In Thailand they talk about getting "temple-ed out" and here it is possible to get "tomb-ed out" after a while. We decided to hit the Khan el Khalili bazaar and grab lunch there. HAH! 

The bazaar was a sprawling behemoth and we just could barely take it.

Couldn't find the recommended restaurant and we all started to get cranky. I have always been able to orient myself in a city but I could not get a grasp of where we were exactly. So finally we opted for late lunch in Zamalek and jumped in a cab back to 26th of July street for a civilized meal.

We like this area of Cairo best. It is soho like and much more gentrified than the rest of the city. Tomorrow on to Siwa!

extremes of one kind or another

People queue at the bakery throughout the day for fresh bread.

A few quick observations
at the end of day two.
1. You almost never see women walking alone.
2. Have not yet seen a woman driving.
3. Have not seen a woman pregnant, many children, so we know they are pregnant at some point.
4. See lots of boys walking and playing in the street, never the girls.

Today being just our second day we wanted to take things a little easy. Landing on Thursday then hitting the Pyramid route Friday a rest was in order. LC said he would wake us up at 8a so we could get up an going. At 9a I awoke thinking I had missed his knocking, but no, he had simply slept in himself. Go figure - seems the earplugs I gave him drowned out the 5a call to prayer (and, ahem, BA's snoring! - doh!)

We had a small and tad lame breakfast at hotel and hit the road. The Islamic road today. I wanted to see the Gayer-Anderson house down in Islamic Cairo area. We got there and discovered you have to check your bags with a not so trustworthy looking guy standing next to a sign that says do not leave prized valuables in bag left with attendant. Needless to say we sent the boys in while we held all bags and would go in after them. About 15 minutes later a small group walked right in with a big fat camera bag and a purse in tow. We went and said if they could go we wanted to go with our bags too. A small verbal scuffle ensued wherein no one really understood what the other was saying until JS said, ok then give us our money back. The woman at the door was stubborn but when she told some guy sitting nearby drinking tea that we wanted to get reimbursed he said it was fine that we go right in with all our bags. Mind you at this point I was carrying three bags! My own and LC's too.

ANYWAY, the place was amazing. A British general lived there, put two houses together, restored them and filled them with antiquities from the area and neighboring countries. When he died he left it to the Egyptian people and it became this museum. The woodwork was exquisite and the decor, while a bit ornate for my taste, was striking in its craftsmanship. They just don't seem to make artisans like they used to. Views from the rooftop sitting area were splendid - you could see the spires and domes of the Citadel and few neighboring mosques.

A particularly interesting feature of the house was a hidden tiny room behind a built-in corner curio cabinet. When the cabinet was pulled forward, as if out of the wall cavity, it exposed a hidden balcony where the women could watch the men socializing in the large room below without being seen. There were several other areas designated as such along the perimeter of that room as well as the roof. Ladies, we are sure lucky to be as free as we are! Made me grateful.

Then we went right next door to the Ibn Tulun Mosque which is one of the oldest ones around still fully operational. The structure is architecturally interesting and has several pointed arches, which apparently were used here before anywhere else in the world until Europeans did so some 200 years later. Some of us climbed a spiral staircase to the top of a minaret to find indescribable views of the city there. (it is amazing how many satellite dishes and wire antennas there are adorning the roofs here!)

We had enough of that and headed to Zamalek, another taxi adventure. Alarmingly few if any taxi drivers speak English, and they certainly can't read it. And forget about a map! Several times today we thought we were being taken for more than a ride, but somehow ended up exactly where we belonged.

Zamalek is not so much prettier being across the Nile - but it is cleaner, much less dusty and smoggy, and far more gentrified. Some nice boutiques and shops and a gourmet food shop selling luxe food items like a small bag of spelt granola for nearly $20 (healthy, organic is not an option here). They alos had a lovely refirgerator filled with gourmet Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, cookies and pizza dough. That was  good laugh!

We had drinks after our shopping at a place along the Nile called Sequoia. Very trendy with a South Beach vibe - lots of dark wood and white everywhere. Lots of sheesha being smoked by the elite Egyptian's kids and expats.

After a few wild goose chases it was another adventure trying to get back to the hotel. It is really easy to get turned around here, but GML is the best navigator and we all vowed to stop doubting her after getting home tonight!

Tomorrow the Egyptian Museum and Khan El-Kalilli market. Wish us luck!
xoxx