Final days in Cairo

Trip Start May 09, 2005

Trip End Aug 01, 2005

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Flag of Egypt Cairo, Egypt
Tuesday, July 19, 2005

On the 17th we just lounged around in the hotel garden and did a bit of shopping for some local hand made pieces. We were scheduled to take the 1:00 microbus back to Marsha Matrouh, which is the mid-point to Alexandria and Cairo. The van showed up at our hotel at 2 and we spent another hour driving around picking up people and goods. We made really good time and got there around 7:00. The only problem was that most of the microbuses in Matrouh were going to Alexandria and not Cairo. The reason this is a problem is that the van won't leave until it's full: 14 passengers and 1 driver. We debated if we should take the next van to Alexandria and then switch there to a Cairo one. But the driver assured us the Cairo one would fill soon enough. Uh, it didn't fill until 10:00pm!!!! I was a bit pissed off, but oh well. This is the price you pay for having to travel on a ghetto budget. Luckily, we had a speedracer driver who made good time to Cairo. We got in to the city around 3:30am

Cave shrine

.

One thing that was interesting on this drive is that I noticed that there were what I'll call "mosque markers" along the highway. In the US there are signs marking things like rest stops, gas, etc. But these were markers for the next mosque. Just another indication of the role of religion in the state.

Anyways, the first day back in Cairo was pretty laid back. I had to get to Alitalia to confirm my flight and we visited a friend of Anwar's who is in the lighting business and has traveled all over the world for his business and lived in Canada for a bit. I was trying my hardest to just soak in the city, knowing that it could be a long time before I may be in Cairo again. And also knowing that I was seeing parts of the city that most tourists never get to see...the REAL Cairo.

We returned back to Anwar's sister's house for dinner. To my surprise and slight disgust, a plate of three pigeons was put in front of me. I had a really hard time with this as I think it's a phychological issue to eat something that you saw alive and er, shared quality time with. I whispered to Anwar to save me as I didn't want to be rude. So he agreed to eat all three of the pigeons and only slipped me small bits so it appeared I was eating one on my own

Hanging church ivory pulpit

. It was very gamey tasting and I didn't enjoy it. I am just a white chicken breast meat kind of girl.

That evening we walked the streets in the neighborhood. A huge past-time of Egyptians is to window shop. It was like 1:00am and the streets were as busy as ever with shoppers and vendors selling everything imagineable.

My final day included more wandering of the streets. We actually went to Old Cairo or Coptic Cairo as it's known. It's the Christian part of the city that houses many old churches. There was high level security to get into the area as religious discrimination and problems between the Christian and Muslim populations has been known to occur. Inside the walls of the area reminded me a lot of the old city of Jerusalem with its narrow cobblestoned streets.

We went into a billion churches, mostly dedicated to St. George and St. Barabara. Much of the historical detailing in the churches reflects the continued persecution of the Coptic Christians first at the hands of the Romans and then the Arab conquestors. One church we went into had an area to pray where you put shackles around your neck...so that you may feel the pain that early Christians felt so that they could practice their faith.

Historically, this area was a small Nileside settlement as early as the 500s BC. In the 2nd century AD the Romans established a fortress here known as Babylon-in-Egypt. Yep, this is the Babylon that you hear about. The hi-lights were the church that covers a cave where the Holy Family is said to have stayed

Image of Mary

. They had fled to Egypt with the baby Jesus when King Herod of Judea had ordered the massacre of every first born. The Hanging Church was also really cool as it covered the water gate of Roman Babylon. After Coptic Cairo we took the metro to Midan Tahrir where I hit up the bookstore of the American University so I'd have reading material for my long flights back to the US.

Later that night, I unfortunately experienced my first act of discrimination. About a 15 minute walk from his sister's house is a public park with a small amusement park attached with about 5 kiddie rides. We went to enter and the man told Anwar that there were no tourists allowed and that the park was for Egyptians only. He of course was highly insulted because he is as Egyptian as they come. But the damage had been done. He further insulted both of us by continuing to say that only Egyptians were allowed into the park. Most likely he just wanted some bribe money to let me in, but it was hurtful. But at the same time I understood because we are out in a far part of the city known as Ain Shams...it's not exactly a place for tourists and it was apparent by the stares that people were not accustomed to ever seeing Westerners there. So I just pulled Anwar away and told him it wasn't worth the fight.

We hung out at the house for the rest of the evening. Being that my flight out of Cairo was at 4am, we just stayed up until it was time to go...