Update from Joe:
Just a quick update on my end. Jessie and the boys are still visiting Jessie’s dad in Oregon, so I have been in Cairo for 2 weeks on my own. I am definitely missing the family, but have had a lot of time to do chores, read books and see some sights.
Last weekend I did some mountain biking in the Wadi (a canyon in the desert). It was pretty cool and I went back again this weekend. Saw some lizards, some trash and some scraggly bushes. But the cliffs and rocks are very cool to look at.
I went to the Cairo Museum in downtown and that is amazing! It is overwhelming actually. No air conditioning, about 95F inside, and it a fellow Xpat described it as “a garage sale of mummies.” He was right. Most things have no labels on them and there are scores and scores of mummies stacked up like cord wood. Priceless objects are just sitting in display cases you might get at Target or Ikea. But with the intense heat there are few tourists and I went straight for the King Tut stuff and just stared at it. Especially his funeral mask. Absolutely amazing.
A couple days ago I took the subway downtown again (it is very clean, quiet and runs every 5 mins). I went to Coptic Cairo where all the Christians live. This is the place the Josef, Mary and the baby Jesus hid out for a few years when the Romans were hunting them down. I also saw the oldest Jewish Synagogue in Egypt. Nearby is where they found the baby Moses floating in the basket. Man – I tell you, there is so much history hear it makes your head spin.
I then spent two hours in the oldest mosque in Cairo with my guide who invited me in so he could pray. He explained everything to me, how to wash, how to pray, what they say and all about Islam. Very interesting. Also he did mention that a lot of women were going to Hell – so just keep that in mind. Especially for wearing revealing clothes. Just saying, watch out for that.
Anyhow, I am off to Iftar tonight (a special Ramadan meal that they eat after sunset. They fast all day- no food or water from 3:30am to 6:30pm, then eat at night). I hope it is a giardia-free meal. Wish me luck.
3 comments:
Thanks for the update Joe. It has been pretty quiet on the blog with all the traveling. We went to some mosques in Turkey, so could relate. Too bad about the going to hell part.
The museum reminds me of parts of the Hermitage. Priceless artworks next to leaky windows and the extremes of weather in St Petersburg.
Glad you are scoping the city out so you will know how to organize our tour there, haha.
love, Barbara
Sounds soooo neat! Glad you are getting out to see the interesting stuff!!
Good commentary, Joe! Jessie has brought you back two little cowboys, complete with boots- they worked well in our desert, now it's time to test them in the wadi.
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