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Friday, July 04, 2008

THE LAND OF THOUSAND MINARETS - EGYPT (15 - 28 June)

Day 1: 15 June (Sun)

Touched down @ 7.30am Cairo time.

Culture shock: the passengers on board clapped their hands to show how thankful they were when the pilot landed the plane safely. I joined them!

Saw our Egyptian tour guide, Ahmad, even before the immigration counter, ready with our visa for entry. That's fast! Introduced to Jaafar (Indonesian tour guide) and Majdee (Egyptian driver).

Part of their hospitality, they gave my bro and I roses. Already fascinated with Cairo's interesting mix of modern looking buildings and sand-dust buildings and minarets. What a view when we were on their 'highway' bridge overlooking 2 extreme (the old and new cairo; and the Islamic and Coptic Christian area) I felt like I'm in a diff era.

Early check-in @ Cairo Khan, located at Downtown Cairo (like Bugis in Spore or Bt Bintang in KL) Breakfast at hotel: toasted bread, 'ful' with wheat homemade bread, huge tomatoes and cucumber and warm milk with 'terigu'.

After a 3hr rest, we made our way to the reason why we are in Egypt - pyramids and sphinx! Thankfully, there was a strong breeze..a bonus under the hot scorching sun. Lots of photo taking but we gave camels a pass. I heard how uncomfy it can be!

Lunch was great - salad, very sweet desserts, pasta with tomato sauce, chicken, lamb... salivating now just thinking of it.

Visited a papyrus factory - where they make papers from a plant called papyrus. Bought a papyrus paper with Ayat Kursi on it.

Had dinner @ the hotel, which got me craving for the lentil soup every single night.

Risk our lives by crossing the road. An achievement when you get to the other side ALIVE! There are traffic lights but it keeps blinking amber. So it's just a non-functional fixture. Traffic Police to ensure some sanity. Drivers keep horning to warn the pedestrians and to tell other drivers to make way! Peugeot, more than 20yrs old, are still on the road. Even the taxis! They have this meter (for show only) which looks like the parking meters at the road side. It was a sight indeed.

Day 2: 16 June (Mon)

Mummies-viewing day! Egyptian Antiquities Museum wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Read reviews that it wasn't properly labelled, etc. It certainly is helpful to have a hilarious tour guide.

Too bad we are not allowed to take photos/video in the Museum. I can't hide from the many Tourist Police and museum staff.

What fascinated me was the mummified Ramses II whom was said to be THE 'Firaun' or Pharaoh during Nabi Musa a.s. As mentioned in the Quran, that God would preserve to show others (cant remember which Surah)....Ramses II was definitely the most intact. The hair, the nose, the teeth, fingers, nails (like he had done manicure and pedicure).

Hillary Clinton of Eygpt 'Queen Hetshepsut', mummified from crocodiles, cows, cats to baboons, jewellery, gold coffins...

After lunch, we went to Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Met a very nice salesperson and we knew that we would definitely come again during our free days (if we can find the place). My bro bought a medium-sized shisha for 40 Egyptian pounds (S$10 only!)

Went to Hussein Mosque where we visited the Mausoleum of Hussein r.a. Lots of people! And when you donate to the mosque, if they feel it's not enough, they will demand more. Be firm but hey, IKHLAS!

View photos from the 1st 2 days here!

naniz @ 3:33:00 PM                                                         

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