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comments: 0I should really apply myself to this blog a little more such that every other post doesn't have to start off with an apology. Egypt is somewhat a distant memory, not because it wasn't fantastic, but because I am eagerly anticipating the future. I guess I can't really go into it in much detail now, but there are another few trips coming up (Japan and So. America), and some people coming from far away places (2 in the next 6 months), and projects might finally end at work.
I really want to write something that gets across the feelings that you get when you travel through Egypt. I don't know that I can do it justice in the 20 minutes I have to spend lying here before I doze off, so I'm reluctant to even start, but if this post was about anything else I suppose it would be a total ripoff.
Cairo is dirty, noisy, and quite possibly the least likeable city I've ever been to. Quite the stark contrast from Amsterdam, which was clean, quiet, laid back, and friendly, Cairo had horns blazing everywhere, traffic that makes Manhattan look orderly, cracked streets and sidewalks littered with filth, and a thick layer of pollution. The Arabic alphabet, alien to westerners, stared you down wherever you went. Even though you were in the most famous fertile valley in the world, in a desert where the temperatures are always comfortable, neat gardens and parks are essentially non existent. The river runs brown with polution and is lined with garbage.
Somehow, despite this, the city kind of grows on you. The Juice stands are amazing, and the Coptic section is actually quite pleasant (it's what I wish the rest of Cairo was like). The 3 large mosques near and in the Citadel are quite breathtaking (they would be moreso were it not for the smog, as Giza would be even more visible in all of its glory). Even though it's at times undesirable, the city is teeming with life; with real life, real people who are out making a living. The place is swarming with beggars and swindlers, but also with people who are willing to offer genuine help (and you most definitely need it), at times not even expecting a bakshish (tip).
Although no Egyptian would tell you this, and in fact most would probably look down upon me for this, Egypt's real charm is in its more touristy spots. Although it was a bit more refined than Cairo (which felt like a circus most of the time), Alexandria was still not as clean as NYC's notoriously seedy Chinatown, and the buildings and architecture throughout the country showed unabashedly their origin under the European powers a hundred years ago. As such, most of them are falling apart, or show the signs of decades of shoddy do it yourself repair.
Luxor and Aswan though, are beautiful. They have the same kind of feel as Cairo and Alexandria, but with vegetation, a clean Nile, and small town charm. And it's small town charm in a good way, like Hoboken's; lively, but not obnoxious.
There is a saying in Arabic that translates roughly to:
Man fears time. Time fears the Pyramids.
I don't know that I could relate to you the awe and majesty of the pyramids in any way that is more succinct or accurate. It is actually not even possible to gauge their size in person, because when you are up close you cannot see the top, and when you are at a distance the top is too small to fully comprehend. So instead, you stand there slackjawed (refusing the every-20-second offers of 'free' gifts or camel rides), just trying to stare at them for as long as possible before you know you have to leave. Like everywhere else in Egypt, there was trash and litter everywhere, and beggars and swindlers swarmed the plateau like no other place. Even if you ran out into the middle of the desert, they would come in tow, telling you that you should head farther in the direction you are already headed and then demanding bakshish. And no matter how much they pestered you, or how much they have littered all over these monuments, they simply can't win. The Pyramids are too grand, too powerful; they absorb everything and leave you awestruck, ignoring the petty nonsense that surrounds them.
The other fantastic, not-to-miss site in Egypt is Abu Simbel, a temple to Ramses II which sports 4 100 meter tall statues of Ramses II carved out of a mountain. The inside is preserved almost flawlessly, and although it is a 5 hour trip at 3 AM to get there and quite near the southern border of Egypt, it would be a disservice to yourself to visit the country and not see it. It doesn't have the same power as the Pyramids do, but it's easier to understand how impressive it is. You can stare at the temple, go inside, and appreciate what a massive undertaking it was to create it 3000 years ago. The Pyramids just leave you bewildered that such things could even exist.