Today our visit begins in earnest. Following our previous evening's inquiries about whether we would be able to go to Tahir Square, Mohamed announces that things are quiet in the Square and we will be able to stop and observe and listen to some of his stories of his experiences in the Square starting on January 25. Yes, Mohamed is a revolutionary! We are excited to have this experience and this first hand description. He told us of the initial excitement for several days and then of the fears and dangers when former president Mubarak released prisoners (thiefs and thugs) on the masses. He told us of a dear friend who collapsed of a heart attack and whom he accompanied to the hospital for successful treatment. He told us of the protective prayer circles that Muslims, Christians, and Jews provided for each other during the demonstrations. Over the next fourteen days we learned more and more as Mohamed shared stories and experiences.
Nearby the Square is the famous Egyptian Museum where we spent nearly three hours (though we could have spent three weeks!) exploring the relics of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms of Egypt dating back to 4000BC. Of greatest interest to me was seeing the shield of Narmar which is the symbol of the unification of southern and northern Egypt which created the historically powerful nation of Egypt's pharoahs extending from 3500BC into the first century AD of the Roman empire. In the royal mummy room we saw the mummies of Ramses II (considered by many to be the greatest pharoah of all), Tuthmosis II and III, Ahmenhotep, and others. We also saw the indescribable tomb contents of King Tut - gold covered wooden enclosure buildings that fit one into the next to provide protection for the King in the afterlife, plus gold and jewels, and the sarcophagus (casket) and more. Regretably the museum itself is in great need of repair and updating, especially in comparison with several newer museums we visited later in the program. Nevertheless, we found ourselves in awe to be in the presence of 5000 years of history. Emotional moments were frequent.
Photos: In one of the pictures of the Egyptian Museum there is a large building in the background that was burned during the revolution. It is the headquarters of Mubarak's party!
For several months we had been saying, "I can't believe we are going to Egypt." And now repeatedly we found ourselves saying, "I can't believe we are here." Of course many of our friends and family at home kept saying the same thing! And apparently that was the experience of many of our fellow travelers.
For several months we had been studying everything we could about Egypt, reading books, and listening to a 48-lecture series (30 minutes each) by Professor Bob Brier, an Egyptologist from Long Island University. Being in situ with so much of what we had learned was an extraordinary experience. Even at this early point in the trip we already began to feel like another trip was in order! Indeed, two members of our groups had traveled to Egypt 8 and 15 times (approximately ... forgiveness requested from Randy and Gerri for the possible incorrectness of these figures!).
Alas it was time to move on to the next incredible site in Cairo: El Citadel and the mosque of Mohammed Ali, the first modern era ruler of Egypt. The mosque was huge and historical but apparently more visited by tourists than by Muslims though some were present with us. The mosque is patterned after one of the glorious mosques in Turkey ... probably one that Jen and Thad saw on their honeymoon!
Outside the mosque we had our first real taste of vendors who were eager to sell us anything we wanted including magnets! Who would have guessed that everywhere we went in Egypt we could buy magnets! I never would have! So of course I bought one (just in case there were no more opportunities) along with coin pouches, stamps/coin packet, pen, and a terrific book about Egypt.
Next stop: Mamluk Jewelry Store where we enjoyed mint tea (reminding us of chai we were offered so often while shopping in India) and the gorgeous stones, inlaid boxes and tables, and gold. I found a gold cartouche to wear on my omega necklace and left the store a very happy camper! BTW a cartouche is the symbol of the pharoahs and is their name inside an oval. Only the pharoahs were allowed to have their names presented thus, so due respect when we meet again! :)
As we wait in the bus for others to finish their shopping, we watch women and children walking through the streets with propane tanks on their heads. Since the revolution, supplies of propane for heating and cooking have been scarce. Once a day supplies become available and men, women, and children show up to collect some and carry it back to their homes. As we waited we also saw a wide variety of transport vehicles including horse drawn carts. Notice also the trash in the background of this picture. It is very representative of every place we went except for the hotels and shops catering to tourists. At this same place we saw a young girl begging for food or dollars. One of our tour mates (Dan) shared a couple of oranges and some dollars (I think) and we watched the girl protect her stash from some young boys who might have tried to take it away except for our presence.
Finally lunch was calling and for that we traveled to the Khan el Khaliki Bazaar ... an astonishing place where we could easily have spent our entire trip budget courtesy of the vendors whose line I will never forget: "How can I take your money, sir?" Priceless! We had a lovely mezzo lunch in a Moroccan/Egyptian restaurant operated by the Oberoi group ... very nice but too little time to really enjoy ... though we had a lovely conversation with some of our tour mates since it was really the first stop of the day (except for the stunning breakfast buffet at the hotel!).
On the way back to the bus we did help the Egyptian economy a little more by purchasing beaded headdresses for our great granddaughters. Shhhhhhh. We haven't delivered them yet!
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