Last Days in Egypt

Our last few days in Egypt were a bit slower. We were all getting worn out, just being in such a new place, and Dougle was sick for the last 3 days. He still pushed himself and got out and did things, but we just couldn't do as much! But, that is okay. We really are just a laid back family; though for some a good vacation includes waking up early, having the days mapped out for maximum accomplishment, and GO! GO! GO!- this is not the way we typically do things. We prefer to miss out on a few things so we can rest and enjoy what we can do. This proved especially true since one or all of us was sick the majority of the trip!

Well, on Thursday we ventured out to the Bazaar. It wasn't as big in touristy things as I would have expected, but it was cool none-the-less. We enjoyed walking through some non-touristy parts (where they sold normal household items, clothes, shoes, etc.), but we were mostly interested in the touristy stuff! We read in the Lonely Planet Guide Book that haggling for prices was a must; in fact, some venders might even be offended if you didn't haggle. Well, that brought back memories for me of living in Mexico! It is amazing how a price can drop quite a bit if you have to think too long about purchasing something. And then if you walk away, it goes down even further, or to whatever you were willing to pay! Though I have at times felt guilty about haggling, I was reminded by someone (I don't remember who), that the venders will never stoop so low as to loose money on a purchase with you. So, that always helped me, knowing that I wasn't causing them financial pain in any way, but was probably giving them way more than in was worth anyway! We found many cool items and left the bazaar with some fun and cute things (as well as some very happy venders I am sure!!). (I also realized that Dougle and I's opinion of good haggling vary a bit!)

One thing we bought for Canaan was a stuffed camel. I thought it a bit ironic to buy him a stuffed camel, since his encounter with a real camel was not a pleasant one. However, he loves stuffed animals, and they were cute. He called it a cow at first, but once we set him straight, he has been very consistent in calling it a "mamel." It even plays a loud song, which he loves!

On Friday, we stayed in the hostel (close to the toilet) all day until the evening. I had really wanted to see the Nile (more than just a quick drive over a bridge we'd seen on our way to the pyramids). So, we found a TGI Friday's on the bank. I was excited for many reasons. First, because I had been craving mozzarella sticks for weeks (this pregnancy has left me with many various cravings that come and go)! Second, we hadn't had good Tex-Mex since March when we were in the States. Thirdly, you may think we are boring eating at an American restaurant where there is cool Egyptian food around, but our tummies were not very happy with all the 'cool' food we had eaten and they wanted something more familiar. Lastly, how many times do you get to sit on the bank of the Nile and eat dinner??!! I was super excited and we had a really nice time. We sat outside on the patio. It was warm, but we would get a breeze from off the river. Though our view down the river was partially obstructed by a bridge, it was still neat. One thing about being in Egypt is thinking about all the history there! Can you imagine, over 5000 years of recorded history and artifacts that are so old?! It was amazing just thinking about all the changes and all the things that had gone on in that part of the world, especially those related to the Bible... Joseph, Moses, Abraham...all the way to Jesus living there as a boy! We were really blessed to have had the opportunity to be there!
Anyway, after our meal, we walked over the bridge, but it was really dark by then, so you can't see much in the pictures. We headed back to our hostel and then went out on the streets. It was amazing: 9:30pm and 10:30pm and the streets were SOOOO CROWDED! This is when families and people of all ages were out shopping, eating ice cream, having family time, etc. It is definitely a night culture (especially when you consider that at 8 and 9am, the town is almost void of people and traffic)! It was fun to be out with everyone else on the streets!

Our trip home was good. I must say that I wasn't impressed with the Cairo airport. It seemed that things were not run very efficiently, but I am sure part of my view was obscured by the fact that we were all so tired and ready to be back home!

Overall, we had a great trip! Though we were sick for a bit of it, we enjoyed everything we were able to do. It was also humbling and a good reminder of how other people feel when they come to visit Moscow (or Ukraine- or wherever we may be living in the distant future): though we are used to it, it is hard on those who aren't so used to it! Life was just COMPLETELY DIFFERENT there in Egypt from what we are used to (mainly Mexico and Russia). We couldn't read anything...AT ALL! Even the numbers were written different! The driving was a new kind of crazy we hadn't seen! The food was very interesting, with delicious and not-so-delicious experiences. Just everything was different. So, if you come visit us, I will try to think back to Egypt, remember how hard it is being somewhere that is completely different from what you are used to, and will treat you kindly and feed you good food!! Even though we haven't been here years, just the few months we have had in Russia make us feel comfortable with so much; and really, that is a good thing. Because we kept saying that we were ready to go back home...and we meant MOSCOW! And being back home, where everything feels 'normal,' is a great feeling!