I truly enjoyed the time I spent roaming around with my flatmates – there is so much to enjoy when you're with a group of people. But ultimately – I really didn't know them so there was a comfort level missing. It's not like traveling with you sister. Still – there is something completely magical that happens when you're on your own. And I feel on some level I must take it for granite – and I haven't explained it well nor properly given credit where it's due. But this time...this time I have a fantastic camera that I actually know how to use and I was in one place long enough to be able to document it.
This day was my last day in Cairo. My only day where I was not obligated to open up a book, re-write script, memorize dialogue – it was mine all mine. I tried to photograph everything that I could - at least felt comfortable (some people must be tired of being photographed!). In some instances it wasn't appropriate or it would have opened a can of vipers. But – this is what a day of holiday is like for me. Rather than 2 full weeks it was just one day so it was very clear how my life plays out and how life opens up for me to interact with. These moments that I collect are what I work for. They make the entire year so worth while.
Even though there was only one out of the entire 28 days – it's like an epiphany of sorts. What some people think of as a perfect day I think of as...ordinary bordering on uneventful.
This is how a usual vacation day plays out:
Tuesday after my last test I moved back downtown to stay at Luna Hotel for two nights. Nasr City has nothing to offer but schools, koshary and lots of traffic. I needed to be near the Egyptian Museum and the older part of the city center. The time and money saved by moving downtown was totally worth it.
The days starts out super lazy...and with just cause. I had been given the option of a traditional Egyptian breakfast instead of the ordinary continental – which I accepted since I'd been here for so long and had no idea what a traditional Egyptian breakfast was. And I was told that I could go ahead and be lazy and sleep in (or still wake up early but read a book before rolling out of bed). Which I did...but when I did get around to breakfast – the special Egyptian breakfast was “finished” so sorry. Fine – then the continental but NO NESCAFE INSTANT COFFEE!!! [When did Nescafe unsurp traditional Arabic coffee?!?!] Turkish please...super easy on the sugar, shukran. How quickly one adapts to the local customs – just roll with it and they're all super cool. Note: this happens frequently when you are only one and (more importantly) the type of person who will roll with it – sometimes people need to screw up and know it's ok and not the end of the world.
Egyptian Museum: I am given the typical vague Egyptian directions to the Egyptian Museum “go out, turn left then walk two blocks, turn right and go about 3 or 4 blocks. It's a big red building so you can't miss it”. When in reality – how I navigate is by landmarks (I would have been an awesome navigator 3000 years ago!) like “go out, turn left then walk to the first roundabout with a statue (two blocks: check!) – turn right then walk to the end of the street (8 blocks – double the locals estimate) – where there is a large construction site – walk to the left around it and you'll see the museum just past the 3 gigantic yellow water tanks that ARE COMPLETELY BLOCKING THE VIEW OF THE RED BUILDING” - no one ever mentions the construction stuff since it's everywhere. But in my view all construction is unique and there is something there to use for navigation purposes.
I eventually find a metro that gets me closer and I think rather than go straight through an intimidating police barricade, I thought I'd walk around to make sure that I had the correct entrance. I'm on the other side of the street when a funny little man walking quite similar to the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, rushes by, turns, points and says “ the Museum is over there you should go back and cross” to which I reply “I think I'll keep walking in this direction to see what's over here first then loop around and cross over”. He's still rushing forward as he says “I'm a professor at the American University. I'm a professor in Horticulture, specifically medicinal plants. As a matter of fact I will be going to New York in a few months for a conference.” I think he was trying to reassure me that he was genuinely wanting to direct me to where he thought I should be rather than allowing me to meander around the area. So he continues to talk about plants and specific remedies that they are discovering (actually rediscovering) so I was able to keep up with him as I'd worked around them before and have a wonderfully informed sister who keeps me informed. He was so impressed with that he insisted that I come to his shop for tea before he runs back off to a very important date. Or class to be exact – but he was just like the White Rabbit!!!
Anyways, to make a long story short – I bought a couple of papyrus prints from his shop as I didn't want to deal with essential oils in my luggage and I have great sources in the US – but he did invite me on my next visit to see his family plant farm about 250 km outside of Cairo where they grow local herbal plants and distill essential oils from them. I was also invited to his nieces wedding in a few days but, alas, I am only here for the day now. No pictures = nest of vipers.
Then on to the museum, where I had to check in my camera so – no photos. Which is sad since you cannot even purchase postcards of the cool stuff. You know the movie “Night at the Museum”? I want to spend the night in this place! It's beyond description. It's so ramshackle and slipshod – and I absolutely love it. There were signs everywhere saying do not touch...I did really well up until the end. I had to check to see how solid these black pyramid tops were...and these sarcophagus things....amazingly solid, by the way. And I saw so many local kids touching stuff...and take pictures with their cell phones...dang! This place is beyond description. My recomendation - you have to go – no matter what. And I'm glad I went at the end since I would have obsessed over some of the sections (dead people! dead animals! pleated linen!) and had to return.
Afterwards, I went back to the hotel to drop of the fantastic crap that only museum gift shops sell that I just had to get for my dear family and friends then decided – Spice Market.
So the spice market – the real one not the tourist one – is near the famed Khan El Khalilli market – which is a tourist trap. But it can be challenging to find since the directions are vague at best. So I get a taxi (which the driver looked way too much like Omar Sharif! Awesome!) who dropped me off at a really weird location – so I go the opposite direction, loop around to a fruit and vegetable market – full of locals – no tourists! I'm close! Walking tentatively on the outside of the market - around the corner some young 20-something kid barrels into me. He says sorry – I say no problem – he hurriedly says Khan El Khalilli is on the other side in the other direction to which I reply – I know, but I'm looking for the spice market – the real one. He brightens up and says no tourists go in this area – let me show you....
His name is Ahmad - he is in his final year at the university studying in Antiquities. He has no hope of working in a museum since it's a government run institute but he does lead scuba diving trips in the Red Sea. Someday he would like to visit Lebanon, Iran, Turkey and Jordan. He doesn't want to work on digs in Egypt since they don't pay - but he would work on one in Syria in a heartbeat.
On the way we stop at this coffee seller that has been family owned and run for hundreds of years:
Then we make it to a spice shop that has been selling spices from this location for over 300 years. This business is older than my country. At first Mustafa spoke to Ahmed but was then told that I'd been here for a month to study Arabic language, so he began to talk to me and he spoke slowly and clearly. I understood maybe 20% since I already understood the history of an item - saffron, cumin, fenugreek, black seed oil....he was surprised at what I knew - almost as much as he was surprised that I was looking for a shop like his. But I had learned so much more from him about the different spices, including the trade rountes and agreements....like why does 25 strands of premium saffron cost as much as 25 grams? The answer: the best saffron in the world comes from Iran, 'nuf said.
And here is Mustafa with a shop blend of milk, coconut, sesame seeds, white rasins that you mix with hot milk. in old times it would be sans powdered milk but with fresh camels milk or fresh cows milk which has an amazing amount of vitamins and minerals - added with the coconut, sesames and white rasins - this is a very old egyptian drink. In between teaching me the differnt qualities or uses he would help his regulars. One man in particular sat while he put together his "regular order" which I watched Mustafa put together - I was so intrigued I had to have some.
Here is what he mixed for me:
He was such a proud and kind man and took the time to explain the differences in excellent quality vs. tourist quality (which I'd been schooled in previously - but he wanted to show that he was genuine and kind and wasn't about to cheat anyone muchless a stranger).
This shop, this man, this hour at this shop, and this bag alone is worth the trip. This experience is my motivation. But the night is not over yet. We're at the edge of old Islamic Cairo and there are more handcrafts that are unique to the area, as well as sights, sounds, smells...this is the real place that few tourists find. As a matter of fact - Ahmed pointed out only 3 other tourists that we crossed paths with the entire time.
Egyptian cotton:
The Citadel Mosque at night from a random rooftop
From the same rooftop - the minarets at the gates to Islamic Cairo at night. Yes - my little camera soaked in enough light to show the evening sky through the clouds
This is a place that the poor of the old quarter can go for clean, free water. The "special outfits" can be yours for a special price - I'm sure!
About this rooftop: it's trashed, much like previous posts show rooftops being trashed. But, since this is accesable via stairs from the "street" there area people living here - exactly like the empty lots in Nasr City. What I was unable to capture was a picture of the goat that was roaming around the rooftop. C'est la vie...
postnote: I paid attention to little landmarks - I will find this place again!
