Not the Boxer

An announcement was made regarding whose mosque we were visiting and instantly my eyebrows furrowed and an invisible question-mark floated above my head. Five more confused faces scrunched up down the line and finally someone said what we were all thinking, "This is Muhammad Ali's mosque? But, not the boxer, right?"

Muhammad Ali Pasha, considered by many to be the founder of modern Egypt, ruled the country in combination with his family and descendants for 147 years. He died in 1849 and was buried in the mosque he commissioned in the Citadel of Cairo.

If you look closely you can see two of the three Giza pyramids through the dense smog.

Delivery!

Every restaurant in Cairo delivers.

Wait, I meant to say, EVERY RESTAURANT IN CAIRO DELIVERS!

Feel like Hardee's but just can't deal with the ridiculous traffic in Cairo? Order delivery.

Just got a spur of the moment craving for a milkshake from Burger King? Order delivery.

Want some Egyptian food but you don't have a kitchen? Order delivery.

Never want to leave your house again? That's okay! Order delivery.

Fast food, local food, exotic food, any food. Delivery.

Just imagine what would happen to people in America if every restaurant delivered....

Giza Necropolis

The Great Sphinx in front of the Pyramid of Khafre

There they stood—the Pyramids of Giza—right in front of us and guarded by the Great Sphinx. After learning about them in school, reading about them in books, and watching them on TV it was hard to believe I was experiencing them in person. It was also slightly confusing. In photographs and through the world of media they always appear to rise out of the desert—alone in the vastness of sand and heat only to be visited by Bedouins on camelback. But in reality, they sit within an uncomfortably close proximity to modern Cairo. Hop out of your taxi and walk a few meters to the base of the Sphinx. Shop in the market and catch a glimpse of the towering Ancient Wonders between shops. Or, even better, marvel at the trio from the comfort of an air-conditioned table inside Pizza Hut—the best indoor view of the pyramids in town.

What... have... we (modern people)... done?

The Giza Necropolis comprises several monuments including the three Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, a handful of queens' tombs, funerary temples, and the cemeteries for the skilled laborers (although the Greeks still maintain that the pyramids were built by slaves, modern-day Egyptologists agree skilled laborers were hired for the immense job). The oldest and largest pyramid, known as the Great Pyramid, was built for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. Completed around 2551 BC, its base is almost perfectly square and level. Originally 146 meters tall, it was the tallest structure in the world for over 3,800 years until the 160-meter-tall spire of Lincoln Cathedral in Lincolnshire, England popped up.

The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest in the necropolis and the tomb of Khufu's son. Its steep slope and elevated base enhance the illusion of its size and impressiveness, but the pyramid still ranks as number two. Unlike Khafre, Khufu does not cheat.

The third, and smallest, of the three pyramids belonged to Menkaure. Allegedly much more benevolent than his predecessors, the Pharaoh's pyramid acts as the understated underdog. In the twelfth century Malek Abd al-Aziz Othman ben Yusuf attempted to demolish the three pyramids beginning with Menkaure's tomb. He and his friends worked for eight months at removing the gargantuan stones but only successfully took down one or two per day. Realizing their attempts were futile and expensive, they abandoned the idea and left the pyramid with a large vertical gash in its side. Way to go.

Reclining in front of Khafre's pyramid is the largest monolith statue in the world and the oldest monumental sculpture—the Great Sphinx. Having the head of a man and the body of a lion, some speculate it was created by Khafre in his image. However, exactly when it was built, who built it, and who it depicts round out the mysteries of the "Riddle of the Sphinx."

Before waving goodbye to the necropolis, we had the opportunity to descend inside one of the queens' pyramids. The tiny opening required a reduction in height and we walked down the narrow ramp doubled over. At the end of the tunnel we emptied into a small, stifling room—once the location of the sarcophagus. The temperature soared beyond uncomfortable and as people continued to file in we decided to make our escape. When we finally returned to the surface, the sun's rays felt cool in comparison to the thick heat inside the pyramid and I thought a cold soda from Pizza Hut didn't sound so bad.

From left to right: Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Khafre, Pyramid of Khufu (The Great Pyramid).

In front of the Pyramid of Khafre

Sitting on the Pyramid of Khufu (The Great Pyramid)

Egyptian Road Trip

After an afternoon of scuba diving we loaded our belongings into a chartered van and settled in for the nine hour drive to Cairo. The hostel owners made sure we were comfortable with the male driver and informed us of our right to request another escort. We declined and hoped for the best. Feeling woozy from sucking oxygen through a regulator all afternoon, I quickly needed a few Dramamine pills to combat the onset of motion sickness brought on by the winding mountain roads. Slipping in and out of sleep, I only noticed a few check-points but was later informed we stopped between 8 and 9 times throughout the night. Apparently, each stop was a nerve-wracking experience as Egyptian guards peered inside the vehicle and questioned the driver about our non-existent chaperone.

Nine hours later we all breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled into Cairo and located the friends we were bunking with. I'm not sure what potential dangers we dodged that evening, but I will assume we were always safe and consider it another adventure on our now extremely long list.

Dahab, Egypt

Located on the Sinai Peninsula, Dahab is an old fishing village turned diver's paradise. Its position on the Red Sea offers travelers the opportunity to lose themselves among the waves at an affordable price and hundreds of visitors appeared to be taking an indefinite vacation from life.

Initially, our plan was to arrive in Egypt, check into the hostel and enjoy a mid-day rest before heading out at 11 pm to hike up Mt. Sinai. However, a full day of border crossings with an intense hike through Petra the day before left us feeling drained and we reluctantly crossed Mt. Sinai's sunrise experience off the to-do list—a decision I still somewhat regret. Instead, we opted for a full night's sleep and a morning of scuba diving in the Red Sea.

After a quick mini lesson on the use of a regulator and tips on how to clear a face mask under water, we entered the depths of the sea. As it turns out, scuba diving is terrifying. Breathing through a regulator encourages panic and it required a substantial amount of mental reassurance and personal pep talks to not suck up all of my oxygen at once. I never mastered the face mask water removal technique during our short lesson and was out of luck during the dive. Apparently, the sea was full of fascinating coral and exotic fish. I wouldn't know.

In the end, I determined the ocean is too big for my personal exploration and I am perfectly happy to snorkel or swim at depths that do not require substantial artificial breathing apparatuses. I also prefer to pop out of the water whenever I fancy without worrying about getting a case of the bends.

Not the most glamorous picture but proof that we did squeeze into wet suits in order to experience terrifying underwater adventures.

3 Countries in 1 Day

After discussing our options with several people, we found most agreed that traveling to Egypt from Jordan was best done via land. It was supposedly easy to do and hassle free; plus, it was cheaper than purchasing a plane ticket.

Our route:

1. From Aqaba in Jordan, we purchased our Egyptian visas, which were stamped into our passports.

2. Already stuffed into the borrowed truck, we picked up a friend along the way who could drop us at the border and return our vehicle to its owner. We packed 7 people into a 5 passenger truck.

3. Upon arriving at the Jordan/Israel border we were met by several armed border patrolmen who inquired about the number of passengers in our truck and why the ratio was 1 man to 6 women—a red flag in the Middle East. Some quick smooth talking momentarily confused the patrolmen and we continued on our way.

4. From inside the checkpoint we unloaded from the truck with our luggage and made our way to the border office where we paid the exit tax to leave Jordan.

5. Then we walked across the border.

6. Welcome to Israel! We were immediately lined up so our bags could be x-rayed just like at the security gate in the airport. At this point I wondered if it would be a problem to bring the souvenir knife I bought for my dad into the country. The sign clearly said, No Weapons. After passing my bag through the x-ray machine, a woman met me at the conveyor belt and asked me to unpack.... She inspected a few things and re-ran my bag back through the machine before allowing me to pass. My knife, secure in the second bag, was apparently not a concern.

7. After security, we paid our Israeli entrance fee and hopped into a taxi bound for the Israel/Egypt border.

8. Our Israeli driver was happy to take us on our way and sang loudly along with the radio. The view out the taxi window offered little insight into the country's culture and within twenty minutes we arrived at the next border crossing.

9. Again, we were dropped off outside the gate where we paid a fee to leave Israel and then walked on through to Egypt.

10. Welcome to Egypt! We filled out a health form, checked no for swine flu, and dumped our bags on the conveyor belt for another security screening. Once again, I hoped the knife wasn't a problem. No one said a word.

11. Everything went through without problems and we continued on to the visa checkpoint, where we paid another entrance fee, before exiting out into the not-so-fresh Egyptian air.

Unlike the Israeli border, Egypt does not provide a service for calling taxis. There was no woman in uniform ready to request a driver for six girls. No, we had to fend for ourselves against the pack of chaotic drivers hungry for business. With no other option but to attempt negotiations with the aggressive men, we made our way to their noisy corner. But, within seconds we realized they had the upper hand. The nearest busy road was who knows how far away and our only option was to go with one of them—despite how much they were prepared to overcharge. We attempted negotiation, but they didn't budge. We even did the walk away, but they knew we had nowhere to walk so they just watched us huddle alongside the curb. Luckily, Kacy contacted the hotel and was notified they had sent a driver to pick us up. His name was Mousafa.

Us: Where is Mousafa?

All of them: I'm Mousafa! No, I'm Mousafa! Come with me!

Us: ???????

After several chaotic moments and a lot of arguing, we identified the real Mousafa and he led us to his van; which caused a small riot among the other drivers as they watched their business walk away. Twenty intense minutes and one or two police officers later, we were on our way....

Last Few Hours in Jordan

The day came to make our way out of Jordan and into Egypt. It was going to be a long day of traveling across borders through three different countries and our anticipation was mounting. After saying goodbye to Amman several days ago, we bid our farewells to Wadi Musa and Petra, too, and then headed south to the coastal town of Aqaba. Famous for its diving and beach resorts, Aqaba also contains a border post into Israel. However, before crossing the border there were a few things we needed to do first: purchase our Egyptian visas, eat at McDonalds, meet another machine gun topped truck with an angry driver, and catch a glimpse of the Red Sea.

Purchasing a visa for any country can take an unexpected amount of time, but doing so in the Middle East seems to guarantee things won't go as planned. The consulate was empty and our presence blindingly obvious. The man behind the window at the counter seemed bothered with our request for Egyptian visas but didn't appear very busy. After sorting out our intentions and taking advantage of my friend's Arabic speaking abilities, he informed us they would be ready in nearly three hours. I assumed it would take him two hours and forty-five minutes to procrastinate, ten minutes to process the visas, and another five to use the bathroom before we returned.

After refueling at McDonald's my friend suggested surveying our close proximity to Saudi Arabia. A photo of the mile marker sign only a few kilometers from the border would make an excellent souvenir and I was excited to add another picture of a border country to my collection. Nearing the intended sign, we passed a group of military men jogging alongside the road. Closing in on the border increased both the level of excitement and tension in the truck, and when we found the sign we hopped out to snap a photo. However, before we even removed our lens caps the group of joggers, now at an uncomfortably close distance, began hollering and waving their arms. Uh oh.

We quickly turned around, hopped in the truck, and drove off. Within two minutes an armed truck pulled up alongside us with the passenger hanging out the window, flagging us to pull over. Oh, geez. Here we go again. After reassuring them we were not photographing their jogging squad, we were informed it is not okay to take pictures of signs. At least, not signs in that particular area, I guess. Okay, it won't happen again.

A few miles down the road, we saw another sign and slowed down enough for me to hang out the window and snap a photo.

Before picking up our passports and leaving the country, we made a quick stop at the Red Sea. The crystal clear water made it easy to spot various fish and several eels beneath the surface, and it's obvious why Aqaba attracts large numbers of scuba divers year round.

On to Egypt...

Finally... a picture of a sign

A beach along the Red Sea

Even while swimming women are expected to maintain modesty. The level of modesty depends on their husbands or families.

Dinner Party

After a long day at Petra, we were invited to dinner at a friend's house. The family prepared a traditional Jordanian meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables called, Maqluva. In typical fashion, they arranged a monstrous tray of food, which we circled around on the floor and shared family-style. A plastic sheet below the food made clean up effortless and we were able to enjoy learning more about the culture from an insider's perspective.

Dessert—hot tea/coffee and cookies

The food in Jordan and throughout the Middle East is delicious and quite different from the East Asian cuisine I had been eating the past year. In addition to the Maqluva above, we enjoyed several other dishes, including:

Shwarma: Meat (chicken or beef) shaved off an oversized kabob and placed in a pita with vegetables, french fries, falafel, and mystery mayonnaise.

Falafel: Fried chickpeas in a ball or patty shape

Hummus: Chickpeas and Tahini dip served with pita

Lamb

Goat cheese

(All pictures courtesy of Melissa W.)