Photo Update

My photos are all up to date on snapfish. You can check out everything up through my Nile cruise here. Enjoy!

Africa Cruisin'

I wrote this piecemeal along my trip and am posting it all today:

On Friday morning, we got up early (way too early! 4am early) to board the bus to the airport. It was around 5:45am when our EgyptAir flight took off for Aswan- which was absolutely remarkable, seeing as that’s the time we were suppose to take off, and nothing ever happens as it’s supposed to in Egypt. After a quick (1.5 hr.) flight, we arrived in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city. A bus took us on the short trip through the city to our cruise ship, which is currently docked (as I write) and will set sail in about a half hour. The ship is surprisingly nice; the rooms are fairly spacious with nice bathrooms, the food is quite good and service is amazing. Aswan itself is also very enjoyable. The city was the original home to the Nubian Egyptians (and still is) and has always been the meeting place and marketplace between Africa and Egypt. There is definitely more of an African feel in this small city which sits where the Sahara meets the Nile.

After food and an orientation of sorts to our trip, we headed out for a faluka (small boat) ride around the area where we’re staying. We saw Elephantine Island, which was used in ancient times as a fortress island; we saw the botanical gardens; we saw the home of the Agha Khan, the trader who gave his weight in diamonds to everyone who attended his 50^th birthday party, and then came back to the boat.

Next, we drove over the Aswan High Dam, which is a huge dam in the Nile which has created Lake Nasser, the largest manmade lake in the world. If the High Dam were to collapse, the water would rush through the Nile and into the Mediterranean Sea so fast that it would wipe out Tripoli, Tel Aviv and Capri. That’s a lot of water. Also, Nile crocodiles all live south of the dam, as they can’t get through. This makes me happy because my cabin is about at water-level and I don’t need a friend busting through my window when I’m sleeping and Captain Hook-ing me.

After the dam, we made our way to Philae Temple via boat. Philae is a temple to the god Isis, and is a Greco-Roman temple (built by the Egyptians at the behest of the Greeks when they ruled Egypt. The temple is a series of courtyards and buildings which get smaller and darker until you get to the holy of holies; the walls of the entire temple are covered in beautifully ornate hieroglyphic carvings. At first glance, the temple is impressive and old. However, when you stand inside the holy of holies and look at a carving on the wall, thinking about the fact that someone was doing the same thing thousands of years ago, you feel like a small part of a much bigger story, one which will go on forever, but one which could not have gone on without you or anyone else that has stood there. After Philae, we headed back on the boat where our Nubian guides sold handmade jewelry as they probably have for thousands of years.

After dinner I sat alone on the sundeck for a bit and read. The moon was bright and the docked falukas sat silently awaiting the next day of fishing. I thought about Africa as I read Hemingway, a man who had loved this continent at one point, and about its rich history, amazing scenery and frightening present and future. I’ve been touched by Africa in a very subtle way (as Egyptians and Africans alike will deny Egypt’s African-ness) and it has called me to explore more, letting me know in a faint voice that it has so much more to offer.

Overcompensating

Another early morning today (2:50am wake-up call). We hopped on a bus to Abu Simbel, one of the most impressive (if not the most) of the ancient Egyptians sites. Abu Simbel is a pair of temples, one built by Ramses II to prove to the people south of the Nubian land that he was mighty and was to be feared as a god, the other a tribute to his beloved and beautiful wife, Nefertari. The temples were absolutely massive with huge colossuses standing guard outside. Inside both is a series of chambers with more ornate carvings depicting scenes of great battles, of the Pharaoh’s romance and in praise of the gods. The craftsmanship that goes into such building is absolutely stunning and is difficult to comprehend without seeing it. Looking south past the water (about 50 km) from Abu Simbel, you can see Sudan. I was so close! And this is from whence all of the camels in Egypt come. We spent a couple hours at Abu Simbel and then drove back to the boat.

The boat set out around lunchtime and got us to Kom Ombo, where there stood an open Greco-Roman temple to Horus, the god of healing. Kom Ombo is smaller much than Abu Simbel, and a bit smaller than Philae, and is more ruined than the others. Apparently, prior to its preservation by Napoleon’s scholars, the temple would be dismantled by locals and the pieces would be used for building or to make millstones. We walked around Kom Ombo only for a short time and got back on the boat to finish our day’s travels.

Travel Buddies

By nightfall we’d docked at Edfu, a small port “city” with a riverside bazaar. A couple of us walked a bit and realized that the normal instances of Egyptian shopkeepers trying to goad you into their stores was even more forceful down south than it is Cairo. It is literally impossible to walk passed a storeowner without having him walk up to you and say “Hello, my friend. What you looking for? I give good brice (they can’t say “p” here). Where from? Where from?” It’s constant and incredibly off-putting, but if you watch the European tourists who haven’t been here long, they eventually give in and go into the stores “just to have a look.” They come out with “beautiful cartouche, for good brice.”

This brings me to European tourists in general. So Americans have a reputation, throughout the world, as being loud, culturally insensitive tourists with big hats, crappy cameras, shorts and sandals with socks on. This may or not be true. However, if we’re guilty of it, the Europeans are 100 times worse! Cultured Europe, my ass! Every ancient ruin, bazaar and city-center seems to be filled with funny-sounding hoards of people who refuse to wear sleeves (sleeveless shirts are bad enough in a country whose culture isn’t based on modesty) taking pictures in everyone’s way and telling jokes about the sites without actually appreciating them. It’s enraging. I’m gonna throw Aussies in there too, by the way. That is all.

Everybody Was Edfu Fighting

Sunday morning we got up early again and went to Edfu Temple, which I’d contemplated skipping to sleep in, but was pleasantly surprised with. This temple, which is also dedicated to Horus, the hawk god of healing, was absolutely gorgeous. A Greco-Roman temple built by the Ptolemies, this “young” temple spent many years half-buried in sand which makes it now one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient world. The high stone walls and pillars stand tall with hieroglyphics and hide tiny nooks and side-rooms which, as one walks around alone, one can picture a priest, thousands of years ago, walking through with great reverence and some fear, to appease the great god who brought healing and destroyed chaos. Though a gargantuan structure, this place was peaceful and quiet and was the most introspective of ruins I’ve been so far. The rest of the day on Sunday was spent at our leisure and the boat made its way north to Luxor, our final destination. Most people caught up on sleep during the hottest part of the day and sat around the deck and read, etc. We made a quick walk up and down the riverside street in Luxor at night, but got to bed early.

Luxoriffic

Monday was our last day of touring and we got up early once more. I actually didn't get up as early as everyone else, as reception forgot my wakeup call and I slept passed the time everyone was leaving. They went to the Valley of the Kings; I slept in. I grabbed a taxi on shore and met up with the group at Hatshepsut Temple, a temple built by a woman who pretended to be a man, since women couldn't be Pharaoh. It was a fairly small temple which had mostly been reconstructed, but the stairs leading up to it were gargantuan and impressive. They were also difficult to climb in the already blazing heat. After Hatshepsut, we went back to the boat for lunch.




Post-lunch we made our way to the grand finale: Karnak and Luxor Temple. Karnak is a temple built for the sun god, and greatest of all Egyptian gods, Amun Ra. This temple, the biggest place of worship in the world (at over 100 acres), was built piecemeal by a number of pharaohs, but was finished by Ramses II. The place is simply enormous and the pillars that stand row after row are incredible. We toured around a bit, feeling dwarfed, and then got back on the bus due to the heat (it was somewhere in the 120s). Our final stop was Luxor Temple, which sits in the center of the city of Luxor. This is a smaller temple and is really interesting mostly for its geographical location and because people are still discovering things about it now. Unfortunately, the heat on Monday made some of the things difficult to really enjoy. We made our way back to the boat. Monday night was spent a bit on the boat and a group of us went to a "British Pub," expecting sweet relief from the terrible beer we've been drinking this entire time. No dice. Once again, it was Sakara, Stella or Heineken. Yuck.


Suxor

Luxor, despite its amazing historical scenery, has one main drawback, the people who live in Luxor. My friend, Carole, and I went out shopping on Tuesday morning and to see the city. Big mistake. The taxi drivers, carriage drivers, shopkeepers and restaurant owners swarmed like vultures. In Cairo, especially at the bazaar, it's a common thing to have people goad you into your shops. However, in Luxor, it's two hundred times worse. Mostly, it's because Luxor is a town run completely on tourism and it's the off-season right now, but they went from the normal annoyance to that which enrages. I still have a carriage driver waiting outside the Sheraton to pick me up. After constant haranguing, we finally got what we needed and gave up, heading back to the boat. The rest of the day was spent hanging on the boat and relaxing. In the evening, Sarah, her mother (who came on the boat cruise with us), Carole and myself went along the corniche for dinner. It was a bit nicer further down into town and I saw the nice, quiet part of Luxor which sits meekly beside the Nile. It could be really great if they just took out like 90% of the people. At 11pm, we caught another flight back to Cairo.

I was a bit disappointed that so few of my classmates made the Nile cruise (only about 20 out of 45) but for those who did, it was an amazing and whirlwind tour of the parts of our host country that once made it the dominant power in all the world. For its good and its bad, I've taken quite a liking to Africa.

I Found Cairo!

So yesterday, I finally found Cairo. The real Cairo. The Cairo where people live and aren't ripping off tourists (for the most part). It's behind a famous mosque (Al Azhar), it's a maze of tiny alleys with a ridiculous assortment of shops (shoe store, shirt store, shoe store, fake designer bag store, shoe store, crappy toys store, gross meat store, coffee shop, spice store, papyrus shop, etc.) and it doesn't smell very good, at all. I'd expound upon what I was doing in this area, but it involves some items people are getting when I come home and I don't want to spoil that. Just know that I got to see some artisan work being done firsthand and was taken into some very cool shops that tourists rarely get to see (the places Cairenes shop).

I'm in a bit of a rush, so I'll just say a few things: I'm done with finals and leave tonight for a cruise from Aswan to Luxor (in southern Egypt); it's getting incredibly hot here; it's apparently hotter in Aswan (around 115-130 farenheit); I need to blog more, but probably won't get a chance to while on the cruise; I need to shoot more photos of city life in Cairo.


After studying for and taking finals, my literary sense is a bit shot. However, I'm really looking forward to the boat trip and to getting some good reading in while there (I just bought some Hemingway and Yeats in the campus bookstore) so expect more blogging when I get back from the trip). I hope all are well and please keep the comments and emails coming, I really love getting them, even if I haven't had a ton of time to reply to them all lately.

Don't Blow Your Fingers Off!

Not much doin' here in Cairo on the Fourth of July. We finished classes yesterday so now everyone's scrambling to learn five weeks of material in one weekend before finals start next week. I can't exempt myself from that statement, though my grades aren't transferring back to my school, so it's not such a huge deal for me.

Tonight, we're all taking time off from our finals studying to do the most American thing we can in Cairo...that's right, dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe! We heard the embassy is having some party, but it's out in the rich-people part of town (the other one, besides the one we're living in) and it's during the day when we're all studying. Therefore, instead of doing the usual American things like setting off fireworks, wearing cowboy hats and shooting apple pies with Colt revolvers, we'll just have to settle for the deliciously overpriced American food the Hard Rock cooks up. Maybe they'll have Budweiser there (do you see what I've been reduced to? I'm sorry, Dad). I'm pumped! Have a good day, everyone, and make sure the fuses are long and the beers are cold. Peace from the Middle East

Photos

Here is the latest link to my snapfish account. I've got all my photos updated. Which are your favorites? Enjoy!

Click here

A Weekend in Asia

So my travels breached a third continent for the summer as I made my way across the Suez Canal and onto the Sinai Peninsula, the border of Asia and Africa, early Thursday morning. Our bus left the dorm around 2am Thursday and took about seven or so hours to get to St. Catherine's which sits in the middle of a large mountain range. I slept for a few hours that night but awoke as the sun was rising over the harsh desert sands and mountains- everything was still as we serpentined through the windy desert roads and into the town of St. Catherine's. We stopped at the Daniela, a tiny little hotel tucked into foreboding rock cliffs, ate breakfast, through our stuff into our rooms, and hopped back on the bus to tour the monastery.

Umm...That's Not on Fire

St. Catherine's Monastery is a 4th cent. Greek Orthodox monastic community set at the base of Mt. Sinai. As we walked in, we were told that the monks may be cranky and not to disturb them too much- I also had to wear a sarong of sorts because I'd forgotten to change from shorts to jeans and apparently Egyptian monks are kind of conservative. As we walked into the tiny walled-in village, I noticed how many people were there, probably bothering the monks and how many had shorts on. Oh well.

The monastery is built on what is believed to be the site of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. The monks have planted the same type of bush on the spot where the original one was. This, my friends, is no tiny shrubbery; it's planted on a wall of sorts and must be about 4x7x4. It was not on fire- nor was God talking from it anymore. While it was impressive to stand in that spot, it was made less so by the small size of the passageway in which it sits and the large amounts of tourists walking about. However, we continued on.

Next, I ducked into the chapel which, despite the same annoying, non-reverent tourists, was more of a contemplative and quiet space. This was enforced by an angry looking monk standing guard at the front. The chapel was small, with delicate and intricate icons on the back wall. From the ceiling hung beautifully gilded lamps and braziers. I sat for a bit and prayed and took in the importance of my surroundings, trying to get out of the tourist mindset, if only for a minute. I walked through the back of the chapel which houses the remains of St. Catherine of Alexandria, who was martyred in the early 4th cent.

After leaving the chapel, I headed up to the museum, which is the second largest repository of Christian religious texts in the world, behind the Vatican. The texts and icons kept in the museum include a letter from the Prophet Muhammad to the Bedouin people of the area, telling them to act peacefully toward the monastery, 6th cent. paintings of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments at Mt. Sinai, and ancient copies of Homer's Odyssey and Illiad. After the museum and roaming about a bit more, we headed back to the Daniela for lunch and naps.

My Bedouin Birthday

So last Thursday I turned 24 (thanks to those who sent me birthday messages- for the rest of you, God has delivered a curse upon you, it will arrive in 5-7 business days). After we all woke up from our naps, we headed to the Daniela for an underwhelming dinner. As the dinner came to a close, I heard a noise coming from the kitchen and turned around to see seven or so of the Bedouin men who work in the hotel coming out with a cake, TGIFriday's style. Apparently, one of my classmates had asked for a candle in a piece of the dessert they had out for us, but they refused and insisted on baking me a Bedouin birthday cake. Also, they must have had drums and tambourines lying around in the kitchen because their Bedouin birthday song included a rhythm section. They brought my cake and everybody stood and clapped to the music as an incredibly sweaty man started dancing and insisted I join in. So my 24th birthday wound up being celebrated with a quickly made cake (complete with bday message), drums and tambourines, Egyptian singing, and me dancing with a man while I wore a chef's hat and wielded a knife someone had given me to cut said cake, at the base of Mt. Sinai in a tiny little hotel. Could have been worse. By the way, pictures and video will begin to surface of this event on facebook. I'll do my best to suppress them, but if you look hard enough, you'll probably be able to spot some.

After the embarrassment that was my Bedouin dancing came to a close, we all went outside and sat. The hotel workers had laid out blankets for us and we sat under the quiet night sky as the stars and moon collaborated with a fire to light up our little area in the middle of the mountains. Our program director, Dr. Freamon, led us in a discussion and people took turns giving their assessment of the future of the program as well as reflecting on their time in Egypt and their ambitions for their careers. We sipped tea and talked and sat until the men at the hotel got bored and insisted they put on a party for us. So once again, out came the drums, out came the tambourines, and out came Hipsy, that was the name I gave to my birthday dance partner who could shake his hips like no man can or ought to ever do. We danced and talked and laughed and shot photos until it started to get late and then we made our way back to our rooms for a couple of hours of sleep.

The Climb

We gathered again on the bus at 2am, ready to take on Sinai. Not really, we were all pretty tired, but excited for our climb. For those of you who don't know, Mt. Sinai is the place where God gave Charleton Heston the 10 Commandments. It's best to summit the mountain at night because of the heat of the Egyptian sun and the fact that the country can't afford shade. Our group started up the mountain with our tour guide, who apparently climbs the things every night and people were annoying as hell with the stupid flashlights. A few of us ventured ahead of the group to avoid these annoying lights and climb like God intended, aided only by the light of the moon (don't worry, it's safe, the moon's pretty bright). Our tiny band hiked and hiked up the rocky sandy mountain, accompanied by my adopted pet, Buddy, a stray dog that apparently just likes hiking mountains.

We stopped intermittently at little coffee-shacks set up along the path and rested. Despite the fact that it was night in the desert, it was still pretty warm out and my backpack made me lose about six pounds of sweat. The climb wasn't terribly difficult, but hard enough and continued for about 2.5-3 hours at a pretty steady incline. Finally, when we felt like we should really be at the top, we hit the hard part. You'd think stairs would be easier than hiking rocks- or so thought the monks who carved the stairs into the last 1,000m of the mountain. They were wrong. Sure it may be easy for the Bedouin guys who hike up and down the mountain every day to get to work in their little coffeeshops, but let me tell you, those stairs sucked! I literally thought I was going to pass out at some point, or maybe my legs would just give out and I'd tumbled to my blissful death. Luckily, I'm friggin' awesome and made it to the top of the mountain at about 4:50am, where I found a nice flat surface amongst the chapel ruins and promptly laid down.


I sat with my friends Sarah, Lena and Brian at the top of the Mt. Sinai, none of us really saying much, looking out over the vast mountain range as the sun came up. I was exhausted and thought about living there so I wouldn't have to walk back down, but there was just a serenity there. As the stars and the moon gave way to lighter hues of blue and the mountains turned from dark silhouettes to burly brown rocks below, a stillness existed that only nature can create. I understood then how so many years ago, after fleeing slavery and wandering the desert, one could see God on the top of this peak. It was a fleeting glimpse of perfection.

The Rest of the Day

Walking down mountains is the unfortunate and stupid side effect to walking up them. Sarah, my partner in crime here in Egypt (don't get any ideas, folks, she's happily engaged), and I trudged back down the stairs and the sandy path as we dodged lazy people on camels and the gross mines camels leave behind.



We talked and complained about this and that and the heat and what not and finally found ourselves at the bottom of the mountain again. We hopped on the bus exhausted and ready to get to Sharm. After breakfast and a much needed shower, everyone got on the bus and made the 1.5hr or so trip to Sharm el Sheikh and the beautiful Sofitel Hotel.

Any Egyptian will tell you that Sharm is not Egypt; it's a European resort town that just happens to be within the Egyptian borders. Upon arrival at the Sofitel, we realized how true this was. Arab decoration adorn beautifully bright white buildings overlooking the Red Sea where sandy beaches spotted with pink flowers buttress clear blue water. The whole town is a bit extravagant and overdone, but at such a low price (by Western standards) it's hard to pass up. When we got in, I headed straight to the beach and swam along the the reefs where exotic fish darted along, one of which bit my shin. I sported my SPF 60 forcefield and was able to skirt around a sunburn- take that, the sun!

That night a few of us found a tiny little restaurant with seating on the roof. We walked upstairs and found tables surrounded by pillows on the ground. Little lights guided the path through the dining area and the rooftop overlooked the city lights and sea below. It was pretty nice.

Darling It's Betta, Down Where It's Wetta...

On Saturday morning a group of us gathered early after an amazing Sofitel breakfast feast. We met with a Brit, a German and an Italian and went out for a day of boating, snorkeling and scuba diving. They took us out on the Red Sea to a place called Ras Katy and anchored the boat near the reef. We were instructed on how to use scuba gear and took turns with the diving instructors under water for 30 min. increments each. While we waited our turn, everyone else snorkeled around the reef which was absolutely amazing. The marine life at the reef and the reefs themselves are known worldwide as some of the best things to see as a diver. We were lucky enough to be able to go with instructors who stayed with us the whole time so we didn't need to go through certification. We spent the day swimming and eating and just having a good time. It was a terrific way to relax and enjoy the sea.

That night we all gathered for dinner at the hotel's Indian restaurant. While the food was good, the service was horrendous and we wound up waiting hours for our meals. However, we got to talk more and just enjoy the company of our classmates. This group is a lot of fun and everyone seems to be able to get along and have good, fun, interesting conversation with each other. I'm amazed by the caliber of person that the program has drawn and how dedicated each one is to knowledge, service and bettering themselves personally. I'm sure every one of them will be successful both in their careers and their lives in the future. Later that night we just kind of walked around and had a drink or two. It had been a long day on the high seas.

Sunday morning my roommate John and I awoke at 9:58am when the maid came in. By 10:02 we were out the door, worried we'd miss the gigantic breakfast buffet. We didn't. We tore that buffet up! After breakfast I went and swam in the pool for a while and sat around. I also paid a male classmate a considerable amount of Egyptian Pounds to join the women in the water aerobics class in the pool. It was money well spent- top 4 funniest things in Egypt, ever. We sadly packed and made our way back on the bus for the 9 hr. ride back to Cairo. No one wanted to leave the shining Western beacon that is Sharm for the dirty loudness that is Cairo. By the time we got home we were all exhausted. I passed out pretty quickly after I got in and responded to the myriad birthday messages on facebook. I woke up unenergized for my last week of classes. Here we go...!

It's a River. Cool.

So yesterday we were duped into a trip to the Suez Canal with promises of lectures, slide shows, virtual trips on faux tanker ships, swimming and just all-around joy and happiness. Lies. We hopped on the bus at 8am and made the two hour trip to the canal. When we got to Ismaila, the town where the Canal Authority is based, we ate a quick breakfast and made our way over to learn about the canal. Our guide, who works at the Authority, took us on a quick boat ride in the canal and then gave us a lecture.

The lecture/ Q&A session was actually pretty interesting and we learned about both the history of the canal (which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea for the geographically challenged amongst you). Some of the more startling facts about the canal: roughly 120,000 Egyptians died during the building of the canal; it takes a ship about 13-15 hrs. to make it through the canal; about 20,000 ships pass through the canal each year. However, after the talk we were simply given free reign to swim amongst the jellyfish (which I did- it was pretty salty) and eat a typically poor Egyptian lunch. The idea of vegetarian meals here in Egypt always makes me laugh- whatever everyone else is eating, minus the meat, no matter how little is left.

If you've noticed I haven't written quite as much lately, don't worry. I still like Cairo and am still happy here. However, the more we've gotten into the day-to-day of classes, etc., and the more I've gotten comfortable here, the less striking things have become and the more I really have to look for things that might interest you all. This weekend was kind of a lazy one and everyone in the program seems to be kinda dragging. This upcoming week holds promise though- St. Catherine's Monastery, climbing Mt. Sinai, a couple days at the beach in Sharm el Sheikh. Please keep the comments and emails coming, it's so nice to hear from you all.

6th of October

Hassan Mouhdi (pseudonym) is an endoscopic surgeon and renowned in his field as a competent and skilled practitioner. At one point, Hassan worked as Chief of Surgery at a community hospital, ran a private practice, owned two cars and three homes. He has two children: Layla, age 9 and Ahmed, age 7 (both pseudonyms). They both go to private schools and speak English exceptionally well. Despite all of this, however, Dr. Mouhdi has been living on savings for the last two years and will run out of money in the next two months because he's not allowed to work.

Dr. Mouhdi, like most of the other Iraqi refugees living in Egypt, resides in a neighborhood called 6th of October, an outskirt of the city dirtier and poorer than many other parts. Most refugee families live together in ramshackle apartment buildings and none of them are able to get work permits in Egypt, despite their mostly upper-class status in their native country and their general high intelligence and skill.

I taught English yesterday, along with seven of my classmates, to a group of these refugees in tiny "community center" in one of the apartment buildings in 6th October. We piled into a van and made the 50 minute journey through traffic and most of the city out to the fairly impoverished neighborhood to meet up with the group of refugees who have come to learn English in hopes of bettering their situations and maybe, for those who wish to, emigrate to America or another English-speaking country. Most of them already spoke some English and the lessons were geared toward practical, everyday situations like directions, ordering in a restaurant, general conversation and resume building. All of the students, including the few children who were there, were enthusiastic, welcoming, very hopeful and happy and very smart. I absolutely teaching what, to them, is an incredibly invaluable skill that I take very much for granted.

Almost immediately after meeting Dr. Mouhdi, he began to tell me his story. He began by telling me how much he liked and appreciated the American military for "breaking us out of a prison we'd been in for 30 years." This sentiment is not shared by all, but is not uncommon, as many of the Iraqi refugees in Egypt were collaborators with the US and forced out of their country for such acts. Dr. Mouhdi was the first person to greet the American soldiers when they landed at his hospital in his Northern Iraqi village. Unfortunately, after the soldiers left, terrorist organizations moved in and set up shop in the village. After his seven year old son was kidnapped by one of these organizations and held for a day, he was told that he had 30 hrs. to pay them $100,000 or they would kill him (apparently because of his wealth and his American sympathies). Dr. Mouhdi collected what important papers, etc. he could and left with his young family to Jordan, Syria and eventually Egypt.

In his heyday, Dr. Mouhdi had been invited by some of the international medical organizations, many of which he is a member, to speak on his work in the surgical field. He even took his family to South Africa for a couple months after leaving Iraq, where he found work. Unfortunately, his children were not acclimated to the area and fell ill- so he moved back to Cairo. Now, Dr. Mouhdi, despite his impressive background, and much like the thousands of other Iraqi refugees living in Egypt (some estimate 100-200,000) is unable to gain immigrant status anywhere and is also unable to work in Egypt. It is simply a failing of the human family when such an exile of genius is allowed to happen again and again, country by country throughout our history. Is there any doubt that war destroys more than just what the bombs hit? Can we stand by and allow this to continue without taking action? Food for thought.

Peace to you all

New Pictures

So apparently the old link didn't work. This new one is for the Alexandria pictures and the updated Cairo folder.

http://www1.snapfish.com/photolibrary/t_=91561454

Alexandria: a Tough Life

So this past weekend we headed up north to Alexandria. It's supposed to a 2.5 hour drive, but it took us about 4 hours due to a late start (sitting in the bus), a traffic accident ahead of us and a bathroom break 1.5 hours in. We got there at about 7pm on Friday night and checked into the Windsor Palace Hotel, which sits fairly unassumingly on the Corniche, overlooking the Alexandria Bay.

The hotel was a beautiful example of classical 1920s architecture, with a large sitting room off of the lobby housing a piano, exquisitely upholstered couches and frescoes on the ceiling. The lobby opened into a large winding, carpeted staircase which encompassed an open elevator shaft where two dark-wood cars climbed up and down with the help of a visible dumbwaiter system. John (my roommate) and I checked into our $115/night room which had a little balcony with a view of the bay.

Friday night, we walked and walked to find a suitable restaurant (which really wasn't all that hard, but we took a poor route and spent a lot of time waiting for a giant group to form). After a while, four of us just wound up at a place called the Grand Cafe which had mediocre food and very good ice cream. After we ate, we headed up to a classmate's room (he got a gigantic single with two balconies) and a good number of us hung out there for the night.

Saturday was an incredibly relaxing day at the beach. We started it out at the rooftop cafe of the hotel, which gave a whole new meaning to the term "Continental breakfast," what with pastries, eggs, potatoes, beans, six different fruit and veggie salads, etc. We then made our way to Mamurah, to a private beach resort where everyone swam in the Mediterranean, laid under the big umbrellas, played soccer on the beach and just enjoyed themselves (tough life, eh?). The price of the beach for the day (11am-7pm), including lunch, was 120 L.E., about $22 per person. Despite applying lotion three times (SPF 60, no less) I did get some color on my shoulders and scalp, but have yet to actually be sunburned in Egypt, knock on wood.

By the time we got back to the hotel, most people were pretty exhausted- is there an actual physiological reason that the sun and outdoors makes you tired? I was so tired, I forewent dinner and fell asleep at about 8:30. I slept until 7am. After another incredible "Continental breakfast," we checked out of the hotel, sadly, and hopped on the bus for some sightseeing. We went first to the catacombs, which were discovered in 1900 when a donkey fell through the ground into the hole that made up the well in the middle of the tombs. While the tombs were historically interesting (they dated to the 2nd century), there were no actual remains left and compared to the vastness that were the Parisian catacombs, they lacked a bit.

Next, we went to the new Alexandria library, built in 2000 (I think). The ancient library in Alexandria was the foremost of academia in its day, but was destroyed in two fires, with all of its texts, save one- which now sits in Austria, for some reason. The new library isn't actually even on the site of the old library, but it is a pretty amazing library with amazing state-of-the-art technology- the coolest of which is a machine which will, for a particular price, copy an entire book from the library's archives and bind it for you. We spent some time on a tour of the library and then wandered around the archives for a bit. Then it was off to lunch- which for most, sadly, was McDonald's. Come on, people. I walked across the street to a pizza/sandwich place with a couple friends where we watched a guy flipping dough to make stuffed pies and cook them in a big stone oven. Take that, Ronald!

Finally, we drove to Quait Bay, a fort set on the site of the Alexandria Lighthouse (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). Here, we walked through a short tour of the fort and saw some of the great architecture before we headed out to the outer walls which the Mediterranean waves smash up against. The sky was an amazingly brilliant blue and it was picture time- speaking of which, I've updated all my photos to the Alexandria folder. If the old link doesn't work, let me know. I'm also putting some others in the old Cairo folder.

We hopped back on the bus after Quait Bay and ended our Alexandria excursion. All in all, the city itself is similar to Cairo (though less crowded). It's still not the cleanest city in the world and the food, while different, isn't the best in the world. However, the waterfront in Alexandria is absolutely gorgeous, helped by the fact that the weather is perfect every day. It never rains and the heat is better than in Cairo, with a soft little breeze to move through the palm trees. While the historical sites weren't as stressed on the trip as other Egyptian history is, having a day to just sit around at the beach and goof off was nice (despite all the writing I do about Egypt's culture, etc. and sites I've seen, and despite my Dad's last comment, we do actually get quite a bit of reading to do for classes).

A City of Surprises

So today was quite a day. This morning we got up early and headed to Al Azhar Mosque, the oldest Muslim university. We were met by an expert on the Mosque's history who gave us background on the architecture and studies from the 13th century on. We walked in (took off our shoes of course) and through a stone corridor into a large open square with brilliant white marble floor, beautiful arches all around and two tall minarets reaching into the bright blue sky. Young men, and some women, sat here and there, studying, memorizing, praying. It's finals time right now for Egyptian students. We next made our way into the main teaching and prayer room of the Mosque, a long room with red carpet, stone pillars and young men sitting and studying. It was peaceful inside and, despite some stares from those who wondered who this large group was and why they were taking pictures of a study session, we were well welcomed.

After a normal day of classes, we all got dressed up for our first official program dinner. We went to Al Azhar Park, and it was absolutely amazing. The park was actually built by a religious group over a landfill that had become an eyesore in the city. Now waterfalls and shallow pools run through beautifully lush garden lined with palm trees. The restaurant sits at the top of a hill overlooking the park and we watched the sunset to one side over the city and looked out to another side and saw the Citadel- Salahadin's great fortress- looming over the city nearby. The food was great and after the sun went down, the park lit up (but just a bit, leaving a feeling of mystery and self-reflection to the night). The call to prayer could be heard from all directions- each mosque has its own muezzin who does the call.

Later, a few of us walked through Khan Al Khalili (the famous bazaar) again. It's different at night, especially on a Thursday night. Friday, in Islam, is the holiest day of the week and the midday prayer on Friday is very important. Therefore, the weekend here starts on Thursday night and the week starts Sunday morning. That means everyone's out late on Thursday and the bazaar is packed with families and merchants well passed 11:00. We walked around and were goaded into this shop and that. It was nice to be in a smaller group and be there at a time when most tourists weren't.

When the sun goes down in Cairo, the temperature is perfect. It's warm, but not hot, and a soft breeze usually blows in to keep things cool. I never would have expected the lush vegetation that hangs in the park or in other parts of the city, the contrast of that green to the city's old browns and grays makes it stand out brightly. The people here, as I've mentioned before, are incredibly friendly- rarely does a day go by where I don't get a "welcome" while walking down the street. A smile goes a long way here to start off an interaction and people usually reciprocate with a huge smile, usually a wave, sometimes a "hello"- I've run into no anti-American sentiment; though I'm sure it exists here and there, people are always excited to hear I'm from America and try to find some family connection to the states (usually it's pretty distant). Also, family is very important here and it's very evident when you walk around the parks and the bazaar on a Thursday and everyone is out with their children. This city has surprised me in many ways and, despite my talk of its dirty streets, terrible pollution, rampant poverty and sub-standard food, there are so many redeeming things (and even the not-so-great stuff you get used to) that have made this a great city to try out for a while.

I Want My Babyback Babyback Babyback

Just a couple things on Westernized Cairo. I'm not really sure what the general idea of Cairo (or Egypt in general) is as far as "modernization." However, I figured, as we were at Chili's last night for a classmate's birthday, that most people would be surprised how familiar much of Cairo's businesses are. (I'm also writing this while sitting in the square on campus using the school's wireless internet network)

After class yesterday, a few of us got a ride from Sherif, the AUC liaison to our program, to the mall in New Cairo. I swear this mall is exactly the same, if not nicer, than any mall I've been to in the US- by the way, I hate the mall in every country. One of my classmates was looking for a decent, cheap, digital camera and, though she didn't find one she wanted, we did get some delicious ice cream (I went with mango and strawberry). We got a cab (read: death trap) back to Zamalek. We then met up with some other people at Chili's for dinner (don't worry, I do spend time studying).

Across from the Sphynx is a Pizza Hut and a KFC, sorry to ruin that for you. Both of the restaurants are all over the place, as is Hardee's and of course, McDonald's which sports the McArabia sandwich (seriously). Besides these things, Western dress is pretty much typical, as I said in earlier post, and wouldn't be hard to get around without knowing absolutely no Arabic words at all.

Also, there are a couple different coffee shop chains in Cairo that are probably nicer than Starbucks, albeit, usually smaller.

I wasn't sure exactly how "backwards" people though Cairo was, and it does have its inefficiencies and oddities (it's pretty dirty here and cleanliness with food is no exception). But Cairo is also a major city in the world and as such has many amenities most people (including me, to an extent) don't expect.


p.s. Turkish coffee is delicious.

Who Ruined The Pyramids?

So yesterday was the big day- pyramid day. But before that, let's go back to Friday. We all met in the morning for a bus tour with Dr. John Swanson, Egyptologist Extraordinaire, to see the city of Cairo on a broader scale. Once we started out, an hour early mind you because of runs to Costa Coffee, we made for Cairo's ring road. The highway encircles the entire city of Cairo and we were able to see the city, with the invaluable commentary of Dr. Swanson, in a very large and historical scope.

To say that the outskirts of Cairo are poor would be an unethical understatement. The city's 19+ million population is expanding rapidly and the city is constantly swelling outwards. Because of this move, the poorest of the city have been pushed to living in slums in the city's outer ring- which has now begun to break one of Dr. Swanson's general rules of urban Cairo and build "housing" on incredibly fertile farmland. The people who live in these areas make about $200-300 per year and live in unthinkably deplorable conditions. This is about 10% or 1.7-2m people. Because of this extreme poverty, and because of the fact that I landed in Egypt with about $900 cash, I don't feel all that annoyed when I'm asked to pay and extra 2 or 3 Egyptian Pounds (L.E.) for things. I think I can afford the $.20.

We saw a lot of Cairo on this bus trip, eventually making our way up to the cliffs that overlook the Nile river valley and the city. Cairo's wealthiest people, another 10% of the city's population, have made their way out to these cliffs beyond the outskirt slums and begun to build beautiful communities there. We also drove through the "city of the dead," or the neighborhood near the cemeteries, Old Islamic Cairo, medieval Cairo and downtown Cairo, initially set up to imitate the Champs d'Elysees in Paris. The majority of Cairo is very poor and polluted by American standards, some of it is very beautiful and amazing. Generally, the people are incredibly friendly. The tour was a great tool to get to know where the city has been and why it is who it is today.

The Rock Piles

Yesterday was our trip to Giza and Sakara. We made our way by bus (with a terrible tour guide who may or may not have known things about the pyramids, but definitely couldn't convey it well in English) first to the Giza pyramids (about a 20-30 min. drive from the dorms). The great pyramids actually aren't at Giza. At one time, they were about 15 miles from Cairo- to get to them, you'd have to use the outer village of Cairo, called Giza, as a jumping off point. However, now the city has expanded so far that it surrounds the pyramids on almost all sides. Despite the surroundings, the monuments are impressive. The structures stand tall (there's three pyramids there) and the stones from which they're built are massive unto themselves. We walked into the mid-sized pyramid, which is really more of a crawl down a long shaft (which smells like Egypt's armpit) and then up another shaft, and eventually into the burial chamber which is a large room with a small tomb. A man stood inside, pretending to work there and direct traffic in and out of the room, he was really just there to take tips by taking pictures for people.


We wandered around the pyramids for a bit. Not a lot of shade there. And we told countless people we didn't want camel rides (secretly I did, but I didn't want to get hosed on the price). Even more people are there selling bottled water (a necessity- though if you didn't bring your own, you're dumb), head scarves and souvenirs. All of these things suck and aren't worth the price and the people get pretty pushy. I finally resorted to speaking the few Irish Gaelic phrases I knew when people tried to sell stuff to me, knowing there's no way they'd be know that language- it worked pretty well and threw people off their game.


We next made our way to the Sphynx, which sits behind a small labyrinth of stone pillars. I found this to be the most impressive of the monuments, as the sculpting is absolutely exquisite. To think that such work lasted so long, except that whole nose incident, kind of floors you. However, these people hawking their wares were even more pushy than at the pyramids! It would have been nice to get 5 minutes just to stand and look at the sculpture without 10 kids crowding around me trying to sell me useless bookmarks and overprices postcards. It's hard to
balance the knowledge that these people are incredibly poor with the fact that you just want to enjoy the history of the sites, but at the time, it's just so distracting. I did, however, talk to a little girl who was selling bookmarks. She was 7 and her name was Dina. She told me, in very good English, that she likes school and learns English and Math there. I paid her a little to take her picture and it reminded me of the kids I used to work with back home and how good a life they have, and I had growing up, in comparison to children in almost all other parts of the world. Yet she was still a sweet little girl, happy and funny- it'll take me a long time to figure this world out.



We finally made our way- after a short lunch and trip to a small museum dedicated to Imhotep, the ancient architect- to Sakkara, the site of the oldest pyramids. The step pyramids at Sakkara sit behind an elaborate hallway of large columns, the residence of many stray dogs. By the time we got there, we were all exhausted and the sun was blazing hot. There is no shade at the ruins and we stumbled slowly around, taking pictures and missing air conditioning. The beautiful part of Sakkara is the view out to the desert, where you look and see a few other pyramids in the distance, the great pyramids the other way, and vast fields of sand in between. However, the beauty was a bit lost on me, due to the heat. I got some good photos and hopped back on the bus.

Last night was not all that interesting. Long nap after the trip and drinks and sisha (don't worry, that's just the name for the Egyptian tobacco pipes everyone- and I mean everyone- smokes here; aka hookah) with some people in the program. Today should be an uneventful day of studying.


My old link for snapfish should work for my new photos. If it doesn't, email me and let me know. I got a lot of the group in the last couple days. Peace

A Short One

So there's not much of a point to go through a day-by-day for the latter half of this week. I've been reading a lot, going to class, hanging out in coffee shops near campus, drinking as much bottled water as I can and eating at suspect restaurants.

However, a few things:

Tonight we moved from the Victoria Hotel near downtown Cairo (the hardware district of the city) to the AUC dorm on Zamalek (a tiny island in the Nile) which is nice, homier and in a bit of a more upscale neighborhood- we have a Cinnabon!

Tomorrow is a bus tour of the city with John Swanson, an amazingly brilliant Egyptologist who will show us the entire city and it's scope when we get out of the valley and look down on everything.

Saturday is the pyramids, Sphynx, Memphis and Sakaara.

I'm getting a few of the common phrases down (Egyptians use a lot of their own phrases outside of typical Arabic).

I've become really cheap. I spend a lot of time arguing with taxi drivers (before I get in) over 5 and 7 Egyptian Pounds (the difference between a little under $1 and $1.20).

Guys who ride on bicycles with about 100 pitas on a board balanced on their heads are amazing and if I don't see one wipe out in the crazy Cairo traffic before I leave here, I'll be very upset.

That is all. More to come.

Photos II

Below is a link to my updated snapfish account. I've got my last pictures from Paris and Marseille (I don't think there's anything new in the Marseille album). Also, I've got a few pictures from Cairo up, but haven't taken very many so far because I've been spending a lot of time in orientation or class. What I do have up is from Khan-al-Khalili, the famous large bazaar of Cairo. Enjoy

http://www1.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=6221212413013235/l=382049857/g=91561454/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/pns/share/p=6221212413013235/l=382049857/g=91561454/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Falafel? OK, You Sit!

So we finished up our two day orientation both to AUC, our program and Egypt in general. AUC has three "campuses" but they're all so close to each other that they're pretty much one campus spread 0ut over a few blocks. The Greek Campus, which is where I'm sitting right now, is beautiful (though AUC is in the process of moving from this location to the outskirts of the city where the rich Cairenes are building new communities). The vegetation is plush with palm trees and lots of green space which is nice for shade at midday. By the way, the heat isn't too bad unless you're in a sunny area at midday- otherwise it's definitely hot, but sometimes more bearable than a humid day in Chicago. People are young and friendly on campus and it definitely has the feeling of a real academics (and seems a lot like a hotter US).

We were given a long, incredibly interesting and incredibly boring lecture by the Associate Provost (an American who has been here for about 30 yrs. and is one of the utmost scholars on Egypt) about recent Egyptian history and the issues that have shaped the current country. It did a lot to explain how a country with such an amazing history and such promise has become so impoverished, overcrowded and undereducated.

I also had a day of classes today. International Human Right Law is a mix of reading articles on a plethora of human rights issues, United Nations and other governing bodies' works, IMF, etc. work and discussion in the context of our background in American law. It should be really engaging and will focus on globalization and its pros and cons toward human rights issues. Islamic Jurisprudence will be incredibly interesting as it looks at how Islamic jurists have interpreted the laws set forth by Muhammad in the Qur'an and how those interpretations differ and shape the Muslim and non-Muslim world. Interestingly (for those law-minded of my readers) Islamic law is based on private individual interpretations of the Qur'anic laws as opposed to State legislated laws, as there is no authority in Islam besides God and Muhammad- therefore it's like American courts using the Restatements as their bases rather than the legislated laws, since the legislators would have no authority over the Qur'an.

Dinner

So last night, a small group of us stopped studying for a bit and headed out for some food. We wandered a bit and into a couple restaurants, some of which didn't have English menus. In Cairo, as in Paris's Latin Quarter, the restaurant owners all stand outside and goad you into their businesses- oftentimes by having an employee run and set up tables and chairs when they see you coming. We finally settled on a place with outside seating and asked if he had food- he told us "falafel? OK, you sit!" We sat. He then told us it was a coffee shop and he didn't serve food and bade us to wait. A minute later he came running from down the block with the menu from the restaurant we'd been the night before. Shortly thereafter, the waiter from that restaurant came down with the owner and told us if we wanted to sit inside, he'd save our table at the coffee shop. It was weird. We went. I once again had a bowl of lentil soup with hummus and pita which once again ran me 9.50 Egyptian Pounds (a little under $2). The marketplace in Cairo is, needless to say, a lot different than in the States. In some ways, it's much freer and more fun.


A Note on American Misconceptions of Cairo

People here don't all dress differently than in the US. On campus, it pretty much looks like the US, though many of the women do keep their heads covered. In the streets, most young people dress like American youth and the men dress similarly. I have seen some women in full burkahs, others cover their heads with scarves, some don't. Women often walk together or alone without a male companion.

The people of Cairo are incredibly friendly. They don't hate Americans, though some probably do, as some Americans probably hate Egyptians. I get a lot of "hellos" and a lot of "welcomes" while walking down the street and a smile goes a long way to making friendly encounter.

Cairo is not the desert. It's hot, no doubt, and it's definitely dirty and polluted. However, there are plenty of trees (palm and otherwise) and plenty of grass. The desert is close-by, but the city, for the most part is not in it.

I haven't seen a camel yet. I have seen a number of donkeys pulling carts. I have also seen a good number of men on bikes with gigantic boards with upwards of 100 pitas on them.

There's a toilet and toilet-paper in every bathroom so far.

I think that's all I've got so far. If you have any other questions about Cairo, let me know.

Cairo- First Couple Days

Cairo, It’s Loud and Busy

First off, I have to say that a Boeing 777 is a comfy plane. We flew from Amsterdam to Cairo fairly easily (despite about 11 children who cried the entire time) and landed at 2:20am Cairo time (GMT +2). When we got into the terminal I looked around for a sign from the guy who was picking me up- no dice. Eventually I ran into three other people who looked equally lost and all turned out to be from my program. Our merry band made its way through the passport line and picked up our luggage after calling our program director and being assured our ride was waiting for us somewhere out there. Finally, we linked up with our driver and a few other program mates and headed off toward the hotel.

Cairo defies your first stereotypes. It isn’t all sand and desert. It isn’t all poor. It is pretty typical as far as the highway system, the stores and foliage. It is quite dirty and a little rundown in most places- it’s a poor city in a poor country. We finally got to our hotel and checked in by about 4am- the Victoria hotel is an old style British hotel with high ceilings, large armoires made of dark wood and old “lifts.” As we made our way inside we heard the first call to prayer. It’s early and loud- starting with a low rumbling voice and eventually calling out to the whole city in treble tones. I made a quick call home and crashed on my semi-OK bed.

I woke the next morning to the sounds of a loud city. I looked out my window and saw Cairo for the first time. There’s not one person in Cairo who drives without his hand on the horn- there are no lanes on most of the streets, they just kind of drift where they may- and they don’t stop or slow down for people to cross the street (think a real life Frogger). I found another program mate and we decided to just wander about for while. We walked outside and wandered the streets, people staring at her a bit with her long hair uncovered and some saying “hello” and “welcome to Egypt.” We quickly dubbed our area “Mechanictown” since every shop sells some sort of hardware, appliance or machine part. We walked through an open fruit market as the midday call to prayer sounded and men knelt down on mats in the street to stop and pray for a bit- their dedication to their faith is incredible.

Khan-al-Khalili- Social Anxiety Disorder Sufferers Beware

We met up with some other folks from our program who were headed out to Khan-al-Khalili, the famous open market/bazaar. I experienced my first Cairene taxi ride which is easy and deathly frightening at the same time (we haggled our price before we got in). Brian, our director’s assistant, was a student in the program two years ago and was able to give us some good tips as we walked through the market. As soon as we got there, we were bombarded. Anything you could possibly want to buy, and many things you wouldn’t, you can find at the Khan; from spices, to jewelry, to silk scarves, perfumed, tobacco, toys or knock-off watches. You’re constantly goaded by the shop owners “please sir, I show you the second Egyptian museum,” “little shop, big price, how can I take your money?,” “Amerikah, where from?” It certainly is a noisy, crowded, hot, amazing barrage on the senses. But it’s Cairo, you tell yourself, and this is what I’m here for, and you press on. Step after step is an adventure and is exhausting as you politely, then forcefully tell them you’re not interested. We left the Khan after a walk through (about 45 minutes) and found (another) pizza place near our future home on Zamalek Island (in Cairo, middle of the Nile).

We ended the day as a group (about 30 or so of us were in the city by that point) at a nice restaurant on Zamalek. We sat on a deck alongside the Nile as the sun went down and the breeze came in. While dirty, poor and loud, this place can also be absolutely gorgeous, when the sun hits the water and the temperature goes from the mid-90s to the mid-70s and the breeze sways the palm leaves. We drank Egyptian beer (Budweiser-esque) and paid a little under $20 for a big, great meal at Sequoia, the place to be seen in Cairo.

School? Really?

Saturday was spent, for the most part at American University Cairo campus, in orientation. The campus is pretty, the main building is a large white open building with large columns and a plush courtyard where students sit and study. We went over, mainly, the way the program would work and what we should expect from our time in Cairo. I also signed up to teach English to Iraqi and Sudanese refugees twice a week which I’m excited and nervous about. Tonight a small group made our way into the neighborhood and, after telling an impromptu tour guide we wouldn’t pay for his services, found a coffee shop where we sat and sipped Egyptian coffee- small espresso cups full of unfiltered coffee which tastes like thick strong chocolately sludge. It’s actually some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Finally, a large group (too large) wound up at a local restaurant where I had hummus and pita and lentil soup and (bottled) water for a little under the equivalent of $2. Cairo should be good on the wallet. I’m in my room now as I prepare for another day of orientation, studying and lamenting the fact that my computer’s wireless card is broken.

A Couple More Days in France

Your Head Bones Connected to Somebody Else's Bone...

It's been a couple of days. I'll start with Tuesday. We'd wanted to do Versailles, since it was closed Monday, but the weather had (accurately) predicted rain again, so we decided not to chance it. Instead, we hopped on the RER (one of the metro lines) and headed to Denfert-Rochereau to see the catacombs. Coming out of the station, it was interesting to see how different, in only a few stops, things could be. The catacombs are in Paris, but it's a much less busy part of the city, more residential. After wandering a bit, we found the catacombs and the impressively (depressingly) long line we'd have to wait in to get into them. We stood in a line that (incredibly) slowly moved its way around the block and into the ancient tombs- it only took about 17 hrs. to get there- and paid our 7 euro to make our way down to see the dead.

The hallways to the catacombs are deep underground- the French, besides having perfected the baguette, not working and making out in public, have also perfected the incredibly long winding staircase- and the wind around, old bricks over dirt floors. We walked and walked until we found the grisly scene: bones, simply stacked, about 5-6 ft. tall creating thick walls in many rooms. Apparently, Parisian churches originally had their own cemeteries, but as the city expanded and disease and space became a problem, they moved all of those dead to the quarries and eventually underground to these catacombs. However, the bones weren't laid out by person, because there were so many bodies, but were stacked, according to type of bone, creating high heavy walls with skulls sitting in the center. It was a dark part of the city's history that wasn't as gruesome as it seemed at first, but gave a very tangible link to the people who had once lived here and their customs regarding burial. Unfortunately, that appreciation was cut short by a couple of annoying tourist who kept taking inappropriate pictures (a pile of human remains is not the right place to take the thumbs-up-with-something-famous-in-the-background picture) and constantly touching the bones. I was happy these tourists were not American.

We spent the rest of the day walking and then sitting in a cafe, per usual Paris, talking, waiting for Casey to come home from work. When she did, we went to the grocery store and picked up stuff for dinner. Casey made a rather delicious leek quiche and we sat around and ate and played cards for a while. Afterward, we walked over to what might possibly have been the noisiest bar on the face of the planet. The three of us stayed for a couple hours just doing more catching up and discussing this and that. It's been so nice to get to simply talk with family and realize more and more how cool these people are.


Jewish Falafel in France, It's Good

On Wednesdays, since Casey lives in Paris, she doesn't have to work. Clearly. Sean and I started the day by going to a pastry shop and getting some amazing tarts. We then decided that we hadn't done enough walking, so our goal for the day became making (I think) making the American soldiers' walk at Bataan seem like an after-dinner constitutional. We first walked over to Rue Rivoli, a typically commercial Parisian street, because I was hoping to find some light pants for my trip to Cairo (jeans might suck). However, after two strikes on account of they don't do length/width of pants, but S,M,L,XL and I'm too short for French pants, we gave up on that. We walked around the Mare, the gay district of Paris, which houses some streets that are quintessential Paris (small shops, ivy on the buildings, cobblestone streets) and just walked and walked. At one point, we stopped at a park and sat for a good long while. Since no one works here, everyone is able to sit at the park and, apparently, practically make a new French person right in front of you. One couple sat and made out at a bench opposite us for a good 40 minutes. It got intense. I almost felt obligated to inform them that I shouldn't be watching, as I haven't paid the money for a Cinemax subscription, but instead we just averted our attention.

We had an early dinner at a falafel place in the Jewish section of town that Casey has been raving about this whole time. She was right. It was a tiny little restaurant and the food was simple and quick, but it was pretty amazing. We headed back, stomachs full and happy. After a stop at Shakespeare & Co., the famous bookstore, we grabbed another coffee at a cafe and made a pit stop back at the apartment. Oh, and I bought a really great hat on the way home to keep the angry Egyptian sun (Ra?) off my face.

Last night, we met up with Mina, an old family friend of Casey's who grew up in Southern France, amongst other places, and is doing an internship in Paris. We hadn't met before, but I'd heard so much about her from Casey, Paul and Jill that it was nice to finally be introduced. Mina brought a friend, Alice (sp.) who brought a friend whose name escapes me now, both of whom just wanted the opportunity to speak English with native speakers with American accents. We all sat around and talked, sometimes awkwardly, due to the language barrier, and had a good time just explaining what we all do in our lives and our new French connection.

Finally, last night, Sean and I made our way to the Eiffel Tower. With wine and cheese in our bag and baguette in hand we boarded the RER, only to have it stop two stops later and make us all get off. We were told by some other passengers the next train would come in 20 minutes. No explanation was given as to why we had to get off the original train. If it made sense, it wouldn't be France. We decided to walk it. It took us about 25 minutes, but we made it to the tower, a brightly-lighted, simply amazing structure. Sure, everyone knows what the tower looks like, but the size in person is just awe-inspiring. We crossed the Seine and walked up the stairs of Trocadero for a good view. We sat on a ledge, opened our wine, dipped our baguette into cheese and watched as the tower sparkled, as it does for 10 minutes on every hour at night. We sat for a long time, just eating and drinking and discussing how awesome we are. In just over a year, we've now seen Dublin, Doonbeg (the town of our ancestors), hiked through Killarney National Forest, seen countless other small Irish towns and cities, the Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Lysees, Arch de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Mediterranean, drank great coffee, eaten great cheese and bread, and done so many other things most people don't get to do in a lifetime. This travel idea of ours hasn't been too shabby.

This morning Casey woke me up to say goodbye on her way to work. It has been amazing to get to spend time with her again and catch up- though it seems as though time hasn't passed when you see family. It's the morning of my last day and I only have a couple of hours before I need to start packing and heading to the airport. I'm gonna go take a shower.

Pictures #1

I hope this works. These are pictures from Marseille.

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=226934550/a=91561454/t_=91561454

And these are from Paris (minus what I shot yesterday).

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=226934551/a=91561454/t_=91561454

Eventually I'll actually put captions to these photos so people know what they are. For now, just know that the stuff was old and probably pretty cool.

We Walk A Lot

The plan for Monday was the Palace at Versailles. Sean and I got up and slowly got ourselves ready to take off for the day. We followed Casey's detailed instructions and found our way to the information desk at the RER C train station who told us we needed to go to another window who told us that Versailles is closed on Mondays. Ouch.

Slightly defeated, we decided that pizza would cheer us up. It did. We realized, as we ate our thin crusted deliciousness, that we'd had only one or two truly French meals this whole trip. The French actually eat a lot of Italian food (and they do Italian pretty well), so we've really been living on that more than anything. We continued to plot out our day.

After pizza we headed to Notre Dame. Surprisingly, the line to get into the church wasn't too long and moved pretty quickly. Those who have been inside this building will know that a blog entry description isn't quite adequate and those who haven't been should go. Suffice it to say it was easily one of the most impressively built things I've ever witnessed in person. The ornate and intricate detail is simply stunning and the sheer size of the building immediately instills a sense of deep reverence and reminds you how small you really are. We waited in line to go to the top for a bit, but, unfortunately, that line was long and didn't move quickly. Having seen the city from up high already at the Arch de Triomphe, we decided to see some other things and maybe come back to climb the stairs.

Next we searched for the Church of Saint Chappelle, a building whose stained-glass windows I was told by John and Laura Patterson were absolutely stunning. We walked for quite a while, as we didn't see the church on the map but I was told, roughly where it was. After about 25 minutes we found it and were surprised that what we thought was a little-known gem actually took longer to get into than Notre Dame. We passed- perhaps we'll go back earlier in the morning.

Finally, we made our way to Luxembourg Gardens. This royal backyard is a beautifully manicured and well-used green space in the city. Statues stand watch over meticulously handled landscaping and Parisians sit about, reading, talking and, of course, making out. We walked a bit, snapping photos and then stumbled across some old men playing Patanque, a French game that's almost the exact same as bocce ball. It was nice to sit for a while and just watch the way the older men (and some young ones) use their ample free time in Paris. On our way back to Casey's apartment we stopped and sat a while at a cafe. Paris has a wonderful cafe culture where one can sit for hours with a tiny cup of coffee and just stare out as the city goes by. Sometimes it's nice not to be rushed.

We took Casey out for Mexican, which is what she'd been craving. Let me tell ya, Parisians clearly don't take many trips to Mexico. After munching on some guacamole and off-brand Dorito's, Sean ate a tamale, and Casey and I both dined on a quesadilla smothered in imitation nacho cheese. Nice try, France.

We finished our day with a trip to "le cinema" where the French infatuation with inefficiency became all too clear. After a trip up the escalator and then back down to buy tickets from a well-hidden window, we made our way back upstairs to wait in the biggest poorly-formed line ever. This crowd wasn't moving anywhere, oh no, we all had to stand until 8:05p (our actual movie time) anxiously awaiting what, for everyone else, would be Harrison Ford kicking Soviet ass and chasing South American alien treasure in French subtitles. After the ropes came up and the crowd pressed its way into the theater, the Frenchies took all the seats (TO A MOVIE THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND) and 25 or so people were left scrambling for a viewing spot. The three of us finally had to split up and enjoy the corny fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series by ourselves. While France is a beautiful country, they literally are the most inefficient people I think I've ever seen, which, I believe is why Casey straight-up hates everyone who lives in France besides St. Julien d'le Tracteur.

Sean and I are planning our attack on Tuesday as I write this. It's raining so Versaille's out again. More to come (and photos when I actually take the time to get the up).

Marseille

It’s O.K., We’ll Just Sit with the Luggage

So apparently the French don’t work. Ever. We left for Marseille on Thursday evening and got to the train station a little early. After a little panic at not seeing our train on the board, we were told that due to a strike, our train was cancelled. We could get on the earlier train, but didn’t have seats. It was a good hour sitting on the luggage racks before we actually got seats. However, once we actually got a seat, the scenery of the French countryside was really beautiful. Oh, and I ate a baguette sandwich with some suspect brie. Surprisingly, I turned out O.K.

Julien Lacroix, the Saint and his Tractor

Julien Lacroix is a friend of a friend. He’s a Marseillaise who studied abroad at Loyola and lived with my buddy Erik. While in Chicago, Julien and I met a few times and I when I knew I was going to Marseille, I asked him of some good places to see. He immediately became our tour guide. He “collected” us at the train station in his “tractor,” a tiny gray machine (it’s a car) that rattled when it idled and whizzed down tiny streets at an alarming speed. We drove through dark city streets in what looked like a typical, working class city until we got to our hotel. It was closed. We were told by another guest that no one at the hotel works after 8pm and we were pretty much screwed. It was then that Julien got on the phone and made our arrangements. We could stay at his parents’ house, but they spoke no English.

We made the 15 minute trip to his parents' house where they welcomed us in with, literally, open arms. They insisted we eat and gave us a salad of tomatoes, onions, green peppers and vinegar & oil; baguette; cheese and mousse in a plastic cup that was better than any I’d ever eaten before. We slept on mattresses on Julien’s floor. In the morning, we woke to a breakfast of French toast (made with baguette and sugar, instead of syrup) which is called “lost bread,” cereal, coffee and toast with jam. We took showers and made our way out for the day. These people might have been the nicest I’ve ever met.

On Friday, we toured the city with our new tour guide, after checking into our hotel and getting diesel in the tractor- something Julien wasn’t sure we could do, since there was a strike on gas. We first made our way to “the Palace,” a giant sculptured fountain built into a hill and surrounded by lush fields of grass and palm trees. It stood tall over the tiny city streets and pastel houses roofed with red terra cotta. As we looked out from the top of the fountain, we saw the city, the mountains surrounding it and the beautiful blue Mediterranean. Behind the fountain hides a lavishly green park- not what you normally hear about “dirty Marseille.”

Next we made our way to lunch on the Corniche, a road that follows the steep cliffs next to the Mediterranean where the rich houses sit. We sat in front of a beach and the bluest water I’ve ever seen, eating crepes and drinking wine. No lunch should be less than that.

Our tour continued as we wound up the giant hill to see Notre Dame de le Garde, the church which sits on the highest point in Marseille and which houses Bonne Mere, a statue of the Virgin Mary which the Marseillaise say watches over the city. The old church was gorgeous and showcased an amazing view of the entire city. Inside are intricate stained-glass windows which allow colorful light to seep in onto delicately laid mosaic flooring. On one outer wall of the church are huge bullet holes from the American effort to oust the Germans from the city. The holes still stand as a visible reminder of the city’s history and sit deep within the wall, as if the bullets were at least 20 calibers fired from large guns at the bottom of the hill.

Our final destination was the Old Port, a part of Marseille originally founded by Greek sailors as an economic port before the time of Christ. Large buildings loom over a small port with tall masts in long rows. This where the heart of Marseille is, with tiny shops, cafes and brasseries strung along narrow side streets, all with a link to the city’s maritime past. We sat and had a coffee at a café and made our way back to the hotel and parted ways with our amazing tour guide.

For dinner, we decided to save some money and head to the grocery store. On our tiny stove in our room, I cooked up some pasta with a sauce of oil, white wine, sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. We also had some baguette, obviously, and lots and lots of wine. We sat around all night drinking, talking and laughing. It was a great end to the evening. Little did I anticipate the horror to come.

Look, the Calanques!

Saturday came with a headache and a queasy feeling. I found the wrath of the French love of wine. Casey had hit the hay pretty early so was her usual chipper self. Sean, ever the level-headed one, had made sure to drink plenty of water with his wine (and beer). I, on the other hand, woke up with a not so great feeling all about me. However, we had a big day planned and a showered up, rested a bit and then we headed down to the Old Port. We found a ship headed for the Calanques, a series of giant cliffs along the coastline which have been formed by thousands of years of a rough ocean. Before boarding we were told, as it translates, “it’s windy, the sea is agitated.” Oh well, we said, you’re only here once, and we climbed aboard. Bad call.

The trip through the port was nice and calm, we watched the city fade into the distance and saw the island which houses the Count of Monte Cristo’s prison. However, about 25 minutes into our 3.5 hour journey, the sea was indeed agitated. As the giant waves began to rock the boat back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, I started to realize what a poor choice I’d made. I took a seat inside with the rest of sea-sick sailors and began my immediate and painful descent into nautical hell. About half of the passengers sat inside with me, all of them clutching white paper bags (and brown bags after the boat ran out of the standard, white puke bags) trading off between just looking miserable and paying their stomach’s due to Poseidon. It was incredibly awful. The boat rocked up and down, back and forth, and the passengers spewed their guts out all over the place and the captain got on the P.A. and said useless shit about the big cliffs that nobody cared about anymore in a language that not only confused, but by this point enraged me. It wasn’t until I fell asleep on the table in front of me that I got a little relief. Thank you, Casey, for the support and the puke bags. Thank you, my fellow passengers, for going through that with me and not judging.

We later walked the streets near the Old Port and found a tiny little pizzeria, Le Marmite, which was nice and cute, but due to my foul mood, was nothing special. The night finished off while watching EuroVision, a European song contest where 25 countries send a contestant and each of the 46 European countries votes via text message to decide the winner. After 2 hours of songs that make your little cousin’s garage band sound good, Europe took about an hour to tell us the Russia’s Enrique Iglesias, his violinist and the ice-dancer that accompanied them, reigned supreme. It was amazing.

Rain Makes for Rummy

Finally, today, we all woke up ready for the beach and nature said “no.” After checking out of our hotel, which was a great little place, we made our way through the light rain and chilly weather, to Le Kilt, a Scottish coffee bar/restaurant where we whiled away the next few hours talking, playing a long game of rummy, and eating the richest food ever. I ordered a salad, which came with fries and what was easily a half-pound of melted, fried Camembert sitting prominently in the center. Needless to say, I didn’t get through much of the cheese. After we finished, St. Julien picked us up and drove us to the train station. He mentioned over and over how much he appreciated us hanging out with him (this guy is unreal) and how it “made my day, you have this expression?” to spend time with Americans and get to speak English with us. He also told us how much his parents loved us, though only Casey could communicate with them and that we had stay in touch.

We rode the train back to Paris, uneventfully, as the strike has since been settled. After a couple pints in the local Irish pub, we grabbed some surprisingly great falafel sandwiches and walked home. It was a great weekend, sans Saturday, in a place which surprised all of us. While Marseille is a bit rough around the edges in its more residential areas, the seaside is beautifully Mediterranean and sits peacefully as a mirror of its Italian and Spanish neighbors. Definitely a great part of France, vastly different from Paris. Tomorrow brings new adventures.

France, the Land of Stereotypes

I'm here! I'm alive! Stop worrying!

So after a rocky beginning- our pilot trying to takeoff from the wrong runway and causing a near-collision at O'Hare- I'm in Paris. The commute was a relatively easy one, despite the portly fellow who took his seat next to me and the lion's share of mine as well. I made it to Paris at about 1:30p yesterday and the stereotypes began.

After getting out of the airport and changing some money, I found the train to the city pretty easily. I hopped on and we started a ride through a graffiti-tagged path and it wasn't 5 minutes before an accordion player was on the train, directly behind me, Frenching it up. That's right, an accordion player. Imagine riding through Paris on a train with accordion music playing in the background; it was a little ridiculous. I got a bit nervous when the train didn't stop for the first six or so stops and wondered if we were actually going to slow down at Saint Michael-Notre Dame enough for me to bail off. We did. I did get a mean look from a Parisian who wanted to sit where my 1,500 lb. bag had already taken up residence. I felt it fair, but she disagreed in an angry couple of sentences. I realized then how my dog always felt where you can't tell what the hell the person's saying but you're pretty sure it's nothing good.

I got off at Saint Michael and out of the wrong side of the station. The fountain Casey told "You can't miss" I missed. However, I asked someone on the street, she said a bunch of stuff in French and then finally pointed. I met up with Casey and Sean shortly thereafter.

Paris is old, cobblestone streets with lots of people making out and tons of bikers (bicycles, not Hell's Angels). It didn't take long to find someone eating a baguette, they literally eat them everywhere, just walking down the street munchin' on some bread. Sean also pointed out a beret and my stereotype list was pretty much complete. I'm still hoping for someone to shout out "Merde!!" to something I do or to see a mime, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

The bustle is great and the three of us went out in search of the perfect French restaurant. We walked and walked, Casey explaining why each place wasn't good enough, us amazed by that fact, since each one looked great. They really are just all little cafes with seating on the street and people looking out at everyone as they sip tiny coffees and eat crepes (which are delicious). We settled on an Italian restaurant and I had some very good, very fresh pesto; but don't worry Mom, it wasn't close to yours and they use pine nuts. We walked a bit and ducked into a pub for a local beer, which was fancy-named Budweiser. We talked for a while and just wandered, eventually making it to a creperie before calling it an early night.

Sean and I are about to get started on a day of walking about and sightseeing. We'll have a short day as our train to Marseilles leaves at 6:45p. We're totally screwed in the language department, but I guess we'll make-do.