Images in order: Fay in covering provided at a local Mosque, Bob taking a break at the Anglican Cathedral, Sheep(Goat?) on neighbouring roof top, Sunset over the Nile, Reception area Ramses Hilton - all in Cairo.
Our Bible Lands tour of Israel and Jordan has been completed and we are free in Cairo before the start of our tour of Egypt.
We are staying in downtown Cairo which is noisy, dusty, smelly, full of smog and hot even in winter – the locals reckon it’s unseasonably hot (worse in summer, I guess).
Unbelievable as it might seem there is an old flat roof two storey building visible from our room where a small flock of sheep including young ones are kept.
We have ventured out of the hotel and have more or less mastered the art of crossing the road. This doesn’t seem much but the traffic here is crazy, speed limits, lane markings and parking rules seem to mean nothing – somehow we have survived with help on occasions from policemen or by following the lead of locals.
We are very gullible but we are mastering the skill of saying “No” and ignoring touts (spruikers) – the hardest ones are the ones who befriend you and engage you in conversation and it only becomes clear after a time that there is this shop or these markets that we might just want to see…. The incessant horns of taxi drivers asking if we want a lift is very draining.
We have visited foot (not by taxi!):
• The Anglican cathedral and attended a mid week English language ecumenical service there,
• The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (deserves a separate blog see separate entry) and
• Some gardens (two Egyptian pound, about 50c, entry per person, thankyou) a bit like our Hyde Park but fenced off with topiary (fancy shaped clipped shrubs), with courting couples and families having picnics (it was Friday – their Sunday equivalent). There were families of boys playing soccer and girls playing hand clapping games just like in Australia.
We have taken a guided tour for two to old Cairo (only 1,000 years old!), an old Coptic church suspended over a Roman gate, a Coptic Museum and a Mosque. Egypt was evangelised in about 40AD so the Coptic church is very old.
It’s amazing to think that we are in the land where:
• Joseph, Mary and Jesus sheltered soon after Jesus birth
• Joseph ruled over Egypt under the Pharaoh and saved Egypt from 7 years of famine and
• Moses initiated the 10 plagues and led the Israelite exodus to the Promised Land.
And we have relaxed. We didn’t realise, until we slowed down, that concentrating on the words of the passionate guides all day has been demanding even though very valuable and informative.
Day 19 – 20th February 2010
Our Bible Lands tour of Israel and Jordan has been completed and we are free in Cairo before the start of our tour of Egypt.
We are staying in downtown Cairo which is noisy, dusty, smelly, full of smog and hot even in winter – the locals reckon it’s unseasonably hot (worse in summer, I guess).
Unbelievable as it might seem there is an old flat roof two storey building visible from our room where a small flock of sheep including young ones are kept.
We have ventured out of the hotel and have more or less mastered the art of crossing the road. This doesn’t seem much but the traffic here is crazy, speed limits, lane markings and parking rules seem to mean nothing – somehow we have survived with help on occasions from policemen or by following the lead of locals.
We are very gullible but we are mastering the skill of saying “No” and ignoring touts (spruikers) – the hardest ones are the ones who befriend you and engage you in conversation and it only becomes clear after a time that there is this shop or these markets that we might just want to see…. The incessant horns of taxi drivers asking if we want a lift is very draining.
We have visited foot (not by taxi!):
• The Anglican cathedral and attended a mid week English language ecumenical service there,
• The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (deserves a separate blog see separate entry) and
• Some gardens (two Egyptian pound, about 50c, entry per person, thankyou) a bit like our Hyde Park but fenced off with topiary (fancy shaped clipped shrubs), with courting couples and families having picnics (it was Friday – their Sunday equivalent). There were families of boys playing soccer and girls playing hand clapping games just like in Australia.
We have taken a guided tour for two to old Cairo (only 1,000 years old!), an old Coptic church suspended over a Roman gate, a Coptic Museum and a Mosque. Egypt was evangelised in about 40AD so the Coptic church is very old.
It’s amazing to think that we are in the land where:
• Joseph, Mary and Jesus sheltered soon after Jesus birth
• Joseph ruled over Egypt under the Pharaoh and saved Egypt from 7 years of famine and
• Moses initiated the 10 plagues and led the Israelite exodus to the Promised Land.
And we have relaxed. We didn’t realise, until we slowed down, that concentrating on the words of the passionate guides all day has been demanding even though very valuable and informative.
Day 19 – 20th February 2010
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