Early Reflections

As I sit in the Amtrak waiting room at New York's Penn Station, I have a little time to reflect on the trip as I got here a lot quicker than I thought I would.  The flight home was long but I timed my sleeping to closely match the east coast so it didn't feel like the flight dragged on.  I was the first one on my flight through Immigration (Thanks Global Entry!!) but not the first one whose luggage came out.  Things happened so quickly that I arrived here at 8:45 AM meaning I have 2:45 until my train to Wallingford.

I typically encourage anyone who has the opportunity to travel outside their home countries to do so.  You come to learn so much more about other people and cultures.  You get to experience new places and foods.  The most important thing though is to do it with an open mind and few expectations.  I went on this trip not expecting to see the Big 5 on safari (in fact, if you asked me I couldn't have told you what five animals those are).  I was fortunate that I was able to see them in their natural habitat.  I also didn't expect to be in awe of Victoria Falls or Cairo.  Both places were fascinating.  The Seychelles was more beautiful than I imagined.

There were a lot of experiences that I will treasure for the rest of my life.  Even being separated from my luggage for a few days couldn't dampen my excitement.  There are many fascinating places outside the United States that many people need to see.  The only place that I felt slightly unsafe was in Addis Ababa and that's because there were so many people hanging around the outside of the airport.

If you asked me the one thing that I remember the most, I'd have to say it was the unilateral friendliness of everyone I met.  I know I've said that a few times in this blog but it's the honest truth.  Many people, whether at the hotels or shops, would ask me where I was from and for how long.  Then when I was departing, they would not only wish me a safe journey but also when would I return.  It might be a slight nuance but gave me the indication that, contrary to popular opinion, Americans are welcome all over the world.

I don't think that I'll ever be able to adequately describe my experiences.  The pictures I've taken also don't do the locations justice.  You'll just have to go there to see for yourself.  If you have the opportunity, take it.  You will never regret it.  Get outside your comfort zone and experience new things...

The Loooooong Road Home

I'm back at the Johannesburg airport in the South African Airways lounge waiting for my flight to board in less than an hour.  About 17 hours from now, I'll be back on US soil.  About 24 hours from now, I should be back in Wallingford and home.

I was a little nervous taking this two week vacation.  Things are at a critical point at work and I wasn't to sure I could put it aside and enjoy myself here.  I have to say that I have hardly thought of work this week.  It's been the furthest thing from my mind.  With all the experiences that I've had while in Africa and the Middle East, I've been too busy processing them than thinking about what I'm going back to.  I will be heading to work to pick up my car and say hi to folks but won't be staying long.  I guess that's the benefit of basically suffering from a sleep deficit the entire trip.

I am looking forward to getting back home and tackling my project.  It's going to be 18 months of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (though hopefully little to none of the last).  I took this trip to refresh my body, mind, and soul and to center myself.  I believe that I have certainly done that.

I will be forever grateful to the people I have met and the friends I have made while away from home.  Everyone's been genuinely gracious, helpful, and kind.  To a person, they've all asked me when I'm coming back.  I could make annual birthday trips to Africa for years to come and still not get close to fully experiencing the continent.  That's something I'll have to think about...

Another Day to Remember

I'm back in Johannesburg relaxing before the flight back to the United States tonight.  I'm at the Hilton in Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg, and an easy train ride from the airport.

To say that yesterday was a day beyond my wildest dreams would be an understatement.  At the end of the previous blog post, I didn't mention where I was going because I didn't want people to be too concerned but let's just say that the Egyptians that I met and interacted with could not have been more friendly, genuine, interesting people.  The events at the Embassy in Cairo had no effect on my time in the city.

My day started off with an arrival into the Cairo airport.  After the chaos of the last few airports (even Dubai to a degree), Cairo was a pleasure.  Getting my visa on arrival consisted of paying $15 at a bank window and having a piece of paper slid over to me.  I took this to the Immigration counter where they affixed it to my passport and I was on my way very quickly.  I tried finding a cart for my bags but there wasn't one to be found.  My suitcase was the second one off and I was on my way.

My tour guide, Walid, met me at the airport.  Apparently, the photo I sent him to identify me was shot from below so he thought I was bigger (in height).  That's obviously not the case as I joked that the only way I was getting bigger was that I was getting wider.

We got into his car and left the airport.  Upon reflection, I realize that our trouble getting out of the airport was an indication of how bad Cairo traffic is.  Although it was Saturday, there were still a lot of cars on the road and they make NYC drivers look sane.  Add in the fact that you've got cars, trucks, buses, minivans, tuk-tuks, donkey carts, and camels all sharing the road, it makes for an interesting driving experience.

Walid wanted to make sure that we arrived at the pyramids at Giza at the "golden hour" when the sun is in the right position and you can see them in their full three dimensions so we stopped for a little breakfast of falafel sandwiches and pickled vegetables.  If it's too early or too late, the dimensions don't show up in your photos.  We also had a discussion about the aggressive touts at the pyramids who not only try to direct you where to park (for money) but also want to sell you trinkets (not made in Egypt, for money) or offer you camel rides (for money).  They can be aggressive (okay, very aggressive... I saw some poor souls get trapped).  We figured out a plan of attack and it worked beautifully.  It may also be that we stayed close to each other as brothers would.

I told Walid that I wasn't a huge photographer (I'll leave that to Kim on our road trips) but that I was more interested in architecture and daily life.  Our discussions at the pyramids centered around how they were built, the materials, etc. that fed my engineering curiosity.

The first pyramid is the Great Pyramid (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops).  It's the tallest one but looks shorter than the second due to the lower base elevation.  The second pyramid is the Pyramid of Khafre while the third is the Pyramid of Menkaure.  There are three smaller pyramids near the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure that would have been for wives or mothers of those kings.  Here's some shots from the pyramids...

Overall View - Cheops, Khafre, Menkaure (L to R)

Pyramid of Menkaure with small pyramids

Pyramids of Cheops (L) and Khafre (R)

Yes, this is evidence that I was actually there....

After an overall view of the site, we went down and got a closer look at two of the three pyramids (Cheops and Kaufre).  Here's some pictures from there.

Pyramid of Cheops

Pyramid of Cheops

Me standing next to the Pyramid of Cheops, see how big those stones are and how they get smaller as you go up

Pyramid of Khafre with what remains of its limestone covering (All the pyramids had a limestone covering that either eroded or was removed)

Then it was down the hill to see the Sphinx.  Like the Mona Lisa before it, the Sphinx is a lot smaller than I expected it to be.  Walid told me that many people say that.  I told him it's likely that it's shot from below so it looks larger just like the photo I sent him which gave us a good laugh.  It's amazing that the Sphinx was carved out of a single block of stone.  There have been some attempts at restoration but there are some parts that cannot be restored (i.e., the nose).  A sphinx is typically a guardian of a tomb and this Sphinx is guarding Khafre's pyramid.  Based on a statue of Khafre that was discovered nearby, it is believed that the face on the Sphinx is that of Khafre.

Walid and I

With Giza completed, we were off to tour Coptic Cairo (Christian Cairo).  However, Walid asked me if I wanted to stop by and see how papyrus is made at one of the institutes.  We did and I walked out of there with two pieces as I really wanted souvenirs that were 100% Egyptian (most of the tourist trinkets sold around town are made in China as they are in many places).

Although the Copts are now Christians, it was the original term for Ancient Egyptians.  There churches appear to be concentrated in an area that also includes mosques (there are more than a thousand in Cairo so it's impossible not to be) and a synagogue with all their adherents living happily together.  One of the churches was built on top of the ruins of the Roman fort (some of which can also be seen).

We visited one other church and the synagogue.  Unfortunately it was not allowed to take pictures inside the buildings.

It was then on to lunch.  We had a bite to eat at a restaurant on the island in the Nile where Walid was born.  It was a simple meal of rice, macaroni, and spaghetti with fried onions, chick peas, and hummus with a tomato sauce poured over the top.  It was the perfect thing for the day.

We then started a tour of Islamic Cairo.  As you might expect, this doesn't take place in one location but throughout the city.  The mosques are varied in their design and ornamentation.  For some reason, I find them to be beautiful buildings around the world as I do churches.  Here's a few mosque photos.

After the stops at a few mosques, it was off to the Egyptian Musuem where the treasures from the pyramids, including the treasures of Tutankhamen which I was excited to see.  We parked on a side streeet and walked through Tahrir Square where the protests took place last year.  I asked Walid if he had participated and he told me that he did but he didn't stay overnight.  As we walked through the square, he explained what occurred during the protests.  Although the US Embassy was only a few blocks away, I never once felt in danger.  It also gave me a realization of how and where those events took place.  No photos are allowed inside the museum so here's some photos of the square and the museum.

After the Egyptian Museum, we took a walk through Old Cairo which also includes the Khan el-Khalil Market.  After a while we paused and Walid asked what I wanted to do next.  I mentioned I was hungry so we stopped for some dinner which consisted of a pigeon that was stuffed with rice then fried.  It was delicious.  Here's some photos from Old Cairo.

After dinner, I was beat and ready to head back to the airport.  We had completed everything I had intended to do while in Cairo so I didn't feel I was leaving anything out.  Walid and I sat and talked for a little bit.  I told him that I appreciated his time and his knowledge of Cairo.  We had had interesting discussions throughout the day about the differences between Egypt and the United States and I appreciated his openness to discussing situations.  On the way back to the airport, he also let me know that I had set high expectations because he's been following the blog.  I told him that it wasn't my intention but he exceeding everything I could possibly have expected.  We parted ways as friends and I could not be any happier.

The return to Johannesburg went easily.  It was a bit of a long flight but went quickly because I slept most of the way.  Now it's the long journey home that's ahead.  All in all, my time in Cairo was everything I could have hoped it would be and more.