After two long but uneventful flights, we landed in Cairo yesterday evening. The first thing that struck me is that the airport has been modernized a lot from when we were here 6 years ago. The airport road seems to have been upgraded as well. The El Hussein Hotel, on the other hand, has not. The only rooms available had the bathroom down the hall. But it's alright for a couple of nights...
We checked in and rested for an hour or so, then hit the square. Midan Hussein is where the Mosque of Hussein is located. Hussein was one of the Prophet Muhammad's grandsons who was martyred. He's very important to the Shi'a, but ordinary Egyptians who are Sunni regard him highly too. Unbeknownst to us, there was a festival in his honor in the square last night, so the mosque was all lit up and there was music and dancing in the square. We soaked it all up, and I wound up dancing with some of the dervishes who were there. I got all hot and sweaty (and thus the title).
We also got a little something to eat at the Egyptian Pancake House. The "pancakes" are known as fiteer in Arabic and are really more like crepes stuffed with whatever sweet or savory fillings you'd like. I had mine with meat, cheese and veggies... yum!
After all that we slept very well...
Today so far we changed money and walked along El Mouski, which is a pedestrian alleyway with all sorts of shopping along it. We bought some fresh baked bread and bottled water from street vendors for breakfast. After finishing up here, we intend to go to the Arabesque Restaurant for lunch (nearby) and then go to Ramses Station to buy our tickets for the train to Alexandria.
I'd say the trip is off to a good start!
2 comments:
Cairo! Wow... didn't realize you were going. It's such an amazing place. I was there in December 2004, just as the Tsunami hit the Indian Ocean where we'd been 11 days earlier.
We had some very good food in Alexandria. Loved it. Our driver was from there so he was very happy to show us the best spots. Went to the new library, among other places. Had never seen the Mediterranean before, it was beautiful.
Have a wonderful time, may you find wonderful food and other good things. I loved how I could buy handcrafted items there. Wish I could have danced with you and the rest of the crowd that night!!!
Hi Lynn,
Do you remember some of the spots that your driver took you to?
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