Goodbye Cairo

We left Egypt over a month ago. Finally a final post about our time there. At the time and with hindsight our departure is bittersweet. We have left Egypt and there is much to miss.


Ruby: I will miss tennis with coach Seth at the Maadi House, I will also miss drama club with Mustafa. And all of my friends like Morgan the one with the curly hair who has a great sense of humor.  Mohamed the boab who waves at us with both hands every time we pass, gets up, comes out side were we are and says "I wan't to see you every day". Tina who made me feel welcome. Arreda who would come clean our messy house every Tuesday and her big smile.   

Katie: I will miss the 50-cent tamaya sandwiches, tall trees with purple flowers and colorful tents. I will paradoxically miss my commute. The last couple of months I took the metro to and from work – a beloved ordeal that involved an hour of sweat, changing trains twice and an intimacy with 20 million strangers heretofore unknown by me. I grasped the overhead straps with white knuckles once as the door opened at the station under Tahrir Square and my feet literally left the floor as the crowd got off. I see how people might be killed in human stampedes.

I was grateful for the women’s only metro car … and I am also thankful to be reminded how we are all the same – Egyptian, American …whatever. We eat, we live, we work, we laugh, we tenderly stroke our children’s faces when they are sad, we tentatively reach for a hand when we are falling in a lurch, we give up our seat to someone who needs it more than we do, we stare at someone who is different and we smile back when someone smiles first. 

I will especially miss the truly unique way that Egyptians say hello.  No one greets the day better than an Egyptian. It was rare that even the sternest faced Egyptian man in his traditional galabeya robe and flip-flops did not smile a big smile and return the good morning greeting.  I made it my mission to make sure I tested this at every opportunity.

“Sabah el heir”, “sabah el ful”, “sabah el noor.” These are the usual morning greetings and I thought I was golden when I learned these phrases … but this was only the beginning. 

The security guards at work started throwing out new ones each day "Sabah el ishta” I hear one day - which means roughly “a morning of cream”. Ah, I thought this is nice and started to use it. I tried it on the cleaning people at work and Egyptian co-workers and received smiles, knowing glances and nods of approval. All seem amazed (my impression) of my grasp of Arabic. I am quite proud of myself.

Then the sweets arrived – “sabah el bombone”, “sabah el besbousa” “sabah el assal” they said with raised eyebrows … as a challenge it seemed. I asked what these greetings meant and was told they are the sweetest of sweets in Egypt and everyone knows Egyptians love their sweets. Okay – I started to use these on others at work and around the city. I got a few curious stares but mostly smiles and some outright laughter. Later I was told that I should probably not say these greetings to just anyone – might be taken as flirting.

“Sabah el hana” means morning of happiness/good-life – nice. "Sabah el makasarat el ishta" – means have a “morning of nuts and cream”. One Egyptian co worker told me this was a little too much – way too heavy in the morning and I should reserve this for afternoon greeting – okay point taken.

Then…the coup de grace from Yasir – “Sabah el ferfesha, nanesha, dandesha”. WOW. These are the bangles, spangles and sequins on a belly dancers costume. WOW. From past experience I am careful not to use this greeting with just anyone. 

It is going to be very hard to go back to plain old “good morning”.

The good life in the Islamic section of Cairo

View of the Citadel from Al Ahzar Park

Ladies at the park

Ruby and Paul in Islamic Cairo with Paul's favorite tables

Ruby at a mosque in Islamic Cairo

Craftsman in Islamic Cairo

Ruby and Paul's friend Fathi. He sold them our new heirloom inlaid wood checkerboard/backgammon set ... for a very good price

Shops in Islamic Cairo

Ruby and Joan at Tahrir Square

Party boats on the Nile

Ruby and Paul at the Oum Kathoom museum

Oum Kathoom singing her heart out!

Ruby wearing my scarf

You hear her everywhere...on every taxi and car radio in Cairo. Oum Kathoom. She's an Egyptian icon and we had never heard of her before. The first time you hear her sing your know it…there is something familiar about her... earthy and primal.

We visited her museum on an island in the Nile in Cairo. It is filled with her dresses and photos with Sadat. Go listen to her music and tell us what you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FusV28xVr4 

She died in the 80’s, but young and old alike in Cairo still adore her... revere her. She's a national treasure with diamond-studded sunglasses. I … am gonna get me some.

On the way home from the Oum Kalthoum museum we came across a street engagement party. They tried to teach Joan how to dance!

I was going to do a post just on "discontented cats of Cairo" cause I gotta say I saw quite a few. These were some of the poster kittens. 

But not all animals in Egypt were discontented---

Waiting cats

Nicole and a happy dog at the hash.

Ever hopeful cats...

This is Isabel (later named Issy after I got a good look at his rear end) who adopted us a few weeks before we left. We never got to touch him, but we like to believe we gave him a fighting chance with some well placed hard boiled eggs and leftover meat. 

Issy waiting for dinner. 

Ruby's friends Morgan and Mikayla at the pool in Maadi. 

We left Cairo early and moved on to France for the remainder of our 345 days. 


Egypt is no France... but then France is no Egypt either. 


France does have a few things going for it for which we are particularly fond and have not partaken of recently...most notedly bread, cheese and wine made by the gods. Viva la France!

Zen Gardens

We had a weekday off for Egyptian Easter and thought we could take a short trip on the metro down to the Japanese gardens in Helwan. We anticipated a Zen-like atmosphere and quiet reflection...

....boy were we wrong! It was a crazy mad house with hundreds of people, rickety rides, interesting food, paddleboat rides and photo ops. Ruby: That is me picking her nose. 

 On holidays Egyptian families head to the parks and the garden in Helwan was the place to be! Once again we were celebrities and followed around the park for pictures.

They all wanted their picture taken with us…some were cool all on their own. 

There were tons of kids. A group of girls brought Ruby into their circle and they played soccer and “cat blind” and taught each other hand clapping games.  

The fare was far from my beloved Minnesota State Fair “banquet on a stick” but we did partake of real candied apples. A man in front of us in line for popcorn bought us a few bags – he must have sensed my excitement over seeing this favored delicacy!

Obviously the paddleboat rides are a hot ticket item - we didn't have the patience to wait in line!

I love a good ride, but I have hung around enough lawyers to understand “product safety and liability” which makes me (and everyone with me) a non-participant in Egyptian amusement rides. Too bad as it looks like fun! 

The Pyramids

Katie: You would never know it and can't tell form this picture, but the great Pyramids of Giza sit just outside of Cairo, on the western edge of town. In fact if the pollution is not too bad I can see them from the autostrad on my way home from work some days.

The Sphinx kissing Ruby on the head. The sphinx is a lion body with a pharaoh's head. His nose is worn off because of the wind.

Soooo cheesy!

Ruby and Paul in a carriage in front of the smallest pyramid at Giza which is called Menkaure.

Ruby and an Egyptian friend in front of the step pyramid in Saqqara.

A guy harvesting dates in Saqqara

Ruby riding a camel around the step pyramid at Dahshur

I think some people said they would pay money to see Paul on a camel - I'm expecting to cash in big on this. Peg???

RUBY AND PAUL DO LUXOR!

Ruby: You have to wake up early in the morning (4 am) to go on a balloon ride. The hot air balloon captain and other members of the crew put hot air (fire) in the balloon.  You get to see it and it is worth it. You can see how people have their animals on the roof. BRING A CAMERA!!!

Ruby: Omar is a very nice man who is a horse carriage driver in Luxor. Of course everyone knew Omar. Omar was a good man he has 1 brother. He has 2 horses that trade on and off every other day, so the horses can rest and eat. His carriage is number 73. 

They had a wedding in Luxor and this is a picture of the wedding carriage ride.

Ruby: We went in the mosque where an Iman showed us around. 

Ruby: The avenue of the Sphinxes is the road that leads to Luxor Temple. It is where important people would walk down to see and congratulate the arrival of a very important guy. In Luxor Temple Paul and I played hide and go seek.

This pillar is 6 arms around!

Ruby: You will have a guide on the horseback ride, he will ride a donkey though. The horses know the way. If you take a 1-hour ride you will ride a long the Nile River. You will see small cafes and feluccas. Don't forget your camera!!!