November 27, 2008

• an egyptian thanksgiving
  

  CAIRO, EGYPT | CAIRO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TERMINAL 1 »

  instead of turkey and all the trimmings, a flatbread sandwich and fries from mcdonald’s were my thanksgiving dinner.  small price to pay to cross off yet another of my must-visit-before-i-die places in the world — egypt!

  when asked where i’d be spending the week long (that’s right, no classes all week!) break, my answer was naturally met with interest and surprise.  egypt!  but that’s so far away!  i then explain that i wanted to go to peru, but with flights topping $1300+, i figured hey, if i’m going to spend that much on flights i might as well go somewhere really really far away and exotic.  with a quick search on kayak, i found roundtrip flights to cairo for under $1000, with a 10-hour daytime layover in amsterdam to boot.  and, with multiple starwood properties in cairo, sharm el sheikh, and luxor and an expiring platinum status come 2009, it all started to fall into place.

  egypt!  here we go!

  and what a trip it’s been.  i certainly won’t miss the hassles, the incessant requests for baksheesh (tips), the ubiquitous stench of camel dung, and the prickly bites of mosquitoes and flies.  but seriously, i mean, egypt!  though only six full days in the north african country (preceded by one in the dutch capital), we packed our itinerary with some of egypt’s best excursions and experiences.  a brief review:

  day 0 // thursday 20 nov // sfo to ams
  315 flight on klm delayed to 415, but at least the md-11 has on-demand video on individual screens.  spent a good few on the laptop ironing out the welcome packet for SAIL.

  day 1 // friday 21 nov // amsterdam
  arrive amsterdam and train to the capital to walk the red light district, chinatown, and along binnen amstel.  dinner on spuistraat at an indonesian place before training back for our evening flight to cairo.

  day 2 // saturday 22 nov // cairo i
  arrive cairo early in the morning, get a few hours of sleep, and awake to start a tour of the giza pyramids, memphis, and saqqara.  in the evening, watch the cheesy sound and light show, followed by dinner at felfela just outside of our hotel — cheap, good eats.

  day 3 // sunday 23 nov // cairo ii
  time to hit the city.  cross the nile (since giza is actually on the west bank) to visit islamic cairo including the al-azhar mosque and the souk khan el-khalili, then walk to the famous egyptian museum to visit the somewhat creepy royal mummy room and marvel at king tut’s treasures.  rush back to the hotel and head straight for the airport for our 730 flight to sharm el sheikh.  arrive sharm, check-in, and then quickly board a bus for our overnight hike up mount sinai — the place where moses received the ten commandments.  by midnight, we were still on our way to the drop off point.

  day 4 // monday 24 nov // sinai i
  begin hike up mount sinai at around 2 in the morning.  steep but not impossible climb for 2.5 hours until summit, where we wait for an hour in the cold before the sun rises.  take an arduous journey down an alternate path — the 3500 “steps of repentance” — and tour st katharine’s monastery, home to the burning bush (of Old Testament fame).  finally head back to sharm and arrive by 2 in the afternoon, check out the spa, walk along the beach, and dine on mezze at the hotel’s lebanese restaurant.  an early night in.

  day 5 // tuesday 25 nov // sinai peninsula ii
  the girls leave the night before, so paul and i spend the day snorkeling in the clear waters off ras mohammad national park.  turns out to be one our most welcome days — sun, sea, food, fish, and sky.  in the evening, take the free shuttle to the vegas-y na’ama bay for steak and seafood at dananeer restaurant.

  day 6 // wednesday 26 nov // luxor i
  fly to luxor in the morning, meet the girls, and take a private taxi to the west bank for the valleys of the kings and nobles, medinet habu, and deir el-bahri.  in the evening — our last one with the girls — shared our “top 3, bottom 3″ over indian at bombay restaurant.  bid adieu to the girls and called it a night while watching the break up.  also watch in horror as the mumbai bombings unfold…

  day 7 // thursday 27 nov // luxor ii
  today, and thanksgiving!  sleep in (much deserved!) and slowly head to the karnak temple complex, the largest religious site in the world.  head back to the hotel, check out, and then go to luxor temple at night (beautiful, and recommended at that time), followed by shopping in the markets and negotiating a 490 egyptian pound (~$89) horus figurine down to 50 egyptian pounds (~$9).  head to luxor airport to begin our 24+ hour journey home, with connections in cairo (now) and amsterdam (about six hours from now) before arriving at last in san francisco at 1pm tomorrow and picking up ruby from claire’s place and preparing for an incredible (and incredibly busy) week with SAIL…

  so, it’s been quite the egyptian thanksgiving, and i am very thankful for the opportunity to explore another foreign land, so full of history and intrigue.  i’d love to come back to the sinai peninsula again and this time dive the red sea as opposed to just snorkeling it.  perhaps next year, once i’m closer…

  to close, a few shots from amsterdam and mount sinai, and a silly jumping shot in front of the step pyramid–the first pyramid in the world–at saqqara.  happy thanksgiving, everyone!  and to all my SAIL buddies, see you all very soon!!!

  
  
  
  
  
  

  • 8:26 pm
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