When I was much younger, I was fascinated by watching the old movies about Egypt, the Pyramids, and Arabs riding camels in the desert. These all had a huge impact on me. My interest in Egyptian Mythology, history and architecture flourished. I finally saw my dream come to life in my first overseas trip in 2003. I wanted to meet the people, see the buildings, museums, eat their foods, and, play the ultimate ancient game of Bartering! This trip allowed me the opportunity to see some of the different cultures and how the impact of Western society affected their culture.

 I believe that taking a plane at night into Cairo, Egypt is the best way to take in the entire view. Seeing the vast outline and twinkling lights from the plane was breath-taking. With over 20 million people in the city, and Metropolitan area, it is alive with most shops open until 4:00 am in the summer. I was amazed at how much security there is here. It seemed that everywhere I went there were metal detectors and tourist police with machine guns. I had noticed that there were no Americans around and very few Canadians. This was largely due to the conflict that was happening between the U.S. and IRAQ. People were simply too afraid to vacation in these parts. My family was worried that I would be in the midst of a terrorist attack.

 I arrived in early March to avoid the extreme heat of the desert. However, I had anticipated that it would still be very hot. My first day of exploring this area started with temperatures about 24ºC in the morning. Although I had worn shorts, thinking it would be a nice warm day, it felt cool under overcast skies. I was introduced to my private tour guide named Passant. She was a young single mother struggling to support her children. She wore a long sleeved wool sweater, a long skirt, and a hijab but not a facial veil. A hijab is also known as a headscarf worn by adult Muslim women. I thought she was going to be too hot in those clothes but that was not the case. Passant was a very cheerful, talkative and informative guide. She had mentioned that it was unusually cool for this area.

 Passant drove us just outside the city. I was surprised at how close the desert and Pyramids were to the city. It didn’t take us long to get to our destination. When we got out of the car it was very windy and sand was blowing in my face that made it difficult to see. There were many armed Tourist Police riding camels. As we walked towards the Pyramids, some scruffy looking merchants came towards us to sell us postcards. According to Passant, those merchants were not suppose to be there. When the Tourist Police saw them, they came quickly on their camels to drive the merchants away. The Great Pyramids of Giza were built over 2550 years B.C. They were made with blocks of stone, constructed to protect the body of a pharaoh for the afterlife. The main Pyramid is the most popular one to visit inside. However, it was closed that day, so, instead, I went inside one of the smaller Pyramids. Passant hadn’t come in with me and there was no one else to give information inside the Pyramid. The entranceway was quite low and I had bumped my head on one of the stones overhead. The temperature got quite hot and it was difficult to breathe inside. There was an old man dressed in some sort of costume standing alone in a corner but he wasn’t really doing anything. I was disappointed that there wasn’t much else to see. There was just the narrow stone stairway going down and some empty rooms. All the items that were originally found inside were moved to museums many years ago.

 The Sphinx, also made of solid rock and located near the Pyramids, was not as large as I thought it would be but still large on its own account. Passant had mentioned that the nose on the Sphinx was shot off by the Turks for target practice. However, later on, I found that there were other stories of the missing nose. One such story tells of Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops shooting off the nose. However, evidence had been found that it was the Turk’s that would use bars to remove it from the base of the nose (as cited in Wikipedia, 2005).

 We continued on to the Step Pyramid which was a prototype of the later Pyramids. We had to make a stop for Passant to pray in a secluded, tiny building. They must pray at least six times a day if they can. While Passant was praying, I had to use the restroom. Here I saw a beggar wanting to give me a towel to use. I happened to have brought one of my own and so refused. It wasn’t until later when I was discussing this with Passant that I found out that this was how they would make money to live on.  

Passant seemed to know the best places to go that were off the beaten track. I had my first camel ride in the desert near the Pyramids. Passant spoke with another guide, a man in white robes, who was taking me on the trail. He handed me the reins to a colourfully adorned camel that I was to ride and told me to mount it like a horse. My camel was just following his lead as he escorted me on trails and stops with spectacular views. We had stopped so that I could take some photographs. He then motioned if I wanted to continue and I nodded in agreement. It wasn’t until after we returned to the original site that I found Passant worried since I took much longer than expected. Apparently, the camel guide took me for twice the ride when I had agreed to continue. He may have tried to take advantage of the situation since we were alone and I didn’t understand Arabic. I guess we had both misunderstood each other.

 She took me to a nice Egyptian restaurant for lunch. We had a long conversation during lunch about her life and the life of Muslim women. Women were forced to not wear the veil in 1936 but later, this act was cancelled (as cited in Price, 2002). Now it is their choice if they wish to wear it. Passant said that although she wears a hijab head covering, she will be wearing a veil to cover her face very soon. She said that it is also a display of dignity and respect for Islam. The way she was wearing her hijab reminded me of the habits worn by nuns in the convents near where I grew up. She also mentioned that Cairo, and many other places worldwide, is becoming Americanized. I had noticed how many of the popular franchises were around as we drove past. We had pasted by a McDonald’s, KFC, ING Direct banking, just to name a few. This was very upsetting to the locals. Especially with the tension with the U.S. Passant also said that some of the locals were starting to boycott the American fast food chains in protest.

Continuing on, Passant took me to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. It definitely is much larger than I expected. I got to see the treasures that were inside King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Passant was an excellent guide and was explaining everything to me. Unfortunately, she was not permitted to enter the room of mummies. I proceeded into a separate room to see the mummies that had been preserved for 3000 years. The mummy of King Ramses II was there. It was quite remarkable at how well preserved these mummies were. I overheard another guide inside the mummy room say that in the mummification process, the organs and intestines are removed before it can be preserved. Interestingly, they would remove the brain with an iron hook through the nose.

When I left the mummy room I wandered about trying to find Passant. I suddenly found myself surrounded by so many young people who kept asking me for my name and where I came from. It looked like they were on a class trip and haven’t seen too many foreigners before. This was a perfect opportunity for them to practise their English. Some of them wanted to have their picture taken with me. It made me feel like a famous person. It was interesting to note that they automatically assumed that I spoke English even though I hadn’t spoken anything to them before they asked questions.

After the museum, Passant took me to see the Citadel Mosque. Since I had not visited many places before this trip, I was amazed at how large all of these different structures were. I was getting curious about their religion. Once inside the main gate, we had to take our shoes off to walk into the open courtyard. In the centre was the Absolution Fountain which people use to bathe before praying since they were dirty from travelling in the desert. All the floors were made of marble. All women must wear something over their shoulders before entering the Mosque. They provide a robe covering for some of the women tourists who were not covered appropriately. It wasn’t until much later that I found out th at segregation is a large part of their faith. Women are not allowed to pray in the same area as the men. This was so that men would not lust over women when they were bent over in front of men. This would be very distracting. Women would be either behind a curtain or in a separate room altogether. Since these women could not see or hear what was going on, they would eventually get bored and talk amongst themselves. This would lead men to believe that women can’t pay attention for long and should therefore not be allowed in their space. Women are still trying to fight for their equal rights to pray alongside with men (as cited in Hussain, 1999). I suppose that the saying ‘Out of site, out of mind’ goes a long way in this religion. However, I do recall that some churches in Western society segregate the men on one side of the church and women on the other. I thought it was odd, but before we entered the mosque, Passant asked if I was menstruating. When I said no, she then said that I wouldn’t have been able to enter the Mosque if I was. There were many people, mostly men praying inside and tourists. The artwork and architecture was breathtaking. The ceiling was dome shaped and beautifully decorated. From one of the higher outdoor courtyards, you can see the pyramids in the distance, past the city. It was truly a remarkable site.

The Khan el Khalili Bazaar is barter heaven. It was originally built in the 14^th century A.D. The ancient architecture is quite impressive and has so much character. Since Egypt is also known for its gold, I wanted to make sure that I came away with some good buys. There were all types of items for sale such as spices, lamps, carpets, art, perfume, brassware, gold, and so much more. My guide knew exactly where to go to find the best prices and play the best bartering games. Passant had mentioned that some places try to sell you items of gold that are not of good quality.  In my experiences shopping in Canada, there weren’t many places that you could barter up a deal. You would just go into a store and pay the sticker price. But in Egypt, no matter where I shopped, I was able to barter. I believe that bartering is a wonderful game that requires skill and tact. You ask for a price, they give you one. You suggest a lower price still, and they suggest one higher than yours but less than the original, and so on. The thrill of the game being that both parties come out thinking they have gotten the better end of the deal. Some merchants will not let you leave unless you play the game. I got to play the game and was excited to have the chance to participate with the pros. After bartering for awhile, I finally decided to buy a gold Ankh ring that is the ancient symbol for eternal life, and a beautifully designed Cartouche. A Cartouche is a person’s name in hieroglyphics that are enclosed in a loop. Hieroglyphs are ancient symbols that represent words. In some cases, it can represent a letter in the alphabet to create a name. It was a type of nameplate used to identify Kings, Queens, and other high-status people in ancient times. I left with a lot of bargains and a deep sense of satisfaction from playing the game.

I was fortunate enough to arrange to have dinner with a local family. It was the family of a student, Hany, who was, at the time, doing his MBA at the University where I work. I had to take a taxi to get there. The hotel warned me not to pay more than 20 LE (Egyptian pounds). They said that this amount should include a very generous tip. There happened to be only one taxi in front of the hotel. Communicating with the driver proved to be difficult as he couldn’t speak any English and I didn’t know any Arabic. So, I showed him the piece of paper I had with the address on it. Using hand signals, the driver confirmed the price that the hotel clerk told me. Egyptians may have adopted the automobile but they haven’t adopted the use of it as we know it in Canada. Driving in Cairo is very dangerous. I hadn’t noticed any traffic lights in the city. There are no lane dividing lines on the road. It should have been only three lanes wide but five cars were weaving in and out between cars. It’s amazing that there aren’t very many accidents the way these people drive. On our way there, the driver tried very hard to make conversation with me but neither of us could understand the other’s language. He then stopped the cab in the middle of the road. My heart was racing. I was getting scared. Thanks goodness there wasn’t any traffic on the street otherwise I would have gotten hit by the cars. I knew we weren’t at my destination yet. The driver then indicated that he wanted me to sit in the front with him. I was relieved when I realized what he meant and that this way he could see me better while we conversed. I thought he was really sweet when he started singing to me in Arabic. Again he tried to talk but we couldn’t understand much. He had a copy of the Holy Qur’an on his dash. The Qur’an is the holy book of Muslims and has many similarities to the Christian Holy Bible. We continued to communicate using hand gestures such as moving a hand upward and diagonally to indicate plane flight. I felt like we were playing a game of charades. The taSxi driver certainly made this a fun ride.

When we reached my destination, he then tried to get me to pay 30 LE. I managed to stand my ground and said no and that he originally agreed to 20 LE. This time I managed to win the argument. He wanted to wait around so that he could give me a return ride back to the hotel but I had to decline. I wasn’t sure if I was in the right area but soon found a man that help guide me in the right direction.

Finally, I arrived at the right place. The members of Hany’s family were all very nice and welcomed me in right away. They were expecting me and made me feel very comfortable as if I was just like one of the family. I was surprised to see that there were so many family members inside. It was interesting to note that even though this was a Christian family, all the older women wore hijabs but the younger girls didn’t. I was relieved to know that they all could speak English. It seems that Hany was not the only one taking his MBA. His older brother, Sherif had graduated, and two brothers-in-law were also taking the program in the U.S. His mom, Nagwa, had told me that the cruise on the Nile and seeing the Christian churches would have been worth my while to see. Nagwa took pride in the fact that she had cooked for two days to produce this fabulous feast. It looked as if there was enough food for an army. She said that their whole family gets together once every week like this. There were so many different types of food. Apparently, their delicacy was pigeon. I think they were betting whether or not I would eat it as they watched me put one on my plate. I had no qualms about it. It was very tasty. Hany’s father, Mohammad, spoke very little but did manage to tell me that they own a successful chain of formal children’s wear shops. Hany’s sweet little cousin Randa drew a picture of me and wrote my name out as Dyan. I offered to help clean up but Nagwa refused and said to let the maids do it. Then an Uncle began playing Egyptian music. He was a wonderful entertainer. The entire family sat around while the Uncle played on.

I was getting very tired. So much food and conversations certainly took its toll on me. Apparently, they usually all stay up partying until 3:00 a.m. Sheriff had kindly offered to drive me back to the hotel. Before I left, I gave Nagwa a bottle of Canadian Maple Syrup as a thank-you gift. Curiously, she asked if there was any alcohol in it. When I told her there wasn’t any in it, she mentioned that it was against their religion to drink alcohol. I had said my goodbyes and Sherif drove me to my hotel. We had an interesting conversation on the drive back. Sherif was amazed with my stories about surprise birthday parties and singing telegrams. From what Sherif knows about the area, there is nothing like it in Cairo. He mentioned that he may start doing it in this area.

I did get a chance to see Nagwa and Mohammed the next year when they came to see their son Hany graduate. I happened to be working at his convocation and when they saw me, they recognized me and we chatted for awhile. It was nice to see them again.

Between the children at the museum taking pictures of me and me giving ideas to Sherif that may help his business flourish, I feel like I’ve left a part of me behind. Although I only spent a few days in Egypt, it left me with such an impression that I definitely must return again. Next time I will certainly make it a point to cruise the Nile as Nagwa suggested. I am still fascinated with this place. There is so much more to see and experience. I had tasted exotic foods, met interesting people, saw amazing sites, played the game, and rode a camel. I would still be interested in learning more of the various cultures of the region, how they affect each other and how they are affected by Western culture. Through my imagination I can recall these moments and relive them in my dreams anytime. Unfortunately, it’s just not the same as actually being there.

References Cited

1.            Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2005, November 20). Great Sphinx of Giza [On-line]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza

2.            Price, Massoume (2002). Veiling (Hijab) and segregation of sexes in Iran [On-line]. Available: http://www.iranchamber.com/podium/society/021117_veiling_segregation_sexes.php

3.            Hussain, Jamila (1999). Islamic Law and Society An Introduction [On-line]. Available: http://www.islamic-paths.org/Home/English/Issues/Women/Gender_Segregation.htm