Egypt…Back to the Motherland?
I must admit that Egypt was my most anticipated port for this voyage. During my application process for Semester at Sea, I wrestled between the Spring 07 semester which featured ports in South Africa and the Fall 06 semester. In the end Egypt definitely swayed my decision, so you can imagine my high expectations for this country. I was not disappointed. Egyptians did shock me when they explained that they are NOT African. Many Egyptians (especially the Bedouin tribesmen of the Sinai Pennisula) consider themselves Asian, and give little merit to African heritage (except when bargaining over prices with brown people…more on that later). In this entry, you won’t read about games with village children, jeep safaris, or rights of passage. My experiences cannot be typified as a “trip to Africa”, but I hope you enjoy the journey to my spiritual and ethnic beginnings.
Day One- Overnight Cairo with Semester at Sea
I really appreciated this whirlwind mini-tour of Egyptian history because the schedule was jam-packed and I visited sights that were not on my independent travel itinerary. At 0800 we took a two hour bus ride from Port Adabiya to Cairo. En route I realized that this was my first time in a desert. I was not prepared for the sand storms and cold nights, but I did enjoy the dry 80 degree heat of the desert’s “winter”. At 1100 we visited the step pyramids of King Zoser and mastabas (funeral monuments). As I walked through the underground temple with colorful, hieroglyphics from ceiling to floor I recognized scenes STRAIGHT out of my art history book. A.P. Art history was one of my favorite classes in 10th grade, but I never imagined that I would get the opportunity to visit the art and monuments that I wrote about on my A.P. exam! Let’s just say my 600 page art history book did not even begin to justly portray the masterpieces of Egypt. Even King Zoser’s pyramid (the first pyramid built) looks crumbly on paper, but magnificent in person. Jihanne and I climbed a few steps for a picture, against the will of the looming tourist police. Before the trip, I heard varying reports about travel safety concerns for women, but our tour guide Dina assured us that even the strongest hagglers would chill if we threatened to get the tourist police. In yet another country where 80% of the population live poverty, everybody was just tryin’ to make a dollar. Literally, people tried to sell me everything from an “Egyptian Cadillac” (camel ride) to turquoise necklaces. I just browsed a moment and kept moving.
Next we traveled to Le Meridian, our five star hotel, for lunch. (Sidenote- It was nice to sleep on a down filled pillow in a room with a balcony view of the pyramids. However, in less developed countries like Burma and India, your U.S. dollars can be better spent by traveling independently and modestly.) Lunch was moderately tasty. I ate a lot of pita, pickled vegetables, and pastries. After lunch we visited the Egyptian Museum which was AMAZING. I saw monuments from the Old Middle and New Kingdom of Egypt. From the only original bust of Queen Nefertiti to King Tut’s jewels, this place took my breath away. Cameras were absolutely forbidden inside the museum, but everything looked just like the pictures. LOL. After the museum we watched the Sound and Light Show at the pyramids. At first, I was impressed by the scene of the pyramids at night. However, after about 15 minutes, the British narration of Egyptian history grew a bit hokey and overdone. I was ready to go (but I couldn’t leave until Jihanne and I took a picture with a fake pharaoh-That was a must. LOL.) Upon returning to the hotel we ate dinner (which was just lunch revisited and rearranged.) I did get to snag some Baklava, which was delicious. After eight bites past indulgence, I crawled under my down comforter and fell asleep to the sounds of Jamie Foxx and Kanye West’s “Gold digger” on MTV-Euro. I was satisfied.
Day Two- Wild Egyptian Men and the WOES of independent travel
We had the option of a 0415 wake up call to see the pyramids at sunrise. Thankfully, I had a balcony view of all three pyramids, so I marveled at them from my room around 8-ish. After breakfast (which was yesterday’s lunch and dinner revisited and rearranged!) we traveled back to the pyramids for more photo opps. Jihanne and I needed transportation from the Pyramids down to the Sphinx complex so we agreed to a camel ride for 5 USD. I don’t know why I thought riding camels would be a semi glamorous experience. WRONG. The camels smelled worse than the entire zoo, they threatened to spit green gurgly goo at anyone who crossed their path. Against all caution, I hopped on the camel with my “guide” In our initial negotiations, I made it perfectly clear that we wanted a short trip to the Sphinx ONLY. We did not want a full tour of Giza, but the guide insisted on a nice gallop around the complex, while he practically asked for my hand in marriage! Now the ride was quite bumpy, and I was holding onto the guides waist quite tightly…until I felt something (that was not the saddle) creeping up my hand. I wish I could say it was one of the pesky desert flies, but that would be a lie. I finally put two and two together when the driver kept touching my leg and repeating, “Don’t worry, be happy. You, happy ? I very happy!” I bet he was happy. Let’s just say the “saddle” he wanted me to hold was not wooden…or was it? Either way, I was ABSOLUTELY disgusted (especially since he had the nerve to ask me for Baksheesh (a tip). Please!! He already got his baksheesh! Jihanne’s camel driver pulled a similar stunt. Perhaps they’ve had better “luck” with other foreign women. Also, in such a conservative society where most women are covered from head to toe in public, western women stick out as liberal, easy targets.
After more pictures at the MYSTERIOUS sphinx, we ate lunch on a Nile river cruise. (This was no Arkansas riverboat, although it did have the cheesy casino singing and dancing.) Sidenote-Jihanne and I decided not to ride the ship through the Suez Canal from Cairo to Alexandria. So, instead of shopping at the Bazaar before lunch, we took a cab to Turgoman bus station and purchased an $11 overnight bus ticket from Cairo to Sharm El Sheik.) After lunch we returned to the station to finalize travel plans with April, Kevin, Stephanie, and Devin. After buying the tickets, Jihanne and I found an internet café and Italian dinner at the Nile Hilton mall where we killed time until our 11:00
bus.
Day 3 and 4 Sharm El Sheikh, Mt. Sinai and the Wilderness.
My Disclaimer:
Independent travel is a true test of relationships. This was my first overnight trip with a group of people I barely knew (except for Ji.). As a female independent traveler, I am VERY aggressive. I demand accurate bus schedules, taxi cab fares, and directions. Everything is negotiable with me, and I don’t stop “discussing” with the service provider until I am completely comfortable and satisfied. I will not apologize for that, and I think that characteristic has saved my life and/or money on more than one occasion this semester. With that said, I must also mention that ALL of my travel mates were very laid back, “go with the flow” kind of people. Naturally, they were very chill and flexible and I needed to know every detail of our plans. To put it nicely, this difference of travel styles caused several miscommunications in our group-beginning with our hotel accommodations…
We had 6 people in our group, but I would have agreed to split a single or double room. Although the ethics of that arrangement would have been sketchy, it was doable. Instead, one of my group mates booked the VILLA for our accommodations. We were only staying at the Turquoise hotel for one night, but I had to split a $100 rate. I was not happy about that. Also, Jihanne gladly shared her upper respiratory funk with me so I was feeling TERRIBLE. After settling into the room, I took a nap while they went exploring. My nap was abruptly halted by Jihanne banging on the door to tell me that they had found a great all inclusive snorkeling “package” for about $25 USD and I had to be ready to leave in TEN minutes. It sounded very sketchy to me, especially since she could not tell me the company name, details about the package, or information about their diving certification. I mean, we couldn’t even SWIM! What did we look like jumping on some stranger’s boat in the middle of the Red Sea? We looked like adventurous travelers or idiots, depending on who you ask.
Nevertheless, I joined the group on the bus. Well, as you probably guessed, the “package” was not all inclusive. They immediately tried to charge me extra AND did not include the cost of our masks, fins, lifejackets, or snorkels. I was PISSED (and I do not use that word liberally.). While some of our group members skipped off to the ship, Devin and I stood on the bay arguing about the money. While someone may say, “Chill out Rhonda, it’s only a couple of dollars.” It was more than that to me. It was a “Matter of Principle” (shout out to Daddy on that one!) I stood on the deck stubbornly as all of my travel mates paid the extra charges and hopped on the boat. I stood my ground decidedly, and was within two seconds of taking the next bus back to the ship when Kevin came to talk to me. Against caution (again) I took the risk and got on the boat. We rode all day and made 3 snorkeling stops. The first time I was a bit nervous, but I finally figured out my mask and stuck my face in the water. The scene was breathtaking. Zebra fish, eels, and lots of other ocean specimen swam amongst the colorful coral reefs. It was a scene straight out of Shark Tale! My second “dive” was not as pleasant because the guide gave me TWO faulty life jackets and the currents were too strong for me to “swim” back to the ship. Since I can’t swim, the waves began to overpower me and drag me into the boat. I PANICKED and started swallowing googobs of nasty Red Sea water. My body was tired, and I couldn’t fight the choppy water. My snorkeling adventure nearly turned into a disaster, especially since my travel mates kept saying, “Just keep paddling!” I was not a happy camper. After Stephanie helped me back to the ship, I did not even think about diving a 3rd time. It was good while it lasted. LOL. I spent the rest of the afternoon sun-napping, reading and basking in the fact that I was floating on the same Red sea that God parted so the Israelites could walk across on dry land while the Egyptian armies drowned in pursuit. Sidenote- as a child, I had a Ten Commandments puzzle that chronicled the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. I always wondered what the Red Sea looked like…FYI It’s not red. LOL. Who would have thought that little girl from Arkansas would actually have the opportunity to swim in the Red Sea? God is AMAZING like that.
The Wilderness
We departed the hotel at 645 the next morning for a 730 bus to St. Catherine’s Monastery which sits at the base of Mt. Sinai. The actual monastery closed at 1200 and despite my attempts to speed things up, we still did not make it to the village on time. Some delays were outside of our control (i.e. the frequent military/ tourist police passport check points). We did arrive at the village around 1205, and we were able to sneak into the monastery complex because there were still hundreds of tourists on the premises. We did not get to go into the chapel of the burning bush because it was reserved for Greek and Turkish visitors only after noon, but I did take a picture with the “Burning Bush” (Of course I don’t know if it was the real bush!) After the monastery, my travel mates decided to CLIMB Mt. Sinai. It was at least a 3 hr. trek by foot and 2 hrs minimum by camel. Did I mention the fact that we had to catch an evening bus back to Cairo, and the sun would go down before they even descended from the mountain?!?! I’m not a hater, but I know my limits. I was perfectly content climbing smaller rocks and taking pictures of Mt. Sinai from a distance. So Jihanne and I spent the afternoon with Bedouin tribesmen and camel drivers (we actually found a few who were safe and nice…enough). We tried to find lunch, but there was no real food for sale in the town so I survived on six Molto’s (chocolate hazelnut filled croissants) and a liter of Sprite. While we waited on the climbers, Egyptian men tried to woo us, and Jihanne spent hours screaming and trying to avoid her greatest, deathly fear, cats. Well, cats are the animals of love and passion according to Queen Nefertiti, so they are everywhere in Egypt. Between Jihanne’s screams, the Egyptians’ “game”, and my hunger pangs, I was ready to go home. I’d had enough adventure for one week, but as I tried to explain my desire for home to the Bedouin tribesmen, I remembered that the Sinai Peninsula is a LONG way from Arkansas. As much as I longed for the comfort of home, that idea was just wishful thinking. I can’t adequately describe the feeling of wanting to go home without having ANY option of getting there…It’s a miserable state of affairs.
After my travel mates made it back from the Mountain (nearly two hours overdue) we caught an expensive cab to Dahab where we caught another seven hour overnight bus to Cairo. This ride was fairly routine, except one “official” could not read the Egypt immigration stamp on my passport and he walked to the back of the bus with it. I LOST IT. I got out of my seat and demanded my passport back. He also confiscated Jihanne’s passport, but she was a lot calmer about the situation. This was the second time someone questioned me about my passport, as if I wasn’t an American. This scene ended with me getting off the bus, yelling at the tourist police, and snatching my passport away. Even in taxicabs, authorities did not believe that Jihanne and I were from America because of our skin tone. Funny sidenote- one of my Egyptian friends at Mt. Sinai asked me, “Do you like ‘music nigger’? You know, like ’music nigger’ and dance? Like Michael Jackson?” I gathered that he was trying to ask if I like pop or hip hop music. I laughed and schooled him about the word “nigger” (I also had to consider the fact that many Africans consider “nigger” a term of endearment). Overall, I found that people only referred to my “blackness” when they were trying to hustle or hook up with me. One shady cab driver (who had a pale olive complexion) said, “Why you no smile? I black too? We friends! Welcome Home! I love black!” I’d had enough, so I screamed, “I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE BLACK! YOU ARE NOT BLACK! YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE OUR MONEY!!” Boy, traveling really brings out the best and worst in people. I was exhausted and frustrated.
While I’m mentioning my less than stellar moments, it’s time for…
RHONDA’S DUMB MOVE OF THE DAY- I gave my watch to a Bedouin tribesmen. WHY? Because I succumbed to Jihanne’s peer pressure, and I was delirious. Granted, it was a $10 Wal-Mart watch, but that’s not the issue. I gave it to him in exchange for a camel ride back to the village. I guess I’ll just use my cell phone to keep time in Turkey, Croatia, and Spain. It was not the smartest thing I did all day-that’s for sure! (And it‘s okay to laugh at me, I‘m laughing at me too…)
We arrived at the ship in Alexandria (THANK GOD!) around 1100 on November 3rd. I slept the afternoon away and spent the entire night repenting for all of the chocolate hazelnut croissants I ate. I feel a bit better today, but I’m going to take it easy around Alexandria for our last day in port. After I finish this paragraph, I’m going to wash the Red Sea out of my hair and Kiyanna and I will visit the world’s largest library, the Roman Colloseum and a market or two. Egypt was amazing, (and I know Turkey, Croatia, and Spain will be great) but I can’t help looking forward to FT. LAUDERDALE!!!!!
Missing you,
Rhonda
I must admit that Egypt was my most anticipated port for this voyage. During my application process for Semester at Sea, I wrestled between the Spring 07 semester which featured ports in South Africa and the Fall 06 semester. In the end Egypt definitely swayed my decision, so you can imagine my high expectations for this country. I was not disappointed. Egyptians did shock me when they explained that they are NOT African. Many Egyptians (especially the Bedouin tribesmen of the Sinai Pennisula) consider themselves Asian, and give little merit to African heritage (except when bargaining over prices with brown people…more on that later). In this entry, you won’t read about games with village children, jeep safaris, or rights of passage. My experiences cannot be typified as a “trip to Africa”, but I hope you enjoy the journey to my spiritual and ethnic beginnings.
Day One- Overnight Cairo with Semester at Sea
I really appreciated this whirlwind mini-tour of Egyptian history because the schedule was jam-packed and I visited sights that were not on my independent travel itinerary. At 0800 we took a two hour bus ride from Port Adabiya to Cairo. En route I realized that this was my first time in a desert. I was not prepared for the sand storms and cold nights, but I did enjoy the dry 80 degree heat of the desert’s “winter”. At 1100 we visited the step pyramids of King Zoser and mastabas (funeral monuments). As I walked through the underground temple with colorful, hieroglyphics from ceiling to floor I recognized scenes STRAIGHT out of my art history book. A.P. Art history was one of my favorite classes in 10th grade, but I never imagined that I would get the opportunity to visit the art and monuments that I wrote about on my A.P. exam! Let’s just say my 600 page art history book did not even begin to justly portray the masterpieces of Egypt. Even King Zoser’s pyramid (the first pyramid built) looks crumbly on paper, but magnificent in person. Jihanne and I climbed a few steps for a picture, against the will of the looming tourist police. Before the trip, I heard varying reports about travel safety concerns for women, but our tour guide Dina assured us that even the strongest hagglers would chill if we threatened to get the tourist police. In yet another country where 80% of the population live poverty, everybody was just tryin’ to make a dollar. Literally, people tried to sell me everything from an “Egyptian Cadillac” (camel ride) to turquoise necklaces. I just browsed a moment and kept moving.
Next we traveled to Le Meridian, our five star hotel, for lunch. (Sidenote- It was nice to sleep on a down filled pillow in a room with a balcony view of the pyramids. However, in less developed countries like Burma and India, your U.S. dollars can be better spent by traveling independently and modestly.) Lunch was moderately tasty. I ate a lot of pita, pickled vegetables, and pastries. After lunch we visited the Egyptian Museum which was AMAZING. I saw monuments from the Old Middle and New Kingdom of Egypt. From the only original bust of Queen Nefertiti to King Tut’s jewels, this place took my breath away. Cameras were absolutely forbidden inside the museum, but everything looked just like the pictures. LOL. After the museum we watched the Sound and Light Show at the pyramids. At first, I was impressed by the scene of the pyramids at night. However, after about 15 minutes, the British narration of Egyptian history grew a bit hokey and overdone. I was ready to go (but I couldn’t leave until Jihanne and I took a picture with a fake pharaoh-That was a must. LOL.) Upon returning to the hotel we ate dinner (which was just lunch revisited and rearranged.) I did get to snag some Baklava, which was delicious. After eight bites past indulgence, I crawled under my down comforter and fell asleep to the sounds of Jamie Foxx and Kanye West’s “Gold digger” on MTV-Euro. I was satisfied.
Day Two- Wild Egyptian Men and the WOES of independent travel
We had the option of a 0415 wake up call to see the pyramids at sunrise. Thankfully, I had a balcony view of all three pyramids, so I marveled at them from my room around 8-ish. After breakfast (which was yesterday’s lunch and dinner revisited and rearranged!) we traveled back to the pyramids for more photo opps. Jihanne and I needed transportation from the Pyramids down to the Sphinx complex so we agreed to a camel ride for 5 USD. I don’t know why I thought riding camels would be a semi glamorous experience. WRONG. The camels smelled worse than the entire zoo, they threatened to spit green gurgly goo at anyone who crossed their path. Against all caution, I hopped on the camel with my “guide” In our initial negotiations, I made it perfectly clear that we wanted a short trip to the Sphinx ONLY. We did not want a full tour of Giza, but the guide insisted on a nice gallop around the complex, while he practically asked for my hand in marriage! Now the ride was quite bumpy, and I was holding onto the guides waist quite tightly…until I felt something (that was not the saddle) creeping up my hand. I wish I could say it was one of the pesky desert flies, but that would be a lie. I finally put two and two together when the driver kept touching my leg and repeating, “Don’t worry, be happy. You, happy ? I very happy!” I bet he was happy. Let’s just say the “saddle” he wanted me to hold was not wooden…or was it? Either way, I was ABSOLUTELY disgusted (especially since he had the nerve to ask me for Baksheesh (a tip). Please!! He already got his baksheesh! Jihanne’s camel driver pulled a similar stunt. Perhaps they’ve had better “luck” with other foreign women. Also, in such a conservative society where most women are covered from head to toe in public, western women stick out as liberal, easy targets.
After more pictures at the MYSTERIOUS sphinx, we ate lunch on a Nile river cruise. (This was no Arkansas riverboat, although it did have the cheesy casino singing and dancing.) Sidenote-Jihanne and I decided not to ride the ship through the Suez Canal from Cairo to Alexandria. So, instead of shopping at the Bazaar before lunch, we took a cab to Turgoman bus station and purchased an $11 overnight bus ticket from Cairo to Sharm El Sheik.) After lunch we returned to the station to finalize travel plans with April, Kevin, Stephanie, and Devin. After buying the tickets, Jihanne and I found an internet café and Italian dinner at the Nile Hilton mall where we killed time until our 11:00
bus.
Day 3 and 4 Sharm El Sheikh, Mt. Sinai and the Wilderness.
My Disclaimer:
Independent travel is a true test of relationships. This was my first overnight trip with a group of people I barely knew (except for Ji.). As a female independent traveler, I am VERY aggressive. I demand accurate bus schedules, taxi cab fares, and directions. Everything is negotiable with me, and I don’t stop “discussing” with the service provider until I am completely comfortable and satisfied. I will not apologize for that, and I think that characteristic has saved my life and/or money on more than one occasion this semester. With that said, I must also mention that ALL of my travel mates were very laid back, “go with the flow” kind of people. Naturally, they were very chill and flexible and I needed to know every detail of our plans. To put it nicely, this difference of travel styles caused several miscommunications in our group-beginning with our hotel accommodations…
We had 6 people in our group, but I would have agreed to split a single or double room. Although the ethics of that arrangement would have been sketchy, it was doable. Instead, one of my group mates booked the VILLA for our accommodations. We were only staying at the Turquoise hotel for one night, but I had to split a $100 rate. I was not happy about that. Also, Jihanne gladly shared her upper respiratory funk with me so I was feeling TERRIBLE. After settling into the room, I took a nap while they went exploring. My nap was abruptly halted by Jihanne banging on the door to tell me that they had found a great all inclusive snorkeling “package” for about $25 USD and I had to be ready to leave in TEN minutes. It sounded very sketchy to me, especially since she could not tell me the company name, details about the package, or information about their diving certification. I mean, we couldn’t even SWIM! What did we look like jumping on some stranger’s boat in the middle of the Red Sea? We looked like adventurous travelers or idiots, depending on who you ask.
Nevertheless, I joined the group on the bus. Well, as you probably guessed, the “package” was not all inclusive. They immediately tried to charge me extra AND did not include the cost of our masks, fins, lifejackets, or snorkels. I was PISSED (and I do not use that word liberally.). While some of our group members skipped off to the ship, Devin and I stood on the bay arguing about the money. While someone may say, “Chill out Rhonda, it’s only a couple of dollars.” It was more than that to me. It was a “Matter of Principle” (shout out to Daddy on that one!) I stood on the deck stubbornly as all of my travel mates paid the extra charges and hopped on the boat. I stood my ground decidedly, and was within two seconds of taking the next bus back to the ship when Kevin came to talk to me. Against caution (again) I took the risk and got on the boat. We rode all day and made 3 snorkeling stops. The first time I was a bit nervous, but I finally figured out my mask and stuck my face in the water. The scene was breathtaking. Zebra fish, eels, and lots of other ocean specimen swam amongst the colorful coral reefs. It was a scene straight out of Shark Tale! My second “dive” was not as pleasant because the guide gave me TWO faulty life jackets and the currents were too strong for me to “swim” back to the ship. Since I can’t swim, the waves began to overpower me and drag me into the boat. I PANICKED and started swallowing googobs of nasty Red Sea water. My body was tired, and I couldn’t fight the choppy water. My snorkeling adventure nearly turned into a disaster, especially since my travel mates kept saying, “Just keep paddling!” I was not a happy camper. After Stephanie helped me back to the ship, I did not even think about diving a 3rd time. It was good while it lasted. LOL. I spent the rest of the afternoon sun-napping, reading and basking in the fact that I was floating on the same Red sea that God parted so the Israelites could walk across on dry land while the Egyptian armies drowned in pursuit. Sidenote- as a child, I had a Ten Commandments puzzle that chronicled the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. I always wondered what the Red Sea looked like…FYI It’s not red. LOL. Who would have thought that little girl from Arkansas would actually have the opportunity to swim in the Red Sea? God is AMAZING like that.
The Wilderness
We departed the hotel at 645 the next morning for a 730 bus to St. Catherine’s Monastery which sits at the base of Mt. Sinai. The actual monastery closed at 1200 and despite my attempts to speed things up, we still did not make it to the village on time. Some delays were outside of our control (i.e. the frequent military/ tourist police passport check points). We did arrive at the village around 1205, and we were able to sneak into the monastery complex because there were still hundreds of tourists on the premises. We did not get to go into the chapel of the burning bush because it was reserved for Greek and Turkish visitors only after noon, but I did take a picture with the “Burning Bush” (Of course I don’t know if it was the real bush!) After the monastery, my travel mates decided to CLIMB Mt. Sinai. It was at least a 3 hr. trek by foot and 2 hrs minimum by camel. Did I mention the fact that we had to catch an evening bus back to Cairo, and the sun would go down before they even descended from the mountain?!?! I’m not a hater, but I know my limits. I was perfectly content climbing smaller rocks and taking pictures of Mt. Sinai from a distance. So Jihanne and I spent the afternoon with Bedouin tribesmen and camel drivers (we actually found a few who were safe and nice…enough). We tried to find lunch, but there was no real food for sale in the town so I survived on six Molto’s (chocolate hazelnut filled croissants) and a liter of Sprite. While we waited on the climbers, Egyptian men tried to woo us, and Jihanne spent hours screaming and trying to avoid her greatest, deathly fear, cats. Well, cats are the animals of love and passion according to Queen Nefertiti, so they are everywhere in Egypt. Between Jihanne’s screams, the Egyptians’ “game”, and my hunger pangs, I was ready to go home. I’d had enough adventure for one week, but as I tried to explain my desire for home to the Bedouin tribesmen, I remembered that the Sinai Peninsula is a LONG way from Arkansas. As much as I longed for the comfort of home, that idea was just wishful thinking. I can’t adequately describe the feeling of wanting to go home without having ANY option of getting there…It’s a miserable state of affairs.
After my travel mates made it back from the Mountain (nearly two hours overdue) we caught an expensive cab to Dahab where we caught another seven hour overnight bus to Cairo. This ride was fairly routine, except one “official” could not read the Egypt immigration stamp on my passport and he walked to the back of the bus with it. I LOST IT. I got out of my seat and demanded my passport back. He also confiscated Jihanne’s passport, but she was a lot calmer about the situation. This was the second time someone questioned me about my passport, as if I wasn’t an American. This scene ended with me getting off the bus, yelling at the tourist police, and snatching my passport away. Even in taxicabs, authorities did not believe that Jihanne and I were from America because of our skin tone. Funny sidenote- one of my Egyptian friends at Mt. Sinai asked me, “Do you like ‘music nigger’? You know, like ’music nigger’ and dance? Like Michael Jackson?” I gathered that he was trying to ask if I like pop or hip hop music. I laughed and schooled him about the word “nigger” (I also had to consider the fact that many Africans consider “nigger” a term of endearment). Overall, I found that people only referred to my “blackness” when they were trying to hustle or hook up with me. One shady cab driver (who had a pale olive complexion) said, “Why you no smile? I black too? We friends! Welcome Home! I love black!” I’d had enough, so I screamed, “I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE BLACK! YOU ARE NOT BLACK! YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE OUR MONEY!!” Boy, traveling really brings out the best and worst in people. I was exhausted and frustrated.
While I’m mentioning my less than stellar moments, it’s time for…
RHONDA’S DUMB MOVE OF THE DAY- I gave my watch to a Bedouin tribesmen. WHY? Because I succumbed to Jihanne’s peer pressure, and I was delirious. Granted, it was a $10 Wal-Mart watch, but that’s not the issue. I gave it to him in exchange for a camel ride back to the village. I guess I’ll just use my cell phone to keep time in Turkey, Croatia, and Spain. It was not the smartest thing I did all day-that’s for sure! (And it‘s okay to laugh at me, I‘m laughing at me too…)
We arrived at the ship in Alexandria (THANK GOD!) around 1100 on November 3rd. I slept the afternoon away and spent the entire night repenting for all of the chocolate hazelnut croissants I ate. I feel a bit better today, but I’m going to take it easy around Alexandria for our last day in port. After I finish this paragraph, I’m going to wash the Red Sea out of my hair and Kiyanna and I will visit the world’s largest library, the Roman Colloseum and a market or two. Egypt was amazing, (and I know Turkey, Croatia, and Spain will be great) but I can’t help looking forward to FT. LAUDERDALE!!!!!
Missing you,
Rhonda
posted by Ms. Allen at 2:33 PM
1 Comments:
Well Hey There Baby-Girl!
It's sounds like you had a rough/wonderful adventure in EGYPT. Someday soon you will look back on this time and ask yourself "Now I Know I Did Not Do That!" Never the less, this voyage is preparing you for January in "The Big Apple!"
Be Blessed,
Luv Mommy
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