Exploring Cairo

The Cairo Marriott Hotel is located on an island in the middle of the Nile River across from the downtown area. The center portion of the hotel incorporates a palace built to host Napoleon’s wife Empress Eugenia during the celebration of the opening of the Suez Canal. Two 20 floor towers are on either side of Palace. The grounds of the Palace are huge with an enclosed garden and outdoor restaurants. Interior of the palace is beautifully decorated in original fashion.

After breakfast we had an introductory meeting. WALEED, our experienced trip leader, looks to be in his 50’s and seems to be a kind gentle man. His Egyptian accent takes some getting used to — the s sound is different. Four more people joined the main tour - mostly childhood friends of others.

Trip for the day was the Egyptian Museum. Waleed walked us thru

some of the oldest royal treasures and explained what characteristics to look for — e.g, Pharaohs are always depicted with a beard that curves upward made out of horse hair or what it means if his left foot is in front when standing. The highlight was Tut’s masks, coffins, jewelry (no pictures) with the gold chariot and jars holding vital organs right outside. Another area at the museum displayed mummified animals with their decorative coffins and a second section of two mummies with explanations of the process.

We then drove through the crowded downtown to an Italian restaurant for lasagna and ice cream. Traffic is horrendous in Cairo so the bus ride back to the hotel was stop and go.

After some free time and a walk through the neighborhood around the hotel we met with a 20-something Egyptian woman who shared the life of women in the country. Good discussions about dress, dating and marriage and divorce, community watchfulness of young women, education, varied values between women in the urban areas vs rural.

Our Welcome Dinner was in the hotel with mushroom soup, breads, steak or chicken, baklava for dessert. Also a fruit punch with rum in it

— the only time we will get served alcohol by OAT this trip. Lots of water though.