Here I am in Goa, India. I'm studying yoga at Riva Resort on Mandrem Beach. I'm staying at www.dandoholidayhuts.com with friends from Leh between Mandrem and Arambol Beaches. They are turning this resort into a meditation retreat center and gave me a free place to stay in exchange for teaching yoga and meditation. The flyer for the place even has my picture on it as I am raising my arms to the sun up in Leh.
My hut is idyllic - made of grass with two windows overlooking a placid lake and palm tree groves with the sound of the waves crashing only five minutes away. I walk to school every morning at 6 a.m. I walk along a river, through a palm tree grove, past a small gathering of Indian homes with a family of pigs roaming about, then along the river again until it comes to the ocean. Then I walk along the beach until I get to my open air school.
In school, we are learning Ashtanga Yoga through the Iyengar and Himalaya methods. We also are learning chants, pranayama, meditation, anatomy, ayurveda and various philosophies. The two main teachers are indian and have studied with masters since a young age. Their age is impossible to tell - they appear very youthful. It's a tough discipline as we are doing four hours of physically demanding ashtanga yoga a day. We have finished one week.
The first day, I cursed myself and said "this is really hard - why am I here?" But I see that the reason I am here is to slow down, get back within my body, tone up my muscles and relax into all that is India and all that is yoga. I'm still travelling, but I've been whirling about for so long that I've lost my center and my practice. It's really nice, though challenging, to come back to these via mediation, breathing and yoga. This course is professional and slow - nothing is easy - but it's all very deep and I am already experiencing lessons and emotions that I will reflect upon in a later blog as I am still processing. Mainly, I feel alone and I know that I can not go back to a corporate life. I don't know what to do and feel a bit lost. At the same time, I feel I'm easing into the true essence of me that makes me feel really good. If I continue this practice, when I make a choice, it will serve my highest interest and I can be healthy and happy.
The resort I stayed at in Egypt contacted me to potentially start a yoga program . We have talked and I will know more later in December. If it's a go, I may return to Egypt in January and work for three months and study arabic and teach english, then perhaps explore the middle east. It is so fascinating to me. Not to mention, the economy is not so good to find a job now - teaching english and yoga is always a possibility. Life is nice. I just wish I had a man whom I could share all this love with.
As soon as I returned to India, I was relieved to see cows on the road. Two girls in the car with me were freaking out about EVERYHING and I remained unfazed. Welcome home to crazy beautiful India. I eventually found my friends' place and only one of them was here, buried underneath remodeling projects. The place itself is gorgeous and there is much work to do before it is officially open in two weeks. Last night, my other friend arrived and I feel like I am again with my Leh "family." We've adopted a kitten and have the landlord's dog, so we even have pets!
The people in my course are very nice - 20 women plus one man - and no one bothers me. They are from all over the world: Turkey (2), Lebanon, Italy, Slovenia, France (the couple), England, Canada, Holland, Ireland, Scotland, America and Mexico. I'm learning just as much about the rest of the world as I am yoga. My steady companion is a beautiful Lebanese woman named Marie Helene. We roam around on my motor bike during breaks and discuss life in the Middle East. She has lived in Dubai and is in the process of moving to Kuwait. We get along like schmick and schmack and I'm very happy to have another close girlfriend. She's very funny, very worldly and totally unique. She's going to teach me belly dancing and arabic. I'm going to teach her what I know of yoga and perfect English. Hurray!
I saw my old high school acquaintance Freeman in Goa. He tried to surprise me at the airport b/c he missed his flight, but we missed each other. So, we caught up here. He's actually a man, now. Surprise! And India has been very good to him. He's cool, easy, warm and generous. He also lives a life of enterprise and freedom that he is passionate about. He loves India. He reminds me that you can do anything you set your mind to; including living in India and making your dream job yourself. I really respect him and appreciate that I can call him a friend now. I hope to see him again. He, like Marie Helene, is a virgo. I LOVE virgos!
Today is our first half day off of school. I'm going to help the guys make a path around the lake and we'll swim in the warm water of the ocean thereafter. The beach is mostly empty now as tourist season doesn't begin until Nov. 1. Goa is thus uncharacteristically quiet and clean. I can only imagine how things will change...I've been travelling over 9 months now as of 10/23 - I can hardly believe the transformation I've undergone. I've found myself and I love me. I miss my friends, too. I wonder every day how on earth I will return to my prior life. I'm not sure how. Everything seems and feels so different now. We'll see....
Friday, October 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Mystical Egypt
Every fantasy I've ever had about Egypt is true. Every one. It is nothing less than astonishing every single day: Billowing sand dunes, crystal mountains, mystical pyramids, history everywhere and in everything, veiled ladies with beautiful kohl-lined mysterious eyes, muslim men in flowing galabeas (sp?) and muslim hats, shisha/hukkah pipe smoking (fruit flavored tobacco inside) at every other shop, souqs/bazzars winding through alleys built thousands of years ago with ornate wooden windows (for the ladies to peer out of from inside) and moroccan style lanterns lighting the way, shops selling belly dancing fabric, big jewelry, foreign instruments, buckets of spices, ornate decorations, slabs of beef and camel, etc.; feluccas sailing down a peaceful nile river with reeds on the river banks (although no crocodiles or baby moseses in a basket floating by), hieroglyphics on giant stones that are marvels to behold in both size and energy, ridiculously rich sheiks with turbans and gold throwing money as if it was nothing while dancing with a gyrating bad girl from Quatar or Saudi Arabia in a dance club, silent sands, still deserts, awesome sunrises on luscious oases surrounded by sand mountains converted to tombs for the dead, the call to prayer echoing over any town five times a day, sunsets that spill over the richness of history, camels, bedoins, incredible diving and underwater life with crystal clear visibility and last but not least, a history and allure of the captivating and indescribably type - an essence that defies any description. A mystical calling...
And also the unexpected - a large reason I went to Egypt. What is Islam? Repressive to women? Full of American-hating terrorists? Belief in jihad? Intolerant of other religions? Will they stone me if I accidentally show my ankle or show a little too much curve with form fitting clothes and speak with an american accent? Do they hate us? Who is us? What is the truth about Islam? What is the truth about the middle east? What does THEIR media say truth?
I received answers to all of these. Islam is love and universal connectedness. They view women as needing to be protected b/c men can't be responsible for their own sexual urges. They love Americans - they hate George Bush. Jihad as it is currently being used as a justification for hate and death and murder is the result of bad men, not Islam. Islam recognizes other religions and has respect for their teachings, but believe Islam is the right religion. They tolerate westerners and feel that yes, we're immoral, and yes we don't respect our bodies by not covering them, but we are different and therefore are not overtly offensive - only mildly. The men, especially appreciate the opportunity to see some skin and the ability to walk close to and actually smell, and possibly brush against an actual women. Men and women don't touch - even husband and wife between sunrise and sunset - and they certainly don't have love affairs as we do in the west. They get married (a marriage, btw, can be annulled within hours, if desired). They liked my american accent as I practiced my arabic and smiled broadly when I told them where I was from. I received gifts everywhere I went and was always invited to sit for a cup of tea. They recognize that "us" is not the united states in that not all of us support our president. You see, their president is a dictator, but none of them can speak out against him or they will be harrassed, imprisoned or killed. EVERY Egyptian I spoke to expressed hatred for their president, but frustration at their inability to speak out about it out of fear. They expressed hatred b/c they had no civil rights or liberties to travel outside the country. The economy is horrible and people are starving, but the money is being taken by the president. They MUST declare a religion - either muslim or christian (the only choices) to get any sort of identification. They can't leave the country unless they pay 12,000 Euros. The last man who went up against the president during "elections" was imprisoned for something (no one really knows) and came out silent, crazy and crippled. No one has questioned anything in public since. When the president dies, his son will take over. The oppression will continue. They love Egypt, but they hate their president? Sound familiar? "Us" is more common than we thought. The truth about Islam is that it doesn't say women must veil and hide in corners. It doesn't say westerners are the spawn of satan. It doesn't say maim and destroy. This is merely the way some people have chosen to interpret islam either forcefully or otherwise. Islam actually says that a guest is God and should be treated with all due respect. As a muslim, these people are blessed to recognize right living and treat every person with respect and courtesy. They see women as someone to be protected - pure and virtuous. The way women veil is subjective - many women love to adorn their outfits with matching scarves on their heads - this was particularly apparent in Cairo. Of course, their are exceptions, fundamentalists, abusive husbands, repressed victims, as in every culture - that take it too far - this is what we've seen. It's not good. At all. I saw that, too. The Middle East is complicated and requires much more exploration to even begin to understand. Some countries are more repressive than others. Some hate westerners. Some love America. Oil is important. Geography is important. History is important. Respect for islam and the culture is key. Always. That said, I don't believe isolating ourselves and demonizing muslims, a la the media's inculcations, is the proper way to achieve peace. We need a dialogue. Not out of fear - just respect for differences. That's it. Their media doesn't demonize westerners - it just covers the news. The economic crisis, for instance. Every Egyptian I met hopes, really really really hopes Obama will win. They hate what Bush has done to demonize thier religion and culture b/c it is gravely untrue. That is the truth. I hope all of you visit the middle east and see the truth for yourselves.
I started in Dahab and stayed in a luxury resort that overlooked the Red Sea and had a domed ceiling of brick above my bed and a whitewashed veranda. I slept on pillows on the veranda a couple of nights b/c the breeze felt so nice. I scuba dived one day and it was clear and lovely with bright corals and fish and manta rays - I dived Castle and the Island. I had succulent calamari at a bedoin restaurant with pillow seats on the floor, shesha pipes, billowing fabric for walls on the north and south sides only with sea on one side and sand mountains on the other. The next day, I went further north to the blue hole with a nice Dutch lady I met and we snorkeled around the blue hole and actually dove in one meter. Gorgeous once again. Thereafter, I wanted the calamari, so I caught a taxi, i.e. a camel, and rode along the Red Sea for about 1 km so I could taste the delicious calamari again. When I got there, the proprietor exclaimed with joy that he would give me his eyes if I asked, he was so happy to see me. The Egyptians, you see, are very romantic and use such comments regularly. They're also very funny. I can't tell you how many times I would walk past a man and he'd ask "how many camels?" I made friends with the manager of the resort and he invited me to breakfast (sunset breaking of the ramadan fast) with he and his brother at his home. His brother had been preparing the food all day and it was delicious. Beef, onions, pita, tahini, salad - all very fresh and delicious. They had the tv turned on during the breakfast. I expected something holy. Nope. But, delicious and a great experience to be invited. The following day, I met him at sunrise and we climbed the mountain behind the hotel. It had a gorgous view of the resplendent sun rising over the mountains of Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea ("Mecca is just there," he pointed). Then he leaned in for a kiss to which I protested. "Don't stop me," he stated. I stopped him. No more invitations for me to dinner. : (
I next flew to Cairo as Ramadan finished. I gasped as I first laid eyes on the Nile and saw the three pyramids of Giza from so high in the sky. It was incredible! The taxi driver had a scratch, low voice like Joe Pesce and looked like an aged and weathered gangster with a pocked face and leather jacket. He explained that he had a wife and was looking for a western wife. He wantd her young like me even though he was 57. Was I interested? No thanks, just the hotel please. Cairo at dusk appeared dirty and noisy and the streets had only men wandering around the hotel. I didn't like it. The next day was different - I saw women out en masse. The three days after Ramadan are like Christmas - no one is working and everyone is celebrating and eating. Girls are allowed to roam free. Imagine my surprise at seeing boys and girls walking arm in arm through the streets of Cairo! The girls wore tight fitting denim skirts and pants with sparkles on them and garish tight t-shirts over long sleeved form fitting shirts. Of course, thier heads were covered with bright scarves tucked tightly under their chins and surrounding ounces of thick makeup and heavily lined kohl eyes. They were gorgeous and young and happy and touching!!! What a trip! I later learned that this is a special time of year. When I later returned to Cairo, no one was touching, but the girls still dressed the same.
Cairo is modern with peppered history dating back thousands of years, i.e. islamic and coptic cairo, and on the west of the Nile River b/c the east is reserved for the dead. They believe that the dead rise to the afterlife with the rising sun. Simple. There are lots of cars, traffic, smog, people from all over the world and many women on the streets, as well as men. Men only smoke in the sheesha shops - as well as the occasional western women. These shops are prolific. I explored Cairo on foot and got lost in downtown amid the post-ramadan revelry, visited the astounding Egyptian museum and saw the treasures of King Tut's tomb as well as mummified pharohs and the supernumerary wonders of pharonic egypt. I visited Saqquara and another place that begins with a C to see pyramids and tombs with beautiful inscriptions and paintings of everyday life and the passage to the everafter. I learned of the various Gods and what their purpose is. I learned of the celebration of life. I learned that no one is sure how these temples were erected. I learned that they weren't slaves, but masters, who erected the pyramids during the winter season when the Nile flooded and they couldn't tend to their farms - a "solution for unemployment," apparently.
I met with my group to go on a two week tour - a young australian couple, two fashionista kids from Queens, a dirk-like Canadian exploring the world and hoping to get to oxford on a rugby scholarship and an eccentric Kiwi guy that I couldn't really label. Everyone was nice and young. Our guide, named Gandhi b/c he looks like him and is named Mohammed like every other Egyptian, was a bit older than I and very organized and nice. I was irked to have a time schedule, but very lucky to have a guide and such nice people with which to explore Egypt. I reminded myself that I used to have such a regiment that I had to account for every six minutes - if I could do that this would be no problem. We went to the Pyramids of Giza which were truly awe-inspiring and visited the Giant Sphyx. As I was walking up to this mystical piece of ancient egypt majestically situated in front of the middle great pyramid, I heard on my right "camel, camel" which I ignored b/c I knew it was someone selling a stuffed animal camel. I walked on and marveled at the majestic state of all this. Then, however, the voice said "dancing camel" and I turned around to see stuffed animal camels dancing on the white alabaster hallway - the voice was hidden behind an ancient pillar. I just had to laugh. Welcome to Egypt. A place where ancient majestic history rich and resplendent is met with people needing money, yet maintaing their humor all the time. A common greeting is "welcome to alaska." Very funny people. I didn't buy the dancing camel. I kindof wish I had.
We took an overnight train to Aswan which was conservative and beautiful and calm. It's more african than the rest of Egypy b/c it is Nubian. The people are dark skinned and they sell more spices and play drums and chant in an africanized fashion. We shopped in the souq where two different shopkeepers brushed against me and I balked - they acted surprised. It irked me. One other shopkeeper was all googley-eyed and gave me great discounts b/c I agreed to shake his hand for a lower price. Selling myself, I guess. Not too bad - I got a great price. I also was offered seven thousand camels as I walked solo along the Nile River one day. I met an English man along the way who asked if I'd join his feluca. I declined, but suggested a cup of coffee as I was exhausted. We walked to a gorgeous view and it happened to be McDonalds! It had the most beautiful view of the Nile and delicious turkish coffee (mud like and small and very, very strong). Who knew?
We took a feluca up the Nile and stopped overnight for a fireside dance and singing with several other touring feluccas. I had a bad case of diarreaha and missed the party, but no worries. It was lovely to be there. We visited Abu Simbel which was a giant temple for Ramses and another one for his wife Nefrititi carved in to two giant stone mountains. UNESCO moved the site to avoid flooding when the damn was built. I was in awe as to the beauty and magnitude of these temples as well as the feat of moving them! We also visited an island that had a temple for Isis on it - I can't remember the name right now. Again, there were carvings and ruins and temples that were larger than life and absolutely awe-inspiring. We swam in the Nile with no crocodiles and it was cool water with a strong current. I had to pinch myself that I was actually IN THE NILE RIVER!!! We visited a nubian village and I bought candy for the children. Two fruit sellers proposed marriage in 10 minutes.
We carried on to Luxor which was magic. Luxor had Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, the Valley of Kings, the Valley of Queens, Ramses' Temple, the Laborer's Valley, Hatsheput's Temple and so many other places. Luxor is still being excavated b/c it has so many antiquities dating back thousands of years. They are regularly discovering new antiquities and resituating entire villages (and parts of Luxor itself) due to discoveries of towns atop tombs. Even today! Karnak was breathtaking in detail and grandeur. Many generations of phaorohs added their mark here and the statues, carving, obelisks and ruins defied description. The Valleys all contain(ed) dead people and were stuffed with beautiful objects and art for the afterlife of the deceased. The Royal people obviously had much more than the laborers. I learned that these valleys were forgotten in history b/c their location was known only to the ruling pharohs and of course the laborers (specially skilled people who built and decorated the tombs as soon as a pharoh took the throne). The laborers lived in nearby village specially built for to work on the temples regularly. When the government changed sometime after the Romans accepted Christianity, the bulding of the temples ceased and these people had no source of income. They would go into the temples and take only what they needed to survive. When we went to their tombs, we saw equally skilled work on the walls - they worked six days on the pharohs tombs and one on their own. Their was also a greco-roman church in this village, which illustrated the acceptance of egyptian religion fused with greco-roman influence. Emporers were dressed as pharohs and going through the same afterlife process as the pharohs with the egyptian gods dressed somewhat differently (with roman cross-hatched design) and carrying knives. I took a hot air balloon with Twinkle (from New York - an awesome 22 year - beautiful, brilliant and super cool) over all of the temples at sunrise. It was pricey, but I loved feeling like I was one of the gods flying over the temples to see if the giant statues and temples pleased me enough to grant eternal life. We were mostly pleased up there in the sky. It was truly awe inspiring to see the reverence for pharohs and life. We went to McDonalds - the first time I had food there in over 20 years! - and it overlooked the beautiful Luxor Temple. I think McDonald's must have prime real estate all over Egypt! Luxor Temple had an avenue of Sphinxes and dozens of temples and statutes richly adorned. We went at night and everything was illuminated beautifully. It felt out of this world. We took a horse and buggy back to the hotel that night along the Nile. As we were trotting along past ancient relics and marvelous hotels overlooking the Nile, I once again gave thanks for my life. I smiled the whole way home.
We next took a train to Alexandria, which was breezy and beautiful. Most of the historical places were destroyed. The New Yorkers and I teamed up. We had a drink on the water, then visited the library (closed for Friday prayer). We got lost downtown, then took a taxi to the famous fort which was built over a famous ancient lighthouse that fell into the sea during an earthquake. There, we had a delicous seafood lunch, then went shopping for nubian jewelry. We walked back along the water's windy edge and I felt so revived - I felt like I was in San Francisco. Married couples were walkig arm in arm and smiling at the water. Fisherman cast their lines in formation along the entire coast. It was lovely. We stumbled upon a gorgeous mosque with a giant fountain. Alongside this was a carnival with families beaming and smiling amid the lights of the rides. I tried some cotton candy - tastes just like the ones at home. We later met up with the group and brought them back here for George's birthday ride on a rocket ship. Then, we had more extraordiary seafood. We chatted on my balcony deep into the evening as it overlooked the water. We left too early the next day. I want to return to Alexandria. An entire temple and two cities fell into the water and is aviailable for scuba viewing. They plan on building the world's first ever underwater museum. Diving before it is built is costly. Perhaps I can study arabic, teach english, and scuba dive on the side with my income...we'll see...
As we headed to the desert, we stopped at Cleopatra's beach, where she was rumored to escape to with Mark Anthony. It was nice to see waves crashing over rocks and feel the sand beneath my feet. We stopped for only 10 minutes, so no swimming. But lovely. Next, we went to the giant oasis of Siwa. Thousands of palm trees and mineral springs and an ancient dilapidated city center consisting of salt-sand walls that fell to pieces during a rain storm. The resulting structures spilling over the top of the hill reminded me of Gaudi park in Barcelona, Spain - but all natural. There were several mosques here, so the call to prayer was very, very audible. Here, the women were even more conservative and I rarely say a woman's face as it was under a heavy veil - most with no eye-slits. We visited a mountain where tombs for the common people were built. The art was crude and very roman influenced. We then went to the Oracle's temple where Alexander the Great came several times for guidance and to inquire if he was indeed the son of Zeus. No one knows the answer. I asked the ruined temple what my purpose was and had the thought that it is whatever I make it. We then went to Cleopatra's bath - a mineral spring - and had a brief swim - I swam in pants and a t-shirt. Cleopatra never came here - Alexander did. There were men around waiting for the opportunity to see bare flesh. We travelled by donkey cart, by the way. At the mountain of the dead, one donkey started braying inconsolably as we walked away - Twinkle and I felt horrible - but that's the working life among donkeys, I suppose. We smoked shishas here at night b/c there wasn't much to do. Siwa was really beautiful. Very calm. Very nice. Very muslim. In the desert.
Gandhi and I discussed marriage in islam. He told me about the ability to marry and divorce so sex isn't illegal. He told me how no one touches unless the girl is bad and she is VERY bad if you can kiss her before marriage. As a result, sex is like war, he says. The women is terrified and never wants to do it. The man has no idea what to do. When he tried to touch his wife's breast and asked what was wrong she replied "I've been hiding them for 25 years." She also had a genital "adjustment" when she was younger, so her sensual pleasure is gone. He said for many women, the wedding night is the worst night of their life if the husband is not patient or kind. Many men reach the age of 40 having never touched a woman and even knowing what their wrist feels like or what her hair smells like is a source of intrigue. This is the reason the men touched me in the Aswan market and why I get so many marriage proposals. Western women are so much more liberated - the men want to learn. It's natural. Crazy.
We next travelled to a smaller oasis and into the white desert. We passed a crystal hill where the rocks are all giant mounds of crystal sparkling in the sun. "Crystal Energy is Good!" I sang. The whole group started singing this song thereafter. We swam in another mineral spring and ascended a hill in the Black Desert overlooking dozens of black volcanoes peppered along the blackened desert horizon. We arrived to the White Desert at sunset and everything was gleaming pink and pearl like. The moon was full and illuminted the giant white rock formations all night long. It looks very similar to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia/Chile. It looks like snow and Dali drew pictures of the Bolivian rocks - tall, strange contorted white formations jutting out of sand - but everything is bone dry and surrounded by sand and sun.
Gandhi and I walked into the desert as everyone slept. It was too mystical for sleep. He told me I should stay in Egypt and offered to marry me and give me a house as his second wife. It was a nice offer, I said, but there was no way I could live in Islamic society. Then he said he was kidding. He later said he wasn't. Either way, I told him that I want to marry a western man - and I do. An islamic life is not for me, even if my husband is a good man, like Gandhi. I hope we remain friends. He taught me a lot about Islam. I even shook his hand and hugged him when we said goodbye in Cairo. Other than that, no touching. Just talking. Thank you, Gandhi.
We returned to Cairo and had a farewell dinner at a famous kebab place in islamic cairo. Cats were everywhere and it felt ancient eating outisde in a labrynthian alley. Gandhi brought Twinkle and I to a place where we could buy shisha pipes (I bought one for my friends who have a new restaurant in Goa). On the way, we had to step over a calf that had its throat slit and had blood gushing onto the stones beneath its dead body being bludgeoned by two men. This is islamic Cairo. The streets are so old and ancient that they can't even install plumbing. Everything is done in the old tradition. The next day, I reconnected with Ed (the Englishman I met in Aswan) and returned to islamic cairo with Ed and Ben. We walked through downtown Cairo to get there and saw the streets teeming with activity. A vendor gave me a delicous glass of juice which I drank with no unsavory after-affects. We stumbled upon a coffee house that dated back 140 years. We sat for an hour in the courtyard of a giant mosque and spoke with an Egyptian about life, politics and religion. A man came along and gave me several books on islam. I sat veiled and at peace in this sanctuary in the middle of a thriving city of 20 million people (80% islam, 20% christian, btw). Then, we went back into the bazzar and did some haggling and shopping. We finally relaxed in a famous shisha cafe and had exceptionally delicious fresh pomegranate juice (served with spoon and straw) and a strawberry tobacco flavored shisa. Next to us was a lovely lady in her 70s who has been travelling most of her life. She was vibrant and beautiful and inspired me that I could live a life on the road if I desired. She saw Omar Sharif here once, she said. I wish I could see him. Gorgeous man. Egyptians passed by selling everything under the sun and I bargained very hard for a scarf. I felt bad at the low price I got b/c the state of affairs is very grim for many. I gave all of my food away as we were walking through Cairo. You can't help everybody. We ended the night with a tea and shisha on a beautiful hill overlooking all of Cairo. We drove past the citadel on our way up and down. The minarets and spires of the thousands of mosques on the Cairo skyline was truly dazzling.
That night, Ed and I went for Italian food in the ex-pat part of town on an island in the middle of the Nile, which was delicious. We found a way to buy a bottle of wine and left to find a place to drink it. Not allowed in the restaurant. We explored a beautiful ancient house with an open door to try to get to the roof, but no access. I saw a sign that said "apartment for rent for foreigners" and a man sitting near the sign inquired if I was interested. We proceeded to check out what an apartment in Cairo was like for 3000 egyptian pounds. We walked forever and he asked several doormen along the way in several apartments something and turned around to take us to the next place. Eventually, we found two vacancies and they were both dives with giant furniture and tiny windows. We carried on to the Nile and went into a glitzy bar/restaurant that reminded me of Miami. The prices were outrageous and we had no cash, so we walked on to find an ATM and a different option. We met several felucca captains and arranged to have a one hour tour for 50 pounds (about $10USD). We passed a private club where a wedding party entered and they invited us in. We carried on to town where there were cafes and rich egyptians and expats having coffees and shisas al fresco. We found an atm, bought some chocolate pastries and went back in the direction from whence we'd come. There were weddings in every river club and restaurant and park and giant feluccas were sailing past with egyptians dancing and celebrating with the bridal couple. We entered the club to find the couple that invited us in. The doorguy begrudgingly let us enter for 'two minutes only' and told us where the party was. We entered and just kindof observed the couple on the stage smiling out at the dancing crowd. Then, a man whispered into the ear of the groom and they both looked at us and the man called us over, smiling. We took pictures with them at their request, then the crowd pulled us on to the dance floor and everyone was snapping our photos and requesting dances - kids, old people, men, women. Ed kept saying we needed to leave b/c we were stealing the attention from the bride and groom and I kept saying we had to leave b/c security was going to come for us. But the crowd would not let us out of the circle. We had no choice but to keep dancing! We were finally pulled out of the crowd by the door man who was laughing and smiling while saying we weren't allowed. Imagine our surprise when we walked a bit farther up the road and saw a different wedding party in the same club dancing outside. THIS was the couple that invited us in. So, we actually crashed someone's wedding and they were as warm and welcoming as anyone I've ever met! We went for the felucca ride with red wine and chocolate - we paid the captain extra baksheesh for the illegality of the action - and toured around gorgeous Cairo with its towering lights on one side and the luxury villas of the embassies on the island. It was really romantic as we sat there taking it all in, side by side, as mates. The word that came to mind was "captivating" and Ed agreed. I fell absolutely in love with Cairo and finally understood a line in a book I read: "When you first arrive in Cairo, you can't wait to leave. When you finally leave Cairo, you can't wait to come back."
We tipped the captain and walked along to find some live music. I asked a tall Egyptian man with funky glasses whether he worked at a nightclub with live music and he said "yes." He was a sound engineer and took us for free to the swankiest club in all of Cairo. A famous Egyptian singer would be performing that evening (morning, actually, 4 am) and he kept tryign to tell us we should come back later, but we decided to stay and check the progress of the evening. We had one prohibitively expensive cocktail, then switched to tea and shisha. What transpired was weird. The DJ was incredible; truly one of the best I've ever heard. Only women danced and they were clearly prostitutes but incredible belly dancers in their tight jeans and tank tops. Every once in a while, a song would play in an arbic language and the men would come out and sing and dance. They clearly were gay, but since homosexuality is illegal, they weren't. No one was allowed to touch anyone else, but the indications were pretty darn stark! Then, it became crowded with people from Saudi Arabia and Quatar and Morocco. The Egyptian singer and band walked out onto the dance floor dressed in white galabeas and the picnic-looking head scarves of a sheik and sang while walking between the dancers. Men would say something in his ear while he was singing then throw giant wads of cash into the sky. Five men in white shirts had the job of picking up the bills. No one else touched them. There were giant body guards dressed in black suits that held up their hands to keep me from coming too close to who knows who on the dance floor (I danced once) and otherwise watched the women dancing at a very uncomfortable range. The rich men continued to throw money as they danced in increments of 50 pounds as Ed and I gasped in astonishment. I asked the bathroom attendant why they did this: "Because they are Crazy - not from Egypt - crazy people!" she said.
Mohammed, our friend that we met on the street, later told us that they were sons of oil sheiks and danced like this every night. They collected 30,000 pounds in this manner that evening = split evenly between the singer and the house. We finally left at 5 in the morning when the singing had ended. It was wild!
Mohammed had invited us to his house for lunch, so Ed picked me up at 1 pm for a 3pm lunch. We hopped in a cab with Mohammed and for about an hour to a suburb outside the citadel. Mohammed lives like so many Egyptians in a shoddy high rise apartment next to dozens of other shoddy high rise apartments. We arrived on the top floor to a clean and elegant little place with big furniture and a wailing baby boy. His son is 1.6 and a beautiful little boy. His wife came out blushing with a headscarf and said "hello." She spoke no English. Nonetheless, she took me into her bedroom and gave me egyptian kohl eyes and wrapped my head in my scarf in the muslim fashion. She was very sweet and said "I love you very much" as she insisted I take a plastic pearl necklace as a gift. We viewed photos of their family and life and played with their son while waiting for her fasting period to pass before eating. During Ramadan, she couldn't pray for four days due to her period and was now catching up. At 5:30, she served us a delicious Egyptian feast which she took four hours to prepare. We talked about the repression of Egyptians and rituals of islam. They were a truly kind couple. We were very lucky to have such an expose into Egyptian life.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the same hill overlooking Cairo and I got to say goodbye to this incredible city. I jokingly kissed Ed on the cheek, to which the driver with his ever watchful eye exclaimed. Mohammed immediately told me "Kyra, please don't kiss Ed - the driver has requested." Islam. I made a special point to smile, make direct eye contact with the driver and say goodbye to him when I got out of the cab. He smiled back and I wondered if he thought I was a demon. Likely. Ed and Mohammed carried on and I returned to the hotel to pack and go to the airport. At the airport, I had two men pull a scam that they could help me get through the lines faster. I knew it was unnecessary, but gave both of them backsheesh of 20 ponds each. I generously tipped the bathroom attendant as well. When I realized I didn't have enough pounds to get a cup of coffee, the service guy said I could have it for free. So I gave him the rest of my money as a tip ( 7 pounds, but 12 pounds for a cup of coffee). He smiled very large and so did I. I love Egypt.
And now I'm back in India. In Goa...I am unfazed by crazy traffic, cows, leering men, substandard accomodation, veiled women and the overall bizarreness of India. It's nice to be back. Really nice. Astshti
And also the unexpected - a large reason I went to Egypt. What is Islam? Repressive to women? Full of American-hating terrorists? Belief in jihad? Intolerant of other religions? Will they stone me if I accidentally show my ankle or show a little too much curve with form fitting clothes and speak with an american accent? Do they hate us? Who is us? What is the truth about Islam? What is the truth about the middle east? What does THEIR media say truth?
I received answers to all of these. Islam is love and universal connectedness. They view women as needing to be protected b/c men can't be responsible for their own sexual urges. They love Americans - they hate George Bush. Jihad as it is currently being used as a justification for hate and death and murder is the result of bad men, not Islam. Islam recognizes other religions and has respect for their teachings, but believe Islam is the right religion. They tolerate westerners and feel that yes, we're immoral, and yes we don't respect our bodies by not covering them, but we are different and therefore are not overtly offensive - only mildly. The men, especially appreciate the opportunity to see some skin and the ability to walk close to and actually smell, and possibly brush against an actual women. Men and women don't touch - even husband and wife between sunrise and sunset - and they certainly don't have love affairs as we do in the west. They get married (a marriage, btw, can be annulled within hours, if desired). They liked my american accent as I practiced my arabic and smiled broadly when I told them where I was from. I received gifts everywhere I went and was always invited to sit for a cup of tea. They recognize that "us" is not the united states in that not all of us support our president. You see, their president is a dictator, but none of them can speak out against him or they will be harrassed, imprisoned or killed. EVERY Egyptian I spoke to expressed hatred for their president, but frustration at their inability to speak out about it out of fear. They expressed hatred b/c they had no civil rights or liberties to travel outside the country. The economy is horrible and people are starving, but the money is being taken by the president. They MUST declare a religion - either muslim or christian (the only choices) to get any sort of identification. They can't leave the country unless they pay 12,000 Euros. The last man who went up against the president during "elections" was imprisoned for something (no one really knows) and came out silent, crazy and crippled. No one has questioned anything in public since. When the president dies, his son will take over. The oppression will continue. They love Egypt, but they hate their president? Sound familiar? "Us" is more common than we thought. The truth about Islam is that it doesn't say women must veil and hide in corners. It doesn't say westerners are the spawn of satan. It doesn't say maim and destroy. This is merely the way some people have chosen to interpret islam either forcefully or otherwise. Islam actually says that a guest is God and should be treated with all due respect. As a muslim, these people are blessed to recognize right living and treat every person with respect and courtesy. They see women as someone to be protected - pure and virtuous. The way women veil is subjective - many women love to adorn their outfits with matching scarves on their heads - this was particularly apparent in Cairo. Of course, their are exceptions, fundamentalists, abusive husbands, repressed victims, as in every culture - that take it too far - this is what we've seen. It's not good. At all. I saw that, too. The Middle East is complicated and requires much more exploration to even begin to understand. Some countries are more repressive than others. Some hate westerners. Some love America. Oil is important. Geography is important. History is important. Respect for islam and the culture is key. Always. That said, I don't believe isolating ourselves and demonizing muslims, a la the media's inculcations, is the proper way to achieve peace. We need a dialogue. Not out of fear - just respect for differences. That's it. Their media doesn't demonize westerners - it just covers the news. The economic crisis, for instance. Every Egyptian I met hopes, really really really hopes Obama will win. They hate what Bush has done to demonize thier religion and culture b/c it is gravely untrue. That is the truth. I hope all of you visit the middle east and see the truth for yourselves.
I started in Dahab and stayed in a luxury resort that overlooked the Red Sea and had a domed ceiling of brick above my bed and a whitewashed veranda. I slept on pillows on the veranda a couple of nights b/c the breeze felt so nice. I scuba dived one day and it was clear and lovely with bright corals and fish and manta rays - I dived Castle and the Island. I had succulent calamari at a bedoin restaurant with pillow seats on the floor, shesha pipes, billowing fabric for walls on the north and south sides only with sea on one side and sand mountains on the other. The next day, I went further north to the blue hole with a nice Dutch lady I met and we snorkeled around the blue hole and actually dove in one meter. Gorgeous once again. Thereafter, I wanted the calamari, so I caught a taxi, i.e. a camel, and rode along the Red Sea for about 1 km so I could taste the delicious calamari again. When I got there, the proprietor exclaimed with joy that he would give me his eyes if I asked, he was so happy to see me. The Egyptians, you see, are very romantic and use such comments regularly. They're also very funny. I can't tell you how many times I would walk past a man and he'd ask "how many camels?" I made friends with the manager of the resort and he invited me to breakfast (sunset breaking of the ramadan fast) with he and his brother at his home. His brother had been preparing the food all day and it was delicious. Beef, onions, pita, tahini, salad - all very fresh and delicious. They had the tv turned on during the breakfast. I expected something holy. Nope. But, delicious and a great experience to be invited. The following day, I met him at sunrise and we climbed the mountain behind the hotel. It had a gorgous view of the resplendent sun rising over the mountains of Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea ("Mecca is just there," he pointed). Then he leaned in for a kiss to which I protested. "Don't stop me," he stated. I stopped him. No more invitations for me to dinner. : (
I next flew to Cairo as Ramadan finished. I gasped as I first laid eyes on the Nile and saw the three pyramids of Giza from so high in the sky. It was incredible! The taxi driver had a scratch, low voice like Joe Pesce and looked like an aged and weathered gangster with a pocked face and leather jacket. He explained that he had a wife and was looking for a western wife. He wantd her young like me even though he was 57. Was I interested? No thanks, just the hotel please. Cairo at dusk appeared dirty and noisy and the streets had only men wandering around the hotel. I didn't like it. The next day was different - I saw women out en masse. The three days after Ramadan are like Christmas - no one is working and everyone is celebrating and eating. Girls are allowed to roam free. Imagine my surprise at seeing boys and girls walking arm in arm through the streets of Cairo! The girls wore tight fitting denim skirts and pants with sparkles on them and garish tight t-shirts over long sleeved form fitting shirts. Of course, thier heads were covered with bright scarves tucked tightly under their chins and surrounding ounces of thick makeup and heavily lined kohl eyes. They were gorgeous and young and happy and touching!!! What a trip! I later learned that this is a special time of year. When I later returned to Cairo, no one was touching, but the girls still dressed the same.
Cairo is modern with peppered history dating back thousands of years, i.e. islamic and coptic cairo, and on the west of the Nile River b/c the east is reserved for the dead. They believe that the dead rise to the afterlife with the rising sun. Simple. There are lots of cars, traffic, smog, people from all over the world and many women on the streets, as well as men. Men only smoke in the sheesha shops - as well as the occasional western women. These shops are prolific. I explored Cairo on foot and got lost in downtown amid the post-ramadan revelry, visited the astounding Egyptian museum and saw the treasures of King Tut's tomb as well as mummified pharohs and the supernumerary wonders of pharonic egypt. I visited Saqquara and another place that begins with a C to see pyramids and tombs with beautiful inscriptions and paintings of everyday life and the passage to the everafter. I learned of the various Gods and what their purpose is. I learned of the celebration of life. I learned that no one is sure how these temples were erected. I learned that they weren't slaves, but masters, who erected the pyramids during the winter season when the Nile flooded and they couldn't tend to their farms - a "solution for unemployment," apparently.
I met with my group to go on a two week tour - a young australian couple, two fashionista kids from Queens, a dirk-like Canadian exploring the world and hoping to get to oxford on a rugby scholarship and an eccentric Kiwi guy that I couldn't really label. Everyone was nice and young. Our guide, named Gandhi b/c he looks like him and is named Mohammed like every other Egyptian, was a bit older than I and very organized and nice. I was irked to have a time schedule, but very lucky to have a guide and such nice people with which to explore Egypt. I reminded myself that I used to have such a regiment that I had to account for every six minutes - if I could do that this would be no problem. We went to the Pyramids of Giza which were truly awe-inspiring and visited the Giant Sphyx. As I was walking up to this mystical piece of ancient egypt majestically situated in front of the middle great pyramid, I heard on my right "camel, camel" which I ignored b/c I knew it was someone selling a stuffed animal camel. I walked on and marveled at the majestic state of all this. Then, however, the voice said "dancing camel" and I turned around to see stuffed animal camels dancing on the white alabaster hallway - the voice was hidden behind an ancient pillar. I just had to laugh. Welcome to Egypt. A place where ancient majestic history rich and resplendent is met with people needing money, yet maintaing their humor all the time. A common greeting is "welcome to alaska." Very funny people. I didn't buy the dancing camel. I kindof wish I had.
We took an overnight train to Aswan which was conservative and beautiful and calm. It's more african than the rest of Egypy b/c it is Nubian. The people are dark skinned and they sell more spices and play drums and chant in an africanized fashion. We shopped in the souq where two different shopkeepers brushed against me and I balked - they acted surprised. It irked me. One other shopkeeper was all googley-eyed and gave me great discounts b/c I agreed to shake his hand for a lower price. Selling myself, I guess. Not too bad - I got a great price. I also was offered seven thousand camels as I walked solo along the Nile River one day. I met an English man along the way who asked if I'd join his feluca. I declined, but suggested a cup of coffee as I was exhausted. We walked to a gorgeous view and it happened to be McDonalds! It had the most beautiful view of the Nile and delicious turkish coffee (mud like and small and very, very strong). Who knew?
We took a feluca up the Nile and stopped overnight for a fireside dance and singing with several other touring feluccas. I had a bad case of diarreaha and missed the party, but no worries. It was lovely to be there. We visited Abu Simbel which was a giant temple for Ramses and another one for his wife Nefrititi carved in to two giant stone mountains. UNESCO moved the site to avoid flooding when the damn was built. I was in awe as to the beauty and magnitude of these temples as well as the feat of moving them! We also visited an island that had a temple for Isis on it - I can't remember the name right now. Again, there were carvings and ruins and temples that were larger than life and absolutely awe-inspiring. We swam in the Nile with no crocodiles and it was cool water with a strong current. I had to pinch myself that I was actually IN THE NILE RIVER!!! We visited a nubian village and I bought candy for the children. Two fruit sellers proposed marriage in 10 minutes.
We carried on to Luxor which was magic. Luxor had Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, the Valley of Kings, the Valley of Queens, Ramses' Temple, the Laborer's Valley, Hatsheput's Temple and so many other places. Luxor is still being excavated b/c it has so many antiquities dating back thousands of years. They are regularly discovering new antiquities and resituating entire villages (and parts of Luxor itself) due to discoveries of towns atop tombs. Even today! Karnak was breathtaking in detail and grandeur. Many generations of phaorohs added their mark here and the statues, carving, obelisks and ruins defied description. The Valleys all contain(ed) dead people and were stuffed with beautiful objects and art for the afterlife of the deceased. The Royal people obviously had much more than the laborers. I learned that these valleys were forgotten in history b/c their location was known only to the ruling pharohs and of course the laborers (specially skilled people who built and decorated the tombs as soon as a pharoh took the throne). The laborers lived in nearby village specially built for to work on the temples regularly. When the government changed sometime after the Romans accepted Christianity, the bulding of the temples ceased and these people had no source of income. They would go into the temples and take only what they needed to survive. When we went to their tombs, we saw equally skilled work on the walls - they worked six days on the pharohs tombs and one on their own. Their was also a greco-roman church in this village, which illustrated the acceptance of egyptian religion fused with greco-roman influence. Emporers were dressed as pharohs and going through the same afterlife process as the pharohs with the egyptian gods dressed somewhat differently (with roman cross-hatched design) and carrying knives. I took a hot air balloon with Twinkle (from New York - an awesome 22 year - beautiful, brilliant and super cool) over all of the temples at sunrise. It was pricey, but I loved feeling like I was one of the gods flying over the temples to see if the giant statues and temples pleased me enough to grant eternal life. We were mostly pleased up there in the sky. It was truly awe inspiring to see the reverence for pharohs and life. We went to McDonalds - the first time I had food there in over 20 years! - and it overlooked the beautiful Luxor Temple. I think McDonald's must have prime real estate all over Egypt! Luxor Temple had an avenue of Sphinxes and dozens of temples and statutes richly adorned. We went at night and everything was illuminated beautifully. It felt out of this world. We took a horse and buggy back to the hotel that night along the Nile. As we were trotting along past ancient relics and marvelous hotels overlooking the Nile, I once again gave thanks for my life. I smiled the whole way home.
We next took a train to Alexandria, which was breezy and beautiful. Most of the historical places were destroyed. The New Yorkers and I teamed up. We had a drink on the water, then visited the library (closed for Friday prayer). We got lost downtown, then took a taxi to the famous fort which was built over a famous ancient lighthouse that fell into the sea during an earthquake. There, we had a delicous seafood lunch, then went shopping for nubian jewelry. We walked back along the water's windy edge and I felt so revived - I felt like I was in San Francisco. Married couples were walkig arm in arm and smiling at the water. Fisherman cast their lines in formation along the entire coast. It was lovely. We stumbled upon a gorgeous mosque with a giant fountain. Alongside this was a carnival with families beaming and smiling amid the lights of the rides. I tried some cotton candy - tastes just like the ones at home. We later met up with the group and brought them back here for George's birthday ride on a rocket ship. Then, we had more extraordiary seafood. We chatted on my balcony deep into the evening as it overlooked the water. We left too early the next day. I want to return to Alexandria. An entire temple and two cities fell into the water and is aviailable for scuba viewing. They plan on building the world's first ever underwater museum. Diving before it is built is costly. Perhaps I can study arabic, teach english, and scuba dive on the side with my income...we'll see...
As we headed to the desert, we stopped at Cleopatra's beach, where she was rumored to escape to with Mark Anthony. It was nice to see waves crashing over rocks and feel the sand beneath my feet. We stopped for only 10 minutes, so no swimming. But lovely. Next, we went to the giant oasis of Siwa. Thousands of palm trees and mineral springs and an ancient dilapidated city center consisting of salt-sand walls that fell to pieces during a rain storm. The resulting structures spilling over the top of the hill reminded me of Gaudi park in Barcelona, Spain - but all natural. There were several mosques here, so the call to prayer was very, very audible. Here, the women were even more conservative and I rarely say a woman's face as it was under a heavy veil - most with no eye-slits. We visited a mountain where tombs for the common people were built. The art was crude and very roman influenced. We then went to the Oracle's temple where Alexander the Great came several times for guidance and to inquire if he was indeed the son of Zeus. No one knows the answer. I asked the ruined temple what my purpose was and had the thought that it is whatever I make it. We then went to Cleopatra's bath - a mineral spring - and had a brief swim - I swam in pants and a t-shirt. Cleopatra never came here - Alexander did. There were men around waiting for the opportunity to see bare flesh. We travelled by donkey cart, by the way. At the mountain of the dead, one donkey started braying inconsolably as we walked away - Twinkle and I felt horrible - but that's the working life among donkeys, I suppose. We smoked shishas here at night b/c there wasn't much to do. Siwa was really beautiful. Very calm. Very nice. Very muslim. In the desert.
Gandhi and I discussed marriage in islam. He told me about the ability to marry and divorce so sex isn't illegal. He told me how no one touches unless the girl is bad and she is VERY bad if you can kiss her before marriage. As a result, sex is like war, he says. The women is terrified and never wants to do it. The man has no idea what to do. When he tried to touch his wife's breast and asked what was wrong she replied "I've been hiding them for 25 years." She also had a genital "adjustment" when she was younger, so her sensual pleasure is gone. He said for many women, the wedding night is the worst night of their life if the husband is not patient or kind. Many men reach the age of 40 having never touched a woman and even knowing what their wrist feels like or what her hair smells like is a source of intrigue. This is the reason the men touched me in the Aswan market and why I get so many marriage proposals. Western women are so much more liberated - the men want to learn. It's natural. Crazy.
We next travelled to a smaller oasis and into the white desert. We passed a crystal hill where the rocks are all giant mounds of crystal sparkling in the sun. "Crystal Energy is Good!" I sang. The whole group started singing this song thereafter. We swam in another mineral spring and ascended a hill in the Black Desert overlooking dozens of black volcanoes peppered along the blackened desert horizon. We arrived to the White Desert at sunset and everything was gleaming pink and pearl like. The moon was full and illuminted the giant white rock formations all night long. It looks very similar to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia/Chile. It looks like snow and Dali drew pictures of the Bolivian rocks - tall, strange contorted white formations jutting out of sand - but everything is bone dry and surrounded by sand and sun.
Gandhi and I walked into the desert as everyone slept. It was too mystical for sleep. He told me I should stay in Egypt and offered to marry me and give me a house as his second wife. It was a nice offer, I said, but there was no way I could live in Islamic society. Then he said he was kidding. He later said he wasn't. Either way, I told him that I want to marry a western man - and I do. An islamic life is not for me, even if my husband is a good man, like Gandhi. I hope we remain friends. He taught me a lot about Islam. I even shook his hand and hugged him when we said goodbye in Cairo. Other than that, no touching. Just talking. Thank you, Gandhi.
We returned to Cairo and had a farewell dinner at a famous kebab place in islamic cairo. Cats were everywhere and it felt ancient eating outisde in a labrynthian alley. Gandhi brought Twinkle and I to a place where we could buy shisha pipes (I bought one for my friends who have a new restaurant in Goa). On the way, we had to step over a calf that had its throat slit and had blood gushing onto the stones beneath its dead body being bludgeoned by two men. This is islamic Cairo. The streets are so old and ancient that they can't even install plumbing. Everything is done in the old tradition. The next day, I reconnected with Ed (the Englishman I met in Aswan) and returned to islamic cairo with Ed and Ben. We walked through downtown Cairo to get there and saw the streets teeming with activity. A vendor gave me a delicous glass of juice which I drank with no unsavory after-affects. We stumbled upon a coffee house that dated back 140 years. We sat for an hour in the courtyard of a giant mosque and spoke with an Egyptian about life, politics and religion. A man came along and gave me several books on islam. I sat veiled and at peace in this sanctuary in the middle of a thriving city of 20 million people (80% islam, 20% christian, btw). Then, we went back into the bazzar and did some haggling and shopping. We finally relaxed in a famous shisha cafe and had exceptionally delicious fresh pomegranate juice (served with spoon and straw) and a strawberry tobacco flavored shisa. Next to us was a lovely lady in her 70s who has been travelling most of her life. She was vibrant and beautiful and inspired me that I could live a life on the road if I desired. She saw Omar Sharif here once, she said. I wish I could see him. Gorgeous man. Egyptians passed by selling everything under the sun and I bargained very hard for a scarf. I felt bad at the low price I got b/c the state of affairs is very grim for many. I gave all of my food away as we were walking through Cairo. You can't help everybody. We ended the night with a tea and shisha on a beautiful hill overlooking all of Cairo. We drove past the citadel on our way up and down. The minarets and spires of the thousands of mosques on the Cairo skyline was truly dazzling.
That night, Ed and I went for Italian food in the ex-pat part of town on an island in the middle of the Nile, which was delicious. We found a way to buy a bottle of wine and left to find a place to drink it. Not allowed in the restaurant. We explored a beautiful ancient house with an open door to try to get to the roof, but no access. I saw a sign that said "apartment for rent for foreigners" and a man sitting near the sign inquired if I was interested. We proceeded to check out what an apartment in Cairo was like for 3000 egyptian pounds. We walked forever and he asked several doormen along the way in several apartments something and turned around to take us to the next place. Eventually, we found two vacancies and they were both dives with giant furniture and tiny windows. We carried on to the Nile and went into a glitzy bar/restaurant that reminded me of Miami. The prices were outrageous and we had no cash, so we walked on to find an ATM and a different option. We met several felucca captains and arranged to have a one hour tour for 50 pounds (about $10USD). We passed a private club where a wedding party entered and they invited us in. We carried on to town where there were cafes and rich egyptians and expats having coffees and shisas al fresco. We found an atm, bought some chocolate pastries and went back in the direction from whence we'd come. There were weddings in every river club and restaurant and park and giant feluccas were sailing past with egyptians dancing and celebrating with the bridal couple. We entered the club to find the couple that invited us in. The doorguy begrudgingly let us enter for 'two minutes only' and told us where the party was. We entered and just kindof observed the couple on the stage smiling out at the dancing crowd. Then, a man whispered into the ear of the groom and they both looked at us and the man called us over, smiling. We took pictures with them at their request, then the crowd pulled us on to the dance floor and everyone was snapping our photos and requesting dances - kids, old people, men, women. Ed kept saying we needed to leave b/c we were stealing the attention from the bride and groom and I kept saying we had to leave b/c security was going to come for us. But the crowd would not let us out of the circle. We had no choice but to keep dancing! We were finally pulled out of the crowd by the door man who was laughing and smiling while saying we weren't allowed. Imagine our surprise when we walked a bit farther up the road and saw a different wedding party in the same club dancing outside. THIS was the couple that invited us in. So, we actually crashed someone's wedding and they were as warm and welcoming as anyone I've ever met! We went for the felucca ride with red wine and chocolate - we paid the captain extra baksheesh for the illegality of the action - and toured around gorgeous Cairo with its towering lights on one side and the luxury villas of the embassies on the island. It was really romantic as we sat there taking it all in, side by side, as mates. The word that came to mind was "captivating" and Ed agreed. I fell absolutely in love with Cairo and finally understood a line in a book I read: "When you first arrive in Cairo, you can't wait to leave. When you finally leave Cairo, you can't wait to come back."
We tipped the captain and walked along to find some live music. I asked a tall Egyptian man with funky glasses whether he worked at a nightclub with live music and he said "yes." He was a sound engineer and took us for free to the swankiest club in all of Cairo. A famous Egyptian singer would be performing that evening (morning, actually, 4 am) and he kept tryign to tell us we should come back later, but we decided to stay and check the progress of the evening. We had one prohibitively expensive cocktail, then switched to tea and shisha. What transpired was weird. The DJ was incredible; truly one of the best I've ever heard. Only women danced and they were clearly prostitutes but incredible belly dancers in their tight jeans and tank tops. Every once in a while, a song would play in an arbic language and the men would come out and sing and dance. They clearly were gay, but since homosexuality is illegal, they weren't. No one was allowed to touch anyone else, but the indications were pretty darn stark! Then, it became crowded with people from Saudi Arabia and Quatar and Morocco. The Egyptian singer and band walked out onto the dance floor dressed in white galabeas and the picnic-looking head scarves of a sheik and sang while walking between the dancers. Men would say something in his ear while he was singing then throw giant wads of cash into the sky. Five men in white shirts had the job of picking up the bills. No one else touched them. There were giant body guards dressed in black suits that held up their hands to keep me from coming too close to who knows who on the dance floor (I danced once) and otherwise watched the women dancing at a very uncomfortable range. The rich men continued to throw money as they danced in increments of 50 pounds as Ed and I gasped in astonishment. I asked the bathroom attendant why they did this: "Because they are Crazy - not from Egypt - crazy people!" she said.
Mohammed, our friend that we met on the street, later told us that they were sons of oil sheiks and danced like this every night. They collected 30,000 pounds in this manner that evening = split evenly between the singer and the house. We finally left at 5 in the morning when the singing had ended. It was wild!
Mohammed had invited us to his house for lunch, so Ed picked me up at 1 pm for a 3pm lunch. We hopped in a cab with Mohammed and for about an hour to a suburb outside the citadel. Mohammed lives like so many Egyptians in a shoddy high rise apartment next to dozens of other shoddy high rise apartments. We arrived on the top floor to a clean and elegant little place with big furniture and a wailing baby boy. His son is 1.6 and a beautiful little boy. His wife came out blushing with a headscarf and said "hello." She spoke no English. Nonetheless, she took me into her bedroom and gave me egyptian kohl eyes and wrapped my head in my scarf in the muslim fashion. She was very sweet and said "I love you very much" as she insisted I take a plastic pearl necklace as a gift. We viewed photos of their family and life and played with their son while waiting for her fasting period to pass before eating. During Ramadan, she couldn't pray for four days due to her period and was now catching up. At 5:30, she served us a delicious Egyptian feast which she took four hours to prepare. We talked about the repression of Egyptians and rituals of islam. They were a truly kind couple. We were very lucky to have such an expose into Egyptian life.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the same hill overlooking Cairo and I got to say goodbye to this incredible city. I jokingly kissed Ed on the cheek, to which the driver with his ever watchful eye exclaimed. Mohammed immediately told me "Kyra, please don't kiss Ed - the driver has requested." Islam. I made a special point to smile, make direct eye contact with the driver and say goodbye to him when I got out of the cab. He smiled back and I wondered if he thought I was a demon. Likely. Ed and Mohammed carried on and I returned to the hotel to pack and go to the airport. At the airport, I had two men pull a scam that they could help me get through the lines faster. I knew it was unnecessary, but gave both of them backsheesh of 20 ponds each. I generously tipped the bathroom attendant as well. When I realized I didn't have enough pounds to get a cup of coffee, the service guy said I could have it for free. So I gave him the rest of my money as a tip ( 7 pounds, but 12 pounds for a cup of coffee). He smiled very large and so did I. I love Egypt.
And now I'm back in India. In Goa...I am unfazed by crazy traffic, cows, leering men, substandard accomodation, veiled women and the overall bizarreness of India. It's nice to be back. Really nice. Astshti
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