We were not sure what time we were supposed to meet in the morning, but we figured, that it
would be around 8:00 a.m. So we set the alarm for 6:30 and got down to breakfast at 7:30.
Becca woke up during the night coughing . . . a lot. So she had not slept too well and
still felt lousy in the morning.
After breakfast I worked on my journal while Becca took a nap. Mom and Anne showed up at around 8:00 and said that they had found out that we were supposed to meet at 8:30. So at 8:30 we headed down to the bus, which left promptly at 9:00. Coincidentally, 9:00 is what time the Egyptian Museum, our first destination, opened. It should be no surprise that we were not there when it opened. So much for beating the crowds.
We arrived at the museum at 9:30 and were told to meet back at the bus at 11:30. We skipped
the tour guided by Waffah in favor of hauling it to the Tutankhamun wing, which covers most
of the second story of the museum. I figured that if we hurried we might beat all of the
people who got stuck listening to the entire history of Egypt for the third time in two
days. Sure enough, we passed several groups with their guides explaining the importance of
non-descript pieces that no one really cared about as we breezed through much of Tut's
treasures and headed for the room with Tut's funerary mask and other treasures.
We arrived in the room before it got too crowded and were able to wander around in relative
peace. After seeing everything we wanted to see we headed out, just as a large group entered.
I spotted my mom and Anne and told them about the mask room, which was starting to fill up,
as well the location of the alabaster jug that my mom really likes (see picture at left).
Becca and I then headed over to a couple of other rooms that were dark, and mostly empty. These contained jewelry and other items from Tutankhamun's tomb. Flash photograph is not allowed in the museum. Of course this does not really stop people. Every once-in-awhile one of the guards would tell someone not to use their flash, but then they would lapse back into apathy again.
Next, we headed back through the Tut exhibit and spent some time looking at his thrones, and
the really cool canopic jars made of alabaster (see picture at right). I really wanted
something like them. After all, I could use some place to store my innards. When we were done
with Tut's treasures we headed downstairs and did a quick tour of the rest of the museum. We
searched in vain for the little statue of Khufu, but were unable to locate it.
When we were done we headed out of the museum and went to the gift shop that is outside the
museum entrance, but still in the building itself. We ran into Anne and mom there. We all
headed outside and then spotted another, large shop off to the left. We headed over there and
spent our remaining time browsing. At 11:30 becca and I headed over to the entrance to the
grounds, where we were supposed to meet our bus. However, there was no sign of it. After a
couple of minutes it came around from the main road and we got on. Yup, a little after 11:30
and it was just Becca and I and one other couple. And here I thought that this might be the
time when we would leave on schedule.
We waited for the others, who straggled on over the next 20 minutes or so. Eventually we were
all aboard except one person. The wife/mother of a group of four was missing. We waited and
waited and eventually the husband and two boys got off the bus and Waffah wrote down the address
of the place at which we were going to be eatting so that they could get a cab. Then, just as
the bus was starting to pull away, someone spotted the woman and after her husband did some
furious waving and gesturing, she hurried over and they all got on the bus. Apparently, the
husband and wife had a little miscommunication as to where they were going to be meeting.
The roads to the Khan el Khalili bazaar were all closed until 12:45 because of all of the
mosques in the area, so we headed back to the perfume factory from the first day. It was not
clear if the road closures were because it was Friday, the Islamic holy day, or if this was
related to Ramadan or is just an everyday occurance. We arrived at the perfume factory, which
is next to several other stores, and a restaurant. One of the stores was the government gold
factory that Waffah was getting our cartouches from. Becca and I went in with Waffah so that
we could pay by credit card.
I wanted to stop into the perfume factory to pick up some gifts, but we ended up spending about
15 minutes in the gold store and then headed over to the restaurant. They packed everyone into
long tables by group and the food was . . . you guessed it, a buffet. The food was OK, but by
the time we finished it was time to get back on the bus.
We headed toward the Bazaar, but ran into a lot of traffic as a result of a broken-down truck. We arrived at around 1:30 p.m. As we entered the drop-off zone, we stopped by the guards and the driver told them who we were and they wrote it down on a clip board. One of the guards led a dog around the outside of the bus . . . bomb sniffing? We piled off the bus and headed for the Fishelle Coffee Shop to meet Ahmed.
After a little searching, and the occasional asking of directions, we found the Coffee Shop. We
sat around and watched the people go by, or the people smoking water pipes, which they bring to
your table. We also entertained offers from passing vendors. I got a new wallet for $3 and Becca
got a small rug with camels on it for her cats to scratch for $6. At around 2:00 we took a cab
to where Ahmed's car was parked and headed over to a couple of mosques.
We went inside the Rifa'i and Sultan Hassan mosques. There is a tall threshhold at the entrance,
and normally several carpets that were reminiscent of temples in China. You took your shoes off
before walking over the threshhold and handed them to one of the attendants who was behind the
counter. The attendant would then place them in cubbyholes that looked like those found at the
shoe-rental counters in bowling alleys.
Anne, Becca, and mom all wore long skirts and brought scarves to cover their heads. However,
in the first mosque they were all directed over to the women's section. Photography is allowed
inside, just so long as you do not disturb the patrons. We tried to be very quiet and walked
around until just before 3:00 p.m. when they called the afternoon prayer. Most of the walls and
ceiling were unadorned, but there were sections that were richly decorated . . . shrines of some
kind perhaps.
We headed over to the second mosque, hoping that they would allow us in, and had no problems
gaining entrance. This mosque had an open-roofed central courtyard. The fact that it does not
rain much probably has something to do with this. Off the sides of the courtyard were rooms with
walls on three sides. They had chains hanging down from the ceiling, which was often 40' high,
holding up decorated lamps, which hung a few feet over your head. in both mosques we ran into
groups of Western tourists, often talking loudly, and rarely about the mosque, and the women were
not really dressed appropriately for a mosque. I guess it is one of the reasons we wanted to get
away from the mass tours. It does not take all that much effort to show people that you respect
their customs, but it goes a long way.
We headed back to the car and headed to the Four Seasons so that mom could cash some travelers
checks and Becca could hit the ATM. Then we headed back to the Bazaar for forty-five minutes of
shopping . . . and lugging heavy purchases around. I made the mistake of buying at the first
shop I saw. I don't mean to say that the quality was bad or the prices unreasonable, but only
that it meant that I had to carry three heavy, canopic jars all over the Bazaar for half an hour.
They only cost £200 ($33) for the three-pieces, and I figured I could put one on each side of my
TV and give the third to my friend Ofni.
Becca picked up a black cat at the same shop that I got my canopic jars, for only £70 ($12). it
was also kinda heavy, so it was nice to drag that around with my jars! We got a pink wind-around
bracelet for Becca for £10 ($1.60) and becca also picked out a small six-sided jewelry box that
was inlaid with mother of pearl for $10. After lugging our many, heavy purchases around for a
while more, we headed back to our meeting point and found mom and Anne.
We met Ahmed and headed toward a shop he knew in Giza that carried all manner of souveniers. On the way we stopped for Becca and I to get a quicky meal at McDonalds, and for mom and Anne to check out a supermarket. I got a 6-piece McNugget meal with a shake for £13.75 ($2.25) and we noticed a poster for the new McArabia (chicken chunks on a pita). Becca thanked the busboy who cleaned off the table in arabic, and elicited a big smile. We were the only westerners in the place.
We got back in the car and headed to the shop. Becca got another little jewelry box as well as
a wooden camel for $15. Anne spent a great deal of time negotiating over a really nice -- and heavy! --
black onyx cat. The price started at $85, and ended up at $30. She was still at $20 and left
the store . . . again . . . without buying anything.
We headed back to the hotel and Becca and I went straight to bed, as we needed to be up by 3:30 a.m. in order to make it to the bus at 5:00 for our journey to the airport. The flight was supposed to leave at 7:00 or 7:30. Becca was still feeling under the weather, and occasionally coughing somewhat painfully. We had no luck finding some Sudafed for her, and resolved to find a doctor if she did not show any signs of improvement. Anne and mom headed over to the Garden Room for dinner and had what they later described as a really good pizza.