Egypt.

(sorry this might be a long post but we were in Egypt for a week! :))

Wow. I don't even know where to start. Egypt was basically amazing but I was so glad to get back to my Jerusalem home! Going to Egypt was a dream come true because it is a place I've been fascinated with since elementary school. It was amazing to actually see the places I'd come to know so well!

Driving into Cairo was shocking - the place is HUGE. And dirty. And the bathrooms are gross. Oh, and you can't use the water for anything if you want to avoid intense sickness. Our tour guide said that Cairo has millions and millions of people living there, and 3 million more commute each day to work there. Most people are extremely poor and live in dirty government housing. Those types of apartment slums seemed to go on forever in every direction. None of the apartment complexes were finished either because they just keep having to add new stories to accomodate the growing population. I can't imagine living like that. The guide also said that many people can't hold steady jobs - they have to go into town each day and find temporary work as a day laborer. So crazy to think about.

The next days we spent touring the pyramids and the sphinx in Giza and then we went and saw one of the first pyramids ever built. Climbing the pyramids was surreal...I mean this is the stuff we've seen in history books our whole lives. They really are a wonder to behold...they are so immense and I am in awe that an ancient people could have created something like that without modern technology. The sphinx was also cool to see! I took a picture of me kissing it but my camera battery died so its on someone else's camera and I've got to find it.

So happy to be there!! Aubrey and I on the great pyramid of Giza!Trying (and failing) to get a picture of me looking like I'm leaning on the pyramids

That night we flew to Luxor in southern Egypt and spent the next few days touring the Karnak and Luxor temples, walking through the Valley of the Kings, sailing the nile on a falouka, going on a camel safari (basically one of the most amazing moments of my life) and bargaining at the bazaars! I loved bargaining. The shopkeepers were a little creepy because they have this image of American women being really loose (thank you American media). Nothing big, but they would just make some crazy comments and cat call to us. But stuff is so cheap there and I loved tried to get the price down even further. I always thought I was getting a good deal but then I'd go back and find someone else who had gotten the same thing for even cheaper. I decided it was okay though because I was doing my humanitarian work for the people of Egypt by pumping my money into their economy. :)

Yes that is a pirate flag on my falouka. Made the journey ten times better. Also I didn't have hairspray this week so my hair is scary. Deal with it. :) Valley of the Kings pic with my roommate Rebecca!

After Luxor we went back to Cairo after an 8 hour overnight train ride. I could go into a lot of detail about how miserable that trip was and how disgusting and dirty the train was and how I'm not even sure if they change the sheets on the beds and how I was afraid to touch anything or how going to the bathroom was an adventure because you get slammed against the wall as the train jerks along. But I won't. However, I will share with you one bit of humor from the train ride. The picture below is of a sign that was posted on our train room wall. All I can say is that I think every overnight train should have a belly dancing contest after dinner. It makes everything else worthwhile.

Our last day in Cairo was spent at the Khan al Kalili bazaar (again so fun), the Egyptian museum (I loved the mummies and king tut's treasure!!) and at Cairo's Citadel.

I came to one huge conclusion after being in Egypt. That my mother should never go there. I don't think she could handle how dirty it is (really mom this is for your own good). Since we can't drink the water or eat anything that was washed in the water so we had to avoid eating fruits and veggies, brush our teeth with water bottles and use hand sanitizer at the bathrooms which looked like they hadn't been cleaned in ages even though you had to tip the little lady at each restroom for handing you toilet paper. That brings me to my other conclusion about Egypt...nothing is free there. You tip for everything and anything and they may even ask you for more of a tip if they're not satisfied (in that case you avoid eye contact and leave quickly). Also if shopkeepers tell you they have free things for you it is a lie. They just want to get you in the store to buy something. I don't think they know what free means because they throw that word out there a lot. And when you take it they expect you to then pay for it (I have experience with this).

Overall, Egypt was a life-changing experience. It was fascinating to learn about the culture and see the ancient ruins. Each day here just keeps getting better and better!