I've done absolutely nothing in the past three days except for pig out on home cooking, surf the internet, watch Youtube videos, and walk around town visiting little boutique stores and galleries - glorious!
The bus from Jerusalem to Tivon (a little town about 20km outside of Haifa) took a little less than two hours and my host kindly picked me up from the local McDonalds. From then on I was fed continuously around the clock until I gained back all the weight I lost on this trip. Okay, not sure about the latter, but definitely the former. Barry and Beverly, my hosts, are American and Canadian respectively but have lived their lives in Israel for the past 50 years or so. They now divide their time between Israel and Tampa since Barry teaches in the fall semester at USF. I met him briefly in the beginning of the year since he and my dad are neighbors at work; that's when he extended an invitation to visit him in Israel. I don't think he really expected me to visit, but that's what happens when people invite me anywhere foreign!
They were such gracious hosts and showed me around their tiny town of Tivon. I was fortunate enough to catch the annual art festival so the place was packed with weekend visitors. There really isn't much to update since I just hung out and rejuvenated at home. But I will say it was nice to have a hot, CLEAN shower without having to wear shower shoes. I rediscovered some of the little joys in life and the benefits of having a base. I did laundry, made coffee in the mornings, watched movies on TV, washed dishes, etc...
Today Barry took me to the University of Haifa campus and then on to the train station in Haifa. I'm now in my new hosts' home and I think they expect another CSer later this evening from Russia. Traveling and living in Israel is NOT cheap. I thought Jordan was expensive but I can only wish for Jordan prices right now. Israel is expensive not only in comparison to Jordan but to the US as well. In absolute cost, some things are outrageous. However, in relative cost when you factor in the average Israeli salary...I don't understand how people live here. Of course, that is also the major complaint of Israelis living here. That and the political and religious tensions. Like my host said today, "You know there will be a war, you just don't know when." The Jew/Arab and Israel/Palestine conflict can be seen and felt everywhere. Neighborhoods are very divided and just a couple of days ago, Arab students threw makeshift bombs onto a city bus that carried mostly Jews. The suburbs are"Arab villages" and "Jewish villages" and the Jews who live in the Muslim quarter of the Old City need security detail around the clock. Kids can't even walk to school alone or play in the streets. Quite a sacrifice in my opinion.
Anyway, just a couple observations. I realized I have been just reporting facts in my blogs and that's probably not very interesting to many people. I'll try to do better :) I'm halfway through my journey and the Capetown to Cairo portion is obviously over. From now on, I expect the trip to take on a different tone purely because of the destinations. Africa and the Middle East offered tons of natural and historic attractions such as Vic Falls, safari, Petra, Great Pyramids, etc. I could be wrong but the latter half will probably be more general observation and just walking around cities rather than sight-seeing. We shall see...some people have said Eastern Europe is so "sterile" compared to the Middle East but I'm sure it has something special to offer.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Masada and Dead Sea - Day 73
I forgot to mention in my last blog that I had the most delicious hummus of my life yesterday. I never considered hummus a meal but people eat it as an entree here, and it's terrific! My host, Erez, took me to this famous little restaurant and we had hummus with ground meat and hummus with boiled chickpeas, accompanied with pita bread. So sad I can't return again since I'm leaving tomorrow.
Today, I took a daytrip out to Masada and the Dead Sea. The public transportation here is quite convenient and quite expensive. For a two hour drive out to Masada I could catch a bus by the side of the road and pay onboard.
Masada is a towering plateau in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. I hadn't originally planned to visit there but I'm really glad my host convinced me otherwise. Not only is it visually stunning, it has a tragically inspiring history. The short version goes like this: Masada is the last Jewish rebel stronghold against the invading Roman military. It becomes evident one evening that the Romans will enter in the morning and they can defend no longer. They decide to commit mass suicide before the Romans enter so as to not become slaves to the enemy. Ten men were chosen to kill the women and children and each other. The last man left takes his own life. Freedom or death.
The plateau can be accessed by cable car or "The Snake Path." I decided to take the cable car up and walk down - again, suggested by my host. One can easily spend hours on top going through the ancient structures, palaces, and compounds, some of which are very well preserved.
After hiking down the mountain, I took another short bus ride to Ein Gedi, one stop on the Dead Sea. There is a free public beach so I was expecting hoards of people, but it turned out to be surprisingly manageable. I guess all the tour groups are taken to the fancy spas scattered throughout little resorts along the Dead Sea.
The beach (at least the one I visited) was a pebble beach and the rocks closer to the water were covered with salt residue and salt crystals. I planned the best I could given that I didn't bring a swimsuit on this trip at all. So I went in with my underwear and a "quick dry" t-shirt. To anyone who plans to swim in the Dead Sea in the future...wear shoes/sandals. The rocks on the bottom were so sharp that I nearly cut my foot open and almost lost my balance numerous times. All because of the salt crystals. But once you get in about waist deep, it's possible to just sit back and float. It really is true - the water has amazing buoyancy. In fact, it's difficult NOT to float. Even as I was treading water, the water was pushing my legs up to the surface, so I was either floating on my back or my stomach. And you definitely cannot submerge your head.
So after a quick shower at the beach, I caught the bus back to Jerusalem. Erez is working a night shift so I'm "home" alone. Time change tonight for Jerusalem and they spring forward an hour. My next update shall be from Haifa in a couple of days.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Jerusalem - Days 70-72
Successfully survived another Israeli border crossing, and no body search this time. However, there must be something menacing about my appearance or passport because I was once again put aside for additional screening procedures. The other 7 foreigners in line all went through without a hitch, but the security lady held on to my passport and made me wait for 20 minutes. They wiped down all my stuff with this specialized pad and threw dozens of questions at me. Later I found out they even called my CS host.
But I eventually managed to make it to my host, Daniel's, home but it was probably the most difficult time I had this entire trip with directions and public transportation. No one seemed to know this place and no one was enthusiastic to help. Through a combination of walking, lightrail, bus and a kindhearted realtor, I managed to make it to his tiny apartment that cost over $3ook. (Sidenote: real estate prices in Jerusalem are outrageous, but not as outrageous as Tel Aviv)
In the past two days I've managed to see quite a bit of Jerusalem, partly due to my host's weird schedule. He's one of those who doesn't want people in his apartment when he's not home - fair. So I was forced to wander around or find a place to park myself until 9pm one night and midnight the next night.
My first afternoon/evening was spent walking around the city center area, grocery shopping a bit at the huge market, and exploring the extreme Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. Walking in that neighborhood is like stepping into an alternate universe and I tried to capture some of it with my camera very discreetly. I was warned not to really make eye contact with people, but I suspect that's my host being paranoid or trying to scare me. Regardless, I kept to myself and just observed. The people don't wear color and are very conservatively dressed. There is even a sign that warns girls and women to dress modestly in their neighborhood. Fascinating!
The next day I took public transportation to Bethlehem, which in the Palestinian Territories. The journey was only about 30 minutes and surprisingly easy. There was no security check going in, but coming back to Jerusalem from Bethlehem involved passport checks. Bethlehem is a really quaint and beautiful city. In the old city, the streets and buildings are all stone with teal blue shutters and doors. Makes for a beautiful overall ambiance and quite photogenic. The two major attractions there are the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born and the Milk Grotto where Mary nursed baby Jesus. To be honest, I'm not very well-educated when it comes to religion but it's still fascinating being here, and makes me want to understand Christianity, Judaism, and Islam more.
Of course I also walked around the four quarters of the Old City and walked the Via Dolorosa through all of the different stations and ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem in general is an intense place to visit - not only because of the historical significance but also observing other tourists' reactions. There are often people openly weeping, especially at places such as the Western/Wailing Wall and the site of the crucifixion. Today I also visited the Holocaust Museum and that was another level of emotional. It's a magnificently designed complex and horribly raw and moving. The images and video clips are completely uncensored and I found myself grimacing and choked up throughout the entire exhibit.
I stayed with my first host for 2 nights and then had to find another host due to a scheduling misunderstanding. And thanks to the last minute generosity of Erez, I'm staying with him in a dorm room on the campus of Hebrew University. Here for two nights and then I'm off to Haifa on the coast. Tomorrow will be Masada and Dead Sea. Definitely NOT shaving today :)
But I eventually managed to make it to my host, Daniel's, home but it was probably the most difficult time I had this entire trip with directions and public transportation. No one seemed to know this place and no one was enthusiastic to help. Through a combination of walking, lightrail, bus and a kindhearted realtor, I managed to make it to his tiny apartment that cost over $3ook. (Sidenote: real estate prices in Jerusalem are outrageous, but not as outrageous as Tel Aviv)
In the past two days I've managed to see quite a bit of Jerusalem, partly due to my host's weird schedule. He's one of those who doesn't want people in his apartment when he's not home - fair. So I was forced to wander around or find a place to park myself until 9pm one night and midnight the next night.
My first afternoon/evening was spent walking around the city center area, grocery shopping a bit at the huge market, and exploring the extreme Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. Walking in that neighborhood is like stepping into an alternate universe and I tried to capture some of it with my camera very discreetly. I was warned not to really make eye contact with people, but I suspect that's my host being paranoid or trying to scare me. Regardless, I kept to myself and just observed. The people don't wear color and are very conservatively dressed. There is even a sign that warns girls and women to dress modestly in their neighborhood. Fascinating!
The next day I took public transportation to Bethlehem, which in the Palestinian Territories. The journey was only about 30 minutes and surprisingly easy. There was no security check going in, but coming back to Jerusalem from Bethlehem involved passport checks. Bethlehem is a really quaint and beautiful city. In the old city, the streets and buildings are all stone with teal blue shutters and doors. Makes for a beautiful overall ambiance and quite photogenic. The two major attractions there are the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born and the Milk Grotto where Mary nursed baby Jesus. To be honest, I'm not very well-educated when it comes to religion but it's still fascinating being here, and makes me want to understand Christianity, Judaism, and Islam more.
Of course I also walked around the four quarters of the Old City and walked the Via Dolorosa through all of the different stations and ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem in general is an intense place to visit - not only because of the historical significance but also observing other tourists' reactions. There are often people openly weeping, especially at places such as the Western/Wailing Wall and the site of the crucifixion. Today I also visited the Holocaust Museum and that was another level of emotional. It's a magnificently designed complex and horribly raw and moving. The images and video clips are completely uncensored and I found myself grimacing and choked up throughout the entire exhibit.
I stayed with my first host for 2 nights and then had to find another host due to a scheduling misunderstanding. And thanks to the last minute generosity of Erez, I'm staying with him in a dorm room on the campus of Hebrew University. Here for two nights and then I'm off to Haifa on the coast. Tomorrow will be Masada and Dead Sea. Definitely NOT shaving today :)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Petra/Amman - Days 67-69
I can honestly day this: Petra does not disappoint. Despiet the rough start in Jordan, Petra made up for everything and more.
To back track a little bit, I had a bit of an issue at the Israeli/Jordan border. I entered Jordan without a hitch but the taxi drivers there at the border are Nazis - one in partiular. This taxi driver ring leader, let's call him Hitler, wanted 10 Jordanian Dinar to Aqaba center, and the normal price is probably 5. And he wanted 50 JD to Petra. So he told me the price along with another group of 4 travelers and none of us wanted to take the cab since it was an obvious ripoff. And Hilter got angry and said "YOU WALK!" That's when I decided to start walking to other cabs and asking around, and he told me "You can't walk!" Men... That's when another drive (not in a taxi) approached me and offered 20 JD to Petra. He was a guide and just happened to be dropping off clients and needed to go back anyway. That's when Hitler started yelling at him and the verbal assults started. It got so bad that the police had to take them and me to the office and sort things out. Eventually after 30 minutes, Salah-my driver/guide, just decided to bribe the guy with my 20 JD and leave.
So on the way he suggested we stay at Wadi Rum at a bedouin camp for the night so I can see a bit of the desert and it was on the way to Petra anyway. Good suggestion because it didn't end up being very expensive and the scenery is gorgeous. The area was made famous by Lawrence of Arabia - both the person and the movie since it was filmed there.
We finally arrive in Petra around noon the next day and I settle in with my host, Ahmad. I decided to wait until the next day to buy a two day pass to properly take advantage of it. At 50/55/60 JD for a 1/2/3 day pass, Petra is probably the most expensive entrance ticket so far. The exchange rate is about $1 = 0.70 JD, crazy! But like I said, it definitely does not disappoint. Petra is always advertised with one iconic image so in my mind that was "Petra" but in actuality, that's about 1/100 of Petra.
The visit starts with about a 1.5 km walk from the visitor center and through the Siq to the Treasury (that famous image). So it really builds some suspense as well because just when you think the Siq (or the canyon) would never end, it opens up onto the Treasury. And that's just the beginning. As you continue walking, there are carved tombs, theaters, cave dwellings, collapsed columns everywhere. As I overheard one guy put it so eloquently, "Holy sh*t, this is a f*^king city!"
It really is. They had places for worship, sacrifice, entertainment - all the bases covered. There is also a paved main street with columns and an arch and originally shops and temples are both sides. Walking through the lost city, one can really imagine a civilization living there 2000 years ago. It makes you wonder if the residents then were as impressed with their own city. After two days at Petra, I made the transfer to Amman today via a local bus and took in some of the sights, which total about two, haha. Everybody has been saying how Amman is boring or has little to offer. It's not horrible but definitely not like capital cities of its neighbors (Damascus, Beirut, even Cairo). Too bad I won't get to visit Damascus this time!
Tonight I'm meeting up with a Japanese girl living here - a friend of a friend. Staying with her tonight and leaving for Jerusalem tomorrow. So I will have to endure yet another border entry and perhaps another body search. Maybe it'll be a total strip search this time?
To back track a little bit, I had a bit of an issue at the Israeli/Jordan border. I entered Jordan without a hitch but the taxi drivers there at the border are Nazis - one in partiular. This taxi driver ring leader, let's call him Hitler, wanted 10 Jordanian Dinar to Aqaba center, and the normal price is probably 5. And he wanted 50 JD to Petra. So he told me the price along with another group of 4 travelers and none of us wanted to take the cab since it was an obvious ripoff. And Hilter got angry and said "YOU WALK!" That's when I decided to start walking to other cabs and asking around, and he told me "You can't walk!" Men... That's when another drive (not in a taxi) approached me and offered 20 JD to Petra. He was a guide and just happened to be dropping off clients and needed to go back anyway. That's when Hitler started yelling at him and the verbal assults started. It got so bad that the police had to take them and me to the office and sort things out. Eventually after 30 minutes, Salah-my driver/guide, just decided to bribe the guy with my 20 JD and leave.
So on the way he suggested we stay at Wadi Rum at a bedouin camp for the night so I can see a bit of the desert and it was on the way to Petra anyway. Good suggestion because it didn't end up being very expensive and the scenery is gorgeous. The area was made famous by Lawrence of Arabia - both the person and the movie since it was filmed there.
We finally arrive in Petra around noon the next day and I settle in with my host, Ahmad. I decided to wait until the next day to buy a two day pass to properly take advantage of it. At 50/55/60 JD for a 1/2/3 day pass, Petra is probably the most expensive entrance ticket so far. The exchange rate is about $1 = 0.70 JD, crazy! But like I said, it definitely does not disappoint. Petra is always advertised with one iconic image so in my mind that was "Petra" but in actuality, that's about 1/100 of Petra.
The visit starts with about a 1.5 km walk from the visitor center and through the Siq to the Treasury (that famous image). So it really builds some suspense as well because just when you think the Siq (or the canyon) would never end, it opens up onto the Treasury. And that's just the beginning. As you continue walking, there are carved tombs, theaters, cave dwellings, collapsed columns everywhere. As I overheard one guy put it so eloquently, "Holy sh*t, this is a f*^king city!"
It really is. They had places for worship, sacrifice, entertainment - all the bases covered. There is also a paved main street with columns and an arch and originally shops and temples are both sides. Walking through the lost city, one can really imagine a civilization living there 2000 years ago. It makes you wonder if the residents then were as impressed with their own city. After two days at Petra, I made the transfer to Amman today via a local bus and took in some of the sights, which total about two, haha. Everybody has been saying how Amman is boring or has little to offer. It's not horrible but definitely not like capital cities of its neighbors (Damascus, Beirut, even Cairo). Too bad I won't get to visit Damascus this time!
Tonight I'm meeting up with a Japanese girl living here - a friend of a friend. Staying with her tonight and leaving for Jerusalem tomorrow. So I will have to endure yet another border entry and perhaps another body search. Maybe it'll be a total strip search this time?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Dahab - Days 65-66
My last day in Dahab was spent doing absolutely nothing. Just reading, sunning, and walking to get food.
I was staying in a dorm room with some eccentric characters. One was a Canadian farmer/musician who was traveling with her autoharp and played music for us. Another was a middle aged Korean women who spent her days reading and would burst out with things like "laugh now, live later" and "sweet dreams and never wake up."
And those were just two of many. I had forgotten the charms of communal living so this was a nice reminder.
The next day I took a mid-morning bus to Taba on the Israeli border and then endured the slow crossing. They were thorough to say the least...they performed a detailed body search and made me take off my pants haha. Do I look that menacing?
I was in Israel for about 1 hour - the time it took for me to take bus and taxi to the Jordan border. By that time it was 5pm and I decided to splurge and take the taxi to Wadi Rum and spend the night in the desert with the bedouins.
Today I arrived in Petra but haven't seen the sights yet. So tomorrow will be lots of walking and climbing stairs.
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Monday, March 19, 2012
Cairo and Dahab - Days 61-64
In most recent news, my phone was fixed! Quite a feat I'd say given the "4% chance."
After running around all day on Thursday trying to repair the phone, I basically cast it aside as a lost cause and decided not to think about it anymore.
The weekend here is Friday and Saturday, so my host Jola and the new roommate Mariana both had the day off. We decided to explore Islamic Cairo and just walk around and do some window shopping. It's a nice change to have company for a whole day; doesn't happen very often when traveling solo. And it was especially nice to have a "local" guide and not have to look at the map all day! Islamic Cairo is one of the more atmospheric neighborhoods and smells of spices, perfumes, pollution, and animal excrement - a fine concoction. We had tea at Fishawi which is claimed to be the oldest cafe in Cairo and has been continuously open for over 200 years (maybe with the exception of the morning hours during Ramadan). Charming.
On Saturday Jola and I took the train to Alexandria for a day trip. We had planned to catch the 9am train and be there by 11am, but instead caught the 10am train and arrived at 1pm. It's not a huge city and we had targeted specific things to see so it was still plenty of time. Spent a couple of hours at the Alexandria National Museum - MUCH better displayed and manageable than the Egyptian Museum. They had artifacts lifted from underwater along with other pieces from the different periods in Egypt - Pharonic, Greco-Roman, Islamic, etc... We then visited the somewhat newly constructed Alexandria Library that was meant to restore some glory to the city and reference the ancient library and cultural center. It was a beautifully constructed building with not so many manuscripts inside... By dusk, we were walking along the corniche and Jola walks at a very brisk rate, so I was basically trotting behind her. To be fair, I should have expected this because she does everything quickly and the cold just gave her encouragement.
Yesterday I ran some errands such as buy my overnight bus ticket and also go all the way out to Heliopolis again to pick up my phone. To my surprise, the lady said they were able to fix the phone and also wanted 60 Egyptian Pounds. I was in no mood to argue...but that leaves me with $20 for everything in the next two days.
I've been able to do pretty well on that budget. Arrived this morning in Dahab (a small hippy resort town on the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea) after a FREEZING overnight bus ride. The dorm bed was about $3.50 per night and I've been eating local food for $1 or so per meal. This place is lovely provides some much needed quiet and relaxation after a full week in Cairo. Everything is close to the beach and the town is tiny and very walkable. It's also a huge dive mecca because of the crystal clear waters and abundant underwater life, so people are trucking along scuba gear everywhere.
Another full day here tomorrow before busing it to Jordan via Isreal.
After running around all day on Thursday trying to repair the phone, I basically cast it aside as a lost cause and decided not to think about it anymore.
The weekend here is Friday and Saturday, so my host Jola and the new roommate Mariana both had the day off. We decided to explore Islamic Cairo and just walk around and do some window shopping. It's a nice change to have company for a whole day; doesn't happen very often when traveling solo. And it was especially nice to have a "local" guide and not have to look at the map all day! Islamic Cairo is one of the more atmospheric neighborhoods and smells of spices, perfumes, pollution, and animal excrement - a fine concoction. We had tea at Fishawi which is claimed to be the oldest cafe in Cairo and has been continuously open for over 200 years (maybe with the exception of the morning hours during Ramadan). Charming.
On Saturday Jola and I took the train to Alexandria for a day trip. We had planned to catch the 9am train and be there by 11am, but instead caught the 10am train and arrived at 1pm. It's not a huge city and we had targeted specific things to see so it was still plenty of time. Spent a couple of hours at the Alexandria National Museum - MUCH better displayed and manageable than the Egyptian Museum. They had artifacts lifted from underwater along with other pieces from the different periods in Egypt - Pharonic, Greco-Roman, Islamic, etc... We then visited the somewhat newly constructed Alexandria Library that was meant to restore some glory to the city and reference the ancient library and cultural center. It was a beautifully constructed building with not so many manuscripts inside... By dusk, we were walking along the corniche and Jola walks at a very brisk rate, so I was basically trotting behind her. To be fair, I should have expected this because she does everything quickly and the cold just gave her encouragement.
Yesterday I ran some errands such as buy my overnight bus ticket and also go all the way out to Heliopolis again to pick up my phone. To my surprise, the lady said they were able to fix the phone and also wanted 60 Egyptian Pounds. I was in no mood to argue...but that leaves me with $20 for everything in the next two days.
I've been able to do pretty well on that budget. Arrived this morning in Dahab (a small hippy resort town on the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea) after a FREEZING overnight bus ride. The dorm bed was about $3.50 per night and I've been eating local food for $1 or so per meal. This place is lovely provides some much needed quiet and relaxation after a full week in Cairo. Everything is close to the beach and the town is tiny and very walkable. It's also a huge dive mecca because of the crystal clear waters and abundant underwater life, so people are trucking along scuba gear everywhere.
Another full day here tomorrow before busing it to Jordan via Isreal.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Cairo - Days 57-60
People who live in Cairo (Cairenes?) usually have a love/hate relationship with the city. However, I haven't really been here enough to experience the love portion yet, but I wouldn't go so far as to say hate - a strong dislike perhaps. For a culture and civilization with such a robust and glorious history, I'm not sure where it all went wrong... It's not fair to judge Cairo so harshly but the truth is it's exhausting to travel here.
It didn't help that my first day was spent visiting the Pyramids in Giza. It is surprisingly close to the city and I managed to get there by public transport in under an hour. Before I went, I read about the notoriously pushy and/or smooth touts who try to sell you camel rides around the desert and overpriced souvenirs. Armed with certain information, I was determined to see the pyramids, not get ripped off, and enjoy myself. First two - mission accomplished. Last one - debatable. The place is amazing and it's awe-inspiring to think about how they accomplished such magnificent engineering . I've seen hundreds of pictures but pictures really don't do them justice.
a
Too bad the place is positively swarming with damn Egyptian touts. They will come up to you with a radiant smile, start explaining stuff, help you take pictures, and then ask for money. Or, they will shove in your hands a scarf or deck of postcards and say it's a free gift and ask for money as you walk away. Then you spend 5 minutes trying to give back the stupid postcards and they won't take it. So I just gently put it at their feet and left. OR they will just put an Egyptian headdress on your and snatch your camera and take pictures of you and demand money. When you refuse to give anything, they turn into bitchy divas. I had a guy yell at me and force me to delete the pictures. Um...done! Just leave me alone!!!
Day two was a bit better. I visited the Egyptian Museum and then Coptic Cairo. The Egyptian Museum holds so many artifacts it's mindblowing, but my host said it's like a granny's attic and I must agree. The building itself is becoming delapidated and there are just too many items for them to display it all properly. Nevertheless, it was interesting to walk around and take in the numerous tombs, sarcophagi, jewelry, masks, etc... The coolest thing were probably the animal mummies. There were dogs, cats, snakes, crocodiles, rams...all mummified!
Day three was spent wandering around Zamalek, which is where my hosts live. The girl is Polish and her boyfriend is from the UK. And today a Spanish girl moved in so I've been kicked to the couch - it is Couchsurfing after all... The area is a bit more upperclass and has a lot of embassies and expats. So I took it easy and hung out in bookstores and cafes and updated my phone with some widgest and whatnot since I finally had free wifi. And then my phone died. Completely died and refused to power on.
So today, day four was spent commuting to the supposedly official repair center. Long story short, they said they couldn't help, then told me to come back and they'll try to repair it, and then said it'll be a 5% chance they can do anything. The repair center is about 90 minutes away by public transport. I'm officially done with fancy phones now. Who cares if I can't get online to check my email or text anyone; none of my dumbphones ever died on me. But I still need one as a clock and alarm, so maybe I'll pick up a super cheap one somewhere. * sigh*
It didn't help that my first day was spent visiting the Pyramids in Giza. It is surprisingly close to the city and I managed to get there by public transport in under an hour. Before I went, I read about the notoriously pushy and/or smooth touts who try to sell you camel rides around the desert and overpriced souvenirs. Armed with certain information, I was determined to see the pyramids, not get ripped off, and enjoy myself. First two - mission accomplished. Last one - debatable. The place is amazing and it's awe-inspiring to think about how they accomplished such magnificent engineering . I've seen hundreds of pictures but pictures really don't do them justice.
a
Too bad the place is positively swarming with damn Egyptian touts. They will come up to you with a radiant smile, start explaining stuff, help you take pictures, and then ask for money. Or, they will shove in your hands a scarf or deck of postcards and say it's a free gift and ask for money as you walk away. Then you spend 5 minutes trying to give back the stupid postcards and they won't take it. So I just gently put it at their feet and left. OR they will just put an Egyptian headdress on your and snatch your camera and take pictures of you and demand money. When you refuse to give anything, they turn into bitchy divas. I had a guy yell at me and force me to delete the pictures. Um...done! Just leave me alone!!!
Day two was a bit better. I visited the Egyptian Museum and then Coptic Cairo. The Egyptian Museum holds so many artifacts it's mindblowing, but my host said it's like a granny's attic and I must agree. The building itself is becoming delapidated and there are just too many items for them to display it all properly. Nevertheless, it was interesting to walk around and take in the numerous tombs, sarcophagi, jewelry, masks, etc... The coolest thing were probably the animal mummies. There were dogs, cats, snakes, crocodiles, rams...all mummified!
Day three was spent wandering around Zamalek, which is where my hosts live. The girl is Polish and her boyfriend is from the UK. And today a Spanish girl moved in so I've been kicked to the couch - it is Couchsurfing after all... The area is a bit more upperclass and has a lot of embassies and expats. So I took it easy and hung out in bookstores and cafes and updated my phone with some widgest and whatnot since I finally had free wifi. And then my phone died. Completely died and refused to power on.
So today, day four was spent commuting to the supposedly official repair center. Long story short, they said they couldn't help, then told me to come back and they'll try to repair it, and then said it'll be a 5% chance they can do anything. The repair center is about 90 minutes away by public transport. I'm officially done with fancy phones now. Who cares if I can't get online to check my email or text anyone; none of my dumbphones ever died on me. But I still need one as a clock and alarm, so maybe I'll pick up a super cheap one somewhere. * sigh*
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