Three Days in Cairo

 Where to even start…

How about Sunday?  Sunday was my first day on campus at AUC.  I forced myself to stay up until 2AM Sunday morning and then I had to turn around and wake up at 7AM, 5 hours later, in order to go to the school.  I did this to try and beat jet lag.  it’s still something I am working on.

Let me start out by saying that I love AUC campus, not just like, LOVE! 

The morning started out with a 45 minute commute on the bus from Zamalek to New Cairo.  I really enjoyed this ride because unlike the ride prior, it was sunny and I could see everything.  The driving was just terrifying, but amazingly enough, you get used to it.  On the bus I observed the whole city flying by.  It was shocking to me and also very interesting how there were apartments on top of apartments on top of apartments, and ugly run down buildings and then BOOM! all of a sudden a massive gorgeous mosque would be there  or a beautiful building, then back to the crumbling structures.  The city grew up around the beautiful original structures.

Another thing that struck me is the massive presence of armed (heavily so) police nearly every corner.  The people here are very oppressed and VERY poor.  It really is humbling to know how much we waste that would go to use for these people.  It isn’t the Ethiopian pictures we have seen on the give a dollar to feed a kid for a month commercials, but it’s pretty bad.

Anyway, I digress, back to AUC.  After the bus ride, we headed to the conference center where we were greeted with breakfast and drinks.  I have learned to hoard water when they offer it for free.  I am stocking up. After breakfast I signed in and received a messenger bag filled with goodies.  Inside was a guidebook to Cairo (a blog unto itself,) a stainless steel travel mug, a map of Cairo, a student guide/assignment book, a pen, and a few other things.  It was nice and the bag is really nice.

I signed up and paid for several trips some to landmarks (pyramids, Nile, Alexandria,) and some to cultural events (Khan El Khalili bazaar, and Bedouin Nights.)  I am hoping to have enough to go on the one I really really want to go on; to Luxor and Aswan.  (the Sphinx among other things) It’s a four day boat ride on the Nile with stops at the major landmarks.  It will cost 2000-2500L.E which is almost $500 American, so it’s up in the air.  I may have to see if someone back home will help me out.   I may never get this chance again.

The main thing I spent Sunday doing was trying to get myself into the Survival Arabic course.  I didn’t have the $350 American that it cost and they wanted it up front.  I spent the day with the sweetest woman (Thank you, Amal!) who was on the phone pretty much all day trying to find out if I could set up some sort of payment system.  The end result was to have me sit in on the classes until they decide.  It works out for me because I am picking it up and it really has been helpful.  It also gives me a head start, because I have 9 hours of Arabic this semester and however many at home, so I like to be a little ahead of the curve.

They served a really great lunch on Sunday too (stocked up on more water.)  Lunch was three pitas stuffed with different things.  The first was stuffed with foul (fool)  foul is reminiscent of refried beans, but has a much richer flavor.  The second was falafel. This is a fried bread type product that has a flavor that is hard to describe but is very yummy.  It was stuffed in the pita with lettuce, tomato, and a sauce.  The third and by far the most interesting to me was stuffed with French fries, the same sauce, the same veggies, and served with ketchup.  Very strange, but not unpleasant.  These pitas were served with a side of pickles.  Pickles in Egypt are not like in the States.  these are carrots, turnips, peppers, and tiny lemons put in a spicy pickling sauce.  they are very spicy and I didn’t find them to my liking.

We met with the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.  He is amazing.  He has a long long history in the art world, worldwide.  His list of credentials is longer than my arm and they are all related with the world of visual art.  I spoke with him for awhile, I couldn’t help myself!  At AUC the performing and visual arts are a department within the College of Arts and Sciences,  unlike Tech, where is is it’s own college.

The next big thing I did was my first day in Survival Arabic.  I had missed one day, so I was a bit behind, but Sh’ reen (my instructor) did a quick review of EVERYTHING they had done the day prior, and I picked most of it up pretty quickly.  This class runs from 1:30 until 6:15.  By the end of it, I am so ready for a nap which, I get on the 45 minute ride back to Zamalek.

End of full day 1, I ate at the Euro Café.  I had souvlaki which is kind of like a gyro but the pita is toasted and the meat is chicken or beef, not beef/lamb.  The tzaziki sauce is much more garlicky here too.  Mmmm!  The Euro Café gives AUC students a 20% discount, but I still ended up spending 40L.E  which in my opinion is too much for food here.  They made really good coffee though.

I went back on Monday to campus and got another lunch, breakfast, four bottles of water, and another day of Arabic.  (by far my favorite part.  I really love learning it.)  Monday night; however, I went to dinner with my friend Veronica, and we went to Alex Top.  Alex Top serves koshary, which is a mix of two types of noodles, lentils, chickpeas, and fried onions that are reminiscent of French’s onions.  This is all served with a tomato based sauce.  It was fabulous and I only spent $1.23 American and I was stuffed.  Needless to say, I went back again tonight!

Today, today was much more interesting.  By being one day late, I missed signing up for some of the trips because they filled up.  Today was one of those trips, the trip to Old (or Coptic/Islamic) Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar.  I decided that I would just show up at 8AM and see if there was space for me and turns out there was.

We spent the day touring Mosques, Coptic Churches, and antiquated Synagogues that dated back to 700AD and I think even a few years earlier. I was in Art History heaven.  All day long I think I stood there with my mouth hanging open in awe.  I took zillions of pictures.  (you can find them on my Facebook. d.capulus@gmail.com )  After the tours, we headed into the area known as Khan El Khalili, which is most famous for it’s bazaar.  this is bargainers heaven.  if you are willing to argue, you can get a great deal.  today I talked a vendor down from 50L.E to 15L.E on a scarf because I just wouldn’t back down.  I felt so triumphant and I am going to wear my new pink scarf tomorrow.   

Today is a national Holiday, so we were out of school and that is why they planned this trip.  However, there was a huge political something going on and tens of thousands of citizens started rioting.  They descended on Zamalek while all of us students were in Old Cairo.  Needless to say, they put us all back on the buses and evacuated us to New Cairo (a thirty minute commute) and then put us back on the buses about thirty minutes after that and took us home to Zamalek (another 45 minute commute.)  I think they did this to give the police a chance to get things under control.  Sadly, the police are a part of the reason for the riots.

I uploaded all my photos when I got in and took a nap.  all the stairs in the Coptic churches and all the walking other than that had me completely worn out, but I had the best time and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Tomorrow night, after Arabic, I am signed up for another group to go to the bazaar.  maybe this time I will have more than ten minutes…