We leave our campsite at 7:30 – quite remarkable for us to get ourselves organized this early. We are going to Alexandria to visit with good friends of ours. It is a 2 ½ hour drive on a good highway and it is not busy at all, because it is “Sunday” in the Muslim world. Alexandria has a very different feel than Cairo – why…? I think the ocean makes a difference; the roads are congested but not stuffed and bursting out of asphalt as in Cairo and to be fair to Cairo – it is “Sunday” which makes quite a difference. I know I talk and write about traffic and cars all the time (it is like the British who talk about the weather), but it is a deciding and determining factor of life in Egypt’s cities. Something else I’ve not even thought to mention until Andrej referred to it this morning is how ridiculously cheap gas is - 1 Egyptian pound\litre: that is 1 divided by 8 = +/- 13 cent/litre compared to euro 1,35/litre in Europe. So, it basically costs virtually nothing to fill up – so why not have wheels? I think it is more difficult to fill up your horse or donkey with fodder than your car!
Our friend, Medhat, meets us and takes us to their apartment. I have very fond and unforgettable memories of my previous visit to their apartment which was also my first visit to the Middle East during the month of Ramadan. It was from Medhat and Samia’s apartment balcony that I watched the festivity explode in the street below after the boom announced the breaking of the fast! There was something magically fascinating as family and friends gathered in the streets sharing food and drink; children were running around – laughing, yelling, playing and fighting with one another; groups of young teenage girls were giggling about their secrets; teenage boys were playing soccer or playing Mr. Handsome around the girls. The streets are full of people and the activity last till the early morning hours when they enjoy their last meal before the fast starts at s again at sunrise.
Samia was my unofficial Arabic language teacher – my “moderissa” and we had many good laughs between her English and my Arabic, but our friendship spoke the language of the heart and seeing them again after almost 3 years confirmed that. They lavish us with their hospitality and we share the most excellent fish dinner with them. Our visit coincides with a very special community event organized by leaders from the surrounding mosques, Coptic (Orthodox) and Protestant Churches to demonstrate their solidarity and acceptance of one another, especially after the bomb explosion in a Coptic Church in January and the recent national revolution. Medhat, Samia and their son Jack helped to facilitate this event and it was special to witness the coming together of people from different beliefs to enjoy games, music and fellowship. If anyone wants to know more about the work that Medhat and Samia are involved in please write me for contact details at jacarvdm@gmail.com
Our friend, Medhat, meets us and takes us to their apartment. I have very fond and unforgettable memories of my previous visit to their apartment which was also my first visit to the Middle East during the month of Ramadan. It was from Medhat and Samia’s apartment balcony that I watched the festivity explode in the street below after the boom announced the breaking of the fast! There was something magically fascinating as family and friends gathered in the streets sharing food and drink; children were running around – laughing, yelling, playing and fighting with one another; groups of young teenage girls were giggling about their secrets; teenage boys were playing soccer or playing Mr. Handsome around the girls. The streets are full of people and the activity last till the early morning hours when they enjoy their last meal before the fast starts at s again at sunrise.
Samia was my unofficial Arabic language teacher – my “moderissa” and we had many good laughs between her English and my Arabic, but our friendship spoke the language of the heart and seeing them again after almost 3 years confirmed that. They lavish us with their hospitality and we share the most excellent fish dinner with them. Our visit coincides with a very special community event organized by leaders from the surrounding mosques, Coptic (Orthodox) and Protestant Churches to demonstrate their solidarity and acceptance of one another, especially after the bomb explosion in a Coptic Church in January and the recent national revolution. Medhat, Samia and their son Jack helped to facilitate this event and it was special to witness the coming together of people from different beliefs to enjoy games, music and fellowship. If anyone wants to know more about the work that Medhat and Samia are involved in please write me for contact details at jacarvdm@gmail.com
We leave later than we wanted to which means driving in the dark which is another challenge – especially when a dark moving object appears in your headlights: cars driving at 70 km/hour with no lights – none at all!
We are relieved when we drive into our campsite – all 4 of us ready to crash.
We are relieved when we drive into our campsite – all 4 of us ready to crash.
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