Hallelujah, loudseakers, and claustrophobia

Starting my blog posts about Egypt a little late (in the trip, and at night: 3:30 am), and I haven't been keeping a journal either...oops. In a way I'm glad, because I'd be reluctant to look back on my first thoughts after arriving. I'm glad I've had time to adapt. I didn't know that virtually every price given is open to interpretation, and that I was a sitting duck (really wish I had had more time to research these things first, but oh well). I don't know if I will ever tell any of you exactly how much I paid for my first cab ride of doom into the city. Gimme a couple years to remold my ego.

First day, went to the Pyramids of Giza. I made it known before I left that I had no real urge to ride a camel, and I stick by that...I had loads of fun on my horse, despite nearly falling off a few times when racing one of the guides through the Sahara, and the blisters. The horse skeletons left to rot in the desert...not so much fun...but that's another story. We were first told that it would be 85 dollars to pay for the horse and camel, the "tour", and the pyramid entrance fee. It's important to remember the importance of walking away from any deal, and we got the price down to 25 dollars. Then ensued the various whorings of cultural icons and items, as the walk to the sand from the suburban market is littered with people who will put hats and shawls on you, calling you Pharaoh and Cleopatra before asking for money. Just say "no." We took lots of pictures and wandered into a tomb in the dark (I always forget my flashlight...).

Afterwords we went to a fragrance shop. Seriously, this guy working us over was amazing, even when we knew that he was working us, it was hard to look away. I don't regret it though, these fragrances are intoxicating, and I just wish I had bought more.

The guy we're staying with is awesome, his name is Ahmed. He is a photographer, and a really talented one, too. So far he's taken us to a local tea and sheesha cafe, to a bridge/itty bitty bazaar on a bridge on the Nile, and onto a turnbull canyon/signal hill-esque mountain that looks over all of Cairo. Plus, he has awesome music here.

Today was our first visit to a mosque. We went to the Sultan Hassan mosque and madrassa. The architecture of these buildings is other-worldly, there were head-sized bulbs that hung down from the top of a 200-foot ceiling that was covered in Qu'ranic proverbs and art. There were rugs that covered the whole floor, and we had to take off our shoes before entering. Emily also had to wear a tarp over her because she was showing her shoulders and infidelling it up.

Since there's been some debate about it between me and my travel buddy, I figured I'd try to write down my thoughts about it, even though I'm still trying to figure them out: prayers on loudspeakers. Muslims pray five times a day (actually, one will be starting in a few minutes at 4). Their prayer times are signaled roughly by the prayers from the mosque, blasted over loudspeakers, and flooding the city with noise and rhythm. I find them comforting for reasons I never thought I would give. Egypt is such a vibrant, and also traditional place. Those abstract, morphing cultural traits that exist in the bazaars and on the streets are in conflict with the Egypt of veils, prayers, and loudspeakers. I've come to identify those constant aspects of Egypt as the face of a lasting, strong cultural identity (for better or worse), and I've come to find comfort in them. I have to relate this back to my own experiences in the U.S., where stimuli is constantly onslaughting your face and brain, whether it be music, TV, or school. The point being, I can't pin down anything truly American, other than the flag, that really gives me a sense of comfort and constancy in our culture, if American culture can be said to exist at all. But here prayers of the city (whether I agree with them or not is irrelevant) are booming through the city. Just like the clothes people where (again, demeaning or not is not the discussion) are physical manifestations of an aspect of Egypt that exists outside of the fast-paced, amorphous body of the city. Anyways, maybe I'll write more about that later.

Tomorrow we're rocking a ten-hour bus ride to Sharm al Sheikh to swim in the Red Sea and climb Mount Sinai. I keep telling people I'm bring back my own ten commandments. Does anyone have a request? (Erik makes no legal implication or agreement of considering or acknowledging said request(s), though they/it will be credited as his own should he choose to incorporate them/it into his "Ten Commandments: Morals Gone WILD!") I'd love to hear them!

That's about all I have time/brain power for right now, and I need to buy bus tickets. More soon.

p.s. "that's what she said" is now taking Egypt by storm.