Friday's Final Exam

    I've wanted to write about my tour group's last full day in Egypt, but I haven't found the time. Currently I'm back in the cavernous Istanbul airport, trying to return home, only to find my flight to Washington has been delayed almost three hours. Plenty of time now.

    On Friday, we flew from Luxor north to Cairo to start our final day. We all looked forward to the cooler Mediterranean temperatures, but I was sad that I was going to be the first to leave the party later that night. The agenda for the day felt like Intrepid wanted to wrap up our experience in a unique and celebratory way, part house party, part final exam. Overall, I felt like it was a way to connect Egypt's glorious and extensive past with its friendly and inviting present. All week, we investigated and gazed upon the country's ancient history. Friday could be considered "Egypt Today."

    To start, with Hany's careful oversight, we were all pros getting through the jaded security in Egyptian airports. Nothing in our pockets, check. No liquids of any kind or amount, check. Shoes off, belts off, two passport clearances, no problems.

    In Cairo, our first stop was the Khan el Khalyly bazaar, that Hany had pontificated about all week. At every other site, he was very cautious about us getting ripped off by the vendors selling touristy trinkets. "You'll get a better price at the Cairo market," he'd offer, and so we waited all week to buy our gifts for home. Today was that day!

    Hany's first rule: Never accept the first price. You must haggle, and be prepared to walk away. Some in our group were ready for a proper throw down. Me? I've never been a good bargainer, so I had Julie from Melbourne act as my consigliere. 350, you say? Make it 2 for 200. No? Okay, bye! Wait, what? Two for 250? Mmm, I dunno, Andy, you still want it? She was awesome to watch in action. Overall the market was our chance to interact with shopkeepers in an unstructured, no-training-wheels setting. Hany gave us two hours to test our mettle, enjoy the ambiance, immerse ourselves in the hectic city culture.

    Next stop was a mosque. An enormous structure, able to hold 20,000 worshippers. Our women covered their heads respectfully, we all took off our shoes, and entered the silence. After seeing temples from 3000 years ago, it was a small step to appreciate this great religious place. We crossed a wide open, rectangular courtyard, empty accept an ornate fountain in the center. We sat on the carpet near the the mihrab, a small decorative niche where the imam leads the prayer. This space points the way to Mecca.

    The special aspect about the visit was listening to Hany explain his personal faith in terms grateful, devout, and open-minded. I wondered if I could be so open and inviting about my own beliefs. It was a great lesson for me.

    Last stop was a late lunch at the apartment of Cairo residents, Rahaam and Achmed. A lovely couple in their mid-40s with three kids, they opened their home to us, greeted us like old friends, and served us a overwhelming feast of soup, chicken, rice, green greens, dolmas (wrapped grape leaves) koftas (spicy meatballs), bread and hummus---I'm sure I've left something off the menu.

    They chatted about life in Cairo, but more importantly, about life in general: rising prices, raising kids, enjoying family. They showed us around their flat, about the size of a Manhattan apartment. Their high-school-aged daughter Habibi presented her drawings and paintings, shyly yet proudly.

    Then the five women were taken by Rahaam into one room, and Greg and Peter and I were invited into another room by Achmed. He dressed each of us in a long, flowing robe called a galabeya and a tight knit cap. For me he gave me a short red fez with a tassel. In the other room, Rahaam was showing the women how to wrap multiple bright scarves to cover their heads (but not faces). When both sides were done, we all met in the living room to applaud our new outfits.

    Photos were taken, hugs from our new friends, and we were off.

    Over these last few days, our group had learned that we'd rather stay together than miss out on an "optional" side trip. The nine of us strolled through the busy, modern, Times-Squarish city center late into the evening, when we met up at the hotel poolside bar to toast the wonderful week and say our farewells. At 10pm, I was the first to go.

    Cairo Today, turns out, has just as much energy and spirit and passion as Egypt of the Past. It was a great punctuation mark to the week. I think we all deserve an A+.

    P.S  My flight home has been delayed another 20 minutes.