Day 8 – Egypt
Today starts out with a three hour bus ride from Alexandria to Cairo. Driving here is the worst ever and makes Izmir look like leisure driving. Apparently, whoever honks the most and the loudest has the right of way. Both Alexandria and Cairo are very dirty cities due to all the sand, pollution, and littering. On our way, we saw some very interesting sights including camels being transported in the back of pick-up trucks, donkeys pulling carts down a busy highway, and even pigeon traps.
The pigeon traps are used to capture pigeons which are then separated into carrier and house pigeons. The house pigeons are later fried and are considered an aphrodisiac delicacy. Fortunately, pigeon was not on the menu during the lunch cruise we later took on the Nile. 
On the way to the Citadel, we drove through what is called the Valley of Death. It is where family crypts are located. Each crypt contains the remains of all the family members that have passed on. Sadly, some homeless people actually live in these buildings.
Our first stop in Cairo was The Citadel of Saladin which surrounds the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali (not the boxer). The Citadel was built in the 12th century AD. After the Mosque, we took our lunch cruise on the 5-star Nile Crystal. We tried traditional Egyptian cuisine and even tried a local Egyptian beer. Belly Dancers and Whirling Dervishes entertained us. Sorry, pics of the belly dancer did not turn out…guess Michelle shouldn’t have been in charge of the camera. LOL.
After the cruise, we went to the Giza Plateau for some scenic pics of the Pyramids of Giza. It was breathtaking and well worth the entire trip. The size of the pyramids were overwhelming. The surface of the pyramids were not the smooth ones you see in movies. The outer polished stones only remain on the top of the second pyramid. They were once used as an outer layer to protect the pyramids but were later removed by the locals as building materials.
Unfortunately, the vendors at the sites are extremely pushy and almost ruin the experience. While visiting one of the pyramids, one of the local Bedowyn children came up to us and started talking to us. He wanted to give us a “free” head scarf and take pictures of us. We tried to give him money and he refused saying it was a gift. Then his father joined in and still refused money. They got Tracy on a camel to take pictures and when we finally convinced him to let Tracy down, the father asked for a contribution for the camel. We offered 5 euros but he said it wasn’t enough. Tracy told him 5 euros or nothing and he said it still wasn’t enough. We ended up paying him $20 which is about the going rate for a camel ride and they finally left us alone. Several people on the tour were harassed in the same way…even by the Tourism Police which are guarding the Pyramids. This part was NOT enjoyable but seeing the Pyramids and the Sphynx was a once in a lifetime experience that we will cherish forever! (Girly comment entered by Michelle. 8-))
Surprisingly we thought there were only three pyramids, However, there are several smaller pyramids around the three larger ones which are burial chambers for family members of the kings. There are a total of 103 pyramids throughout Egypt.
The Sphynx was not as large as we thought it would be but it’s still impressive. It’s designed with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The idea is that it is best to think like a man and be brave and fight like a lion.
Next we went to the Papyrus Institute where the ancient art of paper making from reeds of Papyrus flowers and Lotus flowers was demonstrated. Pretty cool. Due to the polution in Cairo the flowers are growing smaller and smaller and in about 35 years will not be able to produce Papyrus paper any longer.
With the exception of the pushy vendors, we thouroughly enjoyed our trip to Egypt. There is talk that Malta may be removed from the itinerary due to storms in the Mediterranean, but we will find that out later today.
Dad and Mom: We miss you and it’s not the same without you. Please take good care of each other and get better soon! We hope to see you in Istanbul in the not too distant future! We love you both!
Day 9 – At Sea
Today is our 20th wedding anniversary!! Yep, surprisingly we made it!! And we’re even Happy! It’s a day at sea and we plan to relax, goof off and enjoy the formal night. Our Best Wishes to You All!
