Egyptian Artwork….Incredibly Beautiful….

The papyrus plant in water

Pressing the papyrus leaves



Criscrossing the papyrus leaves to make paper



Beautiful Artwork



Beautiful Villa in Maadi



The Nile River

On my third day in Egypt I met with friends I had met through Jango.  This Egyptian family was incredibly gracious and hospital and we went to a café near my flat and their home to spend some time together.  It was great to meet them and to finally put a face to the name of someone I have been in contact for many months.  The time with them will be wonderful memories to be remembered always.  I only hope I can return the welcome and hospitality they showed me.

In the evening, my faithful and new found friend Mohamed Bahaa took me to the Pyramids Papyrus Institute, a gallery and museum of beautiful Egyptian art made on papyrus paper.  The colors in these artworks were extraordinarily beautiful.  Not only do you see the beautiful art but you can see how it’s done as well. The curator explains how the process of papyrus paper is done which is where the artist then uses as his canvas.  There are large works to small ones that are mostly done for tourist souvenirs but are still quite lovely.

This was also my first experience in shopping “Egyptian” style.  Where the price you see is never the final price. There is an art in bargaining and getting a discount and even when you think you won’t get any more discount, just push a little and you will most likely get it.  Mohamed was also very helpful in nudging the curator in giving me the best prices for the items I bought.  Some were for me and others were gifts that I purchased for friends back home.

After the museum visit Mohamed took me on a tour of a section of Cairo called Maadi.  It’s a high end residential area with very nice apartment buildings and amazing houses or villas as they call them here in Egypt.  There is a lot of trees and you can definitely see that the quality of life and housing is very different from the rest of Cairo.  The sidewalks are lined with beautiful Jasmine and vibrant purple and hot pink Bougainville trees.  A beautiful neighbor indeed….

Our next stop was on one of the bridges that crosses the Nile in Cairo.  Here we stopped on the side lane on the bridge (I guess this is ok because there were many cars doing the same thing we were doing!) and I took several pictures of the famous Nile River. It is actually quite wide and on the muddy side.  After driving around and showing me more parts of Cairo we headed home early as tomorrow Mohamed will be picking me up at 5:15 to head to the airport and fly to Luxor! There I will be seeing the Karnak and Luxor Temple.  It will be awesome!

Traveling Redheaded Lady (TRL)

Traffic in Cairo!

Wow!  That's how I can describe traffic in Cairo...Forget about the LA-San Diego jams you've experienced or heard about...forget about the back to back parking lot on 836 or the Palmetto....that's a small walk in the park compared to what I experienced last night......

But first, yesterday it rained all day in Cairo. A very unusual thing they tell me for this time of the year.  Yesterday was officially the first day of spring in Egypt and it rains very very rarely during this time as the weather changes and it begins to get hot now.  Of course I decide to come to Egypt and I get rain, not just a little rain...nooooooo  constant rain....enough to flood the streets and cause even more traffic jams!!  For those of you that know me and remember my travels in the past, it was an earthquake in Costa Rica when I arrive, 3 hurricanes in PR and Cayman Islands where I was vacationing on a cruise, below freezing weather during the Miami East Region L&D team meeting, Snow Blizzard in New York and now Rain, Rain, Rain in the desert in Egypt in Spring,.....I ask myself, is this a message from Mother Nature telling me not to travel or if I look at it on a positive note maybe she's telling me, "Welcome Julie, to this part of the World" and then shows her welcome by performing all these acts of nature....Hmmmmm wonder which one it is....lol...

So back to the traffic, since it rained all day and since I guess there is not a good drainage system in some areas, many streets got flooded yesterday.  So Mohammed, my new found Egyptian tour guide/driver/friend, takes me to Carrefour, a French SuperWalmart of sorts, to go grocery shopping.  I have a great time shopping and trying to make sense of the things I see and compare and relate it to the things I normally would buy.  The spices for example are very different in this part of the world, I couldn't find oregano but I found cumin, garlic, paprika which is a staple for my "Sofrito", I find Balsamic rice similar to the long grain we use for our "arroz blanco", no black beans unfortunately but I find Humus!!! Of course...all kinds, all types!....
Mohamed does a great job of translating and asking for things that I am looking for. 

So after we finish our purchases we head back to the "flat", and here is where the adventure begins. We leave about 8pm and don't get home until 11:30....Yup 3 and half hours later ...Turns out the road we were on, which is a highway of sorts and very busy got flooded, so several cars got flooded and are now blocking the street, we sit in traffic and talk about Egypt, politics, the recent revolution, the weather, his family, my family, we share pictures on our phones, our work,.......In the meantime Mohamed has now impressed me again with his driving skills, this man is the reincarnation of Mario Andretti (not sure if Mario is dead or alive but his spirit is definitely in Mohamed). He weaves through traffic in spaces that I am certain he won't fit, careens on the outside pavement, up the sidewalk, I'm so close at times to the car next to me that I can physically reach over and reach the steering wheel of the car and drive!!...a thrill ride worthy of any Universal Studios, Adventure Island ride!!!  As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to pitch this new ride to Disney and Universal Studios!

Finally we make it to the flood area and the water is about 2 feet and more in several areas.  Sure enough we see cars that didn't make it stranded on the road, and we also see "friendly Samaritans" pushing cars along that get stuck.  There are these strong willing men with their pants legs rolled up to their knees, in the water and helping to push cars along when they look like they are slowing down and not making it across...talk about ingenuity!! Our car now has become one of those James Bond cars that switch from a car to a boat, I swear! We navigate the waters with an occasional push from our "helpers" in the water and make it out of the water...I feel like I've gotten a taste of crossing the Nile River!...Mohamed doesn't break a sweat...although I do occasionally hear him say, Oh my God, Oh my God....but I figure if Allah is helping him then I'm thinking, please Mohamed continue praying.... well someone was listening whether it was Allah or my boy Jesus I don't know, but I thank both of them.  We are now speeding like crazy on the road home. 

Mohamed and I are starving by now, my groceries have been in the trunk for 3 hours and I'm hoping they are not soaking wet, so he says if I would like for him to pick up some "Take Away" dinner.  I say Yes! And he stops at a restaurant a block away from the entrance to the Sphinx (yes that Sphinx!) and picks up our dinner.  We go home and there I have my first true Egyptian meal called Koshary.  It's made with small pasta, rice, corn, garbanzo beans, lentil, meat and other spices.  It comes with a tomato and garlic sauce.  It is delicious and we eat it while laughing about our 3 and hour trip back home.....As I said before...Life is Good my friends....Can't wait to see what it brings tomorrow!...

Traveling Redheaded Lady (TRL)

My Arrival in Egypt

Yesterday I arrived in Egypt as I said in my previous blog.....I had a slight rise in my blood pressure and stress level when I arrived at the Cairo airport.  Let me explain....

The flight from London to Cairo was great (awesome service again!)....the plane is parked but not to the gateway, so I slowly go down the stairs of the plane (I was wearing heels and had 2 pieces of heavy luggage with me!)...anyway I get in and I give my passport to the immigration officer, he looks at it and stamps it and since I haven't mastered yet Arabic, I kind of follow the crowd to where I think the baggage area is (yes I did have another bag waiting for me)....well it wasn't....nope it was the exit area, pass security....

Now I sorta of get nervous because I left my bag on the other side of the doors and I can't find Mohamed my Tour Guide/driver who was meeting me.  There are many many other drivers all pointing signs at me but unfortunately none that say my name.....I try asking them where the luggage comes out but they don't understand me and I don't understand them. Finally I go back to security and explain that I haven't picked up my bag, they look at me like I am a complete American Idiot (which I am for leaving my bag behind) and ask for my passport and lo and behold let me go in....Wheeeeew!!

Now my anxiety and stress level has diminished but I'm still worried because I didn't see Mohamed. I finally get my big red bag and head out the exit for the 2nd time.  Thank the Holy Lord, the 100 Saints, Mother Mary and Buddha because Mohamed is now there flashing a sign with my name!! YES YES YES!

I lucked out with Mohamed, tour guide extraordinaire!  This Egyptian man is awesome.  He tells me about the Duty Free Shops (where I buy my wine....only place to get them!), takes me to the corner grocery market to pick up milk, water, eggs and coffee for tomorrow's breakfast, is a wealth of information and then takes me to my apartment or flat as they say here.

Living Room

View from The Roof Terrace

Reception area of the flat

There I meet Hossam who is my neighbor downstairs and who maintains the apartment when the owner is away in England.  He shows me the apartment, tells me everything I need to know about the place and also gives me a cel phone to use while I'm in Egypt, its very cheap. You pay as you go for minutes and I can also recieve calls internationally as well, at a reasonable price (Kenny and Javi, you read that right?)  The best thing the apartment has is the roof top terrace...awesome view!  I'm all set and begin unpacking my 3 luggage full of stuff I thought I needed to bring to Egypt with me....I probably won't use half of it buttttttttt you never know....

I'm now totally exhausted and hit the sack.......!..Zzzzzzzzzzz

Traveling Redheaded Lady (TRL)

Made it to Egypt safe and sound!

Got in around 9PM and into my apartment around midnight...totally exhausted, I'll write more about that experience tomorrow....Right now...I need to sleep!

Traveling Redheaded Lady (TRL)

Julie has left the building!!

.....or rather Miami.....Yes I've begun my journey to Egypt and am writing to you from Heathrow Airport in London where I arrived this morning around 9:30 am.  My flight to Cairo doesn't leave till 3pm so I have time to explore the airport and of course !!!! Shop at the Harrods they have here which  looks fantastic....OK I admit it....My name is Julie and I am a shopaholic..:-).....

Anyway, back to the trip....I flew over via British Airways which I was able to upgrade to First Class with my miles (see pic below)....Wow!! now that was luxury flying for sure!!....4 Flight attendants for 20 of us...Dinner was served on real china....great selection to choose from the menu.....then they prepare your bed....yes you heard me right....our seat reclines all the way back, they bring you a mattress padding and a comforter with a REAL pillow, not the kind some of us Road Warriors wear around our neck, no this was the real stuff. 

Anyway, they even give you a set of pajamas embroidered that says FC (First Class).  In your cubicle, (I'm calling it that because it looks  like a little cubicle.)..you have an expanded tray that becomes a good sized table, your own private TV with about 200 movies and TV shows to choose from, audio CD selection, basically the works,....Then they wake you up in the morning if you want to and they serve you breakfast.....oh wait, and it isn't a pre-set menu...noooo they actually asked me "what would you like Ms. Socorro for breakfast"...and I chose and I got it....Corn Flakes with fruit and a croissant with butter and jelly....!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT.... OK OK, I sound like a country bumpkin that's never been out of the country...but I'm telling you this was service! 

So wait it gets better, I land at Heathrow and because  I was flying First Class I go through the line that says "Fast Track"  OK....folks this isn't Priority Access on American...no, this is really fast track!....I go through security and immigration in minutes! they check my bag and they are strict here on only 1 quart sized bag and it MUST be a zip lock buttttt not if you are in First Class. My plastic bag is one of those that comes with the luggage that I have filled with the standard less than 3oz liquids and creams.   They tell me that that my plastic bag really isn't standard but they do have extra zip lock bags and would I want them to transfer my things over to the zip lock bags....OK by now I think I'm in another planet...not another country.. So I am completely zoned out and just nod my head by which the TRS AGENT proceeds to transfer my "stuff" over into 2 zip lock bags, passes it over to an agent to put through the machine who then hands it to me and says Madam, "just remember that next time it needs to be in 1 bag only"...I apologize and he says oh "No worries" "you have a safe trip now"....So I ask myself, were they nice because they are just nice here in London or were they nice because I was in the "Fast Track/First Class line?....Hmmmmm I wonder....but I'm happy either way....

So now I'm chilling here writing on my blog while I'm at the Concorde Lounge sipping on a Mimosa.... oh I forgot to mention, British Airways has their lounge for frequent/elite members, but this is a separate lounge next to their other lounge only for First Class travelers.....Awesome!!! I Love traveling like this....
(Adam, if you are reading this, any chance we might work something out on my travels to PR and DR to travel FC?.....just kidding!!).....LOL....seriously I know how lucky and blessed I am and that's why I say....LIFE IS GOOD ....

Stay tuned my friends...I arrive in Cairo tonight around 9pm my time which is 3pm East Coast and 12 West Coast.

Traveling Redheaded Lady (TRL)