Egypt Revisited: Cairo

My 2nd time in Egypt. I didn't think I return. This time around I knew the numbers in Arabic, spoke a few more words in Arabic which helped when I got lost and had a clearer head on my shoulders as to what being in Egypt is all about. Of course a different perspective coming from the middle east (Turkey, Syria, Jordan). Dahab has grown and becoming more touristy. Not good. Cairo is still the same. At this point of my blogging exhaustion has caught up with me and last night I retired to bed with chills, a sore back and fever. Took some pain killers and am fine today. Frankly I don't have the time to blog Syria to Jordan but the funny moments remain in my head. I will have to relay them one of these days. Thus far, Cairo is still safe. Tourist police everywhere. Compared to Morocco, Egypt is tame. Morocco, hands down is the still the dodgy, sinister and mysterious of them all. Syria and Jordan didn't have the same feel of insecurity that I felt in Morocco. But then again, I am a lone female. I had to revisit Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum today. The fake ISIC student card I picked up in Syria worked ;) This time all video and camera equipment was banned from being taken into the museum and you had to leave your camera and video equipment at the bag check outside. Just as well I took my pics 6 years ago when I was last in Cairo. The price to pay to go see the Royal Mummies also went up. Jeez. Also, I noted Cairo is still cheap but not dirt cheap like it was 6 years ago. Naturally a visit to Cairo would not be complete without a visit to the Khan Al Khalili market or souq. I was looking at shishas when I remembered I left the last one I bought with Brenda in Phoenix. I figure I can get it when I next past through. A ding bat I am, I also bought 2 boxes of apple and cherry tobacco and left those behind. in 5 years I haven't lit the thing, chances are I probably wouldn't light the new one had I bought one. This time around, my haggling skills were perfected. This time I visited the pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza on camelback. The last time I went in by bus. See the same thing but different experience. I am so dazed at all the history I have seen. Ruins and artifacts going as far back as 3500 B.C. I saw the oldest sculpture of mankind in the Archaeological Museum in Amman and Dead Sea scrolls there as well. The ruins of Ephesus(Turkey), Palmyra(Syria) and Petra(Jordan) whoa! You haven't seen it until you seen it. When you realize how far back the date of what you are seeing is, you are beyond comprehension. A rush. The middle east museums also don't charge a ton like the western country counterparts. I guess that hasn't caught on yet. Well, I am so exhausted and frankly becoming quite lazy at blogging further. I have to lighten my bag as it has become too heavy not a good thing running between buses and trains in India. This concludes my entry in Egypt. I will be headed to Dubai next for some R&R. I will miss smoking the apple shisha.