Day 41: October 4

First day back…. Ugh. Woke up at 7:15 to be out the door at 7:30… to the metro by 7:45. To the Bus by 8:00. To Campus by 9.

Sundays are in theory the easiest day in my schedule. All I have is Media, followed by a long break, and then colloquial. Well the Media teacher has decided that we are going to do all our makeup work for the two weeks we missed in one week… on top of our assignments for this week. This is going to be the week from hell. Class was fast paced and everyone felt dazed and confused. Personally I felt like I got socked in the stomach with a stack of homework. Absolutely nuts. Oh, and we have a test/quiz tomorrow…

We all left class feeling badly beaten. Max, Henry and I limped to the food court to grab some food before going to colloquial. Went to Omda, the Egyptian food place on campus. Got some fool sandwiches and ate with Henry and Max.

I’m gonna be completely honest, fool is losing its charm. Beans that are cooked and made into a paste get’s old pretty quickly. Especially when it is done really poorly like it is on campus. Oh well, I gotta eat.. After food Henry and I went to the library to print off the pages of makeup work we have for media. It cost us both 10 pounds to print off all the work we have. I’d estimate somewhere between 20-30 pages worth of media work.

Went to my discussion class for another battle. However, our discussion teacher was much more willing to ease us into school. We just discussed what we did over break and where we went. Very enjoyable after taking a beating earlier.

After class I went to the HUSS( HUSS is the ALI building) quad area for the language exchange program. The language exchange program is a partnership between the Arabic Linguistic Institute and the English Language Institute. In this program students from ELI and ALI are matched up so that they can have conversations and practice their languages together.
I was assigned two beginning level English speakers. Only one of them showed up today. His name is Mina and he is a 16 year old freshman. 16 and in college! His parents are both doctors and he wants to be an engineer. Really smart kid… and completely fluent in English.

I enjoyed the practice, but he didn’t seem all that interested in the program. At the end we exchanged emails so that we could meet up again in a week (we’re supposed to meet once a week however the program is voluntary..). From there I took the bus home and arrived at around 6.

On the way home I called Kevin and we decided to meet up for dinner. I hadn’t seen Kevin in a few weeks and was excited to hear how his adventures were going. I dropped off my bags and walked over to his place. We decided that American food sounded delicious. Don’t get me wrong, schwarma was good, but the fool I had today just put me in the mood for a taste of home.

We ended up in Tahriir where our choices were KFC, Hardeez (Wendy’s), McDonalds, and Pizza Hut. I had heard rumor that the Wendy’s/Hardeez was delicious and decided to try that. We both ordered our burgers and found a spot to talk. I told about Kevin about my travels and then inquired about his life.

Kevin decided to end the relationship he was pursuing with a Muslim girl here in Egypt. He decided that he did not want to become a Muslim himself in order to be with her. On top of this he had quit his job due to the many restrictions and ‘red tape’ associated. At this point and time Kevin feels that there is little keeping him in Cairo and that he will probably leave sometime in November.

It kinda bummed me out to see Kevin so set on leaving. A month before he had been stoked to be in Cairo and now he finds himself disliking many aspect of the city life and just wanting to go home. It’s too bad, I enjoyed having him in Cairo to hang out with.

Anyways, after dinner I hustled back to my apartment and immediately hit the books in preparation for tomorrows test. By the time I went to bed I was feeling pretty confident in the material. I guess we’ll see what tomorrow holds in store.

Day 40: October 3

Woke up a bit before noon. Decided that today I was going to rest, recuperate, and do some catch up work.

Started uploading my pictures from the trip online. I also started to do some review of the material discussed during the first two weeks of class. Basically just spent most of today mentally preparing to go back to school.

Evan wanted to show me around garden city now that Ramadan is over. After Ramadan more shops and restraints are open giving it a livelier atmosphere. I like it better now because it seems more vibrant. We stopped by the Metro so Evan could introduce me to some Egyptian friends he had made….

By some apparently he meant the entire metro station. We were literally swarmed by metro workers when we entered the station. It was fun but a bit overwhelming. We eventually left and went to get lunch. For lunch we got some meet sausage, bread, salad, and soup. Afterwards we stopped into a sweet store and bought some small cakes to complete the meal.

Afterwards we came back and hit the books. At around 8 Jesse came over and the three of us went out to grab some dinner. We hit up another shop Evan had found. We got the ‘meat platter’ which consisted of sausage and kibda(Liver). I thought it was pretty good, but then again I’m the only one of the three that really likes kibda. On the way back Evan decided that he was craving Ice Cream. Neither Jesse nor I were against the idea so we chipped in and got a tub of ice cream.

We took the ice cream home and ate it while talking about life. Eventually Evan and Jesse split off and went to spend time together (they are now dating btw). I did some more studying and decided to watch a movie. Watched the original Mad Max. After that I called Sara and went to bed early.

Day 39: October 2

We had originally planned on waking up early today and trying to make it into the countryside. However, both of us woke up and decided that we didn’t want to get out to the countryside and then not get back in time for our flight. We decided that there was still allot of the city left to see and that we would go see that.

While we were making plans we ran into Jordan, John, and Joel; who were also looking for something to do. We decided to check out the Lebanese National Museum. The museum is featured in the Lonely Planet guide and sounded like a good way to start the day. We went down stairs and found a local café to grab brunch. I tried what looked like a pizza… it definitely didn’t taste like a pizza (oh well).

Anyways we decided to take a taxi over and soon arrived at the Lebanese National Museum. We entered and were ushered into a small theater to see a short film on the history of the museum. The film depicted the renovation and refurbishment of the museum. It turns out that the museum was located right on the green line (the dividing line between the two factions during Lebanon’s civil war). During the war the museum suffered heavy damage and some artifacts were destroyed. Following the war the community made a large effort to restore the museum and its artifacts back to prime condition.

After the film we went into the museum. I was amazed to walk in and see so many marble statues arrayed in such a small building. Unlike the Egyptian museum, the Lebanese Museum was well spread out with markers indicating what you were seeing. It was set up as a timeline depicting Lebanon’s rich history. It started in the early ages and spanned the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period, and Mamluk (Arab) Period.

The museum building was not very large, maybe the length and width of a football field with two stories. However, the amount of information and artifacts in there was simply astounding. The amazing part of it was that they were able to display it elegantly without seeming to force it in. Honestly one of my all time favorite museums. I was also impressed by the rich and diverse history in Lebanon. When I think of Lebanon, I don’t associate the Greeks and Romans, but the museum clearly showed their influence on the culture and region.

After a few hours we found ourselves out in front of the museum. (On closer inspection you could see traces of gunfire on the structure… however it is very well covered up). John, Jordan, and Joel wanted to see the downtown region that we had seen the day before, while Mike and I wanted to see Pigeon Rock and the beaches which they had seen the day before. So we split and each went their own way.

We caught a cab to the beaches past the American University of Beirut. We walked along the boardwalk and watched the fisherman. Eventually we made our way to Pigeon Rock. Pigeon Rock is a natural rock formation a hundred yards of shore which has attracted many photographers and onlookers. It is gorgeous, but I’m not sure why it has become such a huge attraction…. We stopped at a café nearby and got some lemonade.

Pigeon Rock we continued down the board walk past the American University and down the harbor. Along the way I stopped to collect some sand from Lebanon, giving me sand from three Middle Eastern Countries (Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan). While walking back we did run into a funny café. The picture on the sign is an exact copy of UCSD’s mascot. I am pretty sure somebody stole our mascot… hehe.

We continued down the boardwalk until we reached the cross street that runs to our hostel. From there we left the beach and went to the hostel. We had earlier discovered that John, Jordan, and Joel are on our flight back to Cairo and had decided to meet there at 5:30. We got there first at around 5:15. The others arrived shortly after 5:30 and we all packed and got ready to go.

We were out of our hostel by 6 in the street trying to find a cab. We found one quickly who insisted that 5 (plus driver) guys with their bags could fit in his car built for four (plus driver). We decided that it was cheaper this way and all squeezed in. Talk about a tight fit. Luckily the drive to the airport was short (approximately 20 minutes).

We arrived at the airport and went through ‘security’. I say this in quotes because I’m pretty sure I could have smuggled anything in my bags with the lack of attention they paid to the passengers and scanners. It worked out decently for me though, because I was carrying three water bottles full of sand through the airport. I don’t know how they would have reacted, but I figure its best to avoid any issues when possible.

After security we checked in and walked to the terminal. We all found our way to the café near our gate and grabbed some sandwiches while we waited. Half an hour later we were boarding the plane and on our way back to Cairo.

The flight took 2 hours but we gained an hour in time zone changes. We landed at 10 pm local time. We left the plane and walked through the health inspection (stifling any thoughts of coughing). After health inspection we had our visas checked, went through customs, and were on to baggage claim. Luckily for me I didn’t have to retrieve any baggage from baggage claim, unluckily for me the four people I was traveling with did.

After getting our bags we waded through the sharks trying to get our warm bodies into their ‘limos’. We finally worked our way outside and tracked down a cab. This however, is not an easy task because cabs are not allowed to circle the terminal. We had to walk to the parking lots and negotiate out there. I decided that I would jump in a taxi with the others and go to Zamalek. It would take a little longer but save me money in the long run.

I got out of the cab with Mike near his apartment in Zamalek. I decided to walk with him to his apartment and split from there. I went upstairs with him and said hi to Jesse. I found out from her that Evan was on his way over and decided to wait for him. This of course turned into me staying at Mike, Jesse, and Ben’s for the next couple of hours. We drank a few beers, told of our adventures and hung out.

At two o’clock I was starting to get tired. I decided I was going to catch a cab back to our place in Garden City. Evan decided he would join me and we were on our way.

Got back to our apartment and unpacked. Called the parentals and Sara. Then went to bed

Day 38: October 1

Woke up at around ten today. Mike and I decided that we wanted to walk around the city and do some exploring. However, it was probably prudent to first get our tickets to return home.

We used the wireless internet at the hostel to check for flights and prepared to book. I filled out all my info and clicked the book button but got back the message ‘insufficient funds’. This confused me because to my knowledge I should have more than enough in my account to buy the tickets.

However, I logged onto Wells Fargo and was shocked to find my account almost empty. Apparently my roommates in San Diego had not deposited my rent checks from a few months ago and decided to do it just now…. So now I am in Beirut with just over 200 dollars. Yikes!

I was, however, able to rearrange my funds in my savings so that I could purchase the tickets… with little to spare. I quickly sent off emails to my broker back home to wire me some funds. Lucky for me I was with Mike who could lend me some money for getting around Beirut.

We decided to put this behind us and enjoy the city. We left the city and walked towards what is called the ‘historical’ part of the city. This however, is kind of a misnomer as the city has been mostly rebuilt following the civil war.

There is a path going through the city which runs past many landmarks and historical sites. We decided that this was the best way to start. We started by walking past the Khatem Al Anbiyaa Mosque. This is perhaps the most famous and gorgeous mosque in Beirut. After this we headed over to the government buildings and the remains of the Roman baths.

From there we passed by a few of the older churches and mosques that are everywhere in the city. It was really weird to see so many Churches in a country I typically associate with Islam. However, I guess there is a large Christian contingent in Lebanon.

We eventually found ourselves in the downtown region, which is surprisingly modern. I mean seriously this could have been any city in the USA. Most of the billboards were even in English! It was really weird walking through this part of town. The look and feel was just so much different than what I had grown accustomed too.

We continued to follow the path through downtown to what was called a souq. Apparently the old souq had kept its name but gotten a facelift. It was pretty much a modern mall. Actually it pretty much was a mall. Very different from the souqs in Syria.

From here we decided to walk to the harbor and from there to the American University in Beirut. We passed many more churches and mosques on the way. We also passed many buildings that still showed signs of damage from the civil war. This included bullet holes and explosion damage… apparently these were the buildings that had not yet been rebuilt or fixed.

We made our way down to the harbor and walked along the boardwalk. By this time it was getting near 1pm and neither Mike nor I had eaten yet. We decided to stop at the local McDonalds and grab a burger. We went in and ate a burger… not bad for McDonalds.

With our bellies full we went off continued down the boardwalk and on to the American University. We got there without any difficulty, and were even let in by showing our Cairo ID’s. We spent an hour and a half walking around and exploring the campus. The campus was gorgeous. Older than the Cairo campus but with more vegetation. It had a different charm that AUC. It also had a nice ocean view.

We continued to walk around and check out the buildings. We even spent some time looking through their tiny bookstore. After we had seen all there was to see we exited the campus on the opposite side and started to head back towards the hostel. We decided to take a different route so that we could see more of the city. We even found a Crispy Cream just off campus.

We arrived back at the hostel around 5 and waited for Joel, John, and Jordan to return. They returned at around 5:30 and we all headed down to a shwarma shop they found. It was good, but not quite as good as Syrian Shwarma.

Afterwards we returned to our hostel to hang out a bit before the bars opened. We got a few beers from the hostel and chilled in the lounge with some two Austrians (Philip and Karl) and a French girl. Really fun to talk to them because they all had different backgrounds and travel stories. We chilled for a few hours and at nine decided that it was suitable late to head to the bars.

We walked down the street and onto the main strip where most of the bars and clubs were located. We picked the first one that looked good and went in. It was a four story bar, however it wasn’t very full. Apparently in Lebanon the work week is Monday-Friday not like most other Middle Easter countries who go from Sunday-Thursday. Full or not, we still had a good time.

Most of the group attached themselves to some Lebanese girls on the first floor. I however found two Brits that were living in Beirut and talked with them for an hour. It was fun practicing my Arabic and discussing life in Lebanon. After a few hours at the bar we decided to try and get into the local clubs.

The girls we were hanging out with told us that it would be hard to get in but that they could get us in. We decided it was our best shot and went with them. One had a car and she drove us to Sky Bar, the biggest club in Lebanon. We got there quickly but when we tried to get in we were told it was closing… I’m pretty sure that’s not true, but most clubs don’t let groups of 7 guys in. We decided to try one more club… similar result…. We decided that maybe it was time to get home.

We got a ride back to our hostel. It was near 2am by this point, but we were all starving. There was a hot dog stand a few blocks down from our hostel which we decided to go visit. It wasn’t exactly a New York hot dog but it sure was tasty.

Afterwards the seven of us headed up to our perspective rooms and fell asleep.

Syria in Review:

Syria was simply amazing. Everything about it was exactly the opposite of what I expected. The state department would have you believe that Syria is a country hostile to Americans. As I already mentioned I also expected it to be a much more arid climate.

Both these things proved to be the exact opposite. The people went out of their way to help us and were nothing but nice. And like I said the landscape was composed of lush farmlands.

I really wish I had more time to spend in Damascus. The culture and history here are extremely rich. It was truly enjoyable to spend time in the cities and just interact. In addition to this, he exchange rate was excellent, The food was great, and the city was beautiful. In all honesty I loved everything about Damascus.

Day 37: September 30

Woke up today to the crackling of the loud speakers. However, the call to prayer never came on…. Seems they malfunctioned today. Blessed Silence, how I missed you. We did however, get out of bed at 8 to make it to the Crac De Chevaliers. We went downstairs and wolfed some food before catching a taxi to the bus station.

At the bus station we were swarmed by people trying to get us on their busses. We eventually found the correct bus and boarded. It took us out to a small city in the countryside of Syria. From there we had to catch a minibus to the Crac De Chevaliers. It was amazing driving through the countryside of Syria. My preconceived notion of Syria and the rest of the Middle East was a desert. However, the countryside could have easily been mistaken for California. It was covered with farmland, forests, and meadows. Not at all what I expected.

After three hours of driving (2 in the big bus and 1 in the minibus) we arrived at the Crac De Chevaliers. The Crac de Chevaliers is a Castle that was built by the Crusaders during their attempt to retake the Holy Land. It was held by the Crusader’s until they were driven from the land. It was then held by the Muslims until the 19th Century when gunpowder made Castles obsolete. Now it is considered the best preserved Crusader castle in the Middle East.

Most of our group was very excited to see the castle. Except for Jasmine… who just wanted to shop back in Damascus (honestly she is a nice girl but her attitude is occasionally annoying). Anyways, we payed the entry and went in.

It was amazing to walk through the castle and see where the Crusaders lived and fought for so long. Very impressive and well preserved. I spend most of the time walking around with Jake and Henry. We spent our time walking around the exterior of the castle and then worked our way into the citadel. The citadel was an impressive structure and larger than many I saw when in Ireland. It’s always crazy to think about people making these huge rock structures without modern power tools.

We spent the next three hours walking around enjoying the history. The best part for me was climbing the three towers and looking out over the surrounding countryside. From there you can almost imagine what a lookout would have seen hundreds of years ago. The land just seemed to spread out all around us.

Unfortunately we eventually had to leave to make it back to Damascus. We caught the minibus back to the bus station and again found a public bus back to Damascus. Once back in Damascus we made our way back to the hostel.

Mike and I decided that it was time for us to push onto Lebanon. We made a quick run out to the souqs so Mike could do some last minute shopping. After grabbing a few things we made our way back to the hostel to pack and leave. We grabbed our last Syrian Schwarma on the way and gobbled it down. Half an hour later we were all packed and ready to leave.

We made our way downstairs and caught a taxi to the bus station. We made our way to a small section of the station dedicated to travelers going on to Lebanon. It was kinda sketchy. It was pretty much a poorly lit parking lot with cars and taxi’s willing to drive people across the border. We put our feelers out and found what we thought to be the best cabbie and got in.

We were sharing the cab with three Arabs, ourselves, and the driver. Most of us were quiet on the way to the border, kinda an awkward tension between people that don’t know each other and have a language gap. We got to the border without any issue and paid our exit fee. However, we were running seriously low on Syrian currency and were hoping the entry fee wouldn’t be too high.

We walked into the entry station and went to the foreigner line. We were greeted by a Lebanese army officer who inquired about our stay, etc. He found out we were only going to be in the country for a few days and put us down for a free transit visa… I love this country already. With that taken care of we went back to our awaiting taxi.

The Arabs at first were complaining about how long it took (assuming that we didn’t understand what was being said.) However, they were shocked when I responded and apologized in Arabic. Their jaws literally dropped. Pretty funny. They were really excited to meet a white person that spoke Arabic and were quick to jump on the opportunity to ask me anything and everything that I understood. It made the cab ride allot more interesting, and in my opinion really fun. It was the first time in awhile I had not been surrounded by Americans and it allowed me to practice my Arabic a bit more.

Anyways we arrived in Beirut with no problems. The taxi driver even took us to an exchange to trade my remaining Jordanian Dinar to Lebanese pounds. This is good because I’m not sure I would have been able to pay the driver otherwise.

One of the guys I met in the taxi was a banker from Damascus doing training in Lebanon. He spoke German, English, and Arabic. Really nice to talk to and very helpful. He volunteered to stay with us in the taxi until we were dropped off. This turned out to be really useful because apparently our drivers original thought had been to drop the two Americans at the bus stop and let them fend for themselves. However, with a little coxing from our new friend, the driver took us straight to our hostel (The New Talaal Hostel).

We got there and made our way into the hostel. At this point we were flying by the seat of our pants because we didn’t have a reservation or a backup plan. And wouldn’t you know… there was no room at the inn. However, they decided they could fit us on the balcony. At this point it was near 1 am and we were more than willing to take anything. They showed us out to the balcony. The balcony was actually the size of a big bedroom and more than accommodated the two of us. We also got a nice breeze….

We were both exhausted and decided it was time to head for bed. While getting ready we ran into some other AUC kids outside the bathroom. Some guys we knew decently, John, Jordan, and Paul. An unexpected surprise, but nice to see some familiar faces.

Anyways, finished getting ready and passed out.

Day 36: September 29

Keeping with the tradition of the trip we got the 4:45 wake up call. The nearest mosque was not as close as yesterday but was definitely close enough to wake us up.

We decided that today was going to be our ‘sleep in day’ so we ended up rolling out of bed at 10. We went downstairs and grabbed breakfast and made the game plan for the day. We all decided that we wanted to see the part of the city called Old Damascus. Old Damascus is located near the middle of the city and has many historical mosques as well as the old city walls.

We briefly split ways and decided to meet near the Umayyad Mosque at noon. A good portion of our group decided to go to the internet café and find plane flight from Damascus to Cairo. I decided to get a shower because I was feeling pretty dirty.. Anyways, Mike, Corley, and I were the only ones still at the hostel at 11:30 so we decided to walk over to the Umayyad Mosque together. We arrived shortly before noon and waited for the rest of the group. Jasmine, Jeanna, and Henry rolled up shortly after 12, but the rest of the group was nowhere to be seen. After waiting for 15 minutes we decided we

couldn’t wait any longer and went to buy our entry into the mosque.
After purchasing our tickets the girls got outfitted with cloaks to cover their arms, hair, and legs so that they were considered suitable to enter the mosque. They looked a little ridiculous, but it’s part of the experience. We went to the main entrance, removed our shoes, and went in.

It was absolutely breath-taking. The Mosque is covered in marble, granite, and gold. The inner courtyard was about the size of a football field with the mosque circling around it. At different points along the mosque were three humungous minarets (towers). The architecture was absolutely amazing, and it’s just one of those things you can’t explain with words (check out my pictures).
We spent the next hour and a half walking around the Mosque in awe of its splendor. We spent time checking out the courtyard and minarets (One of which is colloquially known as the ‘Jesus Minaret’ because the local Christians think he will reappear there during the second coming..). After that we went into the Main hall.

The main hall (South Wing) is a hall that runs the length of complex and has a gorgeous vaulted domed ceiling adorned with stained glass. This hall is where the Muslims come to pray and listen to teachings from the Koran. Also inside the main hall is the Shrine of John the Baptist. It is an amazingly elaborate emerald green, stained glass structure, supposedly housing the head of John the Baptist. It was amazing to see the Muslim men and women congregate around this structure to pray and weep over someone I typically associate with Christianity.

We spent the better part of an hour sitting inside the main hall taking in the beauty and majesty of the place. We did however, have one hitch… halfway through we (I) realized the reason no other women were on our side of the mosque… It was because there was a men’s and women’s side of the mosque. Oops. I pointed this out to the girls who for the most part went over without any fuss. Except of course for Jasmine (the fight for your rights African American Woman of the group) who had to point out the sexism in the system… sigh (yes Dorothy we aren’t in Kansas anymore).
After getting our fill of the South Wing, Mike and I went over to check out the North Wing. The North wing was mostly closed due to maintenance on one of the minarets. However, there shrine located on the south side to Ali Ibn Husayn, showing where he used to pray (also contains his prayer rug) was open. It was crazy. The glass case enclosing the area was being swarmed by women and men trying to touch the glass. They were crying and weeping. Truly impressive.

After exiting the South Wing we all met up in the courtyard and exited together. We actually ran into the rest of the group just outside the Mosque. Apparently getting tickets had taken them allot of time and effort. We huddled together and decided that we wanted to check out the surrounding area and meet up again near the hostel at 5:30 to see the sunset.

Henry, Carter, Mike, Same, Jake, Jeanna, and I decided we wanted to walk the perimeter of the wall and see the Christian/Jewish quarters in Old Damascus. We walked around for some time just taking in the sights and feel of the city. All the people we met were helpful and friendly. We eventually stopped to get some schwarma from a local stand. Just as good as the night before!

While looking around we found another large mosque in back streets of Old Damascus. We went in and found ourselves in a crowd of pilgrims going to pay tribute to one of Mohamed relatives. Apparently housed in the Mosque was a mausoleum devoted to this relative. I thought the crowds trying to see Ali Ibn Husayn’s shrine were frantic…. This was ten times as crazy. We stayed long enough to check out the mosque and shrine, but not much longer.

Eventually we found our way into the Jewish quarter. It was interesting to walk around there for a little while. Kinda sad too... the area was covered in graffiti and swastikas. From there we continued to walk through the city. At one point we were swarmed by a group of school children yelling that we were spies… because we wouldn’t play soccer with them. We walked around the city for awhile longer, following the walls to the old entrance gates. It was really cool to see the old gates to the city.
After walking around for awhile longer, we found ourselves near the mosque again. Those that hadn’t seen the mosque went to go check it out while Henry, Mike, and I decided to look around the small shops. We eventually ended up back in the hand crafted section looking at all the cool stuff. We walked around for awhile and somehow Mike got separated from me and Henry. Henry and I decided to stop in a café and get some tea.

It was nice to sit and chat after walking around all day. It was also the first time I really got to talk to Henry one on one. He is from LA and attends UCLA, so we had a fair amount of common ground. Turns out he knows Jake Walker from Valley. He also is involved heavily in Campus Crusade at UCLA. It was nice to be able to talk about religion and similar issues with someone that had similar viewpoints as me. So far this trip I had felt like a large minority with my more conservative views. Henry and I decided that we would hold a Bible study together on campus to keep ourselves grounded while abroad. I’ll be honest I am truly looking forward to this.

After we were done with our tea we went back out into the street. From there we browsed a bit longer. I did some Christmas shopping for mom, dad, and Sara. I also decided on what I’m getting Andrew. After I was done with that I went to one of the art shops and bought myself some black and white paintings. It was really fun to talk and haggle with the store owners.

We were running late for our rendezvous back at the hostel so Henry and I booked it back. We arrived just in time to jump in the taxi with our group and head up the mountain side. We ended up on the side of the mountain looking down over the city. From there we watched the sun set over Damascus. It was gorgeous. The city was sprawled out before us interlaced with the forests on the east. The city was beautiful during sunset, but in my opinion it was more impressive after dark. Every mosque in Damascus is adorned with green lights (the color of Islam). You could see green lights everywhere, dotting the city.

We eventually headed back into the city and from there we went to the souqs. We decided to walk around the souqs and old Damascus at night. It is amazing to see all the old structures lit up with lights. We decided to change it up and get falafel tonight. Good, but the schwarma was better. After awhile we all walked back and found ourselves reading and hanging out at the hostel.
Jeanna, Henry, and I decided we would rather be out in Damascus than sitting inside. We went to an old café near the Umayad Mosque. It is renowned as the only one that still has a storyteller. We got there and ordered some tea. We sat and talked for an hour and a half until they closed. I really enjoyed talking with the two of them because I got to know them better.

Unfortunately no storyteller showed up. Either they don’t do it anymore or the times were posted incorrectly. Kinda bummed out but I enjoyed just talking. We eventually headed back (after stopping for ice cream) to our hostel. From there we went to sleep.

Jordan In Review:

I really enjoyed Jordan. It was amazing how modern and different things were there. I think that so far this trip I have enjoyed Jordan the most. Dahab was fun to relax at, but hiking through the desert and up waterfalls was so enjoyable. It was also amazing to see the many natural wonders and gorgeous majesty within this small country. The people were all wonderfully friendly as well as fiercely proud of their country. Honestly, if the exchange rate was not so crazy I definitely would have liked to stay longer.

Day 35: September 28

Woke up to the familiar sound of blaring speakers. I’m starting to hate the morning call to prayer.We had to be up at 6:30 anyways…

At 6:30 we all begrudgingly rolled out of bed. We grabbed a quick bite and headed out. The bus driver from the hotel took us to the bus company that goes to Damascus every morning. We got there and went to buy our tickets. However, the bus company did not want to take 10 US tourists across the border. They thought it would be too much of a hassle to wait with us at the border… probably true.

Anyways we walked back outside and attempted to find a taxi. We eventually found a set of brothers who were willing to take us in their two taxis. Most of this was due to our drivers persuasive bartering. Thank Hubly Bubbly (yes that really was his name..).

They agreed to take us all the way to Damascus for 50 dinar per cab. They also agreed to wait at the border free of charge. An hour later we were nearing the border. We purchased our exit visa from Jordan and arrived at the Syrian border.

The border checkpoint was expansive. It had a hotel, restraint, duty free store, money exchange, and of course the Syrian administration building for the border. We went in and found the foreigner line. We made our way to the front and quickly discovered we needed copies of our passports. We left and found a copier. After getting copies we went back to the Immigration Center. We turned in our passport copies and prepared to play the waiting game.

The way the Syrian border works is they collect all the necessary paperwork and fax it to Damascus. From there you either get rejected or denied. The average length of time Americans wait is seven or 8 hours.

We spent some time at the duty free store looking through all the cool stuff. Jake bought a watch, Henry bought some sunglasses. I decided to save my money. After the duty free we headed over to the restaurant to get some eats. I got a pizza because it was the cheapest thing on the menu. It was good but nothing to write home about.

Anyways we went back to the immigration office and waited. After an hour more of waiting our taxi drivers started to get wrestles. They started to ask us how much longer it would take and eventually started to tell us it was going to cost more. We of course refused because our original deal stipulated that they would wait with us. After an hour of arguing back and forth we told them we were only going to pay them half and would like them to leave. They threw a stink but eventually left.

We waited another couple hours but finally got the go ahead from the Syrian government. We were finally in the clear. We were lucky it only took 5 hours. A few more minutes of paperwork and our entry fee got us the necessary passport stamp. From there we left to find new drivers.

We found two drivers waiting like sharks outside the immigration center. We negotiated for a little before finally accepting. We got in and were on our way to Damascus. A few more hours of driving brought us to the Capital of Syria. The driver dropped us at the major bus stop and from there we had to catch a minibus to our hotel. We got swarmed by drivers wanting to take us. We eventually settled on one and were again on the road. After driving around in circles and asking everyone on the side of the road for help our driver found directions and headed off in the right direction.

We finally arrived at our hotel. We went in and were assigned to the roof. We moved our bags up to the roof which was covered in beds. We all picked a bed and decided to go see the city.
We walked around until we came to a juice stand that sold schwarma. I got 2 shwarma’s and a fruit cocktail. The Juice was really good. A little bit thinner than the stuff in Cairo but just as tasty. The Schwarmas were also delicious. The differences between Egyptian shwarma and everywhere else is that in Egypt it is served on a role without sauce. In Damascus it is served with a tasty sauce on a thick tortilla. I’m pretty sure I can never eat Shwarma in Cairo after this.

From there we went to the Souqs. A souq is the Arabic word for market. We went to Al-Buzuriyah Souq which is one of the biggest in Damascus. It is located in the old city, near the Umayad Mosque. We spent our night walking around looking in different shops. Henry, Jeanna, Mike, and I found an Ice cream place and got some Ice Cream… yum!

The Souq was set up as one long walkway which starts at the street and ends at the Umayyad Mosque. We were shocked when we came to the Mosque which was brightly lit and absolutely gorgeous. Around the mosque were many little shops which we looked through and eventually we found ourselves in the hand craft section of Damascus. After browsing for awhile Henry and I found ourselves entranced by the paintings that were on display in one of the stores. We went in and chatted with the owner. Neither of us had much cash on us so we decided to leave. Jeanna, Henry, Mike, and I decided to walk back.

We made it back to our hotel and went to bed.

Pictures are up!

hey everyone I have been working hard to try to catch up on my blog and pictures. Unfortunately School comes first and they have been dumping assignments on us.... Anyway I've finally uploaded all my pictures to my smugmug. http//dyehard47.smugmug.com

with any luck I will catch up on the blog this week. Keep your fingers crossed

Day 34: September 27

Day 34: September 27
Surprisingly the nearest mosque was closer today than yesterday. Due to this fact we got our typical 4:45 wake up call and sermon. Slept for a few more hours before we got up.

The hotel had a breakfast which we all gulped down. After that we all got into the bus and the hotel driver took us out to Wadi Moujib. It was a two hour drive to Wadi Moujib through the countryside of Jordan. A good section of it was done with the Dead Sea right next to us.
Wadi Moujib is a national preserve in Jordan. It is a river running through a valley in the mountains. It cost us 12 Dinar to enter, which we thought was expensive, however it turned out to be way worth it. The only unfortunate part was that we could not bring cameras in due to the nature of our hike.

The first thing you do in Wadi Moujib is descend a ladder into the shallow river. From there you hike/swim up the shallow (occasionally deep) river. You go over rocks/waterfalls as you hike upstream. Occasionally with the help of a ladder but oftentimes by pulling yourself up. It was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed every second of it. It was by far my favorite experience in Jordan.
The hike eventually leads you to a large waterfall. At this point you have to turn back. On the way back we floated and let the current take us. At many of the waterfalls we were able to slide down the slippery rocks like waterfalls. It was really fun. We jumped off large rocks and used makeshift waterslides for the next hour.

Eventually we made our way back to the museum at the start of the trail. From there our driver took us to the Dead Sea. Apparently in Jordan the only beaches on the Dead Sea are part of resort. We had to pay to get in but the resort was gorgeous. We had a packed lunch and brought it with us into the resort. We ate another typical Jordanian lunch on the tables of the resort. There were, however, allot of flies. We were absolutely swarmed. Kinda made eating unpleasant. I’m not sure which is more annoying, the flies in Jordan or the Taxis in Cairo.

After eating we made our way down to the Dead Sea.

In Wadi Moujib I had managed to gash my leg on one of the rocks. I had not expected the salt concentration in the Dead Sea. It burned… it was like rubbing salt in my wounds. I figured the best way to solve the problem was to jump in and get it over with. Ya… I forgot about salt and eyes not mixing. There was allot of pain for the next few minutes.

Anyways I stayed in for about twenty minutes and floated around. It was cool but not something I could do for hours. Plus every pore was burning. Got out and made my way to the fresh water pool. Jumped in and found immediate relief. Swam around a bit and then went back into the Sea. Similar situation as last time… spent a few minutes there then got out.

From there we made our way back to our hotel. I spent the two hours taking a nap. We got back to Amman and split into groups to forage for food. I went to the internet café to send out emails. After that Mike, Henry and I went to find some Jordanian Shwarma. I had heard from Ben they were better outside of Egypt and he had not been lying. They were sooooo good. Way better than Cairo.

After eating we walked around Amman checking out the city. We found ourselves at the Roman Ampitheater. We poked around there for the better part of an hour before making our way back to the hotel. At the hotel Henry and I watched a documentary on Jordan with the hotel owner. He was so excited to be showing Americans the highlights of his country. The Documentary was entitled ‘A Royal Tour of Jordan’ and the Jordanian King was the tour guide. The king seemed to be really articulate and nice, although I feel watching a documentary would give you that impression.

Eventually we made our way to our rooms and passed out.

Day 33: September 26

Woke up at 4:45 to the blaring call to prayer. The local mosque was located about ten feet from our window and was exceedingly loud… rolled back over after 20 minutes of chanting to catch few more hours of sleep.

The first bus to Petra from the hotel left at 7 and the ten of us got up at 6:30 to get breakfast and then head over. Unfortunately for us the bus was full by the time we got there. It turned out to be ok because it gave the slower members of our party time to eat.

The next bus left at 7:30 and we all piled into that one. It was a short bus drive over… approximately 10 minutes. We arrived and made our way into the park. Henry and I had received 2 day passes from some friends we made at the hotel and attempted to use them at the gate. Unfortunately they required a signature… so we bit the bullet and bought new tickets for 21 dinar (30 dollars).

After we all bought tickets we passed through security and started our walk towards Petra. To get to the main ruins of Petra one must first walk through what is called the Siq. The Siq is a winding valley that goes from the city through the desert and into the valley. It was originally dirt only but has since been partially paved by the Romans. The Siq runs approximately a mile and a half and was absolutely gorgeous. However, I do have to say I was a bit jaded to the beauty after seeing all the beautiful rock formation in Wadi Rum.

Just when you think that the Siq will wind on forever, you come around a corner and find yourself looking through the valley at a large structure carved out of the sandstone. This building is the treasury and is one of the best preserved structures in Petra. It is also famous for its appearances in Indiana Jones and Transformers 2 (I did not however find the Chalice from the Last Supper).

The treasury is just one of many buildings carved in the sandstone cliffs of Petra. The valley and surrounding area was built by the Nabataeans in 100 BC as their capital city. It was absolutely amazing to stand there and see all that these people accomplished so long ago. Long before modern machines.

From the Treasury we walked down towards the main part of the city. Just outside of the city we took one of the side trails that leads up the valley to a cliff overlooking the city. We took the trail up a long set of stairs (I’m beginning to hate stairs). Eventually it led to the top of the mountain where the Nabataeans used to perform their ritual sacrifices. The altar stones are still there along with the burial grounds. We stayed briefly but eventually made our way to the overlook point a short distance away.

It was absolutely amazing on top of the mountain with the entire valley stretching out before us. We could see much of the city and outlying buildings. After about a half hour up there we headed took another path down the mountain around the back side of the city. It led us past many temples and old municipal buildings for the old city.

We stopped at most of them and enjoyed the scenery. At one of the temples we had what has become known as the ‘rock incident’. We came to one of the temples just as another couple was leaving. After a few minutes Jeanna accidently kicked a rock off the ledge that the temple rested on. A minute or so later the couple returned with a very pissed off European boyfriend. Henry, Jake, and I were standing near the path and he immediately started yelling at us and accusing us of throwing the rock off at his girlfriend. We denied it and told him it was only an accident. He responded by winding up and hurling the rock at the girls of our group. Luckily for us and him he missed. They quickly left which was probably good because nobody in our group was particularly happy with how he handled it.

We all sat in utter amazement at what had just happened. This gave them time to walk away while the guys cooled their temper. I seriously don’t know what he was thinking throwing a stone the size of a softball at girls. Absolutely, uncalled for.

After awhile we walked on continuing our walk through the back side of the city. We did at one point pass the couple again. They definitely received some dirty looks. Jeanna apologized and the girl told her that it was fine the rock never landed near her…. Absolutely crazy.

Anyways we made our way into what would have been the center of the city and ate lunch. It was the standard lunch in Jordan: bread, yogurt, a tomato, a cucumber, cheese, and juice. Simple but sufficient.

After lunch we decided to tackle the other big hike in Petra. This one leads to what is called the monastery. The monastery was at one point a temple to one of the local gods. It is the largest monument in Petra. The hike was estimated to take an hour by foot. We did it in half an hour. At the top we all took pictures and rested from our suicide climb of the mountain. After a half hour at the top we started our decent. This we decided to jog… not the smartest idea considering the rocky conditions, but fun all the same.

We arrived at the bottom and made our way back through the main part of the city. This brought us to the largest free standing structures in Petra, the Great Temple, and the large amphitheater. We poked around these for another hour or so until we were all exhausted from the heat and walking. From here we headed back to the treasury and up the Siq.

We arrived at the top of the Siq and an hour early for the bus. We decided we did not want to wait for the bus and would rather walk. I actually don’t know who was responsible for this decision, because I was absolutely exhausted. The walk back to the hotel was mostly uphill and by the time we returned we were all ready to pass out.

Luckily for us by the time we arrived at our hotel our minibus driver was already waiting for us. The bus driver from the night before had agreed to meet with us and take us on the next leg of our journey. We all jumped in the minibus and headed for Amman. Most of us slept through the journey except for our brief stop at a gas station for food.

We arrived in the capital city of Amman a few hours later. We made our way from the street down an ally and up some stairs to the Nancy hotel. Not allot of glitz and glamour, but it had showers, beds, and bathrooms. As far as we were concerned it was perfect. We all gladly took showers and changed out of our sweaty clothes (most of us just changed into slightly less dirty clothes). The staff at the hotel was exceptionally nice and offered to take us out to a local hot spot for dinner. We gladly accepted.

They took us to a local café called Books@Cafe. The bottom floor was a book store and the top floor was restaurant. The restaurant was very sheik and it reminded me of an upscale sports bar on top of a book store. It was, however, a nice change of pace to our on the go meals of late. We all wolfed down our meals. I had an excellent cheese burger washed down with a local Jordanian beer.

After dinner our group decided to split in two. The first group wanted to stay out and see the night life. Then there was the second group who was a combination of broke and exhausted. Henry, Mike, and I formed the second group and headed back towards the hotel.

Apparently we missed a fun night at the local club/brothel… I was fine missing it because I got a solid nights rest and didn’t break the bank. Anyways was passed out by midnight.
 

Day 32: September 25

Woke up to the sun rising over the mountains and flies swarming over our warm, smelly bodies. Was one of the first to roll of their mattress pad and explore the desert plateau around us. We were camped in the crook of a large rock formation jutting out of the desert. And being the adventurous sort, my first instinct was to climb the large rocks. I ran over to the rock wall and started climbing. I got maybe 30 feet up before I decided that free climbing further might be a bad idea. Getting up would be easy… it was the getting down part I was worried about. Falling in the middle of the desert just didn’t sound like a great idea.

I lowered myself back down and walked back to camp, where the others were slowly waking up. As more of us awakened small groups started branching out to explore the surrounding cliffs. I went with Jake and Sam for awhile. Not long after we heard the call for breakfast and speedily made our way back to camp (nothing gets guys moving faster than the thought of food).

Two of the owner’s brothers had come out to serve us breakfast and serve as guides through Wadi Rum. Breakfast consisted of cheese, bread, jelly, bananas and tea. The tea was really, really sweet. We later figured out this was because the Bedouins put approximately two cups of sugar in every kettle of tea! The brothers were really nice and told us some Bedouin jokes while we ate. My personal favorite was Q: why do you go to bed? A: Because the bed doesn’t come to you. Kinda corny but I thought it was funny.

After breakfast we all helped clean up the camp site and packed our bags. The brothers had two trucks to take us around the desert in. We loaded the bags in one and piled into the other.
The first stop on our trip around Wadi Rum was a red sand dune. We arrived and there were a few people dune boarding (snowboarding down a dune). Some of the girls were able to convince the men to let them try. The males in our contingent had no such luck. We decided to explore the dunes and surrounding rock faces. We made our way up the largest dune and onto a nearby mountain. We climbed up and got to the top. At the top we had an amazing 360 degree view of the surrounding desert. Standing up there was simply breathtaking. It definitely is humbling to stand there on top of a mountain and realize how truly small you are.

After some time we climbed down to the dune and rolled/ran down. We got to our cars and drove onward. At our next stop our guides showed us some ancient rock drawings drawn by Bedouins and Arabs alike. Mom would have loved this. The guides said that the drawings were used to warn about dangers in the area (Scorpions, snakes, etc).

From there we were taken to a ledged niche. We all got out and climbed around. The more adventurous of our group worked our way up and onto a small plateau and got a good look around. Nothing as dramatic as the dunes but still amazing. I don’t know how I will ever be able to see another rock formation the same way after this place.

From there we traveled to a large valley. We ate lunch and drank tea in the shade of the mountains and talked about life in Jordan versus life in the USA. One of our guides had been beaten and thrown in jail for possession of Marijuana…. Scary considering he is only 19.

After lunch we had some free time to explore. Our entire group made our way through the valley to a mountain studded plain on the other side. It was like seeing rock teeth come out of a rand mouth. Absolutely gorgeous. The guys split off from the group and did some more adventurous climbing up into the valley. We found allot of rocks and enjoyed throwing them off and making large booms… We also spent time enjoying the quiet of the desert and the scenery.

After our free time our guides took us to two natural bridges in the desert. One was inaccessible without climbing equipment but the other was an easy walk up to. We all took pictures and poked around.

It was getting late and we had to push on to Petra, so we made our way back toward the city to find a minibus. On the way we stopped at the dunes so I could collect some sand to mark my travels. We got back to the small town and caught a microbus to Petra.

The ride was a few hours long but we got there soon enough. We were staying in the Valentine Hotel located in Wadi Mousa (near Petra). The hostel was set up dorm style with 8 sets of bunk beds. We all had sand everywhere and were dying for showers. We all took turns using the two showers and met downstairs in the lobby afterwards.

The hotel made us a huge dinner which we wolfed down while talking about politics and religion. After an hour and a half of talking we all started feel the long day in the sun. Mike and I pulled out our computers and everyone checked their emails. By midnight sleep was sounding good and we all headed up to the ‘dorms’ and slept.

Day 31: September 24

Woke up at 9 to make sure everything was in order for our trip. Rolled out of bed and took a cold salt water shower. The tap water in most of the hotels on the water is salt water which makes for an interesting shower. However, it was still refreshing and cleared sleep from my mind.

After showering I double checked my pack. I had consolidated when Evan left and sent home my duffel with him. Since then I have had only what I can fit in my school backpack. While rechecking the room I decided to spread my stuff into my newly purchased woven bag just so the backpack wasn’t uncomfortably full.

Mike woke up around nine thirty and the two of us finished our preparations and headed downstairs to our awaiting minibus. The bus was carrying us and seven other travelers to destinations on the Sinai border. We were to be dropped first in Nuweba while the rest were continuing on to Taba, Israel. The others planned to enter Jordan via Israel because it is faster, however we are trying to avoid the ‘dreaded’ Israel stamp.

After an hour drive we were in view of the port city of Nuweba. Evan after staying in Dahab I was blown away by the beauty of the quaint port city. It had amazing contrast between plain city buildings and the majestic mosques overlooking the Red Sea. We stopped for a few minutes before pushing on into the city.

We got dropped near the Nuweba bus stop and made our way to the ferry ticket office. We arrived and waited patiently in the blob that somewhat represented a line. After ten minutes we started talking with another waiting traveler from Brazil. He informed us that he ferry could only be paid for in US dollars… neither of us had 70 dollars in US currency so we walked to the nearby Egyptian National Bank. We exchanged currency and headed back to the ticket office.

On the way back we called Sam and found out their bus was arriving in Nuweba. We headed over to the bus stop and met with the 8 of them and then headed over to get our tickets. We all rejoined the ‘line’ and clawed our way to the front. We shoved our ten passports and ticket fee through the slot. We then sat down and waited for them to process our transaction. In the meantime we went and purchased some koshari for lunch.

After a half hour of waiting we got our tickets and passports and headed down to the docks to await the ferry. We walked through customs and got our exit stamps and then entered a departure area. The departure area was a gigantic warehouse set up like a terminal. We sat and waited…. Waited and sat and finally (2 hours late) the ferry was ready for departure. We boarded busses (which left Ally (and a few others)and her large suitcase behind) and took a 2 minute ride to the docks. The others met with us at the ferry and we all got onboard.

It was not what I expected at all. It was large with comfortable seats. The ten of us were able to grab a lounge area encircling two tables. We all plopped down and slept/read/journaled/hung-out. Sam and I looked into entry visa’s into Jordan and eventually found ourselves in a long line of people getting their passports stamped. After half an hour we reached the front of the line and found out they collect foreigner passports later to give to the port authority… half an hour wasted. Anyways we gave the guy our passports then sat back down with the group.

The ferry took about three hours to arrive in port. We made land and disembarked. From there we were shuttled to the arrival center. We were asked the standard swine flu medical questions and then brought to the visa office. We all talked to the official and were given our visas. From there we walked out onto the streets of Aquba, Jordan.

We were immediately assaulted by the array of cab drivers. After wheeling and dealing we were able to secure a minibus to Wadi Rum, the first stop in our Jordanian expedition. We all crammed into the microbus and made our way through the port city of Aquba. We were all shocked at the subtle differences between Egyptian cities and Jordanian cities. In Jordan people obey traffic rules, there are stop lights, and they stay within lanes. It was also much cleaner on the streets. Anyways we all hit the ATM so that we could pay the driver.

Allong the way we stopped at a gas station to grab food for dinner. We all grabbed some combination of chips/cheese/water/and chocolate. So far junk food seems to be the fuel of choice.

We there we drove out into the desert on our way to Wadi Rum. Wadi, in Arabic, means valley... so we are going to the Rum Valley. We arrived with no problems and got out at the hostel we had previously contacted. The owner is a local Bedouin who was to show us around the desert the next morning. He offered to take us out and let us camp in the desert overnight. We thought that sounded more exciting than sleeping in the hostel so we gladly accepted.

We transferred our stuff and jumped into some four wheel vehicles. A short jeep ride later we arrived at the camping area. We set our stuff out and received some cots and blankets. The owner’s brother made a fire and told us some Arab jokes and stories. He also identified some constellations and sang some Bedouin songs. It was fun but we were all exhausted from our day of travelling. Eventually we all moved our cots under the starts and fell asleep.

Dahab in Review:

Prayer: So for those of you that haven’t guessed I have fallen a bit behind in writing this journal. As I am writing this I am on the way from Petra to Amman (Jordan’s Capital). I am continually amazed by the piety of some people I see on my day to day travels. During Ramadan almost everyone was praying because that was what one does during the month of Ramadan but afterwards you can truly see the difference between those that do it as a lifestyle and those that do it for the holiday.
Today as we are on the bus on the highway I saw a guy who had pulled over on the side of the road and was praying behind his pickup truck. I was just struck by the dedication of this guy. He stopped driving in order to pray.

Since being in Egypt I have found myself praying more than I was doing back home. This was one area of my life I had been working on to improve and being in a highly religious culture has apparently given me the spark necessary to follow through. In San Diego I have often found myself using the excuse that I am too busy, but that guy has given me a new perspective. I can’t help but hope that I can be as dedicated as that guy on the side of the highway and never let anything come between me and prayer.

Stereo Love: On another less serious note I have been introduced to a new song by Mike and Ben. The song is called Stereo love and reminds me of a mix of Basshunter and Cascada. Great song and I can’t wait to spread it once I get back to the USA. I’ll have to send it to Justin ASAP.

Education: After staying in Dahab we managed to get close to a few Egyptians we met there. In our discussions with many of them we found that many have some degree of higher education because it is provided cheaply by the state. This seems to also be the case in Cairo as many people we talked to have attended University. However, many if not most of these people are working as waiters or clerks because of Egypt’s poor economy.

In the US we are concerned about the job market freezing, but it is a reality here in Egypt to a much greater extant. It is sad to see these people with such talent and potential doing such menial tasks. One can only hope that the job market improves both here and in America.

... While I realize that some of these reflections have been a bit more serious I would like to convey my love of Dahab. It was amazingly gorgeous and all the people we met were very hospitable. I believe I could have easily spent weeks if not months sitting there on the beach watching the waves slowly roll in and sipping on a milk shake. If anyone that reads this finds themselves in Egypt with free time I highly suggest Dahab.

Day 30: September 23

Woke up late today. It was around 1:30 pm before Mike and I realized how late it was and rolled out of bed. I made a few calls to my bank and made sure that I could use my debit card while traveling for the next week and a half. After getting disconnected three times I was finally able to clear everything up and hopefully it will work once I make it into Jordan…. Otherwise I could be in trouble.

Went downstairs and met with Mike who was just ordering brunch. I ordered a pizza because I figured it was just to late for breakfast. Mike and I discussed what our next move should be and how we wanted to travel for the next week and a half. We know for sure we want to make it into Jordan, and Syria and Lebanon sound like attractive destinations afterwards. However, at this point we think we will see what the other group is planning and fly by the seat of our pants.

Our food came and we devoured it quickly. We then played a few games of backgammon (we might be getting addicted) before deciding to get some work done. Mike was way behind on his blog which like myself he is writing so that friends and family could keep up with his adventures in Egypt. Unlike me, however, he was behind to the point where he hadn’t yet discussed the pyramids… ouch and I thought I was a bit behind.

While he was working on that I attempted to call Sara and home, but the internet connection was insufficient to allow me to make the calls. Hopefully I can get through to them soon. Instead I uploaded and looked through my pictures of the trip so far. I believe I haven’t mentioned this but my camera seems to have taken some battle damage at some point along the trip. I say this because when I turned it on at Sinai it had a crack in the LCD. Because of this I can now no longer see what I am taking a picture of or see any settings to change it. So using my camera has become an adventure and I have to now check my pictures via computer and hope they came out ok. So far so good… the pictures of Sinai turned out awesome despite the fact I was pointing, guessing, and shooting. It adds an element of surprise and mystery to using my camera.

To make matters worse (possibly) Mike Airosis’ camera was in Jesse’s purse when they left. So now I am taking pictures for the both of us. My plan for now it take allot of pictures and hope they all turn out ok.

Anyways we finished our business and decided to walk through the market area and buy some souvenirs. We had both been eying some of the handmade bags that were sold and decided to go check them out. I found a small backpack one that was woven out of red, black, and tan material. It looked real good, but the guy wanted 50 for it. I laughed and walked away. He practically jumped to keep me from leaving. I was eventually able to negotiate him down to 25 LE. I would have preferred 20 which is what I was able to get a similar one down the street for, however I preferred the color on this one.

Meanwhile Mike was similarly bargaining down the street I arrived just in time to help him by loudly saying I just got mine for 20. The owner immediately folded and sold Mike his for 20. I’ll consider that my good deed for the day.

We walked and browsed for a bit longer but eventually made our way over to Meya Meya and found the others in a zombie like state after their late night hike up Mt. Sinai. We stayed and talked for awhile before heading off to forage for food.

Both Mike and I wanted to try that Indian place from a few nights ago despite it being a bit pricier. Mike and I got up there and headed to the rooftop dining area. We decided to split two dishes so that we could try more. I got my favorite Chicken TIkka Masala and he got the Thai Coconut Chicken. It was as he dubbed it a bro date. I’ve known Mike for awhile but it was the first time him and I got to talk about family and home in any detail. It was a interesting to learn more about him. Another thing I believe I have failed to mention is that he is from Boston and definitely knows my hometown of Framingham. Anyways, the food was worth the few extra pounds. The Indian was good as always and the coconut chicken was amazing.

After dinner we walked back to Meya Meya and ordered some desert (milkshakes) and discussed travel plans with the other group. They have very similar plans as us and we have decided to jump on with their group. We will be meeting them tomorrow Nuweba. So that brings us into a group of ten Sam, Jake, Corley, Jasmine, Ally, Gina, Henry, Carter (a new addition), Mike, and me.

After we discussed travel plans for a bit we decided to separate and get some sleep before a very long day of travel. Mike and I made it back to the Jasmine and got packed for the next leg of our Journey. I was in bed a little after midnight.

Day 29: September 22

Woke up feeling refreshed. It was nice to get a solid block of sleep.

Rolled out of bed and Ben, Mike, Evan and I went downstairs to get breakfast. We sat down and ordered American Breakfasts all around and then walked to a nearby dive shop and rented snorkels and fins to go out diving later. The owner was a bit sketchy and wanted a huge deposit for us to rent. We refused and he backed down. Interesting how things work outside the USA.

We walked back and arrived just in time for our breakfast. Cyndis and Jesse were soon down as well and we all ate and talked about the days plans. As usual the backgammon board made it onto the table and a few games were played. After eating Mike, Ben, and I decided we wanted an earlier start on diving and started walking. The others said they would meet us when they were ready.

The three of us walked towards the Black Prince to a diving spot called the Blue Lagoon. It was suggested to us by Corley and Jake who said they would be going back out there today. We arrived at the beach and got our gear on and waded out into the water. Just as we started to swim out we saw Jake, Sam, Corley, and Jasmine arriving at the beach and decided to wait.

Once they had joined us we swam out to the edge of the reef. At the edge one needs to dive down a few meters and through an opening out into the main reef. We all got through fine and started exploring the outer reef. It was absolutely amazing, and in my opinion the best snorkeling I had the entire trip. We got out and circled one of the larger outcroppings observing both larger fish and larger schools than seen on our other trips.

It turns out that Corley is a certified scuba diver and has done some NGO conservation work in the ocean. As a result she knows allot about the coral and fish. It was really cool to have her around because she was able to identify fish that I was curious about and point out things that the group would have otherwise missed. This was the case with a scorpion fish that she spotted after the rest of us passed right by. Scorpion fish sit on the coral and have the ability to change color to blend better. They are also poisonous. She however, found one and called the group around to show us the rare sight. Really cool.

I think my favorite fish this trip was the anemone fish. They are black and white with bright blue bands. They live in the sea anemones and are quite defensive of their territory. When Ben was diving down to look at an anemone one of the anemone fish practically rammed his goggles. Hilarious.
Anyways we got out after a few hours and made our way towards shore. We all dried off and decided to throw around the Frisbee I had brought to the beach with us. We were even joined by a few Egyptian onlookers who wanted to try. It was fun to be able to throw again even if my partners were not quite as competent at it as I was.

Eventually we decided it was time to walk back to our hotels. We made plans to meet up later for dinner and parted ways at the Jasmine. Ben, Mike, and I then walked and returned our gear to the dive shop. The owner however was not there so we were glad we did not give him the deposit he had asked for earlier… When we returned Ben inquired and found out that there are two shuttles run organized by the Jasmine that make runs to and from Cairo. One of which leaves late at night the other early in the morning. Ben, Evan, Jesse, and Cyndis all planned on leaving the next morning.

Mike, Ben and I then went on a search to find our missing compatriots who never showed up at the Blue Lagoon. About halfway down the Marina we found them at an American run restaurant. They had the most mouth watering burgers I have seen in quite some time… however our dinner appointment was quickly advancing and I decided to abstain. We sat with them as they ate and Ben discussed with the other three the possibility of leaving tonight instead of tomorrow morning. All agreed that sleeping on the red eye seemed like a better idea than wasting the entirety of the next day.

With this in mind we all walked back to the Jasmine so that they could pack before dinner. After packing we all headed down to the Funny Mummy and met up with Jake, Jasmine, Corley, Sam, Henry, Ally, and Gina. I decided that since I was in a town known for its fishing I would try the fish. The waiter suggested the seafood pasta and I decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed. It was sooooo good. It had crab, scallops, shrimp and chunks of fish in a cream sauce that was stellar. I was honestly sad when it was over.

Afterwards we sat and talked for awhile. The other group planned to do Mount Sinai tonight and one by one they trickled out to get ready. Finally around 10 we decided to head back to the Jasmine and make sure those that were leaving were all set to go. I repacked my bags so that Evan could take my duffel home with him. Throwing everything into bags they were all ready and heading downstairs to catch the 11pm bus to Cairo.

Mike and I found ourselves alone in Dahab. We went downstairs and played backgammon and had a few beers until closing. At closing we headed back upstairs and watched an episode of South Park before falling asleep.

Day 28: September 21

Woke up after around 5pm after our long trek up Sinai. Took a shower and went downstairs. Everyone woke up and rolled out of bed one by one and we slowly congregated at the café. By Six we were all downstairs and ravenous.

We decided that Thai/Indian sounded really good and had heard of a place down by Eel Garden where it was supposed to be both reasonable and delicious. Turns out that the Blue House (the restaurant recommended to us by Ryan/Torrie) was closed for renovations…. So we headed back towards the commercial area to check out another Indian/Thai/Chinese place called The Kitchen. We got there and took a quick look at the menu and decided that it was a bit out of our price range. Kinda bummed about this because I really wanted some Indian. However, I wasn’t one to go against the group.

We decided that we would go to King Chicken again. Got the quarter chicken again. For 15 pounds (3 dollars) you really can’t go wrong. This meal really reminds me of what we were eating at iftar in Cairo. Chicken, rice, beans, salad, bean soup, and flat bread. All walked away sufficiently stuffed.

We made our way slowly back to the Jasmine. Ben called Jake and told them to head our way when they had the chance. They eventually made their way over with the addition of three more members. Ally, Gina, and Henry. Gina and Ally are roommates in Cairo. Both sophomores from the East Coast. Henry is a Senior from UCLA and is in my Formal Arabic classes. You may remember him from earlier stories.

Anyways the now expanded group shared a few beers and played some cards for a few hours. Shortly after midnight we decided to split and head back to our respective hotels. Ben, Mike, and I went upstairs and watched a few episodes of Always Sunny. Evan and Jesse went for a walk, and Cyndis went to bed.

After a few episodes all of us were getting droopy eyed and one by one fell asleep.