Cairo: That’s it! I’m in Love.

Finally, we had a day to sleep in. We got a wake up call just to indulge in the amazing buffet breakfast offered at the hotel. We stuffed ourselves, and after some deliberation decided we would use the heat hours of the day to do laundry, pack, lay by the pool, and recharge for our trip to Morocco tomorrow.

We called Fahad and met him at 5pm at the market. He was two hours away from breaking his fast, and he looked tired, thirsty and hungry. He led us to the top of a hill to watch the sunset. We had an hour to relax, escape from the noise of the city, and watch as locals gathered with food to watch the sunset and break their fast. It was a beautiful sunset, and a cool experience to witness a breaking of the fast. We then walked through a neighborhood and Fahd flagged down a minivan (which doubles as a form of public transportation here) and we all climbed in. The locals were certainly entertained as we all climbed in and held on for our lives as the young driver went so fast he succeeded in obtaining some G force while going over a hill. He then stopped and we all got out.

Fahd led us to several mosques and back through the market. We bought some sandals from a leather shoemaker, and ate whole wheat pita bread fresh out of the fire oven. We walked down the Red Blood Street (now just called Red Street) which obtained it’s name from the blood that flowed through the streets after Mohammad Ali fooled the Mamlouks into his Castle with food and drinks and then ordered them all killed, 500 or so to be exact. With this move, he won the trust and loyalty and gratitude of the Egyptians by freeing them from the oppressive life under Mamlouk control.

We crossed a street, turned a corner, and were surrounded by tourists. This part of Islamic Cairo is stunning! The streets are better maintained and cleaner, and the surrounding buildings are truly indescribable. Children are running around playing on the grounds of castles, mosques, and other buildings that are 1200 years old. Street vendors offer prune juice, tea and coffee, fresh fruit, sweets, grilled eggplant and fried potatoes. Motorcycles speed through, honking their horns and smiling as they nearly hit you. With every corner turned, it is a new atmosphere and adventure. The experience was unforgettable and so lovely that I can say we will definitely visit Egypt again.