On The Write Path

Misr (Garbage City [187])

Misr, the Arabic name for Egypt.

Best to go first to the Museo Egizio in Torino, Italy. Spend a week there. Take your time. Learn as much as you can about the various kingdoms, the beliefs, customs, every day life. Egypt was a living civilization full of intrigue and the mundane.

My photo. Taken in Torino, 2018.

When you are surfeited go to Egypt.

Cairo will overwhelm you with a crush of people. It's still a very much alive civilization.

Don't just be another tourist. Eat the local food. Let the customs infuse you with delight not just frustration.

When I go I'll stay in a hostel for $5/night, maybe even get a private room. There are too many good choices.

It's 37 degrees today, tomorrow 38. It will be 24 tonight. Not a drop of rain in sight.

What to do? I'll have to check out the Nile and maybe a walking tour or two. St. Simon (the cave church) intrigues me. I will find a mosque, not necessarily the famous ones. They are peaceful places of prayer.

Yes, I know there are these huge monumental paramids, but people intrigue me more.

I'm sure there's plenty of good food.

Plenty to choose from on this list (*intrigues me):

*Ful Medames (Ful is a paste of mashed broad (fava) beans flavored with garlic and olive oil.)
Tamiya (falafel)
*Koshari (A mix of rice, brown lentils and macaroni topped with fried onions and a spicy tomato sauce)
Shawarma (like Greek giro)
Kebab and Kofta
Mulukhiyah (thick green soup usually eaten with meat on the side)
*Pigeon (yes, the bird)
Egyptian Desserts
Baklava
Feteer Meshaltet (like burek or flia)
Baba Ganoush
Mahshi (stuffed vegetables)
*Besarah (creamy green puree)
*Alexandrian Kebdah (liver)
*Sayadiyah Fish
Hawawshi (stuffed pita)
Kanafeh (sweet)
*Umm Ali (highly recommended dessert)
Basbousa (sweet)
Baked sweet potato

For photos and explanations: https://www.cleopatraegypttours.com/travel-guide/egyptian-culture/top-10-egyptia...

I would only ride a camel if offered. For me it's a tourist trap I can avoid (like holding koalas in Australia).

But the people of Garbage City, the Zabbaleen, and Saint Simon's Coptic cave church? Yes.

Garbage City

Piles of garbage.
Piles of trash.
The ancient recycling.
The sorting out.

When will the pigs return
to help the Zabbaleen.
How long can ancient ways
continue to exist.

The stench persists.
The heat persists.
Saint Simon overlooks it all.
The rock resists

as antiquity resists
this passage of time.

© Kåre Enga [177.187] (15.avgust.2020)

GROUP

Blogging Circle of Friends   (E) A group for WDC bloggers. #1901868 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman

Prompt: Check out Fifteen best things to do in Cairo https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g294201-Activities-Cairo_Cairo_Governora... pick one, and write a story or a poem about it.

FORUM

30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS  (13+) WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus #1786069 by Fivesixer

We're staying at Heliopolis Towers Hotel. I'm hoping for some pool time after we check out the pyramids.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294201-d754516-Reviews-Heliopolis_Towe...
30 day
https://travel.usnews.com/Cairo_Egypt/Things_To_Do/Giza_Pyramids_62479/

we're doing the 8 hour private tour and riding a camel..woohoo. Let's hear what caught your attention? Talk about what you saw and learned about the pyramids or the artifacts or the crafts.

https://www.viator.com/Giza/d23032-ttd/p-8243P13?eap=ttdpw-cairo-15861&aid=v...

Experience Cairo’s very best on a private, full-day tour that takes in ancient sites, artifacts, and a bustling bazaar. Ride a camel through the sand beside the soaring pyramids at Giza and go toe-to-toe with the enigmatic Sphinx. Pause for lunch before visiting the Egyptian Museum and explore the stunning collection of artifacts, mummies and royal treasures with your guide. Then continue to the Khan el Khalili bazaar to browse vibrant displays of fabrics, handicrafts, and antiques.

We'll be dining at the hotel.

My photo album with a few of the photos from Torino: https://www.facebook.com/kare.enga.9/media_set?set=a.2054416051259675&type=3