Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Egypt

We're staying at Heliopolis Towers Hotel. Let's hear what caught your attention? Talk about what you saw and learned about the pyramids or the artifacts or the crafts.

EGYPT

Giza: The pyramids are built of limestone. Each block of the great pyramid that we visited weighs 2.5 tons. The weight of the entire pyramid is a total 7.5 million tons. Our guide stood up next to one of the blocks which gave us an idea of how large these blocks really are. The sphinx is massive and I could only think that the man who had it built was trying to intimidate. The city of Giza is built on the west bank of the Nile. Besides the pyramids it has as an attraction, an 80 acre Zoo, which is one of the only green areas in the city. The zoo houses many endangered species.

Camel Riding: It did not take long for me, WakeUpAndLive, Prosperous Snow, Blue Moon, Sandra Lyn, Lynn, Carla, and hullabaloo, To realize that Camel riding is a very slow but effective way to travel the desert. Because of their size they cover a lot of ground as they walk. Camels are very long legged with an average leg length of 7.4 to 11.3 feet long. Their body length is approximately 10 feet when full grown. It’s foot has a large ball of fat in the heel which absorbs shock when walking.As it walks the rider experiences a slow forward and backward sway which is very comfortable. Like sitting in a rocking chair. The saddles had places to hold on. Just don’t fall asleep while you ride. You are at least 6 feet off the desert sand.

Cairo:This is an awe inspiring city. An interesting fact is the part called Islamic Cairo is called that not because it has more Islamic people; but because it has more Islamic monuments, than any other part of the city. Here is the Khan el-Khalili market. I believe I could furnish a house of a closet from this market. It is so large. I entered a place at the end of one row of merchandise stalls that had spokes running off the center like a wheel. Each spoke was a part of a district and had merchandise related to the needs. As I moved along looking at perfume, paintings, rugs, jewelry, vegetables, I heard a merchant say to someone, “I don’t know what you are looking for but I have what you need.” I saw beautiful fabrics, and such pretty dresses. To wear one of those dresses would be to look like a princess.

One of the spokes emptied onto a square with a garden in the center of desert plants. Also there was a massive building, The Al Hussein Mosque, built in 1154 over a cemetery. Many of the buildings in this city are ancient. Buildings made of limestone, tall and cool inside.

Another place called the Quolavan Complex also massive. Has a school and hospital inside. It was built with slave labor and took 13 months to build. Many structures in the city cite a particular Sultan each someone who caused buildings and parts of the city to be built.

Even the Khan el-Khalili market was started in the 1400 s by one sultan, then added to, rebuilt, or expanded by other sultans as they came into power. People are everywhere.

There is feeling you get when you walk through the city. I just can’t describe it. Mystery, atmospheric heat, weariness, busyness, all seem to be waiting for something else to happen.

For dinner at the hotel I ate Koshari which is a mix of lentils, rice, noodles topped with a sauce of onions, tomato, and spices. It is very good. I also had the baked sweet potatoes as a side dish. Hawawshi was also served. It is basically a crisp pita bread stuffed with good things and is eaten any time of day. I enjoyed this kind of food at the end of such a busy day.