The first week of October consisted of dinners and boat rides on the Nile, putting our life in our hands as we dodged traffic in congested streets, and bargaining with taxi drivers and shop keepers in the local market for lower prices as we explored the Arab world's largest city. Cairo dwarfs Amman in size-with a population of roughly 22,000,000 inhabitants compared to Amman's 1-1.5 million. Our first day was spent exploring downtown Cairo and getting to know the city. Naturally, we spent our second day at the pyramids at Giza-standard tourist activity. With our tour guide, we saw the Great Pyramid as well as several others surrounding it, and spent some time viewing the Sphinx. After hearing so much about the pyramids, and seeing so many pictures of them on both TV and the internet, it was a bit surreal to be there at first. What shocked me about the pyramids site was how close the city came to actual structures. From pictures it appears as if the pyramids are located far away from the city in a distant desert. In fact, development comes very close to the base of the pyramids. Regardless, seeing and climbing the pyramids in person for the first time was great experience. That night, we went to a concert at the "Culture Wheel." This is one example of the night life that Cairo has to offer that can sometimes be hard-if not impossible to find in Amman. Located under an overpass alongside the Nile, the Culture Wheel is a concert venue for many young Egyptians. The night we were there, a popular local band was playing that mixes traditional Arab music with modern rock and pop. The stage and surrounding area were packed with young Egyptians dancing and having a good time. I enjoyed being at this event and observing the social life of some Egyptians my age.
The following day we had a lecture at the Arab League in downtown Cairo. This lecture was very interesting, and so far my favorite lecture of the semester. Our class was lectured by Mr. Hisham Yusef, one of the leading members of the league, and a well-known political figure in the Middle East. He discussed many things, from modernization in the Middle East, to the Arab perspective on many political issues such as Iraq, Afghanistan, American foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Hearing the Arab point of view-which we don't hear much, if any of back in the United States was very eye-opening. I believe going forward we can learn something from the Arab people regarding the several issues listed above, and use that to our (and their) benefit as we continue to be involved in the region. After our lecture at the Arab League, we were given "drop-off" assignments to go explore and learn about different areas of Cairo. My group was assigned to learn about Al-Ahram newspaper, the largest and most circulated newspaper in Egypt. We got in a taxi and went to their main headquarters, where we were given the opportunity to interview one of the chief editors for the paper. Hearing what he had to say about media in the Middle East was also very eye-opening. He also touched on politics briefly before we left, discussing some of the issues covered at the Arab League that morning.
One downside to being in Cairo is the food is not always the most sanitary. Unfortunately, I became a victim of bad hotel food on Monday, our fourth day in Egypt. I spent Monday in bed sleeping, and missed out on a visit to the Citadel, Sultan Hassan Mosque, and a group trip to Khan al-Kahili market, Cairo's largest market. Luckily, by Tuesday I had recovered enough to go out again. On Tuesday we visited Cultnat, a cultural center on the outskirts of Cairo that is designed to teach foreigners about Egyptian history and culture. It is a digital collection of pictures and information dating back to ancient Egypt, and follows Egyptian history up to the present day. That night we took a falooka (small sail boat) ride on the Nile and ate dinner out on the river. This was also a bit surreal-eating dinner on the Nile, but it was enjoyable and relaxing. Dinner was also good.
Wednesday was a free day, and I spent it with some friends at the Khan al-Kahili market. This is a huge market with many small shops that sell nearly anything you could possibly want. Bargaining is also a way of life here. We would spent a lot of time bargaining prices with shopkeepers, trying to get an item we wanted for the lowest price possible. I bought a few things at the market for reduced prices. The most exciting item I bought was an arghele ("sheesha" in Egyptian Arabic). I purchased it for just 150 Egyptian pounds, about 25 US dollars. Now I have an authentic arghele from the Middle East, and I'm looking forward to using that back home.
On Thursday we attended a lecture about Islam, in which a professor spoke to us about Islam and the true meaning behind many words in phrases, as well as the religion itself. It was an interesting lecture, and it sparked some debate between the group. Later that afternoon we visited Cairo University, where we had the opportunity to meet and speak with some university students about life at the university and their future plans. Many of these students were part of clubs and other organizations on campus with goals that focused on developing cultural understanding and the establishment of world peace through collective action. They were very enthusiastic to have us visiting the university, and thinking that we were attending Cairo University as study abroad students, they enthusiastically tried to persuade us to join their clubs.
Before leaving on Friday many of us stopped at the Egyptian Museum, where many artifacts from ancient Egypt, such as the treasure from King Tut's tomb and the royal mummies are held. Viewing the royal mummies was fascinating. Many of the bodies were well preserved, with teeth, hair, and fingernails still visible and looking fresh. It was amazing to see the bodies of former kings and queens of ancient Egypt, especially the better known ones such as Nefertiti and Amenhotep. Later that day we reflected on the past week, and flew back to Amman that night.
Cairo is a very different city from Amman. First, as I mentioned earlier, it dwarfs Amman in size. Some members of our group called Cairo a "real city," because of its high rises and many things to do. It is the center of the Arab world, where movies are made and conferences are held. It is a city with visible French and British influences, as well as traditional Arab culture. Cairo does have a night life that is hard to find in Amman. There are many bars and clubs that Westerners as well as young Egyptians frequent, as well as thousands of cafes throughout the city where you can find a mixture of ages smoking arghele, sipping on Turkish coffee or tea, and playing a game of Backgammon. Much like Amman, Cairo is a city of contrasts, where East meets West. Unfortunately, there are some less positive aspects to Cairo. The city is not very clean at all. Piles of garbage literally line the streets, and air quality is very poor. Many buildings that were once white are now a smoky brown or black from the pollution in the air. There is also a lot of overcrowding and congestion in Cairo. Streets were often packed with cars to the point where traffic would be at a stand still for hours. To get from one part of the city to another was often a long journey. Personally, I am happy that I am studying in Amman instead of Cairo. However, despite the negative aspects of the city there are many positive aspects to look at. Cairo is a city rich in history. It is the cultural and social center of the Arab world with a lot to do and see. I had many great experiences in Cairo-from dinners on the Nile, to visiting the pyramids, and having eye-opening lectures at the Arab League. I'm happy we visited this city, but it also helped me develop a new appreciation for Amman. Nevertheless, Cairo is a great city, and I would recommend to anyone visiting the Middle East that they spend some time there.
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