Needle through the camel's eye

It's been a pretty busy week as everyone tries to get back into the swing of things. Ramadan ended with a bang- Eid of Fitr is the three-day celebration at the end of Ramadan where people exchange gifts, make up for all the lost eating time, and do lots of celebrating in general. The second to last night the moms and the daughters were looking for a felucca (boat) to ride on the Nile in what seemed to us like a great idea for relaxing and seeing the city from a different (and quieter) perspective. We of course forgot that eid meant tons and tons of people milling around, including a disproportionate amount of young and brazen males who stepped up their cheeky comments and provided many frustrating and eye-rolling moments. Teenage boys everywhere are obnoxious, but I think Egyptian teenage boys during Eid may have been the height of obnoxiousness.
I was worried after that because the next, and final, day we had planned to go to the Pyramids and I didn't want their trip to have more hasseling. My last experience with the Pyramids was fairly disapointing, as it seems to be the case that the most hyped-up experiences and most touristic experiences can bring out the worst in everyone and make what should be great just semi-great. I was lucky to go with Egyptian girls and walk around in the late afternoon when noone was around and the breeze was perfect, but the hassle of getting there and the experience of a crazy wanna-be guide opening our taxi drivers' door and standing on the side as our driver drove up to the ticket-entrance made the approach to the Pyramids much less exciting. This time we took what may have seemed like a more touristy approach, but it felt a lot more real. Pictures will be posted that will demonstrate this fact. You will note that all four ladies are on two camels and are riding up through the desert to view the pyramids and the Sphinx, surrounded by groups of Egyptian boys and men racing their horses. There is no documentation of the aches and pains and inability to cross ones legs that followed the camel ride, nor of the frequent yells made my yours truly when thrown into the post that I was holding on to (Gentlemen, always ride one to a camel, or sit in the back). My mom's suggestion that the camel ride might reveal an "inner Arab" in me was almost immediately disproven, though I did note that the natural rhythm of riding on a camel was very similar to the moves I'm learning in my bellydancing class. There is a sociological study waiting to happen on that one...

My friend Brian was just telling me about his time in Israel over the break. I don't know when I'll be able to go, particularly because if you have been to Israel, Egypt and Jordan are the only two Middle Eastern countries that will let you in, but his experiences sounded fascinating- tales of walls and checkpoints and separate settler highways and religious life. Jayanthi and I spent about 45 minutes yesterday at the Travel Guide section in the AUC library. So many places we want to go and spend time. Traveling is such a disease!!!