Back in Cairo

Trip Start Mar 04, 2004
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68
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Trip End Jul 02, 2005


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Flag of Egypt  ,
Friday, March 18, 2005

Now I'm back in Cairo. Tina just flew out for Istanbul and I'll be joining her tomorrow. Can't wait to get to old Constantinople, one of the grandest, most mysterious cities ever.
Last night we hit up at St. Paddy's Day party hosted by expats. Interesting mix of UN/NGO workers and Sudanese refugees. Great to meet people outside the backpacker mode. Nice hookup from Rachel who I met in Israel.
Today I visited Coptic Cairo, with its Christian churches and cemetaries. Very much more like Old Jerusalem than present Cairo. Its nice to see a non-Muslim part of Cairo but its not really a spectacular place, the Copts visibly take second place to the Muslims in this country. The Greek Orthodox cemetary was one of the most tranquil places I have found in Cairo. Also visited The Citadel, originally built by Saladin and crowned centuries later with the Mohammed Ali mosque, an Albanian mercenary who took over and then modernised Egypt. Some so-so museums here.
Just posted new comments and pics on my last HUGE Egypt posting, check 'em out.

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