Back in Cairo

Trip Start Apr 19, 2010

Trip End Jun 06, 2010

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Where I stayed

Pyramisa Cairo Hotel and Casino

Flag of Egypt Cairo, Egypt
Friday, April 30, 2010

Our flight from Aswan to Cairo took about one and a half hours. We decided along with Ivor and Sriyani to stop at the Egyptian Museum and have a walk through. The place is massive and full of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The museum is old-fashioned and was more of a warehouse than a museum. The museum is quite an old building that is desperately in need of modernization for the exhibits. It is good that they are currently building a replacement museum out near the Pyramids to house the exhibit. The plans are to make the museum a more general introduction to Egypt and its wonderful ancient monuments and treasures.

Jacqui and I tried to see the King Tutankhamen exhibit when it was touring in Seattle many years ago but waited too late and couldn't get a ticket. We only had to travel to here to finally see what all the excitement was all about. The death mask and the nesting set of sarcophagi are breath taking. Howard Carter, the archaeologist, who found the tomb of King Tut in 1922 after a five year search in the Valley of the Kings, was asked when peering through the second sealed door to the tomb if he could see anything

Ebrahim and his family came to say goodbye

. He replied, 'yes, wonderful things’. I cannot image what went through his mind at that moment. What a classic British understatement!

After our tour, we walked a couple of kilometres to hotel then ventured out briefly to explore the vicinity of hotel looking for snack only to return to the hotel. Egyptians don’t dine out much and so there are not a lot of restaurants.

Ebrahim and his wife and 18-month old daughter came down to the hotel for a coffee and last visit with us and Ivor and Sriyani. He has a delightful family. While we were waiting a Muslim wedding celebration began in the hotel, what a treat for us to see.

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