Cock-a-doodle-do....!!

 

I am going to begin with these shots taken at 6 am from my hotel balcony at the Sheraton Luxor. I heard the cock crowing...I kid you not....(ths is not a sound I would ever hear in Jackson, New Jersey), and I forced myself out of bed.

what a fabulous way to begin the day. Where in God's big world am I gonna see the bright golden sun coming up over a mosque!!! Now I understand why the ancient Egyptians worshipped it.

Good morning RA !

**********

BUT...I digress....before I get to Luxor I must make up for the missed post yesterday. I am nurturing a bad head cold...the worst kind...starts in your nose, goes into your ears and makes its way to the chest. So I am a bit tired....well...actually a LOT tired & run down....but..there's too much to see and do. Pumped up full of cold medicine....

***************

yesterday, with our 1/2 day left in Cairo we were able to get into the Rambam Sha'ar Shamayim synagogue.

It had been closed due to "an incident'..whatever that means and we were very fortunate to get in.

The Hebrew words mean "Gate of Heaven. There are only a mere 200-350 Jews in all of the land of Egypt. Security at this synagogue was very tight..we had to hand over our passports to get inside. Rabbi read from the old Torah...a huge honor for him.

 

and we said Kaddish as a group..that is the prayer for the dead.

we also got in to see the Ben Ezra Synagogue and Saint Barbara Church

as you can see...soldiers and guards are everywhere you go and each time you enter any establishment, like a hotel or church or museum, you go through security. Believe me..it's VERY safe here.

*******

then...lunch..a native meal Kushary....delicious ! The Egyptian comfort food.

Our wonderful guide Mohammed Samy enjoys some relaxing "tobacco"...yes..tobacco..not HASH !!! He asked me if I wanted to try it...! NO THANK YOU !!! I gave up smoking 30 years ago !

and a walk in the market place next door ( The Souq) where you can buy anything your little heart desires..probably all made in China...LOL. It's the largest marketplace in the Arab world.

 

This wonderful man (l) was Jewish...one of only a handful in Cairo. He and Rabbi made fast friends. !

don't be shocked....I did NOT buy anything....there was nothing I had to have. !

*********

now..here are more of the sights of Cairo as I caught them either driving in our bus or walking by...hope you enjoy..

they are building a subway due to be finished in 2012

Cairo is a very big city. Yes...dirty, yes major dust...

The Lenster opened a chest cabinet  in one of the stores and wrote "Clean Me " !!!

..yes major traffic.. BUT...what a joy to be able to have visited here and seen this amazing culture.

 

The people here have been EXCEPTIONAL to us...very warm and friendly...thrilled that we are here visiting.

********

Now...I am holding off Luxor till tomorrow....it blew me away like nothing in my life...even better than the Pyramids...

Just a taste....

it was an OMG moment.....

a VERY BIG OMG moment !!!

 

Comments

[Monica Lore]

Thank-you so much, my dear for sharing this journey with everyone. It has made me feel like I am there as well. And it has always been my wish to see Israel and Egypt.
I hope your recovery is a speedy one! (Say hi to all my buddies, Ramesses, Thutmose and tout la gang.....)

[Kathyk]

Oh My Goodness,what fabby pix - Come on - own up - What DID you buy from that jewellery selection?

Kathyk

[Lee]

I can't wait for Luxor tomorrow! This was a great blog...but I still love you on a CAMEL! Hope you get well soon...great jewelry pics and HOW ORNATE are the mosques!
It is to be 80 tomorrow...only down to 67 tonight...it is too mild for November...but Monday is to only be 65 for a high! we'll see. Too bad you can't just wear a webcam on your forehead for us to see it all!
handing over your passports?? wow--that IS high security!

[Connie McGinnis]

Thank you so very much for sharing your journy of a lifetime with us. I've poured over every picture!

Connie in TN

[becky jeffress]

Absolutely fantastic journey y'all are on! Thanks so much for all the pics and commentary along the way, it's amazing and a lifetime of treasured memories. Hope you get over the cold/dust crud soon.

[Kathy Gledsdale]

Glad you are still managing to enjoy your stay despite feeling rotten! Get well soon Suze x

[Linda Cain]

Get better, can't wait to see Luxor!

[Elaine Allen]

So glad you are starting to feel a little better Suze. What beautiful photos you take, it really gives us the flavor of Cairo. And the sunrise was just gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I can't wait to see Luxor!

Elaine Allen

[Helen]

What a glorious sunrise! Such a lovely way to start the day. Hope your head cold gets better really quickly - you are too busy to be ill! Looking forward to the next instalment.

[nicks]

told ya Luxor was completely mind blowing!