A bit frustrating

Finding posting in this format a bit frustrating.  I guess I will wait until I return to Rome.

Tomorrow we see some of the sights in Muslim Cairo - Citadel of Saladin and one of the major mosques.

Sunday we leave (I am on a fairly early plane) and our adventure in Egypt will be over.  It has been a great group with which to travel.  Fr. Don Senior has been a wonderful leader and the brains behind the program of what we saw.

In Egypt you have to have an Egyptian guide.  Sohbi Ibrahim has been a fantastic guide.  He is filled with knowledge (he has a masters in Egyptian history) and a great love for his country.  Not to mention a fun sense of humor.  He has worked hard for us.

Some folks expressed concern about the potential danger in coming to Egypt.  Especially given the fairly recent massacre of Japanese tourists.  In that case it appears that the driver was in cahoots with the assasins so an unusual situation.  We have had an armed (Uzi or the like) guard on the bus at all times.  They are super attentive at each stop and really work to help us feel safe.  In addition, we have had a police escort for most of our stay.  At every stop there is security check and the government is determined to make Egypt safe for tourists.  I must say I never felt frightened or nervous so it seems to be working.  Of course, living with this level of security is very different than we are used to in the United States.  However, my early years in Rome were in a time of active Italian terrorism so we certainly experienced our share of heightened security.  Although it is a bit more relaxed today (or maybe I am just used to it) we still see evidence of a concern for people’s safety.  There are even scanners when you enter the Vatican.  We certainly did not see that in my day.  A commentary on the times in which we live.

I am trying to process all that we have seen and experienced and my feelings now that the trip is almost over.  I have been enlightened, overwhelmed, impressed, challenged, and many other things.  I definitely feel blessed to have had this opportunity.  More on all that later.

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