Final days and thoughts of Egypt
Our last two days in Egypt went very quickly. Fortunately, after all we had seen and done they were also relatively light.
We awoke early for our trip back to Cairo. The distance is great enough that a bus is not practical so we flew, once again. And again, we arrived before we could reasonably go to our hotel.
We toured a mosque and then had some time in the bazaar. I was not in the mood so I, and a few others, sat in a coffee shop and watched the world go by. In fact, vendors came up to us in the coffee shop to sell their wares. I said it was like being a pasha with folks coming to us rather than us having to go to them.
We then transferred to our hotel, the Conrad Cairo. It is part of the Hilton chain and was quite comfortable, It is on the Nile and I had a nice view from my room.
We had a free afternoon which I used to try to update the blog but was frustrated by the way my ipad interacted with the blog. Gave up after awhile.
The next day we went to the Citadel of Saladin and the great mosque there. It is built on the same model as Hagia Sophia and was quite impressive. Not sure my pictures do it justice. We learned about the history of Muslims in Egypt and then could walk around the mosque for a bit.
From there we went to lunch and then a final mosque before returning to the hotel.
This was our final evening in Egypt. We had a nice reception with our new friends and acquaintances. It was a nice evening which we capped off with dinner. And then to bed with an early (4:15 a.m.) departure for the airport.
Unfortunately, about 1:30 I was awaken by the man in the room next to me shouting at the top of his voice. It sounded like he was in the room with me. I heard sounds of a woman and child in the room as well. When it went on for 10 - 15 minutes I called the front desk to report the disturbance. Not sure how they responded but after a while things subsided and I was able to go back to sleep. Not a happy camper.
The departure was uneventful. Said good-bye to Sobhi, our guide, who saw those of us going to the airport at that time off. He made sure each group got off and on their way to the airport. Check-in was relatively simple and we made our way to the gate. In Egypt as in Europe you usually have to wait in a collection point before going into the actual gate area. We had a good hour or more to wait before they let us in. Then about another half hour before we could board the plane. Once settled I was able to nap a bit, although not too much.
On landing in Munich I began my looooong march to my gate for the flight back to Rome. Munich has two terminals and of course my flights were in different terminals. Munich also has very long distances to travel. I made it to my shuttle bus easily but then once I got to the other terminal it was not easy to navigate. Finally got some directions and proceeded toward my gate. Of course, I had to leave the security zone and had to go through baggage check again. Long line. I got pulled aside after going through the scanner. All the while I am sensing the time tick away and I was not yet at the gate. Once I finally got through security I made a beeline for my gate (which was fairly near) and arrived just as they were going through final boarding. It seems to have been a bit delayed as when I got to my seat it was the time the flight was supposed to leave. I thought to myself, "at least, all's well that ends well."
On the ground in Rome I was fortunate to have a limo driver to pick me up and take me back to the College. After the hassle of the Munich airport it was great not to have to deal with public transport. The limo service was made possible by a parishioner who gave me some money and encouraged me to do one special thing with it each month that I am away. February - comfortable airport transfers!
Final thoughts: The experience is still being processed. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to see Egypt. I love ancient Egyptian art and history. I have read several novels set in Ancient Egypt which I have enjoyed. To be in the spot and see the pyramids, sphinx, Karnak and the tomb paintings with my own eyes is something I will always remember and treasure.
My take-away is that Egyptian culture is ancient, deep and rich. It is also very complex. The tour placed us in a position to encounter three great cultures which shaped Egypt in various ways - Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Each has made, and in many cases continues to make, a unique contribution to modern Egypt. I know that I will hold these memories forever and will continue to reflect on this wonderful experience.
I should also say a word about the wonderful work that CTU did in putting this tour together. Fr. Don Senior, a Scripture scholar, shaped our itinerary. Colleen Kennedy did a marvelous job with organization and keeping us on track. The group itself was a fun mix of different individuals and we had a good time. I would definitely go on a trip sponsored by them again.
We awoke early for our trip back to Cairo. The distance is great enough that a bus is not practical so we flew, once again. And again, we arrived before we could reasonably go to our hotel.
We toured a mosque and then had some time in the bazaar. I was not in the mood so I, and a few others, sat in a coffee shop and watched the world go by. In fact, vendors came up to us in the coffee shop to sell their wares. I said it was like being a pasha with folks coming to us rather than us having to go to them.
We then transferred to our hotel, the Conrad Cairo. It is part of the Hilton chain and was quite comfortable, It is on the Nile and I had a nice view from my room.
We had a free afternoon which I used to try to update the blog but was frustrated by the way my ipad interacted with the blog. Gave up after awhile.
The next day we went to the Citadel of Saladin and the great mosque there. It is built on the same model as Hagia Sophia and was quite impressive. Not sure my pictures do it justice. We learned about the history of Muslims in Egypt and then could walk around the mosque for a bit.
From there we went to lunch and then a final mosque before returning to the hotel.
This was our final evening in Egypt. We had a nice reception with our new friends and acquaintances. It was a nice evening which we capped off with dinner. And then to bed with an early (4:15 a.m.) departure for the airport.
Unfortunately, about 1:30 I was awaken by the man in the room next to me shouting at the top of his voice. It sounded like he was in the room with me. I heard sounds of a woman and child in the room as well. When it went on for 10 - 15 minutes I called the front desk to report the disturbance. Not sure how they responded but after a while things subsided and I was able to go back to sleep. Not a happy camper.
The departure was uneventful. Said good-bye to Sobhi, our guide, who saw those of us going to the airport at that time off. He made sure each group got off and on their way to the airport. Check-in was relatively simple and we made our way to the gate. In Egypt as in Europe you usually have to wait in a collection point before going into the actual gate area. We had a good hour or more to wait before they let us in. Then about another half hour before we could board the plane. Once settled I was able to nap a bit, although not too much.
On landing in Munich I began my looooong march to my gate for the flight back to Rome. Munich has two terminals and of course my flights were in different terminals. Munich also has very long distances to travel. I made it to my shuttle bus easily but then once I got to the other terminal it was not easy to navigate. Finally got some directions and proceeded toward my gate. Of course, I had to leave the security zone and had to go through baggage check again. Long line. I got pulled aside after going through the scanner. All the while I am sensing the time tick away and I was not yet at the gate. Once I finally got through security I made a beeline for my gate (which was fairly near) and arrived just as they were going through final boarding. It seems to have been a bit delayed as when I got to my seat it was the time the flight was supposed to leave. I thought to myself, "at least, all's well that ends well."
On the ground in Rome I was fortunate to have a limo driver to pick me up and take me back to the College. After the hassle of the Munich airport it was great not to have to deal with public transport. The limo service was made possible by a parishioner who gave me some money and encouraged me to do one special thing with it each month that I am away. February - comfortable airport transfers!
Final thoughts: The experience is still being processed. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to see Egypt. I love ancient Egyptian art and history. I have read several novels set in Ancient Egypt which I have enjoyed. To be in the spot and see the pyramids, sphinx, Karnak and the tomb paintings with my own eyes is something I will always remember and treasure.
My take-away is that Egyptian culture is ancient, deep and rich. It is also very complex. The tour placed us in a position to encounter three great cultures which shaped Egypt in various ways - Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Each has made, and in many cases continues to make, a unique contribution to modern Egypt. I know that I will hold these memories forever and will continue to reflect on this wonderful experience.
I should also say a word about the wonderful work that CTU did in putting this tour together. Fr. Don Senior, a Scripture scholar, shaped our itinerary. Colleen Kennedy did a marvelous job with organization and keeping us on track. The group itself was a fun mix of different individuals and we had a good time. I would definitely go on a trip sponsored by them again.
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