Travel-Trails

I've just arrived two days from my vacation from Philippines when my boss asked me to go to Cairo the following weekend to conduct training on financial management to Program managers coming from different country offices. Still suffering from jet lag but this does not stop me from saying yes as going to Egypthas always been my dream. Though I admit conducting a workshop to Senior Program managers is a bit nerve wracking let alone the preparations that I have to do in so little time but the idea of seeing the pyramids in person motivated me to accept this last minute assignment. Aboard AirFrance from Atlanta-Paris-Cairo, I finally arrived Cairoat past 2 am as I have missed my flight from Parisdue to delayed flight from Atlanta. Anyway, as I got out of the airport, I was a bit scared as nobody from our office came to picked me up. I bravely hailed a taxi and asked him to bring me to Hotel Pyramisa. Luckily, the driver is so nice and was playing the role of a tour guide at the same time pointing all the places of interest as we drive to the city, he was driving so fast and madly (I thought Manila drivers are the worst) and he blatantly asked for a tip which I readily gave as anyway I arrived the hotel safely at the wee hours of the morning. First two days I did not go anywhere as I am so tense with my coming session so I decided that I will enjoy only after I have run my workshop successfully. So as soon as I was done with my session on the 2nd day I finally went out with my two female colleagues working from Ivory coastand Congo, an American and French. We decided to eat at a seafood restaurant by the Nile River. The food is good and the price is reasonable, but one thing that really strikes me most is the customer service. The Egyptians are really nice and always make sure that their guest or customers especially foreigners are well accommodated and satisfied. This is the same case in the hotel where I was staying. However, I also noticed that the food servers and even hotel staff are mostly men and I seldom noticed any female. I just wonder if this has something to do with their culture. On the 3rd night, we had a Nile dinner cruise where aside from sumptuous buffet dinner, there were belly dancing and singing to entertain us while the boat was cruising the Nileriver. Anyway the workshop lasted only three days and on our 4th day we had a tour of Cairoand Giza. Our first itinerary was to visit the pyramids of Gizaas well as the Sphinx and seeing it in person is really a dream come true for me. It amazes me how they were able to transport and assembles each block which weighs approximately 80 tons and build it like a Lego into a pyramid. Let alone its architecture, the different secret chambers where the body of the Pharaoh and its treasure is stored. We even went inside one of the pyramids where actually inside is empty since of course any item discovered are already in the museums. After the trip to the pyramids and sphinx we browsed some local stores and its so funny because the vendors just to catch my attention are shouting "aloha" to me.. maybe they thought I am from Hawaii. Then there is this guy who approached me and keep on telling me I am pretty and that my eyes are beautiful .. I told him thanks but I am not buying anything.. but he said that he is not a vendor and he just want to say that I am beautiful and even asked the confirmation of my colleague .. I said thank you again but at that point I was really embarrassed.

Anyway, our next stop is to go to the perfumery store.. there we had given some refreshments while we tried different scent of essence which according to them is the base ingredient in making all these designer perfume like channel, lancome, estee etc. Of course being a shopaholic no persuasion is needed and I just found myself spending almost $200! ask me if I use these essential oils.. no I dont and its just sitting somewhere in my house. After that we headed back to Cairo and visited the old Cairo, the hanging church, Ben Ezra synagogue, Coptic museum then we proceed to Citadel and visited Mohammed Ali mosque where they asked me to wear this raincoat like cape to cover my body as according to their standard is inappropriate to be worn inside their place of worship. At that time we were tired and hungry so we went to a ship by the Nile River and had our lunch on a cruise ship.. well I am beginning to like this lifestyle. After lunch though we are really exhausted, we visited the Egyptian Museum of Cairo where there we saw hundreds of artifacts, treasures of the pharaohs and mummies. There I saw Tutankhamun's gold coffin, his masks, gold plated furniture, his gold mask inlayed with turquoise and lapis lazuli, his funeral items jewelries and so much more and can only conclude that pharaohs during those time really live extravagantly and wonder what if I was one of the Egyptian queen would I have so much treasures and jewelries like they do? Well I bet I will have more ;-). After the museum trip we headed back to the hotel and had some drink with my colleagues. While responding to my emails a guy who is in his mid 20s approached me and asked me if I am a Thai actress that he used to see on TV. I said to myself hmm nice pick up line but it is not working. I told him no coz I am a Filipina, of course to catch my attention he said all those things that I am attractive etc etc .. even though he does not speak English fluently you can tell that he is trying his best. Then eventually asked me if I can have a drink with him at the bar, I graciously declined it and told him that I got some work to do.. I was actually screaming inside my head to back off and leave me in peace!!! Eventually he got the signal that I am not interested and he said goodbye. I went back to my hotel room at almost 11pm and packed my clothes as in about 5 hours I will be catching my plane to Paris for an overnight which another adventure awaits me. My trip to Egypt is very short... only 5 days but truly I have seen and experienced so many things that I will never forget.