Camel Market

WARNING: This post may contain images not suitable for certain audiences.

Hi! So, last weekend we thought it would be a great idea to check out the Camel Market in Birqash. We read that it wasn't for the faint of heart, but decided that nothing would change the camel market either way-- so why not see it?

Getting TO the market was the first issue. No one in civilized Cairo knows what or where that is. So, we took a taxi to Imbaba airport, and from Imbaba airport, we hailed a tuk-tuk. We rode the tuk-tuk for about an hour until we reached the camel market in Birqash.
Of course when we got there, we realized that it wasn't a place for American girls. What's new?
We are brave and maybe a little stupid, so we decided that we would trek on, and I'm glad we did. It was a very interesting experience.
Come to find out, they DO beat the camels, that much was obvious. However, it was a little more than beating. Pieces of camel lay on the ground, and road leading up to the market was lined with dead camels. Ick. Not to mention, the camels were really not in a good way health wise.

I saw there some of the biggest camels I have ever seen in my life.

I will post more (as in, edit) later... Off to class I go!

Where Did She Go THIS Weekend!? (October 14th-16th 2010)

Where am I?
Climbing mountains with friends. :-)
Where ELSE!?


My attempt in sneakily petting a camel. The camel said: "No."

The beautiful view around 5:45-6:20 a.m.

We started out at 10:00 p.m... Got to the mountain, and climbed... and climbed... In the dark... Without flashlights... You get the idea. We reached the top of the mountain around 4:30-5:00 a.m. Perfection. It was just in time for sunrise! Yes, it was cold. Yes, we were tired. Yes... It was DEFINITELY worth it. Mt. Sinai is a trip that cannot be missed.

More to come!

<>

-Steph

Goodbye Athens, Hello Cairo!

Out of the airport and into a cab! --Whoaaaa, not too fast!
"Bikam?"
"Meya."
"LA!"
Oh jeez. You try telling a cab driver at the airport that you only paid (and over paid) 50L.E. to GET there from campus. L.E.100 is absolutely ridiculous.
So, we finally got a guy down to L.E.60. Again, still ridiculous.

Now, I'm finally settled in back in Cairo. I have been back in my re-newed old routine for about five days now. I'm also in midterms. Woohoo!!! .............. Ick.

Last night, after not buying more than L.E.5 per day for the past five days, I went to Meeting Point to grab a pizza with Ellen. On the way back-- whoa! Hello sexual harassment!
One thing that contiues to amaze me, is how men here fail to see anything wrong with touching girls as they please. ANY GIRLS. Now, given that on Muslim holidays it's the worst (go figure), we felt slightly more at peace walking back to the dorms in a pair now that Eid and Ramadan are over with. Two extremely tall men in Galabeyas follow us down the road and take a grab at me. Yes, you read it. Two men in dresses slapped my rear. Laugh it up.
There, in reality, is nothing funny about it. I only joke to assure you I've not been emotionally touched by the whole incident-- only slightly annoyed by it all.
Either way, one of the men tried to hold my hand (huh!?), so I slapped it away and put my hand on the inside of my jacket. Ellen and I didn't even look at them, which seems to work most of the time.
The two men laughed and walked out into the desert. Yes, very funny guys. Thank you.
Haha! Back to campus life! Pizza still in tact. We eat. There's nothing like a good adrenaline rush to stir up a nice appetite. :-)
By the way, if anyone that reads this is ever in the New Cairo area... I highly suggest the cafè on top of Meeting Point. The "Pizza Quatro Formage" is fabulous. They also have an Italian chef (high-five), which of course makes it that much better! I only know this because he thought I was Italian and came out to introduce himself. No one thinks I'm American. What's up, Egypt? Haha...
Moving on...

It's 100 degree F today and I'm headed out tonight to Sinai. Wish me luck! (For anyone who doesn't remember, my plans were canceled last week due to a severe sandstorm that rendered all modes of transportation fairly useless). I will be back on Sunday.

More to come! Woohoo!!!!
<3
-Steph

Greece: The Site List

Hey all!

I hope someone has been enjoying these random videos and other short posts. Here is a list of awesome things I got to do/see/go while in Greece. :-D


In and Around ATHENS:
Hotel Grande Bretagne
Ancient Cemetery (at the new metro entrance)
Peisistratos Aqueduct
Syntagma Metro Station (Atricfacts inside)
Parliment
Changing of The Guard (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier)
National Gardens (Where I saw many turtles... Hmmm)
Zappeio Palace
Panathenaic Stadium (Where the first modern olymic games were held. Samia and I ran laps.)

Temple of Olympian Zeus
Hadrian's Arch
Church of Agia Ekaterini
Lysikrates Monument
Street of Tripods
Church of St. George of the Rock
Anafiotika quarter
Church of Agios Simeon
Old Athens University
Klepsidra Cafè
Roman Agora
Turkish Baths
Tower of The Winds
Gate of the Muslim Seminary
Fethiye Mosque
Hadrian's Library
Athen's Flea Market (in Monastiraki)
Athens Cathedral
Church of Agios Eleftherios
Centre of Folk Art & Tradition
Church of the Metamorphosis
Athens Olympic Complex
Climbed Areopagus Hill

Climbed Lykavittos Hill (Did NOT take the funicular)

Chapel of Agios Georgios
Had a DELICIOUS hot chocolate at Orizontes
Church of the Holy Apostles
Acropolis
Propylaia
Temple of Athena Nike
Parthenon
Erechtheion (and it's Caryatids)
Theatre of Dionysos
Asclepion & Stoa of Eumenes site
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Panagia of Hrysospiliotissa
Plaka
Took a taxi and DIDN'T get ripped off.
Took a bus
Took the metro
Took a train
Stayed at Easy Access Youth Hostel (in Omonia)
Explored Omonia, Sytagma, etc.

In Piraeus:
Took a ferry here on our way back from Santorini
Took refuge in a Greek Orthodox church
Flea Market


Took buses from
Athens to Delphi
Delphi to Lamia
Lamia to Trikala
Trikala to Kalambaka
Stayed at "Alsos House"
Taxi to Meteora

In Delphi:
Sanctuary of Apollo:
(Roman Agora, Sacred Way, Votive Offering of Lacedaemon, Athenian Treasury, foundations of the bouleuterion/council house, Temple of Apollo, Delphi Theatre, Stadium, Castalian Spring, Gymnasium, Circular pool)
Sanctuary of Athena:
(Tholos)

In Meteora:
Moni Megalou Meteorou (Grand Meteora Monastary)
Moni Agiou Stefanou

In Santorini (Thira):
Rode a Donkey down the Fira Port (in Fira)
Rode the cable car (Fira Skala) back up
Caldera
Took a taxi to Oia
Watched the sunset

I took lots and lots and lots of pictures! :-) I'll have to sort through them at some point and post them.

<>

Where in the world is Stephanie? Pt. II

Santorini, Greece.

(Video taken on Saturday, October 9th 2010)

(Samia & I [beginning to look like bums... check out my ridiculously unbrushed hair. Oh yea.])

<>

-Steph

What does it look like in places were monks dwell?

Meteora Monks (Greece):

Ein Sokhna Monks (Egypt):

...I hope that you all are enjoying my videos. I'm a big fan of monks.

(TBA-- Mt. Sinai Monks)

<>

-Steph

Where is Stephanie?

<>

-Steph

Cairo, Egypt - Athens, Greece

I'll be out of the (Egypt) country for a few days.

I'll be right back!

Headed to Athens for a short, cheap, mid-semester holiday.

<3

-Steph

10/2/10

Time for an update!

I was supposed to be in Sinai today, but due to an unexpected sandstorm the trip was cancelled.
I'm still hoping to go there, but I'm not sure when. So, instead of climbing a mountain I went into Islamic Cairo to visit some mosques and other historical sites. Samia and I just went straight out of the Lonely Planet Egypt book for this trip (pp. 130-134). Here's a list of all the places we went to:

"North of Khan El Khalili"
Sharia Al-Gamaliyya
Mosque of Gamal & ad-Din
Khanqah & Mausoleum of Sultan Beybars al-Gashankir
Bab al-Nasr
Bab al-Futuh
Mosque of al-Hakim (Look this guy up. Very strange)
Sharia al-Muizz li-Din Allah
Garlic & Onion Market
Mosque of Suleiman Silahdar
Darb al-Asfar & Beit el-Suhaymi
Mosque of al-Aqmar
Sabil Kuttab of Abdel Rahman Katkhuda
Qasr Beshtak
Bein al-Qasreen
Madrassa & Mausoleum of Barquq
Madrassa & Mausoleum of An-Nasir Mohammed
Madrassa & Mausoleum of Qalaun
Bein al-Qasreen to the City Center

That's right! Who needs a stinkin' tour guide?! Haha. It was a lot of fun-- but a whole lot of walking, and a bit of baksheesh here and there.

Today, I woke up extra early (kindof), and snuck onto the ALI's trip t Saqqara and Memphis. Okay, so I wasn't allowed to go technically but... once the bus started moving my thought was-- they can't just kick me off, right? Right.
So, it eventually became obvious that my name was NOT on the list, and there was light commotion. I still got there, stayed on the tour. I just had to pay for the tickets to get in the areas. Win-win I'd say! And only L.E. 50 with free school transport. Muahahaha.

I'll have to make the list of all that we did there later. I did get a chance to see the Step Pyramid and go into some other pyramids along with a great variety of mastabas.

Love ya!

-Steph