Big 'ole Cairo bus trip

Friday was a big day for the TEFL Alex crew- trip to Cairo! It came as part of our tuition with the program and I'd been looking forward to it since I arrived two weeks ago (has it really onlybeen two weeks?!). We started the day by hopping on our mini bus at 7am. Despite the early rise, everyone was pumped for the day.

After an hour and a half of driving, we stopped at an Oasis for a quick break. Now, these types of Oases exist in Morocco as well- generally a few stores, restaurant, bathrooms, but this one was pretty wild. Besides the typical haunts, this place had a mini zoo and decrepit play land for kids. Of course, I had to play on some of the toys and that may have been the most dangerous thing I've done thus far in Egypt.

Ostriches at the roadside petting zoo

After another hour and a half, we arrived at our first stop- the pyramids of Giza! As we drove up, a friend next to me mentioned "huh, they don't really seem that big." I'm not going to lie, I kind of agreed. They didn't look all that impressive. Flash forward to me looking like a tiny little ant on the side of the Great Pyramid. Make no mistake people, these things are pretty awe-inspiring. One row of blocks was almost as tall as me and I'm not going to even try to guess how many rows make up the Great Pyramid.

The Great Pyramid at Giza

After taking some photos, we drove on to the 2nd pyramid and at that one I paid a little extra to go inside. I know, I got to go inside of a pyramid and you are extremely jealous. It was not at all what I imagined. The tunnels are tiny, definitely not designed for anyone with any sort of claustrophobia. We immediately had to crouch down and began walking down from the entrance into the pyramid. Little wooded boards were nailed to the floor every foot or so to keep you from sliding down. (Our suggestion for the tourism board- let's make it a slide!) After traveling down for quite some time, we were able to mostly stand and walked straight in before the tunnel curved up and we had to once again crouch and use the boards to keep moving upward. Once in the center we found a single room. Fairly small with high ceilings right in the heart of the pyramid. The only thing in the room at this time is the stone coffin of the king once locked inside. A bit eery, but pretty cool.

Me and friend James inside the second pyramid

Silly pics are a must!

After leaving the second pyramid, we stopped farther out for a panoramic view of all three pyramids in the area. Next stop, the Sphinx! Also very cool. Something I'd dreamed of seeing my entire life.

After leaving Giza, we headed to the Egyptian Museum. I think the best way to describe this Museum is crammed. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall stuff. All ancient, all cool, very little rhyme or reason to the layout, not nearly enough labels, lots of guesswork and wandering. It's almost as though Egypt has so much stuff that they can't possibly lay it all out in any sort of logical manner and have it all fit. Overall rating- mediocre.

After the museum was a fairly disappointing buffet lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. The only bright spot in this part of the trip was an extremely delicious alcoholic beverage that I payed 11 dollars for.

Finally, we made it to one of the biggest markets in Cairo. It was right before lftur and the place was hopping. Upon entering the market I decided to try to get by on only my Moroccan Arabic. It was fabulous! The shopkeepers looked at me with confused expressions and asked "are you from Tunis? are you algerian?" HA! But I did manage to get my point across and bargained fairly well for a few key items.

The men who I wowed with my Moroccan Arabic and who sold me my sweet scarf!

As we waited for the bus to pick us up on the street, this little kid came up with a handful of bracelets and asked if I wanted one. "2 for 5 pounds (a little less than a dollar)," he said. I thought about it, but frankly, the bracelets were ugly and why on earth would I need two? So I told him no thank you and hoped that would be the end of it. No such luck, of course. He kept bothering me and I kept declining his offer. He went away.

A few minutes later, he's back. More bargaining. This time, I tell him I'll pay 2 pounds (all the change I had) for one bracelet. Nope, he's not having it. I'm not budging either. Finally, he says, "fine! take this one for two pounds" and he proceeds to try and give me a much cheaper looking, uglier bracelet. No way kid. Give me the good one or get out of here! He leaves again in a huff. This same thing goes on for the next five minutes. He continues to come back to me and tries to get me to buy the ugly bracelet. Finally, on the fifth try he yells "fine! take the bracelet for two pounds!" So I take it and give him the money. He starts to leave, but turns around. "You English?" he asks. "Yes," I respond (I know, what a liar). He raises his arm to make his point and says "English VERY BAD!" and walks away in a huff.

Just doing my part to damage the reputation of the English people in Egypt. Hehe.

The souk getting ready to break the fast

Some beautiful girls who couldn't stop taking photos of our group

Settling in Alexandria

What a week!

I left Detroit on Friday the 20th of August on a plane to JFK. At JFK, I hopped over to EgyptAir for an 11 hour direct flight to Cairo. I was pumped and only nervous about one thing- finding my way, alone, from Cairo to Alexandria. As luck would have it, I sat on the plane next to a man who lives in New Jersey, but is originally from Alexandria and was on his way to visit family.

While a bit too chatty for my liking on the plane, this very kind man offered to let me follow him to Alexandria. At the airport, I bought my visa from a bank, grabbed my luggage and exchanged some money before catching the bus. The bus ride was long, but I was absolutely exhausted so it was a great opportunity to get a little sleep.

Once I got to the bus station in Alexandria, I was supposed to call the folks from TEFL to pick me up, but it was almost time for lftor (breakfast- it is Ramadan and everyone is fasting!). I did not have easy access to a phone and was also afraid that if I did call, I'd have to wait for a ride until after lftor so I decided to hop in a taxi and hope for the best.

About 30 minutes, 70 egyptian pounds and one stop for an english speaker later, I arrived at the TEFL accommodations. I was very pleasantly surprised by our apartments (pictures to come in a later post). I share a two bedroom place with Amanda from Botswana. Amanda has already completed her 4 week certificate course, but stuck around to do an internship and study Arabic. It's great to have a roomie who knows the ropes!

Amanda and me

The next day (Sunday- first day of the week), we had our first day of classes. The apartments are about 40 mins away from where we have class, so we all hop in some vans at 9 am. Classes begin at 10 and go until 4:30.

The school in Stanley, Alexandria

The other students in the class are super cool. Mostly Americans, but we do have three people from England, one from Holland, one from Venezuela, one from Saudi Arabia and one Egyptian. 17 people total- you do the math. Classes are interesting and even challenging (grammar!). Aside from grammar, we're learning some Phonology (the study of sounds in a language), classroom management, lesson planning and more. To pass the course, I'll have to pass a phonology test, a grammar test, complete various assignments and do 6 hours of teaching practice.

We've gotten through one week so far and have already established a good routine. Morning classes are followed by a 10 minute walk to find a delicious and cheap lunch (falafel or fuul sandwiches for less than 20 cents), then afternoon classes, then a swim in the Mediterranean Sea when we get back to the apartments. Shower after the swim, dinner, then internet and bed. A few nights we've also gone out to a nearby bar where they serve two types of beer (Heineken and Egyptian Stella) and shots of Gin (sick!).

Swimming in the Sea at sunset.

For more photos of the Mediterranean Sea, see my photo album on FB here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2466003&id=12102478&l=5188b3fddd

Last night (our equivalent of Friday night) a group of us decided to stay downtown after class and try to take in some of the sights. We were dropped off at the Library of Alexandria. This is a pretty incredible building designed to look like the sun rising out of the sea. Around the outside, words are written in every known language on earth. Very impressive and we were pumped to go inside. Too bad it had closed early due to Ramadan- drat! More on that when I go back.

Library of Alexandria

From the library, we walked a few miles down the corniche (street along the water). It was a great walk with lots to see and photograph. As we got towards the end of the street, we took a turn inland and got to see the real heart of Alexandria. Small streets lined with markets and decorated with sparkles for Ramadan, people bustling all around us. It was almost time for the call to prayer (signaling time to break the fast) so food was cooking and everyone was getting excited to eat. Some guys where I bought a nighty for 15 pounds (less than 3 dollars) invited us to break the fast with them, but we continued on.

On the streets during lftur

After a few other failed attempts to get food (one place was full, another out of food) we were led through some crazy streets and came out at a restaurant described by our guidebooks as having the best seafood in Alexandria. The books were not kidding- this food was absolutely incredible. You pay per kilo of fish and the price includes a variety of salads and water. We choose three huge sea bass (three kilos!) and they basically slice it open, season it and add red and hot peppers before throwing it on the grill. Absolutely the most delicious fish I've ever tasted.

For more pictures of downtown Alexandria, check out my FB photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2466670&id=12102478&l=1963ccd7a1

That brings me to today or our equivalent of saturday. I slept in and have been taking it easy this morning, but am hoping to go into town this afternoon. More to come!

The Whole Story - Part 2 of 3

The Middle

Soon after the party, Mohamed went back to the capital (a 14 hour bus ride away) and I officially moved into my own apartment. Life on my own was great and having Mohamed made it even better. In an odd way, being long distance was the perfect scenario.

hanging out in the capital

With PC headquarters also in the capital, I had to go there for medical visits, training sessions and other random activities. These events were all opportunities for me to see Mohamed and when I was there he was my tour guide. We spent days walking the city. It was freeing to be in a place where I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have to worry about people seeing us together. We could hold hands and go to cafes. We visited all of the main attractions and explored all of the places tourists would never go. I had an insider view of the city and loved every second of it.

Seeing the sights

When we weren’t out and about in the city, we were at Mohamed’s hanut (general store). When he was 11 years old, his family sent him to the capital in search of better opportunities. His uncles had a few stores and he moved in with them to learn the business. Soon after I met him, he opened a store on his own (he now has two!). His brother worked with him, but hours in the hanut business are long. He generally works from 7 am to 11 pm and is sometimes lucky enough to get a nap in the afternoon. When I was in town, I’d bring a book or my journal and occasionally reorganize snack cakes. The best part of life in the hanut was all of the delicious food that Mohamed would make for me. He’s an outstanding cook- even with just one pan and a tiny gas stove. I was spoiled.

Me in Mohamed's newest hanut

Since his family lived near my town, he also had a perfectly legitimate excuse to visit a few times per year. Being so sporadic, the sneaking around was minimal and we managed to be together without anyone in town finding out. I lived on the opposite side of town from my host family and the friends I hung out with, so there was never a chance of an unexpected visitor. I also lived in a building with three apartments, so as long as we didn’t go in or out of the building together, no one in town suspected a thing. It was almost as though the stars were perfectly aligned in our favor.
Mohamed hanging out with my host family

Hiking near my town

Being linked by my host family, I was even able to visit Mohamed’s village and meet his family on a few occasions. He has a great family. His mom, Khadija manages the household in the village while his dad works for a major tea producer in Casa- he spent most of his time away only returning for visits a few times per year. He also has three sisters- Fatima and Rkia (older) and Naima (younger). When I met them, all three were single living with their mother in the village, but two are now married and have small children. His two brothers are both younger and work with Mohamed in his stores.

Mohamed's youngest sister Naima at her wedding

When we weren’t together, we spent our time texting. Sometimes 30 messages in a day, but they were significantly cheaper than making calls. A text based relationship seems odd, but even so he was able to help me with my language skills and it never seemed like he was very far away. Knowing he was there got me through many difficult times and I’m not sure that I would have survived the full two years without Mohamed.

Thanks for everyone’s patience—Part three will be out soon!

travels in turkey

After finally and officially leaving Morocco after 27 months of service, you could say it was time for a vacation. I needed some time to adjust to the departure, to miss morocco like crazy, and to really feel ready to come back to the States.

My friend Mandy and I thought that Turkey would be a great place to end our Peace Corps chapter, and begin our new one.


Turkey is a pretty incredible country. It's 99 percent Muslim, but it's secular government creates an entirely different atmosphere. I always thought Morocco was pretty liberal, and in a way it is, but it has nothing on Turkey. In Istanbul especially, you could have convinced me were in in the Middle of Western Europe.


This is me at the Topkapi Palace overlooking the Bosphorus River. Istanbul is located on 3 different banks, and is the bridge between Europe and Asia. It's no wonder this land was so highly sought after throughout history. And you can see remnents from just about every empire somewhere in Istanbul or throughout the country.

In the Grand Bazaar i found the most similarities to Morocco. Merchants yelling for us to buy things and trying to pull us in to their shops. And of course the bargaining. I'd like to thank Morocco for my great skill at this and for the good prices I received here!

This is the front of the Aya Sofia. It was built a Church by the Emporer Justinian (i think) and later converted to a mosque by a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Now it is a museum and the inside is just as incredible as the outside!



Wow! I've always wanted a Genuine Fake Watch!!





This is a shot of the Blue Mosaue, another incredibly famous building in Istanbul.



Inside the Blue Mosque. This mosque is actually still open for prayer. Tourists wait until after the time of prayer to go in and look around. so beautiful!



This is probably the best meal i ate in Turkey. It was incredibly good! I know what you're thinking, it looks so simple! This was eaten upon our arrival to the beautiful Selcuk in southwest Turkey.



In Selcuk you can find the tomb of St. John located in the ruins of his Basilica. The story goes that after the death of Jesus, St. John and Mary came to the ancient city of Ephesus to spread the gospel. We're pretty convinced that this dog (nicknamed Dudley) is actually the spirit of St. John still around to stand gaurd at the tomb.



These are the ancient ruins of Ephesus. A once thriving city during the Roman and many other empires. It was pretty incredible.



These are the toilets of the ancient city. Apparently they weren't very shy.

This is the incredible well preserved facade of the Library. It's absolutely huge and once held 10,000 scrolls. We took shelter here when it started to downpour.

After the rain we walked to the remains of Mary's church. I have never seen such an incredibly brilliant rainbow in my life.

This is the alter of Mary's church.

This region is called Kapadokya and is located in the center of Turkey. Due to volcanic eruptions, the entire region looks like it could be the moon and people once lived inside the rocks. Our hotel room was a cave built into the side of one.

This structure was once a Monestary. Complete with kitchen, church, and tons of other rooms.

Here we saw the Whirling Dervishes, and some traditional turkish dance.

During my two weeks in Turkey I took over 500 pictures, so obviously this post doesnt do it justice! But I hope you enjoyed a small taste of the incredible things I was lucky to see.

As for now, I'm back in America and ready to enjoy the Holidays with friends and family after missing two during my service. Then the job search really begins and where i'll end up....who knows.