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I know the entries further along this trip won't have as many photos and stories, until then I may be able to compile my own entertaining travel novel!!

Only in Egypt

Coffeecat
2005-12-24 23:05:56

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I know the entries further along this trip won't have as many photos and stories, until then I may be able to compile my own entertaining travel novel!!

Upon my return from Jordan, I had just over one week in Cairo before heading out to the rest of Egypt. Looking forward to seeing a bit more, I bought a train ticket to Alexandria. The 3 hour journey north to the Mediterranean Sea was through many farmers fields and past a 101 donkeys. It got to a point where zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz crept in. Began dreaming of some swimming, some shopping, some exploring, and then I arrived.

Not wanting to allow the hotel guys and taxi drivers to get the better of me, I marched on past with intentions of following the map I had briefly studied on the train. "La 'shukran la 'shukran" I repeated, politely declining the many offers of postcards and burkhas (headscarfs). The route I had walked towards with such confidence was soon establishing itself as the wrong way. No worries, it was residential and friendly so I continued in my adventure of getting lost. The market that I then stumbled into was unlike anything I had seen before. The first of
many similar markets I know, but to an unexperienced traveller there are no comparisons to the first! London's Portabello Road or Vancouver's Granville Island are such pretty and innocent stage shows compared to the passionate theatrics I witnessed. The images that I saw I will keep with me on this journey, although my camera will not. It didn't quite feel right capturing a turkeys' last breath, or the caged rabbits and ducks looking so innocent sitting under their current owners' wallet. Through all of the madness of the live stock, there were such meticulously stacked displays of fruit and veg. Watermelons like pyramids and bananas sold by the stalk. Then there were the stacks and stacks of household items that the salesmen insited I take with me ...