Egypt: Come for the Big, Remember the Small

Sinai Peninsula

The big attraction:  Diving the Red Sea.  Saw lots of fish.  No killer sharks. Damn.

The small ones:  Mt. Sinai.  Made a last minute plan from Tel Aviv, Israel to meet my friend Greg on the summit of Moses' mountain 24 hours later for sunrise on 1/1/11.. going non stop subway, bus, taxi, minivan, walking, microbus, hiking to get there for that magical moment.

Smaller one:  Going into a pharmacy to get some Valium for the 10 hr bus ride to Cairo.  After some friendly small talk the pharmacist asks, "You have lady?"  Then slides me a quaalude and a viagra as a parting present and instructs me to take half of each before getting it on.. but only half!  Get that at Walgreens.

Cairo

Mistaking the Sphinx for another camel ride tout I missed out on ancient words of wisdom by accidentally telling him to "talk to the hand".

The big attraction:  The pyramids.  Amazing sight but lots of touts constantly hard selling camel rides and the best view, honest to God, is just outside the gates on the roof of a Pizza Hut.. you don't even have to buy a slice.

Aswan

Big attraction:  Ancient tombs all around.  Interesting history and hieroglyphics.

Quiet side of Elephantine Island.. not in the LP.

Smaller attraction:  Nubian village next to ruins.  Put away the guidebook and got lost in the windy streets.  Met some kids playing soccer and got schooled as the guest star goalie. Approached a group of guys to get directions home and am now invited to a wedding tomorrow.  At the market my buddy Greg pays for use of public bathroom with a cigarette. Guy hits him up for another smoke on the way out, so Greg makes him shake on the deal that we've got a free piss there tomorrow.  Everyone who hears I'm American smiles and says, "Obama good!"   Down the road I bought a t-shirt in a shop and the owner invites us to Christmas mass in the big Coptic church in town (their xmas is later than ours)  I might give this one a skip in light of what just happened in Alexandria.. as a believer I'd at least be a martyr, as an atheist I'd just be unlucky.  Talked with another guy a few blocks down while munching a falafel and he invites us for tea and hasheesh at his cafe overlooking the Nile... that might be more my speed.