Egypt: First night, first impressions

It has been a long time since I've been truly nervous about visiting a country. But after hearing all the stories about of armored guards escorting caravans between the cities, I didn't know what to expect in Egypt. Within an hour of arriving in Cairo, though, I felt very safe and welcome.

The drive into Cairo was surprising. It was much larger than I imagined. The trash and poverty were juxtaposed against the beautiful minarets rising above the sea of the huge project-like buildings and old stone shacks with curtains for doors. The heat was stifling.

After checking into Hotel Windsor, we wandered around the streets of Cairo. Within minutes we were invited to join a group of boys, who had set up picnic tables in the street, for dinner. We embraced this opportunity to experience "real" Egypt. The food was yummy and plentiful. I still have no idea what most of it was. We were worried that we had committed some sort of social faux pax, though, when a man came out and began yelling at the boys. We looked over and saw that there was a table full of women set up in the shop itself and assumed that the women and men were not supposed to sit together. Maria, who was the only person who spoke English, explained, however, that the girls just like to sit in the shop because of the air conditioning. Who can blame them with all the head coverings and long robes? She also explained that the meal was special for Rahmadan. It is called Maedt el Rahman and is somehow related to an old tradition of feeding the poor during this religious holiday. The yelling apparently was related to the dad wanting the boys to get out of the street so that he could clean up and re-open his shop.

The girls invited us up to talk and try on their headresses. I decided it is not the best look for me. :)
They also shared Kanufta (sp?), a special Rahmadan dessert with us. Maria explained that during Ramadan, after the 4:00 a.m. prayer, no one is allowed to eat or drink until after the 6:00 p.m. prayer. Prayer time occurs several times each day, during which the prayers are loudly broadcast throughout the city. This was a little disconcerting at 4:00 a.m. that first night. People join each other on the street and line up in rows on massive carptets to pray together. It was really quite impressive to see their devotion.

After dinner, we wandered around the nearby fruit market, marvelling at the variety of fruit.