Cairo and the Pyramids

Cairo is one of those cities that you can instantly tell is pure chaos, but in a good way!  The city always feels alive with people hanging around outside their shops at all hours.   The toughest part about Cairo is that it is very difficult to blend in with the locals which of course attracts unwanted attention, especially as a solo female traveler.  This definitely motivated me to find some other backpackers to wander around the city and pyramids with!

The first hostel I stayed at was very nice, and in a perfect location, but I was slightly disappointed that there weren’t many backpackers staying there.  As I walked around the overwhelming area near Tahir Square I decided to switch hostels so I could hopefully meet a better crowd.   On my second day I moved to a hostel called “Wake Up Cairo” which was in close proximity to Tahir Square and the National Museum.  Upon arrival at the hostel I met a lot of great people who I ended up traveling with later during my stay.  Wake Up Cairo had an amazing view of the city and a great vibe.  They also offered a lot of cheap tours throughout the country that I ended up booking.

The next day I went to the Egyptian Museum which was basically across the street from the hostel.  I had heard that you need at least a half day, if not a full day, to cover the entire museum so I figured that I would get an early start.   The museum has 120,000 ancient artifacts, containing the remains of many famous tombs including King Tutankhamun.  There is a separate mummy exhibit that displays mummified bodies of ancient royalty that was an extra cost to the entrance fee.  In my opinion, it was definitely worth it to pay a little extra to see real mummies.  I mean, when else are you going to see that!? 
















During the evening I was talking with a few other backpackers about their obsession with "Egyptian Pizza".  A small group of us ventured out to see if this pizza lived up to the hype.  The guys at the restaurant used filo dough as the base before adding the fresh toppings.  This pizza was AMAZING and pretty cheap (about $3).  I ate it nearly every night I was in Cairo from that point on!

One of the girls, Therese, and I decided to book a private driver for the following day to visit all of the pyramids near Cairo.  On the way to the pyramids we stopped at a viewpoint to see the early morning light.  I love waking up for sunrise in the city because it is the only opportunity to see a calm city!

We arrived bright and early at the Giza Pyramids before all of the tour buses rolled in.  Although I have seen pictures of the pyramids so many times there is nothing like actually being there! With barely any tourists out early it felt like we had the site to ourselves for the first hour which allowed us to take some uninterrupted photos!  

We continued on our pyramid adventure and went to the lesser known Step, Red, and Bent pyramids nearby.  The Step Pyramid in Saqqara is the oldest pyramid in Egypt.  You enter into the complex through a series of pillars which ultimately leads to the pyramid.

After grabbing some lunch we went to the Red Pyramid, located in Dashur.  This was definitely my favorite pyramid because not only could you walk up the steps to get to nearly the top of the pyramid, but you can go inside of the pyramid to explore.  Although the thought of being in such an old structure was a little frightening, it was incredible to experience the inside of a pyramid.

We ended our day by driving past the Bent Pyramid but since we were both so exhausted, we just hopped out of the car for a minute to take a picture before heading back to Cairo.

 During one of my final days in Cairo Therese and I decided to further explore the city, especially the old city area.  We took a 30 minute walk down one of the main streets to arrive in Coptic Cairo, which is a collection of churches, synagogues, and monasteries.  This area felt so different from the rest of Cairo but was certainly worth seeing.

St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Coptic Cairo

Cemetery in Coptic Cairo

From Coptic Cairo we walked to Islamic Cairo to see some of the most famous mosques in the city.  As you approach the area you can see the dramatic high walls of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun.  It is a stunning mosque that has an amazing view of the city.

Front of Mosque of Ibn Tulun

View of Old Cairo

Before walking back we went to the Mosque of Mohammed Aly.  It had a fortress- like feel to it with an open courtyard outside of the mosque.  The inside was absolutely beautiful.  

On the way back to our hostel we ventured into a popular tourist area called Khan El Khalili market.  I was told that you could buy all souvenirs imaginable here.  To be honest, I hated the market and found it way too crowded, touristy, and overpriced!  From the market we attempted to find our way back but were lured into a restaurant by delicious aromas.  The falafels in Cairo were so good! After fueling up we continued walking back when we heard noises coming from an alley.  We peaked in and saw a bar packed with Egyptian men watching the World Cup.  They signaled an "Okay" for us to come in and we had a great time smoking hookah and having a soda with our new friends! It was the perfect ending to an amazing day in Cairo.

Farewell to my new African home: Ghana

The kids were very excited to see me when I was back home from Benin.  During my last couple weeks in Ghana I spent most of my time at the school.  I began running the 3^rd grade class and then teaching math for the older grades as well.  Since I was getting to know all of the kids better I knew that when it came time to leave that it would be tough to say goodbye!

During my last weekend Noah took me to the Volta region on the southeast coast of Ghana for a day trip.  Laura’s family is from the area and they have community projects running so it was nice to see where their family was from.  As with most coastal towns in West Africa, this was a slave trade site so we walked around the complex before heading back to Accra.

     

When my 6 weeks in Ghana came to an end I was so sad to leave.  Although it took a few adjustments to get used to living in Accra I really learned to love the people and the place.   During my last week in Ghana I spent most of my time in Accra, doing all of my favorite things when I wasn’t at the school.  I had all of my favorite street foods, hung out with my friends on Queens Street, and finally met the lady who had been unintentionally waking me up every day since I arrived.  To make a long story short, every street vendor in Ghana will yell out the item they are selling.  On Queens Street, there was one woman who came down the street every morning at precisely 6:15 am yelling “Teaaaa Breaaaad”, and the scream perfectly echoed into my room.  Mama Laura and I laughed at this all the time so we decided to finally buy tea bread from her on my last day, telling Tea Bread Lady the story!  Side note: tea bread is a delicious semi-sweet loaf of bread that people typically eat with tea or breakfast food.

Since my flight was on a Monday night I was able to say goodbye to all of the school children before leaving for the airport.  It was sad to say farewell to Mama Laura and my new family but I knew that I would see her back in Colorado after my trip!

I will definitely miss all of the wonderful people that I met in Ghana!

     

Walking with some of the teachers and students down Queens Street

As I said farewell to Ghana I was very excited, and slightly nervous, to go solo on the final leg of my trip in Egypt!

West Africa- A week in Benin

During my stay in Ghana I decided to take advantage of the region and explore other countries nearby.  Given that my host family had relatives in Benin, and that Laura's daughter was from Togo, they were able to arrange people to take me across the Ghanaian border into Togo, and then Benin.  Mama Laura was very protective of me so she wanted to make sure that I would be taken care of every step of the way!

With the help of a few people, I successfully made it across the Togo border and then headed straight to Benin where I would meet "Auntie V".  It was quite helpful to have someone to meet me especially given that people in Benin only speak French.   Auntie V (I don't even remember her actual name) and her husband picked me up when I arrived late at night.  I definitely lucked out by having them as my host family given that 1) her husband was in the ministry of tourism 2) they had a guest house, and 3) they were so caring and thoughtful, treating me like family.  When I arrived we discussed my plans for the next few days in Benin and they did a great job of mentioning sites that I already wanted to see.

My wonderful host family in Cotonou, Benin

On my first whole day in Cotonou they had my driver (they organized their motorcycle driver to be my personal driver for the week) show me around the city.  Later on in the day, Auntie V's husband organized a boat trip through a stilt village nearby called Ganvie.   This entire community, positioned about 10 feet above Lake Nokoué, go about  their daily life on water.

          

We stopped at a local restaurant and souvenir shop in the water village for some drinks.  It was a fun area but I found myself spending most of the time with a kid and his little pet monkey outside the restaurant.  I can never resist those monkeys! 

The next day I went to the coastal town of Ouidah.  First I was hesitantly taken to the Temple of the Sacred Python.  Before I stepped foot inside the small enclosure, I was expecting that a few pythons lived in this temple.  I was unpleasantly surprised at the site of dozens of pythons roaming around.

Somehow I was convinced to hold one...

From the Temple of the Pythons my guide took me to the infamous "Route d'Esclaves" to see one of the most well known West African Slave trade sites.  The walk through a dirt pathway to the site was interesting, full of many monuments and sculptures to commemorate the slaves kept there.  The actual monument for Route d'Esclaves was very powerful and a truly beautiful site up close.

                         

Our last stop of the day was the voodoo market in Ouidah.  Prior to coming to Benin I had heard a lot about the voodoo culture in West Africa so I was curious to see what exactly they sold in the market.  You really could find anything at this market.  I apologize in advance for the somewhat disturbing images.  To gross you out even further, if you are wondering if the market smelled bad then the answer is YES!

The voodoo market was the perfect way to end a great day although I definitely did not buy any souvenirs from the market.

I spent the weekend in Cotonou with my host family.  I was taken in for measurements since they wanted to buy me a traditional African dress to take home.  We went to a family friends communion party at a beach venue one day and walked around the city the other day.  Overall it was a great way to end an awesome 5 days in Benin.  I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to be shown some of the country through the eyes of locals.  Apart from the dress I brought back one unwanted souvenir: a second degree burn from the motorcycle exhaust which resulted in a nice rounded scar.

"Motorcycle tattoo"

My "African Lady" dress, as Mama Laura says!