Hi all! I apologize for not blogging for the past few weeks. School has definitely started to pick up, and I have been preparing for my midterms this coming week. Then, it is off to Florence, Italy for Spring Break with my best friend Emma Trawick woohoo!!!! Here is what I have been up to since Alexandria :)
Amideast organized a dialogue with Al-Jazeera English correspondent Sherine Tadros, and we were able to engage in an intimate discussion with her about the media situation in the Middle East. I learned a lot about what it is like to be a reporter in Egypt, including the demands and dangers of the job. Sherine often reports in Tahrir Square, and she frequently has to lie to the people that she is a reporter for Al-Jazeera. People are extremely suspicious of the foreign media here, as it has been broadcasted on national news that foreign hands are responsible for many of the problems that triggered and occurred during the revolution. In retaliation, there has been a campaign launched by the people against the Egyptian media called "Kaaziboon" which means Liars. The graffiti below signifies this campaign: inside the TV says Kaaziboon and underneath it reads "Down with the Military Occupation. January 25th."
We also visited another pyramids site about 20 miles from Cairo called Saqqara, which was the necropolis for the ancient city of Memphis. Here is the whole group in front of the famous Step Pyramid. It is the oldest pyramid in the world, and also the most ancient stone structure. In Dashur, another ancient burial ground, we were able to travel INSIDE of the Red Pyramid. We climbed down a 200 meter shaft that led opened up into a fairly large chamber. Unfortunately, the lights went out while we were still inside the main chamber -- it felt like the beginning of a horror movie. The lights came back on about a minute later, but still, it was pretty terrifying haha
This past weekend, we embarked on our trip to the Black and White Desert. Our first stop was Baharya Oasis, which is one of the five oases in Egypt. It is a small, rural town that is rich in history and friendliness. We stayed at a quaint motel just outside of the town, and it was so relaxing to escape the noise and pollution of Cairo. One of my favorite parts of the trip was waking up in the morning before everyone else, and reading my book on the balcony in the peace and quite of Baharya. We spent two days in the Black and White desert, bouncing around in desert jeeps to stunning landscapes, volcanoes, and natural springs. We planned to spend the night outside in the desert, but threat of sandstorm ruined our camping intentions. It was still an amazing weekend.
My dad likes to caption this photo, "Libster of Arabia." Photo cred: Ahmed.
We took a tour of Cairo University on Wednesday. This is the podium where Obama delivered his speech in 2008.
I feel completely settled into Cairo right now, completely immersed in its wily character, hospitality, and strong sense of culture. I am loving my time here :) It feels like time is flying by.
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