So I just got back from a whirlwind world trip of a lifetime. Below is my count by count re-count of the adventure and an improvised "health food" version of an Egyptian classic food: Koshary. Enjoy!***
Rerouted through Paris, curled up in business class with cozy socks and a window seat. I couldn’t ask for a better stroke of fortune starting out my trip. The flight from Omaha to Atlanta was easy, with only a small bit of confusion in the international concourse trying to make sure all of my tickets were right. There is much to look forward to: only seven hours to Paris and that shall easily pass.
Paris. Descending through milky white clouds and mist 1,000 feet above the ground. Green fields and clusters of quaint looking houses – villages maybe? Small cars and buses making a morning commute, and I am looking forward to a chocolate croissant and coffee before boarding my flight to Cairo at 1:30 p.m.
I am a little cramped but not to badly sleep deprived. I managed to drift off for a few hours over the Atlantic after an airline dinner – with champagne – and a couple of in-flight movies.
Cairo bound – last leg. Two chocolate croissants. Hey – how often am I in France? I bought matching key chains for Sophie and me and a magnet for my fridge. Everyone esle’s souvenirs will come from Egypt and New York. I napped for an hour curled up in a cozy chair and generally enjoyed the Paris airport for its modern design, cleanliness and distinct French appeal.
EGYPT. I arrive at night. Throbbing techno music right outside the airport. A background chorus of car horns and speeding traffic. Feral cats and packs of dogs roaming the streets. Tourism police with AK47s. People, lights, stores, everyone selling or offering something. Generators on the sidewalk and a dizzy first night wandering the streets with Megan before returning to our barebones room to rest. Then… breakfast on the terrace, quick showers, and we’re off: trekking our way to the Cairo Museum where we see statues, boats, sarcophagi and the royal mummies. We stop to eat afterward but I can’t choke down the chicken so I switch to falafel. We stop at the pastry shop then gather our swimsuits from the hotel and head to the Marriott where we sit poolside enjoying cake and champagne. Finally we settle down to eat - tabouleh, hummus, fatoush, fava been dip, pita crackers and coffee – and relax smoking peach shisha from a water pipe on the tranquil patio. The hotel grounds are lush and offer a peaceful respite from the constant sounds of the city. Our taxi ride back to our hotel is crazy and chaotic, but full of eye-catching sights. Now it’s lights out… Pyramids first thing tomorrow.
Saw the pyramids this morning. We traveled at breakneck speed to get to Giza, then, after avoiding a scam over very civil coffee, trekked to the Great Pyramid and pushed our way in line at the ticket counter. We got to go inside, climbing and crawling through tunnels Indiana Jones style until we reached the hot musty tomb at the center.
After taking photos outside, we were tricked into a camel ride which left me giggling and giddy. We wrapped up our tour at the Sphinx surrounded by teenage Arabian girls who wanted pictures with us.
Returning to our hotel, I showered away the dust and sweat. Then, we ate Koshary (noodles, lentils, onions and tomato sauce) for lunch and downed tons of water. Finally we meandered back to the hotel with me enjoying strawberry and mango gelato along the way.
We went to the bazaar and it was massive and INTENSE. First the locals’ side – their village/market – with stray cats, trash, slaughtered animals. Then the tourists’ side. So much to see: people haggling at you from every direction. I got a little jangly wristlet, some postcards, and a little decorative pyramid set. Next up… Dinner on the Nile.
Dinner was a mad rush to the buffet after some fairly impressive dancing including a whirling dervish Megan told me was Turkish.
Today we slept until eight or nine and then took the train to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. The whole experience was a frenzied adventure. I felt a little anxious for awhile, but that might have had to do somewhat with the two small mighty cups of Turkish coffee I had at the Ramses station in Cairo while we waited for our train.
Once in Alexandria, we utilized taxis since we arrived at three and were due to depart at seven. First we visited the cool damp catacombs where 300 mummies were once buried. Wooden planks over pits and a stream of clear subterranean water made it feel like another Indiana Jones adventure (the first was inside the Great Pyramid at Giza). There was also a spiraling stone staircase with a well in the middle, and my imagination conjured up images of torches descending for funerary feasts hundreds of years ago.
After the catacombs, we took another cab to the library, an impressive modern marvel of architecture and technology. Finally, we walked halfway around the Corniche – the coastal boulevard – in search of suitable dining options. We were famished by the time we stopped at a bakery, and we shared a small rich chocolate pudding and cream puff confection before sojourning on to a fish dinner over-looking the sea.
We just barely caught our train back to Cairo. I meditated on the way back, read more about unified field theory and quantum physics and joked with Meg. Safe in Cairo, we tried unsuccessfully to visit a mosque (they ushered us out) then took the subway back to the neighborhood of our hotel. We grabbed gelato at the corner bakery and watched the peaceful crowds gathered in the streets. Despite the noise of horns and hawkers, the people here – families, children – feel safe if not entirely friendly.
Now we are finally back in our room for the night. We’ll probably watch another segment of Cleopatra, enjoy our bites of German chocolate cake and baklava left over from the Alexandria bakery and settle off to sleep.
Tomorrow is our final day in Cairo, and then I’m bound for New York.
New York City. 5 a.m. I check my bag through to Omaha then find my way into Manhattan’s Penn Station via the Airtrain and Long Island Railroad. My first task is to get oriented, and luckily I have my cell phone to assist me: it maps where I’m at. I take a cab to the southern tip of Manhattan to view the Statue of Liberty – tiny at this distance. After a quick Starbucks detour I grab the 1 subway line to Times Square where I walk around seeing the sights. I head up 7th avenue, cut over to 5th and enter the zen calm of Central Park. The fall foliage is breathtaking in the cool November air.
Tracking back to Times Square, I eat a decadent sushi lunch at Blue Fin. The California roll is decked out with mango and the lobster roll has tuna, avocado and cilantro. After lunch, I shoulder my backpack – heavy with gifts and souvenirs I’ve gathered at the tourist shops along the way – and trek back to Penn Station where I retrace my train route to JFK Airport. At security, they confiscate the snow globe I bought for my mom, so I buy her another one at the airport gift shop.
Now it’s just a couple of flights and a waiting game until I’m back in Nebraska, but I may have a writing job interview waiting for me in California next week. Things are moving fast.
Koshary
1 cup whole wheat macaroni (the smallest you can find)
1/4 cup whole wheat vermicelli (or spaghetti) noodles
1/2 cup cooked lentils
1 Tbsp French's fried onions
2 Tbsp chick peas
4 tsp canola oil, divided
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp chopped onion
1-2 ripe vine tomatoes
1 cup water
Combine in layers 1) heated cooked macaroni, 2) heated cooked lentils, 3) heated cooked vermicelli, 4) chick peas, 5) fried onions and top with prepared tomato sauce. Voila! A healthy and filling vegetarian meal with tons of fiber, lycopene, protein and other nutritional goodies.
To prepare vermicelli:
Break noodles into 1" pieces. Heat 2 tsp oil in a small pot and add noodles. Stirring constantly, heat until browned. Carefully add enough water to cover the noodles, then heat on medium until noodles are soft.
To prepare tomato sauce:
Stirfry 1 Tbsp chopped onion with minced garlic clove in 2 tsp oil until lightly browned. Add 1-2 chopped tomatoes (equaling about 1 cup). Add 1 cup water and simmer for about 15 minutes, then blend sauce until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika.
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