Cairo - 7/1/08

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A Merry christmas from Cairo!

I arrived around midnight yesterday only to find that it was Christmas again. today is a public holiday for the Orthodox Christians to celebrate their Christmas, a big day for them as they finish a fast and tuck into a feast of chicken and beef. Later this week is the Islamic New Year, and Ethiopia is only just celebrating the new Millennium this year as they are 8 years behind us, how's that for messing with your body clock!

Merry Christmas!

I arrived safely in Cairo yesterday at around midnight, was relieved to find both bags and bike had decided to join me as well.

Hopped in a taxi into town to visit the Egypt Museum, home to King Tut, when he's not of visiting far flung lands. The guide book warned of very tight security, with up to four queues just to get in, but i found it to be security with a distinctly arab laid back style, but even so i got shouted at when i whipped out my camera to take a pic, even though others were merrily snapping away around me!

One of the first things you see when you enter is the amazing Rosetta Stone, the single thing that enabled schoolers to finally decode the Ancient Hieroglyphics, and unlock the secrets of the tombs, or rather its not quite the Rosetta Stone, it's just a model as the notice points out -the real one is in the British Museum, after a furtive look round to see if anyone looks like they hold a grudge, i slip away.

The Museum has over 12,000 objects, and is stuffed full to capacity, it is due to move to a new building in 2009, but for now you wander around, pearing into dusty display cases at even duster exhibits and read the faded labels, that look like they should be an exhibit themselves, all the time expecting to see Indiana Jones swinging from the balcony.

The Highlight to any visit is the King Tut display, the fact that you can view these items so close, and for as long as you like, is a great contrast from when i first saw them in London 30 years ago.

With my head reeling from Pharaoh overload, i slip back to the hotel, for my first taste of Egyptian Stella and Turkish coffee flavored with cardamum.