Zaina’s Zany Adventures
Egypt and Beyond – June/July 2008
Installment #1 * Departure and Arrival in Cairo
In The Beginning!
As Written by: Zaina Hart
Our Departure from JFK and Arrival in Cairo (Days One and
Two)
I AM SO IN LOVE WITH EGYPT and can hardly wait to return to see more, experience more and enjoy more. This trip is up there with my top ten
most wonderful life experiences, following only my children and grandchildren’s
births and marriages, my son’s Air Force Commissioning, and the love of family
and friends. Admittedly there were
numerous complications, that while frustrating could not possibly overshadow
how I feel about Egypt, its magnificent sites and gracious people. I am filled with such deep desire to
return it is some days hard to contain.
As a matter of fact, we are currently working on an “OZ” tour, so get
your bags ready ladies and gents.
So much happened on this trip; certainly things that
shouldn’t have but better than the “shouldn’t haves” were the events and places
that mere words understate their glory.
It is said, “a picture says a thousand words” so my plan is to give you
LOTS of pictures within these pages, hence I have broken up the articles into
sections or installments, each of these covering a separate section of the
trip. There will be a notes
section set aside giving additional tips, information, that you can include
along with what your Tour Organizer provides you, based on my own experiences
and the lack of anyone telling me about these things in advance. Z-uggestions if you will.
And so:
Most of us are aware, the important thing to know when
traveling, choosing classes, or anything for that matter is that “we have
OPTIONS”. We are very lucky to
have experienced dancers, vendors, friends conducting tours to and from Egypt,
Turkey, Morocco, and so on – those who have been there, done that, and now
provide us great opportunities to visit those far off lands from where much of our
art form originates. We may feel
there is a more personal touch due to their familiarity and understanding of
our dance and needs. But it is
really our responsibility to do the homework, check around, read the
literature, itineraries, suggestions on what to bring, how to act, and so on,
AND ask your questions – get your answers. You will also want to ask questions of dancers who went with
this person, or that person, this tour or that tour. Find out how they feel about their experience, now, after the
fact. I caution you not to just
assume that because there is a big name attached, it is the best group for you
to go with. Get all the
information you can from as many sources as you can - for your own sake BE
AWARE or perhaps BEWARE is the better word. And another thing not to assume is that “this may be the
last year any of us will be able to travel “there” for this reason or
that. Convincing you to go NOW
based on fear is the first indication that perhaps the rest of your trip will
as well be filled and defined by fear.
Rather, find the tour who when, each time you talk to the organizer,
they tell you what a wonderful experience you will have, how beautiful the
country is, how in awe you will be - - the organizer who makes you feel good at
each conversation.
Which brings me to:
What do you want? You
really do need to know what you want when traveling to Egypt or Turkey (or
anywhere really); what are your priorities, and in what order – examples; a) the
sites, dance classes, costumers, shopping; or b) dance classes, shopping,
costumers, sites; or c) festivals, etc.
This is very important and only you can answer this one. Know there is more than one pony in the
barn so you should “Shop Around” until you find the itinerary you want, the
tour organizer that you mesh with, and until your gut stops moaning and your
heart begins to soar. Make sure
you spend your money and time as wisely as possible – this is a fairly
expensive trip.
So, here, in these sections, I hope to provide you not only
my experience (glorious and sometimes gut wrenching), but as well, the
knowledge that you don’t have to miss a thing, you can have all that you want
and for the most part “you can have it your way”.
Before starting the tale, and this is really important, it
is my hope to instill that we do NOT have to be the “ugly, unpleasant -
unfriendly American” travelers our incredible country has sadly gotten the
reputation of being. You can be
kind and gracious, speak to anyone you choose, make friends along the way, and
most certainly while understanding how important it is to respect the people
and customs of the country in which you are traveling. By customs, I do not mean you have to
dress the part at all turns, (which I will uncover as we go), but do certainly
learn some of their language, ESPECIALLY the words please and thank you – it
will gain you much, and a clear “NO” which may seem contradictory. Respect the fact you are in “their
home” not yours. You can (it is
okay) be kind, appreciative, and genuinely happy about where you are and feel
free to express that excitement.
And so begins the tale of two women, setting out on what was
to be a grand, but zany adventure.
We have worked hard our entire life, waited until just the right time
when we could leave businesses and families behind for a brief time to
experience a little something for ourselves. The three E’s had set in, Elation, Excitement and
Expectation.
It was about this time last year that I posted the last ZZA
- done just before leaving for the Double Crown in Santa Cruz last June. If you have read the review about the
Double Crown you will know I suffered a pretty serious bout of heat exhaustion
– and so – Zaina’s Zany Egyptian Adventure was to begin two days later, in New
York.
New York – June 24th – Day One
There we were, Oberon and I, early to JFK and waiting for
the rest of our group. Still
suffering the effects of that dehydration and heat exhaustion a few days
earlier, I was barely on the up side of standing but still excited beyond
words. After checking in with our
TO, and standing by for the orientation (which in my opinion was too long
covering much of what was already in our literature and even touched on a few
things I considered inappropriate), we were heading to our gate. And before we knew it we were boarding
a plane that would carry us across land and sea, continent to continent. So, on this longest of my 9 flights in
27 days, Oberon and I hunkered down – what can you really say about nearly 12
hours in the air? Exhausting while
at the same time exhilarating - thinking about where we would be landing. I did
a lot of walking, and talking to fellow passengers, even did some baby holding
and walking to help out Mothers flying alone. It kept my feet, and hands and mind busy. Any anyone who has traveled with babies
alone will understand the benefit of having a “baby walker” aboard.
Obelisk at the Cairo Airport
Are We There Yet?
Cairo – June 25th – Day Two
Our arrival in Cairo was soooo exciting and as it can be anywhere
you travel these days also frustrating as we all gathered our luggage, obtained
our visas and changed our money. The
crowd waiting to pick up luggage was like none I had ever seen-huge boxes,
enormous suitcases, bags, luggage carts, armed guards (whoa, wait, where did
they come from? See Note 1).
Collecting luggage in Cairo is like no place I had ever been. But we did “gitter done”.
Once we stepped out the doors we were immediately aware that
we had most certainly been transported to another place, perhaps not another
time, but a City / Country whose rich culture is immediately evident as is the
massive amount of humanity. I am
surprised I didn’t trip over my own luggage – I simply could not stop turning,
looking around, as I stumbled my way to the tour bus.
Onward:
Now, as we drove through Cairo from the airport to our hotel
(La Meridian – which is truly lovely) in Giza the excitement we were already
feeling at simply “being there” just kept building. Watching from the windows of our clearly marked “Tour” bus (see
Note 1), we began to take in the sites and sounds of this enormously crowded city. One of the first things that struck me
(pun coming) was “OMG, did you see how close that car came to hitting us”? I had been warned about Cairo traffic,
even watched the You Tube videos, talked to friends living there and college
students whose home is Cairo and everything that I had been told and seen was
absolutely TRUE. It was just crazy
but in a fun and organized sort of way.
Cars, simply a gnat’s butt away from each other; honking, yelling, and seeming
to dare each other. Add to that the people who step into the traffic moving
from one side of the street to the other, some with babies and children, others
herding goats, camels or other animals.
That said, I saw not one accident the entire time we were there. They drive basically on top of each
other, people, donkeys, carts and camels all in the mix, but somehow it seems
to work. And have you ever seen a
round-a-bout? Well, let me tell
you – it is amazing that it actually works in all that traffic – but somehow,
again, it does. Funny to think
about it because each time I drive through the new round-a-bout that was
recently engineered here in our City, I have to laugh – and in an odd sort of
way I miss the “camels” making their way through. I actually wonder if our transportation department and
drivers could learn a few things from Cairo traffic.
Young Boys trying to bring tea to the bus
at a Cairo Round-a-bout
Next thing to notice, which should have been the first, was
the gun sticking out of the back of the jacket of the guy in the front of the
bus, sitting next to the driver.
What? I say, see Note 1: Armed security is everywhere. This is a good thing as tourists are
very well protected with tour buses and groups required to have armed security
with them, specific routes to travel, etc. My only issue was trying to determine the men in plain
clothes with guns – were they security or something other – that was a little
unnerving. Tourist Police wear white uniforms with blue trim so they are easy to
spot and ask for in a pinch. As it
turns out we have a mega amount of pictures showing “men with guns”. Some if those photos I intended to get
pix of the guards, others – well the guards just happened to be standing in the
line of the shot (no pun intended).
AC Units and Satellite Dishes
Working for a local government agency, a planning department
no less, I tend to notice things that others might not. When our City has been in the planning
stages of cell phone tower locations, planned unit developments, sign codes and
the like, taking note of Cairo streets, buildings, the plethora of signs,
satellite dishes, etc. was a unique picture for me. The buildings, most with 20/30/50 or so satellite dishes on
top of them or positioned from windows was a sight to see. I have NEVER seen so many of those
little dishes-they were on top of every building and there are thousands of
buildings. There were even
satellite dishes on top of mausoleums in the cemeteries (where sadly, some
people are actually LIVING/RESIDING).
Secondary to the dishes, were the window air conditioning units. Hundreds!
Pyramids - Our First Glimpse
Wonders of Wonders - Our First Glimpse
After about 30 minutes we rounded a bend in the road and
there they were; what I had waited so long to see, the Great Pyramids of Giza –
right there in front of us. And
there WE were, making our way right to them, through the city, over the river,
around green fields, and most assuredly over sand. That first glimpse makes your heart just POUND nearly out of
your chest. Then comes the
giddiness, like a child at a birthday party when their cake is brought in with
all the candles lit - - a sense of absolute wonder which just overtook me to
the point of tears. It was at that
moment I thought the long years of waiting to get there was totally worth it -
- all for this moment of incredulous wonder. And at that moment it occurred to me we were still miles away
- - what was my heart going to do standing right in front of those monoliths –
and that is where we would be within only 24 hours? That would have made my hair blow straight back, well, had
my hair not been covered with the “strongly suggested – aka: required” head
covering our organizer insisted we wear, so that we wouldn’t look like tourists
(in our clearly marked “tour” bus - - things that make you go hmmmmmm). And
now, after the trip (no during the trip) I have determined how very unnecessary
that was – my opinion. Note 2: How to and not to dress – and ask me
about the short shorts, tank tops with cleavage and bare midriffs we saw each
day at breakfast (key word - - R-E-S-P-E-C-T)! Somewhere in the middle you will find the happy and
respectable medium. Too much in
either direction of coverage (or not) is too much.
Our arrival at the hotel, driving up and seeing the pyramids
just a mile or so away provided an extra little “skip” to our step. I felt like they were so close we could
just walk right on over there and a feeling of “let’s go now, let’s go” was a
hard one to squelch. Rather than
the lei and Aloha of Hawaii in Egypt it is chilled hibiscus tea, which after
the lines at the airport, long bus ride and heart dizzying views on our way in,
was incredibly refreshing. The
cool floral treat is something that to this day I still crave, and a moment
suspended in time. Sitting with
the group, all of us with wonder in our eyes as we were greeted by a
wonderfully gracious staff, while waiting to be registered, get our room keys
and our luggage gathered from the bus - - well, as I write this, I can feel it,
smell it, see that moment so clearly.
Our Garden Retreat
So, we hit our room excited and giggling, “we’re here, we’re
really here”, we made our way into our room, “arms thrown in the air, spinning
around and laughing” as we entered.
We had what turned out to be a minor mishap with the location of our
assigned room (looking at construction and people sleeping on the ground was
not what I had imagined outside our window. But, here is where being gracious and respectful to the
hotel staff, rather than being fearful of them (as was eluded) – well,
basically you get what you give.
This little bauble in our trip turned out to be extremely beneficial,
especially emotionally. I went to
the front desk, and simply requested a room change, not screaming, not trying
to intimidate, but simply requesting, not demanding a room change. The hotel staff therefore treated us
with that same respect and concern, wanting our stay to be the most pleasant
they could provide. The staff had
us moved in under fifteen minutes, with apologies given and concern for our
welfare and happiness expressed. Our
next view was that of a beautiful garden area, complete with a small deck area
in which to relax - - just glorious.
Yeahhhhh hotel staff. We
spent the next 9 days in and out of this room, our home away from home in
complete comfort thanks to the staff - - THEY ROCK.
Oberon, Abdulla and Zaina
Note 3: It was
in fact this move and the hotel staff that moved us that introduced us to one
of the most darling of people; Abdulla, a kind and gracious young man that
Oberon and I most immediately took to.
He greeted us daily with a smile and offer of help, and never once asked
for money or a tip or anything that was in the least out of line (which we had
been severely warned against from the onset. We were told not to befriend or talk to the staff of the
hotel, or this place or that place, and so on. I can’t imagine the trip without this charming young
man. Or for that matter, the front
desk staff, the restaurant staff, the banking staff, the gift shop staff, and
so on. They were all a delight and
we freely and openly spoke to them all.)
And as a side, we DID in fact tip staff as we do anywhere we go – our
choice to do, not someone else’s right to tell us not to.
Note 4: And,
speaking of tipping (baksheesh):
you should expect to have a few pounds or 25 and 50 piastres available
that you can get to quickly and not have to dig for to tip in some bathroom
facilities, camel guides, various merchants, those guys who snap your picture
at the pyramids, etc. I don’t
begrudge anyone this small fee - - this is how many locals make their
living. I am grateful to be there
and grateful to them for welcoming us into their back yard. Does it get old? Is it often aggressive? Certainly, when
everyone has a hand out, but if you pay attention, you will know when, and who
to tip. Just follow your gut. Oberon and I did quite a lot of
tipping, both of us grateful we had a few dollars we could share and seeing the
hard work most put into making us happy.
View from the Hotel Pool
We met our TO in her room that first evening to sign up for
our classes at the festival. Being
able to sign up this way, with our TO doing the leg work of registering each of
us while we went off on our tour the next day is a wonderful time savings, and
greatly appreciated. We didn’t
have to stand in the long lines at the registration tables the morning of the
festival opening to register for workshops/classes – which I have heard from
everyone can be totally hair raising.
Be forewarned, if no one has told you, the Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival
holds a $300.00 minimum for classes (well they did for 2008 per our TO). As in you do not get to take only one
workshop, but are required to spend at least $300.00 in order to attend “any”
workshop session. But once you
start looking at the lists of instructors, it really isn’t hard to get to that
amount – actually with master classes you can quickly achieve it and beyond.
So, with our schedules done, and leaving ourselves a free day, and on a few
other days just one or two workshops, we were ready to Rak.
To Dance or Not to Dance (Always Say Yes to Dance)
This is also where we were told not to bother to sign up to
dance. HOLD ON NOW, WHAT????? Yes, that’s right, we were told we
would be lucky to get a spot and be on before 2 or 3 in the morning and by then
we would just be dancing to the banquet hall staff. We were also told it was chaotic, un-organized, and
more. Now, of course it is my
choice to do what I want, but this was said with such emphasis, and force that
most of us simply gave up and gave in.
Shame on me for that – really I have to take responsibility for this
one. I don’t normally let someone
else dictate my life (okay, so my job and an ex husband for a short time) so
why for this? Sadly, Zaina and
Oberon went all the way to Egypt and DID NOT DANCE. By the time we realized the mistake it was too late to get a
spot. Other friends who attended
the festival – with other tours, had their dance spots, and several were on
before midnight, a few well before 10pm.
I can’t even put into words how I feel at this slight and I am probably
angrier and myself than anyone else.
My side bar caveat is that I don’t believe for one second,
dancing in Egypt would add credibility to my resume surely it does not make me
a better dancer – not that 10 minutes. BUT, the opportunity was there, to dance, in Giza, in Egypt,
and based on bad advice rather than my own gut instinct, I passed it up. SHAME on me. So, if you go, and there is the opportunity to dance at the
festival, my best advice is, please, just do it.
Wedding Parties
As we were headed back to our room, we heard the first of
what was to be many wedding celebrations during our stay - - all in the
lobby. Some nights there were 3 or
more of these wedding celebrations, complete with Zeffa (minus the belly
dancer), were done one right after another. The music incredible and the bride, groom and wedding party
decked out in some of the most incredible garments I have ever seen at a
wedding. It was so wonderful to
end our days watching these celebrations of commitment and life as the wedding
party took turns dancing and enjoying the moment. Did I already say the music was spectacular?
So, there we were, about 11pm, day 1, paperwork completed,
hotel room set up, and ready to hit the sand running.
(Next segment:
The Great Pyramids of Giza, Spank Me, Shopping in the Khan and Bring on
the Water – Day Three and Four)
