CHAPTER 6. EGYPT CONT.

At Cairo we transfer to a bus and travel on to Alexandria thru the Nile delta. There is heavy traffic leaving Cairo but a divided four lane highway makes the trip fast. We stop at one of many stands along the highway to buy oranges. The land is flat and open and some plots are quite large with many citrus orchards.

We stay at the Palestine Hotel which had been used for guests at the nearby palace of King Farouk. It is elegant, but old and poorly maintained; rugs and furniture are not clean and nothing much works right. We have an excellent supper with soup, fish, & veal courses, as well as a birthday cake for one of the group. Lisa and Fattah bring their 5 year old daughter, Mawa, who enlivens the party.

There is a bus tour in the morning. We are disappointed that the famous museum is closed for renovation, but we see the Roman catacombs, the Pillar of Pompeii, and the only Roman theater found in Egypt. It was discovered in 1926 and is in excellent condition. We go to the Cecil Hotel for a drink of good Egyptian Veille Recole brandy before driving along the coast road, which follows the curve of the Mediterranean. High rise buildings line the city side of the road. After several miles past the Palestine Hotel we arrive at a fish restaurant on a side street. We have one kilo (weight includes heads) of large shrimp for each two people and a salad and drinks. That makes an excellent lunch before returning to the hotel about three P.M.

We eat another very good meal, in the Coffee Shop this time, since the Rotary International is meeting in the dining room.

On our last day in Alexandria the group is taken to downtown and turned loose to walk around as one likes. We meet later at the Cecil Hotel and are escorted to a native Arabic restaurant for lunch. It is different, but good. We return to the hotel for rest and supper.

The bus trip to Cairo is via the desert road. There are many large farms along the way; most using rainbird type overhead irrigation. At a half way rest stop a young couple with a baby hitches a ride to Cairo because their car was overheating; he works for an AID water project. We go to the Bel Air Hotel high in a quarry, where stones for the pyramids had been produced. After a rest and a brandy, we go up to a good chicken and ratatouille dinner served family style.

In the morning we go by bus to visit Islamic Cairo. First to Mohammed Ali Mosque; very large with beautiful ceilings. Then to Sultan Hassam Mosque with the Shah of Iran Mausoleum. On to Ibid Saloon Mosque, from the 9th century, and the adjacent old Islamic residence with lattice windows so women could see, but not be seen.

We go to the Kahn Al Khalili market for a native shish kabob lunch and some shopping. The family style dinner at the Bel Air Hotel is good; two artichokes each, lamb, cauliflower, and potatoes. After supper we all go to Fattah’s room for farewells.