Saturday, October 17

Today we woke up late! We did make our way out of the apartment to see the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the oldest mosque in Cairo. It was an incredible space. I gave the foot cover man 5 LE and off we shuffled off. The place was huge.Not really used extensively as a mosque but WOW, what a place. We got to climb the minaret, the only one of its kind with the spiraling form. And that was an experience. While there, we met a young girl Salema and her father visiting Egypt from Saudi Arabia. He was a mechanical engineer. We talked about the problem with the black cloud of Cairo and pollution and the possible solutions. Salema was so cute, in her last year of high school. She wants to pursue a degree in art but her father is into medicine or engineering. Her sister is a pharmacist and her mother's side of the family have some artists. I took her email address down so I can help advise her and her father thanked me. I seem to be adopting more and more children these days. Spreading goodwill around the world.

Again,the photos from today were really good. We were hungry but I wanted to take the kids into the Khan Tulun - a shop where there are good prices, lots of handicrafts and less insane than the Khan Khalili. Chris and Katie managed to buy some presents and even Dominique got some things, postcards mainly. Earlier today, I bought a fold old laminated map of the Western desert from the mini Diwan's bookshop at the Marriott Hotel. The kids needed more money and I figured I would take out a little more.

We have vowed to get up early tomorrow at least by 9 am so we can go to Nafeza papermaking shop in the Fostat area, from there to the Tentmakers Bazaar and then finally to Khan Khalili. Also tomorrow night is the boat ride down the Nile. So many things to see, too little time. Monday is the day to go to Saqqara for the Stepped Pyramid and tombs of Nobles as well as maybe Dashur for the Red pyramid. I have to call Mohamed the taxi driver to remind him. More bargaining for the drive. But so worth it. Signing off for now as I want to get to Diwan's. I had Katie go with Dominique and Chris and I will follow.