Cairo, Egypt
My trip to Egypt's capital
Over the past year, I have spent my time in Egypt's capital, Cairo. I stayed with my host family in their apartment, attended a nice school, and snacked on wonderful Egyptian finger foods. Americans may have no clue how Egyptians are, but in Cairo at least, they are not that different from us. They have school, stores, fun tourist attractions, anything you would expect from a large city in Egypt or even the U.S. They are, if you didn't know for some reason, people just like us. Stereotypes and views on Egyptians vary from killers to people wearing fake beards and headdresses. The former may be in effect from the attacks by terrorist groups, including al Qaeda. There have been many reports of attacks in Egypt by terrorists causing the country's army to fight back. Much unrest occupies the Sinai Peninsula as Egypt's army has been trying to crack down on militant groups for more than a year. In the article, "Over 700 Houses Destroyed in Rafah to Create 'Buffer Zone'", it is explained how a buffer zone was created on the Eastern border with the Palastinian Strip. Civilians were evacuated to create this zone as attacks continue. The latter comes from the ancient Egyptians; pharaohs that used to rule the land that led to my first topic from my trip. The pyramids.
Giza Necropolis
The Pyramids of Giza. They are situated near the southwestern suburbs of Cairo. These are indisputably the top attraction in Egypt. The pyramids at Giza were built over the span of three generations. They were built by Khufu, his second son Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is a magnificent 139 meters (455 feet) high making it the largest pyramid in Egypt.
Passport
This is my U.S. passport. I was not ready when they took the picture so I look a little weird.
Grocery shopping
Grocerie stores are not that different from ours. They have the normal things people need for food. Nothing outrageous.
Shoprite (grocery store) helps you shop right!
A little bit of Egyptian money
Egyptian pounds
My host family's car.
Egyptians have cars just like us. They even have really fancy ones such as this BMW.
Passport II
This is my second passport. I did not like my picture so I got a new one with a new picture. I am not sure that it is any better.
Apartments
Egyptians in Cairo, poor and wealthy, mainly live in apartments including my host family. We have lots of apartments in America. This is where I stayed.
Postcards from Egypt
These are postcards with Egypt's greatest attractions, mainly the pyramids.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
The Egyptian Museum right in the middle of downtown Cairo in Tahrir square. This historic museum holds many important ancient artifacts from Egypt.
The International School of Egypt
This is the school I attended in Cairo. It is a school that offers education from Pre-K to high school. It includes music, pe, and many other "normal" activities that a school would have. Many after school activities are available including arts and crafts, Zumba, debate, and much more.