Since floating on that king sized collection of heavenly clouds last night, I ended up and ready to go at 6 am! So after repacking everything, and closing the door on that side of my suitcase I went to hunt down breakfast! I’m now writing outside waiting for the Nubian museum to open at 9 am.
But because I started off this trip on a queasy foot I finally want to talk food!
Breakfast—everywhere I have stayed, it is always buffet (catering to Egyptian/middle eastern, European, Asian, sometimes American—to hilarious results).
European mainly means the English, tea, English cakes, toast, eggs, various sausages and added pastries.
Asian was interesting to me because imho it mainly looked like Chinese lunch food a lot of cold salads and chicken and fried rice (but I am completely ignorant when it comes to Asian breakfast customs to be honest). But even the smallest places had Asian breakfast to order in-room and at the buffet. So I am assuming obviously huge tourism.
American was hilarious at different places: here it means donuts and beef bacon. Someplace else it was cereal. In other places it was cheese. Once my head gets fully awake I’ll remember more—but almost every day—whether I was eating or not—I giggled at the “American” offerings.
But Egyptian/middle eastern is my favorite. They always have an extensive yogurt/nuts/honey/fruit section. There is always a sliced meats and cheeses section along with falafel, Baba ghanoush, and sauces, dates and all sorts of fruit. There are the pastries which are unique to me (seasame flavor, pistachio, etc) something akin to baklavas, etc. But my favorite part are the juices. They grow all the fruits here… so every morning it’s a choice between mango, strawberry, lime, lemon, orange, carrot, pomegranate, cucumber, and hibiscus (which I think is a tea but it’s always with the juices cold not drinking because water). Sometimes they mix them together and call them “superfood” or whatever marketing crap is in this month about basic fruits. But damn are they good. I’ve only been solid a few days now but I’m catching up for lost time (not really). I can only eat what I can so I take a bite of everything and see what I can finish. But needless to say the food is amazing. Except their pizza. They have it everywhere and last night due to pricing that’s what I ordered from room service. They try. They do. Flavorless sauce, cheese with some herbs, on doughy, undercooked crust. But it was good enough that I’m not hungry anymore. But it was not good.
Okay, gonna go look through a museum now and then fly back to Cairo!
Nubian Museum:
I actually hadn’t had any flight delays until today and today it was only 30 minutes. I mean it’s time not spent doing shit but my outing today to the Nubian museum was fantastic but two dudes followed me back to the hotel talking at me the entire time, so that is the only downside of traveling alone. I mean even if someone else was with me they may have done the same thing but I wouldn’t have felt as freaked about it I guess.
Generally, I think this is the appropriate duration of my time here in general. I would’ve switched things up a little differently in planning (fly out of Aswan instead of Cairo). Regardless, I have had a phenomenal time and am so lucky to have been able to do this—and at half off too! I love a good deal. 🙂
Speaking of a good deal, I’m back at just a normal Hilton, the flight back was uneventful except for the 45 minute wait for bags. 🙂
Tony was texting me that someone else was picking me up and then he surprised me. So that was fun to not have another awkward Arabic/English never-ending pantomime. Since it took so long for the bag he dropped me off and I’m going to grab food and take a shower and maybe walk around downtown Cairo and pass out.
Tomorrow is a long-ass day! 9 am I’m going to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. When I’m done there Nasar and I are driving 4 hours to Alexandria. I will spend the entire day there and when we drive back, he will drop me off at the hotel to pick up my bags, and then Tony’s driving me to the airport and I will start my journey home! 🙂
I am having so much fun but I cannot wait to cuddle with my animals in my own bed! 🙂
a bitter monkey travels 