Sailum aleikum ("Peace be with you"): Greetings from Egypt!
Cairo American College, a K-12 school in Egypt, has been happy to be one of the sites on Journey North. The school has 1300 students from 55 different countries, about half are American. The school has a beautiful campus filled with flowers and trees, complete with a swimming pool, several gymnasiums, a theater and library. I am a teacher from Connecticut, USA, living for my 7th year in Egypt.
Where I live - and where the school is located - is a very green area just to the south of Cairo, along the Nile River, called Ma'adi. There are lots of trees - flowering now - from around the world. It's hard to believe that it only rains a few days a year when you see all the flowers and plants, but everything is kept alive by being watered. It is possible to buy a dozen roses for about $1 US and fresh fruits and vegetables are very reasonable.
The sun shines almost every day and in the summer it is very hot during the day. But in the winter it can feel quite chilly with the temperature down to the 40's (F>) at night and up to 60 F. during the day.
Egypt is, of course, best known for its ancient civilization. The number of tombs, temples and artifacts found here is incredible, with more being discovered all the time. When you consider how many are in museums and collections throughout the world, the amount is mind-boggling. Tourists have always come to Egypt. On the tombs, there is ancient Greek and Roman writing where visitors carved their names. The pyramids were already 2000 years old when the Greek civilization was flourishing. Millions of tourists visit here each year and the economy depends upon them.
People always want to see the pyramids and the most famous are the ones in Giza. But there are actually 97 pyramids in Egypt. Giza is just across the Nile from us here in Ma'adi. People like to rent beautiful Arabian horses from one of the many stables in the area and ride near the pyramids. Or you can choose to ride a camel.
Kent Weeks, who lives in Ma'adi, recently discovered a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings, right near the tomb of Tutenkamunn (King Tut). It is now the largest tomb ever discovered and there is still a lot of excavation to be done. It seems to have been built for the 55 sons of Ramses II, a long- reigning pharoah of Egypt. More discoveries will come from this tomb.
But there are other treasures in Egypt as well. One of its wonders today is the fantastic coral reefs in the Red Sea. By wading overshore, you can snorkel with fish of every color and shape. It is amazing!
Egypt today is mostly a Moslem country. Arabic is the main language but many people speak some English or French. Egyptians are a very hospitable and friendly people, since they have been welcoming visitors for so many years. In spite of the recent terrorist shooting, we feel very safe here as there is not much crime and most people are shocked by such events.
I hope someday you can join the millions of tourists and visit Egypt for youself. Perhaps you'll travel to all of the mystery sites! I hope you've had fun on Journey North.
Maasalama! ("With peace" = Goodbye)
Lois Main
e-mail: loismain@auc-acs.eun.eg
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