Cairo - Rekognoszieren

January 2022

Full Immersion into the Egypten Culture and check out the possibilities to stay six month and learn arabic. Read more

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Egypt
Switzerland

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2.8kkilometers traveled

Flight2,801kilometers
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Nomadin Cairo - Rekognoszieren
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- Jan 12, 2022
- ⛅ 0 °C
- Altitude: 261 m
- Switzerland Basel Matthäus Rheinbad Sankt Johann 47.567493, 7.57955247°34’3” N 7°34’46” E
Day 1
When again is the flight?
January 12, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
I've been to Egypt and Cairo in 2006 and the experience was not at all pleasant. Telling this Umna, a cousin of my friend Nadja I met in Switzerland, she commanded that she must correct  this experience and invited me to come see her.
We also had one of these immediate connections.

I've been wanting to learn Arabic since I was 20 years old.

1. Attempt in 1982 in Jerusalem. At the time the best University to learn Arabic. Could not go - my father who had to fund me did not think of this Idea as the brilliant Idea I thought it was.

2. Attempt 2005 in Damascus. Had everything ready. VISA, school, Family stay - then the situation became difficult in Syria. Did let it go.

3. Attempt will be October 2022

So I'm going to see my new friend Umna and her family. Immerse in local culture and make plans for October.

Who knows me, knows that on all my travels several mishaps happen - mostly me being clumsy, unaware, forgetful... Missing flights, showing up with ID instead of passport at the airport, loosing important stuff like passport, ending up in Hospital and more of it.

I am also very bad at orientation - a friend of mine always wonders how I can travel the world with such a bad sense of orientation, even google maps can't help me... yeah, but I get to talk to a lot of people because asking direction and obviously also get into a lot of adventures because their direction is approximately or just wrong to save face.

This time it almost happened before I even left. I thought of my travel date Wednesday the 13.1.2022. Knowing me I took a good look at my ticket... what???
The 13. is on Thursday? Why???

Pffff.

I'm very excited to go. Also, it has been 6 month I came back from my last travel. Torture for my soul and spirit.

Talk soon!
ClaudiaRead more
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Nomadin Cairo - Rekognoszieren
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- Jan 14, 2022, 4:37 PM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 118 m
- Egypt Giza Ajrān al Fūl 29.975115, 31.05026229°58’30” N 31°3’1” E
Day 3
Cairo - 21'000'000 humans beings!
January 14, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Cairo is the second largest urban agglomeration in Africa (behind Lagos). The largest in the Arab world and the Middle East.
The he sixth-largest in the world.. 21.3 Million inhabitant. WOW.

When Umna picked me up at the airport I asked how long the commute would be. She said two hours. I thought she joked. She did not!

Umna lives with her husband. The second of her daughters just got married and moved out. Children live with their parents until they marry, no matter the age or gender.

When a man and a woman marry the who pays what is set.
The parents of the bride pays for the engagement party, the parents of the groom pay for the wedding.
If the bride to be does not have a engagement party, the cost for the wedding are split.
The apartment/house is paid by the parents of the groom. Furniture, electrical appliances and everything else one needs down to the teaspoon are split.
In Cairo, everything has with a wire (electrical appliances) is usually provided by the parents of the groom. In the countryside its the parents of the bride:-).

In 1998 a genius business man with visions sold sand in the desert to interested parties. He decided to build homes in the desert. It was the first big gated community built in the desert. The plans existed only on paper, it was a dream, hence the name.
It was a crazy idea back then. Umna and her family moved in in 2005. Coming and going they drove through the desert.
It's very cold here. Although it's 10-15 degree, it feels like below zero. A cold which possesses your whole body down to the very last cell.

I had a long day, so going to bed early.

C.Read more
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Nomadin Cairo - Rekognoszieren
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- Jan 15, 2022, 1:48 PM
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- Egypt Cairo Coptic Cairo Sayyālat ar Rawḑah 30.007999, 31.219430°0’29” N 31°13’10” E
Day 4
Friday - it's the weekend!
January 15, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
It's Friday and it's the weekend here so Kamal, Umna's husband, came out with us.
We went to old Cairo and the markets.
Very colorful markets with spices, fabrics, jewelry and more. Men praising their goods, loud music, all very busy. People enjoy their off day with a stroll through the old town and an outing into restaurants.

Clothing-wise there is everything from whole covered women (burka) and man in their traditional galabeya to western clothing in jeans and t-shirts for both men and women.
Also not all women cover their hair.

Besides old Cairo we visited, a Derwish tempel (Sufi religion, a branch of the Islam) and two mosques. I love the outlay, the artwork, the lightening in the mosques. Stunning. The energy is very good, soothing. I find that in places where there have been prayers for many centuries the energy usually is very soothing and peaceful.

I'm very fortunate because Kamal is a famous Egyptian director of photography and documentary films. You will notice the pictures are very good. Credit goes to Kamal!

I bought a amethyst and had it made into a ring. The amethyst was six dollars, the silver and the making 45 dollars. I love the ring.Read more
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Cairo - Rekognoszieren

When again is the flight?

Cairo - 21'000'000 humans beings!

Friday - it's the weekend!