Going back to my (not so distant) childhood...

As a youngster, I did a lot of productive things: I ate sand; I made the best monster faces around; and I had an incredibly complicated love/hate relationship with a cat. But perhaps most importantly, I led massive hordes of Mameluke armies against invading Crusader forces.

I am, of course, referring to Age of Empires II, the greatest computer game ever made, and perhaps the most significant contribution to historical education for adolescent males ever conceived. Not only was the game fun and entertaining, it provided the user with a wealth of detailed, factually-accurate, world history, from the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs to the expansion of the Mongol empire.

AoE II also allowed me to familiarize myself with some of the various civilizations of the Middle East, including the Persians, the Turks, and the Saracens. However, of the three, I had a certain affinity for the Saracens. Maybe it was because they relied a lot on camel units that made sweet camel noises when you clicked on them, or maybe it was due to the fact that their unique unit was called the Mameluke, which is probably the coolest word ever concocted. But I think what it really was was the captivating story of the famed Saracen general Salah al-Din (or Saladin if you prefer), the brilliant tactician who was essentially responsible for driving the Crusaders out of the Holy Land. The saga of Salah al-Din and his Saracen army really drew me into the mystique and the intrigue of the Arab world, sparking a fascination in the Middle East that has led to career and academic interests in the region, as well as the fact that I currently live in Cairo.

So today, I had the opportunity to turn my childhood AoE II experiences into reality. Well, not quite...I didn't get to decapitate any Templar Knights or siege the walls of Jerusalem. Instead, I visited the Salah al-Din Citadel of Cairo, an immense fortress that once served as the base of operations for Salah al-Din himself. Constructed in 1183, the citadel sits on a cliff overlooking Cairo, occupying a key strategic point from which to defend the city against Crusader assaults.

Now a days, the walls still stand, but inside are an assortment of building that weren't there in good ol' Salah al-Din's time. Among them is the Muhammad Ali Pasha mosque, named for the authoritarian statesman who wrested Egypt from Ottoman control and established a dynasty that would last until the Free Officer's revolution of 1952. The mosque is a towering, iconic structure that catches the eye from miles around. But unbeknownst to those who never venture inside its doors, the interior of the mosque itself is truly a sight to see...which, unfortunately, you won't, because my camera is a failure.

In addition to the mosques (there was another smaller one, the Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un Mosque), the Citadel also houses Egypt's National Military Museum. We were kind of rushed through, because apparently they close for an hour at noon, but there was a lot of highly interesting exhibits and information on Egypt's military history, both referring to Salah al-Din's time as well as the modern era. Also of note, the museum is situated in what used to be Muhammad Ali Pasha's harem. You learn something fun everyday. Click on this link to check out all the pictures from inside the Citadel, including the mosque and inside the museum.

The ramparts of the fortress also provided an exceptional opportunity for me to film a panoramic view of the megatropolis that is Cairo. Although the quality isn't exceptional, you can easily get a sense of two of the city's defining characteristics: the smog and the seemingly never-ending urban sprawl that extends as far as the eye can see. It goes on and on and on and on and on...

Click the picture to the left to watch the video and see what I mean.

Well anyway, visiting Salah al-Din's Citadel was a fantastic experience that really allowed me to harken back to good ol' days of my youth (in reality, I think I last played AoE II a few months ago). However, it was really quite fitting to visit a site where the historical figure who inspired me to take up an interest in the Middle East and eventually come to Egypt actually lived and went about his business. Kind of a karma or fate or destiny or one those thing moment.

But although the day ended on a poignant and reflective note, it didn't begin that way. Prior to the Citadel, a group of us AUCers went to Souk al-Gouma (the Friday Market). This market is like nothing you've seen before. Khan al-Khalilee and the others don't even compare. I won't get into details here, because it deserves a post of its own in the near future, but the place was a mad house. Anyway, we were making our way through and seeing if things appealed to us. Cow guts- not today. Pigeons, which we could buy live and kill ourselves- maybe tomorrow. Literal piles of broken electronics that were apparently worthy of resale- I'll take a rain-check. I did, however find something of high interest, something that had been alluding my brother and I for the past week: A Club Zamalek soccer jersey. I even utilized my Arabic and got the puppy down to an exceptional price of 20 pounds (under 4 dollars!). Boy, was I stoked!

After we'd seen enough at al-souk, we hailed a cab and headed to the Citadel. Maybe it was the excitement of seeing the fortress complex or maybe it was the polluted Cairo air finally taking a toll on my well-being. But for whatever reason I left my (or maybe William's? sorry) MN State Basketball Tourney drawstring bag in the taxi, losing out on the bag, a bottle of water, and the elusive jersey I had just had in my clutches.

Oh well. The net value of the water and the jersey was under 5 dollars, and the bag, while important on a nostalgic note, can be replaced. Even better, losing the jersey gives me an excellent reason to go back next week and explore the madness that is the Friday Market...stay tuned.

And now for the main event...

Since you started reading this blog, you've probably been wondering when I would just shut up and go to the Pyramids. Simply put, you can't go to Egypt without checking out the those big hunks of rock. The two go together like PB and J; The 4th of July and fireworks; my life and awkward moments...............err...anyway...

Well, truth be told, I was waiting for the arrival of two very special guests: my mother and my older brother, Christopher. They had already booked a two week trip to Israel in February, and when we knew that I would be in Cairo for the semester, they figured they'd stop by and visit me for a few days before heading up to the Holy Land. So, figuring I only wanted to go to the Pyramids once, I simply waited a couple weeks for them to get into Cairo.

Their flight got in this past Saturday. At about 6 pm, I ventured out to their hotel (the infamous Hotel Luna) in downtown Cairo to collect them. They had just gotten in, and hadn't seen any of the city, so for the first night, we decided to walk around the area, planning on eventually making our way back to Zamalek and my dormitory.

Right down the block from their accommodations was a bakery called Al Abd. And while I'm sure their pastries and baked goods were fantastic, that's not the reason they get a shout out in this blog. Here's why: they had the most amazing ice cream I've tasted in a good, long time. I'm not sure how much actual dairy was involved in its production, but the stuff was exceptionally flavorful and refreshing. The mango tasted like actual mango; the raspberry tasted like actual raspberries; and the snozberry tasted like actual snozberries (if you don't know that movie reference, please go yell at your parents for providing you with a deficient childhood). And to put the metaphorical cherry on top of this delicious dessert was the fact that we paid 3 LE (60 cents-ish) for each cone. Sorry Culver's, I've found a new favorite.

After Al Abd, our next stop was Zamalek, relatively simple one would think. After all, the island was directly west of our location at the time, and if we ever lost our way, we could simply use the Nile as a reference. Plus, I'd lived in Cairo for about 2 weeks, making me basically a native.

However, after wandering around for probably 2 hours without even a sniff of the Nile, let alone Zamalek, I kind of got the idea that we were a little bit lost. In truth, it probably wasn't the amount of time that had elapsed without making any real progress that clued us in. It was most likely the fact that people were setting things on fire in the middle of the street, or that packs of wild dogs were roaming around. I though I'd explored some of the shady areas of Cairo, but this was a new experience. Keep in mind that it was about 10 at night and we hadn't seen another white person in over 120 minutes, and you can understand why we were a bit unnerved. As my dear mother said, if we found ourselves in an equivalent area in the States, we'd be fearing for our lives.

Finally, we located the river- a good mile north of where we had intended to head. I don't know which was more personally devastating: the fact that I got lost in the first place or that my Arabic apparently wasn't good enough to get directions to something as general as النيل ("the Nile"). Nonetheless, the little excursion built some moral fiber and also gave my mom and bro a chance to see a side of Cairo they don't show you in the guide books. Plus, I got a photo-op with the locals.

Sunday, after school, I met mom and Christopher for Mass at the Catholic church a few blocks from the student housing. After Mass, we headed back to my dorm, intent on dropping some things off before heading out for dinner. However, the dorm was hosting a free "Welcome Dinner" for the new semester, so, being the cheapskates that we are, we stayed and feasted on fine Arabic cusine, while being entertained by a "talent show" that primarily consisted of some fairly impressive free-style rap.

After the dinner, we ventured back into downtown Cairo on foot again, avoiding the errancies of the last night, and arriving at Hotel Luna. We rested for a bit, and then I treated my visiting family members to a truly unique Cairo experience: Cafe Harea. My mother, apt in the observation department, described it as "the fringe of society."

We really weren't in a drinking disposition, so after a Stella a piece (my mom had an alcoholic free Amsetel), we caught a cab back to my dorm in Zamalek, just in time for The Game. What game you ask? Why the Super Bowl of course! Instead of paying a 100 pound cover charge to check out the clash between the Saints and the Colts and some fancy American hotel, we watched it in the comfortable lounge. However, the game wasn't as exciting as I thought it'd be. Maybe it was the fact that it started at about 2 am local time, or that we were deprived of the SB commercials, or that there were only 4 of us watching in a big room. Whatever the reason, I'd had enough after three quarters, and left with the Colts up 17 to 16. Hey, cut me some slack, I had to get up at 7:30 for school.

On Monday, we didn't do anything exceptionally exciting. We met at a classy establishment called Maison Thomas that specializes in pizza. Christopher and I each ate a large apiece, and afterward, I felt ready to explode.

Finally, what you've all been waiting for: the Pyramids of Giza. Our trip began at about noon. We caught a city bus from Tahrir Square bound for Giza and paid 50 piasters a piece (10 cents...and actually we didn't even pay 'cause this cool guy named Abdul did). About half an hour later, we were in Giza, with the Pyramid of Cheops looming up in front of us, with apparently no separation between it and the urban sprawl. After picking our way around the wall and avoiding Egyptians promising to give us a "great deal," we found the entrance, paid admission (30 pounds for me due to a student discount, 60 for my mom and brother), and headed on in.

Our first stop was the Sphinx, or أبو الهول (Abu al-Hol- the Father of Terror), as the Egyptians affectionately refer to the big cat. This cool little Egyptian kid came up to us and showed us how to get the right angle to get pictures that make it appear like you are kissing/punching/leaning on the Sphinx. At first we were a little wary of him, but he did an exceptional job, and didn't even ask for money when it was done, even refusing a tip. I wish I would've spent more time listening to his instruction and less time worrying about him stealing my camera.

After the Sphinx, we made our way to the main attraction, the Pyramid of Cheops. I'm not going to patronize you with a history lesson- go to Wikipedia for that. Let it suffice to say that the Great Pyramid is an awe-inspiring structure. When you consider that it was built about 4500 years ago, it leaves you dumbfounded. It was definitely pretty neat, but at the end of the day, it was just a big pile of rocks. And what do you do when confronted with a big pile of rocks? You climb it. There were guards around the pyramid, but they seemed more concerned with taking pictures with people then actually doing anything productive. And the backside of the pyramid was completely unsupervised. I climbed a decent way up, probably about 1/3 of the way up. That thing is steep! And treacherous- one false step, and you could easily lose your life. Here's a look at the view below:



Definitely not for those afraid of heights. A full scale climb may be in the works in the near future...

After we'd seen all we needed to see in Giza, we headed back downtown and ate at a classy kosheri place, where the highlights included Chritsopher hitting his head on the low hanging ceiling and Christopher attempting to steal a bowl from the restaurant. After dinner and some more Al Abd's ice cream, we headed to Hotel Luna for some rest and recuperation. With our batteries fully charged, we set out for the world famous bazaar, Khan al-Khalilee. And since we refused to take a cab, we of course took a rather round about route. At Khan al-Khalilee I: was followed around by an old man trying to sell me a carpet for half an hour; paid 8 pounds for a cup of tea (easily 8x what it really should've cost); and I made my first "touristy" purchase, a cool red and white keffiyeh, like a true desert sheik. When we were all worn out, we caught a cab back to my dorm in Zamalek and said our good-byes.

Although they were only in town for a few days, and I had seen them only a few weeks earlier, my mother and brother's trip was very well received. I love them very much and I'm very thankful they were able to come. Here's to them having a great time in Israel over the next two weeks.