Travel: A trip to Cairo

YOU (Katrina A. Holigores)

“You have a beautiful eyes!” No, this was not some grammatically incorrect compliment during a romantic date, but rather an attention-drawing yell thrown at me and a friend as we walked through the Khan El Khalili in Cairo. . . .

Seriously there are no price tags, so even a bottle of Coke is subject to a buy and sell argument. In the end (if you have the patience) the shopper and shopkeeper think they “won.” All’s fair in love, shopping, and “friend” pricing.

This is not a shopping story (although it certainly is a no-miss experience if you ever find yourself in Cairo), but rather an essay on a travel dream come true. Since I could remember, I suppose from reading “Tintin” comic books as a child, I have had a fascination for Egypt.

It seemed like such a surreal place to visit; so mysterious, so ancient, and almost caricature. (Yes, based obviously on comic book depictions.) I remember in one particular Asterix and Obelisk adventure they made a parody on how the nose of the Sphinx was destroyed. I later found out it was an act of defiance by a lone vigilante when I finally saw the Sphinx for myself. I remember standing in front of it and just saying to myself, “Wow.” It was more than I expected for some reason, in spite of the the seemingly endless stream of tourists surrounding it—and the broken nose, it had an almost regal quality.

See the above page for the full story.