July 30^th, Friday

This morning was a catch-up time. Kathy was grading papers, and I was sitting outside on deck 7 listening to the Friday call to prayers. They use PA systems in the minarets. Friday noontime prayers are the most important of the week and the call to prayer is more elaborate and prolonged. 1/2 hour of the chanted call followed by a sermon. Some of the mosques broadcast the sermon. I could hear a few pretty well intermittently as the breeze shifted one way or another.

We planned to get back to the Library of Alexandria by 17:00 for a planetarium show.  We did get there on time, but the show was sold out! We made a reservation for Saturday’s show and headed back along the corniche. We had made a tentative date to meet up with folks at the “Greek Club” next to the Qaitbay Citadel. We were hoping to find an ATM, get some cash, and grab a taxi. But we couldn’t find an ATM anywhere. Finally, after a long walk, hot and tired, we did see an ATM one block off the corniche, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier… and we did get cash, and we did catch a cab the rest of the way.

Cab hiring in many of these ports is a specific art. You have to negotiate a price, with the driver, in advance. You have to make sure you are quoting prices in the same currency, and that the fare is not per person. Experts recommend you exit the cab before paying and pay through the window so if there has been a misunderstanding you can choose to walk away.  This worked pretty well for us with few misunderstandings.

The Citadel is on the end of a thin peninsula at one end of the bay. The Greek Club is also on this peninsula and has a view of harbor beaches to the east, and of a waterfront park area to the west. As evening fell, and the city cooled off, families came to hang out near the water. Folks were flying kites, buying balloons for the kids, eating street vendor foods, and taking short rides aboard a few rowboats. There is a small bay with a narrow rocky entrance where the waves create some spray. The boats seemed to take the customers toward this entrance, close enough to get rocked by the waves and hit by some spray, and then back to safety.

None of our tentative fellow diners showed up so we had a peaceful dinner for two. We decided to try to walk back to the ship. It was probably about 1 mile and we “sort-of” knew the way. We walked past a fish market, and through a district with beaches on the right and restaurant-clubs on the left. Lots of people out. Gradually we ran out of major crowded streets and got into an area where it was more difficult to pick a direction. We wound up in a fairly busy very small crossroad and decided to try to catch a cab there. This we did after a short wait.

In each port the folks on the ship give out “green sheets”. A single-page two-sided paper stuffed with critical information such as the number of the consulate, the ships reception, which dean is on duty which days, their phone number…etc. One of the things they put on the green sheet is the location of the ship written in the local language. I typically show the driver this and ask if he can take us there. This driver says yes, but has to slows ask for directions from some guys sitting on a step. That seems to work though and we are on our way. We get back to the ship exhausted.

Thursday, July 29^th.

Thursday morning we boarded busses for the ride to Giza.  Giza was once a small peasant village adjoining the pyramid field. Now it is part of Cairo as the two grow towards each other. There are 3 main pyramids at Giza in which were interred three successive pharaohs, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. While Egypt has uncovered well over 100 pyramids, these are the most significant.

The ride from Alexandria to Giza is about 3 hours. Our bus deposited us in a parking area about 100 meters from the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still remaining. It is still the tallest pyramid in the world. (According to wikipedia, Great Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla is largest by volume).

So, they are impressive. It was hot-hot-hot, and you are standing on a rock plateau. And these monuments are BIG. And you try to imagine what they looked like when they were smooth, white limestone exteriors. And it is awesome, but you do have to think about the labor, and the reason. Making sure these leaders successfully get to the other world. But it would be better to build a just, sustainable, happy culture. And maybe that has happened. But it doesn’t last as long and is harder to see. So we think, maybe we should be building something like this. Hey, let’s build some playgrounds and hospitals.

Back on the bus. Now we head to a “country club” on the edge of the desert outside Giza. We hop into some 4-wheel-drive cars and BOUNCE out across the desert. This is meant to be fun-like-a-roller-coaster, but I was in the jump seats in the back and bouncing off the roof. I think it would have been a LOT more fun to drive a motocross bike out there! After the measured dose of bouncing we got out and were greeted by our camels and drivers. We mounted up and rode ½ hour back to the club. The camels were well behaved, the drivers were fine, and the length was about right. Long enough to enjoy the sand landscape but not too long in the sun.

After lunch we drove to Saqqara, a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser. Djoser’s funerary complex was built by the royal architect Imhotep. And if you haven’t seen Bubba Ho-tep , get it, see it.

OK Back on the bus. Back to the ship.

Wed, July 28^th

On Wednesday we visited Alexandria University. We were welcomed by Mrs. Magada Hafez who is the Director of Student Activities. She invited in student leaders Mahamed Mostafa and Ahmed Maher Abdelaziz who participated in some Q&A and then escorted us on a tour of the campus. During our tour we were lucky to be invited to observe a summer “scout” activity and to share a meal in a residence dining hall.  One of the most interesting aspects of our campus visit, the lunch was served on tin plates with individual sections for the different foods.  We were treated to olives, lamb, vegetables, rice, and ubiquitous pita bread.  The meal was great although several of the students (and Kathy) passed up the fresh watermelon out of an abundance of caution about safety of local foods.

Alexandria University is the 2^nd largest university in Egypt. It has an undergraduate enrollment of 175,000 and a graduate enrollment of 20,000. Only 8,000 students live on campus. Only 1,200 international students are enrolled. As you might expect from an institution this large, they have a very broad array of programs. They are organized into “Faculties” analogous to our colleges:

Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Commerce

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Agriculture

Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Nursing

Faculty of Physical Education for Girls

Faculty of Fine Arts

Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha)

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Faculty of Tourism and Hotels

Faculty of Specific Education

Faculty of Kindergarten

Faculty of Sport Education for Men

High Institute of Public Health

Medical Research Institute

The University is run by a council, which is headed by the University President. The current president is Professor Hind Mamdouh Hanafy. Prior to assuming the presidency she served as Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Dean for Postgraduate Affairs and Research, Director Medical Education Center, in the Medical Faculty.

According to the CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html  about 30% of Egyptians are illiterate. Egyptian spending on education ranks 92 of 182 countries measured (USA is 57).  In GDP per capita, Egypt at $6000 ranks 134 of 227. (USA is 11 at $46,000).

Alexandria University is spread across several physical campuses in the city, and across several satellite campuses. One large campus housing many faculties is right next to the new Alexandria Library. Students can readily utilize all the physical and information resources of the library.

Thank you Mrs. Magada Hafez, Mahamed Mostafa, Ahmed Maher Abdelaziz  and all the others who made us so welcome!