Fallucca Ride

..on the Nile.

I guess we had perfect conditions,

a light breeze,

calm water.

Perfect for me at least,

who is not a fan of to much movement

of the wet element.

Fallucca..

an Egyptian traditional sailboat

with no engine.

Used on these waterways

for thousands of years.

Checking out the banks,

I couldn't help thinking

of the story of Moses in the basket...

Other boaters

were grossing the river,

this one,

a passenger boat.

Another,

 a little further away.

Great day,

great company

and beautiful surroundings.

Can't ask for much more...

Thanks!

Breathtaking

The Citadel,

a small city inside these solid walls.

There are several Mosque's inside.

This one is called Mohamed Ali Mosque

and is the largest in the Citadel.

The Mosque is dark and quiet inside.

Every little piece is handcrafted,

everything you see is a piece of art.

The largest dome seen from the inside.

My pictures are not that good,

so for more and better pictures,

go to this link.

Here is a sense of something
larger than life,
at least that is what I feel...

 

Not being a Muslim myself
I can feel this is Holy ground,
and we take our shoes off...

As we get outside  again,
we get a peek of parts of Cairo.

It is a very large city,
lots of people living very tight together.

With dust and pollution in the air
our view is a bit hazy.

Maybe I will be able to show some knitting soon.

My yarn has still not arrived,

and I am about to get with drawl.

In the mean time I will play tourist.

Learning about

and settling into a different culture

can be a fantastic experience.

I am also sure of

that if one do not look around with 

open eyes and and a positive attitude,

the experience will feel different.

  

Some of these pictures was shot

in March this year.

A sharp eye will notice that

the farmer on the corner are selling oranges.

Now in August it is the mangoes

that are in season.

The pictures are randomly taken

from the window of a car,

as we were heading towards the pyramids.

A lot of activities everywhere,

a strong sense of a people

working hard to make a living.

We crossed the Nile,

and we actually stopped in mid-traffic,

 on the bridge,

to get some pictures.

The Nile delta is very green,

and I learned that

the dirt is great for farming here.

As we get more familiar with our surroundings,

I will come back with more pictures.

For right now this is possibly

my favorite outside restaurant so far.

I am looking forward to

our next visit here.

Chicken grilled outside...

and the very best bread you can imagine!

 Thanks for visiting!

Shukran!

Cairo....

...we are here!

After lots of planning and preparing,

we landed safe and sound in Cairo, Egypt.

I am very exited

to have this opportunity,

and to be able to 

experience history this close up.

 

We are surrounded by 

the flavor of a different culture,

beautiful friendly people,

and a fast moving traffic...

If we pay attention
we might also spot a camel or two..

I laid my eyes on this pretty blanket,
and managed to get a quick picture
as we passed bye.

Thanks to a good friend 

we have already visited
a series of interesting places.

Wool, with cotton backing

My favorite today was a visit to a Carpet School.

I got to see how these intricate

and beautiful rugs are made,
and the expert showed me how to tie the knots.

These wall hangings are all made
without pattern.
They are created by the textile artist
as he/she weave them on the loom.

Close up off the above master piece

It was hard not to spend all your savings here,

especially after viewing the silk rugs.

Silk yarn and backing.

I was told they have 1 million knots

in a square meter!

Well, I just arrived,

so I am sure I can get back here 

another time...

 Silk

If nothing else I will have to show 

potential guests around, right? 

It has been a good day,

and as an extra bonus,

Norway just took Olympic Gold 

in woman's team handball!

Congratulations to them,

and good night!