Oh yeah!, I forgot...

Bidet!

Imagine having a crap, and one minute later being as sparkling clean as if you had just had a shower on a sunny spring morning.

Now imagine having a crap and smearing it around with toilet paper. I need say no more.

I will have a bidet if I ever own my personal residence again.

And if the subject ever comes up in polite conversation and I am asked if I still do it like a caveman, I will respond, "Yes, but only if there is no access to a bidet!", "Hellooo?!".

Final post from Egypt

Time to come home...

But first I'll wrap up the last couple days.

After seeing so many heiroglyphs, I am becoming somewhat proficient at decifering them.

I am pretty sure the fellow on the left is saying
"Step away from me with that thing!",
to the fellow on the right.

And I think someone that helped rebuild Luxor temple was having some fun with us.

What's wrong with this picture?

After Luxor it was off to Dahab for rest and relaxation. I just hung out, with peeps I had met on the journey. Did 2 dives at "The Islands" and "Rick's Reef".

From Dahab I went to Mount Sinai for the Sunrise. It was worthy enough that I created a webpage of the event.

Then back to Cairo for 2 days of good cheer before I come home.

A week in pictures

Aswan to Luxor, felucca, temples, tombs, and hot air balloon.

Know your role

Before I came to Egypt, I used to think that women in burka's were either coerced or fanatics.

I remember arrogantly thinking that I wasn't afraid of any man who couldn't deal with having women unfettered.

After two weeks in Egypt I don't sense any coersion. The country is overwhelmingly muslim, but not exclusively. I have met many christians too.

The muslim women almost invariably wear some form of scarf, and then every permutation from bland scarf to colorful, short to long, with clothing provocative to formless, all the way to burka.

I have come top see the burka as a symbol of respect. That goes both ways. Invariably the women in burka's aren't the down trodden, but the proudest, and often the best groomed and most alert.

I need to get out more.

But is it safe in Egypt?

I can say without question after having wandering into the bowels of 20 cities, towns and villages from the north to south of Egypt that when and Egyptian first sees a stranger his/her first thought is "Welcome!"

Egyptians are friendlier than you. Yes, you, the person reading this.

Ask yourself what your first thought is when you see a stranger?

I am more welcomed everywhere by everyone here, that I am in my own country.

In every mosque. In every dark alley. In every encounter.

It is impossible to walk by a young person without receiving a Hello. Every person regardless of age or manner of dress, from fully western to traditional to full burka has a ready smile and an open invitation.

Ask youself what kind of society you live in. I do.