Final Post From Egypt

I realize that if Gerhard posted the most interesting pictures from our trip, they would be total scenery and archeological sites. I, on the other hand, find the people the most interesting and since I'm doing the blog -- I am posting mostly people pictures. I said that I was very disappointed in Egypt because it was so dirty. I've never seen anything like it. But realizing that this country has been in political conflict, where the government was overthrown and they held elections by the people for the first time, I guess it's no surprise that the infrastructure is suffering. I did find the people friendly and inviting. I hope the new government can get this country off and running . . . for the sake of it's people.

I bought this bracelet from this little boy and he was so thrilled. I told him it was because he had such a great smile and he was a good salesman. Then he asked me if I'd buy all his bracelets for $20. Cute boy!

Coming Home!!

Egypt continued

Here's some more pictures of our tour in Egypt. We went to several interesting restaurants -- one of which I was invited to join in in making flat bread on the outdoor oven. I was a complete failure . . . it's alot harder than it looks!! We visited a rug factory where we saw a young girl weaving a silk rug. We also went to the National Museum, the National Mosque, the Coptic Church and a market.

Tour Guide showing us a Burial coffin

Egyptian Soliders

Papayra Making Explained

Burned Out Government Building From 2011 Uprising

Driving Around Giza

Giza is right next to Cairo. As we drove towards the pyramids, we got some pictures of local people and modes of transportation. It was early in the morning and many people were hauling produce to markets or going to their fields to work for the day.

Egypt

Like I said, we were very disappointed in our trip to Egypt. It was very dirty. The tour guide told us that the canal that ran through the city of Cairo and Giza was not used for water and so people dumped their garbage into it. It was a city inside a landfill. Very sad. It was hard to enjoy the sites. We visited the pyramids on a week-end day so it was very busy with locals, besides the tourists (not many), camels and horses! Always had to watch where you were walking . . . if you know what I mean!!

HOME!!

Gerhard got a phone call from his boss on Friday, January 11th, and said that he wanted to pull him off the project in Saudi and have him work on some things in the bay area, California. Gerhard was shocked and after he told me, we spent the rest of the day on the couch, just sitting there not sure how to feel. We had expected to be in Saudi at least another month or two! So on Saturday Gerhard got busy and made plane reservations. I told him we should see what we wanted to see in the Middle East because it was the last time I'd be traveling there!! So early Sunday morning, we drove to Bahrain and took a flight to Muscat, Oman. We were there for several days and then flew to Salalah. We rented a car there and spent the days driving all over. Had a great time. On Jannuary 17th we flew into Cairo, Egypt. We had two days of private tours there and got to see the pyramids, museaums, markets, etc. I was very disappointed. It was hard to enjoy the sites because there was so much litter everywhere. Our guide reassured us that we were safe there and the rioting was over, but they didn't drive us anywhere near where the rioting was the heaviest. Just on the other side of the National Museum, we saw the burned out government building from the 2011 rioting where President Mubarack was ousted. They had their first free elections in 2012 but many people are not happy with the newly elected President Morsi. So there are still protests and rioting. We felt safe enough though -- I kept my head covered and blended in. But we were glad to get on that plane and I don't know how many times I have said, "I am so thankful to have been born in the United States of America!!" Here's a few pictures from our trip to Oman. I will post pictures from Egypt soon. Muscat, Oman

Grand Mosque In Muscat

Taxi Driver

School Boys In Oman

Sultans Yacht & a Dhow

Salalah, Oman

Khori Rori

Nephi's Temple

Francensence Tree

Our View

We haven't done much traveling since we've been here in Saudi but just being here, living here in the Middle East, has given us a broader view of the world.  I guess the more one travels, the smaller the world is.  I never knew where Bahrain was until we lived here . . . or many other countries for that matter!  I spend alot of time listening to the world news  -- I always knew our world news was so limited but now I see even more why Americans don't know what is going on in the world.  I do love my country though and appreciate the freedoms that we have.  We are on a one-entry visa at the moment, which means if we leave Saudi, we can't get back in.  So we won't be going anywhere on the week-ends . . . not even to drive to Bahrain.

Our goal before we leave though is to fly to Oman and specifically to see Salalah, which is on the southern coast.  We will have to fly to Muscat first and then to Salalah.  This is the tropical area and different than much of the other sandy, desert areas near Saudi.  Here's a map of the region.