After being nearly 12 years away from Home, I had a lot of catching up to do. I had left Egypt before the Revolution, and much in my outer/inner life had changed since then. Which is to say, I was not the same, nor was Egypt.
As the Ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus wisely put it: You can never step into the same river, twice.
And, speaking of The River, my first breakfast back home was overlooking the Nile, where I had spent so many wonderful days, sailing up and down, when I lived there :)
Before heading off sight-seeing --to the museum or market-- we would have a breakfast of champions which, come to think of it, was not too dissimilar to what I'd been eating during my stay in Colombia :
I'm happy to say that the joy of returning home after so long far outweighed the shock. It was a thrilling, impression-rich trip! Most of the time, it felt like packing 3 days into one—so that by the time I hit the sack, I was blissfully incoherent.
Here are photos to give you a flavor of the place:
Yes, it's lunchtime, already, and it's deeelicious! Feast your eyes on this spread!
Aside from the pleasure of showing off our many splendid sights to my wife, as it was her first visit, it was heart-warming spending quality time with family and meeting up with old friends I hadn’t seen in ages.
At the famous Khan el Khaleeli bazaar, in Cairo, one is transported back in time. This old market is the best place to buy souvenirs/gifts, such as the ones below.
Piece of advice from a local: Never give them the first price they ask for; bargaining is expected!
But, really, what's a trip to Egypt, if you do not pass by the pyramids and sphinx to pay your respects? So, off we went, for a camel ride around one of the world's wonders.
Much gratitude goes to my young cousins, who were gracious, generous and well-informed tour guides around the historic sights ✌🏼
Here is a poem that I wrote for Cairo:
I hope you've enjoyed this virtual tour of my Motherland, vicariously, and that you might consider one day visiting the Cradle of Civilization.
Peace 🙏
Absence diminishes commonplace passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and kindles fire.
―La Rochefoucauld