Eight Days’ Bliss

In my few but arguably experience-rich years, there are scarce times I have been as excited as I was on December 25^th, 2014. My teachers and classmates had been planning the annual 8^th grade school trip to Italy for months and my parents, much to my despair, had informed me that I wouldn’t be able to travel due to financial issues. Of course I was miserably despondent, but I was well aware of the severity of the problem (or so I thought) so I didn’t argue much. As it turns out and as I found out on Christmas day last year, my parents had been secretly planning to send me all along! I was beyond myself with exhilaration. After what seemed like a million conversations with my friends about how much fun they were going to have, who they were going to room with, and how excited they were, I could finally, finally join in their happiness. In what felt like days but was actually five months, I was packing my bags and kissing my aunt goodbye.

I’m very lucky to be blessed with amazing friends who shared my excitement with me. I was auspiciously sat next to two of them on the airplane ride to Rome. I could barely sit still as we eagerly anticipated the trip’s events. After the plane touched down the first thing I did was inhale the fresh, crisp air. I love Egypt and all, but I read once that living in its capital as we do is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Frankly, I don’t find it hard to believe. You could just feel the difference between Cairo Int. Airport and Fiumicino Airport. Not just in the cleanliness of the air, but in the vitality. Something that my mother has influenced me in is the belief in spiritual energy. As much as I love my home country, the dynamism there becomes really exhausting after a while. In Italy it was as if there’s an aura of elegance, grace, and the abundant buzz of excitement, which probably came from my classmates. We eventually got on a bus to Florence and sat through the next few hours looking forward to the next week’s happenings. We got to sightseeing right away and stopped by a marvelous marble statue that overlooks what seems to be the entire city. It was absolutely gorgeous, to say the least. As I paused for ice cream with my friends and looked out over the mossy green of endearing Italian streets and various churches and monuments, I could tell in that moment that this was going to be one of the best trips of my life.

Over the next few days we saw numerous testimonials to Italy’s timeless beauty and charm. We were hardly in the same city for more than a day or two, so it was like we were constantly on the move to a new, exciting place. We visited Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Vatican City, and Sorrento. Personally I think traveling is one of, if not the best, life’s greatest gifts to offer, so I didn’t mind being to so many places in a short period of time. I’ve been to quite a few places with my family before but I’d never been to Italy. My first time there exceeded my expectations by miles, and I knew I had high standards. We saw breathtaking places like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, and of course Vatican City and its museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Isle of Capri was probably my favorite place just because the view was so gorgeous. We swam and laughed a lot that day, and I couldn’t have imagined it working out better. I’m not much of a tourist per say (I enjoy people-watching and appreciating the modern culture more than visiting historical monuments) but I thoroughly enjoyed literally every single place we had the pleasure of visiting.

As most people notice right away, I am a very quiet person. I genuinely don’t like that word; I prefer the term observant. Quiet implies that I have nothing to say. Au contraire, I have many things to say about the things I feel passionate about, one of which is listening. As ironic as it sounds, I could write an essay about how much I love to listen to people. Especially when I’m in a foreign place, one of my favorite pastimes is sitting somewhere full of people, opening my journal to a blank page, and just listening. I’m not much of an artist but I like to doodle when I hear people speak, so I allow my thoughts to lead my hand and draw whatever comes to mind. Strangely, on this trip my sketches were a bit different than usual. I happen to be a dark character: usually my drawings are found gruesome to my mother and disturbingly negative to my sisters. However in Italy I found myself drawing things that genuinely made me feel happy. Flowers, dogs, cups of coffee, families, and books are some of the things I discovered I had drawn. I think this means that I was more content and satisfied with my week in Italy than I am most of the time at home, which is kind of sad but at the same time opened my eyes to new opportunities and possibilities. That’s exactly what I love about traveling; it expands your horizon to things you weren’t aware you could even do. I do very much enjoy being alone but as far as the people I traveled with, they were all great. There was some drama (much less than the previous years, thankfully) but for the most part everyone got along and had an amazing time. I truthfully couldn’t have asked for better companions on this journey.

Overall, this trip has been one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life. I know this is not simply one of those things that you appreciate in the moment then forget about later; I know this trip to Italy will stick with me until I grow old. On this trip we’ve laughed, we’ve learned, we’ve cried, and we’ve matured. I think that was the most important thing for us in the long run. We’ve all learned much not just from the tour guides and our chaperones, but also from each other and from ourselves. It’s been a journey of self-exploration and development, of laughter and song, of love and hate. I’m rarely at a loss for words when I write, but this trip simply cannot be summed up in a few paragraphs. Luckily we took photos that are still nowhere near capturing the essence of Italy’s gifts to us, but are close enough that we can try to remember later on when we look back at this trip. Already I have a Polaroid of my friends and I in Capri placed in my wallet so I can keep it in my memory forever. It’s been less than a week and my friends and I are already nostalgic, which I think really shows how much of an impact this trip has had on us. We’ve definitely changed for the better, and I am beyond grateful for being able to travel on this trip. I know I will always hold this memory dear to my heart because it has changed me as a person. As Miriam Beard once said, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

 50 Students. 5 teachers, 7 days, 5 cities, WE DID IT!

Our Greece trip was great. The teachers treated us in a really good way, since we respected them (most of the time). The hotel was great, the sites we visited were great, and everything together was just great. I myself said it was going to be the best trip, and there was never going to be a better trip. I was wrong.

From the day we arrived to the Cairo International Airport from the Greece trip and I was so excited to go on another trip with Mr. Yenshaw. I had my hopes really high for him to stay with us for another year, since did I not only learn so much in his class, I learned so many things in life. The trip was great, mostly since he was there controlling everything. I always wanted to be in his chaperone group since I realized he was treating all his students in a way that would make us automatically respect him more than we already do.

The day of our 8^th grade trip came and we were ready to departure to Rome’s Airport. With my high hopes, I ended in Mr. Yenshaw’s chaperone group. Throughout this year we learned so much in History Class and I was really enthusiastic about seeing what we studied live. From the minute we met at the airport, I knew this trip was going to be one of the best trips I’ll every go on. Almost every student was there on time and that already gave us a great start.

Day 1 should’ve been one of the hardest days, since we had to deal with two really crowded airports. We were able to go through Cairo and Rome’s airports perfectly fine without any problems happening. Once we reached Rome’s airport we passed through passport control perfectly with no problems occurring which is weird, then we took a bus to Florence. Usually anyone would expect all students to flunk out and get crazy on the bus since we were supposed to be tired of the airport and the 3 hour us ride. We went to a small tour of Florence, and then headed to the hotel. In my opinion this day ran perfectly and smooth. This day’s credits should be given equally to all 3 parts. The chaperones, the students, and our magnificent tour guides, Mohamed and Sameh. I didn’t see anything wrong with this day since everyone was on time with everything and it was just the first day of the trip with everyone being really excited.

Throughout Day 2 and Day 3 we were able to wake up on time and do all we needed to do perfectly. Yes, we had some problems at night with the curfew and loud voices, but it was the first night. For some students it was the first school trip, you can’t expect anything other than all the students are really excited. Although the hotel wasn’t the best, especially compared to the two other hotels we stayed at, there were not so many obvious complaints or students nagging, which I guess helped the teachers stay happy.

On day 3 we rode our bus back again to Rome, having a 3 hour ride. It was surprising that with most of the bus rides, we didn’t make so much noise, which helped the bus driver and also helped teachers sleep. All students were amazed and surprised from how good the hotel in Rome was. The hotel was just perfect, internet ( the main thing all students wanted) , the way the cleaned our rooms, the room itself, the food and it was just perfect over all. While we were in Rome, we went to the Colosseum and we went shopping too. We all “loved” our teachers since they gave us 3 hours of shopping in a mall and 3 hours the day before it. Other than all the fun at the Euroma 2 mall, I also had so much fun at the Colosseum since I always wanted to see it from inside. What helped it become a really good day was that we had a really good tour guide that was able to explain a lot inside the Colosseum and I was able to learn all that I wanted to learn. Whenever anyone asked a question, he would know the answer right away. The only bad thing we had this day was the only thing we cant control, and it was the sun. The sun this day was just extremely hot and that made many of us dehydrated. After being at the mall, we went back to the hotel for a small study hall and for a surprise party for Sara. The teachers were really kind, that they let us watch the great football game everyone was waiting for, Real Madrid vs. Juventus.

On days 6 and 7 we were at Naples, the coast of Italy.. The two days in Naples were more of fun days then educational days. On day 6 we were heading to Naples. IT was around a 3 hour drive, with a stop at Pompeii in the middle. We stopped for a very small tour at Pompeii then rushing on the road to go to Naples. At the stop in Pompeii, we were able to buy some small souvenirs and walk around the beautiful city. After reaching Naples, we looked at the city and then went back to the Hotel. Today wasn’t a very tiring day since we didn’t do a lot, but we all needed rest for the exciting day tomorrow. Day 7 was going to be the last actual day, and it definitely is going to be the funniest of all. Today, there weren’t really any negatives since it wasn’t really hot and there was not so much walking.

Day 7.. Today was the last actual day, and the day everyone was waiting for. Today was the day where we rode the ferry from Naples to Capri to enjoy our day at the island. Today was a day where all students ere able to have fun with there teachers and not try to distance them since it was a day at the beach and at the mountains. Today we had a very small tour then had the choice of going up the mountain with a telepherique to see the whole island. It took us 12 minutes to go up and 12 minutes to go down, which shows that we’re at a really high spot in the mountain. All students who went up can explain how much of an experience it was. Being parallel with some of the clouds is something really weird to understand, especially not being on a plane. After going down the telepherique, we had 3 hours of free time where we could ride a boat around the island or swim at the beach, go eat, just enjoy the country. Every teacher and student had so much fun on this day since it was just BEAUTIFUL.

Overall, I would rate this trip a 9.9/10 since I loved every single part of it, except for a couple of days, the weather wasn’t the best, but it’s nothing we can control. The teachers were very nice and I would say all students respected the teachers. Our behavior was really good compared to the 8^th graders last year. We barely had any problems and that put all teachers in a good mood. I would say this was the best trip I ever went on. I love it.

Authenticity of Italy:  5 Cities in 8 Days

Ever since the trip to Greece, also planned by Mr. Yenshaw, ended last year, the Italy trip has been the main topic of almost everyone’s conversations. The excitement and desire to embark on the week-long trip that goes from the northern, popular areas of Italy down to the rural south has been palpable amongst those going since the end of last year. The Greece trip last year was almost exemplary, leaving everyone to doubt what the Italy one would be like. Even though we all had high expectations, many people thought it would be tedious and over-packed. Now, two days after the trip I can honestly say that the people were right; it was tiring, and also crammed. Over only eight days, we were able to start in Florence, walk freely around the sights there, make our way to Rome, marvel at the capital of Italy, drive to Pompeii, see the beauty that lies in Sorrento, experience the mafia-like qualities of Naples, and end the trip flawlessly on the majestic island of Capri. The condensed itinerary enabled us to encounter all the key historical sites, which was an incredible and unforgettable learning experience. I can confidently say that the memories accumulated during this trip will stay with me for a lifetime.

I left Egypt on May 1^st, having studied extensively about the ancient Romans and their vast civilization. Modern day Italy was a mystery to me though, and I had no idea what to expect. The curious tourist inside of me Googled images of Italy, especially the places we were going to. The pictures I found whetted my appetite, but they ended up in no way preparing me for the stunning scenery and sites we visited. We saw the prominent Tower of Pisa, which I discovered was just as leaning as everyone says it is. I luxuriated in being able to explore the ancient Coliseum, home of many savage gladiator games.

Everything we saw, whether it was as simple as a small statue or as illustrious as the St Peter’s Basilica, had an intricate history and a story to be told. We were thankful enough to have been blessed with guides, who, at times, were hard to hear, but taught us about the elaborate features of what we were seeing. If I really had to choose, I would say my favorite area in Italy is the gorgeous island of Capri. I was truly awed by the vibrant colors – the rich blues and the majestic greens. Riding the chairlift to Ana Capri, the highest point of the Island, was a once in a lifetime experience that I will be able to recall vividly for the rest of my life.

When thinking about Italy, the first thing that comes to mind is pizza and pasta. After returning from the trip, I never, ever, in my entire life want to see pasta again. I have no idea how the Italians can eat so much pasta every single day and not get sick of it; their digestive systems must have adapted over time or something. Anyway, every dish of pasta served to us was really nice and tasted lovely, however, the problem was that it was simply too repetitive. Towards the last few days, I couldn’t even bring myself to eat it. I guess pasta is just part of the Italian culture. My absolute favorite meal was in Naples when we went to walk around on our own. It was then that I bought a small, authentic Italian pizza, which was unlike anything I had ever had before, from a small pizzeria hidden between two large stores.

The best parts of the trip for me were when we were allowed to roam around freely and explore the authentic streets and piazzas. I loved being unconfined and free to experience the Italian culture and way of life. I learnt many things about Italy and its native habitants whilst on the trip, including how laid-back and relaxed most Italians are. Throughout the entire eight days, I highly doubt that there was even one person who did not smile welcomingly at us. All the shop clerks we encountered, and believe me, we encountered many, were all very gratifying and pleasant, not causing any problems or becoming angry at anything. This made the trip more enjoyable, and kept everyone in a good and pleasant mood.

One thing that we did a lot in Italy was walk. Since the streets in many of the places to which we went are extremely narrow, the bus wasn’t able to drive on them, thus mandating that we walk to many of the sights. I honestly thought that all of the walking would be tiring and cause difficulties, but I was wrong. It was refreshing walking through the streets, and it gave us the opportunity to personally and closely become acquainted with the beautiful styles of architecture and Italian society in general.

This was an outstanding trip that I will recommend highly to all the 8^th graders next year. I am truly thankful to all of the chaperones and the traveling agency for providing us with the opportunity to travel to a country so celebrated and stunning; It was a marvelous experience with hardly any faults that will lucidly remain in my heart for a long time.

 When in Rome…and other Italian cities…

The AISE 8^th grade students took an 8 day trip to Italy from May 1^st to 8^th. It was AMAZING! I really liked this trip a lot. It was fun and I got to see a lot of neat monuments as well as the Vatican Museum and the famous School of Athens painting, which we learned about in class. That (surprisingly) made it even cooler to see. Here’s a basic idea of how we were all over the place: The first day we traveled to Rome on a 3-hour plane trip, then went 3 more hours by bus to Florence. On the third day, we took another 3-hour bus ride back to Rome. After that, on the sixth day, we took yet another one hundred and eighty minutes trip to Naples, where we traveled further to the scenic island of Capri.

Early on the last day, we took another ten thousand eight hundred seconds to get back to Rome, on a plane, and by sunset we were back home. I’ll also talk all about the hotels, food, monuments, and any other noteworthy experiences I shared with my peers. Of course, this is a brief description of our travels. Now for all the interesting details!

The first night we arrived at our hotel in Florence, and because of maintenance issues, we were forced to room in groups of three instead of two. I didn’t have to, as my new roommate and I were the odd ones out. About this hotel in Florence…I hated it! It was awful on its own with no AC, dusty wooden floors, itchy bed covers, white tile floors outside the room, slow elevators, cramped rooms, not free WI-Fi, and more, but in comparison to the other hotels? It was an abandoned hospital! I have decided not to include the name, but choose to nickname it for now as ‘Felta Dlorence’. In this hotel, the food was halfway decent, but little did we know of what was to come! We had pasta, chicken, and potatoes, and it would not be the last time we’d see it! On night three, we went to our hotel in Rome. Put simply, it was the best hotel I have ever stayed at. EVER! The rooms were huge, the beds were big and soft, the elevators came quick and were efficient, the breakfast and dinner room was spacious, there was free WI-Fi, and so much more that was wonderful. If anything, Capannelle would be the reason I’d come back to Italy! The last hotel we stayed at…wasn’t the best. We stayed at the ‘Ioliday Hinn’ In Naples. There was Wi-Fi and the beds were nice. There was even a very comfortable AC and nice, clean bathrooms. I’d have to say that the biggest problem was the elevators. Say you were on floor five. You call the elevator from -2. The elevator goes up – passes five – up to ten. You call it again. It comes down – passes five again – and goes to three. It was like the elevator hated you or something! It was absolutely ridiculous! The ‘Ioliday Hinn’ was the last hotel we stayed at. My rankings: #1 – Capannelle, #2 – Ioliday Hinn, #3 – Felta Dlorence. I leave you with that.

The next thing I would like to reflect upon was the food, and honestly there isn’t much I can work with! For the majority of the nights, we had pasta for an appetizer, then chicken and some form of potatoes as a main course, and it we made it far enough to dessert, we had Tiramisu or fruit salad. I didn’t mind the pasta or fruits so much, but the constant chicken and potatoes, chicken and French fries, chicken and potato wedges! Ugggh! It was (eventually) disgusting! How do the Italians stay so thin with so many carbs in their diets? No vegetables either! *Sigh* I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that’s not all they eat. Which might actually be true! One night, the teachers took us out for bowling and we had this foreign food, which our mouths hadn’t had the pleasure of tasting for days: pizza. It was a wonderful change from the usual routine…I’m so sick of it I’m not even going to name the three food types…chicken, potatoes, pasta K DARN IT! I said them. Anyway, I want to talk about what we had for dinner on one of the nights in Naples. Turkey meatballs – they were really good! They were probably the best type of protein I had the pleasure of tasting the whole trip! They were like really big beef meatballs, but with more saucy flavor. The final nice dinner I want to talk about was the last dinner we had in Italy. Apparently, it was suppose to be pork chops. Yes, pork chops! Thank you, Italians, for attempting to serve us one of the only proteins we aren’t allowed to eat! Before the pork got to the students, the teachers sent it back and the chefs prepared a whole new meal for us: salmon. I love seafood – Especially salmon. It was a wonderful change of diet! On that night, a miracle happened – they brought us a small salad! That was probably one of the best meals I had on the whole trip!

Now, for something more people can relate to: Italy’s monuments! There was a lot to see in Italy, like the Vatican, the Tower of Pisa, and the Amphitheatre! One of the things we saw was the Spanish Steps, and I must say: Are there enough flowers there? I think you might be able to fit some more…nowhere. This was the biggest collection of bright flowers that weren’t in a garden I’ve ever seen! But, after a long day, walking up them is not something I’d recommend. Believe me, I know – I’ve been forced to do it to get to the bus, which by the way, we had to wait at least ten minutes for. We also saw the St. Peters Basilica. It was really pretty. There was a big skylight or something that let sparkling sunlight flood the room. I didn’t mind that it was a little dusty in there because it just made the sunlight coming through the roof even prettier! JJJ! The Vatican was another thing we visited. It was really hot with no ACs! We as a group elbowed our way through large groups of tourists in order to see the different art pieces in each room. Like I said before, we even got to go to see the School of Athens! It was so lifelike! How could someone have the skill to pain it? And there was so much meaning behind it (trust me on this), it was just really neat to see in real life. We went to the Sistine Chapel after that, where there was the most annoying loudspeaker message EVER: ‘Shhhhhhhhhhh! (louder than everyone in the supposed-to-be-silent Chapel) Silencio! Please remain silent! No photos!’ It played every five minutes! That place was cooler for some reason – maybe because everyone wasn’t talking and blasting a combo of hot air and bad breath into the room. Ew. Anyway, we went to the huge Amphitheater, too. In it were many gladiator battles and people vs animal fights for entertainment. Not now, mind you, hundreds of years ago. Currently, a huge chunk of it is destroyed, leaving it looking like a broken football stadium. I learned that day that it was built with no cement whatsoever! Isn’t that cool? I left my favorite monument for last: The Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s leaning because it was built on uneven ground. Naturally, everyone took optical illusion pictures of holding up the leaning tower. I put up my hand to make it look like it was lying in the palm of my hand. It’s such a neat thing to see! You can’t help but wonder how it hasn’t fallen over yet – but I’m pretty sure it will…given time.

I loved seeing all the monuments and stuff, but I really loved shopping! Don’t judge I just did. I wasn’t the only one either. I loved buying souvenirs, like mini Towers of Pisa, Capri magnets, umbrellas with all the famous cities, fans with the same theme and a whole lot more! Other than that, I’d have to say my favorite place in all of Italy to visit was Capri! It was beautiful. Four students, including me, took an hour long boat tour around the island where we saw statues, birds, mountains, houses, goats, etc.

I even found a cat-themed shop! And a cat! Both very adorable and admired by a cat-person like myself. You could literally take a picture anywhere and it would come out amazing. I couldn’t see a downside to this place…other than the fact that I got bored after a few hours…

Overall, this trip was amazing, and if I could recommend it to a friend, I would (but bring your own vegetables!). Out of 10, I give it an 8.5, for purposes you may see above. I really liked this trip, and other than the things I mentioned before, the one thing I didn’t really like was that I was away from home for too long. Other than that, it was perfect! I want to go to Italy again, for sure! But next time, with my family. That would be the perfect trip J!

Reflective Time in Italy-The Good and the Bad!!!!!  By Students

To protect the students identities, I have only put their first name

Nabil- 50 Students. 5 teachers, 7 days, 5 cities, WE DID IT!

Rita- Bravissimo

Magy- The week when I ate enough pasta to last me a lifetime

Serag- Good and Bad times at Italian Hotels

Sara-School Trip In A Nutshell: Italy edition

Hana B-Fun Times and Beautiful Scenery-Capri

Heidi-When in Rome…and other Italian cities

Malak-5 cities, 7 Days and **POEM-Florence Gypsies**

Nada-Instances of Euphoria:  Italy 

Hana EM-Eight Days’ Bliss

Amina-Authenticity of Italy:  5 Cities in 8 Days

Catherine-Scuzi, Italy Coming through

Karim- The Trip of a Lifetime

Mo El F-The Trip to Paradise

DK- Reflective Time in Italy

School Trip In A Nutshell: Italy edition

This year, our chosen school trip was to Italy. It was a chance for all the students to see a lot of the things that we have been learning in class throughout the year. The trip was 8 days total including both of out travel days.

As far as hotels go, our plan was to stay at three different hotels. Our first hotel was in Florence, which we would be staying in for two nights. Our second hotel would be in Rome. We stayed in Rome for three nights. And finally, our last two nights were to be spent at a hotel in Naples.

The transition between hotels was something I found to be a little bit difficult for me and so did other students because most of us are used to staying at one hotel for the duration of our trips, but it was different this time. This time we were constantly on the move so you had to work a little harder to keep everything packed and ready to just grab and go. I think in the end everything ran smoothly with the occasional switching rooms here and forgotten items there, but other than that I don’t think we had any problems with the hotels. The rooms were all decent. The last two hotels had pretty big rooms and the service wasn’t bad either considering that they had so many of us bothering them about problems with the wifi and our key cards.

Our first day was a travelling day and possibly the most tiring day throughout the whole trip. Our plan was to meet at the airport at 6:30 in the morning where we would be heading to Rome. We spent a few hours in the airport making sure everyone was checked in and all ready to go then we boarded our plane that would take us to Rome. After we arrived in Rome, we spent a little while collecting our luggage and making sure we have everything then we got on our bus that would be taking us to Florence. On the bus they gave us two sandwiches for our lunch. We arrived in Florence in the evening and we made a short stop before heading to our hotel. We arrived there, had dinner then went up to our rooms.

On the second day, we took a short tour in Florence first then we headed to Pisa to see the leaning tower as well as the church. I enjoyed being at Pisa a lot because it wasn’t rushed. We took a tour with our guide first so that she could tell us all the historical facts about Pisa then we had free time to explore on our own and take pictures by the leaning tower. We spent the night again in Florence that day.

For the next 3 nights, we stayed in Rome. On the third day, we had breakfast then checked out from our hotel in Florence and took a bus to Rome where we would be taking a city tour to see all the important piazzas of Rome. After our tour with the guide we went to see Fontana di Trevi or the Trevi Fountain, which unfortunately was under construction so we didn’t get to see much of it, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The next day, day 4 was spent in Vatican City. Vatican City was absolutely beautiful. We got to see all the paintings and the hand painted artwork on the ceilings and the walls. We also got to see the School of Athens painting as well as the Virgin Mary holding Jesus. After we were done at the Vatican City, we went and had lunch at a restaurant where Mr. Mohammed played a beautiful piece on the piano. We finished up at the restaurant, then we went back on the bus to go for bowling and pizza in the arcade. Our last day in Rome was spent in the Colosseum. We visited the amphitheater and saw where the people used to go to watch gladiators fight to the death and also to watch animal games. The theater was huge and it was in an oval shape where the seats went all around and the stage was in the middle. After our guide was done giving us a tour of the Colosseum, we hit the shopping mall. The shopping mall we went to was called Europa 2. It was a huge mall and most of us spent a lot of money in it. After we finished shopping, we went back to the hotel and had a study hall to catch up on our work then we went to have dinner. At dinner, everyone sang me Happy Birthday and everyone gave me a ton of gifts, but the highlight of my night – the highlight of my entire trio for that matter- was when my dad surprised me with a cake. That was truly a birthday I would never forget. We spent the night in Rome, then we headed to Naples in the morning.

These last 2 days were spent in Pompeii and the beautiful Capri. Both were amazing and we got to go to the beach on ride a boat in Capri, which was a beautiful sight. I went on a lift as well to see the whole island of Capri from the top and that was probably my favorite sight on the entire trip.

The next morning was a sad morning because we would be leaving Italy and going back to Cairo. We went to the airport and headed back to Cairo.

Overall, I thought this trip was a huge success. I found it to be very well organized and planned out. We saw everything we learned about in class and it was education but not boring which is something that I found was never balanced in any of the other trips. All the trips I’ve been on have been either too boring or not educational enough. The students enjoyed this trip beyond measures. I think that we had maybe one too many shopping days, but I’m not complaining. It was a very relaxed trip as well, none of the students felt rushed about anything, so I would definitely go back there to repeat this trip again.

Good and Bad times at Italian Hotels

Since the beginning of the second term in November, so many of the AIS students were looking forward to the Italy trip since the Greece trip before it was a major success. For quite some time, there were some worries about getting the fees in on time and problems with visas, all of which were reflected on Mr. Yenshaw’s face during those gruesome months. Once all of the fees were paid and all the visas were returned (all were accepted) the atmosphere in the school was much jollier, and the days went by faster. I can still remember the night before the trip when I got home at 9:30 and was so overwhelmed with packing, yet I was so overjoyed at how fast things went by and that we were about 12 hours from leaving Egypt.

This trip, however, was much more effort-taking than any other trip I’ve ever been on. The fact that we would stay at three different hotels in three different cities, meant that we would have to be on extra guard to not forget anything. The fact that we would land in Rome and immediately take a bus to Florence meant that we would have had to had a strong lunch to keep us awake for roughly seven hours of transportation from Cairo to Florence. The fact that we all woke up around 5:30 that day, slept at around 11:00 and would have to wake up the next day at     6: 30, definitely meant that we’d have to be tougher than we’re used to in order not to drive Mr. Yenshaw crazy with complaints.

By the time we were on our way to Florence, Mr. Yenshaw received news that there had been an electrical problem at the hotel, and that we would have to stay in rooms of triples. None of us minded, in fact, it was actually more fun to be in triples than in doubles. The first hotel we stayed in was probably the worst one of the three, but arguably the most enjoyable one. The breakfast and dinner were less than pleasing to most students, but that just made the experience more memorable. The hotel was very strange and confusing on the inside. I think that everyone was on the same floor, but there were so many different corridors and halls, it was much more of a maze than of a hotel. The only noticeably bad things about that hotel were the cheap beds and barely edible food.

Two nights and several broken beds later, we moved onto Rome. The hotel in Rome was way more like a hotel and less like a youth hostel. The rooms were nicer and there was a safe in the room, unlike the one before it. We more spread out across different floors and rooms, but that didn’t stop us from causing chaos throughout the hotel. Our chaos was very minimal, but we still had lots of fun. After dinner, about half the people would go out for a walk, while the other half would stay. I was part of the second half, and had a very enjoyable time playing cards and other games. This hotel was better than the one before it in many ways. First of all, the food was noticeably better. Additionally, there was space in the lobby that proved very important for us. On the third day, there was a football game: Real Madrid versus Juventus. We set up one laptop and streamed the game while about fifteen of us were practically sitting on each other just to watch the game. What an experience that was.

The third and final hotel was a Holiday Inn and in terms of hotel, was the best hotel we stayed at. However, since it is a very big place with many, many guests, we were so stretched apart. We occupied floors: three, four, five, seven, eight, and ten – maybe even six – so that made it very hard for us to stay up late with each other. The last hotel was much like the second hotel, only fancier. Breakfast and dinner were the same. Pasta, chicken, and potatoes are what we had for almost the entire time were in Italy. There was also another football game while we stayed there: Bayern Munich versus Barcelona. Unfortunately, Bayern were hammered three goals to nothing. The experience of watching the game there wasn’t as fun or as memorable as watching the other game in Rome. The final full day we spent before leaving Italy was rather quite. No one wanted to leave. Although there were some things and people we missed in Egypt, no one wanted to leave Italy, especially the Earthly paradise that was Capri.

On the last day, we set out for Rome to catch our flight at 2:00. The bus was still very lively because many of us were playing cards. The airport that we were going was the victim of a fire the day before, so we were lucky it hadn’t shut down or cancelled our flight. After reaching hot, humid Cairo, we started reminiscing about all the stuff we loved about Italy and how we’d all love to go back. After I got home, I realized that I fell vulnerable to the one thing I was afraid of; I had forgotten at least one item in every single hotel we stayed in. Oh well.

The Trip of a Lifetime

The trip was very entertaining and informative. I learned a lot of thing in this trip and went to a lot places I have dreamt to go to. We went to a lot of beautiful places that was worth going, but we also went to places that were pretty much boring for a group of teens. There were a lot of good thing and also there were bad things that happened while we took eight days break from school. I personally had a lot of fun in all of the cities we went to while our stay in Italy. My favorite places were Capri and the Coliseum. They were also the most interesting for me. After these two places was the Vatican City as I was amazed by the arts people created hundreds of years ago without any technology and without a lot of help.

The food in Italy was mostly terrible. We ate Pasta almost everyday for lunch and dinner. We could’ve eaten more pizza and tried new foods we never could try in Egypt. We didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary over there nor did we eat anything other than pasta and Pizza. We only ate pizza twice in the trip. I would’ve liked it if we would’ve take a break from pasta and Pizza and tried anything new. Some of the chaperons treated some students better than others and it wasn’t really fair as some people were shouted at for a small mistake and others didn’t face any consequence for a big mistake. I think some of the chaperones should’ve treated some people better. Mostly the boys because the boys were mistreated in the trip. Some chaperons should’ve treated the boys a bit better. Some of the places we went weren’t really fun for a group of teens, instead they were a bit boring and being bored makes it hard for us to concentrate on what the guide is saying.

Some places we went were great choices from Mr.Yenshaw, because all of us had a lot of fun in and got introduced to a lot of new information about historical places in Italy. The Coliseum and the island of Capri were the best two places for me, because they were interesting and they were picturesque. We had the chance to go to places I always dreamt to go there. The group I was in was amazing It had a lot of nice people and they were all entertaining non of them were boring. The bus rides were also very nice, because we had a chance to sit and relax, and talk with our friends in the bus.

The trip was mostly magnificent there wasn’t a lot of bad things in the trip. I personally had a lot of fun and it was the second best trip I ever went to in my life. Italy is an amazing country and it has amazing sites and historical places and we went to most of them. I felt that some places we went to were a bit boring for a group of teens, but other places were pretty cool to go too and see them. I think it was worth it going to Italy with my friends as we had a lot of fun there. Some of the chaperons mistreated the boys, but it didn’t really matter because we still had fun. I would hope that I would have the opportunity to go there again and do a city tour. When we graduate I hope we have a reunion in Italy.

  BRAVISSIMO!!!!!!!

 Italia

A dictionary definition of Italy:

 Italy |ˈitl-ē|

Italy is a country in southern Europe with a population of 58,126,200 (est. 2009). Capital, Rome; Official language, Italian. Italian name: Italia.

 A human’s definition of Italy:

 Italy is a country in Southern Europe where pasta and pizza were born.

 My definition of Italy:

 Italy, home of grand monuments and stunning islands with the unimaginable beauty and grace. Italy: a homey country with citizens of multiple cultures and beliefs. It’s a beautiful area filled with nature and great history. It’s my divine paradise.

             Our destination trip to Italy was extraordinarily hectic, yet entertaining and educational. According to plan, we visited just about all the historical sites and monuments our little hearts desired. Despite our large number of students and the slight chance of us losing someone, our visits ran along smoothly the entire trip, we were on task most of the time, and we were responsible enough to arrive on time for our reservations. It still surprises me, though, how we managed to cram our entire itinerary into our limited time of 7 days. But, I should’ve expected it; after all, we did have Mr. Yenshaw as our trip coordinator. I’m attempting to convince him to alter his name to Daniel Travel Yenshaw because he is extremely invested in the world of travel. Thanks to him, our trip flew by without any obstacles obstructing or troubling us. This Italy trip was the perfect getaway from school this past week, a stress reliever.

I enjoyed various aspects of this trip this past week; I must admit that this trip was very well thought through. Every little detail, including dinnertime and how long a stroll around the hotel would take, was planned as we progressed further into the trip. Not one point was left until last minute and our entire program for the day was taken into consideration at least 24 hours beforehand. I enjoyed the fact that we weren’t stalled for a long period of time because we forgot to include an important factor. And, even when there were obstacles, such as the fire in Terminal 3 and transition to Terminal 5, we overcame them in due time.

Another factor of the trip I enjoyed was our Florence and Rome city tours. Despite walking on my aching feet for hours on end and sweating my butt off, I appreciated learning about the Italian culture and how different it is when compared to ours. I had the benefit of visiting great geometric and architectural perfections, such as the Florence Duomo. The city tours allowed me to marvel at Italy’s natural beauty and stunning views of churches and towers. We could’ve skipped the city tours and jumped to other famous areas, but we held our ground and continued on with the two-hour tours around the city, leaving us stunned at such amazing beauty.

Another spectacular section of the trip was our visit to the Vatican City, its marvelous artwork and history overwhelming you completely. The School of Athens and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel artwork cannot be passed up. The murals, like the Final Judgment, depict grand history and impossible beauty. And, plus, who wouldn’t want to go stare at the ceiling that fell on Michelangelo’s head while he was painting? I learned so many great facts pertaining to the Vatican. Did you know that the School of Athens holds a hidden gem, Raphael’s self-portrait?

A great advantage to the trip was our extension of two days. We were supposed to leave on the sixth, I presume, but we expanded our stay for two nights just to see Naples and Capri. Thank you, Mr. Yenshaw; may Capri bless your soul. It was, honestly, a fantastic experience, riding on a ferry towards Capri, taking a chairlift to the highest mountaintop on the entirety of the island, and snapping pictures of a gorgeous view of white houses with their orange-bricked rooftops. The experience was a once-in-a-lifetime one, and surely left me breathless. You’d be crazy not to try it. Capri’s view was spectacular; snapping pictures should be the least of your worries. I especially adored the little kiosks and charming shops along Capri’s cobblestone streets; they sold the prettiest souvenirs for the cheapest prices, and the people were extremely friendly. Capri definitely is a sight for sore eyes.

Unfortunately or fortunately-however way you’d like to perceive it as- nothing is perfect. There can be multiple flaws pertaining to one subject, and this trip is no different. First, let’s start with the food; pasta, pasta, and, you got it, even more pasta. I believe I may have found the origin of ‘100 Ways to Cook Pasta’; I’m pretty sure everyone grew sick and tired of the pasta, as delicious as it might be. Perhaps, instead of a set menu, students could order what they want or we could’ve had a set menu with various types of foods, other than pasta. Our major problem, though, were our ‘Whisper’ devices. It’s pretty ironic, really, that they are called Whispers when our tour guide’s boomed through it, making it seem as if she was yelling at us. I’m never touching those unpractical death traps again! They have one earphone, for Pete’s sake; it is as if they are attempting to deafen you. The humorous part, though, is that no matter how many times we told our tour guides to move the microphones away from their mouths and stop breathing so heavily, they’d do it again. Whether or not they noticed what they were doing, I don’t know. Other than those minor obstacles, our trip was perfectly planned, down to every last factor.

I can imagine Mr. Yenshaw tapping his temple, smirking at me, and saying that he has everything planned and under control. And, in all honesty, I know he does. He did plan this amazing trip, after all.

Cow heads, sheep heads, goat heads, camel heads, a lot of bread, and a religious pilgrimage for my geeky head (Star Wars)….

Click here for Return to Tunisia in October 2015

Click here for Djerba Hood Street Art

People have probably heard of Tunisia from the country where the Arab Spring first erupted.  It quite possibly is the only country that democracy has actually worked out in the Middle East/North Africa.  I came here just a couple weeks after the shootings at the Bardo Museum left the world in complete and utter shock.  But this country recovers quickly and the people welcome you with a friendly hand everywhere you go.  It has a different feel than other Arab countries I have visited as people are more vibrant and happy. You will not hear the typical “Inshah Allah” here as people I feel, take control of their own destiny

IF EVERY MIDDLE EASTERN/NORTH AFRICAN CITY WAS LIKE TUNIS, I WOULD STAY HERE THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!

The Capital Tunis has somewhat of a European feel to it with lovely trees and cafe’s that are situated along a boulevard that mirrors the streets of Paris.  There are literally thousands of people out along the main boulevard and also the Medina, all going about their own business and watching people as they file by.  Something that you notice here is how clean and pristine the streets are kept even with the thousands of people strolling around with their families….This City looks more European than many European cities…

HOTEL TIBA (TUNIS) Located right off the main drag in Tunis, this is a small boutique style hotel that has great customer service. People are always willing to give a helping hand to you and suggest what to do or where to go….price is extremely reasonable.   One guy in particular who helped us out at the front desk was Issam, who speaks a variety of languages and is extremely friendly and cordial.

Due to our lack of Arabic and French, we decided to get a driver and rent a car.  That was probably the best move we made as it cost us for six days only 200 dollars each.  Our driver named Ahmed was extremely patient and intelligent about the land and knew just about everywhere to go as he had been in the business for decades!!!!  The company we went through was: Greencar.

If you are looking for a tour here, I believe the best one to go with would be Tunisia Tours.  Jack Wilson the owner is a top notch man and he can help you to customize your tours at an affordable price.  He will set you up with the best hotels, and you will surely get the best value for your money.  Thanks Jack for all the info!!!!

The people I traveled with is the same people I went to Burma and Thailand with during Winter Break of 2014-2015.   Barbara, Kevin, and Cruz are always a thrill to travel with as each of us all have our own little crazy quirks, but in the end we get along and do not want to massacre each other by the end of the trip……If it comes down to it, I would surely travel with them again over and over again……

Our trip went something like this….

When I mention a religious pilgrimage for me I am speaking of course about the Star Wars sites that were used for the movie on Luke’s home planet of Tatooine….Most of the sites are found in south Tunisia and some have become dilapidated due to sand storms, but it was still some sites to see.  Seeing these sites has always been at the apex of my travel list as now finally I can rest in peace (yea right) with traveling.  The robes we are wearing are from the local people who wear them to keep warm.  George Lucas may of taken the idea for the Jedi Robes from them although this is still an unproven theory…Pictures in the video were taken from and around Tozeur, and near Tatooine at various places.  Lucas picked some difficult places to reach to film his scenes…..

I got some great shots of the people here.  In all regions, they have a unique dressing style so I tried to document that as much as I could.  I got shots of people on the streets and also in the local Medina’s (walled market places) within each city or town.  The people here very very amazing and open to have their photos taken.  Please click below to see the many faces of Tunisia

The Faces of Tunisia

The food was amazing (albeit too much bread). The food has a bit of a Middle Eastern flare with most of the style coming from Italy and France.  I often at lamb, goat, camel, or beef everywhere we went.  The served bread with every meal with olives and a spicy red sauce ground from red chile.  They also have a specialty called Brick which I could live off of, which is a Crepe type food that is fried with egg, or tuna, or vegetables inside of it.  Truly a delicacy in my opinion…..

Pictures of lovely Tunisian Cuisine

We also had the opportunity to see something we have never seen before and that was whenever a butcher in towns has fresh meat, they set out the Cow, Goat, or Camels head in front of their shop.  This was to convey the message to any people that the meat had just been slaughtered and the proof was in the head   It was odd at first, but it grew on us as we started photographing it. Sure it may be weird to westerners, but if you think about it, do you really know how old your meat is when you get it at the store? This head of the mammal often shows you that the meat is fresh as within the hot sun, the cow head will decay within two days!!!!

The Bardo Museum has the largest collections of Mosaics from thousands of years ago to the Muslim Empires.  You can see pretty much anything here, and most of the mosaics are Greek and Roman from their time of occupying this land.  There was not a lot of tourists here for obvious reasons (the shooting), but it was nice to be here without tour groups being jam packed.  A lot of the mosaics are in very good shape and/or redesigned to an almost perfect degree…..

No trip is complete to Tunisia without a trip to Carthage.  Carthage was an old Phoenician Colony that became a power of the ancient world before Rome destroyed it.  It was made famous by their leader Hannibal, who attempted to cross the Alps with Elephants. Rome destroyed most of it during the Second Punic War, but Tunisia has done a great job preserving most of it.  As you can see the sites are not that exciting but reading about it and teaching it over the last seven years gives a new meaning to seeing it in person  We decided to pretty much make a loop of all the famous sites in which we walked for about six hours which was nice, and yet again,  PEOPLE WERE EXTREMELY FRIENDLY…..

We then headed down to Bulla Regia and Dougga. I have been to many Roman sites around the world, but these may be some of the most impressive and complete that I have ever seen.  First of all tourism was at a minimum so you do not have that feel of being rushed or people trying to jump in your pictures. The sites have not been tampered with all that much and pollution is at a minimum. You often get a feeling of what it was like in Ancient Times on the streets of these magnificent cities without mobs of tourists, and I can tell you, it was the most relaxing experience I have witnessed while every visiting ancient sites…..

Pictures of Bulla Regia

Pictures of Dougga

The driver Ahmed took us around the rest of the country as our French was at a minimum and our Arabic was even worse…..We took off from Tunis and drove to the small city of Tozeur which straddles the border of Algeria.

We took a quick stop in Kairouan which is quite possibly the oldest Mosque in Africa that was built in the year 670.  This is about 40 years after the death of the Prophet Mohamed so it shows how fast Islam spread during its early days.  The town was very nice to walk around as it is one of the top four most holy sites for Muslims in the world following Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, we had a chance to check out the walled city and buy some carpets that were made by hand.  If you notice the pictures it echos similarities to the Greek Island of Mykonos….

Pictures of Kairouan

As we reached Tozeur we noticed how this small idyllic town had very interesting architecture.  It is a town that is not far from the Atlas Mountains and is a staying point for many desert safaris.    We ended up taking excursions to the Oasis which our guesthouse was situated against and we also went up in the Mountains to another Oasis and a small community that lives there.  Notice how the landscape resembles that of Arizona or New Mexico as some of the beauty here rivals some famous national parks…

Pictures of Tozeur and the Beautiful Oasis and Landscape

RESIDENCE LOUED (TOZEUR)-This quaint little guesthouse is straddles one of the Oasis’s in and around Tozeur. The architecture is like that which is seen around town of bricks that pop out of the building in a unique style. It is truly a great value for the price and a very quiet place. The owners are very friendly and will assist you with anything you need……Quiet, Oasis, and Unique Architecture…What more do you need?

Leaving Tozeur, we headed east along the way seeing many lovely landscapes including a red salt sea from the elements in the water and  the home where Luke lived on Tatooine (See above Star Wars Video).   We saw some old Troglodyte houses and had a chance to stop in a small town to some some bargaining on camel made goods.  The scenery on this ride was simply breathtaking…..We then had a lovely (fill in sarcasm) two and a half hour wait for the ferry to get to Island of Djerba…..

MAISON LEILA (MIDOUN, ISLAND OF DJERBA)- Unless you can speak French or Arabic or have a driver, this place is extremely hard to find as it is off the beaten path literally. However its seclusion makes it an ideal place for a guesthouse with no noise at all. The rooms are ornate Arabic style with so much color. The breakfasts are some of the best I have ever eaten and are very filling. Most of the rooms are situated along a small courtyard with a beautiful running fountain. If you let the owner know ahead of time, she will prepare you a nice Italian style dinner, most filling for the cheap price. The guesthouse is also reasonably priced. If I had a honeymoon ever, I would most definitely stay here!!!!!

We stayed for 2 nights on the Djerba Island which was mostly a base for our southern travels to see of course more Star Wars sites.  We did see more villages including Chenini which is an old Berber village that was built high in the Atlas Mountains.  The view here was breathtaking and the landscape was amazing.  It was something out of the Serengeti in Africa.  A few pics are of Djerba and the main town of Hammet Souk….

 Pictures of South Tunisia-Beautiful landscape

Boats and Fishermen around Djerba:

We did not do much in Djerba as it was cold and none of us are beach bums, but we did happen to run across some great street art in the small town of Erriadh.  I believe this is some of the better street art I have ever seen. Many Artists from around the world have come to spray paint murals on the buildings and I could of used another four hours there to see the art.

Erriadh, Djerba Street Art Spectacular

After Djerba, we took the long road along the coast up to Mahdia. We saw many towns along the way and stopped in a couple of them to see the marketplaces. When we got to Mahdia, it was after 8, and I could of spent a few days longer here. We stayed at a huge resort hotel which costs only about 100 dollars a night. Me and Cruz ended up getting called up for some crazy show in the bar , which had a guy that laid in glass, and also had us try to push a knife in his stomach. The next day we saw the Medina, and we were on our way to El Djem….

Mahdia-Look like a pretty cool town?

IBEROSTAR ROYAL EL MANSOUR (MAHDIA) situated along the Mediterranean Sea right near the beach, this hotel is 5 Star and well worth the cheap price of 100 dollars we paid for it. The only reason we stopped to stay here is to divide up our trip from Djerba to El Djem, but we found out quickly how nice it was for such a cheap price.

El Djem is probably the most impressive piece of ancient architecture still intact that I have ever seen. This is more impressive that the Coliseum in Rome or Baalback in Lebanon. The sheer size of it will make other buildings around it, seem like tiny play houses. It is a massive amphitheater which parts of the movie Gladiator were filmed. The site was dead with hardly any tourists running around making noise, and again I had this feeling of how things were in ancient times.  Equally impressive was the museum that was built on the site where an old house stood complete with mosaics:

Tell me this is better than Rome!!!!!

This trip will rank up there as one of the better ones to a relatively quiet tourist destination for people.   If you take into account what this country has been through and how they are able to recover, then you will sympathize with me on why this place was so special. I most certainly be back to this country to vacation a little more as the combination of a European feel fused with a Middle Eastern flare, should make this a fantastic tourist destination for all. However too many people follow the media, and think it is a backwards place with terrorists. All I have to say, is look at the pictures on this post and you will start thinking very differently……

As I stepped onto the plane, sat in my seat, I knew that my body was going back to Cairo by the constant rambles of “Inshah Allahs” that were spoken from the people behind me. However my heart and soul was left somewhere in a galaxy far far away in the land they call Tatooine…uhhhhhh Tunisia!!!!!!

Living in the Land of Sun, Sand, History and Noise

The past three years of living in Cairo have certainly seen its ups and downs.  I can say I am not fond of the city because of the noise, traffic, pollution, and constant disregard for trying to clean up the city.  The bus rides to work are usually mired with traffic and long waits which makes it very difficult for anyone.  It does have its good points which is a strong expat community with a lot of activities going on, the ease of getting things delivered to you, and cheap mobile phone plans. The area I live in is mostly an expat area with expat clubs and a lot of foreign items.

First and foremost, the delivery system here is great.  As anyone that knows me knows that I do not like to leave my apartment, I can get anything delivered at anytime pretty much.  We use the following sites:

Grocery Delivery-  Dakakyn is an online supermarket in which you can order anything your hearts desire and have it delivered to you for as little as 75 cents!!!!  If they do not have it, then you can simply run down to the supermarket and find it.

Restaurant Delivery-  I am surprised with how many foreign restaurants are in this city.  You can order anything from Egyptian food, to TGI Fridiays, to Chile’s to Mcdonalds etc.  All you do is log onto Otlob,   And go to the various restaurants they have their and BAM!!!  Your food is delivered to you within the hour.  This makes it great for late night snacks!!!

Alcohol Delivery- I can honestly say that Egyptian Beer, Wine, and Liquor is absolute shit, but you can get it delivered anytime.  I think the Ancient Egyptians were better with alcohol making than the current Egyptians (obviously it is a country that does not consume copious amounts of alcohol so why would they need good drinks), but everyone here wants a good drink every once in a while.  There is a store online that you can order anything you want.  Go Cheers,   is a site where you can order anything you want from beer, to wine, to spirits and have it delivered right to your door.  Having a party and you run out of alcohol?  No problem!!!  Go Cheers will deliver right to your door.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Delivery- Usually I just order from Dakakyn or the local Fruit and Vegetable shop, however there are times when I like to order from Makar Farms.  This farm delivers seasonal fruits and vegetables right to your door.  This is stuff that you cannot find anywhere else in Cairo!!!

Expat Clubs are a big thing here for social events and for people to meet.  There are plenty of bars and nightclubs in Cairo, but these places are where people usually meet for a night out.

BCA– This club has two locations in Cairo-Kattamaya and also Maadi.  I really do not frequent here a lot as to me it has no real atmosphere.  They do have a nice lawn and have good trivia nights.   You can also find foreign liquor here which is a plus

Ace Club– This is where most people I know meet up.  If you can imagine a bar like the TV show Cheers with people sitting in the same places usually, then this is for you.  I like going here and sometimes I go after basketball or just to hang out.  I can say this is my favorite place, but it definitely is the most lively place.  They used to have foreign alcohol, but it got raided so now you are stuck with Egyptian alcohol, which people go there not for the drinks but the atmosphere.  They also have killer pizzas that are nice and greasy!!!!  This is open for membership only, to any nationalities, however you can enter with any guest at a nominal fee!!!

Maadi House–  This is the most selective club that is only open to American Embassy, CAC International School, and AIS International School.  This is my favorite as I love the food, the buffet brekfasts, the pool, and the foreign liquor and beers.  This is defiantly lacking the social aspect of the Ace Club, as it is more for families.  But I like the quietness here and they also have good events with themes whenever a holiday pops up.  I have had a membership here for the last three years and of course sometimes I go more times than other times.

As for the city of Cairo, like I said before, I am not a big fan of it.  Living here has its ups and downs.  I really am not impressed with the streets or social aspect of things so I just prefer usually to stay in.  This city is probably the dirtiest place I have ever been and it is pretty much a concrete jungle.  I would say about half of the apartments buildings are not even inhabited and are half finished.  What do like is driving around you will see everything and anything and it absolutely cracks me up on the highways and streets….

I have only visited the Giza Pyramids once!!!!  Reason why?  When you go there it is completely dirty and you cannot have a relaxing time with all the vendors bothering you and trying to get money.  I believe they have since cleaned it up with the vendors, but they need to bring a company in to make it more attractive to tourists.  It was however awe inspiring to see monuments that have withstood the test of time….

Another thing that is popular to do is rent a Felucca with a bunch of friends for a few hours and just sit upon the Nile and have drinks and finger foods and just relax….

I had a chance to also go on the roads less traveled to lesser known pyramids.  The Saqqara, Bent, and Red pyramids are about an hour drive outside of Cairo and there are hardly any tourists there.  Some of these are older than the Giza Pyramids and I had a great time going around here with friends.  We were able to go into the Red Pyramid and go deep down inside (had a horrible ammonia smell).  The Saqqara Pyramid is in danger of falling down in case you have not seen from the pictures.  I believe time and pollution are causing this, and when it is gone, the Earth will lose one of its wonders.  We ended the day with a big lunch….

Abu Simbel

The closest town to the border with Sudan, this magnificent place boasts the Temple of Abu Simbel.  Built with magnificent Hieroglyphics and statues by Ramses II, this site boasts some of the most awe inspiring sites that the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt designed.

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Aswan, Philae Temple and Elephantine Island

Up from Abu Simbel lies Aswan.  Famously known for its grand dam, this area also has some of the most important temples and structures from all of Egypt’s Kingdoms as well as the PtolemaicDynasty.

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A few day Felucca ride around Aswan is the way to relax and catch some sun and swimming.  The Felucca’s go slow and the water is very cool to jump in.  Sleeping on them while they are docked on land gives you a good night sleep among friends.

Philae Temple is a temple situated on an island near Aswan.  Built by the Ptolemaic Dynasty, this temple gives a good representation on ancient Hieroglyphics as well as the Greek Columns which adorn the palace.  Seeing as the dynasty descended from Ptolemy, which was a general of Alexander the Great, it was important that they brought in their own culture to the already magnificent Egyptian culture.

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Elephantine Island which sits right in the middle of the Nile in Aswan is home to many people, but most important it shows elements from all of Egypt’s Kingdoms, as well as Greco-Roman and Christian Elements.  Many of the Hieroglyphs here are still painted with the same paint that was used thousands of years ago and they are still uncovering parts of stones that hold many Hieroglyphs on them.

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Edfu temple is located off the Nile and is one of the bigger temples we went through.  With hardly any tourists there unless you are on a Nile Cruise, this temple had everything you wanted in a monstrous structure.  Elements of different dynasties as well as Greco-Roman were seen here and it was one of the quietest places we went…

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Luxor Area

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Valley of the Kings and Workers was a magnificent place to visit (no photos).  It holds many of the famous kings burial chambers.  I had the opportunity to visit three of them and the ornate detail inscribed in them is magnificent.  You can spend hours going to the different temples (as long as it does not get too hot).

Palace of Hatshepsut is also one of the most famous temples around.  Built by Queen Hatshepsut, it holds many clues to the ancient kingdom.  Columns and Hieroglyphics are seen all over the place, still neatly painted.

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Luxor is known for its many temples and how ornate they are.  Two of the most famous temples in the area which everyone goes to is of course Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.Both of these temples started by different dynasties all were built up with the succeeding dynasties.  The attention to detail in both of them is noticed as soon as you walk through the gates.  Definitely places that you could spend hours on in at…

Luxor

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Karnak

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Of course the students help to make life bearable here.  I have been with the same students for three years straight.  Sixth Grade for PE, Seventh Grade for World History Civilizations, and Eighth Grade for Middle Ages to Modern Era.  I can say that I have had fun with them in school and on trips.  They are a very creative bunch and work their butts off for me.  I enjoy seeing their presentations and having discussions with them.  As you can see from the photos, we have a great time, but at the same time learning is still the utmost priority.  Learning about History as well as learning about how to cope in life (if you have ever taught Middle School, you will know this is the hardest age group):