Day 7 and 8: Alexandria, Egypt

Coming into the harbor of Alexandria was a very different sight than any of the other harbors we visited in the Mediterranean. First off the harbor was huge, it served the 6 million people of Alexandria and upwards of 30 million more people in the other cities nearby. It was smoggy and hot, which could be expected of a city in the desert, but it took most of us by surprise when they told us the average temperature is 45 degrees Celsius.

Our first day in Egypt was packed, we were off the boat and on our way to Cairo at 7:30 am. I had no idea what to expect during our three-hour trek through the desert, but I’m glad I wasn’t expecting much. Every now and then you would see a restaurant on the side of the road for those making the journey to Cairo, but for the most part it was wide-open dessert with a few farms and private houses.

Entering the city outskirts of Cairo I could already see the outline of the massive 4,500 year old pyramids miles away. The pyramids of Giza lie just outside the city limits and can be seen for miles in all directions. Although they have discovered 138 pyramids in Egypt, only about 19 of them remain to be seen. The rest have all been destroyed by the elements.

I felt small walking towards the giant pyramids, it was as if each stone grew before my eyes. As we began circling the first pyramid I noticed a tall, broad, dark suited man following our family everywhere we went. At first I thought nothing of it and continued towards the burial site of the pharaohs wife. We descended deep into the small pyramid where we entered the empty room that had long since been plundered by grave robbers.

After returning to the surface I noticed the dark suited stranger was still watching us, I asked one of the guides that was with us what who he was and he explained to me that every guided group in Egypt is given a special forces bodyguard. Although he was with us the entire day, I never really saw a need for his protection.

We then rode camels out in to the Sahara for a final panoramic view of the 3 Giza pyramids. From this view it was much easier to see how the elements had slowly eroded the smooth limestone casing stones that had originally covered the entire pyramid.

Our guides then took us around the outskirts of the city 22 million people call home. I saw huge red brick apartment buildings that were in the process of being built across the street from houses that were falling apart. The streets were lined with trash; the canal built for the farmers was brown and full of trash. We drove past farmers on donkeys pulling carts full of grain and children would smile as they ran along side.

The greatest lesson learned from the Egyptians was that life is not all about who can acquire the latest expensive toy, it is about the life we build for ourselves. It is our perception on life, it is making the most of the life given to us. The people of Egypt are happy with their best friends around them. They are happy when they stay close to their family. They were happy despite the lack of modern conveniences. They were happy serving others. They have filled their lives with the most priceless items available to all. Love.