it's oh so quiet

Last weekend was my friend Kathryn's last weekend here. Very sad. No one can believe she's leaving tomorrow morning. She had made a list of things she still wanted to do so we tackled that. It was a lot of fun.

Thursday night she found out about this "Secret Supperclub in Cairo" where you go to a location that isn't revealed until the night before the event, pay a lot of money, eat really good food, and meet/converse with complete strangers. It was a little odd, but I got in touch with my spontaneous and adventurous side. It was a Cinco de Mayo themed dinner (a little late, yes) but the chef is from the Dominican I think. These secret supperclubs are all over the world in different cities and are known for their really good food. Let me tell you, amazing food. The best part was how extremely vegetarian friendly it was!

Friday morning we tried to "beat the heat" and see the Pyramids of Giza before the sun was at its highest. Another friend asked if anyone wanted to go and I was the only one who responded. I've been there before but that was the very beginning of the semester, a second time was necessary!! What I didn't know is that she wanted to ride camels to the pyramids!!! WAAAAA?! This went against whatever I had said about those poor camels and how I was never going to ride one. Poor things. But I had to, for her, and Kathryn.

matching shoes. TOMS at the pyramids.

Sadly, we failed to beat said heat and were there when the sun was high in the sky!! No sunburns though (hamdulillah) just sweat everywhere. Poor camels. I climbed up the small pyramid, not far because the blocks that make these pyramids are huge!!! Luckily, some friends of friends of friends have a house in Giza and were having a pool party!! We didn't have our swimsuits but dunked our heads in the water. I left the pool party before "Donkey Baseball" started. A very silly game I can describe for you later, I've never played. It's what happens when you mix sports, drinking games, and donkeys. Kathryn's epic weekend continued with a motorcross show at the pyramids/sphinx and I went home to study and watch a movie with Gurminder.

More things on the list left to see! Saturday we went to a free museum of this Egyptian singer from a few years back who was assassinated. She was a very big deal. Her name is Oum Kalthumm (spelling varies). She's cool. Then we got feteer, an Egyptian traditional food. It reminds me of pizza but with phyllo bread and all the toppings are folded inside. Maybe it's more like a calzone? The important thing is, it's delicious and the bread is very very thin, unlike a calzone.

I finally went to the Egyptian Museum!!!!!!!!!
No cameras allowed in this museum, which is insane because there are just so many things to take pictures of. Huge museum. Filled, I mean cram-packed with things and information. I even went into the royal mummies room (extra ticket) and saw Queen Hatshepsut's body!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I've seen it on TV before and in documentaries, this was real life before my eyes. So crazy. 4,000 year old body preserved. Gross but totally amazing. I saw a lot more amazing things I can't even remember them all. Pretty much all of it is from the insides of tombs so shiny and fancy things that Pharaohs wanted to have in the afterlife. There was a room of just jewelry too, that was fascinating!

Museuming is tiring, especially after a camel trip to the pyramids the day before. But we still needed to shop! We planned on "shoppin til we drop" but it was too exhausting to begin with. The bazaar can really be annoying, especially when you're tired. I got about half of the things I intended to. We were just over it. We'll go again though. Only, this time without Kathryn :(

Kathryn and Gurminder at the Nilometer

I just printed a paper for my Education Psychology class. That was a bit of a stressful assignment, but it's done. I'm also completely done with my Global Literature class. Today is my last day of classes!! This is happening too fast. Someone slow it down!! I need to study!!! Three exams next week but more fun and goodbyes to be had this weekend.

Love you.