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It was another morning in Egypt. For almost two weeks my friend and I had been traveling from Upper Egypt down to Alexandria and parts of Sinai. This day was our last day in Egypt.

We had breakfast in the executive lounge of Cairo Marriott and Omar Khayyam Casino where we stayed. It was on a very top floor and we could see the whole city from the glass window of our breakfast table.

The hotel concierge offered us a four door sedan and a driver-cum-guide who would take us around the city for 125 Egyptian Pounds. He’d take us to three major landmarks around the city in Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and the city center itself. My wife declined.

For our duration of trip in Egypt, my friend had been assumed by the locals to be my wife. According to the Bible, when Abraham was in Egypt he denied Sarah to be his wife and claimed she was his sister. From the Bible we know that didn’t go so well, so for her own good she might as well be my wife rather than a sister or just a friend.

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We walked for about 20 minutes instead until we reached a subway station. Part of Cairo mass transit system is underground, and it’s something totally unique in Egypt. It almost felt like Chicago, until one passenger started reciting Koran verses out loud. In a different country such act would have triggered an alarm, but in Egypt, it’s probably a daily occurrence.

Taking the train was easy, although you may wish to know that there is a dedicated woman-only car. We didn’t actually see it, but it’s supposed to be there according to our guide book.

Our first stop was Mar Girgis, in Coptic Cairo.

Coptic Cairo houses most of the Orthodox Christians and Jewish community in Egypt. There are numerous small churches in the area and at least one synagogue. We were there at the right time to follow a church service; Sunday morning around 10 a.m.

The church procession was somewhat ancient. They sung hymns in a language I couldn’t decipher; not even sure whether it was Arabic. And they burned incense during the service; something modern churches don’t do. Their reverence amazed me, but I did not feel the presence of God nor was there a sense of liberty in the place. Maybe it was just me. They’re orthodox.

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While I found my faith in solitude and quiet time with God in His presence, my church atmosphere is somewhat vibrant, loud, and youthful. I used to attend churches like City Harvest in Singapore, various generic non-denominational International Christian Fellowships around Asia and Assemblies of God in America. I’ve always thought of the Orthodox to be more like the Catholics, but this visit shows they’re not.

Not all the churches in Coptic Cairo are open to tourist visitation during their service however. One usher actually turned us away, even though we were just standing at the back row and weren’t distracting the procession.

There’s also a peaceful cemetery amidst the plethora of worship sanctuaries in Coptic Cairo. Most of the tombs have lavish decorations on them, with carving of cherubs and other artistic form of Christian icons. Some of the tombs dated back to early 1900, and there’s a hint of Greek Orthodox influence in the way the cemetery was done.

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We took a cab to Islamic Cairo where we visited a Citadel. It was huge, but nothing impressed me. We visited a mosque and a couple of national museums within the Citadel itself before heading back to the hotel.

We spent less than 20 Egyptian Pounds for transport. Budget indeed.

Checkout was horrible, for a Marriott standard. We needed to book a cab from the hotel to get to the airport. I didn’t have time to take care of the details because I had to sign for checkout, so for one last time, I used the wife reference to my friend. I told the concierge, “Please book me a cab, my wife will take care of the details.”

And we left for the airport. There’s a small immigration counter next to the check-in counter. Most people don’t know this, so there’s no queue at all as compared to the line at the rows of immigration counters before the gates. We boarded our plane. The end of our Egypt trip.

Epilogue.

When I got back from Egypt, there were two things on my mind. First being the recovery of burns I suffered in the desert excursion. It wasn’t bad, but I just needed to get it off my head. Then there’s the line of wisdom from When Harry Met Sally (1998). “Men and women cannot be friends”. It’s somewhat true. Attraction gets in the way.

Since then I’ve discovered that I can write poems and I began to adjust my lifestyle. Some say I’m a changed man, but that’s what journeys do to people.