Last post I left off leaving the Rafah border after another unsuccessful attempt to cross the border. My driver Amed (I think) and I headed for Cairo. He wore a white dishdashah...the long one piece dress worn by Arab men...which to me looks exotic. His driving was amazing; he should enter a competition. First...he's fast, really fast! I'd say 80-90 most of the time; beeping his horn but vary rarely blaring it angrily. His driving was smooth and effortless easily gliding along the highway.
Mohammad, the man who'd picked me up from the airport, has become what I call my "babysitter" Checking in via cell phone either with me or the person driving me; as well he put calls in to Mona and other "person's of interest" who many be able to assist with my case. He kept calling Amed or me at least every half hour...checking in even though there wasn't much to check on. He'd speak to one of us and then ask for the other. After a while, every thine the phone would ring through our laughter we'd say "Mohammad." See, there are little inside jokes even between people who don't speak the same language.
At 6:30 it was time to break the Ramadan fast so we pulled into a truck stop.... literally, there were trucks parked all along the highway. The dining area was a large space out side, on the dirt, with about 15+ wooden tables. Once again, I'm the only female in sight. I wasn't sure if I should sit at a table by myself...using motions I determined it was fine for us to share a table.
A large homemade grill was set up between the dining area. A cinder block building housed the kitchen and a large space I suspect turned into the dining room during the rainy season. There was also a small room attached to the building for prayers. The meat coming from the grill was about the best I've had...tender, delicious ... full of flavor. Amed ordered an enormous spread of dishes: two kinds of salad, mango in syrup, rice (two kinds), a dish I think featured chicken, meat from the grill, soup, a yogurt dish...a tall stack of pita!!. I'm sure I've missed something. After his meal was finished he called for a hooka to smoke after having it refilled twice he was ready to hit the road so we left..heading for Cairo once again.
I have to say something about the men and their hospitality they extend to each other. Often I see groups of men reclining on the ground talking and laughing. Initially I thought these were groups of friends getting together...that's true and not true. It seems as though there is an instant "long lost friend" custom between the men even though they never saw the person before. Men just wander up, issue a greeting, pull up a spot of "dirt" sit down and then recline. I think it's a great custom. There's friendship going on almost everywhere where you look. Don't mean to be glamorizing the life here but it's unusual.
The Ciaro Central Hotel was waiting for me and it was comforting to have a familiar place to welcome me. The staff here is friendly and always helpful....they seemed genuinely happy to see me return. Having two unsuccessful tries to enter Gaza I needed to collapse in familiar, secure place...this was it! My friend Sammer from last year's trip suggested the Cairo Central...he'd stayed here for the Gaza March. His recommendation seemed to focus on the staff (the hotel itself is old and nothing to write home about except for the price which is cheap) The manager is 23 very smart and personable,,,he speaks English and German along with his Arabic. The employment of staff is interesting...they can't make much money per day...the jobs are divided and one does not do another's job under any circumstance of convenience. If you would like more tea and someone is standing right next to the water warmer..the proper tea person must be called to get it for you. I needed a box of tissues...there were three employees present plus the manager, who called for someone who was in the back room...the tissue fetcher.
I'll begin the next post with my trip to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Mohammad, the man who'd picked me up from the airport, has become what I call my "babysitter" Checking in via cell phone either with me or the person driving me; as well he put calls in to Mona and other "person's of interest" who many be able to assist with my case. He kept calling Amed or me at least every half hour...checking in even though there wasn't much to check on. He'd speak to one of us and then ask for the other. After a while, every thine the phone would ring through our laughter we'd say "Mohammad." See, there are little inside jokes even between people who don't speak the same language.
At 6:30 it was time to break the Ramadan fast so we pulled into a truck stop.... literally, there were trucks parked all along the highway. The dining area was a large space out side, on the dirt, with about 15+ wooden tables. Once again, I'm the only female in sight. I wasn't sure if I should sit at a table by myself...using motions I determined it was fine for us to share a table.
A large homemade grill was set up between the dining area. A cinder block building housed the kitchen and a large space I suspect turned into the dining room during the rainy season. There was also a small room attached to the building for prayers. The meat coming from the grill was about the best I've had...tender, delicious ... full of flavor. Amed ordered an enormous spread of dishes: two kinds of salad, mango in syrup, rice (two kinds), a dish I think featured chicken, meat from the grill, soup, a yogurt dish...a tall stack of pita!!. I'm sure I've missed something. After his meal was finished he called for a hooka to smoke after having it refilled twice he was ready to hit the road so we left..heading for Cairo once again.
I have to say something about the men and their hospitality they extend to each other. Often I see groups of men reclining on the ground talking and laughing. Initially I thought these were groups of friends getting together...that's true and not true. It seems as though there is an instant "long lost friend" custom between the men even though they never saw the person before. Men just wander up, issue a greeting, pull up a spot of "dirt" sit down and then recline. I think it's a great custom. There's friendship going on almost everywhere where you look. Don't mean to be glamorizing the life here but it's unusual.
The Ciaro Central Hotel was waiting for me and it was comforting to have a familiar place to welcome me. The staff here is friendly and always helpful....they seemed genuinely happy to see me return. Having two unsuccessful tries to enter Gaza I needed to collapse in familiar, secure place...this was it! My friend Sammer from last year's trip suggested the Cairo Central...he'd stayed here for the Gaza March. His recommendation seemed to focus on the staff (the hotel itself is old and nothing to write home about except for the price which is cheap) The manager is 23 very smart and personable,,,he speaks English and German along with his Arabic. The employment of staff is interesting...they can't make much money per day...the jobs are divided and one does not do another's job under any circumstance of convenience. If you would like more tea and someone is standing right next to the water warmer..the proper tea person must be called to get it for you. I needed a box of tissues...there were three employees present plus the manager, who called for someone who was in the back room...the tissue fetcher.
I'll begin the next post with my trip to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
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