Egypt, day 3

The next day, we were right in Cairo. Our first stop was the Egyptian Museum. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures, so I can't show you anything, but I can tell you that the mummies, statues, and other exhibits in the museum are really cool.

The museum is right by Tahrir Square, where all the fun was going on at about this time last year. In this picture, you can see the burned-out headquarters of the National Democratic Party. The museum is the building in the right of the picture.



Our next stop was the Citadel Mosque.

Here's a view of Cairo from outside the mosque. As you can see, the air isn't exactly crystal clear in Cairo in the winter.

Our last stop before we left Cairo was the market of Khan el-Khalili. It's your typical Middle Eastern market with pushy vendors and mobs of people. You have to learn how to deal with Egyptian vendors, because they're relentless. And of course, haggling is part of any transaction.

Our day ended with a thirteen-hour ride on the sleeper train to Aswan in the southern part of Egypt. The seats form the lower bunk, and the upper bunk folds out of the wall. I can't say that it was the best night's sleep I've ever had, but it still beats trying to sleep on a plane.