Church on a Friday

So today started off not as early as yesterday morning, thank goodness! But anyway, breakfast at the kibbutz was good. There were some interesting things there, like fish in some lemon water with onions, and it looks like it had been sitting there for a while. Need less to say I didn’t try any of that! Anyway, so the bus ride was pretty much all that we did today, nothing much more than that. It was interesting though, because we had about and hour in the bus, and then we left it behind at the Egyptian border. So we took all of our stuff, and then we crossed the border.

Talk about security though! I mean, really, you are a third world country, you are the one that exports the terrorists most of the time, and you have 3 checkpoints for passports for the people walking across, and then we had another check a couple miles down the road and someone had to board our bus and check all of the passports again!! I mean, I guess it could be like that in other places too, it’s not like I travel outside the country much, but yeah, I thought it was a little ridiculous! The only thing really cool, other than the fact that I was in Egypt, was the fact that there is now this sweet looking visa in my passport! That’s right, it’s the coolest thing ever!

So then we had about 5 hours in the bus with a couple stops along the way for the bathroom and stretching. Everyone started to get a little nervous about the food and the water, now the hands are not really clean when they are done being washed! So yeah, I’m trying to do my best not to get the runs while I’m here! Anyway, so we get in Cairo, and the first thing that we get to do is go to church. Now I will remind you that this is a Friday. Since Egypt is completely Muslim state, the holy day here is on Friday, and so now I have the Sabbath on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! What a thing to do on a trip! The branch house here is just that, a house with a little backyard. It’s mostly used by imports at the consulate and students doing abroad type things, but there are about 4 natives that also come, so low because this is also a no proceliting place. The branch building is also neat because everything is in Arabic and English on the doors, so now I can say “branch president” in Arabic!

After that it was off the hotel. I am staying a three star hotel for the first time in my life. This is a pretty nice little place and I really enjoy being 10 min from the pyramids! By the way, they are huge, just in case you didn’t know!! That’s what we get to do tomorrow, the pyramids, sphinx, and tons of other stuff. I am so stoked to be able to do all of that stuff!! And I am going to learn so much too! 30 dynasties in like 5 days, this is going to be insane!! The downside is all of the good food that we can’t really touch. In order not to get ‘Pharaoh’s Revenge’ we have been instructed only to eat hot foods and bread. So we go to this buffet at the hotel, and it was sad to have to pass by so many things that looked so good! I mean, even if I did eat it, there isn’t too much of a chance of it having an effect on me, but it’s still there, and that isn’t the type of running around that I want to do in Egypt if you catch my drift. Anyway, It’s off to bed now, I can’t be sleeping through all of the things that we got to do tomorrow!! Love you all!