Saturday 20 June 2009
Highlights: Mohammed Ali Mosque, Turkish Bazaar

Today we started with a visit to the Citadel which houses the Mohammed Ali Mosque. Surprisingly this was my first and only visit to a mosque in Egypt but it was a sight to behold. When entering the mosque you must take off your shoes and the ladies needed to wear head gear. I also got a photo of the city showing just how smoggy it really is, and I had my eyes playing up before of this.

Basically at that point I felt it was time to leave Egypt. However we still had a mission at the Turkish Bazaar now known as Khan. I had no indication to buy anything and for once I follow though, it helps that I’ve learnt to ignore the venders, hopefully my rudeness we be lost when I get home or people we get upset.

I decided to follow Amy around once she finished with the market and we run into Jennifer who we lost 2 minutes after entering the market (not a good idea to be separated). Jennifer had decided that the local mosque were better than the market and was even given a book that explains why Islam is more supportive of women than the other major faiths, interesting reading I have to say.

At this point we returned to our hotel and said goodbye to Ahmed (after giving our tips). Since so many people are leaving during the night we didn’t do a farewell dinner.

I did however get up and say farewell at 8.30 pm for Mark (Lesley came as well), at 10.30 pm for Marco and Stephanie (again with Lesley) and finally at 4.30 am to say farewell to Gloria, Jennifer and Lesley. Before she left Lesley bargained for some perfume in the hotel using me to assist, saying she only had 200 Egypt Pounds (LE) with me offering 10 LE I had left, eventually they accepted the price (dropping from 275 LE) which was far greater than the 10% off we were told we could get in hotel shops. Lesley is very good at bargaining, I’ll miss her and everyone else.