Cairo, Egypt

Suad Alhalwachi, Director, Education Zone
Favourite destination: Cairo, Egypt
The many Egyptian movies that I had seen since I was 3 years old had really affected me in a way that is inexplicable be it people, the Beauty of the houses, the Louis the 13 furniture or the cloths of the 50's and 60's that makes any woman look like Marilyn Monroe. However, I experienced the real beauty of the place only few years ago, when I had a special opportunity to visit the place since the New Zealand Prime Minister was going to open the first ever embassy in Cairo, and I was invited, so that time I decided I will drag my daughter with me.

Cairo was amazing, however, I wondered how any car can pass through the traffic jams, but everybody including the cart on donkeys were so skilful. We went for a walk on the Nile, ate corn on the cob, popcorn and Koshary and then visited Alazhar University, Khan Alkhalili, Imam Husain Mosque, Saida Zainab Mosque, shopped for Egyptian Jallabias and some souvenirs. The most memorable trip was to the Pyramids, as one cannot imagine that these have stood the conditions of times for 5000 years, the only thing missing is the nose of the Sphinx, and otherwise everything is intact. The precision of cutting those square cubes of stone is remarkable, each one is exact size of the other, and I was able to imagine how the Pharaohs carried these stones and built the Pyramids. We also went on top of one of the houses in old Egypt to see the mosques and the rest of the city, bought the lotus perfume that was used by the pharaohs.
Tips for people
The most important thing to remember when one goes to Egypt is that the Egyptians love bargaining, so do not buy anything unless you negotiate on the price. I regret not seeing the museum, the Pharaohs village, and the Abu Simbol, so I still have to visit one another time, but during your visit don’t miss these important spots.