Last day in Egypt

I will be sad to leave - but I am totally homesick!
My last lesson with madam nagwa was great - but she gave me her cold ! So I had to spend most of the next day in bed. And then some.... :(

We ventured out in the afternoon and took a taxi to the blue mosque - a really beautiful but decrepit mosque in the back streets of old Cairo. Its a fatimid mosque with imported Turkish tiles from isknik ! Very old and beautiful . We were allowed to climb up the minaret a tiny claustrophobic stair almost falling apart ! They where pretty wild ! But the view from the top was pretty bloody amazing. Around the minaret is Islamic Cairo - the old city , you can see up to the citadel and down to the mosque of a gori (where the sufis dance) and all the way out to the giza pyramids.

We walked back to the khan al khali via the old gate (bab al zwala) - though the rough old streets getting lost and dodging donkeys scooters and the occasional car. Past all the furniture makers and stuff . The people look at us and say hello but there's few shops her so not many touts. We got some directions of a young school girl as we were a bit off course !
I get the rug I had my eye on and we head home to bed as we are both still a bit sick .

Yesterday (Thursday) We headed back to uptown Zamalek for some serious shopping, on the metro -I like the metro , we've got the hang of it now and unlike the taxis there's not any push for money - extra tours whatever ! Zamalek is more upmarket - the marriot and sheaton hotels are there along side most of the embassy's. There are trees on most of the streets and large gardens . Its an island in the middle of the Nile. We managed to get to all the places I wanted to visit - bookshops, the fair trade centre ( were the money actually goes back to rural community's and women) and I Had fun shopping ! We hooked up with a dancer friend danellia and had some coffee , dragged her to listen to music and look at fabulous uzebictani fabrics - but i have to admit I think I'm actually in fabric overload now - I did not buy anything !

We grabbed some dinner and took her to the khan al khallilli (she couldn't go by herself) to mahmouds shop with all the dresses and around all the craziness and into the centre at fishwallis teahouse to have shisha - thursday night is "magmoon" - crazy its the Arabic Friday night and everybody is at the khan - we are packed into fishwallies with what feels like every person in Cairo .
I hear the call of drums and follow ............ There are a few people up near the mosque playing drums and clapping , mucking around. There's this girl - man she was gorgeous - no English , but she is itching to move , mucking around with her friend - who wont play with her!
She comes up to us we answer each other a little - trying to speak - she wants me to dance , I'm not really comfortable with this - its public - the edge of the khan al hallilly right next to a mosques in the first week of Ramadan - she has a crazy look in her eyes !
But hey I'm not here for long I follow her lead - but quietly - my friend is well not so quiet , but its ok for a minute them froooooooooooooooooooooom. We are surrounded by a mass of people (mostly young men ) clapping and singing its ok not theatening just fun, but the potentioal danger is there - I get the feeling this could turn nasty quick. So I chicken out , I grabbed the girl , gave her a big kiss , saying inti hellwa (your are beautiful) but la ! I signal to bear lets get out of here !
she grabs my danelle (who has no fear ) by the arm and drags her though the crowd of boys (10 deep I'd say - but I did not stop to count) They let us go but follow abit - they like danelle keep on calling her shakira ! But they don't hassle too much - they now its over !
we jumped in a taxi and head for home - that was amazing, dancing at the khan al kallili !!!!
but its just not done here !