Playing Football in Egypt

 

Travelling to an unknown place is surely exciting but it can also be daunting. There is fear, a feeling of uneasiness coupled with eagerness to know the unknown, especially if one is going to a place which is culturally very different from theirs. The language can be a barrier as can be the lifestyle yet the streak of adventure that is dormant in us tries to push all obstacles aside.

I made a list of the things I needed to organise before dwelling too much on my trip. I always wanted to go to Egypt so when Rafiq, my friend was visiting his family back in Cairo, he suggested that I go with him. It had been my childhood dream to see in person the pyramids, the pictures of which I had only seen on the internet and in some films. I took the vaccinations as my doctor suggested, arranged for travel insurance,  got a global currency card, made sure that my passport was up-to-date, beside other things.

I was to stay with Rafiq at his parents’ place, so I didn’t book any hotel, nor did I do any research of the place. Frankly, I was depending on my friend. My wish was to see the pyramids and the sphinx because they were still fresh in my mind from my knowledge of history.

Everything was in order from my perspective and I was in the seventh heavens looking forward to my jaunt. A week before we were to depart, Rafiq came down with fever and he was diagnosed with chicken pox. My little world came crashing down with my hopes crushed to pulp. I’d already got the ticket a month ago; otherwise I wouldn’t have got the special rate. Cairo was the only place I heard of and got a blurry picture of it from Rafiq. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage on my own; I was counting on him totally. I started debating whether I should venture on this trip or cancel it. Rafiq was insistent that I go and stay with his family. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea but the thought that it would save me some money was alluring and I finally agreed to it.

Rafiq’s brother, Afzal, picked me up from the airport. My keen endeavour to speak Arabic was curtailed with his fluent American English. Cairo was what I’d expected – densely populated, highly polluted and saliently vibrant. I was overwhelmed.

The pyramids and the Sphinx took my breath away – unbelievable to see the famous remnants of ancient Egypt. Standing facing them, I felt I was transported to that era. Next day I flew to Luxor on my own as the urge to experience the aura of the temples of Karnak beheld me. On either side of the River Nile, were spectacular monuments, the sight of which left me in awe. I wished the obelisks would hold the floating clouds over the sun to give some shade. The massive statues of Rameses II with his unusual head gear and beard was something I marvelled on.

The sun blazed and on the way across the river I stopped at a little village. I tried to get the name but it sounded something like Al Ghawar. My broken Arabic and sign language helped me. I also managed to get a bite of pitta bread sandwich. The intense heat sapped my energy and finding a palm tree, I decided to rest. I looked around enjoying the quiet ambience in contrast to Cairo, with passersby smiling and greeting me. One young man approached me and we struck a conversation. My Arabic was creating confusion so I gave up; his English was understandable and he was eager to show me around. We walked down the sandy path with low single storeyed houses on both sides and abundance of palm trees. Little further away some boys were playing football and they asked us to join in. I hadn’t played in a while but the environment was welcoming enough to try it again, in spite of the sand and the heat. With my shoes and socks off, I played with them like old friends. The youths made me relive my younger days.

The hypnotic tranquillity made me feel blissful; here people led a simple, serene, easy life. I thought about my city where life was a rat race, everyone was trying to clamber up at the same time. The thought of going back to it was not something that I was looking forward to. I spent the night at my new friend, Jamaal’s house after having an awesome dinner cooked by his mother and sister.

 

The experience was endearing and worth remembering than the historical monuments that I went to see. Relishing the food and site seeing saw me spend some more days in Cairo. I took the metro to the Coptic Museum and to Khan el-Khalili bazaar where I experimented my bargaining ability. The sincere hospitality endowed on me surpassed all barriers that I was apprehensive about. 

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Gratitude Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

Gratitude Travel Writing Contest

We hope you enjoyed this entry in the We Said Go Travel Gratitude Writing Contest. Please visit this page to learn more and participate. Thank you for reading the article and please leave a comment below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We Said Go Travel