If Oprah can do it, So Can I

There is a bit of rumor that Oprah is apparently coming to Cairo in the next few weeks to help revive the tourism industry. (update: according to the international press, this is not actually happening. *sigh*)

Last weekend, two friends went to the Khan el Khalili to do some shopping and support our regular vendors - they saw only one other Westerner the entire day. While traffic is back to near-normal opposite-of-flow; the utter lack of tourist busses, inappropriately dressed tourists (seriously, I've seen people in bikinis in the Egyptian Museum), and feluccas sailing down the Nile is disheartening to say the least (well, maybe not the bikinis, but the rest of it). What are the local people who support their families off the tourist industry to do while they wait for the tourists to return?

As I live here, I've done the tourist bits lots - both with visitors and as a curious individual. Once a year, I try to get horseback riding (more if it's possible). I'm a huge fan of Maryanne Stroud Gabbani's blogs (for example: Cairo/Giza Daily Photo and Living in Egypt from my sidebar), and her horse rides are the best I've taken in Egypt, so, with the tourism economy suffering, I thought it was time to give some local businesses a boost!

I organized my favorite ladies and we went out to Al Sorat Farm. It was a PERFECT Friday, mid-70's temps, a light breeze, clear skies (we could see all the way to Maadi from Abu Sir), and the beautiful quiet that Friday mornings bring in Cairo.




The tour is 90 minutes and took us into the desert where we could see the pyramids of Abu Sir, Sakkara, and, in the distance, the bent pyramid of Darshur (which I still have not visited). Then we took the horsies (or rather, they took us) on a gentle walk through the countryside.

Frankly, there is no better way to shake off a long week, and re-connect with Egypt, than winding through villages and the countryside on horseback (or mule back in the case of my roommate - much to her donkey-loving excitement!). The day was perfectly pleasant in every way.

After riding I drove (6 of us in a tiny Kia) back to Maadi. Friday is my grocery-shop day, so after a lovely lunch outside at my favorite cafe (which has not had outside seating in over a year and I was SO excited to see) I bought endless amounts of veg and headed home for a long nap while my skin turned a lovely reddish-pink with my first sun of the season.

*sigh* I do love living in Egypt!