The Egyptian Museum

I am quite proud of myself today. I ventured down to the Egyptian Museum all by myself. I truly hailed my own taxi to and fro. And with my trusty Arabic phrase book we were able to get going.

I was charged more than twice what an Egyptian would pay for the same trip. But, I knew that would be the case and figured it’s just part of the experience and I suppose my duty as a “rich” American living abroad. However, I was a bit annoyed when the driver fawned he did not have change for me and wanted 5 LE (Egyptians pounds) as baksheesh (tip) on top of the 20 LE he was getting for over charging me in the first place. All said and done, I still paid only about $8 (US dollars) each way for a trip halfway across town. A virtual bargain.

I strolled around the museum for several hours. I also walked along the Nile a bit and stumbled into a shopping plaza for lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed the lunch, of shawarma chicken sandwich fries and babaghanoush.

Sorry, no pictures allowed in the Museum. So you'll have to check out their website. www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg There are literaly, hundred of thousands of artifacts, including King Tut's treasures, and real mummies, even animal mummies, monoliths, and a recreation of hte Rosetta stone. (The original Rosetta Stone is in the Bristish Museum in London from when they "looted" the place years ago.)

It’s not so much the museum that is the accomplishment today. Although I really enjoy that place and will go back many times, I am sure. It’s that I ventured out alone. Up until now I have always had an escort of some type or another. But, it’s like making that first cold call to recruit some one in the study. (Or ripping a bandaid off for those non-researchers readers.) Once you get the first one over with the rest are easy – you know you can do it now. So, I'm already thinking about my agenda for next weekend.