Bulldozers Mosques and Beaches

Oh the view from my balcony. Here is the gorgeous mosque - Fatma Sharbotlee. It is the only landmark around. We actually get our Chinese food and Pizzas delivered here, not to mention the taxis meet us here. We look out our balconies and if we see the take-out food delivery motorcycle, or the taxi ,we run across the street and meet them. It always makes for an amusing broken Arabic conversation when we tell them "We live in the mosque". If ONLY there were street names and numbers in this brand new city. Notice the buildings in the background, yes, they are completely unfinished as are ALLLLL the buildings within site of mine. There are some lived in but none that I can see close to me. Regardless, every Friday this mosque is jam packed. Friday is the only day of the week that Muslims must pray in the mosque. All the other days they can pray virtually anywhere - in an office - in a restaurant - in a clothing store - anywhere. It is VERY quiet at the moment in the photo. All the people visible are standing and praying and the mosque is full too. What you cannot see is that on the left side of the photo is a rotary where even more groups of people are praying together, always shoulder to shoulder. And, under the palm tree that is in the foreground. I see these groups of people praying on construction sites together. It is always a beautiful moment of peace. Of course, as soon as it breaks the Cairo chaos resumes but . . . for  a bit of each Friday it is quite the site.

The unfinished buildings explain the literal PARADE of bulldozers and construction vehicles that drive by my home all day every day!! On a short 10 minute walk recently no less than 15 bulldozers went by us. They have the most obnoxious horns which have to be used every time they go by us. So friendly . . . .

I am making my final observations here. I have three weeks left. Due to fly out on May 17 which seems incredibly soon all of a sudden. But I know it is time to go. This, as I have said before, is a harsh existence. It is one that I could make the best of if I was forced to but since I know that I have the glorious beauty of Nantucket waiting for me I have little motivation or desire to continue making the best of it. I just appreciate the mosque and all that it reminds me of about hummanity's quest for meaning and peace and the complications that humans can make for themselves. I am counting the days until I am home and I wonder what, if anything, will I miss? The call to prayer? The exotic sites? As soon as I see a sunset over one of our gorgeous beaches I have serious doubts I will long for anything Egypt other than the people I have met. My experiences have been invaluable but their benefits of them will exist in me in the ways I have changed as a person and my newly evolving perception of the world. I'll be glad to observing it all from the little island in the North Atlantic