Pyramids of Giza
Our guide and driver took us to this lookout point for some photo ops, as he figured out right away that photography is a hobby of mine. We were with our guide for about six hours that day, just the four of us. I was able to impress him early on by speaking in Arabic with him about our professions. He asked my husband what he did for a living, and I interjected, “May I? Huwah muhandis.” His eyes about doubled in size with disbelief. He had never met an American who had studied Arabic. Then he and I conversed about my profession, and he tested me on some of the more intricate Arabic signage we encountered. Overall, I believe I was a good cultural ambassador for the country on this trip, and I definitely debunked some stereotypes about American women.
Our driver was great as well. He dressed in a suit and tie, and he was there to open the car door for me before I had taken off my seat belt. Soon we discovered that he had been the personal driver for Egyptian President Anwar Sadat up to his assassination. He was so emotionally disturbed by the assassination that he had to retire as the presidential driver and become a driver for government-run private tours.
(Giza, Egypt)
Pyramids of Giza
Our guide and driver took us to this lookout point for some photo ops, as he figured out right away that photography is a hobby of mine. We were with our guide for about six hours that day, just the four of us. I was able to impress him early on by speaking in Arabic with him about our professions. He asked my husband what he did for a living, and I interjected, “May I? Huwah muhandis.” His eyes about doubled in size with disbelief. He had never met an American who had studied Arabic. Then he and I conversed about my profession, and he tested me on some of the more intricate Arabic signage we encountered. Overall, I believe I was a good cultural ambassador for the country on this trip, and I definitely debunked some stereotypes about American women.
Our driver was great as well. He dressed in a suit and tie, and he was there to open the car door for me before I had taken off my seat belt. Soon we discovered that he had been the personal driver for Egyptian President Anwar Sadat up to his assassination. He was so emotionally disturbed by the assassination that he had to retire as the presidential driver and become a driver for government-run private tours.
(Giza, Egypt)