Today we ventured out on our own to the Roushdy neighborhood of Alex. We rode the tram down to Roushdy. Tram rides are an adventure. They cost 25 piastres (about 4 cents). Each rail car has a person who is charged with collecting the fare. When the tram stops and starts, several people can get off or on. It is very hard to tell who has just come on and the collector walks up and down the car looking to see who is new in order to collect. It is really on the honor system as the stops are frequent so it is next to impossible for him to know. As the day progresses, the number of people who ride increase so by the afternoon, the cars are jammed packed with people. There are always people on the tram who ask us where we are going and will help us locate the proper stop.
While in Roushdy, we visited the travel agency who has assisted the school for several years. We have decided to go to Jordan and visit Amman, Petra and the Dead Sea for a week during Christmas break after our son, Aaron, visits. Petra has been called the 8th wonder of the ancient world and we are very anxious to visit it. Parts of ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ were filmed in Petra. Along the way from Amman to Petra are a few crusader castles that are supposed to be interesting to visit. There are two agents at the travel agency that we and the school work with. One deals with international travel and one with in-country travel. It was nice to put a face with the name/voice as we have only previously communicated by phone or e-mail.
After visiting the travel office, we stopped at some local shops so Pat could look for an outfit. We had an interesting time in those shops as we don’t speak Arabic and they didn’t speak English. They are so patient and kind to us. Whatever time it takes is fine for them – and if they don’t make the sale, that’s ok and it doesn’t diminish the service as they know you may come back later. We noticed that when we traveled back to the San Stefano Mall later in the day, we ran into a security guard we had met two days earlier. He greeted us by name (Mr. Mark and Mrs. Pat) and was genuinely pleased that we had remembered his name. With the high rate of unemployment, the workers try so hard to please and do their job as well as they can – but I think even if jobs were plentiful here, the nature of the Egyptian people would not change. They would still exhibit the same helpful attitude. We’ve all had our stories of poor service in business places in the states -- I think the service workforce in the states could learn much about how customers should be treated by visiting here.
While walking we have noticed public drinking areas – these are not your typical fountains you would see in the states. Rather, these are often pottery jugs filled with water on a tree-like stand. We are not sure who is responsible for keeping them filled, but they are there for anyone who needs a drink. They city is packed today as businesses are open and those who are lucky enough to have the day off are in the city shopping or meeting up with family and friends.
