Port of Spain

We stopped in Trinidad for two days after 9 days on the ship.  Although they were fun and a lot happened, from Sea Olympics to cultural fashion show to midterms to other stuff, a break on the land was highly needed. I missed the air and walking aimlessly J

Unfortunately, it was very humid and rained for both days we were there, but we still managed to explore the city of Port of Spain. We had doubles, street food, wandered around the Independence square and enjoyed the markets. We then went to Apsara restaurant and had yummy and very spicy Indian food. It was simply WONDERFUL. The Indian ice cream, kulfi, is for sure one of my favorite desserts now.

At night, I went with Semester at Sea on a field program to Carnival Fete.  It was an exclusive festival organized and sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism for Semester at Sea. It felt like a real carnival. There were street food, doubles, shark burgers, dumplings, coconut water and coconut ice cream. Of course, I tried all of them :D God bless Antacid :P Anyway, there were many types of dancing. There were kids on long sticks, fancy dressed women in peacock costumes, and belly dancers representing the Indian legacy in Trinidad.

                                      

The main performers for the entire night were the pannists, artists who play steel pans, and they were SO GOOD. Trinidad is famous for steel pans, a musical instrument that I have never heard of before. They originated in Trinidad and were made of oil barrels, but their manufacturing nowadays has immensely improved. Trinidadians are so friendly, and it was very clear how welcoming they were. They were so happy that SASers were in Port of Spain and wanted to make sure that our stay was memorable. After the fete, we got gift bags with some sweets, a pen and other stuff.

The following day, I did not do much because first of all, it rained when I got out and I was completely wet and secondly, the internet in the port terminal was GREAT that I did some research, skyped and even watched some of my favorite shows. Oh, I had KFC as well because I did not know how to spend the money left on me plus I was craving it. :P 

Since we were in Trinidad, where 35.4% of the population is East Indian, then of course I was thought to be Indian :D A shopkeeper thought I was Indian because I was buying spices, and when I told her that I am from Egypt, here is how the conversation went, "Are your parents from Egypt?" "Yes." "They did not move from India?" "No." "Are they purely Egyptian?" ''Well, I believe my dad is, my mum has mixed blood but nothing to do with India." "You know how Indians like to move a lot, I am sure there is some Indian blood within you." At that point I felt like she was going to say that I am adopted, and I would have probably believed her :D :P

P.S. Port of Spain is a really interesting small city. Again, it was a needed land break.  The city seemed industrialized but Trinidad has high rates of corruption.  It is hard to tell in two days how the economic situation is.

Let's sail to Brazil <3

Brazil stole my heart since the first moment. It is a very lively country, and its people are full of sunshine. Throughout my entire stay at Rio, I kept singing, "Lemme take you to Rio Rio" song from the best animation out there, right Nonz? ;)

Once we walked out of the ship, there was a woman dressed in a Bahian traditional dress giving us cloth bracelets for free. We were supposed to make three wishes and wait for it to naturally fall off, so the wishes can come true. Of course, I cut the bracelet first day and forgot about the wishes :D :P

The first day, we went to the Pelourinho and felt the music everywhere. The Pelourinho is a UNESECO world heritage center, and is full of stuff to do, restaurants, colorful houses, shops, dancing and lovely people. We had Brazilian lunch in a local restaurant and it seemed like it was prepared by a grandma or so; it was delicious and very affordable. We had chicken, rice and beans and the quantity was more than enough.

 

We went back to the ship that night and found a lot of students in front of the reception desk. "Do you have your passport?" Mohamed asked me. Apparently, the immigration office in Salvador de Bahia was on strike, and only two officers were stamping our passports. That means that many passports were not yet on the ship. Okay, who cares? It would not have been a big deal if not almost the entire ship was flying to either the Amazon or Rio. OPPS! Guess we need the passports then. That's why most of the participants were very nervous whether their passports would make it on time or not.

It is 9 pm and my passport is not here yet. I am flying to Rio at 11 am tomorrow, what are the chances that my passport would be here on time? NONE :P The reception was trying to push the office as much as they could; yet, the first batch of passports would not arrive until noon the following day. Well, I guess I have to change my flight then. Luckily, Claire had Skype credit, and we called the airlines to change our flights to the latest time they had, 4 pm. Fingers crossed passports will be here on time.

The following day, I was prepared to leave at any time once my passport would arrive. It is 12 pm, "Hi, is my passport here?" The reception desk told me that my passport was not there. At that point, I panicked and had no clue what to do. I can't change my flight again, even if I do so, to what time? I stayed beside the reception desk and at 1 pm, a new batch came and FINALLY my passport was amongst them. WohoOo, I am flying to Rio baby!

Charlotte, Evilyn, Hongyu and I took the taxi and went to the airport. The way to the airport reminded me of that in Johannesburg from ALA to the airport as well. Both had vast roads and so much nature exposure on the sides. The taxi driver was insane though, he was flying like a bee! Salvador's airport reminded me of Cancun's airport and Mexico in general. It was beautifully tropical.

We arrived in Rio, and went to our hostel. The taxi driver was really fun. He offered to exchange money for a better rate, he played music and danced. He showed us where we could go on the way. We passed by a bridge like that of Miami, and it reminded me of the great time we had there during the Clinton Global Initiative. In Rio, youth sold drugs on the street at night, and it was my first time ever to see drug dealers live. There were also prostitutes' offerings which was again was my first time ever to see live. It raised an ethical dilemma about how far can people go when they really need money or feel desperate!

Despite that, Rio has definitely got me from the first moment; lovely people and good food. We took the bus which costed 3.4 Brazilian reals and was of good quality in my opinion. It is not as good as that in Spain maybe, but good enough for the cost. We went to the Corcovado Mountain, and to see Christ the Redeemer, we had to take a tram which costed 56 reals. On the way up there, there were wonderful views ranging from the trees, the tropical fruits to the city and the football stadiums which make Rio and the entire Brazil unique. Sorry Biso :D The weather was so hot and sunny but bearable. We just got from Senegal and it was super hot there, so we really shouldn't complain ;)

 

Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and foggy up there where Christ was, and we could not see his face except for few seconds. We could see him from the back though! Really Jesus, the only time we came to see you, the weather became foggy and we couldn't even see you! :O Anyway, we had good time. We had lunch at a community restaurant, and I had a conversation with a girl who wanted to practice her English.

She, like many other Brazilians, thought I was Brazilian and told me that I could easily pass as one. I loved it! At least not Indian :D In the afternoon, we were supposed to meet Monica and Kate for dinner in the Lapa, but it didn't work out. We went to the Escadaria Selarón steps. They are steps made of tiles from all over the world. I found tiles from Egypt, Cleveland, Greece and many other places.

On the way there, we ran into a parrots shop and then I recalled the animation "Rio" and why I fell in love with Brazil even before I visited, and it was because of the nature, beautiful birds and carnivals. Claire ran into us in that shop, and we all hanged out together afterwards. We walked around the Lapa trying to find a restaurant with live shows to watch. Apparently, the shows and music performances do not start until 11 pm! Lapa Main Street looks like La Rampla Street in Barcelona. It had the Opera House, it was very lively but not as crowded as La Rampla.

That night, Claire and I watched a football game between Brazil and Argentina with a Brazilian and an Argentinian in the hostel. You can imagine how on fire the room was. That day we bought Mangoes from the street and ate them with the match. The mangoes were AMAZING!

The following day, we went to the Maracana Stadium which is one of the most famous stadiums in the world, and to Copacabana beach by the metro afterwards. The Air conditioning in the Metro was fantastic and the metro in general seemed better than that of France or Italy. It was renovated and well maintained.  We also visited Rio Cathedral, and it is a very nice building, it has a very different and unique style. It looks like a rounded/cylindrical pyramid. I am not sure how to exactly describe it, but here is a picture. There was a mass going on at that time and the singing, or I shall say the religious ceremony, was beautiful.

On our way to the cathedral, there was a live show at a restaurant, so we stopped and went to the bathroom just to see the show :D I forgot to mention that while taking the bus to the Maracana Stadium, a lady told me to take off my watch not to get attention and be robbed. How nice of her! Rio is a mixture between the slums you see in movies or animations, Paris old style buildings in downtown and modern buildings. Whatever you ask for you will find in Rio :D

We flew back to Salvador on the day before the last, and I spent the entire day with Haimeng in the Pelourinho. There was a drum march for a samba school trying to raise money. They were so good, and the crowd danced with them. Out of the sudden, tents were being set for a weekly mini festival that takes place in Salvador, and luckily we were there when it took place. There were musicians, dancing, food, shops, drinks and so much fun. 

It was a memorable night! We met a couple who showed us around the festival and hanged out with us. The woman is from Brazil and the man is from Argentina, but lived in Brazil for a long time. The man is exactly the same like my Uncle " Amo Hazem." He loves food, he is so kind, protective and most importantly he is hilariously funny :D That night is definitely the highlight of my stay in Brazil.

P.S. On December 3^rd,tomorrow, we will cross the Panama Canal, and you can see the ship on cameras at this link: http://www.coolpanama.com/panama-webcams.html. We will enter from the Atlantic side (Gatun locks) in the morning and leave the Canal late in the afternoon (Miraflores Locks), the ship's name is the World Odyssey :D 

Don't forget to try Brazil's national drink, Guarana Antarctica, you will find them as soda and juice. Also don't forget to buy slippers and sandals, you will literally find them everywhere even in pharmacies.

The interesting Senegal

Senegal was an interesting port. I packed my suitcase and was so ready to get off the ship and go to Claire's house. Claire is my Senegalese friend at John Carroll and also went to ALA. Haimeng wanted to come with me and spend the day with a Senegalese family. While waiting for Claire's mum to pick us up, a bunch of street vendors approached almost all semester at sea students either to sell necklaces or persuade us to take taxis. Even if you said no, they would not leave you alone. A guy gave Haimeng and I necklaces claiming they were gifts. After 5 minutes he showed us a hole in his neck and asked for money to feed his baby. We returned the necklaces back since we had no money on us yet.

At this point, I almost got a sun stroke because it was SUPER hot. It is like Alexandria's weather in July or August multiplied by ten. Imagine how Haimeng and I looked like! :O Claire's mum arrived and took us in her air conditioned car, she literally saved us :D  She spoke little English, so I had to practice my French. She was so patient with me trying to find the right words. We went home, and it was nice to stay in a house and get the sense of a family after a while.

We met Claire's siblings and Rockia, a family member who was staying at the house, as well. We visited the African Renaissance monument at night. Gosh, it is huge. It is beautiful, in building and meaning. It resembles the struggle of Africans during the colonization and slavery eras, mainly West African countries. It is financed by a couple of African countries and South Korea. No single North African country!

The following day was a family day, we celebrated Claire's brother and Rockia's birthday, and I enjoyed some quiet time to prepare for midterms. We had very delicious Yassa Poulet (Senegalese chicken dish). The third day was when I explored Dakar. Claire's cousin and I took the ferry to Goree Island which is my highlight in Dakar. I got to see the house of slaves and the door of no return.

I stayed there for a while trying to imagine how a man, a woman or a child would have felt when they were pushed to a ship not knowing where they were going or whether they would be back or not. What a terrifying feeling! The rooms where the slaves lived in before boarding the ships did not even qualify for mice. I remembered when Joseph, my Ghanaian friend, once told me that they, West Africans in general, and Ghanaians in particular, are never ashamed of the slavery era because it defines who they are today. The island is beautiful and has a different structure than that of Dakar.

Door of no return

   

House of Slaves

The French influence is highly present in Senegal. Most TV shows or channels are in French and most imports are either from France or past French colonies like Morocco. It is clear that the French colony created huge markets in its past colonies. Dakar is very simple, and its people are very friendly. However, poverty in many districts is very obvious and the vendors are eager to sell you their products. The gap between the rich and the poor is huge and clear. Almost all Senegalese people I met were eager to improve their country. They were very positive. J

P.S. Claire's family is a very very sweet and generous family. I loved staying with them. Make sure to try the fried bananas and bargain with the vendors :D 

Morocco - Finally a different continent :D

We docked in Casablanca, a city not liked by many of my Moroccan friends, and I can now tell why it might be your least favorite in Morocco. We visited Hassan the Second Mosque which is the biggest in Africa. Hassan the Second is called the mosque of the people because it was built by their money. Moroccans' salaries were cut by a certain percentage to build the mosque. 

Interesting! It is good to let the people unite for one cause. However, and that's just my thought, I think that if the money was used to build a university or a hospital, that would have probably been more beneficial for Moroccans. The case is somehow similar to many other Arab and African nations. I am not undermining the value of the house of worship, but people would have definitely benefited more of a building other than one that is occupied by tourists more than Moroccans and whose entrance fees goes who knows where.

Anyhow, Casablanca was not my favorite city in Morocco because it is a little bit dry. Meaning, as an economic capital, there is really nothing to do and interacting with the locals is not as interesting as that when in Marrakech for example. I still love you Ghassane and Zineb :D

The following day we went to Rabat with the Global Music class. We met a band that plays Gnawa music and presented about Visa for Music festival to us. The festival aims at promoting African and Middle Eastern musicians on an International level. They performed, and it was fascinating how talented and hard-working they are. The show was so good and they played the drums, guembri and krakeb. It was so loud but so fun! We had delicious lunch as well, Tajine, Couscous and Moroccan mint tea. Okay, Rabat also did not impress me. It is the capital, but there is really nothing to do there either. I have to say though that the architecture is so nice. It is so different from the European style and Arabic style. The pin pointed arch is famous all over Morocco, and it is simply stunning.

Global Music field lab

Finally the third day approached, and I took the train to Marrakech. I am going to meet Khaoula's family, my best friend from African Leadership Academy in South Africa. The 3 hours and 20 minutes ride was not bad. Khaoula's mum was waiting for me in the station and prepared a wonderful Moroccan dish for me. The dish is unique in the city of Marrakech. Marrakech's houses are all colored in red to symbolize the color of mud, so that Marrakech would always be known as the red Marrakech. In winter, the four colors of snow, houses, trees and the sky meet and the view becomes lovely.

Khaoula's friends are studying abroad in London, but they were in Marrakech for fall break.We all met that night and explored Jamee' El Fanaa' together. They were a fun group to hang out with, and I bargained for them so they appreciated that. I have to say that I surprised myself with my bargaining skills. I almost cut the price down to a third and sometimes to a quarter :D  Jamee' el Fanaa' is a huge market where many things, mainly handmade, are sold. There are different quarters within the market. There is the main area where musical and animals' shows take place. And there are also markets for leather, shoes, olives,….and many more. It is a fun place to be at, but be careful of the motorcycles that run everywhere outside and inside the market. I also got henna for the first time ever in my life. I like it :D

                        

The next day, I went to Jardins Majorelle and ran into some friends from semester at sea. We ended up visiting the gardens together. It is a peaceful place, and it has plants from all over the world. The ride back to Casablanca was pretty tough because I was sick, sitting in a noisy cabin full of people who did not stop talking, and it was so hot. I ran into my roomie at the train station, and we went back to the ship together.

                  

I went around Casablanca the last day and bought some more souvenirs. I forgot to mention how sweet and generous Khaoula's family is. Besides hosting me, showing me around, feeding me, they gave me Moroccan Gifts. If I ever go back to Morocco, it will definitely be because of that family :) I then went back to the train station right next to the port to get lunch. I had Lebanese food. YUM YUM. I have been craving Lebanese food for a while, and it was like a dream coming true haha. All my Asian friends went for Chinese and Japanese food, but once they saw my food, they all bought Lebanese food. Even my International Relations professor had Lebanese food haha. I mean what can I say, Lebanese food is simply DELICIOUS.

Throughout Morocco, I could either hear American or Egyptian songs in stores and restaurants. I was looking forward to listening to Saad Lmjared, but it did not work out :/ I spoke Arabic during the entire visit, and I could to a great extent understand Dareja/the Moroccan dialect. Thanks to Khaoula and my two years at ALA :D Once people knew I come from Egypt, they spoke to me about movies, football, politics and said, "Om el Donia" (Mother of the world). I felt the love and appreciation for the country, and I felt so welcomed.

However, I was always asked whether I was Muslim and given that I am not, they insisted that I had to be in one way or another related to Islam. One guy even told me to research more about Islam and convert my religion. Are you kidding me? I am Egyptian which means I learnt more about Islam than my own religion! Don't get me wrong, I love Islam and adore my Muslim friends, but when on Earth would interfering with others' religions end?! This is nothing particular to Muslims, but you can witness it with many other faiths, as well.

Although Morocco is an Arab country, it is still different from Egypt. Athens and Rome reminded me of and were similar to Egypt more than Morocco. We share food and some cultural aspects with Greece and Turkey more than we do with Morocco. Even the Egyptian music, for example, sounds like Greek and Turkish more than that of authentic Moroccan. I also had huge expectations for Morocco in terms of development and liberalization, but it was not as I expected. The colonial effect is huge. The country has a lot to do in terms of development, infrastructure, etc.  It was so different from what I pictured. It is a different culture from that in Egypt, none is right or wrong. It is just different.

Many students on the ship commented about how women are treated in Morocco. They forgot that to comment you need to witness and interact to understand. Not just see and judge from the cover. They don't get that the Arab world from within is so diverse, and that we are not all the same. They also don't get that because the Moroccan culture is different from theirs doesn't mean that theirs is better or more superior in anyway. I thought that when they visit Morocco, they will change their views about how Arab women are often presented in media, but guess I was wrong. Their views got worse and they now think of women in an inferior way and think that they are victimized. Excuse me, if the US got it completely right with women rights, why are there so many American NGOs calling for women's' rights. Also, why hasn't the US had their female president yet? Let's not make women's rights issue a Middle Eastern issue. Women have their problems all over their world, so please before judging another nation whom you don't understand and don't know whether they are happy or not, focus on your own problems! 

P.S. Many people thought I was Moroccan, but once I spoke they confused me for either being an Algerian or Tunisian. A waitress thought that I was Moroccan who learnt the Egyptian dialect. Haha at least they did not think I was Indian :D

Spain! What an adventure ;)

Spain is the last European country on semester at sea itinerary. It has indeed been a great exit port from the continent. The ship docked in Valencia, a small beautiful city that's not as packed as Barcelona, our second port. In Valencia, my friends and I visited Valencia Cathedral that I have never ever heard about in my life. I have no idea why?! It is absolutely magnificent and definitely one of the best cathedrals I have ever seen in my life, if not the best. Spanish art is not underrated but it doesn't get enough credit like the Italian one for example. Spanish art simply spoke to me! 

Valencia Cathedral

No need to say that we had to try the churros with hot chocolate. A little bit oily but the hot chocolate was on point ;) We also had a drink called hotchota and it was very refreshing. And what to eat for lunch other than that sea food paella when you are in home of paella. It is a rice dish with shrimp and lobster cooked with delicious spices. It comes in a big tray and you share it with others. We thought its cost was 17 euros, but that was per person. So make sure you ask beforehand.

Hotchota

Paella

At the end of the night, Rachel and I needed some Wi-Fi since we are Wi-Fi deprived on the ship. We kept walking in areas close to the ship and ended up in a dead area where nothing could be heard. So we went back and luckily found some cafes that offer Wi-Fi. We sat in the bus stop and got some free Wi-Fi :D The following day, Noot and I visited the City of Arts and Sciences. We went to the aquarium. It is big with multiple buildings and beautiful sea creatures. However, it lacks audience and attention. The Red Sea show building for example had nothing inside but a screen with fish from the Red Sea. They start their shows pretty late. I then went to watch Jerusalem in the IMAX Cinema. A documentary worth your time. Jerusalem is definitely on the list now. The documentary shows the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in Jerusalem, how isolated each is from the other; yet, they all are exactly the same!

                           

The ship then sailed to Barcelona, and the following morning we woke up there. My friends and I went to Park Guell. We bought 1 metro card for ten rides that costed ten euros, and we all shared it. One metro/bus ride is for 2.15, so a card seemed better. Park Guell is huge and nice, but we paid 8 euros entrance fees, and one of the places inside was closed, so we wasted the 8 euros :/ However, it is a good place to stay and relax at.

                          

We came back to the ship and I was super duper exited because I was going to an FC Barcelona GAME. The metro was packed because of the many fans going to the game. We entered the stadium and could not believe that we would be seeing the game in few minutes. We drew on our faces, wandered around and then decided to get in. 

                        

At the gate, we presented our tickets, but OPPS we got the red light, and the guard said, "Sorry your tickets are not valid." I took a deep breath and asked about what we could do. We went to the ticket office, and they told us they couldn't help us because we did not buy them through the official website. Hongyu and I ran outside to find Wi-Fi and contact the agency. We found a restaurant with a Chinese waitress who offered us free Wi-Fi. Of course the agency did not reply until two days later. Anyway, we went back to try again. It is 9 pm and the game started at 8:30. We tried showing the tickets through our phones, but they did not work either.

We met two Canadians who had the same problem. Their tickets through the same agency could not work. We asked the guards' boss to help us. He took pictures of the tickets and Whatsapped some random person and after 10 minutes told us that our seats were already occupied. Meaning our tickets were sold twice through the agency. What on Earth!! Can you please ask them to come out and show you the tickets? This is so unfair. They did not want to ask them to show their tickets and did not help anymore. At that point, the first half was almost over and it felt like a nightmare. Did I lose my money? Am I not going to enter the stadium? WHAT?!!!

We went outside, and found some people selling the game tickets. We hoped they would be cheap, and the guy said they were for 150 euros. We said that we just got scammed and we would not pay 150 to enter one half of a match. They started speaking in Arabic, and I realized they were from Morocco. I spoke to them in Arabic and started tearing, so they felt sorry for me and agreed to sell the tickets for 30 euros each. What a deal!! We took the tickets and ran to the stadium, Green light, WOHOO tickets worked. We had GREAT seats and oh my God!! We are inside the stadium. What a magical feeling. I felt weird and in denial. But Neymar scored his third goal at that point, and soon I was into the game. FC Barcelona won by five goals, and three of them were scored during the 2^nd half, so we witnessed that. Messi was among the crowd and the game was on. What a night!

                        

Last day, I had a field lab with my philosophy of religion class. We saw the South Korean navy in the morning on our way out off the port, then head to Montserrat, Barcelona Cathedral and a Jewish Synagogue. It was interesting to see different spiritual/holy places in Barcelona. The sad part though was how those places made for spiritual purposes for one to connect with God became touristy and means of getting money :/

Karla at the Monsterrat

     Barcelona Cathedral     

P.S. Spain is absolutely my 2^nd favorite port so far after Paris on this trip. It has something special. Also, the agency we bought the tickets from is called Ticketbis. Never ever trust them!

Ελλάδα! Home of YUMMY Feta cheese ;)

And here we are in the land of philosophy. Once I went out of the port, I found myself automatically comparing Athens to home. Long buildings, advertisements everywhere and many companies. My friends and I took the metro to the Acropolis, and we bought the day pass for 4 euros. A ride is for 1.2 euros, so a day pass was a better deal. We walked around the shopping areas and the alleyways. 

Oh God, things in Greece are sooo cheap!! Athens reminded me so much of Alexandria and Portsaid. Alex buildings style and architecture are similar to that of Athens. What a coincidence right?! "Alexander"ia is similar to Athens :D It reminded me of Portsaid because of the so many street vendors and shops that sell almost everything you can and can't think of.

We then came back and bought the student tickets for the Acropolis and 5 other major sites for 6 euros. We watched sun set at the Acropolis and stayed there for a while because the view of Athens from the Acropolis is so pleasant. You see the trees, the greenery, the buildings and the sea all at once! What a breathtaking view! There were also some soldiers, and they all looked so smart in their military suits.

Nhi at the Acropolis

The following day, we took an hour and 30 minute ferry ride to Aegina Island. Aegina Island is so different from Athens. Athens is more of buildings and ancient sites full of tourists. Aegina, on the other hand, is a small island where no one was there because the season was more or less over. It mainly consists of small houses, home-style restaurants and hantours "horse ridden cabs."

                   

The water is so clear, the people are so cheerful and friendly and the weather is nice, sunny but not hot. It also kinda reminded me of Venice because of its size. This island is also famous for pistachios. They were really good. We ran into Anushri, an Indian friend, and we all went to a monastery on the island. We were told it is the 2^nd biggest in the Balkans. We also went to the temple of Euphie, and we then took the ferry back to Athens. When my friends paid the restaurant lady in Aegina, she was very appreciative that she had customers and kissed all of us. The same happened with the taxi driver; he wanted us to come back so he can have more customers. The situation is pretty hard in Greece!

Don't forget to ask for student discounts, we paid almost half price. On the ferry, we ran into two Greeks who of course thought I was from India, but once they knew I am from Egypt they started telling me about their trip to Cairo and Alexandria. They told me I could be a Greek as well, lol never hurts to have an International face :P In Athens and Aegina, there were many mini churches, meaning one small room that looks like a church and can't accommodate more than 20 people inside. Maybe fewer. I always saw them either empty or with 1 person praying inside.

Third day, I went with semester at sea on an exchange program to the American college of Greece. I thought I would meet Greek students and get to know more about them and their culture. However, we ended up having a tour in the university and a lecture about a Greek island, I forgot its name. I really appreciated their time and effort dedicated to preparing the presentation and tour, but I wanted to interact with the Greek students. It was not bad because, after all we had a free lunch and a bus tour of Athens.

The uni's theatre

The fourth day, I decided to go and explore Athens on my own. I went to the rest of major sites like the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Roman Agora. This is going to sound ignorant, but they all looked the same to me! Same building structure of pillars with Greek style and a bunch of ruins. Forgive me Aliki please :D I loved Greece so much, but as an Egyptian, I was born in a country where history is a big deal. I have seen so many ruins, monuments and sites that I was expecting something WOW in Greece, but they all looked the same to me.

                 

I took the metro to another site and got lost. Also, the Greeks there don't speak English, so it was hard to communicate, but they really wanted to help. After walking for 30 minutes, I decided to leave that place. Ironically, I found the site on my way to the metro station. So at least I got to see it. I went to the flea market and found even cheaper stuff! I ran into Haimeng and Ecco, Chinese friends, and we ate pomegranate together while enjoying the busy square.

I was going to meet Aliki, my Greek friend that I met in Malaysia, so we walked to Syntagma Square where the parliament is, and on our way, we of course had to stop by the shops. We reached the square which is a very vibrant place. Ecco and another Chinese joined us, and then Aliki arrived. We had a very delicious and cheap Greek dinner, and it was great to catch up with her and ask about her views on the Greek crisis. It is always good to hear from a citizen not an economist or a politician. Syntagma Square is the Greek version of Champ Elysees or Times Square.

Syntagma Square

Athens was full of refugees and homeless people and the beggars and vendors were so pushy. The vendors would force what they sell onto you, flowers, bracelets… so be careful and say NO. Street musicians won't play their instruments unless you pay and they would even ask you to pay which is very unlike Italy or France.

  

Things I noticed: Alexandria is very famous in Greece, once you say Egypt they start talking about Alex. Although there is an economic crisis, shops take their time to open!

P.S. When in Greece, don't forget to eat Gyros, grilled feta cheese and frozen yoghurt. Grilled feta cheese is what I miss the most about Greece. So delicious!