Travel Guide
Egypt
David Fox, MAC IX
Everyone has a dream vacation.
For some it’s a cruise on
a beautiful ocean, evening
entertainment and excursions, or
just the luxury of the boat. For
others, it’s a trip to the mountains
with breathtaking sights, healthful
days on the trail, or life in touch
with nature. Not many people
would consider a dream vacation
in the hot, sweltering desert with
crowded streets and the constant
haggling of people on the street
selling merchandise.
Pyramids.
The Coptic area of Cairo is the Christian
settlement. St. Mark, who also wrote the biblical
gospel, shared Christianity with the people of
wouldn’t call it a dream vacation either, but
Egypt, and so, the Coptic Church in Egypt honors
it was an adventure and for three PCVs on
him as the patron saint. According to the Bible,
a budget, the land of the pharaohs in Egypt
Mary and Joseph also escaped to Cairo for three
is well worth your time to visit. The trip seems
years, hiding from Herod the Great, who feared
to be a trend for PC Macedonia, and many have
and wanted to kill the young Christ child. There
ventured on this excursion for a week away
are several places that claim Joseph and Mary
from busy schools or project proposals to see the
dwelled there, and churches were created upon
ancient land of one of the first civilizations on
that soil. I had the chance to enter one of them,
Earth.
and felt rather humble and intrigued at the tall
We started our trip on a six-hour bus ride to Sofia ceilings and impressive frescoes of the churches
(be advised that wait time at the border crossing
and cathedrals.
varies, depending on the mood). The travel agency
The Coptic museum also boasts some of the
graciously arranged the cheapest ticket to Egypt,
finest Coptic art, literature and textiles from
which departed at a decent time from Bulgaria but that era. Art at that time was unhindered, and
unfortunately arrived in Cairo at 2 a.m. Our hostel, the people created masterpieces of religion and
the Sara Inn, thankfully arranged a well-humored
everyday life. The Coptic language itself is the
taxi driver to pick us up. We used this driver to
progression of the language used by the ancient
take us to the old Coptic area of the city as well
Egyptians. The written language can be found on
as to one of the historic world wonders, the Giza
the Rosetta Stone along with the hieroglyphics
I
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