The day started out like all others at the Grand Pyramids hotel. A quiet Sunday morning, sun rising, temperature pleasant. It was time to pack up. The plan was to have breakfast, pack up, allow the girls to swim and be at Ashraf’s minivan by 10 a.m.
But, dear reader, things don’t always work out, as you know. Wanda discovered that the Visa credit card she had in her purse the night before was not there. Was it misplaced? Stolen? Lost? We turned the rooms upside down looking for that card. Same for her purse and all our luggage. We retraced her steps. She hadn’t used it on Saturday but had got it out at the shirt shop at the hotel. We had also gone to Hardees. Was it possible that it fell out of the one pocket she had it in?
Or was it taken? The 10 a.m. time came and went. Hotel personnel were involved in helping us. Nothing. Finally we called the Visa phone number in NA and Wanda talked to a person on the phone. The woman reported only one activity, an attempt to withdraw $35 USD equivalent which failed because the person couldn’t produce the right pin number. So no activity. Wanda said to cancel the card and the woman complied.
By now it was almost noon. We were late in going. Forget about visiting the desert monasteries in the morning, or at all, let’s just find the Anafora retreat centre. We made one stop for three things; to stop at Hardees and inquire if they had seen a Visa credit card or anyone flashing one around, to stop at a pharmacy (Amani’s inner ear was hurting and she couldn’t even smile without pain. We consulted a doctor and got an antibiotic), and to grab some lunch at an Egyptian fast food joint (sandwiches; fuul, falafel, chicken kebab)
And so we made our way out of Cairo by means of the desert highway to Alexandria. Indeed this was a highway, one that didn’t exist 20 years ago when I was living in Egypt. A brand new 8 lane totally asphalted highway. It’s just being finished right now. All along the highway are new communities springing up. These look more like NA development. Huge signs in English are selling lots and houses that will be built along with malls, just about everything that is needed to be self contained. The dwellers will be commuters to Cairo or possibly cities on the highway. This looked like it could be the desert outside of Phoenix. Amazing.
We did eventually find Anafora Retreat Center. No neon sign for sure, just a sign in Coptic which Mohamed picked out. We did need to call the number I had for the retreat centre and Mohamed tried to get information but the woman wouldn’t divulge anything until she talked to me. Then she would give directions to him. Same for the guard at the gate. It was a Muslim-Christian thing. Mohamed didn’t seem upset just mildly perplexed but I think we all knew what lay behind the extra caution.
The Anafora Retreat Center is a large tract of land, not very wide but goes fairly deep into the desert on the east side of the highway (direction of the Nile). As we drove in we passed buildings being built and groves of mango and fig trees as well as date palms. Finally we got to the area where the chapel was and were directed down the road to the next ‘settlement’. There we found a main building which was a place of wicker chairs with woven rugs on them and short tables as well as rug covered floor space to sit, with rug covered pillows and special rug covered ground chairs around short tables. A dining area and meeting place. The kitchen was the next room over. A small library is on the second floor. So we ate lunch and were shown to our rooms. Pretty typical Christian retreat centre rooms, nicely done but spare. Compared to the rooms we just came from (and the rooms we will be going to) this was spartan.
The girls noticed the ‘pool’ which is a long lap pool with rectangular ends and different levels. So they got in their swim suits and went swimming. If there is a pool motor that filters and circulates the water, it wasn’t on. So the pool looked like standing water (perhaps that is why we had so many items to fight mosquitoes in our room). The girls did find a water straining device and tried cleaning the surface. They earned their keep.
That night after supper and as the sun was setting we realized that our favorites things to do in the evening would not be available. There is no computer connection for travelers and no TV. Want to know about World Cup action? Did England win or lose? Sorry, that will have to wait.
But that was alright. A good change of pace. It was a beautiful sunset and a quiet, warm, evening. We read a bit but the lighting was rather dim. That made the decision easy,
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