The festival
was started about five years ago by Raqia Hassan, an Egyptian dancer/instructor.
But guess how she got the idea for it! She attended Rakassah, the famous California
belly dance festival, and decided to try something similar in Egypt!
Ahlan Wa Sahlan attracts dancers from all over the world: Europe, South America,
the U.S., and Japan, among others. It helps the Egyptian dance community by
giving extra work to costume-dealers and dance teachers. It was a very positive
international gathering, which really warmed my heart, especially considering
the dire world situation at the present time.
Morocco scheduled our arrival in Cairo several days before the festival started, so that we could get some sightseeing in before classes began. During these pre-festival days (from the 23rd to the 26th) we stayed at a cozy little hotel, the Hotel Victoria. This hotel was built in the 1920's and has a wonderful staff, many of whom are Coptic Christians. The friendly and energetic manager, Hani, is a great guy who speaks English fluently and is always there to help solve any problem, share stories from his years of managing the hotel, and enthusiastically teach a little Arabic.
I'd flown solo from Phoenix, Arizona. Scheduling unfortunately made it necessary to spend the day in the New York airport before joining up with Rocky's group. However, for most of that time I had the company of a great group of California dancers, a warm and friendly bunch.
When we joined the rest of the group I was so excited to meet Morocco in person. I had been secretly afraid she might be intimidating in person, (some of your "well known people" are!) but Rocky is just a sweetie!) Everyone in the group seemed to be so interesting and so friendly.
I also met my room-mate, a very interesting and nice woman (she's a Presbyterian minister who bellydances as a hobby!). We both snore loudly, so that worked out. The only drawback (to having her as a room-mate) was that we would get to talking and stay up too late! There were several nearby mosques in the area, and we would open the balcony window to hear the beautiful call to prayer, sung from several directions.
I had been to Egypt before, so I'd already seen to the sights which Morocco had scheduled the group to tour. For this reason, I'd made preliminary plans by e-mailing with Leyla Lanty, a California dancer/instructor whom I'd gotten to know through the Middle East Dance List. She had a friend in Egypt whom she recommended as a guide/personal shopper. So while they went to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx and the ruins of Sakkara and Memphis, I made arrangements with him for a day of sight-seeing of the medieval buildings of Cairo. I was so pleased when Leyla decided to come along too. I had spoken to her on the phone as well as many e-mails, so I wasn't surprised that she was a darling, and Ahmed was delightful.
Most of the old buildings he took us to see are right in the same area as that famous souk, the Khan el Khalili. We toured a restored caravanserai, a restored merchant's home, several beautiful mosques built in the middle ages. I climbed the Bab Zuwayla, one of the ancient gates in the wall that was built around Cairo in 1092 to protect it from the Crusaders.
Standing on the ancient stonework far abouve the street, looking down and imagining traders and armies coming through...I was transported into history.
Some of the stone inlay work in the mosques was breathtaking. My special favorite is the mosque of the El Ghuriya complex. I'd been to see it in 2002 but it was wonderful to see it again, more beautiful than I'd remembered.
The following day my roommate joined me and we hired the same guide to take us through the Khan el Khalili. Her friend's name is Ahmed Mohammed, and his usual job is as a shopper for people, he takes a percentage of course, but as he is able to get a lower price in the first place than we would, it's a win-win situation.
We started
at three in the afternoon on our guide's advice, to avoid the huge crowds
of worshippers in the area because that day was Friday. (The Khan el Khalili
is just off the Midan Husayn (Husayn square)which is bordered by the two most
important mosques in Egypt, the Mosque of el Husayn and El Azhar mosque. On
Fridays all this area is full of worshippers, and many police standing by
to watch the worshippers). But Ahmed's advice stood us in good stead; by the
time we got there, mid afternoon, it was "business as usual".
We had a wonderful time, and shopped quite a lot. Colorful applique wall hangings
and cushion covers are very beautiful and very reasonable, an old Egyptian
craft which is little known in the west...they are found in the tent-maker's
bazaar, in a covered alley off of the Bab Zuwayla. I also purchased mother
of pearl inlay picture frames, a brass camel, a beautiful lampshade with intricate
designs cut into the metal, and a shelf made in the style of the mashrabi
windows of old Cairo houses.
That evening Rocky took us, on foot, to Alphie Bey's, a restaurant which is near
the Hotel Victoria, and which has been in that area for more than a hundred
years. Gleaming woodwork, linens, lace curtains on high long Victorian-style
windows---plus wonderful food and conversation. There were really great people
in Rocky's group, all so interesting....!
The next day we all went together, by bus, to Mahmoud abd el Gaffar's famous shop,
four floors of belly-dance costumes! Many of the girls bought the gorgeous
gowns rather than the two-piece costumes that most people think of when they
think of belly-dancing. They looked so elegant in the long gowns!
While waiting for them to finish all their trying on and deciding, I spoke briefly
to Mr. Gaffar. He told me that he used to only have enough business in the
winter. But since the festival started five years ago, he has enough business
from the dancers attending the festival, to carry him through to his winter
season.
After the shopping we all met up with Ahmed Mohammed (he's known Rocky for years
also) and he took us, in five cabs, to the famous Mohammad Ali Street* where
we went to a store which sold drums and tamborines and other musical instruments,
same store, same family, for generations. Ahmed bargained for all of us. I
bought a couple of tamborines, one a heavy aluminum one which was rather expensive,
but I love its sound and so does Tish Dvorkin, for some of the songs I play
on while accompanying her group.
That evening we went on a dinner cruise on the Nile. After an incredible darwiish
(dervish) dancer, a belly dancer named Hanadi came out and started getting
people to dance. Our group turned into the main entertainment! We really had
a wonderful time. I love traveling with entertainers, they seem to have so
much fun compared to other people!
Occasionally I looked away from the wonderful entertainment to the lovely scene out the
window, of feluccas (the little sailboats in the age-old Egyptian style) on
the beautiful greenery-rimmed Nile as the sun sunk below the city skyline.?After
the cruise, a few of us went with Leyla to a little cafe in the Khan, where
a small group of musicians played the most wonderful music I've ever heard
live. Between songs the announcer called out the names of people who had tipped
the band (and in our case, they called out what country we were from!) (as
in, "Madame Leni min Amriika") There was a wonderful singer, an
older man, the best singer I have ever heard live. He wore a well-cut galabeya
and scarf. There were also an excellent nay player, a wonderful keyboardist,
a man on the frame drum, one on the dumbek and a guy who played the large
finger cymbals
Later
a woman got up and sang, including some Oum Kolthoum songs. The women and
couples and children sat in the rows on the side, and single men in the rows
near the door. The men in the audience were doing a lot of moving around and
smiling and throwing kisses to the musicians. I was in heaven, especially
when the leader of the troupe was singing, even though it was hot in there
and the air was smoke-filled from the hookahs.
Ahmed
made sure we were provided with coffees and waters and anything else we wanted
to purchase. He paid for everything and we settled up with him later. On the
day before the festival started, we transfered to the Mena House. That evening
was the Opening Gala. We all dressed up, and went up to the ballroom after
the "zeffa" on the stairs leading there. The buffet
part of the evening was a disaster because the people were so pushy (and they
weren't the Egyptians!). There wasn't enough staff at the buffet tables out
in the great hall leading to the ballroom. Some of the ladies at our table
were very upset as they had waited in line for half an hour, then mobs of
people just pushed by. I did end up getting to eat, because by the time those
same table-mates did get to the buffet, they really loaded up their plates
and shared with the rest of us. The entertainment
was excellent, dancers and a great live band...and waiters brought drinks
to the tables. Huge chandeliers made of draped strands of glass beads hung
over the ballroom, at least a dozen of them. Moving from one hotel to the
other had left me tired, so I drank Arabic coffees, several of them!
The featured dancer that night was the famous Dina. She was really good, and
it was exciting to see her perform after hearing so much about her. I would
have to say, however, that she is one of the most overtly sexual dancers I
have ever seen.
That
evening some of the group, including Shira of website fame (who is sooo nice
in person!!) went to see the well-known dancer Lucy, at her nightclub, and
found it very worth it. The bus driver told them to go straight into the nightclub
and not stand on the sidewalk talking, or they would be mistaken for prostitutes!
For the next five days there were several classes a day, upstairs in the divided
ballroom. In the anteroom area they had a buffet table service which was available
all of the days of the festival, set up with Egyptian "fast food"
favorites such as shawerma, falafel, etc. I often ate there instead of in
the dining rooms downstairs; not only was the price less, but the people-watching
was great. Dancer sitting on little seats and tables covered with bright fabric,
all around the room, and the teachers and musicians were hanging out with
their friends and families at the tables along the wall---they seemed to all
come for the entire day, and they would stop in at eachother's classes to
yell encouragement. It was like a party atmosphere. Outside in the city streets,
99% of the women walking down the street were covered with headscarves and
long loose clothing.
One evening,
Zora and I went on a horse and buggy ride through the streets of the village
of Giza. We had a great time, as the open air buggy allowed us to see so much
of the lively gathering of people, that went on in the village streets at
night! Shira
and Glee, her roommate, went on a camel ride around the great pyramid. They
came back sore and tired and hot, but said it was worth it. One of
the aspects of the festival I enjoyed was the opportunity to strike up conversations
with dancers from many countries, which was so interesting. I made a good
friend of Teresa from Belgium (born in Spain) whom I'd corresponded with before
the trip, when she had answered a request for sight-seeing companions. We
went out to dinner several evenings, at little places near the hotel and had
a great time. She teaches Middle Eastern dance in Belgium. I found
people as a whole to be very friendly in Egypt, as I had on my first trip.
The Egyptian staff at both hotels was fun and helpful. Several times I complimented
a dance teacher on their class, and they were so gracious, sometimes the women
would hug and kiss me! Every
evening there were dance performances in the ballroom, admission was free
of charge. The dancers were mostly attendees of the festival. A lot of Egyptians
showed up for these shows, including (no surprise) many young men, but quite
a few young women and older couples also. There was a party atmosphere. On the
third evening, Morocco's troupe was scheduled to perform. I was blown away
by the quality of the dance performances of these women (and one man, Tarik
Sultan!) whom I'd been traveling with. Besides the wonderful solos, there
were some great group routines by Morocco's troupe. they really shone! After
the performances were over the band kept playing, and people started jumping
up and dancing all over the room, here and there, mostly young men. It was
something else. One evening
we went to an incredible dervish show at the Citadel, the huge fort/castle
built by Salah al Din to guard against the Crusaders. An incredible musical
ensemble, a dramatic drum ensemble with a star drummer who was fiery and dramatic,
incredible dervish dancers..... During
two of the days of the festival I'd arranged more sightseeing with women whom
I'd corresponded with before the trip. (Thanks to the Middle East Dance List).
I spent a day with list-member Shelby Pizzaro (again we were guided by Ahmed)
and it worked out great. I loved the experience of going through the Khan,
all the sights and sounds and smells, ducking through little alleys because
Ahmed knew a shortcut to this destination or that... My fun
ended before the rest of the group, when on a morning walk with Shelby and
Teresa toward the great Pyramid, I fell and broke my ankle. I'd been standing
with a crowd waiting at the entrance, and a bus came rushing through. Everyone
instinctively moved to the right and I stumbled and fell. It was
quite a devastating experience sitting there in shock, being asked to sign
letters that stated the cause of the accident ("I just fell," is
basically what I wrote.) An ambulance came and took me to a little hospital
in the small town of Giza near the pyramids. There was no lift into the ambulance,
and I'm to heavy for someone to carry me, so I dragged myself into it, my
foot dangling behind. The last thing I heard as the ambulance pulled away
was Teresa's stubborn heavily-Spanish-accented voice demanding, "I must
know where you are taking her." (Teresa, si estas leendo esto, eres mi
angel!) I was
in a wheelchair in a little room, when Morocco came bouncing in. Teresa (to
whom I will be eternally grateful) had gone back to the hotel and found Morocco
(whom she did not know personally). Morocco bluffed the little hospital and
insisted I be taken to one of the best hospitals in Cairo. (We both felt that
the doctor at the little hospital seemed excellent, but that there was more
chance to be exposed to bacteria which I'd had no resistance to, in a small
village hospital.) I must
interject here how important it was that (a) Teresa was with me and went to
fetch Morocco and (b) Morocco dropped what she was doing and made sure that
I was transfered to the larger hospital. She also fronted the money for the
whole thing (in Egypt, operation and hospital stay were $2000 total). The
PeaceTours agent was always there and always concerned also. Having
had this experience, I cannot stress more strongly how important it is, when
traveling in a third world country, to go with an experienced leader and an
experienced travel agency. I was
there at the Salaam hospital for a couple of days, operated on to have two
screws in my foot, pinning on the knob of the bone which had been broken off,
by the excellent surgeon Dr. Shireen. The little bone at the other side of
the ankle was left to heal on its own. It was
rather bleak being there, but I was mostly incredibly grateful to be in that
hospital and know I would be taken care of. The nurses all spoke some English,
but I ended up using some of my Arabic because the attendants did not. Also,
as it was a hospital where the middle class and upper middle classes went,
the other people in the room were able to help me, as they all spoke English.
Leyla
and Ahmed came to visit and brought flowers and some paper money to tip the
nurses. It was good to see them. Rocky and the tour guide came several times
also. I can't say enough about how much I owe to them. The other
people in the room all had family members with them most of the time. One
of them, a teenage girl, was watching a station which had all American TV
shows. I remember thinking, "This is like adding insult to injury"
as I hate most American TV except PBS. Rocky
and her tour guide from Peace Tours were wonderful; as I said before she fronted
the money to pay the hospital bill (I'd taken out travel insurance but that
wouldn't get reimbursed until later) and she acted as if it were no trouble!
(Two days and two nights in hospital and the operation were around $2000.) I got
out just in time to fly home with my group. The flight wasn't bad, probably
because I was still on pain medication at the time! I wrote
the above article in December 2004. I shall
begin a much longer, detailed account of the trip. After
a long flight with little sleep, (though the circular pillow I'd ordered from
Magellan's did help) I was sitting in JFK airport, blearily writing in my journal:?6:10
AM June 22 I'm sitting
in the food court at Terminal 4. the old rickety busses I remember from two
years ago are gone, instead there's a BART-like "Air Train" that
goes from terminal to terminal,way up in the air, like something out of that
cartoon about space that we used to watch as kids in the 50's. The others
in the "Air Train" were four conservative Jewish guys, all wearing
hats....big stiff hats. Still
went up and down several times before I found the food court. There was a
map of the terminal but it didn't seem to have a "You are Here"
on it. El Savadorenyas at the next table,(several generations of women, abrubt
machine-gun voices, the kids totally Americanized. Jamaicans
with littling voices in front of me at the coffeeshop counter, and also behind
the counter. "A cran---(voice going up)berry (voice going down) muffin....". So tired,
a dull persistent ache in my left hip, knee hurt during trip, neck pillow
wonderful but didn't sleep much. delicate sleeping Asians on either side of
me, little smooth brown feet of a young girl curled up against the window..." I can't
open my new face powder, to heck with all of these "new & improved"
products. The Jamaican
women seem so gentle and playful with their mothers, saw several examples
of that on one plane... CALIFORNIA
GROUP: Rose Adams Mesouna rose Glee (No dance name) Gloria Torres (Rajah)
Yolanda (mother Audrey (daughter)Lulu Amelia --Najwa Tony: Talia Robyn &
Demetrius JOURNAL
In about an hour we shall be in Cairo. Stiff with aches in left hip and knee,
slept for a while, the neck pillow really made a difference. They are about
to serve us continental breakfast and coffee/tea. It is cold in the plane
cabin JOURNAL junr 23 ths goes after Victoria Hotel bicycle part stores, hardware
stores, bike parts, car parts stores, etc. All men, nobody helped us except
one guy, foodstalls for people who work there, lemon juiice places, bread
(sunbread), cook not hostile but we felt anxious, not afraid Really Third
World Zora: evening social event, families welcome, mall, souk JOURNAL.
7 AM June 23 i'M SITTING IN DINING ROOM BUILT IN 20'S i THINK, PARQUET FLOOR
AQUA WALLS WITH RAISED PATTERNS (PANELING)on walls, old prints of 1800 etchings,
except for the lack of being able to see out of the windows (dark green velvet
curtains, pale filmy linen table cloths, upholstered chairs in same velveteen)
perfect Actual
buffet not open yet, an animated trio of Japanese the only others in room,
both men tall expressive dark booming voices. Back to Main Trips Page or Reviews
Page
1. On the Way to Egypt Again!
Sitting on the airplane from Phoenix to NYC, it seemed I was already entering
a territory much more cosmopolitan than Phoenix. All the different ethnic
groups of New York city seemed to be represented on the plane: a family of
conservative jews, a mother and teenage daughter from Jamaica, a group of
jovial young businessmen who included Indians, Caucasians, Asians, and one
guy who looked arab. A Rastafarian guy with fake looking brades. I'd entered
the plane following a very attractive light-skinned black girl and was amused
at all the guys giving her hopeful smiles. (New Yorkers are nothing if not
direct!)
Several loud jocular airport employees sitting lunching at the counter one
says to the others, "I can't drink alcohol; I'm allergic to it i break
out in handcuffs!"