Mike and I and a few other teachers were starting to feel cooped up in our little Maadi bubble and were feeling desperate to get out and do something with some different scenery than Maadi.
We had been wanting to visit a large park in Cairo called Al Azhar park, so we decided to make a trip over a long weekend. We headed there on a Sunday morning that we had off of school for Armed Forces Day. Five of us met up and split into two taxis to make the 30min drive over to the park (and piled into one taxi on the way home, hey, the locals do it!).
When we got there, we just walked around and enjoyed the scenery a bit and then found a nice spot in the grass under a nice shady tree and set up some blankets. We lazed around for a bit, some of us reading, some grading homework, some napping. It was bliss to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in a nice park. Such a western thing to do, but sometimes it is needed!
After our short relaxation time, we walked up the hill to a wonderful cafe that overlooked the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque and got eat some yummy Egyptian food.
Al Azhar park is a truly beautiful park. It is listed as one the World's 60 greatest public spaces. Lots of unique trees. Overlooking Cairo and the Citadel. A small pond inside and a nice fountain. Lots of green space to sit down and enjoy some shade or a nice picnic. Hosts four lovely cafes with gorgeous views. Lots of young Egyptians and couples frequent the park as well. We went early to avoid the crowds. :)
It was a really nice little escape from our routine lives in Maadi.
Here are some shots of the day.
Click to enlarge.
We had been wanting to visit a large park in Cairo called Al Azhar park, so we decided to make a trip over a long weekend. We headed there on a Sunday morning that we had off of school for Armed Forces Day. Five of us met up and split into two taxis to make the 30min drive over to the park (and piled into one taxi on the way home, hey, the locals do it!).
When we got there, we just walked around and enjoyed the scenery a bit and then found a nice spot in the grass under a nice shady tree and set up some blankets. We lazed around for a bit, some of us reading, some grading homework, some napping. It was bliss to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in a nice park. Such a western thing to do, but sometimes it is needed!
After our short relaxation time, we walked up the hill to a wonderful cafe that overlooked the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque and got eat some yummy Egyptian food.
Al Azhar park is a truly beautiful park. It is listed as one the World's 60 greatest public spaces. Lots of unique trees. Overlooking Cairo and the Citadel. A small pond inside and a nice fountain. Lots of green space to sit down and enjoy some shade or a nice picnic. Hosts four lovely cafes with gorgeous views. Lots of young Egyptians and couples frequent the park as well. We went early to avoid the crowds. :)
It was a really nice little escape from our routine lives in Maadi.
Here are some shots of the day.
Click to enlarge.
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| Fountain inside the park |
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| Trail of pretty trees |
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| Pond |
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| Mosque in the background |
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| Mosque across the pond |
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| City of the Dead |
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| Add caption |
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| My View as I was laying down |
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| Looking up into the trees |
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| The Cafe we ate at, from afar |
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| View from our table at the Cafe |
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| Entry to the Cafe |
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| Inside the Entrance |
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| Rebecca, Victoria, Che Te and I standing in the fountain! |
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