On the road again - 9/21

Hello all! This is Kate, the last time I did the blog post we had just arrived in Rome. It is hard to believe we are now in deserts of Egypt! Today we set out from our apartments at the American University in Cairo for a two day adventure in Alexandria. On our way we stopped at two monasteries, one of them being that of St. Bishoy,  where we were given tours of the buildings and a history of the monasteries by one of the monks.  It was interesting to hear about both the religious and lifestyle habits of the practicing monks. This was followed by an interesting lunch at a truck stop area and then we were back on the road. 

We arrived in the city with a loud, flashing police entourage and headed for the Library of Alexandria. It makes sense why this building is internationally famous. Not only does it have a huge selection of books, maps, and other materials, there are also four museums and a planetarium.  The outside of the building is equally as impressive with huge hieroglyphics surrounding the building which slants down into the ground, facing the Mediterranean Sea. The entire area gives off an aura of grandeur, modernity, and history.  We then headed to our hotel which also faces the sea and, after a good night of rest, we will be ready for another day of touring this beautiful city!