Dakahlia, Beni Suif, and Menia

Now that I had an evening to myself to rest, I realized that in the past week I have been to 3 NEW places in Egypt that I had never been to before! Its amazing how different they were; I imagined that they would be very similar. People in Menia had a different accent, were more curious and welcoming, and the women were less likely to be out and about in the streets; they prefered their homes. While people in Mansoura were louder, and the women in the streets. I enjoyed mixing with the locals, even when it was a bit difficult sometimes; the kids are horrendous! Always teasing, fighting with each other, and just being brats! But others were sweet and wanted to converse and 2 girls actually wanted to leave with me. I am always amazed to see how hospitable and humble these people are in these areas. They would invite us to their homes, and insist on buying us some coke or feeding us lunch. Its the sort of hospitability that we Egyptians are known for but stopped doing in Cairo. It was nice to see that the true essence of it still existed in Egypt, and surprisingly its in the poorest areas. Goes to show that a good nature and a pure heart don't come with money as some might think. Of course during these trips all I could think of was the heat, getting my work done, and the bumpy road home so didnt really get to enjoy them much except in the last day I went where I decided I was going to mix with the locals more and just enjoy the experience...I'm glad I did :)