Customs

I have felt quite comfortable traveling with Marwa and find that car time = question time. She is very patient with my questions and is a constant tour guide.

Funerals - when an Egyptian dies, they must be buried right away - either the same day or if not, the next. They are not embalmed, but a cleaned in prayer ritual and then wrapped in a shroud. They are carried on a bier with mourners following through the streets to the burial grounds. It is believed that the more men who follow - the better for the soul of the dead. They chant prayers and passages from the Koran along the way. There is no casket, they are placed right in the ground. The family then accepts condolences in their home for a few days and often stays with family for comfort. We passed a building where a man had passed. They had constructed a large frame covering the front of the building and draped it with blue printed cloth that is special for this purpose. The entire area was hung with lanterns and an Emam was canting verses. It was quite beautiful. Marwa explained that this will take place for a couple of hours before they proceed to the burial.

Food - meals are eaten three time a day, but vary depending on the schedule. Breakfast can be from 8 until 11, lunch is around 4 and is the largest meal of the day, dinner is generally smaller and is served around 11pm. It is considered good hospitality to offer food to guests and to continue offering food until it is gone. Drinks are not taken with the meal, but well after. In fact it doesn't seem like they drink many liquids at all. I have been asking for a bottle of water quite often. And I miss my fountain Pepsi!