The following journal is from TMN reporter Daniel Saenz, as he documents his summer volunteering in Egypt.
BY DANIEL SAENZ
Ever since I was young, I have always been captivated by the historical, political, and linguistic makeup of the countries residing within the Middle-East and North Africa. As I have previously described, living in Morocco was a dream come true as I was able to see a great deal of historical sights and experience the culture in a wide variety of ways.
During my time as a student in Morocco, I joined a group known as AIESEC, a leadership organization affiliated with the United Nations. Long story short, they offered me a spot as a global volunteer teaching refugees in Egypt. Being such an avid aficionado of the Arab world, I couldn’t refuse. I returned to the United States from Morocco for a couple weeks to prepare for the next journey, and then I was off. Finally, after a long flight to Germany and a subsequent 10-hour wait in the airport, I finally arrived in Egypt just a couple weeks ago to start my work.
So far, it has been loads of fun. I have made many friends from all around the world and I have had the chance to practice and use my Arabic. A major shock for me was living in Egypt during Ramadan. Stores were closed during the day, so up until now, I was always starving during the day and socializing and eating during the night. A Vietnamese intern made the joke that we were fasting without even wanting to.
This time-period will easily have been the most hectic during my time here. However, I recently took some time off to join a trip to Sinai. Now, it is probably safe to say that the Sinai Peninsula needs no introduction. After all, the Abrahamic faiths all see this region as an integral part of their religions. So much so that Sinai continues to be a disputed area between Egypt, Syria, and Israel, sparking some clashes in the late 60s, early 70s, and even now.
First, we visited several beaches along the Red Sea such as Dahab. I even had a chance to snorkel in the water and see the beautiful reefs. After spending a few days visiting all these beaches, I was starting to become bored with just swimming all the time. Nonetheless, after patiently waiting for days, I finally had the chance to climb Mt. Sinai. That’s right. I had the chance to do what Moses allegedly did thousands of years ago. I did not come back with any stone tablets or any divine revelations, but I did come back a happy soul after witnessing such a beautiful sunset while on top of the mountain.
Overall, it was a great time. Now that I have returned, I very much look forward to living through the World Cup here in Egypt as I will finally be able to experience the event in a country that likes soccer. I also plan on visiting the Pyramids of Giza next.
