Upon arriving to the Imhotep Museum we quickly stopped to use the restroom. They were fairly clean and it was obvious this is a new complex (opened in 2009). Then we wandered down the long courtyard. This was yet another example of the bizarre paradox of Egypt. A country that has the facilities to handle large amounts of tourists, but with not a single one in sight. I could tell this courtyard was intended to hold many tourists eagerly awaiting their turn into the museum. Instead, Mohsen and I walked passed shuttered market stalls and briefly walked into a movie hall that likely would tell the history and insights into the Saqqara complex. But that day? It was forlornly empty, no attendant to be found.

When we reached the entrance to the museum some local women were washing the marbled floors to remove the dusty desert sand that had blown in. I felt a bit awkward as I knew I was tracking in dirt, so quickly dodged and hopped as fast as I could out of the magnificent entrance hall (with the statue of Imhotep) and into the first side room. While I marveled at the modern neatly labeled (in 3 languages!) exhibit halls, Mohsen scoffed behind me. “There’s nothing here! When you go to the Egyptian Museum you’ll understand. That’s a real museum! This…this is boring!”

True, there are only about 250 objects on display at the Imhotep Museum whereas its believed the Egyptian Museum has over 120,000 objects on display at any one time (and thousands more in their storerooms). But the Imhotep Museum is what one would expect of a traditional western museum, with quality of information over quantity. Again it was also apparent due to the spacing of the glass cases and even the objects within the cases that the museum was designed to handle massive amount of tourists. I could imagine a line of tourists circling each exhibit hall, with everyone being able to get their moment to see the object and read the label without getting frustrated at missing anything. But with just the two of us…it did seem very empty.

While there weren’t a ton of objects, there as a nice mix of pottery, statues, stelae, and a mummy or two. My favorite thing I saw was green and blue faience wall tiles that decorated the tombs and chambers under the Step Pyramid of Djoser To learn more about the museum and see some photos from the exhibit halls I recommend this article.

When we had entered the guardians had said there was no photography, this was a bit strange as I had read there was no flash photography, but without flash should have been fine. But not wanting to cause a fuss, I kept my camera in my bag. However, it was Mohsen’s first time at this museum and he was still commenting on how empty the place was. As we turned a corner, we saw a mummy behind an elaborate glass display and golden background. “You see any cameras?” Mohsen asked. I pointed with my eyes to the various cameras I could see. “Well since they were so adamant to not take photos, especially when there is really nothing here to take photos of…I kind of want a photo of this mummy

[Merrenre I, the oldest complete royal mummy].” I couldn’t help but smile. I wanted a “Sidekick”, someone who wasn’t like the traditional guides, someone who was my age that I could relax and joke with. And I got a rebel! I wandered away as he quickly (and secretively) took the photo. I remember later wishing I had also taken a photo too. Thankfully Mohsen posted it online so you can see this “forbidden photo”.

When we were finished we again walked through the cleaned marble entrance hall, the local women no longer in sight. Two other tourists and their guide had just entered the museum, must be a busy day for them!

While we waited for our driver, Mohsen tasted some prickly pears (cactus fruits) that we found at the front of the museum to see if it was edible. I declined the opportunity to taste it. Mohsen was trying to convince me that it was something they ate, to which I replied that I was aware, that in fancy grocery stores they sell cactus and prickly pears but I didn’t know of any recipes that used them.

We had been going all day, and I had been eating granola bars to tide me over. But it was finally time to eat. Mohsen asked what I wanted to eat. I debated within myself. Did I want to stay safe and have something simple like chicken shawarma? Or should I try what the girl on the plane recommend: kushari? I decided I was going to be adventurous and asked Mohsen to take me to a traditional kushari place. Mohsen seemed a bit surprised at that request, and after asking me to confirm we set off. The effects of the long day (and lingering jet lag) was taking its toll, and Mohsen kept looking back and asking if I was okay. I just smiled and explained I was fine, just happily tired.

Mohsen and I hopped out while our driver searched for a parking spot. Mohsen led me past the front of the shop and into a long narrow room where I collapsed into the seat, with my stomach realizing how long it had been since I had real food. Mohsen ordered for the three of us and our driver appeared. Mohsen and the driver asked if they could smoke. I said I was fine with it. Normally I wouldn’t be, but the pollution in Egypt is bad enough that you really couldn’t tell the difference if someone was smoking or not. Mohsen also helped order me a drink.

When the kushari arrived, I had a moment of doubt. A medium sized bowl was in front of me. I could see the base (rice, macaroni noodles, spaghetti like noodles) but wasn’t prepared for the “topping”. It had four quadrants, I could tell the lentils and the chickpeas, but wasn’t sure on the rest. (Turns out to be crispy onions.) And I didn’t see any type of sauce, when I was expecting it to be tomato-y. I picked up my spoon but Mohsen stopped me, “Wait, he’s brining the sauce.”  A few moments later a garlic based sauce and a tomato based sauce was placed in front of us, family style. I watched as the driver started to put some on. I did so as well, and quickly mixed everything all together.

Starving I took my first bite. It was….heaven. It was the comfort food I didn’t know I had been missing in my life. I then just started shoveling food as fast as I could while staring blankly at the wall, while a shocked Mohsen asked if I was all right. I realized I must look pretty out of it, and so tried to regain composure and eat slower so as not to make myself sick. But try as I might, I was too tired to really focus on anything. So we ate mostly in silence. I sort of remember the driver asking me questions through Mohsen, but cannot for the life of me recall what those were.

I did have a moment of clarity, and forced myself to stop eating when I was no longer hungry instead of attempting to finish the entire bowl. (Seriously, kushari is deceptive in size. Its very filling!) The driver left to get the car, and I paid the bill. Part of me was a bit annoyed as I could tell I was paying for more than just my meal (kushari, since it is a vegetarian dish is very cheap) and Egyptian Sidekick was clear tips (and I assumed paying for Sidekicks/Drivers food) was not something you were expected to pay on top of the already high price tag. But I realized 38 EGP was less than $5. $5 for 3 people to eat! That’s insane. And not worth worrying about since both Mohsen and the driver had been so amazing. (And Mohsen had paid for that guide at Saqqara.)

I asked Mohsen if there was anything nearby to see as I still had an hour before I wanted to be back at my hotel. But Mohsen said there wasn’t anything that we could get to in time due to traffic and due to it getting closer to 4 PM when most tourists sights would close. I was a bit dejected about loosing yet another hour of sightseeing, but agreed to be taken back to my hotel (which was close by.) I will say later in my trip I did get trapped in Cairo traffic around that same time in the afternoon for more than 2 hours due to traffic, so Mohsen was spot on saying it about how traffic would prevent us from doing anything. And Mohsen was also right to take me back to my hotel.  The moment I got back to my hotel room, I fell instantly asleep for over 2 hours until it was time to meet my tour group for dinner. I always get too caught up in the early days of a trip and try to do too much. It was good that Mohsen saw that I was really too tired to be wandering around any longer.