A run away donkey with an old TV.

While we waited some of the others decided to hop out and explore, while many of us stayed on the bus. We watched as Richard and Tara disappeared from view. A few of us wondered if they’d made it back in time since they had been a little late after the Great Pyramid. The others who had hopped out wandered around. It was a local shopping area, full of clothing and shoe stores. I was starting to feel unwell, and the hunger wasn’t helping. At one point I felt like I needed air, but our driver had wandered off on a smoke break and had locked the doors. We couldn’t get out, the others couldn’t come back in.

Finally Mikel arrived back with the food, and rounded up everyone and off we went. I had opted for a chicken shawarma as I had found that was my now go-to in Egypt. I ate it greedily and wish I had bought a second one. After lunch it seemed like we reached the Library of Alexandria in no time. We got out and waited for Mikel to buy us tickets.

Although it was grey out, it was a comfortable. But even so, I felt feverish. My legs all the way up from my ankles to my hips were throbbing. I had apparently over done it with climbing into the Red Pyramid, on top of a smaller queen’s pyramid, and then camel riding. As we went in I took a quick cursory glance at the gift shop. I had made plans to visit it more throughly but after just walking through it for a few minutes I was sad to see there wasn’t much here. Sure it was full of books. But many were blank journals, or the books one would have already read prior to coming to Egypt. I was expecting a gift shop like the one at the British Museum, full of books dedicated in detail to one small topic or another, with high end gifts for purchase. Instead I found traditional fare and wares.

I then made my way downstairs. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a large undertaking, but I found I no longer could move my legs. They had simply seized up. I had pushed them too far. So I had to wait for the very slow elevator to get down there.  But I was on a mission to see one of the smaller museums in the Library. I was excited to see Antikythera Mechanism, a mysterious device of antiquity found underwater. It has mechanical teeth and looks far advanced that what should have been found for its time. So I bought a ticket for the main mini archeological museum in the Library, featuring items found in the bay near Alexandria. Due to a series of earthquakes, parts of the ancient city fell into the ocean.

The museum is well done, with a wide variety of objects throughout the history of Egypt and Alexandria. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I quickly made a whirlwind looking for the mechanism. Not finding it, I figured it was in one of the other two small museums. So I made myself re-do the circuit around the museum. Still not feeling well, I didn’t read much of the materials, instead just marveling at the various objects. However, I couldn’t see all the rooms. One room (which intrigued me the most with beautiful statues) was closed off due to a large amount of water leaking through the roof. Two others were sunken in the floor. The 6 steps seem to taunt me, but I just couldn’t make it down to those other rooms. I could slightly see some of the objects, and wistfully strained to see two beautiful mosaics. One of which was of a dog, the kind of mutt you’d expect to see laying about on the street.

Knowing that our official tour would start soon, and remembering the elevator was slow, I made my way back upstairs. But again the feverishness returned, but this time with nauseous and dizziness. I almost wanted to find a seat and not go on the tour. It didn’t help that there wasn’t anyplace to sit, and the air slightly stagnate within the Library. I ended up standing right near the xray for the exit for the brief puff of air as others walked in. Finally the tour started. I honestly cannot remember much of what was being said. I was just trying to keep it together.

Photo by Thomas

We were taken through various parts of the Library including a view overlooking the Great Reading Room.

Photo by Elizabeth

The tour ended at a free museum to look at Alexandria’s past, as well as a temporary exhibit of a famous director. I liked looking at the costumer designs for characters. But I was still on a mission to see the Antikythera Mechanism, so I bought a ticket to the final museum, the Manuscript Museum. Elizabeth also followed me in, and we were the only two in there. I ran quick around to see the mechanism, but alas it was not there. (I’d later learn its a Greek artifact…its not in Egypt at all!) After realizing there, and that most of the books displayed weren’t in English or had much in the way of description I gave up and went back to the Reading Room.

I love libraries, and wanted to grab a book and sit down and read. I made my way inside, and looked forlornly at the many stairs to get around the various levels. I couldn’t even try the stairs I was in too much pain. I watched as others in my group bounded up and down the stairs taking it all in. I saw some bookcases on the level I was on and walked towards them. To my delight…it was a Classic English section. I found old books that I had studied in high school, like books by Rudyard Kipling here. I picked up some books here and there, leafing through them. I didn’t see any open seats on this level, so I just wandered around with the remaining time on that level before heading outside to get some air. There was this lovely stone thing outside, but a guard was yelling at us that we couldn’t sit. I wanted to cry, I just wanted to sit down and ease the pain in my legs.

We made our way back to the hotel. Everyone else was talking excitedly of the seafood dinner we’d be having. Elizabeth and I, having grown up in Colorado, never had developed a preference for seafood. So we wouldn’t be eating at the seafood restaurant. Mikel assured us there was a chicken restaurant nearby that would allow us to bring in our food to the restaurant. But upon returning to the hotel to rest before dinner, I just realized I couldn’t go out. I was so sick, and in such pain. After I told Mikel I wouldn’t be going, Elizabeth did the same.

Arriving to our hotel room, I sent a desperate email to my parents. I had been emailing them quick short updates with the limited wifi. But I felt so sick I just wanted to be taken care of. I asked advice from my parents on what to do about my legs. I worried I had pushed myself too far, that I wouldn’t be able to walk properly for the rest of the trip. They responded back suggesting a long bath. I did so, and I also brought multiple bottles of water and re-hydration packets in the bathroom with me. I felt like I was in there for a long time. The water did seem to be helping my legs, and I was surprised how well the re-hydration packets was working. I had read that in Egypt, you sweat out a lot of your nutrients and simply drinking a lot of water doesn’t help. As I drank the re-hydration powder in my water I could feel the dizziness and nauseousness going away. At one point I tried to get out of the deep tub, but with the awkward high placement, the deep tub, and slippery marble…I fell back into the bathtub. It hurt like hell. I thought about calling Elizabeth to help me out of the tub, but was too mortified to do so. Instead I just filled the tub with more water and drank the second re-hydration bottle. When Elizabeth left to get dinner (which ended up justing being cake) I managed to get out of the tub without killing or injuring myself further. I packed and went to bed. Thankfully this bed was comfortable and I went to sleep quickly.