Students experience the culture of Egyptian food

By Amy Hungerford, The Mirror correspondent

It was known as the day of the buffets and aptly so - we went to four in less than 24 hours. I have never been more full in my life. But it sure was worth it. It all started that morning at the hotel. It was our second-to-last day at the Nile Hilton, and we wanted to enjoy the huge variety the five-star hotel's breakfast had to offer. By the time I had downed my mini-doughnuts, fruit, eggs, pancakes, falafel, and juice, I did not feel like finishing my cup of coffee, but I was plenty awake. I was pretty full, but I decided it was justified because the food was so good. Besides, there was no telling when we would eat again, since Egyptian "lunch" can be as late as 5 p.m..

But that day, we took an early lunch around one. Another buffet gave us a chance to sample more food. The Egyptian food was so new to me that it was hard not to try everything, including the many desserts they had set out for us. At the end of that meal, though, I decided I was done eating for the day. Even when we had opportunities to snack, my resolution held out. My downfall came when our tour guide offered to arrange a dinner cruise for us on the Nile. How was I supposed to pass that up?

I got ready for the cruise in my room at the hotel, hoping that by ten, when the cruise started, I would have worked up an appetite. As I boarded the boat, I realized that I was ready to eat again. What I wasn't ready for was yet another buffet. When we had finished eating, my friend Heidi looked at us. "You guys," she said, "do you realize we have had nothing to eat today but buffets?" We all groaned, especially as it dawned on us that the next day's early flight to Athens would see us at yet another buffet in a matter of hours. But after the groans came smiles. We had experienced Egypt until it made us nearly burst, and we were satisfied.