We rode to Giza on a convoy of buses escorted by Egyptian National Security. Security was sooooo tight!
Here's my posse from work. We were all so excited to go!
The wait time was long and tedious. Buses started loading at noon, 1.5 hours BEFORE departure time for the Giza Pyramids. We finally arrived around 2:30 pm.
The U.S. Embassy and Egyptian Government took every precaution for the President's safety. Everyone had to go through security screening before entering the speaking site.
We had a 3.5 hour wait time, since the President's schedule got pushed back to 6pm!
It wasn't too bad. The U.S. Embassy set up open tents for shade and served copious amounts of bottled water to the waiting assembly.
I took advantage of the wait time by taking pics of the speaking platform where President Obama was going to address the assembly. As you can see, "men in black" were everywhere ensuring the President's safety.
Close to the hour, crowds gathered to the speaking platform for better vantage point.
Wait time, however comma, was outdoors in the hot sun No one was complaining, because everyone was excited to see President Obama!
American kids were given front row viewing. I especially liked this little girl's patriotic Uncle Sam hat at front row and center.
I had a GREAT(!!!) spot on a raised platform up front and to the right of the podium! A friend loaned me her head scarf which protected my head from the sun's rays. Don't I look Egyptian?
And then we heard President Obama's arrival by the whirring sounds of his helicopter.
U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey introduced the President....
and then presented him with souvenir t-shirts for Sasha and Malia that read "My father visited the Pyramids in Cairo and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!".... LoL.
President Obama's speech was short since his true speaking engagement was at Cairo University earlier that day, but he was as gracious, charismatic, and handsome in person as everyone expected him to be.
And then he approached the crowd and started shaking hands. Do you see something white reflected on the upper right lens of his sunglasses? Well.....THAT'S ME!!! But on a side note, don't you find the pink nail-polished fingers holding a Sony camera creepy???
And then he moved closer to me----AND SHOOK MY HANDS!!!
Unfortunately I couldn't take pics of it. I was too busy shaking his hands! LoL. But OMG, it was exciting!!!
And as quickly as he came, he exited as quickly into a convoy of armored black Suburbans.
President Obama's visit to Egypt carried so "many firsts" ... it was my first U.S. President venue I ever attended ... my first handshake with a U.S. President ... he's America's first African American President ... first U.S. President with Islamic roots visiting a country predominantly Muslim ... marking his first official President's visit in Africa. The overall 6 hour wait time was well worth seeing this President of "many firsts"; a chapter cemented in the history books, and I was there!!! .... and to be rewarded with a handshake from President Obama himself, is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life. In fact, I'm still reeling from the experience. LoL.
