Ruth is friends with our Dendara bus driver who invited us to visit his home and have a real Egyptian meal in a real Egyptian home.

In Egyptian extended families, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all feel clan obligations, and these ties unite them in good times and bad.

One of the highlights of the trip was when we were able to give away the things we bought at toy and dollar stores to the children, who seemed genuinely grateful for the gifts.

Outside her home, a married woman traditionally wears a black outer dress over her brightly colored housedress and covers her hair with a long veil, which often sweeps the ground behind her.

Village women once spent much of their lives cooking, but today, they are equal partners in relationships and take a growing and active role in society.