"Plan B" - OR - "What Happens When You Arrive At Closing Time"

So Grandma is in town and we decided we should waste no time in seeing the sights. By the time we got back from swimming--the kids insisted--we were into late afternoon. I thought we might be able to make it to the Citadel and the Muhammed Ali mosque before closing. However, by the time we got everyone ready and beat our way through the traffic, we arrived right at 4:30, also known as closing time.

Plan B: the nearby Al-Azhar park, a well-kept park on a hill that offers views of the whole city.

I know right where the entrance to the park is, because I see it every time I drive to the airport, and I drove right to it. The thing about Cairo though, is just because you can see point B from point A, doesn't mean you can get there. The roads are just wacky like that. So, after driving around (really, around and around) for about 45 minutes, I finally got us to the park entrance and we went in.

It was worth it even though it was dark. Example: Sam was running in circles in the lighted promenade seen below and I asked him if he was having fun. Without redirecting his eyes or altering speed he yelled to me: Sam. Have. Fun!

Without a tripod, night pictures are usually a bust, but lucky for me I know a few tricks.

Cairo skyline from Al-Azhar park.

The lighted promenade, looking south toward the Citadel. That's the Muhammed Ali mosque in the distance.

Looking down on mosques in Old Islamic Cairo.

Clear view of the Citadel and Muhammed Ali mosque. Yes, that's a plane flying over.

Silhouette of an unidentified mosque at sunset. Yes, those are birds.

It's always good to have a plan B.