So I guess it’s rather obvious in saying, I love a good shopping experience. Thus the name: Fashion in a Suitcase. Knowing this, I had to dive in and discover the market of Egypt. Khan el Khalili.

This famous bazaar can be found a quick Uber away in the historic area of Cairo and tends to be frequented by both tourists and locals. Said to have been established in 1382. Talk about an original Mall! Here you can find anything from a “classic souvenir” to local Artisan crafts. The hotel said don’t wander around the alleyways by yourself. Well. I guess you could say I couldn’t help myself. I LOVE to talk to just about everyone. And a man who claimed to work at the mosque drug us around to these local artisans. Clearly his true business in herding cats like my mom and I in to purchase from the so-called artists themselves. I could see my mom starting to lose it, so we kindly excused ourselves from his “tour” to go to the REAL Khan el Khalil.

Luckily, however, we were safe and sound and found a few good keepsakes to bring home with us from this adventure through the alleyways of Cairo. Though the truly magical treasure that we “Found” during this market trip, was the encounter we were fortunate enough to have with a group of Muslim women who were cloaked from head to toe, leaving the market with their babies and children. We smiled at them and basically shook hands and kissed babies, so to speak. Through this meeting, we were truly amazed by the incredible love and respect shared between humanity. Despite our unique cultures, different attire and overall beliefs system, what we exchanged with one another was pure love in simply being human. This is what is so valuable in travel- not just the experience of culture, but the true exchange of humanity with others whom you might not often meet along your path. And to connect and know that really at the end of the day, wherever we find ourselves in the world, the most magical and beautiful take away is always so simple. It’s just about love. Human connection. Sharing in this thing called life. For this experience alone, Egypt will always hold a special treasure (and way better than a magnet) in my heart of souvenirs.