Day 7
I returned on my own to Alexandria today. We finally got clearance from the Library’s security department who had concerns that the color printing equipment could be used to counterfeit money, if it were to fall into the wrong hands (always wanted to use that phrase).
The library’s extensive security team is a nearly-autonomous entity in the library and works fulltime to keep the library premises safe. Before I left, I spoke with the security chief, General Sharif, who assured me that there wouldn’t be trouble with the equipment.
Today I found out that the security team oversaw a test printing of a scanned Egyptian bill and found out, unsurprisingly, that the quality of the printing was not nearly good enough to be used to actually counterfeit money. (In fact the Chief Science Officer at HP informed me that this consideration is taken into account when designing the print equipment, since it’s not only the Egyptian authorities, but also American ones, who have concerns about counterfeiting through high-end print equipment.)

Photo Below: Of course in Cairo we had to see the pyramids (which are basically in the middle of the city and visible from the highway) and had to do the quintessential pyramid activity–camel riding.

(Print Resolution)
Photo Below: Filmmaker Mark in one of the Pyramids. The 30 degree incline leads to a chamber that’s empty except for a cracked, empty tomb. The sense of history inside this chamber is immense.

(Print Resolution)
Photo Below: Here the Mark, Jenny, and Tess setup their equipment in front of the pyramids and Sphynx for a day of shooting.

(Print Resolution)