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So here I am. No longer roaming through beautiful Canada. No longer working every waking moment through the entire UK. I AM IN CAIRO!!!

Have landed in Cairo...

Coffeecat
2005-12-24 23:15:34

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pathetic, I can't be too sure. But he then invited me to join his friends on a felucca on the Nile. As you do in Cairo I suppose! Jumped in another mad black and white taxi over the bumps and around the holes, to the Nile. My briefing was to not touch the water under
any circumstances. Huh? Jumped on board and fell in love with the temperature, the light, the new sights and sounds. Just goes to show, there really is more to life than coffee shops.

After a couple of hours on the felucca, we walked a few paces to sit and enjoy some drinks, more nibbles and a few puffs of the sheesha pipe. Black cherry flavour was different than my first apple experience on Edgeware Road in London. Aaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhh, this is the life! Left the 'restaurant' a memento of my clutzy self. Just a bit of a shattered glass base of the sheesha pipe in a puddle of water. Rrrrrrrrruuuuuuunnnnnnnn!

The next few days were filled with all sorts. A visit to the Citadel for a few hours which was interesting to learn how many different cultures had tried to take over. I was glad to have brought my sarong as putting one of the obligatory female hospital green 'veils' on in the mosque, didn't quite appeal. Looked around and tried to take in as much Egyptian history, it's a task that I can hardly expect to comprehend in a few days.

Then there was the Cairo tower, which helped me get a perspective of where everything was. Timber and his friend Yvonne decided to go for a run in the desert one morning. I decided it might be best to just watch. Well, look around at the vast dry space anyway. Went to the cinema another night. We seemed to be quite lucky that they started playing the film as per schedule. Even got an intermission. Although I'd seen 'The Sahara' before, another few hours staring into Mathew's eyes wasn't a problem.

So that's my first few days in Cairo. Spending time in Cairo is something that some people love and some people hate. As I'm not rushing to see it all right away, I'm leaning towards the side of favouring this city of 20 million. Seeing the armed presence every few blocks sleeping or sending text messages is enough entertainment for me. Yes it's dirty, yes it's hot, I wasn't expecting to be singing in fields of green though!! And as far as harassment being a single female? Yeah there are looks and hisses and comments in words I have no understanding of, but I just keep walking. There's always a coffee shop nearby! One of Timber's friends actually got a
comment that you can't help but laugh at, "I want to f_ck me". I would have loved to have heard that line, how couldn't you laugh? There are so many simple things to take in about a different culture, and yes it starts with the fact that the dishsoap is pinapple flavoured. And the little things of returning to your car with your windshield wipers in the air (somebody cleaned your car for you and you owe them money!) Or how about noticing the car shaped rectangular dip on the side of a newly paved road? Well there was obviously a car there so they pavers just went around! "Only in Egypt" becomes a familiar term to many. I haven't gone into the center very much, as I'm rather content with the internet cafe a few doors away from Timbers' flat entrance. And I don't want to do too much really. I've joined a group that will cover a couple of days in Cairo before the full tour of Egypt and Kenya. My next big adventure is a 5 day getaway to Jordan.

And that's my start to 365 days. Thanks to everything/body in my life that had brought me this
good fortune.