Sunday, November 5, 2006

Woke up to a light snack before descent. As the sun rose, the view out the window was spectacular. The Alps!

We landed in Milan and on the way off the plane I mentioned to the others where I was going. The girl in front said that she is from Cairo and is heading there too. So, we stuck together for the transfer and in the duration met three other women going to Cairo. We all hung out for the three hour wait, talking and laughing, it made the time fly.

We boarded the next plane and took off shortly after. This time I was in an isle seat beside a couple from Italy who didn't speak English. I slept a majority of the way only waking when lunch was served, I didn't eat it as just looking at it made my stomach turn, raw salmon on some white stuff, the stale bun they always seem to serve, and some odd balogne-like substance.

The landing in Cairo was very smooth. I got my visa, went through the passport check, and got my luggage, all very smoothly. I said bye to my friends and headed for the door. Mohab was easy to spot, he had the biggest smile I think I have ever seen! We greeted with a big hug and stole a kiss (no kissing in public in Egypt).

We taxied to the hotel and checked in. Right away it was "no in room visits" (all through the journey we had to get seperate rooms as it's uncool for an unmarried couple to share a hotel room, and even uncooler for a mixed couple). I went up to my room for a shower. Mohab called a bit later to see if I was ready and then came up. We hung out in the room for an hour or two.... or three ;-) and then headed for a walk and some dinner (I hadn't eaten in 14 hours). Cairo is like I never left, there is such a feeling in the air, it's such a different world.

We got 'salted pastry' for dinner, which is what we had the day we went to Giza on the first trip. It's 'Egyptian Pizza'. Yummy.

After dinner we took the subway (which is the same as a subway anywhere else really) to the train station to get our tickets for Aswan. There I was approached by one of the Tourism and Antiquities Police asking if I was okay and checking out Mohab and keeping watch until my 'bodyguard' returned to my side. The ticket booth was closed (computers were down) so we headed back to the hotel.

We were both sleepwalking by then. Once we got to the hotel we went straight to bed snuggled up nice and tight. It was the coziest sleep I'd had in a while.