Friday, February 20, 2009

Cairo- Part 2

Back in relative safety and comfort of my Cairo hotel, I retold the story of the meltdown in Alex to much merriment and laughing... things alays seem so much better after the fact.

I was probably a little harsh in my descriptions of Alex- think a dirty, smelly, souless, Gold Coast and you'd be half way there. Founded by Alexander the Great, with one of the world's largest libraries it is listed as a must see on a visit to Egypt... so i will let you be the judge.

The night I go back to Cairo I went out to my favourite resteraunt- Abu Tareks, famous for it Koshary dish- a mix of spagetti, maceroni, onion, chick peas and lentis with a tomatoe sauce- delicious.

In Cairo I made some great friends, the owners of the hotel were amazing and felt like my Egyptian family. We bonded over late night tea and endless games of backgammon- it felt like a home away from home.

Over the next few days, I wandered aimlessly. I walked the Islamic quarter, a labrinth comprising ancient mosques and narrow souques. It felt like time had stopped there. Donkeys pulled carts of homewares, women dressed in the full hijab and men sat on the pavement at tiled cafes smoking shisha.

I visted the Citadel, the large bazaar, got my eyebrows threaded and prepared for safari. It was a lazy time full of lazy days- long sleep ins, lots of reading- 3 trashy novels from the hostel in as many days.

It leads me to now as I sit at Cairo Airport on my way to Nairobi and the thought it is called nirobbery is in my head, as I sit here I take stock of my emotions- I am scared, highly strung but ready too.

KP

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