Spinning and spinning

Once again I find myself in the bursting streets of Cairo. Yesterday, the temperature sensor on my watch read 99 degrees when I stepped off the bus. True, the weather is oppressive, but it is part of the package here. Everyone deals with it; you sweat, then drink water, then sweat some more. Eventually, the weather becomes the least of your worries, as crossing the street becomes a track meet event. The combination of the various types of activity are intoxicating. It is all hustle and bustle. It's incredible to be a part of it. And it has everything, including all in one shopping centers and oxcarts hauling carpets.

It's great to be back. It's such a change to be in a place with so much energy. Dheisheh is small and crowded, but it certainly lacks the energy of downtown Cairo. In Jerusalem, everything closes around 9pm, while the homogenous West Jerusalem has some nightlife, but I would liken it to a college-town scene; all of the places have similar clientele and atmosphere.

So arriving back in Cairo was quite a shock. Everywhere is activity. I had a long day of transit getting here on the 10th. All of the buses were full on thursday, so i was forced to opt for the midnight bus to Eilat from Jerusalem. Of course, this proved to be quite wonderful, as it gave me a free day in Jerusalem. I got lost in the old city, then sauntered up the Jebel Zeytoun for the sunset. It was magnificent. The Mt. of olives is definitely my favorite place in the city, so it was a fitting way to end my stay there. It offers such a splendid view of the entire old city. From here, the golden dome of the fabulous Dome of the Rock shines, the enormous roof of the Holy speulchre stands out, and the rest of the concentrated white buildings become red in the fading daylight.

Anyway, I arrived in Eilat @ 4.15am, which meant there were no buses running, and I certainly didn't feel the need to catch a taxi, so I walked to the Taba crossing from the central bus station. I'd taken the bus twice from the border, and it didn't seem like it was too far. However, I was sorely mistaken. It was a long walk, but the weather was pleasant, and the road meanders along the coast for 10 kilometers (6 miles). The walk allowed me to take a break on a bench to watch the sunrise over the Jordanian mountains. It was magnificent. I finally arrived at the border crossing around 6.45am. Unfortunately, there were long lines on both sides. It was interesting to see the difference in order between the two exit and entry points. On the Israeli side, there was an orderly line, and a gate with a guard only allowing something like 20 people to enter the terminal @ one time. I still waited for a good thirty minutes before actually entering the terminal, and after about an hour I was through to the Egyptian side. The entry line was anything, but orderly. It was mass chaos; people were pushing and shoving, and only one guy was working the desk. He would occassionally, stand up to see how long the line was developing. Or at a few points, he would simply stop stamping passports, and begin talking to one of the other guards. It was quite uncomfortable, as the line was body to body. After shoving for nearly an hour, I was walking out of the terminal toward the bus station in Taba. I caught the next bus (10.30am). The ride was exhausting. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't focus enough to read my book. This meant I simply stared out at the empty desolate landscape of the Sinai for most of the time.

I arrived in Cairo (Abassiya) around 5pm, then made my way to the demerdash metro station, then 15 minutes later I was wandering from the Nasser stop through Souk Taffiqiwya to the Safari. I return to this hostel every time I'm in Cairo, because they have been holding a few things for me since I toured back in April. The hostel is interesting enough; it is predominantly used by Japanese who've been living in Cairo for quite some time. One guy, Noble, has been living there for the past two years. I don't think that is possible, but nevertheless he seems to enjoy himself. Anyway, Friday was wasted. My body was totally shredded, so I immediately passed out.

Saturday was full of fun. I wandered around in the morning, then contacted an American I'd met in Jerusalem. She was also volunteering there with a Palestinian NGO in Ramallah. She'd spent the past year in Cairo as a student @ AUC, which meant she knew heaps of great places. She took another girl and I around to these places. It was great fun. It was an insider tour of Cairo. My favorite was Al Horeyya, which was full of faded glory. The yellow colonial style building was crumbling before our eyes, but it was full of life. Old men were chatting over their shai or cola or other assorted drinks, while playing backgammon or dominos.

Later in the day, I wandered around Khan Al-Khalili, then made my way to the FREE whirling dervishes show in the evening. As before, it was magnificent. It is such a sight. I've heard someone call them spinning napkins, but I would liken them to floating tops, because at some points they pull their skirt-type things off, and spin them over their heads. It is such an incredible thing to see the bright colors spinning in a circle. And simply considering that they literally spin for something like 35 minutes is beyond comprehension. The most impressive bit is that they are simply able to stop on a dime, smile, wave and then jog off the stage. It's absolutely amazing.

This morning, I met up Mike, a Canadian who'd stayed at the Faisal in Jerusalem. He's been travelling around Upper Egypt the past few days, and now is looking to kill a little time in this city. This shouldn't be a problem now that I have heaps of places to try thanks to Rasha, the former AUC student. I've decided that I won't hike Mt. Sinai, since it is too much of a trek to get there. It is simply too much to try to pack in the few days that I have left. Instead, I'm looking to enjoy my time here in this incredible city, and perhaps return to Alex for seafood, a magnificent library (again!) and a bit of nightlife. I suppose after spending so much time in the tension of Palestine/Israel, I'm due for a little lounging and relaxing.

I'm getting quite excited about returning home. It's strange, I'm not itching to leave or anything, but I'm definitely ready to begin a new chapter in my life. To a certain extent, I simply feel like I'm lazing my days away. Volunteering gave some sort of shape or arc to my weeks. While I dislike the routine, it definitely helps me feel as though I'm somewhat productive.

And i'm sure there will be plenty that I'll miss once I leave-like the serenity of the call to prayer or simply the diversity that one sees here, as well as the exoticism of the places I've spent the past few months. I do feel prepared in everyway to begin the next stage.

I feel there is so much more of the world to explore, and so many social problems I want to encounter, better understand, then work to improve. I'm prepared for a new region, but first I want to try to better understand and assist in improving domestic issues. I find that I learn so much from people in struggles. It's an eye-opening thing to see, but I certainly feel as though it pushes me to be a better person...and that it brings out a better side of me: one interested in assisting, helping and a contributing. It's an incredible feeling. This is where I want to be. Here, I find some sort of serenity or inner-peace. It's as though I really encounter the true meaning of life when I'm interacting with many of these people, because my capitalist self-absorbed personality evaporates. I'm afraid this will be the shape of the rest of my life. Sure, it's not flashy or stable, but it offers me something priceless, happiness.

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