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Published: September 22nd 2010
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August 3rd
On a flight from Johannesburg to Cairo, wow, if you had told me a year ago that’s where I’d be on August 3rd, 2010, I’d have told you that you’re insane. So as it happens you are insane dear reader! (Haha why else would you be reading this damn travel blog??) Okay joking aside I didn’t imagine that I’d be going to Egypt and before I fell asleep it was surreal that I’d be landing there.
I didn’t know quite what to expect, I had heard stories before and was always curious about the country since I was kid and learned about the Pyramids. (I remember when my parents gave me a birthday present stamp book of hieroglyphic symbols!). I obviously knew it was a Muslim country and so that was something big on my mind, wondering how comfortable I would feel in this new world.
As it happens I had arranged up a couch to sleep on, using my involvement with CouchSurfing.org found me an Egyptian named Samer. After landing at the airport and paying my $14 visa I was able to use the information desk to ring him up. He was nice enough to
pick me up from the airport, about 30 minutes away from his home. Before I met him I had experienced Egyptian hospitality with a couple people outside the airport offering me their cell phones when I told them I was waiting for a friend to pick me up. Samer took it a step further and after driving me to the area he lives in Cairo (Ma’adi), he took me to a cell phone shop to get a SIM card. Afterwards he took me to the apartment he has with his wife. He made me feel at home right away, that’s what CouchSurfing is all about. Samer taught me some basic Egyptian Arabic and orientated me on Cairo and Egypt in general.
I needed some more sleep in order to get over the jet lag, and after a shower I was feeling ready to experience Egypt. Samer had arranged to go to a restaurant and shisha café on the otherside of the Nile so I also got to experience Egyptian driving. I had already experienced a little bit from the airport to his apartment but this night was completely different. It was like we were in a high speed chase
from a Hollywood production. Double and triple lane roads turned into a free-for-all. The lines didn’t matter and the speed wasn’t considered. We were weaving in and out of traffic as if trying to out run the police on an episode of Cops. And it’s not just Samer driving like this, many people do.
Seeing Cairo at night was eye opening and amazing, it seemed to be more alive during the day, (and I would find out over the course of the next month that Egypt is always more alive at night). Crossing the Nile and seeing all the boats and hotels lit up was jaw dropping stuff! On all the sidewalks were people sitting around smoking shisha, drinking tea and talking. Ramadan was right around the corner so celebration decorations were everywhere. We headed to a place called Fratelli’s which I thought was funny because it wasn’t an Egyptian name and also because it reminded me of The Goonies movie.
Samer ordered some typical Egyptian food for us as well as some shisha and tea and we talked about Egypt and Islam and what I should expect during my stay. Samer also invited a friend down to
the café but at the moment I can’t remember her name! We sat around and talked and drank fresh juice while I acclimatized to the new weather and country.
Afterwards Same and I went back to Ma’adi, avoiding a couple tragic car accidents along the way. That night Samer also hosted another CouchSurfer, a Russian guy my age that had been hitch hiking from Amman, Jordan to Cairo. He arrived late and after exchanging names and pleasantries I went to bed wondering what Egypt had in store for me the next day.
Hope you like the (lack) photos and post, until next time, Pura Vida!
-Brendan
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