Athens – Cairo – Aswan – Edfu – Luxor and everywhere in between!
I would like to thank all my friends and family who have sent concerned e-mails about everything that has been going on in Afghanistan. Everything is fine. The mood has changed since the bombing campaign started and anti-American sentiment is high. I don’t think that anyone plans on taking it out on Nate and I. Besides, now I am English!!! (That’s what they think anyways!)
October 3rd
I made it. I don’t know how but here I am in Cairo, Egypt. Gosh, it’s very
bizarre to be here.
Let me fill you in on the rest of Athens, shall I?
Things turned out great. Nate and I headed to the same busy street in an
attempt to get a taxi. As I walked into the street this flash-looking Taxi
stopped and I jumped in. I told the guy where I wanted to go and lo and
behold he turned on the meter! My God, what is this world coming to? We
started to chat and the next thing I knew I was agreeing to meet him at my
hotel so he could take me to the Airport. Well, we will see about that!
The
Museum was good and packed with some brilliant thingys. However, Nate and I
decided that the layout and descriptions needed some attention. After
finishing I went back to Plaka to get some food. (I walked this time since
it was only up the street!) My taxi buddy met me at 9pm sharp but did he
have a surprise for me. Since I didn’t fly out until much later that night we
popped by his place and picked up his little brother. Then we started
cruzin’!! So picture this…Nate and I are sitting in this flash,
bright yellow Mercedes with Eminem blaring on the radio cruising around
downtown Athens. Actually it was a blast. I did end up making it to the
airport in time to catch my plane and everything turned out fine.
At the waiting area in Cairo Airport I hooked up with these four girls and
we all decided to catch a cab to the Sun Hotel in downtown. Good deal!! (the
girls are Melinda (OZ), Belinda (OZ), Fee (NZ), and Penny (NZ)!) Melinda
went to find a taxi to take all of us to our little sleeping spot. Remember
now it’s 3am in Cairo International Airport and we are the only people in
the lobby. A few minutes later she came fluttering back to us and said the
price was 80 Egyptian pounds per person. No way in hell! My turn. I
started talking to a few guys and after telling him I had four wives and no
money left because they spent it all I got the whole cab for 30 pounds (about
$6US). After a hair-raising journey we all made it to this dilapidated
building and were told to go to the ninth floor to check in. The lift managed
to take two people at a time and we were able to get to the lobby. The hotel
cost us 15 pounds per person ($3 US) and to sleep we went.
Of course, Nate woke me at 8am and wanted to see the city. I should have just
thrown him into my bag and told him to shut up but he was having none of it.
I got up and, as I was leaving, met a really nice guy from Scotland who asked
if he could tag along. We ended up going to Islamic Cairo and hanging out in
some really killer mosques and the Grand Bazaar of Khan-Kalili.
I should have gone back to bed because by noon I was wrecked. I could barely
stand let alone take in all the sights, smells and noises. Egypt feels
like a different world! Maybe it is. Maybe I am still on the plane and I am
just making up all this stuff. I guess I will find out later or something.
Nate is pretty sure that we are still in this world. Anyways I don’t really
remember anything else after that but somehow I got back to the hotel and
crashed.
PS: If you have any questions about places I’ve been or am going feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
