Shades of New Dehli

Today, Friday, July 17th, we landed in Cairo a half hour early. Interesting view of the airport from the air - desert everywhere and the airport in the middle of nowhere. I think I heard from someone that the temp was 104 - it felt like it. I had to go to terminal 2 from the newer terminal 1 to meet the driver from our TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) school. Talk about a difference of day and night - #2 was filthy, smelly and crowded, but what a great people watching location! I saw women in all kinds of interesting burkas; men in flowing robes; and people in between. I saw a lady passed out in the women's bathroom with her head resting on the step near the cubicle door. I saw about 10 men facing Mecca on prayer rugs for afternoon prayer. I was hungry, but there was no way I was going to touch any of the food they were selling.

Our drive from Cairo to Alexandria (2 1/2 hours by car), was adventurous to say the least. Between dodging other cars, we could not believe how people just walked across the street right in front of you - some pushing out their children in front of them! People gathered along major highways to hitchhike - mostly trying to stop any small vans that might have a spot or 2.

Here in Al-Agami, the streets were worse than NYC - cars, people sacrificing their children, donkeys pulling carts, little carts like covered golf carts. No traffic lights, lots of people.

Our living quarters are very minimal - no A/C, little water pressure, and worst of all, cats everywhere - one who apparently continues to try and enter our room. (I am sharing an apartment with Holly, a gal from Denver - young enough to be my daughter).