Egypt

This one will be long:

In the airport in Rome the bartenders have started to feed me free drinks with all the crying Im doing. Im tired. My last flight scared me. I have a good cry and a nice sleep to Cairo.

In the airport there is a crowd for the taxis and a lot of hollering. Luckily Ive done this before...but I have clearly left Europe. I get a cab to my hostle and arrive 40min later after driving through a city of cars who dont use lanes. There are no traffic lights... only organized mayhem and communication via horns. I drive past cement buildings and green lighted Mosques. When I arrive at the hostle I walk down the street to buy a beer and everyone is staring at me, men hollering and practicing the inappropriate English they've learned from American movies. I am a white woman with her head and ankles exposed and I didn't think Cairo would be this Muslim. This is my first time in a Muslim country and I've never received so much attention in my whole life.

Day 1: Pyramids

We drive out to the pyramids. There's cars dating back to 1950, farm animals, palms, and sand. I climb down the long shaft into one of the pyramids. Ive worn a skirt that comes past my knees for the occassion and it was a bad choice. It's about 90 degrees, dark, and Im sharing this experience in a 3x3ft shaft with traffic both ways. A little claustrophobic even for someone who isnt usally bothered by that. At Giza, I hire a camel after a lot of bargaining. 2 hours for 50$ and I ride around to each pyramid and think about all the different people who have stared at them over the ages.

At night a nice Italian at the hostel goes out for Shisha with me and he agrees. Even men with their burka'd women in tow turn around to take a look at me. The Koran forbids drinking soooo- the alleys are lined with Shisha bars where men gather to play backgammon on folding chairs and tables. Works for me. We pay 4$ for 2 smokes and 2 teas- and our bartender- a devout muslim- gives us the local price.... for which he recieves a good tongue lashing from his boss and he motions for us to move on. He's got this one.

The next day I decide to go shopping. Ive had it with my two outfits. I want to be pretty. And I wouldnt mind covering my ankles. First- everyone is Cairo is trying to rip you off. Wherever you go-someone is following saying "i seen you from across the street" "where are you from" "can I give you advice" "i lived in america- where are you from". Natural born hustlers- they're good at what they do. I am followed, hustled, touched, hissed at----- bothered allll day long. I go all over the city. Here they are all escorted by their husbands.. by each other. They must be good women. They look at me with dirty looks.

I take the metro home after a million story worthy things happen. This is one of my favorite experiences in Cairo. 1st: to get a ticket you push through a group of people to the window. I had a large bill which I didnt think would be a problem until the clerk started emptying his entire drawer. The equivelent of giving me about 200 1$ bills. I drop my head in embarrassment and look around with "im sorry" eyes. This pushy group ralleys around me and just when I think all Egyptians are swindlers- they are counting my money to make sure I have it all for me. The kind of thing that makes you nervous- but when I see it is all there I take my huge stack of cash and say "Shokrum" with a big smile. 2: the train is smashed full of men and Im thinking "crap". Then I notice the women's car. When I step on I am in a sea of beautifully covered head scarves, women in burka with gloves, and they smile at me sweetly. Im part of the club- chicks.

When I get back- my friend has arrived- and we are off to take the night bus to DAHAB on the red sea.