HOW COOL IS THAT?!
So on Friday, Jules, Lauren, and I got to le BXL airport at 4:30 AM to leave for Cairo! We got there around their 3 pm, and I could immediately smell the difference. It wasn't a bad small--it was just different. Smoky? Exotic? Spicy? I'm not quite sure, but it reminded me a bit of Taiwan, but not quite. But I suddenly realized that I was in the Middle East! And Africa! Holy crap! We walked out of the airport, a little nervous because we were warned of the taxi drivers who swarm you and are a bit overwhelming, but it was fine. We got overcharged (naturally), but it was okay because we just wanted to be safe and at Kait's house quickly.
The first thing that really stood out to me was the presence of policemen EVERYWHERE. There were more on that day because the president flew in on the same day, but on all the other days, it's basically they same. There are some every couple of meters away, and it made me nervous because if there's security, that usually means that there's some trouble that's brewing, but I was nervous for no reason. Cairo was later described to me as the best form of organized chaos--these policemen were just organizing the chaos, just in case.
Just chillin'.And on the way to Kait's, it was so cool seeing hieroglyphics and drawings decorating the highways. And the sun! It was so beautiful--so red and orange and perfectly circular as it descended into dusk. I wanted to take a picture, but I was too nervous. I am ashamed of how much of a pansy I was.
Hello, Nile River!We got to Kait's after an hour and a half of traffic (there is SO MUCH traffic in Cairo at all times of the day), and I was really impressed by their driving skills. They are crazy people on the road--so much weaving, ignoring of the lines, no traffic lights working, people crossing haphazardly in the middle of nowhere--and yet, there weren't any accidents! So impressed because I would never be able to do it.
Bumper to bumper (or sometimes bumper to... other parts of the cars because it's not always in straight lines) traffic
Parliament elections were going on too, so there were a lot of campaign signs.
And then we met up with Kait! We share a mutual friend, and I was so surprised that she offered to let me and Lauren stay with her since we didn't know each other that well. But after spending more time with her, I could see why she would--she's just naturally such a nice and welcoming person, and I was so happy that she basically gave us the opportunity to come to Cairo because we wouldn't have came otherwise.
After a long nap, we went to her Thanksgiving dinner that she and her housemates organized, and it was so fun! I love Thanksgiving. I met so many people from all around the world, and they were all so friendly. I met this girl who was studying in Amsterdam for grad school after growing up in Texas, and I realized that I WANT TO DO THAT TOO! Life goal has been found. heh.
After dinner, we turned on the music, and I was so delighted to see the boys be the first ones to get up to dance. They were the half Egyptians--half Egyptian half Irish, half Egyptian half Saudi, half Egyptian half Irish, but they grew up in Egypt, so they didn't have the weird machissmo thing that American guys have. And they were adorable! Halvsies are always so pretty.
Belly dancing and laughing
This guy had the funniest expressions hahahaDay two coming shortly!
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