We are leaving Egypt! Unfortunately, our flight out of Cairo leaves at 3:15am, making our "day" (from when we got up this morning) about 46 hours long, if you consider that we arrive in Chicago at noon and won't be able to sleep until at least 9pm. I'm excited about leaving, and while I'll miss certain parts of it (the antiquities, hanging out with the Edfu team, the cupcakes) there is one thing I won't miss.
The traffic and the driving.
This is a typical street in Zamalek, not even during rush hour:
Can you tell which cars are parked and which are trying to drive down the street? Neither can I. That is because double, even triple parking in the middle of a street is alarmingly common. With no parking tickets, people tend to park wherever the want, including in the middle of the street. Combine that with the fact that most streets in Zamalek (and much of Cairo for that matter) are one-way, and things get hairy. Especially when people disregard the one-way street and then you have cars stuck in the middle of street without anywhere to go. And there are also no stoplights. Or stop signs.
My one regret, if you can call it that, is not being able to take a ride in this:
That is one of Seti First Travel's armored excursion vehicles. For a price (I haven't a clue how much), you can go on a couple of days long trip into the desert or the Sinai. They have armed guards because the desert isn't always safe, and they are a major luxury travel company, so you are sure to be well taken care of (and of course, safe). Janelle and I would have loved to have done one of their treks, but with the hotel already booked for the week and us being unsure of how much it would even cost, we just fantasized about it. I'm thinking though I want to save money and do something next year with them, maybe a trek out in the desert.
Anyways, that's it from Egypt. I can't wait to be home!
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