Around the World 2.0

D: It’s all a bit much out of the gate but it’s calmed down now. Just go with the flow. We have done quite a bit of moving around now and it’s been pretty ok. It’s a city with approximately the same population as Mexico City. 22 million. With even fewer rules. So it’s going to be a little nuts.

~~~~~
C: After a lovely interlude in the gorgeous ANA lounge in Narita, we boarded our 14+hr Egypt Air flight to Cairo. Where we discover that there is no alcohol served aboard. 😱😱😱 Unlike every other flight ever, we *could* have purchased alcohol in the airport and consumed it onboard. EgyptAir? More like SobrietyAir. 🤨 (To be fair, I arrived more hydrated than ever following a long-haul flight.)

I know…you’re thinking, “There’s no alcohol so the focus will be on a stellar business class meal.” Oh, you are just adorable. Of the 50+ premium class meals I’ve put down my gullet, this was BY FAR the worst. So, PSA: if you ever fly SobrietyAir, bring your own drink AND food. Or use that time to start a fast. 🧘‍♀️

We arrive Cairo @ 0430 and all I can say is, it is an abrupt transition to a world unlike any I’ve experienced thus far. Maybe it was coming from the polite calm of Japan. Or maybe, as we heard over and over during our time there, “Only in Cairo.”

Ordered up an Uber as we left baggage claim but that did not deter the persistent offers for a taxi, very good price. We finally got to the meeting spot in the parking lot across the road when a few nice men come up saying, “Uber? I’m Uber.” All of them are our driver? I look at the app and our car is still 2 minutes away. 🤨 Hmmm… okay, let’s dance:

Me: “What’s my name?”
Him: Pauses. Points at my phone, “What does it say my name is?”
Me: Laugh. “No, what’s MY name? You’re my driver, you have it in your app.”
Him: Smiles, looks confused. “I am Uber driver. Where are you going?”
Me: Smiles back. “You’re not MY Uber driver.”

They had the good nature to know we were onto them and even helped us identify our actual driver because the license plates there are all in Arabic. I even felt a little bad because our driver acted as if he couldn’t be bothered and those other guys were actually hustling.

Drive to the hotel was a bit reminiscent of México City and Vietnam—no real rules of the road, lots of honking.

Arrived at the Conrad Cairo’s entrance—big ass security gate, armed guard and another guard with a bomb detector circles the car and scans the open trunk. I’m reminded of our submachine gun-toting escort on last year’s group tour to Luxor. Every person entering the hotel goes through a metal detector as all bags are scanned through an X-ray machine. This becomes the standard for most places, even the deli across from the Egyptian Museum. Egypt does not f**k around when it comes to security in group spaces. (Finding your rideshare on the other hand? Inshallah. Best of luck to you.) Given their history, it’s understandable, even admirable.

Gorgeous sunrise from our balcony, enhanced by the layer of smog over the city. Looking down on rooftops, it looks like there’s been civil war in the neighborhood…maybe there was. Or it’s just a convenient storage spot for construction rubble.

Crossing the 2-lane street in front our hotel is like being transported into a game of Frogger, with every other car honking at you to offer a ride. That was amateur hour…people would cross the road through 4 lanes of traffic at rush hour (it was only a 2 lane road, but Egyptian drivers don’t really do “lanes” and will fill any available space), not to be rebellious, there’s just no other option.Read more