Welcome to Cairo, my friend!

I had two goals in Egypt: to see the Pyramids and to ride a camel.

Two days was the perfect amount of time. I saw the Pyramids. I rode a camel...I ate Egyptian food. I took a feluca boat ride down the Nile. I smoked the hooka. I saw about fifty cats and drank about six smoothies from the corner fruit stands. I walked a whole lot, and people-watched non-stop. The most startling event to watch in Cairo is the traffic...

One of our most memorable moments occurred right after we left the hostel...crossing the street for the first time. We stood on the curb, ready to cross. After a few seconds of watching, we realized we were severe novices. We stood baffled...flabbergasted...in awe of the circus of everyday traffic patterns unfolding in the lanes before us. Men hopping on and off moving buses. Cars wedging between taxis. Taxis zipping past people. Every vehicle honking to say, "Move it! I'm coming in!"...Only, doing it about two seconds too late, meanwhile barely clipping a neighboring vehicle or person. This didn't stop pedestrians around us from crossing. Men, women, and children step into moving traffic. After gawking for a full five minutes, at least, a skinny man on a bicycle came charging through the "center" lane, balancing a wooden plank the size of a twin bed, stacked high with pita bread, on top of his head. It was NUTS!

In the last two days, we have only escaped the sound of constant horn-honking three times: 1. crusing down the center of the Nile 2. looking over the city at the top of Cairo Tower (which is exactly what it sounds like--a look-out tower in the center of Cairo) and 3. riding our camel (Charlie Brown) around the Pyramids. Even in those quieter moments, we could still hear the honking as white noise muffled only by the distance. All in all, Egypt was a wild ride!

We're finishing up our breakfast at the hostel this morning, then off to Jordan. We'll probably grab one last smoothie on our way out. Can't wait to see Kari and Andrew!

Céilidhs, Drams, and Harry Coos

Céilidh: (pronounced "KAY-LEE") A traditional Scottish dancing event, which involves live music (four fiddlers, in the case of Friday night) and dancing (similar to square dancing).

Our first night in Glasgow set the tone for the week-end! We went to a Céilidh for Martin's bday. By the end of the night, my lips were cracking, and my cheekbones were stiff from non-stop smiling. I knew it was going to be a good night, when we were getting ready to go out, and Martin said to Mike, "I may have another Kilt you could wear, if you like..." Of course, without question, we both answered emphatically YES!

Dram: Just a wee bit...as in, "a dram of Scottish whiskey"

We slept in till almost 2pm on Saturday, leaving us just barely over two hours of daylight...so we went for brunch. Claudia and Martin took us to a fabulous restaurant that served brunch till 4:30pm, which is totally the norm--love that! After brunch, the sun was setting, and we took a little roadtrip to Edinburgh. That night, we ended up sitting in Claud and Martin's apartment having little drams of various whiskeys. I learned a lot about whiskey that night...it was good talks with good people.

Harry Coo: Also known as a highland cow, these guys are just plain awesome and all over Scotland. I think the pictures will speak for themselves here...

I don't know how this happened, but it's almost 4am! Mike and I have been in London for under 48 hours. In two hours, we will walk to take a bus, then a train, and finally a plane to Egypt. We are shedding most of our stuff in London, to pick up when we come back through at the end of our trip. From here on out, it's one back pack each.

The Itinerary

Tonight, Mike and I are eating all the food left in the cabinet for dinner, finishing some last minute packing, and watching Africa documentaries till we fall asleep. Tomorrow, we fly!!

Here's the full itinerary:

January 22-23: Glasgow, Scotland

January 24-25: London

January 26-28: Cairo, Egypt

January 29-February 2: Amman, Jordan

February 3-February 10: Uganda

February 11-27th: Swaziland, Mozambique, South Africa (We'll ride elephants for this part....roadtrip!)

February 28: Quatar (it's an 11 hour flight layover...I'm counting it!)

March 1-March 23: England again, Paris again, and back to Fort Dub

From this list, there are only two places we're going that we aren't visiting friends...Egypt and South Africa. (Technically, three, I suppose, with Quatar.) I'm not sure what my internet access will look like, but I will write a story or update or maybe even a deep thought any time I get the opportunity! I posted a map, because if your knowledge of African geography is anything like mine a couple months ago, you might be saying, "Where the heck is Swaziland?!?" Look on the south-east coast...just below Mozambique and pretty much surrounded by South Africa...VOILA!

Alright, friends, that's all for now. At this time tomorrow, I'll be on my way to Scotland!

Two Days Left in Paris

I've barely left my apartment in the few days I've been back in Paris. I've been separating my life into three piles: 1-stuff for Africa 2-stuff for the UK and 3-stuff for Fort Worth. Yesterday, Mike and I went to the French doctor to get a prescription for Malaria pills. Mike and the doctor spoke French, while I listened with big ears to pick up what I could..."Swaziland, allergies, problem, drink, diarrhea." Walking to the pharmacy, I suggested we find someone who could fill in the communication gaps. Was the doctor saying that if we get diarrhea, we should take this medicine? Or, that this medicine might give us diarrhea? Or, that diarrhea is a sign of contracting Malaria? After almost two years, I've acclimated to being somewhat lost in translation nearly all the time. I order (what I think is) chicken, and the waiter brings me a cheeseburger... It's ok, I'm not a picky eater. I buy Chapstick; it turns out to be sunscreen...No big deal, I'm light-skinned; lips can burn. But somehow listening to directions on taking Malaria pills in French makes me want an English-speaking doctor. Thank goodness for Wikipedia.