<click to return to main page>
April 8, 2000
The following is my journal entries verbatim (almost).
***
8:07 AM
I'm here, I can't believe it!
Had a hard time sleeping, probably overtired! Attempted to go to bed after 2 AM, woke up at 4 AM to the sounds of the "Call to Prayer." It was weird!!! I sat up and listened to that for about half an hour. Then, get this, at around 6 AM, the trains!!! Unbearable! One after the other, non-stop. Lorra told me her flat was quirky, I think this is what she meant. Anyways, my mood remains positive.
Last night, getting through customs was no issue. Simply buy a couple of Visa stamps and go to a customs guy and stamp it! Luggage came quickly and Ahmed (Lorra's regular taxi guy) was out at the gates with a sign for me.
We get in his cab and are about to exit, when the cop at the exit to the street flags him down. (Turns out Ahmed didn't register that he was picking me up) Ahmed had to run back in and get some paperwork. Ten minutes later and we're off. Ahmed proceeds past the cop yelling something in Arabic, but apparantly that wasn't enough.
He turns the car around and proceeds to berate the officer. He positioned the car so that my side was closer to the officer. I helped Ahmed out, by rolling down my window so he could achieve full yelling power.
After speaking with Ahmed, turns out he was pissed cuz the cop didn't accept LE10 to let it slide. I was laughing!
The ride in was fast and frenzied, but not as bad as I expected. Kind of like the Philippines style of driving. Ahmed points out a few sites along the way and I snap the last few shots from my first roll of film.
We witness the remains of a bad accident, close to Maadi. The drivers side roof was crushed and tons of people crowding around. It had just happened and cops were trying to open the door or something. (Ahmed would tell me later that week that the guy didn't make it.)
We pull into Lorra's hood, and it's all good. She lives on the top floor, four stories and Ahmed carries my suitcase up. At the top, we meet Marcy and she lets me into Lorra's flat. I pay Ahmed the LE60 he asks for (Lorra told me 50). I don't care, he did carry my stuff up (and I was tired).
Talk with Marcy for a while, and she gives me the 411 on some stuff. Also, Lorra will not be in until Sunday PM so I won't see her until Thursday.
Woke up this AM trying to find coffee. Ended up buying OJ and Dr Pepper for LE5 each. I think I got jerked, but I'm too tired to cause any ruckus, so I let him think he got me. I'll confirm with Marcy if I got ripped off and if I did--I'll confront the asshole. But for now, I'll assume it's all good and keep the peace.
1:21 PM
I'm sitting in an Ahwa, sipping on some tea after walking around for a few hours. Got my tickets for Aswan and Luxor this morning. It's been a hectic morning, getting lost everywhere but I've ridden the subway three time, and not lost once. I guess after NYC, this is nothing.