Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2000 4:19 PM
Salaam Alekum.
Saturday, April 4 (4:00 PM Cairo Time, 9AM Toronto)
Okay the trip has been great so far. I spent my first day in Cairo going downtown (by train, kind of like a subway system) to get my Train ticket for tomorrow morning. And then I just hopped around station to station, walked around, looked at the nile, played chicken with cars speeding inches away from you (no joke, very hard to cross the street here...), and sitting in ahwahs (that's where people smoke those bongs (with tobacco, not the other stuff) and have tea).
In the past 50 hours, I have had a total of 3 hours sleep, so I'm ready to crash any time now, and I can barely keep my eyes open. On the first leg to Amsterdam, I didn't get any sleep on the plane. Then I spent 12 hours in Amsterdam walking around, and basically loungin. Yes, I saw the red light district, but it was like 10 AM, so not much to see. Sorry guys, nothing to report!
When I get to the airport for the next leg of my flight, I get ushered to the front of the plane. Guess what? I somehow got first class tickets for the final 4 hours to Cairo. It was very nice, and the seats almost layed all the way back. Nobody sitting next to me so I had two TVs going at the same time.
And the food was great, and the wine, and the Chivas, and the Hiedsick, and that expensive chocolate, and the.... I really should have slept at this point, but why waste all that first class service and food. It's gonna be hard going back to coach.
So I arrive in Cairo last night, and the driving is kind of like a mixture of New York and the Phillipines. Not that bad, I don't see what the fuss is about? Lots of training as a kid jay-walking in New York. Did see a horrific accident as we got closer to Lor's place, and tons of people crowding around. I don't think the driver made it, as the roof was crushed. We drove so close that I could reach in...but Ahmed (my driver) told me that wouldn't be good, cuz I'd get his car dirty with blood <another gersh embellishment from "..." point>.
Turns out my friend (Lorra) I'm visiting has another meeting in Lebanon, so I won't be seeing her at all this weekend. ((Lor, thanks for the use of your apartment. I'm off to Luxor/Aswan and won't see you when you get back tomorrow night.))
Anyways, that's it for me and I'll probably send you another e-mail when I get back to Cairo next week. You can still check the website at www.oocities.org/gersh2k but I won't update from here, it takes too long.
So even with massive sleep deprivation, I'm still representing for Toronto. Everyone I've met so far has been cool except for the losers. Cairo is great, lots of people, lots of movement, lot of action, or even lack of it if you choose...you're never too far away from a cafe to chill out in.
Tonight, I'm eating at an Indonesian (don't say it!!!) restaurant...hmmm...haven't had any Arabic food yet.
Until the next electronic postcard...see ya.
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