I have returned home to spring weather...brrrr. It is a strange feeling not to have sweat running down some part of my body due to the heat...
I am extremely tired at the moment and totally looking forward to sleeping. Ok this shall continue when I am not passing out...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Day 98-100 - The Last Days
My lack of blogging my last days in Cairo is so not cool...malesh. I shall catch you up on what I was up to or at least try to remember best what I did...
Natalie moved on to the greatest house boat ever! A boat full of winners. This was on Sunday...I think.
Definitely had a house warming/Caryn going away party on Monday. Good times, even with the 5 or so stray cats hanging around. Naa anorkor and I went to Khan el Khalili to get last gifts for people and to give Naa anorkor the experience of a true Egyptian meal. She told me not to tell her if she was eating camel or not....which she definitely did eat and thought it was very good. Then if my memory serves me correctly I went to The Curtain, the best roof top lounge/bar ever.
Tueday was a day for packing and last minute running around. We made another trip to the Khan again. Had some drink, oh man, I don't remember the name of it, at my friends shop. Then we began the adventure of finding/getting everything we needed. We were machines, walking fast through the market streets. We got everything just in time to head back home to get ready for our flights home. Naa anorkor was leaving earlier than me so I said my goodbyes to her, then went to the houseboat to say goodbye to all my friends there. My last meal in Cairo was Koshari or a version of it. My friend, has a driver friend, so I did not have to take a taxi to the airport.
This was probably the hardest goodbye I have had in all my travels. The moment I stepped in the doors the tears started to flow and they did not really stop until I got on the plane. I probably looked like the most ridiculous person but I did not care. So it was a sad departure but I got on the plane and found that I had a seat in business class...so random but awesome. I like to think it was my going away present from Cairo. The rest of my flights were pretty good, except from the time I landed in Amsterdam to the time I landed in Toronto I was freezing. I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Soloist and an hour of X-Men: Wolverine. I didn't sleep. In Toronto I waited over an hour for my luggage. I made it to my gate with just enough time to call home and then I boarded on my last flight home. Mom, Dad, Cherilyn and Uncle Bruce were there waiting for me at the gate in Calgary. It was nice to see their faces. No tears surprisingly from Mom...well done :)
It was strange to be back home and to feel natural cold weather that was not being produced by an air conditioner.
Natalie moved on to the greatest house boat ever! A boat full of winners. This was on Sunday...I think.
Definitely had a house warming/Caryn going away party on Monday. Good times, even with the 5 or so stray cats hanging around. Naa anorkor and I went to Khan el Khalili to get last gifts for people and to give Naa anorkor the experience of a true Egyptian meal. She told me not to tell her if she was eating camel or not....which she definitely did eat and thought it was very good. Then if my memory serves me correctly I went to The Curtain, the best roof top lounge/bar ever.
Tueday was a day for packing and last minute running around. We made another trip to the Khan again. Had some drink, oh man, I don't remember the name of it, at my friends shop. Then we began the adventure of finding/getting everything we needed. We were machines, walking fast through the market streets. We got everything just in time to head back home to get ready for our flights home. Naa anorkor was leaving earlier than me so I said my goodbyes to her, then went to the houseboat to say goodbye to all my friends there. My last meal in Cairo was Koshari or a version of it. My friend, has a driver friend, so I did not have to take a taxi to the airport.
This was probably the hardest goodbye I have had in all my travels. The moment I stepped in the doors the tears started to flow and they did not really stop until I got on the plane. I probably looked like the most ridiculous person but I did not care. So it was a sad departure but I got on the plane and found that I had a seat in business class...so random but awesome. I like to think it was my going away present from Cairo. The rest of my flights were pretty good, except from the time I landed in Amsterdam to the time I landed in Toronto I was freezing. I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Soloist and an hour of X-Men: Wolverine. I didn't sleep. In Toronto I waited over an hour for my luggage. I made it to my gate with just enough time to call home and then I boarded on my last flight home. Mom, Dad, Cherilyn and Uncle Bruce were there waiting for me at the gate in Calgary. It was nice to see their faces. No tears surprisingly from Mom...well done :)
It was strange to be back home and to feel natural cold weather that was not being produced by an air conditioner.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Day 95 - 97 - Nuweiba
I got back this morning at 7am from Nuweiba in the eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula.
I left Thursday on the night bus. It took around 9 hours to get there. I attempted to sleep the whole way but delta buses are not the most comfortable places to be. A short person sat beside me so I had more room than I would have had if a tall person sat beside me.
I arrived and Naa anorkor met me at the gate, along with 4 other friends who were on the same bus. I got to our hut, which was like 6 meters from the water. I had a wonderful nap on the mattress in our hut till noon. We got up and walked 3 camps over to Little Rock where Naa anorkor and her friend ate and hung out the whole week they were there. It is run by a very nice Sudanese man. The food was delicious. Best shower ever!
Susan and I decided to swim across the bay. All was fine and dandy until we had to swim into shore and there was reef half of the way so we ended up swimming closer to the middle of the bay just to get out of the water. It was fun even though I was having panic attacks about what was going to touch me or what I was going to touch in the water.
We made friends with some Egyptian guys...they are architects and told me a foreigner woman painting in Cairo could make big bucks...We had a nice fish meal with them and they actually ended up giving us a ride home. So it was a 6 hour trip not 9. Awesomeness.
Possibly more to come...
I left Thursday on the night bus. It took around 9 hours to get there. I attempted to sleep the whole way but delta buses are not the most comfortable places to be. A short person sat beside me so I had more room than I would have had if a tall person sat beside me.
I arrived and Naa anorkor met me at the gate, along with 4 other friends who were on the same bus. I got to our hut, which was like 6 meters from the water. I had a wonderful nap on the mattress in our hut till noon. We got up and walked 3 camps over to Little Rock where Naa anorkor and her friend ate and hung out the whole week they were there. It is run by a very nice Sudanese man. The food was delicious. Best shower ever!
Susan and I decided to swim across the bay. All was fine and dandy until we had to swim into shore and there was reef half of the way so we ended up swimming closer to the middle of the bay just to get out of the water. It was fun even though I was having panic attacks about what was going to touch me or what I was going to touch in the water.
We made friends with some Egyptian guys...they are architects and told me a foreigner woman painting in Cairo could make big bucks...We had a nice fish meal with them and they actually ended up giving us a ride home. So it was a 6 hour trip not 9. Awesomeness.
Possibly more to come...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Day 94 - Another Day Gone By...
Today consisted of sleeping, being woken up by Ammanuel and then sitting in on the Youth LEAD staff meeting all afternoon. Quite entertaining...
I went to the Khan again today and spent more money...but my purchases are awesome! I ate a real Egyptian meal...which I only just found out was camel meat! Walahi! Haha...While I was eating it I thought to myself this is definitely not beef but you know me, I couldn't think about what I could be eating or I would not have eaten it. Me and my picky self :)
SOOO many cockroaches in the kitchen!!!!!!!! Eww. Eww. Eww.
I went to the Khan again today and spent more money...but my purchases are awesome! I ate a real Egyptian meal...which I only just found out was camel meat! Walahi! Haha...While I was eating it I thought to myself this is definitely not beef but you know me, I couldn't think about what I could be eating or I would not have eaten it. Me and my picky self :)
SOOO many cockroaches in the kitchen!!!!!!!! Eww. Eww. Eww.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Day 92-93 - Sittin in a cool flat drinkin some Nescafe
I have become accustomed to Nescafe now...I may almost miss the familiar taste once I come home...
Yesterday was a day of running around, getting keys cut, printing a picture and trying to track down my luggage.
I now know where my luggage is but still can not go get it because the key that was supposedly hidden outside the door is not there and the winner I am, I did not get the number of the girl who has by bags from Naa anorkor when I finally got a hold of her. So continues the adventure of getting my bags.
In hopefully a half hour I will be going to Khan el Khalili if is can get my butt in gear and then I am going out for dinner with Diana. Should be good times....
Yesterday was a day of running around, getting keys cut, printing a picture and trying to track down my luggage.
I now know where my luggage is but still can not go get it because the key that was supposedly hidden outside the door is not there and the winner I am, I did not get the number of the girl who has by bags from Naa anorkor when I finally got a hold of her. So continues the adventure of getting my bags.
In hopefully a half hour I will be going to Khan el Khalili if is can get my butt in gear and then I am going out for dinner with Diana. Should be good times....
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Day 91 - Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary my dear and lovely parents. I hope your day is wonderful.
Today I am supposed to go to Luxor, but the friend I was going with has been unreachable for the last day so I have no clue what is going on. This is a problem, but I think I have found a solution so enshaalah I will be going to Luxor tonight...
I am sitting on the deck of the house boat waiting to leave for a meeting with a teacher from school. I will probably be late now that I have internet here:) Malesh...Egyptian time will work for me today.
No rats last night thank goodness...
EDIT: So now I am at Kathy's house, (the director of StARS). I will be crashing here till I leave which is good because now I will have a central place to leave my things and to come home to instead of wandering from place to place...
I spent the afternoon downtown with Faten and then with a friend at a coffee shop. I came back to the boat later in the evening and just chilled on the deck with Natalie and her friend Mark (he is from Ontario).
Now to figure out what to fill my time with until I go to the Red Sea...
Today I am supposed to go to Luxor, but the friend I was going with has been unreachable for the last day so I have no clue what is going on. This is a problem, but I think I have found a solution so enshaalah I will be going to Luxor tonight...
I am sitting on the deck of the house boat waiting to leave for a meeting with a teacher from school. I will probably be late now that I have internet here:) Malesh...Egyptian time will work for me today.
No rats last night thank goodness...
EDIT: So now I am at Kathy's house, (the director of StARS). I will be crashing here till I leave which is good because now I will have a central place to leave my things and to come home to instead of wandering from place to place...
I spent the afternoon downtown with Faten and then with a friend at a coffee shop. I came back to the boat later in the evening and just chilled on the deck with Natalie and her friend Mark (he is from Ontario).
Now to figure out what to fill my time with until I go to the Red Sea...
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Day 90 - My First Houseboat Experience....
Well my first day as a kind of homeless person has been pretty good. I slept quite well last night except for the occasional attempt of fatty the cat trying to sleep with me. I slept through some night time excitement. Natalie woke up to the cat running around and then heard a squeal...definitely not a cat but a rat of all things...it got away...ewww! I am glad I was sleeping.
We went to a cafe in hopes to use free internet but it was not working so we just ate some food. We have no key to the houseboat so we had to fill our time until around 8pm to get back. I met up with some friends. It has been a day of wandering around. I am now in Doki at a friends apartment stealing internet from the restaurant next door, just chilling...
We went to a cafe in hopes to use free internet but it was not working so we just ate some food. We have no key to the houseboat so we had to fill our time until around 8pm to get back. I met up with some friends. It has been a day of wandering around. I am now in Doki at a friends apartment stealing internet from the restaurant next door, just chilling...
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