Day 14 Back to Cairo

Saturday April 2^nd

Got up early this morning and sat on the beach watching the sun come up over Saudi Arabia. Then I had breakfast (muesli) and waited on the beach for our van. We set off about 8:30 after the driver loaded up our stuff. We got about a half hour out and I had already realized he didn't load up my water bottle, but then I realized he left my MEC fleece behind too. So I told Sam and we turned around to go get it. Oops, that wasted an hour, but I didn't want to loose my sweater.

The drive through the Sinai was beautiful. I love desert scenery. When we got close to Cairo traffic became a nightmare. Two lanes of highway going in one direction all of a sudden became four lanes and at times five! as they drove on shoulders and everywhere else. It's incredible to see the way they drive, the things that go on, from animals carts on the road, to people changing tires on the road, to buses stopping to pick up people on the highway, etc. etc.

We finally arrived at the hotel at four. I stayed in the lobby and talked to Sam for a half hour before he got a ride to go to his mother's house. He was a great guide and I really enjoyed his company.

After that I went to the internet cafe to read my 41 e-mails! Then I went to dinner at the restaurant where I had the pizza pie a couple of weeks ago. I ordered a different one and a rice pudding and talked to young English women who had just finished an 8 day GAP trip through Egypt. It was the same trip I was supposed to take but got cancelled because of the revolution. Then back to the cafe again to talk to Peter and my family, before calling it a night.