After a long 2 flights and a 6-hour layover in London (where I had cider with my long lost friend Sarah Merette) we arrived at the Cairo airport. The airport is an experience in itself. It's dirty, smoky, and packed. Thank god there was a toothless man with an "AUC" sign shepherding us around. We were packed onto a bus with all of our luggage and sent off on a 45 min ride to the dorms.
We're living in a dorm building on an island in the middle of the Nile. The northern half of the island is called Zamalek, which is where we are staying. It's nicer than downtown Cairo, and there are a lot of embassies and hotels here. Still pretty dirty and crowded though. The rooms are nice and big in the dorm, and there's a beautiful courtyard with a fountain and palm trees. The boys and girls wings are separated and guarded so we're not allowed on each other's side of the building. the best is that when men have to come on the girls side to fix things or drop off luggage a woman comes with them that shouts "Man the floor! Man!" down the hallway.
But the food is cheap and wonderful and we wondered around downtown all day yesterday. More to come soon!
and other Middle Eastern adventures
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