Category: Cairo

Anyone that dips their feet into the activities and adventures that Egypt offers will no doubt discover that the nearby Red Sea is one of the premiere diving destinations in the world. With that in mind, I made a point getting myself immersed in some lessons and giving it a try. Thankfully there were an abundance of training opportunities and it was a simple matter to find an eager dive master at the embassy, thirsty for the next crop of students. Before long I found myself studying the required training material online, sitting through lectures, and performing my first training dives at a nearby pool.

It’s after this that the real underwater adventure begins. Our first trip was a trek out to the Sharm El-Naga dive resort near Hurghada.  Our small cadre allowed us to focus on completing the necessary skill checks and dive plans that were required for certification, and by some stroke of luck we had the resort nearly to ourselves.  It was also our first opportunity to take in first hand the plethora of undersea life that inhabits a reef – which made for a phenomenal experience for our first few dives. Between the highs of our first dives and the picturesque resort beaches, it was the perfect opportunity to get away from it all – even if it was only for a day or so.

Upon the completion of this trip (along with our certification) many of us were itching to try the next dive adventure.  It seemed to be simply a matter of “when” and making the appropriate arrangements. Of course, once returning to Cairo the pesky details of life really got in the way and these new adventures were hampered by busy schedules and other priorities.  I was determined not to let this stop me though, and when the opportunity for a live-aboard dive trip was presented to me, I hopped on-board!

Live-aboard dive trips provide the unique opportunity to see a wide variety of dive sites at various locations over the span of a weekend, so it’s a good way to see the best of what an area has to offer, rather than being confined to shore entries or shorter day-trips.  I also took this opportunity to take the advanced diver course, along with the nitrox training – both of which were natural steps of progression after completing my open water training. After a hard night or two of studying and knocking all the coursework out of the way, I met up with my dive master and we headed out on the long drive to Hurghada.  By the time we arrived I had just enough energy left to consume a light dinner, and then turn in for the days of diving ahead.

The following morning we got underway shortly after breakfast and headed to Marsa Alam to visit the “Dolphin House”.  Despite the excitement that the name may invoke, it was a relatively uneventful dive as we were focused on conducting the underwater navigation portion of our advanced diving course.  Some divers claimed to hear some dolphins, but to my knowledge none of the delightful creatures were spotted. However our next destination promised us several sights that would be difficult to miss and would prove far less elusive, but potentially just as exciting – shipwrecks!

Our next destination was the Sha’b Abu Nuhas reef, which has claimed a number of vessels over the years and offers a handful of impressive wrecks for enterprising divers to acquaint themselves with.  We conducted three separate wreck dives here over the next day, visiting the shipwrecks of the Chrisoula K, Carnatic, and the Giannis D. Our anchor point was some distance from these dive sites though, so to get out to them we needed to board a zodiac (a small rigid-hulled inflatable boat) and perform our entries and exits from this platform.  This was made more interesting by high seas in some cases, which in addition to inflicting passengers with a sense of nausea, also made re-entry a more daunting affair.

The wrecks themselves seemed fairly well-preserved.  Even the Carnatic, which was the oldest amongst them, still had flesh on the bones (so to speak; there’s still plenty of wood on her iron bones, but no cadavers!).  Much of the wood that once sealed the hull against the steel ribs of the vessel had rotted away, which offered an easy opportunity to penetrate the wreck, though didn’t quite encompass the feeling of being “inside” the ship.

However it was at the Chrisoula K that we really got an opportunity to penetrate into a ship, and we explored a number of compartments in the engineering section of the vessel – which provided the first taste of the disorientation provided by a world lying on it’s side, or at various awkward angles, making orientation a far more confusing prospect.  The fish seemed to have no problem with it, so I let them be my guide (along with my dive master) and let myself adjust to the experience – which allowed me to start enjoying it. While reefs and rocks offered a plethora of life in unique and natural formations – the wrecks presented an opportunity to see how life had taken hold in and adapted to an artificially designed place.  It felt unnatural to see this blend of man-made machinery and aquatic life that was never intended to be there, but what else is a shipwreck on the ocean floor to do than provide luxury accommodations for aquatic life?

Upon the return from one of our dives, the seas were especially heavy and it was a bit awe-inspiring to watch divers, fish and plants all get tossed to and fro with the surge and ebb of each of the pounding waves.  It was as if the entire underwater world was moving to the pulse of the ocean. As spectacular as it was to watch, it made boarding the zodiacs that much more difficult, and probably made more than a few divers sick.  I found myself fairly immune to most of the motion sickness that others were experienced and was able to enjoy it quite a bit more as a result. At the end of each dive we’d be treated to a cool beverage and relieved of our gear as the boat crew set about refilling tanks for the next dive.  As night approached it offered us the opportunity to perform a night dive – which was also covered under the advanced diver course I took, so naturally I was on board. Myself and the dive master broke away from the main group with our own dive plan that would allow us to experience the underwater night separately from a gaggle of other divers with lights, limbs, and bubbles everywhere.

This turned out to be quite an interesting experience.  While we didn’t see much of the nocturnal creatures of the sea, the sensation of being underwater in the darkness was a much different experience than during the day.  One is aware of the vast amount of water that surrounds them, the chief sounds they hear are the inhalation and exhalation of their own breath – but they can see very little.  Sensory deprivation comes to mind – I imagine it would be quite easy to close one’s eyes, relax and temporarily take leave of your physical senses. This is quite a transcendent experience, but alas I did not want to get separated by my dive master (and buddy!), so the experience I actually had was quite a bit different.

The darkness and onset of night made for a more serene underwater experience – aided by only being able to see in a small cone that your light reveals, and thus not being overwhelmed by everything going on around you in the reef.  There was another side to this, with darkness and the inability to see comes the unknown, so am small amount of fear can creep into the experience. You’re underwater in an immense dark ocean that envelops you, and all you can see is this what your little cone of light illuminates.  Either way, the experience was invigorating, and it was a treat to see the way that lights brought out the colors underwater, and the way the darkness and lights of other divers changed the atmosphere of the activity to one that felt far more exploratory.

We finished off the shipwrecks the next day, but several delays prevented us from squeezing in an additional dive before we had to return to the Marina.  However, there was another dive trip scheduled in the near future, so I signed up for that and a few weeks later found myself boarding the same boat, berthing in the same cabin and bunk that I had for this trip to continue the adventure…

This time we went South from Hurghada, towards Safaga with the intention of visiting the Panorama, Um Uruk, and other nearby reefs, as well as the Salem Express shipwreck.  By the time I was up in the morning, we were well underway towards the reefs which would be our first destination. During the previous dive trip I had been recovering from a cold, so I had isolated myself and kept to my own – this time I was immersed in a good book, but without any other afflictions and some familiar faces from the last trip, I made sure to integrate myself a bit further into our boatbound community, making the acquaintance of a few friendly folks in the process.

Our trip down to the dive sites was fairly uneventful and before long we were suiting up for our first dive of the day.  The shallow water offered a sandy, but rock-spotted bottom, punctuated by columns of rock, dominated by coral and other sea life.  These were virtually underwater arcologies, each teeming with an enormous amount and diversity of life – one could swim in lazy circles around them and find new things to see each lap.  While the spaces between the pillars were sparse by comparison, one could still find plenty to see.

Our next dive along a steeper section of the reef started out as a fairly standard affair.  Colors, creatures, and corals of all size and shape dominated the reef; urchins, fish, anemones – all were represented in great quantity.  As we worked our way along the reef through we came to quite a spectacular sight – almost an entire section of the wall of the reef seemed to be moving and pulsing.  As we got closer, we realized it was a colossal school of fish slowly weaving in and out of the table coral at that particular section. Moving together they looked almost as if they were a singular globular creature – which was truly a sight to behold, and stands out from the other schools of fish I’ve encountered diving so far.

For our next dive, returned to one of our previous dive sites for another go at the other end of the reef.  This time we braved the trip to our entry-point on a zodiac that struggled to contend with the waves, and upon our arrival we submerged ourselves before the turbulent waves could do it for us.  We descended to the depth prescribed by our dive plan and had only been gliding along in the current for a few minutes when a giant Manta ray made an appearance, gliding through the water with it’s cephalic fins leading the way.  It’s hard to determine the precise distance of things underwater, and thus also difficult to determine the size of distant objects as well – but the ray seemed huge – double my considerable height in it’s wingspan as it carelessly went about it’s way.  It had the attention of every diver until it faded out of our limited underwater view distance. A little further into the dive, we encountered an Eagle ray, a smaller ray with a spotted back that was also a treat to see – though wasn’t quite as impressive as it’s larger cousin we had encountered earlier!

After the dive we took some time to relax on the lounge deck of the boat, but this was shortly interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected guest in the form of Sea turtle which was cruising along the reef just off the stern of our boat.  It would have been amazing to see this from underwater, but attempts to join it just spooked the graceful creature, but we still got to observe it for a few minutes from the boat as it paid us no mind and did whatever it is that turtles do just feet away from us.  After it took it’s leave of us, we were still in the mood for fun, so we took turns jumping into the tepid water from the upper decks of the boat until we had worked out our excess energy.

As the sun ebbed towards the horizon I found myself on the top deck of the boat enjoying the sunset and gentle breeze with my book.  When it became too dark to read, the stars came out and the book went away. Due to the pollution of the city, a sky full of stars is a rare sight in Cairo – so I took the best of the opportunity to enjoy the picture they painted across the sky.  Once in a while, even a meteorite could be observed burning up as it raced through the atmosphere. It was so comfortable that I ended up falling asleep up there, only getting sufficiently cold to retrieve a jacket at around three in the morning. I spent the entire night up there, catching the sunrise to the East at the dawn of the new day.  Only when we got underway and things started rocking back and forth a bit too much for my liking did I make my exit.

Our next destination was the Salem Express – a ferry which had sunk in 1991 with a tragically large loss of life.  Nearly 500 people returning from pilgrimage went down with the vessel. With this sobering thought in mind it’s a wreck that instills a sense of respect and reverence rather than pure excitement and adventure.  The large vessel was evenly on it’s side as we approached the keel, and then ascended to the side to make our penetration. While life had reclaimed the surface-facing side of the vessel, it was evident in the passenger voyage that this once held a very different type of life.

Suitcases were still strewn about in disarray.  Some with thick layers of silt over them, others plainly visible.  Personal odds and ends dotted the interior of the car deck – the sheer amount of belongings created a running toll of loss as we proceeded along the interior deck toward the large doors that once allowed cars to drive on and off the ferry.  I was much happier on the outside of that vessel, looking at the way that the sea life had reclaimed what was otherwise a grave site, with coral formations dotting the exterior of the vessel and fish darting their way through railings and other components of the external superstructure.

We re-entered the vessel at the shipboard cafeteria, which was merely a shadow of its former self, but still recognizable.  Without the piles of personal belongings and the ample sunlight that filtered in through the windows, this was a far more enjoyable place to explore.  Eventually we made our way across the length of the upper deck and railing to the wheelhouse, which I observed from the outside, having felt like I’d been in that wreck enough for one day.  Still, it was a spectacular sight and the most substantial wreck I’d had the opportunity to dive on so far.

This dive site had been on the Southern leg of our itinerary, so we had a long cruise back up the coast to our last dive site on the way back to the marina.  Despite the side to side rocking motion not sitting well with me earlier, I positioned myself on the prow of the vessel with my earbuds and a healthy selection of music to enjoy the return trip.  

Riding on the prow of the vessel I was able to feel every rise and fall of the bow as the boat plowed through the waves.  This created a mesmerizing rhythm that left one feeling nearly weightless at the apex of wave, and tickled one’s feet with the wavetops and spray on the downstroke.  Each time the bow came crashing down especially hard, schools of flying fish would launch themselves out of the water and glide for a distance, fleeing our predatory vessel and disappearing beneath the waves in short order.  While enjoying the experience, we were lucky enough to be joined by a pod of dolphins which cruised right under the prow, darting back and forth just underneath my dangling feet.  

This was truly a spectacular occurrence, and even through they were there for just a few fleeting minutes, there were only a few people that were in position to catch them and enjoy their elusive company for that time.  We could hear their whistles, squeaks, and trills, but just like that, they were gone and even the flying fish seemed to be less and less frequently as we made our way back towards civilization. We did take the opportunity to go diving at one more site, a shallow place just off the beach near Soma Bay.  While this dive seemed much like the first one, shallows with rocks, and corals, arcologies on large rock outcroppings – frequently surrounded by shoals of fish, we did happen to spot an octopus which seemed to change colors right in front of us and blend into its surroundings in it’s attempt to make itself look like an unassuming rock.  This was fascinating to witness, but the attention it ended up drawing from other divers made the waters far too crowded for my own tastes (and probably the octopus’s as well), and as I was not the center of attention, I was able to conclude my dive on this high note and begin to take into account everything I had seen and experienced over the weekend.

We arrived back at the marina in the late afternoon, took pictures, looked at the videos that some of the divers captured, and headed our separate ways.  All in all, it was spectacular, and I imagine it’s going to be hard to top a trip like this. While this concluded my third dive trip in two months, I can’t imagine continuing with the same frequency as I have been of late.  There’s a wealth of other opportunities and experiences to explore that need to become part of the balancing act. But with that said, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for future dive trips and will continue to enjoy the rich and vibrant experience it offers.

The past few weeks have been a blur of activity. There’s been plenty of work to keep myself busy with, but it’s on the personal life front where things have really picked up. I’ve experienced the first of my friends departing from post – renewing the repeating experience of meeting someone, getting to know them and appreciating their company, just in time for them to take their leave and depart – often times with fond farewells, but other times seldom a word. It’s a cycle that will take some getting used to, as I feel like I desire lasting relationships with people, which is apart from the nature of the life I find myself in.

Thankfully, there are outliers to this case. In the expat community I’ve found many people I enjoy spending time with. In this world, even people you’ve only met once or twice you’ll start to consider as friends – it’s something of a bond between expats, knowing that you’re in a place far different from the one where your roots are, and needing that sense of community with people that share a similar perspective and can relate to your own experience living in a foreign country. With these connections in place I’ve begun to pick up life where I left off – hosting events and game nights, trying to involve people in my life and similarly be involved in the lives of others.

I’ve done my best to accept invitations and attend just about any event I can, and it’s done wonders to stave off the feelings of isolation that we had been warned of before heading to post. Unfortunately not all people have embraced the experience and have had troubles adjusting because of it, and it’s all the more sobering when they decide they’d rather be someplace else and take their leave of this place. I was worried that this would be my outlook, that I’d have a hard time adjusting and difficulty finding my stride. It certainly felt like that was the case in my first few weeks here when I struggled to find the courage to go outside, or didn’t know how to connect or interact with the local staff I supervise – but I’ve had a remarkably quick turn-around, I find that I’ve rarely felt more confident than I do now, I don’t think twice about doing things that would have previously made me pause. I’ve grown considerably in a short amount of time which is something I’m taking quite a bit of pride in.

I’ve challenged myself to do things I’ve never done before. I’ve taken a diving course and gotten my open water certification on a dive trip to Hurghada on the Red Sea. I’ve enjoyed my first ‘run’ with the hash house harriers, and my first trip in a fallucca, bobbing around in the Nile as the sun slowly set. I’ve celebrated Iftar with my local staff, who took me by motorcycle and ferry to one of the islands in the Nile for a night of good company and celebration. I’ve attended the events hosted by other embassies and the expat community alike. I’ve had my first hike in the Wadi Degla and skiied down an indoor slope.

I don’t feel that individually any of these experiences is worth it’s own post in my blog (well, with the exception of the dive trip!) but when you put it all together it paints a picture of what life here can be like; and at least for me, how different it was from what my expectations were before I came. At this point I feel sufficiently far removed from that person and the mindset before my own arrival that I don’t even know what it was that I was expecting. Of course, we were set up with some idea as to how our mood and outlook would ebb and flow as we arrived; how we’d experience the culture for the first time, how we’d encounter a honeymoon phase, which would then be curbed by acute homesickness, and eventually give way to a balance of acceptance and coming to terms with our new homes.

I can’t really say if I have experienced any of it, and I feel like my outlook has been significantly different from those of many of my peers, but so has my situation. It’s been a unique transition, but whatever difficulty I’ve never failed to rise to the challenges of the difficulties that I’ve had coming to terms with it. It has it’s ups and downs, and I’ve found things here that bring me enjoyment, I’ve found people that I’m happy to associate with, and there are still many challenges in front of me both personally and professionally; but I feel like it’s taken far fewer steps to find my stride here than I would have imagined, and I find myself really looking forward to my time here.

One of the first things that comes to mind when musing about the highlights of life in a Middle-eastern country is the hustle and bustle of a Bazaar – or a Souq as it is more commonly known in this part of the world.  It’s a magical place where vendors bring every different type of ware imaginable and put them all on display in order to show off and hopefully sell their product.  One might liken it to a street market, or a fair – but this is sells the idea and grandiosity of a bazaar far short. 

In this case, Khan el-Khalili is not only a souq, but the souq in Cairo.  Needless to say, I was excited about the idea of taking a guided trip through it with the assistance of some locals to help point one in the right direction for certain quality wares, and haggle down the tourist-oriented prices.  The morning of the trip was a cool and pleasant prelude to what would assuredly become a hot day.  Given how overwhelming the heat can feel during the afternoon, the cooler hours in the morning before the crowds are an alluring prospect.  With this in mind, we started the day early with purses full of coin (or cash in this case).  The trip to the Khan did not take long, and the morning traffic was light.  It was impossible to tell where the marketplace began – we saw signs of it long before getting dropped off, with various displays of wares and workshops hawking their craft stretching on long before our arrival at the drop-off point. 

Upon disembarking we strode purposefully into the gates of the bazaar, heading for a silver, and glasswork shop that our guide fancied.  The antiquity of the market was striking to me.  Here amongst buildings that seemed timeless, stretch narrow alleyways with glittering treasures, patterns, lights, alabaster and countless other goods drawing ones’ attention onward.  Archways and tapestries draped about above while worn stone and cobble provided character to the walkway beneath our feet.  Some of the side passages opened on to major thoroughfares where streams of people could be seen passing by, while others were seemingly deserted, but lead to hidden shops and merchants all the same. 

I didn’t see anything that caught my eye at the first destination, so I browsed the windows, nooks and crannies nearby as I continued my exploration.  Polished stone spheres on pedestals caught my attention, being strangely Palantir-like in appearance.  I was tickled by temptation, but I knew there’d be other temptations throughout the day, and I’d want to mark things of interest and come back to them later.  Hopefully dropping pins in google maps would do the trick in this labyrinth of passages and alleyways.  We strolled about as a group taking in all the sights and sounds, being called to by the vendors, one even shouting in perfect English “We just want your money!”, a strangely honest and out of place exclamation which drew laughter from our group. 

Climbing a flight of stairs to an upper level building we perused shops of various metalwork and woodworks.  Delicate and elaborate work in both cases, shops were bursting to the seams with furniture and other woodworks with inlaid tile and mosaic, along with other curious and oddities – spent artillery and cannon shells etched with intricate designs, brass trinkets of every shape and size; and while many were in poor condition, they each had a unique and varied character. The epitome of one man’s junk being another’s treasure (I couldn’t suppress the giggle as I wrote that). We continued with further adventures past and through shops of bone, ivory (boo, hiss), jewelry, silver, souvenirs, and other trinkets. Even a shop with clearly marked prices, and even a small pharaoh figurine with a giant dong was reasonably priced. I regret not getting this now, but I did find a few other pieces in that particular shop that I ended up purchasing.

In time, we escaped the midday heat by ducking into one of the more well-known establishments in the Khan, Naguib Mahfouz Cafe, where we were seated at a long table and had our orders taken by mustached waiters in fez hats.  This is where I ordered my first lemon mint, which is a wonderfully simple and delightfully delicious concoction of lemonade and finely shredded mint leaves.  You can never go wrong with a cold lemonade on a hot day, but the addition of that one simple ingredient allows the beverage to transcend entirely.  The flavor differential is not so striking, but the sense of refreshment that one gets from a simple sip is something to behold.  I immediately knew this would be a favorite of mine, and I’ve enjoyed many of them since this discovery.  There is simply nothing better to combat the heat of the desert than this delectable beverage.  The food was tasty, and quite different than the usual fare, with offerings of pigeon, rabbit and other small game, on top of some other standard plates.  The food deserved more attention than I gave it; but quite frankly, I was too distracted with my drink to notice. 

Upon the completion of our pit stop, we set out once again upon the bustling streets of the souq. Being guided through the maze-like series of alleyways and vendors had some distinct advantages, but also meant that it was difficult to get too far off the beaten path and truly explore. There were many tempting side passages that would have warranted further exploration if it were not for the sake of keeping our group together. Thus, there’s a downside to CLO-trips such as this one, as they offer a decidedly on-rails experience, which I’ve come to recognize as a smaller part of the larger State Department picture when living abroad, but that’s a post for another time

We finally made our way to an assortment of lamp, lantern, and lampshade shops. These tend to be my favorite, as I find it an absolute delight to behold a vista of varied and distinct lights, with different shapes, sizes, colors, and hues coming together to form a natural tapestry. It’s something akin to looking at a cityscape at night from a particularly nice vantage point, but with far more organization and order to the chaos. This is again one of those areas where I’ll be tickled by temptation, but with the vast selection it is difficult to narrow down on any particular object of desire. Ultimately it’s the combined effect that they all come together to create that is the most alluring.

Proceeding onward, we made our way towards shops which offered rugs, tapestries and other art. Some of these works clearly intended to provide a muted or subdued ambiance to a room, not being overly garish or loud as to steal the attention, but to provide more of an accent. Others were destined to be centerpieces, stealing the attention away from everything around them – and one of these in particular caught my eye. A selection of original oil paintings on papyrus with depictions of ancient Egypt, ranging from the simplicity of a vista of the pyramids, to the more complex with the backdrop of the pyramids supplemented by palms, camels, the Nile, and falluccas at sunset. I had an immediate appreciation for it and enjoyed the sense of antiquity it seemed to capture. The way that the painting seemed to reflect the light level of the room in it’s own setting of sunset and twilight fueled the desire to live the moment that was captured in the scene. After some deliberation I decided that it was something that myself (and others) were likely to enjoy – so I selected my favorite, worked with the guide to haggle down the price, and walked out with something special. I’ll update this with a picture of it once it’s framed and mounted.

As the day marched on, the sights and sounds all started blending together in my head. It was hard to remember exactly where I had seen what, and the myriad of twists and turns we’d taken through the marketplace was enough to upset my usually keen sense of direction, despite the pins that I’d dropped. It was truly a multifaceted experience that held something for everyone – no matter if one was there to simply take it all in, or fill their home with all sorts of Khan collectibles. While the merchandise and the hawking of wares may be the purpose for it’s existence, the Khan itself is far more with a wealth of cultural character and personal interactions that would make for a stand out-experience on it’s own. From the ridiculousness of watching huge tour buses attempt to navigate down impossibly crowded streets, the impossible balancing acts of cyclists carting around giant boards of pita bread atop their noggins, to the unexpected but adorable display of a pair of well-groomed Khan cats cuddling affectionately, seemingly oblivious to the bustling bazaar around them. Undoubtedly the Khan is one of the stand-out features of Cario, and well worth a visit from anyone that gets the opportunity.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in Cairo was start looking for ways to involve myself in the community and fill some of the weekends I’d have with fun events I could look forward to. As it happens, the Embassy has positions for Community Liaison Officers, which among other things are tasked with organizing and arranging events for the embassy community. I was lucky enough to arrive just in time to catch a slot one of the immediately upcoming events – an invitation to an authentic Bedouin dinner at Wadi Degla with live Oud music. It seemed like the perfect way to dive into this new experience.

Of course, having been in Egypt for less than a week, the vocabulary terms above were mostly lost on me, so I’ll provide some additional explanation. The Bedouin are a historically nomadic group of people that have made their homes in the deserts of Egypt, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. I’m not sure what a traditional Bedouin dinner looks like, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t quite as lavish as the meal we were presented with, but I’ll get to that later. I’d venture that Oud music is music produced by an Oud, which is a kind of like the Middle Eastern version of a Lute, and perhaps joined by percussion, singing or other instruments. For a long while the oud was a prominent instrument of the region, rich with history and tradition. Wadi Degla is a park or protectorate on the Southeast outskirts of Cairo – kind of like an Egyptian National Park if you will. As one can imagine, it’s situated in the desert, but has a natural beauty about it and provides an attractive backdrop for all sorts of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, climbing, etc.

Our trip out to the Wadi Degla Protectorate was fairly quick. The hustle and bustle of Cairo melted away pretty quickly once we got to the boundaries of the park. It was approaching sunset, so most of the occupants of the park were headed out for the evening, which added to the tranquility offered by the area the further we ventured into it. There were no roads, but simply a defined track in the sand lined by desert scrub, rocks and other markers to ensure vehicles stuck to it. A few more bends in the road and the noise of the city faded out, in fact the city wasn’t even visible through the winding canyon by the time we reached our destination.

On a small plateau a few tents had been erected, and a collection of rugs had been laid on the ground nearby, complete with low tables, pillows and lanterns. There was some time to kill before things actually got started, so I climbed a small hill nearby and took in the scenery with a few of the other guests. From within the canyon the visibility was limited, as the canyon walls obscured anything beyond. However within the canyon itself was plenty of local desert flora, various rock formations and a sense of natural beauty. The geek in me would describe it like a scene from Tatooine in Star Wars, and the sudden appearance of a Jawa or Sand person would have been absolutely fitting.

Eventually we were invited to take our seas as twilight approached. As we selected our seats, we were served a variety of beverages and imbibed in the stock of wine, champagne and other drinks that other guests had brought. The local juices and teas were delicious, though I definitely leaned towards the drinks that provided the social lubricant to interact with the many new faces I was meeting. We sat cross-legged at the low tables, sharing names, stories, and jokes as the staff came around and lit the lanterns, providing a soft intimate glow in the fading light of the day.

Without much further adieu we were ushered over to the buffet which served us a variety of rice, vegetables, a naan-like bread, kabobs, merguez-like sausages, herb-packed grape leaves, and a few other courses I cannot name. Without fail, I found each one of these delicious thought not entirely unique to my own ample experience with food. Still, it introduced me to more than a fair number of new tastes and combinations of flavors that I won’t soon forget.

After the main course we were welcomed back for seconds, and were offered fruits and other desserts – small pieces of kanafeh with almonds, another new mouth-watering experience I quickly acquainted myself with. As we enjoyed our desserts in the desert, the musicians and entertainers started up their fare with the advertised music and associated dance. Turning away from our assorted deserts and drinks, we watched these entertainers in the deepening darkness as a light chill wind kicked up through the canyon.

Guests were invited to join in on the songs and dances, interacting with the troupe as they were coaxed up from their pillows to join in the merriment. As the night drew on the music dwindled and subsided. Our hosts thanked us for our participation and patronage, and we thanked them for the meal and entertainment in turn. When we left later that evening we did so with full bellies and a host of new unique memories to reflect on. Hopefully it would be a taste of the additional adventures to come, and a unique experience to remember for a long time to come.

My first weekend in Cairo couldn’t have come soon enough. I needed to seriously catch up on sleep, and stock my kitchen with something other than pure carbohydrates. I turned in soon after getting home late from work on Thursday and finally had a full night of restful sleep. In the morning I met up with my social sponsor and took a direly needed visit to Gourmet Egypt, the commissary, and the PX.

Gourmet Egypt presented itself as a fairly upscale hole in the wall grocer, which offered freshly baked breads, fresh meats, and other small selections of spices, frozen foods, cheeses, spreads, fruits, and other local fare. It was a good place to find some basics, along with some specialized local goods. I selected some of their garlic paste/spread and was not disappointed.

The next stop was the commissary and PX. The PX has a small selection of household goods, cleaning supplies, detergents, electronics, kitchen supplies, and of course alcohol. There isn’t much to write home about here, but it was a handy place to pick up some quality of life items and to ensure one had all the various home-utility items they needed. The commissary offered the more traditional grocery-store experience, albeit with a limited selection and limited quantities of fresh produce. Of course the meats were almost entirely of the frozen variety. All of this is shipped in rather than procured locally, resulting in a focus on preventing spoilage – which in the case of the produce can happen rather quickly.

In any event, I loaded up at these two stores and filled my cabinets at home with a variety of foodstuffs that I’d probably struggle to get through anytime soon, as I had made it my goal to prevent frequent commissary runs – which were mostly like to take place during my precious weekends.

After this, we regrouped and met up with another new arrival at post to take a stroll down Road 9. As I understood it, Road 9 was Maadi’s “main drag”, which featured a number of restaurants and attractions, while being merely the briefest walk from our residences. It had the makings to be a prominent feature of my stay here, so I was eager to acquaint myself with it. Entering Station Square (the roundabout intersecting Road 9) marked the beginning of the experience, made only slightly less authentic by the lack of considerable traffic and accompanying noise. An overpass crowns the roundabout, while plenty of business storefronts ring the area and small shops, vendors and pedestrians cohabit with parked cars and mopeds.

As we were guided onward, high curbs were the first thing we needed to watch out for, with loose sidewalk and other rough terrain being a close second. At least the sidewalks were predictable! Strolling down the first few storefronts took us past a metro mart or two, storefronts for both Orange and Vodaphone, two mobile providers – situated right across the street from each other, as well as a sandwich shop and some other miscellaneous shops. As one went on, multi-level storefronts were encountered. A cyber café, a radio shack, electrical stores, textile and linen stores, were just a small sample of the variety the street offered.

Of particular notice was a lamp and metalworks shop that had many beautiful looking lampshades, lanterns and other artistic metalworking products. Some of these were quite beautiful and handsomely crafted – I knew that I’d come back at some point to pick something up, but I wasn’t in tourist mode – I’d have plenty of time to come back and peruse their goods later. In one of the larger shops, lampshades and other lighting fixtures and decorations were accompanied with chess and backgammon boards inlaid with attractive patterns made from mosaic and other decorative material – which made for very attractive pieces.

These stores eventually gave way to restaurants dotting the side of the streets, joined by increasingly frequent residences as the road went on. Passing the majority of these, we eventually stopped at a Shawarma place towards the South end of the road, where I enjoyed my first chicken shawarma – a delicious lunch. On the way back up the road we picked up fruit from one of the local vendors and I attempted to sign up for a local mobile plan – which was an exercise in futility that would only be resolved once I had a more permanent resident ID to provide them with.

The language barrier was not as substantial as I had feared, knowing a few simply words and phrases helped with some situations, while other encounters (like signing up for a mobile plan) were simply hopeless without conversing in a language both parties had a decent understanding of. Many of the sights, smells, and experiences were new to me, but nothing stuck out to me as being something that I wouldn’t be able to adapt to or otherwise get used to. There was enough there to keep me going back, and plenty of restaurants and other local fare to try. I had imagined the street would be wider, busier (traffic wise) and more developed – but I wasn’t disappointed with what I saw. It provided some clarity as to what to expect from the public places here, and presented my first sample to what life might be like overseas.

My flights from Washington D.C. were both long, uneventful, and uncomfortable. It had been my intention to sleep as much as I could on the overnight flight across the Atlantic, but I don’t think I ended up getting more than an hour of sleep. Whether this was due to the discomfort or anxiety, I’m not sure. In any event, as the sun crested on the Eastern horizon, it illuminated an ocean full of icebergs far below. It was an impressive sight, and I didn’t really want to close the window afterwards in further vain attempts to sleep.

I laid my eyes on Europe for the first time as we flew over Ireland, England, and finally the mainland. The slow descent into Frankfurt revealed a countryside dotted with downs and marked by tall wind-power farms. I greatly desired to explore it, I’d have to settle with exploring the airport with only a two and a half hour layover. Upon landing we taxied for what seemed like an eternity, only to park somewhere on the tarmac and load into buses which took us to the terminal. This seemed strange to me, but I guess it is fairly normal at these gigantic airports that may have more aircraft traffic than gates.

I scrambled around the airport, looking for the connecting flight. With a little luck and perseverance, I found it with enough time to grab myself a midday meal at a nearby restaurant. Of course, any meal at this point would have been incomplete without some accompanying caffeine, and of course, I couldn’t pass through Germany without getting a taste of whatever local brew they had on tap, so that’s what I got along with Weißwurst and a pretzel. This was something a little bit off the beaten path food-wide, so I wasn’t surprised when it wasn’t what I’d consider the best German food I’d ever had, but it was easily better than the food served aboard the aircraft. And of course, the beer was delicious.

I boarded the shorter connecting flight to Cairo, and found myself getting anxious and counting the hours until my arrival. I would have liked to relax, but I found it difficult at the time. I didn’t have a window seat this time, so I missed out on whatever sights there were to see until we began our descent into Cairo a little bit after the sunset. Shortly before touchdown I managed to catch the dark silhouette of one of the Giza pyramids against the backdrop of lights in Cairo. It wasn’t long after that we parked and deboarded the plane.

My expeditor was waiting for me just off the plane, and swept me up into his whirlwind of activity as he rushed me through the airport, dealt with customs and collected my bags. In true military fashion, we hurried up only to end up waiting for nearly half an hour for our ride to show up. Apparently there had been a few wrong turns taken somewhere along the ride. When the vehicle finally rolled up, I thanked my expeditors, loaded my bags and climbed in to meet my social sponsor.

As we headed back to Maadi and the apartment waiting for me (which I was absolutely looking forward to given my state of exhaustion) my sponsor and I talked, he answered many of the usual questions I had, and laid out the other plans he had in order to get me situated. During this time I was taking in everything around me. The first things I noticed about Egypt was how dirty everything seemed, and how maniacal people seemed to drive. Neither of these were really unexpected – Cairo is a pretty dry place, with occasional sandstorms. It’s no surprise that it gets everywhere. As for the driving, well I’m still alive aren’t I?

It took us about 40 minutes to get to the apartment and I spent an hour or so with my host and his wife, chatting, eating, drinking, etc. He showed me to my apartment, where he had already collected some groceries for me, and my work sponsor and his wife had kindly left me a card, some homemade bread, and other treats. I was touched by all of this, but fatigue had caught up to me and I crashed shortly afterwards. I should have taken an administrative day off to try to adjust, but I didn’t – I was going to be going into the embassy for my first day bright and early in the morning. It was only fitting when my body refused to sleep more than a few hours.

The first day at the embassy was a blur of introductions, a maze of confusing and nondescript hallways and corridors, and an test of how much I could absorb on minimal amounts of sleep. After following my work sponsor around the embassy like a lost puppy for most of the day, I went home and had dinner with him and his family – then retired for an early night to do it again the next day. I was more than ready for the weekend when it came, and I embraced a couple of familiar faces that I had known from my time at FSI.

My first impressions were positive of both of my sponsors, but guarded about the work and interactions I could expect. Clearly, conducting diplomacy would not be limited to only foreign relations. I began to have my nagging doubts about what I was doing, and the choices I had made in life that lead me here – much as I had experienced upon my arrival in D.C. six months ago. One thing I could count on was that this post and life would test and challenge me, that I would either rise to it or back down from it. It would have it’s ups and downs, it’s hardships and luxuries, and that I’d need to work hard to ensure my success.