Arrival

Cairo airport lets you know that most of this country is desert. Its runways, covered by black rubber from the arriving and departing planes, are amidst the sand. They are quite long and spread out so that it takes a while to get to the terminal. It feels as if this airport is too big for the demand - or have the airlines decided to wait for calmer times? As far as I could tell from the bus ride from the airport to the hostel, everything is pretty calm and not much different to the last time I visited this country. The hassle of taxi drivers offering their services remained the same, but so did their politeness. They even helped me find their cometitors: the public bus stop. (Visitors who come to Cairo: Don't listen totheir advice to haggle cab prices down to 20 dollars or so... Take the bus: it'll cost you only 1 Egyptian Pound (= 16 U.S. cents) for you and 1 for bulky luggage!) On the bus, I experienced the same feelings of being in Egypt as five years ago. A mix of excitement, fascination and other emotions - before I fall asleep.
We arrived behind the Egyptian Museum, where it is only a short walk to the now internationally famous Tahrir Square. It is also the address of my hostel - guess what... It's the same one as five years ago. (Gosh, am I conservative!?) Some smaller structures on the square are being rebuilt, yound trees are there and a new KFC and Mc Donald's. Besides that, not a lot has changed. Even the guy at the reception remembers me.
My dorm-mates are a young oman from Taipei, who travels like crazy (She intends to go to Somalia!) and a guy from Eisenach, who is a photographer... After a cheap Kushari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushari), I fall asleep. Istanbul Airport was not a very hospitable place to sleep... Tonight, we plan to head for the Sufi dances...