Mornings with.......Al Jezera?

Yep, that's right got up this morning had a 1.5L bottle of water (to quell a potential headache) a cup 'o tea and a few pieces of the complementary breakfast bread and enjoyed it all as I watched the morning news on Al-Jezeera. Just saw a lot of Arabic going across the screen and a few pictures of helicoptors.......no idea what's going on in the world, other than there seems to be a lot of un-happy Egyptian drivers as all I can hear are car horns out there!

Anywho, I haven't even been here a full 12 hours yet and the adventures have begun. My flight landed at 2 in the morning, I was tired and looking forwawrd to being picked up and into my hostel ASAP. Before I go there I had to brave the Egyptian customs line-ups, exchange my cash and grab a visa..........about 45 minutes. So much for having an advantage of not checking bags........right dad!!!

As I pulled into the customs area there were a bunch of egyptians with signs holding names. Good, I know where my ride will be. However I didn't see my name, which was fine, I assumed I'd be meeting mine at the exit to the customs area which I could see as I was waiting in the customs line.

Still didn't see my name anywhere and so as I cleared the customs hall scanning the boards for a "Kevin Dueck" I had about 7-8 cab drivers zero in on me and see a sucker. This wasn't a surprise to me as I knew this was expected, so I politely declined there assistance and made my way over to the phone......I was going to let my hostel have it!

Couldn't figure out how the phones worked and in order to get back to some of the help desks or hotel area's I had to cross the path of these touts again. They were on me and in a moment of weakness I took one's help. So he brought me around the corner and I immediatley became suspicious. He took the elevator and I wasn't about to go into an elevator with a strange and large egyptian man, so I took the stairs.....he was probably offended, but I didn't care, I didn't like the guy anyway. He brought me up to his office where his "friend was sitting. I gave him my hostel name and he said he would call them and they were on the phone.....He said he was with the Sara Inn, so I asked his name. "Mohhamed". I replied with a Mohoammed who? What's your last name?"......"Ah ah ah, I "suggested" he wasn't with my hotel as I knew the last name of the guy who had my reservation. He said your right..........I hung up the phone and left the office and provided "a few words" for the attempted service........I was about to get scammed into a hostel I didn't want.

So I met a taxi driver and explained my predicament with hand gestures and wit the help of his broken English I think I got the point across. I told him I still wanted to stay with my reservation, as I didn't want to be scammed into being brought into his "commisioned hotel." He said that was fine. This is where the bartering begins. I got the price I wanted, it took me a couple "walk away's" to do it, but I did.

Forgive me.........I'm going to cut this short as I'm getting a bit ancy to get out in the town.........

He took me by a couple of the places he had cards for, stopped about every 5 minutes to get directions, but we made it. I got into my hostel real tired and crashed.

About 3 hours later, I got up and here I am writting about it.

On the slate for today.........a trip to the Egyptian Museum, purchase my train tickets and a bunch of time to just realx and get over the jet-lag.

I wish there were pics I could upload, but those will have to wait until I'm home

all for now

Kev