Two posts in a row? Surely not!

Here I am, back in Pottery Cafe. The wireless is free but I feel badly if I don't buy anything, so having no wireless in the apartment is starting to get expensive! (Relatively, of course).

Speaking of wireless! News in that area: We discovered that the phone line is still connected to an old internet service, with outstanding bills. Our landlord has agreed to pay the leftover fees so that we can set up our own connection, alhamdullilah. The charges are leftover from a tenant a year ago - who just so happens to be a boy Sara knows from Harvard! So silly!

I just played tennis for 20 minutes with my buddy Walt, which was a lot of fun. We got kicked off the courts by the actual tennis team, but it was nice to have some physical activity other than endless daily walking. The weather here is really gorgeous these days - it's like my favorite days in early spring, only without intermittent cold and rain. And it's only going to get better! Also, I can feel the days getting longer - It's 6 o'clock here and the sky is still light through the window.

Tonight Sara, Charlie, Sara's friend Dan and I are going to a Nubian concert at a cultural center nearby - can't wait! Tomorrow night Sara and I are thinking of going to watch some Sufi dancing. The 4-day school week is definitely nice - it's only Tuesday night, and I'm already halfway done!

Friday morning we're going to get up before dawn and ride out to the pyramids - I can't wait to finally get a glimpse of Egypt's most famous behemoths.

Also, we made a list of all the weekends we have in the semester, and all the places we want to go before we leave - inshallah, we will make it to all of them! Luxor/Aswan, the White Desert and the Black Desert, the alleged Mt. Sinai, Dahab, Hurghada, Sharm al-Sheikh, and the Siwa Oasis (or any oasis) are our main targets.

I've also been looking into European travel options, but it is really not very economical to fly from a third world African nation into the EU. I was able to find fairly inexpensive ($200) one-way flights to Athens, though, and from there I could travel into mainland Europe with more ease. How would I get back to Egypt, you ask? Well, I could take a two-day cruise from Cyprus to Port Said in Egypt - pretty incredible sights, but a bit pricier (cabins start at around $330).

So, who's coming to visit me, and when?? I want to show you all around this wonderful city, and explore the rest of the country with you!

Oh! A melange of long-delayed fotos from the last couple weeks:


Left: Main campus on a sunny day, as seen from Cilantro Cafe across the street.
Right: Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square), right next to main campus.



Our bedroom, from the window, and our first family dinner. Usratee gamele!

Cairo by night, from my window.

Masalaame!