I stayed up until 4am playing backgammon last night with the hostel worker...who unfortunately got to experience my competetive side. Embarassingly enough, I am known among my family and friends for being so competitive that I have alienated people from wanting to play games with me! It doesn't matter if it's badmitton, dominoes, cards, volleyball, or even something I'm hopelessly bad at like pool...I love to win, and I get really angry and mean when I don't. It's something I'd like to think I'm working on. Anyways, so Yaseem works the night shift, and my body clock is still all thrown off (partly due to mid-day napping, partly due to time change and late night tea) so he told me he would teach me an Egyptian game. Now I have watched my mother play endless games of backgammon on our computer at home as a kid, but never did I know that it was of Egyptian origin, and I also never knew that there was so much strategy involved! I was soundly beaten about three times in a row, until I finally started to use some of the tactics I was seeing used against me. Yaseem was very patient and didn't seem upset by my occasional use of explitives, for which I am grateful. I have to say that I did win three rounds of my own (I won't say how many rounds we played).
So I went to bed at 4:30 am...just shortly after the first call to prayer. And round about 6:30 am each morning the flies come in and bite my legs. I can't tell you how they know this is prime time to annoy the sh*t out of me, but they do. And then by 7:30 they're usually gone. It's a very strange phenomenon. I spent the day wandering around Cairo, sightseeing and working on the awesome tan I have going on my nose and forehead. And then in an hour I leave for the airport, hopefully this time without any flat tires, to travel to India.
So I've made it through the first country of my around the world trip. I haven't lost my passport, credit cards or camera. I haven't been robbed (unless you count unanticipated, uncontrolled jewelry and perfume shopping as a form of self-inflicted robbery). I have not, thank god, had to pull out the huge can of mase someone gave me for my trip. And aside from the leering and staring and cat calling and other typical "manly" behavior, I have experienced nothing but kindness from the people here. Am sad to be leaving Egypt, but so excited for what's next!!! On to India...traveler's diarrhea, malaria, motion sickness...nothing can hold me back! I've got a pouch full of medicine and am ready for anything!
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