My first 24

I remember when I was a kid the first time I went to an amusement park. Walking around so excited I couldn't stand it. My face smashed so far into the gates of the next ride, it left imprints on my cheeks. In such disbelief and awe at the size and speed of roller coasters, I was left short of breath. After exuding all possible energy, I felt sick and tired as soon as the day was over.This is what I felt when I first got to Egypt.

    The first 24 hours in any new place is always the best. You're senses are heightened, and you tend to be overly attentive. Mouth and eyes opened so wide, they become drier than the desert itself. Initially I had a few concerns, because my day of arrival just happened to be the same day some radical nut job in Florida decided burning the Muslim's holiest piece of Literature was a good idea. His media stunt never played out, so I cruised on into Cairo at 5:30 in the morning unscathed, and attempted to make sense of the worlds most confusing airport. Its comparable to a maze with a mouse on one end and cheese at the other. The mouse being myself and the cheese being my gate and Cairo International airport being some evil scientist. Thankfully I found my gate, my flight, and was on my way.
      Initially landing into Luxor I was surprised how green and lush everything looked from the air. It was no different with two feet planted on the ground. Banana trees and corn fields everywhere, after all it is the Nile Valley. My boss (Klaus) and a colleague (Andreas) were there waiting for me at the airport, and we proceeded to drive into the town.
    Now, no matter what I expected or will experience through my travels in Egypt nothing, i mean NOTHING, will scare me shitless the way Andreas and Egyptians drive. Picture yourself going 50 miles a hour down the road with motorcycles (carrying an average of 3 people) and trucks whizzing past you blaring their horn. You're gripping the door handle for dear life, while trying to hold a polite conversation in German/English, and you turn your head because you see something interesting. When you turn back forward there is a man...carrying a pile of corn on a cart...being pulled by a donkey...heading straight for you. Needless to say, Egyptians have no regard for traffic laws, but I'm not convinced there are any here.
     Once we arrived in the town of Luxor traffic became a little more abundant and hectic (if that's possible). I was always under the impression that all of the holy sights and temples were located out in the desert, that surely couldn't be visited without a car or camel ride. And some are, but the Luxor temple and a couple burial sights are literally in the middle of the city. Next to that is a great big mosk, the Souk, and the Nile river as the backdrop. Its incredible. We drive through the city (East bank) over a bridge to the West Bank where my villa is. Take a couple of dirt road, past a few camels, and I see this great big house with a 9 foot cement wall around it COVERED in pink and white bougainvilleas. Go inside to my apt, (which is the entire first level) walk into my room that has two large french doors leading out into my garden. I was so excited that there werent any street kids lingering outside my window banging buckets and singing "Closing Time", that I went into the bathroom and did a cartwheel in a fit of joy. My boss occupies the third floor that includes a private balcony overlooking the Nile and the mountains.
    Next, breakfast at the hotels buffet next door. This is the conversation that I had silently with myself.
"Oh thank Jesus, I'm staaaaaaaaaarving"
"Hhhhhmmmmm, lets see what they have"
"Uhhhmmm, mysterious assortment of cheese...no"
"Tomatoes and cucumber.....no, not after what I heard about how they "harvest" their crops."
"Weird green meat, no!"
"Oooh cereal, Yea!" "Oh and its in English...SCOOOORE"
"Milk? Milk? Milk" "Wheres the effing milk" "Uhh is this milk"
"Just try it"
"OK"
      I take my bowl of cereal and milk and sit down with Klaus, Andreas, and another colleague Elga. Get cozy in my seat, internally smile because I know I'm about to inhale 4 possibly 5 bowls of cereal. Pick up my spoon, and put the scariest MOST HEINOUS bite of food in my mouth. The milk tasted like an Egyptian man walked 10 miles in the desert to the buffet, took off his shoe, and rang his sock into that pitcher of milk. Not only was it sour and salty, it was a few degrees warmer than room temperature. Not wanting to be rude, I held back from vomiting all over Klaus....and went hungry that day.
       The rest of the day was spent napping and unpacking, but that evening Klause and I went across the Nile by ferry to meet a couple other colleague at what they call "The Stella Bar". The Stella Bar is an outside bar with a few scattered table, chairs, and sofas that are places under trees with mismatched lights weaving in and out of the branches. We order a few beers and watch the sun go down behind the Luxor Temple while listening to the "call of prayer" playing on the loud speaker throughout Luxor. The 5 times a day this music/recital of the Koran is being played you can usually find me with a smile. Its sounds like there is ghost lingering in the air, but completely fits in with all of the other background noises in Egypt. It really is lovely and beautiful, and when I'm at home and hear it, I go have a seat on my front porch and listen to it until they are finished.
     Ramadan, if you are unfamiliar, is a religious holiday in the Islamic world. It is a complete month of fasting where the Islamic community doesn't eat or drink anything during daylight. That means no water all day, even in 100 degree weather. Ramadan ended on the 9th of September so the following weekend is full of big celebrations. Klaus told me that Luxor generally isn't as crowded as it was my first night in, and that most people came from smaller outside towns to celebrate. And let me tell you, those Egyptians were getting down! They were throwing their hijabs in the air, and waving them around like they just don't care. Between Stella Bar and the Luxor Temple is a park like area, and that night it looked similar to Dolores park on a really sunny Sunday.
       What happened next can be described as the second scariest thing to happen to me in Egypt. Klaus thought it would be a good idea to bike through Luxor and check out the Souk and some other of his favorite places. He presents me with a bicycle that is 3 times the size of my bike at home, and weighs about 50 pounds. I can barely get on the damn thing, let alone manage it in the previous stated FUCKING INSANE TRAFFIC. By now, its night time which makes things worse. The cabashes (horses wearing birkas pulling carriages) have come out and occupy the streets along with everyone else out celebrating Ramadan. I'm trying to keep up with Klaus and not get run over in the chaos. Any confidence I had in bike riding went out the window and sank in the Nile. I said out loud 7 or 8 time..."Oh my God I'm going to die, and I haven't even been here 12 hours"
      Thankfully I didn't. I made it back to my ferry, back to my villa, and back into my room with french doors leading into my garden.
      I will end this blog saying each day I come to love Egypt a little more. Nothing that I have seen so far can be put into words. The sunset, the call to prayer, the ancient sites, the "new meets old" culture...its all indescribable. I love the hustle and bustle of the East bank, and the quiet seclusion of the West. I love learning Arabic, and practicing simple phrases to myself before bed. A little while ago I was laying on my porch and Elga came up to me and said "Tobie, ist good?" Yea Elga, all is good.