So it is said that New York is the city that never sleeps. In order to fully understand the non-stop movement, sounds, smells, and sheer saturation of life at all hours in Cairo, the whole New York claims of sleeplessness need to be put into context. Although I have never lived in New York, I have wondered its streets in the early hours of the morning and I feel I have backing in the re-analysis of this metaphor. If New York is not sleeping, it is more of the numbing trace of sitting in front of the TV late a night while you are glued to reruns of I Dream of Genie. Better yet, it is the sleeplessness of a late night out with friends, where although you are awake, visions of your bed keep flouting through your head as you pretend to be really into the new lil Wayne re-mix that is unsuccessfully trying to transform fatigue into something you are attempting to write off as a dance move. Cairo is none of this. Cairo is six-year-old kids walking with there parents down the street at 2 am. Cairo is donkeys pulling carts brimming with cabbage through crowded downtown streets, cutting off Mercedes-Benz and tour buses. It is the nonstop dialogue of taxi horns, 24-hour juice stands and shisha bars, the haggling over the price of a sequined galabaya, and the periodic blaring of the call to prayer coming from hundreds of mosques throughout Cairo. It is not just a city that doesn’t sleep; it is a city that sucks the morrow from every hour, minute, and moment. Throughout the past month, I have slowly grown accustom to this ceaseless hum that envelops Cairo. For that reason, it was shocking to wake up this morning to a relatively quiet city. Today is Mawlid, or the prophet’s birthday and although the city is not absence of life, you can feel people taking a break from their day to day lives and enjoying the calm. All government offices and schools are closes and the majority of stores are also closed for business. I am using this day as a time to catch up on my studies, supervise my roommate Phil’s efforts in cleaning out the refrigerator (thank Phil), and (finally) update my blog and upload some pictures from the last few weeks of adventures.
This past week was filled with some wonderful adventures and a serious lack of sleep. On Wednesday, my amazing roommates helped me celebrate my birthday by buying me a beautiful cake and taking me out on the town. Our first stop was this neat lounge that was tucked up in the trees, protected by a roof made of old, multicolored window shutters, and situated on the banks of the Nile. We were able to sit back into plush couches, smoke peach shisha, and enjoy the beautiful view. I couldn’t help but be taken back by the fact that I was celebrating my 21st birthday overlooking the Nile river in a lounge resembling a tree house while in Africa. It was incredible. From there we moved on to a place that was on a Nile river boat that had some funky beats where we where able to attempt some of our finest dance moves. It was a wonderful birthday and although I missed not being able to spend it with my family and friends from home, it was definitely a fabulous birthday to be remembered.
This Wednesday birthday adventure that ended in a very short night of sleep set the precedent for another 4 days of very little sleep. We boarded a midnight bus Thursday night headed to a town on the Sinai Peninsula called Dahab. After a nine hour bus ride that was lengthen by several passport check points, a crying baby, and a man who was insistent on rearranging everyone on the bus in order to secure his ideal seat, we arrived at Dahab. It is a beautiful hippy beach resort on the deep blue shores of the Red Sea. From the shore, you can see the mountains of Saudi Arabia that are a few miles away. It was surreal to be so close to a country that I always think of as being so distant in terms of culture, politics, and lifestyle. We stayed in a minimalist hostel 20 feet from the beach that had saltwater showers and wonderers from around the world knotted into yoga positions under the shade of our common palm bungalow. It was so refreshing to escape the hustle of Cairo and be in an environment that was laid back and liberal. The first day we all went snorkeling in a reef call the Blue Hole. We saw some beautiful sea creatures and had fun exploring the reef. There was a moment when I was a little nervous when it seemed that we had crashed some sort of jellyfish family reunion and found ourselves surrounded by translucent pink sea blobs. We were able to navigate safety out with only a few of us getting stung and took refuge in a more snorkel friendly area. After a day in the water, we celebrated our roommate Alex’s birthday and a neat seaside restaurant and stuffed ourselves with fresh seafood and Egyptian specialties. Without falling into the clutches of fatigue, we opted out of another night of sleep and took a late night bus to nearby Mount Sinai. We arrived at the base of the mountain around midnight and spent the next 2 ½ hours trekking in the dark up the mountain. As we climbed, we passed little Bedouin rest stops where you could climb into a shelter constructed of blankets and boulders for a quick cup of tea and to warm up. We reached the top of Mount Sinai around 3 am. At the top, the cold and wind were relentless and we gratefully were able to rent gnarly camelhair blankets from entrepreneurial Bedouins at the summit. Some of us were able to get a few hours of shuteye and were awoken to the sun rising over the surrounding mountain tops. It was beautiful (although very crowded with other tourist come morning) and after an hour of taking in the view, we started our quasi sleepwalk down the mountain. Although the views and historical significance of the mountain made the cold, sleepy midnight trek worth it, we were all a bunch of very unhappy campers once we reached the base. Most of us changed into our swimsuits upon arriving at our hostel and passed out on the beach. Later that evening, half of us (including myself) were forced to leave the glory that is Dahab and head back for our Sunday classes. Another 9 hour bus ride brought us back to the 13 floor of our home away from home for a quick nap and shower before classes. It was a wonderful but exhausting weekend and everyone agreed that another trip to the Sinai area is definitely in order.
So far, this Egyptian adventure has been absolutely wonderful. I don’t think that I will be able to fully process all of amazing sights and experiences I have had here until I am able to look back on them. It is such an overwhelming and humbling adventure and I have already learned so much. I will try my hardest to update this blog more often in the future. The whole internet thing here is very difficult. We have been trying for over a month to get internet in our apartment and it seems to be one of the most complex process I have ever experiences. Insha’allah (God willing) we will be able to get it sometime this month? Cross your fingers for me. I hope that you are all doing well and I miss you!
