After my 17+ hour flight, I finally landed in Cairo at 6pm last night. My first thoughts were that Cairo International Airport is actually very nice and the people were so friendly. I arrived with 3 other students and we were picked up by one of our program managers. The weather was absolutely perfect, 70 degrees with a light breeze, exactly how I like it. Apparently it was one of their cold nights, so it's only going to get better.
On the ride to our apartments, we witnessed the infamous Cairo traffic, which is to say, absolutely chaotic. There is very little sense of traffic lanes and horns are sounded so frequently that it becomes background noise. Traffic was pretty heavy but we got to ride through downtown Cairo, which is filled with store after store selling all kinds of items possible. There were crowds of people on the streets, mainly young men travelling in groups or pairs. It is a common sight to see guys linking arms and walking together. Not too many packs of girls; they were either walking with men or in large groups. I didn't get any pictures of the streets yet but stay tuned.
After about a half hour drive, we arrived in the neighborhood of Dokki and were escorted into our apartment building. We're right around the corner from a Cilantro Cafe (probably my new breakfast place) and there are plenty of people but it's not too crowded or noisy. The apartment building itself is impressive, resembling a hotel, with lights hanging outside, visible balconies, and a large glossy floored lobby. But the best surprise was when we walked into our apartment, and our jaws dropped. First of all, it's two floors. The first floor consists of the living room and dining room, which are decorated beautifully, with regal looking chairs and plush red and gold couches.
There is a small kitchen made up of dark hardwood cabinets and for some reason, a Buzz lightyear photo on top of the stove. Then upstairs were our bedrooms. I have one all to myself, but weirdly I have a bunk bed. Good for guests so come visit! It was fully furnished with a dresser and large wardrobes, with intricate mirror designs on it. I have my own little bathroom too- the bathtub is a minuscule square that floods the floors so I'll be using the main one in the hall. There are two other bedrooms for the three girls I'm living with, which is nice since we're all new here. Feels like being back in a dorm except MUCH nicer. Check out the view from one of the apartment balconies:
By around 2am, my jet lag kicked in and I headed to sleep. There's some weird hummingbird/owl outside my window which won't shut up, so will definitely have to take the lower bunk tomorrow. We were told to be ready at 10am for our first day of orientation, which includes introductions and a walk around the neighborhood, as well as general info about adjusting to life in Cairo. Anyway, so far so good. I'm thrilled to be here and can't wait to start living it.
