mo's travels

Day 2 in Lima

2010-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Buenos dias from Lima!

I spent last night in Miraflores, a nicer suburb / neighborhood of Lima. It´s loud here. LOUD. I guess Ive been in a sleepy tourist town or hiking for too long. Theres a jackhammer digging up concrete right outside the hostel and cars start honking early in the morning, honk constantly all day and then well into the night. Although, its still relatively sleepy compared to last night. Its definitely a shock to my system to be in an urban area again! The first thing I did after checking into my hostel and dropping off my bags was to walk up the street to Vivenda, Perus answer to Whole Foods. It felt heavenly to be in a grocery store! Dont get my wrong - Ill still miss Mercado San Pedro and getting 2 huge glasses of Jugo for super-cheap...but it was fun to browse the aisles and pick up a few things for lunch.

One thing Lima is known for, is its restaurants. Siri and I were fortunate to eat at some pretty delicious places in Cuzco (despite usually involving rice and/or pasta and/or potatoes and/or bread), but I was looking forward to trying some of the highly recommended restaurants in Miraflores, especially ceviche. I went in search of Astrid y Gaston last night, but was too early (as a result of trekkig, Ive been eating at 7pm and in bed by 8pm! That will change soon...) and then a ceviche restaurant, but couldnt find it. On my way back to my hostel, I stumbled across Edo, a sushi restaurant. In this case, a meal with rice was completely acceptable! It was wonderful to sit at the bar, watch the sushi chefs slice fish and create amazing rolls, and just relax. One of the chefs suggested his favorite roll, which had shrimp tempura, avacado, and was topped with thin slices of fish and oyster sauce before being hit with a kitchen blow torch (yum!!!). What an excellent meal! Afterwards, I stopped for gelatto & cafe. Its amazing how good excellent sushi, gelatto & cafe can make one feel.

The plan for the day...taxi up to Central Lima to visit Plaza de Armas and some of the churches and a monastary (with catacombs!) near there, walk around China town (dim sum?!), maybe more shopping back in Miraflores, one more amazing meal and then off to the airport for a red-eye. Ive got 140 soles left to spend...

Things Ill miss - the mercados, juice-y avacados, crispy banana chips, views of the mountains, gorgeous catholic cathedrals, plazas, amazing fresh jugo everyday, trying new fruits, peoples smiles, spanglish conversations, tamales...Things Im looking forward to - seeing my friends, talking to my family, continuting to improve my spanish, seeing my cat, oxygen!, my bed, a bath, cooking, going for a bike ride, going for a run...

More about the treks when Im back in the atl...and of course, pictures! Hope everyone is well! Thanks for reading! Hasta luego!!!

Back from trekking...time for shopping!

2010-05-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Siri and I arrived back in Cuzco yesterday from our 5-day trek around Ausungate. The views were absolutely amazing! The altitude was impressive too - our group crossed 3 high passes, 5100 meters, 5200 meters, and 5300 meters...It was definitely slow-motion walking! Probably the highlight, other than being at 5300 meters, was seeing not one, but two avalanches - both at a safe distance. Both occurred in the same spot on the same mountain, but the second one was huge. Each time, it sounded like a plane was flying overhead, but I noticed a huge cloud falling down the mountain (Cuyangate). It was an amazing event to witness!

I'll do a longer write-up on each trek when I return...and of course, I'll post pics. Just a quick comparison though...Inca Trail - hiked that with a small group of friends and 399 others...lots of leap frogging with other groups on the trail. Ausungate - just 3 or 4 of us, a few horses, a guide, cook & a porter. We didn't see any other trekkers and very few local farmers. Both treks had all food prepared for us, although first trek had better food. I'm looking forward to a break from rice, potatoes, and pasta - soemtimes served all at the same meal. During the Inca Trek, I would have loved to have shorts and a tank top - it was warm! On Ausungate, I woke up to frost on the tent a couple of times and was glad I had all the fleece layers I had! The Inca Trek had ruins - no ruins on the Ausungate trek, but we did walk through numerous grazing pastures for llamas, alpacas, sheep and horses. The Inca Trail is paved most of the way with stones that were set there for the Inca royals. The path around Ausungate isn't as clear - no rocks, sometimes we were wandering on local paths created by the farmers and other times, we were criss-crossing through boggy-land that used to be a lake.

It was an interesting morning in Cuzco. Siri and I headed to San Pedro Market early in the morning. It was neat to see people setting up shop. We got in some important shopping and enjoyed fresh-squeezed juice. The fruit & juice here is amazing - I may just have to invest in a juicer when I return! I'm going to miss papaya...The market is a bit of a chaotic place - you can buy just about anything there, from touristy goods to kitchen staples. There's a huge selection of weaving, beading, and other good gifts. The fresh fruit & vegetable sections are amazing. We avoided the meat section - seeing and smelling recently butchered animals at 8am is not always a good thing. Although, I think the smells probably get stronger later in the day... On our way out, we heard music - there was a huge parade heading into the Plaza de Armas. Dozens of groups of dancers were dressed up in an amazing assortment of costumes. Many schools & the grades at schools were represented. One group was dancing with bones & skulls, a couple of groups were dancing with boughs from trees, and everything was incredibly colorful! After the main groups went by in 20minutes or so, we continued and then came across another parade with lots of ninos and ninas dressed up in costumes. They were cute! What a beautiful day for a parade. :-)

Only a half day left in Cuzco...Almost done with shopping - may take in a museum this afternoon for something different. I fly out to Lima tomorrow morning, get all day Friday and Saturday to explore Lima / Miraflores before flying out early to Atlanta...If anyone's up for dinner Sunday evening, zip me an email...I'm thinking I might bookend this trip with meals at Farm Burger. Adios!

Transition Day

2010-05-15T05:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a transition day for Siri and I in Cuzco. We´d spent the last day and a half in Urabamba, exploring the ruinas at Ollantaytambo and staying at the cutest hotel - Las Chullpas. I think I´m going to have to buy some Brazillian music to listen to in the morning now while I drink my coffee and enjoy fruit and granola. :)

We had a whole list of errands to due yesterday - breakfast, cab ride, drop off laundry, pick up laundry, check into hotel, withdraw more soles from the ATM, pre-trekking meeting, lunch, buy snacks, pick up luggage from South American Explorers Club, check email, meet up with our friend Kristy, shopping, tamales and dinner. whew. we managed to get it all done! It´s been a balance between being relaxed and being on vacation and taking care of responsibilities that needed to get done, like yesterday. But it´s all good. Had a lovely dinner at a Thai Fusion restaurant, complete with soup and amazing dessert - so good to meet new friends on this trip!

We leave in a few minutes for our next trek - around Ausungate, a 6200 meeter peak. It´s the highest peak in this region and the 2nd highest peak in Peru. It´s going to be COLD. It´s Siri and I and 2 other random people who signed up. It´ll be a different dynamic that trekking the Inca Trail with friends. In addition, we´ll have a few horses, 2 porters, a cook, and a guide. Rumor has it, that Apu feeds their clients well. I´ll post updates about this trek & the Inca Trail later.

A few last thoughts on Peru before I catch the van to our trek...corn nuts here have creamy centers - which is actually quite good; granola here means quinoa and not oatmeal - looking forward to trying out this variation at home!; speedbumps mean you speed as fast as you can between bumps (I´m thankful the cars here seem to have good brakes!); stray dogs have learned to follow tourists around in hopes of getting food; there seems to be a strict one raisin per cookie or tamale or granola bar policy, coca leaves are good in tea, candy, toffee, jam and earrings.

Adios!

My mother knits juice

2010-05-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my grasp of the Spanish language still needs some work. My translation skills aren´t quite what I´d like them to be. It´s absolutely no reflection on mis professoras - they are some of the most patient people in the entire world! Today was my last class - very sad. Siri and I bought our teachers and Deena, the woman who´s house we´re staying at - flowers for mother´s day. They were all so happy! It was great to treat them and also fun to head into the Mercado Juancha again - less touristy than Mercado San Pedro. Of course, we had tamales, but they weren´t quite as good as the ones in front of the supermercado just off of Plaza de Armas. Siri and I just went there again - the woman recognizes me now. :-)

I´d forgotten how taxing and tiring it can be to travel and live in another country. I´m always reminded that errands take 2 - 3 times what I think they should. Best just to keep that in mind and smile and through in the most appropriate Spanish phrases when I can. After running around, we´ve gotten cash, secured hotel rooms in Cuzco for our remaining nights here between treks, purchased more water, and of course, enjoyed some tamales - who knows if anyone will be selling them on the trail so best to enjoy them now while I can.

Some of the things that I´m reminded not to take for granted when I return...regular trash pick up, catalytic converters, short lines at the bank, good water pressure fo rshowering and flushing the toilet, having hot water, having my own washer and dryer, the scarcity of dogs roaming the street, being able to brush my teeth with tap water, eating ice cream, and not needing to worry about saving and giving out change (everybody wants change and small bills and coins, but no one wants to give change - frustrating, but it just takes some practice)...I´m not complaining - there are certain comforts I am happy to give up while traveling, even for long periods of time. It just takes a few days to adjust and I´m more appreciative of those comforts when I return.

I´m really going to miss Deena - she has treated Siri and I and the other estudiantes de Fair Play who have been fortunate enough to stay with her like her children. The meals are delicious and she puts up with our broken Spanglish. but we communicate as best as we can and smile and laugh.

Tomorrow we start the Inca Trail. We had our first taste of ruins yesterday when Siri and I visited Saksaywaman (pronounced like sexy woman) with our teachers in the morning. There were only a few tourist buses there so it was pretty tranquilo. It was nice for us, but Peru is still suffering because the tourist numbers have been down since the floods. Along the trek, we´ll be able to see how high the waters got - we´ve been told it´s pretty incredible. It´s amazing to think how long the stones from all of the ruins have been standing. no cement. and they´ve survived numerous tremblors (earthquakes) while other buildings have collapsed. They´re the closest ruins to Cuzco, but not the most impressive. What lies ahead should be amazing! I´m doing an anti-rain dance and am hoping I´ve adjusted to the altitude well enough this week so get through it OK.

Hope all is well in Atlanta or wherever you´re reading this from!!! Adios!!!

Cuzco para una mas dia

2010-05-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hola! Mañana is our last day in Cuzco...at least for the next week. I´m sad that language class will be over and hope I don´t lose too much of what I´ve learned in the past few days. I´m loving Cuzco, but so far, it´s the only part of Peru I´ve seen so it´s kind of a limited view. For now, here are just a few general impressions and observations of Cuzco...

The streets (most of them) are incredibly narrow. On our walk from our homestay to The Plaza de Armas, there´s one street that´s barely wide enough for a car. and some cars only have an inch or so to spare. but this seems normal and people walk along the very narrow sidewalk and hop back and forth between the road and the sidewalk letting each other and cars pass. along this street, there are homes and businesses. In addition, many walls are really high - I took pictures, but it´s still hard to describe. It makes for gorgeous views down steep hills leading to the main plaza.

This should normally be a very busy time in Cuzco, but it´s tranquillo because the trains just reopened so the normal masses of tourists aren´t here. I feel pretty bad for the people who make a living off of tourism. The markets should be crowded, but from our perspective, it´s nice that it´s not so crowded. I´m doing my best to support them and spent a lovely afternoon shopping for goods.

In case it wasn´t clear from my last post, the tamales sucre are amazing. I will miss the tamale vendors on the sidewalks. Someone in Atlanta should look into that...I think they´d make a killing if they set up stand along Clifton Rd...

The weather has been beautiful! Crisp, clearn mornings, sunny & warm afternoons, and chilly evenings. So far, no rain, a few clouds, but mostly sunny. May is the start of the dry season - let´s hope it stays that way the next 2 weeks.

The traffic here is chaotic...i´d describe it as somewhere between Atlanta and Cairo. There are stoplights and stop signs which drivers respect (unlike Cairo) but crossing the street is sort of like playing Frogger - the cars really don´t stop and almost speed up for pedestrians (sort of like Atlanta). but, with patience, crossing a street eventually happens.

Cuzcoans LOVE festivals! While we´ve been here, they´ve been celebrating the Fiesta de la cruces. Siri and I can´t really figure out what it means, but our teachers at school say that everyone just really likes fiestas. it´s an excuses for musica, bailar, y cervesa. muy cervesa! We´ve witnessed to parades so far with eleborate costumes, lots of dancing and loud music. We got pictures, but obviously they don´t capture the music and watching the procession. We went into one of the main, gorgeous, grande Catedrals on Plaza de Armas. the ornate details inside the church were incredible. It was a mix of traditional Peruvian art and classic Catholic themes.

Ok, time for bed...Our Inca trek starts Saturday! Our trekking company said they´d pick us up between 4am and 6am...We´re hoping for some clarification tomorrow. :-) Adios!!!

Por ejemplar...

2010-05-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

I am at our awesome language school, FairPlay, waiting for flight websites to load so I can get my ticket back to Lima from Peru. I'm tempted to change my flights and stay here a few more weeks, but should probably not do that...

Thought I'd write more about a typical day in class. It starts at 8am. Our practical teachers, Ileana y Moly, pick Siri and I up at our homestay and we walk around Cuzco and talk for about 2 hours. How can I have a conversation in Spanish for 2 hours if I can't understand or speak the language very well? It's surprising, but it actually works out just fine, mostly because my teacher is so patient. I'm not quite sure how she deals with having to remind me for the 3rd time in 10 minutes that an umbrella es en paragua.

All 3 days, we've gone to markets or mercados. And all 3 days, I need to be reminded what an onion is, what a papaya is, what an avacado is...I thought avacado would be the same. nope. it's plato, or plano or, well, I've forgotten already...We talk about food, me gusta platana, me gusta tomate, me gusta queso, etc...and colors. Manzanas son rojas, el arbol es verde, me bolsa es roja, tengo dos hermanas, etc...and all 3 days she asks me how many niños I have. I reply, no ninños, solo una gato. Why not, she asks? Ít´s hard enough to explain in English, but in another language and across cultures, it´s a little more difficult to describe American dating and how cultural attitudes here towards being single and not having kids has changed... We had a great conversation about children today! I understood that she has 3 kids, and her first 2 boys are twins! I got excited to explain to her that I have dos amigas en U.S. who also have twins. ...and then I learned and promptly forgot the Spanish words for twin boys and twins with one boy and one girl...Another excitng thing about today - I bought my teacher and I tamales and chocolate. I´d be very happy if I was able to enjoy a tamale every day while I´m here. It´s the little things...

After exploring the city for 2hrs, we go to the school for 2 hours of grammar with my teacher Antonia. I have homework! Last night, I had 30 or 40 minutes worth of homework. I feel like I´m in elementary school again filling out worksheets. and I feel bad when I confuse el and la or masculino y feminino. Again, she´s very, very patient which I soooo appreciate! By the 3rd day, I feel like I´m starting to get the hang of somethings and other rules (and excepciones!) are very confusing. Today I learned how to ask and respond to all sorts of questions, what kind of foods do I like, what kind of sports, when is my birthday, how many hermanos y hermanas I have, how many niños I have (no niños? por que no?), etc...I´m so incredibly thankful for the week here to practice Spanish intensely, but I really appreciate how much further I could get with even more time.

so...to my Spanish speaking friends, I´m serious about having Spanish-only lunches o dinners. Although, I can completely understand that it may be a very frustrating experience for you and I may use up all of your patience when I describe the color of the 10 nouns that I know to you over and over...El perro es grande, el perro es marron, la gata es negra, la casa es blanca, los zapatos son azules...

Oh - and I finally remembered...En ingles, esta una avacado, en español, esta palta.

Ok time to run! We´re also planning the last few details of our treks. We leave Saturday (Sabado) por Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail. From everything I keep hearing, it´s going to be amazing. and I´m going to be out of breath and possibly cold and am going to take a bazillion pictures.

Adios!

Tamales save the day

2010-05-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

another really short post...

I´m in Cuzco it´s beautiful (muy bonita!). flight to Lima was fine and the overnight at the airport was OK as well. it turns out, we were not alone in sleeping there. as much as I thought Atlanta´s airport was always busy, I think Lima´s never went to sleep. first we tried sleeping in one area, but it was too loud. we moved, and then the cleaning people came, so we moved again and repeated this scenario 3 more times. after maybe an hour of sleep, we stood in line and finally got to our plane and the 1hr flight to Cuzco. nice views, when I was awake enough to look out the window!

once we landed, we thankfully were met by Mimi, from our spanish school. we arrived at our homestay, enjoyed Pan y coca te with our wonderful host, Deena, and then promptly crashed. the lack of sleep and lack of oxygen was exhausting.

since then, both Siri and I are adapting to the altitude pretty well. we´ve been walking all around the city, no shopping yet or visiting museums. we started classes yesterday. my head hurts ! but it´s an amazing experience, very intense, all one on one teaching, both practical and grmmar. most of the time, i´m frustrated and am certain I´m the slowest student they´ve ever had. but I´m sure I´ll catch on...eventually...

a few other thoughts, the FairPlay School and homestay experience are absolutely incredible. so glad we went with FP. they are not for profit, have the best teachers and treat their teachers very well. before we left, everyone in the states thought that Siri and I being gone for 3 or 4 weeks was a really long time. when we´re here, everyone we meet thinks that´s a very short time. most people are here for months traveling and learning spanish. went to a pub last night. there was trivia and soccer on TV. felt more like England than Peru!

and the tamales...the food here so far is excellent. Deena is an mazing cook! on our way to class yesterday, my teacher stopped and we bought tamales from a woman on the street. it was excellent. later in the evening, siri and I and another student were wandering around and we were all starting to get "hangry". then I spotted woman selling tamales - soooo good and everyone´s spirits improved immediately. :)

off to lunch, shopping and more exploring. hope all is well in the atl!!! adios!

Peru!

2010-05-01T10:09:00.001-07:00

Aimee's downstairs - time to run!

Briefly - flying to Lima, meeting Siri at the Atlanta airport, arriving in Lima, customs, sleeping (?) at the airport, meeting Minnesota friends, flying to Cusco, recovering at host family's house, Spanish class for 5 days, Inca Trail, Macchu Picchu, Urubamba, Ausangate, Cusco, Lima, home...all in 3 weeks. whew!

thanks for everyone's well-wishes, help with last minute shopping, gifts, and watching Lilith! she knows something is up...

More when I'm there...

Pictures from Stages 5 & 6 of the Tour de GA

2007-05-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

better late than never, but here they are...

Tour de GA 2007 - Stage 5

Tour de GA 2007 - Stage 6

Tour de Georgia, Stage 1

2007-04-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

I traveled to Macon, GA today. It was an adventure. Stage 1 started in Peachtree City and ended with 3 circuits around Macon. I didn't get to meet Bob Roll or Phil Liggett this year. Thankfully, I still have the opportunity at a few more stages later this week.

More info at: www.tourdegeorgia.com.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation! Team Cycleworks p/b Lowe's Mortgage raised over $3,000!!!

My pictures of today's stage...

Tour de GA 2007 Stage 1 Macon

Fashion article in NY Times...

2007-04-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/fashion/05MUSLIM.html?ex=1333425600&en=ea6b4f4e8278ec9a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Photos (finally!)

2007-03-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Cairo, Egypt

Pharoah's Boat Cruise

Coptic Cairo and Moqattam Hills

Alexandria, Egypt Album

Luxor, Egypt

Pyramids

NY Times Article

2007-03-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Good article about Cairo in the New York Times today...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/world/middleeast/01cairo.html?ex=1330491600&en=c45627804669ee3d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Back in Atl...

2007-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

At the risk of babbling completely incoherently, I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it safely back to Atlanta early this evening. Everything went fine getting out of Cairo--Tara and I met some friends for one last dinner of mezzas overlooking the Nile, packed until late, and then took at cab to the airport this morning at 4:30am. It's been a loooooong day and it's a little hard to believe I was in Egypt just a few hours ago.

Immediately after leaving the airport, the differences between Cairo and Atlanta were striking. First of all, the meters in the taxis here actually WORK--the driver didn't want to haggle over the price (the price was similar--except it was in dollars and not pounds). Second, I noticed when there were 4 lanes for cars, there were only 4 rows of cars--not 5, 6, or 7. Third, no honking. And there's more...I noticed these round lights that depending on the color, drivers would come to a complete stop--not just slow down, honk, and flash their lights. After a month of not driving, just riding around in Cairo's traffic, tomorrow morning's commute is going to be, um, interesting...I'm sure the rules of the road will come back to me quickly. I took deep breaths outside--the air seemed SO clean--I could see the skyline without any problem!

In order to make the transition to living in Atlanta again, I ordered in Chinese over the internet. Cairo has otlob.com--I tried campusfood.com. not bad...I don't think I can get CVS or McDonald's Jupiter Coffee to deliver, but this is a start.

A link to pictures and maybe some more stories will appear later this week after I get some sleep and fill the fridge with food. Thanks again for reading & keeping in touch while I was gone. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone (and riding!) soon!

Getting Lost in Cairo

2007-02-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Tara and I had a big day of sightseeing--it was the first really warm day and a perfect day to be out seeing the city. A friend from lab wrote down the places we wanted to go in Arabic--while I know where I want to go, I can't say the names so that anyone can understand me. I have a long ways to go in improving my conversational Arabic skills...

Our first cab ride brought us to the Al-Azhar Park. It used to be a garbage pile, but with the help of an NGO, it's the largest green space in Cairo. We ate koshari outside and then walked around the streams and gardens, watching kids play and then took pictures of the view.

We could see the Citadel, but due to the crazy traffic, decided to take a cab instead of walking. The Citadel is an old fortress built over 700 years ago and added on over the centuries. There are huge walls and a lower and upper enclosure. We got a glimpse of the pyramids and more views of Cairo. We visited my first two mosques there, including the enormous Mohammad Ali mosque. It is absolutely exquisite inside. Many tour groups were walking around or sitting in groups listening to the history of the mosque, inappropriately dressed females were given green robes to wear, a dozen or so chandeliers hung from the ceiling and chimed lightly in the breeze, the various levels had beautiful stained glass windows, the floor was covered with carpets, and the domed ceilings were ellaborately painted and decorated. It was absolutely beautiful.

Next we had a choice between taking a taxi or walking to our next destination outside of the Citadel. We could see the mosque we wanted to walk to (or so we thought) and set out. Then we found ourselves in a bustling crowd of people boarding and getting off at a busy mini-bus stop. We stood out but kept on walking. Kids getting out of school would walk by or chase after us saying "hello what's your name?" or saying "I love you!". It's nice to know we're loved by so many middle-school Egyptian boys... ;-) We were in front of two very large mosques and saw tour buses (always a good sign), but it wasn't where we meant to be. Time to try out the cab skills, but by then I had lost the sheet of paper with our destinations written down. Thankfully, Tara enjoyed the adventure & wasn't mad--some of the best memories are completely spontaneous. We found a cab dropping someone off and again I tried in my broken English to communicate where we wanted to go--he didn't understand, but his former passenger happened to be an Egypt Air Airline stewardess. She helped us--she didn't understand me saying "Ibn Tulun mosque" the first time either, but she eventually interpretted and we were on our way.

We reached Ibn Tulun mosque and that was definitely my favorite mosque of the day. Unlike the Citadel, there were no crowds. Tara and I were the only tourists walking around there and there were two other guys sleeping on prayer mats. It was very serene, very simple, not ornate like the Mohammad Ali mosque. Adjacent to the Ibn Tulun mosque is the very quirky Geyer-Anderson museum. It's mentioned in LP guide and was used in the James Bond movied "The Spy who Loved me." It's two houses combined to one, but it feels very Escher-esque...we kept going up a few stairs, seeing a room or two, then another set of winding stairs, etc...it felt like we went up 5 sets of stair to reach the rooftop. We paid a guide a few pounds for baksheesh (tip) to explain a little bit of what we were seeing...there was Iranian and Hindu art, a bedroom, a Damascus room, reading room, painting room, women's room, birthing room...There was even a room with Egyptian antiquities, pieces of hieroglyphics, statues, etc...it seemed like a very random collection of rooms and belongings & definitely lived up to the quirky description given by LP.

The Ibn Tulun mosque has a minaret (tower) to climb that suppposedly has some of the best views in Cairo. Unfortunately, I'll just have to take everybody's word for it. Tara and I tried to get up there--we walked around to what looked like an entrance, but in reality it turned out to be another mosque at prayer time. They let us in and showed us the women's room--we gave alms for allah and more baksheesh to get our shoes back, but couldn't get up the minaret. Malesh (oh well).

Once again, it was time for a cab ride--but we circled Ibn Tulun looking for a cab driver, walking down narrow, very non-touristy streets for about 10 minutes to find one. I did my best to say "Ma'adi" and we settled on a price and headed home. Once in Ma'adi, I didn't recognize much for a long time--I saw parts of the suberb I had never seen before. Tara pointed out the number 9 in Arabic in our guide book so he could find the street we wanted. We got out of the cab & he wasn't happy about the price (very common, they often do that) and drove away. With Tara's camera in the backseat. I ran after him & I know he saw me, but he didn't stop--he took a left and slowed down only because a car was turning into him. I got to him just in time to open the door & grab the camera. We said "shokran" (thank you) over and over and I gave him some more money. Maybe it's a lesson to always pay the cab driver a little extra?

The rest of the evening was spent thinking about the events of the day, shopping at our favorite Egyptian gift store in Ma'adi owned by Hani--he always recognizes us and gives us the good Egyptian prices, and eating the best meal I've eaten here. My flat mate, Tara, and I and some other friends went down to the Corniche (street along the nile) and ate at the Fish Market. You walk in & pick out your fish which is kept packed on ice and they grill/bake/fry it for you. While we waited for that, they brought out about 10 different mezzas--baba ganoush, creamy garlic, stuffed eggplants/tomatoes, 2 types of hummus, salad, tahini and pita bread so hot we burned our fingers on it. After that we were full--and the fish hadn't even come out yet! It was unbelieveably good--the best were the shrimp still with their heads and everything. The grilled sole was fabulous as well.

We still had one more shopping adventure ahead of us (Cairo is a very late city...stores stay open well past 10, especially if you're buying expensive rugs!). There is an incredible rug store that we visited. The rugs were exquisite and from many different countries--Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey...The most amazing rug was the silk on silk rug. I don't even want to know the cost. The people we were with have shopped for rugs many times and it was neat to learn what to look for, what makes a high quality rug (small knots), what makes a rug unique (hand made ones are not symmetrical and greens and light blues are less common colors). It was tempting and a fun shopping experience, but I am going home rugless.

This is likely my last post before I land back in the U.S. I'm off to the lab for a bit, more shopping and sightseeing the next few days and finally the pryamids on Monday. Thanks for reading and commenting. Hope you'll all stop by to see pictures and eat hummus & pita with me. I think I can even re-created fuul, tamayha, and koshari if anyone's interested. :-)

Only a few days left...

2007-02-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

I feel like I just got here and now I've only got a few days left of sightseeing and a couple more quick stops in lab. There's a growing list of shopping left to take care of. I also now feel more like I've been living in Cairo and now I'm adjusting into tourist mode. It'll be good--I'll have the comfort-level of being able to get around and be familiar with what's going on (sort of...) while at the same time, getting to see and do things I haven't been able to yet.

Tara got in Monday evening--it's great to have a traveling partner. We took it easy yesterday, with a quick stop in lab, a traffic-filled cab ride to the Egyptian museum (this time we saw the royal mummy exhibit--they still had hair & teeth!), a people-packed METRO ride back to Maadi, and a sheesha-smoke filled dinner on the Nile and the Maadi Grande Cafe. Not quite a relaxing first day around Cairo, for Tara, but she's determined to fit in as much as she can in a week. YAY. Today, a trip to a park, the citadel, shopping around Maadi, and dinner at the Fish Market on the banks of the Nile again.

Hope everyone's recovered from Sebring!

Life is short, play harp!

2007-02-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

I love seeing interesting English phrases in other countries... That particular one was on T-shirts for sale at Carrefour (picture K-Mart meets Kroger, Egypt-style), just outside of Alexandria. More about Alex next time...

Congratulations to everyone participating in the Sebring 12/24 hour race this past weekend!!! A special congratulations goes out to Julie for qualifying for RAAM by riding 401+ miles in 24hrs. Simply incredible--you are my hero!!! Also, congrats to Linda, Aimee & Julia for taking first in their age groups for the 12hr race! Way to go, Sorellas--you RAWK.

Happy Birthday Lee on February 22nd!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulation Rebekah on defending your dissertation on February 24th!!!! I'm so sorry to miss it! :-( Congratulation as well to Kristy!

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!

Tara arrives in Cairo this evening. I'm psyched for her arrival. It was fun doing touristy things around Alexandria last weekend & there is more to look forward to, including lots of pyramids and tombs and a trip south to Luxor/Karnak for the Valley of the kings.

Today is my last full day in lab so I'm headed back to work. Hope everyone's enjoying the President's Day Holiday and if you rode for 12 or 24hrs last weekend, I hope you're getting lots of well-earned rest, relaxtion, and food today. :-)

Good Luck Sebring'ers, Happy Koshari Day, and Flat Chicken causes a bit of a stir...

2007-02-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

First and most importantly, GOOD LUCK to everyone riding in 12/24hrs of Sebring this weekend. Y'all will RAWK & do awesome, once again. Andrew & Drew, don't feel bad when Julie passes you. repeatedly. I know she's been training and will qualify for RAAM with miles to spare. I wish I was going to be there supporting y'all, but I know the 24hr riders be in excellent hands with Alison, Lori, Linda, Jamie & whoever else is up for staying up all night. I hear Alison might even drink coffee--with caffeine! This is quite the special occasion. :-) I'll be thinking of y'all on Saturday!!! Can't wait to read the ride reports!!!

Second, Wednesday is Koshari day at Quick step, the local cafeteria. I've been eating alot of Koshari lately so I took a break today. And yes, it's also Valentine's Day...I brought candy hearts to the lab--everyone was amused. There are dozens of flower stands around Ma'adi. Some of the displays are just gaudy & ostentatious, but roses are apparently very cheap. Valentine's day is now an international holiday. I found this amusing...the other day, the radio was tuned into an Arabic channel. I couldn't understand much (obviously), but I recognized the commercial tune--it was "Jingle Bell Rock", and they kept singing something about "Valentines."

And now the story about flat chicken. This week, I've have the great fortune of being able to visit two field sites, where samples are collected and we conduct disease surveillance and learn more about epidemiology of diarrheal diseases. It was such an incredible educational experience--I love the lab, but it can be a sterile environment & easy to forget why I go what I do & where the samples come from. I won't easily forget the peolpe I met or the sites I saw the last 2 days. Yesterday, we were at a site north of Cairo. We got to take a train--the landscape is so different outside of Cairo, the change of scenery was great! Two highways head towards Alexandria, the dessert highway (I'll take that tomorrow) and the Agricultural highway (what we followed yesterday). A few observations from the train...orange groves, the Nile, irrigation channels from the Nile, papyrus leaves, a farmer playing in a field with his kids, a farmer plowing with 2 ox (horses?) in a yolk & plow, cabbage fields, mosques, cemeteries (collections of mausoleums), men smoking shisha in ahwas, and much more...

Once we got to the town, I realized they don't get many foreigners & my visit was causing a bit of a stir. We had police escort out of town to the various sites and inside the buildings we visited. One of the towns is known for it's flat chicken--it's 1/2 a grilled chicken, wonderfully seasoned (smaller & even better than Eats, trust me Scott!). We only had 10 minutes to eat before we had to board our train for the trip back to Cairo. We ate as fast as we could & were on our way. And then we waited at a train crossing. And then there was traffic. and more traffic. We finally arrived at the station almost 5 minutes late. No train--but a crowd of people. I took this as a good sign. We rushed out of the car & down to the platform. All this time, we've been followed by the police. They are running with us, encouraging us to run (although the train hasn't pulled into the station yet--it's also late). So we're running & they're on their walkie-talkies...I'm not sure why. But we boarded the train just fine as soon as it pulled in. I think there were 10 security for the 2 of us? It's good to know I'm safe. So the flat chicken caused us to be a bit late...but it was worth it. :-)

In other news...I have a cell phone now. the ring tone is "we wish you a Merry Christmas." like I said, christmas carols are very popular. Last weekend I visited Coptic Cairo & the Egyptian Modern Art Museum (I knew you'd be proud of me C Beam!). The Modern Art museum is not one of the major attractions, but it was interesting--it's on the grounds of the Opera house on the south end of Zamalek & close to the Cairo Tower (familiar if anyone's watched The Amazing Race) I was able to stay with an Egyptian friend the last few days & was served a feast. (Sarah, I'm so glad you taught me how to eat through the pain!). We had mulukhiyya (green leaf soup), fatta (layers of rice & soaked bread) and ru'et (layers of phyllo-type pastry & ground lamb). Tomorrow, we're ordering in hamaam (stuffed pigeon). There's a great coffee shop--Grecko Coffee--that I stopped at this weekend. As I was leaving, the Cairo Cyclists walked in from their weekly Friday mountain bike excursion. Next door is an amazing local bakery--it took me awhile to be brave enough to stop in (it's all in Arabic, nothing in English), but once I figured out how to order stuff, it was all good. They have the best warm, fig pastries & cheese croissants, good pitas, great cookies & pretzels. (Really, thank you Sarah!).

Time for one more quick story...One Friday, my flat mate & I joined some other people from work for a Pharaoh Cruise on the Nile. It's cheese-y & touristy, but fun. The waiters wear pharraoh costumes in bright colors and the ship/barge is brightly colored. we were served a 6-course meal. and because we got there early, we had the table right in front of the entertainment. The first band was a guy on a keyboard playing American Vegas/lounge-type music. next came the belly dancer (but not the one from Iowa who is supposedly the best) with her band--3 bongo/drummers, an accordian, a keyboard & a singer all in a tiny space. then we got the Sufi Dancer--he spun & twirled in 1 direction for 10 minutes (I'm not exaggerating). I still get dizzy thinking about him. Then the belly dancer came out. Next were two singers singing Egyptian songs. and finally, a guitar & keyboard player playing salsa music. the people at our table were great dancers. it was the two of them for awhile--and then a sole Japanese tourist joined in. and then a few more people.

I am going to Alexandria tomorrow for the weekend. And then Tara will be here. Can't wait to see the pyramids & go shopping some more!!! Hope everyone is doing well. It's hard to believe 2 weeks has gone by & that in less than 2 weeks I'll be home.

TGIT

2007-02-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday...time for the weekend to begin. :-)

I'm getting better at geogrphy & learning my Cairo suburbs. If Ma'adi (where I'm staying) is to Cairo what Decatur is to Atlanta, then Zemalek (where I had sushi the other night) is Midtown. I'm eating way more Egyptian food than anything else, but the trip for sushi was fun--and the sushi was really good and cheap too!

Coffee...

2007-02-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

This morning was another pyramid morning, the best one yet due to the overnight rain. It only rains a few times a year here and when it does, you can count on a slow commute. Everyone hates driving through the massive puddles here. It's always a surprise what's underneath. Possibly, the dirt filling a big hole has been dislodged and the hole is back, even bigger, or the rock in front of the hole is now covered under water so you can't see it in time to miss it. The puddles wouldn't be so bad, but since it only rains a few times a year, having a good drainage system is a low priority. Throw in the typical mix of pedestrians & donkeys & random trucks stopped in the middle of the road as well and it's real-life frogger. Never a dull morning in Cairo... :-)

I've been here a week now and feel pretty well adjusted. Anybody reading this probably knows the coffee plays an important part in my daily routine. I was unsure how that would change while being here. At first, I was happy to read about the ahwas (Egyptian coffee houses) that dotted every corner. However, it's not quite what Lonely Planet led me to believe. They don't serve coffee, only shia (tea) and men hang out there playing backgamon, smoking sheeshas (water pipes). ...And they're not in El-Maadi, where I'm staying and where many foreigners live. I was excited to see the "Roastery" was right next to the hotel where I'm staying. I went in the other morning for a cup of coffee and contrary to what the name would have me believe, it's not so much a coffee roastery, as it is a hip, TGIFridays-like restaurant. They still sold me an American drip coffee to go, so I can't complain. Down the street on road 9 (a close area by to shop, buy groceries & eat), there are a few more standard coffee shops--Beano's, Cilantro, and the highly-recommended Cafe Grecko. They're close enough that I could consider going there first thing in the morning, but the ride to work stops by at 7:15am so it'd be cutting it close. What I discovered the first day here is that pretty much everyone does have a coffee addiction. There are standard drip pots on every floor and everyone starts the day by chatting in the breakroom over coffee. I even made my first pot last week. I can't say that I don't miss waking up to fresh-brewed coffee every morning, but I'm happy there's still a coffee culture that I can be a part of. :-)

No pictures yet...actually, I've only taken a few. There's a good chance I'm going to Alexandria this weekend so I'm sure I'll be taking more then! I don't have a cable with me so I'm not sure how I'd upload or post them. I might figure it out yet, otherwise, it'll have to wait a few more weeks...

The Museum and some shopping...

2007-02-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday and time for a new work week to begin. The weekends here are Friday and Saturday.

One of the main attractions in Cairo is the Egyptian Museum. That was my plan for Friday along with the extra challenge of taking the Metro to get there. I actually did fine--I gave them 1 LE (Egyptian pound), they gave me a ticket, and then I rode for 20min until my stop. The first 2 cars are reserved for women. The museum is a little hectic--there are 4 different lines to buy tickets and go through security check points. Once inside, it's a little overwhelming--the amount of stuff is incredible. And there are so many tour groups pushing around. Matt warned me beforehand that it would be crammed with artifacts--and he was right. All the rooms have some main, big pieces (busts, sarcophaguses, pieces of rock covered with hieroglyphics, etc...) and then there are pieces lying against the walls. Everything is numbered, but only a few things have descriptions. The Lonely Planet guide mentioned a few of the most important things. My favorite parts were the King Tut exhibit and the animal mummy room. I know I've seen pictures of King Tut's funerary mask, but it was pretty neat to see in person, along with 2 of 3 of his inner coffins and numerous coffins. The animal mummy room had numerous cat mummies, bird mummies, a horse mummy, and 2 very long crocodile mummies. Don't worry Tara--I'm absolutely up for another trek to the museum! There another special exhibit of the royal mummies that I didn't check out and the place is just so crammed full of antiquities, that it's definitely worth another trip.

Yesterday (Saturday) I finally started shopping. The "typical" tourist-y gifts are everywhere--pyramid paper weights, egyptian "papyrus" (usually dried banana leaves), stuffed camels, wooden camels, Egyptian cotton everything, etc... First, my roommate and I headed to a local shop in the Maadi district. He remembered her & knows other Americans so gave us a good price--no hasseling needed. It was nice to get a sense for what's available and to shop at a small, local place before heading to the Khan el-Khalili. The Khan is overwhelming--a few main streets connected by very narrow alleyways with shops lining it the whole way. It's also a popular tourist destination, but it's been around for hundreds years, long before the stuffed camels and tour buses. Two friends who've been there before showed us around, which was immensely helpful. There's no way to distinguish between the dozens of silver jewelry shops or glass shops, but going with someone who already has favorite shops was fabulous. It's a noise, hectic place. All the shop keepers are standing in the streets trying to entice you into the shop..."For you madam, special sale! 200% off! I'll give you 300% off! Look for free! Surgar, step inside please..." I find it rather amusing and entertaining--they're just trying to make a living and I think they get many of their phrase listening to American music. I did bargain and got a few deals--I forgot how much fun it can be to hagle over prices! For example, I was looking as some drinking glasses, and asked how much. The shop keeper said 20LE. Usually, they'll say something way too much, sometimes outrageous--they don't expect Americans to bargain. But it's all in fun. I act like I'm being robbed, and then maybe over 1/2 of their price or less if I'm buying more than 1 of something. One of the deal makers is to walk away and not be interested. I was a little rusty, but still, it was fun and I found a couple of shops that I'm looking forward to going back to (bring money Tara!!!).

Time to run to lab...Tonight, I think there are plans to watch the superbowl. Not on tape delay, mind you, it comes on on some channel live at 1:15am or something crazy like that. Just when I'm feeling over jet lag, I'll be up watching the game. Should be fun. :-) And I'm finally going to the gym this afternoon--too much good Thai food and fig cookies. More later this week... Thanks for reading & leaving comments!!! :-)

Good Bye Beamses

2007-01-31T22:12:00.000-08:00

Bye Scott. Bye Cristienne. Bye Seamus. Bye Issy. Good night John Boy...

Safe travels! It won't be long 'til we've all moved to Denver. Andrew is already organizing the ride out there. Denver is fortunate to have you guys. :-) I miss you guys already!!!

A Pyramid Day...

2007-01-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

I'm in Cairo! Everything went fine on the flights over. I slept, ate, read, ate, and tried to remind myself that I really was going to Egypt for a month. When I landed, it still didn't seem real. I was met at the airport by May, my friend who I worked with for a year at the CDC. It's a bit of a hectic airport, to say the least, and seeing a familiar face was absolutely wonderful! The drive to NAMRU, where I'm working, was interesting--more about the driving later... At NAMRU, I met more people who I'd be working with and then got to join the carpool home to Maadi.

Ma'adi is south of the main city of Cairo. Many Americans live there and numerous embassies are also located there. It has more trees and is greener than much of the surrounding area. At one time, it was located outside of Cairo, but Cairo has grown to meet it. On the way home, we drove past the City of the Dead (it's homes and mausoleums all mixed in together) and the Citadel and then were treated with a view of all three pyramids of Giza. The pollution is so bad that that is a rare occurence--maybe only once every other week or so. I'll take it as a good omen that I was fortunate to see the pyramids on my first day in Egypt.

Now about the driving...First of all, I am not allowed to complain about Atlanta traffic or drivers ever again. Driving here is like organized chaos. There are no traffic lights and almost no traffic signs. Turn signals are rare, hand signals are much more common. Lines in the road are merely suggestions, as are arrows & one ways. Honking means everything--it's not out of road rage or anger, like in the states, but is a necessary form of communication. Pedestrians cross where ever. This morning, we passed a few donkeys with carts on the main road. At night, lights are considered rude & wasteful. They will be flashed on to signal to other cars and/or pedestrians, but mostly kept off. The people I've been driving with are amazing. They have nerves of steel and seemed to have adapted quite well to the organized chaos that is Cairo traffic. I feel safe & it's quite the way to start and end every day.

One amazing part of Egypt is how incredibly friendly, nice, and generous people are. Almost everyone I've met so far has given me their cell phone numbers and told me to call if I need anything. And they mean it. I'm well taken care of. :-)

Friday and Saturday are the weekend days here. I'll probably tackle the Egyptian museum and also take my first taxi--guaranteed to be an adventure. It will be time to try a new restaurant as well and I've been invited to a party. So far I've had koshari (typical Egyptian dish that is perfect for carb loading) and some really good soft shell chicken tacos. There are plans to watch the superbowl as well...

I miss everyone! More soon!

New Leaf Adventures and how I learned to eat through the pain

2007-01-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

I learned so many things this weekend (for example, there are many uses for a plunger, a CLEAN plunger, that is), but maybe the most important lesson was from Sarah who taught me how to eat through the pain. Thanks Sarah!

I had the perfect last weekend in Georgia before the Egyptian adventure begins. Barb, who runs New Leaf Adventures in North GA, took care of the women's team from Cycleworks p/b Lowe's Mortgage. Most of my teammates were there and the only way it could have been better is if everyone had been there. I look forward to riding, racing, and hanging out with everyone after I get back! I think a few people are expecting to read that we painted our toenails, talked about boys, and giggled in the hot tub. In reality, we rode many miles, climbed gaps, and got to know each other better. There was tons of laughter, but the hot tubbing stories will have to wait for another time. ;-)

As an added bonus, we got to know Barb better--there isn't anything she can't do! She's a phenomenal cook & baker, a great photographer, a gifted masseuse, the list goes on... She even made sure we had perfect weather on Saturday (it was in the 60's in the gaps--there were so many cyclists, it looked like early spring!). She is an all-around enthusiastic, tireless, fun person. I am thrilled to be racing with my new teammates and am certain that Barb has helped us prepare for a successful season ahead of us. It was an incredible experience to be able to spend a weekend riding our bikes, being spoiled and treated like pros. Thank you to the team for making this happen. A huge thank you to Lee for all your planning. And most importantly, thank you Barb and Perry!!!

I am all packed...sort of...After I got home, I was sort of in denial of either leaving tomorrow (today now...) or packing. I'm not sure which--if I don't pack, then I'm not leaving, right? The packing took longer than I expected--not because I'm bringing much, but because I'm indecisive. I still might go shopping tomorrow for the perfect pair of shoes or pants...or, I could just wait and go shopping in Cairo. I don't know--maybe I'll sleep for a few hours and decide in the morning.

Hi E & J! :-)

Adventures in Food

2007-01-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving in 4 days and I decided in might be a good time to figure out a budget for how much I can spend while I'm there. I stumbled upon www.cairotourist.com awhile ago--it has pages full of pictures and articles about different parts of the city. It also has a list of restaurants--so far, I noticed (and will be avoiding) Arby's, Chili's, Domino's Pizza, Hardee's, "Hot" Rock Cafe (it's British?!), KFC (as well as Kenny Roger's Roasters?!), Little Caesars, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway and T.G.I. Fridays. Amazingly, I did not see Starbucks listed. And I have to admit, I'm curious about the House of Donuts (will there be a HOT sign?), La Fonda (will it be just like the one on P'tree?!), and the B.B.Q. Terrace (will they serve hush puppies too?). It seems safest to stick to tikka, humus, and kebabs at first. I'm not paid to be as adventurous as Anthony Bourdain, but I am looking forward to some delicious, unique meals!

6 days and counting...

2007-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Nancy asked me a few weeks ago if it had sunk in yet that I was going to Egypt. I said "no" and she replied it might not sink in until I get there, or maybe even after I return. With fewer than 6 days until I leave, it's starting to seem real...

I've gotten most of the "boring stuff" out of the way--all those trips to Target, the visit to the travel doctor, figuring out bills, and finding accommodations. I've had so much help from my friends here and the people I'll be working with in Egypt.

Understandably, googling "hotels in Cairo" seemed a little, um, unfocused and who knows where or what type of place I would have ended up at. My friends in Cairo have arranged a hotel, convenient to NAMRU3 and I'll have people to carpool to work with. Breakfast is included (planning for food is very important) and as long as there's coffee or a coffee shop near by, I'll be happy (planning for coffee is even more important). More about the coffee later... I'm not sure if the hotel has a website, but if so, I'll post it or at least an address--that's what google maps is for, right? :-)

I found a home for Lilith! I was fortunate in that many friends were interested in having her as a guest at their house for a month. I think Miles the dog was the most enthusiastic about the possibility of having Lilith (aka the rather large indoor squirrel) around again. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miles, but Lilith is going to live across the street with Julie and family. She is soon to be showered with attention from Alex and Isaac. I'm a little concerned that she won't want to come back to the apartment when I return. If she's reluctant, I'll just bribe her with treats--she'll do anything for treats. I am so happy and relieved to know that she has such a wonderful home to stay at.

And now the fun stuff! I'm still reading and planning as much as I can, trying to figure out what I want to see & do most. The entire city of Cairo sounds amazing, Alexandria is close by, I've been advised not to miss the Sinai Peninsula and it's very tempting to take a train to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings. I am notoriously horrible at decisions, but these are such amazing decisions to get to make!!! :-)

My good friend Tara from work is coming during my last week in Cairo. After 3 weeks of bumming around the city, I'll hopefully know my way around, will have found the best coffee shops, sharpened my bargaining skills, and possibly be ready for an adventure outside the city. I'm looking forward to having her around to travel with. She warned me that she isn't afraid to pack a ton of sightseeing into a day, visit every Mosque and pyramid possible (who knows when we'll be back?!) and riding a camel is a must. Sounds perfect!!! I also found out today that another cycling & CDC friend will be in Cairo that week for work. And I might get to hang out with a friend from high school for a bit while I'm there. What are the chances that a couple of Velva High School graduates meet up in Cairo for dinner? That's sure to warrant a write up of a paragraph or two in the local paper...

In addition to the boring errands and necessary things I need to do before I leave, I've been able to see most of my friends. I'm only gone a month, but I know I'll miss everyone!!! I'm looking forward to Egyptian food, but I was thrilled to hang out with friends after spin class tonight at Moe's! I'm pretty sure there aren't burritos in Egypt, but I could be surprised. And I'm looking forward to hanging out with my teammates this weekend--I can't think of a better way to spend my time before I leave than riding my bike with amazing friends through the mountains of North GA. I've been promised that there will be tons of yummy food & some relaxing as well.

Oh...and about the coffee shops. Ahwa is the arabic word for both coffee and coffee house and according to the Lonely Planet guide, it's one of the great Egyptian social institutions. They're gatherings for conversation, reading, dominoes and backgammon. Traditionally, they've been all-male hangouts, but that is changing in Cairo. There may be a Starbucks, but it sounds like I'll have numerous local ahwas to choose from. :-)

...links and pictures once I figure this out...

25 days and counting...

2007-01-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

It's official. On January 29th, I leave Atlanta to spend 4 weeks in Cairo, Egypt. I'll be working at the US Naval Medical Research Center No. 3. Additionally, I'll be visiting field sites around the country that are participating in a diarrhea surveillance project. Until now, I've pretty much only worked in a laboratory setting, so I'm pretty excited to work with people (and not just poo!).

As I work out the details, I'll post a bit more before I leave. Once I get there, I should have pretty regular Internet access and hopefully I'll have some neat stories to share. I don't think I'll get pyramid or Sphinx or mummy burnout! Feel free to let me know when you're tired of reading about pyramid & camel adventures. :)

Oh, and I thought this was interesting--the Lonely Planet guide lists "Cairo Cyclists" as a club that organizes long-distance rides on the weekends. hmmm...do I bring a kit or just stick to running on a treadmill?