random night shots

Zombie Diner

We saw this sign before we stopped for dinner - trying to find a place that understood that you don't want meat of ANY kind - and they look at you like you're crazy. So - we eventually found a place, ordered dinner and didn't eat the meat.

Cool People Once Lived Here

I could go broke just buying stuff here. Lighter? Check. Rotary phone? Check. Laurel and Hardy floor lamp? Check.

The Victrolas are in abundance and in many different models. They all have a 78 on them – I'm so tempted to fire one up...

Isn't that the coolest kitchen knife holder? The four man jazz band...awesome! Camera's, binoculars....it's as if really cool people from a hundred years ago lost all their stuff and here it is in these shops.

Night Life + dinner (so many more pictures to follow)

The pictures were all taken without a flash – so I had to retake them until I was standing still long enough. There is video as well – but the internet connections here are not sufficient to load it – even wireless.

It kind of looks like Disneyland – without kids, rides and churro's but plenty of scooters zooming through without headlights. I don't know what the fascination is with driving without headlights....if you're walking they'll flash them in order to get you to move out of the way. Maybe it's illegal?









After much walking around we finally found a place for dinner – without a bunch of guys smoking inside. When one of the girls asked about what kind of meat, the waiter listed several, one of them included kidneys (this was after walking by a few places that proudly specialize in/with brain). There was a moment of silence at the table. So – the meat dish (thank god it's on a separate plate) could possibly be beef, or something like that, but no kidneys. I don't know....the rice, salad and hummus was fresh and (I assumed) kidney free.

I really could have used a beer that night.

EGYPT THE ACHIEVEMENTS

The old citadel on the hill has a mosque that dates back to the first century. In an act of conservancy they added Yousef's Well, Royal Carriage Museum, Writers Museum and Military Museum. Yousef's Well was closed off with a girl telling everyone to “Turn Back – There is Nothing to See” (fun job – eh?), the Royal Carriage Museum was nowhere to be found (after the first arrow pointed you in a general direction). Now it's a choice of looking for the writers museum or the military museum. Really – how hard does one want to work at finding a museum in a walled citadel, on a hill with the only restrooms being near the exit – especially when you run the risk of being told to “Turn Back – There is Nothing to See”

So – the military museum it is – since it's kind of hard to hide the entrance with two vestibules (guard stations?) from WWII (no bullet holes but with cracks) painted emerald green at the entrance.

I am sorry to have missed watching them maneuver these relics into place – especially as this was after the Spinney's adventure. Nothing will appear the same to me after that evening.




The plaque under this statue stated "The Best Soldiers In The World."
O.K.


I really wanted to order a perger to see what it was. Instead, we opted for egyptian pancakes at Khan El Khalilli market. So worth the wait.

from the citadel

Reward before shopping for water & supplies

Spinney's was having a special buy 2 get one free case of water - so we went for the full deal. Unfortunatly - the best laid plans can be turned inside out and upside down. The quick answer to get this much stuff back was to have one stay with the cart while the other went to get a taxi and had them drive down to the garage, load up then get back to the flat. But no, this is Egypt and the guys in charge of mall security (and ensuring the cart did not leave the garage) decided the best thing to do was to take the loaded trolly through to the other end of the parking lot, up the escalator to the exit where one Spinney's employee along with another (who had obviously clocked out) were enlisted to carry the boxes of water up a flight of stairs, out to the taxi area and across 4 lanes of traffic. Genius - as this involved about 8 guys, not including the two Spinney's. Of course I tipped them well - but it would have been quicker and less hastle if the guys had left the engineering to two females.

And the boxes would have stayed intact.



I want to learn to say in Arabic: “Let's find the most difficult/confusing/impossible way to do something then do it!”

Seriously.



I deserve a beer!