I'm alive...

I am safe and sound with all of my belongings here in Cairo.

I can see why people join tours, and why they don't. It was nice to have someone go and buy the "stamp" that acts as your visa (no paperwork needed) and to tell me which line to stand in.

At the same time, the sites are packed into the first nine days, and there's not much planned the last five. Not much downtime. Not how I'd plan it.

So I may have to go back to not knowing what I am eating. I tried to secure dinner tonight at a place just down the street. It's listed in the Lonely Planet, an on my hotel's map. So I figured that a bit of English would have been introduced.

Mostly not so. "Menu" was understood, but no English menu available. "Fries and sandwich" said while pointing towards the same did nothing. Pointing has always worked before.

Conversation among others in Arabic ensued. I was directed to a man behind the counter. I pointed, he asked me something. I really wanted to answer, "I'll give it a shot, just let me have something to eat." That was out of the question.

We muddled through falafel with no salad, but tahini. I wasn't pointing at falafel, but since I understood that word, I went for it. And fries.

I don't know the correct local term, but they are tasty indeed. And served in a pita pocket. Could also have had sauce and salad on top if requested...

And Egypt seems very orderly after six weeks in India. Nothing to worry about.