We never really meant to do the legendary "Cape to Cairo" trip. We figured we'd probably hop a flight out of Nairobi and head straight to Europe. But we kept going... and going.

Around six this morning... an hour ahead of schedule... our first class train rolled into Cairo. Exactly five months and one day... or seven-and-a-half thousand miles... since Matt and I met up in Cape Town. Hard to believe.

"It reminds me of Buenos Aires or Madrid."
Cairo is the perfect place to cap what has often been a dirty, dusty, difficult slog north. We were both expecting Cairo to be a big Nairobi... dangerous and filthy. It's turned out to seem nearly European. Definitely the most civilized-seeming city we've seen in Africa. Even many alleyways are swept and passable. No human excreta in sight. It reminds me of Buenos Aires or Madrid. I see now why people say Egypt is not in Africa.

After a too-long hunt for a hotel involving being lost more than once and a destination that turned out to be long-closed... we found what I found a rather disappointing place to stay. But we dumped our stuff and set out to arrange our flight to Europe and see a bit of the city.

"I never managed to fly from Cincinnati to Denver for that."
This wound up taking the entire day, but we got a great deal on a flight to Madrid. It's via Prague on Czech Air, with a twelve hour layover to see the city... and the cost is about $200 US. Not bad at all. I never managed to fly from Cincinnati to Denver for that. We also found a far nicer place to stay tomorrow night.

Tomorrow will probably be Pyramids and Pizza Hut. We've heard from more than one person about the legendary Pyramid Pizza Hut. Apparantly this restaurant is a genuine Pizza Hut and has an amazing view of the Pyramids. You can sit and eat your Stuffed Crust while gazing out on Giza.

"The world's most impressive display of mummies."
Thursday is the Cairo Museum... with what's supposed to be a stunning collection of antiquities and the world's most impressive display of mummies. Then off to Sinai for a few days. Matt will hang out in what's described as the hippie beach community of Dahab while I make a quick trip across the border to Jordan to see the rock-hewn city of Petra. Then back to Cairo and a goodbye to Africa.

"As though you're the one being unspeakably rude."
I'm really losing my patience with the Egyptian commercial pushiness. It's not so much the businessmen who stand outside their shops or restaurants touting their wares. For me it's the random people who approach you on the street, as though they just want to be your friend. Of course they want something... to sell you a tour or drugs or get a commission for following you into a hotel you'd already decided on. But if you blow them off as I always do, they take offense... as though you're the one being unspeakably rude. Am I really supposed to belive they care one bit when they ask for the millionth time, "From which country?"

But it's all part of the game. You don't get to experience the good stuff without fighting through the really annoying. And, while I'll probably miss Africa, I'm glad there's less than a week of annoyance left.