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MONDAY, JULY 20^TH – SWITZERLAND TO CAIRO:

Got a couple of hours sleep and then called all the boys to get them up at 5:30 am. The hotel was supposed to have breakfast ready for us at 6 am but they didn’t. They did manage to bring us some coffee and croissants before we had to leave. Everyone was on time and Urs drove us to the airport.

I got my bags checked in pretty quickly and then went over to the other terminal to make sure the guys were all checked in. They didn’t have any problems and headed for their gates.

I checked email this morning before I left the hotel and there was a message from my friend Marc reminding me that our friend Wally is not at the American Embassy in Cairo!!! I can’t believe I forgot that. I met Wally and Marc many years ago in Korea when I was on tour with Chely Wright. We have stayed in touch and Marc saw me in lots of strange places throughout the years – DC, Switzerland, Germany, Kuwait…to name a few! I emailed Wally and he emailed me back right away. Had I not already set up with the hotel to pick us up at the airport, he could have done that. He did set up all our tours for us while we’re here. Unbelievable good luck for me to find him here. He was great as a Protocol Officer in Korea and hasn’t lost his touch.

Iris arrived later at than I did and was going to upgrade to business class. Swiss Air wouldn’t let her upgrade but it’s a short 4 hour flight. We headed to the gate but there was construction and we had to take a bus instead of a metro. It took us about 20 minutes to get to our departure terminal and the line for security was really long. I went through business class security and went to buy us some water for the flight while I was waiting for her. I was waiting at the gate and the gate agent told me I had to board the plane. I was afraid Iris was going to miss the flight and I’d be on my way to Cairo. But, she made it before we departed.

Business class was full but the flight attendants were very nice. I tried to watch “Duplicity” a Julia Roberts movie but it was really bad. We landed in Cairo a few minutes early and stopped to change money before going to passport control. I asked about purchasing a Visa and they sold it to me right there at the bank! Cost 15 Egyptian Pounds and there was NO paperwork to fill out. Obviously it’s more about the “money” than the country’s security.

Someone from the hotel was waiting for us with a sign with my name on it. He got my luggage but Iris’s didn’t come out. We waited and waited and waited and thought it was not going to come out. But it finally arrived and the hotel rep took us out to our “limo”. HA! I’m going to look at my booking and what I paid for that service. It was a tiny little car with a trunk so small our bags didn’t fit. We had to put Iris’s bag in the front seat! I was surprised at how “lax” security was when we came through passport control and immigration. They barely looked at our paperwork.

The traffic is horrendous with 6-8 lanes bumper to bumper. All the cars look like they have been wrecked numerous times. When the traffic opens up a little, the drivers speed up as fast as they can go and “make their own lanes”. We almost rear-ended the car in front of us a couple of times. It was nerve-wracking just trying to get to the hotel. It took us at least an hour to arrive and we passed some really “poor” neighborhoods as well as some very “wealthy” neighborhoods.

The hotel is nice and HUGE. There are two towers with 20 floors in each tower. Iris has no sense of direction either, so this should be fun. The rooms are very nice and the internet works although it is a cable modem, not wireless. Wally called and said he had our Dinner cruise on the Nile confirmed for that evening and we needed to be downstairs at 6:30 pm. Barely had time to unpack a few things and change my clothes. Of course, Iris and I got lost trying to find our way back downstairs and some nice gentleman walked us to the correct area. There was a travel agency van waiting for us with a nice man driving us. Only took about 20 minutes to arrive at the “ship”. Of course, we got lost trying to find the ticket window and then thought we got on the wrong “ship”. Again, some nice man sent us in the right direction and we had a few minutes to relax and take some photos before moving into the ship for dinner.

Because we were listed as “American Embassy”, we got the royal treatment. Our seats were on the upper deck by the windows. Our table had hummus and bread and some other traditional “appetizers”. I was explaining to Iris the nutritional value of hummus (she’s never heard of it) when our waiter said that the buffet was ready to begin. We kept talking and eating hummus and the waiter came back and explained that we had to “start” the line because no one would eat until we did! How embarrassing. It was a great buffet with fish, chicken, beef, and pasta, a big salad bar (that we didn’t see until after we had eaten) and a huge dessert bar. Very good food, too.

The buffet was open for 45 minutes as the ship cruised along the Nile. A man and woman went on stage and sang for about 20 minutes. Iris and I walked outside on the deck and took some photos while they were signing. Then the belly dancer took the stage. She was absolutely amazing. I asked Iris if she could do some of the moves and she said not and be able to walk for at least 3 days! After her, a guy with this huge “skirt” came out. He spun around and around constantly for about 20 minutes using all sorts of props as he was spinning. I don’t know how he didn’t get really dizzy and just fall over! The belly dancer came back for one more “set” and by then the ship was back at the dock. It was really a fun evening. One of the staff was talking to me as we were leaving and he said the belly dancer was from Australia and they also had another one from the U.S.! I’ve seen them in Turkey before but this girl tonight was even better than those.

Our driver was waiting for us and Wally called and talked to me as we were driving back to the hotel. He has the driver set to pick us up at 8:30 am tomorrow morning (no work out for me AGAIN – maybe when we get back tomorrow!). He has a full day planned for us ending with meeting up with him and his wife who I have not met yet.

Back in my room answering emails. Got to get in bed soon so I’ll be ready to go by 7:30 am when I meet Iris for Breakfast.

Jude

TUESDAY, JULY 21^ST – CAIRO, EGYPT:

I forgot one of the best parts of the drive to the ship last night. This pickup truck was beside us on the highway. The back of the truck was filled with blankets and a girl and two guys were lying back there. The girl was really pretty and was waving and flirting with all the people passing by them. We took her photo and she smiled and waved at us! It was incredibly dangerous for them to be riding like that. There was another pickup truck beside them and it had a sofa and some furniture in the back of it. The only thing I could figure out was that they must have been “moving” across town!

I don’t even know where to begin describing my day. It started early – too early to go work out. L Met Iris for breakfast and loved the restaurant. They had “healthy” items. We were concerned that we would have to pay for a buffet breakfast which neither of us wanted. But we only paid for what we ate – an egg white omelet, some natural yogurt and fresh fruit. There was “fresh” honey, too. Actually had the honey comb and the honey was dripping off it into a container. Awesome.

We met our driver and our tour guide – a 24 year old young man named Moody. He was terrific. And, he’s Muslim, so we had lots of questions for him. First stop on the tour was at the pyramids at Saqqara. These aren’t the most famous ones in Cairo and it took over an hour to drive to them. The “scenery” we passed along the way was pretty incredible. Most of the buildings are high rise and most look like they have been bombed. There’s a reason for that. Builders construct the buildings but if they finish the outside, then they are hit with a really high tax. So they don’t finish them. I mean there are just “holes” where windows should be. You need to go on my website next week and look at the photos. Also, they hang their clothes outside the windows to dry. The smog is so think it looks like a dust storm, so I can’t imagine that the clothes are still clean after they drive. The Nile River is incredibly dirty. They throw everything into it.

I quizzed Moody on everything from the Muslim religion to the population, education, economy, insurance, taxes, housing, politics, you name it. I’m an expert now on Egypt. There are only two classes of people – wealthy and very poor – no middle class. You would not believe the average income of the poor. Iris and I are having a very hard time no “over-tipping”.

Anyway, the first pyramids we visited were awesome. It was definitely a tourist trap though. Lots of vendors selling Egyptian souvenirs made in China and people offering camel rides. As we walked up to one of the pyramids, a man in the traditional white robe decided he liked me….a lot. He wanted his photo made with me but I knew he just wanted me to pay him to have a photo taken with him. I blew him off but he tackled me again on our way out. I finally agreed to have a photo taken with him while he proclaimed his undying love for me. Then asked me to pay him for the photo op. J I gave him a small tip and he kept following me. Moody said he’s the most famous guy out there but he’s no “Tom Cruise”. I like Moody.

We visited the museum where the famous Pharaoh’s boat is located. That was amazing, too. We somehow got in the middle of a huge tour group of tourists. There were a couple of teenage boys sitting at the bottom of the stairs and they said hello when I walked by. Then I heard them whispering and laughing and I knew what was going on. They got up and watched as I walked up the stairs in my dress. I fooled them though. I pulled the skirt tight around my legs so they couldn’t look up my dress as I went up the stairs. Teenage boys are the same the world over.

Next we stopped at a carpet factory where the rugs are handmade. There were little kids and families working and I’ve honestly never seen anything like this in my life. I can’t even describe to you how they do it – so fast and so beautiful. I purchased a small wool wall hanging with the Egyptian alphabet on it for Zac and Zoe. I paid almost $100 for it and wanted the silk one but it cost $600!

Next stop were the pyramids at Gizeh of the Pharaoh Khufu. We also saw the Sphinx and that was incredible. It was unbearably hot today and my shoulders got sunburned. We started out at 8 am and were going to be back at the hotel by 1:30 pm until we decided to go to this HUGE shopping mall. They had every American store and restaurant imaginable. We ate a salad and did a lot of window shopping. Got back to the hotel by 5 pm and my friend Wally and his wife were meeting us at 7 pm for dinner. I showered the “dust” off and then tried to answer email. But the internet connection is so incredibly slow today that I’m really to scream. I’ve been calling the front desk every few minutes harassing them. Supposedly the IT tech just “doubled” the speed of my internet but I sure can’t tell it.

Was great to see Wally again after all these years and his wife – Row – is so sweet and perfect for him. We had a terrific dinner at a steakhouse in the hotel and got caught up “somewhat” on what has been happening in our lives.

So much happened today, I am in “information overload”. I know I’ll think of more things I want to put in this report. My one suggestion is if you EVER get a chance to come to Cairo, do it. I love it. The traffic would make me crazy in no time, but the “history” here is truly amazing. Tomorrow we go to the museum and Old Cairo.

Jude

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22^ND – LAST DAY IN CAIRO:

So, did I mention that you have to PAY for toilet tissue at the pyramids and other tourist traps. Seriously. It costs like 1 Egyptian pound which is only pennies…but still!

Got up and finally made it to the gym but only for a short workout because I talked on the phone too long after I got up. It’s a really good gym though and I will hit it again tomorrow since it’s too HOT to run outside and I’d get killed by the crazy drivers.

Iris and I had breakfast – another egg white omelet – and then left for our day of sightseeing. First stop was Old Town. We visited three churches – a Christian church known as the “hanging church” (not what “I” thought it was!), a Jewish Synagogue, and two mosques. One of the mosques is the oldest one in Egypt and the second oldest one in all of Africa (Morocco has the oldest). The Jewish Synagogue was previously a Christian church but the church couldn’t pay their taxes and the Government sold it to the Jewish community with the understanding that they would keep all the original “fixtures” out of respect to the Christians. The hanging church got its name because is actually “hangs” over a level that is below ground.

At the mosques, we had to remove our shoes and put on this long green “cloak” type thing so we would be covered. Got some good photos of that!

Next we visited the Citadel and then went to a “bazaar” that Wally and his wife recommended – Khan el Kalili. It looked a lot like Hong Kong with all the street vendors. Moody told us not to bargain, that he would do it for us. Then when we started walking the street, he said not to buy anything, just look and he’d take us to his person who would give us a better deal. But, when we got to his “guy”, the prices were way too high so Iris and I started negotiating. At one point, I went to another vendor who offered me the same item at half what Moody’s guy was quoting and that’s before I tried to bargain with him.

We left the bazaar and went to the Egyptian Museum where there was WAY too much to see. The “mummy” room was the best with Ramses. By the time we left there, it was 4 pm. Went back to the hotel and had a salad and then showered and answered email until time to go to the “Sound and Light Show” at the Pyramids tonight.

We left an hour and 15 minutes before the Sound and Light show was set to begin. Traffic is always horrible but we allowed enough time for that. Then, about halfway there, we were on this divided interstate (I’d tell you how many lanes but no one uses lanes – they just make their own and as many as they like!) and noticed that cars were coming back down the interstate – going the wrong way – heading straight for us. There were lots of cars going the wrong way and as we got a little closer, we realized they were making U-turns right in the middle of the interstate. Traffic was totally stopped and it took us twice as long to reach our destination. The show had already started when we arrived. We had front row seats and even though we missed the first 10 minutes, the show was awesome. It was totally dark and they just had a pre-recorded announcer with light images on the pyramids. At one point, a dog ran in front of the pyramid and I thought it was part of the show. Then he ran back the other way and started barking. Finally a second dog joined him. It was pretty funny!

Came back to the hotel after the show and had dinner at the Italian restaurant. Wally was supposed to meet us but I assumed it was too late for him to come over. A little after midnight, he called my room and he and his wife were the lobby. He was going to mail the purchases I made back home for me. When I got to the lobby, he had this beautiful crystal pyramid for me and another gift for Iris. I can’t believe he’s taken such good care of us and then gives us a gift!!! Don’t I have the best friends ever – especially my military family?

It’s after 1 am and I really want to go to bed soon. Iris wants to go shopping downtown before we leave for the airport tomorrow afternoon. Not sure I’m going to make it….Jude

THURSDAY, JULY 23^RD – CAIRO TO STOCKHOLM:

I didn’t get to work out because I got in bed so late and had to meet Iris so early. The beds at this hotel are awesome. It’s a huge king-size bed with six huge down pillows and a down comforter. Reminds me of the terrific beds at the Ritz Carlton near the Pentagon.

Our driver from the tour agency was waiting for us at 10 am as scheduled. He drove us downtown and found a place to park which isn’t easy. We noticed that none of the shops were open. Moody had told us everything opened at 10 am but obviously he was mistaken. No one – including our van driver – spoke a word of English. We did not want to get left down there for an hour when none of the shops were open. We finally managed to communicate with the van driver that we wanted to go back to the hotel. There were a couple of little shops open there and Iris bought a pair of shoes. I bought a t-shirt for someone and had to buy another post card. The one I purchased yesterday is too small to put the two huge stamps on without covering up the address! I was upset that I didn’t work out since I would have had plenty of time. I didn’t want to go to the health club at that point because it would have meant unpacking and taking another shower.

We asked Guest Services what time the shops around the corner from the hotel opened. She said “Normally at 10 am but today is a holiday, so most shops are closed!” Mystery solved. Evidently July 23^rd is some kind of “Administration Day” and a national holiday.

Went back to the room to work and was surprised to see “Warfare by Remote” on CNN’s “World’s Untold Stories”. I’d been seeing advertising for it for weeks and wanted my office to tape it for me but they couldn’t find where it would air in the U.S. It was pretty awesome because I could relate to all the information they discussed.

I had paid my bill and checked out earlier. Talked to the bellman and told him what time I needed help. He told me to call 5 minutes before I was ready to go and he would have someone up there immediately. Yeah, sure. I called 20 minutes early and 15 minutes later, still no bellman. I called again, waited another 10 minutes and then left pulling my two huge bags behind me. I never take more than I can lift myself because I know most of the hotels in Norway do not have an elevator.

Our driver was waiting and because today is a “holiday” there was hardly any traffic. Instead of taking an hour to get to the airport, we made it in 15 minutes. Wally had also arranged for an “expeditor” to meet us and get us checked in. Iris was going to try and upgrade with her miles again but they told her she needed her PIN number. When her bag was stolen last week, she lost all her cards and her PIN number was written on her Swiss Air mileage card. She couldn’t remember it and they wouldn’t offer her any other suggestions on what to do. She called her travel agent in Zurich but it was lunch time and no one answered, not even the cell phone. I got checked in quickly and we went to Passport Control. I made Iris pick the line because I always get the one with the person who has to have a security check! There were two people working the desk and the way it worked is you walked up and the first person prepared your paperwork and handed it off to the lady sitting to her left. Then the passenger stepped over to that person and the next person in line stepped up. Iris was with the second lady and the first lady motioned me ahead. I stepped up and she took my passport. Then the man behind me, pushed around me and walked up to the lady that was actually stamping the passports. She told him he had to go back in line and start with the first lady. He just stood there. When the first lady finished with my passport, I couldn’t move over to the second lady because this rude guy was still standing there. I politely mentioned that he needed to move behind me and he said, “Yeah, yeah!” rudely and pushed past me again. Nice guy, huh?

I was given a lounge pass because I’m in business class so we went in search of the lounge. We were going to try and get Iris’s upgrade there as well. There were signs pointing to 4 lounges in the direction of our gate, so we headed that way. The first lounge doors were covered with wood and a “closed” sign was hanging on it. Walked a little farther, same thing with the 2^nd Lounge. Walked the entire corridor and all 4 lounges were closed for construction. The gate area looked “new” so we assumed that the lounges just weren’t built yet. We backtracked all the way to where we first came in and found a Star Alliance Lounge that was open. The ladies working that lounge said she couldn’t come in and they didn’t have a Swiss Air representative that could assist. We gave up and went to the food court and had a salad.

As we were walking from the Food Court to our gate, we noticed a lot of men wearing towels and slippers that were obviously from a hotel. They had one towel wrapped around their waists and one around their shoulders then nothing else on but the slippers. They looked like they were either going to or coming from a Spa. But we never saw a “Spa” in the airport.

Iris’s flight began boarding a full hour and 30 minutes prior to her departure time. But, it’s one of those gates where you have to go through a security scanner and then sit in another lounge for a long time before boarding the flight. I didn’t want to make the long hike back to the Lounge, so I sat outside my gate area until they started boarding. As I was standing in line waiting to go through the security scanner, a local lady covered from head to toe walked up beside the scanner and started talking to someone on the other side. Then she by-passed the scanner and squeezed through to the other side. She had a bottle of water and a small bag with her. Freaked me out that the security guard didn’t say anything to her and I thought I was going to have her on my flight. As I got closer, I realized that there was another lady dressed similar to her sitting at the end of the scanner as the bags came out. Evidently this lady was going to replace her at that job. My bags went through security and they let me carry my bottle of water through which I thought was really strange. Then when I picked up my bags from the belt, the lady sitting at the end confiscated my water. J

Flight boarded on time and it’s of the “reconfigured” Lufthansa planes. Business class is awesome with seats that fully recline. The flight attendants have been nice although they don’t understand English very well.

It is a short flight – 4 hours – so I worked and then decided to try and sleep for an hour. I didn’t really feel so good for some reason and then we hit severe turbulence about 40 minutes before landing. By the time we landed, I knew I was in trouble. I spent the entire two hour layover in Frankfurt lying in the floor of the restroom at the airport. NOT a fun thing to do. I guess I got food poisoning from the salad I ate at the airport before flying out of Cairo. I was so, so sick. I told the gate agent I didn’t think I could get on the flight to Stockholm and they might want to be prepared to pull my bags off. If the flight had not been delayed due to a severe thunderstorm, I would not have made it. I started feeling a little better and basically crawled onto the plane. The flight was really, really turbulent but for once I was so sick, I didn’t care. Dying in a plane crash seemed preferable to dying with food poisoning.

Made it to Stockholm and my hotel is “in” the airport. I spent the 4 hours I had there in the floor of that bathroom. Was able to get up and meet Rosanne’s flight this morning but I look pretty “rough”. Hoping I’ll start feeling better soon.

Jude