12.22.2008

yaa al-qahira, ma'a sala'ama!


On the way back from campus, my last night in Cairo and after taking my last final, the bus driver decided to go through Tahrir and the heart of downtown Cairo before swinging off to cross the bridge over the Nile into Zamalek.

I was grateful. It gave me a chance to say goodbye.

The next morning, after packing all night, we made our way to Cairo International. The air was clogged with a mixture of smog and fog and the rising sun was just a diffuse orange glow behind the gloom that made the passing minarets look like dark gray shadows.

Two hours after take-off we landed in Istanbul, in the middle of something I haven't experienced since leaving the US four months ago: a rainstorm.

We're staying in the Sultanhamet, a maze of cobbled streets and bright lights a block away from the Hagia Sophia, where yesterday we spent several hours wandering beneath its massive dome.

I bought a winter coat and gloves and have been wearing plastic bags shoved into my socks to keep my feet dry, since the sneakers I bought for a desert clime are certainly not waterproof, and my little flats are certainly no match for puddles.

Walking in the rain, though, is refreshing.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Katelyn:
Thank you for keeping your blog updated and so detailed and beautifully written. If it wasn't for you, I would have no idea what Tommy has been up to. He has not been as diligent at keeping up his blog. Enjoy the rest of your time in Turkey and have a safe trip back home.

Cheryl (Tommy's mom)