Our layover was in Paris. We landed early and met Sarah there. She put a lot more time and efforts into her appearance than we did. Even though I got plenty naps in the first flight, I still felt delirious and the ground was moving. It was past 5pm though so coffee would have been a bad idea. I’d also like to note that I haven’t had any diet soda since August 13 and this is my first trip not using it as a “comfort” drink for traveling. Matt said he would get me a coin once I hit 3 months.

Our 2nd flight was a lot more packed. It was a mixed group of folks and not as many Egyptians as I had anticipated. Sarah sat in the row in front of us and instantly made a new best friend. Her social battery is much larger/stronger than ours.

At dinner time, an Egyptian lady told the flight attendant the cheese is very bad. It was brie. The irony is that “Gibna Adima” (old-cheese) is practically an Egyptian delicacy. IYKYK. The flight attendant didn’t seem to be concerned about her comment and just replied with a prideful smile, “It’s Brie. French cheese.” I’m not saying I love Brie… but I keep my feelings to myself…. Aside from this blog of course.

We landed on time at 1:05 am and started the process of getting through immigration, baggage claim, and customs. On our way to the first line, my foot got ran over by some guy pushing a wheelchair. Absolutely zero remorse. In a full Airbus350, I’m certain everyone checked in two free bags. We waited at least 30 minutes for our bags to show and I was starting to get a little anxious. Thank God… all six bags showed up! Going through the customs line I saw a confused Japanese couple trying to find the right line. I motioned to them to get in front of us. Then another guy pushing a cart of luggage ran over the husbands foot. I felt so bad and a little embarrassed for some reason. They looked older and frail and didn’t see it coming. Nobody said excuse me…. In any language. I knew that Egyptians weren’t the best drivers but it was starting to look like their walking habits were quite similar.

Outside the airport we had a whole crew waiting for us including our parents, cousin, and uncle. It was so good to see familiar faces. In Egypt, it’s easy to get swindled if you look a little lost or don’t have a plan. We had about 40 different offers for a taxi and they tend to overcharge Americans any time the opportunity presents itself.