Arrived in Cairo

We’ve arrived in Cairo! It’s been a long day. After some travel mishaps (the bus we took from Richmond to Washington-Dulles airport leaked, we almost missed our connecting flight, and our luggage didn’t make it), we finally made it to our hotel. I’m sitting on the balcony with my roommate, enjoying a freshly puréed strawberry drink complimentary from the hotel. It feels good to sit and relax after almost 24 hours of travel. Our hotel is right on the river Nile. The sun is hanging low in the hazy horizon as boats cruise the river and the sound of honking horns wafts up from the nearby streets below. It’s the third day of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, and the city is happy. From our balcony, we have a hazy view of the pyramids—something I never thought I’d see in person!

Our dinner was on a river cruise, complete with belly dancing, whirling dervishes, and talented musicians. While we enjoyed cruising on the Nile, we are all totally exhausted, so it’s off to bed for us, hoping that Safwat and our travel agent can collect our bags overnight and bring them to our hotel. We’ve got a long day visiting the pyramids and other ancient sites, and we would like to do that in clean clothes!

–Lee Hunter (she/her/hers)
M.Div ’23