Carl in Cairo

  I took my visitor to the pyramids at Giza today.  It went surprisingly--I think I found the too most honest cab-drivers in all of Cairo.  The camel ride we took wasn't particularly cheap, but the prices weren't too unfair and, I'll have to admit, it was kind of fun.  We took a whole lot of photos, some of which I suppose I should post some day.

  Came home to find the water wasn't working at all.  I called my landlord who eventually came to fix it and I pounced on the opportunity to relieve myself of a boatload of anxiety by asking him to sign the lease.  He was livid that we'd made amendments, but we'd simply added the provisions that had been in the previous contract we'd signed with his brother.  I don't know if he'll try and back out, but his signatures on the paper, and that's provided a little relief.  I'm not going to lie though, this whole ordeal as well as school-related stressors have not left me feeling positively about my decision to come back in the fall and finish my MA.  I think I need the whole summer away from Egypt to make it bearable to come back.  Hopefully this is just a phase.

  Anyway, tonight we ended up dining at La Bodega, a restaurant in Zamalek that I'd never been to before but am all the better for having visited.  I raved once about Crave on my blog, but this place was tenfold as fantastic in terms of service and the food was excellent as well.  I'll definitely be going back.

News:

Exiled Egyptian dissident has jail term overturned

Those arrested in connection with February blast suspected of links to al-Qaida

Policeman sentenced to ten years for shooting