Day 6: Feeling Better

So... I figure there's nothing wrong with posting twice in a day, especially since I skipped yesterday and today's post was early.

Something I omitted from today's post: Did you know in Egypt you're not allowed to leave stores with glass bottles? You can buy sodas in glass bottles, but then you have to drink them there. I asked around and it has something to do with recycling, like the store owners get money for keeping the bottles. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't tried to buy sprite in a glass bottle. Luckily, the market had sprite in plastic as well.

Anyway, the real reason I'm posting again is to let you all know that I'm feeling much better, not just in physical health but in spirit too. When I made it down to dinner, I sat with Susan and Minar from Maryland, and they invited me out to have juice with them.

The juice in Egypt is spectacular. It's all fresh, blended right before your eyes, and it comes in every flavor: from mango and strawberry to sugar cane and fruits I have never heard of before.

Victoria wanted some really good mango juice, so we asked one of the girls at dinner where the best mangos were in the city. She directed us four neighborhoods over to a place called 3sir Mecca (Juice of Mecca in Arabic) in the neighborhood of Sporting. Because it was four neighborhoods over, we had to take the tram. Some of the other girls were a bit worried. If they'd taken the tram, they'd only done so once. And we were all with Ustaaza Radwa at the time, so it wasn't an issue. It was also night, and that's always a little creepy.

I'd been on the tram with Habiba to go to Mahatat Raml a few nights ago, so I knew better how it worked. When the conductor asked us where we were going I think I was the only one who understood and was able to get the correct directions.

We did end up getting off at the right stop. The juice was delicious, but afterwards none of us wanted to go back to the dorms, so we went down to the Corniche and walked along the beach for a while. A couple of the girls bought corn and cotton candy from street vendors. Let's hope they don't get sick.

As it turns out, Victoria bought a few American movies with her, so I'm anxious to watch them. That's exactly what I was looking for last night. Also, a bunch of girls want to see Prince of Persia with me, and Raven wants to go see the inside of Qaitbey, which was built with the ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse on the spot where it used to stand.

The funniest moment of the night was Fatima needing to use the restroom, and none of us knowing where it was appropriate to ask. We were passing a lot of shisha bars, but those are mostly for men. We finally came to a restaurant, which I didn't think was the best idea, but she asked and they let her. Part of me wonders if it was because we were clueless Americans and they were just being nice.

Again, my thoughts that I might be able to pass as an Arab were reinforced. First on the tram when the conductor asked where I was from and became surprised when I said America, and second when none of the other girls believed I hadn't been here last summer. It seems I'm learning how to find my way around quickly. The way I see it, sure, bad things happen. But there's a difference between being careful and being paranoid. If you're afraid to try new things you're never going to have any adventures.

I wouldn't call tonight an adventure exactly, but it was still fun.

Also, I got to talk to Allison (and Richie and Katherine by proxy) tonight. It was great seeing faces and hearing voices from home. Hopefully I'll get to talk to more of you soon!