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Oh, it's time for my last entry. The bus back to Cairo was pretty uneventful. We arrived in Cairo just as it was getting dark and I haggled for a taxi to my hostel. I decided to stay at the same hostel as before - it helped to know where I was going. I checked in and dropped my stuff off then grabbed some dinner - I had been dreaming of a chicken sandwich from Mo'men since I had boarded that bus!
The next day I just hung around and read my book, wandered around downtown Cairo, indulged with delicious pastry and falafel, wrote postcards and went out with a couple guys from my hostel to watch Egypt vs. Nigeria in the African Cup. It seemed like all the little cafes and restaurants in the area with televisions just stuck them outside along with every chair in the vicinity, then anyone passing by was free to watch the game, have a drink and enjoy some sheesha. And hooray - Egypt won!
Yesterday I hopped into a taxi and went over to Islamic Cairo. I explored the Al-Azhar Mosque then wandered around Khan al-Khalili and the surrounding alleys and mosques. Then I wandered south to Bab Zuweila and climbed up a minaret to view the city. Then I continued wandering through the medieval district until I ended up at the Citadel and the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan. Then I got lost and wandered some more and eventually found the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and I climbed another minaret. Then I hopped on the metro and hopped off at Coptic Cairo. I wandered around the Coptic Museum and the Church of St. George and the Church of St. Sergius. I enjoyed seeing the Hanging Church and the cemetery, then I hopped back on the metro and headed back to downtown for more falafel and omm ali (yum!) for dinner.
Today I've just been running errands, re-wrapping fragile souvenirs and packing. I leave for New York early tomorrow morning (another 13 hours flight - hooray) and from there I'll head out to Long Beach to visit an old friend. I'll stay the night in Long Beach then catch the shuttle back to Boston the next day. Sigh. I wish I had more money so I could do this all the time!
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