Cairo, Egypt

The first time I passed through Cairo (in late February before Kenya), I barely saw any of the sights. This time I had five days to hit the pyramids, Islamic Cairo, the Egyptian Museum, and ride a felucca boat on the Nile.

Plus I had company: Monique rearranged her flights from Nairobi to include a stop in Cairo. Together with some new local friends, we had a non-stop series of late nights. Most memorable was sitting on the rooftop watching the moon set behind the Pyramids of Giza with one of Monique's cocktails in hand.

Having lived in Israel in 1992, I feel very comfortable in the Middle East. The Egyptian food is familiar (delicious falafel and baba ghanoush) and knowing Hebrew and Israeli slang helps a lot with Arabic. The people are warm, generous, and hospitable, and being in Egypt felt like coming home after slogging through East Africa.

I'm hoping I can catch up on sleep now that Monique and I have said goodbye for the third time. Now that I've arrived in Tel Aviv, I really do feel at home. In time for Passover, it seems appropriate that I traveled overland through the Sinai desert to Israel, where friends and family await.