We get to Egypt

McDonalds in Zamalek
Coptic church in Zamalek

The month flew by and August 18th was on us very quickly. We had shopped til we dropped and then air freighted out our 90kgs. The HMS Victory came with us, maybe Geoff will get time as a house husband to make it this time. He also shipped out the new mosquito to make, I brought out another plane to cross stitch and my bass guitar, the rest of our stuff was clothes, toiletries and nick-nacks. It was all thoroughly checked by customs and reached the school for delivery August 31st.

The flight out was uneventful, Maddison enjoyed the touch screen on the back of each chair, so we could all watch our own films. When we arrived it was warm! We bought visa's at the bank and caught the school bus to the hotel in Zamalek. We stayed there for 6 nights while we had school induction and flat hunted. Just round the corner from the hotel was Pizza Hut and next to that was McDonalds, so we ate there a couple of times. By Monday we had found a flat in a district of Cairo called Maadi and by Wednesday we had moved in. The flat has 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and lounge and 1 and a half bathrooms, with air conditioning of course! Shops are small unless you go to the hypermarket Carrefour (a taxi ride away) but we do have a mall 5 minutes walk away. To get to the school I have to catch the school bus, which picks up at 7:15 am during term time and 7:45 am during holidays. The journey takes about 25 minutes and on a clear day you see the pyramids! Dust in the air can make it hazey.

We haven't done any sightseeing yet, getting the house routines settled have been quite important, Geoff walks me to the bus every morning at the moment. The drivers here are crazy. Three lanes for traffic can hold 5 lanes of vehicles and you toot your horn or flash your lights to get ahead. Taxi drivers will toot as they drive past you to get your attention incase you need a ride.

The Minister for Education has decided that schools will not return until 19th September so we have an extra week off, during which I am taking the camera out to get started on my photo diary.