So all was quite and peaceful here, in a relative way here in Cairo until about 2:30pm. I had been to church and the prayer meeting then afterwards Maddison had gone to lunch with the youth leader Amy. Then, about 2:30pm, while she was still out I got a text saying the curfew had been moved back to 3pm, then I got one saying it hadn’t. So I phoned Amira, one of the maths staff who speaks Arabic, to see what was happening. She said there had been nothing on State TV but she was getting calls from her friends saying she should stay in. So we put on the television, phoned Maddy to find she was on her way home, and settled in to watch the developments. I talked to Liz and Brian as the home group were supposed to be meeting for coffee at 4pm at the CSA and decided to to cancel, from what was being reported it looked like the Army were getting ready to make a statement of some description and as we weren’t sure what it was, it was better to be safe than sorry. The church service tomorrow has been cancelled, probably at the request of the police, I gave them some of the donut type things we ate after prayers today, but I’m sure that didn’t influence their decision!
There was a call for 20 million to protest tomorrow so now we are waiting to see what will happen tonight at 8 pm GMT when Mubarak addresses the nation. There are all sorts of rumours and speculation from various sources, that are totally unconfirmed,on Aljazeera and the BBC. My favourites are that he spent yesterday packing and he is in Sharm El Sheik (top holiday spot apart from the shark attack last December) already. He probably had to sort out his bank accounts as well . . . . . . . but this too is speculation.
Geoff was suggesting this morning we should visit Tahrir Square next week as we are still on holiday (without the camera) but I keep turning him down and probably will until all is calm.
Tomorrow could herald a new era for Egypt we will wait and pray . . . .
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