International – Page 16

DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

What’s Planned vs. What Happens

July 19, 2017May 17, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LIVING ON EGYPTIAN TIME

Time is both my ally and my enemy. I like having something that divides my day into neat little pieces. If I look at my clock at 3:30 AM then I know I can go back to sleep. If I arrive at a destination at the appropriate time, it’s a little victory I can savor in this world of frustrations. However, those neat little pieces don’t always fit the crazy life I live. I sit down at the computer to write and a day is gone before I even realize it and rarely have I accomplished what I hoped. In Egypt the concept of time is a whole ‘nother matter>

The Plan

One of my priorities at this point in the trip was to quit carrying around all the gifts and get them to their appropriate recipients. The last thing I wanted was for something to get lost, broken or otherwise damaged, before I put it in the hands of the donee – especially those all important bottles of scotch.

As I mentioned last week, Bassem was going to pick up his bride, and suggested we spend some time with family over at Mirette’s. That would reduce my load by five presents. I was glad for the opportunity to do that, but I was also looking forward to meeting her twins – teenagers who have been my friends on Facebook for a long time, but I’d never met in person.

So after we saw Bassem in the salon, I hurried back to the room to fix up the gift bags for Mirette’s family. That took more fritzing around than it sounds like it should, since I had to unpack everything, sort through it, match it up to the gift bag it was meant for and adorn it with tissue and bows. Though it made us a little behind schedule, it was only by a few minutes and we were on Egyptian time.

Egyptian Time

If an Egyptian tells you he’ll meet you at 9 AM, I suggest you ask him if that is real time or Egyptian time. If it’s Egyptian time, then you might be cooling your heels for a couple hours or you might actually have to wait until bokra (tomorrow). Don’t be afraid to ask. They know how they are. And here’s a further warning, like the Mexican manana, there’s a silent “or maybe never” inferred in the word.

So, while I was a few American minutes late to the lobby with my bags of gifts, I was right on time by Egyptian standards, but this is also the point where the plans went awry. It seems Mirette was not home, because she had been recruited for a final wedding errand.

Kudos to Bassem’s sisters Mirette and Maggie. Without them there would have been no wedding. A wedding coordinator was hired, but titles can be a fluid thing in Egypt and she was more of a florist, so Mirette and Maggie filled the gap. Just to make things more interesting, it was a holiday weekend and the wedding coordinator/florist was out of town. We were left to the whims of the people she had convinced to stand in for her. Every other moment she was calling and delegating yet another wedding errand to the bride and groom, who in turn found someone else, usually Mirette or Maggie to take care of it. That Bassem actually got married rather than murdered is a kind of miracle.

My first few hours in Egypt I had managed to stay on American time, but before they served me my first lunch, that was over. I was now on Egyptian time. Set you clocks for next week and join me for a little fun with the bride and groom.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Good Morning Cairo

July 12, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: MY FAVORITE THING AT THE FAIRMONT HELIOPOLIS

My favorite thing at the Fairmont wasn’t a thing at all. It was Ahmed, the waiter in the Le Marche Cafe. Le Marche was my favorite place for breakfast during the whole trip. Having to face down a buffet every morning actually gets pretty old. Le Marche was a little a la carte cafe and while the food was good, Ahmed was marvelous!

Breakfast Not Included

Breakfast-included is kind of an Egyptian thing, but since the Fairmont is so Americanized, you could make breakfast-excluded reservations. And this is a good place to tell you, it is very Americanized. Except for a few decor items and the over-abundance of Arab-looking staff you could be in a hotel in Middle America for all you could tell from the interior surroundings.

For some folks that’s a recommendation, but not so much for me. I love my American creature comforts, but I also like them to come in an exotic package if at all possible. Our next hotel will do just that, but let’s get back to breakfast.

Before we headed downstairs, I dutifully perused one of those huge leather-covered tomes I’d hidden away from us the night before. With it I got a feel for breakfast possibilities. Here’s a rundown from the hotel’s website:

Dining choices at Fairmont Heliopolis are truly endless that varies from Lebanese favorites at Al Dabké, genuine Egyptian cuisine at Egyptian Night, authentic Thai delicacies at Lan Tania, modern Chinese specialties at Noble House, authentic Mexican cuisine and fantastic margarita’s at Maria’s, classic Italian cuisine with a modern twist at Leonardo, All-day dining at My Kind of Place, the freshest sushi and sashimi at Saki Sushi Lounge, Indian cuisine at Raj, chill-out outdoor venue at Pizza bar, contemporary international cuisine at Aqua E Luce, French patisserie at Le Marché, fast dining style at Marilyn and pool bar serving light snacks at Blue Lagoon Bar.

My reading told me we’d end up at Le Marche, but we were having a lazy, late morning, so I wasn’t opposed to browsing the lobby. We walked past Le Marche and saw My Kind of Place, which had a sign announcing, “Breakfast Performing Here.” I certainly wasn’t looking for dancing eggs and the sight of a buffet didn’t seem tempting. Price being one barrier and the number of upcoming breakfast buffets being the next.

Marilyn’s was a Marilyn-Monroe-Themed cafe, but it looked closed right then. We saw the Thai restaurant, the Mexican Restaurant, the Italian Place and some of the others, all waiting for dinner time. Continuing through the lobby we happened on Aqua E Luce on the Towers side of the hotel. They didn’t have a sign telling us breakfast was performing, but there was a buffet, which by the way did seem a little more inviting than the one over in My Kind of Place, if you are ever interested.

We kept on walking and found the Towers Pool. It had a Pizza Bar and lots of hookah equipment. Before I left Egypt, I also discovered it was the location for their Egyptian Night, but that story is for another day. We began to re-trace our steps and found our way to Le Marche, just as I had anticipated, but I hadn’t imagined there would be an Ahmed!

Le Marche Cafe

Le Marche has a pastry counter filled with delectable treats and we were salivating over them when we were approached by Ahmed. We confessed to be overwhelmed by our breakfast choices and Bill asked him if there was a menu. Ahmed and Bill were soon swapping stories in Arabic as I drooled on my own. Ahmed ushered us to a seat and continued his banter with Bill.

Bill suggested we share one of the croissant sandwiches with turkey and while I really wanted one of those humongous pastries, I acquiesced and asked for the bonus of a Coke Zero. Bill isn’t much of buying beverages in restaurants, but we had come down without our water bottle, so I got my Coke Zero. This was treat, not only because it was a splurge to get a restaurant soda, but because most of Egypt has Diet Coke, not Coke Zero and while I’d prefer a Diet Dr Pepper, I prefer Coke Zero to Diet Coke.

Ahmed was polite, solicitous and not at all inappropriate, but he should have just set down at our table. He and Bill became fast friends in about two minutes. The two of them chatted throughout the meal. When we got the croissant sandwich it was delicious and plenty for two. The conversation was so friendly I was concerned that I might be sitting most of the day.

The Rest of the Hotel

When breakfast was over, we headed out to check out the balance of the hotel. We found the gift shop, laundry and offices. Then we found out way out to the primary pool complex, which was extensive. There were a number of pools, a hookah cafe, indoor squash court and clay tennis courts. We found a pretty nice playground and gave the fitness center and spa a thorough inspection. High marks on all counts, including the friendly staff.

We looked at our watches and realized time was flying. Bill contacted the groom, who was in the salon getting a mani/pedi. He was about to head over to his bride’s home to transport her to the hotel, but he offered to drop us off at his sister’s place. That sounded good to me, because I was ready to quit carrying around gifts and start delivering them.

Come back next week for the fun!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Getting Settled in the Fairmont Heliopolis

July 5, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ALL I NEED IS A DRAWER!

So by now we’re into the wee hours of the morning, but we’re so wired there’s no hope of sleep, so I start trying to organize the room for our stay.

So How Was It?

To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. I expected more from the Fairmont. Except for the size, it looked good. Nice carpet and tile. The furniture and other appointments throughout the room were elegant, but it was a very tight room – like a cabin on a boat. Holiday Inn Express rooms are more comfortable.

There was barely enough room to walk between the bed and the dresser. Since Bill and I are thinner than most people, that means it was tight. A stuffed chair, a desk and an upholstered rolling chair cluttered the rest of the room. Since we had four pieces of luggage – two full size bags and two carry-ons – what space there was disappeared.

One thing I can brag on was the closet. It was certainly ample, with a full size iron and ironing board inside. However, there was virtually no other storage place. No drawers for your drawers, if you know what I mean. The dresser was filled with a mini-bar, supplies for the coffee machine and a safe.

Most people would probably think the bathroom was top notch with a bidet and a walk-in shower, but I’m not the walk-in shower type. I’m a bubble bath type. So while I could wash my privates with ease, a privilege overlooked at most American hotels, I would have preferred to soak them in a deep tub.

Overcoming Claustrophobia

Once the bellman was gone, I had a moment of, “I can’t stay in this tiny room for three nights!” I immediately settled myself down and set to making the room manageable. The first thing I did was banish the overwhelming clutter of reading material the Fairmont had spread across the room. The leather covered binders and folders were huge and there was a selection of magazines. There were paper tents to explain my pillow choices, door hangers for room-service breakfasts. Even the tv remote had a leather cover! All nice, but perhaps they should modify the size of them to jive with the room. I’m sure all that stuff looked just right in an expansive suite, but in my small corner of the hotel, they only emphasized the clutter.

The first thing I did was find a corner in which to hide the carry-ons. They didn’t have any of our stuff in them, only gifts. I’d need them soon, but not when I woke up. Next I opened the largest suitcase which the bellman had put on the luggage rack and pulled out the toiletry bags to stow them away in the bathroom. That portion of the room was more adequately-sized than the rest of the space. I think one person with a single bag could stay comfortably in the room, but we were a little bigger than it was.

On this trip there was no his-suitcase and my-suitcase. When they’d lost our luggage before, some of the bags were returned a few days later, but not the ones with my clothes or the gifts. (This was back in the day when you got two checked bags.) That’s why the gifts were in the carry-on and we each had half our clothes in both suitcases. While that proved to be an unnecessary precaution this time around, I sure wish I’d done it last time I was in Egypt.

In the bathroom I found perks I liked. There were two huge terry robes and two pairs of slippers. Usually the hotel-provided slippers are uncomfortable-looking contraptions that my feet reject, without even slipping them on. These were elegant little jobs with the Fairmont logo on them. I’ve never been clear on whether those slippers are an amenity I’m supposed to take with me or leave behind. I liked these so well that I brought them home with me and I didn’t even feel guilty, but it helped to find this article.

There were other nice touches. Sure there was the usual shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, but it didn’t stop there. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, sewing kit, shower cap, cotton swabs – even a nail file. I’m proud to report they even had a razor, which I discovered I needed. As I write this, I still haven’t found where I misplaced mine when I was fighting the battle of the luggage scale.

One Luggage Rack!

Allowing the wrinkles to hang out of our clothes was my next concern. That’s when I remembered the carry-ons actually had our evening clothes in them, so I had to retrieve them from the corner and pull out my sequined gown, Bill’s suit and the accouterments. Yep they were really wrinkled, but we had a couple of days before we’d be wearing them. I hung them up.

Next I pulled out the clothes I’d need over the next few days, which meant I had to open the other large bag. Only one luggage rack was provided, so I had to get creative and reorganized the room. There was a small, but sturdy looking side table for the easy chair in a corner. I moved the chair to the corner and put my suitcase on the table between the desk and the easy chair. Finally, I reclaimed some floor space.

Then I pulled out my wardrobe list (something I prepare for every trip, so I don’t have the what-am-I-supposed-to-wear-this-morning moment). There were a couple of small drawers inside the closet, so I was able to get almost everything I needed for our Cairo stay into the closet and started on making Bill’s life easier. That’s when the whole drawer for our drawers thing became a challenge.

So, I reorganized the contents of the suitcases. Turning the suitcase on the luggage rack into Bill’s gave him easy access to what he needed and I moved the balance of my clothes into the other suitcase to be out of the way. Finally, I could think about sleep – and I did. Come back next week and see how the next morning went.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

The Complimentary Cookie

June 28, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SWANKY HOTEL, BUT NOT A SIZABLE ROOM

As long as we were in the lobby, I loved the Fairmont. The place was beautiful. The service was great. We were Mr.- and- Mrs.- Sadek-ed to death. What’s not to like?

Gracious Service and Simple Perks

After check-in, we were escorted to our room. By then it was the middle of the night, but our courteous bellman showed us around our room as if we’d arrived midday. It wasn’t really necessary since the room was quite small, but he behaved as if he was showing us the Taj Mahal. Moments later the luggage arrived and we figured out just how small.

A nice touch was a plate of cookies hermetically sealed on a plate for our snacking pleasure. They also generously provided a bottle of water for each of us, each day of our stay. Bottled water is important in Egypt. You cannot drink what comes out of the tap, even if the best hotels. You’re not even supposed to wash your mouth out when you brush your teeth. You’ll find yourself searching out the ubiquitous little street-side kiosks, which sell beverages and snacks, but the daily bottle from the good hotels is helpful.

My handsome traveling companions, Bill, John and Steven

It’s Complimentary!

So now I have to tell you about my nephew Steven, who had a language-challenged introduction to his room. He’s American, like me, and he traveled from California with a buddy for the wedding. His very blonde wife, with two small, active blonde boys, just couldn’t see facing the risk of Egypt in these dangerous times, especially when their rambunctious boys are both too young to really appreciate what they are seeing. Steven’s very close to the groom, so there was no way he was missing the wedding. You’ll be seeing a lot of Steven and his friend, John, in our pictures.

Upon arrival they’d been presented with the hermetically sealed cookies provided by the Fairmont – round tubes of dough with a stuffing. At first glance you’re not sure if what you’re looking at is savory or sweet. The bellman handed the plate to Steven with a flourish, saying, “With our compliments.”

Steven asked, “What is it?”

The answer? “They’re free.”

“I understand,” Steven replied, “but what is it?”

“They’re complimentary. They are free. You don’t have to pay for them,” the bellman explained, wondering why this American didn’t understand his own language. Steven realized he wasn’t going to get the answer he was looking for, so he gave up.

The Language Barrier

I’d like to make a little disclaimer here. English is my only language and I speak it with such a Texas drawl that some people in the US can’t even understand me and Brits are baffled. Twenty-three years with an Egyptian husband and I recognize maybe 10 words of Arabic. At least five of those words mean OK, but I’m still unsure which one you use for what.

There’s something that sounds like “mish” and another that sounds like “tamim” and a selection of others which indicate to me, when I hear them, that the conversation is progressing in the right direction. “Urubbie” is an exclamation like “WOW” and if you want to emphasis something you add “owie,” which means very – but you don’t say “owie urubbie,” even if that’s what you’re thinking. “Shay” is tea, “shokrun” is thank you and “masalama” is good-bye. I tried to conquer the phrase for “you’re welcome” this time, but could never nail it. Thank goodness for nods and smiles.

In the Egyptian hospitality world, everyone from the manager of the hotel to the maid speaks multiple languages and they’re pretty darned good at it. Arabic, English, French, Russian – you name it and they’ll chat away. They may not have all the idioms down 100%, but they usually understand what you want and they can give you an answer. While I’m in awe of their command of languages, it’s still fun to enjoy the outtakes.

Steven is not an adventurous eater, so he didn’t try his complimentary treat until he’d checked with his uncle to find out what it was. You can understand his concern. It might have had a vegetable in it or something, right? 🙂

I didn’t have a cookie at all, but not in fear of vegetables. In spite of all the temptations, I avoided gratuitous calories and focused my intake on the magnificent meals offered at every turn. I still came home with an extra five pounds, but it could have easily been ten or fifteen. (BTW,I was a good girl and the extra pounds were gone in a week.)

In spite of the cookies and immaculate hospitality, I can’t say the Fairmont was my favorite hotel. Come back next week and I’ll tell you why – at least part of the reason.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Welcome to the Fairmont Heliopolis

June 21, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

Crystal Chandeliers in the Fairmont Lobby

TRAVEL THERE: MY LUXURY VACATION BEGINS

If you read this blog with any regularity then you’re well aware that I don’t spend a lot of time in swanky hotels. I’m more the quaint bed & breakfast type, when I can find it, or I’m bragging about the huge discount I found on Expedia. However, on this trip we were in top hotels all the way. In Cairo, we checked into the Fairmont Heliopolis.

Leaving the Airport

One of the things I remembered from my previous trip to Egypt was the wide open spaces between the airport and Heliopolis. Once we had dealt with the absence of our luggage on that trip, I’d sat the backseat of a car wondering just how far we were going to drive before we got to anything.

It’s not that way anymore. It’s like the stretch of LBJ between I-35 and DFW Airport. While it used to be out in the middle of nowhere, it’s now chock-a-block with restaurants, hotels and other buildings. Outside the Cairo Airport was the same thing. What’s more, I barely blinked before we were entering the main thoroughfare of Heliopolis and almost immediately we arrived at the Fairmont. So the first thing you might want to know about the Fairmont is that it’s close to the airport.

The Security Routine

Here’s the drill for most hotel properties in Egypt. (The Cecil in Alexandria and the Dahab Paradise were exceptions to the rule, but pretty much anyplace else put you through this.) The properties are all fenced and gated. You pull up to a guard house with a barrier across the driveway. Your car is thoroughly checked.

First they get the ID of the driver and question him. Then he has to fill in a log. Then they do a physical check of the exterior of the car which includes looking under it with a mirror. Some places also had sniffer dogs. The driver opens the trunk and the dogs and/or metal detectors are used to check out the contents. There are usually a group of guards and after they’ve conferred with one another, the barrier is lifted and you drive through. Someone is usually standing nearby with a machine gun. Some kind of welcome, huh?

Ayman, our niece’s husband, assumed we were in the newer part of the hotel and drove through the older portico to deliver us to the Towers. Only we weren’t in the Towers. The bags were pulled out by the bell staff and Ayman drove away, but once inside we were directed across the way to the original part of the lobby. It was late and I was ready for bed.

Now the reason we were staying at the Fairmont is that we were part of the wedding party and that’s where they were staying. We like to keep our accommodations in two digits if we can, but we were splurging. I have to confess that I was glad we stayed in the older part of the hotel. The new part had that edgy clean look, but I’m a sucker for crystal chandeliers and other gaudy looking hotel lobby decor, like the replica of a pharaonic boat in the Fairmont lobby.

The check-in hasn’t even begun, but I’ve already run out of words, so come back next week to see how we liked our room.

DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

The Airport Adventure Continues

June 14, 2017May 31, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WHERE’S AYMAN?

Now that I’m home, I’ve tried to educate myself about the pilgrims who crowded into the Cairo Airport the same night I arrived. I shared some of the answers last week, but I left Bill and I standing with our niece in a huge, noisy crowd. At first there was the initial small talk of arrival, but soon it was apparent Mirette thought it was high time for Ayman to rescue us from our perch among the milling pilgrims.

Looking for Ayman

After a few minutes of chatting, Mirette began to scan the passing cars for her husband, with the international expression of, “where is he?” Soon she was describing the car Ayman was driving to Bill. Then they began to discuss how far away the car had been parked. When they moved the conversation into Arabic, I got worried.

Then Ayman himself hurried up, but on foot, not in the car, which was perplexing in and of itself. He explained the crowds became too large, so the police shut down one of the roads. He’d found another parking spot as close as he could get, but we still had to walk some.

Midnight Rambles

Even though the time was nearing midnight, walking didn’t sound like a problem, as long as we had a cart for the luggage. Then we came to a set of stairs and I wasn’t really happy about that. The collapsing handle on one of the bags quit working before we ever left Dallas and would have to be carried. The condition of the sidewalks and streets suggested rolling the checked bags would also be a challenge, but I saw no other alternative.

Each of the girls grabbed a carry-on bag, leaving the larger bags to the men. Then, at the bottom of the stairs, I found a cart! Either someone had left it or God had deposited there for my benefit. Either way we were saved. We loaded up the new cart and continued on our way.

Ayman and Bill pushed the luggage-laden cart through the obstacle course. A few feet along the sidewalk and then down a curb. Then a good long haul through parking areas, weaving in-between cars when necessary. Up a curb, over a sidewalk, down a curb, across a street, up a curb and finally we could see the car.

Halting the cart, each of the fellows picked up a bag to put in the trunk. While their backs were turned, the cart took off like a rocket. I shouted and ran after the careening cart, but my shouts were lost in the other noises around us. The cart skewed off the sidewalk, fell to its side and dumped the bags into the street.

A couple of pilgrims watched from afar. You’d have thought they were watching moss grow on a stone for all the reaction the cart and I got. Bill and Ayman looked at me as if the bags strewn in the middle of the street were somehow my fault. All I could think of was the bottles of scotch. You do remember the scotch, don’t you? Would my suitcases be full of glass shards and alcohol-soaked clothes?

We’ll find out together. Come back next week for my first impressions of Cairo outside the airport.

DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Lost in a Sea of Pilgrims

June 7, 2017May 31, 2017 Jane Sadek

Will we ever make it out of the airport?

TRAVEL THERE: AIRPORT ANXIETY

So, we’ve landed at the Cairo Airport. We’ve been through Customs and found all our luggage in baggage claim. We should be fine right? Well, I certainly would have guessed that to be true, but instead Bill and I are standing outside the terminal, in a huge crowd of people, many of whom look like they are dressed in togas. I’m wondering where the riot squad is. Were all my security fears going to come true in the first hour I was in Egypt?

Dismay and Distress

There Bill and I stood, trying to stay connected to each other and to our luggage cart, while being knocked about by the press of the crowd. Part of me was worried about mundane things like pickpockets, but another part was trying to understand what was going on. The toga-dressed people and their friends didn’t actually seem threatening, but I couldn’t understand a word they were saying.

What if we inadvertently angered someone? Would the crowd turn on us? And where were Mirette and Ayman? Had Bill given them the right information and confirmed they’d be there? Had something happened to prevent them coming?

Bill has a gift for appearing calm in a crisis, even when he’s exploding inside. Like me he’d missed the crowd at first, but he’d continued to overlook it until we were in the middle of it. Had I realized how worried he was, I would have been even more concerned. Just when I was ready to hail a cab, our family members found us.

Instant Relief

I’m not quite sure where they came from but suddenly my niece and her husband were there. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so glad to see anyone, with the exception, perhaps, of Bill the two times he came home from Iraq. Once they had located us, Ayman headed off to get the car. We were still being jostled, but we’d been found, so things didn’t seem quite so threatening.

While we waited, I tried asking Mirette what was going on with all the white outfits. She said they were pilgrims on Hajj as if that explained everything, but it didn’t. Even I knew the Hajj was taken to Mecca, which is in Saudi Arabia, not Egypt. Something was getting lost in translation.

Why would people on a plane from Saudi Arabia be coming TO Egypt for the Hajj at Easter time? No one could ever tell me. They just kept patiently explaining the pilgrims were on Hajj, as if that was the definitive answer. Once I got home, I tried Google and Wikipedia, but could find no straight-forward answers.

I’m probably on some watch list by now. Not only was I in Egypt while this pilgrimage was going on, I was also there for the Pope’s visit. Since I got back, I’ve been googling every question I could think of to figure it all out.

I educated myself on traditional ihram clothing, which is the toga-like outfit worn by the pilgrims. I satisfied myself April was not the date for Hajj this year or for any of the major Muslim holidays, for that matter. I found out pilgrimages taken at times other than Hajj are something called Umrah and I finally found some Umrah locations in Egypt. Most of what I found when I Googled were travel packages available for Hajj and Umrah, but all of them that I read sounded like a travelogue for people who already know why they are going. Nothing there to explain exactly what was going on.

So come back next week and find out our other adventures at the Cairo Airport. Since I’m here writing this blog post we obviously made it out, but not until after a little more craziness.

DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Touchdown in Cairo

May 31, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LET THE CRAZINESS BEGIN

It was a late night arrival in Cairo, so the activity inside the terminal was actually pretty calm. A flight arrived from Saudi Arabia about the same time as ours, but otherwise customs and baggage claim was empty. Preoccupied with my own arrival I wasn’t really focused on other passengers, but it was clear we were in the Middle East.

What’s With the Guys Wearing Towels?

In the terminal, hajibs and galabeyas were more frequent than blue jeans and yoga pants, but one guy really got my attention. To my uninformed eye, it looked as if he were dressed for a toga party. His white garment came to about mid-calf and had been torn all the way around the bottom. The texture was towel-like and it appeared one shoulder might be bare. Something like a a shawl was pinned around his other shoulder. He was definitely wearing shower shoes, but whatever the reason for his outfit, staring would be rude, so I kept my eyes down.

If there had only been one guy like that, I might have forgotten about it in the hustle and bustle, but I began to realize there were a lot of men wearing variations of the same thing. Some ‘togas’ were longer than others. Some men had both shoulders wrapped. One hem would look freshly torn with ratty looking strings hanging around the bottom, while another hem would be so smooth I wondered whether it were torn at all.

There were also variations in the textures of the garments. The first ‘toga’ I had spied looked like a laundry mistake. If you’ve ever washed a few towels and then discovered them still in the washer several days later – damp, wrinkled and soured – then you know what I mean. I didn’t get close enough to smell him, of course, but that’s what it looked like. He was the anomaly in the crowd, but there were other subtle differences. While some had the lush looped-terry of a luxury hotel’s complimentary robe, a few had the even more exclusive look of a waffle-woven linen hand-towel No loops there.

Please understand, I’m making all these observations out of the corner of my eye or from under lowered eyelids. I didn’t want to appear to be a gawking tourist, even if that was exactly what I was. I started trying to figure out if this was totally a male thing and I was able to ascertain very quickly it was. The women wore traditional galabeyas and hajibs, and most were of the gloved, head-to-toe, black variety mentioned in my initial blog about this trip. Days later, I would begin to realize there were women dressed in simple white variations of this head-to-toe manner, traveling with some of the men, but if they were at the airport I missed them.

I kept quiet and kept my eyes to myself as much as I could, but I couldn’t help but wonder what the deal was. Did an entire group of conventioneers get their luggage stolen and this was the best the hotel could offer? Your imagination does weird things in a vacuum of information.

Where are Mirette and Ayman?

Step-by-step we made it through customs and retrieved our luggage. We were almost out of the terminal, but with the exception of professional drivers holding signs, we hadn’t seen anyone greeting our fellow arrivals. Just outside the sidewalk was busy with people cuing up for cabs.

Have you ever looked around a place, trying to get your bearings and missed the most obvious thing. I was looking so hard to find my niece or her husband, that I missed a wild cacophony right in front of me. When I finally got my bearings, I started to wonder if I was about to get caught up in a riot.

On the other side of a thoroughfare filled with cabs was a huge crowd. Many of the men had on the togas I had noticed inside the terminal. Bill headed across the street and I followed him, wondering if he’d even noticed the rowdy crowd. They weren’t rowdy in a soccer fan kind of way, it was more purposeful and less emotional, but nonetheless quite loud. What a kaleidoscope of sight and sound to begin our sojourn in Egypt!

I’ll tell you about it next week.

DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL

Happy at Heathrow

May 24, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: A DEFINITELY DELIGHTFUL LAYOVER

No matter how pleasant an Atlantic-crossing flight may be, I need a break when it’s over. Hanging out in an airport may not be the most fun I can have, but it can be some fun – and this time it was. It had been a while since I’d been to Heathrow and I have nothing but nice things to say about it.

Welcome to Heathrow

Our bags were checked through to Cairo, which was a blessing, but we had to change terminals. That’s never fun. At Heathrow that means you take a bus to the first terminal, follow the purple signs forever, take another bus to the other terminal and get delivered to a skillfully-organized dime-dropping opportunity.

After our brisk walk following the purple signs, I was ready for lunch. We arrived in the departure lounge and were a bit overwhelmed. This place is a shopper’s paradise and they have some pretty good food, too. After checking out the possibilities at the terminal map, we made our way to a place that sounded sort of pub-ish.

Hungry at Huxley’s

One nice thing about Heathrow was their choice of restaurants. You weren’t stuck with your usual food court choices. I was craving authentic fish and chips, so we made our way to Huxley’s, described on the Heathrow website this way:

“With its handsome dark-wood chequerboard floor and leather banquette seating, Huxleys could pass for a new-wave gastropub, but the menu has no such pretensions. Expect simple compilations of the best ingredients: slow cooked pork belly, old English pork sausages and 21 day aged steak. Thick-cut sandwiches, pie and mash, all-day breakfasts, beer battered fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding continue the British theme. “

I had to look no further than front and center on the menu to figure out what I wanted and Huxley’s did not disappoint. The British Classic was everything my taste buds had been craving – and the minted peas? Marvelous! Bill had some sort of sandwich and a beer. I wanted a beer, but I opted for a diet soda instead. I was still trying to watch my weight at that point and I was busting the calorie budget with my beer-battered fish.

As we waited for our food to be served we observed what others were having and admired something called an Eton Mess as it was delivered to another table. Fresh strawberries, crushed meringue, whipped cream and ice cream. What was there not to like? We toyed with the idea of finishing our meal with the same, but there was no room in the tummy after I inhaled all the gorgeous fish and chips.

Let’s Go Shopping

To me, the star of the shopping mall was Harrod’s. Not only is it a British classic, the space it occupied was spectacular. I saw at least six things that I wanted to come home with me before I even entered the shop.

Bill was attracted to the duty-free shopping. That’s where he discovered that I had been right about the Jack Black Scotch. We could have bought it for a great price at the airport and not had to sacrifice pounds in our luggage.

There was another little shop that represented another brand now associated with all things British. I’m not a Hogwart fan, but I had to take this picture for Hannah Beth. We were able to enjoy both floors of the Heathrow Terminal 5 shopping opportunity before they posted our gate on the departure monitors, but we managed to keep the credit cards in our pockets.

I caught up on my travel journal – it’s always quite detailed in the beginning, but by the end of the trip I’m not such a faithful diarist. I wandered around a bit, trying to take advantage of this chance to stretch my legs. I also made my pre-boarding potty stop. That’s when I found this guy biding me farewell and I couldn’t resist capturing him for you.

Our flight was called and we boarded. Come back next week for our exciting arrival in Cairo!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Grateful for the Yawn Factor

May 17, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: BLISSFULLY BORING FLIGHTS

I’m of the opinion that travel is more interesting if there are problems. “Everything was perfect,” might make for a great vacation, but you could bore your friends to death with that kind of travelogue. Lost luggage, crazy GPS instructions and rude hotel clerks make better copy. Hopefully, I won’t put you to sleep today, but our travel to Egypt was without incident. That all changed once we got to Cairo, but that’s for later.

I Flew on American and I Liked It

This may not be a newsworthy item for you, but it was for me. I’ve sort of hated American for a long time. For years, every travel horror story I lived through began with, “I was on an American flight…” I carried that anti-American chip on my shoulder for a long time, but in recent years I noticed that other airlines were doing their part to be as awful as I thought American was.

Most recently that was Lufthansa. I’d always counted them on my favorites list, but then I flew them to Frankfurt. The plane rattled so much I thought it was made out of Tinker-Toys. Bill claims the flight wasn’t that bad, but if I hadn’t been sitting next to him, I would think he must have been on another plane. Bottom line, I could no longer say my worst flights were American.

My other problem with American had to do with Love Field and the Wright Amendment. As a Dallasite, I love Southwest Airlines and Love Field. The Wright Amendment tied the hands and feet of both, in favor of DFW, and I didn’t like it. I also loved Legend Air, which was a Love Field underdog that I maintain was run out of business by American. I’m always for the underdog. I go out of my way to avoid Walmart. I won’t buy anything on Amazon. I hate most chain restaurants, too.

This American flight snuck up on me. (Yes, I know snuck isn’t really a word, but I like it better than sneaked.) I wasn’t the one to make the reservations and I thought we were flying British Airways. It wasn’t until a few days before the flight, when I was researching baggage allowances, that I realized my British Airways flight was going to be on American. By then it was too late to do anything about it and I knew Bill was tired of hearing American Airlines Hysteria. I just lived with the revelation.

A Brand Spanking New 777

So we got to the airport, parked our car, rode the shuttle to the terminal and checked our luggage curbside. It was easy. It was a late-night flight, so the airport was pretty boring. We had a nice chat with a lady in the L’Occitane En Provence store. In fact, she sensed my concern and we actually prayed together. Finally it was time to board.

Let me tell you, our plane was so new I think it just rolled off the assembly line. Nothing rattled. Everything was pristine. There were bells and whistles I hadn’t even thought to wish for – and we were in economy. Even the food was decent. I watched a couple of movies. I was even able to sleep!

So, American Airlines, I know you weren’t losing any sleep over my grudge against you, but I want you to know it’s over now. I can easily say my best flight ever was on American. Singapore Air still holds my best-food-on-an-airline award, but the shepherd’s pie on American’s return flight was pretty decent. (BTW Sing Air, I liked your old paint job better. This new one is boring.)

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