Arrival in Cairo

Having never been in Egypt (or even Africa) before, I had no idea what to expect, so it was one of those arrivals which is etched on my mind.

The flight arrived at 10:30 PM, in what was absolutely perfect weather, neither too hot nor too cold. A representative from the tour company (Insight Vacations) met me inside the Customs area, literally seconds after I entered the building. We very quickly got through Customs. (I had acquired my visa beforehand, though it was possible to get it on the spot.)
The guide and driver took me directly to my hotel, the Cairo Marriott, in about thirty minutes.

Along the way we passed Mubarak's palace, something the guide pointed out to me along with saying he "was not a good man." The elections were midway complete during my time there, and as I was to find out the people in Cairo were very much in favor of change, while those down south would prove to be more conservative, less concerned about change than surviving.

The hotel was very secure, with bomb guards and cylindrical hydraulic road bollards in the driveway, dogs sniffing all arriving vehicles, and metal detectors at the lobby entrance.

Even though I had my second wind and wanted to explore the grounds, I gave in to reason and went to bed by 2:00 AM so that I could be ready to wake up at 7:00 AM.