Cairo NYE

Cairo
31 December 2011

It’s 7:00 AM on New Year’s Eve, with 2012 just a handful of hours away. My cold is almost entirely gone (and this time I really, really mean it!). One pleasant surprise was to receive email from Nancy and Bryan, two of the passengers from the ship. I plan on trying to stay up till midnight, possibly in the casino (albeit a small one!). My flight tomorrow is not until 11:30 PM, so check-out at noon will be the thing that paces my early morning activities. Last year in Venice I fell asleep a scant 10 minutes before the stroke of midnight, so I don’t want to make that mistake again.

As with so many other people, New Years Eve is an introspective day for me, a chance to look back at the last year, to take stock of what went well, what did not, and to try to decide what to do differently this next year. The thing that makes this upcoming year so challenging for so many people is that with the economy where it is, few seem to have control over what is happening in their lives. The world always seems to be in chaos, though it does seem even more unstable now than in the past: Economic and financial volatility abound throughout the world, the Eurozone crisis lingers on (along with talk of another recession to come), the US economy and housing market continue to languish, the Egyptian situation has yet to play out, Syria is in turmoil, the very recent death of Kim Jung Il brings a completely unknown leader to power in that country, Iran is on the verge of nuclear armament, not to mention that we will finally get to find out if the end of the Mayan calendar really means anything, or if the scribe simply resigned and the Mayans elected to leave the position unfilled.

I have nothing on the docket for today, and in order not to risk a resurrection of the cold I am going to stay close by the hotel, maybe going to Hard Rock but otherwise working on notes and emails.

One interesting thing I found out yesterday from my guide was that the reason we were on the boat with Germans (and a few Japanese) was by design, not chance. I knew that there were a number of other nationalities here, in particular Russians, as I heard the very large tour groups all throughout the Karnak and Luxor temples, so it seemed odd that there were none on the boat with us. The tour guide explained that is by design as Americans, Germans/Austrians and Japanese seem to “play” well together, but Russians are not a good part of the compatibility mix. After thinking back over the times I’ve been barreled over by large Russian tour groups in places such as Florence, it makes sense: The culture is very different, and they are used to a more “in your face” type of crowd management. While Germans may not be overly warm, they do respect the space of an individual, but a group of Russians, heading from point A to B, will take the direct route, with no attempt to deviate in the slightest if you happen to be in their trajectory. Probably this grouping was a wise choice, and I am glad they thought of it!

This has been an unusual vacation for me in some intangible sense, very educational and enjoyable in a way I have not really experienced before. Part of it may have been the stark contrast of the first three days with what was to follow: To begin in a Savoy suite in London, with unparalleled comfort and luxury, only to be followed a short flight later by a third world country, was in and of itself a mindbender. Also, spending the Christmas season in a Muslim country was odd, in that even though the ship and hotel had decorations and music playing to note the season, you realize that to them it is at best a foreign anomaly, if not something that a number of them disdain to some level.

Another “challenge” for me has been to avoid showing the soles of my feet, something highly offensive in the Muslim world. Especially when typing on the laptop, I tend to cross my right ankle over my left knee in order to make a comfortable “table,” but such an act would be poorly received here. The couple of times I have started to do so, I was fortunately able to catch myself quickly.

I took a short stroll, ostensibly to see if the Hard Rock is reachable on foot. Unlike the southern (upper) part of Egypt, being a Westerner in Cairo is simply a curiosity warranting an occasional glance, not a blank check for the taking by each and every man (or boy) on the street. In any case, after about a 30 minute walk I was unsure which way to go (and it was too hazy to see in the distance), so I returned to the hotel and inquired about a cab ride. Now for the supreme disappointment: There is no Hard Rock. The Cairo location of the ubiquitous oasis for Western travelers worldwide was shutdown last year. I am surprised my guide did not know that, though in fairness to him it is still showing up in most web searches as being open, but the Concierge was certain it is no longer. So, with the biggest vice I can possibly pull off being a little gambling, I’m going to head off to the casino for a warm-up prior to tonight’s Bond adventure.