I'm currently sitting at a computer in an Internet cafe in the middle of Cairo, just down the street from the Cairo Museum, which is the museum to see for Egyptian antiquities. I plan to spend the entire day there tomorrow, especially checking out animal mummies, ancient glass, and the Tutankhamen treasures.

The minibus took me into Giza, and then two of the inspectors and I grabbed a service to this part of town, which is actually just east of a big island in the middle of the Nile. All the lovely diesel fumes are back, and outside the night air is filled with the hubbub of a busy city on a weekend night.

Lauren recommended a place called El Bistro around the block from an average hotel in which I'm staying for a night for the whopping price of LE86, including breakfast. Can't beat the prices here. Anyway, dinner was excellent, except for the salad, which was mostly cucumbers and tomatoes -- my least favorite veggies.

The rest of dinner... oh my... a half-bottle of wine, fish in a Dijon mustard sauce, and fresh white bread for starters... (drool) all things that I've not had since leaving the States. Well, I've had fish, but I was referring to wine, mustard, and fresh white bread. Stuffed now, of course, so after this entry is done I'll go wander around town for an hour before bed.

On the way back from dinner I nipped into a corner store and bought soap because the hotel doesn't provide it (told you it was cheap, but at least this one has towels, unlike the one I checked out prior to it). On the way out I got a little bar of solid chocolate, another thing I've not had for weeks and weeks and weeks. And yes, I have lost a (needed) couple of pounds at least.

Tonight and tomorrow will make the first 24 hours of being on my own since arriving in Egypt. It's a very weird feeling, but not bad by any means. It's easier now to make do with various gestures and some simple common Arabic words.

Well, I will only start to babble if I write any more now. Catch you later!