Cairo to London – back to the real world

▲ ▲ ▲ – Friday – wake up call at 4.30am!!!  That’s a bit of a rude shock.  Just as well we finished packing last night as Walid (the tour director) is here to take us to the airport. It is sad to leave Egypt and all the history and places I had read about for so long but on the other hand I am glad to get out of Cairo.

The traffic did not stop, the car horns never stopped – and we did not get a proper nights sleep while we were there and yet it was so exciting!

Even the hotel was under restoration for a time and we had to put up with hammering and carry on.  Needless to say Sekhmet gives them the evil eye and tells them exactly what she thought of our stay in no uncertain terms when we checked out.  I note that the hotel staff are all smiling!

My time in Egypt has been fabulous. It has been everything of which I ever dreamed. 

The splendour of the statues, temples and monuments was unbelievable. I am ever so glad that I got the opportunity to come here and fulfill my dream.

I am especially glad that Kylie was able to experience this journey with me.  Maybe I will be able to return one day – I would like to think I will – but if I don’t then I have achieved a life long ambition – – – to look upon the faces of the Pharaohs and stand in awe of what they and their civilizations achieved. 

Australia is my home but I also feel a special unexplainable link with Egypt.  I like to think that maybe it was also my home sometime long, long ago. 

Our flight departs Cairo at 8.30am – Olympic Airways flight 326M and we arrive in Athens at 11.45am – local time.

On our way there we fly over some islands in the Aegean Sea.  I don’t know what islands they are but hey, a Greek island is a Greek island is a Greek island.

We land in Athens and are supposed to fly out at 1.30pm but wouldn’t you know it, the flight is delayed until 3.00pm.  So nothing to do but wait around and look at the duty free.  (Read – spend more money).

There are lots of kids racing around and Sekhmet lets them know just by looking at them that she is not pleased and miracle of miracles they take the hint.  Maybe there is something to this Egyptian goddess legend.  Is this never going to end?

We finally get our call to board – flight 269M – and it is another ‘I’d rather forget this one’ flight by Olympic. They would have to be the grumpiest group around.  When they hand out the Duty Free booklet is comes via a throw from them to us.  The food was good though, and also the wine.

We land at Heathrow about 5pm and get a hire car to the flat – and to top it all off – I am sure the driver came back from Egypt with us as he was a shocker.  And those bloody car horns again!  He honked his horn all through the trip home.  Or maybe I am just paying extra attention to it or maybe he felt that we were homesick for Egypt.  Anyway, I don’t think Kylie was impressed.

We arrive home and have a nice cuppa and some toast for tea. Will have an early night and a sleep in tomorrow morning.

This is Kylie’s flat – well the front of it anyway. Her room is at the back of the house and has a nice view of the back gardens.

Kylie and the others have the entire first floor.  The main door downstairs is on the left side and then there is a set of stairs.  The front of the house with the sun on the windows is the lounge room and kitchen area.  It has a nice view of other houses in the street and is a very nice, comfortable house in a lovely part of London’s leafy suburbs.

Best thing – no traffic – no car horns – no wake up calls.  Hard to realise that our time in Egypt has gone.

I have been away for three weeks and it just seems like yesterday that I was planning this adventure.

Highlight of the day : comfort food of tea and toast