More Than I Bargained For

I knew I got more than I bargained for when

1) My airline scheduled 5 flights to leave from the same gate AT THE SAME TIME and 500 people were trying to get through a 4 foot wide door.

2) My hotel room had not been cleaned from the previous inhabitants, and the hotel attendant apparently thought this was ok.

3) I was advised to travel between cities in convoys with other tourists escorted by armed military vehicles, due to potential danger.

4) I was blatently asked for a bribe (yes, they used the arabic word for bribe) whenever a service was performed.

5) My cab driver was comfortable driving 100 mph while weaving through traffic (that was in kuwait). And I'm not even joking. He was doing 160 kph. I looked.

Overall the trip was good. I saw some temples, saw some heiroglypics and got hassled by all the shopkeepers. But whats a trip without a little hassling. We also ate some good egyptian food and had good conversation. Russ, who was with me, speaks fluent Arabic, so that was awesome. I'm sure we saved a lot of money simply because of his language skills.

We didn't see the pyramids. Those are in Cairo. We were in South Egypt, in Luxor and Aswan. But maybe I'll make it back there again and I'll visit Cairo and Alexandria in the North.

Pictures are coming soon.

I'm not going to lie. I sometimes feel like I'm living this odd existence where I live in the Middle East and travel to these exotic countries. And I do. And if feels strangely normal. But there are times when I have these "what the crap am I doing" moments. So I try to remember my strange life as I do the 'mundane' things as well - like teaching. Even that is an adventure, though. I would have never thought 8 months ago, that I would be teaching arab kids in the middle east. Its pretty sweet. Usually. Unless I'm frustrated. Then I have a bad attitude.

So I guess post-college life has been more than I bargained for, thus far. Fortunately, by grace, I have kept my head above water.

Knock on wood.