Day 11

Over a week and a half into the Cairo experience – the apartment is settled into, the YES Project is underway and the mosquitoes are slowly, but surely, devouring me from the feet up. Expeditions so far have included dodging sales pitches in the Khan al-Khalili markets, slowly but surly exploring our ‘hood (Nasr City 4 life, yo) and chilling – literally, it was cold up there – on top of Al Mokattam mountain, overlooking Cairo as the moon began to dip at 4am. Oh and shisha, of course. And juice – delicious, fresh-squeezed juice that’s heavy with actual fruit.

As anyone that has lived in the city can tell you, one of the big things about moving to Cairo is getting used to the traffic. As a pedestrian it turns any street crossing into a pitched battle/game of chicken/test of your agility; as a passenger it’s the closest thing you can get to a real life version of Super Mario Kart. Haven’t seen any red shells or banana peels yet, but pretty much everything else is game – snarled traffic as a donkey-pulled cart meanders through a busy intersection; full-blown shouting matches springing from a slightly-mistimed maneuver; a whole lane of traffic backed up 100 meters, a cop car with two officers frantically trying to revive their vehicle at the front.

Tomorrow comes an LC meeting on culture - before then, I'll whip something up to show them that'll be - as the Americans say - dope-ass.