I really don't want to get into my last couple of weeks in Vienna. As I mentioned, it was basically just studying and class. I wasn't even able to run during that last week :/ Thus, I'd rather move on and discuss the past few days, which were busy yet glorious.
Given the amount of info to share (and the fact that I'm about to leave soon and go explore Bangkok with some peeps), this post will be dedicated to talking about my flight to and layover in Cairo.
Firstly, the group encountered several difficulties at the Vienna airport. The baggage limits were ridiculous, so we all ended having to pay about 45-50 euros a piece to have extra baggage shipped. LAME. Matt G. ended up having to crack open his old laptop with a fork and remove the hard drive (long story) so that he had less weight in one of his suitcases. Yeah, it was that kind of day.
On top of that, only about half the group I was with (seven people) were able to get their boarding passes from Cairo to Bangkok. As far as the rest of us, the Austrian Airlines employees couldn't retrieve them, because the flight from Cairo to Bangkok was Egyptair and they couldn't get them or whatever. (Really, it makes no sense; if you can retrieve boarding passes for people on the same flight, you should be able to find the others too.) Again, LAME.
But we made it to Cairo and were able to get our boarding passes (talk about a sigh of relief!). Craig had made a reservation for him and three other group members to do a layover tour of Cairo. Carly, Tabitha, and I had planned on just winging it when we got there, but we thought it might be better to stay with the group and have a tour guide, since we didn't know where anything was. When the others met up with the tour guide, we asked if he had room for us as well, and he did! Gloriooooouuuus.
Our tour guide, Hani, turned out to be one of the coolest people EVER. He was a fountain of information about everything Egypt, be it historical events, the quickest way to get places, how much you should really pay for things when you're bartering, etc. He was very mindful of the fact that we had only six hours for our tour ( we had an eight-hour layover, but we had to be back two hours before the flight). He was more mindful of the time than we were, in fact; if it had just been the group on our own, we would have gotten sidetracked so easily, but he kept us on our toes so we be late.
From the airport, we took a van (crowded and sweaty, but we didn't care - we were in Cairo!) to the pyramids. Yes, Egyptian pyramids! It was truly unbelievable. Even more so because up until I climbed into the van I had no idea I'd even be seeing pyramids that day!
 |
| Pyramids in the background of the city. |
 |
| ! |
 |
| That's Hani talking on the right. |
 |
| I like this picture :) |
Well friends, I hate to cut this short but I'm being summoned to go explore the city of Bangkok. Part II of the Cairo adventure when I return! (Sidenote: wouldn't it be crazy if I divided my Cairo trip into three posts and called it 'The Cairo Trilogy'?? Haha, get it?? Okay, Megan and Ray probably do =P ).
