In Paris...

I'm writing from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. I
was going to go into the city today with my long
layover, but found there was no place to store my
carry-on at the airport, and was also pretty pooped
after a night of travel and not much sleep. So, I'm
hanging out in the Air France lounge, eating free
snacks, and finally got access to a computer with a US
keyboard--the others here have most of the letters in
the same places we do, but not all...

My friends Viola and Farid showed me a wonderful time
in Alexandria. I left with as many Egyptian pounds as
I started with--they were very generous in many ways.
A site we visited that I failed to mention was the
grounds of the palace that are at the water's edge in
Alexandria. Built in the early 20th century, it
features a grand entrance, lovely gardens, and a well
maintained palace, which we weren't able to enter.

We wrapped up our visit with a traditional Egyptian
meal in a fine restaurant overlooking the
Mediterranean. I had kabob, which included both
chicken and a ground, spicy beef, vegetables, and a
delicious ride pilaf.

At 1:45 this morning, I departed Alexandria on the bus
for the Cairo airport. Comfortable, modern and air
conditioned, the driver began with a tape of an
Egyptian singer doing a sort of chant that was kind of
a nice send off, though a bit loud. After we got on
the road, he put in a movie that was some sort of
Egyptian comedy--big detective type gets in
embarrassing situations, such as on stage with dancing
girls. The driver had the sound cranked up even
louder, but fortunately each seat had a button to turn
off the sound. We were all of one accord, and had a
nice, quiet trip to Cairo. Sleep was in fits and
starts, though, and not restful.

I got to the Cairo airport around 5:30 AM, and was
able to check in around 7:00. They had a small lounge
for business class travelers, which eased things a
bit. I slept off and on on the plane, and got to
Paris around 2:00 PM. I fly out at 11:00 PM. As much
as I was looking forward to exploring Paris, I didn't
have it in me. As we were coming in over the villages
and rolling hills, I realized that France would be a
fine choice for my travels next year--we'll see!

The computers here won't access my card reader, so
I'll break down and pay for some wireless time in an
hour or two. So, be watching for Egypt pictures as
well as more Japan pictures later today.

On to Johannesburg!

JP

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