CAIRO at last (via Frankfurt for a day)

So here goes.  I'm a first-time blogger hoping to share some of my experiences, thoughts and impressions with my family and friends as I begin a new, 2-year adventure in Egypt.  Maybe I'll find some new friends in the process.  Of course these are my own opinions.  I'm no expert in Egyptian culture.  I just landed last night after some grueling travel with my husband and 3 little girls coming from the great Southwest United States.  I know I am in for some amazing experiences that few people from my background get to experience.  My aim is simply to share the journey.

Flying with 3 small children for such a long distance (over 7,000 miles) is difficult.  All I can say is Santa was a genius for getting each child their own Kindle tablet with headphones.  We chose to have a 1-night rest stop.  Originally, it was going to be an amazing, jam-packed day of sightseeing in Rome.  But thanks to horrible snow storms and freezing temperatures in the Northeast, our U.S. departure was delayed by 3 days and re-routed through Frankfurt.  By the time we got to Germany, we were totally exhausted.  It didn't help that many nearby castles were closed for the winter.  So we chose to rest mostly, but did get out to Old Town Frankfurt for some delicious dinner (Schnitzel!) and a little bit of sight-seeing.

C enjoying bread and ham at Zum Standesämtchen (although to be honest, the smile is probably from the Burger King french fries we sneaked in).

C, B & A outside the magnificent Frankfurt Cathedral.

B & A striking a pose by the Liebfrauenberg Fountain.

Zeil Street: perfect for shopping and people watching.

 We landed in Cairo last night around 7:00PM.  My husband's company helped expedite the process at the airport.  With 6 suitcases, 5 back packs, 2 carry-ons and 3 car seats, we appreciated the help.  In Germany we didn't have any help and it was torture.  It was nighttime, so I couldn't see much during the drive.  As I had been warned, the traffic is chaotic.  The buildings seemed like mammoth cement structures with little color.  Already I miss America's anti-smoking laws.  Cigarette smoke is impossible to escape.  Our apartment is wonderful.  One exciting adjustment will be the affordability of domestic help.  My husband hired an Egyptian woman whose salary is greater than those from the Philippines or other African countries, but her fluency in English and Arabic is indispensable.  She cleans, she cooks, she does laundry and she handles small errands.  When it comes to apartment maintenance or dealing with essential utility companies (Internet, in particular!) - she is heaven sent.  I enjoyed my first Egyptian meal of couscous with grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and I don't even know what else but it was delicious.  So nice to have it waiting for us in our fridge when we got home.  You can't beat that!  We have plenty of room to raise our 3 little ones for the next 2 years.  I was a little worried but it's very comfortable.  My husband came ahead of us to Egypt, and thankfully his insight helped us adjust our housing arrangements - I think for the better!  We're closer to his work so we'll see more of him.  He thinks we're in a quieter part of Cairo.  "Quiet" is relative.  Cairo is bigger than New York City so there isn't an absence of noise.  Already I get the impression that Egyptians are fond of honking their car horns.  Back home we use blinkers.  Here - horns.  I borrowed this photograph from "Egyptian Streets" - a great news source for things happening in my new home - to show a snapshot of traffic you might find in any given neighborhood. 

Photo courtesy of www.egyptianstreets.com

After managing only 3 hours of sleep, my husband arranged for a driver to take me to the doctor to see about a worsening cough.  He stayed home with our girls: 2 couldn't wake up, the other couldn't stop throwing up.  This is just the beginning.  More adventures to come . . . .