We Are Here!

What a trip!  I am so glad that the traveling is over.  The journey from Halifax to Egypt went better overall then I expected it would, yet not without its challenges.  We maxed out our luggage with every bag reaching capacity weight and two that were overweight.  We packed up the van the night before so that we would have little to do in the morning even though we would not be rushed as our flight would not leave until the afternoon.  BUT, in the morning we were so anxious and ready to go we wished that we had things to do because just sitting around and waiting does not calm the nerves it makes it WORSE!  So, we left early for the airport and took our time.  There were many angels along our journey and here is list of some of them.

1)     We were thankful for the man that helped us take our mass of luggage to the check-out counter before we met up with Hubby’s parents and sister.  We had two luggage carts and a stroller to push quite a ways and he certainly made that easier.

2)     1) The ladies at the check-out counter.  They were very helpful in getting our bags set to go, and helped calm our nerves as they asked numerous questions about our travels.  The check in could have gone in two ways, good or bad.  This experience was better than good.  Even though they asked us about Visas, it did not seem to matter...and those two very OVERWEIGHT bags...they did not charge us for them.  Like I said...better than expected.

3)       

2) 2)The Customer Service Agent in Toronto that helped us locate the iPad after forgetting it on the first plane.  She was excellent...knew all the right people to call, and after a 45 minute wait had the iPad back in my bag 15 minutes prior to departure.  Customer Service Agents often have to deal with very angry and upset people when they really had nothing to do with it (I saw at least 3 very angry people yelling at them over my 45 minute wait at the counter).  They are awesome and need to be recognized.  So, CSA in Toronto that helped me, THANKS...and to the CSA that dealt with the angry lady going to Tel Aviv, you exhibited great patience.

4)  

    The CSA in Frankfurt that paged us so we could meet up with Hubby’s long time friend that is a flight attendant and was about to fly to Calgary.  And to the same CSA that gave us a new baggage claim ticket for one of our bags that lost its routing tag...and I guess the person that knew where it was supposed to go and got it a new routing tag. 

5)      The flight attendant on the final leg of the flights from Frankfurt to Cairo that found Princess’ passport and backpack.  We were simply exhausted by that flight and hubby dropped the passport trying to find our seats on the plane.  The backpack only had a few toys, but Princess would have missed them none the less.

6)      The man who sat beside me on the plane to Cairo who quickly found Kleenex and paper towel when Dimples got sick on the decent and landing and also found a bag for him.  Dimples getting sick was the last thing I expected, but it was a turbulent landing with many dips that made my stomach jump!

 7)      The lady at Custom’s in Cairo who let us just pass right through without asking any questions or asking for any documentation.  We had all the necessary papers, but it was nice not to have to get them out and justify our case to get into the country.

8)      The random man that found our two big bags full of our teaching materials.  All our luggage came out quickly except those two which were arguably the most important bags in the load. 

9)      The other TEACHERS that traveled with us that helped watch Princess when she needed other people to keep her entertained or when she was really bored waiting in line or waiting for luggage.  That made the trip a lot easier.

10)   To the drivers that picked us up and welcomed us to Egypt!  They got us to our new home safely and efficiently through the crazy TRAFFIC!  More on that later.

11)   To the doorman that helped haul all the luggage up to the third floor of the apartment building.  It was so incredibly great that Hubby did not have to carry it all after the long journey.

As you can see, we did have some challenges along the way.  But none that were not met by the kindness of others.  To the people listed above we are eternally grateful because you made a tricky trip that much easier. 

So, we are in EGYPT!  We made it.  We arrived at 2 PM local time and were quickly whisked away from the airport in one of the school vans.  My first impression of what I saw when I got outside was that it was very sandy.  Sand is everywhere and not much green. Of course I knew that we were going to a desert land but nothing can prepare you for the change of landscaping.  When we flew over the Nile Delta it was very lush and green, but not right at the airport.  There are palm trees and cacti but that is about it.   Hubby’s first impression was that the weather was awesome as it was only 32 degrees Celsius with NO humidity.  Our family traveled in our own vehicle as we were going directly to our new home which is in a different area than all the other teachers that traveled with us.  The traffic here is unlike any other I have EVER seen.  The roads look the same, pavement with 4 lanes painted on which you would expect people would drive in...but the lanes did not really mean much to the drivers.  There are no traffic lights and turning signals and the drivers just honk.  It is very noisy traffic and at times I think there were actually eight “lanes” of traffic.  The drivers all seemed very calm, even in the gridlock.  Most of the vehicles were older which resulted in a more polluted trip.  The drive was an excellent glimpse at various communities on the way and probably the most spectacular thing we saw was the Pyramids of Giza on the horizon.  They were massive from far away, I cannot imagine what they look like up close!  I speculate that a trip to the pyramids will be one of our first “touristy” things that we will do.

When we arrived at our apartment we were met by our landlady who is simply amazing!  She had our fridge stocked with basics that we would need for the first 24 hours and quickly showed us around.  She arranged for a dinner to be prepared for us which was the last thing we expected.  It was brought to us by her nanny and daughter and it was delicious!  The rest of the evening we started unpacking and making the apartment our new home.  The kids have taken quickly to the house and have claimed their space and there are toys everywhere already!  Princess and Dimples are most excited by the fact that the landlady has 3 dogs that are completely safe for them to play with.  They live in the building and roam freely throughout so we frequently hear barking and if we leave the apartment the dogs come running.  Princess in particular is thrilled that one of the dogs is extremely friendly and has no problem when she picks her up and carries her around. 

It is now 5 AM and the sun is starting to rise.  There is a foggy haze over the horizon...probably from the sand blowing around, not from fog.  The surroundings are all different here and the workers for the construction site next to our home are beginning to arrive.  It is very beige here, lots of sand, not much green.  The lush green grass at our home in Winnipeg seems like a distant memory now and although we do have a “yard” in the back of the apartment building the grass is not the same.  Our home is great.  We knew what to expect as we had seen pictures of it, but even the pictures we saw did not do the home justice as it is much nicer than we expected it to be.  The beds are bigger, the rooms seem bigger and the kitchen and bathroom a great!  It will be an excellent place to call home.

Our landlady has proven again how awesome she is going to be.  She knocked on the door this morning and said that her mom was coming to pick us up to go to the grocery store and that she would take us swimming on the weekend.  Princess and Dimples will love that.  It seems like we have met an awesome ally for us as we adapt and adjust to our new surroundings.  I am sure that there are many more challenges to come, but none that will not be embraced as part of our new life here.  I am not certain what the next few days will hold, but today I know that I am going to the grocery store and that may be culture shock enough for one day.