Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Flight to Cairo


It started raining heavily in Istanbul in the morning we left (it rained in the previous day as well), so we headed directly towards the airport, accompanied for a while by our host Ercan.

It turned out that it was worth it to carry with me the "LOST hoodie" (received 2 years ago when working on the LOST game) and the rain cover for the DSLR.

Before the trip I was really close to decide upon leaving them at home, as I thought that there were little chances for rain in the areas we're visiting. Anyway, I would have regretted it.

The hoodie was also a cause for having some fun at the airport. While in line for Passport Control, an Italian couple noticed it and the guy asked where/when did I buy it. When I told him that I work in the gaming industry and that I received the hoodie while working on the Lost game, he asked if he could touch me :). Then we had a nice 5 minutes talk about traveling and couchsurfing.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 14:00, but it was delayed. It seems that there was a problematic passenger and the authorities escorted him out of the plane (we didn't see/hear any commotion, so it probably happened in the 1st class isolated space).
The flight itself was bumpy, with quite some turbulence that made us regret the food we ate on board (a really nice meal though, offered by Egypt airlines).
Upon landing, it was interesting to see Cairo from above, ..it looked "sandy". The heat wave that hit us when getting off the plane, was unexpected. Shukran Allah for the air conditioning inside the airport :)

As you can see we're trying to learn a few words and phrases in the local languages. So far they proved a bit useful; but they're definitely not a must, as most people know basic English.
Shukran (thank you) and Salam Alecum (peace be with you) get instant positive responses, especially the latter which seems to disarm people and make them treat you with more respect (and less hassle).

More about Cairo in 1-2 days.

5 comments:

black said...

Wherever you go, guys want to touch you. What's up with that?

Daniel said...

La Multi Ani Andra! Sa fii sanatoasa si cu multa pofta de viata, ca de fericirea ta se ocupa Razvan.

Anonymous said...

Multumim Daniel. Multa sanatate si tie!
Abia asteptam sa ne vedem cand revenim cu totii in tara.
Iar in cazul in care nu o sa avem internet de acum inainte, iti uram de pe acum "La Multi Ani" si multa fericire alaturi de Raluca si Vladut.

Anonymous said...

@black - this was the first one, seriously.
Actually, the last time a guy touched me, it was in the night you and I got drunk and supported each-other on the way back home :)

Daniel said...

Multumesc!

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