Out of Africa...

April 18, 2010

Sunday morning, I made sure that everything was packed and ready to go. I carefully wrapped and folded all my souvenirs the night before and had just enough room to take all my treasures home. I showered, dressed, and cleaned my room before walking out to breakfast. I took a few final pictures with The Supremes. The airport and the church were both located in Ikeja, but we took separate cars. Renny and the girls were taken to church in one car, while the other driver took Onome and I to the airport. Onome would meet with them after making sure I was settled at the airport. I took my final pictures of Lagos as we zoomed along the highway with relatively little traffic. I thought I might be able to buy a couple of CDs from hawkers along the way, but there was not enough traffic for them to safely sell on the road - meaning the traffic was not stopped where they could dash in between cars without being struck.

crossing the bay in Lagos

We arrived at the airport and went to the EgyptAir counter to check in. There was a table where the Nigerian guards opened my bags to check for weapons I guess. They spoke in Yoruba to Onome. Apparently, this table wasn't setup for safety. They wanted a "settlement". I gave them 1000naira and gave them a dirty look. I was pissed that this was my last impression of Nigeria. I do not reward bad behavior, whether it is from a child, a store clerk, a waiter, whatever. The whole time I was in Nigeria I hated when we were stopped at checkpoints and artificial barriers erected by police or "area boys" to collect settlements or "shake body". Now, I was an unwilling participant in the corruption, and it went against my principles. The EgyptAir worker who checked my passport before ticketing asked if I was okay and Onome said that I was just tired. I suppose I need to hide my facial expressions better. Or, maybe the culture of corruption should be ended. Just a thought.

Anyway, after my bags were checked and I had my ticket in hand, I hugged Onome goodbye and he was off to the church. I went to the giftshop and bought a CD (Asa - see below) that would have cost 150 naira on the street, but was 600 in the store. I proceeded to the gate after being stopped 5 more times to check my passport between the initial screening and the gate. I boarded the plane and sat in the aisle seat. I prefer to sit by the window, but I was unable to select my seat for the EgyptAir flights. I watched over my neighbors' shoulders as the last glimpse of Lagos faded away into lush green vegetation and the blue/gray Atlantic coast of Africa.

Lagos Airport

Before the plane landed in Cairo, I decided I would stay in a hotel for the night. I would not be sleeping in the airport anymore if I could help it. My flight landed around 8pm and my flight to JFK would depart at 9:15 the next morning. I bought another entrance visa and went through customs. I didn't have to claim my baggage because it had been checked through to New York. My carry-on bag held toiletries and a change of clothes, so I was set. Since I had not made a hotel reservation prior to landing, I knew my best bet was to find a Marriott hotel. I am a Rewards member and I also knew that I could expect a clean comfortable bed for the night. (This is why branding is important.) A travel agent tried to sell me on a reservation for another property, but I didn't want to take a chance. I went to another travel desk and asked for a taxi to the Marriott. It was located downtown approximately 30 miles away, but it could take up to an hour to get there in Cairo traffic. I didn't mind though. We crossed the bridge over the Nile and the driver slowed down.

I did not expect the hotel to be on the banks of the river, but it was. It was beautiful to behold the architecture of this old building in the golden glow of the light at night. I walked into the ornately decorated lobby with tiled floors and gold trim and told the clerk I wanted a room for the night. He told me the room rate for the night was around $200, which seemed a little low to me considering the location and amenities, as well as it doubling as a casino. I told him I wanted to use my Marriott Rewards, and he told me that they usually required a reservation be made at least 48 hours prior to redemption, but I could go to the business center to try to book it online. I made the reservation online, walked back to the desk with my confirmation number, and the clerk told me I would receive a room upgrade due to my status. I walked into the room, and finally, I exhaled. (That line came straight from a movie.) The hotel tried to cater to every palate with restaurants ranging from Italian, sushi, coffee/bakery, steak, etc., but I settled on "Eyptian Palace", the only restaurant that seemed to serve actual Egyptian fare. It was a huge open air restaurant located in the courtyard. The host asked if I wanted smoking or non-smoking. It seemed as though the whole place was smoking, and one small corner of 10 tables was for non-smoking patrons. That small area was closest to the stage where a man, a woman, and a DJ sang Arabic love songs. I enjoyed my dinner of assorted breads, hummus, chicken tikka, and a traditional drink made of flowers (I dont remember the name) that tasted like cranberry juice but sweeter.

When I returned to the room, I called my mother to let her know I was in Cairo and that I was not impacted by the delays caused by the volcanic ash covering Europe. She started telling me about everything that was happening at home like it was a casual phone call. I politely interrupted and said the call was too expensive for all that and we would talk when I arrived in NY and could use my cell phone again. After the call, I bathed, took a few pictures from the balcony, and called it a night. I didn't sleep well that night though due to "Naija-rhea".

courtyard and restaurant at hotel



on the hotel balcony overlooking River Nile

I requested a wake-up call at 6am, but I was awakened by the sun almost an hour earlier than I planned, because I slept with the curtains open. I dressed, packed my things, and ate a quick breakfast in the Executive Lounge upstairs, before heading downstairs for my taxi to the airport. There was relatively little traffic that morning, and the sun bathed the city in thick, warm light. I could understand why the Greeks named the city Heliopolis - City of the Sun. I boarded the plane after going through a long check-in line and said goodbye to Africa. I started reading "Purple Hibiscus", a book I bought in Lagos by a Nigerian author, before the doors closed and continued reading until I finished a couple of hours later. It was a beautifully written story about a girl finding her voice. It reminded me of The Color Purple in many ways (not just the name). "This is It" played in the background as I listened on the headphones while reading. I only looked up at the screen when I heard my favorite MJ song. (Trivia: What is my favorite Michael Jackson song? Hint: It features a choir.) I slept some, ate a little of the imitation, overcooked food to stave my hunger, and slept some more.

I finally caught up on my writing from the previous days and wrote the words below during the actual moments they were happening.
The sun has shone since we left Egypt (we are flying backwards in time). I can see the light peaking under my neighbors' shades. We are 20 minutes away from landing at JFK. I have to take a taxi to LGA to finally go to Houston. Flying using airline points is not for the faint of heart. It has been extremely long and tiring, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to stop over in Cairo en route to and from Lagos. I'm also glad that my return trip did not take me through ash-covered Europe.

Now, I just want to sleep in my own bed for a few days, but I have to be at work on Wednesday. I'm going to force myself to stay awake until I arrive home at 9:30pm. God give me strength.






This video actually shows 2 songs by Asa (Ah-shah). Fire on the Mountain is my favorite song on the CD. Tell me what you think.

"De Nile is not just a river in Egypt…"

I looked out the window of the plane as the pilot announced that we were starting our descent into Cairo. All I could see was sand, then sand-colored building, a river, and more sand. I also saw 3 large pyramids and several smaller pyramids and the sphinx in the distance. When the plane finally landed, I felt the heat outside as I walked from the plane to the terminal. After some confusion on whether I should go through Customs or the transit counter, I purchased an Egyptian visa without showing any ID for $15 from a bank. I then walked through customs with my own escort. (Aside: As I walked around in a circle, I saw various airport personnel pull out their prayer mats at different times and pray in a corner or an open spot on the floor.) I went to Baggage Claim and saw that my bags were the last 2 to be collected from my flight. I walked over to the information counter and asked about tours around the city. I settled with a company that would take me to the Egyptian Museum, outside the pyramids at Giza, around the city, to dinner, and then take me back to the airport.

My guide, Tarek, was very helpful and knowledgeable about the city and country as a whole. My first impression of Cairo was that it was dirty, but not in the sense of piles of garbage and waste everywhere. Rather, there was a lot of sand and dust everywhere because it’s the desert. It is a city of ruins after all. There was lots of traffic on the way to the museum from the airport. The 2-lane road became 3.5 (.5 for motorcycles). Tarek pointed out different buildings, like the Military Academy where Anwar Sadat, Muammar Gaddafi, and Saddam Hussein were trained. “Good things come out of that academy”, he said sarcastically. We passed President Moubarek’s gated estate, as well as palaces built by former kings. There was also a memorial dedicated to the October 1973 war with Israel, the last war between the 2 countries. It seemed like he uttered “mosque, mosque” every 5 minutes indicating that I should take pictures of yet another mosque. Egypt is a country comprised of 85% Muslims and 15% Christians, and “Everyone lives in harmony.”, according to him. At least that’s what THEY want us to believe.

The Egyptian Museum was amazing. The artifacts were either originals or replicas of pieces that were found in tombs and other excavated sites in the country. There was also a new exhibit on missing/stolen relics that should have been there and where the pieces were being held. The most prominent artifact was the Rosetta Stone, which is being held captive at the British Museum. (I know it’s there because I saw it with my own eyes.) In a small, almost hidden corner of the museum was a small collection of 10 or so Greek and Roman statues and busts. They looked so out of place relative to the rest of the collection. I took a few “unauthorized” pictures until someone yelled at me. I walked out of the museum at closing time to the sound of the call to prayer as the sun set. There was a mosque across the street. The rest of my tour would be in the dark.

We drove along the side of the River Nile, and then over it and took a few pictures on the bridge. Tarek asked if I wanted to do a dinner cruise on the Nile, but I thought that was a bit too touristy (says the tourist) and expensive. I wanted to see more of the city. He took me to the obligatory shops where most tour guides take their customers and get commissions form the stores. The first store sold glass, jewelry, and body oils. The owner showed me how they make the oils and handed me a list of all the scents and their purpose. I was not interested. Next, we went to a papyrus show where the proprietor showed me how the paper was/is made. The stalk is first cut into pieces and trimmed. Then, flattened as much as possible and soaked in water to cure. The strips are thatched together until the paper is the desired size and for days to dry. I walked around the shop and found a ready-made papyrus that could be customized with my name. I received a 30% “discount” because I was the last customer of the night. I’m sure I was still overcharged because they had to pay Tarek’s commission, but I really liked my selection and did not have time nor energy to look for something cheaper somewhere else.

We went to Giza to view the pyramids and sphinx from outside. I arrived minutes before they closed and turned off the lights. I could only see the silhouettes, but that was good enough for me. One day I will go back & see more in the daylight. I went to dinner at a restaurant that served traditional food without a menu. The waiter asked if I wanted chicken, beef, or shrimp. A few minutes later, he brought out a huge basket of flatbread surrounded by eggplant, cabbage, white beans, chick peas, and 2 kinds of dipping sauces. My main course was chicken kebabs with white rice and fries followed b ice cream. From my seat in the restaurant, I could look down on the traffic below, and I could also see 2 pyramids in front of me on the other side of the road, It was amazing to me to be sitting in a city where people built these great monuments thousands of years ago.

Tarek told me he was going to take me to “Old Cairo”. I thought I was already in old Cairo. The city has been there for over 5000 years. (It reminded me of when I was a little girl and asked my mother how new was the New Testament. She told me it was very old, and I asked her if it was older than my grandmother. I thought it was just written recently. Why else would they call it “new”?) Old Cairo was very crowded even at night, and most of the people out were male. That is the only area where I saw garbage piles and smelled unpleasant odors. There were many stray cats in the street. I noticed lots of stray cats around the museum too. I only saw a couple of stray dogs while there.

By that time, I was really tired. I kept yawning as he pointed out more and more mosques. I finally said I wanted to go back to the airport around 10:30pm. He was willing to drive me around all night, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. I did not want to fall asleep in the car with a strange man in a strange city at night by myself. I camped out in a 24-hour restaurant in the airport. The manager told me it was okay for me to stay there until 6am when it was time for me to pick up my boarding pass for my 8:15 flight to Lagos. There was a long booth along the wall where I slept, read, ate, slept, and talked to the workers. There was also a restroom in the restaurant for me to freshen up. Later in the night, a man had the same idea as me and slept on the opposite end of the wall. Later, I saw him on my flight.

Six o’clock finally arrived and I bid farewell to the restaurant manager who checked on me off and on during the night. He even told me that he would wake me up so I wouldn’t oversleep, but I was already awake. He along with most of the other airport workers and people I met in the city were very nice and seemed to read from the same script. They would ask where I was from and then say, “Welcome to Egypt” or “Welcome to my country”. I picked up my boarding pass, checked my bags, and waited for my flight to start boarding. I had a little time left, so I walked around the terminal. There were a couple of shops and eateries grouped together. As I passed a bar, I saw Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” video. I stopped to watch thinking how ironic it was that I was watching that particular video in Egypt.

A short time later, I went to my gate to board a bus that took us to the plane in the middle of the tarmac. I was no longer in 1st class. I sat in my usual window seat and thought I might have the row to myself. A few stragglers came on and a young man sat next to me in a row of 3. I thought he would move to the aisle seat when no one else came to our row, but he stayed in that middle seat. He seemed to have no awareness of personal space. I know that is a “Western” concept, and I am even more conscientious of personal space than most others, but I couldn’t understand why he thought it was okay for his newspaper to spread to my area or his arm to push my elbow off the armrest. His friend had a whole row to himself right behind us. This guy obviously was not going to move. I stood to go to the restroom and saw that there were several empty rows. On the way back to my seat, I moved my bag from the overhead bin and sat on one of those empty rows. I could finally relax. The flight attendant made an announcement as we started our descent to tell us she would be spraying the cabin with a required non-toxic spray to kill all the parasites we might be bringing into the country I assume. As the plane landed, my former neighbor and his friend stood up and walked to the back of the plane. The flight attendant told them to sit down, but they kept walking. He (flight attendant) yelled at them, they finally sat, then stood up again to look in a bag. The other passengers looked at them and shook their heads. I gave the “space invader” the side eye. When we arrived at the gate and everyone could safely stand to collect their items, those guys walked to the back of the plane again to the annoyance of all the passengers standing in the aisles waiting to deplane. I don’t know if it was their first time flying, or maybe they were unaware of the additional scrutiny placed on Nigerians since the “attempted bombing” in December that made people very wary of their actions.

Thank God I made it to Naija safe and sound where Onome was waiting for me at the airport. Renny and the girls were waiting in the car and drove up after Onome told them he found me. I was so happy to see them all, because our last time together was in 2008. Let the Nigerian adventures began.