You want buy? Price not an issue. How much you want to pay?

In other words, I'm in Cairo.

So yesterday I went to the pyramids and it was definitely one of those things where you know you're going, and then you walk up and you're like "holy shit, I'm here". Pretty amazing stuff. And I got some really good pics, though I lack the creative impulse to take stupid funny shots. I went inside the Second Pyramid and you go from this tiny tunnel (like 4 feet tall) to a HUGE hallway (all of 5'10" - still had to bend my neck), then an actually huge, but, um, empty, room. I'll see the contents today in the Egyptian Museum. You know how no one knows how they built the pyramids? Well, I refuse to believe any humans fit in that tunnel. Elves or goblins. That's it. Oh, and they take your camera at the entrance but the guy I was with had a second, so I'll have pics eventually.

Everything you might hear about the pushiness of Egyptians in the tourism industry is true. We had a driver hired by the hostel - probably better than any other, who insisted on taking us to the tourist-only place for lunch (70 Egpytian Pounds =$13, for a lunch I'd pay maybe ten for in a big city at home). Food here is really good and ridiculously cheap, so I tried to find a place in the guidebook to eat, but they were all "really far". He obviously gets free lunch and commission. Then between taking us to pyramids, he takes us to one of the many "papyrus museums", and "perfume palaces", where they show you how to make the stuff and then try to sell it to you for an hour. It was really interesting watching, and I considered buying a souvenir, but they were all overpriced to account for commissions. And the guy in the papyrus place kept following me around while I looked at the pictures to buy, and suggesting ones he saw my linger at for a second. If I'm lingering, I obviously see it, you ass! If I were going to buy, he definitely lost a sale. Anyway, even at he pyramids, they try to sell us camel rides for 125 pounds at the "bargain price". They're 25 inside. This is how all tours here are here. It was sad. But if you're on your own and ignore it, it's not too bad - much worse being deposited in the trap by your driver.

Hostel-wise, I've been hanging out here with this Canadian guy who has lots of fun stories, cuz he's been traveling for over a year. He's also in IT and gave me some hot computer tips I'll promptly forget. He also speaks English, so I pretty much had to hang out with him. The hostel's cool and tiny and the owners are uber-friendly. Last night we went out for coffee and sheesha - a pretty much nightly occurrence in Cairo. I tried the apple flavored one, but it has a black licorice aftertaste - gross! And I don't like smoke anyway, so two puffs was enough. Anyway, that was fun - I talked to one of the owners about their dream of opening a hostel - it's been only 5 months. They want to make new friends all the time - it's the same social aspect they want as I always say I want in being a bartender someday. They also don't themselves push tours on people because they realize it turns them off - why can't the rest of Egypt clue in? We also discussed how Egyptians hate American politics but 95 out of 100 would borrow $10,000 if it could guarantee legal emigration to America. Makes sense. Too damn hot here. Speaking of which, it's the one problem with the hostel - no A/C in my dorm room. Makes it tough to sleep.

Food: Egpyt has all the standard Arabic fare, plus three things of note. 1) Kushary - this noodle, lentil, fried onion and tomato sauce thing, served with garlic vinegar and hot sauce if you want. Pretty good, and a 7 pound ($1.30) plate kept me full for 14 hours. Of course the heat helps with that a little. 2) Last night I tried hamam, stuffed pigeon. It was stuffed with rice, and ok but with very little flesh on it, so I wouldn't bother again. And 3) fiteer, this Egyptian pizza thing, where the dough is basically corncake. Peter (the owner with the dream) says he'll just order me some next time he orders. Oh, another cool thing about Arab countries, is pretty much everything delivers. Not just all food places, but pharmacies and sometimes even electronics stores, I think. Well maybe not, but something like that - it's pretty absurd. Strangely, not enough to make me want to live here though.

UPDATE: Just ate fiteer. Not corn, but deelish.