The gods of shipping have defeated the gods of motorcycling. For the moment. We finally found our bikes, and got confirmation from a reliable source (i.e., not in Tunisia) for when they will arrive in Cairo. The bad news is that they didn't arrive until last night (Thursday) at 22:10. Even if we could have taken care of the customs stuff on Friday (weekend in Egypt), we would still be left with less than half a day to get ourselves and the motorcycles to Aswan to put them on the barge there (we will travel on a separate ferry that leaves every Monday). Cairo to Aswan (over 1000km) in half a day is simply not going to happen, which means that we will miss the ferry and have to wait for one week until the next ferry. sigh.

So life gave us lemons. We've at least found a way to keep ourselves distracted for a bit, but the calls to work to tell them we'd be one week late weren't exactly easy to make.

Hanging out in Cairo, I've started thinking more about the aspirations and professional plans of the people I see. My own thoughts on what I want to do have changed significantly over the course of my life, and I wonder if people who live and work in the developing world experience similar shifts. What sparked this was the man who opened and closed the driveway gate at the Ramsis Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Cairo. I assume he was hired as a guard for the hotel, but don't know how he got stuck as the gate operator, or even if it was a rotating position. As he opened and closed the gate though (every time a passenger car wanted to exit the driveway... about once every two minutes), he did it with hunched shoulders and relatively little enthusiasm. I don't blame him, really... it's not a fun thing to do after the first fifty times or so. But what are his prospects and does he have a plan for where he wants his career to go from there? Would I be able to maintain enthusiasm for such a monotonous job, if I felt there existed the chance for advancement? I really don't know, and am probably over-thinking things as usual, but I'm still curious.

On to the photos.

Parting shot...

My name is Mark. I was born near Chicago, have lived in the US, Germany and Nepal, and am starting a new job and a new adventure in Ethiopia. This site is a way for me to keep friends and family updated on my progress, share some pictures, and perhaps offer a bit of reflection along the way. Please look around, and enjoy the ride!

Herumwandernder Cavetroll... heisse Mark. Ich habe in den USA, Deutschland und Nepal gewohnt, und jetzt geht es weiter nach Äthiopien. Mit diesem Website halte ich meine Familien- und Freundeskreise informiert über wie es mir in meinen Abenteuern geht. Schau mal 'rum, und viel Spass dabei!

-Mark, September 2008