Cairo is...

The perpetual rush hour

The overpopulated streets with cars parked over four lanes
The people hanging from the bus’ stairs, holding on the side mirror
This same bus, spitting its fumes in the grayish sky

The kid selling tomorrow’s newspapers at the road’s intersection at midnight
‘Ahram, El Masry, Akhbar...’

The three stars, the same three stars that you can see by night, when a breeze of wind sweeps the ‘black cloud’ away

The long lines at the popular bakery, where the salesboy will ‘omit’ to return your change
The hot round loaf of ‘baladi’ bread
The foul and the falafel
The old and the unemployed hitting a ‘3ashara domino’ (read ‘damana’) on the cafés
Knowing you can get a haircut at 2AM
Actually getting one!

The ‘menadi’ volunteering to help you park your car for money - or asking for money anyway
The $5 latte, served by a waiter who makes $5 a day

The traffic soldiers, looking completely lost in their white and too large white uniforms

The late night chats with good friends

The October thunders and the sunny Novembers
The Alexandria Desert Road and the Wahet Omar road stop
The Mediterranean and the pointless tourist chalets by its coast
The Red Sea, its beaches, its corals, and its Italian babes in bikinis

The Cairo Airport, where a small tribe of farewell wishers accompanies every traveler
Where the cars carrying pilgrims, with their white flags, are met by congratulatory honks of random cars on the road
And getting through the customs with 60 kg of overweight with a smile - 3ashan enta ebn balad.

And flying above Cairo, looking down on the patchy yellow and green squares, and wondering when you’ll be back.

God help me... I love it there.

(photos: Alexandria, Raml Station; Cairo, Tahrir Square; Sally's car, 6th of October bridge; Souvenirs at Cairo Airport).