Change of Time And Space

It feels neither like 7pm, nor has it really felt like Sunday at any time today although I stay in a church guest house now and the bells of the Cathedral rang after breakfast. I went to school at noon and walked to my brand new home through the afternoon heat and the blasting Cairo traffic. By then I had completely forgotten about Sunday. 
 

After a would-be Egyptian meal and a good conversation with one of the other guests I walk along 26^th of July Street to the riverside Cilantro to indulge in urban lifestyle and start my blog with the glittering Nile to my right side, Frank Sinatra and the like in my ears and a big glass of mango juice on my table. It’s dark, I still have to remind myself that even at 30 degrees still this does not mean the day is about to end. Traffic has died down a bit which supports my late night feeling, but shishas being polished and tables being wiped in and in front of the cafés along 26^th is not the cleaning up after a busy day, but getting ready for the evening to start after people finish their Iftar (breaking the fast). 

Thus I arrive at the Cilantro in time to grab the table at the window with the view to the river unblocked by sun shades. Inside it’s cool enough for me not to mind wearing long sleeves, but also not too cold, in short (apart from people smoking, though not right next to me) I found the place to be! An hour later most tables are occupied, I’m more or less the oldest person in the room. Some are working on their laptops or some big paper I cannot really figure out, most of them just enjoy the evening out. And so do I, who I’ve never been the type to work in a café so far.

(If you ever come to Egypt (and you should!), be sure to visit a Cilantro, though their web page is not fully self-explanatory, they have good coffee, juices and snacks in a very friendly lively atmosphere AND a free journal (mostly in English!) to take away that tells you something about what’s going on in Egypt’s educated youth.)

On the way back home shortly before midnight the street is bustling with people walking, chatting, sitting at the tables outside cafés, cars rushing by honking as usual, it's still hardly below 30 degrees and I can't stop myself from buying a small chocolate ice cream just for the fun of being able to eat out in the street. It's been a very good day.