3 Nights in Egypt.

I had arrived wide-eyed and somewhat nervous in Cairo. I’ve heard horror stories of the chaos both on and off the roads. People constantly out to swindle you the moment you let your guard down, or even the pickpockets you find everywhere. The stories weren't entirely wrong. Fortunately for me everything was taken care of from the moment I touched down to the moment I arrived at the hotel.

I spent 4 days there...of which I spent a good time walking around with my friend, burning up in the summer heat with camera in tow.

I must say, walking around Cairo is quite the experience in itself. I had heard the constant car horns from my hotel, only finding out the next day that it was due to the cab and mini-bus drivers horning at everything and everyone that was moving around them – hoping to get any paying customer. For the mini-buses, basically what happens is that they stop in the middle of the road and people in the vehicle would pull open the door for anyone who might want to jump on board.

Cairo Musuem

Our first stop was at the Cairo museum which, in all honesty deserved much more than the 2 hours I had given it – I wanted to spend the entire day there but couldn’t.

I had to keep moving forward.

The Warm Nights.

Most of the warm evenings were spent at the hotel poolside with Shishas and beer. Having dinners with a loud and somewhat intimidating looking man from Scotland, a Brazilian who was constantly slurring from the wine and my sarcastic American friend was a sure recipe for a night of good laughs. Plenty of it, in fact. It was nice seeing them out of their suits from the conference, knowing that they had not let success go to theirs heads as yet. Its amazing what a good shisha does to make people bond. Besides, being a somewhat intimidating looking, slurring and sarcastic Singaporean enabled me to hold my own.

So there.

Or perhaps it had to do with the fact that I was their boss's guest.

Haha.

The Date with the Pharaohs

I guess the highlight of the trip would have to be the night I snuck out into the desert to climb the pyramids. It wasn’t planned to be that way. We had planned to have a quiet dinner overlooking the pyramids from the hotel where I could have taken much better shots. For some rhyme or reason I couldn’t stand the idea of being there and yet so far away. Approaching one of the local boys, I struck up a deal to get two Arabian horses and for him to take us out there late at night where no one could see us.

Riding out in the desert at night, and being aware of the fact that the sand that you trod on is part of years and years of history is a magnificent, magnificent experience.

Its not an unknown fact that the desert wind is much stronger at night, only to be emphasized even more when you pick up speed in your gallop.

So.

Having to keep all sources of light away was necessary to prevent us from being detected by the guards..well, at least the others that we didn’t bribe.

The climb up the pyramids was…

Hmm.

It was odd realizing that I was on top of one of the oldest structures in the world.

Perhaps the emotions culminate only when you sit there in the darkness of the night, hearing the distant prayers, looking up to see the moon lighting up the 3 pyramids and the Sphinx, and as if on cue, having the wind blow constantly while you take in the enormity of the moment.

“ I come here alot to sit and think ”, the boy says, sitting near my feet.

I remember looking at him briefly. Almost wanting to ask him to tell me more about himself.

To see for myself if philosophers of this world exist in all shapes and sizes, all races and cultures.

I didn’t.

Looking at him answered my question, and the silence was perhaps what he wanted, and what I needed.

I had seen too much, and experienced too much in a matter of days.

And perhaps that was why I had boarded the plane.

To say that it was full of dramatic moments would be an understatement. Having your boss call you to tell you to be at the Singapore airport to board a private plane to another country for a presentation while you’re smoking your shisha 10 hours away is hardly the sort of thing that goes down well with the dinner you just leisurely ate. Nor is seeing 30 missed calls or 200000 unread smses from the office.

Having to explain why you can’t because you need to climb a pyramid is another matter altogether which I shan’t get into.

Perhaps turning off my cellphone for one day was a bad idea.

And yes.

I WAS ON LEAVE.

Close calls with swindlers on the street and ardent locals who for some reason seem to have a penchant for tall and unfortunately for me, asian women was enough to make me decide – 3 nights in Cairo is enough.

I am grateful for the invitation and the effort taken to ensure it was a dinner date worth remembering.

That adventure has ended.

Work

More work, more responsibilities.

The next month is a crucial month.

The next week, even more so.

I have just received news of a business trip next week – of which I have to meet an investor. A rather important one, it seems.

I don’t think I want to go.

I would have fired my own ass after what happened in Cairo, let alone let me sit in on an important deal.

In all honesty, I don't quite share the same vote of confidence in myself.

Not yet at least.

Well.

It occurred to me how painfully clear it is that our work truly defines us.

But, then again.

Nothing is that important that makes losing it a reason for us to fear what's to come next I suppose.

And that’s just the tired me talking.

Ok.

I gotta go.

Gotta keep moving forward.