Seriously dude, if you offer her a camel one more time I will not be responsible for the consequences - 17 April 2009

We've been on the road so long at this point that's it's almost refreshing to wake up in a known place - even if it's the Santana Motel in Cairo. Since we're already acquainted with the breakfast offerings we know that skipping it is no great loss.

While Jen finishes packing I go in search of the almighty ATM. We've become seriously cash focused during the trip, a combination of places that just won't take credit cards, places that won't take American Express, and CitiBank's decision to cancel our card due to a security breach at one of their retailers. Just for the record - those commercials where the credit card company manages to get the world-traveling couple a new card the next day in some out of the way place, not so much. After they failed to get them to us in Bangkok, Phuket, Iguazu Falls, and San Francisco (so that Jeremy could bring them to Peru) we gave up on them.

We're taking a bus to Mt. Sinai today so that we can climb the mountain for the sunset. We get caught in traffic, though, and end up getting to the resort later than expected. Instead of a nice leisurely opportunity to change and clean up, we're scurrying to get ready. Jen is extremely irritated by this, and I'm irritated by her irritation. Alternate blog title: Like the Robert Frost poem, only if you skipped to the part about the ice...

We get to the Mt. Sinai parking area and start up the trail to the summit. Almost immediately we're set upon by camel jockeys, offering us a ride to the top on their camel for a modest sum. Kylie (whose birthday is today) is the first to take advantage:

We're not making good time, and I'm worried that we won't make it for sunset, but Jennifer IS NOT going to get on a camel. The dudes are insistent, though, and I'm seriously concerned about their safety for awhile. They finally take the hint, though, and leave us alone. Thankfully, my fears turn out to be unfounded:

The excitement's not over, though. On the way down there are these French children who insist on running down the mountain in front of us, then turning around and shining their flashlights in our eyes. Then, Jen falls down and tweaks her knee, meaning that it takes a long time to get down.

But hey, at least there was a crappy buffet dinner waiting for us at the hotel.

Can you tell we're getting homesick?