Adventures in the Middle East – Part 2

Ali and Nadia, the parents of my host in Alexandria, walked me to the local bus stop, which I would have never found on my own. On the way, we fed stray dogs with old bread, then found a mini bus that went to Cairo. None of them spoke any English, not even the bus driver. Tourists rarely take the local bus, so learning English for them is unnecessary. They spoke to each other in Arabic and agreed where to drop me off. I trusted everyone completely, and I was also in contact with my new host all the time. On my travels so far, I figured out the best way to get around would be to call my host and then give my phone to the driver.

Crossing a four-lane highway

After a 2-hour drive, we reached the outskirts of Cairo. The driver stopped the bus in the middle of a four-lane road and told me to get off and run to the other side. I was not sure if I understood him correctly, so I just looked at him blankly. He gestured again and said in Arabic to wait for my host on the other side of the four-lane road.

As there was no way, that I would cross the highway, as if I had a death wish, I had not moved for even a centimeter. The driver then grabbed my hand and crossed the street with me, while the whole bus was watching. At least I made it alive to the other side. Egyptian drivers can be wild!

Who is my host?

After I barely managed to relax after that thrilling drive, a passenger car started to honk at me. That was fast! I loaded all my luggage in the trunk and got in the car.

At this point, I thought to myself: ''Man, my host must have aged a bit in this time.'' Who doesn't have a perfect photoshopped profile photo on all of their social media?! I introduced myself and started blabbering about my crazy trip from Alexandria, when all of a sudden, the driver asked me where I was going. ALARM!

''Aren't you my host?'' I asked, but the man did not understand me. Great, he doesn't even speak English! Panic started to rush in, as he was saying the word Uber. I mixed up a taxi driver for my host! I was yelling: ''Stop the car, stop the car!'' and at the same time apologizing: ''It was a total misunderstanding! Stop the fu*king car!'' He stopped the car, and meanwhile I got a call from my actual host, who said to me, that he will be on the spot we agreed on, in two minutes. ''Great, I am already waiting for you,'' I lied, and got all my things from the taxi car and ran back, as I was barely catching my breath.

''Madam, taxi, uber?'' the passing car drivers were asking me. ''Not again! Shukran, shukran!''

Organic farm

The organic farm, where I worked as a volunteer for two weeks, was an hour away from Cairo city center. It used to be a desert there, but it got cultivated. Today, there are many farmers in the area who work the land. Only rarely are they organic farms. Wiiwii's farm was one of them. A vast territory of young olive trees, date palms, young beans and various vegetables. Then there were the goats, the chickens, three puppies and Zatuna the donkey. The work was rather monotonous, from weeding beans to pruning olive trees. Meanwhile, I also took care of animals. While weeding beans, the monotonous work and the abundance of time made me have monologues. I drowned out my turbulent thoughts with the loudest music my phone was capable of. I blasted Shakira first thing in the morning. I am sure all other volunteers knew, when it was my turn to be working!

By the way, did you know, that you can have sore muscles from weeding beans?

Since I basically fled Slovenia, my friends started to wonder what I was doing. They wanted to know what on earth I am doing in Egypt. It is true, I only let a few people in on my plan, and was not making it public. Who cares what I am doing with my life?

I know people are envious of my trips abroad, and I did not want to expose myself. What is so special about a Slovenian girl going to non-touristic places in Egypt. Alone. With no tourist agency. For a month.

Well, maybe it really is something a bit unusual, and I made an Instagram story saying I am having a great time. On the outskirts of Cairo, in the middle of nowhere, where I am WEEDING BEANS.