We arrived in Cairo on Sunday and have since had ringing ears from the horns that sound like a hand bell choir gone wrong. Street signs, street lights, and even street lanes are merely a suggestion to the typical Cairo driver. Every day on the road is a survival of the fittest. Luckily we've been housed on a bus which not only has the benefit of a driver in this mad house of traffic, but a rather large bumper to bare the brunt of all of the delicate "taps" from the other drivers. After considering the scene on the streets I, being naive, believed that this would be the only time that I would place my life into someone else's hands - then along came my experience of today with none other than Mickey Mouse himself. Now I'm not talking about the one with large ears with a voice you can sing along to, I'm talking about the large enormity of an animal - grunting, smelly, three humped thing they know here as the desert camel. They look so innocent, these things, behind the secure fence of the zoo eating their hay, posing for pictures, but let me tell you – this is all an act. They are NOT, I repeat, NOT to be trusted. To the novice, riding Mickey Mouse would have been a breeze. But folks, this Bama girl realized she was a long, long way away from home the minute I stepped into the saddle/folded blanket. The ride started out smooth, I learned how to properly lean back when Mickey got to his feet. After a few steps, I thought " Wow, how easy…" Then my guide, the one in control of this thing hands the reigns over to me. I taking them willingly, thought that this would be a brief moment – that is, until John, the group, and the guide, disappeared further and further into the desert. Luckily this NOT-SO funny joke was short lived and I was again joined with my group and thankfully my camel guide. This day taught me two things:
1) The distance between the camel rider and ground is miles long. 2) Never trust a camel guide and a camel, especially one named Mickey Mouse.
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