The flight from Dubai was about four hours, and surprisingly a very bumpy ride across. I admit to feeling just a little anxious as we flew across Sinai, and was very happy indeed to land safely in Cairo. As I said in my last post I had a very pleasant Egyptian man keeping me company on the flight and as we came in to land he was pointing out features. I commented on the colour and said that in New Zealand everything is nice and green and so he got quite excited when he saw a little patch of green as we got closer to the airport and took a photo for me. My phone was in the overhead locker and it was too bumpy to stand up and get it out for him to take photos for me.

Out of the plane, down the stairs and across the tarmac to a bus to take us to the terminal. I looked around and almost everyone was scrolling, texting or talking on their mobile phones. Nobody talking to another passenger, all of them just intent at gazing at their screens.

I had clear instructions from Venus Adventures on the process here - get a Visa at a bank window prior to going through Immigration. All good - I had my arrival card filled out on the plane, and $25 US all ready.

I got the visa, walked through the door and there was a guy holding up a sign "Venus Adventures" He ushered me into the quickest queue while he went off to find my luggage. Fairly relaxed here - everything all in one big room so no way to get lost here.

Anxious moment No 1 when he he came back and said most of the luggage was through and no sign of my case. Great - all my gear somewhere between Auckland and Cairo. A few minutes later he was directed to a number of cases standing over in a corner, and thankfully there was mine. How did it get here before me????

So next task - change money - We had already been told by Venus to get about $300 US changed - that is 2400 Egyptian Pounds. I found an ATM and used my Cash Passport card, all went well and I am now carefully guarding all these 200 pound notes. The machine apolgoised politely in advance - "if we cannot provide a paper receipt we are sorry." And - yip - it did not provide a receipt.

My greeter then called the driver to come close to the airport - apparently parking is very difficult here so the drivers wait five or ten minutes away. We step out of the building and the heat hits me. A big difference to the temperature on the plane.

My guide tells me "I booked a small vehicle for you" and with a huge smile opens a van door for me and helps me in. He tells me we have about a 45 minute drive to the hotel and so off we go.

OMG. For all of those who were worried about me not arriving safely, being kidnapped, or molested - you didn't add "making it safely from the airport to the hotel in a van through the manic Cairo traffic" If I make it safely to the hotel, then I am certain I will survive everything that Egypt throws at me.

There are four or maybe five lanes of traffic - and in parts the lanes are clearly defined with white lines, but for a long stretch of road there are no markings, but it doesn't matter as no-one seems to be sticking to them - many cars straddling the lines and weaving from one lane to the other, overtaking and zig-zagging as they race ahead. We seem to be driving very fast, but I am sitting behind the driver (figure that is the safest seat) and I am the only one belted in and cannot see the speedo, and I don't fancy unbuckling myself to take a peek. Best not to know I think, but it feels very fast.

We pass a truck with a shipping container on the back - it doesn't appear to be fastened on in any way, and I am convinced I can see it moving and bouncing as we drive over the bumps. I am quite pleased when we pass it and I tried to get a photo as we whizz by, but not sucessful as the road is very bumpy.

Everywhere people are talking on their phones while driving, or even worse, texting and amongst all this, there are people trying to cross the road - four or five lanes on this side, over a bit of a barrier and then four or five lanes on the other side. OMG. I am so glad I won't be out there driving or walking. And there is donkey cart in the middle of all this and on the other side of the road a horse and cart and along the way little shops where people are stopping and buying stuff. But we are going too fast for me to get a photo. There have been a lot of OMG moments on this 45 minute drive.

And then, all of sudden in between the buildings - there are the pyramids. I really am in Egypt.

We make it to the hotel and we get stopped at the entrance while the vehicle is searched by a guard with a dog.

As we enter the hotel my bags go through xray security. Looks like security is a biggee here - it didn't seem all that important at the airport. That makes me feel much safer. It takes about 25 minutes for my guide to check me into the hotel and he advises that my room mate will arrive about 1.30am on Tuesday morning. Luckily I had been warned to expect a knock on my door, I just wasn't expecting it to be so late.

I'm taken up to my room, and finally I can relax. I shower, wash my plane clothes, have a cup of tea, and despite all my efforts to stay awake until dinner time, I feel myself starting to droop. I set the alarm for 5.30pm with a plan to have a wee nanna nap, get up and investigate the hotel, have some dinner and go to bed at my normal time. But no, my body has other ideas and I wake up at 11.30pm . So no dinner (probably don't need it). I could order room service, but I don't actually feel hungry and I settle for another cup of tea. (Russian Earl Gray teabag) I do love hotels that provide a jug and tea and coffee.

Its now 2.30am and I have loaded roaming data on my phone, checked the cost of texts and calls. Txts 80c to send, nothing to receive. Phone calls $3.00 per minute to make and $1.00 per minute to receive. So that will make it easy to keep in touch with everyone. Just need to sort out wi-fi in the morning. There is an internet cable in the room but my wee lap top can't connect to it so will need a wifi code. And I've sent texts to everyone to let them know I've landed safely.

Okay, time for sleep again.