While Bill and Steav wing their way overseas, these messages arrived from the others (Bill & Lisa began their multi-plane route to Egypt on Tuesday, Tom flew out of Charlotte on Wednesday, Steav & Bill began their transatlantic trip on Thursday)!

• Thursday, January 03, 2008 2:06 PM from Bill & Lisa

So, after lunch we continued walking around Cairo. We explored along the Nile, past the Egyptian Museum and across the bridge. There seemed to be something important going on at the museum as there were lots of security and the entrance was blocked off.

We walked about another mile through a more residential area where the fancier hotels are. We crossed another bridge back to our side, then a 50-ish man heard us speaking English and said "Welcome to Cairo." He and Dad (Bill C.) got into conversation about where we were from (this man said he had been to 26 places in the US).

By now, it appears most everyone who "casually" welcomes us (unsolicited) and asks us where we are from is a hustler. He kept talking to us, so we asked what had been going on at the museum. He said the French president was visiting.

I (Lisa) wanted to keep on our way but Dad was interested in picking the man's brain about Egypt. The "local businessman" offered to show us the way back to the street we were looking for . . . . and sure enough, it just happened to be right by his store. He led us inside and told us his daughter (whom we met) is getting married tomorrow. In this shop, he sold art and perfume. He told us to sit down and made us tea. I didn't want to accept it, however, he insisted that refusing would be bad luck for the wedding (which he said 1200 people were attending) and impolite. Obviously, he kept trying to get us to buy something even though we made it very clear that we were not interested. (The man even commented, "I can see your daughter is not trusting.") The salesman then gave us his card, which says he runs an import/export business between Egypt and the Netherlands with corresponding addresses.

While we kept looking for an excuse to leave, all of a sudden 4 people came in (customers with more potential?). So the man whisked us out of his store, tried to take us next door to his "jacket" store, but fortunately he politely let us go. We were definitely not near the street we needed . . . but we were not too far out of the way.

Now we can say we've "had tea with Egyptians"!! It definitely makes us wary: everyone you casually meet on the street is always trying to hustle you. Early to bed, early to rise, Cairo is a bit stressful!

• Jan 3, 2008 6:31 PM from Tom in Amsterdam

Having dinner at Poort van Cleve. Recommended by the cashier at Oude Kerk. It is snowing as I enjoy my pea soup and wait for my Hotspot. To the airport and on to Egypt after dinner.