I woke up around 9 am and started packing. It was almost weird to leave the room after 24 hours of self-sentenced solitude. At breakfast I met a girl from New Zealand. She had been travelling alone, doing Syria, Jordan and Egypt, which I found very brave. Unfortunately, this was her last day before returning to NZ - my hopes to have found someone to travel with were disappointed. I went back to my room and waited for time to pass so I could take my taxi to the airport. Somehow, I was glad to leave this place. Not only the hotel or Cairo but actually Egypt. Three weeks is a long time, I’ve done and seen a lot but now, without the others, it wasn’t the same anymore and I couldn’t wait to move on.

My friend the TV kept me company until noon (Vic, believe it or not: I finally saw Sleepy Hollow!) when I finally went downstairs to take off. The taxi ride took 45 minutes and not only did I hope that the car would make it to the airport but also the driver - he was coughing so badly that I was afraid he would pass out just right in front of me…

At the airport, I was told that I couldn’t check in yet and had to wait for 2 hours before the counter would open. My flight was scheduled for 17:10, so yes, I was a bit early but at least I had hoped to be able to get rid of my luggage and hang around in the departure lounge. So now I hung around in the main hall where there is actually nothing but some seats. No counters, no shops, no kiosk, nothing. Not even a machine to get some water! Well, I was glad I had a book with me (thanks Gaetane!) and spent the next couple of hours reading. Still I kept following the departure display and all of a sudden there was this flight to Madrid - “boarding now”. My heart jumped and I can hardly describe the feeling I had: I wanted to get on that flight so badly… I thought it would tear me apart to see this plane leaving and to be left behind. No matter how much I disliked Spain when I lived there, right now I couldn’t think of any better place to be. I thought of Asturias, of CallHR and all my friends there, and I desperately wanted to get back. Back home.

Obviously, I didn’t go. I admit I was close to do it but then I thought if I chickened out so easily, how would I ever be able to go anywhere again? I finally checked in for my flight to Addis Ababa and then had to wait 3 more hours before boarding. The plane departed with delay but I didn’t mind. Nobody was waiting for me at the other end, so who cares. Finally, we took off around 6 pm and I said my inner good-bye to Egypt.