There has been a landslide in an outskirt district of Cairo near the Muqattam Hills.  That is way over on the eastern fringes of Cairo itself, not near where I’m staying or where I will be living.  I am fine.  Life downtown goes on.&...

Well, I’m here!  My travel journal already has several pages filled--I’d’ve updated earlier but I had some problems with my so-called universal power adapter.  After some fiddling with intermediary connectors finagled from the hotel...

Well, here I am in the airport, having taken the first step in this journey of a thousand miles.  My feelings are complicated, rushing over each other: excited, nervous, annoyed with myself for arriving at the gate about two hours before my flig...