Amsterdam Layover

AMSTERDAM  January 29, 2012, 1:30 pm

I am sitting comfortably in Schiphol KLM lounge in Amsterdam   during a five hour layover until my Cairo flight. Now that I have left, my anxiety level has decreased and I am really looking forward to seeing the sites that I have thought about for a long time.
I read Ahram On-Line as often as the NY Times. There is a "million man march" scheduled for Tuesday and our group is scheduled to visit the Egyptian Museum on Tuesday night. The Museum is on Tahrir Square,
 which has been the site of the massive protests while the march is to the National Assembly (not sure where that is, but probably nearby). I hope we get to the museum but I am sure the group (and I ) will be cautious. We have only 2 days in the Cairo area and the only visit to downtown is the one scheduled to the museum. Our hotel is in Giza at the foot of the Pyramids.

I have been skimming Herodotus’ account of his visit to Egypt. That was written about 500BCE. Herodotus didn’t exactly know it, but the pyramids were then 2000 years old. I am visiting 2500 years after that. Very exciting.

The KLM flight to Amsterdam was great. I slept 4/12 hours with help from Mr. Ambien. No alcohol, no coffee, no meal. I am a bit tired but fine. Cairo flight leaves here at 5:30 PM and gets to Cairo before midnight. I am supposed to be met by a representative who is to take me to the Mena House Hotel in Giza. I hope and expect that it will all work out smoothly as touring begins early tomorrow. The rest of the group was expected to be in Cairo before noon today and will be rested tomorrow. No time for jet lag for me!