Visiting the Egyptian Museum, and meeting fellow riders and staff

Highlights of my day:

• Sightseeing with the same tour guide as yesterday—Mr. Charming who makes old stones come alive with his stories.
• Starting to make new friends—fellow rider Anmei joined me for the tour.

  

• Seeing real mummies, the findings from Tutankhamun’s tomb, and lots of ancient yet well-preserved statutes, paintings and other treasures in the Egyptian museum.

  

• Drinking delicious Turkish coffee in Cairo’s oldest coffee shop El-Fishawy.

  

• Compared to yesterday in the outskirts between Giza and Memphis, we spent the day in central Cairo. I had imagined Cairo to be pure chaos and disaster, but was positively surprised. Parts of it reminded me of Istanbul, and it’s more normal than I had expected.

Evening highlight—meet & greet with riders and staff:

We had a first informal meeting of riders and staff, though it seems half the riders haven’t arrived yet.

Key takeaway: We are a very diverse bunch for sure. However, it strikes me that most of the riders have one thing in common: lots of cycling and outdoors experience—contrary to yours truly. What others consider entertaining—like getting to see snakes, scorpions and overs-sized earthworms—still freaks me out big time. And when they start talking about bike gears and fittings, my brain just shuts down. Feeling tired and exhausted from all the new impressions. And keen to finally getting started with the cycling on Friday!