Arriving At Cairo Airport

We tasted Cairo last night as we stepped from the plane, all sand and spice and aromas of bonfire which brought nostalgic feelings of autumnal comforts. That was until we realised the mist that lay under the blanket of cloud covering the whole of Lower Egypt through which we had descended (and were now breathing) was not a mist but the trapped smog of heavy industrial combustion emanating from thousands of factory chimneys and millions of diesel engines across the Nile Delta. A smog so thick, invasive and harmful to human lungs that those suffering from respiratory problems have been warned to stay indoors between the hours of 10pm and 10 am; if breathing through a normal day in Cairo is the equivalent of smoking a pack of Marlboro, then these days it is the equivalent of smoking several packs of Players Navy Cut.

Our clothes were stinking from it when we came in last night, as if we had just come from a smokey pub, and we will be keeping the windows firmly closed tomorrow as we set about cleaning the flat and building the nest again!