Sleepless in Cairo: middle of the night thoughts

Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 03:10 Day 154 of 500

The digital clock on my phone glows 03:10. I've been tossing and turning for hours, my mind refusing to shut down despite the exhaustion in my body. Outside my hotel window, Cairo continues its muffled nocturnal symphony - occasional car horns, distant voices, the hum of a city that never truly sleeps.

I arrived in Cairo yesterday afternoon after saying goodbye to Jerusalem. The transition was smooth enough - a short flight that deposited me into the chaotic embrace of Cairo International Airport around 2 PM. By the time I cleared immigration, collected my luggage, and navigated to my hotel in downtown Cairo, it was already approaching evening.

My room overlooks a narrow street lined with shops that were closing for the day when I arrived. I spent those first hours simply getting oriented, unpacking the essentials, and then venturing out for a short walk before darkness fell. The neighborhood bustles with energy - street vendors selling everything imaginable, cars weaving through impossibly tight spaces, and pedestrians who seem to have mastered the art of crossing streets without the aid of traffic signals.

For dinner, I found a small local restaurant where I tried koshari - a delicious mix of rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and tomato sauce topped with crispy onions. The owner seemed pleased when I cleaned my plate entirely, offering me a small glass of mint tea afterward. We communicated through gestures and my embarrassingly limited Arabic phrases, but warmth needs no translation.

After returning to my hotel, I spent time researching tomorrow's itinerary. The Egyptian Museum is high on my list - all those treasures of Tutankhamun I've only seen in books. I've also mapped out a route to explore Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili bazaar.

I checked the weather forecast - tomorrow will be hazy with a high of 22°C. The news mentioned something about poor air quality, which I noticed immediately upon arrival. There's a constant haze hanging over the city, visible even at night under the streetlights. I should probably pick up a mask tomorrow if the air quality remains "very unhealthy" as predicted.

I've also learned that the Cairo International Book Fair is happening until February 3rd. That might be worth a visit - over 1,400 publishers from 83 countries sounds impressive. A good place to browse and maybe find an English book about Egyptian trees and plants.

But now it's the middle of the night, and sleep eludes me. Maybe it's the 18-hour time difference from home. Or perhaps it's the weight of being exactly at the midpoint of my journey - 154 days gone, 346 remaining. The symmetry of these numbers strikes me as I lie awake, contemplating what I've learned so far and how much remains unknown.

What am I searching for? This question haunts me more frequently as the journey progresses. In Jerusalem, I felt something shift - an understanding that transformation happens gradually through accumulated experiences rather than dramatic revelations. Here in Cairo, surrounded by millennia of history, I wonder what subtle changes are occurring within me that I can't yet recognize.

From my window, I can make out the silhouette of what appears to be a tall palm tree swaying gently against the night sky. Tomorrow I'll get a better look at it, and at the city that will be my home for the next several days.

For now, I'll try once more to sleep. My alarm is set for 7:00 - giving me plenty of time for breakfast before heading to the Egyptian Museum when it opens.

Goodnight from Cairo, city of a thousand minarets, where I lie awake counting not sheep but the days of my journey, watching the minutes tick by on a digital clock in a foreign land.