The streets of Cairo began at the airport. “Okay, I thought “classic pea soup fog” as our flight from Rome came in for the landing.

It was already a dark November evening-lights from planes, the airport, the city beyond, had a blur effect.

going down the ramp from the cabin to the tarmack-to board the bus to the terminal

My eye catches the huge billboard with the current Egyptian leader’s face on it….

But at same instant the visual was overpowered by the scent of the “soup” we saw out the window of the plane a few minutes before.

It was everything Egypt was is and will be

human- industrial waste-, human – industrial fire, animal waste, animal sacrifice, animal toil, cars and emissions, Nile airs…everything …here…that’s ever been is in the

scent of this brew. People have talked about the air of Cairo when you first inhale. They’re right. Not like any air known to me.

Cairo airport: just outside the terminal entrance/exit.A figure in white: many men-many at the airport wore white or dark tan versions of the traditional men’s robe.

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