With his honorable Ambassador Shyam Lal Tabadar
I arrived in Cairo International Airport at around 10pm on the 7th of August but only got back to my hostel some time past one in the morning after doing paperwork for my missing bicycle part. The airlines company misplaced my belonging somewhere between my flights from New York to Cairo which fortunately I received yesterday.

Until now, everything is going smoothly except for a slight glitch during my seven hour transit period in Russia as it was not made clear to me or the other passengers of our flight gate number. I had to go around searching and asking for a good two to three hours as none of the staffs could lead me to the right gate number. I think our language barrier made the whole ordeal tougher than it should have been but somehow; I made it in time, all well.

My first reaction about Cairo was “what a crowd!” With the large population of about 20 million, this is definitely one of most bustling city I have been to. It is about 38 degree Celsius hot here, almost like the temperatures I experienced in Texas, USA but it feels much hotter here with high humidity due to the river Nile surrounding and passing through the city. Pollutions are inevitable in such a busy place where the cost of petrol is so cheap and easily accessible to about five million automobiles plying the streets of Cairo. The traffic is overwhelming even when it is not peak hours so when its peak hour it is crazy especially after sunset when Muslim people get home from the Mosque after their last prayers of the day.

Egyptians are predominantly followers of Islamic faith and it has been a little tricky to get food most places after sunrise and till sunset as it is the Islamic month of fasting called Ramadan, into its second week now. I find it extremely dutiful; Muslims as young as eight year old participate in the festival which refrains them from eating, drinking and any form of sexual intimacy during daylight hours. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Purity of both thoughts and actions is important. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate. The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan.

So far, Cairo has been an absolute thrill. People are willing to help even if they are unsure so I have been to funny places when I ask for a restroom. My hostel is a tidy six floor rundown building. I am feeling a little sick but I have managed to get out of the hostel for some fresh air and see around the historical city with magnificent architectures. I went to Nepal Embassy yesterday and sat down with Ambassador Shyam Lal Tabadar for a good hour or so discussing about my tour and everything important. I had lunch with two staffs of the Embassy; Mr Tirtha Rijal Aryal, First Secretary and Mr Prem Baral, Attaché who kindly invited us over to his family home for a typical Nepali khanna (dinner).

We also discussed at great lengths on the ideal path of journey to my next destination. I have decided to take the trail through the Nile River which said to be the longest river in the world connecting eleven countries including Sudan, the next country in my list. It is positively going to be an exciting cycling precisely 1200 KM to reach the border of Sudan. It will take me around 15 to 20 days to reach the border. I look forward to meeting more friends in Cairo, gaining more knowledge about the glorious city and spread my messages of world peace and environmental protection before starting my journey to Sudan, Khartoum pretty soon.

Furtemba Sherpa

Nepalese World Cyclist
Peace and Harmony

Mr Tirtha Rijal Aryal, First Secretary, Ambassador Shyam Lal Tabadar and Mr Prem Baral, Attaché