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Monday, August 3, 2009

Maadi House

After a hard few days of sleeping, unpacking, and avoiding going outside we decided we needed a break.  So we headed down to Maadi House, the hangout of local Americans. 

Brandon and I loaded the girls in the jogging stroller, trekked through trash-strewn and pot-holed streets filled with aged cars and staring onlookers and arrived at a neatly painted 12-foot high wall with a door. 

We opened the door, showed our newly-acquired IDs and rounded a corner to find a small piece of America tucked away in the back-streets of Maadi.  The blue water sparkled as children jumped in the cool(ish) water, green grass soothed our tired eyes, and a few bikini-clad women even lounged under shade umbrellas.

After a few hours of play, we got the reluctant children dressed and strolled over to the outdoor restaurant.  Brandon’s eyes sparkled when the waiter listed root beer as one of the available sodas, and I indulged in a BLT.  Kathleen and Sophia gorged on French fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and strawberry juice. 

Walking outside to the horns honking and feral cats brought me back to Egypt.  But for a few hours, I was back in the US, the version that I can only have access to in Egypt.  

4 comments:

PaulaJean said...

Oh, the wonders of a swim club. How can one survive summers with children without one?? Strawberry juice AND root beer?? Yummy!

Lydia said...

Ok, you have to have the blueberry pancakes on Saturday mornings. The breakfast is even cheaper than the regular menu. It became a Penrod Family Tradition to go to Maadi House on Saturday mornings for breakfast and play, or swim. Whenever we didn't have conflicting events, Maadi House was ours on Saturday mornings. That is one thing I miss about Cairo right now. Not the potholes or staring, you can keep that. ;)

UnkaDave said...

I'm glad to hear that Maadi House is around as a distraction for you guys. I hope you're settling in a bit more and that everyone stays healthy. You've become a subject of family prayers.

Lindsay Edward said...

Glad to hear you arrived safely in Egypt! Pools really are miraculous. I hope you continue to get settled well and that the time passes quickly so we can see you guys again soon!