September 19, 2007

Bryan Perry
September 19, 2007
(Egypt Free Day)
6:30 am, alarm goes off, but this is not like most days. I sit up in my bed, observe my surroundings and take in a breath of fresh air as the cool Mediterranean breeze causes the curtains to billow. As I begin to come to my senses after a night of serene slumber, my mind begins to examine the activities ahead of me. Suddenly, remembering the skits of the prior evening, and specifically Archie’s request of terrorism and plunder, I remember that today is THE DAY where we are to prepare for a majestic day in the white-capped waves of the Mediterranean.
I hastily jump out of my bed, get dressed, throw some clothes and a towel into my bag, and scuttle up the stairs to meet up with the rest of my fellow adventurers. As we are waiting at the curb at the top of the center, ever so patiently, the excitement begins to build, and enthusiasm fills the air. The tension and anticipation is so thick, you could cut it with a plastic butter knife. The excitement begins to crescendo as we see Fadi (aka Smiley) round the corner in the notorious white Ford. We scurry up to the van, throw ourselves and our paraphernalia in the rig and off we go.
After approximately 45 minutes of fun filled Arabic music videos and some hurdling of language barriers, we finally arrived at the Joppa Corners Beach. We proceeded to embark on our strenuous labors of body surfing, sun bathing, and sand castle building despite the awkwardness of one of the members of our parties beach attire. J
As our stomachs started to growl, we decided it was time to grub. After a little street contacting, we were able to ascertain the location of several different “cheap” locations. We came to the aforementioned site and surveyed the area. Popa’s (formerly Popeye’s) caught our attention and we proceeded to indulge ourselves in some modern day Manna.
As we finished eating, we decided to let our food settle after the gourging and we walked around the market of the old city. The ever familiar calls of street vendors and their ridiculous prices began to fill our ears as we sauntered up and down the various alley ways looking at items of relatively no value. Needless to say, the economy of the area received a much needed boost as shopping bags filled our hands and we set out for the beach for one last time.
Our timing was perfect and we arrived at the amphitheater overlooking the sea as the setting sun began to make its way towards the horizon. It was a time of self-introspection, spiritual alignment, and course corrections as we all basked in the majesty of Gods creations. As the sun faded over the horizon and its grandiose hues began to fade, all who were present offered up silent prayers of gratitude for the unforgettable ending to an unforgettable day.