Night Watch

Despite spending almost two hours chatting with members of the cabin crew as I tried to get my ticket changed to the next available flight from Brussels to Cairo, I still didn't manage a business class upgrade. I did however manage to find myself in the same vicinity as a stinky-footed man who was unable to keep still for prolonged periods of time.

After agreeing on a reasonable fleecing due to the political situation, I grabbed a taxi and was home within the hour.

There is an eerie silence as night falls. The beeping has been replaced with the sound of gunfire and the rhythmic tapping of golf clubs and sticks as the bawabs heed the advice of the army and protect our homes and businesses from looters during the curfew.

In our area, there are unofficial vigilante checkpoints at every junction, which provide a remarkable sense of security - something the police are unable, and unwilling, to do.