Late last night we arrived in Cairo—a city that does not so much welcome you as sweep you up into its living heartbeat.

From the moment we stepped outside the airport, the air felt thick with warmth, dust, and history. Car horns, quick laughter, and the swirl of movement all around us reminded me that life here has been flowing continuously for thousands of years.

Driving through the city, the skyline felt layered: satellite dishes, apartment balconies with drying laundry, domes and minarets rising like exclamation points.

Cairo is not polished. It is alive. We were constantly looking for that first view of the pyramids but it didn’t come until we went to the top of our little hotel. Smoggy, but we could see one!

But that bed was beckoning and we were soon asleep, only waking to the sound of the Muslim call to prayer at 5am. Briefly magical then back to sleep until 7.

Finally able to open the blinds, we realized that we have a city view balcony that if we look to the side…we can see one of the pyramids!

Rooftop Breakfast – all Malakai’s favs!

So it’s noisy and smoggy but Cairo has a kind of energy that meets you the moment you arrive — not rushed exactly, but constantly in motion.

Can’t wait to see what today will bring!