Moving In Egypt - Movers of the Lost Ark

Moving in Egypt - like everything else here, is a unique experience. Remember the big dig scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Well, it was nothing like that, save the fact that they both take place in Egypt and involve way more people than seems necessary.

First, I could not believe how much stuff I've accumulated in two years! The plates, chargers, and glasses purchased for hosting Thanksgiving Dinner took up 3 boxes alone! In addition, every time I go back to the states, I return with a 40 kilo bag of clothes. Clothes get ragged pretty quickly here, my weight fluctuates with the seasons (as well as with this move, read further) and my shoes are forever falling apart, so I compensate with bringing back twice as much as needs replacing. Add all the trinkets I have brought back from Turkey (blankets, bags, large decorative eggs) and Thailand (bags, baubles, marionettes...) and you end up with a lot of boxes and bags for someone living in a furnished apartment.

At 8 pm, 2 moving guys arrived and moved all my stuff to the curb in under 10 minutes. Then we waited for 30 minutes for a hired truck to arrive. The guys that owned the truck were not particularly nice and this lead to a very stressful 20 minute drive down the Nile - that involved my bedding ending up in the middle of the road, albeit briefly, in heavy traffic. At the new place, the bawab, his wife, his three small children, and the movers got my stuff to the elevator and my friend and I unloaded it all at the top.

Total people involved in the move: 11; total cost including tips: $60.

Did I mention the elevator fits two, average sized people quite uncomfortably?

On Friday there was still quite a bit to move. Unfortunately, I arrived at the apartment only to discover that the "some time soon" that the elevator was going to be replaced was, in fact, Friday! The elevator had already been taken apart by the time my friends and I arrived with several large suitcases and a cat. The bawab's wife (a wonderful, amazing, incredibly strong woman of about 5'1") put a hard-case suitcase that was easily 30 kilos on her head, and flew up the 6 flights of stairs! (She did this again later with two huge bags of cat food). Each of her children grabbed a box or small bag and followed their mother like three little ducklings. It took 3 trips each up 6 flights of stairs to get moved in (combine this with the painting and lifting and packing and unpacking and I should have lost a good 15 lbs by the end of this 'adventure'.)

There is still painting going on (the cheesecake color in the cherry-cheesecake reading nook is thick, but requires several coats), and lots of unpacking to do; but all-in-all I am happily installed in my new home. My wonderful friend T, who just went through a big move herself, brought over a lovely Eggplant Parm for dinner - with brownies - and now, belly full, I am typing while watching a purple + orange sherbet sunset over the Nile from my office window.


Life. is. good.