starbucks – Adrian's Got The Moose

The only comforting aspect of returning to Cairo was that I already had a basic mental map of Downtown, with a handful of places I wanted to return to. The local branch of Costa Coffee was across the road from my hotel instead of a fifteen-minute walk. I barely finished ordering before a delivery man interrupted us, the beauty serving me forgetting to take my payment. I got my coffee and doughnut, consumed it, and decided the rudeness was payment enough and walked out. Later, at the nearby McDonald’s, the Sarah who bewitched me weeks ago glanced at me, then past me without recognition while flirting with a Spanish guy, and I departed feeling very alone.

I took an Uber to Zamalek, a suburb on an island in the Nile, filled with high-class hotels, sports clubs, luxury apartment buildings, two tattoo studios, and the focus of my visit, Cairo Tower.

Built in the late fifties to early sixties, reportedly funded indirectly by the CIA when they attempted to bribe the president of Egypt to stop supporting various African revolutions against their colonial oppressors. The story goes the tower was specifically located and sized to be seen by the US Embassy across the Nile, a level of spite I can appreciate.

Perhaps I am jaded after my time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai, but I found the story more impressive than the tower itself. 187 metres high, with a concrete facade designed to resemble a White Lotus flower.

I can only assume the designers were under the influence of powerful sedatives, and everyone else involved was too busy asking them to share to bother critiquing the design.

It is topped by an observation deck, which, after waiting half an hour, I was allowed fifteen minutes to loiter on.

The view was incredible, and it was nice to see some greenery, even if it was only in the domain of the rich.

Before a functionary in a poorly-fitting suit could yell at me, I headed back down, spent a little money at the gift shop, and wandered around the area for a little while before making my way to the nearby Starbucks, positioned on a boat at permanent mooring, where the rich went shopping and drinking beverages pretending to be coffee.

At least I was unlikely to get sea-sick.

It was pleasant enough, but after feeling like an invisible imposter, I was keen to return to Downtown, which felt more real.