Last Train to Cairo

LAST TRAIN TO CAIRO follows the author and his wife on a chaotic but unforgettable journey through Egypt in the summer of 2014. The intrepid couple travel across Egypt by bus, train, and hired car from Cairo and Giza to Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Hurghada, and Alexandria. Along the way they tour ancient sites and hike across modern cities on a trip for the ages. Their odyssey begins with a midnight ride through the streets of Cairo to the pyramids of Giza. Traffic fills the night with blaring horns, roaring motors, and shouting drivers. A wedding party dances in the street and fireworks light the sky. Days later, bombs tear through a crowded subway platform, protesters march in the streets, and soldiers stand guard on every corner. Yet, like a Siren, Egypt teases the two travelers with its song, compelling the curious couple across the restless country. A travel narrative filled with wonder, frustration, and anxiety, LAST TRAIN TO CAIRO is populated with a cast of memorable characters from across Egypt: a hustler, an English teacher, an Egyptologist, expats, taxi drivers, and a riverboat captain named Gin Tonic, among many others. To their voices, the author adds historical context and a bit of humor to deliver a vivid look at Egypt in the twenty-first century.