Karaoke & Dancing – 11 January 2007

After my lucky afternoon, Chris & I went to the Marriot. We went to the casino briefly – hoping my luck would rub off on Chris. He came out in front by $45 so maybe it did.

By this time it was only 9pm so we went to Harry’s pub, the same pub that we had our tequila soaked misadventure in a few months back. We decided to go early coz otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to get a table. We ordered some snacks and a drink. We’d just finished these when some hash people showed up. They said hi as they walked by then one of the girls (Leeanne, a Canadian) came back and told us we should go sit with them.

We moved up to where their table was and had a few drinks with them. Thursday and Friday nights are Karaoke night at Harry’s. Chris and I were sceptical, but Leeanne and her friends said that’s why they’d come to Harry’s. As soon as the books were brought out they were going through them looking for suitable songs. Karaoke started at 10pm and Garret (hash guy) and Shannon were up and singing. It was hilarious.

Essam was supposed to pick us up about 11pm. We decided to text him and say 1am instead. Since we’d already changed the time once, I was going to leave at 1am coz Essam was waiting. Unfortunately, Chris had forgotten to bring his key so he’d have had to wake me when he got home. Chris said he’d go tell Essam we didn’t need him, give him £20 and send him home. I was worried that Essam would be pissed at us for stuffing him round, but he said it was fine (I reckon he was happy to get the money!).

Just before 2am (as the karaoke was wrapping up) Leeanne said they were going out dancing. I was going to go home then, but thy said the pub they were going dancing at was just around the corner so I thought I’d check it out first. We walked the long way round to the boats on the Nile looking for a bar called Latex. We ended up at a place called Bliss. It was dark, like a basement bar, with lots of red covered lamps etc and a bar all the way along one side. There were about 12 people there, but the five of us started dancing anyway. The music wasn’t great, kinda dance music...not much in the way of lyrics.

I’ve never had so much fun in a nearly empty bar! At one point Andy had everyone in the bar up dancing with us! It was good fun. They closed about 3am and there was discussion back and forth about continuing on or going home. I was keen to go home, but me and my rubber arm were convinced to check out the next boat. When we got to the door they said no and we all started walking back to the road. Then Andy’s yelled out to us and said we could go up to the party that was on the boat, but it was just Arabic music. We agreed to call it a night. It turns out the ‘party’ was a wedding! We almost crashed a wedding!.

Chris and I got into a cab and Leanne, Andy and Casey walked home (the boys both live in Zamalek near the embassy). We got in the cab and I’ve got no idea how to get back to Mohandiseen. You’d think I’d have figured it out by now, but I must never pay attention. Then the driver turned the wrong way. I said to Chris I’m sure he’s going the wrong way and then Chris said was that Sphinx square? And the guy goes Sphinx square? and nods. So we thought it was and we went along a bit further and I said no, we need to turn around.

We finally convinced the guy he was going the wrong way (he’d been trying to take us to Sphinx square!). We were saying shooting club, nady el seed, but he just wasn’t getting it. Finally I saw a shop that we’d passed on the way to the Marriot earlier and got the driver turned around and directed us home (eventually using Arabic for the direction – alatool for straight, yimeen for right and shimaal for left). We paid him £10 (which Leeanne etc has said was more than enough) and then we got out of the cab. He was arguing for more but we started walking away so he took the £2 extra we offered and gave up on us.

It was a good night, I love going dancing. It’s been way too long since the last time. Leeanne said that the Canadian embassy has an end of month party that always ends up with dancing so she invited Chris and I to go to that with her and her friends next time its on. Bring it on :)