In future, I will staple my passport to my hand

Yes, I know - I have not been blogging for a while.

So an update...

Work has been busy. And not terribly interesting.

On Wednesday last week, I went to Cairo for work. Got to the hotel, checked my email to find a message from my bank, telling me that I had to go to the Embassy to get a document witnessed by the Embassy staff.

Problem: I had every piece of official documentation with me, except for my Australian passport. Gah!!!! Rang the embassy, who confirmed that I did need my passport with me to get these documents witnessed.

Thursday: Work in the Cairo office. 5 hour trip back to the desert. Find passport.

Friday: Unpack bag, do laundry, go in to work work (yes, on the weekend), pack bag, boring crap.

Saturday: Travel back to Cairo. Check back into hotel.

Sunday: Up early to go to the Embassy. Signature witnessed in approx 2 minutes. Cost of witnessing: $A20 PER SIGNATURE!! (two signatures witnessed on this freaking document). And provided free of charge? A lecture from the embassy official about how dangerous where I live is. Yeah, thanks. That was useful.

Sunday afternoon: Meet up with French neighbour, who was also in Cairo. Spend another 5 hours traveling back to the desert.

Cost of this experience:

Hotel - $US95
Travel - 10 hours
Travel within Cairo - 2 hours
Courier for paperwork - $US30
Signature witnessing by embassy - $A40
and... 1 day of annual leave.

It was not a priceless Mastercard experience.