Monday, September 14, 2009

9.14.09

So yesterday was the first Sunday of Billieve season. Of course I wanted to go watch some football, Reid and Emily wanted to watch the Packers game, which by the way started at 2:20am here. We heard rumors that Harry's Pub in the Cairo Marriott Hotel plays NFL games so we were going to head there around midnight and at least catch the end of the 4pm games. Right before we left I decided that we should call them and make sure the games are on. Well I called, the guy on the other end sounded very perplexed when I asked about American football. Once we got confirmation of the unfortunate turn of events (Harry's doesn't play NFL games) we decided to google where else in Cairo shows the NFL. Every result we found was very disheartening.

We were getting desperate to watch, streaming games wouldn't work b/c our internet is way too slow. I found one post that stated that the writer had watched the Superbowl at the US Embassy one year, so I decided we should call the embassy and see if they knew of anywhere we could watch football. Well that didn't work, Emily called, but an Egyptian apparently works the phones at night and told us to call back in the morning.

We give up on football and decided we should at least go to a bar and pretend to soak in the NFL atmosphere. We tried one place that is always open, well last night it was not. We ended up across the street at Harry's Pub. Unfortunately they closed 3o minutes later, but told us to go to the other hotel bar next to them because they were open 24 hours.

Turns out it was a great thing that Harry's didn't play the NFL, the next bar we went to is easily one of my favorite places in Cairo! This 24 hour joint was called Roy's Country Kitchen and went to the extreme of having its employees where overalls. The Egyptian employees were all decked out in flannel and overalls! The inside was decorated with Jack Daniels and Jim Beam bottles, Campbell's soup, Green Giant, Jell-o and other 1950s advertisements. The menus were literally paddles (like fraternity paddles), not sure why paddles but that was great. Napkins were folded closed with a clothespin. Each aisle in the seating area was labeled as a different street from Bourbon St. to Michigan Ave. The walls were also decorated in Route 66 and other highway and mile marker signs. But what put me over the top was the sign above the kitchen entrance: "I spent most of my money on beer & women, the rest I just wasted." Apparently this is the perception of American country eateries. It was great, the place was hilarious and had phenomenal service. I can't wait to go back!

Lesson from the night...sit in the 24 hour McDonald's that has free wireless for the Bills game so I have fast enough internet to stream it. GO BILLS!!!!

3 comments:

  1. Graig! You found heaven in Cairo!

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  2. Awesome. Nearby Marriott resorts/hotels are the best place to find american things... in thailand near the JW Marriott, where we stayed, they had a Bill Bentley's Irish Pub that played international sports from around the world... i think they had women's volleyball, mens soccer, and mens golf at the same time. Unfortunately overpriced drinks and food as well. Good luck with the Bills, if Tom Brady can play with a fixed ACL i can snowboard again this winter.

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  3. "I spent most of my money on beer & women, the rest I just wasted." Priceless

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