Kada put bira tebe –Naša neplanirana poseta Egiptu /When the Journey Chooses You – Our Unexpected Beginning in Egypt

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Plan je bio jasan, posetiti Dammam u Saudijskoj Arabiji. Karte su već bile kupljene, planovi složeni i u mislima smo već videli obale, pijace i ulice tog grada na obali Arapskog zaliva.

A onda email. Let pomeren za neko vreme koje nismo imali. Nakon kratkog razmišljanja, odlučismo otkazujemo i let i sve rezervacije. Dammam će morati da sačeka neku drugu priliku.

Kažu da gradove biramo sami. Ali ponekad grad izabere nas. Kairo je bio baš takvo mesto. Nismo znali šta nas tačno čeka osim gužve, istorije i mnogo peska. A dobili smo i više od toga. Dobili smo grad u kome nema pauze, nema tišine i nema „običnog dana“. U jednom danu možete biti posmatrač, izgubljeni turista, pregovarač u duši, zaljubljenik u ruševine ili zvezdani vodič kroz vreme. I zato ovaj serijal nije klasičan vodič. Ovo je lično putovanje kroz Kairo, grad koji mi je pokazao da se i u haosu može pronaći smisao.

Ovo je serijal o putovanju koje nismo planirali ali koje nas je promenilo. O zvucima koji ostanu u ušima i danima posle, o prašini koja se zavlači pod kožu i o ljudima čiji osmeh kaže više nego hiljadu reči. O tome kako nas je dočekao Kairo pričaću ti uskoro.

Šta da očekujete?

U narednim tekstovima, deliću sa vama pet dana u Kairu dan po dan ne onako kako piše u brošurama već kako se zaista doživi na ulici u razgovoru, u mirisu začina, u pogledu slučajnog prolaznika. I to ne samo gde da idete, već šta da osetite, kada da zastanete, koga da izbegnete i gde se kriju ti sitni momenti koje pamtite ceo život.

Od pomeranja granica do izmirenja s haosom, ovo je samo početak našeg egipatskog poglavlja. Prvi trenuci, zbunjeni pogledi i vrućina koja ne oprašta ali nešto nas je već tada zadržalo.

Kažu da neke destinacije pronađu tebe kad im zatrebaš. Ovo je priča o tom trenutku i o nama koji nismo stigli spremni ali smo ostali zauvek promenjeni.

U sledećem nastavku – Pet dana u Kairu – Gde istorija diše a haos šapuće

Smiki’s Travel vas vodi tamo gde Kairo prestaje da bude razglednica a počinje da postaje priča.

Pratite me kroz ovaj vodič u nastavcima i otkrijte Kairo koji nećete pronaći u brošurama, ulični, stvaran, šaren, nepredvidiv. Onaj koji se ne pokazuje, nego se otkriva korak po korak.

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Our Unexpected Beginning in Egypt

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We had a plan. The plan was clear, visit Dammam in Saudi Arabia. The tickets were booked, the itinerary mapped out and in our minds, we were already strolling along the coast, getting lost in souks and exploring the streets of that city on the Arabian Gulf.

And then an email. Flight was rescheduled for time we didn’t have. So we paused. Thought for a moment. Then cancelled everything. Dammam would have to wait.

They say we choose the cities we visit. But sometimes a city chooses us. Cairo was exactly that kind of place. We didn’t know what to expect beyond the crowds, the history and a lot of sand. But we got more than that. We found a city where there are no pauses, no silence and no such thing as an “ordinary day.” In a single day, you can be an observer, a lost tourist, a natural born negotiator, a lover of ruins or a stargazing guide through time.

And that’s why this series is not your typical travel guide. It’s a personal journey through Cairo a city that showed me that even in chaos, there can be meaning. This is a series about a trip we didn’t plan but one that changed us. About sounds that echo in your ears for days after, dust that seeps under your skin and smiles from strangers that speak louder than a thousand words. In the next post, after the complete introduction to the series, I will tell you how Cairo welcomed us.

What to expect?

In the next posts, I’ll take you through five days in Cairo day by day, not as you’d read in brochures but as you truly feel it, on the street, in conversation, in the scent of spices, in the glance of a passerby. Not just where to go, but what to feel, when to pause, who to avoid and where those small, unforgettable moments hide, the ones that stay with you for a lifetime.

The city that changes you

Cairo taught us that there is no such thing as an “ordinary day” here. In just one day you can be an explorer, a believer, a trader, an observer and even a guide if you know a few Arabic words and offer a smile. That’s when the unforgettable moments happen; laughter, warmth, connection. A place where silence is rare and “normal” doesn’t exist.

From pushing boundaries to making peace with chaos, this is just the beginning of our Egyptian chapter. Those first moments confused glances, unforgiving heat yet something already held us there. Something unspoken, magnetic and a little wild. They say some places find you when they need you. This is the story of that moment and of us unprepared, uncertain but forever changed.

Coming up next – Five Days in Cairo – Where History Breathes and Chaos Whispers (Scrims)

Smiki’s Travel takes you beyond the postcard image to where Cairo becomes a living story.

Follow me through this guide in chapters and discover the Cairo you won’t find in tourist brochures, vivid, unpredictable and real. The kind of city that reveals itself slowly, step by step.