a mixed picture

Back from my first Zamalek walkabout this morning. I see no evidence of any further troubles last night, nor have I been able to find any news stories on the web suggesting that there were any.

Zamalek as a whole seems to be functioning normally. The presence of security police has dropped from well over 1,000 yesterday to maybe 100 or so in the vicinity this morning.

However, Brazil Street is still far from normal. I’m still living under martial law, having to negotiate my way through at least two roadblocks every time I enter the zone of the Algerian Embassy, which of course happens to be the very zone in which I live. If anything, it was a bit harder today than yesterday to talk my way through the barriers, and being able to point to my door and exchanges waves with the doorman seemed to be the only thing convincing enough for the soldiers to let me through. They still look worried and nervous and unhappy.

This has been an interesting little era in the history of Zamalek, but also an alarming one. At least no one was killed, and as far as I know (though I may be wrong about this) none of the injuries were serious.