Before I arrived in Cairo last April I imagined a place that was dry and hot year round. I had heard stories that the summer heat was un-bearable and that the locals all fled town to escape it. Actually, many of the privileged locals did flee town, a fact that isn’t easily lost on those driving around Zamalek in the summertime. However, it turns out that the seasons here are rather distinct. When we first arrived in April the weather was amazing, it was about 75F during the day and the evenings didn't drop much below 65F. Aside from the occasional dust storm, it was very similar to southern California at that time of year. Summer began to take over around May, and soon the notorious summer heat was showing itself. Yes, it was definitely hot, but it really wasn't as bad as I expected. Summer in Cairo isn't really that much hotter than a heat wave in LA, or even in Portland for that matter. I remember plenty of 100 plus days during my childhood. The main difference is that in Cairo the air is much more polluted and there is rarely a breeze, which makes it difficult to escape the heat without A/C. Now that we are deep into Autumn, the weather is getting fairly cold. The days are still a pleasant 72F, but the nights are cold and chilly. We went from running fans all day to running a heater at night, not something could have imagined two months ago. The cooler air also seems a bit cleaner. When flying into the Cairo airport last week the air was clear enough to see nearly the entire city from Nasr City past Giza to the desert. It was the first time I ever saw the whole city at once and it was amazing. The image of mile after mile of mid-rise flats abrubtly ending at a desert on both sides with the mystique of pyramids dotted across the landscape is a rare site and something I won’t soon forget.