Full Circle-Back in Cairo

Alright team, I may not have much time, but here it is...

We made it back to Cairo just now, and I'm at a hostel chilling for the day before Jodeen and I get on a plane tonight.

Oh, and it seems important to note that Marie Renee did not die as a result of police injury, because she wasn't at the protest. Apparently, she had a heart attack. Again, not sure of more details beyond that, but I wanted to make sure that folks know.

The stuff that y'all have heard is this:
-Had a really super intense political tour of East Jerusalem with this amazing dude on Friday. He took us into one of the settlements, he took us around the wall and talked about the wall, and he took us to a neighborhood that is one of the central sites of the settler nastiness in East Jerusalem. It was pretty devastating. I'm going to be writing more about all of this, but the guy who gave us the tour came really hard and we appreciated it. He had been imprisoned and tortured by Israel 3 times in his life (starting at the age of 12). We didn't get to do the holy sites (sorry y'all), but the political tour was beyond what I could have ever hoped for.
-Then we left on the last bus out of Jerusalem and made our way to the border.
-The way out of the border was mad easy...was that because we were leaving? Was that because Jad, our friend from Virginia whose folks are Palestinian, wasn't with us? Was it because the people who have the power to tell you where you can or can't go decided that they just wanted to chill tonight.
-Spent the night on Friday, and the day and night on Saturday, on the beautiful coastal coast of the Sinai in little thatched roof huts on the beach. It was one of the most relaxing days I've ever had (until I stepped on a sea urchin and made a total tourist out of myself). The bedouin folks that staly around there were super helpful, friendly, and chill. It felt mad weird to start the day in East Jerusalam and end it in paradise, but I tried to allow myself to just enjoy it. I'm sure that all of the emotional intenstiy of what I've seen is going to take the rest of my life to really piece together.

We're leaving tonight, and we travel for about 40 hours or so. Be home late on Monday night.

Thanks for all of the love that y'all have been sending. It's been super sustaining for both of us to get your messages, or know that y'all are reading this and holding us in your heart even a little bit. It's because of y'all that we've been able to do this, and we owe you so much for all that you have done to help us be here. Can't wait to talk when we're home.

bryan