Lesson learned...

NOTICE: This is a long post. If you just want the good stuff skip to after the picture.

This past Thursday, Egypt participated in the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. This was a big deal in its own right. Making it even more significant was the fact that their opponent was none other than the dreaded national squad of Algeria.

Suffice it to say, there's some serious bad blood between the two countries For instance, two decades ago, a crucial match in Cairo devolved into an all out brawl between players, supporters, and referees. An Egyptian supporter lost an eye; INTERPOL issued a warrant for an Algerian player; but the Pharaohs came out on top 1-0.

The most recent chapter in this dramatic rivalry, came a few months back, when both nations were vying for a spot in the World Cup. They met in Cairo on November 14. The way the standings stood, Egypt needed to win by three goals to qualify. If Algeria lost by only one, tied, or won, they would clinch the spot at Egypt's expense.

Tensions were through the roof even before the game began. When the Algerian team arrived in Cairo, they were allegedly attacked by over-zealous Egyptian supporters, resulting in some broken windows and bloodied faces. Fueling the fire was the cold war that erupted between the two nations, including biased and accusatory media accounts, internet death-threats, and a series of cyber-hacks and counter hacks that left websites in both countries in disarray.

Well, with all of this build-up, wouldn't you know that the game ends with Egypt winning 2-0 (with the second, critical goal, coming in the waning moments), meaning that neither side had managed to obtain an advantage in points that would allow them to qualify. They were effectively tied in the final standings, forcing a playoff the next week in Sudan.

With everything on the line, Algeria emerged victorious, 1-0. Egypt's World Cup ambitions would have to wait until 2014, that much was certain. However, what happened after the match was anything but. Basically, Egyptians have accused Algerian supporters of killing two Egyptian fans in Sudan. Whether this is true or not, I have no idea. Nonetheless, most of Cairo thought it happened, and the Algerian embassy, which is about 5 blocks away from where I live, was the site of some "spirited demonstrations."

Which (FINALLY) brings us to Thursday's semi-final in Angola. I went out with my roommate, Islam, and some of his friends to watch the game. After wandering around the streets of Cairo in search of the perfect place to watch, we settled for a street outside a place called Bar Jamaica, where the game was being projected onto a bed sheet. The narrow street had quite practically turned into a movie theater.

Egypt went up early, and soon had a comfortable lead. The game was never really in much doubt, as they went on to win 4-0 to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations championship. After the game, things went berserk. Thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate. Cars zoomed through tight spaces at high speeds, smashing their horns in celebration. Enthusiastic youths broke out homemade flamethrowers.

Now, being a tall, pale, obviously out-of-place foreigner, you might think I felt a little uncomfortable. Not at all. That's because my roommate taught me a handy little phrase that, when said, will guarantee you safety in Egypt. Basically, it was a very insulting chant directed at the mothers of Algerians, the exact meaning of which I will not share on this blog. However, upon me screaming it in the streets, droves of Egyptians surrounded me and started chanting along. At one point, they tried to pick me up and put me on their shoulders. No lie.

The night continued with several stops at bars and clubs. Along the way, I saw some bizarre sights. I saw a guy get hit by a taxi (he was fine); I saw a car drive by at 50 mph, with a guy standing on top, both hands waving an Egyptian flag; and probably the best sight of the night, I saw a moped zig-zagging through the Cairo streets, four people sitting on it, the woman in the back holding a baby.

Anyway, this has kind of been a round-a-bout way of getting to this, but the lesson I learned that night is to not go anywhere without my camera.Yeah, I might at times look like a stupid tourist, but some of this stuff just cannot be passed up. I won't make the same mistake this Sunday, when Egypt squares of against Ghana in the finals.