This was first published on the SMU Student Adventures Blog on September 5.

Last night was my first night truly out and about in Cairo. After meeting a bunch of new people, we decided to go to the Khan for late-night tea and shisha (around 1 a.m.).

There were probably about 15 of us making our way from Zamalek to the Khan. The group was made up of Egyptians, Europeans and Americans. Considering it is Ramadan right now, I was unsure what the atmosphere of the Khan would be. All the girls in the group were dressed as if back in Europe and the [United] States. I thought that we would be a complete show for all the locals. However, I was wrong.

The Khan was extremely packed due to Ramadan, but we managed to find space at a café. I was impressed by the hospitality of everyone, as the café staff did their best to fit everyone in. The shisha was excellent, and the conversation was even better.

A fellow American University in Cairo student and I talked about how amazing it felt to sit in such an old market, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. As we sat chatting about various topics, I thought about how awesome it was to be sitting in the Khan during Ramadan.

As 4 a.m. approached and we made our way back to the streets to go home, we passed the Al-Hussein mosque during the call to prayer. Life still went on. Children ran through the streets, people were still talking with each other and we made our way to our cars. We drove back to Zamalek and enjoyed the cool Cairo breeze blowing through the windows. The night was truly amazing as all of us enjoyed spending our time in an area that both embraces secularism and religion.