Upon Arrival in Algiers

1. Business Class from DC to Paris ROCKS.
2. There are no ATMS in Algiers, Algeria and quite possibly in the whole of N. Africa
3. Algiers is actually very pretty and green and hilly if you ignore the 1959 cement-block architecture
4. Breakfast at the Hilton really is twenty dollars.
5. Apparently I speak very good French, "for an American."
6. You know how they always ask if someone gave you stuff to carry on board? Someone totally tried to give me stuff to carry on board! I don't know if he just realized he couldn't check three bags and wanted me to take one for him, or if he really was trying to pass, like, contraband, off on me. I pretended not to speak French and shrugged a lot and then I was all excited to tell the lady when she asked, "Has anyone given you items to carry on board?" but she didn't ask. So I told her anyway.
7. I have a balcony in my hotel room, which is not exactly...um...what I would call 5-star, and the balcony overlooks the parking lot, but whatever.
8. They SAY they don't allow outside food, but they totally did not mention the seventy-nine bags of trail mix I have spilling out of my purse, so they must not care that much.