I awoke to the searing whine of the adhan, the call to prayer that is blasted from speakers atop Mosques all around, the last vestiges of the night’s cool air—and the odour. Each building had its own personal landfill. Garbage was just thrown out the window down to a heap below on the street. Cockroaches and stray cats were as common as houseflies. We were living in the heart of Cairo, overpopulated, overheated, and overwhelming with its endless stench of either warm garbage, sewage, or both.
