Apartment Hunting

We hit the pavement today and just started going from one high rise to the next, asking if there were apartments to rent. A nice Indian (yes, Indian!) security guard told us at each one that there were no apartments, the whole building was full. We must have asked at 20 some buildings--all full.

We looked at three apartments (one which turned out to not be available after all)--two 1-bedrooms and one 3-bedroom (which is entirely too big for me and the Keefe's).

At one building, the Indian (yes, Indian!) security guard handed us three key chains. One of the rings had 11 keys on it. We asked him, "Which key is the correct one?" He didn't know. He told us if none of them worked, to try one of the keys on the other chains. As we worked our way through the 11 keys, we started laughing harder and harder. Who hands a key chain of 11 keys to a prospective renter and says, "You go figure it out!" #10 finally worked.

I've seen 1-bedroom apartments and studios that are half the price of 5 bedroom "villas" (houses). I've seen signs of businesses owned by the Bin Laden family (yes, Bin Laden!). I've seen a very famous body of water that I'm going to go put my feet in tomorrow! But I have yet to see a camel. Or the place I'll lay my head for the next phase of my life. ..