No place for sissies

The mood is upbeat. People are literally dancing in the streets, which is how I suspect these things often begin. Many armored fighting vehicles, and not just near Tahrir.

I saw at least 20 flyovers from about noon to 2 p.m. The Cairo Tower is in the background.

It's a great day for those selling Egyptian flags and portraits of Gen. Sisi.

A look toward the square from Tahrir Bridge. As much as I'd like to join the party, I promised folks back home I'd steer clear of the crowds.

Cairenes have not seen this level of security in years. The army seems determined to keep the factions apart. They have overwhelming firepower and control the squares, but are they nimble enough to respond to rapidly changing conditions in the side streets?

Six miles away, the MB is digging in. I have two more questions: Will some of their offshoots move west and look for a fight? And can a bloodbath be avoided outside Rabia Al-Adiweya mosque? [Editor's note: Two days later, the answer to the first question is a qualified "yes"; to the second a resounding "no."]

I stop at a restaurant called Tikka and order an unbelievably good mixed-grill dish with yellow rice and vegetables. I make a note to buy cardamom while watching the demonstrations develop on the restaurant's TV.

The crowds will be much bigger shortly, which is my cue to go home, lock the door and hydrate. It's really fuckin' hot today. Everybody is hungry and thirsty but steadfastly sticking to their guns. Whatever happens tonight and tomorrow, I will never question the resoluteness of the Egyptian people. Not the smiling families in Tahrir Square, nor their grimly pious opponents in Nasr City.