Cairo Bag elicits travel tips from Damascus (in Istanbul)

It was not the best of times. Thunderstorms over Istanbul and raging winds diverted a budget flight from Europe, so it landed hours late at its final destination, following some in-flight lightening (which freaked out the Brazilian dance band en route to a festival), and a good long stretch parked on an Ankara runway. 

Most passengers, who were simply connecting in Turkey for flights elsewhere, were told on arrival in the terminal that their flights had left without them. 

Don't worry, the airline assured, you will be put up in a hotel for the night and shuttled back to the airport tomorrow for the same flight the next day. It was as easy as going to pay for your entry visa and checkin in with the airline hotel. 

Visa? (well, fisa) I heard the woman behind me whisper to her husband. 

For the record: Cairo to Jerusalem by bus...

Still the cheapest way to travel (done right its about $80/£55 for a return trip, plus $40/£25 for the visa) Cairo by bus has gotten a little more complicated these days. 

Since the most problematic part of the journey was not knowing how things worked before hand, and thus not being able to plan very well, here is what I learned, for posterity (and for other hearty 
travellers).