My first chance to post since arriving in Cairo on Sunday at 3am. Long, but uneventful journey - non-stop flight to Frankfurt, with a long layover, then another direct flight to Cairo. The picture on the left is the view from our balcony at Hotel Luna, our home base in Cairo. It is located on Talat Harb, in downtown Cairo, one of the busiest streets in the city and a shopping hub.
Yesterday, we rested and ventured out for a few hours in the evening. It didn't take long for us to meet our first street hustler - about 20 minutes. And as much as I like to consider myself savvy about these things, he took me in - and Jane and Sofia. I think Estelle read him better than the rest of us! By the end of the evening we had made plans to meet up with him the next day for a full day of touring. Fortunately, the staff at the hotel was wise to this particular guy and we decided against it. He is notorious for telling people the same story I guess, which involved spending time at his family farm . We did buy some perfume from his "cousin" and we'll see when we return if it is what he claims.
Cairo - from what little we've experienced it is everything I expected - and more. We are staying right in the heart of downtown Cairo. It's difficult to describe the level of activity here - traffic, noise, the street scene. I will try and post some pics later and those won't even do it justice. Narrow alleys off the main streets seem like you are stepping back in time. There is a layer of grime covering most everything that has settled over decades, if not centuries.
It is interesting to see old traditions existing side by side with the modern society. Women in Birkas next to others in western style dress - seeming to coexist without too much friction.
We spent our first full day taking a tour of the pyramids. We hired a driver (with van) and tour guide for the day - for a total of $60. We rode by camel and horseback to the Pyramids of Giza. Astounding, but also not surprisingly, heavily touristed. It will be a challenge, if not impossible, to get away from that. Everyone wants a piece of you here, that is, they want a few of the dollars you bring to spend. The Egyptians have their own, very civilized, way of doing it so you feel good about it, at least for a while.
So, we're trying to learn fast and figure out how to fashion our trip the way we want it. We'll see how successful we are. Tom
2 comments:
Glad you are all well and enjoying yourselves... I forgot to mention the street hustle and baksheesh hassle - try quick eye contact away from the person with a quick flick of the wrist indicating 'not interested' (sort of like shooing flies!).
Looks like your timing will be great for the new 'Face of Tut'... also, I visited Karnak early in the morning - great light!
Happy and safe journeys!
So much fun hearing about your travels in "real time". Different from '93 when Keith and I were travelling and had to wait 6 weeks in between visits to the Amex office to send and receive hand-written letters!
Can't wait to see pix. All well here. Stay safe. Miss you.
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