Well, I guess I could try to "Walk Like An Egyptian", but it's no use - there is no way in hell I'd ever fit in! That is to say, the number of white people I noticed in 4 days I could fit on the fingers of my 2 hands. I spoke to the 9 tourists I encountered while in the city, and they were all from the U.K. (Yes, I approached total strangers and engaged them in conversation - I was desperate for interaction with English-speaking people!) Weather-wise, this is the perfect time of year, the $US is pummeling the Egyptian pound, and I'm the only Yank here? I knew political unrest in Egypt had greatly hurt tourism, but this was ridiculous. Cairo. Is. Dead.
Once again, getting to my destination was not without its twists and turns. I met up with my lovely colleague KM to go to the train station and buy a ticket for the last train of the night going to the airport. Only the day before had she booked the same flight as me, to visit her sister who works and studies in Egypt. This would benefit me later...
We stood on the platform and noticed that the info on the electronic sign was for an earlier train that had not yet shown up. That made us more than a little nervous, that, and the crowd of soccer hooligans just waiting to cause trouble. I was literally caught in a riot by my apartment near the stadium just a couple of hours before, so I was not in the mood. My intelligent companion suggested we eat the ticket and try to take a taxi to the airport, as we were cutting it very close. There were numerous red taxis as usual, but they were prohibited by law from leaving the city limits, like to go to the airport, for example. Luckily, there was 1 white taxi present, and, he charged only the going rate, when he really could have put it to us!
We got to the airport and had no difficulty getting to our assigned gate. We watched the previous flight at that gate board and wondered how they were going to make such a quick turnaround. Fortunately, my observant travel partner turned around and saw our flight boarding, at that moment, at a gate behind us. The flight was pretty light; we both hoped that we'd be able to lay across a row and get a little sleep. One of us would be disappointed. She deserved better...
We got to Cairo International Airport and my friend navigated us through the system as only someone could who had been there before. I was given a health form to fill out. She advised to ignore it. Um, okay. Never would have guessed it was "optional". Transportation from the airport into the city is not easy How was I going to get all the way to my hotel in Giza on the opposite side of the metro area, she asked? Um, I'd figure it out. No, I wouldn't. Her friend in Egypt, who didn't have a car, had a friend who did. Friend #2 drove us outside of the airport area, where the taxi drivers would have eaten me alive, to a spot where bilingual Friend #1 made an arrangement with a cabbie to get me to my hotel for a price that wouldn't break the bank. My place was near 3 other name properties, but those were along main roads and mine was a boutique joint on a side street. My guy had to stop twice to ask locals how to find the hotel. It was only when I saw a small sign pointing us in the right direction did we finally get there. Couldn't blame him, though.
The Soluxe Cairo Hotel is part of a large Chinese-owned chain and looked as if it was designed to appeal to the Chinese traveler. Only ever saw only a handful of guests during my 4 days there. Nice enough place, service was good, though it was near nothing else whatsoever. It's selling point: it was within walking distance of one of the 2 gates to the pyramids. I could see one of the pyramids from my 3rd-floor balcony. Poolside was nice; the tunes from the tiki bar were flowing and there was always a hookah just waiting for you!
My first stop was to the Cairo Tower. 614 feet at its apex. You know, it's one of those things a city builds for tourists to ascend and take in the views. I'm a sucker for stuff like that. In Europe, I've climbed to the top of many churches to take panoramic photos of cityscapes. This structure, whose design was inspired by the lotus flower, got me to fork over my (foreigner price!) 10 bucks, and I got a little more than I bargained for...
Once again, getting to my destination was not without its twists and turns. I met up with my lovely colleague KM to go to the train station and buy a ticket for the last train of the night going to the airport. Only the day before had she booked the same flight as me, to visit her sister who works and studies in Egypt. This would benefit me later...
We stood on the platform and noticed that the info on the electronic sign was for an earlier train that had not yet shown up. That made us more than a little nervous, that, and the crowd of soccer hooligans just waiting to cause trouble. I was literally caught in a riot by my apartment near the stadium just a couple of hours before, so I was not in the mood. My intelligent companion suggested we eat the ticket and try to take a taxi to the airport, as we were cutting it very close. There were numerous red taxis as usual, but they were prohibited by law from leaving the city limits, like to go to the airport, for example. Luckily, there was 1 white taxi present, and, he charged only the going rate, when he really could have put it to us!
We got to the airport and had no difficulty getting to our assigned gate. We watched the previous flight at that gate board and wondered how they were going to make such a quick turnaround. Fortunately, my observant travel partner turned around and saw our flight boarding, at that moment, at a gate behind us. The flight was pretty light; we both hoped that we'd be able to lay across a row and get a little sleep. One of us would be disappointed. She deserved better...
We got to Cairo International Airport and my friend navigated us through the system as only someone could who had been there before. I was given a health form to fill out. She advised to ignore it. Um, okay. Never would have guessed it was "optional". Transportation from the airport into the city is not easy How was I going to get all the way to my hotel in Giza on the opposite side of the metro area, she asked? Um, I'd figure it out. No, I wouldn't. Her friend in Egypt, who didn't have a car, had a friend who did. Friend #2 drove us outside of the airport area, where the taxi drivers would have eaten me alive, to a spot where bilingual Friend #1 made an arrangement with a cabbie to get me to my hotel for a price that wouldn't break the bank. My place was near 3 other name properties, but those were along main roads and mine was a boutique joint on a side street. My guy had to stop twice to ask locals how to find the hotel. It was only when I saw a small sign pointing us in the right direction did we finally get there. Couldn't blame him, though.
The Soluxe Cairo Hotel is part of a large Chinese-owned chain and looked as if it was designed to appeal to the Chinese traveler. Only ever saw only a handful of guests during my 4 days there. Nice enough place, service was good, though it was near nothing else whatsoever. It's selling point: it was within walking distance of one of the 2 gates to the pyramids. I could see one of the pyramids from my 3rd-floor balcony. Poolside was nice; the tunes from the tiki bar were flowing and there was always a hookah just waiting for you!
My first stop was to the Cairo Tower. 614 feet at its apex. You know, it's one of those things a city builds for tourists to ascend and take in the views. I'm a sucker for stuff like that. In Europe, I've climbed to the top of many churches to take panoramic photos of cityscapes. This structure, whose design was inspired by the lotus flower, got me to fork over my (foreigner price!) 10 bucks, and I got a little more than I bargained for...
After 10 people squeezed into an elevator car approximately 1 x 1 meter (seriously!) we actually made it to the observation deck, a narrow way that circles the tower, and the real fun began! Some guy with his very little kid just started going off on me. The only thing I understood was when he was pointing to the sky and invoking the name of Allah. This could be bad. Fortunately, a large security guard quietly removed him without further incident...
I walked from the tower across a bridge spanning the Nile and to the Egyptian Museum. I knew it was right by Tahrir Square, where of course some major stuff has gone down in recent years. When I got to the museum however I was not prepared for what I saw...
There were no imminent problems that I was aware of so I was surprised to see a lot of barbed wire, tanks, heavily armed soldiers by the building. I chose not to take photos of these fine fellas, but take my word for it, you've never entered a museum under these conditions. I think about 50 pieces were looted during the protests and only about half returned 4 years out, so the people here are justifiably very protective of their stuff. I passed through the first security gate and took some photos of the grounds before I turned in my camera...
(Notice the burned-out hulk of the former building that housed the ruling Democratic National Party looming over the museum - it looks worse in person!) I went security check #2 and started through what I anticipated would be one of the most spectacular collections on the planet. If you're an Egyptologist obviously the place has all kinds of items to make you drool but the quality of the museum was poor, to put it charitably! It was a dump, like the rest of the city. At least I got to see the mask and coffins of King Tut up close and personal (and came tantalizingly close to bribing a guy to take a photo of me next to the mask and email it to me with his cameraphone)! I am certain he'd have gone for it if his wife and kids weren't there :( How did he get in with that thing?! I wanted to get my grubby paws on some famous stuff, and my chance was coming...
And for the reason I traveled to this filthy sewer of a city - the pyramids! I take a taxi to the front gate and enter the site. I could not believe I was finally there! A lifelong dream realized - I was at the pyramids! I was a little excited, if you hadn't guessed. I went face-to-face with the Sphinx (he didn't blink). I actually touched the pyramids. I had brought a small water bottle to collect sand from the site. I never imagined I'd also actually get a piece of a pyramid, but, I got very lucky.
The 2nd-tallest and largest of the 3 main pyramids at Giza there is the one for Khafre, son of Khufu (Great Pyramid dude). Though about 10 feet shorter than the Great Pyramid, Khafre's (worn down to about 448 feet today) looks larger because of being built on a higher elevation, and it also has a more elaborate complex surrounding it (including the aforementioned Sphinx). As I approached it, I noticed that just around one corner, one block up, somehow a chunk had gotten chipped away, and a small piece of lovely limestone was just waiting to be grabbed, if I could jump and get it. I did :)
I didn't feel too well the rest of my time in Cairo and never did get to Alexandria or Luxor, which would've been nice. But it was just as well because I absolutely hated being there. In addition to being indescribably dirty there was nothing happening there at all, plus, it was the first time in 3 years and 21 countries where I felt unwanted, uncomfortable and threatened. Don't walk like an Egyptian. Run. Away. But how about some pics from the pyramids to wrap this up!
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The 2nd-tallest and largest of the 3 main pyramids at Giza there is the one for Khafre, son of Khufu (Great Pyramid dude). Though about 10 feet shorter than the Great Pyramid, Khafre's (worn down to about 448 feet today) looks larger because of being built on a higher elevation, and it also has a more elaborate complex surrounding it (including the aforementioned Sphinx). As I approached it, I noticed that just around one corner, one block up, somehow a chunk had gotten chipped away, and a small piece of lovely limestone was just waiting to be grabbed, if I could jump and get it. I did :)
I didn't feel too well the rest of my time in Cairo and never did get to Alexandria or Luxor, which would've been nice. But it was just as well because I absolutely hated being there. In addition to being indescribably dirty there was nothing happening there at all, plus, it was the first time in 3 years and 21 countries where I felt unwanted, uncomfortable and threatened. Don't walk like an Egyptian. Run. Away. But how about some pics from the pyramids to wrap this up!
