We started the day by heading to Giza and seeing the Pyramids and the Sphinx. While not exactly in Cairo, they are part of this city. Except for the spectacle of the edifices themselves, and the life around them (the stalls, camel drivers, etc.), there's really not much "there" there, especially not after Petra. Still, they are something that should be seen, and were.

Then it was the mandatory "guide takes you to factory (shopping)" part of the trip. Surprisingly, it wasn't rugs, but instead perfume and papyrus paintings. But like rug buying, they were part of the experience and worth the detour.

Next was on to the Egyptian Museum. As everyone says, it is amazing how much is crammed into it, hundreds and hundreds of artifacts, mummies, sarcofagi and the big one: the artifacts of King Tut's tomb, including the gold mask that wasn't in the touring exhibit. (No pictures allowed, unfortunately).

Finally, we took a sunset felucca ride along the Nile to watch the sun set.

Cairo is definitely a dirty, crowded city, but not at all like the insanity I expected. Traffic moves -- no traffic lights, but many police directing the mash of cars, buses, tuk-tuks, and donkey carts. People dart in and out of it but none of it seems hectic or crazed. And right now, from my hotel balcony, I can hear a woman singing "Killing Me Softly" at an outdoor restaurant mixing with the sound of a muezzin calling the Muslim faithful to prayer, which is a perfect summary of the diversity of this city.

Tomorrow Ramadan starts and I'm really looking forward to seeing the city after dark, when people who have not eaten or drank all day come out and eat, drink and party until the early morning hours.

written by  shoshtrvls on August 31, 2008 from Cairo, Egypt
from the travel blog: Israel, Jordan and Egypt (2008)
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This morning started with an early drive through the countryside surrounding Cairo to Saqqara, home of the oldest pyramids, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser. Unlike the Pyramids at Giza, the Step Pyramid is surrounded by the remains of an ancient temple complex where you can really get a feeling for the power that these early Kings had. The area isn't excavated well, but the entrance, a long corridor of columns between which there were once statues, gives one a sense of what must have been here. And in the distance, you can see even more pyramids (which I presume are in Dahshur).

More inspiring, however, is the nearby tomb of Titi. Inside, the hieroglyphics remain relatively intact, and are carved on every wall and ceiling. The detail is truly amazing, how the fine lines and exquisite drawings and even many of the colors and tints remain. No pictures are permitted inside but even if they were, I doubt it would convey what it is like to be surrounded by the life story of one king etched on walls 5,000 years old.

We returned to Cairo through the same lush, palm-filled, farmland, past water buffalo, donkey carts, and herds of sheep and goat, and made our way to Coptic Cairo, one of the oldest parts of the city where the narrow streets lead to Greek Orthodox churches and even one Synagogue.

Then it was lunch at an incredibly tacky buffet restaurant on the Nile (note to self: don't ask a tour company to include meals) before returning to the hotel for an afternoon swim.

Although we have tried several times throughout this trip to visit a hammam, we have been spectacularly unsuccessful. The one we went to in Aqaba didn't have women's hours on the day we went, and it seems that all the "good" ones in Cairo are either closed or booked full due to Ramadan. So tonight I suspect we'll head to the main part of downtown Cairo for an easy dinner and a visitor's eye view of what happens during Ramadan when the sun goes down.

written by  shoshtrvls on September 1, 2008 from Cairo, Egypt
from the travel blog: Israel, Jordan and Egypt (2008)
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It's been a really great trip but its definitely time to come home.

written by  shoshtrvls on September 2, 2008 from Cairo, Egypt
from the travel blog: Israel, Jordan and Egypt (2008)
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