Cairo – Last Words
I’m back in Cairo after an uneventful overnight train trip (thanks to my wonderful eye-mask and earplugs– an absolute must on any train journey!). I was welcomed back to the Nubian Hostel by their male staff who flirted with me relentlessly. Egyptian men are so handsome, it’s unbelievable! And it appears that Egyptian men find me very attractive – they like full-figured women!
RELIGION – Since about 90% of the Egyptian population is Muslim, many pray the requisite 5 times per day, no matter where they are. I have run into men praying on the sidewalks, in shops, at the end of a corridor, in shopping malls – you name it! At Thomas Cook in fact, I saw two men praying on the floor in front of the photocopier! And last week one man was praying in front of a fire extinguisher! I know they’re supposed to be facing ‘mecca’ when they pray, but surely they could find a better spot than in front of a photocopier or a fire extinguisher!
WATER FOR ALL – It’s hot here in Egypt (up to 50 degrees) and we’re basically in the desert. As a result, for centuries the people in Egypt have put out a complimentary urn of drinking water and cup for those in need. I have seen them set up in takeout restaurants, markets, mosques, and outside many little shops. What I can’t get over is the fact that everyone drinks from the same cup – when one gets sick, I’m assuming everyone gets sick! I appreciate the courtesy though.
SUBWAYS – By far the easiest, and cheapest way to move around Cairo is by subway. Unfortunately its reach is still quite limited. In the meantime, it is extremely helpful for women to take the subway as there are specific cars set aside as “women only”. These subway cars are never as packed as the cars with men so I take the subway as often as possible! I have been cautioned against taking local buses and standing in the regular subway cars – reason: many foreign women are ‘groped’ by Egyptian men! Thankfully, it hasn’t happened to me….yet!
RESTAURANTS – Downtown Cairo leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to eating out. Felfela and GAD are perhaps the only two restaurants I head to each day, with reasonably priced Egyptian foods. We’re talking Shwarma, Meat Pizza, Felafel and such. Most menus are limited to meats, breads and rice – it seems that vegetables are in limited supply or perhaps no one likes them, although I have seen lots in the marketplaces. I’m not sure why we don’t see them on restaurant menus. Lower priced food stalls are quite filthy which leaves the five-star hotel restaurants. I have to admit that I did enjoy a wonderful lunch at Oberoi Mena House Hotel this week – it sits directly opposite the Pyramids so you can enjoy the view while you are dining. It was a wonderful experience for me (but I did pay dearly for it!).
Breakfast is a huge letdown for sure. Most hostels offer a complimentary breakfast consisting of bread, egg, jam and coffee/tea – every single day! But, a true Egyptian breakfast can be preordered the night before, consisting of falafel, fuul (beanpaste) and pita bread – problem is, it’s really heavy! I’d still like to see a western breakfast place open up here – I think it would do very well!
We have McDonalds, Hardees, KFC and Pizza Hut here but they don’t have prime locations like they do back in China – here in Cairo, they are often located around the corner from a main street, requiring extensive signage for people to find it. A highlight here are the juice bars – I have stopped several times to have a mango juice which arrives ice-cold (pure mango mixed with slivers of ice) for just one Egyptian pound – it’s a real thirst quencher! Another interesting phenomenon is that everywhere I go in the city, I see men rushing past me with trays holding glasses of tea – this could be in a back lane, on the city’s main streets, in a shop – turns out that tea is delivered everywhere! One kind of tea I strongly recommend is Mint Tea – red tea with fresh mint leaves, which is now my personal favourite. I still wonder if they reuse the glasses, or do they actually wash them first?
You see, there’s no recycling – if you have an empty bottle or tin can, it goes into the rubbish bin – case closed. Only a half-assed effort is made to clean the streets and sidewalks (there’s garbage everywhere), and from my hotel room I can see that a lot of people store their own garbage on the roofs of their apartment buildings – what’s with that? It also seems that many people have constructed small rooms on top of buildings to live in – for staff perhaps?
FASHION – Egyptian Women’s fashion rocks! I’m serious! When women go outside, they are dressed to the nines! While many wear gowns and headscarves, their clothes are often embellished with sequins or embroidery. Those who wear western clothing always make an extra effort to not only coordinate the colours of their headscarves, but often layer 2-3 headscarves in different ways – I had no idea there were so many different ways to wear scarves over your hair! But I would have to say that it is the Egyptian Women’s EYES that are the most captivating – most have been blessed with naturally long eyelashes and big expressive eyes which are made up dramatically – this is how they attract their men, I am told.
MEN – I have already said that Egyptian men are quite handsome – well, I can’t say it enough, they really are! The strange thing however is that most women don’t work, so it is common to see men working in shops we often associate with being staffed by women, ie lingerie shops, McDonalds, accessory shops, etc. In public, men are much more affectionate than women – they greet each other with a kiss on each cheek (sometimes twice each cheek) and often walk arm-in-arm along the streets. The women are much more reserved in public. Quite a large number are completely covered from head-to-toe in their black robes, often wearing gloves, stockings and boots so that no skin shows except around the eyes (in 50degree weather too!).
BIG IS BEAUTIFUL! – I would have to say that ninety percent of the population here in Cairo is huge! (and I mean fat!) In fact, I have become very popular here – many men are intrigued by me and especially the fact that I am not yet married (yes, I have already received several proposals). A move to Egypt may be in my cards yet!
SECURITY – When I first arrived in Cairo, I did feel very vulnerable and unsure of myself. Now that time has passed by, I do feel quite safe, despite the ongoing harassment from the men. In addition, there are hugely visible signs of high security here. Metal detectors have been installed everywhere, from museums to hotels to shopping malls and some restaurants – you soon get used to it once you know they can’t erase your photos. And on the streets, security guards stand behind large bullet-proof shields on wheels. Each shield contains a small window so they can hide behind them if necessary. Again, it’s something you simply have to get used to.
CLEANLINESS – One word: None. This seems strange to me since the women are so beautifully dressed and clean themselves! But, the public areas of Egypt are so filthy that I can hardly wait to return to China (which I used to think was pretty dirty)! It’s five-stars, compared to Egypt! They do have a very different way of washing floors here though. They pour buckets of soapy water on the floors and then ‘squeegee’ it out to the streets where it soaks people passing by. You really have to watch where you’re going. Now, how’s that for a visual?
ELEVATORS – Every single elevator I have taken here is the old kind where you pull the metal door closed behind you and can watch each floor pass as the car rises. If you don’t pull the door closed, that’s okay, but be careful not to fall out!
TRAFFIC – In downtown Cairo, roundabouts are used extensively and traffic jams are common. Pedestrians have to wind their way through the traffic to get to the other side of the street. I’m amazed I haven’t been crushed between two cars yet. And, it doesn’t seem to matter what the street lights indicate – most people don’t obey them. Another strange thing is that some of the larger streets (with three-four lanes) are blocked during the daytime with cars parked 2-3 lanes across, thereby reducing the road’s available lanes to just one – strange!
ACCIDENTS – Here’s a strange one – Every single day I have seen at least 10-15 people with one arm either bandaged, in a cast or in a sling. What’s with that? I mean is everyone cutting their arms on equipment, or falling on a sidewalk and breaking their wrist like that tourist I met last week? As a result, I am being extra careful as I move around Cairo’s downtown core – it’s really easy to take a mis-step somewhere!
ARCHITECTURE – Now I mentioned that most of the old residential buildings in Cairo are ugly brown buildings. Although I have seen enough mosques, temples, tombs, cathedrals and towers to last a lifetime, the different kinds of architectural techniques continue to amaze me. And the local people don’t appear to appreciate it either! I have seen many areas where people have simply set up their shopping stalls propped up against the walls of a massive old city gate, or erected a huge sign in front of a gorgeous façade of an old building. It’s quite sad actually, but thankfully there are many restored buildings available to see!
Well, I’ve come to the end of my time here in Egypt. It’s been a very interesting trip for me. Will I teach English in Cairo next year? Nope! I think I like China even more than ever now!
STAYED TUNED – NEXT WEEK… JORDAN!!
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