Day 9: The Real Cairo

Our assistant tour guide, Mario accompanied us to Cairo. Mario is a nice guy, a little touchy feely but a nice guy. He has offered to take us on a 'back street tour'...considering we got in at 5am and left for our walking tour at 10am, I knew it would be nothing short of tiring!


We started with a ride downtown on the Metro. Despite tour book horror stories, it was fine, it was clean, and not very much different than any other mass transit system. For six hours we walked through Cairo, the markets, old Cairo, downtown, and most memorably the areas 'local' areas of Cairo. Despite being with a group, we had to be careful in these areas, it is very poor and not exactly the most welcoming part of town. At one point Mario told the women to stay in the middle with our eyes down and our few guys to surround us. I can only imagine the words that were uttered at we passed by. Again I am thankful that Beni did not come along for the trip.

Crossing the road is a death sentence in Cairo and not for the faint at heart or weak in the bladder. We learned this on the first day but I can't even describe the effort it takes to make it from one side to the other without dying. If I had my choice I would hire a car to drive me from one side to the other....pedestrian walkways do not exist, the few that they have are ignored! The only way to do it is: close your eyes, step into traffic, and don't stop moving....ever! Luckily Mario attempted to stop traffic and made us hold hands to prevent any causalties!

We stopped twice during the day once at the Groppi bakery, the site where Egyptians held a sercret meeting to plan the ass kicking of their British occupants and the other a shisa cafe. Tired and sweaty from 6 hours of walking the city, we went back to rest and shower. By 9 we were wide awake and ready for more of that Egyptian beer. We planned on one, maybe two, but like always the night took a different turn....a table full of beers with our Aussie buddy.

And since I become a chatty cathy after a couple of beers, I started chatting with the locals. The bar manager and bartender were very open and nice, before long the bartender was showing me pictures of his wife and kids. His wife, a stunning women was uncovered at their wedding. I paid my compliments and found a way to ask if she too had to cover her face like other women in Egypt. Not surprisingly, she did. I can appreciate so much about different cultures and religions but I will never understand or accept keeping a women in a dark cloak of religion. I cannot imagine, the muslim religion was ever meant for that interpretation. Without trying to pry or offend, I asked why he would cover the face of such a beautiful woman instead on walking proudly down the street with a beautiful woman on his arm? Unoffended by my question, clearly he gets it alot, he replied 'she is only mine to look at'

And that sums up my trip, it is a whole lot of interpretations, misunderstandings, and questions.