Cairo, Egypt

June 2002

We finally finished our trip in Cairo ... 5 weeks on a truck over ... just like that.  Was glad to get off to tell you the truth.  We'd all had enough.

Had a great time in Cairo through.  I think it's a place you either love or hate.  The Pyramids were fantastic despite all the hassling you get from street hawkers selling everything you could possibly think of including tours, food, drinks and souvenirs of pyramids, the sphinx and Tutankhamen.  And I got the opportunity to ride a horse around the pyramids like I always wanted. 

Afterwards, I checked out the Egyptian Museum including the death mask and artefacts from the tomb of Tutankhamen.  The death mask was truly breath taking and the rest of the display was well curated.  It's a pity the same cannot be said for the rest of the displays.  You definitely need to good guide to get the best out of the visit.

The Pyramids

The Pyramids at dusk from our campsite in Giza on the fringes of Cairo.

The Pyramids. Duh!  The best shot of the lot.

Me and one of the Pyramids - Cheops I think.

Some of the minor pyramids.

Cheops again.  Went inside but didn't see much except some burial chambers with nothing in them.  Still amazing to think that we were inside where the pharaoh slept his eternal sleep ... and thousands of folks died making his bed and sleeping chamber.

The Sphinx.  The old lady needs a nose job desperately.

Top of the Pyramid. One of the Economic truck guides once bribed a few guards and took his girlfriend up to the top so they could join the Top of The Pyramid Club ... I think you can guess what that involves ... doing the mummy thing.

Riding Around The Pyramids

Me and my 'wild arab stallion'.  My dream was to ride around the pyramids on the horse.  I did it but it wasn't quite what I envisioned.

Police guard on camel with my travel mascot Tigger (sharing a cigarette with the guard)

Me on another horse (this one had more go) with one of the pyramids.

Tigger and the Pyramids.

How the Pyramids Got There According To The Koran (apparently)

Met an Egyptian business man at another cafe outside the old town.  Spent over an hour discussing religion, politics, the economy after the Sept 11 attacks on the world trade centre and life in general.  Religion was interesting as he told me the Koran's version of how the Pyramids were created and how the two boats buried on one side of the Pyramids complex got there.  Apparently the Pyramids were created by great magicians.  And the boats came from the Queen of Sheeba loaded with gold after the Prophet Mohammed sent a message to her saying convert to Islam or else.  She tried to unsuccessfully buy him off with the boats of gold.

The Old Town

I loved wandering around the old town.  So much life ... so many people.  Once you get away from the Egyptian Museum and The Pyramids, the hassling stops and you can just enjoy walking through an incredibly exotic city seeing contrasts between the old and the new.  Ancient mosques and Coca Cola stands side by side. 

Spent a few hours smoking shisha pipes in an old cafe that has been open 24x7 for over 200 years (so they say but a few locals told me it had indeed closed for a few days during all that time) .  Felt quite high after trying both apple and banana flavours and a whole lot of mint tea.  

A restored caravansari - a place where camel caravans would arrive and stay while in Cairo.

Inside.  The windows above the courtyard are designed so people can gaze out on the happenings below but no one can see in.

Interior courtyard.

Inside one of the rooms.  Amazing architecture and decoration.

One of the city gates.  Met another Egyptian business man here and went back to his mother's place for a chat.  A couple of his teacher mates came over for lunch and we ended up smoking a spliff.  I asked why they were smoking when it was a school day.  Apparently, all their students had the week off for exams ... which explains why I saw heaps of students in the mosques studying between prayers.

The Old and New Town.  Never got to check out the magnificent mosque on the hill.

Mosque being renovated.  Apparently it was built by some bloody thirsty arab prince.  That's all I can remember about it anyway.

Poster against depleted uranium bullets and international sanctions from the 1990 gulf war affecting children in Iraq.  You see a lot of posters like this throughout the Middle East.

Crossing The Road In Cairo

Also had fun trying to cross the road numerous times.  Some of the roads have four or five  lanes of cars going one way and there's no pedestrian crossings.  You'd never get anywhere if you tried to find one so you just watch how the locals cross the road and follow their lead.  Cars stop or swerve around you as you walk across the road.  It's a bit of an un-nerving way to cross the road but you soon get used to it ... and it's the only way you are going to get around. 

Next:

Egypt, 1. Red Sea, 2. Mount Sinai, 3. Cairo, 4. Luxor, 5. Aswan