Cairo: “Run like an Egyptian”

Cairo has been the craziest city we have visited thus far with homicidal minibus drivers, six “lane” roads, and no stop lights or crosswalks, however, it was probably calmer than normal since we were there during Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month. We arrived in the morning as we stumbled from our 10 hour overnight train ride to search for our hostel. This adventure included our first experience with the metro system, apparently the only running metro in the whole continent. We tried to hop onto an empty car to discover it was designated for women’s only. We agreed to get off in three stops as Jason made his way to the fuller mixed car. The doors closed and a few seconds later I saw Jason waving outside the door window as he was unable to squeeze his way on. However, there was no problem and we were reunited once the next train arrived. We spent the rest of the day hiding in our room. Later in the evening we met up with Jon and Brittany, friends from home, for dinner at KFC, because our GI system couldn’t handle anymore Egyptian food.

The next day we visited the Egyptian Museum where artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamen are kept along with much much more. It is said that to view each exhibit for one minute would take you nine months to see everything! We felt most of the museum was set up like an antique flea market with only a couple of nice exhibits that provided some historical information. However, seeing the sarcophagus and head mask of King Tutankhamen was amazing, with the color and detail still preserved. Perhaps we are just spoiled with the Smithsonian back home. After our “educational” experience we incorporated our Italian travel style and took part in a mid day siesta. Once the temperature got cooler we ventured out along the Nile River to the Cairo Tower for a sky rise view of the city at sunset. You could even make out the vague shapes of the pyramids as the city began to light up and the call to break the fast echoed from the mosques.

We awoke the next morning for the trip to Giza by bus; it was interesting to see the pyramids appear from the desert just outside the city. Of course if you are not part of a tour group you are fresh meat. As we made our way to the pyramids we are told that “the ticket office is this way.” This way however led away from the attraction to horse and donkey stalls. Being wise to this game by now we blow him off and continue our way to the real office. We believe we must look like turkey legs and ham bones as we walk through the entrance gate because we are yet again met by someone who “checks” our tickets and continues to hold them as he informs us to follow him. Realizing this is the same song and dance we demand our tickets back and finally made our way to the real reason we came. It’s a strange feeling when you encounter these sales men, because you know they are trying to make a living in a developing country but at the same time it can be so cut throat and ruthless leaving you with the feelingof being deceived and taken advantage of.

The pyramids were amazing as we walked up to one of the Seven Wonders of the World towering at 455 feet. It is thought that the pyramids were built as tombs for King Khufu in 2560 BC. Based on the history it took only 20 years to complete. While some think aliens did it, the other story involves moving large stones from a nearby quarry. We chose to enter the Khafre pyramid, though smaller than the Great Pyramid, it was cheaper and said to be very similar inside. The entrance is very small, possibly 4 feet tall, as you scrunch down into a funky crab walk and descend to the tomb chamber. After the pyramid we make our way to the Solar boat while being stalked by camel drivers. The Solar Boat was built to carry the pharaoh to through the afterlife.

As we left the air conditioning sanctuary we broke down and agreed on a price for a camel ride. We didn’t truly get to have an official “camel race” as they sneakily broke us up from Jon and Brittany. However, as we sat on our camel facing a rock, Jon and Brittany made their way down towards the Sphinx, so we deem them the winners of the dare. After our shotty camel excursion we made our way to the Great Sphinx, which was small compared to what we had envisioned. Later that night we enjoyed dinner at Pizza Hut on the roof top as we watched the sound and light show for free.

The final day was spent at the Khan El-Khalili bazaar in Coptic Cairo. Yes we voluntarily subjected ourselves to a plethora of shop owner’s taunts. If you want to do some shopping this is the place where you can find jewelry, curios, and any other Egyptian junk you wish to buy that you hadn’t already been coaxed into purchasing. This is also a good place to practice your bartering skills. General rule we’ve found for price is to divide the stated number in half and then take a little more off. Often times walking away drops the price even more. We said farewell to Jon and Brittany as they continue on through Egypt and got ready for our 1:40am flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.

We think this was a once in a lifetime visit, but if you chose to explore Egypt on your own pack an open mind, keep your guard up, and have a huge sense of humor cause you’ll need it!