I arrived in Cairo on Thursday afternoon. I found the city as expected--crowded, hot, and prices inflated. It's happening all around the world, people! By the time I settled in to the hotel, it was past 7 p.m. In Cairo, things are just getting started at that time because the temperature gets cooler. Whatever time of day you arrive in Cairo, go out and experience the life there! That first night I just wanted to stay awake until 10 p.m. to help me avoid jet lag. I wasted no time making dinner plans with a friend, obtaining a cell phone, walking around downtown, and snapping some great photos.
The first leg of this Cairo stay has been devoted to guiding Yun around Egypt. Her busy shooting schedule in Israel afforded her only 2 days in Egypt and she wanted to see as much of Egypt that she could! While I certainly do not recommend touring even just Cairo in only 2 days, you might follow the same itinerary we did the next time you find yourself in Cairo.
Day 1: A full-body workout
We walked through Old Cairo, which is my favorite walk. You certainly feel like you're in a whole new world...umm actually an old world. If you head down Shari' Muizz li Din, the main drag from Bab Il Futuh to Bab Zuweila (the old gates which enclosed the city), you cover the length of what was once Cairo in the 10th century. It's a good walk, (especially in the heat!) because you hit so many mosques and monuments along the way. The government has done a lot to restore this area and make it more attractive to tourists. In the street, granite bricks have replaced heaps of garbage and helpful signs tell you when you are approaching an historic monument. Many building facades have been reconstructed and there are many souvenir shops. I like not having to jump over a heap of mango peels, but I hope Islamic Cairo doesn't loose its historic feel with all of the reconstruction! We peeked into the mosque of Al Hakim, played tea party in Beit Al Suhaymi, and haggled for a couple of souvenirs. I thought I was good at haggling but Yun is truly the master! I could have achieved the same results, half the original asking price, but she did it in only 5 minutes. I would have taken 45.
Crossing Al Azhar, we continued down Shari' Muizz li Din. This side of the street is "the non-touristic Khan il Khalili." I remember someone telling me that years ago. Instead of hookahs and mother-of-pearl boxes, you find galabayas, blankets, and sexy lycra dresses for sale. It's like a recipe for a romantic night! At Bab Zuweila, I managed to convince the attendant that I'm Egyptian with only two sentences in Arabic-- "Ana Musraya we sakna fee Amreeka" and ended up paying only 1 LE instead of 10 LE to enter the minaret! We climbed to the top and got an intense 360 view of Cairo. (Danielle, I left you a hidden message there. You and Tim have to climb the dark, steep, narrow steps to find it at the level just under the top.) At the tent maker's bazaar, Il Khayimiya, we admired the gorgeous tent cloth. If you've read any of my previous letters from my Cairo visits, you know how much I love the tenth cloth! I wish I could cover my home in it! After lunch and the de rigeur tea and shisha stop at Fishawi's coffee shop in Khan Il Khalili, we headed for the pyramids!
Mental note: bring Neosporin for Mickey Mouse and Ali Baba
By the time we got to Giza, the pyramids had officially closed. Our trusty and resourceful friend
Alex said "Don't worry, I'll open it for you." He knows people who have a license to take tourists around the pyramids after they officially close! If you know the right people, and I believe that Alex does, you can make anything happen in Cairo! We went on camel back to the pyramids, an experience which is a vegan's nightmare. Even if you are against the use of animals for humans' benefit, you want to support the business to give the camels a better life. Maybe they'll use the money to buy the camels food, upgrade their stables, or at least take them to the vet to treat their flesh wounds. My camel was named Mickey Mouse and Yun's was named Ali Baba. I put my San Francisco brain aside and enjoyed the wobbly ride of the camel at high speed! It was wonderful entering through "the back door of the desert" as Alex called it and seeing the pyramids at sunset. Although the guides have special permission to ride around the pyramids after they close, they don't have carte blanche access. We couldn't get close to all of them, but we did get to touch Chefren quickly before the guards got mad. By the end of this day, I had gotten a full body work-out! Walking for cardio, steps of Bab Zuweila and gripping the camel for the upper and lower body strength training!
The first leg of this Cairo stay has been devoted to guiding Yun around Egypt. Her busy shooting schedule in Israel afforded her only 2 days in Egypt and she wanted to see as much of Egypt that she could! While I certainly do not recommend touring even just Cairo in only 2 days, you might follow the same itinerary we did the next time you find yourself in Cairo.
Day 1: A full-body workout
We walked through Old Cairo, which is my favorite walk. You certainly feel like you're in a whole new world...umm actually an old world. If you head down Shari' Muizz li Din, the main drag from Bab Il Futuh to Bab Zuweila (the old gates which enclosed the city), you cover the length of what was once Cairo in the 10th century. It's a good walk, (especially in the heat!) because you hit so many mosques and monuments along the way. The government has done a lot to restore this area and make it more attractive to tourists. In the street, granite bricks have replaced heaps of garbage and helpful signs tell you when you are approaching an historic monument. Many building facades have been reconstructed and there are many souvenir shops. I like not having to jump over a heap of mango peels, but I hope Islamic Cairo doesn't loose its historic feel with all of the reconstruction! We peeked into the mosque of Al Hakim, played tea party in Beit Al Suhaymi, and haggled for a couple of souvenirs. I thought I was good at haggling but Yun is truly the master! I could have achieved the same results, half the original asking price, but she did it in only 5 minutes. I would have taken 45.
Crossing Al Azhar, we continued down Shari' Muizz li Din. This side of the street is "the non-touristic Khan il Khalili." I remember someone telling me that years ago. Instead of hookahs and mother-of-pearl boxes, you find galabayas, blankets, and sexy lycra dresses for sale. It's like a recipe for a romantic night! At Bab Zuweila, I managed to convince the attendant that I'm Egyptian with only two sentences in Arabic-- "Ana Musraya we sakna fee Amreeka" and ended up paying only 1 LE instead of 10 LE to enter the minaret! We climbed to the top and got an intense 360 view of Cairo. (Danielle, I left you a hidden message there. You and Tim have to climb the dark, steep, narrow steps to find it at the level just under the top.) At the tent maker's bazaar, Il Khayimiya, we admired the gorgeous tent cloth. If you've read any of my previous letters from my Cairo visits, you know how much I love the tenth cloth! I wish I could cover my home in it! After lunch and the de rigeur tea and shisha stop at Fishawi's coffee shop in Khan Il Khalili, we headed for the pyramids!
Mental note: bring Neosporin for Mickey Mouse and Ali Baba
By the time we got to Giza, the pyramids had officially closed. Our trusty and resourceful friend
Alex said "Don't worry, I'll open it for you." He knows people who have a license to take tourists around the pyramids after they officially close! If you know the right people, and I believe that Alex does, you can make anything happen in Cairo! We went on camel back to the pyramids, an experience which is a vegan's nightmare. Even if you are against the use of animals for humans' benefit, you want to support the business to give the camels a better life. Maybe they'll use the money to buy the camels food, upgrade their stables, or at least take them to the vet to treat their flesh wounds. My camel was named Mickey Mouse and Yun's was named Ali Baba. I put my San Francisco brain aside and enjoyed the wobbly ride of the camel at high speed! It was wonderful entering through "the back door of the desert" as Alex called it and seeing the pyramids at sunset. Although the guides have special permission to ride around the pyramids after they close, they don't have carte blanche access. We couldn't get close to all of them, but we did get to touch Chefren quickly before the guards got mad. By the end of this day, I had gotten a full body work-out! Walking for cardio, steps of Bab Zuweila and gripping the camel for the upper and lower body strength training!
1 comment:
Ooooooooohhhhh! Now I feel like I'm in "The Da Vinci Code"! I hope we recognize it when we see it. BTW-lurv reading your blog. Are you going to post your vids? You'll have to teach me some basic Arabic, too.
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