Come on Down to Cairo ...

Come on

We are all creatures of habit, I think. It's 4:45 P.M. California time and I'm used to being up at this hour. My body doesn't care that I've just jumped 10 time zones and it's 2:45 AM here. It's time to be up.


I am a tour of one again, at least for the Egypt legs of my trip. It makes getting in, seeing and getting out of places like the Great Pyramids or the Cairo Museum refreshingly easy. My guide sees it as an opportunity to take the "rich American" to high-end shops. For me it has been a Papyrus gallery, a jewelry shop, cotton goods and a carpet factory.  All very interesting and all very expensive, even by American standards.

My guide for Cairo is what I would call average. She gets flustered if I interrupt her rehearsed narratives. A guide's task is to inform their clients. It also seems my guide's goal is to separate her clients from their money. I've let her redistribute some of my cash. I've kept the plastic in my wallet though.

My driver is much more of a character than my guide. He is wise to the ways of the streets of Cairo. Driving here is not for the faint of heart. Cars drive six abreast on the freeway - sometimes seven - and constantly cut each other off. There are only four lanes. On the surface streets, cars will dart in front of oncoming traffic only to swing wildly back in once a hole appears. If a hole doesn't appear, they force themselves back in anyway.

First observations: It's safe here; safe like Mexico. There are armed police/soldiers on every street corner, roadblocks in front of every hotel and tourist venue - guards stand behind armor plates at the Synagogues - and metal detectors everywhere but the shops. Street vendors are annoying though not terribly obtrusive and it's hot. The van thermometer said 43 today - that's 109.4.; it felt like about 100 to me.  Except for taxis, public transportation is out of the question. I have a driver and guide though. I'm living the life of luxury.

I took lots of pictures my first day only to discover my memory card failed. Not a tragic loss; I have my memories. It would have been nice to have me in some of the scenes. I do have pictures from the end of the day - after the last time my guide handled my camera. Hmmmm. I hand her my old camera for pictures of me now.