Cairo – the Madhouse

Day 1 – Arrival into Cairo

Cairo is insane. Literally, metaphorically, everything. Completely bonkers. But it works, somehow it thumps along to its own beat, its own way of life and rules.

The traffic is of course the prime example. Indication is only used when you’re cutting across two lanes of traffic, headlights are flashed to communicate and road lanes count for nothing when you need to be somewhere or the traffic is heavy. I can’t imagine how many prangs and crashes there are here daily, despite not seeing one yet.

Getting from Airplane to Hostel was… interesting to say the least. The fact that nearly all passengers on board had phones on well before landing and were receiving calls/messages just before we touched the ground was disturbing and an indication of what was to come. None of them seemed to have a Silent/Meeting mode and all had loud wailing (no offence) as a ringtone.

Walking to Customs/Passport Control, I encountered a blockade of passengers stopped by a table with a form you to fill out. Turned out to be an optional health feedback form (If you suffer from Swine Flu – Tick Yes) but because there were people everywhere, everyone thought you had to fill it out.

Then there was the Visa. You can obtain a Visa (which is just a shiny sticker to put in your passport) from one of the Bank kiosks for a fee of $15 of any currency (can you say ‘dodgy’?). I only wish I had Zimbabweian currency on me as that would have amounted to about 2c for a Visa.

Once bags were collected I needed to get to downtown Cairo to the Hostel I had found online. Approached by a man offering taxi’s, I bargained a price of 70 EGP (15 AUD) for the 30 min trip into Cairo. The taxi, however, was given a ticket by an officer for infringing the pickup zone.

The trip to downtown took much longer than 30 mins due to the manic traffic. I even fell asleep at one point, in the nearly two hours it took from Airport to downtown. Vehicle Movement + Jetlag = Naptime.

The room has proved to be more comfortable than I imagined, with Air Con, free wifi, semi-decent breakfast and friendly staff. But this is far from the Hilton, let me just put that straight out there.

Finally, after much searching around Talaat Harb St, I find my destination – the Each Way hostel at the top of a basically abandoned building with no elevator and dust everywhere. The room has proved to be more comfortable than I imagined, with Air Con, free wifi, semi-decent breakfast and friendly staff. But this is far from the Hilton, let me just put that straight out there. The traffic horns from the road below are never-ending but bearable and for around 15 AUD a night, I can bear the creepy ascent to the hostel.

Day 2 – Walking around central Cairo

After a night’s rest, I wandered the streets around the hostel – taking in the sights and sounds (not to mention smells) of bustling Cairo. Shoes seem to be a big selling point over here with Talaat Harb St full of shops stocking leather footwear. I picked up a pair of sandals but have since proven to be nothing more than blister-inducing.

The back alleys proved to be a great spot for photography, with rustic walls, worn cars and earthy nooks abundant. The local people seemed intrigued by the big black camera, not to mention the white guy on the other end of it. I have to be careful not to accidentally photograph the wrong person, especially the local women as it can be taken as offensive.

I wanted to branch out for Dinner as my tiredness in arriving led to a hasty McDonalds dinner the night before. Abou El Sid, a renown restaurant I found in a guidebook seemed a good choice – a 20 minute walk across the Nile (not to mention 15 minutes just trying to find the hidden place once there).

an Egyptian national dish made from what appeared to be Seaweed, Spinach and Glue

The restaurant, as described in the guide book, was cosy and welcoming. I ordered Kobeba (Lamb and cracked wheat meatballs) as my entree and Molokheya (an Egyptian national dish made from what appeared to be Seaweed, Spinach and Glue) for the main. Molokheya is a very unique flavour and is bearable, but not terribly appealing. Luckily it is served with half a chicken and lots of rice. 120 EGP (25 AUD) later and my belly was quite full.

Walking back across the Nile at sundown, the strength of the wind coming off the wide river was quite impressive. Unfortunately there is a fair bit of rubbish along the banks of the Nile (at least in the city area) so I hope to travel to a more preserved area in the next few days.