Cairo and Pyramids

I visited the Pyramids with Kim. The pyramids are on the border of the city. It is pretty much high-density urban neighbourhoods and then suddenly a barren desert marked only by the pyramids.

To me the pyramids were smaller than expected. Especially the Sphyinx which is only a third - maybe - the height of the pyramids. The typical photos of the Sphinx distort the size by composing the photo in such a way to show it as big as a pyramid.

Cairo is very dirty. The air is really dirty and sometimes you just cough for no apparent reason - just that you inhaled something stronger than you are used to. The interior walls of buildings (hotels etc.) all have a build up of soot. I expected the air at the Nile to be cleaner, but it was like a toxic wind. The atmosphere of Cairo is comparable to an underground bus station. I often had the urge to wash my hands and brush my teeth during the day.

I get stared at alot - more than I am used to - but that is nothing when compared to the number of stares Kim gets while walking down the street. The majority of Egyptian men seem to lose all sense of self control when they see western women. Kim and other women from the program often get grabbed while walking down the street. Some cab drivers have been known to 'pull it out' while driving. It is really crass and really common: Say every 5th or 4th man leers while walking down the street...

Cairo is very noisy. There is truly a 'cacophony' of horns. I counted and the largest interval I got to before hearing another horn sound is 6 seconds. The drivers are crazy as they do not follow lanes so much as just to drive into any available space and honk their horn as they approach other cars.

Crossing the street is tricky in Cairo. Rarely to cars stop for traffic lights, so most times crossing the street is like playing 'frogger' or crazy taxi (as a pedestrian). You can be stuck half way in a 6 lane street waiting for the chance to step into traffic. The traffic is usually streams of taxis, but there is also donkeys pulling carts on the side.

Picture 3 lanes of beeping traffic in a dirty high density city with the far lane being held up by a donkey cart. The donkey is half on the ground because it's hips are underneath it. Men dressed in traditional clothes are pushing and pulling the donkey to try and get it up...