An (un)welcome to Egypt

Smog, diesel fumes, prodigious amounts of litter and crazy traffic: this was the unwelcome that greeted us as we left Cairo International Airport.  As we made our way through the crazy streets of Cairo from the airport to our hostel Downtown, we saw plenty of proof that the side bar warning in our Lonely Planet about Cairo traffic being intimidating and making the simple task of crossing the street feel like a life threatening experience was spot on.   Lonely Planet’s recommendation is to use a local as a guide or, more accurately, a human shield when crossing the street.  Frogger skills are a prerequisite when walking around Cairo.  Below is a short 19-second clip of a more moderate intersection our cab went through in Cairo.  The other trademark of Cairo is the constant 24/7 horn honking.  It is for a totally different purpose than in the States, it is mostly to say “Here I come, please get out of the way.”  As another traveler told us, the cars don’t want to hit you, so make sure they see you and you should be fine.

But no one goes to Cairo for the traffic, it is something to be dealt with while trying to get around to see the sites.  And there are plenty of sites to see.   Our first stop was the Pyramids at Giza.  These are some of the oldest buildings from ancient Egypt, built in the first dynasty over 5,000 years ago.  The later Pharaohs learned that if you build a huge pyramid the grave robbers and thieves have a pretty easy time finding your tomb and the treasure buried with you.  Staying hidden from robbers was critical for the reincarnation they believed in, so later tombs were hidden in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor.   We ended up riding horses to tour the pyramids.  And while it provides nice panoramic views like the ones below, it is not a necessary part of the visit, no matter what your driver says.   We learned this the hard way as the driver insisted that we could not get to the pyramids via a car and that it was a 2 hour hike otherwise.  And while we were awe struck as we came over the ridge below and took in the view of the Giza Pyramids, it was somewhat ruined when we got a bit closer and noticed the parking lots and cabs right at the base of the Pyramids.  In the end it was not cheap (~$100) but it was a nice experience.  Just be sure to negotiate better than we did if you choose to do it, the cost should be closer to $50 including a guide and entrance fees.  In the end I’ve decided not to beat myself up too much for being taken for a ride (get it?) since I had who I thought was a trusted person, our hostel provided driver, flat out lying to me.  Lesson learned.

The next stop was the Step Pyramids at Sakkara.  Besides the pyramids there is an excellent museum, which is included in the entrance fee.  I would highly encourage anyone visiting Sakkara to set aside an hour for the museum.  One of the advantages of Sakkara is that you can go inside Teti’s Pyramid for free.

The next day we stopped at Old Cairo to wander and see beautiful Coptic Churches and we happened upon Ben Ezra, an old synagogue. Unfortunately there were no pictures allowed inside.  This is a common occurrence in most of the historical attractions in Egypt.   So think twice before lugging a heavy camera bag around all day, as I did.  A simple pocket-sized point and shoot is fine for days when you will be inside most of the day.   After Old Cairo we headed up to the Citadel, which had the Muhammed Ali mosque.

The location on a hill overlooking Cairo provided some great views.

We ended the tour in the second day at the Egyptian Museum, which the only picture we have is on the outside.  They are so serious about not allowing pictures that you have to check your camera before entering.  The museum is massive and using the Lonely Planet recommendations we hit the highlights in about 3 hours.  The best two parts were the Royal Mummy exhibit (which was an extra 100LE each) and the extensive Tutankhamen treasure.  The Tutankhamen display was much more impressive than the exhibit that was touring the US a couple of years ago.

One final stop on the way home was the bookstore at the American University of Cairo.  If you find yourself lacking reading material or in need of a guidebook while in Cairo they have an extensive English language bookstore with decent prices.  After a couple of days in Cairo we were off to Aswan via an overnight sleeper train, which was quite comfortable, and luxurious when compared to some of the overnight buses in Turkey.

Related posts:

1. A Breath of Fresh Air – Aswan and Luxor, Egypt
2. A Traveler’s Perspective on the Unrest in Egypt
3. The Trashing of Egypt’s Treasures
4. Busting a Backpacker Budget in Bangkok (but it’s worth it)

Tagged as: Cairo, Egypt, Pryamids, Traffic