There are lots of cats and dogs in Egypt that do not belong to anyone. In Cairo, it is the cats that are a nuisance around the outdoor cafes, and everywhere really. Under tables, around my feet, pawing at my leg for scraps of food. Someone is going to have to get busy and do something or the cats will take over the city, or maybe they have already!
Downtown Cairo is laid out like Paris. Apparently French architects were commissioned by Khedive Ismail to design the city so that is was the jewel of the orient. Our hotel is on a five spoked intersection with a statue in the hub. The buildings look just like ones found in Paris.
Many of the streets in Cairo have been changed to one way to enhance traffic flow. They do not have lane lines as the drivers don’t follow the lanes anyway. Saves on line painting costs. The one ways are easier to cross too. We follow our trusted method and attach ourselves to a local and cross with them. Sometimes they are completely unaware that we are doing this. Walking slowly, within inches of the moving vehicles can be disconcerting to a westerner but the system works. We have had no issues with crossing the streets. The cars and motorbikes are constantly beeping, but it is mostly to say “I am right behind you”, or sometimes “Get out of my way!”. The traffic will be so quiet once we get back to Canada.
When we first arrived in Cairo, we stayed at a large chain hotel. Not much character, standard western look and services. Right now, we are staying in a small local hotel called the Cairo Inn. It is clean and safe, the staff very friendly and the rooms definitely have character. This is so much more fun than a big chain hotel with their thousands of tour group tourists.
The typical meal schedule for an Egyptian in Cairo is breakfast between 9 – 11 am, a snack between 2 – 3 pm, lunch between 6 – 7 pm, and dinner between 10 – 11 pm. Lunch is the big meal and dinner is a lighter meal or maybe leftover lunch or grilled cheese. We were not following this schedule, of course, as we were comatose by 9:30 pm every night!
Tonight we start our journey home. But why does the flight have to depart at 2:00 am? Gruesome start to a 24+ hour journey. I do know why, flight leaves here at 2:00am and arrives in Frankfurt at about 6:00am, when the airport opens. I bet it has something to do with fees and what time flights arrive. Anyway, we had a nap this afternoon and are now chilling before we go for supper. Then shower, pack and taxi at 10:15pm to start our homeward journey.
