by Darlene Koza

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: February 17, 2009

My thoughts on Cairo...

Cairo is the city of extremes - from the sheep herder to the executive driving the BMW. The funny thing is you would see them driving side by side on the road. The driving was the most "interesting" I had ever seen. Forget all rules, anything goes! Signals and staying in your lane is optional. The only mandatory feature on your vehicle is a horn. I can honestly say I have never used my horn in my entire life as much as they use their horns on a daily basis. One of our taxi drivers could have been an excellent NASCAR driver. I was impressed by his ability to weave in and out of traffic at blinding speeds while barely grazing the mirrors of nearby vehicles. The other cab drivers were quite scary and we definitely took our lives into their hands by getting into the car with them. Peter has the claw marks (from my nails) in his arm to prove it.

Besides our driving adventures the culture in Cairo is quite different than in most major cities. Most of the people that you see working and on the streets are men. Being a female and blonde brought me much attention. If you want to build your self-esteem I recommend going to Cairo, you will receive all the attention you are seeking. At times it was flattering; however, sometimes it was uncomfortable. I would not suggest walking the streets alone as a female. Although I felt safe with Peter, I'm sure by myself the men would have become more aggressive. While walking at they pyramids a "camel person" actually picked me up and put me on his camel. Then he jumped on the camel with me, I thought I would never be seen again. Besides wanting money for his services he also wanted a kiss from me. We are not talking a nice friendly kiss on the cheek either (yuk). So my advice would be not to get too close to anyone that could potentially pick you up (literally). Remember the advice your mother gave you "don't talk to strangers" that is good advice for a female alone in Cairo. Not saying anything really bad will happen. It's just better to be safe than sorry. Plus you will go home with a lot more money.

Overall the people of Cairo are very friendly and helpful. We met many great people that gave us good advice and helped us to understand their culture. The majority of the people we spoke with also knew English fairly well. Despite us speaking limited Arabic (all I can remember is "la" means no and "helu" means dessert - hey a girl has to have her priorities), I found the communication not to be an issue.

The wonders

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