Day 18 - Back In Cairo

Trip Start Nov 04, 2008
1
18
20
Trip End Nov 23, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Egypt  ,
Saturday, November 22, 2008

21.30 - Considering we had no idea what we were going to do today last night or when we got up this morning, today has been excellent. It started with the best breakfast for days then I changed some money as my Egyptian pounds have run out, which I thought they would. We then caught the shuttle bus into Cairo. We were hoping it would drop us near the bazaar but despite the quiet traffic, we were some distance away. Instead of getting a taxi though, we decided to walk and it turned out to be the most rewarding part of the day. At first I was a bit dubious, the area we started in seemed a bit dodgy and when we asked a policeman for directions, he said it would take 1 hour. We passed on through and we got to see some of the 'raw Cairo'. Shoe shops, the travel district and great classic buildings from the French and British eras. There was of course the usual traffic woes but nothing like it could have been. Friday is the holy day in Muslim countries (like Sunday's back home) so we found it a bit quieter than usual.
 
After some navigational difficulties, we hit the transition area where classical Cairo meets Islamic Cairo. It was quite good to see but before long we were right in the hustle and bustle of the bazaar. As before, it was a sensory overload with noises, smells and sights changing every second but this is what made it special. Although the taxi drive was fun, walking was a great way to experience it. After our walk, we all needed a drink so we all went straight to Feshawi's as the memory from our last visit was still fresh in our minds. This time I had a mixed fruit which again was awesome. Everyone else was impressed also. Since we had time to kill we went back to shopping and I managed to get Dad his customary snow shaker but I will probably need to get him something else. Other than that, we just wandered round. Whilst doing so, prayer time at the mosques finished so an otherwise relatively quiet day rapidly got back to it's normal hectic self. We got caught up in all the traffic which was at times claustrophobic. When we had had our fill of sightseeing, we went back to the Feshawi's for more drinks then set off back to the minibus.
 
This time we decided to take a different route back after the success of my navigation skills before. It didn't quite go to plan but we got to where we wanted to, the Hilton Hotel, without any significant problems. We got to see even more of the 'raw' Cairo in the process. Whilst everyone else ate, all I had was a beer. We spent a bit of time here whilst we waited for the next shuttle bus. When the time came, we walked the remainder of the distance then went back to the hotel. Since then, we have had our last supper so to speak, this time at the poolside café. Since everyone left (apart from us) is leaving early in the morning, we had to say our goodbyes. Now it is back to how we started the trip, just Mum and me.
Print this entry Cairo hotels