Don't Worry, I Have Horn

Trip Start Sep 07, 2008
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Trip End Dec 09, 2008


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Flag of Egypt  ,
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Beeping your car horn in the States is meant as a protest against some driver who's cut you off or stolen your parking spot. Not so in Egypt. In Egypt, your car horn is a vital piece of driving equipment that you use approximately every thirty seconds. Honking your horn means "coming up on you" or "passing you on the left" or "watch out, pedestrian" or even just "hello."

It is also true that when driving in the States, there are lanes in the road that you have to stay in, and signal if you're going to switch out. Again, not so in Egypt. Instead, they have just three or four cars abreast always crossing in front of each other and barely missing each other in an unstopping fluid flow. Our driver Said explained that he thinks the Egyptian system is actually better and reduces accidents because if the person in front of him has to suddenly stop, he has many more options to just go around him instead of crashing into his bumper Ah the joy of Cairo traffic
Ah the joy of Cairo traffic
 . I, on the other hand, do NOT feel confident about the Egyptian traffic system, and riding in the front passenger seat I have been treated to many scary almost-collisions with our car. Every time I white knuckle the door and gasp at a near miss, Said just jokes, "Don't worry, I have horn."

We got a later start this morning, thank goodness. We were all still camel sore, but ready for today's adventure. The weather was yet again beautiful, sunny without being hot. If you're going to come to Egypt, come at the end of October!

First Said drove us to the top of Moqattam Mountain, where we saw an awesome view of Cairo. Even though the morning mist conspired with the ubiquitous brown smog to shorten visibility, the view was still great and we took lots of pictures. The mist burned off as the sun climbed in the sky, and we could see the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, and Dashur beyond the city.
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