Cairo

If you can avoid crossing a street in Cairo, do so.  It’s not safe.  It’s more than not safe, it’s downright deadly.  5 lanes of traffic (on a 3 lane highway) jostling for position bumper to bumper. 

If you really do need to cross the road, you need to think like them, crossing the road slowly, letting a car pass then slipping behind it to the side of the next car.  If you see a gap, run for it!

That said, the traffic doesn’t actually move that fast.  If you decide to take a taxi somewhere, pack some essentials: water, future wife, nappies for the kids you’ll have while in the taxi – the usual stuff.  Going anywhere can take a while.

I went to the Great Pyramid of Giza today and was conned into a horse ride through the desert after an hour’s taxi crawl. I got him down from 300 to 150 but still felt a bit hassled. 

That said, Hassan, the young lad who accompanied me, once I’d changed horses from the mad arab white I was originally given, was very nice.

 

We trotted through some local villages where many lads on horseback were mucking about and generally having a good time. 

Into the desert and a quick trip up to the top of a dune to take some pics, then back into the local town.

I grabbed a taxi and had him take me to one of the big hotels where I knew I’d be able to watch the Liverpool – Manure match.  After an hour he dropped me at the Grand Hyatt and boy did I feel underdressed walking in there.  I was directed downstairs to the cafeteria where the staff kindly put the game on for me.

Unfortunately, we lost, so I took a cab (another half hour) back to the hotel where I changed and headed down to the basement bar for a refreshing Stella and here I sit now updating my blog.