Last Days in Cairo

Saturday, January-08-11 5:00 PM

Our time in Egypt is coming to a close. As we go about now we both feel a kind of anticipatory nostalgia for Cairo, as though we have already moved on. We no longer feel ambitious about getting to new places but are just enjoying the areas that we have come to know. As yesterday was Friday most businesses, all schools, and some shops were closed. We went back to Talaat Harb St in the downtown for a walk. At noon hour many of the shops that were open closed for an hour of prayer. On some of the side streets and alleyways large carpets had been laid out. Men came from their shops and knelt there together to pray as the amplified sounds of the Koran came from surrounding mosques. Some stores remained open though and some people were walking about as usual.

We had seen a station in the subway map called Giza Suburban and thought of going out there to see if it is anything like the kind of area we would think of as suburban. I was travelling in the women’s car and Mark with the men so when there was a mix-up about how many stops to go, we ended up on different trains. We did find each other out at the “suburb,” however, and could see from the station that it was just more of the city, a bit further out. We back-tracked then to the Cairo University, thinking to walk around their buildings but the entire complex was closed behind locked gates because of the holiday. That was a surprise.

We had met a woman from New York at breakfast in the hotel dining room. She had flown in the night before from Tel Aviv where she had been visiting a friend. She has only this weekend in Cairo and was looking for some pointers. We took her to the local grocery shop that we discovered near our former hotel and helped her to book a tour for today out to the pyramids. Last night the three of us took a taxi to Zamalek to walk about and have supper. We visited Thomas’ famous pizza restaurant, located there since the late 19^th century. None of us were very hungry though and the prices were relatively high so we left without ordering and returned to a street shop with very good, inexpensive chicken schwarma in a pita – Arabic bread, they call it. Afterward we walked about the Cairo Marriott hotel, looking through their classy shops. We walked back to the hotel along the Nile on the east side of the island. There is a continuous walk-way on that side with great views of the river, delicious fresh breezes, and relative freedom from the noise and exhaust of cars.

This morning we walked south along the Nile on our side of the island to see a museum in a beautiful mansion with its amazing collection of Impressionists and post-Impressionist paintings, left to the city by its owner and collector. There were a couple of guards sitting out front who told us when we arrived that it was currently closed for renovations. Later Mark read in the local Egyptian newspaper (in English) that a painting of poppies by Van Gogh, worth about $50 million, was stolen in August. There has been a major stink about the theft because most of the security cameras in the place were not working properly and the number of guards had been reduced earlier. There is now an on-going an inquiry about security related to all of Egypt museums as a result.

We continued south to the Cairo Zoo which is set close to the Nile just below the city`s botanical gardens. The zoo covers a very large area with exhibits centrally located amid surrounding pathways. There were many families with children in the zoo and, like everywhere, the kids were having a grand time looking at the unusual species. For some kids this included Mark and me. The little ones especially would stare at us as at alien beings; the older ones would say sometimes say hello. Young girls would smile and then giggle if I said ‘hi’ to them. We were asked to be photographed together with some children by one set of mothers. It is the fifth or sixth occasion on which people have asked to be photographed with us. We took lots of pictures of the animals and birds as well as of families and kids. It was fun.

Some of the families had brought picnics which they shared on the benches along the way. By the time we had seen quite a bit of the zoo we were hungry also and had noticed the gorgeous Four Seasons hotel across the street. Adjoining it is a very high end mall – strictly for the very wealthy visitor, most likely from Saudi Arabia. In the lobby area is a cafe and we treated ourselves to one of their tasty lunches. Most decadent but still not expensive by Canadian standards. I`ll put in a picture of the cafe in the several story high atrium.

Sunday evening:

Today really is our last day here. We’ve done some organizing things: checking the flight time; arranging a taxi to the airport; and, paying the balance on our hotel bill. The latter wasn’t much – some laundry, a couple of phone calls, and a few beers. Speaking of the latter: because Islamic people don’t usually drink, it is not an easy thing to buy alcohol here. If you eat at a hotel or a higher-end restaurant, you can order a drink. Otherwise, nothing. Mark got a couple of beers here at the hotel through room service every couple of days. He ordered wine at a dinner once but it was quite horrible and very expensive.

This morning we took the subway to a second island on the Nile, Roda, which is south of where we are staying. At its southernmost tip is a Nilometer constructed in the 9^th century to track and keep records of the height of Nile flooding from year to year. It is essentially a deep and wide well connected to the river bed, cut out of the bedrock of the island with a massive central column marked off in units, a total of19 cubits (the length of a man’s forearm and extended hand). Flooding in August and September was measured by the changes from the normal levels and taxation rates were gauged accordingly: Not enough flooding or too much flooding lead to poor crops so less taxation; the right amounts for good crops or for excellent crops – taxes that would reflect these harvests. The keeper of the place took us in and explained the process with pride. It is a beautifully made building with steps cut right down to the base which Mark negotiated in order to get some pictures. Surrounding the well and nilometer is a wide platform surmounted by a high wooden ceiling ornately painted in Arabic script of black and gold.

After this visit we returned to Talaat Harb St for a last walkabout and some lunch at the Cafe Riche. A taxi to Zamalek gave us a chance to pick up a couple of last purchases, and then back to the hotel. We have now moved into travel mode and are anticipating our flight to Rome and getting settled at Hotel Marco Polo for our last few days of this terrific holiday/travel.