I arrived in Cairo on the Train from Luxor. Probably the best train journey I have been on not that I've been on many.
I had heard a lot of Bad things about Cairo. Those who I had met in Istanbul who had just come from said that they we relieved to be in a more relaxed environment (read how i felt about Istanbul). The LP listed countless scams that I would probably be exposed to. Hotel Touts and Taxi drivers would mob me as soon as I stepped out the door they said. After two months of traveling through the Middle East I thought that I would be prepared for what ever faced me. However nothing prepared me for what followed. Nothing. Not a word. I almost felt disappointed.
Trying to find my hotel provided me with my first hassle. I found the street easy enough but walked the length of it a few times before i found the right address. I had to ask about a dozen people before I found the first evidence that the place existed, the sign on the reception desk, down a corridor, on the sixth floor of a building, in an ally off the main street. I later learnt that they were yet to acquire a license so were keeping low key. The place was brand new and despite my early reservations it turned out to be the best place i have stayed in Egypt and one of the better hotels this trip.
Cairo was amazing and one of my favourite world Cities. I spent a week there but could have spent weeks more. Most of my days were spent walking the streets of Coptic Cairo, downtown or around Khan Al-Khali. Unlike other places in Egypt I wasn't hassled and most places charged local rates. I also managed to develop a Kushary addiction.
I put of visiting the Pyramids until my last day. Partly because I found the rest of Cairo so interesting but mostly because I was little worried of being disappointed. To an extent I was. Maybe it was because I was been lied to by touts even before I even got inside or the fact that I had seen so many amazing sites already. I think my main mistake was that I had built up an image in my mind, fueled by movies and books, that was never going to be met. The pyramids were big but they weren't dominating like I though they would be. And the Sphinx, the Sphinx was a kitten. Having men on camels/horses/donkeys in my shadow all day didn't help. This, and the sand that was blowing in my face all day saw me leaving the Pyramids unsure of what I made of them, I'm still not sure.
I had heard a lot of Bad things about Cairo. Those who I had met in Istanbul who had just come from said that they we relieved to be in a more relaxed environment (read how i felt about Istanbul). The LP listed countless scams that I would probably be exposed to. Hotel Touts and Taxi drivers would mob me as soon as I stepped out the door they said. After two months of traveling through the Middle East I thought that I would be prepared for what ever faced me. However nothing prepared me for what followed. Nothing. Not a word. I almost felt disappointed.
Trying to find my hotel provided me with my first hassle. I found the street easy enough but walked the length of it a few times before i found the right address. I had to ask about a dozen people before I found the first evidence that the place existed, the sign on the reception desk, down a corridor, on the sixth floor of a building, in an ally off the main street. I later learnt that they were yet to acquire a license so were keeping low key. The place was brand new and despite my early reservations it turned out to be the best place i have stayed in Egypt and one of the better hotels this trip.
Cairo was amazing and one of my favourite world Cities. I spent a week there but could have spent weeks more. Most of my days were spent walking the streets of Coptic Cairo, downtown or around Khan Al-Khali. Unlike other places in Egypt I wasn't hassled and most places charged local rates. I also managed to develop a Kushary addiction.
I put of visiting the Pyramids until my last day. Partly because I found the rest of Cairo so interesting but mostly because I was little worried of being disappointed. To an extent I was. Maybe it was because I was been lied to by touts even before I even got inside or the fact that I had seen so many amazing sites already. I think my main mistake was that I had built up an image in my mind, fueled by movies and books, that was never going to be met. The pyramids were big but they weren't dominating like I though they would be. And the Sphinx, the Sphinx was a kitten. Having men on camels/horses/donkeys in my shadow all day didn't help. This, and the sand that was blowing in my face all day saw me leaving the Pyramids unsure of what I made of them, I'm still not sure.
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