Saturday, October 30, 2010

Traffic and garbage and cats, oh my!

So we ended up at pizza hut and i enter the bathroom, and a man is in there, handing out personally folded toilet paper to people.  how nice!?
Cairo has around 30 million people, that pretty much the population of canada in one city.
there is no grass, a few trees, it's very dusty, hot and garbage is all over the sidewalks.
everyone seems to walk on the edge of the streets rather than using the sidewalks.  even with all the garbage, we didn't see mice, etc.  just lots of young cats.
We wandered around for a number of hours.  Saw a store without windows selling raw meat (not behind glass, not being cooled).  flies swarming the meat.  outside the shop are cages of rabbits.
I guess you can pick which bunny you'd like for supper
The traffic is fast and constant and loud.  but it's amazing the comfort you build up in some hours.  at first we'd latched onto some muslim women when trying to cross 4 lanes of moving traffic.
but by the end of the afternoon we had it figured out and a number of times successfully crossed 4-6 lanes of moving cars.  we rock!  and let me tell, that is no small feat.  cross walks are nearly nonexistent.
we've also learned to give some firm "nos".  Ibrahim, (mr. leach as I like to refer him) was our first one.
walking with us for many blocks, not leaving us alone.  finally michelle said, we want to walk alone.
to which he asked why we were giving him the cold shoulder.  got hassled to buy stuff a number of times.  lots of "no" and fast walking.  saw the Nile river, it's pretty wide.  lots of men that wanted to sell us a boat ride on the Nile too.
michelle catching a nap in Paris

Paris airport

the Alps


McDonalds delivery service

pizza with balls of cream cheese on the edges

not an untypical sidewalk

everyone hangs out the laundry

Nile River


Our hotel

1 comment:

  1. I'm loving what I'm reading and seeing - makes me feel like I'm along for the ride! Carry on, oh adventurous one!

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