Cairo experiences

The initial impact of Cairo is of an overwhelming turmoil of people, traffic, markets (souks) and many other activities. The Nile provides a geographic reference and some welcome serenity.

Other highlights of our time in Cairo:

• the pyramids (of course);
• the Egyptian Museum (not illustrated because cameras aren't admitted), with its vast collection of Pharonic art and artefacts. This really does enable one to get an understanding of the amazingly well-organized society that existed in Egypt 4.5 thousand years ago.
• living in an Arab hotel, surrounded by mosques and the souk, in a room with a view of the square that forms the hub of Islamic Cairo.
• our evening with Hani Naguib's family in the very pleasant suburb of Al Ma'adi and on a Nile dinner cruise (Hani is George's colleague in Cambridge).
• The Cairo metro was an unexpected bonus - it is modern and efficient and its recent extension enables one to travel almost as far as the pyramids (as we discovered after our trip there ;-).

Click on an image for an enlarged view.

A small part of the massive traffic jam that is weekday traffic in Cairo	Another jam. Pedestrian crossings are an alien concept, even traffic lights are very rare.
A highlight of the trip was our dinner cruise on the Nile in Cairo. This was as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Naguib.	Hani Naguib with Jean and George on the cruise.
Mr. and Mrs. Naguib are on the left.	The dinner included traditional dancers...
.. and belly dancers!	Egypt is 90% Muslim, but there is a thriving Coptic Christian community in south Cairo. This is one of several very attractive early Coptic churches in that area.
Nativity in the Coptic church. Mr. Boutros Boutros Gali (former UN Gen. Sec.) is a Coptic Christian.	Eventually, we left Cairo for the calmer environment of Aswan on a sleeper train from Rameses station.