An Egyptian Conclusion

Egypt is done, finished, halas. It certainly was an interesting experience. So much of my childhood was spent dreaming of visiting the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, the Cairo Museum, and now that I've done it, I've come away with a slightly different impression than I imagined.

Egypt is NOT the idyllic desert oasis many people imagine it to be. Yes, the Nile is lovely in places. Yes, the pyramids are incredible and they DO emit an energy that I cannot put my finger on. Yes, the Valley of the Kings is a magnificent tribute to people who now live only in stories. Yes, the museum in Cairo is full of beautiful things and Tutankhamen's mask might just be the most beautiful thing ever made. No, Egypt is not the pristine place that exists in our imagination. On the whole, and this is going from my experiences in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, I can make the following conclusion: Egypt is overcrowded, it's heavily polluted, it's chaotic, it's dishonest, it's filthy, it's noisy and it's tense.

There are an estimated 25-30 MILLION people living in Cairo alone. Of these people I would not be surprised if 70% were smokers. The lowest octane fuel they have is 84, so it burns like shit and emits nasty dark smoke. The roads logjam because there is no order, the stall-owners see white skin and immediately try to fleece you, people come up to you in the street and offer to give directions 'because they are helpful' only to turn around and demand money. If you threaten them with violence they go away. Generally, women are treated pretty fucking terribly compared to in the West and it's distressing. For example, I was walking across Tahrir square with Rose about about 10pm on a Friday night. I was perhaps 5 metres ahead of her at the time. I heard something and turned around to see three guys a few metres behind her following with what can only be described as a hungry expression on their faces. I stopped, looked at them and growled, 'Not tonight, mate.' They looked at me as if I was a bit insane, then adopted a look of fear, then walked in the other direction. Treating a woman nicely (or rather, not treating her UN-nicely) just because there is a man around is just plain wrong. There is no respect. I don't like having to put on a crazy face (although the beard does help), I don't like having to pretend I'm angry and I don't like having to fluff my plumage.

I don't mind the chaos in Cairo, it's sort of fun (AND I nearly got hit by a car. That was exciting), and I can tolerate the polluted air to a point, but what I cannot stand is the lack of respect people seem to have here. They don't respect the pyramids - the rubbish that surrounds them is evidence of that, they don't respect the tourists which keep the country afloat (the corrupt tourist police are evidence enough of that), they don't respect the word 'No' unless it's coupled with a few more 'No's' or in my case, physical violence, and they don't seem to get that dumping rubbish on the banks of the Nile might seem wrong and filthy and horrible.

This might all sound negative, but think of it this way: It's only through seeing how bad a situation can be that we appreciate how wonderful the GOOD situations are. Inside the Great Pyramid was astonishing, and quiet, and clean. The best people I met were the ones not asking for money or trying to fleece me. I spent some of the most amazing moments of my life standing in front of (or inside) 6,000 year old structures which hadn't been ruined by the modern world. I did fulfill lifelong dreams by coming to this place, and I do not regret visiting it in the slightest. There are some truly magic, truly beautiful, truly special places here which I would encourage everyone to visit. Just know that you'll have to develop a bit of a cold heart and a blind eye when you're here so you can cope. I liked being hassled some days because it meant I could play the game and see how far I could push the envelope, and it meant that I could test my bartering skills for a more appropriate time.

My recommendation for travel to Egypt would be: Book a good hostel, not a hotel. Hotels cloister you and you don't meet many people at all. Make sure the hostel is downtown. I spent time at the City Plaza hostel on 26th July Street (it's above GAD restaurant, the best fast food joint in Cairo), I spent time at the New Palace hotel just down the road from the City Plaza (it's a hostel without the 's') and I wouldn't have picked anywhere else. The managers were delightful, the locations were perfect and I got to meet a heap of cool people.

Second recommendation: See Giza, Saqqara, Dashur in one day. See the Cairo Museum on another day. See Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and Khan Kalili market in one day, then go back to the market the next day for some proper shopping. Then get out of Cairo and see Aswan/Luxor, then maybe head out to the oasis in the Western Desert, or head to the Red Sea for some diving (didn't do either of these things). Spend enough time in Cairo to see what you want to see, then get out before it loses its sparkle, because it will.

Egypt is certainly a place where dreams come true - seeing the pyramids was one of mine - but remember that some dreams turn out a bit odd towards the end. Egypt, and Cairo by proxy, is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

I'll chuck up a trip summary in a few days, after I've been back here at home for a full week. Need some time to get my head around it all.