Egypt for Trouble Seekers (1.2)

An Unfair Observation

Between these unforgettable arriving and departing experiences, I actually didn’t stay in Egypt long enough to make any decent neither fair observation. So allow me readdress, this is a very personal and definitely biased travel note, don’t believe everything I said and go see it for yourself… well, except the part being a (under 60 years old) woman don’t try to adventure alone. （click "read more" to read the whole article)


It was short, in total 5 days and 5 nights, and the last day I basically spent in my hotel room watching a National Graphic Channel documentary series about American Mafia. With Arabic subtitle of course, which is one of the few things in that room actually has some Middle-East flavor besides the butt-washing pot in the bathroom.

It was quite limited in scale as well. In these 5 days, I mainly stayed in Cairo and its nearby areas, such as Saqqara and Memphis. So if you want to say my observation actually should only be applied to Cairo; it might be quite right. But since being an outsider, a traveler and a foreigner, really goes deep into the core of nation is never possible, I think I would just leave it that way. Yes, my “Egypt” trip!

Comparing with my previous travel experiences, I would say my expectation of adventure for this trip was rather modest. I went as a baggage, an extra, just somebody to share my boyfriend’s hotel room (that was his business trip), and if that’s possible, I might be lucky enough able to see the country a bit by myself. That was a 5 stars hotel, Conrade Cairo, which is slightly out of my league. 5 stars hotel never suits me; it strikes me as a lonely, indifferent and cold place (but in Egypt a cold place with air-co anyway still is a big plus, I would say). I guess I am more like pension/ family hotel type.


Impressions of Egypt

Though staying in a cultural isolated 5 stars hotel is never a way to explore the true color of local life, but Cairo makes sure those pieces of Egyptian flavors and sounds flowing into your window and tickling all over your senses. Looking out my balcony on the right side is one of most beautiful swimming pool bar I’ve ever seen, which lay peacefully and magically on the top of hotel hall, just like a godsend oasis made by genies from “1001 Nights”.

But on the left side, you could see all those typically Cairo sand-color tall buildings with no intention to finish up, especially the top floor and outer walls, which leaves tons of dust and sand loosing out from the building unceasingly. When ever there is wind, there is sand bumping all over your face. After a day walking in the City, your face would turn sandy, it looks like and feels like, full of sand.

And how could you miss the non-stop noise of traffic? There is no night in Cairo, and indeed it is a city never sleeps. The night is never coal-black, as the street lights reflected by the dusty air creating an illuminated lighting effect. And there is always somebody awake, here or there. Some shops open up late, some shops open early, and some of them never close. Ceaselessly cars drive by rushing to a family’s or friends’ gathering, or simply trying to make a living.

Egypt for trouble seekers (1.1)

Chapter 1

Egypt, the Land for a short, short holiday

Egypt is a beautiful and charming country; sure, if you just see it from pictures and stand far, far away. The magnificent pyramids and Sphinx, amazing sights and thick culture atmosphere, all of all it seems to be such a perfect holiday destination.

Don’t let me stop you, go, but do remember if you are a woman don’t walk on the street on your own. It doesn’t matter if you’re sweating like hell inside your long sleeves shirt with up-to-ankle pants or skirt - and yes, in that bloody torturing hot desert weather - or you just put on your shortest skirt and tightest tank tee, you will receive the warmest welcome of Egyptian men.

And the dust and God knows what that is all those small things flying in the air, you just can’t tell if they come from the ground or the dusty ground is the product of it. One thing is certain, you will feel yourself eaten out by the sand, and gradually, probably won’t take a century, you will be part of it. Kind of poetic, I know, in the end we ARE all going to be in and back to dust, but if nothing goes wrong, it should still take couples of decade, and I like to keep it that way.

Arriving and Leaving

Talking about culture shock, maybe there is nothing like Cairo International Airport could make you so struck, you basically become speechless, and numb. Of course there is a good side of it and a bad side of it, it depends on whether you are arriving or leaving. Arriving is kind of nice; the building seems modern enough and the air-condition runs 24 hours. But soon you will encounter dozens of so-called airport officers, one of them will come to grab your bag and nicely demand you should follow him. Then you will be lead to an office upstairs and odd enough there is no air-co, under the spell of your midnight exhaustion and the sudden struck hit, you find yourself signing up for one damned over-priced sightseeing program while wiping away the sweat falling down from your front head. All you could think of is, the promise they made to bring you to the hotel with an air-co SUV.

The leaving of course is another story, since you’re leaving, the Egyptian see no reason to turn on the air-co for you; and you know, since you are leaving, they won’t bother to cover up the rusty, toppling foundation under the departure hall, which is eternally under re-construction and never seems to be completed. You know, since you’re leaving already, what’s the odd that collapses right on the couple hours you are there?

The overcrowded departure hall leaves no space for waiting out. Yes, in a far corner in the airport you do find a small coffee stand supplying some juice in an aluminum foil box and some always bitter Egyptian coffee. That would be nice enough if the “No Smoking” sign next to it is not so suggestive only, and that lack of ventilation space is not so unbearable, that would be quite an ok place to wait up your airline finally open for check-in.

So now you got the green sign to pass through the X-ray scan gate, but you find yourself waiting up in the queue of 200 people. Sigh… no, don’t be. Here comes the “airport officer” again, he asks: “KLM?” Just when you thought he must be the emissary sent by orange queen to save you from this chaos, you notice his method is hardly approvable. He simple grabs your suitcases and starts to push the way into the X-ray machine. Don’t forget, there are 198 people waiting there in front of you. You hear yourself murmuring: ‘No, no…” but that’s too late, your suitcases are in the X-ray machine and the custom officer is ready to put a stamp on your visa. And magically, there is no one complaining, not even a slightest disapproving noise has been made.
That was embarrassing. I got to say. And for this uncivilized act, he only asked/ got 50 ponds which is definitely not worth of committing such crime. (... to be continued)