Cairo, Egypt

 Cairo, Egypt

October 2010

When my mother went to Egypt in 1984, she came home and told me that she hated this trip.  She didnt have one nice thing to say about the trip. When I asked my father if her reaction to Egpyt was too strong, he told me, "It wasn't that bad.  It's just that Cairo is a fifthy, dirty city. That's all."

I thought he was being too harsh.  But when I finally made it to Egypt, as I looked outside my hotel window and captured my first citywide view, I more clearly understood his comment some 25+ years ago.

Cairo, Egypt

 Cairo, Egypt

October 2010

Sometime in the 11980's, my mother, a world traveler, come home and complained about how dirty Cairo was.  She complained about how ugly it was.  My father chimed it and claimed it wasn't that bad but it was "just a fishy, dirty city."

Twenty years later, I went to Cairo.  I had landed late at night and went right to my hotel. So when I woke up the next morning  I looked out my window  to see my first glimpse of the city and sure enough, I thought is was an unpleasant city.

Cairo

Cairo, Egypt

Fall 1984

I picked my parents up from the airport. They were arriving home from 10 days in Egypt. Surprisingly and unfortunately, they were miserable, irritable, sick and tired.  I asked them how they liked their trip.  My mother told me she hated it which was quite a surprise to me as my mother loves to travel. Then she mentioned to me that she spent a day in the hospital there for dehydration.  I expressed my concerns to my father who said the trip wasn't bad but "Cairo is just a filthy, dirty, unpleasant city.

Two friends were with them and as they piled in the car with their luggage, it was evident that we not all going to fit.  So my father took the keys and told me that he would drive home and send my brother to come get me. I was annoyed but recognized that this was going to be a much more pleasant option than to listen to them all complain about their trip. I was so happy to see them drive off without me.

Waterways in Egypt

Waterways in Egypt
October 2010

As I was taking this photo, Mohammed, my guide interrupted me, "Why are you taking this photo? It is too ugly. Take something else."  I told him I take all sorts of photos of people's waterways. "this is why we have sickness in Egypt", he said with disgust.

My travel mate asked, "Why doesn't the government do something about this.  This is deployable." She is baffled that this river is in this condition.

"Our government is too corrupt to take care of the people," Mohammed responded.

Posted 23rd September 2015 by bkmemoirs

Thoughts About Egypt

Thoughts About Egypt
Traveling Down The Nile River
October 2010

• It is hot here.  One day it was 120F and that is very, very, very hot for me.
• The pyramids are massive and intimidating. How did they build these structures in all of this ungodly heat.
• The Spinx needs some cosmetic repairs.  A nose job is in order.
• We, the tourists, are polluting the  Nile river with our hundred of cruise ships.
• Camels drool too much fro my taste.
• The fishing boats on the Nile are beautiful.
• Sunsets on the Nile are stunning.  I don't know was the sun rises look like but I am going to spectate that they are just as beautiful.
• Watching the Dervis dancers made me dizzy.
• The street merchants are aggressive.
• Hookah pipes are exceedingly popular.
• Their beer is mediocre. but i drank it anyway.  Actually, I drank a lot of it because it was so damn hot.
• King Tut has an elaborate resting place.
• There are a lot of kings in the Valley of the Kings.
• While I do not like the  fact that the western world scarfed up so many ancient reassures, I am not sure the Egyptian government is responsible enough to manage this antiquity. I saw some very poor, careless management of these treasures.  Maybe we should some more thing s off to London.
• I am always in awe with I am around so much antiquity.  We marvel at buildings that are 200 years old. Monuments here are thousands of years old.  I wonder what, if anything, of our buildings or monuments will last for 1000 years in the USA.
• My cruise ship was lovely and I am comfortable being pampered.

the fishing boats

• 
  

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Man on a Camel

Man on a Camel

At the Pyramids

Egypt

October 2010

I don't know where he came from but it was mid-afternoon by the time he got to the Pyramids and the hundreds of merchants and the tourists who wanted a ride on a camel.

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Images of Egypt

the fishing boats

climbing the pyramids

Egypt

Egypt

October 2010

It was hot, 115F by mid-morning, every day.  There was no relief.  We cruised down the Nile River and attempted to see as much as we could in the early morning and late afternoon.  Mid-day, we retreated to our ship with its beautiful pool and cool beverages.

Mohammed, our guide, talked quietly about the tension with the current leader.  But I was oblivious to any undercurrent of dissatisfaction among the Egyptian people. Two weeks later, the president was overthrown and a new leader was at the helm, reeking havoc on the people.

Dirty Waterways of Cairo

Cairo, Egypt

October, 2010

As I was taking this photo, Mohammed, my guide, interrupted me, "Why are you taking this photo? It is too ugly. Take something else."  I told him I take all sorts of photos of people's waterways. "this is why we have sickness in Egypt", he said with disgust.

My travel mate asked, "Why doesn't the government do something about this.  This is deployable." She is baffled that this river and all of the other rivers we have seen are in this condition.

"Our government is too corrupt to take care of the people," Mohammed responded. He tells of us the people's dissatisfaction of the government but concluded that nothing could be done.  Two weeks later, there is an uprising and a new government was in place.

We Need A Dictator

We are in Boston, in a taxi, heading to Quincy Market, for dinner. I sit next to the taxi driver, engaged in conversation. I notice a heavy accent. 

“Where are you from”, I ask.

“Egypt but I haven’t been there for a while. It’s just too scary right now” he tells me.

“But you must feel some satisfaction that you are working on getting it right. You just have to get it right with the next election” I tell him.

“You Westerners are all alike. You think everyone wants democracy. But Egypt, we need a strong dictator who doesn’t torture us. We need a dictator, not democracy.”

Boston, MA

March, 2014

Street Boys of Egypt

I carry my camera in a small back pack; it dangling sloppily from my right shoulder. It is the middle of the hot, hot day.  We are in search for something cold to drink. Suddenly, a  group of young boys spot us and come running over. They are following us, pestering us to buy their cheap, ugly plastic scarab bracelets.

“Lady, lady, only $1 for you pretty lady” one young boy says to me.  He looks to be no more than 12 years old.

“No, no, what’s your name?” I ask in a friendly voice in hopes of distracting him from trying to sell me his junk.

“Mohammad”, he tells me, matter of factly.

“No thanks,  Mohammad.” My tone is friendly but my response lets him know that I am not interested. 

He steps away. But then he continues to follow me and he points to my back pack.  I have a charm attached to one of the zippers on the pack and I just assume Mohammad wants me to give him this charm. I dismiss him.  But he insistent. I acknowledge his concern.  He tugs on my arm and points more adamantly now.

“No, no, you can’t have it”, I finally tell him without even looking at him. He annoys me.

But then Mohammad and all of the others stop and surround themselves around something on the ground. My friend, Jonathan, stops to see that is so interesting to them.

“Bridget, your money fell out of your pack.  That’s what he was trying to tell you”, Jonathan shouts to me.

And sure enough, I had not zipped one of my pockets and a small wad of money fell out.  Mohammad tried to warn me but I ignored him, thinking he just wanted to take something, anything from me.  Now, these boys who live on the streets, stand guard over my money. I bend down and swoop it up as Mohammad beams with satisfaction and relief. And I stand there in admiration, shame and disbelief.