Category: Middle East

Africa / Laid-back / Middle East / Off-the-beaten-path

Humongous market bazaar in downtown Cairo

As part of my off-the-beaten-path sightseeing tour, Islam and I (and José, an American we met along the way) all went wandering through a gigantic open-air market bazaar in downtown Cairo. Many parts of this place were just like in the movies. Especially after dark, when it took on a...

Africa / Bucket List / Middle East / Modes of Transport

Is THIS more like the Egypt you were expecting?

The desert has a certain beauty to it. Perhaps that’s because I grew up in New Mexico. So I know how to appreciate the desert. One of the things that surprises many visitors is the openness, friendliness, and tolerance of Egyptians. My new friend Islam showed me some of the...

Africa / Bucket List / Middle East

This is not the Egypt you’re looking for…

Many parts of Cairo defy Americans’ stereotypical expectations of what Egypt should look like. You don’t see pyramids, camels, the Sahara Desert. or any of the other stuff that comes so readily to mind. In fact, some parts of Cairo look downright tropical. The Cairo waterfront, on the banks of...

Activities / Africa / Bucket List / Facts & Trivia / History / Laid-back / Middle East

Egyptian National Museum, part 3 – Statues

The statues that were carved in ancient Egypt ranged from tiny (small enough to stand three of them on a coin) to enormous. All of them were incredibly detailed. Far more detailed than I was expecting. They are also far more well-preserved than I expected. Of course some are broken...

Africa / Facts & Trivia / History / Laid-back / Middle East

Egyptian National Museum, part 2 – Mummies

Probably 90% of the people who go to the Egyptian Museum go there to see the mummies and the most famous mummy of all: King Tut. I got to see both. Photos of everything in the King Tut room is strictly forbidden, however I did get one cool photo that...

Activities / Africa / Bucket List / Facts & Trivia / History / Laid-back / Middle East

Egyptian National Museum, part 1 – Hieroglyphics

After an earlier aborted attempt, I finally got to visit the Egyptian National Museum. First of all, their website is woefully out of date. The admission price had increased from EGP£150 (~US$8.47) to EGP£240 (~US$13.55). That’s only a few cents to Americans but, for some people coming from poorer countries,...

Africa / High Adrenaline / Middle East / Modes of Transport

Metalheads Hyped on Acid Speeding Across a Playground Full of Children

It’s the video everyone has been asking about! While I’ve attempted to capture what traffic is like on a daily basis in Cairo, I don’t think there’s any way that a mere video can really do it justice. Compared to Egyptians, New York City cabbies are like grannies driving in...