Road to Cairo

Just back from a great 2 weeks in Egypt despite all warnings to give it a miss due to it`s security issues just now. Have to say we were so glad we went. probably the most varied, interesting and educational trips we have done. A great deal from Tavelzoo with The Holiday Place was just too hard to resist with 3 nights in Cairo, a weeks cruise down the Nile and 4 nights in Luxor to finish up. This first blog centres on our Cairo experiences.
Cairo - what a city - yes it`s dirty, crowded and noisy but what a lot to see and do. So many people (20 million including the suburbs they say) and 6 million cars. The traffic is what hits you most - literally on our 2nd full day there when a truck went for a n on-existent gap and scraped down the whole length of our taxi - but more of that later!  Never have I seen such a lawless use of the public road. Repeatedly I asked the question "In theory which side of the road do you drive on" to always get the answer"You just go anywhere you like". And they do! Using whatever transport method they wish and cramming in as many people as they choose to!

Taxi anyone?

Always give way to camels - they spit!

A load of bullocks!

I now know I will never hire a self drive car in Cairo - too crowded and why bother when you can hire a hotel limo cab abd driver for £35 for 7 hours - even cheaper if you go out on the streets and find your own but riskier. Cairo never stops and waking up in the night all you hear are car horns which are used as signals of intentions to under or overtake it seems - though never quite sure how many toots for what! Headlights are not necessary - night or day it seems and seat belts are tied into the headrests to avoid tripping over them whilst they are loose - an interesting angle on health and safety as they are never actually used!

The Pyramids were breathtaking and our guide advise us how lucky we were to see them in the morning without the smog of Cairo.

Saqqara was no less impressive and whilst the tombs above ground had been all but lost to erosion the tombs which we accessed via small tunnels which needed us to duck down low were really impressive depicting scenes from daily life / offerins to the kings that were still colourful and clear after so many years! No photography was allowed within the tombs unfortunately.

Pyramid of Tetidecorated with the earliest inscriptions of funerary writings accessible to the public

The Step Pyramid

Then it was off to memphis - and Elvis was ot in the building! This was the old capital during the Old Kingdom but now is just there to house a few pieces of interest including the colassol statue of Ramasses 11 lying in it`s own viewing pavillion

Hathor

Then it was back to our hotel offering this view from the gardens!

See what they did there ;-)

My next blog will outline our self organised tour of Cairo by cab that was both challenging and eye opening!