Welcome to Cairo
Brother Mubarak is watching you! 
The Nile from down town Cairo
The first thing that hit me about Cairo is how polluted it is. When the plane landed at 6am, I presumed that the thick fog which blanketed the city must be the type of mist that surrounds many places around dawn. By mid afternoon, when the temperature had climbed towards the mid-30s, it was pretty clear that this mist was more pollution than moisture.
Today is Presidential Election day in Cairo, the first multi-candidate elections in Egypt's history as I understand it. Both tax drivers I asked said that Mubarak is a strong leader and deserves to be returned. On greater reflection, and some 5 hours later, Mohammed, the second of the taxi drivers, cautiously admitted that Mubarak's already 25 year reign had gone on for far too long. He was clearly frustrated, albeit very guarded. I got the distinct impression that people are very careful to avoid commenting, let alone being critical, of Mubarak.
Almost spontaneously, a rent a growd of Mubarak supporters, around ten people, ran onto the street, blocking the road for a good 5 minutes. Apparently you get paid 20 Egyptian pounds (around $4) to wave Mubarak placards around. That's a significant amount of money for the average Egyptian. Given the amount of money I shelled out at Giza (see below), I was seriously considering waving a placard myself! Eventually the traffic policeman on duty ordered cars to continue driving, but this didn't seem to stop the throng from carrying on in the middle of the street. No doubt Cairo drivers are used to treating the roads like an obstacle course.
Earlier, I visited the famous great pyramids of Giza. What began as a gentle mid-20s heat around 8am soon sweltered into one of the hottest days in recent memory, complete with clothes more suited to a Sydney winter and a collection of camel riders eager to fleece me. I must admit to being fairly underwhelmed by the experience. The pyramids are a remarkable sight. Of this there is no doubt. But any sense of romance that may have once been attached to the place has long since gone. Amongst the powdered rubble, I couldn't help thinking that the pyramids are a reminder that even the most powerful eventually fade away. In a country as bloated and poor as Egypt, the main purpose of Giza now is to give the locals an opportunity to get as much money off foreigners as possible (they seem particularly keen about Euros!).
The first thing that hit me about Cairo is how polluted it is. When the plane landed at 6am, I presumed that the thick fog which blanketed the city must be the type of mist that surrounds many places around dawn. By mid afternoon, when the temperature had climbed towards the mid-30s, it was pretty clear that this mist was more pollution than moisture.Today is Presidential Election day in Cairo, the first multi-candidate elections in Egypt's history as I understand it. Both tax drivers I asked said that Mubarak is a strong leader and deserves to be returned. On greater reflection, and some 5 hours later, Mohammed, the second of the taxi drivers, cautiously admitted that Mubarak's already 25 year reign had gone on for far too long. He was clearly frustrated, albeit very guarded. I got the distinct impression that people are very careful to avoid commenting, let alone being critical, of Mubarak.
Almost spontaneously, a rent a growd of Mubarak supporters, around ten people, ran onto the street, blocking the road for a good 5 minutes. Apparently you get paid 20 Egyptian pounds (around $4) to wave Mubarak placards around. That's a significant amount of money for the average Egyptian. Given the amount of money I shelled out at Giza (see below), I was seriously considering waving a placard myself! Eventually the traffic policeman on duty ordered cars to continue driving, but this didn't seem to stop the throng from carrying on in the middle of the street. No doubt Cairo drivers are used to treating the roads like an obstacle course. Earlier, I visited the famous great pyramids of Giza. What began as a gentle mid-20s heat around 8am soon sweltered into one of the hottest days in recent memory, complete with clothes more suited to a Sydney winter and a collection of camel riders eager to fleece me. I must admit to being fairly underwhelmed by the experience. The pyramids are a remarkable sight. Of this there is no doubt. But any sense of romance that may have once been attached to the place has long since gone. Amongst the powdered rubble, I couldn't help thinking that the pyramids are a reminder that even the most powerful eventually fade away. In a country as bloated and poor as Egypt, the main purpose of Giza now is to give the locals an opportunity to get as much money off foreigners as possible (they seem particularly keen about Euros!).And, yes, the tourists were out in force. From Italy, and Germany, and the United States too. They came, and usually left as quickly, in their giant air-conditioned tourist buses, no doubt comforted by the fact that they had yet another digital image to add to their collection of 'must see' world wonders. I decided to linger a little longer, get a nice tan, and laugh as policemen on camels chased street urchins away from tourists.
The Great Pyramid of Giza Next stop Israel. I'm half excited, half worried about the manner in which the immigration officials will greet me. I really don't know what to expect.
posted by Iqbal Khaldun @ 12:56 PM
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home