Egypt Adventures - Week 1

So, as I'm sure I've mentioned a million times before, this is my first time in Cairo (the homeland) for 6 years, the time in which I have not seen my brother, and during which my little niece Biba was born. The brother is healthy, as is the niece :) Always good news!

Practically everyone gave me funny looks when I said I was going to be spending Christmas in Cairo. "What about the Revolution?" "Aren't you scared?" Let me explain - the revolution isn't happening all over Cairo. It's happening in this little place called Tahrir Square, don't know if you've heard of it. Also in a few places beyond, but not very near where my brother lives, and where we're staying. So, basically, it's all good. My sister-in-law has become a real revolutionary, but we're not to talk about it too much. (Her dad doesn't approve because he's scared she's going to get injured - Bless him!)

Anyway, away from politics and family for a bit - my gosh, life in Cairo is totally different to life anywhere else I have been around the world. It's, without sounding too cliche, a totally different world. There are no rules here, especially when it comes to road safety: you wanna drive 90mph on the 'autostrad'? You wanna erase all the white lines off of the roads, so the only thing you have in common with the other drivers on your side of the road is the direction you are driving in? You wanna be a taxi driver who refuses to give up smoking, so smokes on the job despite any passengers potential dislikes? Go for it my friend. Cairo is the place for you!

A taxi

Casually driving by the pyramids

Our first day in the land of the pyramids took us to to the Khan el-Khalili, the enormous market in the Islamic area of Cairo. This place is incredible. I can tell you Camden, Portobello and Spitalfields don't quite compare to this experience. People popping out from crevices in the wall, practically begging you to come into their little 'shop' to buy all the dodgy 'bits found around the pyramids', by saying "Want to spend some more money?" It's great. I just wish they would realize that the vintages cameras, mummy beads, canopic jars and ushabtis they are selling are not from ancient times, they are just dusty.

The market by night

Guy in the market, hand carving copper trays

My dad had the great experience of haggling with one of the shop owners for two ushabtis, and the conversation according to father went a bit like this:

Shop Owner: "Oh yes, they very very very old." 

Father: "No these are from the 1950's". 

Shop owner looks rather cross and replies: "No, no, very much old. From the 1930's."

Moral: Don't bother arguing with Egyptians. You will be wasting your breath.

We stopped off for some lunch in a doorway. Literally, this random wooden door in the middle of the old market wall. But once you squeeze yourself through it, the restaurant beyond is huge. (Well, considering it was just a door in the wall). Mum took charge and ordered us some yummy Egyptian things and then we were off, back into the magical world of the market.

Mum spent about 2 hours talking to some guy in a bead shop (my mum is a jewellery designer), rummaging through box after box, strand after strand, colour after colour of beads beads beads. It was a night mare, but I took this pretty photo :)



The second and third day brought an enormous lack of sleep, mixed with having to speedily write 3,000 words on my French Revolution essay for Art History (that I'm also sure I have mentioned a bazillion times). Really very little happened, apart from, somehow, through the magic of the scarabs, I managed to write 2,000 words up in the space of 8 hours. Please, do not ask me how, but it felt rather nice.

I then treated myself to a relaxing mani-pedi on the fourth day, which was Christmas Eve. I can safely say, Christmas does not feel like Christmas when only a few people put up decorations, and when it is 20 degrees outside and the sky is a blue as...the sky. What reminded me that we were actually in December,, about to go into January, was the guy dressed up as a caricature-like Santa Claus, standing on the side of the motorway, waving at every taxi that went by. It was like I suddenly knew what it felt like to be a cartoon. But back to the mani-pedi - Egyptians really know how to do beauty. You wouldn't imagine that seeing as so many women in the street have their hair, as well as most of their body, covered.

Friends was playing on the flat screen in the beauty parlour (see! - Egypt isn't so far behind!), which was nice. Especially when the woman fiddling with my finger- and toe-nails kept disappearing to attend to another client, despite me having told her I could only be there for an hour maximum because we had to be at my mum's friend's house for lunch. (There's another thing about Egypt - Lunchtime is at 4 or 5 in the afternoon.)

We then went into the 'countryside' for some nommy noms with one of mum's oldest friends, from the time she lived in Cairo (that's a whole other story though), in her amazing, lavish villa.

An Egyptian Garden

One of her many living room areas

Lunch was great, but dessert was Scrummy, with a capital S! It was basically an Egyptian bread and butter pudding, made with mozarella (of all things!), cream and, as it's name suggests, bread. It was served with this clear liquidly, syrupy goodness, which smelled like a bottle of floral scented perfume. We later found out it was orange blossom syrup, and were so impressed my mum's friend gave us the bottle. That's what I love about Egypt - the people are so generous. For friends (or people they want something from in return) what is theirs, is yours!

Fresh Lime juice

Egyptian Bread-and-butter pudding

Sunday brought the day that I have dedicated 25 blog posts to, in my Countdown to Christmas! I spent some of the morning attempting to write the introduction to the second essay I have due in for January on 18th century British Architecture. (How I despise my course when it makes me work on Christmas Day!) We then all sat down for scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (that the mother insisted we bought 3 for 2 in Waitrose before we left for Cairo), which was lovely! This was then followed by a bit of present-opening time (I got some revolutionary gifts - no pun intended - from the pro-rev sister-in-law) and a trip to the local coffee bar for a fresh glass of kiwi juice, and then a quick nap.

Dinner was amazing, and was interrupted half-way through by the total inconvenience of present opening time! My mum had bought my brother and my sister-in-law an iPad for both of them to use. She had organized (after 9 or 10 hours of one-to-one sessions at the Apple Store) that once they open it up, a slide-show of my nieces first year of life appears on the screen, playing to a really beautiful Van Morrison song, which had everyone in tears as we watched it. It was so sweet of her. We continued opening presents, as you do at Christmas, and then had the rest of our meal: a typical english Christmas dinner, all with Egyptian produce!

And then i get to Monday - today! I am sitting here, trying very hard to do work, but trying even harder to avoid it. Blogger and Facebook are much more interesting, and we all know it! 

We are off to Luxor tomorrow, on a plane (sigh) to see some of, according to my mother, the most stunning places in the world, and to stay in a nice hotel (yay) :) I'll save the details for another post, sometime soon, but for now, happy Boxing Day, and enjoy the Sales! 

With LOVE from Cairo X