Cairo it is! And Cairo on a Friday is much like any other Muslim country on a Friday: a few people about, scattered stores open, and the Quran being chanted over the whole city.
When we were getting on the bus to Cairo, I was confused why the bus driver was shouting "Masr" as well as "Qahira." Turns out that this sprawling city is not just "Cairo" but also "Egypt" of Egypt.
We spent the morning hotel shopping, and found a place that was much friendlier, and didn't have me sleeping in a mixed dorm. Then we walked, and walked, and found a net cafe and a mobile phone store, so the errands are done. Now it is time for fun.
I'm going to post this now, just in case we don't get to internet tonight, though it is cheap and there should be more open later. We'll see, but today is looking like a slightly hot, sunny, and interesting day.
After internet, Abdalla and I headed out to find some food. We got some coscary at "Tom and Basel's", and a fried chicken sandwich at "Felfela." Then, it was finding the closest attraction on my list of things to do (which would be the Abdeen Palace) and walking to it.
It was pretty hot, so we took it easy. And, since it was a Friday, the museum wasn't open, but we heard from one of the guards that it was where the President of Egypt apparently lives. Compared to the White House in DC, the security was pretty lax, but maybe there was more than I noticed.
We got juice: sugarcane for Abdalla (which is an acquired taste, I think... it still tastes like weeds to me) and fresh squeezed orange for me. In the states, a mug full of juice like that could easily be $2; here, it was about $.50. Pretty good.
I got to take the Metro for the first of many times today, and stood in the women's only car. It was less crowded, but I felt gawked at. At least it was just by other women, right?
We got off at the Opera/Geshira stop, and walked up the the Qasr Al Nile Bridge. I was wanting shade, so we paid 2 Egyptian pounds (about $.40) to get to that park area that went underneath the bridge.
So, in Egypt, every girl has her guy (though the converse is not true at all). Amongst all these couples, there is a trend to dress in similar colors as your "habibe." There was a couple in green, then one in blue, and one where her scarf matched his shirt.
And, among these couples, especially the young, there is a bit of turmoil. This is chatty Egypt after all, and half of that chat is actually arguments. Egyptians around Education City in Doha have a stereotype of being "hot-headed," as Kelsey put it. Well, it seems like a general trait around here.
Abdalla and I are sitting under the bridge when we start to hear shouts. A boy, probably around 15, is yelling at a girl of similar age. He has a few girls around him (including his girl), and we think this outburst was instigated by the girl's insults at his girl.
Anyway, the boy gets up, as does the girl, and they yell nose-to-nose for a few insults before turning away. While turning, however, the girl picks up an empty water bottle and throws it at his feet.
With that, the final straw, both parties leap into action: the boy turns, his girlfriend and friends leap up, and the pair turns around. The boy is in the thick of things, kicking and throwing punches among all the girls. Two girls have each other by the headscarves, while holding on to their own. (As Abdalla said, us non-covered girls have it easy; we can go straight for the hair-pulling with no hijab interference.)
Security and others rush in, and start trying to separate the parties. The girls are restrained, the guy is getting his arm held by security, and they break free for another mini-tussle. Finally, with each retreating to his or her separate territory, the boy's girlfriend sees that the enemy's pink ballet-style shoes have come off during the fight.
So in one fluid motion she picks up a shoe and flicks it into the Nile.
With a few more shouts and jabs after that, the groups are dismissed from the park.
We expect the action to be over. (I mean, we've already gotten our two-pounds of entertainment.) Lo and behold, one-shoe girl comes back with a security guard and a caretaker. And a fishing pole.
They lowered the pole in once, then decided that was hopeless. The caretaker then rolls up his pants legs and is lowered in! (The Nile is dirty, but not super disgusting, but this was still a bit brave.) I thought that they were able to see the shoe, but he reaches down, with his nose nearly at the water, and picks up... a piece of wire. Then a soda bottle. Then a rock. Abdalla translates one of his mutterings as "This is your shoe; why am I in the Nile?!"
A row boat with a nomadic family on it floats by, and helps the guy back over the wall, back to the park. The still-one-shoe girl leaves with her consort, and the park resumes its normal activities, with just a few remaining side comments from the older women.
"That girl... she deserves to only have one shoe..."
We meet up with Kelsey, a friend from TAMU-Q, and her mom and family friend for some hummus, then drive to see the sunset over the Nile (though the view wasn't great where we were, and it disappeared into the dust before it went behind the horizon). After an interesting ride with her driver (who doesn't know much English, so he and Abdalla and me and Kelsey were having two separate conversations), we got to Moatam Hill. There, we had some tea or juice, and some sheesha while watching the lights of Cairo. We could even see the pyramids lit up at one point!
The next part of the night is a bit hazy, since I was falling asleep in the car (and was apparently asleep for quite a while at one point). We cruised by a few mosques, all lit up, got stuck in some traffic jams (at 11:00pm at night!) and just basically took a random driving tour to see all these different areas of Cairo.
They dropped us off at the hotel, where I continued my sleeping.
No comments:
Post a Comment