Well it is time to buy my mother a gift. Well where do you go to get a gift. The great Cairo Bizarre. The walk from my hotel was 30 minutes. Started to travel through the local market as the Bizarre is a huge tourist trap. The local market was closed due to the one day off the Egyptians take off "Sunday". They work 6 days a week and the hours are usually from 10 am to 1am. banks are open. the city does not sleep. personally i do not have a love for bargaining on a price. This is the way business is done here. i started to bid on a chess set. Yes the first price was 680 egp. yes that is around $136.00. OK yes the pieces were camel bone. No they were plastic. The board really was lovely but business is business. I did take it for 84 egp $17.00.
they look at you your shoes and base the price. Note to self do not shave or shower.
the best part of the day was when I walked down a little rural alley. A man was sitting on a mule cart as I walked by as he thrust ed out his arm. In his hand was a piece of orange. i smiled and took it. I then sat beside him. A woman was sitting on the ground across the alley. i went over and picked up two more oranges and tossed one to my new friend. we sat on the cart handing pieces out to passers by. After about 20 minutes I continued my stroll. This was the first time someone approached me and wanted nothing but to have me join him for a piece of fruit. This moment was one of the nicest parts of the trip. I sadly did not get a picture of him.
After the market I made my way to the famous museum of Cairo. the crowds of Russians, Spaniards, French and German groups piled in from all sides. The security was intense. no
cameras. After 3 hours of walking and being knocked around I had had enough. The collection was amazing and they had more than they could display. some things were sitting on wooden crates and the walls had not been painted since the 30's. 8 hours till the flight home so back to the hotel for some dinner and rest.
they look at you your shoes and base the price. Note to self do not shave or shower.
the best part of the day was when I walked down a little rural alley. A man was sitting on a mule cart as I walked by as he thrust ed out his arm. In his hand was a piece of orange. i smiled and took it. I then sat beside him. A woman was sitting on the ground across the alley. i went over and picked up two more oranges and tossed one to my new friend. we sat on the cart handing pieces out to passers by. After about 20 minutes I continued my stroll. This was the first time someone approached me and wanted nothing but to have me join him for a piece of fruit. This moment was one of the nicest parts of the trip. I sadly did not get a picture of him.
After the market I made my way to the famous museum of Cairo. the crowds of Russians, Spaniards, French and German groups piled in from all sides. The security was intense. no
cameras. After 3 hours of walking and being knocked around I had had enough. The collection was amazing and they had more than they could display. some things were sitting on wooden crates and the walls had not been painted since the 30's. 8 hours till the flight home so back to the hotel for some dinner and rest.
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