Two more lay-overs in Cairo

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To visit Cairo properly you would need days, or even few weeks....

The good news, is that with Egypt Air, I can do this on the cheap. This is one little travel trick if you have time ahead of you. If you do have a lay-over of more than 6 hours, Egypt Air will provide you with a free transit visa, with a three stars hotel room, and with all adequate meals...all this, free!

All flights coming from Asia arrive early morning...and depart to Asia late evening. Most flights to Africa will also leave late evening and arrive early morning. Meaning for me, I receive two full days to visit Cairo. The "bad news" is that I'm spending two nights in a row in a plane. But as tourism is pretty down in Egypt, out of 4 long-hauls flights, I had 3-4 seats for myself on three of them, no upgrade, but not bad either.

On my first stop the plan was to walk around Heliopolis as well as playing golf. Slight disadvantgage, I had to check-in my bags to my final destination, so no golf bag in Cairo.

I play the Gezirah Golf Club. This is currently only a 9 holes, but it has been the oldest golf course in the all Middle East. This means a piece of history, but not really the nicest golf club around. What is impressive is that the course is on Gezirah Island, bang in the middle of Cairo, only 400 meters from Tahrir Square. I'm not really sure they were open late January this year.

I had to rent club, but playing 9 holes, with a caddy and rented clubs is only 25usd, not really expensive to play such a golfing piece of history.

On my second day trip to Cairo, I made my way to the Coptic Cairo. Hanging Church, St George Church, Synagoge,...a lot of cult places in the Old Cairo. Was my first visit to the area, pretty nice. I than made my way to El Fishawi. This is a very old and traditional cafe in the souq of Khan Al Khalili. Early February the place was completely empty. Now few tourists are back, but you can see that the country really needs them back in way higher numbers.

I love El Fishawi. I spend my time people watching, smoking a nice cigar and having few mint teas...relaxing and easy life...simple pleasures! All this before making my way back to the hotel, which was next to the Baron Hempain Villa, a very special piece of architecture in Cairo, donated by a belgian to the country!

This time, I also spent my time discovering the metro and tram in Cairo. It's dirt cheap, pretty clean, easy to use and not a single tourist in sight, nice! It's also here that you see how Egyptians are nice and ready to help when you are a little lost. I also have to admit, 95% of women are now veiled in Cairo, didn't remember the figure was so high.

This is it with Africa for 2011 for me. Over the last three years, I've spent a total of 6 months around the continent. Was not originally planned, but it did happen and I'm pretty happy with it.

No more long-haul flights for few weeks...but few nice surprises coming for the end of the year!

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