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Published: December 11th 2008
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Day 235
After a very chilly bus ride we arrived in Cairo, two hours earlier than expected. Not 100% sure where we were we jumped in a taxi and headed for Downtown Cairo. Cairo is the craziest, most polluted and hectic city we've been in beating Beijing and Bangkok hands down. Searching for a cheap room we landed at Lialy Hostel (80 Egyptian Pounds including breaky.) We had to wait a couple hours for confirmation of availability, but we found ourselves easily entertained by the chaos and traffic below mesmerised but how there was so many close calls but no accidents.....
Refreshed after a shower and coffee we headed to the Egyptian Museum considered one of the world's best! With the New Egyptian Museum currently underconstruction, the old one is an amazing display of thousands of artefacts from mummies to jewellary, unfortunately with little English signage.
Under the guidance of the Lonely planet that its impossible to see everything is one go, we aimed for the LP recommended highlights. Straight to the second floor we found ourselveds lost in the ancient world for close to three hours. Typically the Royal Mummy Room was the most memorable, 3000 year old cadaviers are
impressive!Complete with hair, skin and nails. Closely followed by the animal mummy room where dogs, birds, cats and even a crocadiles are mummified either as companions of their owners or sacrifial offerings to their Gods. We wandered amongst the huge statutes of the former Kings, the Pharoahs Lion Throne, the impressive Pharoah Golden Sarcophagus (Coffin) and death masks. Overwhelmed we left to watch the locals return home from our the balcony, with just a couple detours after letting our guards down and finding ourselves in conversations with passers by who's mothers or cousin's or own shop is just around the corner and we must come look.
That evening we had dinner at Emera Hati al- Gish, the closest thing to a BBQ in a very long time!
We made our way back to our motel through the bustling streets filled with hundreds on locals shopping.
Day 236
After a slower start we got a cab to Islamic Cairo with one of the best English speaking drivers and the worst sense of direction. After five or more stops to ask locals and other taxi drivers for directions we finally arrived close enough to the Citadel to jump out and walk
View from the citadel
With the hazy horizon the remainder of the way.
The Citadel was home to Egypts rulers for 700 years and encompasses the Mosque of Mohammed Ali built 1830 and taking over 18 years to complete. Here we met some young boys on a school excursion who persuaded Carly to have a photo but took the liberty too far with a nice grope on the but! After fighting off the 12 year olds we continued to the Mosque of An-Nasir Mohammed, briefly through the near empty Police Museum and to the Grand Terrace with magnificant views of the city Cairo all the way to the Giza pyramids just distinguishable through the polluted smog!
From the Citadel we made our way on foot to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun built in 876 AD holding the title as the city's oldest functioning Islamic Monument and it also features on the Egyptian Five pound note. For a little extra Baqsahesh we climbed the minaret for some fantastic views of Islamic Cairo.
We ventured next door to the Gayor-Anderson Museum formally two 16th century houses filled with an quirky arrangement of odds and ends by a British Doctor and apparently used in the Bond Movie the Spy who loved
me.
Next we had a highly entertaining Taxi ride barely covering 4km taking over 40minutes, to the Al- Gouri Complex. Here we climbed the minaret of the beautiful Al Gouri Mosque just in time for lovely sunset.
After the big climb we stopped for at Egyptain Pancakes for a refuel on the edge of the Khan al Khari market. Next stop was the Al- Azhar mosque, one of Cairo's earliest mosques and its sheikh is considered the highest authority for all Egyptian Muslims. Extremely impressive despite the backshesh charges for compulsory held shoes and the nonspeaking guide!
From the mosque we made our way in to the Khan al Khair market selling everything! Absolutely everything from souvneirs, jewellary, blankets, pots, party supplies, perfume, spices.. everything and the haggling, pushing and shoving to match!
We eventually escaped the ongoing stalls and grabbed at taxt back to the Down Town restaurant Farfela for some local deliqicis of Lamb Fatta, Foul and Falafels over a couple Stella's.
After we headed back to the motel to plan our trip to the Pyramids!
Day 237- See Pyramids Blog
Day 238
Off to "Old Cairo" also know as "Coptic Cairo". We grabbed some pizza's
from our local bakery for a packed lunch and hailed a cab for Old Cairo considered the heartland of the Christian community surrounded by a huge wall.
We made our way down a small flight of steps beside the bridge and found ourselves wandering along a cobble stoned path, first stop was the convent of St. George encompassing a massive 8m door and supposedly the original shackles used in the chaining of St. George himself. Along the cobblestone continued passing the New Church on our way to the Church of St Sergius. Beneath the Church of St Sergius lies the cave where Joseph, Mary and Jesus hid out whilst in hiding from King Herod.
We passed through the Church of St.Barbara who was killed for trying to convert her father to christianity and to the Monastry and Church of St George. We stopped in St.Georges gardens for our picnic lunch before making a final stop at the "Hanging Church", not hanging like the hanging temple in China much to Jez's disappointment but built onto of a water gate of Roman Babylon.
After we crammed our way into the Metro with another fifty local woman, not surprisingly Jez was left standing
comfortably whilst Carly had to fight to breathe!
Backdown we filled in a couple hours on the net whilst waiting for our evening train to Alexandria. With our backpacks loaded up we wandering through the streets getting some very strange looks and copious offers of taxi's (which would have no doubt taken longer than walking). We stoped at At- Tabei ad Dumyati again before boarding the luxurious first class to Alexandria (with more leg room than first class on Qantas). Three hours later we arrived with a short taxi ride to our prebooked room at the Union (At 75 a night).
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