"Welcome to Egypt!"

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We both pretending to be great IT users, but this empty blog has proven that we are not the quickest to adjust to this technological advanced new habit. However, on our second night in Cairo we made a good attempt and wrote the first few lines but due to the weak internet connection all got lost after pressing the upload button.

By now we have been in Egypt for almost a week and the experience is fantastic! As any good story lets start by the very beginning: Cairo, where we spend our first 4 days.
Cairo must be the most organized chaos you could ever experience. Cars changing from one lane to another, people walking across five lane roads without looking at the cars rushing by on all sides, the smell of fresh felafel, pollution and shisha... an explosive atmosphere to be experienced at 38 warm degrees.

The first night in the city we went for a bite in a traditional restaurant where we had some delicious felafel and roasted chicken. Afterwards, we sat down in a little side street for some shisha and alcohol-free beers before going to bed early sine we were quite exhausted and looking forward to discovering the city. The following day we walked our way to the Egyptian museum. A place where you could spend an hour, day, week, month or year to get a better understanding the Egyptian history and culture. We decided to try to get a good impression by hiring a guide to show us the essential one percent of the museum. We are now aware that there has been 30 different dynasties under 3 different kingdoms (old, middle and new) and how Tutankhamen was a boy-pharaoh during the New Kingdom who died at the age of 19. There is simply too much to see in this museum that is so full off fantastic pieces that it might burst one day. After the Egyptians of the past it was time to meet the Egyptians of today. We went for a long walk to Islamic Cairo. Not only did we visit the oldest mosque of Islamic Cairo, and one of the few in which you can climb up the minaret for a beautiful view over the city, but we made some local friends how took us to their little factory where they were making beautiful hand made crocodile leather handbags. Of course, the main purpose of this adventure was trying to sell, which is undoubtedly the number one skill of the Egyptians we have met so far. After hours of overwhelming Cairo we ended the day with relaxed felucca ride on Nile!

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Photos

Making the Nile a safer place, one crocodile at a time!
Some of the many "friends" we made on the street took us to their backstreet handbag factory in Islamic Cairo, of course to ultimately try to sell us something!

The oldest mosque in Islamic Cairo
Peace and quiet inside the oldest mosque in Islamic Cairo

On top of the mosque
A beautiful view over Cairo!

Haggling at the local markets
You never know if you get ripped off, even after getting the price down 75%...

Escape from the crowd
The Nile, one felucca, one Nubian captain, two beers, one sunset, and the two of us... sounds like a perfect recipe!