Hot Days in Cairo

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9 May 2010, Sunday
2110 (GMT +3)
Giza, Egypt

I said it's so hot I saw a little guy in an orange robe burst into flames.

Yes it was. Today the temperature in Cairo reached a balmy 109F (That's 42C, for the rest of you). I figured today was a good day for some indoor activities since more than a few minutes away from the air conditioning and I start sweating like James Gandolfini. I did some homework this morning then went with a German student downtown to the American University in Cairo bookstore. It was interesting. There were two security personnel outside, and we had to show ID and sign a register to get in. Once inside though, I was right at home.

Most of the books were in English, and they had a wide selection of Middle East history. Some of them were books that I own, or could get in the US, and some were published by AUC press. I could have easily walked out with a dozen books, but for now I picked up only one, a very general survey on Egyptian history from the pre-dynastic period through the Mubarak government. Having really only studied Egyptian history in its modern relations with Israel, I figure this is a good place to start.

The bookstore is located near an area known as Midan Tahrir, a large square which is surrounded by many government buildings, and where people normally come to protest. It is also very close to the Egyptian Museum, which is on my short list of things to see while I'm here, but not today.

To get back to our side of the river, we took the metro, an underground subway that drops off in the neighborhood of Dokki, just south of Mohandeseen. It costs all of 1 EGP to ride, and you can go as far as you like on your line. Right now there are only two lines, with a third under construction that will connect Mohndeseen with the airport, set to open some time in the next decade.

Thankfully, the pollution was so heavy yesterday that it kept the sun from becoming too unbearable. This also cut visibility, as can be seen in the picture. Thank God for smog, anyway.

-MG

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Photos

Cairo Smog
Do not adjust your screen. The picture is right.

The Egyptian Museum
And the Midan Tahrir