Cairo is easily the most polluted city Ive been to at dusk the smog hurts your eyes. Its the second biggest city Ive visited at 12 million people. Crossing the streets is fucking insane, worse than Vietnam even as you are dodging cars instead of bikes, just about got hit a couple of times. Theres great street food though, fool, falafel, shaweema etc. Packed full of package tourists, swarmed out of air con buses with flag waving tour guides. Cheap Battered black and white taxis that test your bargaining skills. Touts galore, trying to get you into there shops and selling you trips goods etc. lots or horns and noise. Armed guards everywhere, packing pistols, AKs and sub machine guns. Saw at least 5 fender benders.
The Pyramids of Giza were wicked, made me glad I had made the effort to get to Egypt.
Went out there by local bus and kicked about the site for half a day, closer to Cairo than Id imagined, got there a bit early though and had to wait for the smog to burn off so we could get a decent look at them. The Sphinx was smaller than I thought it would be and the Pyramids were as expected, massive. Went inside the Pyramid of Khafre (second biggest of the three) was like a hamster run, cramped with little to see. Lots of package tourists about but they stick to a beaten path so its easy to avoid them, much harder to dodge the camel/ horse ride salesmen. Around the smallest Pyramid was the best spot, really chilled out with few hassles.
Did a walk from downtown to the Islamic part of Cairo, was crazy, ended up going through some market areas and the sounds, smells, views just about gave me sensory overload, not to mention the traffic dodging and people sidestepping.
Went for a night time faluka (sail boat) ride on the Nile was nice, really relaxing, quite, a nice way to escape the hussle and bussle that is everywhere in Cairo.
All in all really enjoyed Cairo, great to be back in a cheap third world country.
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