My travel diary entry - Cairo, Egypt Day 1

My parents and I were on a tour of the Holy Lands and we had two days in Cairo. It was quite peaceful at that time so while the threat advisory that was issued to us, scared us a bit… not knowing what to expect really, at the end of our trip, we were glad to have taken that plunge and seen this beautiful city. Before leaving for Cairo, we were advised the following –

1.  Wear clothes that are modest and not exposing any of your shoulders, chest, back, thighs and knees
2.  Avoid public displays of affection e.g. while taking photographs, because people are very conservative
3. Do not express any opinions that may be considered blasphemous or against Islam
4. While entering any place of worship, please remove your footwear
5.  Always greet others with a smile and ‘As Salaamu Aleykum’ (literally means Peace Upon you)
6. Even if an Egyptian speaks loudly, do not be alarmed; they are not shouting generally and if they are then you would definitely know.

We flew into Cairo International Airport and landed at Terminal 1. Our group of about 80 people waited for about an hour and half before our visa was stamped on our passports. We stepped out to find our buses waiting for us outside the terminal. We also found passengers haggling with cab drivers. But our guide told us about the free shuttle buses. Tip: A free shuttle bus runs between the two terminals 1 and 3 (Terminal 3 had opened only the previous year and Terminal 2 was/is closed for renovations) and the bus station every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. 

As we drove to our hotel in Midan Tahrir, the very centre of this beautiful city, we passed the Ramses station which is Cairo’ main railway station for long-distance trains in and out of Cairo and its adjoining areas. The traffic and crowds were maddening but when you are from a city like Mumbai, you tend to turn a blind eye to it.

Midan Tahrir is a bustling public square and home to the Egyptian Museum, American University of Cairo, several government offices and cannot be missed are Hilton and Intercontinental hotels. Tip: Be very careful on the streets because traffic rules are not followed much.

After some rest at our hotel, we set out to explore the city of Cairo starting with the Garden City, well-planned and designed by architect Lamba. This is to the south of Midan Tahrir and is a high-security area. The Vatican owns quite a sizeable chunk of property in Garden City and several embassies are housed here; one of the most historical one is the British Embassy. That is the site where Lord Mountbatten, Viceroy of India met Prince Philip to discuss the betrothal to then Princess Elizabeth and also from where the British asked then King Farouk to appoint a pro-British cabinet or abdicate.

Tips:

1. You can walk around in Garden City and admire its architecture, with its beautiful palaces and villas. Be sure to stroll around the Qasr e-Nil Bridge in the evening and admire the lion statues and see lots of couples spend time with each other in a very conservative manner.
2. You can sail around the Nile in an original Egyptian ship / feclluca available in front of The Four Seasons Hotel.

We then proceeded to Gezira (which means ‘island’ in Arabic). There are many centres of Art here but the star attraction is the Cairo tower; a 600+ ft tall concrete building designed by Egyptian architect Naoum Shebib based on the iconic symbol of ancient Egypt – the pharaonic lotus plant. Cairo Tower gives a good view of the city and the surrounding Giza pyramids.

We saw the Opera House which is the symbol of Egypt’s culture where performances are on every night. We also passed by various sports clubs.

The best was saved for last – the Nile Maxim Dinner Cruise. Tip: Do not miss a cruise down the Nile especially at night.

We admired the scenic views of downtown Cairo while listening to a live band and enjoying a sumptuous dinner. We were entertained by a variety of cultural shows. First a gorgeous belly dancer showed us her moves and made it look so easy that I who love dance form of any kind went up to try it much to the dismay of my parents. Unfortunately, belly dancing is not my cup of tea. This was followed by an Oriental dance which again I tried with moderate success but more dismay of my parents. Then some Egyptian folklore with the stories of Re, Nut, Isis, Osiris, Seth and Horus had us all in raptures.

Tip: While it is not an obligation to provide tips / gratuities for good service; since wages are low, most customers drop tips at the Reception so that it is divided fairly among all the staff.

We bought a lot of Egyptian memorabilia from the souvenir shop and took a lot of pictures. In short, we had a wonderful time. We looked forward to day 2 at the Giza pyramids, Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo and in anticipation fell asleep within the hour of reaching our hotel.