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Travel Blog of the Gaps
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Location Date Europe 1664924400 North America 1652310000 Asia 1520553600 Africa 
1289520000 - Egypt
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Location Date Cairo
1289520000 Alexandria 1289433600 Luxor 1289174400 -
Location Date Fri, 12 November 2010 1289604480 Fri, 05 November 2010 1288994580 Thu, 04 November 2010
1288850820 Wed, 03 November 2010 1288826880
The ancient Egyptians venerated felines. This possibly arose because their p**** cats helped to "control" the various vermin that raided the Egyptians' food vaults.
Modern Cairo seems to carry on this tradition because the city is positively brimming with cats, in the same fashion that North American cities can swarm with squirrels or pigeons.
The cats that prowl through residential and business neighborhoods are thin, feral and no doubt live abbreviated lives. Some interact freely with their two-legged neighbors, but most exhibit the disregard for which cats are famous. Perhaps they believe that the humans are swarming in their own territory and not vice versa. Perspective is, after all, everything.
And such is my perspective on Cairo: Some of it seems familiar, some of it (e.g., crossing the street) requires a definite "heads-up" attitude, some of it makes the entire place seem truly exotic.
Toby and I walked across bits of Cairo to seek out the Khan el-Khalili, a large market area that contains a variety of merchant booths. Along the way to & fro we passed through swaths of focused shopping districts: A men's tailor district, a lighting district, a home appliance district, a furniture district, and an enormous fabric district. We wandered through small alleys lined with shops that overflowed into the passageways. Occasionally a car would seek to maneuver through the maze, often getting stuck at a turn.
As we gazed upon a multi-story-high display of fabrics and clothes, one gentleman beckoned to us from the entrance to a mosque. He offered us a tour of the mosque, and then for E£15 (about $2.60) each, he would take us to the top of the minaret. How could we refuse? So off we went to ascend 16th century stone steps that muezzin have climbed 5 times daily to sing out their calls to prayer. We took in the view of Islamic Cairo from this lofty perch.
There is, of course, more to tell, but this morning the pyramids are awaiting our arrival, and you never want to keep a pharaoh twiddling his mummified thumbs.
Blog to you later!
Modern Cairo seems to carry on this tradition because the city is positively brimming with cats, in the same fashion that North American cities can swarm with squirrels or pigeons.
The cats that prowl through residential and business neighborhoods are thin, feral and no doubt live abbreviated lives. Some interact freely with their two-legged neighbors, but most exhibit the disregard for which cats are famous. Perhaps they believe that the humans are swarming in their own territory and not vice versa. Perspective is, after all, everything.
And such is my perspective on Cairo: Some of it seems familiar, some of it (e.g., crossing the street) requires a definite "heads-up" attitude, some of it makes the entire place seem truly exotic.
Toby and I walked across bits of Cairo to seek out the Khan el-Khalili, a large market area that contains a variety of merchant booths. Along the way to & fro we passed through swaths of focused shopping districts: A men's tailor district, a lighting district, a home appliance district, a furniture district, and an enormous fabric district. We wandered through small alleys lined with shops that overflowed into the passageways. Occasionally a car would seek to maneuver through the maze, often getting stuck at a turn.
As we gazed upon a multi-story-high display of fabrics and clothes, one gentleman beckoned to us from the entrance to a mosque. He offered us a tour of the mosque, and then for E£15 (about $2.60) each, he would take us to the top of the minaret. How could we refuse? So off we went to ascend 16th century stone steps that muezzin have climbed 5 times daily to sing out their calls to prayer. We took in the view of Islamic Cairo from this lofty perch.
There is, of course, more to tell, but this morning the pyramids are awaiting our arrival, and you never want to keep a pharaoh twiddling his mummified thumbs.
Blog to you later!
- comments
T You forgot to mention the boys on bicycles, weaving their way through the bumpy crowded alleys, with a huge tray of freshly baked bread on their heads. Amazing feat!