Hello everyone, I am heading to Alexandria today and looking forward to getting away from sucking on exhaust flumes and smog. I don’t know how these people deal with it day in and day out. The exhaust is the worst of it all. In the morning it settles in the streets, during the day the cars just stir it around. It is all a person breaths while walking in the street.
There is no system to the traffic, people just drive within the lanes, in between the lanes. If there is a stop light they just blow right through it sometimes unless a traffic cop is singling the intersection. They honk to let each other know where they are in the road.
I hired a taxi and saw the pyramids from a distance, I have a few pictures, although I need to find a good computer to load them up. The pyramids are truly amazing. I will do the close up tour when I get back to Cairo. The problem is they built the city just about on top of it. This city has given me a whole new perspective on life. Many Americans, even if poor, don’t know how good they have it.
The most pleasant eye opener are the people, they are truly wonderful, humorous, caring; everyone agrees, the American people are good – bad government, the Egyptian people are good – bad government, everyone is in total agreement with this. I can blend in very easy, if I don’t carry my day pack, and don’t say anything, people think I am Egyptian. Although, since people are poor they will try to raise the price, I am leaning quickly how to bargain. Although poor, there is no crime in Cairo, which I said 15 million, more like 20 to 25 million people.
I bought a cell phone today. The reason is because I can call anywhere in Egypt for hotels and such. I can also call international if need to, meaning the USA. All it took was to buy a phone (I got one for $30.00) buy a Simm card – $4.00, and then buy minutes, when the minutes run out just buy some more. It is about 40pt per minute which 100pt is one pound which 5.5 pounds is $1.00.
Two guys from Iraq are here at the hotel. They lost everything including their family. There are displaced. Although, they agree, American people are good (even though there might be a more crime in America) for the most part Americans are friendly and nice, but very bad government. Long story.