Impressions of Cairo
Last weekend I went on a last-minute trip to Cairo with a colleague. I literally bought the flight less than three hours before the plane left. I couldn’t be happier that I did.
The fact that Egypt is most definitely a “third world” country smacked me in the face the instant we walked out the door. Until this trip I hadn’t realized how relatively calm things are on the roads in Riyadh, how few people heckle you for cab rides as you exit the international terminal, and how by comparison, the city is clean, modern, and bright. That isn’t to say that Cairo wasn’t an incredible place to be, but more a confession that I had frankly nearly forgotten that Cairo IS, in fact, in Africa. In many ways it felt much more like Quito or Mexico City than Riyadh or Bahrain, the only other two major cities in the region I have experienced thus far.
Two other impressions of the city have really stuck with me from this trip. First, that the pyramids are literally right on the edge of town. As you cross the river Nile on the highway, you begin to see off in the distance, past the agricultural fields cultivated practically in the middle of neighborhoods, past the tall apartments in the distance, the tips of the pyramids. As you approach, you begin to realize that the neighborhoods around the pyramids run practically smack into their base. Once you reach the pyramids, however, you reach the desert, and there is very, very little to see in the distance.
The second realization was that the Nile is a HUGE river. Keep in mind that Saudi Arabia, which has deserts and a climate that looked very similar to the dunes at Giza, has no permanent rivers or lakes. By contrast, the Nile is truly massive, and allows vibrant green plant life to thrive along its banks that stands in sharp contrast to the many deteriorating buildings, dirty roadways, and deserts beyond.
On my second day in Cairo, after my colleague Magnus had already headed off to the airport to return to Saudi, I took a leisurely trip to the Egyptian Museum. While it was a mess of a museum, full to the brim with artifacts of staggering importance with little or no explanation or signage, once I found a knowledgeable guide, its secrets began to reveal themselves.
The man who led me through the place was actually an archaeologist by trade and training, and full of incredible stories of an empire that truly came to life for me when looking at the artifacts in the museum. He is actually going to be part of a National Geographic documentary on possible new cures to cancer which have been uncovered through examination of the DNA of mummies which suffered from Leukemia by had apparently lived for decades before dying of other causes.
The energy devoted to ensuring a shot at reincarnation through mummification and tombs just amazing, and the luxuries that existed for the royalty were staggering. It was incredible to see King Tutankhamen’s famous gold mask sitting rather inconspicuously in the treasures room, and to learn that one of the famous black stone sculptures (whose significance I have already forgotten) was actually carved with diamonds.
The trip was like an appetizer, and has left me with a strong desire to return to Egypt and explore more of the nation’s history through a visit to Luxor and Ramses Temple. Who knows, maybe I will find another opportunity sometime soon. Unfortunately, that seems unlikely unless my next project sends me to Africa.
For now, it’s off to Dubai on Tuesday for the total juxtaposition: a city with little history, but with a present and future built to dimensions which are almost impossible to imagination. I hope the experience is just as fascinating and rewarding.
- Welcome to The Intrepid Mr. Fox
Welcome to the personal weblog of Mitchell W. Fox, a management strategy consultant in Sydney, Australia.The Intrepid Mr. Fox is about my personal life and adventures. It focuses on three main topics: The Good Life (things I enjoy in my leisure time), Travel, and my thoughts and ideas about the world around us.