Cairo, Egypt
This city is dirty, hazed by smog, hard to deal with, and amazing.
Last night at 1:00 in the morning Ariel, one of her roommates, and me went to the airport to pick up her friend Liz who also came to visit. We decided to dress in the traditional Muslim hijab, or head scarf, because it is much safer to be a Muslim woman in Cairo than simply a woman. Egyptian men are very derogatory towards woman. They will hiss and say dirty things to you as you pass in the street. Roman men are the same sometimes but I know how to handle them better. We dressed in hijab because Muslim woman, while not treated anywhere even near equal to men, are more or less ignored by Egyptian men. It is difficult to say what is better, being treated as if you didn’t exist or being degraded. In this case, being so late at night, we chose ignorance. So we walked out of her flat and caught a taxi. The corruption in Egypt is everywhere. An American will get ripped off endlessly by the Egyptians and not even know it, which is why I am very glad to have Ariel with me. She is usually able to negotiate the asking prices down to a much more appropriate fare. However tonight, dressed in hijab and being thought Muslim, the taxi fare to the airport was the lowest she had ever experienced. The Egyptians will take advantage of you and demand an unreasonable price for almost everything if you are not experienced in the culture. Muslim woman are more respected in this way which is shameful. I never understood how much freedom and equality America offers until experiencing religious, gender, and ethic inequality like this.
After we woke up this morning we took a taxi to the Pyramids of Giza. The Egyptian drivers are even more ruthless and artless than Italian drivers. We take taxis everywhere though, so I have become accustomed to it. Cairo is enormous in size with a population to match. I have never imagined a city this large and even being here it is still unimaginable. We got to the Pyramids and Ariel warned of the many men and children who would approach asking for your tickets and tricking you into buying things. I have seen people like this around Rome, but the men and children here, starting at an extremely young age, are much more crafty and artful in their approach. While it is a hassle having to ignore them and say “la”, the word for no in Arabic, I was able to do so. However we didn’t ignore everyone asking us if we would like to ride on a camel, because we actually really wanted to. Ariel negotiated the price of a ride and was amazing in doing so. She refused to pay more on principle even though if you convert the price into US dollars it is not a large difference. She would say, “la, give me an Egyptian price” and start to walk away, and when she did they would start to renegotiate. We ended up finding one for 60 Egyptian pounds for Ariel and me to share a camel ride and for Liz to tag along on a horse. What an experience! I had so much fun, I even got to steer the camel. At one point we were so far ahead of Liz and the Egyptian man that we looked as if we were two American girls riding on our very own camel in the middle of the Egyptian desert. Ariel would call out in Arabic to the Egyptians saying hello and how are you. They were so intrigued, smiling and laughing at the site of the two of us. We rode around having an absolute blast for nearly an hour before the camel very abruptly sat down, almost throwing us off, and our camel adventure came to an end. We continued around the pyramids for a bit and went to the sphinx, took lots of photos, even making a composition of the sphinx and me kissing. It is really a mind blowing experience to be surrounded by these enormous, ancient structures. Roman history is so old itself, but when compared to Egypt it’s the new kid on the block. It’s fascinating standing in the presence of these structures reflecting on everything that I have learned about them. It is unimaginable how people were able to build the pyramids and create this art and take part in a complete, civil society over 4,000 years ago.
We later went to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities which is where all the belongings of Tutankhamun’s burial place are preserved. The museum, like everything in Cairo, is rather dirty and poorly lit, but the effect of its belongings is still marvelous. I saw dozens of mummy coffins and Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
Now I am back at Ariel’s flat relaxing before we head out for a nice dinner along the Nile and then out for the evening. Every time I drive over the Nile I think to myself, wow, this is where civilization began. The thought makes me feel the same way as I felt at the Coliseum. I feel as if I am a part of history. It is so interesting how the world advances and how each civilization can contribute and leave such an impression on future generations.
Religion rules the daily life of Islamic Egyptians. How they think and act, what they wear, and their daily activities. I see men take out mats in the middle of the street at certain times of the day and kneel down to begin chanting prayers and worshiping. Since today is Friday, the holy day in the Islamic religion, I can hear Muslim prayers from outside loud and clear, they are very serene sounding. I love comparing the sounds of the cities I have been too; each is so distinct. In Rome I listen to church bells and accordions, and in Cairo I hear prayers. I am so glad I decided to make this trip and experience a culture like none I have known.. It is true the differences are vast but it is much easier to get caught up in the difference and overlook the similarities. While it is easy to stereotype Egyptians men as crude, Egyptian woman as ignorant, and a majority of Egyptians as people skilled in the craft of scamming you, I have also found it importent to remember that a lot of the people here are people just like me simply living, getting along, and in their hearts, mean good. I am also now convinced that no matter where you are, all humans truly are just want to interact and have fun, and laughter is everyone’s devotion.
2 years ago • Notes